1 Week Old

It's amazing, Caden is one week old today! I look at him and I just melt...he is so darn cute! He does like to keep me up all night though. He had his first pediatrician appointment yesterday, he looks great and weighed in at his exact birth weight of 9 pounds 3 oz! That is really good for being just 6 days old! And speaking of weight, I only have about 3 1/2 pounds to loose before I am at pre-pregnancy weight...crazy! Also, breastfeeding is going sooo well... really easy actually!

In other news, my collar sales are really taking off, I have sold 7 now, and with the positive feedback I've been receiving on ebay and etsy, more and more people are buying. It's really something I can do and build upon at home.

Also, we are planning our move upstairs to a bigger apartment...we are hoping maybe Saturday, so we will need lots of help!

Caden is also on the hospital website - cutest of the bunch - click!

New Man in My Life

Just a quick post to say we are all home and doing great! Caden was born at 1:01pm on Friday 1/23/09 by c-section. He was 9 pounds 3 oz and was 20 inches long. He is perfect! :)

I'll post more details later!

Isaiah 41:10

'Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

An End in Sight

I'm so annoyed, I wrote a long blog...and because of blogger maintanance it got deleted! Grrr!!

Anyway, here goes again...

I've been very emotional. The doctor's office never called by noon like they said with our appointment time, and I just decided that there was no point going to get measured again, I already know Caden is a good size. I don't want to feel like a failure...and I've realized that I may have been more worried about what others think about me and my choices, and that's not right. This morning I cried. I was tired and drained, and I needed time alone to reflect and pray.

Then I called the doctor's office. I scheduled a c-section. I feel good; that's that.

I'm not sure of visitor details or policies, but you're more than welcome to be at the hospital to see the baby when he is born. If he doesn't come on his own by then, Caden will be born on Friday January 23rd at 12pm noon.

Nate and I feel good about it, I'd rather do this than get induced and force my body with hormones and drugs to go into labor. Plus, the longer I wait the longer everything is on hold, the longer Nate's Mom has to stay, and the bigger Caden grows.

I'd really appreciate your prayers and support, this is still scary for me and I appreciate every one of you who have been there for us and Caden.

Decisions

I just got back from my OB appointment...here are all the much anticipated details.

When we arrived at 2pm the doctor was out delivering a baby so we drove around until it was 3pm, at which time we returned to the office and I was checked by the doctor. She was very pleased, I am 1 cm dilated and 70% effaced, though my cervix is still posterior. I was then put on a fetal heart monitor for 30 minutes, and I had to press a button whenever I felt the baby move. It was all nice and normal. After that the doctor came back in and did an ultrasound to check the fluid and measure Caden's size. Apparently I have tons of fluid, on the higher range. She then measured Caden's femur, abdomen and head, and had to redo it about 3 times because she couldn't believe it was right. I told her when I came in that I felt he was large, like 10 pounds, and the measurements came out at exactly that! Over 10 pounds! And I know it can be a pound off either way, but he is still big.
We then discussed options...she wanted to strip my membranes right there but I refused. We also talked about induction and a c-section. She said if it were her she would get induced, but it was up to me. When the decision is in front of you...it's so much more scary than if labor started by itself and you had no choice but to deal with it. It's so different when you get told you can get started right away to have this baby. It's my first baby and it's not like I had previous smaller babies to "practice" with. This is a lot for a first timer like me.
Firstly though, she recommended going to a specialist to measure Caden to help me decide, which is a lot more accurate. I should get a call in the morning about when they can get me in.

I know everyone has their own opinions on what they think is right, but please remember this is my choice and I'm the one who has to go through this.
Right now I need to pray about it and I won't decide what to do until tomorrow.

My doctor said I will definitely need an episiotomy...which I don't want but I know fitting that big head through to the outside world is not going to be smooth sailing.

So I have the following options:

A. Wait until labor starts on it's own, which could not happen before next week and I will have to get induced anyway.

B. Get induced but may end up with a c-section anyway.

C. Elect for a C-section, have a harder recovery, but have no labor, and won't have to heal down below.

I feel very undecided...and nervous. I know the facts, I grew up with them...but ultimately it's my choice. So please pray that whatever God wants to be for this delivery will happen...and that it will be great!

Hello Due Date, Goodbye Due Date

I am now officially overdue, and I can't say I'm happy about it! All this time we've focused on January 17th as our goal, and it's so weird to see it arrive but keep on going like it was nothing special. I am now terrified of Caden's size and the unknown...I thought for sure he's be here by now, and I am being stretched to the limit lol. And no signs of impending labor yet either. But, it's all in God's timing...and we will see what the doctor says on Tuesday.

40 weeks.

Can't get Away

I....feel....overwhelmed.annoyed.sore.uncontrolled.trapped.used.smothered.selfish.uncomfortable.itchy.worried.scared.irritated.

Nothing to Report

Today I had my 39 week doctor's appointment. Baby's heartrate is fine, and I have gained about 1 1/2 pounds. I was told I've done really well with my weight, "lots of control" she said, but I've been pigging out every chance I get so it must be good genes lol.

When the doctor did the exam she could feel Caden's head this time, but could barely reach my cervix, she said is was still posterior (facing my back) like last time, and couldn't check dilation properly without killing me, which I asked her not to do lol. Sorry if that is too much info for some of you! I just need to record this now before I forget.
My legs and arms are now covered in hives/bumps and the doctor wants me on some kind of allergy medication. She also said because of my cervix I'm not even inducable (not that I want to be, but I like it as an option).
So it looks like even though the baby has dropped, he is still not ready to come out. Lame.
I have my next appointment next Tuesday, and if I'm still preggo I will be put on monitors and have the amniotic fluid level checked. I hope he comes soon!

*In other news, I sold my first collar on ebay, whoot!

Heading South?

Well I have 6 days to go until my due date, and I must admit I'm a little disappointed...I really wanted to have had Caden by now. I think I will go overdue, and it just hit me that I don't even know what my doctor's policy is on that. I will ask her tomorrow I guess.
I've been waiting for Caden to drop and totally thought nothing had happened yet...but then I saw my 39 week pic and I've changed my mind!


Even though he is still high in my opinion, he totally looks likes he has dropped lower, much to my relief. I was expecting to feel different, but I don't really, other than feeling very large and waddly (which is normal lol). And I have been feeling his head move when he squirms now, when before I hadn't felt it since the very beginning of feeling movement. And man is he squirming a LOT. And I can feel his long feet moving around under my skin lol.
If you look at my arm in the pic you can see how red it is. My rash seems to be doing better on my belly...but I have moved on to itching my arms and legs like crazy! I've been getting hives, and I think it's just in my mind and I am imagining the itchiness. So I'm trying to cover up as much as possible and ignore it.

I also thought I show you a pic of all the collars I have created...they just look so pretty! I am trying our online stores like Etsy and Ebay, but I am having way better luck at the grooming shop, so I think I will wait and sell most of the there. I sold 12 in a week there so I know I could even do better than that!

Well please pray the Cadenator will arrive soon and that everything will go well! I know you all want to win the $20 from Nate if you guess the right date (sorry Alexis it's almost 10pm and all Caden is doing is hiccuping and kicking - at the same time might I add, which is pretty talented in my opinion).

Maybe the next post will hold baby pictures?

Pregnant Forever?

I'm sooo ready to have Caden here! I am getting bigger and bigger! I also have this horrible itchy-painful rash on my belly that is keeping me up all night. My appoinment today was nothing interesting, I had my cervix checked and there was no news there. I think the lil' dude likes it in there too much and is not planning an escape anytime soon.

It's pretty crazy to be able to say "I'm due next week." Nate's Mom arrives on Tuesday, and I have a lot of house cleaning to do before then. Fun! Nate did install the car seat which is a relief, and now I have to do some final baby laundry and set up the bassinet.

38 weeks