Going Well

We are so enjoying our new bundle of joy! She hardly cries and when she does, it is adorably sweet. We gave her her first sponge bath yesterday and she didn't mind it too much. I'll post pics as soon as I can get around to uploading them. Dennis and I are adjusting pretty well to our new sleep schedule and are establishing a good routine so far. She is definitely daddy's little girl and I LOVE watching them bond. We are just so blessed to have such a beautiful baby girl.

Caitlin Marie

Here she is! After being induced Monday night, she was born Tuesday, November 4th at 7:20pm. She weighed 6lbs 11oz and is 19.25 inches long. It was an absolutely wonderful labor and delivery. There were a few complications right as I delivered, but she is happy and healthy now. We were discharged from the hospital yesterday morning and have been relaxing at home in our own bed!!! I will post more pictures soon!

Accidental Nap

Today I had a 3 hour accidental nap. I just meant to lay down for a bit, but because of all the pillows I have to use to support my body I was SUPER comfortable and fell right to sleep. Thankfully for Dennis I woke up around 6:15 (because the heater came on and I was getting really hot).....and thankfully the dinner planned for tonight was leftovers. So sleepy eyed and barely coherent, I was able to fix Dennis a pretty good looking dinner of tri-tip, mashed sweet potatoes, and salad. For dessert (and after I woke up a bit) I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies....which he is enjoying now and hopefully won't eat too many and make himself sick. Although, I'm pretty sure he will because I haven't made him cookies in I don't know how long! Poor guy!

I hope everyone had a great Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!!

So we didn't get a Halloween baby today. I had a couple hours of false labor last night which was interesting and our ultrasound and NST was pretty uneventful.

We're off to watch a movie. We've only had 1 trick-or-treater so we're calling it a night.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

No Dice

Okay, so watermelon didn't work and it looks like we won't have a little girl on Halloween.....it's still early, but I'm pretty sure she'll be a November baby. I'm also thinking that I'll go into labor either on election day or that weekend because my mom has to work election day and that weekend my dad and stepmom are going to be out of town. However, my sister is all packed and ready to go making sure she has a full tank of gas.

Tomorrow I go for another ultrasound and NST so we'll see what they have to say about my preeclampsia symptoms. If my blood pressure is high or anything is off, they will most likely induce.....it's all just a matter of time now.....and the clock is ticking quickly away!!!!

As Promised

Here they are! These are some of my favorites. The one of Dennis's hands and my hands is my favorite! Thank you so much Nancy for these memories!!!

All Set

Today I had my long term sub come in and shadow me again. Actually, she did my schedule while I observed and worked on finalizing some last minute things before I go on maternity leave. It appears that next Wednesday will be my last day at work as long as I don't go into labor before then. I know my sub will do an absolutely wonderful job, but I'm a bit nervous about leaving because I'm so use to being in control and now I have to give it up to someone else. However, I'm sure that as soon as our daughter arrives, I won't even think about it anymore! I'm getting so excited! She's gonna be here so soon!

Super Fab

We had a NST and OB appointment today and all went well. My blood pressure and protein levels were good even though I still have my kegs. The doctor also let me know that they will induce me before I pass my due date, so that means our daughter will be born sometime in the next two weeks!!! The doctor also said that I'm dilated just a bit which is a change from Friday....woo hoo!!! So if I don't go into labor beforehand, I go back on Friday for another ultrasound and NST. I can't believe in no more than two weeks Dennis and I will have a daughter!!!! I'm giddy with joy!

1st Trimester Fatigue

It feels like I'm back in my first trimester! The last two days I can barely stay awake! I didn't wake up till 11am today and then took another hour or so nap this afternoon.....and I'm just hoping I can stay awake until bedtime. However, I did make two batches of banana bread and a batch of sweet and sour sauce for our sweet and sour chicken tonight. Dennis on the other hand was vacuuming, doing dishes, laundry, and tinkering outside (all in between football plays of course).

Tomorrow we have another busy schedule with a NST and an OB appointment...all without any surprises we hope.

Belly Pics!

Wonderful Nancy came over this morning and took some photos of my belly. There are some pretty cute ones and some pretty goofy ones.....specifically the ones of me in the middle of a laugh or sentence. It was really, really fun and I will post some soon.....as long as we don't have the baby that is.

Which brings me to another story....

Yesterday during our routine NST at the hospital, they discovered protein in my pee. Well, combine that will kegs and highish blood pressure they sent off for a round of blood tests which should I was beginning to develop signs of preeclampsia. So after almost 6 hours in the hospital, they sent me home to collect my pee for 24 hours (which is all so hilarious and strange at the same time). They had me do this to check my protein levels and if they were too high, then they were going to induce me today. As you can tell (because I'm blogging today) my levels were okay and they didn't have to induce.....but all day we were thinking that this could be our last day as a couple and soon we'd be a family! My doctor has now ordered me to do 2 NST's a week and I'm cutting down the number of days I work per week from 4 to 2. They advised me to stop working all together but if she doesn't come for another 3 weeks, that's a lot of time off before hand which will reduce my time off after she's born. Truthfully, I don't see me actually making it to my due date......we're kinda hoping for a Halloween delivery.....wouldn't that be so super awesome! I just heard watermelon can cause you to go into labor.....hmmmm.....

Happy Birthday Jonathan!

Woo hoo!!!!....31!!!!!!! We hope you have a wonderful birthday JT$!!! Beaumont Livingston also wishes you a happy birthday as he is trying to help type this. Happy, happy birthday and we hope you enjoyed Indiana Jones!

Kegs

No, it not the kind filled with beer....it's what happens when there is no distinction between your ankles and your thighs! I am afflicted with this horrible ailment. The bottom half of me looks like it belongs on someone else's body! It's sooooo weird and definitely not the most comfortable thing in the world. I would post a picture of them, but I'm afraid I'd give several of you horrible nightmares. I've retained so much water in the past week or so that I HAD to get bigger shoes...slip ons at that! I went from a 6 1/2 to a 8 1/2!!!! I was so desperate I didn't even look for a cheap pair.....I just got the ones that were the most comfortable. Thankfully, they are on the cute side.....Dennis ended up picking them out for me because I was....well...pregnant and that for some reason has short circuited my thinking and decision making skills.

Alright, it's time to put my kegs up!

Headache

Long Day + Dreadful Cankles + Bill Paying = Headache

Current Obsession

This is my current obsession. I have never really liked lime before, but now I crave it. I would love to drink gallons and gallons of limeade, but since that wouldn't really mesh well with my sugars I have chosen these as an alternative. Oh, and Thursday evening the docs switched me to insulin and I now give my self two shots a day.....thankfully without passing out! :)

Thursday I left school early because I wasn't feeling well and after we made a trip to L&D, we saw that I was having a few minor and irregular contractions. They said from here on out it is normal to have 4-6 contractions an hour until the day she's born. I hope that doesn't happen, but at least I know it'll be normal and we don't have to rush into L&D. Nancy said she had contractions for a solid month before her daughter was born! Yikes! On Friday we had another ultrasound and our little one is doing just fine. She's weighing in at around 5lbs 11oz.......the same weight I was when I was born!

My mother came over to visit this weekend and I packed the days full of events. We were non-stop the minute she arrived. I think the only down time we had was while I was sleeping this morning! We went to the farmer's market, baby shopping at Target and the mall, and the annual Halloween crafts fair. Then today at 1pm, my mentor teacher (Barb) threw me a wonderful baby shower!!!! Everyone from work was there plus New York Dyani. As soon as NYD emails me the pics, I will post some. We received so many ADORABLE outfits that it will be really difficult decided what she'll wear everyday! I just want to thank everyone who came and Dennis and I really appreciate all your generosity and support! And a special thank you to Barb for throwing such a beautiful shower in your beautiful home....thank you!

No More Room

There is absolutely no more room for our daughter to get any bigger! I just don't see how it's possible when I can practically feel it when she moves her pinky finger! Now don't get me wrong, I live for every movement she makes, but she's really packed in there now and there's no more room for her to go. According to my books, she should "drop" soon leaving me with more breathing room and her with more kicking room....I'm looking forward to that day. I'm also looking forward to the day I can sneeze normally.....because as of now, I don't have enough room in my lungs for the amount of air it takes to sneeze like a normal person. It sounds pretty funny, but it's totally true!

I must get back to the couch now. You should see the size of my cankles!

Welcome Home

Everybody's back home today! Woo hoo! Dennis got into town a little before 9 am and my dad got home from his hunting trip sometime today. So in all, that makes 3 wives very, VERY happy to have their husbands home!!!! All of us, my sister-in-law, my step-mom, and myself couldn't sleep worth a lick while our better halves were away. Although, my step-mom had it much worse because my dad was gone for like 10 days!!! I couldn't even imagine what it would be like if Dennis was gone for that long.....especially since I'm a few weeks from my due date. I was totally freaked out that I would go into labor this weekend while he was at the game....thankfully, that didn't happen :) He and Jonathan had a good time at the game and their seats were pretty darn close to the field too. Unfortunately the 49ers didn't win, but when they were up in the 3rd quarter things were pretty exciting. So much so that he came back with a very hoarse voice.....he sounds so cute though!

That's enough for tonight....I'm gonna go bond with my husband now. :)

San Fran....again

So Dennis is headed off (again) to San Francisco to watch a 49er game with his brother. It is a birthday present for his brother....pretty cool huh! Anyway, they're in the theater room bonding over video games......thus, I'm blogging. They leave about 5am and will return around 10 am on Monday. It's a short trip for them, but it feels like an eternity for me. So I'm gonna head to a birthday party tomorrow to help pass the time. Ooooo, maybe I'll be bad and have some cake....but do I really want to gain another 3 1/2lbs in 10 days?.....I don't think so :)

Profile

For the last 4 hours, I have been shuttling myself from one appointment to the next. Our ultrasound went very well and everything is still right where it should be. The non-stress test was again non-stressful and lasted the minimum 20 minutes! As soon as we got in there she started kicking around so all we had to do was wait another 13 minutes to finish the required 20 minutes on the machine. Then I headed up to meet with the nutritionist about my sugar levels and she was completely baffled by the inconsistencies in my levels.....so we are trying one more thing for this weekend and if that doesn't work then I guess I'm being switched completely over to insulin. At this point I really don't care what they put me on as long as things become consistent! But like I've said before, the day they get things figured out will be the day I go into labor! LOL!

Doesn't it look like she's blowing bubbles!!!! It still looks like she'll have my nose and Dennis's lips!

Your kidding me!

We had an OB appointment today which was pretty routine. Baby is doing just fine. She's just the right size and her heartbeat is nice and strong. The shocking part of the appointment came right at the beginning when I was weighed. Ten days ago (during my last appointment) I had gained 6oz from the previous week. Today I thought I may have gained a bit more because I have been eating more simple carbohydrates because my blood sugar levels have gotten really low several times during the last week and a half. Well I was not prepared for what the scale was about to show me.......I had gained 3 1/2lbs in 10 days!!!!!! I was shocked!....utterly shocked!!! Dennis said my face turned red and my mouth just dropped open. The nurse (whom I adore) found our reaction amusing and laughed along with us. She told us not to worry at all and that she's seen the same thing happen lots of times before. Still in complete disbelief and suffering from nervous laughter, I said that my blood pressure was probably going to be high too.....and sure enough it was! So when the doctor came in and commented on my higher than usual blood pressure, Dennis and I just could help but laugh.....so then we had to explain ourselves and to which the doctor replied "well, you were due to gain some weight anyway"....that made me feel a teeny tiny bit better. Let's just say I'll be holding off on those lime pops and apple pie!

Oye!

No blog yesterday, because I was just plain cranky!

1. I completely broke out this weekend (thank you hormones) and picture day is tomorrow.

2. My hair is driving my crazy, but I have fought the urge to get a haircut because I end up getting it cut just a few days before picture day and not liking it for the past few years.

3. My blood sugar was runny WAY too high all day and I couldn't really snack like normal.

4. I WAS HUNGRY!!!!

5. We had a really long staff meeting (it was supposed to be short) which caused me to take my meds 45 minutes later than usual.

6. My lip was still recovering from getting stuck to a lime popsicle and ripping off a layer or two of skin because I couldn't get it unstuck!

7. I'm totally craving anything lime, but can't chug the limeade because it's filled with sugar. I seriously need to buy some limes in the next day or so.

On the upside, today was pretty successful. I accomplished quite a bit and my sugars were running within normal limits. It's crazy what a little number can do to your mood! And the big question of the night is......sliced apple or lime pop?