Joy is Born

Friday, August 21st, 2015

I had a feeling this would be our last chance to go out as a family of 4, so Michael, Karis, Judah, and I had a special evening.  We enjoyed a spicy meal at Torchy's Tacos, then dessert at Hippo Ice, Karis and Judah's favorite dessert spot.  Before heading home, I walked a few laps around the porch at Hippo Ice. There are a few things "they" say help bring on labor, and I tried 3 that night: spicy food, walking, you guess the third.

Saturday, August 22nd, 2015

5:40 a.m.

A contraction woke me up.  I tried to get some more rest, but I couldn't lay in bed through the contractions, so I began walking around the house and timing the contractions.  They decreased to 6 minutes apart pretty quickly.

6:45 a.m.

Michael woke up and asked, "Are you ok?"  My reply: "Are you ready to have a baby today?" He called his mom, and she rushed over to hang out at our house until Karis and Judah woke up.

The Car Ride
On the way to the hospital, I called my midwife and gave her the update.  We agreed to meet at the hospital at 8:00 am.  We were driving from Wharton to The Pavillion for Women in Houston - an hour and 5 minute drive.  Michael drove so fast!  As usual I was totally fine between contractions, but pretty noisy during the pain.  We were just a couple minutes from the hospital when I said, "Uh oh.  I feel like I need to poop."  I didn't really, but that's the feeling I get right before the baby comes out.

At the Hospital
Michael pulled into the valet area, and I didn't even wait for him.  I exited the car, walked as fast as I could to the elevator, and pressed the button.  I guess I held the elevator door for him.  I had one really strong contraction in the elevator, and I was thankful that we were the only ones in there.  At the check-in desk at triage, an officer asked us a bunch of questions, that I don't think I ever answered, because MY WATER BROKE! Right there on the floor!  I panicked, because during Karis and Judah's labors, my water didn't break until I started pushing.  I knew that Joy was coming NOW.  I quit listening to the officer and walked straight to the triage room.  A nurse helped me into a hospital gown and told me to get into bed.  I told her, "no, I can't!" She said, "You have to so I can check you." I complied.  She checked and informed me that we need to get to labor and delivery. (DUH!  I wanted to go straight there, but the hospital requires women to go to triage first... DUMB!)  A doctor came in to check me.  I could see the urgency on her face as she said, "Ok we're going to take you to labor and delivery." I replied, "No! We're having the baby in here." We continued to argue, but I was wheeled to Labor and Delivery anyway... which was downstairs.  Nurses pushed my bed as fast as they could, and this was the easiest part of my labor because the wind in my face felt good.  Plus, they ran the bed into the wall and a nurse cursed.  This made me laugh and feel proud that I wasn't the one cursing.

Delivery
I think I had just one strong contraction in the hallway.  I screamed, "No No, I can't do this.  I don't want to do this! Michael, what were we thinking!?"  Once I was in a room, a doctor came in quickly to help me deliver my baby.  There was no time for monitors or IV (yes!).  Baby was coming out!  Nurses tried to move me from the triage bed onto a delivery bed, but I absolutely refused.  Then, I gave a push, and saw my baby's precious little head.  This was the moment that my attitude switched from fear and anxiety to excitement and happiness.  My smile was huge as I pushed one more time and my baby's body was out.  After waiting for 9 months, I finally got to see what she looked like! (I didn't see her profile at her 20 week anatomy ultrasound because she had her arm over her face.) I immediately reached for my tiny, naked baby.  She didn't want to nurse, so I just held her close and enjoyed her for a while.  Finally, the nurses were able to lift me to the delivery bed.  At that point, Baby and I were in our own little world.  Until... I had more horrible contractions.  I said, "What is this?  What's happening?" Someone said, "You have to deliver the after birth." Oh yeah.  I forgot about that.  The umbilical cord pulsed a while, and then Michael got to cut it.  Finally, I felt like I was delivering a twin (after birth), and we were done.

Trying to Smile During a Contraction

Recovery
While Michael and I ooh'ed and aw'ed over our Baby Girl, a nurse asked, "So, what's this baby's name." Michael announced, "Joy!"  I smiled, "Really!?"  She was perfect.

Our Joy Magdalene Roberson. Born at 8:08 a.m. She weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces, and she was 20 inches long. I got cleaned up, changed clothes, and then we were moved (again) to recovery.  We spent the rest of the day celebrating Joy with lots of visitors.  It was a beautiful day!

Newborn Photo by Shannon Bedo

26 Weeks, or Something Like That

I haven't done a good job keeping track of where I am in this pregnancy.  I also haven't done a good job preparing for Baby Boy.  Oh well, it will all get done.

As I near the end of the second trimester, I want to jot down an update on how this pregnancy has been going.

My Interstitial Cystitis (IC) has not been good lately.  As Baby gets bigger, there is more pressure on my bladder.  I noticed about three weeks ago that urgency has gotten worse and worse.  I have been going to the bathroom A LOT.  Not that I always need to go to the restroom, I just feel like I need to go.  I really am blessed by the movement of this kiddo.  It reminds me that he's okay.  However, I'm not too grateful when he kicks me in the bladder.  Ouch!  If I remember correctly, it seems like IC is worse this pregnancy.  During my last pregnancy, I continued taking my medication, Elmiron.  Since Karis had an irregular liver enzyme count while I was breastfeeding her, I decided to quit taking Elmiron.  I do not plan to resume use until I'm done nursing #2.

Another pregnancy symptom that has started bugging me is acid reflux.  This is about the same time that it started during my first pregnancy.  Tummy is getting squashed.  Tums works the best.  Sometimes I sleep sitting up.  Speaking of sleep, I've been hot and uncomfortable!  I'm looking forward to cooler weather.

Last thing is "Pregnancy Rhinitis."  I also experienced this through my entire pregnancy with Karis.  My nose is constantly stuffy or dry and prone to sinus infections.  Using a Neti pot every day has been a great preventative measure.

25 Week Bump

Active Fetus

When I woke up this morning I was holding my tummy, and it hurt. I suddenly had an overwhelming feeling, "something is wrong." Throughout the day, God continually assured me that He's got this pregnancy in His hands. All day, I have felt my baby wiggle a lot. Ah, it's so comforting and exciting!

(Quick update, so I'll remember if I'm pregnant again in the future: I'm @ 17 weeks and I just started experiencing Braxton Hicks a couple times per day.)

By the way: Happy 4th of July from Karis!

Expecting

It's true! We're expecting baby number two!

Michael, Karis, and I are excited to add a new member to our family.  His or her estimated due date is December 13, 2012.

Ultrasound at 5 weeks
The baby is hardly big enough to see.

Q and A
Q: Was this planned!? A: Yes.  Michael and I both enjoyed growing up with siblings close in age, so we thought we'd plan our family the same way.
Q: Aren't you breastfeeding?  I thought you couldn't get pregnant?  A: Some women don't start their menstrual cycle while breastfeeding, and therefore, they can't get pregnant.  Once I dropped Karis's night time feeding, I started my cycle and was able to get pregnant.
Q: How far apart will Karis and baby be?  A: 17 months
Q: How are you feeling?  A: Great!  I had a lot of nausea at the beginning, but no throwing up.  I also had some cramping from a cyst, but I hardly notice it now.
Q: Are you crazy?  A: Of course!  :)  Anyone who knows me well knows that I love children, and I've always dreamed of raising my own.  It will be hard at first, but it will be fun.  Plus, we are very blessed with a lot of support from family, friends, and our community.  Also, once our kids are in school, I look forward to going back to teaching.

Ultrasound at 9 Weeks and 4 Days

This pregnancy is similar to my pregnancy with Karis because I didn't gain weight during the first trimester, urgency is bad, and I'm exhausted all the time.
It's different because during the first trimester with Karis I had no appetite.  This time, I'm always hungry and craving anything with cheese (nachos mostly).  With Karis I threw up a lot in the mornings, but I haven't experienced that yet.

Here we go again...

Happy Birthday Karis

I've been wanting to write up Karis's birthday story ever since she was born.  I thought, "I need to hurry and do this before I forget it all."  Trust me; I still remember every detail of those traumatic few days...

On Friday morning (July 15th), around 10:30, I was sitting on the couch being my usual lazy self, watching trashy MTV shows.  I ignored what I thought was "Braxton Hicks Contractions," because I've had them for the past 3 months.  But when I had 3 in one hour, I thought something might be up.  I started timing them.  The contractions were inconsistent and 20 minutes or less apart.  I texted Michael, just to let him know, but I thought for sure they'd space out and we'd meet Karis in a couple more weeks as planned. 

It was so hot outside, and I really wanted to go for a walk.  So, I went to Wal-Mart.  I walked around for about an hour, gripping the shopping cart as my contractions became closer and more intense. 

When I returned home, I decided to time the contractions again.  Now they were a consistent 5-10 minutes apart.  I was still in denial that this was the real deal.  When Michael got home from work we made dinner plans (we had a groupon that was about to expire).  Then, we packed up the car just in case we had to go to the hospital.  During dinner and dessert, my contractions continued to be regular, but I could still walk and talk during them.  We decided to head on home and get some rest.  I probably slept an hour that night.  The contractions got more and more intense.  I kept waking Michael up, "I need you."  He coached me through each one.  Finally, they got so bad that I was crying, couldn't walk, couldn't talk, and I definitely couldn't focus well enough to do the breathing techniques we'd practiced.  I kept asking, "Do we need to go?"  Finally at 4:30 in the morning, Michael very decisively said, "Let's go."  On the ride there, Michael made a few phone calls, and I had to cut some of his calls short.

We arrived at the hospital and had to go through all these dumb procedures.  I was mad, and told the nurse, "I already took care of registration. I was told we'd only have to fill out one form when we got here for delivery."  I can't imagine why I was so cranky!  Seriously?  I was collapsing to the floor, in so much pain, and having to initial a bunch of consent forms.  I have NO idea what I consented to that morning.  By the way, it was now Saturday, July 16th.  I had only slept one hour since Thursday night.

In the triage, we handed the nurse our birth plan.  She opened my cute file folder and said, "No, I don't need this.  Where's the form from your doctor."  How rude.  She began hooking me up to monitors and checked dilation.  I was at 4cm and 100% effaced.  The nurse then (finally!) quickly moved me into a delivery room.  Another nurse came in to give me my IV.  I told her, “No.  My doctor agreed that we could hydrate with water.”  The nurse put up a big stink.  I asked for a Heparin Lock, and she still didn't like my idea.  Michael explained that in our birth plan, we requested no IV.  When we toured the hospital and spoke with our doctor, everyone agreed that this was fine.  The nurse, in terrible Sign Language finger spelled "N-O."  This lady was pissing me off.  I decided to ignore her and just let my Michael deal with her.  Another nurse said she'd call and ask the doc.  Luckily, our doctor agreed to a Hep Lock for 2 hours.  Whenever the room was free of nurses, Michael snuck me Gatorade, water, and Jelly Belly energy shots (yum!). 

By 8am I had been suffering from 3 hours of pain worse than I could have ever imagined.  I was losing energy and will power.  I told the nurse, "Get the epidural, now."  I tried really hard to do this all natural.  Now, I reached my limit; I could not do this anymore.  I was afraid I'd run out of energy to push, and then I'd have to have a C-section.  Who knew when this kid was coming?  At 9cm, my epidural was administered.  It kicked in right away, and I could feel nothing below my waist.  Then, I was able to get some MUCH needed sleep. 

Around 10:30 am the meds were wearing off and I could feel the contractions slightly.  I was glad to be a part of my baby's delivery again.  The nurse said we can start pushing if we want, or we can wait till Doc gets here.  I asked if the doctor would want to break my water, and the nurse said, "Yes."  So, quite scared of what was about to happen, and not so sure of my answer, I said, "Ok, I... guess... we'll... start... pushing."  Soon after the pushing began, my water broke on its own.  Michael, the nurse, and I all giggled with excitement because we knew that Karis was protected by that bag of waters for a long time.  We also knew that we were going to see her soon.  Soon was right!  Michael got to see the top of her head numerous times.  For about 2 hours I pushed during contractions.  When the doc arrived, things started moving much more quickly. 

I worked hard to push Karis out, screaming, “Ou! Get her out.”   Finally, she was out at 1:39pm.  I was exhausted and delirious.  The room was frantic with a crowd of nurses.  Michael tried to control the whole situation.  I couldn’t believe all the commotion during this joyous occasion in my life.  Nurses tried to take Karis away to clean her and do all her tests.  As Michael was telling them, “No! Put her on her Mommy’s chest.  She needs to nurse.” the doctor immediately clamped Karis’s umbilical cord.  We had told our doctor in advance that we wanted it to pulse for a while.  Too late.  Ugh!  So, Michael tried to ignore what just happened.  Confused, I held Karis, and Michael cut the cord. 

After that, things seemed to calm down quickly.  The lights were turned down low (the way I wanted them during my labor, but who cares what I want), the nurses left the room, and Michael and I finally got to spend some time with our baby.  *Deep Breaths* I’m exhausted from telling the story! 

Lots of people came to visit our sweet girl that afternoon and on Sunday.  She was so perfect and cute!  Karis weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces and she was 20 and ¼ inches long.  We love our precious angel!

Cankles and Weight Gain

This week we had our 38 week appointment.  Not much has changed.  I'm still 1 cm dilated, but now I am 80% effaced.  I was also informed that I do not have Group B Strep.  I was so happy that the doctor didn't mention induction!  I've been trying to walk a lot so that Karis will move down and come all by herself before the due date.  If we go passed the due date, I'm sure her doctor will want to induce (and I will have to put up a fight).
After the appointment, the nurse gave me a copy of my records to take with me to the hospital (in case I go into labor before the next appointment).  When I got to the car, I immediately pulled out the record and scanned the "weight" column.  When I realized that I've gained 40 pounds since our first appointment tears streamed down my face.  This is not what I expected.  How did that happen?  How hard will it be to return to my "pre-baby" weight?  So discouraging. :(
I've also been really down about my "cankles."  This is a term from the TV show "Friends" defined as: The point at which one is so obese that there is no thinning of the leg between the calf and the ankle, which creates a sense of fusion between the two. Consequently "Cankle" comes from the fusion of CAlf and aNKLE. Fortunately, my feet, ankles and calves only started swelling about 2 weeks ago. I've been successful at getting them to shrink by elevating them and applying ice.  However, this last week has been hopeless.  No matter what I do, I still have putty legs (when I press on my leg, it makes a dent like silly putty).  With the weight gain and cankles I feel like I have lost control of my body.  It will be nice to have control over my body again after delivery.

Pictured: My bump at 38 weeks.  Not Pictured: Cankles

At the Doc... Again

At our appointment Tuesday, Doc said she wanted to do an ultrasound.  I questioned the reasoning.  Everything was good right?  No reason for concern?  She agreed, but still wanted to do an ultrasound, because she does one on all of her patients at this point in their pregnancies.  Ok...
I still feel guilty about the ultrasound I requested at 18 weeks to find out the gender.  It wasn't medically necessary, and I should have just waited.  I just want to keep Karis as safe as possible, not exposing her to anything harmful.  I wanted to keep the peace with our doctor, so we agreed to schedule an ultrasound.
This afternoon, Michael arrived just as the nurse, Peaches called me into her room.  I was so glad Karis's daddy could make it!  It was hard to see very much on the monitor during the ultrasound.  Karis is so squished inside my belly!  Peaches informed us that Karis is about 7.5 pounds, give or take half a pound.  I was shocked!  I didn't think she'd be that big already, but Peaches said that's about 50th percentile for this stage in my pregnancy.  So, Karis is normal.  I just hope she doesn't weigh much more for the delivery (I shouldn't keep my hopes up though).  As expected, all other measurements were perfect.  We'll meet her soon... any day.

Here is Karis's 37 week ultrasound picture.  It was hard for the nurse to capture much in one picture, since our daughter is short on space.  If you can make out the image, here is Karis's perfect little head.

37 Week Checkup and Fears

We had our 37 week appointment yesterday.  This was the first time Doc checked my cervix.  The report: 1 cm dilated, 50% effaced.  I wasn't expecting to hear that I started dilating, but I wasn't very alarmed by this either.  I've heard that a woman can be at 1 or 2 cm for a week or two.  The shock came when I asked, "When do you think I might deliver." The doctor confidently said, "I'm thinking maybe next week."  My jaw dropped.  That would be 2 weeks early!  I still have to keep in mind that everyone's different, and Karis could come in one week or four weeks.  Who knows?  However, this was my to-do list.
The exam itself caused a lot of very uncomfortable pressure.  I don't look forward to doing this every week.  (I'm sure the discomfort of the exam is nothing compared to labor and delivery.)  I continued to feel a little pressure for about 24 hours.  The doctor did not warn me that I'd experience this, so I'm guessing it's an IC related thing.  Plus, the baby's head has moved down a little, causing additional pressure.
The thought that I could go into labor next week really freaks me out.  We have been well trained and educated on the whole process, but... still freaked out.  My thoughts change from, "I need more time, maybe I'll feel ready in a month." to "I just want it to be over with." to "I don't want to deliver!  Can't the doctor just put me to sleep, and when I wake up Karis will be there?"

Breasts

That title got your attention, didn’t it!?  Yeah, getting attention… my breasts know the feeling, and I don’t like it!

Last week I had lunch with some friends.  One friend, who I had not seen in a while said, “April! You have breasts!”  I was shocked by her comment, and so embarrassed when the whole group turned to look.  I had to go to the bathroom to regain my composure. 

People have told me that I’m going to have to ignore all the crazy comments during pregnancy.  Looking back on this situation, it is quite comical.  I’m glad this friend was at least a little creative.  It’s better than saying, “April! You’re huge!”

I little while later, someone at the lunch table asked if I was planning to nurse.  Once I told her yes, everyone began giving me advice (which I love and need).  However, at one point, I wanted to scream, “Can we please stop talking about my nipples!”  Why does this continue to be the topic of conversation?

First Trimester

The first 6 weeks of pregnancy ignorance was great!  The doctor confirmed my pregnancy at 8 weeks.  I went 10 weeks without any symptoms, and just as I thought, “This is too good to be true,” the morning sickness began. 

I felt nauseous pretty much every day, and I threw up about 2 mornings per week.  It was hard to drag myself to work!  I did have to call in sick twice.  I hated doing that.  The best relief for my morning nausea was saltines.  My mom suggested keeping saltines on my night stand.  Every morning, I’d eat a few crackers and sit in bed for about 5 minutes before rushing out of bed.  Tums were great too!  During this time, I had zero appetite, and I lost 6 pounds (that took a long time to regain).   At week 14, I felt like this would never end.  Was I going to be unlucky and have morning sickness throughout my pregnancy?  I was encouraged by a friend who said her morning sickness lasted until week 16, and luckily my story was the same.

In addition to nausea, my Interstitial Cystitis flared up a little bit during the first trimester, sometimes for a week or two without ceasing.  I didn’t feel pressure on my bladder, because the baby was still tiny.  The urgency, burning, and frequency increased.  I believe this was due to hormonal changes, because I did not change my meds or eating habits.

The last significant pregnancy symptom during my first trimester was tender breasts.  Tender may not be the right word.  They HURT LIKE CRAZY!  At first, I thought, “This is no big deal.  It feels like the usual soreness I get at the beginning of my cycle.”  But it just kept getting worse, and worse, and worse.  I used ice packs or cold bottles of water for relief.  The reward for the pain was extra attention from my husband due to my changing body.  See, it’s not so bad. *wink*

Trying to Conceive (TTC)

WARNING!!! This post may be TMI, but keep in mind, the purpose is to inform IC patients about my personal experiences with pregnancy.  STOP reading if you’d rather not know my personal details.

At my preconception checkup, I asked my OB lots of questions, including, “What if this takes a while?  When can we find out if my husband or I have fertility problems?”  She told me to try for a year and come back if we are unsuccessful.  A year?!  I’m way too impatient for that.

I immediately began researching conception.  I also printed a wonderful chart from thebump.com.  This helped me keep track of every little detail about my cycle including: start, finish, ovulation days, temperature, soreness, cramping, love-making days, etc.  I bought an inexpensive “basal body temperature” thermometer from the grocery store.  In addition to the chart, I kept track of all of these using 2 different apps on my phone.  (I know… a little obsessive)  The apps told me my fertile days and the best days to try to conceive.

Well, obviously books, charts, and apps won’t get a person pregnant!  It was time for Hubby’s favorite part, getting busy.  I read that when trying to conceive, after a session of love-making you should try to just lie down for 10-15 minutes (please don’t make me explain why).  That was difficult!  IC patients are prone to infection.  To prevent infections, cleanliness is key.  After trying to conceive, I wanted to jump up, go the bathroom, and take a bath to relieve that usual pain.  There were many times that I think we may have missed out on fertilization because I could not lie there.  I’d just say, “Oh well; next month.”  However, some people don’t think it matters whether or not you lie down for a while or get up right away.

A person with IC has to take advantage of the good days and rest on the bad days, but that was difficult when a chart was telling me exactly which days I must make-love.  I found myself, once again saying, “Oh well; next month” when I was experiencing too much discomfort to try to conceive.  I hate to tell you this, but by the fourth month, I was just desperate to get pregnant already; so, I had to fight through the pain on those bad IC days.

Yikes! I really hate to end a post in this discouraging way, but I’m being honest.  Trying to conceive was not simple, and it took time.  Both partners have to be understanding, and sacrifices have to be made.  Keep reading to learn about the rewards Michael and I are already experiencing…    

Registering

Just a few days after finding out that we were having a girl, our friends, Troy and Kristin went to Babies-R-Us with us to help us register.  I had no idea what I would need, and I desperately needed the help of an experienced mommy.  When we arrived at the store, there was paper work to fill out.  I was excited to get to shopping.  So, Kristin and I went with her son Turner to preview the world of strange baby items: Boppies, Wub-a-nubs, Bumbos, Snoogles, etc.  Michael and Troy sat down at the registry table to fill out paperwork.  The lady looked at them, a bit puzzled, as she walked them through the questions.  She asked, “Will you be adopting?”  Woah! Wrong idea.  The lady thought Michael and Troy were registering for a kid together.  Ugh.  I will never forget this. 

After Karis’s arrival, I pretty much had everything I needed.  Here are some of the essentials: 

For the Hospital:

- Nursing Bra or Cami

- Boppy Pillow

- Baby wipes (the hospital didn’t have any!)

- Baby socks and mittens

- travel system (car seat/stroller)

At Home:

- At least one package of new born diapers (better to be prepared before and return them later if you don’t need them)

- LOTS of burp rags

- Medela bump

- a few baby bottles

- micro steam cleaning bags (Don’t stay up all night boiling bottles… learn from my mistake.)

- diaper gene

- bouncer or swing

- NEWBORN pacifiers (I didn’t realize they come in different sizes. Poor K sucked on a 3-6 month paci for about a week.)

- white noise machine (or radio turned to a static station)

We’re Pregnant!

It was so fun revealing our news to family and friends.  I wanted to wait until we were 10 weeks pregnant to begin telling people, and Christmas was close enough.  For Christmas, I wrapped up bibs that said, “Grandpa Loves Me,” and “If Mommy Says No, Ask Grandma.”  I also included an ultrasound picture of our tiny pea.

 

When Michael’s parents opened the last present under the tree, they were a little confused about the bibs until they read them and saw the picture.  Then, there were tears of joy.  Uncle Joe and Uncle Jacob were happy too.

When my parents opened their present, their expressions were classic!  Uncle Jason, Aunt Traci, and Aunt Beka gave us hugs and congratulations.

Two Lines!

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010 was one of the happiest days of my life.  My home pregnancy test finally revealed a positive result!  (I say finally because it took a few months of trying... not abnormal, but I was anxious.)

I woke up before Michael and quietly took the test.  Standing over the bathroom counter, I stared at that pee stick for three minutes, waiting for two solid lines to appear.  Once they did, I was in disbelief, so I reread the instructions.  The manual was very clear about the meaning of two solid lines = pregnant!  I quietly giggled, cried, and jumped up and down.  Then, I quickly got dressed and got the dogs dressed.  I turned on the bedroom light to awake my baby daddy.  He looked down at our dogs and read their shirts, "Mama's Pregnant!"  He asked, "Really?"  I showed him the test, and he smiled and gave me a huge hug.  That was the moment we knew we had entered a new chapter of our lives together.

That evening, Michael arrived home from work before me.  When I walked through the door, dinner was on the stove and flowers were on the table.  I love my man!