Five Years Ago...

Five years ago today Matt left to serve his mission in the Dominican Republic.  FIVE YEARS AGO!  I can't believe how fast time has flown by and how much our lives have changed.  I also can't believe that I survived two years without him. 

I have been thinking all day about the day Matt left.  I remember feeling so excited for him and happy that he had chosen to serve a mission.  But I also remember feeling devastated, the worst I have ever felt in my entire life.  I felt so uncertain, so lonely and so heartbroken without my best friend.

Matt and I tease sometimes that if we were able to get through him serving a two year mission we can get through anything but I believe it with all my heart.  I know the Lord blessed both of us for him serving a mission and continues to do so in our marriage.

I am so grateful that five years has passed and that we are married with the cutest baby in the entire world!  Ya...life is good!

Birth Story

This is my favorite picture of my sweet baby boy!  I can't believe Nathan is 5 weeks old!  The time has gone by so quickly but at the same time its hard to remember before he was born.  He has become Matt and my entire world and I can't believe how much I love him.

Nathan was born on November 6, 2011 even though my due date was October 30.  I went in to my 39 week doctor appointment hopeful that I would soon be done with being pregnant.  By that point I was so exhausted and ready to be done.  My doctor had been watching my blood pressure and swelling and was all ready to send me to the hospital to be induced.

Unfortunately my blood pressure was just a few numbers away from going to the hospital and when the doctor checked me I was had not begun effacing or dilating, and the baby was still up high.  The doctor told me to not be discouraged, to walk a lot, and that she was sure I wouldn't go too far past my due date.

My last day of work was the Friday before my due date because the doctor told me I was not allowed to work beyond that.  My due date came and went with no excitement and I showed up to my regular doctor appointment at 40 weeks 2 days.  My doctor told me if I was even just dilated to a 1 she would send me to the hospital to be induced but unfortunately I still hadn't progressed at all.  She scheduled me to be induced on Sunday when I would be 41 weeks.

I ended up going to the hospital Saturday night because the doctor thought it would take at least 20 hours once I got induced.  The nurse told me they would start me on three pills throughout the night and then begin pitocin in the morning.  The pills were supposed to help me efface but not start contractions.  Within 20 minutes of taking the first pill I started having contractions. 

The nurse came to check me after three hours and I was 50 percent effaced, dilated to a 1 and the baby had dropped down into position.  By 7 am I was dilated to a 4 and didn't even need pitocin.  They gave  me my epidural right as my mom and Emily got to the hospital.  By 12:45 I was dilated to a 10 and ready to push. 

They called the on call doctor, Doctor Warren and I began pushing.  I pushed for two hours but couldn't get the baby's head out. At 1:30 the doctor suggested using the vacuum to get the baby out and by that point I was so exhausted I would have agreed to anything to get the baby out.  Once she put the vacuum on the baby's head he was out within 5 minutes!

It was the most amazing moment when all of the sudden the baby was out and I heard him cry for the first time.  The nurses immediately laid him on my chest and was overcome with how much love I instantly felt for my sweet baby.  I held my baby and cried with absolute joy and as I held him he calmed down and snuggled next to me.  Emily cut the cord and they took the baby to weigh him. He was born at 2:49 and was 8 pounds 7 ounces and 21 inches long.  Matt decided that his first name would be Nathan and I picked David after my dad for his middle name.

I was so grateful to have Matt by my side throughout the entire labor as well as having my mom and Emily there.  They were all so wonderful and encouraging and I was so happy to share the experience with them.  Labor was such an amazing experience even though it was not how I had planned it but more than anything I am so happy to have my little Nathan here after 9 long months!

Cute Husband

I got a text from Matt today with this picture and a caption saying "The baby is coming today!"  Well husband, lets just hope that Panda Express is correct and that the baby will be here today.

10 Days Left

Good and bad news.  I am still borderline preeclampsia but my test results came back low enough that I do not need to be induced early.  It is good news to know that the baby and I are healthy and not at risk.  The bad news is that I am still pregnant!!!

In some ways it feels like everything is going by so fast and the baby will be here before we know it.  On the other hand 10 days until my due date feels like forever, and then I could possibly go two more weeks over that date.  Arg I hate the waiting game.

My work is holding interviews for my position today and tomorrow.  I had not even realized that my last day at work is scheduled for next Friday.  Leaving work and letting someone have full control over my job is going to be extremely hard for me.  I keep having horror nightmares about coming back to work in January and having files missing and erased or corrupted.

Matt and I were talking about the baby last night and both of us have decided we have not grasped the fact that we are going to be taking a baby home with us from the hospital.  I know that sounds so strange but I feel like I haven't even had time to think about it.  I just keep thinking that I am almost done being pregnant and that is as far as I get.

I just need to have this baby soon!  The anxiety about making sure everything is ready and leaving work and the thought of labor is making me an absolute crazy person.  I hope this baby comes any day!!

36 Weeks, Ready or Not!

I went to my 36 week doctor appointment on Tuesday expecting the usual 20 minutes in and out.  Hear the babies heart beat, get measured, weight and blood pressure test, leave a urine sample and back to work within an hour.  Oh no such luck!

I arrived and did the usual weight, blood pressure and urine samples expecting everything to be fine like it always is.  Well my blood pressure was high, and I did not gain any weight in the two weeks since my last appointment.  When the nurse looked at my urine sample she did not comment, and instead hustled me into a room.

She left me in the room for about 15 minutes and then I heard her and the doctor talking quietly outside my room.  The doctor came in the room and gave me the good news. She believes that I have pre eclampsia, especially because I have had so much swelling the entire pregnancy.  Because my tests had always been normal before she wants to wait one more week before she diagnoses me either way.

She checked the babies heartbeat which was normal but when she took his measurements he had not grown since his measurement two weeks ago.  The doctor decided to order an ultrasound to make sure everything was okay and check to see if the baby was head down.  He was and has plenty of fluid and is still being active so they are not too concerned. 

So then the doctor sat me down and had a serious discussion with me about being induced early.  Which basically consisted of if there is protein in my urine next week they are  not going to let me continue to be pregnant.  I just stared at her, I didn't know what to think or do or say.  I could be having my baby next week!

So Matt and I will be spending our weekend scrambling to get everything finished up just in case we meet our baby next week.  I'm hoping and praying that all my test results will come back normal next week and be fine, but on the other hand I'm so excited to meet my baby I can't stand it and it would be so fun to not have to wait three more weeks!

My Baby Has a Name!!

Matt and I are 95% sure we know what we are naming our little baby!!  But we are keeping it a secret until baby is here because we want to surprise everyone!  Oh I am so excited, naming the baby makes everything seem so real and close!  I can't believe our little baby will be here in six short weeks! 

At this point six weeks feels like absolutely forever but I know it will fly by.  We almost have the nursery set up, we just need to wash all of our baby bedding, clothes, blankets, hats, etc...  We also need to figure out a better system for organizing his room and get the last things that we need. 

Here is a picture of his crib all set up!  I can't wait to meet my little baby in just a month and a half!

88 Days Left!

The app on my phone let me know today that I only have 88 DAYS LEFT until my due date!  Holy cow, where did the time go? Work has just been so crazy the past couple months, and especially the past few weeks that weeks have seemed like days.  Luckily it looks like my workload will not be lightening up anytime soon so the remainder of  my pregnancy should fly right by!

We also found out last week that Brittany and Bryce are having a boy too!  Everyone was so shocked, even Brittany's doctor because the baby's heart rate has always been above 160 and not one person guessed that she was having a boy.

We are all so excited though especially where the babies will be so close in age and we are hoping that they will be good friends.  Brittany brought over a bunch of the baby clothes she has bought to show us and Matt and I have a bunch of the same stuff she does!  They really will be little buddies.

Now we just need the next 88 days to fly by so that Matt and I can finally meet our little guy!