A Josie Story

I promise I will get her birth story done this week. I snuck down to the basement to write it up when she started to cry and I was summonsed upstairs as Scott was getting Tanner down for a nap.

I have a baby in one arm and am typing with the other as you read, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

The story will (should) be up tonight!

To Alison, Alison, Farah & Mel...

You girls rock my world!!! We got home from my first day out of the house to find a big box with the words "Baby Shower In A Box" on it.

Words cannot express how much I appreciate your support and friendship throughout this journey to Josie. You girls have been such a lifeline and I love each and every one of you.

The gifts were so thoughtful and I cannot wait to take pics of Josie in the cute clothes!!!

(Alison M., thank you so much for being such a wonderful friend and putting this together for us.)

Lather, Rinse, Repeat...

That is the mode we are in at our house right now. I wouldn't ask for anything else though!

I will get to Josie's birth story this week. Getting to our computer in the basement hasn't been the easiest after my c-section and technically, I am not even supposed to be going up and down stairs until after tomorrow. Please let our lap top work upstairs soon!

New pictures are up, go and enjoy!

1st Professiomal Pics

Boy have things changed in almost 4 years! Tanner has the typical "hospital pic", but Princess Josie was treated to her first professional photo session today. Apparently many hospitals are are going more "couture" with their photos and Delnor is one of them!

http://www.bellababyphotography.com/

click on "website"
click on "client"
enter password:jt1636

Here is another non-professional pic courtesy of Great-Aunt Paula.

A sneaky-peek to tide y'all over...

Eviction Papers have been Served! :o)

It is official, I had my last appointment which was with Anesthesiology, am wearing my armband, and am on for Monday at 7:30 a.m.

This was a fairly odd appointment to begin with but ended on a high note.

I had to have a MRSA swab, which is basically two HUGE q-tips that you have to stick up one nostral and give them a whirl. Lovely vision, eh? When I asked how far up my nostral they needed to go the tech said until your eyes water. GOOD TIMES! Then the vampire in her came out and she drew my blood in case a blood tranfusion was needed. I know why she doesn't work in the lab...holy hurting! Then she proceeded to yap my ear off about her kids while waiting for the Anestheseologist to come in. Thankfully he saved the day with his lovely demeaner and cutie-cuteness because this was all going downhill...FAST!

I have decided to have another spinal instead of an epidural, because I am a big baby and the size of the epidural needle scared the bejesus out of me. I am a wuss, get over it.

So I am tagged with my wristband (which I am trying to figure out how I will explain to the mani/pedi tech tomorrow) and ready to GO!

As Scott reminded me this morning, only 72 more hours or as I said to him, only 3 more uncomfortable sleeping nights. :o)

Still here...

Unless I can will my body into labor between now and Sunday, Josie will officially be born on Monday, July 21, 2008.

Yesterday, the big guns (Scotty) joined me at my last appointment to plead my (our) case to Dr. Newman to try to get him to deliver me early...we got a big, fat, still pregnant, NOPE!

I tried telling Dr. Newman that our marriage depended on it and he just laughed. I am glad one of the three of us was laughing! ;o) Poor Scotty's throat was jumped down as he said to me, "I know how you are feeling" the other night when I was in sheer misery from my aching crotch, sides and the inability to breathe. I told him he will never get to know this pain and I wish he could be me for one day, as I burst into tears. We are both lucky we are so tolerant of each other. :o)

Some girlfriends felt bad for me and treated me to The Cheesecake Factory today for a lunchy-lunch although I couldn't really enjoy it because my right side was in such agony. I am sure the people sitting next to us thought I was in labor because I had to keep getting up and rubbing my side. What a lovely sight! :o(

Pray for me, think of me, rub your lucky rabbit's foot, rub a Buddah Belly (just make sure it isn't mine!). I need anything I can get to make it through these last 3½ days.

The final countdown.

This is our last week as a family of 3. I caught myself a little off guard yesterday when I told Tanner that in a week he will be a big brother. He retorted with, “I want to be a big brother NOW!” Amen to that! It is hard to believe this is almost over though. Don’t tell Scott but this could be the last time that I am ever pregnant.

I am experiencing end of the road morning sickness. Ahhhh, the memories! Oh yeah, close your eyes if you are easily offended or move along quickly, and my woobies (Thanks Mel and Alison for the word that always cracks me up.) are achy and leaking. My sister, Scott and I are keeping our fingers crossed for the ability to breastfeed this time around. I am not holding my breath but bigger miracles have occurred in this world.

This is Tanner’s last weekend as an only child so we are trying to plan fun things for all of us to do. On the top of his list is the new Chuck E. Cheese not too far from our house. This time I won’t be required to climb up into the tubes and slide down the slide with him. :o)

One more doctor’s appointment and a meeting with anesthesia left. YIKES!

Hello Old Friend and Calculations

Once again, due to my swelling and a slightly elevated blood pressure I win the wonderful prize of a 24 hour urine catch and more blood work! A round of applause, please! I think this is round 3. If anything comes back abnormal, Josie will be here earlier than expected but we won’t know anything until next week.

I am not disappointed in the least with this as every day is getting harder and harder on my body. Although, I look back and realize that it was a journey just getting pregnant again so why should the end be any easier? And why the heck should I be complaining?

I was asked the other day if I was excited that I was having a girl. I told them “Yes, but she could have been a boy, a monkey or a volleyball and I would be equally excited because there was a point in time where I didn’t know if I would be here again” and ended the conversation there. I love the crazy looks I get when I do that.

I cannot deny that I am over the moon about having a girl this time. We will have an even team at our house. Daddy, Tanner and Roeni on the boy’s side and Momma, Josie and Ruthie on the girl’s side. :o) Every day I think to myself, would I have gotten the girl I wanted so badly if I would have gotten pregnant when I wanted to? Just something I will probably ponder the rest of my life!

As for the calculations I mentioned in my title:

1 almost 38 week pregnant woman + 1 NASCAR event in Joliet + 1 run to try to avoid a HORRIFIC storm that brewing that we eventually got caught in because we couldn’t find our car + 1 tent in a parking lot that we were seeking shelter under that had to be held down due to the wind by one Daddy holding a 40 pound upset and cold toddler and one VERY pregnant Momma trying not to cry in front of her toddler or drown her $600 camera + 1 aching crotch and sides of the almost 38 week pregnant woman + 1 urinary accident in said pregnant woman’s pants because she drank way too many liquids, had to run like hell, and was being ambushed by cold rain DOES NOT EQUAL going into labor early.

I thought for sure SOMETHING would happen after all of that! I can laugh now but it was traumatic for both Tanner and I at the time, thankfully Daddy held us all together. :o)

Jill Tice Book of World Records

As of 10:40 a.m. yesterday, this is the longest I have been pregnant. :o) Tanner was born at exactly 37 weeks at 10:39 a.m. Being up and uncomfortable at 4:30 a.m. yesterday morning and not sleeping well again last night makes me wish I would have matched or beat that time.

I would like to think I have done fairly well this pregnancy but it is now taking its toll on me. Since I have technically never been in labor, I have zero clue if I am contracting or just plain VERY uncomfortable. I guess that is a question for the doctor on Wednesday.

I hate to think I am trying to wish this over especially since it took us so long to even get here (and we still have most of our list to finish before Josie arrives) but I am officially ready to sleep on my belly again and lay on my back and not need to pass out! Yep, it happened again yesterday while I was on the ultrasound table. There is some big fancy name for what is happening but all I remember from her description is that my aorta was being cut off (or something to that nature) and that was all I needed to know!

I did pack most of my hospital bag. I still have a couple of items to throw in there but nothing that Scott couldn’t go buy if I needed him to. Heck, he had to go buy my whole bag last time!

This week is going to consist of washing 0-3 month baby clothes, bibs, socks, crib bedding, etc… and my mom and I plan on making some cute burp clothes out of cloth diapers. Wait until you see the bedding she made for our bassinet and moses basket! ADORABLE!

Are we there yet???

Alright, I am at that point. I have been cruising along until recently. I actually broke down the other night when I just couldn’t get comfortable no matter what I did. My sides were killing me, I couldn't breathe, my calf still hurt from the Charlie Horse I woke up with over the weekend, and my crotch hurts so badly that I yelp whenever I get up from sitting or laying down. (My friend Alison is probably laughing at my whining right now! Remember, this will be you sooner than you think!)

Scott, trying to be helpful, reminded me that it is all for the little girl that I wanted so badly. I could have skipped the pep-talk. :o)

2 weeks, 3 days, and 16½ hours…but who is counting?