Four Months Already!

So its been forever since my last blog, I know, But things are crazy and hectic in the Bates household latley. I started up again at my work as an RN here in town for a Hemodialysis clinic. Its just two days a week, which is perfect for us right now. I love it, I put my two days in and come home and get to spend the rest of the week with my baby doll. She has grown so much in the past few months its amazing how quickly things change!

She is four months old ( almost to the day) and weighs in at 15 lbs 14 ounces and is 25 inches long already! Our pediatritian said that she is in the 95th percentile for everything. Her head growth, height , weight, and development are just perfect! She reaches for everything now, laughs at everyone who says hello, and talks to herself non stop. She loves her walker, we put her in it everyday while she watches sesame street. She especially loves elmo. =)

I have lost aprox 50 lbs since giving birth and have another 20-30 that I would love to lose. I have been trying to hit the river trail or do some sort of physical activity everyday, but its hard with the little one, Im not quit ready to leave her in daycare at the gym =/ . I walk all day long at my job, and when I have some free time I do pilates or sit ups. I have been following Weight Watchers , which has helped sooo much, I love it!

She is sleeping so much better. We started the rice cereal a couple weeks ago and she loves it. Just a tbsp in her bottle and everymorning she gets to sit in her high chair and eat breakfast with mommy or grandma. My mom is wonderful- she comes over to the house twice a week to watch her grandaughter, and were so lucky to have her! My husband wants to start trying again in a year, so we will see how things go and if were able to move into a bigger house and rent out the one we have now. So things have sort of settled into a routine, however hectic it may be, its blissfully chaotic and I wouldn't trade one minute of it for anything! I love being a mom. I love being a wife, this is the perfect life! =)

5 Wks Already...

Well my baby is growing so fast. It's hard to imagine that a little over a month has passed since we had our baby girl. Seems like just yesterday we were sitting in the hospital room surrounded by family and friends. This whole experience has been the best time of my life. It has been filled with joy, hugs, laughter, smiles, tears, fears, and anxieties about everything from which pacifier to use to reaching into the backseat to feel her chest and check if she is still breathing. LOL. I am a control freak, always have been, and having this being outside of my body, not being able to know exactly what she needs has been the hardest thing to adjust to.

I had complained about my huge ginormous belly from time to time. Complained about the heartburn , swollen ankles, weight gain of substantial proportions, and oh so fun mood swings, but the truth is ......that I would do it all again in a heartbeat for her. I would do it all with a smile on my face knowing that she is the prize at the end. She is a chunk of my heart outside of my body. An extension of my being. I cannot fathom being apart from her , even tho I am forced to head back to work in a month and a half. I plan on cherishing this time to the full extent. She is sleeping with us in our bed right now. All she wants to do is cuddle, and all I want to do is cuddle her back. There are no words for my love for her...

She loves feeling my hair. She already reaches up and grabs a chunk, then burrows her head in my chest and falls asleep. She smiles when she is halfway to la-la land. It is the sweetest smile I have ever seen. She knows her daddy's voice and lights up when he comes around. She loves being outside and looking out the window.

Here are some pics, there will be more to come !!

January 15th at 6:19 am

So baby Taylor has arrived since my last blog! I have been so busy with her that I haven't had any time to write, but I will give an update on everything. My last blog I was 38 and 1/2 wks preggers and nesting like it was going out of style. I would clean anything that remotely looked dirty in any way. I was reorganizing pantries, and cupboards and drawers over and over again. And the swiffer became my best friend. LOL. So as I turned 39 wks preggers, I decided to go to barnes and noble and put the gift card that my dad had bought me for xmas to some use. As I was walking back out to my car, I was feeling slightly strange. Now, the day before I had started some contracting here and there . Nothing too bad, but I was timing them and they were approx. every 8 min or so. My husband took me to olive garden and then back home where they continued. We called the doctor and he said to go on up to the hospital to make sure it wasn't the real thing. So we did. I was hooked up and asked a buttload of questions, given a gown and a room. My poor hubby sat there at the side of the bed with eyes as big as silver dollars scared to death. Deer in the headlights look ! LOL. They determined that they were contractions, but they wernt lasting long enough for an admission, so we headed back home. So hence, the contractions were still coming and going as I waddled out of barnes and noble. I was feeling the strange twinge down below as I stuffed myself into my car. I leaned forward to start the ignition and felt a gush of fluids. I was absolutely positive that this was NOT my bladder emptying itself, so I hustled on home and called my OB. He said n0t to worry and that it would probably be best if I came into the office for an exam , which wouldn't be for another two hours. I wrestled with that idea, consulted a good friend who works over on post partum, and finally decided to just head to Labor and Delivery to make sure. Why not try for strike two with the false alarms? The contractions started getting stronger as I entered the lobby and elevator. I could feel something happening. I was hooked up and given a gown. They took a sample of fluid and came back in what seemed like 5 hours to say that it had been my water breaking and I wasn't going anywhere. Thank the Lord above!
Well my husband was in burney at the time. Actually he was about an hour east of burney, so When he found out where I was, he dropped the job and came rushing home. Managed to escape a speeding ticket as well! The nurses checked me at noon and I was dilated to a 2 and 80% effaced. I walked the halls with my mom a few times, Huffing and puffing the entire way. I used what I had seen in the movies and a baby story to the best of my ability! When I hit four cm I asked the nurse for the doc with the good stuff to make it all go away. LOL. The anestesiologist came in and was the NICEST man ever. The epidural felt like a tiny little prick to the back and then relief came not a moment too soon. Only the most intense itching ever known to man came with it, but I figured I could put up with the poison oak like drama if the pain down under was MIA. My family and friends stopped by, filtering in and out , saying hello and visiting. It was actually the best experience We could have asked for. At around 5 I was checked again. I was still at four, not moving and the baby had actually moved back up into my pelvis. No progress. The doctor was notified and informed the nurses that I was to be left alone until 5 the next morning and then my cervix would be checked again. I itched all night. My husband put cold compresses on my back while my fingers itched everything that my chubby little arms could reach. I actually had red scratch marks the next day. LOL. So five o'clock rolls around and the nurse checks. To my surprise I was completely dilated and fully effaced. She had turned during the night and dropped as well. I was actually started on pitocin when the epidural was administered, but they turned it off once They realized I wasn't progressing. So it was time to push all of a sudden. I felt my face get red and flushed. My stomach turned with a thousand butterflies and my husbands hand felt like it was going to snap off and go hurdling through the glass window overlooking the city. I starting pushing , counting to ten, doing it again like a good little girl. I w0uld push, then take a break. Tell a joke, tell a story, or take a sip of water. I felt something down below, pressure of some kind. Something I couldn't stop, like a freight train coming at full speed. The doctor made it just in time. I pushed twice more and then the most beautiful baby girl was being placed on my belly. She was crying and flailing her arms about. She was ours, the being I had grown inside me for the last nine months. Taking her first breath of air, filling her lungs with survival and victory. Something my mind plays over and over again everyday. The miracle of life, of my husband and I making a life.
Taylor came out kicking and screaming with apgar scores of 8 and 9. She weighed 7 lbs 8 ounces and was 19 inches long. Dark hair and blue eyes and the chubbiest cheeks any baby has ever possessed. She is our miracle, our love. My greatest achievement. Being a mother is not something anyone can prepare you for. But it is by far the best thing I have ever done, and will ever do. I love my life as a mommy and a wife .......

Right Around the Corner...

So I haven't written in forever, but a lot has been going on since my last blog. I am currently 38 and 1/2 weeks now and am anticipating Taylor's arrival Any day now. I was taken off work due to cramping issues when we arrived back from our trip to Miami. I look back and know that it was all of the traveling and walking and hauling luggage that probably brought on those darn cramping episodes, but the hip pain was unbearable at times, and I was so grateful to be able to take some time before the big due date.

So the nursery is almost complete with a few minor details that need to be attended to. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. Having to share the room with my husbands office was not exactly my fantasy idea for a nursery, but it didn't turn out too bad.

So I went to my first Dr apt two weeks ago where I would start seeing him every week. He told me that I was dilated to a 1. Nothing new really. He mentioned stripping my membranes to aid the process and I jumped all over that opportunity. LOL. He said it would hurt for about five seconds. And let me tell you, it was definitely NOT pleasant in any way ,shape, or form. That was a long five seconds. It's now two days past the stripping of the membranes, and nothing. A few strong cramping episodes here and there....some bleeding.....mucous plug falling out....etc, but nothing that would make me think I'm having contractions. So I am to sit and Waite and answer phone calls from eager family members wondering if anything has happened yet. I'm so curious as to when this baby will decide to come out into the world. I'm dieing to see her little face and make sure that everything is okay. I will update as soon as something changes ...Life is going to get pretty chaotic here comin up....

Down for the Count

Happy Thanksgiving!!

So this will be the first thanksgiving in four or five years that will not be at our house, and I am so relieved! I loved playing hostess and getting my family and my husbands family together for the holidays, it was always so much fun, but being 32 wks pregnant, the thought of having to organize and clean and cook right now makes me nauseas. LOL. I am however looking forward to seeing everyone and eating the wonderful food that thanksgiving is always known for.

I saw my doctor on Monday, after getting back from Miami. My husband had a convention there for his business, so we decided to go and make the most of it. The airlines required a note from my OB clearing me for the flight, which was no problem. It was so nice and relaxing and sort of a last " hoo- ra " before Taylor makes her grand entrance. I had experienced some cramping before we left for our trip, but didn't say anything to my doctor and thought that it would just go away. I experienced some on our trip, but on the way back, they came on stronger and stronger. He put me on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy ( something that I was hoping wouldn't happen) but the cramping and sharp pains seem to be aggravated by walking and standing for long periods of time , which is what my job mainly entails. So we will see how things go, as of right now she is moving about and jumping around in there. There is a hard pointy part sticking out right below my right rib, and I'm thinking its a foot, but I could be wrong. Who knows how this whole thing will go, I'm just hoping that she stays in there as long as possible and I keep feeling that foot kick me =)

Childbirth Class

So we started our child birthing classes two weeks ago now. Joe had to work late so we missed last week, and seeing as how I'm in LA this week, its sort of hard to be there as well. But our first night was rather interesting. It was exciting for me, to get to see other preggers, hear how far along they are, look at the bellies and compare to my own. I know my husband was trying to be supportive and loving, but anything past seven thirty for the man is like asking for a miracle. So I would gently nudge him when I felt him slowly drifting out of reality and hear his low groan of a yawn. The instructor had us all introduce ourselves and our spouse, say how far along we are, what we would be doing if we wern't there, and what , to date, is the hardest part of pregnancy to tolerate.

So we start at the front, and couple after couple say " Hello, my name is _____. This is my husband ____. We are ___ along and ......" so on and so on. So it suddenly is our turn to share and I introduce myself and then my husband Joe. I say that I am about 30 weeks, and the hardest part to tolerate so far has been the weight gain and heartburn. My husband chimes in and says that if he were not in the class , that he would be sleeping. Naturally. =) Once again, going back to the whole when the sun goes down, his mind starts to shut off. But I loved hearing other couples stories, seeing how far along they were, noticing little things the husbands would do to show support and affection, and being in the presence of women who know EXACTLY what I am going through.

So at this point in my pregnancy, I am almost 31 weeks. Crazy huh? Taylor is kicking me like crazy lately, moving all around. I think I even saw a foot the other day. My ankles are starting to swell, and when I bend down I can feel the swelling due to fluid. I have started the deep breathing periodically to try and get a good breath in now and then. They say my uterus is about 4-5 inches above my belly button and that she weighs approximately 3 lbs. Such a big girl! I seriously cannot Waite to meet her and hold her for the first time. Its really starting to hit me that this is it....8 more weeks ......a mere two months.........what a wonderful miracle....


Baby at 31 weeks:

Your baby's arms , legs and body are finally proportional to her head. She weighs about 3 1/2 pounds and looks more like a newborn measuring 16 inches from crown to rump. You may notice baby isn't moving around as much ...dont worry, shes just running out of space. You can expect her to gain around 2 more pounds before birth.

Baby's organs continue to mature and she is passing water from her bladder. Soon you can wonder what your baby is wishing for- brain scans have shown that fetus's have periods of dream sleep around month 8...

You've probably gained 3-4 lbs this month. A pound a week is quite normal during the last few months as your baby has her final growth spurt before birth...

My darling Family....

So today I met with our OB and had my seven month check up. My grandma and my mother both came with, bright eyed and bushi-tailed and ready to jump all over every opportunity to ask any question that could possibly come to mind.

My grandmother just turned 77 and is the cutest little thing. She ends every sentence with a joke, has her hair done every Sunday before church, and still pinches my cheeks like I'm five. Her eyes lit up when I asked if she would like to come with me to Taylor's appt. She looked like a kid in a candy store waiting to hear the thump-thump of her first great grandchild. I love her dearly and hope she is as big a part of my child's life as she has been of mine..

My mother is a character to say the least. She has strawberry blonde hair, is about five ft tall, and still has the same three sayings she had when we were kids. She calls everyday to ask how I'm doing, how I'm feeling, and how Taylor is. She laughs when I'm honest and tell her that I cant breath at times, cant sleep at night, and have unbelievable heartburn and leg cramps that seem to last all evening and into the wee hours of the night. Every time I see her, she proceeds to jiggle my belly from side to side, hoping to wake Taylor up ( or piss her off ) and get a kick, or a punch of some kind. Her blue eyes are kind and she has the biggest heart of anyone Ive ever met. She is a wonderful loving woman, and I hope I'm at least half the mother to my children that she has been to my brother, my sister and I.

So after the Dr. found the heartbeat, measured my belly and answered my questions, he was bombarded by the two women sitting in the corner of the room, with stories, quotes and jokes. I have to say he took it rather well, smiling and nodding, and slowly making his way towards the door. But I wouldn't have it any other way, this is my family I was thinking , and I'm proud of them. Even with all of the same stories, the weird jokes, the cheek pinching and belly jiggling, I love these women, and couldn't help but think about one more little woman who will be gracing us with her presence soon enough...