Birth Story!!

The day has finally arrived!!!  Induction Day!!!  Since we still had not made any progress as of June 7th, we were scheduled to go to the hospital Tuesday night, June 8th.  Our check-in time was 6pm on June 8th.  We arrived at the hospital after getting in the car and realizing that the gas light was on and having to stop to get gas so we could make it to the hospital!  They started the cervidil, which is a medication that works for 12 hours to induce labor, at 8pm (that part was not fun).  I was having contractions when we arrived at the hospital so after the cervidil was put in the contractions increased slightly.  The nurse gave me some really strong pain medication so I would be able to rest and prepare for the long road ahead.  That was a very weird experience...it made me feel very strange and I kept seeing things in the room.  Michael and I really had a good time that night.  We spent one final night with just the two of us.  We watched the office on his laptop, laughed together, and talked about what it would be like to have Morgan in our lives.  I will never forget the experiences that we got to share together through this whole process.  8am finally came around and Dr. Cole came in to check me.  The cervidil worked in that I was 2 to 3 cm dilated, but the cervix was still very high.  They broke my water and started Pitocin to get everything rolling.  The contractions started to pick up IMMEDIATELY!  I went from being fairly comfortable to dealing with contractions that I could not even breathe through.  About 15 minutes after breaking my water and starting Pitocin they came in to give me the epidural.  Everyone says that you fall in love with the anesthesiologist...it is so true!!!  He was a life saver.  I forgot about how terrible the process of getting the epidural was as soon as I was comfortable again.  I went from 2cm to 10cm in about 3 hours!!!  It was all looking really good and the nurse was saying that it looked like we would have a baby by noon!  I started to push when I reached 10cm to see if we could start to get her down.

Michael and I right before leaving for the hospital

The process has started...anxiously awaiting our little girl

The whole experience is so surreal...Michael and I, with the help of God, created this baby that for 9 months has grown inside of me, and now here we are in the hospital getting ready to deliver this child that we have waited so long to meet!  AMAZING!!

We noticed after pushing for about 20 mins that Morgan's heart rate started to increase and was not going back down.  Dr. Cole was right there the whole time watching the monitor.  She had me stop pushing for about 30 mins and sit straight up so that maybe gravity could work in our favor and help Morgan come down.  Dr. Cole checked me and said that she was not coming down, her heart rate was still up, and there was a knot on my cervix that was swelling which would ultimately keep me from being able to get her out.  By this point Michael and I were worried about our sweet little girl.  Dr. Cole was concerned as well.  She explained the risks of the cervix tearing and said that could cause uncontrollable bleeding and the risks for Morgan due to the stress.  We quickly came to the conclusion that we had done all we could to try and get this baby out on our own, but now it was time to move forward with the c-section.  Michael and I were filled with so many emotions at this moment.  We were very concerned for our little girl and for me at the same time.  I knew that I was in good hands during this whole process with Dr. Cole.  Once we decided on the c-section everything started to move very fast.  I was being given all kinds of drugs, Michael was given scrubs to put on, he was sent down to give the family the update, and before I knew it they were wheeling me into the operating room.  I have no clue how long the c-section took, but there are moments that I remember very clearly!!  I remember them telling me that I would be meeting my little girl very soon, that everything was going very good, and all of a sudden I heard that first cry....my first instinct was to scream because I was so overcome with joy!!!  Everyone in the OR laughed and said that was the first time they had ever had someone scream during a c-section.  I'm glad that I made it memorable for them too!!  =)  I will never forget that moment for as long as I live.  They brought our sweet little Morgan around the curtain and I couldn't help but let out another scream.  It is a moment that I will never be able to fully describe!!!  She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen, perfect in every way!

                                    

One of the most amazing parts of the whole entire experience was seeing how it affected Michael.  I have known Michael for over 4 years and I have never seen this side of him.  He was very emotional from the moment we arrived at the hospital and the action started.  He was and still is one VERY proud daddy!!  He told our families that this was the most he had ever cried!  I loved seeing that side of him.  You should have seen the look in his eyes when he saw his daughter for the first time....it was priceless!

                                    

                                    

This one is kind of funny, but another moment that I remember so clearly was after she was born and they got her all cleaned up, Michael was taking her to meet our family and I hear someone tell the nurse "Pull his pants up so he doesn't trip and fall."  In all of the rushing to get to the OR, Michael forgot to tie the drawstring on his scrubs and they had fallen down to his knees and he was walking out with Morgan.  It was SO cute!!!

Michael and I were able to love on Morgan while they finished up the c-section and spend our first few moments together as a family!  We were just drooling over her.  She was just as beautiful as we had imagined that she would be.  I was dying to know how much she weighed because they kept telling me towards the end of the pregnancy that she was a big baby.  I didn't find out until I was in recovery, but she weighed 7lbs 11.5oz (but they round up so 7lbs 12oz) and was 19 1/2 inches long.  Morgan came into this world at 1:01pm on June 9, 2010.  She scored 9/9 on her APGAR test (she is already an over achiever like her daddy).

                                                

                                      

I was in recovery for about 2 hours and was unable to see Morgan for about 4 hours.  I was so excited when they finally brought here into our room!  Unfortunately, I don't remember much from the rest of the day because of all the drugs that I had been given throughout the day and the night before.  The fun was just beginning.  Michael and I spent the next couple of days just in awe of our little girl.  We had some wonderful moments in the hospital, just the three of us!

We had a lot of visitors come to the hospital to meet Morgan during our stay.  It was so nice to see how many people love me, Michael, and Morgan!!

After being in the hospital since Tuesday night, we finally got to bring our little girl home on Saturday, June 12th.  It was kind of strange leaving the house on Tuesday, just Michael and I, and coming back on Saturday as a family of three.  We were so glad to be home!

Michael and I are so blessed to have our little girl in our lives.  We thank God everyday for blessing us with a family.  We are looking forward to watching Morgan grow up into a beautiful young lady!

38 Weeks and 5 day Appointment...Catch Up

I have to admit that I have not been doing very good keeping the blog up to date after appointments.  The last 4 have gone pretty much the same though.  Here is the info to catch you up:

May 12, 2010 -
This was our first doctor's appointment where I had an internal check.  At this point I was 35 weeks and 5 days pregnant.  My blood pressure was 100/70 and all lab work looked great!  So my doctor checked me and said that I was 0cm dilated and that baby was really high.  There was no reason for concern because there was still time.  My swelling continued to be bad in my legs and ankles, but I was determined to start walking at this point.  I was determined to get this baby to come down. The doctor said that we would continue to do internal checks from this point on to track progress and that in a couple of weeks we would do another growth u/s to see what Morgan was weighing in at (keep in mind at 30 weeks they told me she weighed 4lbs and 5 oz...that's big!!).

May 19, 2010 -
21 days until the due date!  So I have been eating Mexican food and walking.  I just know that that at this appointment we will have made some progress.  I am now 36 weeks and 5 days.  My blood pressure is again 100/70 and all lab work looks good!  I am still feeling good at this point.  I have not reached the point of misery =)  We meet with the doctor, she does the internal and NO progress...nothing at all!!!  I am getting a little disappointed at this point because I really wanted to have this baby early.  The doctor reassures me that just because we have made no progress does not mean that this baby will not decide to come early. I figured that she would say let's go ahead and do the growth u/s to see what the baby's size is, but no!  She did send us down to have a quick u/s to see if Morgan was in the right position and she was...head down and facing my back.

This is when I went back to the drawing board to figure out how we are going to get this baby out.  I started reading articles on the internet, blogs, etc to see what I could do to get this baby down.  I am still not miserable, but just wanted to have her early (earlier = smaller baby).    

May 25,2010 -
Milestone!!!...We are 37 weeks and 4 days...FULL TERM!!  I was very excited to make it to full term.  This is when we really get serious.  Michael and I have had our bags semi-packed for about a week to week and a half at this point, the nursery is coming together, and the car seat is installed and we have been driving around with it.  We are really getting excited.  At this appointment I am absolutely sure that we have made progress because I have had a lot more pressure, getting uncomfortable, BH contractions have really picked up, and baby Morgan has been VERY active.  I have gained a total of 24lbs, blood pressure looks good, lab work looks good, baby is doing great...I am blessed.  The internal check and NOTHING...no progress at all.  The good news is that the doctor wants to do the growth u/s on the next visit and we are going to discuss what she called the "long term plan."  I quickly corrected her and told her that we could discuss the SHORT term plan, but that there could not be a long term plan!!  =)

Michael and I decided to go eat Mexican food again, we have continued to walk walk walk, and I have been waiting on the full moon.  The 9th full moon of my pregnancy was May 27th.  I just knew that I would have this baby on the night of the full moon, but wrong again!

June 2, 2010 -
So now that we are caught back up...here is the most recent doctors appointment and news.  Yesterday we went to the doctor for our growth u/s and check up.  I was 38 weeks and 5 days with 9 days until my due date.  The u/s was so much fun...I just love getting to see Morgan.  She is a little squished at this point so it was hard to see all of her features.  She had her hands in front of her face still (this has been the case during the whole pregnancy), but we were able to see her eyes and her nose.  She has hair on her head which was awesome to see on an u/s and she has the most precious booty. =)  They got a good view of her little booty...kind of funny!  So the big question was "How much does she weigh?"  She was measuring in at 38 weeks and 3 days at a weight of 7lbs and 11oz.  They said that she is a good size baby and that in about a weeks time she will gain another 1lb.  Trying to deliver a big baby makes me nervous, but I know that God will not give me anything that I can't handle.  I think it will all be just fine. 

Michael and I went upstairs for our scheduled appointment to discuss our short term plans with the doctor.  My blood pressure was 90/70 and all lab work looked great.  The big moment...the internal check.  Still no change!!!  I did not know whether to cry or be mad.  I was disappointed.  This is when I asked the doctor if she was going to make me go until my due date to have this baby.  She said that since this has been such a successful pregnancy, with no complications, and baby and momma are doing good...we would induce on Wednesday, June 9, 2010.  I was THRILLED!!!  She said that it appeared that we have a very healthy baby on our hands and that there was no reason to wait it out.  I told Dr. Cole I absolutely could not resist giving her the biggest hug because she made my day!  I am so excited to have an end in sight now.  I absolutely love being pregnant, but there comes a time when you just get ready to meet your precious little girl and I am ready! 

We are scheduled to go back to the doctor on Monday to do one final check.  If we have made no progress then she will send me to the hospital on Tuesday night.  If there has been some progress, we will go to the hospital on Wednesday morning.  Either way we will be at the hospital on Wednesday and will meet Morgan either Wednesday or Thursday (depending on how long the process takes). 

Since our appointment yesterday, Michael and I have been discussing what we want to do with the last week that we have with just the two of us.  We are going to have date night every night!!!  It is really going to be fun.  We are going to go eat at some of our favorite places, spend some time at his dad's house and act like we are on vacation (his dad is out of town), maybe go out on his dad's boat, and who knows what else we might come up with! =)

This is where the nerves start to set in a bit because of all the changes that are soon to come, but we are ready to have Morgan here with us.  Let the fun begin!!!

Every Week...

Yes we are officially going to the doctor EVERY WEEK!!  I cannot believe that this pregnancy has flown by as fast as it has.  Today I am 35 weeks and 4 days pregnant.  We have 31 days left until our due date (June 11th).  I have a doctors appointment tomorrow!  We are getting so close to meeting our precious little girl.

It seems like I still have SO much to do before she arrives, but I know that I will get it all done.  We have been slowly but surely getting our bags packed for the hospital.  This is a hard one...I am sure that I will overpack just like I do every time I pack for a vacation, but I have no clue what I will need.  We still have to install our car seat in my car and get it inspected by the fire department (hoping to get this completed this weekend).  I already have most of her clothes, blankets, sheets, towels, etc washed so they are all ready for her!  Oh and the nursery...it is really coming together!  I am not going to post any more pictures of her room until it's complete, it will be more exciting at the finale!!  =)

Stay tuned for the update after our doctors appointment tomorrow!

Here are the most recent pictures taken of the bump...34 weeks and 2 days

Baby Shower at Work

Last week my office threw me and Michael a baby shower.  I was so excited because my mom was able to come up for the shower and Michael was in town (since he stopped traveling the week before).  My mom made a special trip up just for the shower and then she went back home.  Thanks mom for taking the time to make the trip up.  I cannot tell you how much it meant to me for you to be there!!  I love you very much! Michael and I got all kinds a great baby gifts...our highchair, diapers, blankets, cute monogrammed stuff (burp clothes, bibs, etc), bumbo, clothes, etc.  The baby gifts were great, but on top of that the food was wonderful!!  My favorite part...the 2 tier chocolate cake with chocolate icing!!!!  I absolutely love chocolate  cake!! =)

My mom took a couple of pictures from the shower so enjoy.

I cannot thank everyone enough for taking the time to throw us a shower and for all of our wonderful baby gifts!! 

Michael Stops Traveling!!!

This is the moment that I have been waiting for!  Michael has been traveling for the past 6 weeks and me, Morgan, and Kiki have been very lonely.  April 30th was his last day to travel.  We are now enjoying time together as a couple before Morgan decides to join us.  

I am so blessed to have Michael as my husband.  He comes home every night and cooks me dinner so that I can sit and prop my feet up (since the swelling is still awful). =)  I have to mention also that he has been a trooper through this pregnancy...recently Michael and I attended a 4 course child birth class (yes he actually went and we learned some things), but the most recent class was the breast feeding class.  Michael did not want to go.  I told him that if he was the only guy there then I would let him leave.  We get to the class and there are about 5 women walking in by themselves and I was thinking to myself that I was going to have to go to this class by myself...and all of a sudden we look over and a guy is getting out of his car and starts walking towards the building (this is the moment that Michael started praying that this guy was going to walk into a different building), yes this guy was going to the breast feeding class.  So about 35 women and 3 guys sat through a two hour breast feeding class that night.  Michael caught up on some national news on his iphone while we were in the class, but he is a multi-tasker so I still think he learned some good info so that he can help me be successful at breast feeding!  I love my husband!!  I cannot wait to see him in action as a DAD.  He is going to be a wonderful father!

Maternity Pictures

I wanted to have maternity pictures taken at some point during this pregnancy so we scheduled to have them done and they got cancelled.  I was afraid that we would not be able to reschedule so my sister took pictures for us when we were down for my baby shower.  I am really pleased with how they turned out.  She is going to do editing on them, but here are some that she took before edits...

Thanks so much Meredith for taking time out of your busy life to help capture these exciting times in our lives!!  Love you!

Nursery Progress!

Michael and I were able to work in the nursery this weekend...it is looking more like a nursery and less like a storage room.  We got all the furniture put together and I am SO pleased with it.  I am doing a photo wall above the dresser and Michael hung all the frames for me.  I am ordering pictures this week to put in those so I will update you as I get those together.  My sister painted letters for us to hang above the crib and they should be coming in the mail today or tomorrow!  I cannot wait to see them!  I have had the bedding in for weeks now, but no bed to put it in.  I was so anxious to get the bed set up.  I love the way it turned out!

I am pleased with the room so far, but there is a lot more to do.  I still have 6 to 7 weeks to get it all done...I can do it!

Here are the pictures of the progress being made: