Grayson's Birth Story

On wednesday morning I took the kids to the zoo and hoped that contractions would start with walking around so much. In the afternoon my O.B told me I was almost 4cm dilated and that I would likely be in labour within the next 24 hours. I started to have some mild contractions late in the afternoon and I thought that maybe things would continue. Catherine was nice enough to invite us to her house for dinner :) and the kids got to play together one last time before we decided that I should take some time off of work and have this baby already! After dinner baby grayson was feeling the need for some ice cream so we headed out for dessert with Catherine and Hannah. We had my mom come up late wednesday just incase things continued, I was worried about having to phone someone in the middle of the night to come and watch the boys. The contractions slowed down and stopped just before midnight, but I had big plans to take many walks the next day and get things moving again!

having dinner at Catherine and Hannah's - our last family pic of the four of us :)


On Thursday Jim and Meggie came up to help with the boys. They took them to a local splash pad and took us all out for lunch. I tried eating some spicy food for lunch and contractions got fairly strong, I started to think that maybe thursday would be the day and that I might have to call Gavin home from work. Contractions would come and go and they would get stronger after taking walks but again they stopped in the evening.

Friday morning I woke up at 4:30 with contractions that were regular and coming about every 10 minutes. I also had some bleeding and knew that friday would be the day! I liked that things were starting up in the morning which gave me time to eat, shower and call Jim to come and care for the boys later that day. By 8am contractions were every 7 minutes, and getting stronger. By 9am they were coming about every 5 minutes and by 10:30am decided to get checked at the hospital. My regular O.B was working that day and when he checked me I was 5 cm dilated. My O.B was eager to break my water and get things moving fast but the nurse on duty wouldn't let him. There were no labour rooms ready and she was worried things would move too fast and not be very safe. Looking back on everything I am so thankful she stepped in and stopped him from breaking my water!

I walked the hall for two hours and every few steps had intense contractions. We were to be back at 1pm in triage to be monitored and at that point my O.B was going to check me again. We finally got a room around 2pm and my nurse still didn't want the O.B to break my water until after I had an epidural. The anesthesiologist was busy in the operating room and I had to wait for the epidural. I really felt I needed on at 2pm and contractions felt much stronger and closer together that when I'd received the epidural with Noah. I tried to use the gas to take the edge off but that only made me feel sick. I was convinced they'd check me and tell me it was too late for an epidural and I was starting to get anxious. Luckily, at 4:30 the anesthesiologist arrived and administered the epidural, I felt immediate relief!

At 6:30 I was 10cm dilated and ready to push. I was able to "labour down" while the nurse prepared the room and I started to push at 7:10pm. After the second push the head was crowning and I was told to not push until the doctor got there! not an easy thing to do as I could feel the pressure- it was a really strange sensation. The doctor arrived -third push and the head was out. I screamed when I felt the head come out, it didn't hurt but it shocked me. Again I couldn't push because Grayson had the cord wrapped around his neck twice and it was really tight. The doctor cut the cord and i could push one last push to deliver the shoulders. I could feel what was happening but couldn't feel any pain. Grayson was born at 7:16pm, only 6 minutes after I started pushing. The experience was great besides my fear of not getting an epidural, and healing this time has been much faster.



post epidural - sweet relief. I couldn't stop shaking, but at least the pain was gone :)


First look at our baby boy!


Gavin cutting the cord





Welcome to the family Grayson! We love you so much!

Today?

Contractions have picked up in frequency and intensity. They are about 5-7 minutes apart and lasting about 45-50 seconds. Starting to get to the anxious stage and hoping to meet the little baby by evening and hopefully with lots of time to enjoy the epidural. Contractions aren't too bad yet - but definitely getting stronger.

39 Weeks

I had an O.B appointment yesterday afternoon and was almost 4cm dilated already! I was told that active labour will kick in quick when it starts up and that things should move along fairly quickly. They suspected that I'd be in labour within 24 hours but so far I'm still at home. I had some cramping that increased in strength last night but then subsided and I've had some stronger contractions this afternoon. I'm hoping it will keep up and we get to meet this little baby later tonight! It sounds like it should be soon - so we'll see when he feels like making his appearance.

I went for a walk this morning and had some spicy food for lunch. During lunch i felt some strong contractions but they have eased off a little. Hopefully after one more good walk he'll be ready and then it's baby time! Gavin ended up going to work today but wasn't sure if he should. I've got my mom here just incase things happen fast and Jim and Meggie came by and are helping with the boys. The help is much appreciated! It's much easier to focus on labour without having to worry about the boys too.

39 Week belly pic - possibly the last one? I booked my 40 week O.B appointment but they don't expect to see me at it.

38 Weeks

During the past week I've had some signs that labour may be near. Increased feeling of nausea, more trips to the bathroom, pelvic pressure, and overall not feeling well. Yesterday I took the kids to an indoor play place and was quite uncomfortable while there, my hips and groin were aching and I was getting cramps whenever I walked around. Then during the day the cramps continued and intensified and I was starting to think the baby was really wanting to come today. At 10 pm things tapered off and I thought I should go to bed and try and get some rest. I was able to sleep from 10pm - 4am but then woke up with very uncomfortable contractions. The contractions lasted from 4am - 7am but have since stopped. The baby is still really active today and I'm feeling ready for delivery :) hoping it happens soon and the false labour/ pre - labour turns into the real thing soon! It's been a very frustrating couple of days.

Tomorrow I have an O.B appointment and an ultrasound to check the size of the baby. Hopefully they are able to let me know if things are progressing. Fingers crossed that the next time contractions start they don't stop!

update: I had my ultrasound this afternoon and everything is great with the baby! baby is 6 pounds now - expected to be about 6 and a half at birth (same as Noah). He scored an 8/8 on respirations, movement, tone etc. The ultrasound tech was getting frustrated with him because he wouldn't stop moving and she had a hard time getting the measurements. I asked about the cord insertion and was told the cord was "eccentric" meaning not in the "fattiest, most common spot on the placenta" more off to the side. It could mean he hasn't been getting enough nutrients but based on his size and score he his doing fine. My O.B thought I had experienced prodromal labour on tuesday and that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing as it does help soften and dilate the cervix but just doesn't produce a baby in the end. It's not quite 'false labour' but not 'real labour' either. I'm only 1cm dilated and cervix is soft based on a check today. I'm hoping that things start up again soon and we get to meet him soon!

37 Weeks

YAY! we made it full term! based on some crazy contractions early on I wasn't sure we'd make it this far :) I'm feeling great and still love being pregnant. I've had some cramping the last couple of days but nothing seems to be coming from it. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the baby doesn't decide to arrive on Owen's birthday (the 31st) but I know that we don't really have control over when this one arrives.

I've started to pack my hospital bag and have just a few last minute things to add to the bag when it's time. We've also finally decided on a name!

I have an O.B appointment tomorrow and will update with weight etc then.

update: only measuring 33 weeks now. I have an ultrasound scheduled for next thursday just before my next O.B appointment. I'm not surprised that they want to send me for an ultrasound as the same thing happened around the same time with Noah. However, based on my last ultrasound there is a cord insertion issue? I knew the placenta had been low but moved out of the way, this is the first I've heard about the cord. In any case they are checking to see if the baby is getting enough nutrients etc. and to see if there is any other reason for small growth. The O.B mentioned that it could just be that the baby has really dropped low and throwing the measuring off but they want to be safe and check, which I'm thankful for :) I feel as though the baby has really dropped recently so I'm choosing not to worry too much about having a small baby, plus he's still very active so I think he must be getting enough nutrients to have that kind of energy :)

36 Weeks

The countdown ticker says 27 days *gulp* I'm starting to get a bit nervous now. I've been feeling anxious about some of the things I want to get done before the baby comes but I hope that after this busy weekend I'll feel more prepared. I've packed the baby's hospital bag and have everything I need for my bag, I just need to get it all put together.

I had an O.B appointment yesterday and everything was good. I'm measuring at 34 weeks and had no weight gain but so far there hasn't been any mention of concern. Next week I start my weekly appointments and will have a different O.B while my regular one is on holidays. I'm hoping that the other O.B isn't concerned about the size of the baby and send me for non stress tests etc.

This past week I feel as though the baby is dropping - more trips to the bathroom and feeling movement really low etc. I've read that second babies usually drop later in pregnancy, so maybe I'm wrong. My hips have been aching at night and I feel like I am constantly waking up to change positions and get comfortable. I can't even count how many times I wake up during the night - I think they say this happens to prepare yourself for a newborn :) but I could really use a few more weeks of sleep before the newborn nights start!

Here is my 36 week Belly Pic:

34 Weeks

34 Weeks! This week I'm taking advantage of having some time off (hannah is on vacation) and crossing some things off of my ""To Do" list! some things are baby related and some things aren't but it sure feels great to be getting things done :) I've made a list of things to pack in my hospital bag and plan on getting that organized next week. I'm not sure if it's 'nesting' or just the realization that this week is the only time off I have before the baby comes, but I have a sudden interest in cleaning. I've been cleaning out the closets, plus we steam cleaned the carpets last weekend and I'm bothering Gavin to pressure wash the house and clean the windows :)

I had an O.B appointment today and everything continues to be good. I've been feeling great, although getting more tired by late afternoon. I'm up another 2lbs (total is 24lbs so far) and am measuring at 33 weeks (1 week behind). I booked my next appointment two weeks from now and then I start my weekly appointments! Yikes! Not long until baby comes now! 41 days and counting :)

32 Weeks

I got the results of my ultrasound yesterday, and it looks like everything is well with the baby! The fluid amount is good, the placenta has moved out of the way by 4cm, and the cervix is completely closed so the cramps haven't caused any real concern:)
My O.B did mention that I won't be having the largest baby in the world and thinks that he will end up being close to Noah's weight by delivery (Noah was 6lbs 7oz) maybe a little bigger. This week I am measuring at 31 weeks (1 week behind) and it is right on track to when I started to measure behind with Noah. Everything is still within the normal range - I think I just grow at a rate my body can handle. I'm hoping that as long as I am still growing and gaining weight (22 lbs so far) they won't need to send me for Non Stress tests later on.

32 Week belly pic

Ultrasound #3

My O.B wanted me to come in for an ultrasound this morning to check the position of the placenta and to see what may be causing the cramps. Gavin and I took Owen with us so that he could see the baby, and I think he enjoyed being able to see his baby brother kicking and squirming on screen. No pictures from today :( but we were able to confirm that it is a boy and he moves a crazy amount! he was constantly kicking, stretching, moving his head around, opening his mouth and blinking. He looked much more like a baby and is quite a bit bigger now. It was also confirmed today that he is head down - he still may move in and out of position but at least he's there for now! that has me feeling positive that the placenta has moved - I'm guessing it would be hard for a baby to be head down with the placenta in the way?

The O.B will have the results in a few days and I imagine if there is a problem I will hear about it soon, otherwise I I have another bi-weekly appointment next week and will learn the results of the ultrasound then. My O.B was concerned that the placenta may still be low and that could be causing the cramps. I'm still praying the placenta is out of the way and that I won't be needing a C-section but I will know more soon!

30 Weeks

Only 10 more weeks! I am seriously not ready, I have so many things to prepare for before the baby comes it's crazy - and none of the things are baby related! I know that everything will get done on time, it always does. I'm wondering now if it's the nesting urge...ahhhh just another thing to make the reality of another baby set in!

Last week I had a couple of nights that I woke up with heartburn - I didn't experience that with Noah. This week it seems to be increasingly worse and I've taken to sleeping propped up on a couple of pillows most nights, it seems to help things and I can get back to sleep. I caved this evening and bought some tums so now I'm prepared to take on the battle tonight! from what I've read it seems like this pregnancy symptom might be here for the remainder of the pregnancy.

I'm still having some cramps but haven't been able to count them like the O.B wanted me to. The cramps are like menstrual cramps but kind of constant and they last anywhere from 10 minutes to half an hour. They also seem to happen when I'm in bed or sitting so I don't really think it's because I'm over-doing it. I've felt tightening like braxton hicks contractions - I had the same thing with Noah but these other cramps are definitely different. I'll mention it again at my appointment tomorrow and I'm also supposed to have another ultrasound at one point so maybe they'll do a more detailed exam and see what's going on.

The baby is still moving like crazy - I can't believe how strong he feels to me. I should try and get some video of my belly as he moves because there are times it looks likes he's trying to bust his way out of there!

I weighed myself tonight and it looks like I've gained another 3 pounds bringing the total up to 19 pounds. I'm thinking my weight gain is still on track and heading towards the 30 pound total I was expecting. My weight gain is also the same as when I was pregnant with Noah, maybe up a pound. I feel bigger this time around regardless of weight, maybe the heat has something to do with it. I've got my fingers crossed that August isn't record hot this year but I'm not holding my breath.


30 week belly pic

Today at the park a lady told me I had a "lovely belly" lol.


30 week pregnancy comparison pic - pregnant with Noah.

28 Weeks

Last week I had my glucose test and a O.B appointment, luckily I was able to start my glucose test then go to my O.B appointment and return for the blood work. Of course it was the only time my O.B was running late and the one hour test turned into a two hour test, I'm so thankful that my mom cares for the kids while I have all of these appointments. I have another one at 30 weeks and then the bi-weekly appointments start - Yikes! it seems to be happening so fast this time around!. I mentioned the cramping I was having to the doctor and he was quite concerned about the frequency of the contractions. He told me to monitor how many contractions I was having an hour and if it was 6 or more to head to the hospital. While braxton hicks contractions can be more painful with each pregnancy, they shouldn't have been occurring as often as I was feeling them. He looked at my paperwork and mentioned that while having other kids at home it's hard to find time to rest but it's important to listen to my body and rest when needed to avoid going into preterm labour. I'm glad that the cramping has been better this week and I will do everything I can to avoid having this little one come earlier than August!
I was glad to have had the appointment when I did because just a few days earlier I came down with an awful flu and ended up losing 5lbs in one day! I was still up about 2 pounds by my appointment bringing my total weight gain so far 16 pounds. So far I am measuring right on and the doctor doesn't seem concerned with the weight or my size.

Welcome to Trimester 3!

26 Weeks

This past week I've had some cramping that I assume are Braxton Hicks contractions, but I don't remember them being painful when I was pregnant with Noah. I'll ask the O.B about them next week but they aren't really in a pattern nor are they intensifying so I don't think they are anything to worry about. It could also just be some "growing" pains as I think I've gotten a little bigger over the past couple of weeks.

Here is my 26 week belly pic



and a comparison pic of when I was pregnant with Noah


Yikes! did you notice the ticker is less than 100 days now? seems like the birth is just around the corner and we have a million things to get done first!

24 Weeks

Everything is going well, I'm still feeling comfortable and have no aches or pains yet :) I'm gaining weight steadily, up 3lbs since my last prenatal visit (14 lbs so far) which is on track for the estimated 1lb a week from 20 weeks on. I often wonder how much bigger this baby will be compared to Noah, I can't seem to stop eating!

This baby boy is a kicker and is always on the move! You can see my belly move when he kicks and Owen has even felt him kick a couple of times. Often the baby will be moving but when Owen puts his hand on my belly the baby stops, and Owen always says "this baby is trying to trick me" :) so cute. I love how excited Owen is getting about having a baby brother, he kisses my belly and talks to his brother, it is really sweet. Noah has started to give my belly kisses and has mentioned the baby, but he doesn't really understand what's happening.

We are still not agreeing on names, I have two names that I really like and even have a middle name picked out, but Gavin doesn't love the names. It will be interesting to see if Gavin comes around to my names in the end or suggests something that I actually like :)

Here is my 24 week belly pic:

22 Week Belly Picture

20 Weeks

20 weeks pregnant - I'm not sure how we got to this point so fast and while we're excited to meet the baby I kind of want things to slow down a bit. Some days I still can't believe that we will have 3 boys by the end of summer! Last week I had an O.B appointment and learned that the placenta is low lying, not covering the cervix but fairly close to it. I'll have another ultrasound in a few months to see if it's moved out of the way, if not the O.B mentioned talking about delivery options which I understood to mean a scheduled C-section if it doesn't move enough. Hopefully it moves as most cases do, but there's nothing I can really do but wait and see. The rest of the results were great - the baby is healthy, there's enough fluid, my size is good and I'm gaining weight steadily (11 pounds total so far). If I have any cramping that doesn't go away with rest or any bleeding I'm to go to the hospital, but I wasn't given any restrictions so I don't think the Doctor is really worried about it.

The baby has been moving lots and I notice it mostly in the evenings and when I'm going to bed. Gavin was even able to feel him move last week which was surprising because the movements still seem somewhat light :)

As far as baby names go we still aren't agreeing, but at least we have a couple of names picked out :)

Halfway there!

Here is a belly pic at 20 weeks and below is a comparison pic at 20 weeks pregnant with Noah :)


20 weeks with Noah

At 1:30 today I had my over 18 week ultrasound, we were really excited to get to see the baby again! I drank orange juice instead of water in hopes to get the baby moving around. The ultrasound tech we had was the same one I had with my first ultrasound with Noah and the first time around I didn't find her very pleasant, this time around was much different - she was actually very cheerful. Right away she asked if we would want to find out the gender and I told her we would want to know. Immediately she said the baby had it's hands between it's legs covering that part - so it must be a boy ;)

Moments later the baby moved and....





















We are really excited to find out we are expecting another boy - but it will take some time to get used to the idea of being totally outnumbered in the household! The ultrasound lasted much longer than my first one, probably close to an hour to measure everything. I'm guessing if there are any problems my O.B will have the results at my next appointment on Tuesday morning.
The ultrasound tech made sure we knew it was only a "guess" but she sounded confident and from what we could see there was definitely something boyish there :)

Below are the pictures from our ultrasound today








The baby kept opening his mouth like he wanted to say something or perhaps eat something :) maybe that's why I've been so hungry?


foot


hand


Our baby boy seems very active in there and moved non stop, he should fit right in with this family! We can't wait until August to meet our sweet boy!

18 Weeks

I think it's safe to say that my belly has officially "popped" it happened around the 17th week, last time I think I was closer to the 20 week mark before you could tell I was pregnant. I've been really busy the last couple of weeks with our trip to Disney and a few outings this week with lots of walking, so I've had some fairly bad hip pain in the evenings. I'm sure it looks like I'm full term the way I limp and waddle around some nights but the pain makes it difficult to walk properly. Also, on our drive home from Disney I had some cramping that was stronger than I'd experienced so far this pregnancy and I have to say I was a bit worried. I figured that once I got some rest it would go away and luckily that's what happened. I'm assuming the cramps were caused because of lack of rest and days of walking around Walt Disney World, I was thinking it was too early for braxton hicks but I'll ask my O.B about it at my appointment next tuesday.

This baby sure has been kicking lots lately, the little kicks feel like pokes and are more obvious this past week than the fluttering feeling before.

This friday we have our over 18 week ultrasound and we are looking forward to (hopefully) finding out if the baby is a boy or girl! Any guesses as to what we're having? Lately I've been feeling it's a girl but I was wrong last time around so I wouldn't trust my gut instincts. Either way we''re really excited about the new baby and are looking forward to meeting him or her!

16 Weeks

Last week on February 22nd (14 weeks 6 days) I had my first O.B appointment and was able to hear the baby's heartbeat! My O.B's doppler doesn't record the actual number so I don't know what the heartbeat reading was but it is always a nice sound :) After reviewing my pregnancy and delivery records I had to laugh when the nurse wrote "uneventful pregnancy and birth" on my paperwork. I'll pray for another one of those this time around :) I will have monthly O.B appointments for the next while and my 2nd ultrasound is scheduled for March 18th hopefully we are able to find out the sex of the baby!

14 Week Belly Pic

14 week belly pics




14 weeks already! I'm still feeling great and I'm looking forward to an expanding belly - one that people notice! this in between stage of looking chubbier isn't really that fun. I'm still wearing my regular clothes except for some jeans that are a little snug so I've moved into my mat jeans just recently for comfort more than needing too. So far I think I've gained 4 pounds - another pound the past couple of weeks. I definitely have an increased appetite and have found that more than once I've had to get up and have a snack in the middle of the night or there is no way I'm going back to sleep! I'm hoping that wears off soon or things might be a little scary by the end!

Baby #3

After an early pregnancy loss in October we are thrilled to be announcing that we are expecting our third baby August 17th/2011! this little baby seems to be doing well and for that we are very thankful. On December 18th we learned of this pregnancy and while we were a little surprised we were also very happy.


check out how strong the test line is! much different than the previous pregnancy we lost - that one was very faint.


Morning sickness kicked in early on at about 5 weeks and while I was feeling queasy most of the time, things seemed worse if I didn't eat often throughout the day. The one difference I've noticed this pregnancy compared to being pregnant with Noah is just how hungry I can get! every two hours or so I have to snack on something or the queasy feeling comes on full force. I didn't gain any weight first trimester first pregnancy but with this one I've already put on three pounds. Luckily my morning sickness has been better since 11 weeks and I've noticed an increase in energy this past week as well. I still go to bed really early usually by 9:30, but I'm not dragging myself through the afternoons anymore :)

At 10 weeks I had my first prenatal appointment with my doctor, she didn't try to listen for a heartbeat as she felt it would be too soon to hear anything. My next prenatal visits will be with the same OB I had before. At just under 11 weeks we had a dating ultrasound and were able to see our little baby bouncing around and kicking his/her legs etc. The dates were right on and I was glad to have the due date confirmed. The ultrasound tech gave us two pictures to take home but they are basically duplicates. The picture doesn't show much but it proves there really is a baby in there!


that "bulge" you see clearly at the bottom of the picture is my bladder about to burst. I didn't even drink nearly the recommended amount of fluid prior to the ultrasound because I learned before that there is no way I can hold that much! the ultrasound tech was like "wow your bladder is full!" seriously how do they expect people to drink that much liquid?

Below are a few pregnancy belly pics. I'm going to try to take them more often this time.

9 weeks



12 weeks


I've noticed that my belly is growing faster this time around or at least the bloating is more :) other than that I haven't noticed too many things different with this pregnancy and I'm hoping that things progress just as smoothly as they did with Noah. We are really excited that our family is growing and we are looking forward to the day we get to meet this little one!