3 down- 1 to go

After a quick 5 min dr appointment- I now am only taking one bp medicine. Hopefully my bp will continue to straighten itself out and I'll be drug free:) Also today is my daddy's b-day! He is 60! Happy Birthday daddy- We share our birthday month so growing up we would go to Pizza Inn together for our birthdays. It was so much fun to be with just my dad. Now we have Ezra that shares our birthday month :)Hope you have a good one, daddy. At least Ma is back- you're probably spending it up at the church with a million meetings or something :)

Fussy Buckets

Ezra has turned out to be a real fussy buckets. He is killing me lately. If he isn't nursing or sleeping he's fussing or full on screaming. I don't know what the deal is. I don't know if it was his crazy entry into the world, the meds I was on while he was in utero, or the meds I'm on now- or he has something wrong with him. I want to go to the chiro with him to get adjustments for both of us, but while on the bp medicine I am scared to drive the car. My blood pressure has been so low- I have no energy and I just feel loopy. I have my dr's appt tomorrow so I just pray I can get off of some of it.

I know

I know there have been requests for pics of me with the baby and swollen pics of me. But, all I have of me are TERRIBLE- and they show a little too much skin. They're all right after he was born, so I'm covered in blood and uncovered a little too much :) So I'll have to crop a swollen pic so you could see my face- horrible and I'll have to take a pic of me and the baby when I have a day that I actually put myself together :)

Kid Pics

I am too lucky.

Not how I planned

So this experience was definitely not what I planned. I was so close to delivering at home, but when my blood pressure shot up to 170/100 and I was dumping protein- I couldn't stay at home any longer. My midwife thinks my body was stopping labor to protect me and the baby. With pressures that high- labor could've just sent me over the edge and all kinds of bad stuff could've happened. So- after several attempts to induce labor at home with herbs and tinctures- my midwife decided I needed to go to the hospital that night. I was so reluctant to go, but I was scared about what the outcome would be if I didn't. We loaded up quickly and headed to the hospital. YUCK! I told them I had a midwife, but it being the way it is in NC I couldn't give them her name and they thought I had had no prenatal care. I was tested for everything under the sun- anything I turned down they would look at me like I was crazy. So- after being sent for an ultrasound and hooked to an IV after several failed pokes- they started the magnesium sulfate, which is just meant to keep me from having a seizure and/or stroke. I immediately felt hot all over and after a few minutes I felt like I had the flu. I had no energy and I could barely form words. They started the pitocin shortly thereafter, which started contractions that coincided perfectly the *#&^@* blood pressure cuff squeezing my arm. The contractions started off small and then got really intense after about 30 min. They wouldn't let me get off my side or move around to try and make the contractions easier to take- so I just waited for the nurse to leave and I got up to go to the bathroom just so I could move around. I could barely walk and I told Jeebs I just didn't know how I would have the energy to push the baby out. I got back on the bed and then started feeling like pushing against the contractions would be better so they called for the nurse to come check me. I was at a 9/9.5 and I guess she didn't think it was that close, but I knew it was. She left again and I stood up to go to the bathroom- well I didn't make it- as soon as I stood up I felt the baby move down and I leaned against Jeebs and said "Catch the baby!" I pushed and jeebs caught Ezra's head. He was calling for the nurse who apparently coulnd't be bothered until she saw the head hanging out. Jeebs said "I'm no expert, but there's something bulging down here!" It was the one funny moment. The nurse wanted me back on the bed, but I couldn't move and as soon as she saw the head she pretty much just yanked him out of me. There is no video or pictures of the process because it took about 3 hours from start to finish. I thought that would be it and my bp would go down- ha! The doctor said about 25% of women get worse after the delivery. HOoray for me. They kept me on the mag sulfate for about 36 hours. I was so swollen I could only open one eye at a time. As long as I was on that stuff I could only be on clear fluids- then at one point in the night- my liver and kidney functioning became abnormal and they were afraid I was about to have a seizure- so they took me off fluids as well. I had a cold and could only breath through my mouth. The only thing I could do was swab my mouth with these mouhwash mouth swabs. I thought that would be the ultimate torture. When my bp finally got a little more stable they sent me to a room in the mother/baby section of the hospital. 5 days and 4 bp medications later I finaly got to get the #$%# out of there. I was never so happy to see my home in my life. I will post more pics as soon as they are downloaded and I have the strength. Thanks again for all the comments.

It's a beautiful day!

We're home!!! Finally- Thank you thank you thank you for all the comments on my blog it was one of the few things I had to look forward to in the hospital. I still feel like I've been hit by a truck with all the bp meds they've got me on. I hope to get off the meds soon- my body has to heal itself I guess. I am so glad to be home and typing this from my recliner. Everybody has been so kind and helpful and I appreciate it all. I will post pics as soon as I can. I'm just trying to relax and keep from having a stroke :) My mom is working her bum off at my house and we have enough food to eat for a year- there's our food storage :) j/k So- far, we're doing ok!! Ezra is perfect and I hope he stays that way after nursing from a mom with so much bp medicine running through her. I have never taken so many prescription drugs AGHHH

Pictures of Ezra

We were hoping to be home by the time we posted pictures, but we're not. Vanessa's BP is still too high (we were told they don't keep people in the hospital for high blood pressure, but they're keeping her here because her blood pressure is too high. Go figure.). Anyway, here are the promised pictures, the first of many to come, I'm sure. Sorry they're small. I'm uploading them via a cell-phone-as-modem so it's super slow.



With monkey toes like that he'll be climbing trees before he can walk.

Positive Things

I asked Jeebs what I should write and he told me to write positive things. So- things are looking up- my labs are all coming back normal- they just want to monitor my bp for a while. It was doing fine, until a spike last night and then my anxiety took over and I've been spiking it all day now :( I did get a shower- finally- and feel like a new person. I feel better being up and around rather than laying in the hospitable bed. I have had several priesthood blessings and I just need to increase my faith. I know that I can be healed. I know I'll get to go home soon. I want to get back to my kids and my new baby. Ezra Alexander is doing great- he is losing a little weight because he's not getting much from his dried out ma- but we are doing a little supplementing and he seems to be pretty content. He has been sleeping for a while- woke up to nurse for about 5 min and fell back to sleep, but he was up for a really long time last night. I pray I can get out of my head and just let my body and mind be healed. I know all things are possible through Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I feel so blessed to have so much family around me and have the Priesthood in my home and family. If anybody has any funny stories to tell me- let me know in the comments section. I need something to read to laugh about right now :) Thanks for all the prayers- I know they're working.

bp too high

I'm in the hospital typing this. I feel like poo, but at least better than yesterday. I was feeling like i was at death's door yesterday- all I have to say is magnesium sulfate sucks!!!! So bp was too high and I was dumping way too much protein to deliver at home. So, I'm stuck in the hospital with my baby-I'm so swollen and have so many tubes stuck to me i'll have to finish the rest lalter. I'm just gonn say- hospitals suck, and I want to go home!!

May 15, 2009 - 2:05am

It's a boy! 8 lbs 10 oz. Pics in the next few days.

Update

Yesterday the midwives were here almost all day trying to get things started. Things worked for a while- I went from a 4 to a 7. Contracted until about 1 in the morning at 7 min apart, but I was so tired I had to will myself to sleep- even though I didn't really want labor to stop. I got up at 6 and passed some evidence that things will start up - YAY- I will spare you the details, but I"m sure ya know what I"m talking about. I got out of bed and made breakfast around 8 and I was contracting pretty regularly- things slowed up around 9:30- dang it. So we're still just waiting on my body to get in a steady rhythm. Come on-

4 cm dilated

and fully effaced. Woohoo- can't be long now. I'm willing myself to go into labor. OHM- labor- OHM- labor-OHM contraction- OHM OHM. just thought I'd let everybody know if you're still interested- I know, Glen, losing interest, losing interest.

The best mother's day present...

Would be to have my baby today. There are only 4 hours left of mother's day and no sign of labor on the horizon. Seriously. In other news, my cute little boy got his first professional haircut on Saturday. I usually do it, but it is such a fight- I just didn't have the energy this time. Jeebs needed one too so he and Cagey headed off to Super Cuts. When he came back I had a quick heart attack moment thinking Jeebs had done something really drastic, but it was just red hair gel. It was actually pretty cute.

Spending all day in bed

I wish that's what I were doing. I just knew I would not be pregnant and 30, but, alas, I am still pregnant. Jeebs got me some new shoes for my birthday- I don't know if they'll fit until the swelling goes down on my stinking swollen feet. The swelling won't go down until my baby arrives. So- we're still waiting. I've gone through 2 bottles of 6 week formula and just ordered another one today because I am sick of thinking "oh I don't need it, the baby will be born before it gets here." 3 bottles man- 3 bottles

Exciting?!?!

Okay- no baby yet. But, it is my birthday tomorrow so I am sooo excited. hA!! yeah right. I was so sure I'd have a baby before my birthday and now it is not looking that way at all. SOoooo- we're just still waiting. I went to the chiropractor yesterday and she adjusted something way low in my back or pelvis that is supposed to speed up labor - so we'll see. Cagey keeps tooting on me- and it stinks. I don't have much else to report. Daddy- pray harder. As long as the baby isn't born on YOUR birthday we'll be ok.

Boy or Girl???????

Who the heck knows??? because this baby is still not here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARGHGHGGHGHGHG- I'm getting really tired of going to bed and waking up still prego. Tomorrow I will be 41 weeks. I've never been this pregnant before. It wouldn't be so awful if I could relax and let my bp be normal so I'm not freaking out my midwives. But- I am the panic attack freako that can't relax and makes myself sick on a regular basis. COME OUT BABY!!

Saturdays activity

It's always a challenge to get pictures of my children. I was going to wait until I had #3 to take pics of, but he is taking too long :) Sooooo Saturday I struggled to get Taylor and Cagey looking nice and we went down to a little gazebo close to our house for a Spring photo shoot. The hubbie was helping people move so I was the photographer. Love that my husband is a photographer and I am usually the one ending up taking the pictures.

long night

Well I woke up at 2:45 with painful contractions I was feeling in my back. I got up to see if I just needed to go to the bathroom. I didn't really need to, but I made sure my bladder was empty before getting back in bed. I started contracting every 7-10 min from about 3- 4:15. I was getting excited, but apparently they weren't really strong because I fell asleep around 4 something and woke up at 5 to go to the bathroom...again. Dang. I do get to get a piano today!!! WOOHOO at least I'll have something to practice on now with all the octaves. YAY!