16 Weeks Old..

It's been a very long time since I've updated everyone on Caylee. She is more of a high maintenance baby and so wants my attention at all times! She is napping at the moment so I'll share what's been going on with us.

First, I'd just like to say that she is the sweetest little girl EVER!

For the last few days she has been trying very hard to roll over (back to belly). She gets her upper body turned but has trouble getting her top leg over. I am SO excited for when she finally gets it! I'm not pushing the issue and trying to let her go at her own pace. She can however, scoot. If you lay her down she turns her whole body in a big circle!!

We moved from bottles (of pumped milk) back to the boob =)

My pump broke a month or two ago and I couldn't go get a new one right away. Much to my surprise she latched on without a problem! We are both much happier now and I think that I will reach my goal of 6-9 months now!

Grandma Nancy got Caylee an ExerSaucer and it has been AMAZING! It is by far her favorite toy. 4 days ago she figured out that the seat spins!!! She is still too small for it but is more comfortable and now spins the wheels, talks to herself in the mirror, etc. Caylee sits and plays in that thing for up to 25 minutes!!

Speaking of mirrors...Caylee LOVES to stand on the counter and look in the mirror. As soon as she sees herself she smiles, laughs, and "talks"!

She still likes to look at ceiling fans but is discovering many other fun things.

Sleeping...I wish that I could say she was sleeping through the night but she definitely is not. She has a few times but it never lasts! Caylee goes to bed at 8:30 and then wakes to eat at about 1:30am and then again at 4 and 7am.

She is still sleeping in the bassinet next to the bed because I am not really ready to put her in the nursery yet! I think she will need to go soon but it makes me sad. I am thinking that Dad's snoring and coughing won't disturb her sleep if she is moved out...I just have to build myself up to it.

Caylee is a very happy little baby. She smiles and talks to people all the time. We have groups of people stop to look at her and talk to her wherever we go. She LOVES the attention.

Sadly, she still doesn't like for anyone to hold her... She only lasts about 5 minutes before she wants Mommy to hold her. It's a little frustrating. I am trying very hard to figure out what to do about this. She is a bit spoiled...just a bit.

Tomorrow is her very first Thanksgiving and I'm so excited about it! We will be having dinner (made by myself) at grandma Nancy's house. Great Uncle Billy, big brother Aiden, and of course Mommy and Daddy will be there. It should be lots of fun!

Well, that's all I can think of for now. I just wanted to update everyone on how well she is doing!

Poor Caylee

Thanks to Grandma Nancy I've finally had a nice long shower and a warm meal so I figured I'd share what happened yesterday...

Caylee and I were woken up very early and I noticed that her eyes were very glassy, had green "stuff" caked on (her left eye), and that she was having a hard time opening them. I called the doctor who told me to get her in right away.

Caylee was of course weighed-she is 9 lbs 10oz already! When Caylee and I were seen by the doctor I had a whole list of concerns/questions.

Here is a list:

Why does she scream at the same time every single day and night?

Why is she puking every time she eats even after burping and farting a ton?

What's wrong with her eye?

Why does she still have a cold?

What's the big bruise on the back of her head?

Why is her belly button bleeding some?

So after a nice long examination here is what I've learned. Caylee has blocked tear ducts, colic, a bad ear infection, reflux, she's over eating, and obviously she still has a cold.....

My poor baby is a wreck! She is now on antibiotics for the ear infection, has medicated drops for her eyes, and I have a long list of things I'm supposed to do everyday besides giving her meds.

Part of me is happy to know what's wrong but it's terribly hard to know that she is sick.

Last night was probably the hardest that we've had together..... She started screaming at 6pm. I changed, fed, and burped her. We listened to music and read books. NOTHING would get her to stop crying. Finally, I decided to try to put her in her hotsling (hotsling.com or babysnazz.com) and take a walk. She immediately stopped crying when I got her situated! We walked around the neighborhood until almost 8:30pm and she didn't wake up at all. Once we got home I figured she would eat and then sleep for a while (she missed 2 of her naps) but I was completely wrong. She screamed from 9:11pm until sometime after 1am.....

I was deliriously tired (since I had to get up so early and take her to the doctor twice) and could hardly keep my eyes open even with her screaming. We walked, sang, rocked....nothing helped. My mom and grandma talked to me on the phone for a while which helped me some. Finally I called Nancy and she talked to me for a VERY long time while Caylee screamed and cried.

Caylee finally exhausted herself and passed out so Nancy and I hung up so that we could all get some sleep.... Caylee slept for about an hour and then cried until about 4am. She usually sleeps until about 10 am but woke up at 7am.

Today has been better, thank God. Nancy coming over to hold the baby gave me time to stop and breathe for a minute. After I gave the baby a bath Grandma feed and burped her and then got her to sleep. I did a load of laundry, showered, ate, and did dishes. I even took a quick walk!

Even with little sleep I feel better now! So...here's to hoping tonight goes better-just in case I'm going to look up tips to help with colic!!!!

3 Weeks Old!

Caylee is 3 weeks old already! I cannot believe how quickly time has flown by. The 3 weeks before she was born seemed to drag on and now 3 weeks seems more like 3 days.

She is getting so big (at last check she was 9 lbs 3 oz). She is able to control her neck and head a lot better and when awake likes to shake her head back and forth!

So here is a list of accomplishments so far:

Last night she slept for the whole night (well, I woke her up once to change her)

She smiles all the time

She laughed in her sleep two nights ago

She's had her first cold

She's been to the hospital

She eats 6oz already!

She's had her first trip to the grocery store

She went to Babies R Us (where she cried most of the time)

She visited Grandma Nancy's house

I can't believe how much my life has changed and how in love with her I am! She is the most amazing baby and I couldn't be happier with her.

Caylee is a very good baby and is very calm. She sleeps a lot but when she is awake she likes to sit in her vibrating chair and look around. She LOVES to be held and I can't get a single thing done because she gets fussy as soon as she is away from me.

The last 4 nights have been hard but I think it's because she still has a cold. At the same time everyday she screams for about an hour! During the rest of the day she hardly cries.

I cannot believe she is almost a month old! We will get pictures of the family taken soon I hope!

Emergency Room...

Caylee had to be taken to the hospital last night!!!!

She is 17 days old and already had a cold and had to be taken to the emergency room.....

This is what happened:

She's been congested so I was told to put saline drops in her nose and then suction her out. Well I did this and after screaming and fighting with me she was fine. Her congestion is pretty bad and you can hear it when she breathes. After suctioning her nose I fed and burped her and she seemed fine.

Well then she starts coughing and gagging (about 2 min after I'd burped her). She goes quiet so I look down at her and she was bright red/purple and making a face like she was in tons of pain. She wasn't making any sound (not even coughing) and couldn't breathe!!!!!

I panicked and couldn't even think of what to do

I start crying so hard and pat her back really hard and call my parents (who are MILES away-I panicked). I leaned her forward etc but she was still making that awful face and not breathing (probably 7 seconds not breathing)!

I put her on the bed to get the suction bulb and suction out her nose and mouth and finally she coughed a few times and then started screaming!

I held her for about 30 minutes just crying. She fell asleep in my arms and I thought everything was fine....

Well after she fell asleep I tried to lay her down next to me. I put her down and she starts wheezing and fighting to breathe! I pick her up and she was fine (although still very congested).

Every time I put her down (flat) she'd wake up screaming because she was having trouble breathing! So I called her ped. who sucks and I had to call her 6 times (she hung up on me once).

I was told to prop her up and call the hospital. I talked to the hospital nurses and they wanted an ambulance to come get us but I told them I could drive since we are so close to the hospital....

We ended up spending 5+ hours at the hospital and they said that her cold is just really bad. More than likely the saline drops combined with the cold just made it too hard for her to breathe.

Everything else looked fine...she is 9lbs 3 oz at 16 days old and otherwise healthy. I just need to watch her for the next couple of days and get a humidifier in her room.

This was THE scariest moment in my whole life. Seeing her turn colors and unable to get a sound out was terrifying. It's amazing to me how easy it is to just panic and not remember anything. It took everything in me to get anything done because I was so afraid of what could happen.

I'm just really thankful that my little girl is ok. She's asleep next to me right now, and I think that for the next few days Ill be doing very little sleeping.....

boobs....boobs...boobs

Bowling balls….that’s what my boobs have felt like for the past two days! My milk is in and Caylee has been eating like a champ! There is such a difference in her appearance now. She has definitely been gaining weight.

After a bumpy start (as far as breastfeeding) things started to get easier…until my breasts turned into large, hard, painful bowling balls.

I think that last night was officially our hardest night together. She cried off and on from 1:46am-4:47am and then again from 6:57am-9:30am…

So here’s what happened….Caylee had an absolute melt down because she just could not latch on properly. My poor baby cried…no screamed and screamed for HOURS! I finally decided to pump a little and see if that helped my bowling balls shrink enough for her to eat. It probably would have, however she was already too frustrated and decided to just cry/scream.

So, I spent a few minutes pumping and then HAD to feed her with a bottle. It broke my heart because I really wanted to EBF (exclusively breastfeed) for at least 2 months to prevent nipple confusion. She had to eat though, so in the end I guess I did what was best for her.

She had about 3.5-4 oz and then passed out. It was on one hand a relief (she seemed SO much happier) but on the other I felt like I’d done something wrong.

Having an inconsolable baby (alone) can be terrifying as a new mom. It took everything in me to not break down crying right along with her. We made it through the night though just like we’ll make it through every other hard night.

I’m really hoping that I don’t have to bottle feed again, but have milk waiting in the fridge just in case!

POOOOOOP

It finally happened! In a 24 hour period Caylee managed to poop on 3 separate surfaces! She’d done so well keeping all poop and pee in her diaper until today! First, she pooped on the couch; technically this is my fault for changing her there. She then pooped on our bed and a little while later all over her blankets in her play yard.

The thing to realize is that poop didn’t ooze from the side of her diaper…NO, when I opened her diaper she shot a long stream of mushy, yellow, seedy poop everywhere. Her butt basically exploded all over the furniture!

At the time is was not funny or adorable. In fact, I started screaming. After the fact it is quite adorable and just another cute thing to embarrass Caylee with when she gets older =)

Family...

My family (parents, sisters, and nephew) all got to come to see Caylee! They got here the day after she was born. I cannot tell you how happy I was to see them (it'd been a few months).

Everyone looked great and they were all excited beyond belief to meet their new family member.

Them being here meant everything to me.

My mom stayed here with me when everyone else returned home. Having her was a life saver and saying goodbye to her this morning was devastating. She helped me in more ways than I'm sure she even realizes.

She did all the things that I could not do; she did the dishes, laundry, cooked, cleaned the bathroom, and also took Caylee anytime I needed to second to myself. We woke up and read the Bible together and had prayer. Her being here brought some much needed peace.

My mom is my best friend and so her presence meant more than just having someone to help. It was really nice just to have a friend here.

Somehow, I managed to not cry when she left the apartment, but don't tell her....I cried after she was gone. I also think that Caylee misses her.

Now that she's gone I feel slightly lost...ok very lost. I also feel like things are going to get a lot harder for me here without an extra set of hands. I pray every night that God gives me strength, both mentally and physically, because I need it now more than ever.

There is nothing like having Mom around to make things all better. Her sleeping in the other room put my mind at ease every night. I am so thankful for both the mother and father that God has given me.

Hopefully she will be able to come back very soon because she is greatly....greatly missed.

One week old

Caylee is one week old already! She is truly amazing and a gift from God. I am so excited to see how she changes in the coming weeks/months.

She is sleeping beside me at the moment and it's hard to do anything besides sit and stare at her.

She smiles a lot and loves to make faces. She has been making eye contact with me and that makes me smile every time.

She is doing a pretty good job eating/sleeping. I can guess daily about what time she will be ready to sleep or eat. She is usually getting up about 3 times during the night to eat. During the day she has 2 looooong naps. She is eating on demand only and so I don't wake her up at all.

So, Caylee is doing really well.

I am having some trouble with getting used to things. I have a huge task ahead of me and despite my hardest efforts I am doubting my ability as a mom. I just worry that I won't be able to do enough or keep her safe. Motherhood is a huge job and one that I want to do very well. I think, know, that I'm just a perfectionist and so am putting unnecessary pressure on myself.

I want Caylee to have the best life possible and worry that I'm not giving her that.

Physically I'm doing about the same as anyone who has a 1 week old baby. I'm exhausted, sore, and exhausted....

I went to the doctor today because of severe stomach pain (high up) that makes it nearly impossible for me to walk or pick up the baby. I had blood drawn to check my liver function and gallbladder. In a week I'll go back to the doctor.

I'm so thankful that God has entrusted me with this gorgeous baby girl and am just waiting until things calm down some.

Breast Feeding....

Caylee is 5 days old and doing great! I really could not be happier.

I planned from the beginning to exclusively breastfeed her (introducing bottles around 5-6 months). Of course, I know that things don't always go as planned...but here's to hoping.

In the hospital after delivery I had a very hard time figuring things out. I was nervous holding her and doubting myself in general.

I didn't feed her right from the start. I tried to feed her however, we just could not get the hang of it. I did get her to latch on while being wheeled to the recovery room.

Things were pretty bumpy to begin with. She had a terrible latch (would not open her mouth wide enough) and I hurt just thinking about her eating! I tried to feed her every 2 hours but was exhausted both mentally and physically throughout the whole hospital stay.

She started losing weight and everyone was concerned about how she was doing. On the last night in the hospital a nurse even asked if I just wanted to formula feed her. ...Talk about feeling defeated.

Caylee was not eating enough, her urine was rust colored (sign of dehydration), and she wasn't pooping (during the whole last day).

I decided to just keep trying and so met with a lactation specialist (while still in the hospital). She was very nice and really helped me stay calm. We decided that I'd keep going and then pump if things continued to go poorly.

When Caylee was born she weighed 7 lbs and 6 oz. When we left the hospital she was only 7 lbs 1 oz.

We scheduled a Saturday appointment (the day after she came home) to see her ped. She wasjaundiced and the hospital staff was also concerned about her not eating/having dirty diapers.

Much to our surprise, at her appointment, we found out that not only was she gaining weight but she was HEAVIER than she was at birth! We left the doctor with a 7 lb 7 oz baby girl!!!

After that appointment, things got much better! I felt so much more confident! We have slowly been working on correcting her latch. After being sore and bleeding for a few days things are really looking up.

She no longer has to eat every two hours which makes things easier (I feel less overwhelmed). She eats on demand which is actually still pretty often (about every 3-4 hours-starting and stopping twice).

She now does cute things like puckering her lips and sucking while asleep!! She gets squirted now because she likes to go from eating to sucking her hands! I am taking tons of pictures because I want to remember all of these fun moments.

So...breastfeeding and the pumping are going great and things are finally seeming manageable.

Birth Story

Well, our induction was scheduled for Thursday (7.30). We were all really excited to have a date picked because we could have control over things. We really wanted my parents to make it here in time for everything (Thursday worked perfectly).

Caylee of course had her own idea of how things should go.

On Tuesday night we spent the evening getting the house organized and cleaned for my parents visit. We also finished up a few things in the nursery (moving furniture and wall hangings). We watched a movie in bed (50 First Dates) and as soon as it ended I started having awful contractions!

Now, I’ve had PTL scares etc and so have felt contractions. What I felt this night was beyond anything I'd ever felt. I pretty much knew right away that this was it. The contractions began around 11:30pm and were ever 3-4 minutes apart. I was hoping and praying that they would stop because I was so excited at the idea of my parents being with us for the delivery.

Around 11:45 I started having "bloody show" but to me it seemed like a large amount. She I started to panic and kept saying we had to get to the hospital quickly!!!!

We called Grandma (Nancy) and told her that we had to go ASAP. So, on our way out the gate she was pulling in.

The car ride to the hospital is really a blur. I was in so much pain that I pretty much sat in the back seat crying the whole way there. Once we finally reached the hospital I was sure that we would get sent right to a room but we had to fill out all the paperwork (again) and then wait to be called back.

At this point, everything that happened was pretty standard. We were sent back to Labor and Delivery's triage area at 12:55 am. I was checked for dilation and found out that I was at 3 cms and completely effaced. I was also bleeding pretty badly so they wanted to hurry and move me to the actual delivery room.

My doctor (Pottinger-Pickens) came in and gave me a big hug and said how sad it made her to see me crying. She offered me the epi which of course I accepted!!! The sad thing is that I REALLY wanted to be able to hold out (for the epi) until I reached 6 cms....at this point I didn’t care one bit that my plans had changed!!!!

So they moved us to the delivery room and immediately ordered the epi. The anesthesiologist showed up in 15 minutes (at 4 pm he started to administer it and I was still 3-4 cms)! He explained what was to happen and then got started. It was VERY hard to stay still. I wasn't nervous about getting the epi because I figured there was no way at all it could hurt worse than the contractions! It didn't feel like a needle going in my back...it felt like a small finger! It definitely hurt!!!

Within 2 minutes I started laughing uncontrollably! I have no reason why but I laughed at everything. I started telling the nurse (Alicia) crazy stories and just couldn't stop myself. I think I was just really realized that I no longer thought I was going to die.

After calming down, I called almost every person in my cell phone (yes, it was between 4 and 5 am) to tell them that I was in labor and would be having the baby soon!

At this point, my legs start to burn and I was still feeling some pain from the contractions (very high up and on the right side). I was rolled over and that seemed to help.

At 5 am the nurse checked me to see how much more I’d dilated and I was at 5 cms. At 5:13am I started laughing and told the nurse that I was pretty sure my water had just broken…and it had!

I was really excited that I would be having the baby at any moment but of course that was wishful thinking. I spent the next couple of hours talking on the phone and playing games on my cell phone. Fredia (my cousin) talked to me for quite a while.

At 7 am I met my new nurse (Jessica) and I loved her! She was a really sweet girl and helped me feel really comfortable. At 8:45 am Jessica checked me and I was 8 cms! I was really comfy and so took a short nap. I woke up to Jessica telling me that she was going to start me on a small amount of pitocin to get my contractions a little more regular. At this point I was really upset and started to cry. I was terrified that pitocin would be awful and I’d be in tons of pain (despite the epidural). She assured me that it was the lowest dose and that I’d be fine.

At 9:30 am I was completely dilated and ready to have a baby! Jessica had me try a practice push just to see how I’d do. I did really well but had to sit and wait for my doctor to get done with a surgery. When Dr. P was on her way I did more pushing anytime I felt pressure.

I really couldn’t feel much and didn’t think I was getting anywhere! Everyone kept saying her head was visible but I had no idea so I asked for a mirror. Now, I’d said from day 1 that there was NO WAY I’d have a mirror. There are just something I’d rather not witness. Well when my baby was coming that kind of thinking was out the window! Seeing her head full of hair was so exciting and I felt like I was making progress.

I pushed for 40 minutes and Caylee was born! This is when things get really fuzzy. I remember them putting her on my belly but I was literally suffocating and didn’t really even touch her.

I’d had trouble breathing during pushing and so had to have an oxygen mask on. Well it slipped down and the part that covers your nose was preventing me from getting any air at all. I kept trying to move it but the nurses kept pushing my hands out of the way. No one was really paying any attention to me since the baby was out…

Eventually I got the mask off but by that point the baby was under the lamps. I’m pretty sure that dad cut the cord… I can remember her first cry because it was the most amazing sound! I really wanted to cry and was the happiest I’ve ever been.

Caylee was born at 11:52 am and was 7lbs 6oz. She was 20.5 inches long! Caylee looked more like her daddy to me…however now (one week later) I think she looks just like me.

Overall my birth experience was pretty good. Although I spent a long time in the hospital I was comfortable (after the epi) and in very good spirits. I think the first thing that I said was “omg I can breath again!”. I’m very happy to no longer be pregnant and to have a gorgeous little girl. She makes all of that pain worth it!

***when we left the hospital Caylee was 7lbs 1oz and the day after we got home from the hospital she was already back up to 7lbs 7oz

Life is always a rich and steady time when you are

waiting for something to happen or to hatch.

-- E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

Getting Tired....

So...about 3 days ago We went grocery shopping, at which point I was having uncomfortable contractions. By the time we were finishing up I could hardly walk. I sat every chance I could and got several funny looks from strangers....HELLO, I'M PREGNANT!!!

Anyway, once we got home the contractions were terrible and I was near tears. They were about 7 minutes apart from about 8pm until 2-3am. We all got really excited thinking that "this was is". I was having intense contractions and really bad back pain.

I probably should have gone to the hospital but really do not want to be sent home again so we waited and waited. I eventually fell asleep (by some miracle). Anytime I woke up I noticed my stomach was still tightening up but ignored it.

The next morning I felt slightly better but was still uncomfortable. And then.... ok, timeout...while I hate to be graphic I want to share EVERYTHING that's going on so here goes...

I went to the bathroom and LOST MY MUCUS PLUG!!! It was the most disgusting and amazing thing in the world!

Basically it was like a long and gross snot...or rubber cement. I was incredibly excited! I immediately called my mom, grandma, sisters, aunts, and some close friends. I thought that I was most certainly hours away from labor starting! I ran around the house like a chicken with it's head cut off and then finally calmed down enough to get dressed....

I headed to my already scheduled doctors appointment where I found out I hadn't gained anymore weight and have now dilated to 1.5 cms and am 90% effaced! I was initially really sad that I was not in labor but on the bright side my cervix is changing and Caylee is dropping more and more.

So, I've continued to loose bits of my plug over the last day or two but still no labor. I would love to have her now, but I'm trying to hold out until my mom can get away from work (which is the day AFTER Caylee's due date).

I feel as though I'm on a roller coaster! One minute things are great and exciting and then the next I'm sad, irritable, and ready to be done. The thoughts and prayers from my family and friends is what's getting me through...well, and imagining what holding my daughter is going to feel like.

16 Days to Go

There are officially only 16 days until Caylee's due date and I am beyond excited!!!!

The car seat finally arrived today (after I had to re-order it 3 times). I love the travel system! I put it together myself and carried the car seat around the house with a huge grin on my face. I also pushed the stroller around the house for a long time! I really thought I was going to go in labor and the car seat still wouldn't be here. I'm very thankful that it's finally here and put together! Today, Ill try to see if I can get daddy to put the base in my car...

So, we've almost completed week 37 and not a lot has happened. At the last doctor's visit I found out that the baby's head is halfway down and my cervix is almost completely effaced. I am dilated 1 cm! After losing weight I gained 2 lbs last week alone so the doctors were very happy.

Hmmm, what's new....I have a really bad ear infection! All of a sudden yesterday anytime I moved I would get sick and I was constantly dizzy. I really felt like I was dying and I looked like I hadn't slept in weeks. I called my OB and she asked if either of my ears were bothering me! Of course, my right ear has been bothering me for weeks but I didn't think it was anything to be worried about... I feel much better today, but after going to Kroger and Walgreen's I threw up in the parking lot!!! So I'm back to sitting and resting for the night. I think we will just have a nice at home date night <3

I've been sleeping better at night, thank God! Caylee is working with me and being still when I first lay down so I'm resting really well. I still sleep until about 11 am though.

I've had a few nights of painful contractions but things seem to be going really well. I just can't wait until she is finally here!

I think we are all excited to see what Caylee is going to look like! I hope she looks like daddy and of course he says he hopes she looks just like me. We shall see....

So 37 weeks down and 2-3 more to go!!!!

The nursery so far...

We still need to hang the border and curtains. The bassinet will also move to our room and a matching glider and ottoman will be moved into the nursery!

Walking into the nursery...

Today I washed all of her clothes, stuffed animals, sheets and blankets. I also put up the butterfly and flower decals!!!

36 weeks &3 Days.....

36 Weeks =)

I stopped by the doctor yesterday because I was worried that maybe my water had broken!!! Well, technically I thought it was leaking and I was having contractions.... Turns out, it was a false alarm.

I called and told our families that my water may have broken and everyone was so excited (which made me excited), finding out that nothing was happening was really disappointing. I can't wait to get to hold Caylee and for my family to be here and get to see her! I want her to be fully developed and not have to be in the special care nursery so I'm trying to be patient. I keep picturing what she will look like and it's driving me NUTS!

False alarms are NOT fun, it just makes things even harder! I idid find out yesterday that I am now a "finger-tip" dilated and that Caylee is continuing to move downward (which is a great sign).

***

So, I had my 36 week check-up today. I gained 2 lbs which is really good since I lost weight last week. My blood pressure continues to be low (which is making me shaky and tired) and the doctor attributes that to my not eating enough (she didn't see the huge steak I had for dinner or the 3 peaches I ate for dessert).

I was checked for GBS again (Im positive) and so will have to have IV antibiotics during labor.

I am also officially off bed rest! I am supposed to be "taking it easy" for the next week. Once I get to 37 weeks Caylee will be considered full-term and it will be safe for me to deliver her. I am so happy, I miss being able to walk or swim.

***

36 weeks down means 4 more to go. We are about done with the nursery although we still need to hang the border (pink and green butterflies) and rearrange a few things. We also need to install the car seat and then I'll have it inspected at the fire station. I think the final thing would be washing all of her clothes and blankets. I've been putting that off because her closet is so organized and I don't want to ruin it!

It's very exciting knowing that she could be born at any moment and we'd be ready for her! I am getting so excited, and surprisingly not nervous about labor (that may change).

Surprise OB Appt.

I got a phone call Monday afternoon asking me to come to the doctors office the next morning at 9 am. The call was a surprise because I wasn't supposed to be seen until the following week and because I'm on bed rest.

Well it turns out that the office had simply forgotten to cancel an old appointment! Thank goodness, I was starting to get worried. I lost about 3 more pounds which no one was happy about. For some reason, I am having a very hrad time keeping my weight up. The baby is still measuring and moving just fine so we are just going to add another meal to my day and then not stress out about my weight. My blood pressure was also really low which may explain why I've been so dizzy!

Everything else looked really great! The midwife did another internal exam and I am still not dilated however she said I am about 50% effaced! Caylee is sitting so low the doctor said that she thinks we will make it only 2 more weeks!!! My due date isn't for another 5 weeks!

I will have another check-up in a week (36 weeks) and then will be taken off bed rest. At that point, if I were to go into labor they won't try to stop her. So although we really want to wait until my mom and dad can be here it might be sooner!!

It's about time that I took another belly picture so Ill be back tomorrow to update!

I thought I'd let everyone know how bed rest is going so far. Its been just a few days and I'm already really bored! I wasn't doing much before since the doctors told me to "take it easy" however, being completely restricted stinks!

The only perks are that I don't have to clean the house, can make easier meals, and get everything brought over to me! Anytime I move I'm questioned! Haha I can't even go to the bathroom without being asked what I think I'm doing getting up.

Today is the first since about Saturday that I haven't had contractions. Having contractions for days with little or no relief is really no fun. I tried drinking more water and changing positions but nothing helped.

I woke up today around noon (thanks mom) and wasn't in pain!!! At this point I have to be thankful for even the small victories.

My days mostly consist of watching my regular tv shows, eating, talking on the phone, and checking out facebook and Baby Center. Oh, I almost forgot to add shopping online for things for the baby! We still need a border and curtains so I've been searching like crazy for something I love.

Overall things are going ok, I would love to go for a walk or just drive but I guess I'll have to wait! So, 37 more days to go and I am getting more and more excited. I have to stop myself from going through all of her clothes over and over again! I can't wait until she is here!!!!

Bed Rest....

I just got back from my doctors appointment. I called yesterday because Id been having terrible contractions for 3 days (today is day 4). I've also had more pressure and been downright miserable. They scheduled me for the next day (which is today).

Usually at our doctor you are called back to pee in the cup, get weighed, and have your blood pressure checked. After all of this they send you back to the waiting room while they clean a room for you.

Well today they kept me back there and also put me ahead of 6 other people that were waiting. My blood pressure was normal 110/62 and I gained 2 lbs which was great since I'd lost 2 at the last appointment (a week before). They were really happy about that, and now at 34 weeks and 2 days I have gained 20 lbs.

I was seem by Mercedes who is the midwife. We listened to Caylee's heart beat which was a normal 148-152. We talked about the contractions (frequency and intensity) and I was told to come right to the office next time (if I don't want to go tot he hospital more) since I'd already been treated for pre term contractions.

Mercedes did the internal exam (I was having contractions at the time) and said that while I'm not dilated my cervix is definitely softening/thinning. She could also feel the baby's head. I had a couple more contractions after she did the exam that were very painful. She told me that with my history I need to be on bed rest for two weeks (until 36 weeks). If I continue to have contractions through tomorrow I will have to go to the hospital to have another shot (to stop contractions).

I was already supposed to be "taking it easy", but now I can't leave the house unless I'm going to the doctor. I can get up long enough to cook, eat, and go to the bathroom and that's it. No lifting bending etc. At 36 weeks I will be checked (for dilation) and we will decide what to do at that point.

While I am very anxious to meet Caylee and very much in pain (can't wait for that to be over), I want to be sure she wouldn't have to be in the special care unit when I do have her. According to Mercedes, if I have her now that's exactly what would happen. So, I'm going to try my hardest to follow the doctors instructions. The doctors are worried that I could have Caylee any time and so will be watching me very closely....