How to calm a Roo

Well, we had an interesting evening last night. Around 5 pm I noticed a distinct increase of leaking fluid, showered and changed thinking it might not be anything, but when 15 minutes later I seemed to still be leaking something I decided it was time to head into the hospital to be safe and make sure my water hadn't broke.

I wake Jeff up around 6 and told him I wanted to head to the hospital to get checked out in case my water has broke and we need to start labor. He gets dressed and off to the hospital we go. Both of us obviously a bit excited and nervous. I'm most nervous about the idea that if my water has broke then we are likely looking at induction and a higher chance of cesarean. Jeff is manages to miss nearly every street we usually take to get to the hospital and we end up on the freeway instead.

We arrive at the hospital, get checked in and are lead to a room within 15 minutes. I tell the nurse what I've done so far and that there is a distinct increase of leaking, however no gushing, so one nurse begins my history (with many wows regarding allergies and the fact my list won't fit in the slots on the computer) while the other gets me hooked up to the monitors and begins preparing for the exam. All this takes about 15 more minutes and 2 things are confirmed. 1) My water has not broke, nothing to worry about there, and 2) We have a very active baby. The nurses go away making comment that the baby needs to calm down a bit before we can be discharged. She then pokes her head in and lets us know there is a shift change and she will be leaving.

We see no one for close to an hour. Roo continues at a normal high level of activity and I now need to go to the bathroom. Both Jeff and I are more than ready to go home and don't quite understand why we are waiting around, Roo is always active and not likely to rest, especially when hooked up to an ultrasound. We call the nurses station, I am unhooked from the monitors so I can use the restroom and by the time I am done our nurse has come in to reattach the monitor and check on things. She states that 10 minutes of quiet rest are needed before she can let us go home and that in the past they have had to keep people overnight because of an overly active or inactive baby. We again discuss that this is completely normal for our little one and she encourages me to relax and do anything I can think of to try and get Roo to fall asleep for a bit. SIGH!!

While lying there, I get onto my side and get as comfortable as possible, not wanting to move and keep Roo awake. We try turning off the lights, but the button doesn't work. The nurse had suggested singing lullabies and seeing as we brought our I Pod, I decided to do the next best thing. My "normal" routine when going to bed and being restless is to turn off lights and turn on a specific CD I find relaxing. So, I decide to drape my belly with my sweatshirt (hoping to make things darker for Roo) and place one of the two earplugs for the I Pod on my belly, the other in my ear. I lie there, listening to my music and the changes in Roo's heartbeat, hoping to have 10 minutes of quiet time so we can go home.

Roo's heartbeat fluctuates quite a bit and movement comes and goes, but never doesn't go for more than 2 or 3 minutes at a time. At about 9 pm, Jeff, at this point restless and VERY hungry (he didn't eat before we came in, as I figured if my water had broke, he could go get food in the cafeteria once I was examined and if it hadn't we could go get food together) and decides to go and get something to eat. I tell him no problem and in walks the nurse saying "So, do you want to go home?" Apparently, after one of the longer quiet periods for Roo she had called the doctor and gotten the okay to send us home. She was able to count up 6 or 7 minutes of sporadic quietness and thus had the needed "baseline" to determine a resting heart rate without any outside influence on the monitor. She again reiterated that this is not a completely uncommon occurrence and trying to get a baby to calm down, as frustrating as it can be, is much better than having an overly quiet baby and not being able to let patients go home for that.

It was close to 9:30 by the time we finally got discharged and out of the hospital and we both needed food. We got to a restaurant 10 minutes before the kitchen closed and were able to get our order in and eat something and finally get home. The funniest part of the story is that during the entire time on the monitors (from about 6:30 to 9) I didn't have one contraction, however, as I am finishing my meal I have one, pretty good strength contraction. Jeff jokes about going back to the hospital and I am not so amused, as it is still hurting.

We get home and are able to relax for a bit before Jeff heads off to work. It's amazing how tiring it can be to lie in a bed and try to calm an overly active baby.

Hospital Orientation and most recent OB visit

Last night we went to the maternity ward tour held at the hospital where Roo will be born. Despite our mutual jeering and smart ass comments, we are both very happy with the hospital. The birthing suites are quite cozy and comfortable without an overly hospital feel. The lights are able to be dimmed, there is a TV and DVD player as well as a tub and shower. There are 3 chairs in addition to the bed. You are encouraged to get up and move and walk to help labor progress unless complications require you to remain in bed. Up to 3 people may be there to provide support and assistance at all times, including the actual pushing. The hospital promotes skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth for at least an hour. After that time, baby goes to the nursery for a weighing, bath, and warming as mom is moved to the mother/baby room. Once baby is clean and maintaining body heat (takes about an hour), baby returns to mom's side and remains there unless mom needs to go for a procedure or requests baby return to the nursery. When we went on our tour, there were no babies in the nursery. The hospital is also renowned for it's NICU as well. Many babies are transported there from other hospitals. The rooms are semi-private (only 2 private available on first come first serve basis for extra $$) Usually only one mom is actually in each room. If the unit is busy, they try to place a new mom with a mom about to be discharged as to allow for as much privacy as possible. Security is good. All babies have matching arm band numbers as both Mom and Dad. The Women's Center staff all have badges with a specific colored picture background to assist patients in knowing who is on staff in that department. Lastly, each mom and baby receive continuous care from one nurse, so she can get to know you and your needs.
There were also vendors at the orientation, where I learned of a diaper service in the area. Now we need to decide if this is something we are interested in or if I want to go ahead and buy and wash the diapers. http://www.dy-dee.com/
This is the start of our prenatal classes. They continue one a week with Feb. 19th being our last class. We have breastfeeding classes (2 weeks), becoming a parent, baby care basics, and preparation for childbirth (3 weeks).
Today, I had a prenatal visit. Everything continues to go well. I gained 3 lbs. this month, for a grand total of 19 lbs. gained so far. My belly is the size it should be and Roo appears to have turned and no longer is breech. No ultrasound this month, just the Doppler, which Roo didn't really like as he batted at it the whole time. We have reached the point where our visits will now be every 2 weeks, unless there is a problem.
**TMI alert**
As far as how I'm feeling: I am noticing that I am more tired than I had been, but not too bad. The heart burn continues now and then but isn't continuous. My mid back and occasionally lower back hurts by the end of the day and it is difficult to find a comfortable position, even in bed, but I am sleeping pretty well regardless and waking feeling better than I did the previous night. Roo continues to be very active and at times the kicks, punches and stretches can be painful. His position is definitely putting pressure on my bladder as I need to go more often and I can feel pressure in my pelvis. So far, nothing really major to complain about. We remain healthy and happy.

Doctor visit update

Nothing too exciting to report from the visit. The glucose test left me feeling less than 100% and I was quite bummed to find out I couldn't drink anything after drinking the required liquid so I was stuck with the taste of overly sugary not so good Orange Fanta in my mouth for close to an hour.

I've gained 6 lbs. in the last 6 weeks, right about where we should be. Doc says that the bump and baby are growing well and is quite active. I half figured Roo would decide to be absolutely still and calm during the appointment since I had said it feels as if he is constantly moving. We got to see the heart (all 4 chambers which is quite neat). As the doc was looking around, trying to see if he could get a good face pic I was able to see fingers and possibly toes. We were able to see practice breathing and swallowing. Didn't get a great face shot (attempt in 3-D) because Roo is sitting with a hand next to an ear. At this point, Roo is in breach position, but with 13 weeks left there is plenty of time to flip around.

Next appointment in a month, right after New Years.

Up at 2 a.m.

Well, I was exhausted yesterday and headed to bed before 8:30, figuring I would either get needed sleep or be up around 4 or 5 or so. I woke up as Jeff got ready to leave the house around 11:30 and didn't get back into a restful sleep for a while. Around 1, I was really awake and realized my arm itched. I went to scratch it and found a cluster of red bumps on my inner arm. Now, this usually wouldn't phase me, but on Friday, I was informed one of my co-workers has shingles and began to worry about the possible implications of this, bumps bringing the concern to the forefront.

Needless to say after about 2 hours of looking stuff up online (yay info and pics on the internet) and speaking with my mom this morning, who has seen both chicken pox and shingles, my fear has subsided. The bumps look nothing like either shingles or chicken pox. They don't hurt at all and the itching has lessened. I'm pretty sure what I have is simply an allergic reaction from sweating in a shirt that I didn't first wash. *Big sigh of relief*

In other news, things continue to go well with the pregnancy and Roo. Our next appointment isn't until after Thanksgiving. Roo continues to be active and the kicks and such are getting stronger. It feels at times that my whole belly is shaking. Next up is getting our registry taken care of. Much of which may happen while I'm in MN for 2 weeks.

Only 6 working days left. I leave for MN early next Wed. to return Monday Dec. 3rd. I'm looking forward to seeing my folks, and sister and brother-in-law.

Coughs and Clothes

Went off to an SCA war (week long camping event) last week and had a wonderful time, except for a few things. First, people telling me what I can not do because I am pregnant got very old very quickly. Second, the sneezes and sniffles that I thought were just allergies progressed into a running nose and cough, making me quite miserable when waking in the morning and several times throughout the day, being at it's worst while camping on Saturday resulting in my decision to go home early on Sunday instead of Monday. Lastly, on Saturday, I started to have wicked round ligament pains in my left hip which radiated down to my leg. That was quite painful, made it difficult to walk, sit, and lie down, and screamed at me each time I coughed. Saturday night culminated with my hormones running rampant and having a hormonal, irrational bout of sobbing. My attempts to calm it myself failed, so I got Jeff, who helped me calm down enough to finally go to sleep (at the early hour of 9 p.m.). I awoke Sunday morning feeling better. The cough was less and the ligament pain had subsided for the most part.

I was very happy with my decision to come home on Sunday. It meant I was able to drive the car home instead of the truck, all packed down, which was a bit easier. I got home, rested and watched the (sad) Packers game. Monday resulted in my cough getting even worse and my body aching. Driving home with that would have been torture. I woke Tuesday morning feeling much better and having one more day of work off realized the bras I have been wearing no longer are comfortable or really work at all. Knowing that I started wearing a 34DD (also known as a E) an have grown in the bust close to 3", I chose to go shopping at a wonderful bra shop about 45 minutes away. I got there, was measured and am now comfortably wearing a 34G. While up in that area, I chose to go to a mall where I knew there were at least 2 maternity clothes shops (2x the number of any malls near home) and managed to get myself 3 henley shirts, 3 sweaters, and 2 pairs of jeans. I am quite happy to have some more clothes again. I still need to find another pair or two of suitable work pants.

Apparently, however, the trip shopping and my lungs did not agree. Since arriving home from shopping, my cough has been worse than others, at times making me feel like I was about to vomit or as if I am drowning. Yesterday (Thursday) I finally broke down and called the Dr. office to find out what cough syrup is safe for me and Roo. I promptly sent Jeff out to pick some up for me and found an immediate relief. Without the syrup, the cough is still unbearable. I plan on making an appointment to see the doctor either Monday or Tuesday if the coughing does not subside when off the medication over the weekend.

Grr

I have been working hard to try and maintain a positive attitude and keep my stress levels as low as possible. Sometime life works against your best intentions.

Sunday morning, as Jeff went to to leave, he found our car gone. We had parked it in our carport the evening before around 7:30 pm. Upon learning the news, I was shaking beyond belief. I started making the necessary phone calls to report the car stolen, first to the police, then to insurance. As I took care of what needed to be done, I started to calm a bit, but the shock was still there. Jeff and I realized we both needed to eat, so we got in the truck and went for lunch. Realizing neither of us really wanted to sit at home, we then went and saw the Simpson's Movie. This helped both of us to relax quite a bit. We realized that there was little we could do and didn't expect the car to be found, which would mean we would need to buy a new one. We started discussing our options and were keeping as positive a light on the situation as possible.

Around 9 pm we received a phone call from the Whittier police (about 15 miles away) that they had good and bad news. The car had been found, was in a police pursuit and ended in a collision. The police officer stated the car would need "one big bandaid". I asked if in his opinion the car was totaled and he said yes. It was nice to know that the car was found and that we could get much of our stuff out of it.

Monday, I got a call from the insurance adjuster and let him know the car had been recovered. I went to the tow yard to clean out the car and look at the damage. Luckily, we have a very good friend who not only drove me to and from work, but she insisted on taking me to go and see the car. I am so happy she did. She helped to make sure I was laughing and not crying through the whole thing. The car wasn't what I expected. My thought was a front impact collision. The car had been hit in 2 places. First on the driver side door, which was completley destroyed, along with damage to the front panel and the rear door. The other impact was on the rear passenger side. The rear panel and part of the bumper were pretty banged up. The wheel was sitting at about a 60 degree angle. After seeing the car, I was pretty sure it would be totaled by the insurance company.

Once I spoke with the adjuster again and got the car released to the insurance company (which involved 45 minutes at the Whittier Police Dept.) all that was left to do is get the affidavit of theft completed, pick up the rental that insurance arranged for, and wait for the inspector to determine the amount of damage. I got the affidavit sent on Tuesday and then waited to hear about the car. Finally, I thought that the stress should be done. I have taken care of everything I have to do.

Today, I got a phone call from the inspector, indicating that what I thought was true. The car is a total loss. Unfortunately, the tow yard had "forgotten" or misplaced the release given to them so I had to make several phone calls to straighten that out. I have found myself shaking again. I guess the finality of it has gotten to me a bit. I spoke with our adjuster and once they determine how much money we will get and we pick it up, we will only have an additional 3 days on the rental car that is covered by insurance. GRR. That doesn't allow for much time to find something.

I am trying my best to stay relaxed and know that things will work out in the end. I need to make sure that I don't get overly worked up. I really don't want this all effecting the baby.

On the pregnancy front, things are continuing to go well. The morning sickness comes and goes now, sometimes making it near impossible for me to eat what is in front of me right away. But, I always manage to eat. My chest continues to grow and be sore. I have weird sensations in my belly, and I realize it it likely my uterus growing and all the lovely pregnancy changes going on.

First Post

Despite having many other blogs and places to write, I have decided that I need a blog to write about baby stuff.

Here's a warning, much of what is written in this blog will be TMI and info about what's going on with my body. I will try to provide warning before so that you may skip an area if you wish.

There was much frustration in the month of June. Jeff went away to Uprising, an SCA event in Utah around what I had figured was my most fertile time. I bought an OPK (ovulation prediction kit) to see if that would help nail down my ovulation. I've had quite irregular BBT (Basal Body Temp) most likely due to FMS and poor sleep cycles, so I figured an OPK could be helpful. It was positive the day that Jeff got home, but following that, he was tired and moody and had an irregular sleep pattern. I was positive that we had missed any chance to get pregnant. There was no clear rise in BBT, so I was also thinking that perhaps I didn't ovulate.

Fast forward to Saturday July 7th. We go to CP prize, which was an odd day due to site issues. I felt off much of the day, dizzy, vertigo type feeling, and some fogginess. I attributed it to FMS, being tired, and not having slept well the night before. While at the event, Greg and Sarina announced that they are expecting in March. I was at the Inn (a tent set up by friends) and Jeff returned and let me know, with a bit of bite in his tone. The rest of the day is quite nice, spending time at Mo and Jon's and with friends. We head for home (a bit later than I would have liked, but Jeff got to talking) and Jeff and Xandra talk nearly the whole way back to dropping them off. Once they have been dropped off, we have some quiet time, then Jeff comments that whenever it's the right time to let him know so we can start trying again. I commented on how exciting it is that Greg and Sarina are expecting, but all these people are telling everyone early. He indicates that he is a bit jealous. This made me happy because it means that this is really something he wants. I tell him I'm nearly positive that we missed this month, and as soon as AF (aunt flo) comes to visit and has left, I'll let him know. The past 2 or 3 months have been quite odd as far as my cycle goes, and seeing as I have no idea when I ovulated, I'm not fully sure when it should come. Not thinking I have any HPT (home pregnancy tests) at home, I tell him if it doesn't come in the next 2 days, I'll probably test, just to see. We get home around 11ish, turn on our current Netflix movie and I proceed to nearly fall asleep. I head to the bathroom and in looking for more solution for my contacts, notice that there is one hpt left from last month. I decide I'll take it in the morning and head off to bed.

Sunday July 8th, I wake when my alarm goes off at 6 a.m., take my temp (which has been a bit more elevated the last few days than normal) then fall back to sleep until about 9. I wake up because nature calls and take the test. Within moments, the test shows positive, quite dark. I wait the 2 minutes, amazed, and then wake Jeff up to tell him. "Your fucking kidding me" were his exact words, seeing as I said I was almost positive there was no way just the night before. We then head off to Saul's birthday party, where it is quite difficult not to tell all of these folks that we are expecting. I have always said I want to wait until the 12 week mark to tell people. Now that I'm pregnant, I can't wait that long.

On Monday, I set up a doctor's appointment for Friday, and now am waiting for the final verification. Jeff and I have talked about it and realize we aren't gonna be able to stay quiet for 6 more weeks. We decided we will be telling family and friends once all seems clear from the doctor.

So, there's the story of finding out we're pregnant :)