Harper's Birth Story Part 2

I was given a drug called Cervidil internally to begin labor. The doctor said I would feel mild cramping or nothing at all. Well, he was wrong. I had mild contractions every 3 minutes all night long. Good thing my mom was staying the night with me. She really helped me feel better.

In the morning they started me on Pitocin to speed things up. The doctor really wanted Harper to be delivered vaginally because it is a lot healthier for the baby. I labored all day long. My mom told me I did really well. I just breathed through everything and when people were too loud in the room or would start talking to me I would just hold up my finger asking them to wait a minute and breathe right through the contraction. I would say my pain level got to a 7 before I asked for an epidural in the evening. However, things changed very quickly again. Dr. McGee came back in to check on me and I started bleeding really bad. They tried to insert an internal monitor to monitor Harper but by then I was bleeding too bad and he said it was time for a C section. There were 2 other moms who were scheduled for C sections also but I was bleeding too much so I went first. Everything happened so quickly and since I was still on all the drugs I couldn't really comprehend everything that was happening. I remember the nurses coming in to prep me and wheeling me to the operating room. I saw my mom as I went down the hallway. I also remember the anesthesiologist talking to me about getting my epidural. The doctors and nurses were fabulous at keeping me calm.

Next thing I knew Tal came in all dressed in his scrubs and they got going. Before I knew it we heard crying and Harper Lily was born at 8:59 pm on September 20. She weighed 3 pounds 15 ounces and was 17.5 inches long. All of the doctors and nurses loved her feisty attitude. She never had to be on a respirator and although she was really small, she was okay. Tal was amazing through everything and immediately started taking care of Harper while she was in the NICU and I was still recovering.

I remember while they were stitching me back up the doctors and nurses were talking about playing the game "Mother May I." They were having a grand ole time in there laughing away. I also remember starting to shake uncontrollably and I was really cold. While Tal was with Harper my mom came in to the recovery room with me. I shook the whole time. It was the weirdest feeling. I was pretty wiped out after that. I don't really remember much else of the evening.

I didn't get to see Harper until the next evening because I was still on the anti-seizure drugs. It was absolutely the best feeling in the world when I finally got to hold her. She was just so little but absolutely adorable and precious. Definitely love at first sight for me.

Harper had to spend 2 1/2 weeks in the NICU. I spent everyday with her and would come home and sleep at night. Tal had to go back to teaching but would come to the hospital every evening for ou little family time. Again, the nurses and doctors were amazing and took wonderful care of her. They taught us how to take care of our little one. She had to have a feeding tube for a couple of weeks but then really took off and started breast and bottle feeding.

Here are a couple of pictures of us giving her a bath in the NICU the night before we brought her home.

 

Harper snuggling with her daddy.

 



Here we are taking her home! We were so excited!

 

Finally home with Goldie!

 

I am so happy that we are at home and healthy and well. Harper is thriving and growing each day. We love her so much!

Harper's Birth Story Part 1

We have been through quite an adventure the last couple of weeks. I am so excited to say that we have our baby girl at home and we are all doing really well. I am going to try and explain what happened but because I was on so many drugs during my stay at the hospital some things are a little fuzzy to me. Here we go...

Everything started on Tuesday, September 18. I had not been feeling well the couple of days before that. I just thought I was tired from working full time and being 8 months pregnant. I felt like I had the flu. After talking to my mom on Monday night she was concerned. I decided to go to school Tuesday morning but barely made it through the morning staff meeting before I bursted in to tears and went home sick. I hadn't slept very well and I was extremely swollen. Not to mention the weather had been so hot and in my classroom with no A/C it was beginning to really take a toll on my body. Anyway, I went home and slept really hard for three hours and woke up and still did not feel any better. I called my mom and asked her if I should call my doctor. I had an appointment already scheduled for the following day so I wasn't sure if I should wait until then or call. She told me to call them and see what they said. When I called they asked me to come in and they would check my vitals. So I headed up to the doctor and the nurse checked my urine which was copper colored (not good) and full of protein (uh oh!) and then checked my blood pressure. 190/109!!! I was immediately admitted in to the hospital.

I called Tal on my walk, well, wheel chair ride, over to the hospital and luckily his principal could cover his class and he came straight to the hospital. By then I had an IV and they started giving my magnesium sulfate (which makes you feel really hot, groggy, and yucky). This medicine helps control seizures and keeps your muscles relaxed to control blood pressure. My doctor came over and told us that she would like to move us to the Salem hospital which has a NICU in case I had to deliver early. Harper would be 34 weeks on September 20. The doctor said that she wasn't too concerned because gestationally that would mean that she would be okay. Tal and I were really nervous. So then I had to get a catheter which the nurse basically ripped my apart to get in. Not fun! Next came my first ride in an ambulance.

When I arrived in Salem I was taken up to the third floor of the Mother/Baby unit and continued to receive IV fluids and magnesium (mag). Tal met me there after running home and getting some things for us and taking care of Goldie. By then my mom had thrown together (literally) a bag of clothes and came speeding down I-5 from Olympia to be there with us. The doctor on call was Dr. McGee. Tal and I really liked him from the beginning. He explained that they were going to monitor me and the baby and decide if I would be on bed rest at the hospital for a few weeks or have to deliver Miss Harper. So we ended up staying at the hospital on Tuesday night. For someone who has never really had health problems or stayed in the hospital, it was hard. The nurses have to check your vitals every couple of hours and I had to have my blood drawn every couple of hours too. I was a human pin cushion.

My mom, Tal, Tal's mom, and I all spent Wednesday in my room playing games, watching tv, and waiting for the doctors to decide what they wanted to do. By this time my kidneys had started shutting down and my liver was not processing all of the medicine very well. For someone who never takes medicine, this didn't surprise me. Finally the doctor called my room and explained that because my kidney funtion was not great (the worst levels they had ever seen at the hospital by the way) and my blood pressure was not going down I was going to have to deliver Harper early. We all cried together after I had the nurse tell my family what was said since I was too emotional to do it. We were all scared but knew how important it was to get Harper here safely.

I was diagnosed with a severe case of preeclampsia. If you want to read something really scary check out this website www.preeclampsia.org.

The only way to solve the problem is to deliver the 'faulty' placenta. So Wednesday night after a really great ultrasound to see Harper I started labor.

To be continued...

Back to School!!!

Boy have I been tired since going back to work! It is nice to be able to come home and rest for the most part. Tuesday night we had our Back to School night at school and I got to meet all of my new third grade families. It was a blast and I loved seeing all the kids but boy was I exhausted! Yesterday when I came home from work my ankles and feet were pretty swollen. That was a first. I rested the entire evening and that helped. When I woke up this morning I still felt really tired though. Luckily today is a non-contract day so I got to rest a little bit this morning before I go in to work and get my classroom ready for the first day. Here are the pictures of my classroom this year. I absolutely LOVE how everything turned out.

Here is the bulletin board right outside my classroom. Pinterest gave me the theme idea and I just went my own way with it. The little bird I painted is my favorite. He is just so cute!

 Wreath I made that hangs on my classroom door.

 This is the GIANT bulletin board in the hallway. Now I will have a place to hang all of my students' work. All I will have to do is clothespin it up on the wall. No stapling needed!

 Reused job chart from a couple of years ago. The colors worked so I just made inserts from cardstock I had.

 These tissue poms were ordered from Etsy. Don't you just love that site? I do! They came all folded together and then I just "fluffed" them. Took some time but I love how it turned out.

 My new way of posting my learning targets. So easy to write on with dry erase markers and then just wipe off. Thank you Pinterest!

 Lunch check in. Looks the same every year but I found popsicle sticks in the colors I needed.

 Our reading focus wall.

 I used fabric for a lot of my bulletin boards. I loved how the colors worked.

 Table markers that look like little nests.

 Not sure what I am doing with this board yet. I am thinking either a science or math bulletin board.

 More painting I did. Just a fun bulletin board over one of my bookshelves. I had painted the birdhouses earlier this summer along with the clay pots. The bird and "fly" sign I painted in my classroom on butcher paper.

 My new birthday treat idea! Thank you Pinterest! Now every kid will get to pick a silly straw out on their birthday since we are not doing classroom treats anymore.

 Gotta represent my Cougs!  This is my own personal board behing my desk.

 Even found some cute green things for my desk at IKEA and Jo-Ann Fabrics. The clay pots in my room were all painted earlier in the summer.

 New bathroom passes. Again, Pinterest!

The Name Game

Last week was my 30th birthday (which was spectacular by the way, dinner and a movie with my man) and when I talked to my grandma on the phone she mentioned that it had been a while since my last post. Oops! Here are the baby haps in the last month:

We decided on a first name!!! That is a huge one. Tal and I have been debating over names ever since we found out we were expecting. We really liked Payton to begin with. Me being Miss Planner had a list of baby names that I had been adding to over the last year. It wasn't until a family dinner with Tal's family that we heard a name we both loved. Tal's mom mentioned the name Harper. After a lot of contemplation we decided last week that was the name. It is so exciting to have a name to call her now. We are still working on a middle name. Will keep you posted on that one.

I am now going to the doctor every two weeks since I am in the third trimester. We had an appointment last Wednesday and everything looks great. I am super healthy and so is Harper. My blood work has been normal (no thyroid problems interefering, thank goodness!), urine sample was normal, blood pressure was great, I haven't had any swelling or any major issues to report. Just a lot of body aches! I guess that comes with the territory. Harper's hearbeat is strong and she is a growing girl. I measured at 30.5 weeks at our last checkup. I have gained 16 pounds so far. For being 30 weeks pregnant, I feel pretty darn good about that. Everyone keeps telling me it looks like I haven't gained any weight except for the basketball in the front. I am still walking as much as I can which has been helping a ton.

In other baby news we scored a free bassinet from our neighbors (awesome!) and also a great deal on baby stuff from a parent at my school. We got a car seat, two car seat bases, a stroller, a baby carrier, a car seat cover, and a mirror for the car. Everything was $220! Amazing deal! We had all of that stuff on our registry and the price was about $575. Everything is like new and very well taken care of. The next day that same parent brought us four bags of baby clothes for free! Super adorable and in perfect condition. People are just so generous. I have had so much fun going through all of the clothes. I have washed and put away all of Harper's clothes according to size. I even have larger clothes washed and folded and stored in our new IKEA containers under her crib. This girl is going to have an amazing wardrobe.

At our 28 week checkup Tal and I had our whooping cough vaccines and I also had to get a Rhogam shot since my blood is Rh negative. I wasn't aware that I was Rh negative so the nurse explained to me what it was all about. Here is a brief synopsis:

"When Rh negative blood is exposed to Rh positive blood the Rh negative person begins producing antibodies to fight the invading blood. Antigens trigger your body to produce antibodies. Antibodies are usually a good thing and serve to protect a person from foreign invaders.

 

Now the problem lies when a pregnant woman is carrying a baby that is Rh positive. If the mother has antibodies to the Rh antigen, those antibodies can attack the baby's red blood cells. This can lead to complications to the baby including anemia, jaundice, and other blood related problems."

 

This shot was a doozy right in the rear! The needle was super thick and it kind of hurt, unlike most shots. Out of all the shots and blood draws I have had in the last couple of months, this one was by far the most painful. Totally worth it to protect our baby girl though.

 

My favorite baby thing right now is just to feel all of her kicks, jabs, and rolls. Harper is one active girl, must take after Tal! She is getting so strong. I just love to feel her moving around and knowing that soon we will get to meet her. It is so much fun!

In non-baby news, Tal and I start back to school tomorrow with inservice days and work days. I am actually really excited for school to start (I am every year). I love late summer/early fall in the Northwest and back to school time is so exciting. I have been setting up my new classroom and I love how it is turning out. I will post some pictures when I am done. I get to meet my new kids this week which I am really looking forward to.

I cannot wait to reveal our nursery pics. I just love everything about Harper's room. We are still working on things so I don't want to show it off until we are all done.

Family Reunion

Last weekend was my annual family reunion on my dad's side of the family. We have so much fun every year. I thought I would share a couple of pictures so I can show off the bump. I seriously have the most awesome family in the world!

Glucose Testing...ew...gross!

It was almost two weeks ago I went in for my glucose screening to test for Gestational Diabetes. Our hospital is literally two minutes from our house so when I woke up I headed to the lab (since it was a fasting test, I had to do it before I ate breakfast). I went in and drank the WAY SUGARY drink. It tasted like those little juices I used to drink as a kid. They looked like little barrels. Anyone remember these? Anyway, I waited one hour at the hospital (read Fifty Shades of Grey while I waited :) and then they took my blood. The whole rest of the day I felt like poo. I was really lethargic and grumpy. I never have that much sugar so I think it was a major shock to the system.

My doctor's office called me a few days later and asked if I would go in and do the three hour test since my sugar levels were a little high. CRAP! I did not want to do that test again. The whole rest of the day I was grumpy (and then got stung by two bees, it was not a good day). So off I went the next morning to do my test. Again, I had to fast so I went to the lab as soon as I got up. They took my blood first and then I drank some more sugary goodness (yeah right!), although this time it was double the concentrate. Then I had to come back to the lab every hour for the next 3 hours. This time I just went home and laid on the couch and relaxed until I had to go back to the lab. It was really hard not to eat anything this whole time condsidering Baby Girl and I were hungry. In all I had my blood drawn 4 times that day. It wasn't as bad as I thought. As soon as I was done at 11:45 I wanted to eat. Tal took me to The Covered Bridge Cafe in town and I scarfed down a huge breakfast of bacon, eggs, and french toast. It was so delightful!!

Move forward a couple of more days and my doctor called to give us the results. NO DIABETES! Thank God!!!

In other baby related news we had another ultrasound two weeks ago because I was measuring big at 26 cm and I was only 23 weeks pregnant. Turns out everything is fine and my due date is correct and Baby Girl looks healthy. It was fun to sneak a peek at our girl again. She was a little snoozer this time. Did not want her picture taken. She had her hands in front of her face the whole time. It was pretty cute.

Tal and I finished up our baby registry at Babies R Us today. It took us a while but I was prepared with my checklist and highlighter. If you know me, you know I am a bit OCD. I had to make sure everything on my list was highlighted and double-checked before we left. It feels great to have that step done. Not to mention it was a blast thinking Baby Girl would get to use all of this fun stuff in the near future.

We are painting and wallpapering the nursery this weekend when my mom comes to visit. (P.S. Baby Girl is kicking away right now, she is very active.) I cannot wait to reveal it to everyone soon.

Here's What's New

School is officially out for the summer and I have really been enjoying my downtime. I have been taking a nap everyday and it feels so good to rest! Tal and I have been busy so far. I have traveled to Olympia three times in the last three weeks for a bachelorette party, wedding, and to visit family. I finally got to reveal to my dad that we are having a girl. He tried to keep it a surprise until she arrived but it just got to be too hard with everyone else knowing. He was excited of course.

I have been hitting up garage sales here and there and have picked up some more clothes, toys, and a couple of baskets for organization. Tal and I started our registry at Babies R Us and also bought our crib and crib mattress there last week. I cannot wait to go back and go crazy with that little "gun" they give you. It is so much fun to pick things out for our little baby girl!

We have started picking things out for the nursery too. I ordered some crib fabric from dwellstudio.com and I would really like to wallpaper a wall in her room with a fun geometric print. I found a couple of stores to go and check out this week. I really want an organized, modern looking nursery. I don't want something too bright or girly, no pink walls for us. I will keep you posted on what we come up with.

We had our monthly OB checkup this morning and everything is looking good. Baby girl's heartbeat was loud and strong at 150 beats per minute. My doctor said I was measuring around 26 cm though which is a little big for 23 1/2 weeks. I have gained 5 pounds which made me feel good since I have been trying to watch what I eat and am still walking and doing yoga. We have an ultrasound tomorrow to check on baby since I am measuring bigger. We will find out what is going on with our girl. I also have my glucose screening for Gestational Diabetes on Wednesday morning. I am really not looking forward to drinking that yummy stuff they give you, I've heard it is disgusting, but I figure I will plug my nose and take it down like a true Coug!

This coming weekend is my family's annual family reunion. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone and also showing off my growing bump. Usually we camp, but this year we are really close to the campground so we are going to sleep at home. I think I will be much more comfortable that way too.

I have been feeling really great. Still liking my sleep and rest. I golfed with my dad this last weekend and walked most of the 9 holes. It was nice to have a cart for when I got tired. Tal and I are golfing tomorrow morning so I will get in another nice walk. The one thing I notice is how tired I get really quickly. Luckily I have summer to get my rest!

Until next time!!