Our 3 month old beauty. I'm so behind on catching up with Annabel's little life!
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Real quick...
A few pics for family/friends who aren't on Instagram and are wondering if Annabel is in fact a real child that we have brought home from the hospital! Ugh I hate that I haven't caught up yet on the blog but sleep deprivation wins.
Fresh from the womb with Dr. G!...
And just yesterday... In the last two days Annabel has decided that she knows who we are and gives us the biggest smiles and sweetest happy noises when we talk to her. 6 weeks is pretty magical...
Sunday, April 6, 2014
We will get there...
Coming soon: Annabel's birth story!
(how in the world am I ever going to keep up with this blog with 4 children...)
Monday, March 24, 2014
She's here!
Annabel Rose was delivered on Saturday morning, March 22, at 9:24am. She weighs 7 lbs even, and is 20 inches long. We are all healthy, recovering and happy.
We have so much to be thankful for, but we are flat out exhausted. I look forward to recording and sharing some of the details of Annabel's birth with you... When I'm better rested.
Thank you for your prayers and suppoet!
Love,
Ashley
Friday, February 28, 2014
And then my baby tried to claw her way out...
I now see my OB every week (on Thursdays), and a high risk doctor for a high level ultrasound on Tuesdays. Seeing the OB weekly at this point in the pregnancy is standard; the ultrasounds are a precaution to keep an eye on the little one and make sure she doesn't have any more heart decels or cord issues. This week on Tuesday was my second high risk ultrasound and our daughter checked out beautifully, and quickly! She practiced her breathing, had a perfect heart rate, responded well to nudges through the belly by moving around, had great bloodflow through her umbilical cord, and the cord was still in the same unthreatening position as it was the week before. As a bonus, the technician was the same woman who did my ultrasound last week and could tell me (because she remembered me) that the baby had changed position a little bit - shifted from the right side of my belly to the left - and had dropped a little lower in the head down position. I was happy to hear that she thought the baby was starting to drop, because her movements are starting to take my breath away and be very uncomfortable and even painful at times. But I'll take it in the name of progress.
My regular OB appointment yesterday was... lively. And I have to write it out so that I remember the details, because - 4th baby.
I headed into the appointment with a week's worth of thoughts and questions about how we should approach the delivery of this baby. Backstory: Robbie was a natural birth, Ellie was a C-section (she was breech), and Maddie was a VBAC that went very well but had to be helped along with breaking my water and doses of pitocin. I switched OB practices after Maddie's birth once we knew we wanted to try for a 4th baby, because my favorite doctor of the 8 or so that practiced with the last group left to practice elsewhere. The new OB I chose for this current pregnancy, Dr. G., is so so wonderful. Many of my friends see him and I've watched him handle routine births as well as tough situations, medical emergencies, and loss in ways that are highly impressive. He's also a one-man practice so you always see him at appointments, and his office is located within the hospital so he rarely misses a birth. All good.
Dr. G. isn't a fan of using pitocin with VBACs though, and that's all I have known with all of my natural deliveries. With the other little hiccups we've had with the pregnancy, I was beginning to question whether we shouldn't just schedule a C-section for the delivery of this baby in a few weeks, even though it's not my preference. I was anxious to talk it all through with him and see what his medical advice would be.
While I was waiting to be called back, I had a strong pain develop at the base of my stomach on the right side. I tried to relieve it by changing positions, rubbing it, drinking water, relaxing, breathing... but nothing was working. It wasn't a contraction but the kind of steady sharp pain (round ligament, I assumed) that makes your eyes water, and after sitting there with it for 5-10 minutes the nurse called my name and took one look at my face and asked "Are you alright!?". I assured her yes, just typical pregnancy pain, and she helped me slowly get up and shuffle back to the exam room. She looked at my chart and mentioned that she didn't think Dr. G. would need to 'check' me today (internal exam to evaluate any progress towards labor), and I explained to her that I actually hoped that he would check me, in order to have as much information as possible as we discuss how I might anticipate delivering the baby in a few weeks. So she laid out the paper cover, left while I got undressed and situated, and then came back and hooked me up to the monitor to observe the baby's heart rate (standard for my appointments now). The pain I'd been feeling had subsided to a manageable level by now, and I sat on the monitor for a while.
Dr. G came in a little later, said hello, looked at the monitor readout and was satisfied, and said he didn't think he felt the need to do an internal exam today. I explained that I wanted to discuss delivery methods and the pro's and con's of scheduling a repeat C-section, and that an internal exam at this point might be helpful to add to the information I'm working with. He agreed, and we discussed at length my options. In summary, he is strongly in favor of me trying to attempt another VBAC. He thinks it will be uncomplicated (as best as he can foresee, of course), that I have a good history of natural births, and that if my labor did stall, he's not completely opposed to using a little pitocin if necessary. What a relief! The answer seemed clear - I no longer felt that a C-section was the best option for us at this point, and put those thoughts to rest.
Then he started the internal exam. They're always pretty, um, uncomfortable... but this one went on for longer than usual and it was all I could do not to crawl up the table (and I might have yelled at one point). When he finished, he had this odd look on his face, and said "Well, now we have a different situation! Your baby seems to be breech." I could not believe it - "Are you serious!?" I said to him, "Just two days ago the ultrasound showed her to be head down and starting to drop more...".
Dr. G says to me, "I could not feel her head, and I was reaching pretty far, as you know... but something grabbed my hand. I think she tried to grab on to me." I started laughing and thought he was joking, but he assured me that he wasn't joking at all, that he definitely felt our baby's hand during the exam! He also said that I'm softening and dilated to 1 cm (last week I was 'a little soft and totally closed'). So, progress.
He then spent the next few minutes scaring me with a lecture on what to do if my water spontaneously breaks while she is in this position... that I am to get in my car and drive straight to the hospital, don't wait for anything, don't even bother calling 911 because in this situation they would BE TOO SLOW, etc. He explained why - if my water breaks and the baby's breech, the cord could come through the birth canal and present a dangerous situation for the baby. Then he asked me to follow him across the hall for an ultrasound so that we could determine exactly what position the baby was in and get a better look at things.
He did the ultrasound himself, and within a minute or so was able to tell me that the baby was actually still head down, just not sitting very low. And then he pressed the ultrasound wand right where I had been having such intense pain while I waited in the waiting room for my appointment, and said "Look at that!". Our daughter had her arm stretched out and her hand was above her head, right between her head and the lowest part of my abdomen. What a little stinker. That nearly debilitating pain was her hand reaching out!
A sigh of relief. Dr. G and I laughed at the turn of events, and he said "Ok, forget the complications we just talked about related to her being breech - she's head down and we are back to our original plan of waiting for labor and attempting another VBAC!" I asked him if she could still change position between now and 40 weeks, and he said it's definitely possible (and then told me a story about a baby literally turning from being head down during labor as the mom was dilated to 6cm, to being breech and having to be delivered via emergency C-section, so anything's possible!). So we will continue to check in on the baby twice a week just as we have been, and pray that she stays head down!
I felt like I needed a nap after that appointment - I went from concerned about her birth, to at peace with the idea of a VBAC and totally confident that I could wait for labor to happen naturally and deliver her that way without complications, to concerned that she was breech and that I'd have to make sure at any point in time I could get myself to the hospital should something happen, and then back to relieved that she's in a head down position... and even laughing at our girl for her spunk. When I walked down the hall and past the front desk, the nurses were all laughing with me and cracking jokes about how my baby is trying to climb out of my womb, she's so ready to be born!
This pregnancy has been far from what I 'expected' it to be when we first discovered we were pregnant. I have dealt with more sickness in the last 8 months than I typically do in the span of a few years. When I'm pregnant I'm usually healthier than usual, so this has been a totally different experience (food poisoning, strep, sinus infections, pneumonia, colds, stomach flu...!). I knew I would probably have a harder time for the last 2 months or so of the pregnancy simply because the last month or two of my pregnancy with Maddie was difficult to endure. I contracted a lot, had a lot of pain, and needed extra help with the kids. But aside from the physical discomfort I've had, I've needed bedrest, and to keep a closer eye on this 4th babe with a few extra doctor's appointments. I've needed a lot more help than I ever dreamed I would, more help than I would say I am comfortable with.
After this last experience at the OB, I've resigned to submitting to whatever these last few weeks hold. I'm giving up trying to predict how things will play out, I'm letting go of hoping for a certain outcome or bracing myself for disappointment... I'm reminded that I've always been asked by the Lord to hold this baby, this pregnancy, this process with an open hand. To accept whatever might come along the way and trust Him with it. It's hard to do, moment by moment! I'm human and I have preferences. At times, strong preferences. :) But I hope and pray that He is refining me every day that I carry this baby, that He is using each unique circumstance for His glory and our ultimate good, which is to be made more like Christ.
My regular OB appointment yesterday was... lively. And I have to write it out so that I remember the details, because - 4th baby.
I headed into the appointment with a week's worth of thoughts and questions about how we should approach the delivery of this baby. Backstory: Robbie was a natural birth, Ellie was a C-section (she was breech), and Maddie was a VBAC that went very well but had to be helped along with breaking my water and doses of pitocin. I switched OB practices after Maddie's birth once we knew we wanted to try for a 4th baby, because my favorite doctor of the 8 or so that practiced with the last group left to practice elsewhere. The new OB I chose for this current pregnancy, Dr. G., is so so wonderful. Many of my friends see him and I've watched him handle routine births as well as tough situations, medical emergencies, and loss in ways that are highly impressive. He's also a one-man practice so you always see him at appointments, and his office is located within the hospital so he rarely misses a birth. All good.
Dr. G. isn't a fan of using pitocin with VBACs though, and that's all I have known with all of my natural deliveries. With the other little hiccups we've had with the pregnancy, I was beginning to question whether we shouldn't just schedule a C-section for the delivery of this baby in a few weeks, even though it's not my preference. I was anxious to talk it all through with him and see what his medical advice would be.
While I was waiting to be called back, I had a strong pain develop at the base of my stomach on the right side. I tried to relieve it by changing positions, rubbing it, drinking water, relaxing, breathing... but nothing was working. It wasn't a contraction but the kind of steady sharp pain (round ligament, I assumed) that makes your eyes water, and after sitting there with it for 5-10 minutes the nurse called my name and took one look at my face and asked "Are you alright!?". I assured her yes, just typical pregnancy pain, and she helped me slowly get up and shuffle back to the exam room. She looked at my chart and mentioned that she didn't think Dr. G. would need to 'check' me today (internal exam to evaluate any progress towards labor), and I explained to her that I actually hoped that he would check me, in order to have as much information as possible as we discuss how I might anticipate delivering the baby in a few weeks. So she laid out the paper cover, left while I got undressed and situated, and then came back and hooked me up to the monitor to observe the baby's heart rate (standard for my appointments now). The pain I'd been feeling had subsided to a manageable level by now, and I sat on the monitor for a while.
Dr. G came in a little later, said hello, looked at the monitor readout and was satisfied, and said he didn't think he felt the need to do an internal exam today. I explained that I wanted to discuss delivery methods and the pro's and con's of scheduling a repeat C-section, and that an internal exam at this point might be helpful to add to the information I'm working with. He agreed, and we discussed at length my options. In summary, he is strongly in favor of me trying to attempt another VBAC. He thinks it will be uncomplicated (as best as he can foresee, of course), that I have a good history of natural births, and that if my labor did stall, he's not completely opposed to using a little pitocin if necessary. What a relief! The answer seemed clear - I no longer felt that a C-section was the best option for us at this point, and put those thoughts to rest.
Then he started the internal exam. They're always pretty, um, uncomfortable... but this one went on for longer than usual and it was all I could do not to crawl up the table (and I might have yelled at one point). When he finished, he had this odd look on his face, and said "Well, now we have a different situation! Your baby seems to be breech." I could not believe it - "Are you serious!?" I said to him, "Just two days ago the ultrasound showed her to be head down and starting to drop more...".
Dr. G says to me, "I could not feel her head, and I was reaching pretty far, as you know... but something grabbed my hand. I think she tried to grab on to me." I started laughing and thought he was joking, but he assured me that he wasn't joking at all, that he definitely felt our baby's hand during the exam! He also said that I'm softening and dilated to 1 cm (last week I was 'a little soft and totally closed'). So, progress.
He then spent the next few minutes scaring me with a lecture on what to do if my water spontaneously breaks while she is in this position... that I am to get in my car and drive straight to the hospital, don't wait for anything, don't even bother calling 911 because in this situation they would BE TOO SLOW, etc. He explained why - if my water breaks and the baby's breech, the cord could come through the birth canal and present a dangerous situation for the baby. Then he asked me to follow him across the hall for an ultrasound so that we could determine exactly what position the baby was in and get a better look at things.
He did the ultrasound himself, and within a minute or so was able to tell me that the baby was actually still head down, just not sitting very low. And then he pressed the ultrasound wand right where I had been having such intense pain while I waited in the waiting room for my appointment, and said "Look at that!". Our daughter had her arm stretched out and her hand was above her head, right between her head and the lowest part of my abdomen. What a little stinker. That nearly debilitating pain was her hand reaching out!
A sigh of relief. Dr. G and I laughed at the turn of events, and he said "Ok, forget the complications we just talked about related to her being breech - she's head down and we are back to our original plan of waiting for labor and attempting another VBAC!" I asked him if she could still change position between now and 40 weeks, and he said it's definitely possible (and then told me a story about a baby literally turning from being head down during labor as the mom was dilated to 6cm, to being breech and having to be delivered via emergency C-section, so anything's possible!). So we will continue to check in on the baby twice a week just as we have been, and pray that she stays head down!
I felt like I needed a nap after that appointment - I went from concerned about her birth, to at peace with the idea of a VBAC and totally confident that I could wait for labor to happen naturally and deliver her that way without complications, to concerned that she was breech and that I'd have to make sure at any point in time I could get myself to the hospital should something happen, and then back to relieved that she's in a head down position... and even laughing at our girl for her spunk. When I walked down the hall and past the front desk, the nurses were all laughing with me and cracking jokes about how my baby is trying to climb out of my womb, she's so ready to be born!
This pregnancy has been far from what I 'expected' it to be when we first discovered we were pregnant. I have dealt with more sickness in the last 8 months than I typically do in the span of a few years. When I'm pregnant I'm usually healthier than usual, so this has been a totally different experience (food poisoning, strep, sinus infections, pneumonia, colds, stomach flu...!). I knew I would probably have a harder time for the last 2 months or so of the pregnancy simply because the last month or two of my pregnancy with Maddie was difficult to endure. I contracted a lot, had a lot of pain, and needed extra help with the kids. But aside from the physical discomfort I've had, I've needed bedrest, and to keep a closer eye on this 4th babe with a few extra doctor's appointments. I've needed a lot more help than I ever dreamed I would, more help than I would say I am comfortable with.
After this last experience at the OB, I've resigned to submitting to whatever these last few weeks hold. I'm giving up trying to predict how things will play out, I'm letting go of hoping for a certain outcome or bracing myself for disappointment... I'm reminded that I've always been asked by the Lord to hold this baby, this pregnancy, this process with an open hand. To accept whatever might come along the way and trust Him with it. It's hard to do, moment by moment! I'm human and I have preferences. At times, strong preferences. :) But I hope and pray that He is refining me every day that I carry this baby, that He is using each unique circumstance for His glory and our ultimate good, which is to be made more like Christ.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Pack it up!
In celebration of hitting this milestone on Tuesday...!
THE END IS FINALLY NEAR. :)
I always love reading what other women pack in their hospital bags when they are anticipating the delivery of their babies. Here are a few things I'm taking with me. And yes, I've already packed my bags. :)
My Hospital Bag
(*this is of course not an exhaustive list... I'm an over packer.)
center: a weekender bag
clockwise from top left corner:
- baby briefcase (for paperwork)
- S Factor leave-in spray
- blum facial wipes
- fresh sugar lip balm
- gifts for Robbie, Ellie and Maddie... "from the baby", & small thank you gifts for attending nurses
- iHome clock / music player (synchs with iPhone to stream music)
- gum & snacks (to sneak during or after labor)
- lightweight striped bathrobe
- slippers
- Camelbak waterbottle
- iPhone
- going home outfit (maternity yoga pants, zip up track jacket and tank top
- laptop
The Baby's Necessities
center: petunia pickle bottom diaper bag (well-loved by now!)
clockwise from top center:
- Aiden & Anais Bamboo Dream Blanket
- Chicco car seat
- GumDrops pacifiers
- Aiden & Anais bamboo swaddle blankets
- nail clippers
- emery boards
- Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter for nursing
- Baby Gap booties, mitts and knotted cap
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Matters of the heart.
Well, we celebrated the day of love... The next night Rob and I went out to dinner and to a hotel nearby for a rare overnight away from the kids. And by sunrise the next morning (Sunday) I got a text from the sitter saying two of our kids were throwing up.
After nursing them for a few hours, with Rob sharing the duties with me, it seemed the worst was over and I went upstairs to lay down. It didn't take long to realize I was probably next on the list to get sick, and so I called my mom who promptly came over just as it started around 6pm. She drove me to the hospital where I knew I would land sooner or later anyways (vomiting = dehydration = contractions = monitoring). As I made my way to triage, suddenly (frighteningly) unable to breathe well, I had to walk through a group of no less than 20 couples on a hospital tour of Labor & Delivery, women all sporting swollen bellies and the menfolk trying to avoid looking at me as I walked right between them all. If I hadn't felt like death I would have laughed so hard. I was quite a miserable sight.
A thousand questions, monitors hooked up, IV's started, zofran administered, blood drawn, a quick check to see if labor was starting (no) and an hour or two went by all while I held my eyes shut tight, just trying to endure the miserable minutes until the stomach bug left me alone. My dr popped his head in (I think? Or maybe just talked to the nurses and they relayed his directives to me?) and I was told I'd be moved to a room to continue treatment and monitoring - most likely overnight. My sweet mom, staying with me and not at all anxious to leave my side, slept on the couch in the hospital room with me and helped me pass the long hours by rubbing my hands, feet, head, anything to bring me comfort. Feeding me ice chips. I am so thankful for her, especially when rob and I have to be separated at times like this, when the kids need one of their parents caring for them and we can't be together.
At some point the pain was great enough that I asked for something to take the edge off. Coupled with the zofran, it allowed me about 2 hours of relief to rest. But sleep was impossible, and by the time it wore off in the wee hours of Monday morning, I had the new sensation of having a heart attack which was disturbing. Pepcid was given through my iv, which had by now pumped 3 or 4 bags of fluid into my dehydrated body, and at some point I was allowed another dose of pain medicine, which actually allowed me to sleep for a few hours.
The entire time, the baby was being monitored. And while I was acutely sick (first 24 hrs or so) her variations in heart rate were watched but somewhat expected. As I hydrated and recovered from the illness, temperature came down, and all contractions slowed, it became apparent that our baby girl was still having dips in her heart rate that could not be linked to anything in particular (they would happen when I was resting, or asleep, and long after contractions had ceased).
I left the ultrasound both thankful and relieved, but with a new set of concerns. With nothing major to point to that is wrong or underdeveloped, we are left wondering what might be causing the dips in her heart rate... Unsure of whether this is cause for concern or not a huge deal. More unknowns than answers and a really big, grey area to bounce around in.
We are left in the difficult position of wondering what is best for our girl. Without knowing how to find the perfect answer for ourselves - trying to ask the right questions, refusing to give in to fear, asking The Lord to give wisdom and discernment - to us but also to our drs as they provide care specifically for our daughter in her particular situation.
For now we plan to see the OB weekly (for monitoring) and the high risk dr weekly (for ultrasounds). Tomorrow begins the conversation of what the risks are for the baby and what our options are. What the dr thinks is best... What we are most comfortable with... What is safest for this sweet babe whom we already love...
Heavy.
And yet I re-read the last post I wrote and let my own words wash over my heart in a new way. We will not fear. We will not attempt to control God's hand. And yet we will do everything we can to call on Him, ask for His wisdom and leading, trust Him in all things at all times, and make the best choices that we can with what we know. We will keep walking by faith.
I will refuse to let the secrecy of my womb scare me, the darkness that seems to hide my daughter from me.
Darkness is as light to him... And He loves her more than we ever will. She is in His hands, where she always has been. And we are, too.
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