I am a 34 yr old mom of 5 children. We have 4 boys ages 8, 11, 11 1/2, and 14 and a little girl who was born in December. I am engaged to wonderful man that I have been with for almost 4 years. We plan on trying to have at least one more child in the future. I love having children and the bonus is I get to stay home and raise them. I do home daycare so that I can still earn a living while raising my children.

You can also find me here: myspace.com/hotiowacowgirl

My Pregnancy History

All of my children have been born after diffucult pregnancies.

My oldest son was born at 35 weeks due to low amnio fluid and fetal distress. I had been in and out of preterm labor from about 24 weeks but they were able to control it fairly well until he started failing non-stress tests. They induced me the next day and was born after 16 hours of labor. He weighed 5 lbs 6 oz. He had to spend one week in NICU learning to eat and then was able to come home.

My second son was born at 34 weeks after being in the hospital for 4 weeks on Mag Sulfate. That was the longest month of my life. After recieving steroid shots they took me off of the Mag at 34 weeks and sent me to labor and delivery. My water broke and I had him 6 hours later. He was 5 lbs 13 oz. Quite big for 34 weeks. He also spent a week in NICU learning to eat and then came home.

My third son was born at 36 weeks. I had the same preterm labor problems with the other two boys. They gave me Tubutaline but it caused me to vomit, shake and I was unable to get off of the bathroom floor. They took me off all meds and I seemed to do ok. Then one day I went to the bathroom and had started to hemorrage. I called 911 since I was home by myself and they took me to the hospital. The doctors never did say what caused it but after staying overnight for observation they were getting ready to send me home and my water broke. My son was born 4 hours later and weighed 6 lbs 9 oz.

I hadn't planned on having any more children and got my tubes tied when my youngest son was 3 months old. After going through a divorce 4 years later I ended up meeting a wonderful man who only had one son and wanted more children. So in March I got my tubes untied and got pregnant 4 weeks later. I started having preterm labor around 24 weeks and was put on Procardia. I had also been taking Progesterone shots from about 18 weeks. I was able to make it until 35 week 5 days when my water broke and I delivered 7.5 hours later.

7/1/07- 12 weeks

7/8/07- 13 weeks- Will the Nausea and Tiredness Ever End?

I am feeling so nauseated the last few days. I am a bit less tired but still sleep all of the time. I used to be a neat freak and now my house if falling apart. In the first 8 weeks I gained 9-11 lbs, but I haven't gained anything since although I am getting bigger. I get so hungry and then when I eat, I feel sick to my stomach and then it seems like the food sits in there forever. Last night I was still burping up dinner 6 hours after I ate. It's like my digestive system has slowed down to a crawl. It's no wonder I'm not gaining any weight. I have now noticed that I am starting to get more discharge then before and I read that its normal but it still worries me. I had my dr. appt. 3 days ago and they did the full physical exam so I know everything is ok. We heard the heartbeat again and it was between 155 and 160 bpm. Sounds good to me. I have been feeling a few flutters over the last week or so and the dr. said that since my uterus is measuring 15 weeks (although we know I'm not that far along since I would have been in the middle of tubal reversal surgery when I would have had to get pregnant) that it is possible that I am feeling the baby. My uterus is just barely under my belly button. Must be a big baby. I just want to go back to being myself again. I want a clean house and energy to be able to go for walks and eat normal meals. Someday.

7/15/07- 14 weeks

Pregnancy Survey

How far along are you:14 weeks
Cravings so far:: Salad, Cherry Poptarts, Gravy
Things that make you sick:: Mexican Food
Boy or girl:: Hoping for a girl but will most likely get another boy..lol
Baby's name:: Ethan Russell or Grace Mackenzie
Advice for other pregnant women:: Enjoy being pregnant. Enjoy getting to be a mom. Its the best job in the world.
Baby Daddy:: My fiancé Christian
His reaction:: Happy but scared about it being ectopic since we had just gotten my tubes untied.
Greatest memory so far:: Having him rub my belly
Biggest fear:: Something going wrong
Strange symptoms:: Oh I have had them all, nausea, tired, grumpy, sore breast, peeing alot, constipation.......etc.....
Advantages of being pregnant:: My boobs are huge
Weird dreams:: All of the time
Emotional outbursts:: Quite often
Breast changes:: Much bigger
Waist changes:: Much bigger
Things you quit for baby:: I cut back on caffiene and I don't get to drink again until the baby is a year old and I am done breast feeding.
Most uncomfortable time:: Waking up 8 times a night to pee
Worst part of being pregnant:: Being nauseous
Best place for maternity clothes:: Garage Sales
Taking parenting classes:: I already have 4 kids so I think I have it down
Pregnancy necessities:: Tums
Grandparents reaction:: All of them are REALLY excited
Aunts? Uncles?:: They are excited too
Godparents:: Haven't decided who will be the godparents yet
Where will you deliver:: Hospital
When:: Probably in December since I never make it to my due date. Closest I have ever gotten was 36 weeks.
Will you breastfeed:: Yes
Will you use cloth diaper: Nope
Books you're reading:: Everything I can get my hands on

7/22/07- 15 weeks - Stuck with a Cold

I have really started this week out with a bang. I have the worst head cold ever and I can't take my alkaseltzer cold medicine. I am stuck taking Sudafed which has never worked for me, Claritin that isn't helping much either and Tylenol which helps to ease the sinus headache somewhat. I am going to try a saline solution to help unclog me. I am so miserable and now my hubby has it. Needless to say when the man gets sick he stays in bed...when the woman gets sick she takes care of the kids...lol. So I am on my own today with the boys. Joy oh Joy!!!

I have been feeling the baby move more lately and the movements are stronger. I have started refering to the baby as "he" since we dont really know what it is and I already have 4 boys. I hate calling the baby "it". They way I look at it, if it is a boy, then I already know how to raise one of them....if it is a girl then I will get to have some new experiences like diaper changes...lol. I can now feel where the baby is inside of my uterus. I figure it must be the baby since the "hard spot" moves positions especially when I poke at it.

7/29/07- 16 weeks- Feeling Better

Well I am feeling pretty good. I am finally getting over my cold and regaining my energy. The baby's movements are getting stronger and I can actually feel kicks. I have decided to only get on my bathroom scale once a week on the day that I change to the week. I really hate watching the number go up. I have also decided to make it a goal to drink the amount of water I am supposed to drink each day. I HATE water but I bought a couple of half gallon jugs so that I can have cold water in the fridge at all times. I am going to drink my half gallon of water before I drink anything else that day. I think it will help with my weight gain and with the preterm labor I always have with each pregnancy. I can't count how many times I ended up in the hospital with contractions due to dehydration with my other pregnancies. I don't want to end up in the hospital again with this baby. I am thinking about going to a place called Prenatal Vision so that I can get a 3D ultrasound done and find out what the baby is. My doc office only does US if necessary since my insurance won't cover it otherwise. The only issue I have is the fact that it costs $150 and I just don't have extra money after raising my 3 boys. I am trying to figure out a way to earn some extra money so I can do that. Well we will see what happens.

7/31/07- Is baby a boy or a girl?

I went to he OB today and they are going to do my ultrasound in less than 2 weeks on August 13th. I am so excited!!! I can't wait to find out what the baby is.

8/2/07- Progesterone Shots

I get to start taking progesterone shots to help prevent preterm labor.. We are in the process of getting it ordered. I will have to get a shot once a week until I reach 36 or 37 weeks. I hope this will work since I have already had 3 preterm babies and I have already been having contractions.

8/7/07 17 weeks 2 days

Well I had my first progesterone shot today. It wasn't that bad. It didn't hurt when I got the shot, it just burned a little afterwards. The only side effects I have noticed are that I have a slight headache, a little bit of upset stomach and I'm tired. Other than that it seems ok. I hope this helps me with my contractions. I have actually been woken up by them the last couple of nights. I am starting to get worried about them. With my other pregnancies I didn't have them this soon so it's scary. At least with these shots it should help.

8/13/07 18 weeks 1 days

IT'S A GIRL!!!

The little wiggle worm would hardly hold still long enough to get measurements or pictures. She was moving all over the place. The doc says she looks healthy and weighs about 9 ounces. I am so excited. I can't wait until she is born and I can hold her. Time to go buy PINK!!!

9/1//07 20 weeks 6 days

I am feeling pretty good. I have gained about 18-20 pounds so far but I figure I would rather have a healthy baby and I will just lose the weight afterwards like I have before. Kailey is moving alot. Last night my DH finally got to feel her move. She kicked him twice. It is so cool. I scheduled my appointment for my 3D ultrasound. I am having it done on September 29th. I will be just under 25 weeks then. I am really excited. I can't wait to see her sweet face and also confirm that she really is a girl. We have almost everything we need for the baby other than diapers and wipes. I still need to get her crib bedding but that is going to be kind of expensive. I may have to make it myself.

9/16/07 23 Weeks - UTI???

I am a bit frustrated with my body today. I just got over the flu and now I feel like I have a UTI. To top it off I am starting to have contractions more often. Usually I get them about 2-3 times an hour and the doc says as long as they aren't more than 4 to 5 an hour I am ok. Well a little bit ago they started coming about every 5 mins and it kind of freaked me out. I decided to take a quick shower just in case since you only get to shower once a week if you are in the hospital on bedrest...I know this from experience. I am trying to relax and am going to start timing again in a few minutes. If they don't slow down, I won't have a choice but to go to the hospital. I can't afford to be on bed rest right now either. This really sucks. I do daycare so how do I "call in sick"? I watch 5 children for 4 sets of parents. I am trying to find a back up sitter but haven't had any luck. My friend Amy is supposed to be here this weekend from Kansas and I am hoping she will help me if she can. Other than that, the baby is doing well. She kicks constantly and my bladder is her favorite toy. She is still head up and I will be so glad when she flips over. At least if she is kicking my ribs it won't make me pee my pants.

Well I went up to the hospital and they were able to give me antibiotics for a UTI. My contractions have slowed back down and aren't as strong now. Kailey was so active when they tried to get a reading on her heartrate, she would kick the monitor and swim away as soon as they would get a signal. After almost 10 mins they gave up. They were able to get a reading for a couple of second, just long enough to get her rate and she moved again. I have a feeling she is gonna be very onery when she grows up...lol.

9/28/07 25 Weeks 4 days - Preterm Labor Again

Last night my contractions were coming 3 mins apart and were actually starting to hurt. I have been taking Procardia for about a week for my contractions and it seems to help some but not enough. If I take enough to make the contractions go away completely, I am a vegetable on my couch so I have to take less to be able to function. It's like taking muscle relaxers all day long. Fortunately, my contractions aren't strong enough to make me dilate. Unfortunately, since they aren't dilating me, the doctors really don't want to do anything about them. I just have to contract for the next 9 weeks until I reach 34 weeks when they let me deliver. Gee...this is fun.

9/29/07 24 weeks 6 days - 3D/4D ULTRASOUND

Our 3D/4D ultrasound was fantastic!!! She is 100% GIRL!!! I was worried they had made a mistake at the last ultrasound so I was excited to have it confirmed again and this time in 3D. She weighs about 1 lb 14 oz and is measuring long. They told us that her legs measure a week and a half big for her gestation. She has VERY long legs which doesn't surprise me since her dad does too. Kailey is definately cute as a button. I think she favors him alot in looks as well as personality. It was so adorable, she kept yawning really big and sticking her tounge out. Right now she is still breech but we already kind of thought that. That was probably one of the coolest experiences of my life. Definitely worth the money. I added the pics on my photo page.

10/14/07 27 weeks- Baby Shower

Yesterday I had my baby shower and it went great. Most everyone was able to make it and we had a blast. I was so excited that I finally got to have a shower before the baby was born. With the boys I always either ended up in the hospital or having the baby first. The best part of the entire event was this game we played. While opening gifts someone writes down my comments. Then when I am done with gifts they read the comments back saying that they were what I said the night our baby was concieved. It was halarious!!! I had said things like "it's so soft", "it's a redneck thing, you wouldn't understand" and "think it will fit?"...It was a really good time.

10/26/07- My little boy has allergies

My youngest son Sean had to go in for allergy testing and the poor thing is allergic to everything. He is allergic to all pollens from trees to grass to ragweed. He is also allergic to dust mites, mold and dogs. We cleaned his room out and fortunately he has hardwood floors so that helps with the dust mites. He is also starting allergy shots to help him build up some sort of resistance. So on top of his ADHD medication, he also has to take allergy meds. I feel so bad for him. Hopefully these shots will eventually help him.

11/03/07 - My "baby" is learning how to drive

My oldest son Mike celebrated his 14th birthday on October 27th this year. He had an overnight party and it seemed to go very well. They had pizza, pop, cake and ice cream. We rented him an XBOX 360 for the party and they played video games all night.

Today we went to the DOT and Mike passed his learner's permit test. I took him driving and he did pretty well for someone who has only tried to drive once before. A couple of friends of mine have offered to help me teach him since I have the preterm labor issues and I am supposed to keep my stress level to a minimum. I think he will do just fine once he gets used to it. He is a very smart kid and I don't think it will take him very long to figure it out.

11/04/07 - 30 Weeks- Ready to be done

Well I have finally reached the 30 week mark. This is an important week since more than 95% of babies survive if born now with very little complications. I also only have 4 more weeks until I stop taking my preterm labor medication. It gets old having contractions every 10-15 minutes around the clock. Fortunately the medication keeps them from being strong enough to be effective but they still don't feel very good. I will be so happy when she is ready to be born. On Wednesday we are having another ultrasound and should be able to find out how big she is now. I recently had the 3 hour glucose test done and passed it. They wanted me to take it since my blood sugar was a little high and I am measuring a full 2 weeks ahead of schedule. I am sure she is over 3 pounds already. I think she is all legs like her dad but that is just my opinion...LOL. Another thing is I haven't gained any weight in 6 weeks. I seem to be stuck at 179 lbs which is a 24 pound weight gain for me. The doctor isn't concerned since Kailey is still growing at a good rate. I guess that will just mean less for me to lose afterwards before our wedding.

11/07/07 - 30 Weeks 3 Days- Ultrasound Results

Well, I had the ultrasound today and the cyst is gone. Thank God. They also said she weighs 3 lbs 12 ounces. which puts her on the 60th percentile. It is probably a good thing since I might have her early. I am a little scared about going full term though since she would be 9 or 10 pounds. YIKES!!! She is getting so fat. They did re-confirm that she is a girl. I've had 3 u/s that show girl parts so I am pretty confident now. Other than that everything looks great. Just a few more weeks to go before I get to hold her.

11-18-07 32 Weeks- The Countdown Begins

Last week was a very long week for me. I thought that since I had extra time that I could get extra rest. It didn't happen. I spent the majority of the week having contractions that were stronger than normal. I went in on Friday to my OB and they check me for an infection and ran a fetal fibronectin test. Both tests came back negative although I am dilated to 1 cm. I am not sure why I am suddenly starting to contract right through the medication. I can't take any more than I am right now either. I am at the maximum dose. It's very frustrating. Yesterday we went and bought the car seat and by the time we came back I was contracting every 2-3 mins and they were lasting 45 secs. Normally I would have went to the hospital but the FFN test came back negative so I just stayed home. Today they are running around 15 mins apart. I only have to get through 2 more weeks and they will take me off of the medication and let me go into labor. The doctor said as long as I make it to 34 weeks I won't need the steriod shots and that the baby would be fine. It's a good thing we are ready for her to come already. I am going to put the finishing touches on her room today and get the last of the clothes put away. Grandma likes to garage sale so it is a new outfit or 10 every week. I'm just trying to make it a little longer. I'm so glad we have a holiday this week. Only 3 days of babysitting and I get 4 days off.

11-30-07 Preterm Labor....AGAIN

On Sunday I went into labor again and went to the hospital. I was having contractions every 2-3 mins and had thinned out 25%. They put me on Mag for a couple of days and I am back on Procardia now. finally got to come home today. 3 days in the hospital was enough for me. They said once I hit 34 weeks they won't stop my labor which is on Sunday. I am so ready. They did an ultrasound just to check her size and she already weighs 5 lbs 10 oz. Such a big girl!!! If she were to go full term she would be over 9 pounds!!! No Thanks!!! I am hoping I have her around 36 weeks so she doesn't have to go to NICU and she isn't gigantic.

12-09-07 No More Meds

I took my last dose of Procardia this morning. I seem to be doing ok. My contractions have actually gotten better and I am starting to feel human again. I have some medication left over so that if they start to get worse before I hit 36 weeks I can take them. I am praying that I will make through one more week so I won't have to take them again.

12-11-07 35 Weeks 2 days-Gotta love this weather

This week I have had some spotting that my doctor believes is "bloody show". I have been having stronger contractions although they aren't as regular as before. I am not quite sure what is going on with my body. I think it is the withdrawal of the medication. I was supposed to go to an OB appointment today but since we ended up with an ice storm, they called and cancelled. I rescheduled for Thursday just so I can have them check me for any dilation. Even though my contractions haven't been that bad, the fact that I am having bloody show could mean that I am still dilating. I guess we will see.

12-14-07 My Baby Girl is Here!!!

On Wednesday night I went into the hospital with contractions that were 3 minutes apart. I was dilated to 2 cm and 25% effaced. Unfortunately my labor wasn't progressing so they sent me home. On Thursday evening I started having some really strong contractions and then my water broke around 8 pm. We went to the hospital and my contractions were coming 2-3 mins apart. After 7 and a half hours of labor Kailey Irene was born. She was born at 4 am on December 14, 2007. SHe was born at 35 weeks and 5 days gestation. She weighed 5 pounds 15 ounces and was 18.5 inches long. She has absolutely no problems breathing or eating. She is a little bit jaundcied but that is it. She was able to come home with us. We are so happy to have her home.