She's Here!

One Week Old Today

Okay so where to begin with the whirlwind that has been our lives this past week!! As you all can see, our beautiful baby girl was born on July 3^rd and she is absolutely perfect. (but we all already knew that she was going to beJ)

Since moving to Georgia, at my last couple of doctor appointments my blood pressure had been on a rise. It went from the top number being in the 120’s, then the next appointment in the low 130’s, and then the next in the high 130’s. Just a steady rise. I also noticed that I was really retaining water. I have had people tell me how lucky I am that I don’t just retain water and swell in my hands and feet. Apparently when I swell it is moderate all over. I felt like even my shoulders, forearms, and back showed signs of being puffy. My feet had its moments of swelling but nothing too traumatic.

Last Tuesday Chris and I went in for a normal doctor check. She took my blood pressure and it was around 147/98. She then told Chris and I some scary news. She said that my urine showed levels of protein that were off the charts, and with the combined high blood pressure, I needed to be admitted into the hospital as soon as my appointment was over. She was putting me on a 24 hour hospital watch where they monitored my protein levels, blood pressure, and Elizabeth’s heartbeat. She also explained that I was showing signs of preeclampsia and could possibly need to be rushed for a C-section.

My eyes immediately started watering, and I know Chris’s did too, it was scary news for us. I started thinking about how we weren’t ready. We had just had our shower, her room wasn’t finished, I didn’t have her hospital bag packed, shoot I didn’t have my hospital bag all the way packed! I hadn’t stocked the fridge with freezer meals and the house was dirty.

We were allowed to make a quick dash home to pack a bag and then were ordered to return to the hospital as soon as possible. We both called our mom’s and they went into over drive for us. I can not express how much they helped us out those days in the hospital. They brought clean clothes, shampoo, food, and even made a big target run with gift cards and a list of things we felt like we still needed for her arrival that we hadn’t got yet.

The 24 hour watch at the hospital was filled with a very sleepless night. I have never been admitted to the hospital to stay the night, with monitors all strapped to my stomach, and nurses coming in and out to take my blood pressure. Finally the 24 hour watch results came in and a doctor came in to tell us the results. He said that I had moderate to severe preeclampsia. My urine showed signs that my kidneys weren’t working properly and could be on their way to shutting down. He said even though I feel fine, that I was sick, and the only way to heal me was to get her out. Lucky for us, he said I was golden because I was only a few days from being 37 weeks, and Elizabeth wouldn’t be too much premature.

They moved me to a labor and delivery room and started medicine to induce labor. If the medicine didn’t work or if my vitals worsened I was to be rushed in for a C-section. It took them 5 times to get my IV in one of my arms. Let me just tell you, whoever said that getting an IV didn’t hurt has never had 3 nurses all poking you with your blood vessels blowing each time.

At 9:30am the next morning they started Pitocin, which is medicine used to induce labor. That morning I was 2 cm dilated, around noon I was 4 cm, at 1:00 I got the epidural, around 4:00 I was 7 cm dilated and they broke my water, and around 5:00 I was fully dilated and ready to push. I only had to push from 5:30 to 6:07 and our sweet girl was born.

In all I was in labor for 8 ½ hours.

As far as labor goes, it was the scariest thing either one of us have ever experienced. My epidural worked immediately and I just have to praise whoever invited that medicine!

(this was me about 10 minutes after my epidural. so much happier!!)

When Elizabeth was born she was almost rushed to the NICU due to her respiratory rate. The doctors and nurses were all taking and worried about how she was more humming than crying. Poor thing finally settled down and got all the gunk out of her lungs and she was fine. 

Finally we got to all clear to allow our families in to visit and it was an incredible moment getting to show her off to everyone!

On Saturday night we both got the all clear to be discharged. I bawled my eyes out in the car all the way home. My leaving the hospital clothes were the same shirt and shorts I was wearing when I was admitted. It had been a long 5 days and 4 nights spent at the hospital. I was so tired of both Elizabeth and me being poked and checked, and so relieved to be getting out of Dodge.

I know this had been long, and filled with probably too many details, but I just started writing and it all flowed out. Being home with our tiny girl is the biggest blessing either one of us will ever receive. All those old sayings of how you don’t know what love is until you hold your child for the first time are all true. She has all of us, especially her Daddy, wrapped around her little finger.

It may sound cliché but I have known my entire life that I was meant to be a mother. Every decision has been on how I could best be one. I worked at a daycare to be with the children and babies, I went to college to be a teacher because I think it is the best job to have and be a mother with, even one of the main reasons I married Chris was because I saw qualities in him that I wanted my own children to have.

Now that I am a mother, I am determine to live out my calling to the best that I possibly can, smothered her in love, and raise her to the best of my ability to be Christ following adult.

Thank you for all of your prayers as we have endured our greatest blessing! 

Bumpdate- 32 and 33 Weeks

Growth: 

At 33 weeks, Liz Bit is the size of a honeydew melon. She now keeps her eyes open when she is awake and closes them when she sleeps. Apparently she is now starting to run out of room since she is getting bigger and I am supposed to feel her less, but actually I think I feel her more! She seems to constantly be moving and taping her feet on my ribs. The past couple of days when I lay down in bed at night my ribs are sore from the pressure of her pressing on them all day.

How I'm Feeling:

In my last blog post I was bragging on how I haven't swelled, well that changed this week! Even on the night we drove for NOLA to GA I noticed my toes were a little bit sausage looking. Since being here I have had to take my wedding rings off and I feel like my face has gotten plumper. I feel great, but just think I have started to retain water. I am blaming it on the different altitude adjustment and all the salty, good foods everyone has been spoiling us with this week. I'm hoping that as we get into a routine and start eating more normal, it will get better. 

Favorite Moments:

Although is has been just a week since we moved to our new place, it seems like we have jammed a month's worth of activity! We are pretty much all unpacked and making the house feel like our home. My most favorite part has been loving getting doted on by our family this week!! I have realized just how much I have missed them all over the past three years. Little things like my mother in law making us an extra meat loaf to take and cook at our place, my daddy just deciding to pop on over after work to help cut a hole out for our dishwasher, Nana making us dinner and fried pies, calling Papa to come over to deal with the weirdos that were sitting by the street, and riding on over to our cousin's house for no real reason but 'just because.' Gosh we have missed out, and are sooo enjoying getting back used to having help and not having to rely on just ourselves. Blessed, doesn't even begin to describe it!

Most Looking Forward To:

I am ready for this next week and am hoping to settle down a little bit into a routine. Our first week back has been so busy, that we just need life to slow down a little bit. Working non-stop and going non-stop begins to take its toll both mentally and physically. I love the bussle but am ready to get to enjoy laying on a float in the lake, getting Little Bit's nursery ready by putting together her crib and furniture, and enjoying some time spent getting back used to living in the area!

Bumpdate- 27,28,29,30,31 Weeks!

So I got a little bit behind...

Growth: We are in the third trimester and feeling good! At 31 weeks all her senses are intact, meaning she can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. Elizabeth is close to the size of a big head of lettuce and is weighing at about 3 and 1/2 pounds. She flip flops around a lot but I can tell she is starting to go into the head down and feet up position a lot, especially during the day. At night she will flip or rotate so she is sideways with her head on my right hip and her feet kicking my left hip. On Friday at work she had both of her feet on the middle of the bottom of my ribs and would stretch and push up. I felt like my ribs were being pulled up out of my skin. It was kinda uncomfortable:) Liz also still does this thing where she will get shy. She will be dancing and then Chris or myself will start rubbing or poking my belly and she will stop. I imagine she is just trying to figure out what we are doing to her. 

How I'm Feeling: I doing really good. No complaints about anything. Just trying to survive the last week of school and making the move back to GA. Chris is really handling all the moving details, which I really appreciate. He won't let me help pack anything and I have been just trying to stay out of his way. My wedding rings still fit and my feet don't really swell. I do feel like I am starting to get puffy in my face. I feel very proud of my weight gain, although I would die before I told anyone other than my mother the exact amount, I am right smack dab in the normal/recommended range for my BMI for this point in my pregnancy.

With moving, especially while in your third trimester, comes a lot of complicated things we had to figure out: ie. new doctors, new insurance. Everything has fallen into place very easily. I am super excited and can't wait to meet my new doctor, which is Dr. Lambert at North Point Obgyn. I have only heard amazing things about him and this doctor office! 
 
Favorite Moments: 

I feel like a roly poly bug and while trying to paint my nails my sweet husband offered to. Yes he offered:) Definitely a keeper, and is doing to make such a good girl daddy. 

GRADUATION!! Chris graduated last weekend. It was a such a happy moment. So proud of Chris and all the hard work he has and is devoting to following his calling. Seminary is not for the faint of heart and takes dedication. For the past 3 years I have had the privilege of watching him change everyday to being closer and closer to God, an amazing experience to watch anyone you love go through. 

I started to bawl my eyes out when he left me that morning to go line up. He didn't know I snapped the above picture, but I should have videoed it. He was walking with a purpose, a pride strut, and just so excited that he made it. 

Most Looking Forward to: Moving! We are in our last week in Nola, my next bumpdate picture will be taken in Georgia! Now if only the next 6 days will zoom by, so we can start our next adventure!