Your Birth Story

Dear Vivian:
Yay! You're finally here!!! And you're a girl!!
So we never forget, here is your birth story.
On Thursday afternoon while I say at my desk after my appointment I started to get very crampy and was having some uncomfortable contractions. I tries to time them but I was busy trying to get stuff done for work. I timed a few and they seemed to be about 7-8 minutes apart. But once I left work I didn't notice them too much. I chalked it up to just irritation from the exam.
I went about my normal business that night. We had french toast & then Teagan & I snuggled. I took a shower before bed. During the night I was having some contractions. I got up and bounced on my ball to see if I could really get them going and so I could time them. Again, they were about 7-7:30 mins apart. I went back to bed and tried to see. I did get some rest, but by 5-6am, I was havin some pretty painful ones. Dad woke up & heard me grumbling about them and he decided not to go to work. I thought for sure once I got up and moving around that they'd pick up & become regular. Well, just the opposite happened instead, they slowed down & fizzled out.
I told aunt Erin to come over for a walk, we were gonna get this baby out! So we walked about 3 or more miles. It was tiring and I didn't have a single contraction while we were on our walk. We came home and I started making us some grilled cheese (last meal I ate before your brother was born too). I had a few contractions here and there but they didn't hurt really. After lunch I bounced on my ball some more and had a few more contractions. Nothing would just get consistent!!! After aunt Erin left I decided to take a bath to help me relax. Then I went in the bedroom around 3 to lay down with Teagan and try to get a nap in. As I was trying to doze off, he kept rolling around and giggling and he'd hit my belly and I was having contractions that seemed to be about 5 minutes apart. I didn't say anything to daddy because I figured as soon as I fell asleep or got up and walked around they'd go away.
Around 3:30 daddy came in and said he was going hunting. He noticed I seemed to be in pain but I told him to go anyway. He took the day off and nothing happened with him home so he may as well go and I could see if anything happened. I asked him to take Teagan to nana's so I could be alone. It was too much trying to run around after him and entertain him while I was hurting. After they left I paced the house. Contractions picked up the more I walked. I just kept doing laps around the house, stopping every few contractions that were really bad. I went to the bathroom around 4:15 and noticed I was losing my plug. I knew that labor was near. I text daddy and told him about it. Contractions were starting to get more intense. I tried to call my dr but they close at 3:30 on Fridays. So I just paced more . Any time I sat down my contractions slow right down & spaced out. I didn't understand. So I was second guessing whether or not I was in labor. I decided I should just keep walking. At 5 I text daddy and told him he needed to come home. I knew he'd need to shower and that we'd need to go soon. I was starting to cry through a few contractions. They were about 3:30 minutes apart. I had packed Teagan's bag earlier and I grabbed his bin of trains. We went over and dropped them off to him at Nana's. At first he was saying he didn't want to go home but once he realized we were leaving for the night he was upset.
Around 6:15 I called the on call number and they put me through to my dr. I told him I was ready to have my baby now. He asked what was going on and then said that usually contractions need to be 3 mins apart for about 2 hours before going in but I could go get checked if I felt like I really needed to. It was a bit discouraging to hear that. I started to wonder if they'd just send me home.
Once we got there we had to stand at the nurses station while I filled out an insurance form since I switch insurances since I sent in my preregistration packet.
When I was finished they took me down to a room WITH ANOTHER COUPLE! I was so irritated I was having to share a room with someone else who was in labor! Apparently all the labor & delivery rooms were full and we'd have to wait. My nurse checked me and I was 3 cm dilated. I heard the lady on the other side of the curtain talking to her nurse and her nurse told her the next available room had a jacuzzi tub but she wouldn't be able to use it because she'd be on Pitocin. So that made me even more irritated knowing she was there to be induced and was going to get the first room with a tub that she couldn't even use!!
Then there was a shift change and the first nurse that had my preregistration packet left, so my new nurse made me full it out again....all 6 pages!!
And to top it off, I was starving and those people went and ordered a damn pizza!! Ooooh sooo annoying! I could smell it throughout the room and I just wanted some! And daddy said the lady over there kept farting.
My nurse called my dr and he decided to keep me. They then said I would get the available room because I was in active labor and the other lady wasn't. So down the hall we went. My room was directly across from the nurses station. They hooked me up to the monitors and said my dr wanted me to have a 1/2 bag of fluids and that once they got them going I could get into the tub. So in I went. Oh man was it heavenly. I got in around 8:45 I think and my nurse said I had to be out by 10 to get checked again. I ended up getting out around 9:45. The water was making me way too hot and I felt like I needed to be up and moving during contractions. I got on all 4s during one contraction and daddy was scared I'd drown. So I got out and started pacing my room waving my gown around because I was so hot. At 10:10 grandma & grandpa got there with some food for daddy. Right after they got there I had to be checked again and get hooked back up to the monitors.
This time I was at 7cm. She said she was going to call my dr now.
My dr got there about 10:30. He could hear my grumbling with every contraction from the nurses station right across the hall. He came in and asked if I wanted anything for pain. I told him I liked to endure the pain. He thought I was nuts. He said he'd break my water. Within about 10-15 minutes of him doing so I was about 8-9cm.
Aunt Erin and aunt Lindsey got there just before 11.
At 11:05 he came back in and said "Let's have a baby!" "Right now?" I asked. He said I could wait until tomorrow if I wanted to. I told him no. So he suited up and grandpa and aunt Lindsey left the room. At 11:08 I started pushing. Daddy said maybe the baby would come at 11:16 on 11/16 if I hurried. My dr said "I'm not going to be here another 8 minutes." and I gave about 3 pushes and out you came at 11:11pm on 11/16. I was so shocked that you were a girl. I couldn't believe it. The baby girl that I dreamed of having!!
Daddy cut the cord & called nana to tell her. Grandma went out and got grandpa & aunt Lynnie...who hadn't even made it to the end of the hall to the waiting room. Dr Dodard delivered the afterbirth and we passed you around the room.
You weighed in at 8 pounds even. Perfect in every way possible!
Grandpa & grandma left the hospital around 12:15 when it was time for me to move down to the post partum rooms. I got the last single room! Pheww no sharing with anyone thank god!
Aunt Erin & aunt Lynnie went and got me some McDonalds and came back around 12:45am. They had you in the nursery cleaning you up. Your aunts waited to see you again and then left a little after 1.
This whole experience was 110 times different than your brothers birth. It was way easier, shorter & I felt way better after you were out. I felt human again. I could walk and move around. It was great!
I love you to the moon and back baby girl.
Love,
Mommy

Happy Due Date To Me!

Dear Sprout:
Where are you? Well obviously still in my belly!
I had my 40 week appointment today and was still only a fingertip dilated. :-/
He asked if we wanted to talk about inducing and I said no and he was cool with that. I scheduled another appointment for next Wednesday. I really reallly dont want to have to go to that one!!
He did try to loosen the membranes and stimulate my cervix again in hope that would help get things moving.
I sure hope so! I want to meet you soon!!
I love you to the moon and back baby!!
Love,
Mommy

6 Days Left (Hopefully Less)

Dear Sprout:
Well, there are 6 days left until your due date. I will probably cry if by then you aren't in my arms yet. On Halloween I had my 38 week appointment although I was only 37 weeks and 6 days, but I had a busy day on Thursday so I couldn't go right at 38 weeks. I was anticipating getting an exam and being checked for dilation, but when the nurse had me go in the room she said he wouldn't check me until 38 weeks. I was kind of irritated because I was curious to know what was happening down there!
Then that night on the way to pick up your brother from daycare and to get ready for trick or treating I was having some crampy Braxton Hicks contractions and a few were 5-7 minutes apart. I was a bit concerned but ignored them since we had a full night ahead of us! By the time we were done trick or treating with your brother, we had some dinner at grandmas and I just felt extremely tired out and my stomach was upset and I was still getting the contractions.
I went home, took a hot shower, drank some water and went to sleep. It all stopped then.
So life went on as normal. I am bouncing on the ball all the time. Grandma came over last Saturday and shampooed the carpet in our bedroom and your bedroom and helped get a few things organized for me.
Daddy FINALLY got down the pack and play, swing and bouncey seat, so I got all those cleaned up and ready to go. Well, not the pack and play, but maybe I'll do that this weekend. I got your carseat Bundle Me insert all in there and it hooked to the base so daddy just has to grab it and get it in his truck when it's time for us to come home.
All that I really have left to do is sterilize bottles & pump parts and buy new bottle nipples. I need to get you a crib mattress & mattress pad still, but that can be done anytime. I plan to redo your room depending on what you are. If you are a boy then we will do a sports theme and if you're a girl we will do an owl theme. I have everything I want for both all saved in my cart on Amazon ready to be ordered. Then I'll need someone to help paint your room. I don't want to keep it yellow.
I've been buying a few boy items and a few girl items here and there. I did buy a Thanksgiving outfit for you that can work for a boy or girl and then I bought a girl Christmas outfit since by the time you get here and I get around to shopping all the Christmas outfits will be picked over. And I bought you a boy onesie that matches your brother's shirt and then a boy fleexe sleeper and a girl fleece sleeper and a girl outfit. So we'll see what we get to keep and what needs to be returned!!

I had my 39 week appointment yesterday. I was eager to get an exam. I thought for sure all those crampy Braxton Hicks last week did something! So Dr. Dodard came in and did the exam. He said that my cervix wasn't doing much of anything and I was maybe a fingertip dilated. Then he did some swooshing around in there and said it would hurt a little but he was trying to help things along. I've heard of Drs "stimulating" the cervix to help release a hormone that will make you dilate....so hopefully that works. I expected to be crampy or maybe have a little something afterwards, but I didn't.
I have thought for a while now that you would be bigger than Teagan (7.13) so I asked the dr to take a guess at what he thought you might weigh. He felt around and decided that you'd probably weighed about 7.5-7.6 right now and that you definitely wouldn't be tipping the 8lb mark. So that was good to hear. I told him how I thought you felt bigger and he said it could be the way you're positioned. Your head is down, but you're still pretty high up.

We have a big weekend planned. Tonight I do my last Passion Party, well last one until after you're born and we're settled and I get back into things. Then tomorrow me, Teagan, grandma, Aunt Linny & Aunt Erin are all going down to Syracuse shopping all day. So that'll be a whole day on my feet. Which at this point that's what I need. Then Sunday I'm going to make a big pot of chicken noodle soup for daddy and Teagan to live off of while we're in the hospital next week (hopefully) and we're going to Great Grandma Cole's for an early Thanksgiving dinner celebration since Uncle Rocky is home visiting from Alaska. Then I intend to work a 1/2 day on Monday and afterward go get a pedicure and maybe a massage and then pick up any last minute things I need still. Then I hope to go into labor Monday night or early Tuesday morning.
That's the plan, so let's follow suit little Sprout! :-)
And in case this plan falls through, then I need to use my next 15 minutes of work today to get everything wrapped up...you never know, you could decide to come this weekend!
I love you to the moon and back and I can't wait to meet you!
Love,
Mommy

Halloween Was Fun!

Dear Teagan:
Halloween was so much fun this year! We carved pumpkins with the whole family. You were yelling into the pumpkins face first. You didn't like touching too much of the pumpkin guts, but you would reach in and grab a seed or two.
Then 2 days before Halloween Jenn brought all your friends from daycare trick or treating around to visit everyone. You went to the hospital to see Brylee's mommy, then to my work, then to Aunt Erin & Gradma's work. You guys were all so cute! I felt bad though because you didn't want to leave me. You cried. :-(
Then on Halloween you got to go to Hannah's school & watch all the kids in the parade. You really enjoyed that. Then you guys had a Halloween party. I made some pudding cups for your party and Jenn made black and orange spaghetti & Donna made a bean bag toss game.
Then we went trick or treating. First we went to nanas. Then to grandma & grandpa Coles. Then to grandmas! Right as we were getting out of the car there were some trick or treaters leaving to go to the next house and you wanted to go down the road with them.
We went inside and got a goody bag from grandma and said hi to everyone and headed up the road. We only walked to 2 houses, but that was plenty. You were good about saying trick or treat and thanking people for the candy. You wanted to go in everyone's houses though. It was pretty funny.
Your Elmo costume was perfect! It was warm and fit you just right! It was kind of misting out so you wanted the "hat" on it to keep your ears nice and warm and dry!
It was a great Halloween! I can't wait to do it again!! And either can you! You keep asking if we're going trick or treating again.
I love you to the moon & back baby!
Love,
Mommy