Crosby is Two Months Old!

Last week, my lil' bit celebrated his two month birthday. His stats changed a bit from last month-- currently, he's 13.8 pounds (90th percentile), and in the 75th percentile for height. His head circumference is now 50%. Quite different from his big brother, whose head has been in the 90th percentile since he was born! Crosby has finally decided that he can sleep through the night, and I feel confident in posting on here that we're firmly in that routine. Tonight is Crosby's first night in the nursery, instead of his cradle next to our bed. I will miss waking up next to him very much, but I think everyone sleeps better in their own room. Fingers crossed he makes the transition easily. Here's a peek at the only change to our nursery:

And my little man in his (too small) 3 month outfit, on his 2nd month birthday:

Little one is all smiles and coos for us now, and likes to "stand" up with help just like his brother did. He's winning over all of the teachers at Harris with his sweet smiles too, and is still Franklin's favorite toy. I am in the final countdown of maternity leave, and am trying to enjoy every second with my little guy while I can. Happy second month birthday baby boy, we love you!

The Best Laid Plans....

When you make a plan God laughs, right? At today's appointment, my first BP read was 132/90. After talking with Dr. Straugh, she said we'd take it a few more times and see where we were at. Second try: 140/100. So, we are delivering tomorrow at 4:00 PM, and have to be at the hospital at 1:45. Please keep us in your prayers, since I am still hopeful that I can avoid the mag sulfate drip and extended stay that plagued my delivery with Franklin due to blood pressure issues. On the one hand, I feel very ready to welcome Crosby. On the other hand, it sure would've been nice to finish out this week and weekend without the drama associated with a quick delivery. But alas, is not to be. We'll post updates soon!

Playing Catch Up....

This blog is in a sad state. Add busy work weeks and a little vacation to the fact that I failed to address the issue with posting pictures until about two seconds ago and things around here have been pretty boring.

Since I've corrected the photo issue, we should get back on track... Where are we now and where have we been?

We spent Memorial Day in Orange Beach with our families and it was glorious. Nice to get away for awhile, and lucky for us (both me AND Frank) there were no "big" birthdays to celebrate this year (31 is not that exciting). On a funny note (not so funny to me), one of Franklin's teachers at school was discussing the fact that Frank and I have birthdays that are close together and commented about how neat it was that we were the "same age" and celebrated our birthdays together each year. Since there is an 8 YEAR AGE DIFFERENCE between us, I was not amused by the fact that she had no trouble believing that I would be turning the big 4-0 next year. Not quite so fast, sister, I've got 9 more years before I reach that milestone. I think Frank found it rather hilarious though.

We returned from our mini-vacay to lots of billable hours at the office so that we could take off for a real, week-long vacation at the beach last week. (After we crowned a new Miss Alabama, congrats Courtney Porter!) We spent the majority of the week with good friends from Bozeman, Montana, who have 2 adorable children of their own (who managed to keep Franklin entertained, bless them) and who are expecting a third baby within a week or so of us. I took naps every day, ate quite a bit, and enjoyed floating my growing pregnant belly in some body of water daily. That's the life. I have missed the pool and/or ocean since we returned home, that's for sure. Franklin l-o-v-e-d the beach AND the pool, and seemed like he had the time of his life. We managed to avoid sunburns (for the most part, sorry Frank) and came home rested and refreshed.

This week marked the first comments on my growing belly (other than those from my husband, who apparently finds it amusing to tell me exactly how large and round it is quite often). Within a few days time, three people commented about how they didn't think I'd make it to the end of September, and two asked me if I was sure there was "just one in there." I'm convinced that since I have gained less weight this time, everything else is smaller - which makes the belly look bigger. As of 24 weeks, I was measuring 24 weeks, so I suppose I just carry babies differently from others.

In baby news: Crosby gets bigger by the day, just like his brother did. I passed my gestational diabetes test, but am apparently anemic (that explains why I have been so overwhelmingly exhausted all the time, and all of the cheeseburger cravings). I have a prescription for iron, and am taking it, and do feel better. Except for the fact that it wakes me up every single night with a horrible stomach ache (they warned about side effects) which I just suffer through for about an hour or so, and feel better when it's time to get up. Thinking I need to dry a different brand.

Last time: Lots of weight gain. Horrible rib cage pain. Fear of the unknown. Stress about finishing nursery. Terrible heartburn and tums by the case.

This time: Up 21 lbs at week 27. Not too bad. Very little pain, no fear of the unknown, heartburn is under control thanks to Prevacid. A little concerned with the fact that all baby items remain packed in storage in the basement and that other items are in storage across town. But confident that we can throw everything we need together fairly quickly if necessary. A little anxious that the time where everything started going downhill rapidly (PIH, preterm labor, etc.) is approaching quickly (week 31).

Franklin: Is one non-stop jabbering talking little monkey. He's now said everything from "Ketchup" to "Golf Ball" and in between. He's even said "Bebe" and "Lola." Repeated words include: Mama, Dada, mememe (with the sign for "more"), iss (with nodding head for "yes"), ssss (with the sign for "Please"), daw (doggie), side (outside), hot (as in temperature and for hot dog), up. You can ask him questions and he'll tell you by nodding yes or no what he wants. For example, "Franklin, would you like a gummy?" (His vitamins are gummy) and he immediately nods "Yes" and walks to the cabinet where the gummies are kept. At which point he begins to run in place yelling at the top of his lungs while intermittently signing and saying "SSS! SSS!" (please) until you hand him a gummy, then signing "Thank you" and running into the other room to watch Caillou on Sprout. Every. Single. Night. Clearly we have reached a milestone and I think our worries about a speech delay have ended.

I also received a phone call from another mom in his class a few weeks ago bragging on him... Apparently when she dropped off her child at school, she watched Franklin go to the bin where they keep all 8 children's sippy cups (they are all different colors), and then proceed to hand each child the appropriately colored cup that was theirs -- leaving the child who was absent that day's cup in the bin without hesitation. She was impressed. I was too, although I'm not surprised that he notices and remembers everything. Just because he can't speak doesn't mean he can't understand.

I'll unload the photos from our vacation and will take a few of the small number of baby-related purchases I've picked up in the past few weeks. More posts from here!

Franklin has an announcement....

#2 Arriving 9/26/2011 (or before). I am in my 12th week and luckily am already feeling this little one doing somersaults in there. The second one is a lot less stressful, at least so far. We'll get a good gender "guess" one week from today! A peek from our first ultrasound:

F is for Franklin...

This little man is on the go....

He is very rarely still at this point. Frank updated My Pal Scout this weekend, and now he sings directly to Franklin and says, "I love you, Franklin!" Scout's favorite color is now green and his favorite food is bacon (thanks Frank). So we listen to pretty funny songs where Scout asks Franklin to give him bacon, 'cause that's his favorite food.

And in other news, today I woke up and decided to try a new perfume sample I received in the mail last week (thanks, Sephora). It was "Gucci" by Gucci and the quick sniff I gave it smelled ok... until I realized that I'd just put on men's cologne and would have to walk around the rest of the day "smelling like a dude" as Frank put it. Oh well. Happy Thursday!

We Swim!

Franklin and I have been attending swimming lessons at our local Y this week. I thought it would be a fun way to introduce him to the water in short periods before we hit the beach this summer, and he has had a blast! Little one loves the water, and kicks his legs all over the pool. He throws his arms behind him and off we go, like superman. It's too funny! I have no doubt he'll be quite the fish, once he figures out he has to use his arms too....

It's a beautiful day...

And Franklin woke up and put on a happy outfit to celebrate.

Yes, my child still likes to show people his tongue. Hopefully he'll grow out of it. If not, well, what can you do? He's still super cute. TGIF!

A Brief Update....

Here's a picture from school this week! Frank is kind enough to take pictures a few times a week when he drops Franklin off at school, and this is one. Isn't he adorable??

This angel is officially four months old. We visited the pediatrician on Monday, and he tipped the charts at 14.8 pounds, 24 1/2 inches long and with a head circumference in the 90th percentile. (Weight is 50th percentile and height 30th). So he's a little short and round with a big head. But super cute, huh? I worried a tad over the weekend and at the beginning of the week that we'd slipped into the four month sleep regression, but Franklin made it all the way through the night last night. Hopefully we're back on track now. I have a lot of catching up to do on the blog, and plan to do so tonight. It's been a bit of a challenge now that I'm back to work, but I promise that a full, in depth view of what we've been up to is to come. Happy Wednesday!

A word from Franklin....

My mommy thinks that I am the cutest baby ever, and likes to take pictures of me all the time. Here are a few she took this morning....

Mommy is also really proud of me for sleeping in my own room. I started Monday night, and really didn't seem to notice the transition. She also likes that it's easier to see me during the night because the video monitor she convinced daddy to buy has night vision. Pretty cool, eh? Mommy and daddy are also really funny, and I've started giggling at their funny faces. They both really seem to enjoy that! Last night daddy and I spent some quality man-time together while mommy had dinner with her friends. Daddy gave me a bath for the first time, and I really liked it. In fact, I think daddy should start bathing me every night. I've enjoyed visited my school this week too, and am getting to know the other babies in my class and my teacher Ms. Adrienne. I really like school, and thought it was pretty funny that I have the biggest head in my class and the chubbiest cheeks-- but the least amount of hair. Oh well, I suppose that's yet another thing that my daddy and I have in common (the hair thing, not the chubby cheeks or big head thing). In just a few short weeks I'll start spending a lot more time at school.... mommy seems to be excited about the fact that she'll get to spend the majority of her days without baby drool and spit up all over her clothes and in her hair, but she'll miss hanging out with me all day long. I'm getting big really fast, and go back next week for my three month appointment! I have new tricks up my sleeve every day, so stay tuned for the update!

Lost and Found

It's been an exciting week! Franklin is still battling a lingering cold, although it hasn't transitioned into a cough and he's not experienced any sleep loss or reduced appetite. I'm ready for him to be 100% though, I know it must be annoying to have trouble breathing through your nose and not be able to get it out!

In any event, this week we had a breakthrough - Franklin found a consonant! Babies begin to babble in vowels, and this week Franklin managed to put together a "goo" and a "coo" with his oohs and ahhs.... He does quite a bit of babbling all day long, and I'm sure he'll be quite the talker once he learns some actual words. He's getting stronger and stronger too, and improves his neck control and arm/ leg movements everyday. It's so fun to watch my little one reach these milestones!

And while Franklin found a consonant, I have begun to lose my hair... Yes, a normal part of the postpartum experience. But I'm sure Frank is not enjoying the clumps of hair in the shower drain that have only recently begun to appear. I've been on the lookout for this for awhile, and unfortunately it started this week. So let's hope that I come out on the other side of this postpartum adventure with a few lovely locks to style. And I'm aware that I haven't posted a "weight loss diary" in awhile, but I'm still working hard... I made it through the holidays without gaining any (a pretty big accomplishment I think!) and am only four pounds from where I was at my first appointment with Dr. Straughn. The weight hasn't fallen off nearly as fast as I'd hoped, but we're on a slow decline. It just may take me a little longer than I'd expected to return to my normal weight. I also decided to remind myself (something I'd forgotten) that the 10 pounds that I gained prior to getting pregnant was intentional and for a reason-- my BMI was too low pre-pregnancy and the weight gain was necessary to reach the recommended number of "20" to make our chances at conception easier. (See, all part of my NY Resolution to "give myself a break," right!?!)

Franklin is napping in his swing at the moment, but when he wakes up I'll post new pics! He's getting so big (and getting more hair!), I can't wait to share!

Franklin at Three Weeks!

Here are a few pics of Franklin at three weeks old. Today, he sported his first pair of "shoes!" He's getting so big, and is still such a good baby. We've worked out some of the kinks that we faced at first, like the fact that he HATED taking a bath. A warm wash cloth over his belly during the bath and the paci when he comes out seems to have resolved the issue, and we can now make it through bathtime without a screaming fest that would wake the dead.

Yesterday I headed over to my doctor's office to get the H1N1 Vaccine before I stop nursing so that Franklin can get the antibodies since he can't have the vaccine. Yes, our brief stint in nursing is quickly coming to an end.... my supply issues never resolved themselves, despite my attempt at drinking tea and even taking medication to increase the supply. Franklin also never really warmed up to nursing either, his sucking abilities were hindered due to the fact that he was three weeks early, and each time he tried to nurse he just wore himself out on the first breast and refused to even try the second... meaning that he never would've eaten enough to grow the way he was supposed to, and that we always would've had to supplement with formula. Paying for a pump and spending time to pump (while only getting 1/2 an ounce to an ounce each time anyway), in addition to feeding with bottles, is for the birds. The little man seems to enjoy his formula just fine, despite the fact that the extra iron is having a small impact on his stooling (I know, the first post about poop, right?).

We've also started working a schedule, and it's having a huge impact on our happiness at this point. In yet another first time mom mistake, I assumed initially that Franklin did not like being swaddled, since he always kept his hands near his face and seemed to struggle in the swaddle once he was wrapped up inside. WRONG. (And apparently a typical mistake). Franklin is too young to have the motor skills to control where his arms end up, and a revival of the swaddle has resulted in better sleep for us all. I have to thank our friends Ed & Jessica for their recommendation of the Moms on Call Guide to the First 6 Months for our great results so far. Two years ago when they had their first baby, Jessica mentioned the book to me and what a help it had been to them. Frank and I were newly married, but knew we wanted kids, so I bookmarked the Moms on Call website so that I would remember to check it out when the time came.

The book and its method are incredible. The authors are baby nurses from Atlanta, and believe that you can start your baby on a schedule at 2 weeks (although for the first 4 weeks things aren't set in stone, since everyone is still working out the kinks). We began last Friday, when Franklin hit three weeks old. The authors give an hourly schedule during the day, including feeding and nap times, as well as dinner, bath, and bedtime. We begin our day at 6 AM, he eats and is awake for an hour, and sleeps in two hour naps after that. He eats dinner at 6:30, and we begin the bathtime routine at 8:30 or 9 PM. He gets a "bath" every night, although I don't use soap every night in an attempt to preserve his skin and keep it from overdrying. The thought process is that babies associate bathtime with bedtime, and Franklin has begun to do just that. After the bath, Franklin eats again, and then the swaddle comes into play and he's put down to bed. The authors recommend that the baby go into his own room that's very dark and to use a white noise machine, but I just can't bring myself to put Franklin in his own room just yet. So, he's still in our room and we aren't using a white noise machine - but the fan in our room is still on. He then wakes at 2-2:30 to eat during the night, in a dimly lit room with very little interaction with me, and goes right back down until it's time to wake up at 6. Last night, he slept until 6:45AM!

So yes, that's correct - my three week old only wakes up one time per night to feed at 2:oo AM, and I am getting 4 hour stretches of sleep regularly at this point. I generally go back to sleep when he goes down for the morning nap at 7 AM, and we both start our day around 9 AM. It doesn't work perfectly just yet, sometimes he'll wake at 1:30 and 5:30, or some version of that, but I think we're light years ahead of what some other new moms face. I am extremely lucky that Franklin is an easy-going baby, and seems to pretty much go with the flow on most things. I was determined to find some sort of a "schedule" before we traveled over the holidays so that we all didn't lose our minds, so hopefully we will be right on track when we head down to visit our families next week.

So long story short, we're still here and doing great! Franklin visits the pediatrician again on Thursday, I'm anxious to see how much weight he's gained. Here's hoping we get a good report!

My handsome baby boy....

Franklin had his first professional photos taken this past weekend by Benita Roberts of a Sweet Life Studio... I think the pictures speak for themselves, don't you?

Check out more of Benita's work at http://asweetlifestudio.com/. Isn't he the cutest baby ever??

Things to remember....

Here's a list of fun things I've noticed about my sweet little one during the first week at home with him:

1. He can't suck on a bottle or paci and toot at the same time. Meaning that he'll pause for a sec, take care of business and go right back to sucking. I keep waiting for him to hike a leg.
2. Baby sneezes are extra cute.
3. Franklin sounds like a little piglet when he takes a pacifier. It's pretty funny.
4. He's a great baby, but makes lots of sounds.... some of them sound like kittens.
5. He likes to hold your hand and has remarkable dexterity for a newborn... he can grip the paci with the best of them.
6. He's a good baby... he doesn't wake up in the middle of the night screaming for a bottle, but grunts and coos long enough for me to wake up, get my bearings, and grab him to nurse before he gets upset.
7. I didn't realize how neat watching my husband interact with his son would be. There really isn't anything like it.
8. He already seems to "know" who I am.
9. I can survive on less sleep than I ever thought possible.
10. I really am glad that I read all of those books, did the internet research, and talked with fellow moms before Franklin was born... I don't think you can ever be fully prepared to become a new mom, but I have certainly felt more equipped to handle the daily tasks of caring for a newborn.

Franklin went to the pediatrician for the first time last week, and was back up to 6 lbs 3 ounces and looked great. No bilirubin check necessary. I went to the doctor yesterday morning, and my blood pressure was so good that I can stop taking the medication I've been on since Franklin was born -- meaning that the dull headache I've had is now gone! 110/80 was the magic number, and I expect it will keep dropping from here. Today Franklin and I are taking our first walk outside, it's a beautiful day here and I intend to take advantage of a day without rain. Things are pretty great around here!

Franklin's First Few Days....

Here's a glimpse at our first few days with Franklin in photos....(including his brief stay in the "baby tanning bed!")

Doctor's Orders

Follow up appointment today with Dr. went fabulously! I explained to her that I have good days and bad days with contractions at this point, some days (like Monday) I don't have very many at all and don't have to take a Brethine until the end of the day. Others, the contractions kick up at 7 AM, and by 9 AM I'm monitoring and making sure I don't need to take another pill. She asked if I'd tried the wine - what?!? Apparently, wine also relaxes the uterus, and can help with the contractions as well. She said to try drinking a glass of wine at the end of the day to help. Um, well, if that's not the best news I've heard in awhile I don't know what is. Given a choice between taking Brethine, which gives me a horrible headache, makes my heart race and causes me to shake, and wine, which is extra tasty and oh-so relaxing, I'll take the wine anyday.

I also did not have a dreaded internal (SCORE!). Dr. was very chill about the contractions, so my feelings on the situation have changed somewhat. Apparently, they really aren't that big of a deal at this point. I'm 9 days from 34 weeks, which is pre-term rather than pre-mature. Dr. also mentioned that babies go into the NICU no matter what until they are 34 w 6 days, so I'm feeling much better about the situation... 16 days, and we have a good chance that even if Franklin decided to make his entrance a tad early, there's a chance he might not have a NICU stay! And the best news of the visit was that once I reach that point, the Brethine is no longer necessary. YES! Even contracting I feel better when I don't take it. So that means that I will not be completely miserable (note I said completely miserable, not merely miserable, because I am ready for this baby to be OUT) for the last few weeks of this pregnancy.

Frank and I will try round 2 of our infant CPR class tonight at the hospital (the first class was scheduled the night of our L & D trip). Here's hoping I can stay awake until the class is over at 9 PM!

Fall

Today is the first day of Fall... I love Fall. I love the smell of fireplaces burning, brightly colored leaves, football games, pumpkins, and just a nip of a chill in the air when you walk into work each morning.

When Frank and I were in law school, we spent a weekend in Helen, Georgia during October. We made the drive over one Friday afternoon and managed to make it into Helen and pick a campsite before it got dark. There, we enjoyed a tasty meal of steak, potatoes, and red wine, topped off with a dessert of snickers. Hard to beat "car camping" when you do it in style like my husband and I do. Lucky for us, it was also Oktoberfest in Helen, and we spent the next day camped out in town eating German food, drinking big beers and listening to Polka music, all while enjoying the most unique people-watching experience I'd ever had. It was an absolutely fantastic weekend, and one I'll never forget. The leaves were beautiful, there was a nip in the air, and I almost didn't mind that it rained on our tiny tent the 2nd night we were there.

That was three years ago! It's hard to believe how fast time flies. The weekend before I found out I was expecting it snowed here... the beautiful white kind of snow, that dampens any sound except for the falling snowflakes. It was perfect. I feel a bit like I've experienced all four seasons now waiting for him to arrive... the anticipation and worry of winter turning into Spring, then Spring's realization that I was actually going to have a real baybee, followed by Summer's visible baby belly and seeing Franklin's sweet face via ultrasound for the first time. Now it's Fall, and he is set to arrive very shortly!

Although it may be awhile before Frank and I have an opportunity to head back to Helen by ourselves, I look forward to sharing our life with this bouncing baby boy in my belly that kicks me all night long. I have a feeling he'll love Fall too.

Nice!

So I've been searching for a super-soft Boppy Cover for Franklin for awhile, and found the perfect one at Pottery Barn Kids a few months ago. I figured that I would wait until a little closer to my due date to finalize these last few purchases, but the onset of contractions Monday afternoon sped the process up a bit. So, while on the phone with the Dr.'s office, I logged in to make the purchase:

It's the plain blue cover in the background, the stripes and polka dots was unfortunately backordered until December. Much to my surprise, it was delivered - monogrammed, of course - on Wednesday afternoon! And I didn't pay for expedited shipping! That, my friends, is service. I must say, I'm a fan.

In other news, Frank informed me that my last post was a bit "Debbie Downer." Well, I suppose it would be good to take the post with a grain of salt, considering I was exhausted and had only slept about an hour and a half the night before. In any event, I'm extremely thankful that Franklin is just fine, and that I'm not progressing. The contractions are merely an annoyance, and I'll get used to the way the Brethine makes me feel in a few days. And, thanks to the humidifier set up in our room and the antibiotics from my Dr., the cold seems to be easing a bit. So I'm counting my blessings!

P.S. - For those of you who wear prescriptives makeup, estee lauder has decided to discontinue the brand. Better stock up before January 31, 2010!

I'm looking forward to watching Auburn tear into West Virginia tomorrow! War Eagle!

Our Night in L & D.....

Well, I suppose it was bound to happen - After catching a horrible cold towards the end of last week, combined with horrendous swelling in my ankles, feet and hands last Thursday and Friday, my uterus is determined to be "irritable."

First, it's not so much fun to be sick when you're pregnant. My OCD attempts to avoid catching a cold were unsuccessful; apparently no amount of lysol wipes, handwashing and purell could save me from the sore throat, tired eyes, and stuffy nose that have plagued me for almost a week now. In case you were wondering, it's hard to sleep when you can't breathe, and it's even harder for your husband to sleep when you can't breathe and snore like a banshee as a result. Poor Frank.

The swelling started suddenly towards the end of last week as well. I was pretty amazed at the size of my feet and ankles last Friday night. Who knew that my chicken legs were capable of sporting cankles?? Interesting. I decided that the cold combined with the swelling called for a weekend of self-imposed bed rest. And it was nice, let me tell you. Frank was wonderful, fetching things for me, helping me, making me food. By Sunday morning, the swelling had significantly reduced, and I was feeling much better. From time to time during the weekend though, it felt like I was having contractions. I didn't pay too much attention to them though, and it seemed like bed rest with plenty of gatorade and water would do the trick.

Monday morning, I headed into work ready to start my week. Around 10:30 AM, I felt the first braxton hicks contraction kick up. For giggles, I pulled up contraction master, just to keep track for my own personal sanity. By 3:30 PM, I'd had around 20 contractions. I had not had more than 6 in an hour - but decided to call my Dr.'s nurse just to make sure I didn't need to go get checked out. She responded that if I did have more than 6 in an hour, I needed to call the on-call Dr. and receive instructions. I left work early, around 5 pM, and headed home to get into the bed. I really thought that once I got home, put my feet up and killed a 32 ounce gatorade (my 2nd of the day) that they would stop. Apparently my uterus had other ideas.

20 minutes into the season premiere of Gossip Girl, I've had 7 contractions in the past hour and it was time to call the on-call Dr. She explained that Dr. Straughn had told her that I'd probably call (see why I love my Dr?), and that they'd decided if I was still contracting that I needed to go on into L & D to be monitored to make sure I wasn't progressing. So, I get out of the bed, put on some comfortable clothes, grab the bag out of the nursery closet that I've had packed with washed clothing and toiletries since I hit 28 weeks, and tell Frank it's time to go. My sweet husband then proceeds to brush his teeth (with the electric toothbrush, which cannot be interrupted in the middle of it's 3 minute cycle), change his shirt, put on his shoes, tuck in his shirt, put on a belt, find his cell phone, put up the dogs, and THEN (10 minutes later) help me out of the house. Frank is a funny, funny man.

We made it into L & D, and they immediately hooked me up to a contraction monitor and fetal heartrate monitor. Franklin hates the fetal heartrate monitor. To say hate would be putting it mildly, honestly. He proceeded to kick and poke and squirm away from the monitor for the next 12 hours. I am not over-exaggerating. But I digress- after the 50 questions from the nurse (including "Does your husband hit you?," "Have you ever been abused?") it was determined that I was, in fact, contracting, and that my uterus was extremely "irritable." Then, the fun part of all pregnancies, the internal was required to determine if I was progressing or dilating as a result of the contractions. Holy mother, if I never have another one of those in my life it will be way, waaaay too soon. Uh, hello?? Those things HURT! I hope to avoid experiencing them again anytime soon. Luckily, no progress - no dilation, and mere "preterm" contractions instead of preterm labor was diagnosed.

However, the medicine that they typically give to stop the contractions increases your heartrate, and the Robitussin DM that Frank had so graciously picked up for me on his way home from work to help me breathe had already caused my heartrate to increase quite a bit. They were unsure for a while that they would be able to give me the brethene, but eventually decided that they would administer the drug and monitor my reaction to it. At 10PM, I got the shot. By 10:15, I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest! That stuff was potent, but seemed to ease the contractions. I was stuck in L & D for the next hour so they could monitor my heartrate, and at the end of the hour the contractions had slowed from 3-7 minutes apart to about 4 per hour. Much better.

Unfortunately, not good enough to go home. Frank and I were told that we'd be heading up to the Perinatal ward to spend the night, so they could monitor the contractions and Franklin. Here's where the bag came in handy... They put me in a room, and Frank was able to run to the car to retrieve my pj's, pillow, and toiletries. We settled in around midnight, and Frank seemed to drift off to sleep fairly shortly....

Me?? Not so much. The brethine gave me the shakes, a headache, and kept my heart racing. I had to beg for tums (not their fault, they have to get them from the pharmacy apparently), and I still couldn't breathe from the cold. Franklin was also extremely uncooperative... He rolled, he punched, he kicked, and he tumbled away from the fetal monitor, which resulted in an interruption by the nurse about every 30 minutes to reposition his fetal monitor. Around 1:15, he decided to get the hiccups. Hiccups on a fetal monitor have a very strange echo, and are extremely loud. He gets them regularly, and these lasted for 45 minutes. By 1:45-2AM, I was starting to drift off to sleep, but it seemed like my contractions were getting a bit more intense...every time I'd almost be asleep, a contraction would wake me back up. The nurse came in around 2 AM with another dose of Brethine, this time orally, and explained that my contractions were averaging 2-4 minutes apart at that point. The oral dose didn't have quite the hit that the shot did, luckily, and around 45 minutes later the contractions had slowed and I hoped I would get some sleep.

Finally, around 4:15-4:30, I was able to drift in and out of sleep, and it seemed like Franklin had decided to calm down as well. Frank and I both stirred around 6 AM, and luckily I wasn't feeling many contractions at all. I was able to order breakfast from my hospital's "on call menu" and it was actually good! It was really nice to be able to pick what I wanted to eat instead of being forced to eat whatever they hospital decided to make for breakfast. After breakfast, Dr. Straughn arrived for a chat. Luckily, since I was not progressing, she decided to let me go home. I have instructions to take it easy, and am to orally take the brethine when I feel the contractions kicking back up. If the contractions subside, then they are still preterm contractions. If they don't, then apparently it's preterm labor, and we have to go back to L & D. So here's hoping that they just work themselves out, and that the brethine does the job.

The bad part of my trip to L & D = taking the brethine. It gives me the shakes, a headache, and increases my heartrate to the point where it's hard to rest. I've had probably 1 hour of sleep at this point, and I am still finding it hard to wind down. That's pretty harsh towards the end of pregnancy, where it's hard to sleep anyway. To top it off, spending a night in L & D knowing that I'm not coming home with a baby (although I'm thankful for that) SUCKS. I can handle uncomfortable beds, nurse checks, etc. if I get a cuddly, squishy baybee at the end... knowing I get to go home, still pregnant and fairly miserable stinks.

The good part of my trip to L & D = Frank has now had the whole "honey, it's time to go!" labor experience. The gown, the monitors, the internal, the whole thing. We also figured out a few extra things that need to go into the bag, and have the parking situation down pat. It was, for all intents and purposes, a trial run. And I'm glad for that -- I like to be prepared, after all. I think Frank probably feels like he knows what to expect now too.

Let's hold our breath for the next three weeks! Once I hit 34 weeks, all will be well and there's a great likelihood that Franklin will have little to no NICU time if he decides to make his appearance early. 19 days and counting....

Showered!

I'll post a more detailed update later, but here's a pic I received from my sweet friend Jamie this morning - How cute is her baby boy, Deuce? So glad you could make it to the shower Jamie!

First Glimpse....

Who does Franklin resemble? I'll let you decide! Today we were treated to the first real glimpse of what our little man looks like, chubby cheeks and all. I have not imbibed in caffeinated soda since I've been pregnant, but to make sure that Franklin wiggled around to get good shots, I treated myself to a cold coca cola this morning. Baby boy did not disappoint. He still keeps his hands right near his face, as he's done in nearly every ultrasound that I've had. It's pretty sweet, actually, I have a feeling he'll do the same once he arrives as well. He has finally turned head-down, which explains why my belly has felt a tad different over the past few weeks. I'm pleased that he decided to cooperate, and I feel like he probably has more room in that position too.

Here's a shot of Franklin's arm/ hand position:

And little one's profile:



"Mom, tell that lady to stop pushing on me!" (I have a feeling I'll see this face quite often come November)

Pouty face:

Sweet profile:

And the other side:

I'm sleepy (yawning"):



I'll be interested to see if Franklin resembles these pictures when he arrives in November. I can't wait to pinch those chubby cheeks!