Day of Bonding February 28, 2008

So I’m sure that I’m a bit biased  because he is my son after all, but I’ve got the cutest baby on the floor right now.  After much discussion with Shannon, we have come to the conclusion that Dade has my olive complexion, and not Clint’s “pasty” white. LOL

Last night was a bit on the long side.  Poor guy refused to burp after his midnight bottle.  I tried and tried and he just would not give it up.  So about 2 or so he got really gassy and you could here it in his tummy.  He was not a happy little baby.  I was proud of myself, I stayed calm talking to him, trying to get him to calm down, and I finally found something that would get him to relax quickly.  I remembered reading that you can place you baby chest to chest with you, and it soothes them because they can hear your heart beat. So at about 3am or so, I had him lying on my chest and he instantly stopped crying and began to make this cute little cooing sounds.  When the nursery came to get him to take his blood at 4am, I had them keep him until I called when I woke up. I was able to get about 3 hours of sleep or so.

I called them at oh, 7:30 to have them bring him to my room, but they said that the peds were here.  I said okay and that I would like him as soon as possible.  So I ordered my breakfast and watched some news.  A little while later our Ped came in and said the he had spent some intimate time with Dade.  I instantly knew that meant Dade had been circumcised.   When they brought Dade back to me he was sound asleep.  Of course that’s when the photographer came in and wanted to take his picture.  I told them I didn’t want to wake him up because he had a procedure.  They said the understood and would come back tomorrow.

Dade is an absolute bundle of joy! He’s so freaking good!  He didn’t like have his diaper changed today, but you can understand why. Would you want someone messing around done there after having been circumcised.  We spent a lot of time bonding today. Rocking in the chair and just being mommy and baby. Clint is on baby detail right now, I’m exhausted, and slightly sore.  The nursery will be back at 2am to get Dade for a final round of blood work and labs, and then going to keep him so both of us can get a good nights rest before being discharged in the morning.

There’s  a slight chance I might be kept for another day.  It just depends on my hemoglobin level.  I guess that it was low this morning.  I had to ask what that meant exactly.  I knew what the hemoglobins did, but wanted to know what that would cause a problem with discharge.  I guess because with a low hemoglobin count means less oxygen to your body. Less oxygen means you get slightly dizzy and weird times, and are tired more often.  Which the tired thing is hard to place with a low count because well, new baby means less sleep right. It’s not that low that I would need a blood transfusion, but I might need to have a day on oxygen and iron supplements to get my count back to normal.  Again, I’ll know more in the morning.

Right now, I’m going to take my slippers off, and crawl into bed and get some much needed sleep.

Productive Evening Leads to Very Long Day February 28, 2008

So, after my very nice productive evening of cleaning out the closets, I laid down in bed to watch the Departed. Clint got home just about the time that it finished. One of the new contributors to KNRPG sent him a manuscript, so Clint began reading it in bed, as I started to go to sleep myself. At this time it was sometime between 12 and 1 in the morning. At about 2:30 or so, I woke up with this weird sensation that I was wet. Oddly as it maybe I had a dream that I had been swimming, so that’s what I thought the sensation was. Got up and went into the bathroom, and that’s when I realized, that I was in deed really really wet, because my water had broken. Now, this struck me as odd on several levels. First of all, I knew that I had not began to dilate from my previous doctors appointment, and I had not been having regular contractions. However, I knew that this was my water that had broken. I proceeded back into the bedroom, where a recently fallen asleep Clint laid in the bed. I woke him up and told him that I thought my water had broken. He sat up in bed and said “What?” We go into a 2-3 minute conversation about how I wasn’t having regular contractions, but I was pretty sure that this was my water breaking because there was A LOT of it. Called the doctor, explained the same thing, told me to head towards the hospital and they would be waiting. We arrived at 3am on 2.26 and was hooked up to the monitor. It was about this time that I started to have some minor contractions. The nurse checked my cervix, and said that I was barely (if you wanted to say that) dilated to 1cm. However, the test to check to see if you water broke came out positive, so I was admitted.

There is where the fun stuff starts to happen. Because I was not in labor upon arriving at the hospital, we had 24 hours to delivery baby, because of infection and what not. I was started on pitocin as soon as I was in my room. The pitocin did the trick and before do long my contractions were at a study pace. I was put on some pains about 6 or so. This allowed not only myself to relax and get some rest, but it also let Clint get some sleep. Because I knew that I was going to need him later.

When the pain meds wore off, I began to fill some hard core contractions, and worse of all it was back labor. Now, up until this point I was on the no epidural kick. However I could barely breath, let alone move, my OB said that I needed to get the epidural otherwise I was not going to have the strength when it came to the hard stuff. So at 10am, I received my epidural. Oh man! What a huge and I mean huge relief that was. In no time I was feeling great! My contractions were going stronger than ever, and I couldn’t feel a darn thing. I was moving at a snails pace to dilate and effacement, but then all of a sudden I jumped from a 4 to a 7 in a matter of thirty minutes. Another huge relief because it was about 3pm. I had been at this for 12 hours. Then just as quickly as it speed up, I stalled at a 9 for about 2.5 hours. Brick Wall. Finally sometime around 6 o’clock I was able to start pushing.

Clint went out to tell everyone that I was going to start pushing and that it shouldn’t be to much longer. We couldn’t have been more wrong. After 1.5 hours or pushing, we were not making huge progress. I was in tears, losing all hope that I could do this, and was looking at another hour or more pushing. This is when the Dr. suggest doing a c-section. Now I was getting sick with every single contraction, had an oxygen mask on, and crying because I felt like a failure because I couldn’t push my son out. Not to mention that it didn’t matter how I was lying I was in a lot of pain. I quickly said yes to the c-section because I knew I couldn’t push any more. Clint again went out to tel everyone what was going on. I felt bad because my mom and his mom wanted to see me, but I couldn’t handle it, I just wanted to have my baby.

It was now after 8 o’clock. Clint was given scrubs to put on, and I was given the meds to completely numb me from the chest down. I was whisked away to the c-section room, scared out of my mind at this point. The lady that was giving me all the pain killers was so freaking nice. She talked me down, and helped me understand what was going to take place. Before long I couldn’t feel anything, and Clint was sitting next to my head. I was talking to Clint when I was told that they had started. I was shocked. I could feel pressure and pulling, but that was it. I heard one of the nurses say, “I see a baby hand” and then “He’s heads out.” Finally I see this tiny baby appear above my head, and I knew that he was mine. Of course I instantly started crying, what proud mama wouldn’t right!

Here’s where my jealously factor kicked in, because Clint was able to go to the baby warmer and watch them do all the stuff on Dade, meanwhile I’m still strapped to the table having my insides moved around. They finished up the c-section, moved me back to my normal bed, and wheeled me down the hall to my room. Now it was 10 o’clock. All of your friends and family that had been patiently waiting, started to come into the room in groups of 4. Our last visitor for that night left around 11:30 or so.

Clint and I were so mentally and physically drained, that we decided that it would be best for Dade to go to the nursery. I was in no shape to care for him, seeing as I was numb and couldn’t move, and Clint was feeling bad from his cold. It was a smart choice on our part, because we both got a really good nights sleep.

Today was spent holding and cuddling our handsome boy! He’s such a good baby. Only cries when we change his diaper. He’s been sleeping in about 1 to 2 hour time frames and eating about every 4 hours.

Well. . . It’s my turn to sit up with Dade during this round of 4 hours, so I better be off. Here’s Dade’s birth information

Born: 2.26.08 @ 8:59pm

Weight: 8lbs 6.5 ounces

Length: 20 inches.

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I’ll try and get some pictures put up here soon!

Productive Evening February 25, 2008

I had a really awesome day today.  I had another NST (maybe my last one) today.  We talked to Sarah (our birthing class teacher and NST nurse) about what it meant to be on the waiting list.  She explained everything to us, and even called the Maternity Center to see what our chances were of getting called in.  Turns out we actually have a really good chance of being called to come in really really later tomorrow night (we’re talking 11 or 12pm) or super early Wednesday morning (like 5 or 6).  Since I’m not a C-section on the waiting list, just an inducement, I have a better chance of being called in because they are only allowed to have two scheduled operations a day.

Clint and I went clothes shopping today for him.  We used his birthday money, and some of our tax refund.  He was in desperate need of clothes that fit/looked good on him.  We had really good luck.  We went to target and found this awesome printed tee-shirts, as well as good ‘ol black fitted crew cut shirts, and a new pair of jeans.  This motivated me to go through all our clothes and get rid of the stuff that doesn’t fit or that we don’t wear anymore.

We both took naps this afternoon, and it gave me the energy that I needed in order to tackle the deed in the bedroom.  2 hours later and 7 kitchen sized trash bags later full of clothes, both dressers and the closet are organized and ready to go.  Tomorrow I’m going to clean CoCo’s cage, and the bathroom upstairs, as well as do some major laundry.  Seeing as I maybe going to the hospital tomorrow, I need to get the house picked up and ready for my baby to come home.  Even if I don’t go tomorrow everything will be ready!

Slinky is sitting here giving me the “I’m really tired, let’s go to bed” cry.  I just released that it’s 11.  Not bad for a preggo to be up this late.  I better get used to it right!

If I do get the call about going to the hospital, I’ll do a quick post to let everyone know. There is wireless internet in the hospital rooms, so I can have Clint blog about the progress as well!

Crafty Cassie February 24, 2008

For some reason last night about 6 o’clock I got the sudden urge to be crafty.  Sometimes the urge strikes me, but it comes in the form of scrapbooking.  Not last night, no I wanted to cross-stitch. Clint and I were going to run to Taco Bell to get dinner, so we stopped by Hobby Lobby really fast to get me a project. I found a really cute Fleece Blanket that had a puppy on it.  It was a printed cross-stitch, not counted, so I knew I’d be able to finish it quickly.  By the time we got home from Hobby Lobby, dinner, and Hy-Vee it was almost 8.  I started it and worked until after 10 almost 11 I think.  Got up this morning with Clint and fixed him breakfast and coffee before he left to go play at the church.  I worked on it for about 45 minutes, and then decided that I was going to go back to bed for a bit.  Clint gets up at 5:30 and leaves at 6:30, so you know that it was still early.  I put in a movie and feel asleep until about 9:30.  Went back to work on it until Mom, Dad, and Barb got here for lunch. Today is Clint’s birthday.  So we were going to go to lunch as soon as he got back from church.

We ate at a Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar here in Lee’s Summit.   We tend to go here for our birthdays because it’s somewhat expensive, and it’s a fun environment.  Funny thing happened while we were there.  When the cook lite the grill at our table, a spark from the match came flying up and actually landed in my hair. I managed to get it before it did anything to my hair, but today of all days I put in hairspray (something I don’t normally do). Lunch was really great, and a lot of fun.  I went to the Shopping Center with Barb after we ate to do some walking around.  I think it might have helped a bit.

When I got home from that I went back to work on my project for Dade.  I’m almost finished with it.  Just have the small minor details left. We ordered pizza for dinner tonight for Clint’s birthday.  All the boys are over here, and there’s going to be some EOD action going on.  Clint right now is being interviewed by a guy named Ryan Macklin.  He does a podcast for gaming.  So it’s really exciting for Clint to be interviewed. He’s up in Dade’s room doing the interview over the phone.  I can hear him pacing back and forth.  That’s what he does when he’s on the phone.  I think it’s cute.

I made two cakes for Clint’s birthday.  I know, it’s crazy to make two cakes, but I was in the baking mood.  So I made  yellow cake with vanilla icing that has candy chips in it, and then a jello cake. I’m a big fan of the jello cake.  This was my first time making it.   It’s pretty darn tasty.

Slinky is sitting here patiently waiting for me to finish this blog.  I promised to cuddle up on the couch with him wrapped in the blanket.  I’ve got the Oscars on right now.  I’m glad that it’s on ABC, because that station is picked up the best on our rabbit ears. Clint took a picture of Slinky and I the other day while we were sleeping on the couch. We make wonderful snuggle buddies don’t you think!

Grrr…. Is all I have to say February 22, 2008

We went to the OB this morning with high hopes that I had started to dilate, because my contractions were starting to pick up.  It took a bit longer to get there because the roads were still kinda bad, but we made it.

The first thing that Dr. Cobbinah asked me was, do you want to be induced on the 29th or the 1st?  My jaw dropped.  I was under the impression that we had already taken care of this, and had everything set up for the 27th.  I guess they called to set everything up with St. Luke’s East, but they already had 2 c-sections scheduled that day.  I looked at Clint with a “what do we do look” because he is in a friend’s wedding on the 1st just outside of Topeka.  I asked if there was anyway we could do it the 1st and 2nd.  So right now, I’m scheduled to go in at 8pm on March 1st to receive the first round of medication, and then receive the pitocin the morning of the 2nd.  I’m going to have someone else take me to the hospital, and then when Clint is done at the wedding, he’ll come straight to the hospital.  It can’t be helped.  He’s the best man, and I refuse to let him leave Nick hanging!  I’m hoping that the hospital isn’t full on Tuesday night and they call and say, “Hey come on in!” Then I’ll still have him this week!

I’ve talked to I don’t know SEVERAL people today, about my dilemma and how to get the ball rolling with Dade.  I’ve got a plan to get these contractions kicking into high gear.   It was suggested by someone that was told to it by her doctor and it worked.  No, it’s not drinking Castor Oil, which is what my grandma told me to do.  That’s just gross!

Alrighty, time to get to work…

Is anybody really ready? February 19, 2008

As I sit here and eat some chicken taquitos, and watch Slinky play with his now empty Kong, I can’t help but think in 7 days or less I’m going to be a mom.  I’ve held this tiny life inside of me for 9 months, and now it’s time for him to join Clint and I in the real world.  It is both the scariest and most exciting thing ever.  My dreams at night are filled with my hopes for Dade.   I find myself standing in the doorway of his room for minutes just staring, thinking “Am I truly ready to be a mom?”  “Do I have what it takes?”  “Am I going to screw this kid up somehow?”

Oh how wonderful when the mind wonders off.  I think I want a Vanilla Dr. Pepper from Sonic.

Another Day. . . Another NST February 18, 2008

This might be a bit hard to read, seeing as I just woke up from a much needed nap. Clint and I were back at the hospital this morning for another NST and round of blood work. Again, everything was good. Dade was very active for most of it, then he finally settled down and went to sleep. I’m not really feeling very well today, and I actually got sick while we were there. Nurse Sarah thought I might have the flu because it was going around, but my white blood cell count was not elevated, so it’s just good ‘ol pregnancy sickness. She told me to take it easy.

So what did we do? We went to Borders because Clint wanted to get me some books for our anniversary. So I picked out The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie and Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer. Liza Palmer wrote the book Conversations with the Fat Girl which I purchased on our honeymoon and really enjoyed so I wanted to get another one of her books. I decided to start with Hugh Laurie’s book, and I giggled out loud a few times in the first chapter alone. I just keep picturing House as the main character. The writing so far is amazing. I think I’m really going to like this book.

We are going to go to Applebee’s for dinner tonight. We ate a light lunch so we could enjoy dinner. I’m just hoping that I can keep it down. Still not feeling very well even after my nap. I’m sure that I over did it this weekend, but I was going stir crazy in this house. I am going to try and get my homework done for my online class tomorrow night while Clint’s in class so I don’t have to worry about it.

Well, I’m going to play some pogo now. That has helped keep me sane. With Slinky at my side, I’ve cleared lots of “peaks” in Tri-Peaks Solitaire.

Ahh. . . stuck at home. . . no students until April February 12, 2008

After all the visits to the hospital, and all the tests being run.  I finally got to see an actual doctor.  Verdict = no work until after the baby is born.  I’m officially on bedrest.  I have an NST scheduled for Thursday at 9am, and then another one scheduled for Monday.

Now I play the waiting game. . .  Come on Baby!!! I wanna hold you!

Vicodin. . . Not for me February 9, 2008

Went back to the hospital for another round of tests this morning. Basically did the same thing that they did on Thursday, blood work, Non-Stress Test (me being hooked up to the baby monitor), and urine analysis. Oh yeah and blood pressure check every 15 minutes.

Results?

Nothing new.  The results differ from what was done at my OB appointment yesterday.  I had high blood pressure and protein in my urine (signs of preeclampsia), and today blood pressure fine, no protein in urine, and blood work is normal. The nurse said “Low” but normal.  Not sure what that means.

I told them that my headache is still there, just coping with it more than anything.  Not a sharp pain like it was before, more of a constant dull pain. So what do they offer me? Vicodin.  Now at this point I had just awoke from a nap (not much else to do while you’re lying in a hospital bed hooked up to a machine), and they give me this script.  Clint and I are like wow! Vicodin really?  So we drop the script off at Wal-greens before coming home.

I made my phone calls to the family letting them know that the tests didn’t really show anything, and now I have to go back Monday for another round, plus a second trip later in the week. Every person I mentioned the Vicodin too, they were shocked that I could take that.  So I turned to the internet and began some research.  After reading several medical sites about the use of Vicodin during while pregnant, and talking to Clint about it.  We decided that I’m not going to take it UNLESS the headache returns to the numbing, nausea, dizzy pain that it was on Wednesday.  Being two weeks out from delivery at the latest, I don’t want to risk anything with Dade’s health.  I’m sure that the doctor knows what’s she’s doing by prescribing it to me, but it’s my choice.  I’ve been functioning with this lovely thing since Wednesday, I can continue to do so.

I’m trying to figure out what to do about school.  I’m pretty much out of days, except my 10 weeks I’ve built up for maternity leave.  I guess I’ll have to figure that out.  I have no idea what time my test is on Monday, they (the hospital) are supposed to call and tell me.

At this point, I know that Dade is healthy, so I wish they would just induce me and let me go into labor instead of playing House. Because let’s face the facts here people my doctor is not Hugh Laurie.

Update after visit with OB February 8, 2008

Clint and I just got back from seeing my OB, and she is still very concerned about the fact that I still have this headache, and my blood pressure was high this morning. At least high for me. Normally it’s about 120 something over about 70 or 80. This morning it was 140 something over about 60.

She then mentioned that she wanted me to go back to the hospital and have some more tests run. Basically re-do everything that they did yesterday, because it could be the early signs of preeclampsia. So we are going back to the hospital tomorrow morning at 8am for the tests.

Here’s an explanation of what preeclampsia is:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_preeclampsia_257.bc

Needless to say, that if I do have preeclampsia, I will most likely be induced sometime within the next week. The sooner they get Dade out the better in this case.

If I do not have preeclampsia then we’ll go the natural way up until the 27th. If I’m still preggers on the 27th of this month, then my oB will induce me. So either I have preeclampsia, and Dade will be here within the next week, or I don’t and he’ll be here no later than the 27th.