45 Days and Finally time to blog!

Let me start off by saying that the last 45 days have flown by. The fact that the weather is so warm, making it feel like it's not quite winter yet, is also helping with that. As of right now, January 6th at Noon, it is 50 degrees when it should be in the low 30's.

Taylor is 45 days old now. Helen was off work for 4 weeks and returned a couple of weeks ago. So for the last 2 weeks I have been alone with Taylor for most of the day. Honestly I can say I thought it would be harder. The house is still clean, meals still get cooked, the laundry is done and I am getting plenty of sleep. That's not to say that I am not struggling. I am just not struggling with getting and keeping things done. The struggle for me is being stuck in this stupid tiny apartment all the time. Especially on days like this. If we had a second car I would be on my way to the lake right now. A second car is in the works, just not here yet. Also we are just beginning the process of trying to get a home loan. It would be great to pay our own mortgage payments instead of someone else's for once.

After what I have read online and heard from friends, I think we got really lucky with Taylor. She seems to be an AWESOME baby. She does not fuss or cry much at all. Also she has a pretty regular sleeping pattern of 10pm to 4 or 5am. I am ready for her to walk and talk and be big enough for us to do stuff together. I know I shouldn't wish this time away and I may want this time back at some point... but I am ready to show her this awesome big would that we live in.

Hopefully I will not go this long without blogging again. I have just been trying to get a good schedule down and I think that I have now :)

Also real quick I want to congratulate my Niece Catlyn and her husband on there first child which was born this morning. Welcome to the world Cara! Taylor can't wait to meet you!

Below are some of the latest pictures that I have taken of Taylor..

My Birth Story (4 days later)

Waiting to be taken to surgery

Well here I sit 4 days after having a beautiful baby girl writing this blog. I never imagined how much my life would change just 4 short days ago. Tuesday November 22nd I was scheduled to have a C-Section at 10 am. I woke up at 6am that morning, showered, finished packing what little I had left to pack, and at 7 we hit the road. We had to be at the hospital at 8am for all the "fun" pre-op stuff. We dropped Zoey off at Wayne's mom's and headed to the hospital. I got all checked in and put into a labor and delivery room. The nurses came in brought me a lovely hospital gown that my butt hung out the back of and told me to change, and that they would be back in just a few minutes. I changed got into bed and waited. The first nurse came in and tried to start my IV line. I told her before she started poking me that she was going to have better luck in my left arm, but she insisted on poking my right one. 4 sticks later I had an IV started (in my left hand.) Then the wait began. Everyone started showing up at around 9:30 because I was scheduled to go in at 10. Well 10 came and went, then 11 came and went. I was starting to get a little concerned. At around 11:30 my "ride" finally arrived. I got onto the gurney and got wheeled up to the surgical floor. This is the point that I was thinking "OMG this is really happening, I am really going to have a baby in just a little while." Wayne beat me up to the surgical floor. I met him at the doors. They made him sit outside on a little stool until I had my epidural. I gave him a kiss and told him that I would see him in there and that I loved him. I made it into the room and all the surgical nurses introduced themselves to me and I to them. Talk about WEIRD. These people were going to see me in all my glory in just a few seconds and now I know them by name. The anesthesiologist had me sit on the edge of the bed and arch my back and relax my shoulders. He shot me up with some Lidocaine to numb the spot that he was going to JAB me in the spine with a needle. He got me not once, but approximately 6 times with the needle. He just couldn't get it in the right spot to numb me. At this point I am BAWLING my eyes out. It hurt so bad, I am talking snot dripping out of my nose tears falling bawling. The anesthesiologist called another anesthesiologist into the room at this point because he just couldn't get the right spot. THANK GOD for Dr. Moore. He was AMAZING to me during all this. He was on my left side whispering in my ear words of encouragement. He told me that I could do it and that in just a short while I would be holding my little girl and all the pain I was feeling now would be gone. At this point I heard the second anesthesiologist say this was his last attempt and that he wouldn't stick me again and that if they couldn't get it this time that I would have to be put out and Wayne wouldn't be able to be in the room. Well I couldn't have that, my little girl and my husband depended on me. I hadn't come this far just to be shot down. I was bound and determined that I was going to see my little girl. It hurt like HELL!!!!! I got it done though.
Here is a picture of my back post epidural.
This is one of those times that I am SOOOOO glad that I have my mom's genes. She is the strongest, most determined person that I know. Now I am numb from about mid chest down. WHAT A WEIRD FEELING. Every time someone or something touched me all I felt were pins and needles. Like if your foot was asleep. WEIRD. They brought Wayne in at this time. He gave me a kiss told me he loved me and sat next to me for about 2.5 seconds. Dr. Moore said he was ready to begin and Wayne stood up to look over the curtain. I kept asking him what was going on. I could tell that they had gotten to my uterus and got the placenta open by the sound of water going everywhere and the suction machine going. I knew it wouldn't be long now. Wayne told me that he could see a foot, then he said "SHE IS STILL A GIRL!!!!" About that time I see the nurses take her to the incubator and start working on her. I hear her first cry and I lose it. This is for real now and really happening. I am officially a mommy. Let me tell you hearing your baby's first cries is the most amazing sound in the entire world. I will never forget it as long as I live. They got Taylor all cleaned up and brought her to me so that I could see her before they whisked her to the nursery. Talk about love at first sight. I was so filled with love that I thought that my heart would burst. She was the most beautiful baby that I had ever seen and she was mine. We snapped a couple pics and off she went with her daddy so that I could be stitched up.
Our first family photo

2 hours later I get wheeled down to the nursery to see Taylor. Talk about paparazzi. They brought her out and put her in my arms and it was flash bulbs everywhere. It made my heart feel so good to know that everyone that I loved the most in the world was there to share my love for one little girl.
Fast forward to that night, I got to get out of bed. Talk about painful, however it felt good. Just not being stuck in a bed was AWESOME!
The next day Dr. Moore came in to check on me. He asked if I had gotten out of bed yet. I told him yes and I walked the halls. He said "YOU DID WHAT???" I told him that I walked the halls the night before. He was pretty surprised by that. Apparently most women only walk about 2 steps after a C-Section. Hmm...Who knew??? I then asked him if I could have my cath, IV, and the stupid pumpy things on my legs off? And if I could go home yet? He said "Well, you have to have the IV and cath for at least 24 hours. I will see what I can do about the pumpy things on your legs. He asked me how much pain meds I took through my IV. I told him none since about 4:30 the previous day. He was surprised by that too. Once again apparently it is pretty uncommon to not be on pain meds. He said my incision looked good and that if I could manage my pain with oral medication that I could have my IV and cath out around 1 that day. Let me tell you I couldn't wait for 1 o'clock to roll around. Once I was free from the restraints of being stuck in bed all I wanted was a shower. I finally got to take a shower about 3:30 that day. Man it was nice to be able to get up and finally hold my baby when I wanted to. I finally didn't have to ask for someone to bring her to me.
Fast forward to the 24th Dr. Emily (the pediatrician) came in and said that Taylor looked great and that if Dr. Moore agreed we cold both be released that day. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Turkey Day To Me!!! Dr. Moore came in checked my incision and told me that there were 3 criteria that I had to pass to be able to be released. I had to be able to control my pain with oral meds, CHECK, I had to be able to get out of bed and go to the bathroom alone, CHECK, and I had to be able to walk unassisted, TRIPLE CHECK!!! WAHOO I WAS BUSTING OUT OF THE JOINT A DAY EARLY!!!!!
Ready to go home!!!


We couldn't leave until Taylor was at least 48 hours old and had a check-up and billirubin count done. So we finally got to come home at around 3pm that day. Let me tell you the car ride home was painful. Oh yeah and guess what the pharmacy is closed on Thanksgiving. No pain meds for me. It's ok though it turned out better for me anyhow. I controlled it with Motrin and sleep.
I am now home and in a routine (sort of). We even had Thanksgiving with Wayne's family today. Let me tell you that my husband is the most amazing man that I have ever met. Not too many men I know can cook a Thanksgiving spread with a newborn in their arms. He is AMAZING!!!!! I never thought that I could fall more in love with him, but every time I see him with Taylor in his arms, or changing a poopy diaper my heart melts. I am the happiest woman in the world right now. God is soooooo good and I sincerely do not know what I have done to deserve being this blessed. I am so thankful that I am though.

She's Here!

Well, as most of you know by now Taylor arrived at 12:32PM on Tuesday afternoon. She weighed 7.1 lbs. This is the first chance I have had to get on here and do any writing. We went to the hospital at about 7:30 on Tuesday morning. The c-section was scheduled for 10am. Everything got processed quickly and we were in the prep room in no time. I even got some cool blue scrubs to wear ;)

Then came the waiting. We watched as 10AM came and went, then 11AM also came and went. Finally around noon they said they were ready. Helen was wheeled to surgery and I was lead by 2 nurses to surgery as well. I was at the surgery door to meet Helen when she arrived. We kissed each other and they wheeled her in. I was instructed to sit on a stool right outside the door of surgery. They said it will only be a few minutes, just until we get her epidural in.

So there I am, sitting alone in a very quiet hallway on a little metal stool, all decked out in my blue scrubs. 20 minutes goes by without any word. Through the smoked glass doors of the surgery department I can see nurses running up and down the hallway. I'm getting concerned now. After what seems like forever her doctor comes out and explains that the anesthesiologist had trouble getting the epidural in. "We thought we was going to have to put her to sleep, you have no idea what she just went through so that you could be there for the birth." Later I learned that they had to stick her with the epidural needle more than a few times. She refused to be put to sleep though. She wanted to see Taylor as soon as possible and she wanted me to be able to be in there. I have an amazing, strong, loving wife. I would also like to add to that.. THANK GOD I AM A GUY.

Once I was allowed in it didn't take long at all. I was watching them cut her open and she just kept asking me what was going on. She really wanted to see what was going on but they wouldn't have any part of that because everything on the other side of the blue screen is a "sterile environment".

At 12:32 I see my first glimpse of baby, legs first. Within seconds the rest of her was out and I was very excited to see that she was still a girl. I don't even know we would begin to change all of the pink clothes into blue ones :). Here are some pics from right after she came out.

Once she was cleaned and printed she was taken over to meet mom. The anesthesiologist asked me if I wanted him to take some pictures of the three of us.. uh YEAH!

After this baby was taken to the nursery with me in tow. Mom was stitched back up and taken to recovery. The nurses let me push the crib to the nursery, when we got close it looked something like a parade route.

We were supposed to spend the next 3 days in the hospital, but since my wife is amazing we went home in only two, putting us home right on Thanksgiving. Best Thanksgiving ever! All in all things went pretty much as planned, and everyone is doing good at this point. I will leave you with some more pics from the hospital.. and preparing to leave.

T-minus 7 days

Today is November 15th, 2011. I cannot believe that in 7 days I will be holding my beautiful precious baby girl in my arms. I'm not sure if it has sunk in yet that I am about to be a mommy. Over the last almost 10 months I have been growing this tiny human inside my body. How amazing is that??? I CAN'T wait to get her out and see her, but I know that I am going to miss feeling her moving and kicking around in there.
I get asked all the time why I am still working this close to my due date. My answer to this is why not??? I am not incapable of work, actually I LIKE working. Working makes the time go by faster to me. Just imagine if I was a pioneer woman who worked in the fields. They would give birth and then 30 minutes later be back in the field working. THANK GOD I don't have to do that!!!
I had Monday off work and Wayne and I spent it getting last minute things done before Taylor gets here. I was slightly freaking out about not having things ready. Wayne had to bring me back down to earth. He says to me "Helen, you are only going to be gone for 3 day, when you are putting trimming the dogs nails on the list of things that need done, I'm pretty sure that that means that you are ready to have this baby." Once he put it into prospective for me that made me feel a little better. Ugh, what would I do without Wayne.
Getting a C-Section wasn't how I planned for my little girl to come into the world, however the big guy upstairs had other plans. She is already stubborn just like both of her parents. I can't imagine what a hand full she is going to be as a teenager. So in 7 days the doctor is going to wheel me into an operating room cut me open and take my daughter out. Wow!!! Life will never be the same from that moment on.
November 22nd is going to be a life changing day for me and my family. I have a feeling that I am getting on the worlds biggest roller coaster, lets just hope that I am ready for the ride.

Were In The Single Digits!!

We had an ultrasound on Friday (pics below). Taylor is still breech, which we expected. The ultrasound tech commented on how little room was actually left for her to be moving around in there. The chances of her turning now are ALMOST zero. We have one more last minute ultrasound on Monday the 21st just to double check, then the c-section Tuesday the 22nd. So it appears that Taylor will beat the turkey, if only by a smidgen. There is a 3 day hospital stay with the c-section. I would like to pass along (from Helen) that if anyone comes to visit on the 24th there will be an admission charge of Turkey, Ham, or whatever other goodies you are having or had for Thanksgiving.

We are down to the last minute details now. Got the Christmas tree up so we don't have to worry about that when we get home. Final packing of the hospital bag, installing car seat, cleaning, stocking up on food and other essentials so that hopefully we will have fewer trips to the store this winter. All in all things are rolling along pretty much as expected and in a very short 9 days Taylor will be here to say hello to everyone!

In the image below, Taylor's head is in the center, just off to the left, she is looking straight up in this profile shot.

Goodbye October

Well, Halloween is over and it looks like by the time the next major holiday rolls around we will have a baby. We had a doctors appointment yesterday and he went ahead and set up a day for the c-section. It is set up for November 22nd. We are also scheduled for one last ultrasound on November 11th. IF Taylor has decided to turn by that time then the c-section will be canceled and we will attempt a natural birth. As much as she seems to be moving around in there I am still hopeful that she will turn in time. Either was I am confident that by Thanksgiving we will surly have something to be thankful for. Wont be long now ;)

Below is Helen's latest picture, taken yesterday, exactly 36 weeks.

Update

Just got back from 35 week (although she measures 36 weeks) ultrasound. She is still Breeched. Now weighs 6 lbs 5 oz. Next Dr. appointment Monday I think. Could be Tuesday.