Pictures

Birth Story

We got to the hospital Tuesday morning about 6 AM and my amniocentesis results were not back yet. After some searching it turns out that the lab in Salt Lake had not finished running them, guess there were too many rush orders and mine got pushed back. After a phone call though, they said they should have results back in at best an hour. Clint and I just hung around the hospital waiting to hear if we were going to have a baby that day. Finally about 8 AM we were in the delivery room and I was getting my IV put in to start my Pitocin. Things were pretty slow going all morning. I could feel the contractions but they were not bad at all, I even took a little nap. Then at about 12:30 my doctor came by and broke my water. I was only a 3 at that point. I held off on getting my epidural before he broke my water not wanting the epidural to slow things down more than they already were. I made it about an hour after having my water broke and was asking for my epidural. Once I got that in and going, I was feeling great except that my blood pressure dropped and that caused Ryann's heart beat to not be stable. I had the nurse checking my blood pressure every two minutes trying to get that up and the anesthesiologist watching me too. I ended up having to get two shots of something, I can't remember what, to bring my blood pressure up. The epidural was wonderful though, I knew I would feel numb but I was surprised at how drugged I felt. Around 3 PM the nurse had my doctor come back and put in an internal contraction monitor so that they could better watch the baby. At that point I was a 4. Still slow going.
At about 6 PM they checked me and I was a 7, finally something was happening. I had started to have some pain in the right side of my back and rotating how I was laying hadn't helped, so they called back down the anesthesiologist. He dosed me really slow that time since my blood pressure had dropped last time. They checked me at 6:45 PM and I was a 10 and it was time to push. I pushed a couple times just to get Ryann to drop a little bit more and in came my doctor. I only had to push about 30 minutes and out came our "little" girl at 7:26 PM, 9 lbs 9 oz and 21 1/2 inches long.
I did have to have an episiotomy. He cut me to get her head out and didn't expect her body to be so big so I did tear a little. My doctor is glad he started me when he did because if she had been any bigger we would have had to do a C-Section. I'm glad to have avoided that. Clint was great. He was there holding my hand through the contractions and the epidural. He was great when it came time to push and counted for me. He even looked and saw her coming out a couple times. I even reached down and felt her head coming out.
It was nice having her so late in the day because we didn't have to worry about a lot visitors coming right after giving birth. Clint's parents were there, his aunt came by, and one of my co-workers stopped by that night. Ryann spent the whole night in the nursery being bottle fed to keep her sugars up and to avoid having to put an IV in her. Wednesday we had visitors all day to keep us busy, it was so nice. Thank you everyone who visited! We got to go home Thursday morning and we are all doing great. I'm so glad to be done being pregnant and have my sweet baby girl home.

Last Day-37 weeks and 5 days

I had my last appointment today. There is the big belly. This time when Dr. Anderson measured my belly he said, "Wow". Yup, I had grown two more centimeters in one week. There is no slowing down the growth of this baby. Today I was dilated to a two and he stripped my membranes. He told me he was just expecting my amniocentesis to come back all fine so he had already called down to OB and told them be expecting me tomorrow morning at 6:30 AM, the results of the amnio should be back early early in the morning. He will have them start me on Pitocin when I get there. Then once my contracts are steady and good then he will come down and break my water.
After my doctor's appointment I headed over to the hospital to have my amniocentesis done. I got all registered for that and for delivery tomorrow. The technician did an ultrasound to find the area with the most fluid. The ultrasound showed that my belly is almost all baby. Then the Radiologist comes in and he numbed up the area with the most fluid. Of course this makes Ryann move so he has to find a new spot and numb me again. That time she held still and he got the fluid he needed. I didn't watch but Jeannie was with me and she said you could see on the ultrasound the pocket of fluid getting smaller and smaller. For me the worst part wasn't the poke of the numbing needle, or the numbing medication going it, it was actually the pressure of all the fluid in that spot on my belly. I didn't feel the actual procedure at all. Now to await the results. I'll call before we make the trip down there to make sure the results are all okay and her lungs are developed. Tomorrow we should get to finally meet Ryann!

Counting Down

I got good news at my appointment today, Ryann will be coming next Tuesday or Wednesday! There is an end in sight!!!
My appointment last week went well. My Group B Strep was negative, yeah! one less thing to have to worry about. No change in my medication, no protein or sugar in my urine, and my cervix had thinned.
Over the weekend I was having cramping, some back pain, and what felt like just strong Braxton Hicks contractions. Maybe I had some real contractions, but they weren't obvious to this first timer. Then today at my appointment after Dr. Anderson measured my belly he said, "She will be coming next week." Yup, my belly is big! But I was so glad to know all the discomfort this weekend had paid off, I was dilated to a two. Next Monday I have to have my amniotic fluid tested to make sure her lungs are developed. Dr. Anderson says it might be a little over kill but he thinks it is better that we do it just to be safe. We will get those results back on Tuesday and then he will start me that day or Wednesday.
So the count down till Ryann arrives can begin...8 DAYS LEFT!!!

Baby Shower

I had my baby shower on Thursday and it turned out great. I believe our child will be the best dressed kid for the next 6 months of her life. Thank you to everyone who helped out and especially to Joyce, Heidi, and Grandma Stewart for helping Jeannie put it all together.

Setting up...had Cafe Rio catered in. YUM!!!

I loved my cakes made by my friend Aleza. They were so great to look at and so good to eat! I'm not usually a fondant icing lover, but Aleza's was so good. It was a butter cream cake with apricot filling.
Delicious three layer chocolate cake with cream and strawberries between the layers and a rich chocolate ribbon around the whole cake.
We played "Guess How Big Ryann is Right Now". There is Heidi reading the results. The top three closest weights were awarded. They were 7.8, 7.12, and 7.10
And the weight was...7 lbs 10 oz!!! (Give or take 18 grams)
Present Time
Love the baby shoes!
A present from a fellow dog lover.

Maci, Hallie, and Rachael helped gather all the presents around me. Earlier in the day Maci excitedly had announced to Clint that she got to go to Nicole's party. At the end of the party she happily gathered decorations to take home with her and was so excited to take home the booties off the top of the cake.My diaper cake from my friend Nicole.

SO CUTE

My cute R handmade by my friend Mary and her daughter Katie. It looks so perfect hanging on Ryann's door. LOVE IT

Thank you everyone for making it a special time for me.

Ryann's weight

I'm so excited for my baby shower tomorrow! There will be a couple of games and one of them will be to guess Ryann's current weight. So today during lunch I had another ultrasound done. Sorry, you'll have to wait to know how much she is weighing. Since my belly was already gelled up Loretta went ahead and did some 3D pics. Surprisingly enough we got some really good face ones this time. Here are just a few.

After the ultrasound I went back up to my desk and a baby came in for their 5 day check. Well that baby weighed only 2 ounces more than Ryann's ultrasound weight. All I could think was "Wow, that is how big my baby is already and she still has 3 more weeks to grow!"

What 34 weeks Brings

So we have made it to 34 weeks and man am I really counting down till I am done being pregnant. I'm ready to trade my sleepless nights for sleepless nights with a baby. I'm ready to be able to breath again and to bend over to pick something up with out worrying that I might end up on all fours. Geez, I am just ready to be able to get up off the couch like a normal person instead of having to roll off the couch onto my knees and then stand up. Our dear sweet Maggie has found a new job in her life. I have to admit that I have called her over to me on several occasions so that I could grab a hold of her and get myself up.

I had my appointment on Monday and it was not a happy appointment like two weeks ago. I had sugar and protein in my urine. So lucky me, I got to have my Metformin increased to taking twice a day which means I once again get to deal with the drop in blood sugar and feeling crappy. My feet are of course swollen but that swelling isn't going down at night like it should and used to. He asked me how bad they were after working all day and yesterday I showed them. Lets just say he wasn't too happy with how they were looking. I have started training my maternity leave replacement so I am off my feet more but that swelling just keeps holding. Hopefully there is no bed rest in my future. My blood pressure was perfect and my weight gain fine, the only things that were at that appointment. Nothing like having your doctor finish up your appointment with the comment of, "Now I am getting a little concerned."

For now I just have to recheck with my doctor next week with my sugars and then will see what my 36 week appointment shall bring the following week. I just want to make it to May so she will be 36 weeks and then I am ready to be done.

I've started to have a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions. They come on just about every time I get up to do anything. The ones I get are really uncomfortable and last for a couple minutes. Just another reason I'm glad I have a trainee with me so that I don't have to get up very often.

There is the belly at 33 weeks and 5 days.

I'm excited for my baby shower next week. Clint's aunt and cousin did my invites, and I think they turned out so cute!

I couldn't resist snapping this picture the other day. Clint doesn't get home till around 7:30 and Maggie doesn't like this change in his schedule. Starting around 6 o'clock this is what Maggie and Sally do almost religiously waiting to see Clint's truck pull up. Their excitement when he pulls up is just priceless, you would think that he has been gone for a month the way they act.