Kallie Joy joins our family :)

She’s here!!  Kallie Joy made her entrance into the world on October 29, 2008 at 5ish o’clock pm, at 7 lbs 13 oz. and 20 3/4 inches long!

Short version:  We went in for my much-dreaded induction Wednesday morning at 8 am.  I was dilated on my own to a 2-3 at that point, and they started the Pitocin.  By 9:30 I started feeling contractions that were very bearable.  I labored throughout the day as they progressively upped the Pitocin, and at 4 pm I was checked.  I was devastated to find out I was only at a 6.  Well, I had no idea what my body, my midwife and my nurse could accomplish, because ONE HOUR later (and after 8 or so pushes), Kallie was born at 5 pm!!  No drugs–woohoo!!  Talk about INTENSE….I won’t be doing that again aaaaaanytime soon.  😉  We’re home and recovering well.  I’ll write out a more detailed birth story when we’ve moved past nursing every hour.  🙂 Thanks to all my girls who sent me so much support before I went in–I love you all!! 

Drumroll please…..here she is:

THE sweetest daddy ever.

p.s.  Yep, once again the ultrasound was wrong, no 10 lb-er for me!  haha

Here we go…

So I fought it tooth and nail to the very end…but it looks like this little one isn’t going to come out in time on her own.  😦  We’ll be going in Wednesday morning to be induced, and I’m scared to death!  I so so so so so badly want to be one of those few who get through a Pitocin induction without an epidural, but I honestly doubt whether I’m tough enough.  I’m having a really hard time emotionally with feeling like I’m cheating this baby out of the most natural experience possible (and that we’re driving her out before she’s ready), but I suppose there comes a point where I have to let that go, and it came today after a stern talking-to from my midwife and one of the doctors in the practice.  It’s just a fact that it’s safer for her to be born than to wait, because of my clotting disorder.  Now, I do still have ONE DAY to get her out naturally, so any prayers you guys could send that that still happens would be MUCH appreciated!! 

I don’t think we’ll have internet at the hospital, so I should be able to get some pics up by the end of the week when we get home.  See you all soon!!!  🙂

Pumpkins

We went and picked out pumpkins a few nights ago, and unfortunately we got there right as they were closing, so I only got a couple pictures.  😦  I don’t even have one of the pumpkin family we picked out!  But since I have a feeling we may not get around to carving them (or at least not on time), I’ll at least put these up. 

Ok, let’s have a baby…

Today was our 38 week appointment, which I went into a blubbering mess because baby was clearly still not head down.  I didn’t want to have to talk about a c-section.  Well, between getting out of the car and about half an hour later at our ultrasound, she managed to squirm into a head down position, which made us all happy but still skeptical.  Of course I’m relieved, but even more anxious to deliver her now, before she flips again.  Jenny offered us an induction this week since most women with my clotting issue are induced by 38 weeks, but obviously none of us (including her) want to go that route.  Baby is happy and healthy, so we will watch and wait and WALK WALK WALK this week to try to get things moving.  So this week is our target, and if I’m still pregnant by Monday we’ll reevaluate things.  I can’t believe we are only days away from being a family of FOUR!!!  🙂

37 weeks, 1 day

Our appointment with Jenny today showed a very happy baby who has flipped yet again and whose head is now firmly lodged under my right ribs.  Her butt is resting very heavily on my left hipbone, and she loves to stretch continuously, so that I yell in pain and can’t breathe.  Yes, I am a grouch today because of it.

Again, no progress when she checked me.  Now we’ve added Pulsatilla (herb) every 4 hours to try to get her to turn.  Jenny said we won’t attempt a version unless I want to immediately induce afterward, because she obviously loves this position so much that she would likely flip back again.  I go back on Tuesday, when we will come up with a plan based on what another doctor in the practice advises we do.  Baby’s size (head to stomach proportions, not weight) make Jenny want to deliver her this coming week, but it’s not looking like that will happen.  I’m really ready to just meet this little one who is determined to keep us guessing til the end.  She’s obviously going to fit in quite well with our stubborn family.  🙂

OBOBG – Our Big Ol’ Baby Girl

We had quite a surprising appointment today with the specialist.  First and best news was that everything looks healthy all around, and she is still head down.  We had a long ultrasound where they checked everything and took a million measurements.  I got more and more nervous watching the measurements come up on the screen, but for the opposite reason that I was nervous with Makenna–this baby was measuring 1 1/2 to 3 weeks ahead on everything!!  I finally asked the ultrasound tech, “So uh….she’s pretty big huh?”  She let out this huge relieved laugh like she’d been trying to hold it in and said that she sure was.  When all the numbers were done, she gave us an estimated weight of SEVEN POUNDS, ELEVEN OUNCES.  We were speechless!!  Now first of all, I am taking it with a grain of salt b/c ultrasound measurements can be way off, but ummm….no matter what it seems we’re having a chunker.  😉  This is totally unchartered territory for us.  There were major growth concerns with Makenna, and she has always fallen way low on the charts for weight.  I’m so nervous now that this birth won’t be quite as easy as hers, so needless to say I’m continuing my prayers that she will come early (or at least quit packing on the pounds until she does!).  

(Edited to add: I’m getting a lot of questions as to why I’m so shocked at her weight…understand that I still have 3 weeks to go, so hearing that she could be almost 8 lbs. RIGHT NOW is a shock compared to our only experience with Makenna’s teeny 6 lb, 10 oz. birth weight.  Either way I know everything will be fine, I’m just a little nervous about possibly pushing out a 10 lb. baby!)

Here are a few pics from today.  The first is my favorite. 🙂

Two little baby feet!

In this one, her head is on the right and she looks like she’s making a muscle with her left arm, bringing her hand to her mouth.  Look at the meat on that arm!

This is the only profile shot of her face.  A little blurry and she had her fist up to her mouth, but you can see her little nose.   Looks like another cutie!  😉

Off to Big Sister Class

The hospital gives a little Big Brother/Big Sister class and gives the kids a tour of the floor, shows them a movie, helps them practice taking care of the baby, etc.  We did this yesterday with Makenna and she had a blast.  Here she is, ready to go:

Changing the baby’s diaper.  The lady was so impressed with how well she knew how to do it.  She LOVES playing with the diapers we have here.

Look at that face…so proud of her swaddling skills.

She got an “I’m the Big Sister” t-shirt to wear.  It’s cute, but don’t worry, I have a WAY cuter one that I ordered for her and the baby.  😉 

That’s more like it!

Our 36 week appointment was today and I heard everything I had hoped and prayed for–she decided to turn!!  For now (and she had BETTER stay this way) she is head down.  I can’t even describe what a relief this is, because Mark and I were both really struggling at the thought of doing another version.  I just couldn’t bring myself to terms with the risks of doing it again.  I’m so thankful that it looks like we won’t have to make that decision.  We’ll still see the specialist on Monday for a fetal blood flow ultrasound to make sure everything is going smoothly there.  I only have a few more days of baby aspirin and then I stop that to prepare for delivery.  Once I stop that, then the “iffy” period begins, when they would rather have her born than stay inside.  So on THAT note, Jenny gave me the green light to do whatever I can to get that little head engaged and making her way down!  I was like a kid in a candy shop when she said that, haha!!  I’ll start all my fun herbal remedies again and kick them up a notch, and next week Jenny will check me again and give me a little extra “help” down there.   She told me to walk, walk, walk and make sure my hospital bag is packed.  Those words were music to my ears.  I’m ready to get this show on the ROAD!  🙂

Glamour Girl

 

I couldn’t resist getting a pic of the soon-to-be big sis before Gymboree this morning. 

Well, um….

Tonight’s “I-can’t-believe-my-just-turned-three-year-old-is-asking-me-this” question of the night came right before bed, when Makenna tends to get very thoughtful.  After feeling the baby kick pretty violently for a while, she suddenly asked, “But how are you going to open up your tummy for the baby to come out?”  Mark and I sat with our mouths open for a second, then we tried giving the lame “Mommy will go to the hospital to take the baby out” and “Miss Jenny will help Mommy get the baby out” explanations.  Nothing satisfied her, and she kept asking HOW the baby would come out.  So I told her, and she laughed hysterically, because that was obviously the funniest thing she had ever heard.  Well, at least we got that conversation out of the way!  😉