He's Here! : )

Happy Days!  I could not have more joy if I was stuffed full of special dark chocolate and cream cheese coconut frosting (mmmm... Heaven!).

My precious baby is HERE, sweet peeps!  I am between feedings, so I'll make it brief ; )

I went in yesterday morning for my regular old non-stress test and appointment, and my contractions were down to eight minutes apart, and I was finally dilated to 1.5 cm!  ..So from there it went pretty quickly.  Dr. Gorman wasn't able to fit it in, so a relatively young/new doctor that was on call took over.  (that alone made me nervous!)  He had me go downstairs to the maternity ward, check in, and be monitored.  The plan was to watch me till 3:30 on the monitors and to do the c-section then (only doing it sooner if my contractions got closer together).  It wasn't 15 minutes, and they'd put in an IV, I'd talked with the anesthesiologist, met with the obstetrican about the c-section and the staples he'd use, and the next thing I knew...I was rolled down to the operating room, had a spinal block, and was ready!

Ches had run out to the van to get the camera, came back in, dressed in scrubs, and Carter joined us!  It was so fast.  (and I was thrilled and super nervous all at the same time!)  The doctor was rocking my body pushing to get Carter out of my tummy-and it's so unnerving to have things happen that you can't feel (or see!).

Carter Nicholas was born at 12:52pm, weighed 6 lbs. 6 oz, and measures 19 inches. : ) We are working on announcements, and I'll show you which one we picked at Tiny Prints.com as soon as I get it proofed! : )

Here are a few pictures so far (and forgive me in advance..you may see far too many of them in the future too!):

My sweetie just born.  Check out that hair!

Yes, he's already hungry!

I made it, I made it, I made it!!

My bigger family!  And sissy is taking a turn holding Carter.

These are the sweetest kids!  They could not love their baby brother more, and I'm SO thankful!!

He is thrilled to not be the baby anymore!  (He may feel differently in a year or two...or a week!)

Be still my heart.

My view of this adorable child.  I'm so blessed!

We all have different opinions of who he looks like.

He says, thanks for joining us on the Carter Show!

Thank you SO much for all your sweet words and prayers along the way-we are ever grateful.  May God bless you too!

Second Verse-Same as the First

Same ol' story!  I'm still around..and baby is still inside.  We are at 37.5 weeks now, and I go back on Monday and Thursday for non-stress tests and cervical checks.  Still waiting on some dilation.  I've been off progesterone for ten days, so maybe this week?  I've read 8-12 days off should be enough.  I can't say that I'm counting on tomorrow, since I'm depressed every time I have to leave the doctor's office/hospital with no baby in my arms.  I'd rather prepare for going home, and be happily surprised (ha, with surgery!).

..and Happy Easter, by the way!  We started bright and early with Easter baskets and breakfast (and candy..), and even had time for Easter egg hunts before church (and after too, of course).

I am finally very cow-looking, so just the kids get to be in pictures. ; )

..I set the oven to bake our ham, but when we got home, it was still cold!  When it works, it works well, when something goes wrong, plans are thrown off..  We went out to lunch, and we'll have our ham for dinner.  I also got a huge Italian Cream Cake this weekend, and I can't wait to eat it.  (even before dinner!)  When we went out, I could barely walk.  I'm having a case of big-baby-head-in-my-pelvis, and it's totally uncomfortable.  We ate outside, and I even escaped out the back way-I was too embarrassed to walk back through the restaurant!


On the way home, I thought I would die.  (well, not die, just push a baby out..)  There was so much pressure, and he was rotating around in my pelvis, and kicking my ribs.  Ches even loaded up my suitcase into the van, and called the doctor/nurse on call.  He's ready-and SO wants him here on the 8th.  By the time I laid down for a while, things calmed down.  I think I can make it till tomorrow morning.  Having a baby is tough business.  The beginning is scary, the middle is long, and the end?  Just as unnerving!  There is never a clear-cut plan, so you are doing some heavy relying on faith, and calling out to Jesus in the best of moments.

Ok, in my uploading..I have found two more pix-one is my sweetie on the downtown square the last time we went out to lunch, and the other?  My Easter-sorry-you-don't-have-your-baby-yet gift. : )

Hope you are having a wonderfully blessed Easter!  If Jesus can withstand the cross for me, I think Carter and I can tough out a few more days.  Here's praying for each of you to bear your crosses, and me to accept mine too.  Hugs, ya'll!
  

Not Yet..

The good thing about progesterone is it keeps you pregnant...and the bad thing about progesterone is..it keeps you pregnant. : /

I went back to see my doctor today for another non-stress test (NST) and for another check.  No progress.  I am so surprised. (well, and add to that frustrated, sad, and incredibly disappointed that I won't meet my baby tomorrow)

So, now..more waiting.  I go back on Friday for another NST and another cervical check.  I don't even know whether I should be praying for changes or not.  I really didn't want to be in the hospital on the weekend, much less over Easter, but the thought of my water breaking is super scary.

I know you don't know the whole story (and probably don't want to!), but with Clay I was induced, labored quickly, and delivered before I had time to get an epidural.  With Mary Claire, my water broke, and by the time I got to the hospital, she was crowning, and again..no epidural (..and a fourth degree tear.  Yes, that's all-the-way-through.)  So, to prevent the tearing again (and potential colostomy bag in my near future), we scheduled a c-section for Ethan.  Same this time.  And if my water breaks, I probably don't have 30 minutes.  Not nearly enough time for an epidural/calm c-section...so we try to head it off by watching and waiting for signs that the baby (well, my body!) is ready.

And..all signs point to...not today.  (sound a little Magic 8 Ballish?)  That's about the amount of info I have currently. : /

Guess it's a good thing I have diversions.  Clay ran into a brick wall yesterday at school, so we stressed over him having a concussion!  Then he had ball practice, Ethan had his first tball game last night, and Mary Claire had choir.  Today?  Choir concert (and that's a l-o-n-g story..), and two ball games.  It's been busy.  My naps have gone by the wayside.  I'm hoping for tomorrow ; )

And I have a whole new to-do list.  I've been keeping the house clean and laundry done, but I'm adding all sorts of new stuff to keep me busy. ; )  I figure I can make Mary Claire some new pump pouches, monogram more cloth diapers, lay out the kids' clothes for next week, figure out what they'll eat for breakfast (Ches wants me to buy those Jimmy Dean breakfast bowl things..have you tried them?) since they have benchmark testing all week.  I won't be able to climb the stairs, or do all the things I'm managing now.  And I guess I can get ready for baby announcements?  Can you think of anything else?  I've finished three books since last week.  I'm having trouble finding meaningless (light) stuff to read!

First Bra Straps

So..I went to see my obstetrician (err..um, well he actually sees me) on Friday.  When he walked in, right away he asked the last time I'd eaten, and I got a little excited about having him right then (and apparently an audible eeeeee! came from my mouth-'cause Ches asked me about it later!).  I told him 7:30, and got really excited, thinking if my cervix is doing its job, we'd be in business. : )  But..Ches has been praying too hard not to have a March baby..since there was no progress.  Back to the drawing board.

I had a non-stress test also to check the placental function.  (it monitors baby's heartrate, my contractions, and his movement).  If his heart rate increases with his movements, then he's getting plenty of oxygen, therefore the placenta is functioning.  It took almost an hour, but I felt better when I left, that my body/his placenta is indeed working. : )  Always a stress reliever.

I go back on Tuesday for the same NST (non-stress test), and another appointment.  We are waiting for dilation, and if we see progress on Tuesday, maybe a baby on Wednesday! : )  We'll see..my body has not been predictable at all this time.  If I don't have him by then, I want to try to wait till the next week.  I really don't want to be in the hospital on the weekend when my kids are home, especially for Easter!  (and they are so excited!)

Ok, ok, enough about baby-n-me. ; )  (it's just all I can think about!)

Mary Claire had a big week this week.  When we shop together, we always pass displays of bras at Justice or Target, and she always screws up her face, says, "Ewww!" and asks if we can go around, or go the other way.  I have told her repeatedly that there would be a day when she'd like them, and even want them (insert crazy look here).  She couldn't disagree more.

I've asked her if she wanted to look at them, try them on, wear them, etc.  Always no.  Even some of her friends are wearing them.  Well.  One of her friends that she really likes wore a bra on Monday, and the world turned around.  She came home begging for (you guessed it!)...a bra.  Mondays are long, and she has choir and we didn't have time to shop, so she made me promise I'd shop on Tuesday, and have her a bra by after-school-time.  She even pulled out her Care and Keeping of You book, and told me I should measure her. 

A couple of measurements later, and she was thrilled.  I, on the other hand, was nervous.  I had no idea what I'd find, or what style she'd like.  So, Tuesday found me shopping.  There are these new bras, that I hate, that are padded for little girls.  It just sends the wrong message, like they need the padding.  But they were the only ones that looked like bras-they had the little hook in the back, and sizable straps.  The others were pull-over cami-tops.  I got both kinds, since I thought she should get a choice.  She picked the cami-kind, yay!  (And I promise I didn't influence her in any way.)

Then she asked about wearing a different one every day, and needing more colors, and asked if there were any other prints, etc.  I went back Wednesday, exchanged the unneeded one, and got her a couple more with polka dots.  She was so excited, and I was so proud of her.  Now, every morning, she asked which "uh-um" she should wear, and will the straps show, and should she still wear a tank top over the bra, under the dress to not show straps, and should she sleep in it, and is it dirty, etc.  I just love that girl.

Just goes to show, when you aren't ready to deal with something, you won't deal, we are somehow incapable.  When we are ready (..or maybe our friends are ready first), we are present, thinking and involved.  Love when that finally comes around. ; )

Here's to my little girl growing up.  It makes me cry to think of her as a big girl, but she'll always be little to me, you just can't tell from looking at her.  And her straps.