Funny Feelings

It all started innocently enough - a night out to dinner, a walk around Toys R Us and then home for a cup of coffee (decaf) and bed. Only my walk around Toys R Us was not very comfortable - so uncomfortable, in fact, that I had to sit down a couple of times during the visit to the store. That should have tipped me off that something was amiss . . . but I just chalked it up to the baby being really low. So home we went where I sat and relaxed.

Then came 4:20 a.m. on September 25, 2011. I woke up suddenly and knew something was different. Then the pain came . . . and I started timing it. For the next hour I kept my eye on the clock and focused on the contractions. At 5:20 or so I woke up Frank and said that it was time to call my OB. He groggily caught on to what I was saying and got up. I called my OB who told me to go to the hospital, which I happily agreed to do. :) Upon arriving at the hospital I was placed in triage and was placed on the monitors. After a half hour or so (I'm off on the timing a little due to the pain of the contractions) I was checked and had only dilated a cm, if that. They decided to monitor me for another hour and then called my OB to see what she wanted to do (they were pretty sure I'd be admitted so they had already started an IV with fluids). Since I was over 40 weeks at this point and obviously in active labor, they admitted me (Yay!!). I got moved upstairs and waited for the anesthesiologist to arrive (I was counting the minutes). After receiving my epidural, my OB arrived and checked me (I had dilated to 6 cm in the span of about 3 hours); she then told me to call my sister, mom, husband's parents and have them come to the hospital now (they were all going to wait for a little while). Once they arrived (everyone got there about 1 o'clock) my OB broke my water and within a half hour I had dilated to 9 cm. Around 2 p.m. I started pushing and at 2:21 p.m. Jet Xiang Ting was born. :)

It is amazing how instantly and totally your heart is captured by such a little person!! :) Frank and I were so blessed to have Reese and now the Lord has given us another blessing. The only feeling I have is utter amazement and gratitude!! My prayer is that we never take for granted these gifts that have been given to us!

Rest and Relaxation

About 2 weeks ago I was given rest and relaxation orders. Now to many this sounds great! However, my rest and relaxation orders were given due to our little boy trying to make an early entrance into this world. :) I guess he's getting as excited to meet us as we are of him! :) We had to remind him, though, that he needs a little more time cooking! :) It took some convincing too . . .

Wednesday, July 27th, I woke up feeling very crampy. Now I've felt this way before, but it usually goes away quickly enough. This time it didn't. So after having cramping for about 3 hours (I had had some the night before as well) I decided to call my OB's office. I figured they would tell me it's nothing, probably Braxton Hicks or something like that. Nope. They wanted me to go to the hospital to be monitored and checked out. Yay. :/ So I finished feeding Reese her lunch, ran her over to my sister's house (whose husband was very kind to watch her along with his four) and then met my husband at the hospital. They got me situated pretty quickly and hooked up to the fetal monitors. After a little while they told me that I was in deed having actual contractions and that they were going to start giving me turbo (I don't know how to spell the full word). I got a shot about every hour (up to 3 shots). The first shot actually did stop them for a little bit. The next 2 did nothing. Bummer. And unfortunately after going through all of that, it turned out that I had actually dilated - so I was admitted to the hospital and was going to receive magnesium in an effort to try to stop the contractions. Not what I wanted to hear, but if it stopped the contractions and kept little man safe then it was worth it.

I ended up receiving fluids, plus magnesium, plus antibiotics. I was also given 2 shots of steroids that would help speed up little man's lung maturation (just in case he did come early - I was only 32 weeks at this point). Thankfully after receiving the magnesium for about 2 days my contractions actually stopped (for the most part - I still had a few, but nothing like when I arrived on Wednesday) and I was able to start taking procardia (a pill that's supposed to relax the uterus and prevent contractions). It was a relief to know that things had been halted - thankfully I hadn't dilated any more over the course of those 2 days. After being monitored for another day or two I was able to go home - with strict instructions to be on bed rest.

My parents actually left for FL the Wednesday night I was admitted and made it to the hospital mid morning on that Thursday. It was so nice to see them and have them here! My dad has since gone back home, but my mom has stayed to help out. I am so thankful for her being here!! Because she's here, Reese has been able to be at home with us and even though I can't pick her up or play with her, I at least get to see her and talk with her every day. How much I would miss that if my mom weren't here! I am also thankful for my in-laws who will watch Reese in a heartbeat - they actually kept her during my time in the hospital and for a couple days after I got home. Frank and I are extremely blessed with family who take such good care of us!!! I don't know what we'd do without them!!

Anyway, that's my exciting story! Lord willing, little man will stay put until I'm at least 35 (I say at least, but we're praying for him to make it to 36 or 37 weeks) weeks. That's how long I'll be on the medication, so we'll see how it goes after they take me off. :) I appreciate everyone's prayers!!!! :)