We were on our way to the grocery store today, all bundled up ready to brave the -50 temperature that awaited us once the garage door was opened. The girls were safely strapped in their car seats ready to go. I turned the key, and nothing…the battery was dead. Apparently I had not closed one of the doors when we came in from running errands the other day and the light had been on ever since. I brought my girls back in the house and called Triple A, only to find out that my membership had expired, even though the card says it’s good for another year. I don’t really understand that, but OK, whatever. The man on the other end was very helpful and put me in touch with the Alaska Club, the lady that helped me was super nice, and I was able to renew my membership right then and there and get set up for someone to come jump the battery. Now I’m feeling all kinds of hopeful. Then I get a phone call that the station that services my area is out of service because they are over run with calls, so I can cancel my request for service and call back early tomorrow morning. I moved on to plan B. I contacted my friend to see if I could borrow her husband. While waiting for a response I called my FRG leader who of course wasn’t home, but did call me back a few minutes later. While talking to her she asked me how I was doing since my husband left, was I sad? Honestly, I miss him like crazy, but I really don’t have time to be sad, or even eat for that matter. Finally, my friends husband said he’s come by and jump the truck. Again, feeling very hopeful. So, he came over, pushed the truck out of the garage, put the cables on, and, yep, nothing. The battery was totally drained. He told me to call around and find a battery and he’d pick it up and install it after work. So I did and he did. I’m so grateful that he was willing to endure the frigid temperature to help me out. I have to laugh as I wonder why things like this always happen when my husband is gone? Needless to say, we will be celebrating New Year’s Day at the grocery store!
Happy 4th Birthday, Monkey
December 28, 2008 at 4:15 pm (Army Wife, Monkey)
My sweet Monkey turns 4 today! We celebrated on Friday with a Princess Party. We had pizza, a princess cake, and balloons, complete with a singing princess balloon! She had a good time and got the singing Sleeping Beauty doll she’d been aching for!
On a sad note, my sweet husband deployed today for his second tour in Iraq. Please keep him in your prayers.
She’s Finally Here!
December 21, 2008 at 2:04 pm (Kendal)
Welcome to the world Kendal Brienne! December 20th, 2008 7:01 am! She weighed 7 pounds 11oz and was 19.5 inches long.
Waiting
December 18, 2008 at 12:02 am (Monkey, Pregnancy)
I am 40 weeks and 2 days pregnant. This waiting is driving me crazy, I am so anxious to meet this little person!
I had an appointment today with the midwife. After I explained to her that my husband is deploying soon, very soon, and I would really like for him to see this baby and spend at least a little time with her and that I’m overdue and miserable, she suggested that we check my cervix. I was hoping that things were progressing along with all the walking I’ve done since Saturday. I was dilated to a whopping 1 1/2 centimeters. Wow! Talk about disappointed. Then she suggested that we strip my membranes, again. I probably sounded stupid, but I had to ask if they grew back. Nope, but apparently the more you strip them, the better it works. Well, yes, I would assume that eventually it would have to work. I declined the offer hoping that she would just decide to induce me. She told me that she’d have to look at a calendar, but we could do it Monday since the labor and delivery unit didn’t like to schedule inductions on Friday. Ok, today is Wednesday and tomorrow is Thursday. My midwife then admitted that she didn’t know what day it was and she needed to look for a calendar to see when it would be best to schedule it. Apparently we don’t want to rush things and I’m not yet 41 weeks. My blood pressure was excellent when they took my vitals, by this time I’m sure it was elevated. Then she orders a fetal NST and on the way to the NST room she looks at me and asks if I’ve had them done before, yes I answer, and then she says, “So if the NST provider isn’t in you can hook yourself up to the monitor?” What?? Are you kidding?? No, I can’t hook myself up to the monitor, hello, you’re the midwife don’t you have training in this area?? Now, once I’m hooked up and the strip is printing I can read it for you if you need help with that. Thankfully the NST lady showed up. After a few minutes she returns and zaps me with a black wand that is supposed to stimulate the baby’s auditory system and wake them up. I guess Little Missy didn’t like being zapped or the threat of being zapped again if there wasn’t some movement or changes in her heart rate, because a couple of minutes later she was all over the place. Then the midwife came back and told me she had scheduled my induction for Friday. Ok, ten minutes ago they didn’t schedule them for Friday. Who cares, at least I’m on the books! I’m supposed to call L and D Friday morning and see if they have a bed available. If they don’t they will either call me when they have one or schedule me for another day.
I’m hopeful that this happens naturally between now and Friday. I’ve been super crampy all day, maybe that’s a good thing!
On a lighter note, Monkey has proven that she is more technologically advanced than her mama. At 3, she has figured out how to turn on, unlock, and operate my iPhone. She especially likes using the camera and she took a beautiful picture of the toilet and then changed the background on my phone to that photo. Beautiful!
Frustrated
December 14, 2008 at 2:52 am (Pregnancy)
I have been having strong contractions for a couple of days, they have been pretty regular too. I have been trying to go about my everyday business waiting for my water to break or something. Today, we took Monkey out, did some walking, and then came home. My contractions were five minutes apart, I couldn’t get comfortable, and I finally decided to go to the hospital. We get there and they hook me up to the monitors. The monitor picked up the contractions and the baby had a good heart rate. Of course, when I time my contractions they are five minutes apart and hurt like crazy, but the monitor always tells a different story. They decided to check and see if my water had broken, which it had not and then they checked my cervix. Everyone was hoping for a 4, but nope, I was only a three. Oh, good grief! So, I was told to get dressed and they were going to call the doctor. When they returned I was told that the doctor wanted me to go walk around for a couple of hours and come back so they could check me again. Alright, it’s like 3 degrees, everything except Wal-Mart was closed, and I really didn’t feel like walking every aisle in Wal-Mart with my three year old that would be begging for every toy ever made. I was also told I could come home, sit in a rocking chair, and rock at a steady pace. All this in the hopes of getting this child to drop. Upon leaving, I asked if I had to come back in two hours and I was told that I didn’t have to, but if I had a lot of pressure, my water broke, or my contractions were three minutes apart (instead of the five minutes I’ve been told every other time) I should come back. Needless to say, we came home. I’ve done some walking, but my pelvis feels really weird with every step. So, I guess now we just wait and see what happens. I am so incredibly frustrated!
A Natural Holiday
December 14, 2008 at 2:08 am (Monkey)
I am always looking for things to do with Monkey. I try to find things that will be fun, new, and have a little educational benefit to them. We took her to Creamer’s Field today. Creamer’s Field is a wildlife refuge of sorts with nature trails, a library, and more. What impresses me, not only as a parent, but as a former teacher, is that they provide a lot of educational activities for children. Every month they offer Preschool Discovery Programs, all with different themes that introduce nature to children. Today, Monkey had the opportunity to make three different Christmas ornaments out of natural materials. She made a wreath by gluing berries, the cutest little pine cones, and feathers. She sanded a piece of wood, stamped it with a butterfly, and colored it. Finally, she made a gift for our fine feathered friends, a bird feeder made out of a pine cone, peanut butter, and seeds. Two of the ornaments are now hanging from our tree and we will be hanging the bird feeder tomorrow.
39 Weeks
December 12, 2008 at 1:43 pm (Pregnancy)
I had my 39 week appointment yesterday with a new provider. I went in with the hope that she would induce me, but nope. She told me she could strip my membranes, again, but I declined that offer because 1.) do they grow back? and 2.) that really, really, hurts. She offered to check my cervix and I was all over that, but then she said that it really wouldn’t change how we progressed, so I was sent home to wait. I explained that I had an almost four year old and that my husband was about to deploy and I’d really like to have this baby so he can spend some time with her and so that I can be mostly recovered before he leaves. I was told that I was due Monday, so I could go into labor at any time. I know that, but as I explained it to her, my Monkey was stubborn, a week late, so I had to be induced. I really don’t want to go through that again and this child being a week late just won’t work. I have been having contractions that are pretty strong and pretty regular. I was told to come in if my water broke. What do I do if my water doesn’t break? It didn’t break with Monkey. Since I was induced and everything happened at the hospital and since I get different answers from every provider that I see here I am confused. Do I go to the hospital when my contractions have been five minutes apart for an hour and are so painful that I can’t walk or do I wait and see if my water breaks? Even though my hubby is a medic and worked as a paramedic and delivered a child before, I really don’t think he wants to deliver this baby. Please help me!
38 Weeks
December 1, 2008 at 4:22 pm (Pregnancy)
I went to the doctor this morning and after some initial conversation about coming in tomorrow for a three hour glucose test I gave my speech, just as I planned it. I really expected some discussion or some resistance on her part, but no. When I finished my speech she said, “Well, everybody gets uncomfortable at this stage, but we can strip your membranes and see if that will speed things along and maybe help with some of the discomfort.” I was almost speechless! Then, she said “Oh, you have that placenta issue and I don’t have the ultrasound report so I don’t want to do anything until I see how that stands.” I told her that the ultrasound tech told me the day I had the ultrasound that my placenta was well out of the way of my cervix, but I understood that she didn’t have the report and she needed to see for herself. She left me to go track down the report and when she returned she said “Yes, your placenta is out of the way and the baby’s head is down.” All good! She listened to the baby’s heartbeat which was very good and up higher than it’s been, so that was another issue. Was the baby still head down or had she flipped since last week? Out came the ultrasound machine. Yes, the baby is still head down! Then she checked my cervix, I am dilating and then she did it, and it was SO incredibly painful I almost came up off the table. She told me that there was a 50/50 chance I would go into labor within three days! Then she said “You may have some bleeding and cramping now.” I thought “Great, I’m already in pain what have I done? What if this doesn’t work I will have suffered for nothing, but maybe it will work and I will be glad I chose to have it done.” Glass half full here: It’s going to work! It has to work!
She was making my appointment for next week (in case this whole painful thing I went through today doesn’t work) and she said “You’re doing NST’s twice a week. Why do I have you doing NST’s?” I thought she was kidding, but no, she really didn’t know why. So, I said “I think because I’ve had some bleeding issues.” “Oh that’s right, you were having some bleeding, that’s why you’re doing NST’s.” I wanted to say “You have no clue, I could’ve come up with anything and you’d have gone with it.” Then she says “I didn’t write it down. I see lots of patients everyday and can’t remember everything.” Ok, isn’t that why you have a chart? Isn’t the idea to write these things down? I understand that she sees lots of patients and I find the whole thing amusing.
Now we will just wait and see if the whole stripping thing works out! Keep your fingers crossed!
