Hello! My name is Ashley. I'm married to a wonderful man, Robert, and we are the parents to a little angel in heaven! I had my daughter on June 30, 2007 at 21w5d due to what the DRs believe is an incompetent cervix. I found out on November 29, 2007 that we are expecting another baby around August 10, 2008. With this pregnancy they will place a suture, aka a cerclage, around and through my cervix to ensure that my cervix stays in tact. The stitch will be removed around 36 weeks. Good luck to all and I wish for everyone a happy and healthy 9 months!

Bryson's Birth Story:

Bryson was born Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 8:12am. He weighed 7lbs and was 19.5 inches long!

My birth story is just awesome. We left for the hospital at about 1:15am Thursday morning; my contractions were almost unbearable, but were still about 10 mins apart. By the time we even made it to the car, they were about 3 mins apart. When we got to the hospital they were between 1.5 and 2.5 mins apart. They checked me and I was 3cm. I was admitted pretty quickly. When I got back to my room I got my epidural (thank God.. I was asking for it as soon as we got to the hospital.. haha) and was checked.. 4-5cm. My in-laws and my parents got there, and I was a full 5 cm.. great, now I started to think it was going to be taking forever now that I got my epidural. Well.. the nurse came in and all of a sudden I felt a huge thud (it felt like Bryson kicked me) and something roll down the sheets (remember, I have an epidural and can't feel much of anything by this point). I told the nurse that something just happened.. I thought my water had broken. She checked and sure enough it had (this was around 6:45am). I got new nurses and they were looking at the heart tones and trying to get me positioned right. The nurse looked at me and said "Do you mind if I check you, his heart rate keeps going down with each contraction." I got so worried, and she just told me that I might be close to delivery. She checked and got this "uh-oh" look on her face.. I got really scared then.. until she told me I was fully dilated!! What?!? It hadn't even been an hour since my water broke.. that went quick, guess I was wrong about things slowing down!!!! Well, they called the DR and got me to start pushing to get him further down. I pushed for about 8 mins.. and probably around 10-12 pushes. He was in place.. but the DR still wasn't ready, so they had me stop. I just sat there, but obviously wasn't REALLY JUST sitting there because the next thing I know a nurse is telling me to stop whatever I'm doing (which is nothing.. I can't feel anything.. I had no clue what was going on) and she was holding his head in. The DR got over there just in time for his head to pop out. I asked her if she wanted me to push and she said no.. and Bryson basically just crawled out!!!

I was really expecting to be in labor for like 20 hours and push for 2 hours.. how amazing. I'm not sure how we got to be so blessed.. not only to have such a perfect daugther in heaven, but also an amazing son, and then on top of all of that.. such an easy labor! We truly are blessed.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

30 weeks: Sorry I haven't updated in so long!!! Well, quite a bit has happened since my last update. About 2 and a half weeks ago I started having contractions 3 mins apart.. so we rushed off to Labor and Delivery. At first the nurse just wanted to start me on an IV to see if hydration would stop them, but they were pretty strong and exactly 3 mins apart, so she went ahead and gave me 1 shot of terbetuline. Man.. that stuff makes you do weird things! I started shaking and feeling like I wasn't myself. Anyway, I had 4 more contractions after that 1st shot (within a 20 min. period), so she gave me a 2nd shot, and she checked my cervix. She said my cervix felt like it was not dilating and was still real long, but they wanted me to go have an u/s. My u/s showed that my cervix was at its shortest: 3.1cm. 2 weeks before all of this happened it was measuring 3.7 (the longest it's ever been) and all previous measurements had shown it being 3.2. But everything was looking good. I had only one more contraction after that 2nd shot, so she went ahead and gave me the 3rd and final shot.. she said they can only give 3 shots, if they didn't work then it would be mag : / Really didn't want that. Thankfully they stopped. I had an appt the next day with my DR and he put me on some blood pressure medicine that is suppose to help my uterus to relax (and my blood pressure was just a tid bit higher than it had been normally). So far my contractions have been significantly less.. and none have been regular. I just want him in there for at least 6 more weeks!!

I have also had one of my baby showers.. it was GREAT!!! We had so much fun, and I got tons of great gifts!! I still have 2 more showers: one at work in a week and a half, and one with my hubby's family at the end of the month!!

Sunday, May 4, 2008

26 weeks: Well, I thought I should update everyone. I'm doing a lot better about my grandfather. I feel more at peace with his passing because he was just suffering, and I don't want that for him.

I had some brown discharge on Thursday, so I went in for my appt. early. They did an u/s and everything looked great. The baby is healthy, my cervix was measuring longer than it has before (3.7cm), and my placenta is not trying to detach. Bryson is still measuring further along.. and so is my belly. They are both measuring a week and 3 days further along. Bryson weighed 2lbs 5oz, had a heartrate of 141, and is head down. He wouldn't turn over for anything.. so the only pics we got was of his back. The DR checked my cervix, and it was not dilating. He said that the spotting is normal because as the pregnancy progresses, the cervix swells and causes the stitch to become tighter... which in turn causes slight bleeding. Well.. I'm just happy that everything is looking so great and that Bryson is so big!! I take my glucose test at my next appt on the 15th!!

Monday, April 21, 2008

24 weeks 1 day: Today has been a very emotional day for me. My grandfather passed away around 9:45 this morning. He had been sick for a little while. He had MRSA and pneumonia, but we just didn't see this coming. On Friday 2 doctors said that there was 0% chance of survival for him.. and even if a miracle did happen and he got better, he would never be able to go home, he would have to spend the rest of his life in the hospital. So, my family made the decision that if he was not better by today, they were going to take him off of the ventilator. He lived for only 10-15 mins after the ventilator was turned off. I miss him terribly, and I wish I could have seen him one last time... but I guess it's a good thing too, I will always remember him as being well.. not stuck in a hospital bed with tubes all in him. We are leaving on Wednesday to go to Oklahoma; thankfully the pregnancy is going so well that my DRs said it would be okay for me to travel. The funeral is on Friday.. I'm so scared about seeing him, but I'm sure he'll look very handsome. I'm sad for me and my family.. I'm sad b/c we'll never be able to see him again (until we go to heaven), but I'm happy for him b/c he's in a much better place.. not suffering. Well.. I'm going now.. I'm so tired, emotionally.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

22 weeks 4 days: I haven't updated in a while. Now that we know the baby is a boy.. I'll continue to write all of these in shades of blue.. I know, I'm a dork! Everything is still going well. I have been having the cramps/contractions/braxton hicks (my DR said they are all the same), but luckily they just go away on their own. Bryson is moving around constantly.. he's kicking as I'm typing this! I just love all the little movements (well, except for maybe the cervix kicks). We took our hospital tour today, and it was nice. We didn't have a tour with Ansley b/c I didn't make it that far. When I had Ansley, I didn't even get to see the nursery (which is a good thing, I'm sure). But anyway, just wanted to write a quick update! xoxo

Thursday, March 13, 2008

18 weeks 4 days: Such a great day!! The ultrasound went fabulous! Our little BOY!!!! looked great and my cervix is still measuring 3.2cm! The heart rate was 151, he measured 19w6d (surprised me!), weighed 11 oz, and was 9 in long! Today has been such a fantastic day!

Thursday, February 28, 2008

16 weeks 4 days: I had a DRs appt today and everything looked great! The DR said that it would take a stick of dynamite to open my cervix.. lol. The baby's heartrate was 160, but I kind of think that my DR just makes up a number each time. He also said that in 2 weeks we get to do the u/s!!! I'm SOOOOO excited to see my baby again! It seems like it's been forever! When you have been getting them every 2 weeks and then go 6 weeks without one.. it's kinda depressing. I think the baby is going to be a boy.. and so does my DR! I guess we'll find out in 2 weeks!! YaY! Have a great day!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

14 weeks 4 days: First of all, Happy Valentine's Day to all!! Everything is going so well with my cerclage. I went to the DRs yesterday, and, after an examination, he said that everything looked great. I was very disappointed when he told me no more ultrasounds until the 18-20w one :'( But I understand why; he said that he wants to put the least amount of pressure on my cervix as possible, and I suppose that he can get a better picture of what's going on if he just examines me. Now we just have something else to look forward to.. only another month :( I'm also very excited to report that my DR is putting me on the progesterone shots. At first he had said that I wouldn't need them, but after I reminded him that he thought my first loss sounded more like it was due to preterm labor than IC, he agreed that I should start taking them. I start the shots on March 2nd, and I can't wait. I am actually starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.. I can now see me holding my precious little baby in my arms!

I still miss Ansley Grace terribly, and wish so badly that things could have worked out for her, but she is definately in a much better place!! I really think that this pregnancy has helped me to cope with the pain of her loss. The pain will always be there, and I'll always want her back, but it has gotten much easier. I hope this is inspiration to women out there who have just went through a loss b/c there is hope.

Friday, February 8, 2008

13 weeks 5 days: I feel so blessed! My surgery went wonderfully! I went to the hospital at 10am; they got me in real quick; I changed into the gown and got my IV; then around 12:25pm I went in for my spinal block and the surgery. The worse part of the whole thing was when the anesthesiologist was digging her fingers in to my back to try to find a good spot to put the needle in. I had a little bit of cramping yesterday, and I have been spotting, but today I haven't had any cramps, just some pain in my back where they did the spinal block. I just feel so lucky that everything went so well! I go back to the DR on Wednesday.. ::fingers crossed:: hopefully we'll find out the sex!!!

Thursday, January 31, 2008

12 weeks 4 days: Today has been a really good day. I went to the DRs yesterday bc I was feeling a lot of pressure (which I haven't had much of today).. like I was thinning out or dilating, but everything looked really good. My cervix is measuring 3.2cm which is borderline to normal according to the nurse practitioner. I'm really hoping that my DR will put me on progesterone; I've heard such good things about it. But, the last time I spoke with him about it.. he said that I won't need it. I go a week from today for my cerclage.. getting very nervous! And then that following Wed. we will have an ultrasound. I'm really hoping that they will be able to tell the sex. I've been wanting to put all of the ultrasounds in to a scrapbook.. but I wanted to know the sex first. Well, I'm hoping and praying for the best on Thursday!! xoxo!