4 Days, 1 Hr, 19 Min :)

Hey Everyone,

So I had my last check-up at the doctor before my c-section on Friday! She said I've definitely dropped, but I'm still kinda closed, but close...having contractions everyday now, real ones- not braxton hicks...so I guess if they come regularly I need to go to the hospital.

I'm very excited for Friday, but scared also. I can't believe I will meet my little boy!!! It's so strange to me (still) that I'm going to be a mommy! It seems just like yesterday that I was peeing on that pregnancy test...scared to death! LOL....longest yet shortest nine months of my life!

So how am I feeling?

I am very tired lately and I ache...especially my right ribcage where he likes to kick...and then my right hip (the replacement) has been giving me some pain the past few days. The doctor said thats probably because he's dropped and he's SO low... I've just got to take it easy this week.

Jim and I made two trips to the hospital this last week...one was Wednesday night. I thought my water had broke...It's so weird being pregnant with your first...you have no clue what you're doing or what things feel/should feel like. Anyways, obviously my water had no broke...I probably just peed LOL.

The second trip to the hospital was on Saturday night. I was having really painful contractions, ten minutes apart for two hours straight. We called the doctor at like 12- midnight and the on-call dr said to go to the hospital for a labor check and check to see if the baby was ok- so that it would be stressed out. That was scary to hear. I'd hate for Baby Jack to be stressed out- his heartrate dropping or whatnot. But, that wasn't the case. His heart rate was fine and the contractions actually stopped once I was in the room....which I hear is actually really common--- your adrenaline starts kicking in and you want to run away so your body stops labor I guess? Who knows....either way they monitored me til about 2 am...then sent me home. She offered me some Demerol for the discomfort, which I was hesitant about but took because I haven't been sleeping well at all and in pain. OMG I love that stuff....made me feel happy LOL. I woke up the next morning wide awake, feeling like my old self. :) It was nice. Of course, I'm back to being uncomfortable but that's expected....just something I have to deal with :)

My mom, sister and stepdad come into town tomorrow! I'm so excited--- and I get a twinnie day with Nicole on Wednesday :) YAYS!

36 Weeks, 5 Days, 24 Days Left

YAY- So, yesterday was a full day- two dr appointments.

First, we had our last ultrasound with Dr. Helm. Jack is basically out of room LOL…sad for both him and I…he’s cramped and I’m hurting from his strong movements. Their guess-estimate for his weight is 7lbs, 1 oz. The ultrasound was a little painful for me because of the PUPPPS rash that I still have…with that and the stretchmarks, my skin is super sensitive so the goo they use for the machine kind of burned the entire time! And these aren’t normal ultrasounds…they take like 30 minutes. But, it was the last one, so it’s over with J

Our second appointment, we finally got to meet the doctor who will delivery Jack. I love this new office that I’m going to now…Fresno Women’s Medical Group…They are really nice and really listen to what you have to say- concerns and all. My doctor looked over my chart before meeting with me, asked me about the surgeries I’ve had and my past and examined my range of motion that I have now with the hip replacement and determined that a c-section would be her recommendation…which is excellent for me because that’s what I want. If she would have done the same routine and recommended a natural birth, I would be scared to death, but would have accepted it because, unlike the other doctor I had, this woman LISTENED to me and really looked at all aspects of my body- that means so much to me as a patient.

Anyways, Jack will be here on November 4 J My surgery is at 11am…so Jim and I have to be there at 9. It is another surgery, but I really don’t care about that…I really think the surgery will be less nerve-racking than the thought of my hip being damaged or having any other kind of complications that will put me in recovery even longer than a c-section.

One downside to yesterday was that since I am having the c-section and I’m pregnant, my chances for a blood clot go up even more, so I DO have to go on the Lovonox injections in my stomach L It’ll only be once a day for ten days…but I guess I have to compromise somewhere, right? I’m going into the office tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon before our baby class to get a small “tutorial” of how to give myself the injection…I’ve had Lovonox before when I got a blood clot after my hip replacement, but I didn’t give the injections to myself…I barely even looked at the needle…I had my mom do it for me. Jim said he could probably help me out but I do want to know how to do it myself in case I need to. Just the fact that I have to stick a needle into my stomach…with jack there…freaks me out so much L But, again, if it was dangerous for baby, I know the doctor wouldn’t allow it…so it should be OK. I just have to get over the fear and do it.

34 Weeks, 6 Days, 37 Days left!

UPDATE :)

Ok, so I finally got in to see the new doctor yesterday...kinda...I saw the nurse practitioner, but she and everyone in the office are just really nice-- not like the other office I was going to. The appointment was very long because I had to wait- they were waiting for my records to be faxed over but they never came in...luckily, they saw me anyways!

She examined my Puppp- which is now basically chest-toe...hands, arms, legs, feet, belly, etc etc. Luckily, my face, neck and private areas have been spared. Needless to say, she was shocked that my previous dr had prescribed me the clobetasol...and highly recommended that I stopped using it...so thats what I've done. She said benedril should work just fine, even though it'll make me tired, and it has! The benedril actually works better than the clobetasol, lasts longer, and I don't have to worry about harming Jack.

Then it came down to getting all my past surgery information and instead of just repeating a long list of operations, I handed her a list I had written up for her-- it's easier :) Then, she asked me the most amusing question: "So, did you have a scheduled c-section planned with your previous doctor?" HAHAHAHA EXACTLY! I explained the problem I was having with the other doctor and explained further that I really just wanted a second opinion on the c-section idea...someone's opinion who would listen and examine my case/past rather than just going off of "old-fashioned" ideas. So, I meet the actual doctor next week and we'll discuss the c-section then :)

overall, I really really like this office better and even though it is late in my pregnancy, I am happy I switched :)

Trying to Stay Strong....

Happy 5 am...

Before we get down to the nitty-gritty stuff that I got on here to write about...just thought I'd share that I had a very odd dream last night....Jim's cousin bought Baby Jack his very own Russian Unicorn as a baby gift!!!!! LOLOLOL Love it! If you don't get the joke, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjaZNYSt7o0.

ANYWAYS...new problems have risen. While I was in Prescott last weekend for my baby shower, I woke up incredibly itchy on my stomach...it was horrible! My body always seems to do weird things when I go home anymore--- really bad migraines in the morning, stuffy nose, etc. I thought this was just an added "Going-home-symptom" but apparently not. It's just been getting worse- the redness, swelling, and itching. I finally went to the doctor today because it's just becoming unbearable...can't even sleep because I wake up feeling like I got bit by a million bug bites on my stomach surrounding my belly button. That's the best way to describe it.

So, I had originally done some Google research and found this pregnancy condition abbreviated PUPPP...it's a pregnancy rash that can be so extreme sometimes that they have to induce labor to treat the itching with high dose steroids! Anyways, this condition is exactly what I have. While at the doctor she asked me if it was spreading anywhere besides my stomach, which at the time wasn't...but now it is even though I got a steroid medication for the itching now (clobetasol). It's terrible! My stomach looks like I have leprosy....and now I'm not only itching there, but also on my arms, legs, back....I thought pregnancy made some women feel beautiful? I haven't felt this ugly in a really long time. I've been holding back the tears all day but last night before bed I really broke down and Jim was really nice about it...I love him so much and that's one of the things I really do love about him-- he doesn't judge me or make me feel anything less...I can truly tell that he feels bad for me and wishes he could take some of the burden of carrying our child...I believe it too...if he could, he would take all the pain away.

I guess it's just hard because I feel like everything always has to go wrong--and I always get the weird, f-ed up stuff that nobody's ever heard of-- I had Bell's Palsy in high school and now this...both really annoying and embarrassing. I can't help but wonder what I did in a past life to deserve so much pain and just one thing right after another!!!!!!!!! Nothing is ever simple...

OK...there's my bitch-fit :) I'm done...I'm gonna go soak in an oatmeal bath and see if I can't get back to sleep :) NUH NITE friends...thanks for listening to me vent!!!!!!

32 Weeks, 4 Days, 53 Days Left

So I am really up and down today...actually, the only time I was really "up" was when I had my ultrasound...got to see Jack :)

Here's a pic of his foot! Isn't it cute!!!?? This foot is ALWAYS kicking to the left of my belly button. I love it.

So here is the vent session that I need to get off my chest...

-I don't like gaining weight...I'm 147 lbs!!!! :( I feel huge!!!

-I have lots of ugly stretch marks even though I lather up with palmers cocoa butter everyday!!!

-A certain person (no names) is driving the hell out of me!

-I'm tired of being alone!!!

-and another thing, but I'm not gonna say it because it's a little too close to heart...

SOOOOO ANYWAYS....Jack weighs 4 lbs now...he's in 40th percentile for being 32 weeks, so thats not too bad... :) Yays for my growing boy :)

Crib and Nursery :)

32 Weeks, 2 Days, 55 Days Left- Second Scare

Yesterday was definitely an up and down kind of day! It was nice because I had some alone/chill time in the morning while Jim was out playing frisbee golf and then we spent the afternoon together watching Sin City and having lunch...but the whole time and all day Friday I was having pains- menstrual-like cramps, gasey pains without the gas, and then pressure and pain in my pelvis to where I'd have to double over...so there was some concern.

Now, anyone who truly knows me knows that I am stubborn as ever when it comes to going to the emergency room or even an urgent care...it's like pulling teeth, even though I know it's always worth it- either you find something or it puts your mind at ease!

So, to put our minds at ease (since this is our first baby and we have no clue what is going on), we went to the OB OR last night around 4pm. Luckily they got us right in and hooked me up the monitor and started recording the babies heart beat, movements and contractions. At first there were no contractions, only Jack going crazy on my bladder lol...but after about fifteen minutes and some hydration, I was having contractions every 3 minutes! They were small but I could definitely feel them.

They tested to see if my water broke, which I knew it didnt....but let them test anyways...then they checked if I was dialating, which I wasn't...thank goodness!! So, they gave me this medication, not sure the name of it, to stop the contractions and it worked. It made me feel real shakey and my heart race, but I've only had two contractions since 7:30 last night, so YAYS :)

Another up moment after we got home though--- Jim's mom and brother dropped off our new crib! It's SOOOO cute! I am going to post pics of that and the nursery in the next blog today :)

Thanks for listening to our little "scare #2" lol I'm so glad Jack's gonna stay in a bit longer- he needs to continue "cooking" lol.