Sophie's here!!!

Here is the crazy story of how Sophie made her big debut! :)

On Tuesday afternoon we went in for our normal 38 week check up. I wasn't able to see my doctor because she was busy in labor and delivery. I saw a nurse practitioner who I did NOT prefer (for more reasons than I am about to list). At one point, she left the room to come back and say "Ok, here is what we are going to do... you are going to go have a few tests done because these are the things that are wrong: you have high blood pressure, protein in your urine, and your uterus was measuring small." Tears began to roll down my face.  I have never had any issues throughout the whole pregnancy. My doctor and nurses would make fun of me for being such a 'boring pregnant woman.' I was so confused. She hurried us out and we went to the desk to check out. The desk lady asked us "when" we needed to take these tests, and we had no idea. We were so lost and confused and didn't know what was going on. I had to go draw blood, do another urine test, and see an OBGYN at-risk specialist. When we saw the specialist he walked in the room and said "Do you know why you are here?" We laughed and said no idea. He was nice enough to take the time and explain to us why we were there. Basically, I had a restricted uterus. Meaning baby girl had stopped growing and fell below the size charts. He did all the measurements of her brain, different bones, her abdomen, and so on. As the different measurements for each were showing up on the TV, you can imagine the look on my face as I try and picture my sweet baby girl with a big brain, small forearm, normal femur bone, small tummy... I was thinking how deformed and un-proportional my baby will be! haha. The specialist then turns to me and says "are you ready to have your baby today?" I literally sat there thinking oh my gosh! is he serious? how do i respond to this? I shook my head in disbelief and he responds "is that a no?" in which I respond... "umm, no, that's just a really weird question!" He says "I'm sorry, but are you ready to have your baby today?" after this sinks in for a while and we confirm with the doctor that this is a done deal and there's no going back, we begin to call family (my parents who have to drive 12 hours) and my work telling them I'm not coming back this afternoon. We are escorted to labor and delivery. Hubby runs to our apartment and grabs are packed bags. Thanking God I had washed all her clothes and sheets and finished packing our bags just 2 days prior. We get settled in our room and start the pitocin. I'm at 1cm and say "this is going to take a while, isn't it?" yep!

Arrived to our room.

So here comes the meds... Due to the high blood pressure, I am diagnosed with preeclampsia. First I am givin pitocin (to start the induction) and magnesium (for preeclampsia so that it does not cause seizures during labor). I had multiple nurses come in and say, "Ok, so do you understand what's going on here...?" pointing at my IV stand. "pitocin is to have your muscles contract and magnesium is a muscle relaxer and we are hoping the pitocin wins" ohhhh, well ok. Yay for a chemical war going on inside me. The magnesium made me feel awful! Hot, dizzy, and nauseous. The nurses kept asking me if I was having trouble breathing (Apparently a side effect of magnesium). I just said no, but I feel like my hearts racing. They began to monitor my pulse which I was right and had escalated to 145. At this time I had 3 doctors standing there staring at me as I am feeling miserable like they were waiting for something bad to happen. I just remember telling my husband "I do not like the way this makes me feel." Then they gave me medicine for the nauseousness, which in turn made me sick (or I was still getting sick from the magnesium, whichever you prefer).

My IV stand

Then came the pain medicine. That made me even more sick and again some more medicine for nauseousness. Then the epidural. My anesthesiologist was really nice. Him and and my husband got along great talking about medical school. After he was done, he said "How does that feel?" I said good. He said "good I'm glad I did well on my first one!" not funny doctor! not funny! Hours later after the epidural I began feeling contractions on half of my body. It was obvious to me that one of my legs was much more 'dead' than the other. So I asked to have the anesthesiologist come back and fix it. My biggest fear was the medicine wearing off right before it was time to push. A lady came in, who didn't introduce herself, and gave me more medicine. A few hours later, the the epidural was wearing off on now the other side. I remember I kept saying to my husband "I don't want to be a weenie, I just want to get it fixed before it's time" over and over. So I asked an anesthesiologist to come back again. Apparently the previous resident that came in (and didn't introduce herself) didn't write down how much she gave me on my charts. So this doctor was a little hesitant giving me more and not knowing when I received the last dosage. Awesome! I think he called her and figured it out and ended up giving me more. He informed me that if this one didn't work, than I was out of luck because I was reaching my max amount. Looking back, I'm not sure why I wasn't freaking out to my husband by the doctors comment. Just a couple hours later I began pushing. I was pretty close to not saying anything because I didn't want to be 'that' pregnant woman constantly complaining. So glad I decided to speak up and have them come back a third time to fix it.
During the middle of the epidural, a resident came in to break my water. I will never forget this moment... a minute after my water broke, she says "Ok, well everythings looking really goooooo" And she stops and stares at the monitor and can't finish the word good. She pushes the emergency button, doctors and nurses come flying in, they lay my bed directly back and hook me up with an oxygen mask. My husbands head is in my face and I'm trying to stay calm. Apparently, when the water came out the umbilical cord tightened and was wrapped around her neck and her heart stopped. Her heart rate came back and everything was ok, but we were seconds away from a c-section.
I was in labor for 30 long hours (33 if you count all my tests that were done before labor and delivery). There's always that saying that night nurses are so much better than day nurses, which I didn't believe was fully true because I think I'd be cranky if I had to work all through the night every night. But I have to say it was 100% true for us. We loved our night nurse and actually had her twice! Ha! She came back the second night, and I look at her and say "We're stillllllllll here!" She was also the nurse there with us while Sophie was born and took us to post-partum. So thankful for great nurses!
Sometime during those 30 hours, I actually had to listen to someone else go through labor next door and she was a screamer. Can I just say that was the worst thing ever!!??!! Sitting there listening to someone scream and think "that's going to be me in a few hours" is awful. She was a bad screamer too! They should sound proof those walls better in the hospital, just sayin. Nobody wants to hear that. Hubby thought it sounded like they were killing her (that comment at the time wasn't helping either). We kept turning the volume on the TV louder and louder to drain her out, and I was trying to play mind games with myself and tell myself  "she's not having a baby, she's having open heart surgery and awake for it" anything to not believe it.
My doctor was actually at home when I started going into active labor. My nurse called her and told her it was time. And let me tell you... it took FOREVER for my doctor to get there (or it felt like it). I remember being able to hear my doctor through the phone as my nurse stood next to me, and turning to my husband saying "she better do valet !" Later we found out the reason why she was a little late was because she couldn't find someone to take care of her 4 kids (the littlest being a 5 month old and her husband being a doctor also). While we were waiting, I remember saying "I know she was at home spending time with her family, but she's my doctor and I need her here!" My husband kind of smirked and said "Ok, well remember this in the future when my patients 'need' me and I'm at home with my family." I remember grunting and thinking now's not the time to discuss this! But true statement, being on the other side and feeling the true need for my doctor to be there for me gives a new understanding. If my husband was smart, he'd use this moment against me in the future when I have a bad day and give him a hard time for leaving. And quick side note, I kid you not, while in active labor and a minute before baby girl was born, my doctor's cell phone went off. Her ringtone was a song and obviously she couldn't stop and reach in her pocket to turn it off so we all had to sit there and hear it out. Everyone laughed and I did NOT think it was funny at the time, but I do remember thinking "I guess that shows how she busted her butt up here and didn't stop to take the time and turn her phone off" which I was appreciative of.
...And then our beautiful baby girl was born! :) The first thing one of the nurses said to me was "It's still a girl!!!" Really? Was I supposed to be worried? That's a weird thing to shout out. The very first thing the doctor said when she held her up was "look at those long eye lashes!" She had a full head of brown hair and absolutely beautiful. NICU team was on standby and did there routine check up and she was good to go. So thankful she didn't have to go through NICU. She was born at 10:05pm 5lbs 9oz and 18" long. She was long and skinny and perfectly healthy.

Sophia's very first picture

Skinny and long

Footprints

Our sweet girl

I, on the other hand, still had high blood pressure and had to remain on the magnesium for another 12 hours and stay in the hospital an extra night instead of the standard one night. After being mesmerized by her beauty and in awe that she was ours, I stopped and thought... well wait a minute if she was perfectly healthy then why did we just have to through all that? Whatever. She's here, beautiful and healthy, and we're happy.

On our way to postpartum; swollen with 30 hours of liquids

For the grandmas...

This is an overdue post... but I wanted to share with you how we told the grandmas that we were pregnant. We found out a few days before Christmas so we ran around town on Christmas Eve trying to find something that we could wrap up and have them open on Christmas Day. And we came across this in Hallmark. I have to say this was the PERFECT gift. It was the perfect way for the grandparents to keep track of how far along we were and, in fact, I wish we had one for us because some weeks you just lose track because the weeks are going by so fast. I definitely recommend this as a grandma gift :)

Only 4 more weeks to go

I can't even fathom that we only have 4 more weeks to go! Crazy!!! Everything is going well and here are a few updates at 36 weeks:

Total weight gain so far - 26 pounds. Since I have been able to keep food in my stomach, I have been gaining about a pound a week at the least pretty consistently.
No stretch marks yet, but I itch my belly more and more and wouldn't be surprised if they appeared any day now.
I choose not to wear my wedding rings (too tight and uncomfortable), unless it's a special occasion or I don't feel like looking like a teen mom.
I snack all day non-stop. Don't mention food around me if you can't provide it. Even if it's not in a food context. For example, saying "that's just peachy" will make me want a peach.
At 35 weeks, I noticed my mood went straight to bluntness and rudeness. I no longer have a filter and can't believe some of the things that come out of my mouth. I no longer have a tolerance for 'dumb' people, whatever that means, and am easily annoyed. I have been ensured that this will pass because I was worried it was going to stay with me after being pregnant. I don't want to be mean forever :( Please bare with me, I only have 4 more weeks to go...
Heartburn comes and goes. It's not brutal, but is annoying.
My memory is awful! I can't even tell you what I ate this morning.
I get contractions a lot, but not consistent enough to send me to labor and delivery.
My little one is so active and I can tell she's getting bigger and bigger and feeling more and more cramped in there. This makes her punches and kicks a lot more painful!
Doctor confirms she's already head down. But of course she can change position.
We are done shopping and buying the necessities. We still have a few little things we have to do to her room, but in all honesty I'm saving those crafts for me to do while the hubby goes back to school in full swing. Nursery pictures to come!

Being pregnant and staying classy

Being pregnant is one of the things that seperates women from men. It's feminine, womanly, and so on. But at the same time, Being pregnant is the LEAST flattering, girly, lady-like things that can ever happen to you. Here is why: you're lucky if you can cross your legs, you sweat non-stop and stink because of it, you get swolen fingers and feet and can't wear jewelry or heels because of it, your hair is frizzier, acne, you can burp louder than anyone, you can barely shave your legs, you can't pick something up off the ground without awkwardly bending over, you constantly have dark circles under your eyes because no sleep is ever enough, you stuff your face with food non-stop, .... I think you get the picture. Being pregnant is not classy.

Small Town

My husband brought to my attention the other day that our little girl will have to say "Small Town", Texas when asked where she was born. For some reason, that never crossed my mind before! I'm so sorry baby girl.

And the winner is...

In honor of our 2 year anniversary.

When I was planning our wedding, I was allllll about doing things unique, making it fun, and memorable. One of those things being a guestbook. I remember I came up with an idea and searched and searched online (no pinterest back then!) to see if I could find something that mimicked what I was creating in my head... Something personal, memorable, similar to a scrapbook collection, and something that we would want to go back and look at for years to come. Although, I found a company that offered something similar, they wanted way too much money for what I was asking for (a common thread in planning a wedding), I was more than satisfied creating it myself so it would turn out exactly how I wanted. And I have to say this is the best guestbook idea ever!!!

The tables at our reception had a placemat/guestbook page that our guests could fill out while they were waiting for food or needing a break from dancing. It was also good in that the kids could draw all over it if they wanted to.

Here are the list of questions I came up with:
Name
Where did you travel from?
How did you meet the bride and groom?
What is your favorite memory with the bride and groom?
What is a "must do" for the bride and groom before their 10 year anniversary?
Your special wishes for the bride and groom.
Your predictions: Next city they will move to? Date of their first child? Number of children? One year anniversary plans?

I think our guest had a lot of fun coming up with answers to these questions! Some of the answers had alcohol involved and are hilarious to read! I remember the day after our wedding, sitting together, and flipping through this book. It was so fun to read. Remembering the very first time they met either of us, all their predictions, and their wishes for us.

Recently we re-organized our closet space (aka nesting) and came across our wedding box and ended up thumbing through our guestbook. And now for the fun part... WHO WON THE PREDICTION OF THE DATE OF THEIR FIRST CHILD???

The Winners

(drum roll please...)

First Place

Ron & Carrie - 11/15/12

Second Place

Dr. Zank - 11/2012

Tyler J. - 5/2012

Third Place

Mary and Enidio - 12/2013 

Jessica L. - 3/28/2012

Jason and Jamie - 3/15/2012

Hamiltons - 2/10/12

Paige - 2/21/12 

Courtney T. - 2/9/13

Honorable Mention

Ed and Veronique - 2012

Mama and Papa Ray - 2012

Jessica G. 2012

Erwins - 2012

I wish I had a prize for all of you! But instead you get bragging rights! For the record, no one guessed right on "Where we will move to next."
I definitely recommend this guestbook idea to everyone! It's so much better than just a signature :) It's always so fun to find and go back and read who was at our wedding and how they came into our lives.

Goodbye Second Trimester

We are now officially in our 3rd trimester!!! Woohoo! I thought I would take the time to sum up our 2nd trimester...

At the beginning of our second trimester, I was still having a rough time with morning sickness and still not gaining weight on the scale. Even though baby girl was gaining weight and growing just fine and started showing, the number on the scale was staying the same or even losing a pound. This bothered me quite a bit by myself and hearing people (not doctors) everyday tell me that it "was not normal" and I "don't even look pregnant" started to upset me. Nothing a pregnant girl wants to hear from friends/acquaintances/strangers. It truly is amazing how filters go away, input is given based on no experience, and you quickly feel judged for being sick and miserable! I was so grateful for those friends who had dealt with months of morning sickness and their comforting words. So, the second trimester were the months for me when I started showing more and I was a happy lady! The first time a stranger asked me when how far along I am was a great day!

I haven't had any crazy cravings. The only thing I would say is my new love for milk. I used to not be a die hard fan of milk, but now I can't get enough. I have a bowl of cereal for a snack at least once a day, maybe 2 glasses during dinner, and then maybe a small glass with cookies before I go to bed. Bring on the calcium!

Sleeping is getting more and more difficult. I look forward to the day when I can sleep on my stomach. I do not have a body pillow (or the special, expensive, for-pregnant-ladies-only pillow) because we have enough pillows on the bed. I simply have pillows all around me, including one inbetween my knees. For whatever reason, that really does work! My lovely husband the other night called it my 'crotch pillow' he couldn't even keep a straight face when he said it. We laughed so hard and now it's an ongoing joke every night - "babe, can you hand me my crotch pillow?" I know, we are real mature! :)

The second trimester brought on her kicks! And man, does she kick! The first time I felt her was at work and it just.. well felt weird. I kept rearranging my sitting position and couldn't figure out what it was. It was more of a tingling feeling in my stomach (some refer to it as popcorn popping). Only a few days later, came the jabs and hard kicks and she hasn't stopped since! I could lay in bed and feel her kick and punch all day. We had a moment one night where I would poke back and me and her could go back and forth. I wished so badly I could just grab her little hand or foot in there and kiss them and play with her! Now at the end of the 2nd trimester, they are more of rolls (shoulders and hips I guess) and what we like to call "body slams" which feel like large jolts and I have no idea what she's doing in there. If you stared at my belly from across the room you could probably see it spaz out if you're lucky. I look forward to the day where I'll be able to tell how she is laying, what's a foot, head, hand... Having my husband feel her move is definitely my favorite thing ever.

Retail therapy really does work! Getting dressed in the morning has become quite depressing. I should just pack away all the clothes and heels I can't fit into anymore and stop torturing myself. Luckily, I had a sweet friend (one of the students actually) loan me all of her maternity clothes. That was such a huge blessing and saved us a lot of money. But I got to a point where I felt like I needed to go shopping and pick out a few of my own clothes. It was amazing how I felt afterwards. You know how much better you feel after a huge shopping spree and you look forward to getting dressed in the morning because you have so many options. Just evidence that retail therapy really does work!

And here are a few things I couldn't live without during the 2nd trimester:

1.Belly Band - I was able to wear my pants that much longer! Better than having to go out and buy all new clothes.

2. Palmers Stretch Marks Cream - No stretch marks yet! Preventative action.

3. Water bottle - having a designated water bottle helps me keep tabs on how much water I'm drinking and is a constant reminder to keep drinking (which is hard because the more water you drink, the more often you have to use the restroom)

4. Pill box organizer - don't make fun of me. When I was sick, I couldn't remember for the life of me if I took my prenatal vitamins. I would never take them at the same time every day due to how I was feeling. This plus a forgetful mind, was not reliable. A little mini organizer that I could throw in my purse was perfect!

5. Old Navy's Fold Over Jersey Skirt - amazing! So comfy and perfect on the waist. I can wear it with a t-shirt or dress it up for work. I already have two and wish I had more. I'll definitely be wearing these after pregnancy too.

6. EAS Protein - my husband makes me a protein shake every morning (partly because he makes himself one and then leaves mine in the fridge). These have been perfect because I'm not a breakfast person. Ok, scratch that, I am a breakfast person, I'm just not a morning person and therefore do not leave myself time for breakfast. So protein shake on the way to work it is!

7. Consumer Reviews - I am constantly updating researching and changing our gift registry. I hate making updates online because I am a visual person and want to hold it right in front of me when choosing. Relying on other parents reviews have been so helpful.

8. my husband - he's been such a huge help and I love watching him care for me, because I know it's him caring for baby girl, not me.

We are currently getting her room ready. I can't wait to post all the projects I have been working on - Stay tuned for her nursery!