Goodbye 2011-Hello 2012!

I guess I better write my recap of 2011 before we head out tomorrow because I don't think we're taking the computer with us and I doubt I will have time to blog before the new year.  Let's see, where do I even begin. 

The end of 2010 left me feeling unknown.  I felt like I didn't know what the future held for us, if a baby was in our cards, if E and I really were ready to take on the possibility of long, never ending fertility treatments.  I was feeling very let down and just had no idea what was going to happen.  Dealing with family deaths seemed easy compared to not knowing if you would ever become a Mom.  I wasn't sure if this was something I could handle. 

When 2011 hit, it seemed like something blew over me that said "get over it!  Life WILL get better, you WILL have a baby, you CAN'T give up!"  I didn't.  I found a new dr who was AMAZING and we will be forever grateful for giving us our special gift.  Lucas is amazing.  Edgar was amazing throughout our whole journey and I think feeling positive throughout everything really helped us conceive.  Seeing those 2 lines on the pregnancy tests just seemed like yesterday.  I will never forget how I felt that day or the look on E's sleepy face when I ran to wake him up.  It brings tears to my eyes and a big smile on my face.  Who knows if we will ever get to experience it again but we are going to try.

I got to spend great time with family throughout this year.  Saw friends and even made a few trips.  Going to CT and hanging out with friends was awesome.  Ice Skating in the snow at a casino was outstanding.  Seeing our cousins get married in California and spending 10 days sight seeing and visiting the Kardashians store "Dash" was something I will continue to remember.  Hearing the ultrasound technician tell us "its a boy!" even though I was expecting a girl but deep in my heart I know he was a he.  :)  Watching my niece graduate high school and go off to college was the greatest family moment of the year.  We were all super proud of her.  Being induced at 38 weeks was quite the experience and even though it ended in a c-section there is nothing I would change about it all.  I had a wonderful recovery and Lucas is everything I could have ever asked for.  He is truly an angel and we are really blessed. 

I know 2011 was probably one of the best years E and I have had together and I hope 2012 tops it.  I wish great health and fortune for our family.  I wish we are able to save our money and get into our own house by the end of the year.  I wish Lucas continues to grow and stay healthy and we enjoy watching him along the way.  I'm not ready for my Baby to grow up but I know its inevitable.  There are amazing things coming our way, I just know it. With that, I'll leave you with a picture of my little 3 week old man.  He's precious.

2 1/2 week update

My little (big!) guy is now 2.5 weeks and weighs a whopping 8lbs13oz.  He has gained 2 lbs since he's been home.  He definately doesn't have a problem eating.  :)  He also switched up to size 1 diapers and I'm packing away all his newborn outfits.  He only had about 8 button up sleepers that he wore and he used them plenty of times.  I need to start washing his 0-3 sleepers and outfits.  He still fits in his newborn pants and sweatpants but I will definately pack up everything else.  I'm sad he's growing so fast.  I want him to be a baby for forever! 

He sleeps really well.  I have no complaints in that department.  He kind of made his own little schedule and is starting to stay awake a little more during the day.  He eats when he wakes up which is about every 3-4 hours.  He only wakes up 1 time at night to eat.  If we time it right (and he cooperates) he will wake up when E is going to work and I get a good 7-8 hours of sleep.  That's always nice when it works out that way. 

Our First Christmas was wonderful!  It was great to have our little guy with us and spend time with family.  we spent Christmas Eve with E's family and Christmas day with my family.  It's always great to be able to split time with family and not have to worry about making people mad.  I received a new lens for my camera from Edgar and Lucas, along with the movie Dolphin Tale.  I have yet to watch the movie though, but I'm hoping to watch it sometime this week. 

Yesterday I bought E tickets to see the New Orleans Saints vs Carolina Panthers tickets for their last game of the regular season.  We will be going to NO on Saturday and coming back on Monday.  I'm glad he's off work because that was the help to make the ultimate decision.  I'm excited to bring in the New Year someplace we've both never been together.  I went to NO my sr year in high school so its been a good 8 years since I've been there.  We are also taking my Sister so she can babysit Lucas while we watch the game but we will go sight seeing all day Saturday and half the day Sunday.  It's going to be so much fun and I can't wait to use my lens. 

1 week old and a full birth story

Lucas is 1 week old today!  Here's the complete birth story for everyone ( who reads!) to see.  It was a very eventful experience. 

My 38 week appointment turned interesting when she told me by bp was high and I had high trace of protein in my pee sample. I had to do a 24 hr urine catch and she called me on wednesday to tell me I would be induced friday morning at 6 am. I went in on Friday to do admission paperwork (even though I pre-registered but whatever) and they started me on pitocin at 7 am. I was at a 3 and about 70% effaced. My dr came in at 9 am and broke my water. Immediately my contractions started and they were back to back. I was able to get through them but asked for an epidural soon after. The epi was placed wonderfully and I had no pain from it what so ever. I did jump as she was injecting the medicine but she warned me that it would happen, some type of reflex or something. Once the epidural was in I was smooth sailing. I could feel the tightening and pressure of a contraction but no pain. She checked me again around 11 and I was about a 4. She checked me at 1 and I was still around a 4 but this time 100% effaced. She said I was still on track. I started feeling some different kind of pressure at 1:30 so I called the nurse back in and she checked me. I was now at a 6.5. It was crazy to think my body had changed so fast. Around 3:30 I felt anal pressure and told my Sister it felt like I needed to poop or pass gas. She called the nurse for me and she checked me again. I was already dilated to a 9.5 so she called my Dr to get over. The dr came to check me and said yes, I was at a 9.5 but he was still pretty high up and that she would continue to check on me. I stalled at 9.5 for just over 2 hours! It wasn't fun at all. The epidural was still working but for some reason I had MAJOR pain in my anal area. I could feel every contraction through my butt it seemed like, I eventually broke down and cried. I'm not sure if it was all pain related, or exhaustion or even because I knew something just wasn't right. The nurse told me I was finally a 10 and even though he was still kind of high I could push to take the anal pressure away. I started to push at 5:45 and continued to push until 8:45. The nurses tried me pushing in different positions and nothing. The baby wasn't decending and after 3 hrs my dr decided it was long enough and that we just needed to get the baby out. While his heartrate didnt seen to be effected I had spiked a fever and they weren't sure how much longer he would be able to handle the situation. At that point in time I was just ready for him to be out. I was mentally and physically tired from pushing and getting nowhere. Edgar was amazing through it all and I remember telling him sorry that I didn't do my job correctly and he looked at me in my eyes and told me I was about to give him the greatest gift ever and that I had done amazing...just to keep hanging in there and that it was almost over.
Everyone was hustling and bustling around us and took us back in what seemed like record time. Edgar stood out in the hallway until they set me up and he was called in. I remember him talking to me but going in and out of sleep...which I think it was because i was sleepy and the meds mixed together, I heard the dr say "daddy want to meet your son?" and E and I looked at each other and with the widest eyes he jumped up. We weren't expecting it to happen so soon. I didnt even think she had started the procedure because I didn't feel anything. He got to walk over to the warmer and eventually after a cry from the baby I reminded him to get the camera! lol he was so nervous. I heard the camera snapping away and be brought me a picture so I could see what he looked like. I was still in and out of sleep and he woke me up to the baby by my face. I just remember kissing him and thinking how wonderful he looked. They had to both go to the nursery while I was getting put back together. As I was laying there for what seemed like forever and going in and out of sleep I heard the dr say this was the hardest c section she had ever performed. Baby was trying to come out facing up (sunny side up) instead of down and that he was stuck. If I had continued to push it could have resulted in a death. I was immediately glad for all the pain, discomfort and any other ache I had experienced since 9 that morning. The baby was safe, healthy and beautiful....thats all I ever wanted.
I had to sit in recovery for 2 hours and eventually Lucas was brought down to me so I could hold and try breastfeeding. Since I was still numb from the waist down it was hard and I was nervous to drop him because I was still so sleepy. I had my Sister hold him until they wheeled him to the nursery to wait for me to go back to my room. Edgar was still outside with family, transferring our stuff to our new room and getting baby 411 tips from the nursing staff. I got into our room around 2 am Saturday and I remember not being able to sleep even though I needed too. I just stared at the baby, watching every breath he took and making sure everything was okay.
Since I had experienced a very traumatic birth I seemed like the talk of the hospital. The nurses would come in and say "let me get this straight, you pushed for 3 hours at a full dilation of 10 but still ended up in a c-section?" When I would answer with a smile on my face they told me I must be one of the strongest women they knew. I feel very blessed to have experienced the birth the way I did. It's one more thing to add to my "I didn't know I was this strong to handle" list. I'm feeling great. The c-section recovery is by far the best ever. I don't hurt from it at all. What I do hurt from is the pushing. My abs are super sore and seem like they will be that way for a while. I am up and mobile and have been since mid Saturday. It's Monday morning and we are going home later today. This little guy is the best thing to have ever happened to us and I can't wait to go home and start our real journey. He's been awfully easy in the hospital, but aren't they always that way?
Lucas Cristiano
December 9,2011
8:56p.m.
7lbs4oz
Here's a recent picture of our little guy. 

 

Birth Announcement

Short but sweet.

Lucas Cristiano Perez

December 9, 2011

8:56 p.m. 7lbs4oz

38 wk check up turned induction!

I went on Monday to my 38 wk check up.  It was a very routine deal, nothing out of the ordinary was supposed to happen.  The nurse took my weight and bp.  She realized my bp was higher than normal.  I explained that I had allergies/cold and had been taking benadryl but haven't done anything else different compared to last week.  We went along with the appointment and the dr mentioned I had a higher level of protein in my urine.  Hmmm, ok.  So she explains that they are going to check me and check the hb of the baby.  Everything was normal.  I was still about a 2-3 dilated and 70% effaced.  She asked if I had any swelling and I lifted up my pant legs and showed her my legs were a bit more swollen than normal for the morning hours.  She brought out her reflex tool and started banging at my knees.  My right one didnt bounce at all but my left one did.  She was pushing and rubbing and didn't seem to excited about the whole thing.  She explained that they were going to take my bp again.  It was still high, but a very tiny bit lower than what it was before. 

Then I got the "pre-eclampsia talk".  I wasn't ready for this but I definately knew it was an option considering my history with GD.  She told me we were going to do a 24 hr urine check and that I would need to go drop it off exactly 24 hrs after I started it.  I would have to wait for blood work and then I would need to see my GD dr.  If I had one more high blood pressure reading I would be sent to L&D immediately.  I was realy panicked because I wasn't ready for this kind of news.  She told me that if the urine sample came back high I would be induced.  If my GD saw low amniotic fluid, I would be induced.  Basically right then, I knew this guy was coming way sooner than later.

Fast forward to the next day, I go and visit with my GD dr.  Everything seems fine.  My BP was great, the baby looked good, the amniotic fluid was fine and my sugar levels were in the safe range too.  He said he wasn't sending me to be induced but ultimately the decision would be on the 24  urine sample.  I also had to make appointments with his office for 2x a week now as I am now considered high(er)-risk.  After I left there I gave E a call because he was at work waiting on pins and needles.  Wondering if he needed to leave right away and meet me at the hospital.  I went to drop off my urine sample, gave blood and then left. They told me I should know something the following day (Wednesday).

Wednesday morning my alarm went off at 9 am.  I forgot to mention after my Monday appointment the dr decided to take me off work.  This was a whole 2 weeks earlier than I had previously wanted but a whole week earlier than I had recently decided.  This was a shock because my boss wasn't even at work that day and I had to text her the news.  Anyway, my phone rang a little after 9 and I shot out of the bed because it was my dr's office calling.  She explained the urine results were high but not high enough for an emergency induction and that we needed to be at L&D Friday December 9th at 6 A.M.  Talk about a splash of cold water in the face to wake you up in the morning.  It was so unreal.  I thought they would let me go at least 1 more week and then talk about induction.  NOPE! I called E right away and we talked about it and the more I seemed to get nervous the more excited he seemed to get.  I will do anything to keep this baby healthy and if that means to deliver early, well then so be it. 

So today, could technically be my last "free day".  No baby....but I can not wait for tomorrow.  I want to hold him and kiss him and love him.  I can't wait for our family to be complete.  Afterall, this is what we've been waiting for. 

A watched pot never boils

 

This is how I feel! I feel like everyone is constantly watching over me and waiting for me to go into labor.  I admit, I'm ready myself.  But, it seems like the more people that keep "watching" me the longer its taking for this kid to come into the world.  I still technically have 2 1/2 more weeks.  I'm in no rush.  I know there's an end in sight and its close!  Seeing E get more and more excited about Lucas' arrival makes me more and more excited.  It's all such a fun time.  My view on labor still hasn't changed and I believe I'm still scared shitless but hopefully it all ends out better than planned! I'll update soon if there's anything else worth updating but for now, I'm out.