In conclusion

It's hard to believe that in starting in 2003 it was such a huge struggle to get pregnant and stay pregnant and now my family is complete. Not only with Dylan in 2006 but now with our little Sophia Rose. I sometimes thought I would never be able to have another child much less two more and a girl no less. I am truly blessed to have all of my children and to be able to stay home with them. My second son recently asked what did I dream of being when I grew up and I said I was living my dream because all I really ever wanted to be was a wife and a mother.

To those who are struggling to TTC I strongly believe in the power of pray and finding a good reproductive endocrinologist. If you feel in your gut that there is something wrong and your doctor won't listen then find a new doctor. I wasted a lot of time listening to doctors tell me there was nothing wrong only to go a long period of time not being able to conceive or having several losses. Listen to your gut. I can also tell you that your average OB/GYN has no clue about fertility issues and that is why I recommend a good reproductive endocrinologist. I was blessed to have found a really good endocrinologist but the one before that said there was nothing wrong with me.
All my fertility issues were due to my thyroid which needed to be removed in order to conceive and carry to term. I also have to closely watch my thyroid levels because if they are off I will suffer from loss.

Now that chapter of my life is over and I hope this blog has helped some woman out there have hope in her TTC journey or at least provided some good links.

Birth Story

So here is where the story begins...............warning "TMI" alert..................

I was pretty miserable the last few weeks. I was in pain or discomfort most of the time and sleeping was not happening much either. On Monday the 20th my husband informed me that the following week he would have to start working out of town (a two hour drive away from home) and might have to spend some nights too. I already wanted her to come out but now I really felt the pressure to get her out by that weekend. I had been about 2cm for a couple of weeks and had been having really good bh cx for a long time. Then my husband called me Thursday the 23rd and said that he would have to start working out of town on Friday and then I really freaked. As I laid in bed that night I prayed and begged God that if I was going to go into labor to let it happen before 4am when my husband would be leaving so he would stay home and not have to drive 2 hours back home.

At 2:30am I woke up. I noticed I was having cx about every 5 minutes but they were not lasting very long. I didn't get to excited. At 3am I got up to pee and checked myself. I was happy to feel that I was completely effaced and what I thought to be 3-4 cm and could feel the bag of waters slightly bulging through. At 4am I checked again and it felt like I had dialed a little more because the bag was bulging a little more. I was sure I was at least 4cm so I thought for sure that I would have the baby sometime within 24 hours. I told my husband that he could go to work but because I only had about 2 hours of hard labor last time I was concerned about the two hour drive home. He said he wasn't going to leave and stayed home from work.

I'm not sure what time but my bag really started bulging and I felt about 4-5cm. My midwife had a full day at the birth center and I really wanted to stay home and have the baby but I knew that I might end up at the center. We packed the car just in case. As the morning went on and it turned to afternoon my cx never got to a minute but stayed pretty consistent at about 2 -5 minutes apart. I ate, talked and laughed in-between them. When I would check myself it didn't feel like I was moving past the 4-5cm mark. I did notice that with the cx I would feel a lot of pressure in my back and rectum and would feel the need to move through the cx. I have NEVER felt like moving when I had a cx when I was in labor with my boys. When I would watch a birth video and see the moms moving/swaying through a cx I just couldn't relate to that but this time I had to move through them. Around 2 my midwife came. I just knew I was stuck at 4-5cm and when she checked me I was 8. I couldn't believe it. Of course now that she was here the cx started to get worse and at around 3pm my water "popped". I have never experienced that before. My water had always started leaking the day before my boys were born. It felt like a small bomb went off in my belly. After that I got in the tub but through out the entire labor I could not lay down on my back or my side so all I could do was sit in the tub and that seem to slow things down so after eating two chocolate chip cookies and a peanut butter and jelly I got out and then things really picked up. She had been moving the entire time during labor and with my last I had two hours of hard labor and then it felt sooooo good to push him out but this time feeling her move down and pushing her out felt like my hips and rectum were going to explode. It only took a couple of pushes and at 3:59pm she was born. The last hour, hour and a half it was bad but that was it. She is my smallest baby at 7lbs, 1oz, 18inches, 12inch head. At the peds on Monday she was 6lbs, 8oz with a 13inch head. It was very hard the first few days. I knew life was going to change once she came and that dealing with a very strong welled, hyper 2 &1/2 year old would be challenging but it was even harder then I though. Any thoughts of being super mom have gone down the drain. We are slowly starting to get some balance and I am trying to enjoy every moment of her being so little.

Picture can be found on my myspace.

I think labor has started

I've been up since 2:30am with contractions so I think we just might have a baby today.

38 Weeks

Not much to say other than I'm still pregnant. I haven't gained any weight in about three weeks so I'm still at the 20lb mark. Hoping to have this baby soon. She is still at 0 station and I do seem to be a little more effaced and a little more dilated but of course that means nothing, lol.

Maternity Shoot Pictures

These were taken by http://www.timelessimage.biz/. I haven't got my CD with all the pic's on it yet but saw that they had put these up on their website so I thought I would share what I had so far. These were taken at about 36 weeks, 2 or 3 days.

37 week check up

I am 2 cm dilated and about 60% effaced. Baby is at 0 station and my cervix is nice and stretchy. Of course all of this really means nothing because I could go from 0 to 10 and have a baby in 2 hours or be 4 cm dilated for a month. No weight gain this last week so still at 20 pounds.

Belly Cast

36 weeks 2 days

36 weeks

So I've gained 20 pounds and everything looks good. I have my maternity portraits this Wednesday. I have my Pampered Mama Spa day Friday at the Birth Center, that comes with the birth package, and I choose the 30 minute massage. I am doing my belly cast this weekend, unless I have to move it up because little Miss decides to show, lol. I had prayed for the 25th but I'm so ready for her to come now. It would be nice the have her this weekend. I pretty much can't move without there being some kind of pain or discomfort. I now go to prenatals and the chiro every Monday. Hard to believe we're finally at the end of this journey and we will be meeting her very soon.

35 weeks

My thyroid blood work came back low so now I am on 112mg. That's the highest I've ever been on but she said once I have the baby I could go back down to 100mg. I am hoping the adjustment in the meds will give me the energy boost I need to get the things that I need to get done finished before the baby comes. Hopefully only 1 1/2 to 3 more weeks left.

34 week pics

34 week check up

Things are moving right along. I have gain 18 pounds now, I think most of it is in my butt, thighs and hips, LOL. I am going to try to get the house in order the next two weeks so that if this baby wants to come earlier, rather then later, I will have most every thing done. I'm hoping not to go past 38 &1/2 weeks but she needs to wait till at least 36 &1/2 weeks. Place your bets now, LOL.

32 week prenatal check up

I've gained 16lbs. My midwife said I could gain another 10 pounds before it's over. I'm hoping NOT, lol. Baby is head down and VERY active. Her HB is in the 150's. My BP is nice and low. Everything is looking good.

Baby Shower

I had canceled my original baby shower but a friend of mine got a couple of my closest friends together for a little party at a beautiful bed and breakfast in Orange City, The Alling House.

31 weeks

I just had to share this!

She's Still A Girl!!

Soooooooo........................

I couldn't sleep so I've been up since 4am. I went through the Sunday paper, clipped coupons, made french toast, weeded the flower bed, cleaned the front porch, did at least 6 loads of laundry, cleaned the stuff that got dirty from my shower backing up (that's another story,lol), I think I did some other stuff but can't remember right now, eating my third breakfast and it's only 9:30am. I think it's to early for this BUT is this what they call "Nesting", LOL?!

Foot Print Certificate

Thought I would share the foot print certificate I made for baby Sophie.

Just sharing...........

another diaper cake I made for a friend who needed one for a baby shower gift.

28 Week Update

Had my 28 week prenatal today. I start going every 2 weeks now. I have gained 11 pounds. Baby seems to be head down now. Not feeling so psycho any more unless my blood sugar is low. Still very tired and having to eat a lot throughout the day to keep my blood sugar up but in all things are good.

27 weeks 5 days

26 weeks

Saw my endo doc and she said my thyroid levels were low so I am back up to 100 on my meds instead of 88 but no worries just have to go back in 8 weeks.

26 weeks

24 week check up

Found out today that the baby is transverse. My midwife didn't seemed worried but I can't help but worry a little because I have never had any of my babies do that at this point in the pregnancy. I just have to trust God to work it out and leave the worry to Him. Other then that I have gained a total of 8bls and my hypoglicimia has come back just not as bad as it was. Leaving for VA tomorrow and will be gone through the 26th.

Embyronic & Fetal Development Link

You can slide the bar to see exactly how big the baby is at your stage of pregnancy.
http://www.umm.edu/pregnancy/000088.htm

22 1/2 weeks

Thought I'd share

I made theses for my sister inlaw, who is due anyday now with her first.