Mommy's Journal
September 3, 2005
(We're 5 weeks pregnant!)
Just in case you haven't heard the great news...We're gonna have a baby! We just found out a couple of days ago and just finished alerting the fam : ) I know the pictures are blurry but it's the best I could do. I couldn't seem to get the camera to focus on the "little" pregnant word : ) Of course we wanted to make sure, so we've taken 3 tests so far! Ha! All were positive so we figured we could spread the word!
I will have my first doctors appointment Friday, September 9th. From what I can surmise, I should be due on or around May 12th, 2006. We're SO excited (as I'm sure you can tell) and can't wait for this big adventure!
Stay tuned for more updates....I'll post here as I have new info/pics!
Love,
E
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September 11, 2005
(We are 6 weeks pregnant!)
We are 6 weeks pregnant!!! I saw the nurse for the first time on last Thursday and we found out "officially" that we were pregnant.
She also told me that my due date is May 5th, 2006. We are so excited that we can hardly contain ourselves : )
After wanting this for so long it's very hard to believe that it's really here. I can't wait to get past the first 12 weeks so that I can breathe!
We're looking forward to this exciting journey and "knock on wood" I don't have any signs of morning sickness yet! A little "seasick" now and then but so far that's it. I have noticed that I'm MUCH more tired than I was before and it seems that we're going to bed earlier and earlier. I've also noticed that I'm not hungry in the mornings until about 1030am which is very unusual. Chris and I both were big breakfast people, but this little one inside apparently has another idea ; )
Love,
E
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September 17, 2005
(We are 7 weeks pregnant!)
Chris surprised me today with a trip to USA Baby! He heard that they were having a big sale and thought we could pick up some things... Little did we know we would find the "perfect" bedding set! We had been looking and saw a "bumble bee" set that was gender neutral that we really liked by Wendy Bellissimo. But it was pretty pricey... The set we found at USA Baby was almost identical to it! See photos on our "nursery pictures" page above...
Love,
E
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October 6, 2005
(We are 10 weeks pregnant!)
Today we went for our 2nd doctors appointment and it was a doozie! Check out details above under "appointments"!
Love,
E
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October 14, 2005
(We are 11 weeks pregnant!)
Thanks to Mike and Christina Hawkins we have been introduced to the wonderful sound of our baby's heartbeat anytime we wish to hear it! They told us about a WONDERFUL company called "Heartbeats at Home" that rents fetal Doppler's. We now have the joy of hearing our little one's heartbeat anytime we wish! It's so great! We received our Doppler on Tuesday and Chris has already found the heartbeat twice. Once Tuesday nite and once tonite. It's so reassuring to know we can "check in" anytime...
With that said, I've created a new page called "heartbeats". This is where I'll keep our little one's heartbeat recordings so you can hear too! I'll try and update at least once a month if not more often...So, keep checking for updates!
I am finally starting to feel a little better. For about 2 weeks there I was kicking myself for being "so sure" that I wouldn't have any morning sickness! Ha! What a joke! I will say though I was lucky enough to only have a couple of weeks of it. I feel much better now although my eating habits have totally changed. I don't think I've eaten a normal lunch since I found out I was pregnant. My lunches now consist of Doritos or popcorn!
Love,
E
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October 29, 2005
(We are 13 weeks pregnant!)
We're officially in our 2nd trimester thank God!!! I am so happy to finally be here! I feel SO much better! I finally have my energy back, I'm eating (more) normally, and I don't feel near as sick anymore. Our baby has passed all the critical points and all his major organs are fully formed now. He's looking more and more human every day. My belly is slowly growing as well. I'm still down 2.5lbs but until a couple of days ago I was down 4.5lbs. So, I think it's starting to catch up with me :)
Our only minor setback so far was on 10/21 when I found out I had a urinary tract infection. I was put on antibiotics for a week, but they were making me sick so she prescribed Phenergan for the nausea and it helped tremendously. I was a walking zombie (it felt like) all week, but I wasn't nauseous. As of yesterday I finished the antibiotics and I'm MUCH better now!
We've really been enjoying our Doppler as well. It's been SO nice to just pick it up and listen to our little one whenever we want! Just last nite before bed, we were able to listen! I'll try to update the heartbeats page soon with a new beat!
I have been told (by Chris and Dr. Moss) that I will need to get a flu shot this year. I'm not very excited about this since I've never had one and have yet to get the flu! But, I'm calling around and as soon as we find someone that has them in stock (my OB isn't offering them this year) we will both get them...
Love,
E
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November 7, 2005
(We are 14 weeks pregnant!)
I'm finally starting to show :) Well, not much but a little! I'm still down 4 lbs since we found out we were pregnant, but I have a feeling that will catch up to me before too long! Our little one is now 4" long (not including little legs) and can smile, frown, swallow and suck his/her thumb! He/she is about the size of your fist but weighs only 1 oz. It's still got a lot of growing to do!
I am feeling good. Sleeping ok. I've started having a pain in my lower left back late at night. It's like my body telling me it's bedtime...but once I get a good nite's sleep I'm better in the morning...
My appetite has returned with full force! No more banana pops! I'm craving fresh fruits (particularly pears and strawberries) and detesting any type of meat (steak, pork, chicken). Chris is loving that I seem to be craving very healthy foods! I still HAVE TO HAVE my mid-morning snack to keep from getting sick but it seems like I'm able to skip my afternoon snack...
Still need to get my flu shot! Haven't been able to find someone who has them in stock!
Love,
E
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November 18, 2005
(We are 16 weeks pregnant!)
Well, I've definitely got a little belly now : ) Just this week we had our 4 month appointment. A pretty normal one. The most exciting part was finding out that we will find out on Dec 14th what's been hiding in my belly : ) I asked Mary if she wanted to guess and she guessed a boy b/c she seemed to think the heartbeat was too slow to be a girl...The heartbeat has been between 150-160bpm. Well, we'll know for sure in just under 1 month! Just in time for Christmas shopping : )
I've recently started having terrible indigestion whenever I eat anything (even cereal). I mentioned this to Mary and she prescribed progenix. It has been WONDERFUL! I started it yesterday and haven't been sick since. It's so nice to be able to eat again and not get sick each time!
My appetite has definitely returned! I've even noticed my first "unusual" craving! Chocolate covered marshmallows. It's crazy I know but that's been what I've been craving!
I'm finally starting to sleep thru the nite again as well. Lately I haven't had to get up in the middle of the nite to pee. It's been wonderful to sleep all nite and actually feel "rested" in the morning!
I finally got my flu shot from Reeves Sain Drug Store. I was all worried that it would hurt terribly but, honestly, I didn't even realize she had done it! I had my head turned and didn't even feel it! So little one and I are protected from the flu now : )
Love,
E
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December 16, 2005
(We are 20 weeks pregnant!)
Wow! What a difference a month makes!!! My belly continues to grow and has made maternity clothes a must! I have to say though it's been fun wearing all the cutesy maternity clothes!
My appetite is still hearty although I'm still eating small portions but lots of them :)
The big news for this posting is that WE'RE HAVING A BOY!!! We are so excited to know that we'll soon welcome little "Alexander Benjamin" to the world! It was SO exciting to see his first photos! The past few weeks have really been a blur...Just shortly after my last November posting we drove to Mobile to move Mom and Dad up. What a trip that was! A long drive and lots of short stops on the way home but we made it with very little problems. Just 2 weeks later I found myself in the emergency room at 3am with severe cramps. We were so worried about our little one (and me, of course). Turns out we were fine just had a nasty bladder infection. I'm much better now but the exciting news was that they did an ultrasound to see that baby was ok, so it was then that we "unofficially" found out we were having a little boy!
This month we also had our 5 month OB visit. It was
an exciting one starting with our "official" ultrasound. We left with 7
photos of Alexander and a 5 minute video of him. I have to say, he's SO
cute! We got to watch him kick and punch and turn summersaults. He
even showed us how he "drinks" the amniotic fluid...He also waved at us!!!
No kidding! I have it on video as proof! Check out his page for all
the photos!
We had a "small bit" of bad news at our visit though. Mary was a small bit concerned that my placenta was attached a little low. Apparently it needs to be at or above Alexander's head so that when he delivers it won't get in his way. Mary is 99.9% sure that this problem will cure itself. As my belly grows the placenta should move up with it. Because of this concern, they will monitor Alexander a little more closely. I will have another ultrasound January 31st.
Love,
E
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December 25, 2005
(We are 21 weeks pregnant!)
Normally I wouldn't write again so soon, but I have great news!!! After complaining for weeks that I haven't felt little Alexander move, he finally kicked me last Thursday nite! Last Thursday we were 21 weeks pregnant and as I was laying in bed watching TV I thought I felt something. But I wasn't sure. So, I took both hands and shook my belly really good :) Just a few seconds later I felt him "firmly" kick me 3 more times! I couldn't believe it! I immediately ran upstairs to tell Chris and Mom and Dad. I have to say...It's a very "weird" feeling!!! I told Chris the only way I knew how to describe it was that it's like being "thumped" from the inside...
I'm so happy to be able to feel him now :) Although it's a very strange feeling, it's very reassuring to feel it... We were at the candlelite service last nite at church and there were lots of beautiful carols being sung and Alexander kicked and kicked, and kicked...
Mom and I just finished the bedding set for Alexander's cradle and I have to say, it's beautiful!!! Check out the nursery pictures to see all the details! We also got our glider in last week and there are pictures of it as well!
Love,
E
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January 11, 2006
(We are 24 weeks pregnant!)
The past three weeks have been a whirlwind! We had a wonderful Christmas and Santa was good to everyone!!!
We were all shocked at the passing of Chris's dad Charles (Grandpa) Scogins on 12/30/05. We feel truly blessed to have so many wonderful memories of him and know that he's watching over us right now.
We are trying to get back into a "routine" here at home. Mom and Dad moved this past Sunday to their new house in Christiana so we have the house back to the two of us. We do miss the good home cooking though :)
Alexander is a rockin and a rollin in my belly these days. Today at lunch he did a complete roll and I thought I was going to throw up! It's such a weird feeling! I swear I felt an arm and a shoulder! Chris was able to feel him kick starting last week and it's so cute to see his face light up when he feels those kicks! And Lord forbid Alexander doesn't kick for him, he'll shake my belly until he does!!!
Love,
E
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February 23, 2006
(We are 30 weeks pregnant!)
Sorry it's been so long since I wrote last... It's been a crazy 6 weeks!
My belly is continuing to grow. I've gained #20lbs so far now and Alexander is still kicking and rolling like crazy. We went for a 3D ultrasound 2 weeks ago and were able to see his little face. It was absolutely amazing to see all the details! His chubby little cheeks and chin. He has my chin!!! The man who did the ultrasound wasn't happy with the photos that we got though (Alexander kept putting his hands in front of his face and his cord kept getting in the way), so he is having us go back this Saturday for a 2nd shot. Hopefully we'll get some better photos then. It was so amazing though. Totally worth the money and I would recommend it to anyone!!!
We went back yesterday to the Dr. for our 30 week visit. I saw Dr. Moore. She was wonderful. She explained the pains I've been having were "round ligament pains" even though I'm feeling them in my groin. She explained that the ligaments stretch all the way from the placenta into your groin and they will continue to hurt (more than likely) until Alexander is born.
The nursery is coming together. We've added an airplane rug (too cute) and just recently purchased an airplane ceiling fan! I can't wait for Chris to get in installed! It's too cute... We also ordered a mobile off Ebay to hang above the glider. It has 6 little biplanes hanging from it...
I've started to get a little nervous as the weeks pass and I start to think about having him here. It's easy to get overwhelmed here lately. From what I hear though, this is pretty normal. I am just anxious for him to get here so we can meet him and get adjusted!
Love,
E
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March 24, 2006
(We are 34 weeks pregnant!)
Good morning! We are nearing our baby's birthday and couldn't be more excited!
Today is our 5th wedding anniversary and we leave tonite for Monteagle, TN. Just a 45 minute drive down interstate 24 and close enough to pacify Dr. Moss. I am not going to be allowed to travel any distance starting next week. Just another sign that he'll be here soon!
Our placenta previa has corrected itself so this means we'll have a vaginal birth (barring any complications). Alexander was 4.5lbs just a week ago and should be growing at about 1/2lb a week now. At this rate he would be 8lbs at birth (assuming he comes on time!)
We finished our 5 weeks of childbirth classes this week. We thoroughly enjoyed these classes and learned so much!!! We will install the car seat this coming Sunday when we get home... I've been working on getting our bags packed too!
Hard to believe we've come sooo far and he'll be here sooo soon!
Love,
E
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April 5, 2006
(We are 36 weeks pregnant!)
Good morning!
I woke up this morning at 430am with the most amazing feeling...Alex had the hiccups! I was snuggled up to Chris and it even woke him up! He said, "What the heck is that???" I said, "Alex has the hiccups!" He said, "Awe, poor thing!" It was so cute. I swear he must have had them until after 5am. It's virtually impossible to go to sleep when your belly is vibrating every couple of seconds...
We had our first cervical exam last week at our visit. We found out that we were 1/2 cm dilated and 60% effaced. Already! Mary was very pleased and said that this should mean that we have an easier/quicker labor since my body is already getting ready!
Our bags are packed and we have our phone lists ready! The car seat is installed and Chris will be staining the cradle this coming Friday. We are ready for our new little man!
Keep us in your prayers as we get ready to welcome our newest addition!
Love,
E
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April 21, 2006
(We are 38 weeks pregnant!)
Morning!
Sometimes I wonder if I will ever have this child! I know it's only 2 weeks away, but they seem to be dragging on...
We are ready for Alex. The nursery is done, the car seats installed, the cradle is stained and dressed, the showers are over, all of his little clothes are washed and all 3 of us have bags packed and in the car.
As the day nears I get more and more nervous about how this will all "go down" :) It's hard to believe that this baby will be coming out! I know when the time comes my body will know what to do, but it's still pretty scary!
Working is getting harder and harder. Everyday I more a little slower and am running to the bathroom a little more and more. My ankles (or cancles as Bobby so affectionately calls them) are getting bigger and bigger. My hands continue to swell and I'm not able to wear my wedding ring as of about a month ago. I've decided to take off the next two Mondays and Tuesdays to give myself a little more time to rest and prepare. Hopefully by then we'll have our new addition!
Continue to keep us in your prayers as we near our baby's birth day!
Love,
E
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April 28, 2006
(We are 39 weeks pregnant!)
Good morning! I had my 39 week doctor's appointment yesterday!
Everyday I move a little slower and feel a little more tired...I'm very much ready for this little man to make his debut! I decided a couple of weeks ago that it would be best for me to take some vacation time and work 3 day weeks these last 2 weeks. Last week I took off Monday and Tuesday and then worked Wednesday - Friday.
I've been very impatient about waiting for Alex to arrive! I took my day planner with me yesterday to my appointment and told Mary when she came in that I wanted to have a talk with her :) She then surprised me by saying "I'm on call next Wednesday!". I said, do you mean we can induce next Wednesday (May 3rd)??? She said yes, if I was ready :) Well, of course I am!
So, with that...I will check into the hospital next Tuesday nite and they will start my IV and give me something to help me sleep. Then on Wednesday morning around 630am they will start the petocin then break my water around 830a.
I can hardly believe it. I'm still in shock! Now my nerves have kicked in and I'm starting to get really nervous! I'm concerned about everything! I know this will all be over in just one week but now that's it's more of a reality since we have a "date", I'm pretty nervous.
Today will be my last day at work for the next 12 weeks. I will try and get some last minute rest this weekend and next Monday and Tuesday because I have a feeling I won't be resting much once he's here!
Please keep us in your prayers as we get through this next week!
Love,
E
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May 28, 2006
(Alexander is 25 days old...)
Wow! There are no other words to describe the past 3 1/2 weeks...
My last journal was just a short time before our little man joined the world. I guess I should first tell you about his birth...
I was admitted to the hospital at 9pm Tuesday, May 2nd to be induced. Once there the nurses started my IV and took lots of information... Chris took his Mom home and Katie came and stayed with me for a while...We spent the next couple of hours chatting and trying to keep my mind off what was happening... We got the "good room" room #9 which is more like a hotel suite. It's a HUGE room with a foldout bed and 2 rocking chairs... That nite my nurse, Annabel (my angel as she would later be dubbed) came in periodically to check my blood pressure and put the pills on my cervix to help efface it. I honestly don't remember how much sleep I got that nite. I don't seem to remember it being that bad though...
The next morning Annabel was back to start my Petocin drip to start the contractions. Pretty soon after she started this my contractions started coming...they really came fast and they started my epidural at 1030am when I had dilated to 4cm. That slowed things down quite a bit. At around 6pm I called the nurse in because I was feeling the contractions low in my belly. There was a spot (a square area) that was not numb and I was feeling the full effect of the contractions with each one coming every 30-45 seconds... Thank God for my sweet hubby and my good friend Katie Henry for helping me through what would be the longest and hardest day of my life. My nurse, Annabel, came in and called Randy (the anesthesiologist) to give me another dose to hopefully completely numb my belly. Well, no longer than he had stepped out the door, my epidural wore off completely. They called him back in and he put another disk in (to start the epidural back again). By then it was 9pm and they were checking me about every hour. I had dilated to 8cm and 90% effaced but was not making any more progress. Mary came in and talked to me about doing a cesarean. I told her whatever she had to do was fine. I was completely exhausted by this point and couldn't imagine pushing this baby out.
At 1015pm Mary came back to check me one more time. I had still not made any progress and she decided to do the cesarean. Everyone came over and I vaguely remember them telling me goodbye and good luck and they'd see me soon (I was so exhausted and doped up that it's hard for me to remember the details). I remember being wheeled to the operating room and being scared and wanting Chris but he couldn't come in until they had me settled. I remember they moved me to the operating table and strapped my arms down and gave me oxygen. I dozed then woke up to a burning sensation in my belly. I groaned that I was feeling something and Chris immediately told Mary that I was feeling pain. She yelled to Randy and he pumped a syringe of morphine into me and I passed out.
My next memory is of someone telling me to open my eyes and see my baby boy. I remember trying to open my eyes and feeling like I was looking thru Vaseline. Everything was very blurry. I remember seeing what looked like Alexander wrapped like a burrito in a blanket above my head but then I blacked out again.
***I would later find out that due to the shape of my pelvis (cone-shaped), I will never be able to birth a child vaginally. Unfortunately there was no way to know this until she got him out and saw his head. He had a huge bulge on the top of his head where he had been trying to come down and just couldn't because of my pelvis...***
The next thing I remember is being wheeled to post partum. I remember them wheeling me and hitting all the little bumps (what I later found out were the thresholds of the corridors). I remember it hurt something terrible every time they would hit a bump. I then remember being worked on in post partum. I remember there being lots of nurses and asking who was my nurse and being told that they were on a shift change and I would find out soon. I remember the skin around my IV (on my hand) was red and blotchy and they told me that they would have to do a new IV because of this. I remember the IV being terribly painful when they redid it. (I still have a scar from it 3 1/2 weeks later...) I don't remember them bringing Alexander in that night but they did (Chris has pictures to prove it). We roomed in with Alexander that night and finally at around 5am Chris said "You need to feed him, he's starving!" Needless to say, we didn't room in the rest of our stay. I needed the time to recover and rest. They brought him to me every so often to nurse but then took him back to the nursery.
The next few days were exhausting. I never anticipated the recovery being so hard. My stomach hurt so bad. It hurt to cough, laugh, or even breathe hard. Getting out of bed was a HUGE chore. It was almost like learning how to walk all over again. Chris had to help me every time I needed to get up to do anything. I finally took a shower on Friday after having him Wednesday night and felt much better. The more I was able to get up and move around the better I felt. The nurses were stern but good. They wouldn't feel sorry for me. I asked for pain meds every 4 hours and they made me tell them on a scale of 1-10 where my pain was. (If my pain wasn't above a 4 they wouldn't give me pain meds). I later told Dr. Moore this and she laughed and told me that I should just always tell them my pain was a 5!
We were released on Saturday morning around 11am. We were ready to get home! Alexander was doing well. He had lost down to 7lbs 5oz but Dr. Eastham wasn't concerned. He said this was totally normal. We met with Mary, Dr. Eastham and lactation all before we left on Saturday and then finally got to take our bundle of joy home around noon...
No one can truly prepare you to be a Mom. Or a Dad. I wrote on our front-page that "you think you know...you don't know". That's exactly how I feel. I read and read and read everything I could get my hands on before he was born and talked to a million people about their experiences...yet you just can't prepare yourself for something like this. It was 10 times harder than I ever thought it would be. Every day is a new adventure and we get to know him a little better each day. Now, 3 1/2 weeks later, I can say that we are finally "getting to know" our little man. He's settled in nicely (except for our nights!!!) and we are using Dr. Brown's bottles and Soy formula to help him with some digestion issues...
All in all, I would probably do it again. Ask me in a year!
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