Ella's birth

Going back a month and a few days to when I had sweet Ella Ruth....

I was admitted into the hospital Friday the 23rd & by Sunday I had figured out I wasn't leaving until I had the baby. She had been doing fine on all the monitoring( and I was bored OUT OF MY MIND). There was just one time on Saturday night I had to stay hooked up a few extra minutes to the NST because her heart rate dropped too low, but she recovered & looked fine. On Sunday morning I had another ultrasound. Ella ran out of time to get all of her movements & kicks in, so she didn't get 8/8 on the biophysical profile. This was the first time for that. My fluid had also dropped a little below 5cm as well. The nurse got all the details from the ultrasound and called the doctor on-call. The doctor was one I hadn't seen before, of course.
My sister had stayed the night again so she could go to the ultrasound with me & try to decide whether to hit the road back to Orlando or not. We both assumed this meant baby would be coming that day, and she was waiting around to see the baby before she went home. When Luke came up to the hospital, he asked my nurse if she had heard yet from the doctor. She said she had called him and had seen him, but he was delivering and would come see us when he was done. She thought he said most likely no baby, but I'd be staying.  What a huge let down. I'm ALL for keeping the baby in past 39 weeks. I know all the details of when what parts finish developing, and I've seen everything in the NICU. I'm a full supporter of March of Dimes. I also have been close to death from HELLP. And I also had a 5 lb 10 oz baby with no fluid at all at 38 weeks. I just wanted a safe delivery & was praying we would all be healthy as well.
The doctor came in shortly after. He said he didn't have too much knowledge on all the studies on oligohydramnios. He had looked up some more studies before he came in, and most of them said once you hit 5 ,to deliver. We're not too sure where this number came from or why 5cm is the considered the cut off. He also believed that as close as you can get to 39 weeks is better. So after discussing NICU, healthy preemie babies, unhealthy term babies, past issues, and everything else, he left it up to us to decide!
In the back of my head, I was still thinking about BP. I didn't want to keep her in and then the pre-e kick in. I also didn't want this c-section to be emergency like the previous 2. If the fluid dropped too low, it could cause that. I also knew that with constant IV and bedrest, the fluid was not going up or even staying the same.So even though she was not even 38 weeks ( 37 is term) and every day makes a difference, we chose to take her out before anything else could happen. 
Since I had eaten breakfast, anesthesia  said we needed to wait until 6PM. So I had to sit & wait for about  2 hours until I headed back to triage at 4PM. The nurses in antepartum had been great. They were so friendly and caring. The nurses from Friday in triage had been the same way. Both of those areas were great ! I honestly think they saw my chart and freaked out, and that's the main reason they wanted me hanging around. We heard them say SHE SEIZED a million times. We would overhear them at shift change or when a new doctor would see me. We had to go over the previous 2 births so many times.   I cant imagine having to do this after losing a child or having a still birth.
 Once I finally got to triage, we had about 2 hours until the c-section. This was the longest two hours I can remember sitting through. I didn't want to think about the spinal or surgery or even dealing with 3 kids. I was still in denial that I was having baby #3 =) We hadn't even really talked or thought about what she would look like! I was trying not to think about pre-e or HELLP happening after delivery. I was honestly trying to think of how to get out of there and not deal with surgery. And then 6:00 rolled around and the doctor was in with a mom who was pushing. I had my anti-biotics and heartburn medicine in my IV, motion sickness patch, & a shot of sour grape medicine to keep me from throwing up. I didn't have any of the anti-sickness meds with the other 2. I think the nurse said it was just in case-- since I ate earlier. 
 I also had to walk this time to the OR. With Landon I was rolled in a bed, and with Lucy I was rolled pushed in the bed as fast as humanly possible. I still was NOT thinking about surgery, but realized I was not getting out of it. I don't know why I was so anxious about the spinal this time. The nurse asked me the entire 2.5 hours in triage what I was nervous about, so I guess it was obvious. I don't like bending over a pillow and not being able to see what's going on. It doesn't hurt, just the small sting, but I don't like it.  I am ticklish in that back area, and I don't want to jump, and I did. Maybe that's how I ended up with the spinal headache? 
As soon as I sat on the table one of the nurses came in and cranked up the Christmas music, and they started on the spinal, put the drape up, cleaned my belly, pinched me a few times, and called the doctor in to get started! We didn't have any complications during surgery. I remember the doctor saying something about 'very low', & I assumed they meant my scar. But there was no issues with it. Every doctor and nurse compliments my scar (kinda weird), and I'm never sure if it really is done well or if they just want me feel better about having one. Before too long they pulled her out, she screamed and screamed,the tears were flowing, they brought her to the side for me to see, and then she was off to get checked out across the room and daddy followed her. There was only one time that we really talked about what she might look like, and it was with Landon. He said she would have green eyes and red hair--too much Brave? So while in tirage, to get my mind off the nervousness, Luke starts looking up about red heads, and the zodiac sign ( whatever that's called) for her birthday, and we convince ourselves she will be a red head! Well, my baby came out with DARK DARK hair!

6 pounds and 3 ounces--biggest baby of our 3, and only dropped down to about 5 pounds and 13 ounces. While Luke was over with the baby and the nurses, I could hear the tones change from the voices on the other side of the drape.  Then they started talking with the anesthesiologist and telling him that he needed to get it ready, and then a few seconds later to go ahead. He then gave me a shot in my shoulder ( warned me first) and added something to each IV. He said something about my uterus not contracting and that it's common after multiple babies. He stood up and watched over the drape for a few minutes. I have no clue what happened or what shot I got. I know they usually give you pitocin to help it start to contract back down, but that was put into the IV bag. I guess I'll ask at my appointment next week. I do remember they said there was minimal bleeding though.

Luke brought the baby over after that, they sewed me up, moved me to the other bed, and rolled me off to recovery. I had the option to do skin to skin in the operating room-- I was asked about it in triage right before, and it totally threw me off. I didn't know I had that option, and I thought I'd not mentally be wanting to hold the baby during surgery and there just might be too much going on for me. So, I said no. And I made sure the nurse didn't think I was a bad mom for saying that. She seemed to give the impression that it's a newer thing that they do, and it was TOTALLY fine with them if I said no. I'm sure it's more of a hassle to change things up in the OR, and they are use to not doing it. There is my Ella Ruth story. The annoyance with the nurses/hospital experience came with the next few days. I'm sure I'll get around to that soon enough!
Back to packing up the house.........
But first, a look at those hospital pictures. Obviously, I didn't buy them, but here are the previews of some:









Isn't it CRAZY how quickly they change?

36 weeks

I've been meaning to write every day, but I never get to it. I went to the doctor about 2 weeks ago after having some shiny floaters & dizziness & lightheaded ness. Everything was still good, & we scheduled my next visit for Thursday the 15th for an ultrasound & doctor visit. My primary (high risk) doctor wanted to check on baby to make sure everything was still ok , because of complications from both previous pregnancies. So we had an ultrasound yesterday . It seemed like we were back 4 years ago with Landon . She just kept moving the wand thing over the belly everywhere & I'm not an ultrasound tech or sonographer or whatever they are, but there were no pockets of fluid to measure! I knew that meant it was low. She did finally find 2 spots to measure,& I am on the lowest side of normal. Because of Landon's rapid drop from 7 to 0, we will be back on Monday to re-check. Baby Ella is measuring about 6 pounds & 5 ounces right now ( give or take the pound it can be off). She was moving enough & passed all the 'tests' that she needed to. She was very low, and I wasn't sure they'd be able to measure her head, but we finally got it!
Everything at the doctor office was good with me-- my belly is measuring small, but we had just had the ultrasound , so no surprise with that.
The closer we get, the more thankful I am. But I am also getting more anxious. The last hospital stay was NOT one I like to think about. I don't want to think about surgery. I don't want to think about my emotions if my Bp is elevated at all. I don't want to think about the following 2 days after surgery of making sure everything goes back down ( if it goes up). I'd rather just be put to sleep for 3 days, and wake up with a baby! As of now, we are still on for a scheduled c-section......in 21 days.BUT I know how this hypertension and pre-e and HELLP work. And my doctor is also now out of town until the week after Thanksgiving sometime. I still don't trust my body. It didn't exactly follow the rules of blood pressure going down after Landon, and it most definitely followed no rules with Lucy's arrival. We will just wait and see and try not to worry!
I did get a few minutes last night ( after midnight) to piece together one side of the crib skirt. After I got all the panels pieced together, I had my mom hem & gather them. This pelvis can't handle sitting at a sewing machine that long. I just have to pin and sew them onto the panel pieces (2 left), and sew the panels onto the deck ( that sits under the mattress). I'm probably not working on it tonight though. I've had a headache for about a day now. This headache woke me up yesterday while I was napping. Luke is off on Thursdays ,and I usually can nap on those days. If this Tylenol and caffeine doesn't kick it in a few hours, we might head to get some bloodwork to double check.
Luke has also ( I think) finished the dresser. He just wants to touch up some things he wasn't happy about. I finished some more 'art' for her walls last week too. I just need to put some liner in her drawers--I don't know who we bought her dresser from & weirds me out a little--and put the clean newborn clothes in them. We should be good to go, except diapers! We do need to buy some. I've started stocking up on wipes this week. $.99/ refill pack at Kroger when you buy 4, but with a $.50/1 coupon that doubles it actually is free plus $.01! I've been trying to get extra coupons & just bought some more on EBay ( they will end up being $.40 a pack after buying the coupons).
I'm sure there's plenty I'm forgetting that we need to do. I packed a bag (1st time for that. I know the hospital bag is over-rated. Who doesn't want peace & quiet? That peace comes with sending everyone away & sending a list of what you need from home.) I have the camera charged. Now we just wait! I think I might be close to comprehending that we are having another child. MAYBE.

Martha Stewart came over today. { changing pad cover tutorial}

Have you ever wanted to make a changing pad cover for your baby's room? Yeah, me neither. I bought fabric to make the bed skirt the other day, and I realized the flannel fabric I got 2 yards of just wasn't going to work. The sheet and bumper are both pink, and I got the striped flannel ( that is on the quilt) to go on the top and bottom tier, and just wouldn't look right. 

This is the tutorial for the skirt I had been planning on doing:

http://www.positivelysplendid.com/2012/01/ruffled-crib-skirt-tutorial-nursery-bedding-reveal.html

So I looked up DIY tutorials last night, and found one for a changing pad cover, and knew I had enough to try it out. It was THE EASIEST thing I have ever sewn. I only made one. I might be weird , but I can't really handle when all the bedding and accessories don't  match. If my baby explodes on the changing cover, I usually wash it right away anyways. So I do have some spares from Landon ( that Lucy used too), but will primarily use this one that matches. BUT if you want to make one to match her room, feel free =) It won't take you long, and I'll gladly accept them. The one I saw at target that I like was $9.99. I got 2 yards of fabric on sale at Joanne's Sunday ( THAT PLACE IS PACKED ON SUNDAYS. I WAITED OVER 5 MINUTES TO GET FABRIC CUT, and there were 5 people cutting!) for $1.99/yard, and have plenty leftover for other crafts. So this changing pad cover matches her quilt perfectly , and cost under $4.00 to make.

I used the free tutorial from The Prudent Baby. If you want to try this out you can follow theirs, or try to follow along with my pictures. It suggests that it will fit a standard changing pad. I didn't measure mine before, but the measurements they give for standard are : 32″L X 16″W X 3-4″H
 They also give instructions to use 2 fabrics--very cute. But I only messed up and had 1 fabric that wasn't going to work with the other project.

1) You need to cut a 48"x32" piece.
2) fold the piece in half in length.

3)Then fold the width in half:

4)Draw an 8" square on the top corner. This corner has no folds on it.

5) Cut the square out.

6) Your piece should look like the photo below.

7) On each of the 4 cut corners, match them right sides facing & sew together. You're making 4 rounded sides. Each of those will look like this:

8) Now you are going to make a casing for the elastic. First, fold under the entire raw edge about 1/2 " and iron down. Next, fold all the way around about 1" and pin & iron in place. You will then stitch all the way around the 1" casing you just made. Keep your seam on the inside, starting at a corner seam, and leaving a small gap that you will be able to pull the elastic through.

My beginning and end of the casing being sewn. with a gap to feed elastic.

9) Feed your elastic ( 36" of it was what the tutorial called for. This is WAY too tight for my changing pad. Hopefully it will fit better when we replace it with a newer one.) I think I used 1/2" elastic? Pin one side of the elastic to the fabric so it doesn't slip in through the casing. Use a safety pin on the end of the elastic you will be feeding through the casing. This makes the elastic feeding VERY QUICK! Pull that safety pin and elastic all the way through the casing until you get back to the opening.

My elastic is all the way through my casing!

10) Sew your 2 ends of elastic together. I 've read the best way is to make a box with an x inside to keep that elastic good and secure. Once your elastic is in 1 piece, let it slip into the casing, and finish stitching up that little gap you left open.

ALL DONE!

It's fitting a little oddly, but hopefully it will fit better on a newer changing pad.

You can tell the bottom 'foam stuff' is starting to completely come off, and this baby needs a different changing pad. You can also see how TIGHT the elastic is at 36" long. It still works!

I also made some letters to go onto her wall.

 The last 3 letters were just spray painted the same color that the pulls on her dresser are painted. All letters were bought at Hobby Lobby. The larger E I decided to cover with the chevron. I looked up a ton of different sites to see the best way to cover it. Of course we can't find the Mod Podge ANYWHERE in the new rental or in any box it should be in. So I just used hot glue.

I cut out an E slightly larger than the actual E. I then just pulled tightly, tucked, and hot glued all around the edges to the back of the E.

Tomorrow will be 35 weeks!!!!! More projects to get finished this week! More pictures to come!

Baby Ella

I haven't added belly pictures in a while! I was waiting until our family pictures got back to us, and then we were in and out of town the past 2 weeks.

29 weeks

It was a long day!

Almost 31 weeks. I skipped that week, but this is 30 weeks & 5 days.

She has a name!

I keep asking Luke if my belly really looks big, like when I lay down, because I just forget about it. If I wasn't in so much PAIN any and every way I sat or laid, I don't think I'd remember half as much as I even do now. He assured me that there is a basketball under there, and this 32 week picture REALLY looks like it! It really just is surreal at this point. I'm trying to keep it real, but there is so much going on. Even if we make it until the c-section, we only have 6 weeks and 5 days left until we will be holding a newborn! That's very soon! It really is weird to feel a little elbow or hand pushing on my belly and really know how TINY that baby is. I have held one of those hands that is the same size of my finger. It's amazing and creepy all at the same time.

We are going to start working on the baby's room this week. Well, that is the plan. Luke brought the paint home today, but accidentally got the wrong color he was comparing it to. Hopefully tomorrow we can get it fixed after church. I finally found 2 grays that weren't too purple or brown.

I took a picture a few weeks ago of the fabrics I had so far and the 2 colors. We are going with the lighter, Opal. It is almost a white, but we don't want dark at all in the small room. With white furniture hopefully you can tell it is gray. 

opal

I have also FINALLY started on her bedding. The fabrics I chose weren't fabrics I had been on the hunt for. They actually were just the only 10 light pinks, grays, and whites I could find in the stores I went to. The bottom left in the picture above actually got kicked out of the quilt. I didn't really like it at all, and just got it because it was gray.

There were quite a few fabrics I saw on-line at stores, but I only needed 1/8 of a yard of each, and most stores I would have had to purchase a full yard. I could have done that and had a lot of scraps. But the fabrics were all over $9.00 a yard, which is not much when you are only buying 1/8 of a yard, but I wasn't needing to buy a yard of each just to have so much scraps.

Getting started cutting my strips. This was actually fun. I love that rotary cutter!

All done cutting, and checking out the tutorial again.
http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2010/07/tutorial-road-trip-quilt.html

Laying it out ONE TIME to see if it looks Ok.

The pinks are not as bright as they look on here. Only one has a brighter pink. It wasn't my favorite. But it works. I am planning on sewing the top together tomorrow. I get more anxious about that--sewing straight, keeping the stitch at 1/4 inch, and just messing it all up! I ordered the fabric for the backing today. I actually was able to get one i REALLY LIKED for that because I needed about a yard and a half. I'm going to use this:

I don't even know how it will match or look against the others, but I wanted chevron the whole time. I'm sure HOPEFULLY the pink will match some pink on the top somewhere, and one of the grays will match a gray too. I might just have to add some other things into the room in this fabric, if I have any extra. I'm not sure which way the chevron stripes go either, I don't understand that stuff. Let's just hope it turns out OK. I also need to get a fabric or binding for the edge, and will have to figure out the actual quilting part. Anyone want to do that for me?!?

I also ordered her bumper, and we will get on ordering her bed. We got a dresser right before we moved, and will need to refinish it.

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Now on to a few of my favorite pictures from a few weeks ago!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Ok, that's a bunch!

Back to the doctor on Monday, seeing my regular high risk doctor, I know he will be pleased that I am still coming in! My blood pressure has been up and back down over the past week, and seems to have found a new normal. It's slightly higher than it started out at, but it still 'normal'. I've had off and on swelling, but that is to be expected with traveling in a car and then standing all day long. Hopefully only good news to report next week. I'm wondering how big or small this baby is. Landon was a tiny one ( so we thought) at 38 weeks being 5 pounds and 10 ounces, but he had IUGR from the oligo. I haven't even asked yet if there is a chance at all of happening this time. Maybe I should ask, and then maybe they would measure fluid ;) That was the plan with Lucy, and we had a measurement at 28 weeks, right before she came. Measuring fluid requires an ultrasound. An ultrasound means seeing the baby! (Except this office doesn't file things that same as my old one. . . . we've had to pay on all these we've had so far. We are still trying to get that taken care of =/ ) Maybe I will have more baby pictures soon-- IN UTERO! Let's hold off AT LEAST 3 1/2 more week until live baby pictures.

State fair, Nashville, & doctor visit

We only had a short amount of time that we were able to spend at the fair this year. I never understood the TN state fair when I lived there. It was so small. It didn't seem to have nearly even half the exhibits or displays or ' things entered to be judged' (whatever word that is) concerts,shows,and just things to do. We always heard that the Wilson County was the fair to go to, and we tried it last year, but it was not anything at all like the Kentucky State fair. I searched on-line last year for the top State Fairs, and The Kentucky State Fair was on most of the lists for top 10. I guess that is why the others seemed so boring. It's not so cheap, but growing up everyone went multiple days. And when you do just go one day, it's a 10 hour day you spend . There are plenty of places indoors to walk and look, so it's not too hot really. We only were able to go once Luke got off work, and stayed until a little after dark. We walked around a few of the wings in the fairgrounds to see the cakes, quilts, Christmas trees (!!!!), and the KidZone. We got just a little bit of food--Landon scarfed a corndog, Lucy munched on some fries, Lucy also wanted all of my loaded baked potato, and Luke had some type of sandwich. The kids also got a msassive bag of  cotton candy while Luke and I shared a funnel cake.We only let Landon ride 2 rides, they get expensive! He had a blast and didn't want to leave. I wished he could have ridden every ride there. Next year, we will for sure go on a wristband day! 

If you want to go on a short trip in August, check out the KY State fair next year. You won't be disappointed!

Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language. 

~Henry James

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We went to the NICU party this past weekend. Lucy & Landon both loved the games,candy, and cake. I loved to see the nurses and doctors and respiratory therapists who took care of my teeny tiny baby for 53 days all day and night. It's also great to see other mommies and daddies who we've read about on the NICU facebook page, followed on their blogs, or remember watching them enter or leave the NICU daily while we were there as well. 

24 weeks & 4 days

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I had my 24 week appointment today. I'll be 25 weeks in 2 days! I've been totally fine mentally so far in the past few months. I feel like everything will be fine. I have a feeling we will be closer to the 37 week mark before we deliver this baby. But ,then in the back of my head ,I just see us in the hospital in month & thinking are we REALLY doing this AGAIN?

When my doctor walked in, before he could even see me, he expressed that he was happy I had behaved so far, and that we have something to be thankful for. (Before he came in, I had started having some doubts. As I stopped into the bathroom before my BP and weight check, I wondered how many more times I will GET to write my name on the little plastic cup. My BP was good, slight change to the top # but all well within normal. My weight is ok--I'm at 14 pounds gained. BUT 7 WERE SINCE THE LAST VISIT! ahh I had a big gain like that with Lucy right before things headed the wrong direction.) So after he said everything was good so far, there was the silence and the head bobbing. I've had that with both pregnancies. Then he said that's he's nervous now. So am I. I had been holding back tears since I had sat down on the table. We're just getting closer to the point that wasn't so pleasant before. As I laid back to measure the belly and hear the heartbeat, he said Watch, we'll be scheduling our 39 week c-section, and everything will end up fine. I told him that is my main thought when I'm trying not to worry, that at 39 weeks when everything is still fine, I'll have wasted it all for nothing. He quickly said BUT WITH NO COMPLAINING, RIGHT? I fully assured him that I hate when someone is at 36/37 week just saying they want to be done, and they just have NO clue. 

As he was walking out, he made THAT joke again. He made me promise I wouldn't misbehave--as in don't let your BP get so high, get pre-e, get HELLP, and have a seizure. That's been his little 'joke' since the beginning. He said he is too old to deal with all of that. The last doctor that had THAT JOKE with me, was after I delivered Lucy. My doctor kept telling me that we just had to make sure I didn't dance without the music. I had no clue what he meant really, or that it was that serious that I could have a seizure. He didn't joke or smile or even really laugh again until Lucy was about 2 months old. It was far enough past the scary that he felt comfortable to smile, even if it was him talking about how happy he was when I started pulling the oxygen mask off my face. You don't ever want a doctor to say that a moment they had with you was the best moment in their medical career. I've realized since then that it is the ultra scary moments that have been turned into a joking matter. It's not funny. But how else does a doctor say Hey, don't have a seizure & almost have your liver explode again! Our visits always end with a laugh and  smile, but it's a different level than I'd prefer. 

I will be going every 2 weeks from now on. Since we just don't know, he doesn't want me to get sick, and just fall in the cracks, and us miss something in a months' span. I'll be heading back on the 10th, and then 2 weeks after for the glucose screening and my 28/29 week visit. I'll keep updating as we go!

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“As for God, his way is perfect: 

    The Lord’s word is flawless; 

    he shields all who take refuge in him.

For who is God besides the Lord?

    And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength^[h]

    and keeps my way secure.

2 Samuel 22:31-33