Natural Childbirth is Over Rated!!

This is going to be super long, and probably full of TMI, so sorry. I went to my doctor's appointment on Wednesday morning not expecting anything to have changed. We just took Xander with us so that we didn't have to inconvenience anyone for no reason. He checked me and I was dilated 2 cm. He let me decide what I wanted to do, so I said that I wanted to be induced. We headed over to the lab to get some blood work done first. There was another pregnant lady who got there just before us, so she got her stuff done first and then got the last available room. We had to wait in the waiting room for a room for about and hour and a half. I got all set up and then Grandma and Grandpa Lindsay came and got Xander. The doctor came and inserted the medication to get my contractions going and get everything nice and soft. He did this at about 11:30. It started to work immediately. They just felt like cramps, so I was doing good. A little while later the doctor came and stripped my membranes. I then went and walked the halls to help get things moving even more. I had to take my IV drip with me because I was getting Pitocin and antibiotics. I felt pretty stupid roaming the halls of the hospital in my robe and pushing along my fluids. Especially because there were several people from my ward there giving a blessing. Brandon came with me at first, but then he went back to the room to play Solitaire. They have old pictures and stories framed all over the walls about the settling of the valley. I took my mind off of the contractions by looking at the pictures and trying to get name ideas. A few hours later he checked me and I was at a 3.5 and they wanted me to wait until I was 4.5 before getting the epidural because they didn't want my labor to slow down. So, I roamed the halls for another hour and then was able to get my epidural. The anesthesiologist had only worked there for three weeks and they didn't have the type of instrument that he was used to, so he had to make do. The epidural ended up only working on my right side. That doesn't mean that I only felt half the pain, it meant that I felt both sides of the pain on the left side. I tried laying on my left side to get it to spread, but the baby didn't like that and his heart rate fell. They were pretty busy, so he had to go to the OR for a few hours, so he couldn't help fix it right then. The doctor came and stripped my membranes again. He barely got in there and my water broke. They had to place an internal monitor on the baby because he kept moving around and losing the heartbeat. It was a little screw that they put into the baby's head to make sure he's okay. I can't even tell where they put it in. The contractions were coming pretty hard and fast now, about 1-2 minutes apart. I was not at all prepared for a failed epidural, so I had no idea how to manage the pain. By the time I got to 8 cm, I was ready to be done. Brandon and the nurse helped me focus and breath through the pain. I finally got the hang of it and I even slept through a few contractions. I was 9 cm when the anesthesiologist came back in and gave me another shot of medicine. They had me lay on my left side so that it would spread to that side. When I got to 10 cm I was good and numb. This was not a good thing because I was too numb to push. So, I had to wait about an hour for the epidural to wear off. This was an hour of pure bliss. Brandon enjoyed it, too, because I wasn't squeezing the guts out of his hand and he could follow the basketball game better. All of the sudden my epidural wore off and I started pushing. I was making slow progress and was really starting to swell. By then, the pain was unbearable and I was so tired that I couldn't push very effectively. The baby's heart rate was doing good and it was even going up each time I pushed, which is a good sign. Then all of the sudden they had me stop pushing and they rolled me onto my side. I didn't know this until after, but his heart rate started to drop and he was struggling. I was struggling as well and I wasn't brave or quiet about my discomfort. The doctor asked the nurse for a vacuum, but she got the wrong one, so she went and got another one. It still wasn't the right one, but he tried it anyway. It kept slipping off, so he threw it, and yelled at the nurse telling her to find the one he wanted. She finally go the right one and he was able to be suctioned out at 11:01 pm. I tore a little, but it could have been a lot worse. It took the baby a few minutes before he cried, and that was kind of scary. I found out later that his head was over 4 cm above average and that was why I was having a hard time getting him out. I also found out that the doctor had a crew with a bed ready outside the door to take me to the OR for and emergency C-Section. I was so relieved that he was there and safe, and that he latched on immediately. I can't believe that some women would go through natural childbirth voluntarily, because it was a nightmare for me.

After I got back to my room it was nice to be able to walk around and not still be numb from the epidural. Brandon went home to sleep because we knew we would both sleep better that way. They were concerned about how much I was still bleeding the next day, so they gave me some pill to get my uterus to clamp down. About 10 minutes after taking it, my body went into teeth chattering shakes. I couldn't get control and my palms started to itch as well. Add this to the cramping, and I was kind of scared. Brandon went and got the nurse and she got me a warm blanket and that helped a little. I guess I had a bad reaction to the medication and none of the nurses had ever seen that happen. They still made me keep taking the stuff, but I never had a reaction quite like that first one. I was supposed to go home that night, but they decided to make me stay just to keep an eye on me. So, we headed home on Friday morning. I really hope that I get amnesia soon, because I don't know how excited I am about doing that again. I am very grateful that I am blessed to have given birth to two healthy boys. Even though I had a bad experience, it was still amazing and I wouldn't trade the outcome for anything in the world!

If all is going according to plan, this week your baby is locked and loaded -- head down in the birth canal, waiting to make his grand entrance into the world. Even though he's fully formed, his immune system is still immature. He's going to use the rest of his womb time wisely, taking in important antibodies from the placenta. He'll continue to gain weight until he is born, and his tiny little nails will keep on growing -- some babies are born already in need of a mani/pedi! His skull bones haven't fused yet, which is best considering the cramped space he'll have to squeeze through before all is said and done!

Still Waiting

Cassie came up this morning to watch Xander while we went to my Dr.'s appointment. The baby hasn't dropped yet, so he's not putting any pressure on me to dilate and I am at 0 centimeters, 0% effaced, and his head is just bobbing around in there. He didn't want to induce me at this point because then I still have a 50% chance of needing a C-Section. So, he sent us home disappointed. I'm upset because Cassie came up to watch Xander and then just turned around and went home. I got myself so worked up and stressed out about having the baby today that I was up all night and felt sick all morning. I guess I need to go for some serious walks and just let things happen like they are supposed to. I have another appointment next week and he will check my progress and then decide what to do from there. He said that the baby is big, but too big at this point, so I don't need to worry about that. At least I lost a pound this week, so he's not getting too out of control in there. If anyone has any ideas for me, let me know. I'm sorry to anyone that we inconvenienced.

Your little starlet is making final preparations for her curtain call this week. She’s shed her downy lanugo and the vernix caseosa that has coated her for the past few months is starting to slough off. There isn’t much room at all for this wee Rockette to perfect her high kicks, but you’ll still feel those dance moves from time to time. And that’s about all she’s doing this week, besides continuing to plump up a bit, creating those oh-so-kissable cheeks that we all love!

To Our Second Born:

We have been waiting for a long time for you to join our family. I have no doubt that you have been waiting for a long time as well while I became the mom that you needed me to be. You will be leaving all of your comforts soon to join our family, and we couldn't be more excited/nervous to meet you. You have a wonderful father who will accept you for who you are and love you no matter what. You have a mother who will try her hardest to make sure that you grow up to be a righteous man and in the meantime will smother you with kisses and lotion. You have a big brother who will be kind to you and can't wait to play with you. We're excited to see what role you will play in our family, but know that you are already loved. Please bare with us as we try to figure out how to handle two sons, we're new at this. We love you! Love, Mom and Dad

To Our Firstborn:

In a few days we will hopefully be bringing home your little brother and your new role as "big brother" will begin. Our lives have been so blessed since you arrived in our arms 3 years and nine months ago. We had no idea what we were doing, but so far we've made it through. I can't wait to see if your little brother will share your button nose, stubby toes, and lively green/brown eyes. We love every bit of you! You are smart, and your love and gift for books, letters, numbers, and puzzles amazes me. I love that you prefer trains over sports. It makes me smile that you love funny sounding words and repeating them all day long just to make yourself laugh, SWAP. You are kind and compassionate. You pick up on others feelings so easily as if you know exactly how they feel. You are so good to play by yourself when I need a break and I know that this will help your imagination to grow even more. You don't like to perform and sing songs, but I will catch you throughout the day singing your own made up songs, today it was about cheesy potatoes. Thank you for always being willing to give hugs and kisses and to say "I love you" when I really need to hear it. I know that you will be a great big brother because you love to help me and you love babies. I can't wait to see you and your brother reunited again and I hope you know that we love you very much!
Love, Mom and Dad

39 Weeks, Almost

Whoa! That's a lot of belly to haul around if I do say so myself. All day at church people kept staring at my belly when I would walk by. As I walked into Relief Society one lady looked at me and laughed. She said it was because of the look on my face, but I'm not convinced. Xander was sitting on my lap tonight while we read books and the baby kicked him. He couldn't stop laughing about it. It was really cute. I'm not as nervous as I thought I would be about having this baby. I just try not to think about the details too much because it overwhelms me. The main thing I'm worried about is ending up having a C-Section, that scares me to death. I'm pretty nervous about nursing again because it was so hard with Xander, so hopefully this baby will be better at it.

This is how I feel, and embarrassed to say act, right now. Just watch until the opening credits.

38 Weeks

I had another doctor's appointment today. Brandon took off from work to come with me, mostly because all of the ladies at work told him that he should. The doctor did another ultrasound to measure the baby. He weighs an estimated 8+ lbs. He wants to get him here before he gets any bigger, but he doesn't want to risk lung underdevelopment by starting me sooner than we have to. I have another appointment next week and if I don't go into labor by then, then he will induce me at that appointment. He didn't check to see if I'm dilated because I'm not having any real contractions, so I hope that I'm progressing on my own. The Scouts are doing highway cleanup tomorrow, so maybe that will help.
This baby is thoroughly searching my insides for a way out. Most of the time he tries to get out the side and it makes my stomach look like I ate an oblong watermelon. He also really likes to push down, which really hurts and it feels like he's about to break my water.
My Braxton Hicks are getting worse, but I still don't think they are real contractions. On Monday evening they were coming every three minutes and getting more uncomfortable, but they stopped before they turned into real contractions. He starts moving as soon as I lie down, which prevents me from getting any sleep at all. I think it goes without saying that I am super grumpy and irritable. Xander has been really good to watch cartoons while I sleep-in in the mornings.
I thought that I might get through this pregnancy without stretch marks because he has been using all of the ones that Xander made for me. Well, they have started to appear. They are not totally new, just little extentions to the old ones. Thankfully they are just little dots right now and they don't itch.
My feet are looking pretty sad because I can't bend over to reach them. I asked Brandon to paint them for me, but he refused. He would have done it if we were dating and not married for the last 6.5 years.
I have lost my appetite lately. Nothing sounds good to eat, except Texas Sheet Cake, of course.
I never go anywhere, and no one ever comes here, so I rarely do my hair and make-up. I have started to do it every day this week, just in case I go into labor. I've got my cameras charged and packed and my hospital bag is mostly packed and ready to go. I need to get Xander a bag packed, even though I have no idea where he will go when the baby comes. I'm sure he would love to be in the room with us, but that would stress me out too much.

Your baby is growing full-steam ahead, accumulating fat and gaining about an ounce every day, but she is about as long as she will get for now.

She is practicing breathing as her lungs continue to develop, as well as urinating and storing up meconium -- a dark substance composed of bile, mucus and epithelial cells -- that will become her first bowel movement. But even though her grip is getting firmer in utero, you still have years until she grasps the whole potty-training thing... At least you have time to prepare!

37 Weeks

I went and saw the family doctor today. He was really nice and made sure that all of my medical history was reviewed and that all of my questions were answered. He explained, in great detail, how a spinal epidural works. I'd rather just know that it does work, and not how. He didn't check my progress because I haven't felt any painful contractions. I finally gained a few pounds this week, which makes me fell a little better that he is actually growing. my blood pressure is good and there was no sugar in my urine, so that's good. I had him look at Xander's finger that is still infected while we were there. He wrote him an antibiotic prescription and asked if he was allergic to any antibiotics. I said I didn't know because he has never been on antibiotics. He couldn't believe that he is three and a half and never been on antibiotics. I guess being pro-germ and never going anywhere has made him pretty hardy when it comes to diseases.

I'm pretty grateful this week that I have a strict diet to follow. Last Thursday we had a busy day, so I didn't eat very well. By the end of the day I was really feeling horrible. I was nauseous, had a headache, and the worst heartburn of my life. I'm pretty thankful that the doctor put me on this diet because I can't imagine feeling like that for months, because I never would have thought to cut sugar out of my diet. I have been super hormonal latley, especially since they added a Pediatric Surgeon to "Grey's Anatomy". I hate how the littlest things make me burst into tears, and it's only going to get worse. I have been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions this week. I used to just get them when I walked a lot or went up and down stairs. I now get them pretty often all day long. They don't necessarily hurt, but they are uncomfortable and make it hard to relax and breath. Maybe this means that the real thing is going to start soon, I'm not ready!

We still haven't decided on a name, but I appreciate everyone voting on our poll. I read this article today on Yahoo. It talked about the most popular names for 2008. Here are a few of the stats:
Barack and Miley move up, but the classics still rule. Emma is the top baby name for girls, Jacob for boys. Emma's surge to the top in 2008 ended Emily's 12-year reign as the No. 1 baby name for girls, the Social Security Administration announced Friday.

Jacob held onto the boy's crown for the 10th straight year.

Barack may have been the man of the year in 2008 as Obama won the White House, but the president still trails the king. Barack moved up a record 10,126 places to No. 2,409. Elvis is still in the building, though he slipped from 673 to 713.
Emma debuted in the top 10 in 2002, the same year that Jennifer Aniston's character on "Friends" gave the name to her TV show baby. In the latest lineup, Emma was followed by Isabella, Emily, Madison and Ava.
Miley, as in popular teen singer Miley Cyrus, moved up 152 spots to No. 127. But her stage name, Hannah — as in Hannah Montana — fell from No. 9 to No. 17.
The top five boys names remained unchanged from 2007. Jacob was followed by Michael, Ethan, Joshua and Daniel. Alexander joined the top 10 at No. 6 while Andrew dropped out.
New girl names in the national top 1,000 included Isla (623), Mareli (718), Milagros (731), Dayami (750) and Nylah (821).
Debuting among the boys were Aaden (343), Chace (655), Marley (764), Kash (779) and Kymani (836). Beckham debuted at 893, perhaps a nod to the British soccer star, David Beckham, who now plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Thank goodness we are not Democrats, because I'm sure Brandon would be pushing for Barack, and it just does not go with Buck.

Your little athlete is full term -- he has opted to stay and mature instead of bolting for the big leagues. He’s still tiny though; at only 6.5 lbs, he's no linebacker. But he’ll bulk up quickly! Expect him to gain about a half an ounce each day until he is born. Even though he’s still growing, he has probably already settled into the position he’ll be in at birth. And he’s also producing the cortisone that will help him to breathe once he enters our world; even though he’s full term, he’s still doing some every important work!