3 Weeks

I should have posted some updates sooner but I have been distracted by cute Alexandria.
During our first week home, my mom was here to help us out while we figured out what we needed to be doing. We also took Alex to the pediatrician for the first time.  She had lost 10% of her birth weight.  Alex wasn't breastfeeding and so I wasn't producing anything for her.  The doctor suggested pumping and supplementing with formula to get her weight back up and seeing a lactation consultant to help with our feeding issues. We ended up giving her formula for a few days with breast milk until I was able to pump enough to feed Alex without the formula. We saw the lactation consultant and she said we should have no problems but Alex is too stubborn and won't cooperate if she doesn't want too. So I have been pumping and Alex has been gaining weight.
After my mom left and Greg went back to work, its just been Alex and I at home.  We have been doing our best to figure out a schedule. Eating, sleeping, pumping and snuggling.
 We survived our first week alone and are now working on sleeping through the night. Alex has only been waking up for one middle of the night feeding (between 1-3am) and then an early morning (between 5-7am) feeding. She has been dealing with some congestion problems.  Doctor says it just congestion or she has reflux.  She also likes to keep spit/drool in her chipmuck cheeks and then she has a hard time swallowing it. So we are working on remedies for both issues. Humidifier and saline drops if she is congested from the dry desert air and sleeping on an incline and adding rice cereal to her night bottle for the reflux.  She's better but the congestion hasn't resolved itself yet.
Alexandria is just as cute as can be.
Alex also went back to the pediatrician at two weeks and she is back to her birth weight and she grew 2 inches.  Alex has outgrown almost all the newborn size clothes but the 3 month clothes are still slightly too big.  Trying my best to chunk her up.
We also had a photo shoot with Alex when she was a week old and I just got the photos back from the photographer.  I have posted a few on Facebook and Instagram..

40 Weeks and Alexandria arrives!

Alexandria is here! Finally!
The last two weeks, we're spent waiting and wondering when she was going make her appearance.  My mom was here helping me get ready and then my Dad and sister came last week hoping baby would come early.  Doctor and nurses all said she would come early but she surer showed us.
At my 39 week appt, I was still 1 cm and not showing any signs of progress and at my 40 week/due date appt,  I was still at 1 cm. My OB stretched and stripped my membranes at that appointment and then scheduled me for induction the next morning, the 15th.
Well, all day on Thursday, the 14th after my OB appt, I was having contractions.. It was nothing new. I had been having contractions for so long before that, but these contractions were closer together but still not consistent.  At about 8:30pm, I was laying the couch trying to time contractions while watching tv.  I felt a pop and then THE gush.  I jumped up off the couch, told my mom my water had broken.  While I stood in the kitchen gushing fluid (you all are welcome for the image), Greg got our bag and cat seat and I got cleaned up enough to get in the car to head to hospital.
Once we got to the hospital, we went to labor and delivery triage where I was hooked up to the monitors and got blood drawn.  The doctor on call told me that I could start pitocin or walk around to try to get my cervix dilated since I was still at 1cm.  I opted for the pitocin since either way I was going to end up with it. (And that's the medication I would have gotten at my induction anyway).
So I got admitted to the hospital and put in a delivery room. I got hooked up to all kinds of machines. At about 2 am, my contractions were SO painful. I am a huge baby and couldn't handle the first stage contractions and I got my epidural. Still at only 1cm.
Greg's parents drove all night to be at the hospital and when the arrived I still hadn't progressed much. So we sent them to our house where my parents were impatiently waiting/sleeping also.  It wasn't until late morning/early afternoon that things started to get real.  Even though I had an epidural and the pain was taken away, I could still all the pressure of contractions and baby moving down.  I went from 4 cm to 10 cm in about 3.5 hours and then baby girl was so low that it was time to push.
With assistance from Greg and the nurse and almost 2 hours of pushing, baby girl arrived! (It took two hours because baby's head got stuck on the way out). As soon as baby arrived, she was give a basic clean up, suctioned out airways then she was given to me.  Her and I hung out while nurses and doctor got me all cleaned up.  And I decided on her name. As soon as I saw all her blonde hair and round face, I knew she was Alexandria! She had just become the new love of our lives!  Greg cut her cord and checked on her while she got cleaned up and then he went out to tell the impatiently waiting grandparents that she is here and what her name is.
Alexandria Kristen, weighed 8 pounds 4oz and is 20.5 inches long.  Quite a bit heavier than I had expected but she is perfect!

We came home the day after she was born and we are adjusting to life with baby.  And trying to figure out feedings and sleeping. Our kitties are trying to figure what just happened and what's with all the noise.
We are so happy and love Alex to pieces. All the grandparents are trying to take turn holding her, while they are all in town.


We love our little miracle!

38 Weeks

14 days!
Baby girl can come out anytime now, I'm so ready!
I quit working last week at 37 weeks because I had been having lots of contractions. Also at my 37 week OB appt, my doctor said that I could have baby at anytime.  My body and baby are ready to go, just waiting for real contractions.  At my 37 week monitoring appt, the nurse said the same thing.
Unfortunately, I have made it to 38 weeks and another OB and monitoring appointment.  At the OB, we are basically at the same place as last week.  I'm 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced.  Still just waiting for real contractions.  Dr said again body and baby are ready.  Went to monitoring and everything was good there. Baby girl behaved except she was napping so it took a bit to see her do her breathing motions but she did them.
My mom has come to visit until baby makes her arrival.  We spent the week doing some shopping/walking.  I was hoping the walking would get some contractions going but that hasn't happened yet....
Next week, we plan on doing cleaning and more walking.  Hoping something will work!
I feel like my belly is so huge and it's so heavy.  Baby needs to come out already!
Hopefully, my next update will be with pics of baby! Hopefully!

36 Weeks!

As of today only 27  days till Due Date!  Pretty excited! So ready to be done!
Baby Girl has positioned herself super low (per usual) and ready to escape.  I have her head on my bladder, making me have to pee all the time and her feet up in my ribs. Most days are rather uncomfortable. I, also, have constant Braxton Hicks contraction. though no one seems to be concerned with me having them, yet. Still suppose to get see if they get more consistent.  I have had a few bouts of 10 min apart but nothing lasting longer than a hour. Contractions are getting painful. They used to be just uncomfortable and cause pressure but now it hurts. I just have to look at it as a good workout for my uterus and hopefully make pushing baby out easier.
I had to 2 appointments this week. OB and an ultrasound with monitoring. Both OB and monitoring will be once a week until baby arrives.  I saw a nurse practitioner at the OB office.  She said I am doing great. Baby's heart rate is good and she checked to see if she was head down even though I told her I knew for sure she is. She checked to see if I am dilating at all and I am not just some softening.
At my ultrasound and monitoring appt, Greg came with me. It was my last ultrasound. Baby Girl has grown to an estimated 6.3 pounds and 18 inches long. She was all squished together so measurements were a little tricky.  She was so low that seeing her face was impossible and getting head and brain measurements was difficult.  Although we did see her hair moving in the fluid.  I think she will have lots of dark hair like her daddy.
She did behave for the monitors though and that doesn't usually happen.  She had 6 heart rate accelerations in 20 minutes and I had 1 big contraction and possibly 2 smaller ones. Sometimes its hard to tell between movement and a contractions, especially with her butt right up against the middle of my belly. The nurse practitioner at the specialist said there is nothing I can do about the contractions except deal them. Also, she suspects that since baby is in escape position that once I go into labor it should go quickly.  So that was good to hear. Hopefully not in labor for hours and hours. No prediction on when she could arrive. I hope sooner rather than later after we pass the 37 week mark.

We have narrowed down the name list to 2 possibilities, So we will make the final decision after seeing her.
Everything is all set up and ready for her to arrive. I think we have everything that we need to at least get started.
Surprisingly, our cats have left all the baby stuff alone. Neither of them has tried to get in the bassinet or the pack and play or the swing.  Neither seem interested in any of it. Which should be good and will hopefully continue once baby comes home.

34 Weeks

So close and still so far away! I'm so ready to meet this little wiggly girl!
I had 2 appointments this week. One with the OB and one for monitoring.  Everything is going well so far.  At the OB, my belly measured exactly on track, my blood pressure was normal and I'm only a gaining a pound a week (which is the recommended amount). I mentioned my contractions that I have all day everyday to the doctor and she was not concerned about it. As long as the contraction do not come in a pattern or close together.  Which so far they have been very irregular and no pain just discomfort from my belly tightening up.  I am hoping that all this practicing makes it easier to push baby out.
At my monitoring appointment, baby was yet again uncooperative. She was sleeping during the heart rate monitoring, so not doing her accelerations. And she was wiggling for the ultrasound. Pretty much the opposite of what they need her to do.  Just can't win with this one. Oh well!
But overall, she is doing great!
Baby girl moves around a ton! I'm always getting kicked, punched and headbutted. She still has the hiccups all the time too.
We still have no name decided for her yet. Everyone keeps asking me what we are naming her and we seriously have yet to decide.
Her room is all ready for her and so are all her things. Everything is organized and cleaned/washed.
Now ti's just a waiting game!
I was going to try to work until the end of July, but my boss is getting worried that my water will break while I am work and she doesn't want that to happen so I might be off work sooner than planned. If that happens, I hope baby comes just a tiny bit early so I wont get too bored just hanging out at home waiting.
In the meantime, we went to AZ for the holiday weekend. This was my last trip until after baby arrives. We went to AZ because I was throwing a bridal shower for my BFF, Kalina, who is getting married in October. (In which I am a bridesmaid and is giving me a goal to lose the baby weight before her wedding so I can fit in my dress).
We also had one last chance to see the family before baby arrives.


Sorry this post is going up almost a week late