Jayda naps and Update on Chase

So as I said in another post about Jayda was that our little bug was done with naps. And for the most part that is true. No matter how tired she is she will not sleep in her own bed away from everyone. Even if she falls asleep in the car the minute we put her in her bed she just starts bawling that she doesnt want to sleep in her bed. So we've just let her fall asleep wherever and that seems to help a lot. These are just a few snapshots of her naps throughout the house.

This pic was when I was about 18 weeks. I'm much bigger now... (I'll be getting my maternities soon so I'll keep you updated on the bump). Jayda will fall asleep SO easily if I tickle her back and this is when she fell asleep on my legs.

She loves Seasame Street and will fall asleep to it a lot. She refuses a pillow but falls asleep against the couch with her little green blanket. Anything to get her to sleep!

One time I found her in my bed fast asleep. She had been playing on my memory foam with her beach tools acting as if she was at the beach and fell asleep instead. I love my little bug!

Oh and update on Chase. I feel all I do is talk about me or Jayda but Chase is such a hard worker and has helped me so much! So he's still working at Red Robing as a bartender/server at nights. But he is officially now selling insurance with Farmers! He works there in the day time and then Red Robin at night. Luckily with Farmers he can pretty much come and go as he pleases. Its just up to him to make his quota of selling 40 pieces of insurance and 4 pieces of life insurance in 3 months.

Right now he is working at both because he cant get on salary until he meets his quota but he does get commission. But comission defintely is not solid by any means so we need to be sure that we get enough to cover all of our bills. So he is busy working hard! The earliest we will be getting on salary is January because they wont put anyone on salary in November or December because its their slowest months. I think its kinda a stupid rule especially if he meets his quota but thats the rules. Whatever. It should be interesting when I have the baby and he's working 2 jobs! We're so proud of him though. And poor Jayda misses her dad. He'll come and go throughout the day and she'll be like where are you going daddy? And he'll say I'm going to work. She'll say so frustrated AGAIN?!

Nifedipine and Contractions

So in my last post I talked about how I was contracting a lot and how if I continued I'd have to go on Nifedipine. Well that next day I contracted all day long. Granted it was a Wednesday and I always contract a lot that day since I'm due for my p17 shot on Thursday. I contacted my dr and told him I was still contracting and I would take the side effects over the constant contractions. So he prescribed a bunch so I could take them every 6 hours or as needed.

Holy crap its amazing what those pills have done!! I barely contract at all anymore. I literally couldn't even walk out to check my mail without having a contraction and now I have maybe tops 3 a day. The only thing is I have to take them right at 6 hours or I start contracting again.

Luckily it seems that I have bypassed any major side effects. I was very scared to take them because I read and heard from a lot of people that the meds are hard on your body. The meds are really used for mostly elderly patients with high blood pressure. So naturally it makes you a little lightheaded and dizzy because it lowers your blood pressure. For the most part I dont feel any of that. Maybe a little lightheaded but nothing major. The meds act as a calcium channel blocker. Your uterus needs calcium to contract so it helps calm down those contractions by blocking those calcium channels.

In my opinion nothing is worse than clomid. Maybe after taking those "bitch in a bottle" pills nothing seems as bad!

This is how many pills I have on my side table next to my bed! I have my tums of course! I take at least 2 big ones a day right before bed. I also take one zantac during the morning and one at night which really helps the heartburn. Then I have tylenol pm which I usually take one every night to help me sleep. I take one prenatal a day. Then I have benadryl which has helped me through this little cold I've had and it literally knocks me out COLD (of course I take a tylenol pm or benadryl not both)! Then of course the nifedipine which helps calm my contractions. Thats not even including my shots. This is just whats on my side table! haha Talk about druggie! Whatever helps me sleep at night!

I'm officially feeling HUGE! I've even gotten comments saying how huge I look and that they couldn't believe I was only 7 months. Most women get mad at those kinds of comments but not me! I'm just glad to be considered huge and not get the "Omg you are SO small" comments.

Last night Haven was chilling in my ribs. Most women get annoyed at this but I was excited! I cant believe my baby is big enough to be chillin in my ribs!!! What an awesome feeling! I also woke up feeling like a 300lb man. I imagined myself as Randy from "The Christmas Story" when his mom put him in so much clothes that he fell and couldn't get up. I was thinking to myself. I CANT GET UP! I CANT GET UP!

If only I had a pully system hanging from the ceiling that I could just latch on to instead of rolling around like a marshmellow out of bed! Then as I headed to the bathroom I was huffing and puffing. haha Its a pleasure to be this big...trust me! You'll never hear complaints out of me.

I'll take the heartburn, the poundage, the kicks in the ribs, the throwing up any day of the week. Its much more pleasurable then peeing on opks, seeing negative after negatives, and just hoping and wondering and praying that this was my month only to be crushed month after month. Or watching my baby suffer in a plastic box watching my baby kick air instead of my ribs. That pain is a whole hell of a lot worse and way more uncomfortable.

Unchartered Waters

1. I'm officially the most pregnant I've ever been!

2. My uterus can now carry a baby that is over a pound! She measured 2lbs 2oz! Little chunkers!

I had a busy appointment today. Got a lot of stuff done. We checked my cervix and it was a 3.66 so still long and closed which is super suprising considering how much I've been contracting. Its so cool to see her every couple of weeks on ultrasound. I can always see how bigger her little cheeks are getting.

Today we also saw her swallowing her amniotic fluid which means she's practicing her breathing and getting those lungs developed! Its crazy too that I can actually feel her little body parts. There have been a few mornings (like today) where I wake up on my side and I look down at my stomach and there is a huge lump sticking out. I put my hand on top of it and its SO hard almost like her little head! Then I could feel her move in my hand. It was amazing. Then today on ultrasound I asked the tech what I had felt and she said her head and her feet was on that side. So I was literally able to cup my baby's head! Insane!

I also had my glucose 1hr test and that came back normal! YAY! I can eat cookies still!! I also got my rhogam shot because I have the RH factor which just means my blood is negative and Chase's is positive. Most times the baby will take on the fathers blood type and so if my blood and the baby's blood mix then my body will attack the baby and see her as an "intuder". Obviously we dont want that so I have to get the shot

1. If I bleed at all

2. Routinely at 28 weeks (just got it a little early)

3. After delivery if the baby's blood comes back positive.

Its not a big deal...just another shot. I already feel like a pin cushion at this point so whats another shot right?

So I chatted with the dr and he said that he was very very happy with where my cervix was measuring but that the fact that I'm contracting is a problem. He said with normal patients he would be thrilled with the cervix and say to just ignore the contractions but because I have such a high risk of pprom he wants to watch it closely. The problem with me contracting so much is obviously not that its changing my cervix but the fact that it could weaken my water bag and make it break prematurely.

He said when he saw my name on the L&D list his heart dropped but he was super glad that I went in. He wants me to come in right away if it happens again. I told him I'm still contracting a lot. Some days are worse than others but some days I literally will contract all day long. If I get them a lot in a given day then he wants me to take a hot bath, lay down and drink a lot of water. He said if that continues then I need to come in and we're going to put me on medication to help calm my contractions.

He said he didnt want to do it yet considering my cervix looks great and it has some bad side effects like getting really dizzy every time you stand up but obviously I'll take that over contracting constantly. He wants me to come in every 2 weeks from here on out just to keep a close eye on me.

Overall, everything looks great! Just keep trucking along. 3rd trimester here we come!!

26 weeks and L&D

I guess theres a first for everything this pregnancy. Last night was my first (and hopefully the last) trip to L&D. Oh and I'm 26 weeks...go figure. Not ironic at all.

For the first few 24 weeks or so I felt like a second time mom. I had something to compare my pregnancy last time to this. Since about 24 weeks I feel that I'm suddenly a first time mom left to wonder if things are normal. Sure I made it to 26 weeks last time but by 24 weeks I was in the hospital and didnt have to anaylze my symptoms because I was being constantly monitored and I knew they had me taken care of. Now I feel like I dont know what to expect or what to compare to. Plus she was much smaller than this baby so its been a different pregnancy all around. I actually LOOK and feel pregnant.

For the last week I've felt extreme pelvic pressure. Literally like her head is coming down or something. I feel totally swollen and brusied down there. I know pressure is a sign but was told by friends that have gone full term that it was normal so I kinda just brushed it off.

Yesterday I had the runs and there was tons of blood in it (sorry way gross I know). I know having hemmroids during pregnancy is normal (annoying but normal) but I wasn't having issues going to the bathroom so I just didnt understand why there was a massive amount of blood. When I saw it my heart sank and I thought it was from the baby but then realized nope! So gross and so much information I know. haha!

I didnt think much of it so I just went about my day. I went out with my MIL and SILs and we ended up at my MILs friend's house who is also an OB. I was chatting with her about the pelvic pressure and asked her if that was normal. What turned into a casual conversation kinda freaked me out! She was like uhhhh well that is a sign that things are happening and considering your history I would definetely go get checked out tomorrow. But then again maybe all you need is more belly support. She made me SO nervous!

So after that I went with my SIL to Chases softball game and I could not believe the pressure I was having and then I was also contracting on top of that. I walked what seemed a mile to the bathrooms because I felt like I was going to burst. Got into the bathroom and a little drizzle comes out. Seriously?!

We went home soon after and I told Chase I was thinking about calling the dr. We went home and I decided I was going to go lay on the couch and drink some water and put my feet up. Its then that I realized that that pressure was corresponding when I was having a contraction. Granted they were braxton hicks and not menstral crampy but they were still coming every 5 min or so.

Around midnight I went in to tell Chase that I was going to go to L&D to get checked out, just in case. It was probably nothing but I would feel so bad if it WAS something. I'm not going that route this time around. Worrying more about what the nurses and drs will think of crazy old me instead of worrying more about my baby. In hindsight the choice is obvious.

I got to L&D told them my history (they seemed to get me back a lot faster when I told them haha) and they had me change into a gown and gave them a urine sample. They then set up the contraction monitor and the heartbeat monitor. And wouldn't you believe it NO contractions. Not a single one was picking up. I could still feel them though and even had the nurse touch my stomach so she could see that it was hard. She said that is super wierd that it wasnt picking it up (not suprisingly this very thing happened the day I had Jayda....and yet her leg appeared into my canal...monitors arent everything).

She decided to do an FFN test which if negative is 95-97% effective in letting you know if your likely to go into labor in the next 2 weeks. That test was nerve wracking because they had to stick a spectulum up there and I was terrified I was going to bleed. Plus we have a no go zone policy down there so it was scary to break that rule! The test took an hour but it came back negative! 2 weeks...I'll take it! She also checked to see for any fluid and to see if I was dialated and it was closed and there was no fluid. Thank gosh!

So since the monitors didnt show anything...not even irratability she decided to put me into another room with a different monitor. Same story. Finally she switched out the cord and they finally started picking up. But by that point she said she had talked to my dr and all my tests came back normal. The best I could do is just do nothing today to calm down my contractions because they weren't doing anything.

I was glad to get the hell out of there though. It brought back too many bad and dark memories sitting in that bed, with those pillows, and that hospital SMELL!

Today Chase has been pampering me. He went and got me some gatorade and some ice cream because on top of it all I have a wicked sore throat and runny nose. I'm still contracting a lot but apparantly its not doing anything. My uterus is just really annoyed easily or something.

I guess I knew that everything was ok deep down (it def didnt feel like the labor with Jayda) but I didnt want to risk anything and I want to catch things BEFORE they happen. I ignored a lot of things last pregnancy and I promised myself I would not do that this time around.

The dr wanted me to call if I continued to get the blood in my stool and if I feel I need to get in at all they could squeeze me in. I have an appt on tuesday so I think I'm just going to wait until then since I'm sure not much has changed in the last 12 hours. I've been trying to take it easy all day since I'm still contracting a lot. I got my p17 shot today so hopefully that calms er down. Chase has taken Jayda all day and shes probably going to spend the night at my MILs since Chase works tonight.

Uterus, calm it down or else. We're SO close to 28 weeks I can taste it!

I'm 3 and I'll cry if I want to!

Seriously whoever said the twos were terrible hadnt gotten to the threes yet! Twos were easy peasy. The threes are so much harder. Of course theres fun and not so fun things about every age but the threes have really been a test of patience for me.

"I do it MYSELF!" I never thought I'd hate a phrase so much and she says it to everything! I dont mind her doing things herself but when you are in a hurry to get out the door it can be a pain in the butt. Or if I pick her up out of her carseat she FLIPS out if I dont let her hop down herself. Like full out kicking and screaming on the ground!

Soon after she started preschool she had a potty training regression. She literally would pee and poo her pants every day. I didnt understand it because she had done so well for so long. Then I talked to one of my good friends who is a school teacher and she said that was SO common when they start school. She said a lot of kindergarteners and 1st graders even pee their pants in the first couple of weeks/months because of the transition. I just had to stay patient but it was SO frustrating.

We went to the park once and she was having so much fun she didnt want to stop and go potty. She grabbed her butt and said she needed to go to the bathroom but when I said we needed to leave to go she said she didn't need to go so I believed her (stupid me). Yeah she shit her pants.

Next day, we go with one of my friends and her little girl to the temple and then to the park. Jayda came to me, told me she had pissed her pants so I said ok well we better go then. Then I run into another friend and I start talking for a minute. Jayda said mommy I gotta go to the bathroom. Literally, a minute later I look over and Jayda said, "Mommy I'm going poop" as she was squatting. I said, "Are you serious?! NO!" She said, "Its ok mommy. I'll just go right here." I couldn't help but laugh. It was the grossest thing ever.

There are definetely some positives about being three. Its so much fun being able to have full out conversations and she can understand way more. She has such an imagination its so fun to watch her blossom into a little girl. Some of the things she says just cracks me up and her personality is really starting to show.

Here are some things Jayda loves/has been doing lately:

-Loves her preschool and her teacher Miss Melissa and her "fwiends". Today when I picked her up from preschool she ran to me and gave me a big hug and then had to turn around and say "bye to her friends". They were all heading into their cars so they weren't listening but she said "bye friends, I'll see ya next time!"

-Shes such a social butterfly and can make friends where ever she goes. She's always been a social little thing and never had stranger danger. She just loves people.

-She absolutely loves Seasame Street and watches it everyday.

-She is really starting to love the idea of having a baby sister. Yesterday I was laying on the couch and she lifted up my shirt, got right next to my belly and said in a loud voice, "Baby Haven! Wake up!! Are you in there?!" And right after that I literally watched baby Haven roll and kick. It looked like a wave under my skin. She already loves her sister and recognizes her voice! Then Jayda went and got her jump rope put it to my belly and said, :"Here ya go Haven. It's your turn."

-Jayda has been riding the line between refusing naps and truly needing them. Last week she refused them but also was way too awake to even put her down. Without fail around 4 or 5 she turned into a demon monster, but at that point it was too late to go down for a nap. Yesterday we had to make her go down and she was much more pleasant to be around. She's almost there but not quite. I'm not ready to be without my naps/breaks either!

-Jayda is an earlybird. She wakes up without fail at 7am every.single.day.

-Jayda may look small but she can down a whole Wendys hamburger by herself.

-She is a complete daddys girl! She absolutely adores him but is also a tad scared of him too. She listens so much better to him than me. She enjoys the time she spends with him and when he takes her to the Washington Rec Center (T-rex center) to go swimming.

-She begs to go spend the night at "Mukahs" house (my MIL). She loves going over there and spending time with my SILs and BIL. I also dont mind the break. :)

-She's been attempting to do cartwheels and its the funniest thing ever. She can't wait to start gymnastics next year.

-Whenever I get after her and really lose my patience she will ask me a few minutes later..."Are you happy now mommy?" It makes me laugh every time. The other day I was really getting pissed because she hadnt taken a nap and was just being crazy. Mixed with pregnancy hormones/not being able to sleep at all the night before and not getting a break all day I was gonna kill someone. We ended up going to the splash pad with my friend and her kid and one of the first things she said to my friend was, "Mommy's being mean to me." I laughed and she cocked her head to the side smiling and said, "Mommy you're happy now?" Sometimes she makes me feel bipolar. lol

-One of her (and my) favorite things to do is to take her to the library and pick out a few books. We'll go every week and return the old books and check out new ones.

-She loves to sing twinkle twinkle little star but she'll replace diamond with circle and just laugh and laugh. Then she'll say see mommy I said circle not diamond. I'm so silly. I love my little girl. I can't wait to see how everything changes when we add another little one to the mix. I'm holding my breath and mentally preparing for long days and nights but am SO glad we're adding another one.

First Milestone

Today marks 24 weeks 6 days which is the exact day in Jayda's pregnancy that my water broke and everything spiraled out of control.

Last night, or more like this morning I couldn't sleep. Mostly a mix of not being able to get comfortable then when I finally do get comfortable realizing that I need to pee. All the while trying to keep the million pillows out of the way of Chase whos huddled in the corner of the bed. Poor guy. But between that time and me being pretty much wide awake of course my mind wandered to over three years ago when I was the exact same weeks and days pregnant with Jayda and my night went much much different. Hip pain, shmit pain...pahhleease.

It was around 2a.m. and I woke up to a bad crampy feeling. I thought hmm well thats strange, but she was moving around a ton so I decided to go to the bathroom and check to see if everything was ok and then I headed back to bed. I figured she was still alive in there so I didnt think much of it. Around 5a.m. I woke up to worse cramping. It did not feel normal at all. I went to the bathroom and there was bloody discharge (sorry tmi). I woke Chase up immediately and said get up, I'm bleeding we need to go. I threw on some basketball shorts and a hoodie and literally we were gone in 2 minutes.

Luckily we only live 2 minutes away from L&D so we got there right away. Problem was I didnt know exactly where L&D was since we hadn't gotten that far in the pregnancy yet. Chase parked in front of the oncology department by emergency services and I tried to go through the doors but they were locked. I was freaking.out. I still don't understand it now but I literally ran up the stairs around the hospital trying to find where the hell I was supposed to go. Finally I reached L&D and had to call to be let it. I tried to stay as calm as possible but when I arrived at the desk I said I'm 25 weeks and bleeding and I was shaking like a leaf. Later they told me...no you are 24 weeks 6 days. That was the first time I realized just how important every day is.

The nurses immediately rushed me back, had me give them a urine sample, and get into a gown. They also hooked me up on the monitors to see if I was contracting. Yup. Every 2 minutes. Heartbeat was great. Did the FFN test and it immediately came out positive (that test shows that your water has broken). Immediately Chase just started full out bawling. I've never seen him like that. He thought that meant we had to deliver and that it was over and she would die. I knew better though since I had recently watched a show where a girl went into preterm labor and they were able to stop it. That kept me calm.

We had to wait what felt like forever for my OB to get there to check to see if I was dialated. In the meantime the nurses were lovely. I remember one nurse named Julie literally sat on my bed and just patted my back and gave me so much hope. She was my angel! Finally he showed up and checked me and I was 25% effaced. He also helped Chase give me a blessing which I feel really helped. Soon after it was apparant my water was broken because I had a big gush of fluid which by the way is literally the most terrifying thing you can even imagine.

They were luckily able to calm down my contractions, start me on antibotics to stave off any infection, give me my first steriod shot, and admitted me to the hospital on complete bedrest where I met my high risk dr who is my dr now (Dr. Chalmers). He kept me so calm and hopeful.

TODAY I woke up to Haven having the hiccups (I was wondering why she was kicking rhythmically every 5 seconds or so until I realized what was going on), took little Jayda bum to preschool, went grocery shopping with the hubs, got Jimmy Johns, went to pick my estatic 3 year old from preschool, went visiting teaching, made cookies and enchiladas, chatted with a friend and just have had a drama free day. Feels good.

13 more days til I'm the most pregnant I've ever been. Couldn't come soon enough and go figure my next drs appt is the exact same day! I called back and rescheduled it for MY dr since I was not going to get stuck in the other drs rotation.