She's finally here!

So actually this is the "hubby" as Allie likes to call me on here. I was just posting to let all of her readers know that at 6:30 last night (Friday, Sept. 28) Allie gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Layla weighed in at 8lbs. 2oz. and is 21in. long. She was delivered by C-Section, and mom and baby are doing just fine.

I'd go into more detail about the whole process, but I know that Allie will have a much more eloquent (as well as personal) way of telling it than I ever could. They should both be out of the hospital on Monday, so I'm sure that you'll get that story soon after. Thank you to all who prayed for us through this time. We realy appreciate it.

Pictures will come in a few days.

I don't call... I don't write...

It's been a few days. It's been enough days that some of you have called or sent an email wondering where I am. I'm here. I'm stuck in the middle... in the middle of contractions that don't lead to anything, in the middle of being sick to my stomach and in the middle of waiting.

Tomorrow morning I have a blood test then I am going to stop by work and check on the girls and then I have a Drs appt at 2:15 to see if I'm ripe enough to induce yet. After that I may or may not get to have a baby.

So far... I spend a lot of time sitting on the couch, laying on my left side, and nesting in small bursts.

Not a lot to update really... just waiting some more... praying... open open open

All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go

I'm not leaving on a jet plane... much to Aerosmith's dismay I'm not quoting their song. I am however finally the proud owner of a fully packed hospital bag. Just in case I need it...you know... being as I have another appt tomorrow in which I may or may not be told I get to have a baby.

So we're praying for dialation people. Open...open...open...

5 Hours of Waiting

After this mornings appt at 9 it was more laying around the Drs office being monitored and then after a look at my urine (TMI sorry) it was determined I was way to dehydrated for a woman who was 9 months pregnant so off the the EMC Labor and Delivery Unit we went.

I got a nice dose of IV fluids combined with anti-vomit meds. Layla got another NST stress test and they monitored my BP for awhile. I watched the cooking channel and took a nap. My dutiful husband stayed by my side even when I threatened to scream and vomit because they gave me an IV (I did neither by the way).

Today I got information though and I feel a little better having it. Until I have dialation on my own I'm not a candidate for being induced (only for a C-Section) and as long as I'm not dying and neither is the baby he'd rather not give me a C-Section because I have had a pretty high risk pregnancy and he doesn't want to make my "next" pregnancy even more difficult. Plus I'm at 37-38 weeks (depending on who you ask) so I should start dialating on my own soon anyhow...so he'd rather stick it out.

As soon as we get an opening in the cervix we'll be inducing me. Thus the every 3 day appts to check Layla and make sure I don't need a C-Section and to check that little opening for a chance to run with the bulls.

So for the next three days I'll be laying around on my side, taking anti-vomit pills and thinking about the new Sizzler salad bar which I really want to go to...while impatiently waiting for my green flag.

37 Weeks

In one hour I have an OBGYN appt. I'm torn between wanting them to induce me and being terrified they will induce me. The thought of a still birth is constantly looming overhead now and I don't like it. I haven't held down/in food for more than 30 minutes in 6 days and I've scratched my skin so much I have cuts and gashes from my fingernails on my chest, feet and hands. I am exhausted but I can't sleep.

I lay in bed each night alternating between waiting for Layla to move and praying that she's ok and then praying I can stop itching long enough to just sleep a little bit.

All I want is a healthy baby. I'm sure that's all anyone wants at this stage. I'm just not sure I know (or anyone else knows for that matter) that whatever we will do will result in a healthy baby.

Today we hit 37 weeks. In my Drs office 38 weeks is the magic number. One more week and they won't worry about lung function, liver issues or early labor... but I'm not sure I'll make it that long. Layla's heartbeat was strong on Wednesday and although I couldn't feel them I was having contractions about every 2 minutes... but I have not dialated to the best of my knowledge so there is no sign of a natural end in sight.

I knew I was sick and losing motivation when my fear of IV needles which I've had since I was 5 was suddenly gone. Heck, I think I'd even be ok with a C section at this point. I've thrown up 4 times since 4 am. That can't be good for either of us... surgery sounds better than slowly wilting away.

But, there is still hope in my prayers. They said we couldn't get pregnant. They said we couldn't make it past the first trimester. They said we'd spend months on bed rest. They said a lot of things. God said... hey... wait till the 35th week then we're going to make you miserable so you'll truly understand the miracle of life I am giving you.

Ok God. I'm listening.

It's Complicated...err... I mean a complication

So in the last 2 weeks I've found out about a lot of things I don't have and now finally one thing that I do have. I don't have Group Strep B, Strep Infection, or an infection of my "fill in the blank" (I've been diagnosed with 3). What I do have is called Cholestasis of the Liver.

Cholestasis in pregnancy has wonderful symptoms like all over body itching (think about chicken poxs minus the rash), flu-like symptoms (vomiting and diarrehea...ewww), jaundice of the skin (I'm yellow people), exhaustion (um... all pregnant people are exhausted in the 9th month) and a couple more symptoms I am lucky enough not to have yet.

It is caused by a decrease in liver function and according to all the websites is horrible for me and the baby. It can cause still birth if not monitored correctly. There are no meds you can take to fix it and the only cure is to have a baby. So I'll be going to the Dr every 3 days, doing lots of NST, praying a lot and most of all... I'll be being induced soon... very soon... as soon as they determine lung function is good.

Please pray for Layla. I know I'll be fine. I'm a big girl (literally) but she's going to need some functioning lungs right quick like.

Scary? Yes. Sick? Yes. Ready? Yes. Let's do this already.

Someone Had a Baby Boy

Nope. Not me. My sister in law... isn't he cute. 8 lb 3 oz 21 inches long...born at 2:30 this morning.

36 Weeks- Give or Take

Again today I was given another due date...October 7th this time. We'll see. I'll believe it when I see it. Today's OBGYN appt revealed a whole lot of nothing. I'm still at 1 - 2 centimeters, I have no effacement. And to top things off I have an infection and might have Strep B.

So I was swabbed, poked and proded and then they said to watch my salt intake because I've had some numbness issues. I'm off work on STD now and been assigned 2 hours of bedrest in the morning and evening every day. Yep, 4 hours a day in bed... that's gonna suck.

I go back again next Friday. I'll keep you posted.

The Right Tool 4 the Job

So one of my many pet peeves in life are people who don't use the right tool for a job. You know the people who use a butter knife as a screw driver or a business card for a tooth pick. It applies to everything really, people who don't know the difference between a comment online and something you should write an email to... people who fill out legal documents in pencil... that person who had to be told via the warning sticker that you can use a toaster to heat up " non-food items". Yes... you... it's not a sock warmer.

I spend a lot of my time reminding myself that some people just don't think about what they are doing. Some people have some sort of flighty air head nature about them that tells them there is no such thing as a stupid question and that it's ok to ask your not stupid question in a public place. I don't care what your teacher said... there is such a thing as a stupid question.

Dane Cook has a comedy routine that says in every group there is an @-hole. If you think your group doesn't have an @-hole it's probably you. Well stupid questions work in much the same way... if you aren't frustrated by stupid questions often... I fear you are probably the one asking them.

So how do you tell someone that they are skating around on your last nerve using your biggest pet peeve like a pitchfork? How do you nicely say...'um did you think about that first'? How do you tell someone why people think they are the @-hole sometimes?

I don't know. I do know that sometimes I ask stupid questions and sometimes I'm the @-hole in the group. Usually both can be blamed on lack of sleep, hormones and an illegit-assumption that I have a right to judge something someone else is doing.

Because really judging that something is prideful and awful, feeling entitled to be "right" isn't any of my business. There is only one person entitled to always be right and he comes with a choir of angels, eternal salvation and a wicked sense of humor (oh come on I've seen a platapus and I've eaten a star fruit).

So what makes your question stupid? What makes you the @-hole? What makes it the wrong tool for the job? Intention probably... because no matter what you intended to do if you aren't using the right tools the right way...well you're just another pet peeve waiting to happen.

Say It Like You Mean It

For the last 2 weeks when people ask me how I'm feeling or how the pregnancy is going I always answer "I'm ready to be done" but in the back of my head I'd always silently add...almost. You see I'm a planner and I wasn't quite done yet. I needed a diaper bag. I am the only woman in America who registered for a diaper bag and did not get it at her baby shower so I had to order one from Babies R Us. They take a long time to stick things in the mail at the baby store. So it took almost a week and a half for me to get my new messanger bag style diaper bag. But it's here. There is stuff in it. I'm ready now. She can come whenever she wants.

My Drs appt is on Friday and I have prepared myself for him telling me it will still be weeks. Because really it should be weeks... even if I'm itchy all over and I can't sleep that doesn't mean the time frame should be shorter...although I know I'm totally willing to try to find ways to make it that way... now that I am done shopping.

Houston We Have a Problem

It appears that while I didn't realize it I actually bought a bassinet for the cat. I can't keep her out of it, and even if I could I might not want to because while she sleeps in it she's not trying to sleep on my chest. Now the problem is, where do you put the baby... down the hall in the crib? in the moses basket on the bed? I dunno... I guess we'll deal with that when we get there.

I'm so bored. I'm not even on full maternity leave yet and I'm already making myself little lists of things to do because without them I'm bored stiff.

God I hope she comes early.

35 Weeks

My sister in law has spent this last week on the brink of labor. She's also 2 centimeters but is 50% effaced and having contractions 2-3 minutes apart...for 3 days now. She's going to end up being about a week to two weeks early. I am jealous.

My other sister in law told me a month or so ago that 36 weeks along you just suddenly want to be done being pregnant. I couldn't agree more. I am suddenly very pissed when I drop something and I have to bend over to pick it up. I don't want to do anything or go anywhere I just want to give birth so I can have my freedom of mobility back. Even if it's with my hands full.

Today is my 1st anniversary. It comes at the end of a very bad week. Family fueds, my insurance dropped the hospital I'm supposed to deliver at and I hit the 36 week wall...give or take a few days. I love my husband to death... but I see take out food and bad tv in our anniversary plans.

I have an OBGYN appt on the 14th and after that I'll be off work...but even that doesn't make me excited. I just want to eat, nap and have a baby already. Well... I want to wait till Wednesday to have the baby at least...that's when the last of the baby stuff should arrive and we'll be ready for her. But other than that... I just want to be done.

9 Mo Preggo

Just in case anyone forgot exactly how big an 8-9 pound baby looks in a curvy girl... I give you the little black dress... in all it's stretched out...maxed out... preggo out... glory.

I had it...then I lost it...

I had this long post ready about my weekend and then my laptop battery died. I decided not to retype it. Instead I am writing this lovely short post about my OBGYN appt today.

I'm starting to dialate, I'm at between 1-2 centimeters. I go back in a week and a half (to get me on the right weekday for how far along I am now).

The baby they think is between 8-9 pounds. Yikes!

That's about it.