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Wow- what a day! Thanks so much to everyone that supported us through this journey!! We had a great day yesterday- although some parts were hard. He is such a great baby…when he cries, he is usually hungry. He is a champ at nursing (caught on really fast), and only dropped a little bit of weight. Here’s the story of what happened THAT day…
Well, as you know, I was scheduled to go in at 7am on Tuesday morning to be induced. Adam was 10 days overdue, and they were beginning to get concerned about his size. (Little did I know how on target they were!) However, at 1:30am Tuesday morning, I woke up with contractions that were 7 minutes apart, and were ones I actually had to breathe through. These were definitely different from the false alarm contractions I had on Sunday morning. We called Mom, (they thankfully had Caleb at their house already), and told her we’d meet her at the hospital at 6am. We got there, got checked in, and put into a room. They checked me at told me that was about 4 cm. You probably know some of the story if you followed the blog but basically, after I got checked, Dr. Keppler broke my water (a natural inducer of labor) to see if that would bring contractions on even stronger. I never wound up needing Pitocin. This was a HUGE praise!! I had two of the best nurses by my side (normally only one is assigned). Dr. Keppler and the nurses were all very supportive of my desire to have this baby naturally. They weren’t freaked out or intimidated by it at all, but would make suggestions about what I could do. I got to rock in a rocking chair and watch TV (funny thing: I actually wound up asking mom and Eric to turn OFF Food Network because it was making me nauseous) and go walking. Right before the transition phase of labor started, they filled a huge garden tub with warm water and let me soak in it for awhile with the jets on. It was GLORIOUS! By the time contractions started coming in doubles, so I asked to get back out. It didn’t take long to reach the pushing phase, maybe only an hour or so (that I can remember). They let me work with my body and only push when I felt like my body was telling me to. This was a big difference from last time because last time, Dr. Chandler checked me, said, “You’re at 10cm, start pushing”. It doesn’t do much good to push before you feel the need to. Anyway, so I pushed and pushed and made some headway (no pun intended), but after 45 minutes, it was obvious that this baby was going to need some help. Dr. Keppler pulled out the vacuum (Caleb had to be “Hoover-ed” out as well), and gave me some assistance. At the very end, I could tell that this baby was not the 8 pounder I was hoping for! She managed to extract him, and when he came out, she said “Wow! He’s at least 10 pounds!!”. I could not believe it! I just started crying as they placed him on my chest (that is such a surreal feeling to actually meet this little critter that’s been living inside me for 9 1/2 months!). I was SO glad labor was over and now I could relax! (ha ha) We took a lot of pictures, and will continue to add them as we take more! Thank you to everyone for all of the prayers! I got to labor exactly as I had wanted to! :)
Here are some great pictures of Adam Connor!! He was 10 pounds, 7 ounces and 22.5 inches long! Emily was able to do it all naturally with no pitocin or epidural. Emily is doing great!! We would love visits, but would ask that you call Eric’s cell phone (458-4720) first.
Baby Adam came at 2:47…He weighed a whopping 10lbs 7oz!!! Baby and Mom are doing great!!! Pictures will be coming soon!!!
Emily’s doctor came in and examined her…She is almost 6, almost 7 cm which is close to transition! She is going to jump into the hot tub for a little bit to relax her muscles!
Emily is sitting up laboring in the room! She is about 6cm now!!!
Hello again! Okay, so to continue my post from before, while an induction would not be my first choice, there are several things that are going to make this better than last time.
1) I can eat...this is AMAZING considering last time, I couldn't eat anything from midnight the previous night on. This was not helpful as I had no energy to draw on when it came to pushing. I can have a hearty breakfast of eggs and muffins (basically protein and fiber) which will give me energy throughout the day, then once I'm in the hospital, and am at 4cm, I can still have clear liquids (broth, jello, Gatorade, etc.). I'm so grateful!
2) I can MOVE- once they administer the Ptocin (the drug that induces), I can sit in a comfy rocking recliner they have in the room, and at least be upright. Last time, I got the Ptocin IV, and I had to lay flat on my back in bed. Not fun, at all. They even said if I'm doing okay (and the baby's doing okay), I can wear a portable monitor and go walking! So amazing!
3) If Adam comes down a little on his own (right now, he is still high up), they will actually break my water (a natural form of induction usually) before they administer Ptocin to see if that will bring contractions on naturally. This cannot do this unless he drops further down because it might cause the umbilical cord to drop below Adam and cause problems during delivery. So please pray that he would descend a little more so we can try that and possibly avoid having to be induced in the first place!
My OB-GYN thinks that it is going to be a quick labor, as I'm already almost 4cm (sometimes, it takes a long time to get to 4cm), so that is encouraging. She thinks that although he is a big baby, he isn't HUGE, and she is confident that I can still deliver without a C-section. Yay!
Some things you can pray for:
1) that both Eric and I would get a great night's sleep tonight. We'll need our energy tomorrow!
2) that baby Adam would decide to come on so we don't have to be induced
3) that baby Adam would at least drop a little, so we don't have to be given Ptocin right off the bat
4) that my energy would stay throughout the day, and that I would remain calm and remember all the things I learned from labor class so I can try to deliver drug-free (and that I would be open to medical intervention if absolutely necessary).
Thanks to everyone who has come along with us on this journey! Can't wait to post pics tomorrow! We'll keep everyone updated here and on Facebook, so keep checking back!
Hi everybody!! The doctor says I'm at 3, almost 4, cm!!! This is amazing as I've not had any contractions today. I'm supposed to be induced at 7am tomorrow, but it looks to be a much better experience than last time. For more details, see my blog later on today (I will post more specifcs there this afternoon). Thanks for your prayers!!
Hey guys, well, here I am, 41 weeks and 2 days pregnant, and I feel like I'm back to square one. Forgive me for not writing a more positive post, but I need somewhere to let off some steam. I know all of these thoughts will be gone once Adam is born, but for right now, they are in the forefront of my mind. I'm dreading the thought of an induction tomorrow...and for those of you who are wondering why, the reason is simple: last time, I had to be induced with Caleb. I chose to labor drug-free (and never regretted it), and the contractions came on hard and fast, with hardly any time between to catch my breath. I was not able to get out of bed to walk around, bounce on a ball, etc.. I could not eat from midnight the previous night on, and the only things I could eat throughout the day were ice chips (full of flavor, as you know) and popsicles. By the time I started pushing at 3:00pm, I had NO energy whatsoever to draw from. It was exhausting. Thankfully, Caleb was born two hours later, healthy.
We have a doctor's appointment scheduled for this morning at 10:20am to see where things lie. She knows that I do not want to be induced, but I will ask her how to make this induction tomorrow better than last time. After the appointment, we'll head to Mom and Dad's house and play with Caleb since we haven't seen him since Saturday night. We'll update after that!
Hey guys- it's Emily. Thanks for all of your prayers, love and support. Eric and I just ate some lunch at home, and we are about to go walking at Sams. It's funny, because when we first got pregnant, I had predicted that I'd be doing my labor walking around Sams, and here it is coming true. Yes, I'm disappointed that we're back home without a baby, but I am grateful for a hospital staff that truly thinks of what is best for the patient, and they thought that I would be more comfortable at home, eating what I wanted, instead of laboring for hours and hours at the hospital. The hospital and the staff are AMAZING- I'm so glad we chose to go to Park Ridge. They are so caring and attentive. I'll update later (hopefully with some good news), but for right now, just wanted to touch base with the outside world to let you know that I'm doing fine! Love to you all!
Emily and I are headed back home so that Emily can labor at home for a while...Hopefully we will be back here in Park Ridge shortly to welcome Adam into the world...
Emily and I are still at Park Ridge...She is still contracting at about the same rate...Here is a picture of her just hanging out, watching the Food Network on the 42" Plasma in the room!!
Emily and I are in the hospital in Fletcher. Emily's contractions are about 7 minutes apart, but she is not dilated very much. They have not yet admitted her, but are monitoring her contractions and Adam's heart rate. We will update as we know more!!
Hope everyone is doing well! I'm feeling rather large right now! :) Today, Caleb and I met Mom on Airport Rd. to do some walking (and shopping) at Target, then we ate at Chili's where I tried to eat as much salsa and chips as possible. Then, after MORE walking around Wal-Mart, I came home to put my feet up for awhile. Once Eric got home, we went back out to Sams, where we had pizza for supper (a few people have told me that pizza can bring on labor--but hey, even if it doesn't, it still was yummy). I pushed that buggy up and down every aisle at Sams while Eric ran after Caleb. We are now back home, and my feet are killing me! :) I'm about to go soak them in some warm water and see if Eric will rub them for me. I can't wait to be able to give everyone the call/send out the e-mail/post on the blog that Adam's on his way!! And hopefully, it will be before Tuesday!
So, who knew that I'd be blogging and STILL be pregnant?? I went to the doctor yesterday morning, and when she checked me, she says that I was still at 1cm (no change from the previous Monday). Baby Adam is still head down- it would be extremely rare (although not impossible) for him to turn at this point, so I don't have to worry about having to deliver a breech baby via C-section. Adam's heart beat was still very strong. Dr. Keppler also did another ultrasound to check on the fluid levels. I learned that a low fluid level (which can occur as pregnancy progresses) can increase the risk of cord accidents (cord wrapped around the baby) because the umbilical cord does not have as much room to float around in. Good news is, my fluid level is perfect. Dr. Keppler knows that I would love labor to come on its own, so she said that she would be comfortable waiting until next Monday. I have an appointment at 10:20am next Monday, and at that point, we will probably be induced on Tuesday. While my first choice would not be induction, I also don't want to deliver a 12 pound baby! So, if you could please pray that baby Adam would come on his own, that'd be great! I'm excited about delivering again- it was an amazing experience last time!
It’s very funny to get to a due date and….nothing happens. :) The whole day, I have had this big cloud of “maybe” over my head. The hard thing to realize is that even though today is Adam’s due date, he may not come. At all. For another week!! Let me tell you—it was hard enough to wait until today (especially since I thought I was not going to make it past the end of January). I’m sure it is going to be even harder to wait past today!! I do need something to keep me distracted! 
And the black velour jogging pants (maternity jogging pants, mind you…however, I can safely say that I have NEVER jogged in them, pregnant or otherwise). I quit wearing my jeans anywhere except for church (as I have no dress pants/skirts that still fit me), and these pants have been my friend.
And here I am, 40 weeks exactly, with Adam safely tucked inside. I went and walked around Sam’s Club (at a leisurely pace this time, I assure you) with Eric and had a great time watching people’s faces react when I told them that I was due today. I need a project to do to keep my mind off waiting. I am staying close to home tomorrow (Sunday) instead of going to church as I prefer to be close to the hospital should I go into labor. Monday, I have a doctor’s appointment at 9:40am, so maybe they’ll offer me some guidance on how to get this baby out. I really do not want to be induced at all, but I also don’t want to have a C-section. It’s all in God’s hands now! We’ll keep you posted!
So, today I went walking at the Blue Ridge Mall in Hendersonville. For those of you who have not been there, this mall is not exactly known for its incredible shopping options. There is a K-Mart on one end, two hair salons, a nail salon, a Chinese restaurant, a Christian bookstore, a few clothing stores including a department store, and a Tuesday Morning. However, this is a "walking mall". People of all ages and sizes come here to walk. It is funny to watch everyone doing laps. It is usually difficult for me to keep Caleb occupied while I do loops around the mall, so mall walking is not usually something I tend to do, but as Mom had Caleb this afternoon, I opted to try to "walk this baby out" for awhile. I put on my iPod, picked an upbeat playlist, and started doing laps. I definitely got a few looks...looks that said, "Holy cow! She's due any minute!", "Did she just steal a beach ball from K-Mart?", and "Hey, she waddles pretty fast for a pregnant lady!". I had a lady come up to me and say, "You look like you should go to the hospital. They don't do deliveries here!". Oh REALLY? Seriously lady, there is an unspoken rule that you should not say anything of that nature to a pregnant lady who looks like she was due last week. I had what I thought was the LONGEST contraction of my life, but really it was just a stitch from walking too fast. As I was in the marching band all four years of high school, it has been ingrained into my nature to walk in time to whatever song is playing, and if that song is quite upbeat, then my feet are just a-goin'. I quickly realized my error and slowed my pace down. That's when I really started getting funny looks as I was trying to take deep breaths to get my stitch to go away. I'm sure it looked like I was using Lamaze techniques,but I don't care. It worked and it helped me make it back out to the car without a wheelchair. Anyway, the other funny thing that happened was that I had rounded a corner and there is a man and his wife who looked just about as pregnant as I do, if not more so (as if that's possible). I asked her when she was due (yes, I know that is the ONE question you do not ask a lady unless she tells you first, but I was pretty sure she was "with child"). She said, "Sunday". HA! So yet another pregnant lady is there, trying to walk out her child-- I wished her good luck, and she wished me the same. All in all, it was a refreshing walk, but now I'm back home, sans contractions, and have decided to put my feet up for the rest of the night. Maybe something will happen sometime soon!
Well friends, it seems that Adam is in no hurry to make an appearance! I was called in for an ultrasound this morning and the ultrasound tech measured baby Adam as weighing 8 lbs. 12 oz. (ironically the same thing as Caleb), give or take a pound. I did not get to discuss the results of the ultrasound with my OBGYN as she had gone to lunch by the time I got out of the ultrasound. However, she is supposed to call me if she wants me to come in and discuss the ultrasound.
I'm having some mixed feelings about this whole situation....
GOOD THINGS:
> Adam is in a good position.. head down!
> He's healthy (albeit a bit big) with a great heartbeat
> I have just the right amount of amniotic fluid...not too much, not too little
> The doctors are not gonna induce as of now, and they aren't concerned with needing to do a C-section.
> I've been feeling great, although large, these past couple of days.
BAD THINGS:
> I'm a planner...so this "unsure about when labor is gonna start" is foreign to me. I was induced with Caleb, so it was yet another thing I could put on my Google calendar!
> I'm nervous that the longer I don't go into labor, the bigger Adam is gonna get. As I'm trying to give birth sans drugs, giving birth naturally to a huge baby could smart a little.
> I'm also nervous that the longer I go without giving birth, the bigger he is gonna get, and the more likely I'm going to have to have a C-section. I'm not against C-sections, but they just seem to be performed a lot these days, and I really don't want one. At all.
*sigh* It's weird being out of control of a situation. It's unnerving to not have a "say" in the matters. This is a good thing for me though. It helps me rely on God and His timing versus my timing/comfort level. If you think about it, please be praying that we will be satisfied in God...that we will not "fault" Him for not bringing Adam on our timing preference, and that we would not be anxious "...for who by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matt 6:27). Anyway, maybe Adam will be here soon!!
Confession: As much as I cannot wait to meet baby Adam, have my body back, breathe easier, etc., I will truly miss being pregnant. I love feeling little feet pummel the side of my abdomen as I clean around the house. I will miss the hiccups that keep me awake at nighttime (or wake me up in the wee hours of the morning). I will always treasure the knowledge that I’ve carried this beautiful being inside of me for nine months, nurtured it, talked to it, and loved it. Baby Adam has been a part of me, my life, my body for 9 (almost 10) months now, and it’s going to be weird to not have him inside of me. It’s hard when people ask me if I’m ready to have this baby…the answer is a double-edged sword for me…yes, I am feeling a little fatigued from carrying a 5 gallon bucket on the front of me; yes, I am ready to get into a routine with a baby; yes, I’m ready to be reminded what an infant is like vs. having a toddler, but no, I’m not looking forward to “giving up” what has been a beautiful journey (boy, that sounds a little granola) till now. I’ve loved being pregnant…even the anemia has not been that bad (having gestational diabetes last time was worse). The worst part is running out of clothes to wear as my belly is SO HUGE…and I just can’t pull off the midriff-baring shirts (especially in 20 degree weather). It was also harder to be pregnant this time as I had a two and a half year old to keep up with that didn’t understand why Mommy didn’t want to wrestle, or lay down on the floor, or didn’t have a lap anymore. I’m pretty sure this is the last time I’ll be pregnant (unless God has other plans I’m unaware of). Eric and I have always talked about having two biological children, waiting until they were both in school, then adopting two little girls. I’ve always thought I was going to be a mom of two little girls or at least a boy and a girl. Instead, God blessed me with two boys…and I think He did that to preserve the calling that has been on my heart since even before I met Eric. I’ve always felt that I was supposed to adopt these two little girls (domestic, international, I don’t care) at the same time for some reason. I remember talking to Eric about it before we even dated to find out what his thoughts were on the matter. I know that some people are not comfortable with adopting, and that’s okay—I just knew that if a future husband of mine was not “on board”, it would cause tremendous grief for me. Thankfully, Eric was all for it. We both had (and still have) no idea how we would go about it, find the finances for it, etc., but we’re trusting God to give us guidance when the time comes.
BOY- you can tell I don’t get to have much adult conversation!! Look how much I’ve written! Ha ha—well, I went to the doctor today and when she checked me, she said I was 1 cm dilated (much better than hearing her say “oh, you have a dimple” like she did last week). She said that she doesn’t expect me to have a 10 lb. baby (thank goodness). She’s also not going to be concerned with inducing me until I’m more than a week overdue. She advised that I go walking…so as soon as Caleb wakes up from his nap, we’re going to head out to the local mall (a tiny one, thank goodness, as I’m not much one for crowds) and get some exercise. Maybe that’ll encourage Adam to “come on”. At least we got through the Superbowl with no labor!! :) Thanks for “listening”- whoever you are!
I can’t believe that we’re almost there! I thought Adam might be here by now, but apparently, he’s decided that being warm and snuggled is better than being out in this cold, wet weather! And, I don’t blame him! Eric and I, since the beginning, have joked that this baby, although due on the 13th, could possibly come tomorrow, Feb. 7th…also known as SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!! Who knows what he might decide to do, but I can just see us in the fourth quarter, 1 minute to go, both teams tied….and I go into labor. “NOOOOO!!!” cries Eric. :) Actually, I told him that if we were in labor at the hospital at the time of the Superbowl, that I would allow him to watch it on the 42” plasma that we’ll have in our LDR room. At least, until I tell him to turn the TV off. We are cheering for the Colts this year (GO PEYTON!) and plan on having a small get-together at our house (again, providing that Adam decides not to make an appearance) with grilled hotdogs, chips, and bakes beans. :) We’re looking forward to it! Here are some more pregnancy pictures for you!
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