First post of the day...

It's almost 4am.... I'm up. I actually got come sleep though. With Breckin I tossed and turned the entire night. I got maybe 2 hours of sleep the night before his induction. This time around I was able to fall asleep and while I only slept in short spurts at least I got SOME sleep.

I am pretty anxious at this point. When I was at pre-registration yesterday I walked by the nursery and looked at the tiny newborn babies. It really hit me that I was going to be having one of those really soon. It's so surreal. It's surprising how surreal it is considering I have been through this before.

Ok.. We leave in about an hour to head to the hospital. The lovely Ms. Kimmie will be at the house soon to stay with Breckin... and I have to say we are lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives. The kind of wonderful people who get up at 4am to come and watch your son and bend over backward to make sure that your child is taken care of JUST the way you want him to be so you don't have to stress while you are at the hospital having a baby. Kim and Pam, You guys mean so much to us. Thank you for making this a little easier on me.

More updates to come but they will be from Kevin. Wish me luck!

Tomorrow is the BIG day!!

I go in tomorrow morning to start the induction of our little girl!! It is so surreal that the day is almost here. I am sure I wont sleep tonight... not that I sleep now anyways. I am a little concerned that the hospital will end up on diversion or something and my induction will be postponed, not that there is any indication that that will be the case. I was worried about it with Breckin's induction as well. I can't stand the thought of waiting any longer. When you have your mind on an end date it's hard to think of it changing.

I have been having more contractions over the last 2 days. I have been really taking it easy but after Breckin goes down for bed tonight all bets are off. I will start walking and anything else I can think to try to encourage labor... Anything to take my mind of the clock. Pitocin isn't fun. I would love to go to the hospital already in labor.

Anyways, Kevin will be updating the blog all day tomorrow. We did the same with Breckin and it is so nice to have the record of the day. If you want baby updates tomorrow please check the blog. We wont be calling people or updating facebook.

Here are the blog post from when Breckin was born if you are interested:

http://kneilsonhall.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html

38 Weeks Pregnant!

4 Days Until Induction!!

What's going on with Baby B: It's looking like I am going to make it to my induction date. I have managed to really take the last week easy, thanks to my sweet, accommodating two year old. I've been having contractions but nothing like the week before. I had a doctor's appointment Wednesday and I am still where I was last week, almost 3cm and 60% effaced, which would normally be discouraging, but is fine with me since my doctor is out of town. After my appointment the nurses talked to me about the doctors who would deliver the baby if I were to go into labor before my doctor gets back. It was quite obvious that I was nerves about that and they all understood, since they were all patients of my doctor and she delivered most of their children as well. She also is Breckin's pediatrician's OBGYN and delivered all of her children as well. She's a really special woman. As I was leaving I remembered that I was supposed to get an instruction sheet for the induction. The nurse was looking for my specific sheet from the hospital and she couldn't find it. Come to find out that I was on my doctor's schedule to be induced but not the hospital and that my pre-registration and blood work hadn't even been scheduled. With the doctor and her main nurse out of town there was no one to ask about it. Luckily, the nurse helping me used to be my doctor's main nurse and she was able to call the hospital to get everything set up. They had a spot for me thank goodness. If they didn't I would have just gone in on Tuesday and insist that they induce me! Everything is scheduled now but I am worried that this is a sign that things are not going to go so smoothly next week. I guess we will see. I just want her to be here, safe and healthy

Symptoms: More of the same

Cravings: Nothing specific... I'm just always hungry.

Baby Preparations: We are pretty much done with everything. We are just spending time with as a family this weekend, and working on the chicken coup. On Monday I have to go to the hospital to have my pre-registration and some blood work done. We also have to pick Kevin up from work on that day so he can leave his truck at the shop. We plan to go out for a nice dinner after... our last a family of 3. It's hard to believe that today is the last "normal" weekday that just Breckin and I will spend together. This weekend Kevin will be home of course and Monday we are running around like crazy. It's a little sad. I love my time just focused on Breckin. Our lives are about to change so much. I know the change for the better but I think it is also normal to be a little scared of that change. Breckin and I are doing a lot of cuddling today.. just as soon as I get this blog post and some cleaning done.

37 Weeks Pregnant!! FULL TERM!!

11 Days Until Induction!!!!!

What's going on with Baby B: My big goal was to make it to today... for two reasons. 1. Breckin's post-op visit was today and I really wanted to be there for him. 2. Baby B is now full term! I have been dilating and contracting more and more each week and we feared that I was going to go into labor before now. My new goal is to make it to my induction date or at least the night before. Which may sound weird if you have been reading my blog over the last 10 months. I was informed on Wednesday that my doctor, along with all but one of the doctors in her practice, would be on vacation for spring break. I'm not sure which doctor it will be, but all this means to me is that even if I am in labor during business hours I will not have my doctor and it is likely that with only one doctor available I will have one of the hospital staff doctors, a doctor I don't know, deliver my baby. Given my history I am a little worried. I am also not comfortable with a male doctor. While I am not the most modest person in the world, I am still not comfortable with a male OBGYN. It is a private area and I am just not comfortable..... And before anyone starts lecturing me that I need to be prepared for things to go a different way than I want... I understand that there is nothing I can do about the way things turned out but given how my last labor went, with all of the complications, I think it is valid for me to want/need a little control. Not everyone knows how serious my situation was and honestly I don't really want to go into it right now but because of that situation I want someone who knows my history to at least be in town. Also, I haven't checked but I worry that if my doctor is out of town that there is a chance the kids' pediatrician is out of town as well. Which is not a huge deal but we love her so so so so much. I would like her to be there when Baby B is in the hospital. Talk about someone who has done a lot of us over the years...

On Wednesday I had a growth ultrasound. It was amazing!! The tech did part of the scan in 3d, which I have never experienced before. I got to see her sweet little face and she looks exactly like baby Breckin. I got to watch the entire exam and could see the numbers as she did the measurements... 38 weeks 5 day, 39 weeks 1 day, 38 weeks 5 days... I was only 36 weeks 5 days!!! The tech also estimated that she weighs 8 pounds already. Ultrasound weight estimates are not always accurate but it at least tells us that she is going to be quite big. Dr. Hirata decided based on this information and because of my history, that I needed to be induced at 38.5 weeks, a little less than a week earlier than Breckin was induced. We are hoping that Baby B is a pound less than Breckin was at birth. I also found out that I am about 3cm dilated, 60% effaced and very soft. It's quite likely that I will go into labor on my own in the next week but the hope is that I last until April 17th.

I have been so anxious to get to this point but now that I have an induction date I feel more comfortable and willing to go that last week and a half. If I make it to the induction date we will be able to explain the situation to Breckin a little easier and we can take care of all the last minute stuff and have a nice family evening on the Monday before the induction. The plan right now for Monday is to get the house clean, make sure everything is packed, take the dogs to a kennel, pick up Kevin at work (since he needs to leave his van), then go to dinner at Olive Garden (like we did the night before Breckin's induction) and pick up cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory to have for dessert later. I want to make sure I am nice and full since I can't have any food from mid-night until after the baby is born.

Symptoms: Lots of contractions and pressure. The pressure is so extreme at sometimes that it hurts to sit up. The pressure is centered really hard on my bladder as well... that just adds to the discomfort. I have been waking up hourly at night to use the bathroom... I guess this is my body getting me ready for having a baby again.

Cravings: I am 11 days from Sushi!! Woot Woot!!

Birthday Prediction: Here's hoping for April 17th.

Baby Preparations: I still have one more dinner and one more breakfast to make and freeze. Kevin has a few more cleaning things to do that I am unable to do... like clean the high areas in the house that have been collecting dust all winter, like the top of the fridge. He also continues to work on the chicken coup! I am so excited. Breckin loves his daddy time. He takes his building jobs very seriously. It's a great learning experience for him and I am sure he will be proud to tell people that he helped build the coup for years to come.

36 Weeks Pregnant

1-3 Weeks Until We Meet Our Little Girl!!!!

What's going on Baby B: I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday. I was 2 cm dilated, 60% effaced and she was at -1 station. At last week's appointment my uterus was measuring 37 weeks. This week it is measuring 35. I was told not to worry though that, that tends to happen at the end of pregnancy when the baby drops. Dr. Hirata believes that the baby will come on her own before we are able to induce but she said the same thing about Breckin, so who knows. She says I am in a good place and as we get closer I will likely only need a touch of the membranes to get things rolling. I had quite a bit of cramping from my last internal exam. I swear I thought I was going to go into labor last night given the pains I was having. I took a bath then laid down to get the contractions to stop. As much of a hurry as I am in to get this child out before induction or c-section talk I want her to AT LEAST be full term... so she needs to stay in there one more week. After that all bets are off and I will be ready for her to make her appearance.

I have an appointment next Wednesday. I will get an ultrasound to check the baby's size. I will also get another cervical check. I am hoping for some progress... maybe 3 cm and 75% effaced? The last few days have been so painful that I think it might be extremely discouraging to hear that it was all for nothing.

Symptoms: I swear I never felt like this with Breckin... or at least I don't remember. I don't remember feeling like I was walking around in early labor. I remember in my head thinking it could happen any minute because I started dilating so early but with this pregnancy I physically feel like I am walking around in early labor all the time. The BH contraction are getting more painful, backaches, terrible painful swelling, horrible pains and pressure, the list can go on and on. I have nothing really to compare it to except that period when I was in labor with Breckin right after I started the pitocin and I started to actual feel the contractions and labor starting. I went from that phase to the HOLY CRAP this hurts phase extremely quickly and then before I knew it I was pushing. Maybe that's why my brain keeps telling me that I am in labor.

I really feel that if I hadn't left work when I did that my girl might actually be here already. I have contractions all day long and that is with me resting a good portion of the day. I feel so lucky to have this time off with Breckin and to make sure that I can take this baby to full term.

Cravings: I found quite a few new avocado recipes that we will be trying out this weekend and next week. So exciting! I really wonder if I will like avocados the same after the pregnancy. I really could take them or leave them before.

Birthday Predictions: Here is what I want... April 12th or 14th... those seem like nice birthdays right? I can only hope.... Knowing how this pregnancy has gone though I will continue to walk around feeling like I am in early labor for 3 weeks until I am induced. Oh well I guess... whatever it takes

Baby Preparations: I am almost done with my to do list. I just need to finish making the frozen meals. Which is my goal for this week. We are doing a big shopping trip tomorrow to get all the stuff and I am trying to make sure that we have close to 2 months worth of food in the house... which is hard to imagine. It might not happen but I can at least get close to a month and a half. I guess we will see. I would like to make it so that all we need to run out to get for the next two month is milk and fresh fruits and veggies. Wish me luck!

Kevin's to do list is still quite long but I think we should be able to knock a lot off of it this weekend. He is working on the chicken coup (which isn't part of the list) so I might need to help him finish some of the things myself... what I can physically do.. they are on HIS list for a reason. We are all ready to go at a moments notice though. The last thing on the list that HAS to be done is getting Baby B's car seat in the car.

35 Weeks and 2 Days Pregnant!!

2-4 Weeks Until We Meet Our Little Girl!!!

What's going on with Baby B: I had my first cervical check this week and I am "a good 1 cm and 50% effaced". This is the same place I was with Breckin at this point. It was a little discouraging considering all the pain and contractions I have been dealing with recently. I was hoping for 2 cm. With Breckin I sat at 1 cm and 50% effaced for weeks. I have another cervical check Wednesday and I am hoping to see some progress. I also learned that the "little" girl is now measuring bigger than Breckin was at this point. The doctor seemed a little worried. She scheduled an ultrasound for the 4th to get a more accurate reading on her size and we will make a plan from there. I am hoping that they will just induce me earlier than 39 weeks. I don't even want to talk c-section. Don't get me wrong, if it comes down that that is the safest option for the baby and me then that is what we will do but I want that to be the last option.

Symptoms: Almost constant BH contractions and a few painful ones. She is low and is causing pain because of that. I'm tired and sore. The charley horses are killer at this point. I have been chugging water and OJ but nothing helps. I've been dealing with headaches off and on but I think it had to do with the huge amount of stress that I have had this week.

Craving: Sweets

Birthday Prediction: I don't even want to do this anymore. I WANT mid-April... what I will get, who knows.

Baby Preparations: We are knocking things off our to do list. I just ordered Breckin a big brother shirt with a matching little sister shirt. This week I wrote my birth plan, which consists of maybe 5 items all having to do with the baby and not the actual labor, and my sushi order that some lucky person gets to run out and get me AS SOON AS the baby is born. I have gathered up everything I need for the hospital and I will put it in the suitcase today. Since it is raining and Kevin can't work on the chicken coup today we will spend the day getting some of the deep cleaning things done. All that is left on my list is finishing my freezer meals. We are doing a big shopping trip next weekend, so hopefully I will be able to scratch that off my list in the next 2 weeks. Kevin still has quite a bit but most wont take him long.

34 Weeks Pregnant!

I'm Officially on Maternity Leave!!!!!!!!!

3-5 Weeks until me meet our little girl!

What's going with Baby B: I had a doctor's appointment today. Elizabeth, my nurse practitioner, said based on how my bump is shaped and how much space I seem to have at the top of my abdomen that she thinks the baby has dropped. She also said that when my cervical checks start next week that she would expect that I will see some progress has been made. I am hoping to be 2cm dilated and at least 50% effaced. I really want her to come before I have to be induced at 39 weeks. It would be perfect if she would come around 38 weeks... although I know baby's have their own plan. I just feel that at 38 weeks she would be fully developed, since it is considered full term, and she would "hopefully" be smaller than Breckin was at 39 weeks. I want to avoid complications all around. Complications with me, like I had last time and complications with the baby, which we were lucky enough to avoid with Breckin. I wasn't aware when Breckin was born all of the things that can go wrong with a large baby (because we didn't know he was so large so I never looked into it) and I am glad I didn't because that knowledge would have made me a nervous wreck. Now that I know and it scares me to death. I just want my little girl to come out safely.

Tomorrow my mom, Sara and Lauren are throwing me a small pot luck for the baby. I didn't want a shower since this is our second and we really don't need anything... My friends and family are so generous with us on a daily bases and we didn't want to seem greedy or like we where asking for stuff. So when mom approached me about the shower I asked for this instead. We thought it would be nice to just have a small gathering of family and very close friends to celebrate the life that is about to come into the world. Every baby deserves a celebration... it just don't need to include presents.

Symptoms: Lots of pain in my lower region... further proof that she is low. I look and feel huge and this is not my imagination.... I have had people gasping at the sight of me for weeks. It is very difficult to walk and get around. I am glad that I am finally done at work because I was having a very hard time getting around the room. Also, stress right now really effects me physically. Any amount of stress causes hard Braxton Hick Contractions and in some cases real contractions. I have started to experience painful contractions. A few that have stopped me in my tracks but nothing that was time-able or consistent. My allergies are kicking my butt this week.. but who's aren't. My shin splits are still bothering me but I am hoping that being home now will help get rid of those.

Craving: Chocolate and Avocados.. not necessarily together but I did find what looks like an amazing pudding recipe on pinterest that is Chocolate Banana Avocado Pudding. I might have to try it.

Birthday Prediction: April 23rd... at the latest. I really really really hope it is earlier.

Baby Preparations: I haven't done a whole lot this week. I was mostly preparing to leave work... which I guess could count. Last weekend (can't remember if I talked about this in the last pregnancy update.. pregnancy brain) we cleaned the infant car seat, the swing, and excersauser. Breckin has been pushing his baby in the swing and reading to her. He is going to be such a good big brother. The lumber for the construction projects around the farm was delivered this week and Kevin is starting on the compost bin this weekend. I have a box of clothes that need to be washed and organized but I will wait until this week to tackle that. The nesting is kicking in... hopefully that will continue so I can get stuff done.