Ellie's arrival

February 28th found Dustin and I getting up bright and early (I was up at 3:30am) to get all checked in to the hospital, monitored and ready for a C-section at 7:30. Dax spent the night with Gigi and Papa since we had to be out the door so early.

Once at the hospital the nurses got us all checked in and put me on the monitor. Very fun to hear our baby's heartbeat one more time on the inside. I thought I was having contractions, not regular or anything but enough to register--- not really. Apparently baby girl was just pushing around so much that it felt like a contraction to me. So weird! The next couple of hours were pretty slow, started my IV, and I got a super lovely catheter (extreme sarcasm). The catheter caused me to kind of go into shock, drop my blood pressure and almost pass out. NOT the best experience first thing in the morning, especially before major surgery. My nerves were going a bit crazy.

 Took a fantastically cold wheelchair ride to the OR and we got to hang out in the recovery room for a little bit while they finished getting the operating room ready to rock. We had THE BEST nurse with us for the day- her name is Melissa and she really, truly was AWESOME! She also knows Dustin-- which became a theme of our stay. Everyone knows Dustin. ;)

I got to go in the OR by myself and Dustin waited with Melissa for me to get my spinal block and finish getting prepped for surgery. I didn't realize how nervous I was for the spinal until I was 'alone' in the OR. I really wasn't alone, I had a very sweet nurse that was just focused on me and my own doctor was in there. He has a very calming way about him BUT neither of them were Dustin and I had kind of hoped he might be in there with me-- was pretty sure he wouldn't be but ya know. The anesthesiologist was very nice. Dustin and I told him ahead of time about what happened with the epidural when we had Dax (I jumped at the first prick and then he ended up hitting bone) and I think he talked me through it a little more because of that ( or it's just what he does). I remember curling up around the pillow, holding my nurses hand- and apologizing if I squeezed too hard- and closing my eyes. It took him a bit to get it placed which then had me starting to tear up a bit. My sweet doctor was right there though and put his face really close to mine and whispered things like "you're doing great" "you're so strong" "almost done" All reassuring phrases which did help. Once I felt a tingle in my leg, they laid me down to get the medicine to start moving in the right direction. This started a long process of pricking me to find out how numb I was. It took a LONG time for the medication to move up high enough to be considered 'good to go' AND THEN my anxiety and blood pressure got the best of me and I felt very light headed and nauseous again. It didn't last long but just long enough to freak me out. I remember the anesthesiologist saying " you feel anxious don't you" and then my doctor chiming in "she has an anxiety issue" Like he was saying SHUT UP you're going to make it worse. ;)

Once everything was ready to go, Dustin got to come in. This was when I REALLY realized how much I needed him. As soon as he held my hand, I started crying. Just the relief that I wasn't alone and that he was there to take care of us. I grabbed onto his thumb mostly and just held on until the end of surgery.

 In a C-section, Mom basically just feels a long of tugging, pulling and pressure. The doesn't sound SO bad, right? It's horrible. Pain would have been much worse, of course, but this was not pleasant at all. I much preferred my exhausted, slightly drugged state of mind I experienced when going through all of this with Dax. With Ellie, I was wide awake the entire time and very aware of what was going on.  Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade it for being put to sleep and missing out on my baby's first cries but just not fun. I kept my eyes closed for most of the procedure, I don't know why I do that but when I get freaked out I definitely close my eyes and try to be 'somewhere else.' Dustin was so sweet during all of this, he rubbed my hand, my whole arm and shoulder when I really started to get upset and kept trying to make me laugh. Just like with Dax;s birth, he was all I needed.

I remember hearing one of the nurses saying, "there's the head, a full head of hair too" and then hearing a LOT of suctioning. All of sudden this butt comes over the curtain at us and another doctor asked Dustin what we had. I think he was a little bit surprised to have this baby coming at us over the curtain and announced that we had a girl. I cried. Relieved that she was here and shocked that she was a girl.

 This is when a mini roller coaster started. I had been told ahead of time that the new procedure at the hospital was that they'd clean baby up and bring her over immediately to me to hold. This didn't happen. Our sweet little girl was in respiratory distress. Basically, she had a lot of fluid in her lungs and belly when she was born (all the suctioning I heard) and she didn't adjust very quickly to life on the outside. She couldn't hold her oxygen levels up at acceptable levels without help. We have a family friend, Terri, who is one of the respiratory specialists at the hospital and I remember thinking, after Dustin told me she was there, that I was so thankful that the baby wasn't by herself and was with someone we knew. So silly because Ellie wasn't ever alone and she was actually in the same room we were in. Terri tried a lot of different tricks to get our sweet girl to cry but they didn't really work. She just didn't really care to take really deep breaths. I wasn't SUPER concerned until our doctor mentioned that if Ellie's stats didn't come up he'd have to think about calling people 'down south,' meaning Spokane.

So our little love got her first chest Xray in the first hour of life and some serious monitoring. Her stats started coming up once they took her out of the OR and into the recovery room to get some extra attention and her Xray. I hadn't seen her yet because of all of this and Dustin hadn't gotten to get any closer to her either. That was hard. It was hard to know that neither of us had touched her and she was struggling.

About this time I was all done and got to go into the recovery room where she was. I remember very clearly being wheeled in and being SHOCKED at how much hair she has and how little she was. (we always forget that they start out tiny, right?) The chest Xray came back and our doctor came in and reported that it looked clear- maybe a touch of fluid but nothing that should be affecting her stats like it had. This was when they decided to put her on my chest and see how she did. I love that when she was cuddled up with me, her oxygen levels climbed into the 90's. This was when she really started to stabilize but they were still floating the idea of giving her a nasal cannula just to give her a little extra help. Thankfully, we didn't even have to do that. Sweet little girl maintained her oxygen level and temperature and we just had to be tethered to the oxygen level monitor for a few hours (they turned it off that evening and then took the little probe off her hand in the middle of the night).

I remember being in the recovery room and saying that she needed a name. I was not a fan of the fact that she was struggling and didn't have a name OR that we started referring to her as a "lazy girl" because she wouldn't take those big deep breaths. Lazy was her first nickname. She's is this absolutely precious and completely beautiful little girl being called "lazy."

We got up to the hospital room and I got my phone out as soon as possible to start a name search. Nothing seemed to fit. I'd think "oh that's a pretty name" then look at her and shoot it down myself. I threw a couple of names out at Dustin but he didn't like either of them. Dustin had our lazy, sleeping girl tucked in his arms and said "What about Ellie?" It fit. It was that simple. Put his daughter in his arms and her name came to him. I was so relieved and so grateful that he named our little girl. So grateful she had a name.

 And so started two more days in the hospital with lots of cuddling and love. Our sweet Ellie is so very laid back, sweet and fits perfectly with our family. She has a wild full head of black hair and her Daddy's chin. She looks a lot like Dax did but definitely has her own features. We are all madly in love and adjusting well to our new addition.

 God is good and I think gave us a slightly rough start to remind us to appreciate life and not take a minute with our kids for granted. They really have our hearts in their hands.

HOLY MOLY: IT'S A GIRL!!!

We have been very blessed with the arrival of our beautiful baby girl!

Now to get going writing her birth story. ;)

Meet Ellie!

33 weeks, side by side

Ready for another side by side comparison?

 (I feel like I'm actually writing this to myself... does anyone read this if I don't post it on FB?)

I still think I look much smaller with this baby than Dax BUT it could be the way I'm standing or my clothes... who knows ;)

Gender Predicting

Can you tell what is still on my mind? Okay when is it EVER off my mind ;) Since it is growing increasingly obvious that we will not be having another prescribed ultrasound (which is really, truly a good thing because NEEDING one is really not something we wanted either) we decided to have some fun with all the old wives tales and gender predicting 'things' found on the internet. So here goes nothing, going to try as many gender predictors as possible and see what we find out.... if they are all right then it MUST be right, RIGHT!?!?

The following tests came from my friend Ariel's blog post on Daily Mom. You can check out the link here:

http://dailymom.com/expect/5-early-gender-prediction-methods/

Sorry for the random highlighting in the post- I did that on accident and then can't figure out how to get rid of it. Oops!

Test 1--Ramzi Method, supposed to be about 97% accurate. According to this one the placenta placement can determine the sex. If it's on the left, girl and if it's on the right, boy. I remember very clearly when the tech told me "here's your placenta," because of our history of placenta previa with Dax it was high on my concern list. It was definitely on the right.
    Our results: BOY!


Test 2--Skull theory

So the idea is that if you have a really good profile picture from your ultrasound you can tell if the baby is a boy or girl. I love this picture. Definitely my favorite from this baby. Just love that the baby is sucking his/her thumb and perfectly profile. SO what do you think, does the forehead look more rounded or more flat and slightly sloped backwards? I think it looks pretty rounded.
     Our results: GIRL!

Test 3--DNA testing:We will NOT be doing DNA testing to determine the sex. If we were at all concerned about any problems with the baby we might consider it but definitely will not be dumping that much money into finding out if the baby is a boy or a girl.

Test 4--The Cabbage Test: basically this is testing the PH of your urine. I boiled two cups water with two cups chopped red cabbage for 10 minutes- will be a deep blue color. The boiled and then cooled cabbage water is mixed, in equal parts,with urine and the color reaction is supposed to determine gender. If the water, changes to red or pink then it's a boy and if it is purple then it's a girl.
      Our results:  GIRL

Test 5--Baking Soda Test: More pee! ;) So the idea is that if you mix your urine with baking soda the reaction or non reaction can determine the sex. If it bubbles, boy and if no reaction, girl.  I waited until I REALLY needed to go to the bathroom so as to not have a diluted sample, poured it in with maybe 2 tablespoons of baking soda and there was definitely some bubbling going on! Not vinegar and baking soda volcano bubbling but definitely some kind of reaction. I was completely shocked that it actually worked! Also had a friend, who has had it confirmed on several ultrasounds that she is having a girl try this-- no reaction!
    Our results: BOY!

Test 6-- The Ring Test: Who HASN'T heard of the ring test? Not one that I put a lot of faith in as I think it depends on how jittery the person is more than anything else. Oh well, nothing to lose so decided to give it a whirl. If it the ring goes in a straight line, side to side then boy, if it swings in a circular motion then girl.
 This was fun because my friends Ruthanna and Mandie did it with me. Ruthanna held the string-- actually my hair and Mandie helped determine what it was doing. When we first started the test I burst out laughing and so did Ruthanna-- hoping that didn't influence the results. ;)
   Our results: BOY!

Test 7-- pencil and needle: so this one was something Ruthanna had done when she lived in Alaska and was pregnant with her boys. She said it was accurate for both of them-- and her ultrasound with her second was actually quite WRONG! So you stick a needle in the eraser end of a pencil, thread the needle with string or Mom's hair and then hang over the belly.
   Our results: BOY!

The other two 'tests' come from Amazon. The first was recommended by a friend who had correct results with her last child. The test said boy and she indeed had a little boy! When I went to look up the tests my determination on whether we'd try them or not was if they were under $20 a test. Well what do you know, they were! ;)

The first test and the one recommended was Intelligender Gender Prediction test.

You can check it out by going to Amazon and searching for the name. There are definitely mixed reviews, as with any gender predictor. It was super easy to use and results were pretty clear.
    Our results: BOY!

The second test was one that was just featured on Amazon and was also, under $20. It has a SUPER original name: Boy or Girl Baby Gender Predictor Test. DO NOT buy this test. I wish I hadn't. It felt like a joke test (which it is but at least the previous test felt a little more like it would be accurate) from the second I got the padded envelop out of the mailbox. It was so tiny and the directions were horrible. It doesn't even tell you how many drops to put on the test, just to put drops of urine on the test. Ummm... okay.... So I did 5 drops from the teeny tiny dropper, waited the 15 seconds it said and it definitely didn't turn blue but a deep purple/blue which, according to the very unprofessional looking instructions means boy. While the results were consistent with most of the other testing we did, I would still not suggest this test.

    Our results: BOY!


SO if we go off of all eight tests, it looks like we're having a
BOY!

Or at least 6 out of 8 tests say boy... we shall see in just a few weeks ;)

Comparing... ;)

Okay... just for comparison sake and oh my gosh I can't believe I liked my hair like that... LOL ;)

25 weeks with Dax and 26 weeks with Baby #2

 Yes, think I was slightly bigger with Dax than this baby.

26 weeks!

Well, actually, today I am 27 weeks pregnant but haven't taken a picture yet and, really, haven't changed that much since last week. Baby is doing really well and so am I. Gaining weight at a steady pace and not feeling sick anymore. Sensitive to the smell of protein cooking but usually able to power through it and finish cooking... or overcook the elk steaks that had to go somewhere other than the stove top. Ha! Still struggling a bit with not knowing the sex of this little one but trying to move past that. ;) Baby appears to be growing right on track and moving like crazy so we probably will not have another ultrasound. I am thinking about asking my Dr. for another one but pretty sure I know the answer... and insurance won't pay for just a random ultrasound. So different having a completely normal pregnancy after a slightly more crazy one. Grateful for it though!

Dax has been feeling the baby move a lot lately. The other night he was laying partway on my tummy and the baby started to move around- he asked what that was, I explained it's the baby moving. He responded with "what is the baby saying?" "I think the baby is telling you to GET OFF ME!" Dax started giggling! It was very sweet. He is really very excited for this new baby and more times than not tells me that the baby will sleep in the baby bed in his room and expresses that he can't wait to snuggle the baby and help take care of the baby. I hope this continues after the baby arrives. ;)

Oh baby, how different you are...

 Every pregnancy is different, I have heard that SO many times but until you're in a second (or more) pregnancy you don't realize how true it is!  I've already noticed some serious difference, beyond cooperation at an ultrasound, that have stuck out to me!

 1. I had a Placenta Previa with Dax and nothing at all like that with this baby. I did not realize how much the placenta cushioned some of the different baby movements that I feel very clearly with this one. In other words, I had no idea what getting kicked "down there" felt like! Yikes is all I have to say! By the time Dax's placenta was out of the way, he was already head down and I didn't go through anything like this with him. It's not painful just..umm... odd??

2.HEARTBURN! Oh my gosh! I had horrible heartburn with Dax but it wasn't until much later in the pregnancy. Already have a bottle of liquid antacid in the bathroom. I'm scared. 

3. Definitely much more achy with this baby. I was warned by my doctor that the scar from C-sections don't stretch like the rest of your skin-- that it does not! While round ligament pain is about the same, so far, as my scar pulling, I definitely don't jump up or move quickly without my body reminding me to SLOWDOWN!

4. This one makes me feel really guilty and I'm hoping to remedy it soon--- by this point with Dax, we knew his name. We have NO idea yet what this baby will be named. I'm blaming it on not knowing if we're having a boy or a girl... that's probably just passing the blame but I really just can't get my head around having to pick two names. I am definitely more used to the idea that we might not know until the day of delivery what color of blanket to wrap baby in BUT I would like to have some names to refer to. ;) There has been so much distracting us that has nothing to do with the baby as well, my other excuse. Ha!

--Funny name story- Dax was at Gigi and Papa's house eating Olives and he looks up and says "Mama, we should name the baby Olive" Then goes back to eating. My Mom, having heard this, says, "actually that is kind of cute" OH HELL NO! I am not having the story of coming to my child's name be "well your brother was eating olives one day and it just stuck" Of course, by the end of the evening he also wanted to name the baby salad and cheese... just don't think this will work. :)

5. With Dax, I practically KNEW he was going to be a boy before it was confirmed. With this baby I change my "mommy feeling" everyday. One day I lean so much toward girl and then the next I'm dreaming it's a boy. Geez! ;)

Overall, I feel great! I am still able to do most of my normal tasks and am still keeping up with Dax. That I am more than grateful for!

 I am excited for this baby and I know that the second we see him or her, every other concern or frustration will melt away. It's so hard for me to believe that this baby will be here in about 15ish weeks, depending on when the C-section is scheduled. In less time than I've been pregnant we will have a new little one to love! That in itself is something to celebrate. :)

A Mystery

I am a planner. I have been since...hmm... well always. I like to have my ducks as much in a row as physically possible, I like to have an idea of what to expect in the future. I think this stems from having an anxiety disorder- order and planning make me just plain feel better. Chaos, flying by the seat of my pants and having no idea what to expect-- scare the crap out of me. Ha!

So imagine the whirl wind when we find out at the ultrasound...nothing! We find out there is a super cute baby in my tummy, we find out our dates are correct for expecting this little lovely but we do not find out if we are expecting a boy or a girl. I felt a little out of place, a little confused leaving the appointment. I really expected this to go as quickly as Dax's first ultrasound - first 10 seconds- Look, it's a ____.  Nope! Not to be this go around apparently.

This is so odd to me. I just can't get my head around how to plan for this baby. How to name a baby I can't say "yes, we're having a baby ___ and his/her name is ___." I will get over this, we will find two baby names and life will be just find and dandy but I just am not there yet. I haven't even brought up names up with Dustin except the occasional, "Dax thinks the baby should be Goldilocks" or "Dax and Gigi think Olive is a cute girls name." Which is both not serious and quite funny.

I did get the answer to my prayers though. I did pray that the ultrasound would show a healthy baby and it did. I remind myself of that daily. Our ultrasound this go around was "good" instead of finding an issue like Dax's 1st ultrasound did. There is something HUGE to be said for that! I am eternally grateful for that.

Here's what I've decided: We will know the baby's birthdate (or at least when we schedule it), we will know two names (or more) BUT the one true surprise will be when the doctor announces if we have a boy or a girl. That will be exciting! It will. :) Pray for me...

Oh baby!

Well if we happen to be Facebook friends, you know this news already! Dax will be a big brother sometime around the end of February/beginning of March. Official due date is March 7 but I'll have a scheduled C-section due to how much *fun* we had during Dax's arrival. Ha!

I'm 17 weeks today and in the last two weeks life has gotten a lot more bearable. I was one sick chick all summer long and actually lost a total of 12 pounds. If you didn't see me much this summer, that would be the main reason. Was miserable at home, not far from the toilet. Dax watched WAY too much TV this summer but we survived.

The test that made me stop taking tests- must be accurate if it turns to a + before the control line even shows up.

We're still in a bit of shock that we'll be having our second baby together 

but I know soon that will give way to excitement.

We're back to a "maybe"

Just got back from the Dr. and the biggest news is he isn't saying I'll need a C-section for sure. He says that the placenta has moved a little and could move completely out of the way by the time we get to delivery. Which was a shock to me after talking to the nurse on the phone about my results. He also said that if I do have to have a C-section we could wait all the way up til week 39, again this surprised me becuase everything I have read indictated 36-37 weeks. Maybe that's because women start to thin out and/or dialate around that time and if that happens a C-section would occur because the placenta would begin to be exposed which isn't a good thing. So I guess the short version of the Dr's appointment is-- we're back to maybe either direction. :) Which is okay but also drives me nuts... I need to get used to the fact that life with a baby is never set in stone and you can't plan everything out to the T.

Baby is measuring right where he should be, I'm measuring the same and only gained 2 pounds since the last appointment. I have no idea how much total I've gained as I've decided its better to not get fixed on the "right" number of pounds to gain.

Well that's all for now, this is my last week of summer break and my last monday off with Dustin so better go enjoy in. :)