She's here ...

At my Dr. appt. on Friday, August 4th a fellow pregger turned to me in the waiting room and asked, “are you waiting for the full moon on Tuesday too”? I laughed and said yes even though I knew I wasn’t due for at least another three weeks. That day I was sent to fetal diagnostics at the hospital for tests because my blood pressure had been slightly high for the third time. Of course, once I got to the hospital for tests my blood pressure was fine but they found that my fluid was low. They sent me home with instructions to drink a gallon of water a day, rest, and come back Tuesday to test again. I did. Sure enough, on Tuesday my blood pressure was still fine (my mom and I realized it was only high on the days I had to drive myself to my appointments … apparently I’m a stressed driver) but my fluid was even lower. While I had been saying for a few weeks I was ready to have the baby, when the nurse actually said I was going to be induced my nerves went through the roof! I just kept thinking, “Oh my gosh, I really have to do this!” No more fun and games. People seemed to treat you better; there is just something special about being pregnant and it was in the office on Tuesday I got sad that I wasn’t going to be pregnant anymore. It’s hard to explain when you actually realize you’re going to have a baby. Of course you know when you’re pregnant that you’re going to have a baby but reality actually sets in when you get ready to deliver.
So, at noon on Tuesday, August 8th, they admitted me to start the induction. I was checked into room 47 which was emotional, especially for my mom, and I just knew everything was going to be okay. The view was beautiful too; I couldn’t have picked out a more perfect room. Then the marathon began …
At noon on Tuesday they used prepadil to soften my cervix and started an IV of fluids to help me dilate. Once the IV started I literally had to pee every hour and 15 minutes … on the dot but the labor hadn’t really started yet … just mild cramping. At 10:30pm they started me on petocin which jumpstarted my body for the event (and, yes, it was a full moon). Wednesday morning around 8:30am the dr. from hell broke my water (worst experience ever … the breaking of the water was fine but she was not gentle at all making her way to the bag if you know what I mean).

Wednesday at 7pm, after about 20 hours of labor (technically 31 hours) I got my epidural. I was progressing so slowly, it was ridiculous! At midnight I was only 3 cm!!!!!!!!! The doctors kept saying I needed a cesarean and that Iw as going to be able to go much longer … but a 2:30am Thursday morning I was at 9.5 cm and it was go time! About and hour later I started pushing and after 2 hours of pushing my angel was born at 5:48am. She was so tiny (5 lbs. 14 oz., 19 in.). I was totally overwhelmed and a little worried because I didn’t have that immediate connection everyone raves about (so don’t feel bad if it’s not love at first sight with your first … you’ll fall in love later). I had a very long labor and push time and to be perfectly honest I didn’t think it was that bad. Even while I was in labor and pushing I kept saying it wasn’t bad. So don’t let people’s horror stories freak you out and say yes to drugs when the time comes!
It was that first night when the baby and I were left alone that I began to fall in love and feel the “connection” and it grows more and more everyday.
So, now that you know all about the first time Makayla and I met I hope you continue to enjoy our journey through life together! Mak n’ Me begins …

Preggers

My entire pregnancy was fairly uneventful. The first 17 weeks were hell … I was sooooo sick … but once I got past that point it was all good. I was in San Francisco at the end of December for the Emerald Bowl when I first thought I was pregnant. I was bloated, ate like a horse, and couldn’t stay awake for the life of me. I never really ate too much or had any major cravings except in that first month or so. Usually you think of a big ol’ belly when you think of a pregnant woman woofing down a truckload of food but that isn’t necessarily the case … at least not with me. I wasn’t even visibly pregnant when I was the most hungry and miserable. So, to everyone who didn’t know my “condition” they must have just thought something was majorly wrong with me. You get no sympathy in the beginning when you need it most because no one can tell for months that you are actually growing a person.
When I got home from SF I decided to take a test; it was on New Year’s Eve day and I figured I’d better find out before a night of partying ;) I had taken many tests prior because I am a paranoid person and practically every month I swore I was pregnant if my period was even 5 minutes late … but this time I felt different. I was at my parent’s house and no one was home except my mom and she was in her room so I was alone for the most part. I took the test and saw two lines … “Oh my god, it’s positive! Is it? I don’t know what positive looks like …” I ran to my mom with the test and she had mixed emotions but mostly excited confusion like me. We were so shocked at the thought of a positive result that it couldn’t possibly be accurate. We scrambled to the phone to call the 800 number on the box and play 20 questions with the hotline nurse. She tried to convince me there was a 99% chance I was pregnant but I ran to Rite-Aid to buy a couple more tests just to be sure. Three strikes … I was knocked up … well, that makes it sound like a bad thing … I was soooooo excited! I made about a million phone calls … and so began a long, hot nine months (of course I was pregnant during a record breaking heat wave)!