Blogging is hard when you have a little one. Case in point...I started this draft on March 8. Today is April 9. Being productive has been a challenge, period. I either want to hold her or she wants to be held, so I very rarely have two free hands. I have been making notes on my phone so that I remember what I wanted to blog about so that, whenever time rolls around, I cover everything I wanted to. I know things will get lost in the mix, but that's ok. I also have a ton of pictures, but I haven't had time to upload them. Her newborn pictures are fantastic, but I'm biased. Hopefully, I will manage to get them up soon. In the meantime, I wanted to share what I've learned so far about my little princess...
1. My princess has some not-so-princess-like habits. She...well...let's see, how do I say this delicately...she toots. A lot. I didn't even know babies did that. But my girl does. She won't burp to save her life, though. She has apparently chosen her method of relieving herself. It's pretty hilarious. I know that I probably won't think it's as funny if she is still doing it when she is five years old, but I do know that I will miss it. How crazy is that? :)
2. She's no dummy. The doctors told me that she would probably be about a month behind because she was a month premature. Apparently, they didn't know who her parents were. She may be a little behind growth-wise - at 2 months, she is 9 lbs 5 oz and 22 inches long - but her development has been right on cue. And she is so alert. She is doing a great job of holding her head up and making noises. She's spectacular to watch.
3. She really only has two prerequisites. That whatever it is, it must be soft and warm. And if it comes with milk, even better. We've had to translate this into bathtime. She hated it at first, mostly because she was cold. But now that her lower half is constantly in water, she's a little better. If Daddy is around, then he constantly pours warm water over her while I'm doing the work. That part, she looovvveeesss.
4. If you aren't doing anything, then you better be holding her. And if you are doing something, you better stop and hold her. She has periods during the day where she will lay on her back and entertain herself, but for the most part, she would prefer to not be flat on her back.
5. My girl has a face for everything. To be so little, she can convey every emotion in 30 seconds, just by using her face. Priceless.
6. If it comes anywhere near her mouth, she will try to eat it. No exceptions. And she will eat until you take it away from her. No kidding. If I don't limit her intake, she will eat until she's sick.
7. She can sleep through pretty much anything. If she is asleep in her bouncy seat, I can literally run the vacuum right by her, and she won't budge.
8. She loves her Boppy newborn lounger. When she came home, she was too little to sit in her bouncy seat or her MamaRoo. But she nestled right into her lounger. It saved us, especially in the beginning. It was the only way she would consent to being put down. It honestly was probably the best thing we bought.
Those are the main things I have so far. There is so much more, and I learn every day. There has been so much else going on too, but it's hard to go through it all without this being 14 pages long. In a nutshell, she has had many visitors and she has been to the Aquarium to meet everyone I work with. We are taking her to FP for Easter so she can meet the rest of the family. I go back to work April 20. That's all I can say about that because just typing those few words has made my body temperature rise about 8 degrees and my eyes are welling up...so...moving on... I finally got her nursery finished. Now that everything is on the walls, I can see where I want some different things, but all in good time. And she is just now starting to fit into her 0-3 months clothing. Most of her newborn stuff still fits, but she now has some more options:)
And on that note, I must depart. It's 8:50 p.m., and the little one eats at 9 p.m. Hopefully it won't be months before I do this again, but no promises:)
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Surprise! Ella has arrived!
So...a lot has happened since my last post. A. Lot. So this is going to be a really long post, because as I mentioned, a lot has happened. When I posted last Monday, Jan. 24, I had just been readmitted to the hospital because my blood pressure at my weekly doctor's appointment was high again - 160/117. At the time I posted, I thought that I might get to go home on Tuesday. Obviously, that didn't happen. So...here we go.
On Tuesday, I was still in the hospital and waiting for the doctor to come around for my update. I sent Kyle to work because I didn't think there was any reason for him to sit in the room with me all day. He left the hospital around 9:15 a.m. About 10 a.m., my doctor and midwife came to my room and ran through my situation. Basically, my pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), which I was diagnosed with the previous week, had become preclampsia and was approaching severe preclampsia, and they had made the decision to induce me. I panicked because I was only 35 weeks 2 days, but they assured me that the baby would be fine and that it was better to get her out now instead of waiting. I then picked up the phone and called Kyle, who had been at work for 45 minutes, and told him he needed to head back because it was time. I called my mom and told her to put her bag in the car and call my sister because the doctor had decided to induce me. Things were rolling.
They injected labetalol into my IV, which was to lower my blood pressure. It didn't work, so they started a magnesium drip into my IV, which was to prevent me from having a seizure due to my high blood pressure. I was also receiving fluids and an antibiotic drip. The antibiotic drip was because I had not been tested for strep B yet, which all pregnant women are tested for in week 36. I obviously didn't make it to the 36-week test, so it was a precaution. And since I was being induced, they started a pitocin drip. Count them out. I was attached to an IV with four bags hanging off the pole. The magnesium drip was painful because it was a high concentration and they were pumping it in so fast - I didn't cry until the nurse turned it on, and it burned so badly that I couldn't stop crying. She would turn it off and on so that I could have a break from it. After we got through the first bag of magnesium, they started using bags that were half the concentration and dripped at a slower pace, so it was much more tolerable. The magnesium made me a little loopy and slightly nauseous, but the bigger problem was that it would pass to Ella. They said it was safe for her, but it would affect her. They started my drip on Tuesday morning, and they left me hooked up to it until Thursday.
Around noon on Tuesday, they wheeled me into my labor and delivery room. At 1 p.m., they broke my water. It was absolutely disgusting. It felt like a huge warm gush of water, and it didn't stop. After while, I had to go to the restroom, so my midwife helped me out of bed and wheeled my IV pole with me. But when I stood up, more amniotic fluid started running onto the floor. My poor husband. I'm glad that I was too consumed in what was going on to look at his face, but I'm sure he was horrified. My midwife was laughing, and then Kyle was laughing, and all I could do was say, "What's going on?! Oh no!" So then the midwife had to mop up the river I left behind me. Luckily, the magnesium had also doped me up to a level that made me less sensitive than usual, so I quickly got over my embarrassment.
My contractions at first weren't terrible, so I told them I wanted to wait before receiving the epidural. I honestly had been dreading the epidural for as long as I can remember - I hate needles, so the thought of one going into my spine was dreadful. I told my midwife that I wanted to be in enough pain that the epidural was worth it. Around 4 p.m, I started to waiver. Kyle challenged me to hold out until 4:30, so that is what I aimed for. At 4:45, I pushed my call button and said I was ready. I had had enough. They then hooked up an internal monitor to accurately measure my contractions, and they had already reached 100 in strength. Yeah. That's right. It made me feel much more justified in calling it quits. By the time the anesthesiologist made it to the room, I was ready to saw my body in half, so I was VERY ready for the epidural. The nurse sat me up and bent me over, and she told me to hold onto my knees and try not to move. Kyle stood in front of me, and I hooked my hands in his pockets. The nurse told me to take a deep breath, and then I felt the needle go in. The anxiety of the entire process was way worse than the actual epidural. It wasn't bad at all - definitely worth it. About 10 minutes later, I didn't feel anything at all. I could see the monitor and watch my contractions approaching, reaching 100 again, and then passing, but I didn't feel anything. I actually took a power nap for about an hour. The magnesium was also to blame for this - it became increasingly difficult to focus, and I threw up while I was in labor. Then I developed what they call a hot spot, which is a place where the epidural doesn't quite reach, or where it is no longer effective. My hot spot was in my lower right abdomen, and it felt like a thousand knives were plunging into that one area. The nurse gave me several boosters of my epidural, and she had to call the anesthesiologist twice to come back and deliver more medicine directly into my back. The spot never went away. It eased up a little when the meds were injected right into my back, but I still always felt my contractions there. All I could do was grip the side of the bed and breathe. Yay labor!
When I got the epidural, I was dilated 4 cm. A few hours later, I was at 6 cm. Three hours later, I was still at 6 cm. My midwife, Deena, said that if I hadn't made progress in a few hours, we would have to talk about a c-section. They were worried about my labor elevating my blood pressure to a certain level, and cautioned me that, at some point, we may have to call it. So Deena made me lay on my right side, and she put a stirrup in the air. I had to put my left leg in the stirrup, laying with my leg up in the air, to try to move things along. Three hours later, I had reached 9 cm. Very shortly after that, I knew it was time to push. I honestly felt like the baby was going to come out any second, so the nurse paged Deena, and within 5 minutes, she was back in the room, rolling me onto my back, telling me how to push. I pushed through four contractions, which in total lasted about 10 minutes, and 13 hours from when we started, at 1:54 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 26, Ella was here. 6 lbs 8 oz and 18.5 inches long. And you know what, I didn't feel a thing. I didn't feel a bit of Ella's delivery. At least, not that I remember. I felt a little bit of pressure, but that was it. It wasn't bad at all. And the sound that child made when she first cried... I can't explain it. It was the most amazing sound I've ever heard, and I immediately burst into laughter and tears. But things still didn't go as planned after Ella was delivered.
They immediately took her over to the table set up for her, and the NICU nurses started working with her. The nurse took my temperature, and I had a fever. That meant that I couldn't hold my baby. They cleaned her up and handed her to Kyle, but I couldn't touch her. An hour later, they wrapped her up and let me hold her for 10 minutes, but I couldn't touch her skin. Then they took her away. She went upstairs to get a bath, and everyone went upstairs with her to watch. The moms and dads stayed upstairs, and Kyle, my sister and his sister came back to my room. The nurse came in and got me ready to go to a recovery room. They said that they were going to keep Ella in the nursery, and when the pediatrician made rounds in the morning, they would bring her to me. Morning came around, and Ella never came. Then, the doctors came in and told me that she had been sent to the NICU from the nursery because she was having desaturations, which meant that the amount of oxygen in her blood decreases below a certain level. They said it could be a result of her being premature, but that it was most likely due to the amount of magnesium she had received from me. The magnesium had acted like a muscle relaxer, and it had impaired her breathing enough that she needed more attentive care. All I wanted to do was go and see her, so they checked my blood pressure, and it was through the roof. They told me I couldn't go anywhere until it reached a certain level. At this point, everyone had got to hold Ella for longer than I had. That didn't do much to help my blood pressure. At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the nurse came in with a wheelchair and said I could go and see her. I later found out that Kyle had gone all Shirley MacLaine in "Terms of Endearment" and told them that if they wanted my blood pressure to go down, then they would find a way to let me see my baby.
So Kyle and I went upstairs and I got to see Ella for what felt like the first time. She had an IV in her hand and was hooked up to a few monitors. It broke my heart, but I was glad that I was finally able to hold her. I was only allowed to stay for 45 minutes, so I stared at her for the entire time.
We went back to the room, and I hoped that Ella would be well enough soon to come and stay with us, but it wasn't in the cards. She ended up staying in the NICU for the entire time. On Thursday, they removed my magnesium drip, and it made a world of difference in how I felt. I was able to take a shower and focus my eyes. I was also able to walk upstairs to the NICU instead of being wheeled up there with my IV pole. I was also moved to a new recovery room, off the postpartum floor. It had a couch for Kyle, which was better because he had been sleeping in a chair. In the two weeks I was in the hospital (the previous week for high blood pressure, then this week for blood pressure and delivery), I never spent one night by myself:) By Friday, I thought I was going to be discharged, but my blood pressure was still high, and I developed a blood clot in my leg. So I was stuck for another night, but I didn't mind because Ella wasn't going home either. She was still in the NICU so they could monitor her magnesium levels and breathing. We did find out on Friday that her blood cultures came back negative for infection, so they removed her IV. Still, the thought of leaving and not taking her with me was unbearable. But that's what happened. On Saturday, I was discharged, but Ella wasn't quite ready yet. Her magnesium level was still a little high, and she was spending her second day doing phototherapy for jaundice - basically she had a tanning bed light over her to help her bilirubin levels. Her breathing had been better, and she hadn't had any desats that they were concerned about.
We thought we were going to do her car seat test on Friday, but the doctor said she would probably fail, so we did it on Saturday. Any infants born prior to 36 weeks or who experience respiratory problems are required to take the car seat test. The test requires the parents to put the infant in their car seat, properly strap him or her in, then monitor her vitals and breathing for 90 minutes. If she desets below the required level and doesn't normalize within 20 seconds, she would fail the test. My girl passed with flying colors. And because we were waiting on the nurse to come back and confirm, she went 10 minutes past the 90-minute mark. Her daddy teased that now she was just showing off:)
Passing the car seat test, along with her decreased magnesium level and improved bilirubin levels, meant that she was ready for final inspection. Kyle and I stayed at the hospital until midnight, when we had to leave my recovery room. We stayed at a hotel across the street because neither of us wanted to go home without her. Both of our parents went back to Alabama for the night to repack and rest, and if Ella was cleared to go home the following morning, they would be on their way back. My sister and her husband came up on Saturday to see Ella at the hospital, so they stayed the night at our house and met us at the NICU on Sunday morning. The doctor came by and cleared Ella - FINALLY, our girl was going home.
Brittney and I dressed her up for her trip home, and Brittney and Nick were our photographer and videographer for the hospital departure and home arrival. Ella didn't mind her car ride home, and we finally got to our house around noon. That's when it set in. Our family was finally together and whole and where we belonged.
Now I'm the happiest and most terrified I've ever been. All I did at first was stare at her. Now I can leave the room and not take her with me - as long as someone else is holdng onto her. Nighttime has been the most difficult. If I fall asleep, I wake up every 20 minutes to make sure she is ok. If she breathes loudly, I wake up. She is on a 3-hour schedule, so she eats at 12 a.m., 3 a.m., 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. We've been to the pediatrician twice now, and her weight is back up. When we left the hospital, she was down to 6 lbs, but she is back up to 6 lbs 6 oz, which is great progress. The doctor also said her lungs sound perfect, and her jaundice is completely gone. So far, our girl is doing great. Our moms have been with us since she came home last week, and they are going to be with us all next week too. Kyle went back to work on Tuesday, and I wasn't quite ready to be on my own yet:)
So that is where we are now. I celebrated my first birthday as a mommy, complete with a card and gift from Ella. She even signed it with a hot pink footprint for me. Our families have been coming and going, everyone coming to meet and hold our girl. And despite the fact that everything was in the same place it was when I left our house last week, everything has changed. My entire outlook, my priorities, everything...I had no idea that so much would be so different. My love for her and Kyle have completely changed everything about me, and I wouldn't have it any other way. So now, I am transitioning the blog from the ups and downs of pregnancy to our new life with Ella. It's going to be even harder now to update, just because a new baby means there are less hours in the day, but I will do the best I can. If I go a week or two without anything, you know why:)
On Tuesday, I was still in the hospital and waiting for the doctor to come around for my update. I sent Kyle to work because I didn't think there was any reason for him to sit in the room with me all day. He left the hospital around 9:15 a.m. About 10 a.m., my doctor and midwife came to my room and ran through my situation. Basically, my pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), which I was diagnosed with the previous week, had become preclampsia and was approaching severe preclampsia, and they had made the decision to induce me. I panicked because I was only 35 weeks 2 days, but they assured me that the baby would be fine and that it was better to get her out now instead of waiting. I then picked up the phone and called Kyle, who had been at work for 45 minutes, and told him he needed to head back because it was time. I called my mom and told her to put her bag in the car and call my sister because the doctor had decided to induce me. Things were rolling.
They injected labetalol into my IV, which was to lower my blood pressure. It didn't work, so they started a magnesium drip into my IV, which was to prevent me from having a seizure due to my high blood pressure. I was also receiving fluids and an antibiotic drip. The antibiotic drip was because I had not been tested for strep B yet, which all pregnant women are tested for in week 36. I obviously didn't make it to the 36-week test, so it was a precaution. And since I was being induced, they started a pitocin drip. Count them out. I was attached to an IV with four bags hanging off the pole. The magnesium drip was painful because it was a high concentration and they were pumping it in so fast - I didn't cry until the nurse turned it on, and it burned so badly that I couldn't stop crying. She would turn it off and on so that I could have a break from it. After we got through the first bag of magnesium, they started using bags that were half the concentration and dripped at a slower pace, so it was much more tolerable. The magnesium made me a little loopy and slightly nauseous, but the bigger problem was that it would pass to Ella. They said it was safe for her, but it would affect her. They started my drip on Tuesday morning, and they left me hooked up to it until Thursday.
Around noon on Tuesday, they wheeled me into my labor and delivery room. At 1 p.m., they broke my water. It was absolutely disgusting. It felt like a huge warm gush of water, and it didn't stop. After while, I had to go to the restroom, so my midwife helped me out of bed and wheeled my IV pole with me. But when I stood up, more amniotic fluid started running onto the floor. My poor husband. I'm glad that I was too consumed in what was going on to look at his face, but I'm sure he was horrified. My midwife was laughing, and then Kyle was laughing, and all I could do was say, "What's going on?! Oh no!" So then the midwife had to mop up the river I left behind me. Luckily, the magnesium had also doped me up to a level that made me less sensitive than usual, so I quickly got over my embarrassment.
My contractions at first weren't terrible, so I told them I wanted to wait before receiving the epidural. I honestly had been dreading the epidural for as long as I can remember - I hate needles, so the thought of one going into my spine was dreadful. I told my midwife that I wanted to be in enough pain that the epidural was worth it. Around 4 p.m, I started to waiver. Kyle challenged me to hold out until 4:30, so that is what I aimed for. At 4:45, I pushed my call button and said I was ready. I had had enough. They then hooked up an internal monitor to accurately measure my contractions, and they had already reached 100 in strength. Yeah. That's right. It made me feel much more justified in calling it quits. By the time the anesthesiologist made it to the room, I was ready to saw my body in half, so I was VERY ready for the epidural. The nurse sat me up and bent me over, and she told me to hold onto my knees and try not to move. Kyle stood in front of me, and I hooked my hands in his pockets. The nurse told me to take a deep breath, and then I felt the needle go in. The anxiety of the entire process was way worse than the actual epidural. It wasn't bad at all - definitely worth it. About 10 minutes later, I didn't feel anything at all. I could see the monitor and watch my contractions approaching, reaching 100 again, and then passing, but I didn't feel anything. I actually took a power nap for about an hour. The magnesium was also to blame for this - it became increasingly difficult to focus, and I threw up while I was in labor. Then I developed what they call a hot spot, which is a place where the epidural doesn't quite reach, or where it is no longer effective. My hot spot was in my lower right abdomen, and it felt like a thousand knives were plunging into that one area. The nurse gave me several boosters of my epidural, and she had to call the anesthesiologist twice to come back and deliver more medicine directly into my back. The spot never went away. It eased up a little when the meds were injected right into my back, but I still always felt my contractions there. All I could do was grip the side of the bed and breathe. Yay labor!
When I got the epidural, I was dilated 4 cm. A few hours later, I was at 6 cm. Three hours later, I was still at 6 cm. My midwife, Deena, said that if I hadn't made progress in a few hours, we would have to talk about a c-section. They were worried about my labor elevating my blood pressure to a certain level, and cautioned me that, at some point, we may have to call it. So Deena made me lay on my right side, and she put a stirrup in the air. I had to put my left leg in the stirrup, laying with my leg up in the air, to try to move things along. Three hours later, I had reached 9 cm. Very shortly after that, I knew it was time to push. I honestly felt like the baby was going to come out any second, so the nurse paged Deena, and within 5 minutes, she was back in the room, rolling me onto my back, telling me how to push. I pushed through four contractions, which in total lasted about 10 minutes, and 13 hours from when we started, at 1:54 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 26, Ella was here. 6 lbs 8 oz and 18.5 inches long. And you know what, I didn't feel a thing. I didn't feel a bit of Ella's delivery. At least, not that I remember. I felt a little bit of pressure, but that was it. It wasn't bad at all. And the sound that child made when she first cried... I can't explain it. It was the most amazing sound I've ever heard, and I immediately burst into laughter and tears. But things still didn't go as planned after Ella was delivered.
They immediately took her over to the table set up for her, and the NICU nurses started working with her. The nurse took my temperature, and I had a fever. That meant that I couldn't hold my baby. They cleaned her up and handed her to Kyle, but I couldn't touch her. An hour later, they wrapped her up and let me hold her for 10 minutes, but I couldn't touch her skin. Then they took her away. She went upstairs to get a bath, and everyone went upstairs with her to watch. The moms and dads stayed upstairs, and Kyle, my sister and his sister came back to my room. The nurse came in and got me ready to go to a recovery room. They said that they were going to keep Ella in the nursery, and when the pediatrician made rounds in the morning, they would bring her to me. Morning came around, and Ella never came. Then, the doctors came in and told me that she had been sent to the NICU from the nursery because she was having desaturations, which meant that the amount of oxygen in her blood decreases below a certain level. They said it could be a result of her being premature, but that it was most likely due to the amount of magnesium she had received from me. The magnesium had acted like a muscle relaxer, and it had impaired her breathing enough that she needed more attentive care. All I wanted to do was go and see her, so they checked my blood pressure, and it was through the roof. They told me I couldn't go anywhere until it reached a certain level. At this point, everyone had got to hold Ella for longer than I had. That didn't do much to help my blood pressure. At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the nurse came in with a wheelchair and said I could go and see her. I later found out that Kyle had gone all Shirley MacLaine in "Terms of Endearment" and told them that if they wanted my blood pressure to go down, then they would find a way to let me see my baby.
So Kyle and I went upstairs and I got to see Ella for what felt like the first time. She had an IV in her hand and was hooked up to a few monitors. It broke my heart, but I was glad that I was finally able to hold her. I was only allowed to stay for 45 minutes, so I stared at her for the entire time.
We went back to the room, and I hoped that Ella would be well enough soon to come and stay with us, but it wasn't in the cards. She ended up staying in the NICU for the entire time. On Thursday, they removed my magnesium drip, and it made a world of difference in how I felt. I was able to take a shower and focus my eyes. I was also able to walk upstairs to the NICU instead of being wheeled up there with my IV pole. I was also moved to a new recovery room, off the postpartum floor. It had a couch for Kyle, which was better because he had been sleeping in a chair. In the two weeks I was in the hospital (the previous week for high blood pressure, then this week for blood pressure and delivery), I never spent one night by myself:) By Friday, I thought I was going to be discharged, but my blood pressure was still high, and I developed a blood clot in my leg. So I was stuck for another night, but I didn't mind because Ella wasn't going home either. She was still in the NICU so they could monitor her magnesium levels and breathing. We did find out on Friday that her blood cultures came back negative for infection, so they removed her IV. Still, the thought of leaving and not taking her with me was unbearable. But that's what happened. On Saturday, I was discharged, but Ella wasn't quite ready yet. Her magnesium level was still a little high, and she was spending her second day doing phototherapy for jaundice - basically she had a tanning bed light over her to help her bilirubin levels. Her breathing had been better, and she hadn't had any desats that they were concerned about.
We thought we were going to do her car seat test on Friday, but the doctor said she would probably fail, so we did it on Saturday. Any infants born prior to 36 weeks or who experience respiratory problems are required to take the car seat test. The test requires the parents to put the infant in their car seat, properly strap him or her in, then monitor her vitals and breathing for 90 minutes. If she desets below the required level and doesn't normalize within 20 seconds, she would fail the test. My girl passed with flying colors. And because we were waiting on the nurse to come back and confirm, she went 10 minutes past the 90-minute mark. Her daddy teased that now she was just showing off:)
Passing the car seat test, along with her decreased magnesium level and improved bilirubin levels, meant that she was ready for final inspection. Kyle and I stayed at the hospital until midnight, when we had to leave my recovery room. We stayed at a hotel across the street because neither of us wanted to go home without her. Both of our parents went back to Alabama for the night to repack and rest, and if Ella was cleared to go home the following morning, they would be on their way back. My sister and her husband came up on Saturday to see Ella at the hospital, so they stayed the night at our house and met us at the NICU on Sunday morning. The doctor came by and cleared Ella - FINALLY, our girl was going home.
Brittney and I dressed her up for her trip home, and Brittney and Nick were our photographer and videographer for the hospital departure and home arrival. Ella didn't mind her car ride home, and we finally got to our house around noon. That's when it set in. Our family was finally together and whole and where we belonged.
Now I'm the happiest and most terrified I've ever been. All I did at first was stare at her. Now I can leave the room and not take her with me - as long as someone else is holdng onto her. Nighttime has been the most difficult. If I fall asleep, I wake up every 20 minutes to make sure she is ok. If she breathes loudly, I wake up. She is on a 3-hour schedule, so she eats at 12 a.m., 3 a.m., 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. We've been to the pediatrician twice now, and her weight is back up. When we left the hospital, she was down to 6 lbs, but she is back up to 6 lbs 6 oz, which is great progress. The doctor also said her lungs sound perfect, and her jaundice is completely gone. So far, our girl is doing great. Our moms have been with us since she came home last week, and they are going to be with us all next week too. Kyle went back to work on Tuesday, and I wasn't quite ready to be on my own yet:)
So that is where we are now. I celebrated my first birthday as a mommy, complete with a card and gift from Ella. She even signed it with a hot pink footprint for me. Our families have been coming and going, everyone coming to meet and hold our girl. And despite the fact that everything was in the same place it was when I left our house last week, everything has changed. My entire outlook, my priorities, everything...I had no idea that so much would be so different. My love for her and Kyle have completely changed everything about me, and I wouldn't have it any other way. So now, I am transitioning the blog from the ups and downs of pregnancy to our new life with Ella. It's going to be even harder now to update, just because a new baby means there are less hours in the day, but I will do the best I can. If I go a week or two without anything, you know why:)
 |
| In the NICU |
 |
| With her Aunt Britt. You will see the velcro patches she had to wear for her shades during her jaundice tanning sessions. |
 |
| Car seat test:) |
 |
| On her way to the doctor |
 |
| On her way home from the hospital after four days in the NICU |
Monday, January 24, 2011
Annnnnnddd....we're back:(
Okay, so I left out the middle. Last time I updated, we found out we were staying in the hospital until Friday. During that time, my parents made it back to Alabama; I got my computer and was able to work all day Thursday and Friday (thank goodness); and Kyle and his mom went to Babies R Us on a mini shopping spree. That was probably more emotional for me than anything else. I cried for 20 minutes after they left because I had really looked forward to buying Ella all the little things she needed. I had a big list - and if you know me, you know I love my lists. And I missed out on all of it. They did bring me back a burrito bowl from Chipotle, so that helped ease the pain. They also brought in all the bags and had show-and-tell in my hospital room. That helped a little more.
On Friday, the doctor came in and said that, combined with all of my good test results, my blood pressure had stayed at a safe range for a long enough period that it was okay for me to go home. So that's what we did. When we got home, we discovered that Kyle's mom had been a very busy bee at the house while she was here. Every bit of our laundry was done. And I mean every bit. Kyle even said that there were things he forgot he had. I know that's a total dig on me, but it's true. My mom and dad were also waiting for us at the house when we arrived. Mom stayed with us that night, and my sister came up on Saturday. Kyle had to work on Saturday, so they were in charge of making sure I stuck to the whole bedrest thing.
On Saturday, my mom and sister were major worker bees. They made a palette in the floor of Ella's nursery for me, and I laid there and watched them put the whole room together. I wish I had thought to take before and after pictures, because it went from being a room full of stuff and boxes to being an actual nursery. It was amazing. Mom also finished washing all of Ella's clothes, towels, burp cloths, hats, etc., and Brittney went and got her some more hairbows (hey...we've got our priorities...), so we are in a much better position than we were a week ago. And then when Kyle got home, they ran more errands for me and picked up the things I needed that I didn't want to make my poor husband buy. They went back home Saturday night, and then it was just Kyle bossing me around on Sunday. Well, not really bossing me around, because I can't go anywhere or do anything, but Kyle making sure I stayed immobile.
Bedrest has been quite the struggle, mentally and physically. My body aches all over from inactivity, and the inability to do things for myself really sucks. And it's not even an inability - it's someone telling me constantly that I can't do this or do that, and therefore having to ask for every little thing. I know that there are so many other women who have more problems and more serious problems during their pregnancy, so despite the glitches I've had, I'm still very lucky. And I've received some of the sweetest and most encouraging messages from people, all of which have helped me keep a positive attitude. Well, as positive as I'm known to be, anyhow.
Fast-forward to today. I had a doctor's appointment at 2:45 p.m. After being thrown in the hospital last week unexpectedly, I knew we needed to be prepared. We packed our bag and Ella's bag, installed the car seat and ordered the rest of what we needed online. I came to terms with the fact that there will just be things I have to do to her nursery after she gets here. The child won't know that her curtains are white instead of green, and that's okay. I also decided to throw my computer in the car, just in case. And guess what, I'm back. My blood pressure at the doctor's office was 160/120, which is no bueno. So they wheeled me back to the hospital and up to the floor where they keep the high risk pregnancy patients. They stuck an IV in my hand to administer medicine that would lower my blood pressure and then took blood out of the other arm. This time, the IV nurse let the blood spurt out and I felt it running down my arm, where it then puddled on my bed. Not for this girl. I just kept watching and talking to Kyle and told him not to look. The more he looked, the more I wanted to, and I knew that would be a bad decision. I've been here for a few hours now, and my BP is still on up there. So now we just wait for labwork to come back and I'm doing another 24-hour test, so the earliest I could go home would be tomorrow night around 9 p.m. The nurses at Northside are fantastic, and I've had some of the same ones from last week, who remembered me. They don't seem to think that I will go home pregnant, but that's what they said last week. Luckily, we are in a better place than we were a week ago because Ella is now 35 weeks and 1 day, and it may not seem important, but every day counts.
I left out the most important part. Ella is totally fine. I'm having a fair number of contractions, but they don't seem too concerned about it right now.None of this seems to phase her. I've been on the fetal monitor for a few hours now, and she seems as happy and comfy as can be. That is absolutely all that matters. Not how long I have to be here or how many times they stick needles and IVs in me. As long as she is lounging in there and feels pretty good about it, I can take what they throw at me. Hopefully I will get to go home tomorrow or soon, but if I don't, then when I do go home, I will hopefully be taking a beautiful little girl with me:)
On Friday, the doctor came in and said that, combined with all of my good test results, my blood pressure had stayed at a safe range for a long enough period that it was okay for me to go home. So that's what we did. When we got home, we discovered that Kyle's mom had been a very busy bee at the house while she was here. Every bit of our laundry was done. And I mean every bit. Kyle even said that there were things he forgot he had. I know that's a total dig on me, but it's true. My mom and dad were also waiting for us at the house when we arrived. Mom stayed with us that night, and my sister came up on Saturday. Kyle had to work on Saturday, so they were in charge of making sure I stuck to the whole bedrest thing.
On Saturday, my mom and sister were major worker bees. They made a palette in the floor of Ella's nursery for me, and I laid there and watched them put the whole room together. I wish I had thought to take before and after pictures, because it went from being a room full of stuff and boxes to being an actual nursery. It was amazing. Mom also finished washing all of Ella's clothes, towels, burp cloths, hats, etc., and Brittney went and got her some more hairbows (hey...we've got our priorities...), so we are in a much better position than we were a week ago. And then when Kyle got home, they ran more errands for me and picked up the things I needed that I didn't want to make my poor husband buy. They went back home Saturday night, and then it was just Kyle bossing me around on Sunday. Well, not really bossing me around, because I can't go anywhere or do anything, but Kyle making sure I stayed immobile.
Bedrest has been quite the struggle, mentally and physically. My body aches all over from inactivity, and the inability to do things for myself really sucks. And it's not even an inability - it's someone telling me constantly that I can't do this or do that, and therefore having to ask for every little thing. I know that there are so many other women who have more problems and more serious problems during their pregnancy, so despite the glitches I've had, I'm still very lucky. And I've received some of the sweetest and most encouraging messages from people, all of which have helped me keep a positive attitude. Well, as positive as I'm known to be, anyhow.
Fast-forward to today. I had a doctor's appointment at 2:45 p.m. After being thrown in the hospital last week unexpectedly, I knew we needed to be prepared. We packed our bag and Ella's bag, installed the car seat and ordered the rest of what we needed online. I came to terms with the fact that there will just be things I have to do to her nursery after she gets here. The child won't know that her curtains are white instead of green, and that's okay. I also decided to throw my computer in the car, just in case. And guess what, I'm back. My blood pressure at the doctor's office was 160/120, which is no bueno. So they wheeled me back to the hospital and up to the floor where they keep the high risk pregnancy patients. They stuck an IV in my hand to administer medicine that would lower my blood pressure and then took blood out of the other arm. This time, the IV nurse let the blood spurt out and I felt it running down my arm, where it then puddled on my bed. Not for this girl. I just kept watching and talking to Kyle and told him not to look. The more he looked, the more I wanted to, and I knew that would be a bad decision. I've been here for a few hours now, and my BP is still on up there. So now we just wait for labwork to come back and I'm doing another 24-hour test, so the earliest I could go home would be tomorrow night around 9 p.m. The nurses at Northside are fantastic, and I've had some of the same ones from last week, who remembered me. They don't seem to think that I will go home pregnant, but that's what they said last week. Luckily, we are in a better place than we were a week ago because Ella is now 35 weeks and 1 day, and it may not seem important, but every day counts.
I left out the most important part. Ella is totally fine. I'm having a fair number of contractions, but they don't seem too concerned about it right now.None of this seems to phase her. I've been on the fetal monitor for a few hours now, and she seems as happy and comfy as can be. That is absolutely all that matters. Not how long I have to be here or how many times they stick needles and IVs in me. As long as she is lounging in there and feels pretty good about it, I can take what they throw at me. Hopefully I will get to go home tomorrow or soon, but if I don't, then when I do go home, I will hopefully be taking a beautiful little girl with me:)
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Update
Well, it looks like I'm at the hospital until at least Friday. My blood pressure hasn't gone down enough, and combined with a few other issues, they prefer to keep me here. It gives us a better chance to make sure that we keep Ella in there a little longer. They took me off the IV (which they put me on yesterday because I was having regular contractions- probably just Braxton Hicks, but they said it was too early for me to be having them so regularly) because my contractions stopped, but they left it in my hand so I wouldn't have to go through sticking again. Traumatic for me. I hate, hate, hate needles. So that's it for now. Hopefully I will get to go home on Friday and do bed rest from there instead of here. Although, they did move us to a nicer room, so at least I've got HDTV. So until later...:)
This wasn't the plan...
So I'm typing from the comfort of a hospital bed. That's right. I'm in the hospital. Awesome, huh? Here's what happened, or at least what I know so far.
Yesterday, I had my regular appointment, which was at 34 weeks and 2 days. That means we still have 5 weeks and 5 days until we reach the desired 40 week mark. When they took my blood pressure, the bottom number was 102. I don't know anything about blood pressure, but apparently, 102 sucks. Ideally, they want pregnant women to stay under 80. So the doctor said she was sending me to the hospital to be admitted and for observation. Bum-mer.
So I walked across to the women's center, where we are supposed to deliver eventually, and they put me in a room and hooked me up to a fetal monitor and blood pressure monitor, which would measure my bp every 15 minutes for 2 hours. My bottom number ranged from 94 to 101. Still, no bueno. So, they decided that I had to stay the night. My doctor then delivered the blow...
Doctor: "Are you working?"
Me: "Yes, ma'am."
Doctor: "You're done."
Me: "Until Wednesday, Thursday...?"
Doctor: "You're done."
Well...sh*t.
Apparently this doctor doesn't know me very well. I have a LOT to do. And this was not the plan. Bed rest for me was never part of the plan, but that's where we are at now. After I talked to work and told them what was going on, my bottom number shot to 102. I don't like leaving things undone or putting them off on other people, and I certainly don't like my decision-making to be taken away from me - but that's what has happened. And I know that is what HAS to happen, but it doesn't make it any easier on me.
Things seemed more grim last night. The doctor and midwives told me several times that I would not leave the hospital pregnant, and that there was a real possibility that I would either have to spend the next 2 1/2 weeks in the hospital and then they would induce at 37 weeks, or depending upon my test results and bp, I may be induced by the morning. Well, it's now 2:30 p.m., and she is still chilling in my tummy. They did an ultrasound to make sure she was okay. Not only is she okay, but at 34 weeks and 2 days, my child is measuring 7.5 lbs. Yeah, that's what I said. If she came this early, she would still have problems with breathing and sucking, but she shouldn't have a problem with maintaining her body temperature. I have no idea how it happened, but I've said it all along - my girl is a chunky monkey.
I spent the night in the hospital, with poor Kyle in the pull-out chair next to me. They gave me an Ambien, and right after I swallowed it, it was daylight. They've continued to monitor my blood pressure today, and I had one that was in the 70s, but I'm sitting at 95 again right now. They also did a chest xray (after putting tons of protection on my belly) because I've had such a terrible cough for 4 weeks now. The doctor came back and said I have gestational hypertension, and after they get the results back from my 24-hour tests, they will know for sure if I have preeclampasia. Best case scenario right now is that I will get to go home, be on modified bed rest and will be able to carry to 38 weeks. They've already thrown 40 weeks out the window. Realistic scenario - I get to go home and am on strict bedrest, then deliver at 37/38 weeks. No reason to worry about worst case scenario until they tell me we are there.
The other problem is that I'm not ready. Her crib is up and most of her clothes are washed, but her nursery is no where near ready and we don't have everything we need. Kyle's mom got here this afternoon, and they are going to go and get the rest of the things that we need. I cried for a while because I was really excited about buying everything for Ella, and now I'm going to miss out on it. That's what I get for thinking I still had 6 weeks. But in the end, at least she will have everything she needs and everything will be ready. My parents were on their way to Houston; they turned around and are on their way back now. My sister has her bag packed and in her car ready to go, and Kyle's sister is in South Alabama with her dad, but luckily they can travel by plane and be here in the blink of an eye if needed. Hopefully, nobody will have to rush here. Ella needs to hang out for at least 2 weeks and 4 days before we want her to come out. Hopefully we will know more this afternoon when my test results come back, but for now, I'm just hanging out, waiting.
Yesterday, I had my regular appointment, which was at 34 weeks and 2 days. That means we still have 5 weeks and 5 days until we reach the desired 40 week mark. When they took my blood pressure, the bottom number was 102. I don't know anything about blood pressure, but apparently, 102 sucks. Ideally, they want pregnant women to stay under 80. So the doctor said she was sending me to the hospital to be admitted and for observation. Bum-mer.
So I walked across to the women's center, where we are supposed to deliver eventually, and they put me in a room and hooked me up to a fetal monitor and blood pressure monitor, which would measure my bp every 15 minutes for 2 hours. My bottom number ranged from 94 to 101. Still, no bueno. So, they decided that I had to stay the night. My doctor then delivered the blow...
Doctor: "Are you working?"
Me: "Yes, ma'am."
Doctor: "You're done."
Me: "Until Wednesday, Thursday...?"
Doctor: "You're done."
Well...sh*t.
Apparently this doctor doesn't know me very well. I have a LOT to do. And this was not the plan. Bed rest for me was never part of the plan, but that's where we are at now. After I talked to work and told them what was going on, my bottom number shot to 102. I don't like leaving things undone or putting them off on other people, and I certainly don't like my decision-making to be taken away from me - but that's what has happened. And I know that is what HAS to happen, but it doesn't make it any easier on me.
Things seemed more grim last night. The doctor and midwives told me several times that I would not leave the hospital pregnant, and that there was a real possibility that I would either have to spend the next 2 1/2 weeks in the hospital and then they would induce at 37 weeks, or depending upon my test results and bp, I may be induced by the morning. Well, it's now 2:30 p.m., and she is still chilling in my tummy. They did an ultrasound to make sure she was okay. Not only is she okay, but at 34 weeks and 2 days, my child is measuring 7.5 lbs. Yeah, that's what I said. If she came this early, she would still have problems with breathing and sucking, but she shouldn't have a problem with maintaining her body temperature. I have no idea how it happened, but I've said it all along - my girl is a chunky monkey.
I spent the night in the hospital, with poor Kyle in the pull-out chair next to me. They gave me an Ambien, and right after I swallowed it, it was daylight. They've continued to monitor my blood pressure today, and I had one that was in the 70s, but I'm sitting at 95 again right now. They also did a chest xray (after putting tons of protection on my belly) because I've had such a terrible cough for 4 weeks now. The doctor came back and said I have gestational hypertension, and after they get the results back from my 24-hour tests, they will know for sure if I have preeclampasia. Best case scenario right now is that I will get to go home, be on modified bed rest and will be able to carry to 38 weeks. They've already thrown 40 weeks out the window. Realistic scenario - I get to go home and am on strict bedrest, then deliver at 37/38 weeks. No reason to worry about worst case scenario until they tell me we are there.
The other problem is that I'm not ready. Her crib is up and most of her clothes are washed, but her nursery is no where near ready and we don't have everything we need. Kyle's mom got here this afternoon, and they are going to go and get the rest of the things that we need. I cried for a while because I was really excited about buying everything for Ella, and now I'm going to miss out on it. That's what I get for thinking I still had 6 weeks. But in the end, at least she will have everything she needs and everything will be ready. My parents were on their way to Houston; they turned around and are on their way back now. My sister has her bag packed and in her car ready to go, and Kyle's sister is in South Alabama with her dad, but luckily they can travel by plane and be here in the blink of an eye if needed. Hopefully, nobody will have to rush here. Ella needs to hang out for at least 2 weeks and 4 days before we want her to come out. Hopefully we will know more this afternoon when my test results come back, but for now, I'm just hanging out, waiting.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Almost....there....
I wish I was better at posting pictures, but alas, it's not one of my talents. It's mostly because I'm never the picture taker. I would love to share pictures from my baby shower with you, but I didn't take any of them, so I don't have any to share:( One thing is for certain though - Kyle and I are incredibly lucky to be surrounded by so many people who care for us. More importantly, Ella is one lucky little girl. She received some incredibly beautiful things, and I can't wait to share them with her. Hopefully, I will steal some pictures from someone, and then I can share them with you too. A few of my girlfriends from high school were also able to be there, and I don't think I had seen any of them since one of their weddings in 2008. It meant a lot to have them there and be able to share the day with them - after all, they've known Kyle and me longer than anyone else.
I do have one picture to share. My incredible sister made a diaper cake for the event, and it was amazing! This is a picture of it while it's still at her house, and it still underwent some changes after this, but this is it at some point in the process. The picture in the middle is one of Ella's ultrasound photos:)
Once I made it back home after the shower, we made the obligatory visit to the grocery store for the impending snowpocalypse, as it was being called in Atlanta. I was completely skeptical and swore that it wouldn't snow an inch. I was wrong. Very, very wrong. For the first time since opening in 2005, the Aquarium actually closed - on Monday and Tuesday. Turner was closed too, so Kyle and I were stuck inside for a couple days. We both worked from home, and my sick self took advantage of being immobile, but it was still nice to be able to emerge on Wednesday, even if it was just for a few hours.
I did manage to put Ella's new bedding on her crib and start washing her clothes. I'm still not done - mostly because I'm being more tedious with her laundry than I am with ours. Her floor is still covered with stuff though - either because I don't know where to put it or don't have anywhere to put it yet. I'm starting to panic a tad because she is due in 6 weeks and her room still isn't done, but I know it will get there, eventually. As soon as I have it done, I will share pics. Those I will actually be able to take, and I can do it with the new digital SLR we got for Christmas! That's one thing I noticed - everyone who is having babies got fancy cameras for Christmas. I guess that's just what you do:)
As I mentioned, there are only 6 weeks left before Ella is due to arrive. Doesn't seem like a long time, but it's dragging. Mostly because I've felt so bad lately and because she has decided that she favors positions that I find extremely uncomfortable. She's a huge fan of kicking me in the ribs or just moving her feet around in my upper abdomen. She also likes to stick her bottom out, right in the middle of my stomach. I can feel her rolling around to assume the position, and then, the left half of my stomach juts out where she is pushing on it. It's pretty funny, but it's actually quite painful. In the meantime, I'm dragging Kyle to more classes. This weekend, we have childbirth preparation class from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, and then I'm going to see Beauty and the Beast at the Fox with his mom and sister. Then, on Sunday, we have Infant CPR class. In two weeks, we have Baby Essentials class, which is another 3 hours on a Sunday. We've already been on our hospital tour, and I've already been to breastfeeding class. Luckily, there were no men in there. That would've been weird.
And then I turn 28. Not happy about feeling old, but at least I will soon have something spectacular to lift my spirits.
I do have one picture to share. My incredible sister made a diaper cake for the event, and it was amazing! This is a picture of it while it's still at her house, and it still underwent some changes after this, but this is it at some point in the process. The picture in the middle is one of Ella's ultrasound photos:)Once I made it back home after the shower, we made the obligatory visit to the grocery store for the impending snowpocalypse, as it was being called in Atlanta. I was completely skeptical and swore that it wouldn't snow an inch. I was wrong. Very, very wrong. For the first time since opening in 2005, the Aquarium actually closed - on Monday and Tuesday. Turner was closed too, so Kyle and I were stuck inside for a couple days. We both worked from home, and my sick self took advantage of being immobile, but it was still nice to be able to emerge on Wednesday, even if it was just for a few hours.
I did manage to put Ella's new bedding on her crib and start washing her clothes. I'm still not done - mostly because I'm being more tedious with her laundry than I am with ours. Her floor is still covered with stuff though - either because I don't know where to put it or don't have anywhere to put it yet. I'm starting to panic a tad because she is due in 6 weeks and her room still isn't done, but I know it will get there, eventually. As soon as I have it done, I will share pics. Those I will actually be able to take, and I can do it with the new digital SLR we got for Christmas! That's one thing I noticed - everyone who is having babies got fancy cameras for Christmas. I guess that's just what you do:)
As I mentioned, there are only 6 weeks left before Ella is due to arrive. Doesn't seem like a long time, but it's dragging. Mostly because I've felt so bad lately and because she has decided that she favors positions that I find extremely uncomfortable. She's a huge fan of kicking me in the ribs or just moving her feet around in my upper abdomen. She also likes to stick her bottom out, right in the middle of my stomach. I can feel her rolling around to assume the position, and then, the left half of my stomach juts out where she is pushing on it. It's pretty funny, but it's actually quite painful. In the meantime, I'm dragging Kyle to more classes. This weekend, we have childbirth preparation class from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, and then I'm going to see Beauty and the Beast at the Fox with his mom and sister. Then, on Sunday, we have Infant CPR class. In two weeks, we have Baby Essentials class, which is another 3 hours on a Sunday. We've already been on our hospital tour, and I've already been to breastfeeding class. Luckily, there were no men in there. That would've been weird.
And then I turn 28. Not happy about feeling old, but at least I will soon have something spectacular to lift my spirits.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Let's play catch-up:)
Ok. Time for a little catch-up. When I last posted on Dec. 17, I was sick. Guess what. I'm still sick. I ended up having bronchitis and a sinus infection. Doctor gave me antibiotics for 10 days, and after I finished taking them again, it all went downhill again. Now I have a respiratory infection, so I'm taking a different antibiotic (4 times a day), and the doctor told me to take extra strength Mucinex DM (ick) and pseudophedrine. I have literally been through about 7 or 8 boxes of Kleenex, 2 bottles of robitussin and 2 boxes of pseudophedrine. No worries - I've talked to my doctor before buying each bottle/box, just to be sure. It didn't seem right to me that Ella could handle so much, but apparently, she is fine. She seems to be handling it well, or maybe that is why she is always kicking me in the ribs:)
I'm going to the doctor every two weeks now, and at my appointment on Tuesday, aside from me being sick, everything is going great. Her heart rate was 165 bpm, which means she is as active as ever. Only 7 weeks left. In 4 weeks, she will be full-term, and you better believe that when that day comes, I will start promising this child the sun, moon, stars, diamonds, cars...whatever it takes...if she will just come out. If she wants to hang out longer, I certainly won't complain. But if she's ready and willing, I'm ready.
Ella had a very fruitful Christmas, especially for someone who isn't even here yet:) We came home with a lot of beautiful dresses and outfits, tons of bibs and toys and a Mamaroo swing, which I was very excited about. I finally ordered her bedding (!) - it only took me MONTHS to commit. I thought having a girl would make it easier, but it was the exact opposite. I will post pictures later.
My Fort Payne baby shower is tomorrow, and other than being sick, I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully we can start getting everything else together for our girl's arrival very soon!
I'm going to the doctor every two weeks now, and at my appointment on Tuesday, aside from me being sick, everything is going great. Her heart rate was 165 bpm, which means she is as active as ever. Only 7 weeks left. In 4 weeks, she will be full-term, and you better believe that when that day comes, I will start promising this child the sun, moon, stars, diamonds, cars...whatever it takes...if she will just come out. If she wants to hang out longer, I certainly won't complain. But if she's ready and willing, I'm ready.
Ella had a very fruitful Christmas, especially for someone who isn't even here yet:) We came home with a lot of beautiful dresses and outfits, tons of bibs and toys and a Mamaroo swing, which I was very excited about. I finally ordered her bedding (!) - it only took me MONTHS to commit. I thought having a girl would make it easier, but it was the exact opposite. I will post pictures later.
My Fort Payne baby shower is tomorrow, and other than being sick, I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully we can start getting everything else together for our girl's arrival very soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)