Parker Grace is Born!

Now I take some time while Brad has our little bundle of joy in his arms to complete the tale of Parker's birth. We'll see how many times it takes me to get it all typed!

At the last post we were waiting for the doctor to arrive to break my water. The Pitosin was working and contractions were getting more intense and closer together. One particularly strong contraction hit and Parker kicked at the same time. Suddenly my water definitely broke! It was about 11:20am. Again, with all plans on making things happen artificially, my body decided to get the ball rolling on its own!

That's when contractions really picked up. I couldn't believe how much stronger the very next contraction was! I immediately asked for the epidural!! It was fantastic how quickly they were there. Within 30 minutes the pain from the contractions was gone. Those 30 minutes were pretty intense, though!

The doctor arrived shortly after the epidural kicked in. Dilation was continuing to increase at a rapid pace. She chose to hang around the hospital for the afternoon, knowing it would be time soon. It was finally time to start pushing at 3pm. We pushed for just over an hour before having to wait about 5-10 minutes for the doctor to get back from lunch. That was a long 10 minutes!!

Doctor Sara came in and at 4:24pm Parker was born! She was 8.53 pounts and 20.5 inches long. Since there was meconium in the amniotic fluid the NICU staff was in the room at her birth and immediately cleaned her up, cleared her lungs, nose, etc.The doctor told us not to worry, that they weren't going to make her cry until they'd had a chance to clear her lungs. As soon as she said that Parker began crying on her own. The staff gave Brad a scrub shirt with the Baylor Frisco logo on it. When they took her footprints they also put a set of footprints on his shirt.

Feeding frenzy of her first growth spurt is underway. To be continued....

Labor!

Well, it would seem that labor was well on its way the last couple of days. At our 11/23 doctor's visit, however, my blood pressure had gone up considerably. Doctor Sarah sent us to the hospital to have a few tests run. First we went home to get Saydee taken care of and to get our bags. There was a chance we would have to spend the night. If the tests were concerning they would induce no matter what. If they weren't concerning we would have a choice.

Brad stopped at Best Buy on the way home to get his camera for the big event just in case and also picked up a Nook for us to play with. Have to have the gadgets! Ha!

We got to the hospital at about 7pm and they started taking measurements, checked on our progression and we had already dilated a 1/2 centimeter more. Contractions began to pick up in pacing and we could see a pattern starting to take hold. Then they started to hurt a bit. And there we were, right in active labor on our own! More tests were run and they all came out well, but we spent the night at the hospital, dozing when possible in between contractions. By midnight I was dilated 4cm.

But, at about 4am everything slowed down. Contractions tapered off and I got some sleep. But, they never picked up again. After all of that we hit a wall! So, when the nurse called the doctor we decided that it was time to go ahead and get the Pitosin going and get things moving. We - I - certainly didn't want to go through this all over again!

That's where we sit at the moment. Pitosin is in, contractions have started again and we are waiting for the doctor to arrive. When she gets here she will break my water and things should really get moving.

Kristi and Josh have been by to visit. Mom and dad are on their way. The warmer is set up for when Parker arrives and we are just back into a holding pattern. I don't know when I'll update again, but I'm hoping to add something here and there so we can remember when everything happens!

I am so ready for Parker to be here!! I'm thrilled that we went into labor on our own. I'm also so ready to be allowed to eat again. :) It's 10:15am Wednesday morning and I haven't gotten to eat since 1pm Tuesday! Yikes!

Braxton Hicks or Labor?

This is day two of some very frequent contractions. They are very mild and feel like my typical Braxton Hicks. However, yesterday they were between an hour and an hour and half apart all day long. Lots of discomfort in my hips and back, and I was convinced the real thing would begin last night. I made sure Brad got his bag packed and then he decided it was a good idea to get the Pack N Play together.

It was a very quiet night, however, and I slept very well. This morning the contractions are closer to 30-45 minutes apart. I happened to talk to Cindy and told her how things were going. She said she thinks this might be the real thing! Keeping a close eye on it while working on painting a bulletin board for the nursery. We'll see if I get it done or not! We have a doctor's appointment at 4pm today. I'm thinking maybe I'll throw my labor and delivery bag in the car just in case. It's just a waiting game!!

San Antonion Rock & Roll Marathon

This past weekend Brad made a quick trip to San Antonio to run the Rock and Roll half marathon with his brother. We arranged for Thera and Trinity to spend the night with me just in case I had any issues and he was off! Brad very successfully finished the race in 2 hours and 31 minutes. I am impressed!!! He had a great time sharing that with his brother and thankfully Shelly was there to send a couple of photos. Hopefully we'll order some of the race photos soon, too.

While he was out being healthy and running this marathon, we girls made chocolate covered pretzels, watched Muppet Christmas Carol to get into the holiday baking mood (especially since I probably won't be doing much of that this year) and played school. Overall it was quite the fun weekend for all!

Weekly Appointments

We are well into our weekly appointments now. At our first appointment (11/2) Doctor Sarah told us that we were 1cm dilated and cervix was softening. At the second appointment (11/9), Doctor Andy told us there was no significant change. For the third appointment (11/16)we were 2cm dilated and 60-75% effaced. It feels like lots of changes are happening now. Braxton Hicks are getting much stronger and I can tell my hips are very unstable now. We don't know how long it will be, but we're doing our best to get prepared! I leave my classroom each day as if I won't be there tomorrow and there are quite a few things to do at home this weekend. We are just patiently waiting!

Nesting, Maternity Photos, etc.

I think the nesting has begun! Over the last two weeks we have purchased a car seat, pack 'n play and baby bath tub. Tonight I painted Parker's letters for above her crib. Brad assembled the swing and car seat/base. I have her clothes organized by size and ready to be washed tomorrow. There is still a lot to do and a lot to buy, but it's feeling a little more organized, which is a huge relief! At least no matter when she decides to arrive she can come home now that we have a car seat!

Last weekend we took maternity photos through Sarah Watkins Photography. It was very fun and comfortable. Sarah came to the house with all of her gear since it was a very stormy day. In fact, the tornado sirens went off while we were waiting for her to arrive. The sneak peek photos we got are wonderful! I can't wait to see the rest!

That night (October 23) Parker dropped considerably. I went to sleep looking one way, and woke up with her sitting much, much lower. I can't wait to see what the doctor has to say next week. We start weekly appointments on November 2.

Pregnancy Perks

Today we used the "expectant mom" parking for the first time. We went to Babies R Us to buy a car seat and figured that between the rain and the heavy car seat we would be carting out we could use the parking spot this time. Not to mention it's a lot easier to waddle into the store from there than the back of the parking lot!

Baby Shower

Today was the such an amazing baby shower hosted by Kristi, Jen and Mom. What a beautiful afternoon! Classy and cute! It was held in the art gallery at the McKinney Performing Arts Center.

It was so great that so many friends and family were there. I hate that you never get to visit with everyone enough in a situation like that, but it was wonderful to have everyone in the same place.

We came home with so many great baby items, but also with some hilarious diaper messages for those late night changings, and encouraging/inspiring messages from experienced parents. I think the photos say more than what I can write eloquently here, so here are a few.

Crape Myrtle Run

Daddy made a big splash at the Crape Myrtle Run today. He ran the 5K in preparation for November's half marathon and to support my school. When he checked his time he discovered he'd placed 3rd in his age bracket! He was only 14 seconds behind the 2nd place winner, which definitely played on his mind and competitive side. But, we are so proud of him!! He placed in the race and he wasn't even trying!

In the meantime I walked the 1 mile fun run route. I found one of the other art teachers who was there in support of her school and we walked together. It was fun and I have to say it's much easier to walk my mile in the morning than it is when I try to go after school! Once we sat down at home for some breakfast (or in my case an after breakfast snack of a yogurt parfait) Parker really got moving and grooving. I guess she enjoyed the walk, too!

On a side note, all 3 men that walked in support of our school placed in the race. One of the teachers placed in her age bracket as well as the daughter of one of the teachers. We might not have had the largest group, but we were evidently there to perform!

7 Months Complete!

As we enter month 8 I have to say that I've "finally" had some uncomfortable days. I certainly can't complain, but I do enjoy a nap after school daily when possible so I can get off my feet. Our last appointment went well. We are only measuring 1.5 cm over average so we're starting to trim back in to normal. Glucose and protein tests were passed with flying colors as well. The blood pressure is going up, however, so the doctor made us aware of induction dates if necessary. While our growth ultrasound allowed us to keep the December 1 due date, November 24 and 17 were presented as viable dates to induce if my blood pressure continues to rise. Hopefully we won't have to resort to that, but it's better to be prepared!

Daddy's Little Girl

Brad has been busy choosing some adorable little outfits for Parker recently. First he found this "I Love My Daddy" onesie at Target. Then, while there we ran across an Aerosmith tee. We decided to wait on that one, came back later, and couldn't find any good sizes. So, we tried another Target the next day and found one Aerosmith onesie along with these other fabulous finds! Daddy picked them all out. :)

Six Months Complete!

Name Game

Well, it's a late announcement on here as most readers already know what name we've chose for our little sweetie pie. We really decided the day we found out she is a girl, but we took about a month to try it out and get the opinions of family and friends. By the time school started I knew it had to be public. The kids were desperate to know and even had their parents e-mailing me over the summer to find out gender and name! So, now it's gotten quite a lot of use. The kids come up and hug me or pat my belly and say "hi" to Parker Grace!

Growth Ultrasound

We had a growth ultrasound today (27 weeks) since my uterus measured 2cm large at our last visit. It turns out that she measures about a week ahead of schedule according to the tech. So, we will see at next week's appointment whether that will change the due date or just let us know we have a big baby girl! She currently weighs 2lbs 8oz.

It was a really amazing ultrasound. She's so big now that they have to look at her in sections. Her head is down now, and she was folded completely in half with her feet by her face! She was doing yoga even though I didn't go to class that night! Even better was the moment when we got to see her moving her mouth in a very clear sucking/swallowing motion! It was amazing to be able to see her making such a small movement so clearly.

Above is her little profile showing off some chubby little cheeks and a sweet wave at the camera!

Busy Days

I haven't been posting much lately as the back-to-school whirlwind has hit. There have been many days of meetings and a few opportunities to work in my classroom. School starts on the 23rd and there is a lot to do! The little one keeps me all smiles as I sit in the meetings and feel her squirm around. If I can steal a look, a jumping stomach always makes me laugh. She has been moving a lot and is very powerful some days and nights! She's been taking after her daddy too, thinking it's a good idea to wake up to exercise at 4am. Momma doesn't really think this is the best idea as that means we're all awake!!

Heather and Cindy came to visit us over the weekend. They brought the Doppler and we had a great time listening to her heartbeat. The best was that she was particularly active and had great aim while kicking the Doppler wand. It was so funny!

We had our monthly check up yesterday. Everything is looking good. The doctor used the tape measure for the first time measuring from the top of the pelvic bone to the top of the uterus. She said we are measuring about 2cm over where one typically measures for 25 weeks. So, we are going to have another ultrasound on September 1 to check her size, etc. My blood pressure was up a tiny bit so we are keeping an eye on that. It is also time for the glucose testing. I have my bottle of orange drink in the fridge for a future appointment. Heartbeat was 145.

We also scheduled the rest of our appointments while we were at the doctor's office yesterday. We will be going to bi weekly appointments after our ultrasound and then weekly appointments start on November 2. That was a little bit of a wake-up call. She will be here so soon! Just about three months to go!

We were also able to finally get the baby bedding thanks to an early shower gift. It's so beautiful! We are both so thrilled with how it looks in there. I will post a better picture soon, but here it is from my phone.

Daddy's First Kick

Well, it's official! Brad finally felt a kick last night! We were watching TV after dinner. She had been very active all day long and the thought crossed my mind that if she would keep it up he just might get the chance to feel her. But, by the time he got home from work she was pretty quiet.

While we were watching I felt her start to move around and I saw my stomach jump. So I quietly got his attention and pointed to where he needed to look. She kicked just then and his eyes got really wide. It was great! Then, he put his hand there and, of course, nothing. Suddenly she kicked in just the right spot again. It wasn't her strongest, but it was enough for him to finally feel! It was just the one and she was done, but that was enough (at least for now). I loved seeing the look on his face when he felt her move! It was priceless to me!

Office/Library

We bought a third book case this week as part of the nursery/office transition. We will get one more while they're still on sale, but I am very impressed with how it is looking in the office. Brad flipped all of the furniture and assembled the new book case. I loaded the books yesterday morning and love the way it looks in there! It's amazing how much bigger the room looks when you look in and see the shelves.

Decorating the Nursery

It has been a fun and busy week! I got the call a week ago telling me that our nursery furniture would be delivered on Thursday the 29th. That meant there was a LOT of work to do! In addition to getting the office together I had to get everything out of the nursery. Mom came up on Tuesday and did all of the priming to get rid of those old polka dots and flowers. By that evening we were able to start painting. Something I could help with a little bit, though, I didn't stay in there all that long. When we were done the paint was streaky and looked pretty bad. We were afraid we would have to paint a second coat after the furniture arrived. But, when we woke up in the morning it was beautiful! Thank you, mom, for doing all that work to get us ready!

The furniture arrived right on time and looks beautiful in there! Next step will be for us to get the bedding. Then the fun little decorations can follow.

Hobby or something more!? Books, books and more books!

In order to finish clearing out the nursery for painting and furniture delivery I emptied all of the book cases in there and in the office. We are going to flip the office in order to fit a third matching book case for my books that were in the studio.

I put all of the books lining the hallway and, wow! It doesn't seem like so much when they're on the shelves. But, laid out like this I think we could open a small book store. This does not include any baby books we have or the books I have at school. I'm also thinking about the many Eric Carle books I added to the Target registry and those I know we'll collect for her. I already know I want to get a small book shelf for her room asap.

I try reading my books to her out loud when I'm home alone, but I feel a little silly. Sometimes I grab one or two of the books she has already and read them aloud. But, I know once she's here we'll be reading to her ALL the time and we won't feel silly at all.

5 Months Complete!

20 Week Ultrasound

We had our 20 week ultrasound on July 7, even though we weren't quite at 20 weeks yet. But, we got amazing photos and were able to find out that we're having a baby girl! Here's the proof! And, check out those cute little feet!

1,2,3 Kick!

Today was the first time I felt kicks on the outside! Is that how you say it!? I had my arm laying across my stomach and felt a nice little bump. I didn't know if I really felt it on my arm or not, so I laid my hand in the same spot and waited. There it was again! Another kick that I clearly felt with my hand. I quickly called Brad in. He put his hand on my stomach and...nothing! She quit and didn't kick any more.

Later this afternoon, while starting this blog in fact, I felt another good kick. I put my hand on my stomach and could see it make my hand move! I called Brad back over and...nothing! I think she's playing a game with us!

I told him he's going to have to find a way to get comfortable sitting with his hand on my stomach in the evenings so he can feel this sooner rather than later! It sure is cool, though!!

It's a....

We had our 20 week ultrasound on July 7. We were actually a little ahead of 20 weeks, but I was leaving for my trip to Ohio with my parents that day. I couldn't possibly wait another 2 weeks to find out Baby's gender!

It was tough to keep the secret from friends at home while telling my parents, Brad's family, and family in Ohio. But, we knew we wanted to have a fun reveal party when I got home. So, the secret stayed safe. We almost lost it a couple of times, but managed to keep everyone in the dark.

On July 17, many of our friends came over for the big reveal. We had Melissa make a cake that was modeled after our bedding. It looked amazing! At 6:30pm we cut the cake, revealing PINK icing in the middle!

It's a GIRL!

Of course, mom and I had our first shopping spree for baby clothes while I was in Houston. It was so much fun! I came back with 2 bags of clothes. I think this little girl is going to be quite spoiled. Grandma's already working on it!

Baby Furniture

On July 1 we ordered baby furniture! We chose the Bonavita Sheffield Lifestyle crib. It is solid wood and transitions from crib to toddler bed to day bed to full bed. We ordered it in distressed black. We also ordered the dresser. The top comes with a removable lip so that we can use it as a changing station as well.

These images are from Lone Star Baby's website.


We also registered for our bedding that day. LOVE it! It's Harlow by Cocalo Couture. This picture is also from Lone Star Baby.

4 Months Complete

I can't figure out how to re-organize my posts to put this where it goes chronologically. But, here is the 4 month photo!

Touring Preschools/Daycares

On June 21 and 22 I toured 3 daycares/preschools. I went to the Primrose near our house, Merryhill School, and Kids R Kids near school. When comparing location, teacher perks, price, and atmosphere I think we are leaning toward Kids R Kids. I would still love to interview some in-home caregivers, but I have yet to find one with openings. There sure is a lot to think about when looking for a daycare you feel comfortable with. It's a little overwhelming.

First Movements

I noted my first flutters on May 24. It felt like the baby was wiggling its fingers in my stomach. It was so faint, yet caught my attention so strongly! It only happened twice, so I wrote it as a maybe. A week later I had more movements, this time more like a muscle twitch. The next day gave me a good strong thud after one of my sneezing fits. Someone didn't like that!

There were many other little minor movements over the next few weeks. One amazing instance was during yoga on June 21. I very clearly felt the head or bottom pushing out on my stomach. I laid my hand right on it!

My clothes don't fit!

Around the 3rd week of May I began having to "rig" my jeans and pants with rubber bands, etc. I bought the BeBand and a few maternity tops. Mom went out and bought me an amazing selection of maternity clothes that she mailed me. They showed up right on time! I got them washed and started wearing them immediately. Wow! They were so much more comfortable!

3 Months Complete

Another Ultrasound - Sequential Screen

On May 19, 2010 we went for the Sequential Screen testing. Our doctor said that we were very low risk, but to go ahead and have the tests if insurance would cover it. They did some blood work on me and did a high resolution ultrasound. It was so amazing! Baby was jumping around like crazy and it was so fun to see the activity. We could have watched that screen all day long. All of the measurements looked great. The blood work and follow-up blood work came back clear as well. The doctor did spend some time looking around "down there" and we didn't see anything, so we started thinking "girl" at that point. In fact, while looking around he said "well, there's the umbilical cord" but said nothing else. At 12 weeks, though, it was still too early to be absolutely sure.

We had a regular check-up that afternoon. The morning heartbeat was 160. The afternoon heartbeat was 166. Must be all that jumping around! We started calling Baby our little jumping bean.

First Ultrasound

Our first ultrasound was on April 14, 2010. We had an early ultrasound since we were unsure of our conception date. The ultrasound showed that we were 7 weeks and 1 day. Hearing that first heartbeat and seeing that tiny baby was incredibly surreal. In fact, it still didn't seem real! The heartbeat was 160 bpm. We didn't expect to see much that was recognizable as a baby, but sure enough, there was a tiny little form! To me it looked like the baby was hanging out, sitting in a chair.

How We Found Out

Brad and I found out we were pregnant on March 22, 2010 when I went to my annual check-up. For weeks I felt like something was "off" and was convinced I was pregnant. However, 3 home pregnancy tests said otherwise. When I went to the doctor I brought my list of concerns, but only expected to hear that they were issues related to me quitting the pill after so many years. While taking my vitals, a nurse named Kelly said she would go ahead and do a pregnancy test just to verify the HPT's. While she was taking my blood pressure, etc. she started asking me about our plans for conception and whether I/we would be excited if we were pregnant then rather than later in the year. I told her that, of course, we would be excited. It wouldn't be the plan, but it would be great. She looked over at me and said "Good! Because you are!"

I immediately and uncontrollably broke down in tears and laughter, completely shocked and not so shocked all at the same time. Nurses in the hall came by asking if I was ok and it was all quite funny. They didn't know what she'd done to me! So, my check-up was re-scheduled and I talked to the first person they found, the midwife on staff. She gave me all the books, vitamin samples, etc. I scheduled a new appointment and was on my way home.

I had to think of a fast, fun way to tell Brad we were going to be parents when I got home. We'd looked at a baby names book at Target the day before just for fun. I'd also been talking about getting the Fit Pregnancy magazine when we got serious about TTC. So, I ran to Target and bought those two items. I left them in the Target bag so I wouldn't throw him off. Somehow I managed to keep a clear voice, call him, and let him know I was on my way home.

When I walked in he was sitting on the couch, and he asked me how the appointment went. I said it was fine, you know how those things go. I walked over and handed him the bag. He looked inside, looked up at me and asked "We need these!?" I told him yes and told him everything that happened at the appointment. He stared at the fireplace for a while. We were both in quite a state of shock! It seemed so unbelievable that we could be pregnant after such a short time. We weren't even trying yet!

Our Pregnancy

I'm starting this blog in the hopes of chronicling our pregnancy with our first child, Baby's first year, and our family as it grows and changes over the years. I'm new to the blog world, so if you're reading, suggestions are greatly appreciated!