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Abigail Sex: girl Born: 24 January, 2005 Age: 3 years & 219 days Birthday in: 146 days Starsign: Aquarius Development: See the 32 months page. Biggest achievement so far: -I am fully potty-trained!

Abigail is my 3 year old daughter. She is my first born and my pride and joy. She recently became a big sister to our second daughter Kaitlyn. She is such a loving and caring little girl!

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Kaitlyn Sex: girl Born: 02 August, 2007 Age: 1 years & 29 days Birthday in: 336 days Starsign: Leo Development: See the 12 months page. Biggest achievement so far: I now have three teeth! I crawled up steps for the first time! I am on the move!

A little bit about me....

My husband Scot and I were high school sweethearts. We have been dating since I was 16 and we got married when I was 21. This July will be our 10 year anniversary-YAY! We started our careers, bought a house, etc. etc. and just as we were closing on the house in 2004 found out that we were lucky to be pregnant with Abby. She's almost 2 and a 1/2 and after a pregnancy loss at 12 weeks this past September, we are looking forward to the arrival of our new bundle of joy this August!

May 3rd, 2007-

So, I took my one hour glucose test yesterday and I get the results today at my appointment. I am a bit nervous as I failed it with my first and had to endure the 3 hour follow up test-which I passed. I was just wondering if anyone else had any weird after effects after drinking the solution. I had such a bad headache afterwards and just felt yucky and really tired! I am scared now because I am wondering if I maybe do have GD since I felt this way. I know it wouldn't be the end of the world and it's better to know if I have it for the baby's sake but it doesn't really help the anxiety. Anyone else have an experience similar to this and still pass the test?

May 18th, 2007-

Well, it appears as though I passed the 3 hour test. Although I spoke with a nurse that was not my own which in my opinion isn't as reassuring. Other than that, I have been pretty tired and just hormonal. Yesterday I cried and cried for no reason. Just feeling sorry for myself I guess. It's so weird how your body does these things that you can't control. Frustrating actually. But, I am getting really excited to see my new little one soon and just keep telling myself it's all worth it! :)

May 22nd, 2007-

I have been doing pretty well lately now that my iron seems to be up. Definitely able to concentrate better and feel less dizzy. I have however been experiencing sciatica which really hurts! Not fun! Sounds like the only permanent solution at this point is delivery which won't be happening for a while I hope. My daughter Abby is starting to get excited about the baby coming. But, she's two and I am sure she really doesn't 'get it' and will probably be a bit less enthusiatic about sharing mom's time since she's the only child. We'll see how it goes when the time comes. I just can't wait to find out what I am having and meet the baby! I am getting anxious!

May 31st, 2007-

I just got back from my 30+ week checkup and everything is going well. The baby is measuring right on and the heart rate was in the 150's which is good. My BP was excellent and I have now officially gained weight. I was up 2.5 pounds from last month. I have to start going to see the doctor every 2 weeks now. He referred me to a physical therapist for the problems with my back since I tried to lift my sleeping Abby-I really hope it works! I had so much back pain last time and also back labor so I know normal back pain and I think this time I did a number on my back. Other than that, not much to report. He told me that the Braxton Hicks and also the cervical pinching were normal this early in a subsequent pregnancy since your body generally remembers the drill from last time so he didn't seem too concerned. Oh and the reason I haven't been feeling too many kicks up high is due to the way my placenta is attached which was reassuring. Head is still down and has been for the past 3 months. That's it-just hanging in there!

June 11th, 2007-

I had my PT appointment today for my back pain. Basically there is not a whole lot that he can do right now since I am so far along. He gave me some stretches to do and told me to ice it-he says that works better than the heating pad. He said that I strained and sprained the muscles in my back and that normally this type of thing heals on its own within 2 weeks. But, with lifting Abby and being pregnant, it hasn't had a chance too. He also told me not to do any lifting or bending (i.e., dishwasher, dryer, groceries, etc.) but since I am home alone almost every day with my husband working two jobs-yeah-good luck with that! The sciatica and the SI joint pain are pregnancy related and will go away after delivery and massage is the best way to make that better so I guess now I have to hit the hubby up for those-lol. Well, I better get back to work. I will update on Thursday after my OB appointment.

June 14th, 2007-

Well, my appointment went ok. Except for some odd reason I lost 1-1/2 pounds! How that is even possible I have NO idea because I seriously feel like I am eating all of the time. I asked him about it and he told me that as long as I felt that I was eating the right foods that he wouldn't instruct me to eat more. So, I guess I am not going to worry too much. Other than that, I am right on schedule. Measured 32 weeks, BP good, baby's head down, etc. I think the baby dropped last night, which suprised me because I read that after your first it usually doesn't happen until labor but clearly my boobs are bigger than my stomach again-lol. I have quite a bit of cramping and pelvic discomfort as to be expected and my belly feels like it's going to rip in half! Just can't wait to see the little one now! :)

June 28th, 2007-

I had my appointment today. Almost 35 weeks. Baby's heart rate was 152 and the baby was measuring right on size. I lost another 1-1/2 lbs so now I actually weigh 1-1/2 lbs less than I did before I got pregnant-so weird. I talked to the doctor about all of the things that have been going on these past two weeks and he said everything was pretty normal-other than the deep pain I have been experiencing in my left leg. So, he sends me down for an immediate sonogram to check for DVT. I was totally freaked. So, after waiting for about an hour to get in, the tech starts the sonogram and right in the middle he gets up and says that he needs to go and call the neurologist. I am now REALLY freaked out! So, he comes back and tells me that I don't have a blood clot but I had strange flow in my leg vein behind the knee. Apparently, it would run really fast and then slow and then fast and then slow, etc. Bottom line is, they aren't sure why that's happening or if that's just always the way the blood has flowed in my leg so they aren't concerned and I do not have a clot. Not too reassuring but I'll take it. I didn't want to have to take blood thinners this close to delivery anyways! Heavens no! SO, he's going on vacation in 2 weeks and the nurse said I should come in a week from today to see him before he goes. Then I can get my GBS test results and discuss if I need to see one of his colleagues while he is gone.

July 1st, 2007-

Here is my 35 week picture. Enjoy!

July 4th, 2007-

This was an eventful Fourth of July! I was having some intense cramping and cervical pinching the night before and was up all night running to the bathroom. However, I did get up early and take Abby to the local parade. It was really hot out and we had to walk a ways to the parade route which was mostly uphill. By the time we got to the parade area, I was having some fairly intense but inconsistent contractions. I sat down for a while, drank some lemonade, and relaxed and it seemed to subside but the second I began walking around again things picked up. My husband and I spent the rest of the afternoon visiting relatives and took Abby to a petting zoo. Again, every time I started walking it would bring everything on. Around 7 pm we got home and I asked my husband to watch Abby and I just sat down again to try and relax. We left for the fireworks a little after 8 and I sure was glad when they were over and I could just stay home. Went to bed and when I woke up, everything was back to normal-well....as normal as they can be for now!

July 5th, 2007-

My doctor appointment today was great. I gained 3-1/2 pounds in ONE WEEK! WOW! He said that the contractions I was having yesterday were most likely from an irritable uterus due to the heat, dehydration, and also the increased amount of walking. He told me to just reydrate and relax. GBS test was negative-whew! My BP was 100/58 and the baby's heart rate was 170. But, in the baby's defense, it did have the hiccups-LOL! However, the baby's head is not engaged which blows my mind because it feels like the baby is going to fall out whenever I get up or walk! Next appointment is Wednesday with a different doctor as mine will be on vacation...I feel so scatter-brained and SO SO tired. I just want to see the baby and put the labor behind me but I also know it needs to grow a bit more and isn't ready just yet.....ugh!

July 11th, 2007-

I had my appointment today and all is well. My BP and weight are good. I think I lost 1-1/2 pounds since last week but I am not sure? I am just trying to remember which is futile at this point-lol. Baby's measuring good and heart rate is also great. They offered to check me to see if I was dialated but I turned it down. There's no need to disturb anything and I didn't want to be disappointed if she told me that there was no real change. I figure I will wait another week for my doctor to get back and see if he will check me then. Any time I get up to do anything I have cramping and contractions on the top of my belly but if I rest they subside so I do think they are Braxton Hicks. The doctor told me that at this point they wouldn't try and stop labor if it happened so now it's just a matter of waiting for the BIG DAY. I am starting to get excited but nervous at the same time!

July 19th, 2007-

Another appointment today. Not too much to report. Overall during the pregnancy I have gained 3-1/2 pounds. My BP was good. Baby's heart rate was 180 which seemed a bit high. I was up all night last night with significant back cramping and pain so he did an internal check. My cervix is very soft and short. Only dialated a "dimple". I was hoping for more but really didn't expect too much this early. Since I haven't been getting too much sleep I have been ridiculously emotional! I cry ALL the time! My doctor told me to come back in a week and offered to prescribe pain meds for my back (he thinks it's muscle spasms) but I declined. With less than three weeks left I don't want to harm the baby. I'll just plow through it...Also found out he will be on vacation again the week I am due which was a bit disheartening.......

July 26th, 2007-

Today was my last appointment I guess.....unless I have any complications from now until delivery. My doctor will be on vacation next week and has set up an appointment for me to be induced at the hospital on the morning of August 6th if I do not deliver before then. My BP was good. The baby's heart rate was in the 150's which is good. I lost 1/2 lb. So far I have gained three pounds with the pregnancy. He did an internal (which was very uncomfortable) again and said that I have not dilated any more but I am almost completely thinned out and my cervix is very soft. He said there is a good chance that I will deliver next week, but, if I don't, I will be going in. I am now much more nervous than before since I have a date actually looming over my head......I was induced with my last, however, I was 4 cm going into it and so far I am not dialted which is making me nervous.......I just want to try and enjoy these last few days because I know that I will miss being pregnant and the closeness that I feel with my baby...

July 31st, 2007-

I started with contractions 7-8 minutes apart on Sunday afternoon from 4-10 pm, then they were 6-7 until about 3am, by 4 am they were 4-5 so I called. Had bloody show thought for sure it was labor. They were real strong contractions (hard to even breathe through or walk). They wanted me to wait until they were 3-4 minutes apart for about 15-30 minutes and then call back. I had more until 5:30 am. Some were 2 minutes apart, some 4 minutes. Then they gradually got farther apart and I had them sporadically yesterday. It was very disappointing to have 15 hours of pretty good labor and bleeding to then have nothing. I called the clinic yesterday (my doctor in on vacation this week of course). They offered to have me come in and be checked but I figured what's the point? If it's going to happen, it will happen. I really didn't want a hand shoved up there anyways since I was so sore. Given the fact that I had bloody show, they know the contractions were real and I was dialating with them.

Abby was throwing up last Thursday night and got a bad cold on Friday which I got on Saturday. It has now turned into a sinus infection and I have not really slept (even with meds) more than 4 hours since last Thursday. They think that's what caused my labor to stall. My body is just too fatigued to handle it.

August 4th, 2007-

The baby has arrived and we had a girl! She's so beautiful and Abby is such a wonderful big sister already! I will update my page with the details and pics when I get a bit more time.

BIRTH STORY

On August 1st, I began having contractions around 5 pm. Scot had just left for work and I was thinking "Yeah right". I had contractions for 15 hours two nights prior and they just stopped before we left to go in so I wasn't confident that this was the real thing. Boy was I wrong! By about 7 pm, I called Scot at work and told his boss to send him home. It was time. This was different. The contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting 30 seconds to 1 minute. I called my mom and she said, "This is your second baby, you need to go!" I didn't believe it though. I was induced with my first and never knew what this was like.

So I kept cleaning to make sure that everything was perfect and took a shower and got everything ready. By about 11 pm, I knew that this was not going to stop. We all got in the car and headed over to the hospital to have them check me. They did and said that I was only 1 cm. They had me walk around for about an hour and drink lots of water. They then checked me again and said that I was in the early stages of prelabor but I was not dilating. I had the option to either go home for a while or stay. I choose to go home.

I spent the whole night having contractions every 2-3 minutes. It was a long, tiring, painful, and awful night. By about 3 am, I started panicking and crying so hard that I was puking. I was so scared wondering how long I could go on like this. Little did I have any idea what was going to happen next....so when I was sent home, I was instructed to call the OB on call at the clinic the next morning. I called right when they opened at 8 am and was told to come in at 9 am. I was a mess.

When I got there, I saw the doctor on call, she went to check me and my water broke there in the office on the floor and table. I was so embarrassed. They told me this has NEVER happened here at the clinic before! What a way to be remembered-LOL.

She said, "Looks like you are going to have a baby today!" She said that I was in active labor and due to my prior LEEP procedure my scar tissue was not allowing me to dilate properly. No kidding I was in active labor all night I thought. So they wheeled me out leaking amniotic fluid to our car and sent to straight to the hospital. All this time, Scot's mom was watching Abby-thank God for grandmas!

So I went to the hospital and was admitted. They then hooked me up to everything and basically told me that I had to have the epidural as they were going to have to massage my cervical scar tissue to get it to fully dilate. That was not a pleasant thought. So, even though I was deathly afraid of the epidural after last time, I agreed to get it. Since I almost lost consciousness last time they bolstered my IV. Much to my dismay, I was given pitocin again. It was a piece of cake....until.....

I was about 7 CM and the EPIDURAL WORE OFF from too much IV fluids. They said that I would go from a 7 to a 10 so quick they would NOT give me any more pain meds. I am thinking "Oh God, I can't do this!" I actually said it and my mom said, "Well Tracy, you have no choice". I was freaking out. Plus, I had such a bad cold that I had a hard time breathing through the TREMENDOUSLY PAINFUL contractions and then when I was supposed to rest I had to blow my nose. That felt great (detect my sarcasm?). At this point, I didn't care if an alien came out, I just wanted the baby out so that these contractions would stop.

So now they are massaging my cervix by hand with no pain meds during these intense contractions and deciding if I should just push not fully dilated and they would sew up my cervix. Uh, ya, no! So they are on the phone with the doctor who is trying to get to the hospital but there is construction blocking the road and she has nowhere to park, and I say, "I need to push now!". The nurse says, "Let me check you, yes you are now complete-but just try and breathe through the contractions as the doctor is not here". I said, "Well, you better get ready because I am pushing this baby out now!!" Then my husband jokingly has the nerve to say, "If you hold this baby in for about another hour, you will have her at the same time as Abby". I shouted (my only real moment of loss of control or shouting) "F*** You!" Not funny! No, not funny at all in the least.

So I started lightly pushing and breathing through the contractions while she's getting everything together. Then I had to push. The doctor comes in and is jumping trying to get the medical scrubs on. After about 7 good pushes, baby Kaitlyn Rose came out 8-2-2007 at 4:41 pm. It was amazingly painful when the shoulders came out as her arm was coming out with them and it had to be manually maneuvered to prevent her from having a shoulder separation-as if I needed that. Somehow I did not tear and needed no stitches. Her Apgars were 9, and 9. She was 8 lbs, 8 oz, and 21 inches long. Honestly, I was so traumatized, anxious, and stressed that I did not even ask if it was a girl or a boy. My first question was "Do I need stitches?" Then my husband asked and she said "It's a GIRL!"

I think that I suffered from some form of post traumatic stress syndrome afterwards. I wanted to get out ASAP but I had to wait the 24 hours. We left the next day at 9 pm. On the way home, I was so exhausted and weak but I couldn't wait to get home-yet, I was nervous and scared at the same time. When we pulled up, the neighbors had put up balloons that said "Welcome Home Baby Kaitlyn". I just fell on the steps and cried. I cried for the past when I had only just one child. I cried because Abby was now a big sister and I longed for her to be that little again. I cried for myself. And lastly, I cried out of THANKS TO GOD for allowing me the opportunity to have such a wonderful, healthy family and to again experience the joy of motherhood. I TRULY AM BLESSED!

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