Here Comes Baby: The Birth Story

As I said in the previous post, I went to bed Thursday night at about 11:30 pm wondering how many more times I would go to bed still pregnant.  Little did I know that would be my last time.  I was surprised at how quickly I fell asleep that night, I was clearly exhausted and I fell quickly into a deep sleep.  Just after 2:00 am I woke up needing to go to the bathroom (very normal) so in I went.  While in the bathroom I noticed some very strong pain in my back (also very normal for me at this point) so I decided I would soak in a nice warm tub for a while before getting back in bed.  I filled the tub and noticed the pain getting strong again.  I waited through it and when I felt it again a few minutes later I thought to myself "I think I might be in labor".  The next pain came and I realized I had to really breathe to get through.  I realized I didn't have a clock in the bathroom or anyway to really know how far apart my pains were or how long they were lasting.  I thought, "If I have another one soon I'll go get the timer."  Minutes later another pain started, I closed my eyes and began to breathe.  While breathing I felt a warm gush between my legs (remember, I'm in the tub) and I thought "Did I just pee again?"  Sorry if that was TMI, but once the contraction was over I opened my eyes and realized I hadn't peed, my water had broke.  All I could do was smile and think "MY BABY IS COMING!!!"

I tried calling to Mike to get him to wake up and help me out of the tub, but he didn't hear me.  Another pain came very quickly and I realized that it was even stronger than the one before.  I knew things were happening fast.  I climbed out of the tub, wrapped myself in a towel and went out of the bathroom.  I looked at the clock and it said 2:28.  That meant I had had 6 contractions in less that a half hour.  I woke up Mike and told him my water had broken and I was contracting really close.  As I was telling him on came another one.  He ran to get the timer out of the kitchen and I began getting dressed and pulling the last of my stuff together while trying to make phone calls to my mom and my sister Heidi.  I was noticing that the contractions were getting more and more painful and they were coming every 3 minutes and lasting 45-60 seconds.  I just kept thinking this is really fast, this is really fast.  It was hard to get everything pulled together and get Alena up and in the car with me only having about 2 minutes at a time that I could try to accomplish anything.  Finally at 3:30 am we had everything together and we were in the car on the way to the hospital.

The drive to the hospital felt longer than I expected it too.  I was feeling so much pressure and feeling like I needed to push.  That made me start worrying because I really didn't want to have my baby in our car (Eewww).  We were going to drop Alena off at Mike's mom's house but I asked him to call her and ask if she could meet us at the hospital.  I really felt like we needed to get to the hospital fast.  Another thing that was really worrying me was how localized the pain was to my c-section scar.  I was really worried that something was going to go wrong.  The amount of pain I was feeling in my scar caught me off guard.  I hadn't planned for the worry that would cause me and it made it nearly impossible for me to relax.  The thought that kept coming to mind was, "I need my mom, I need my mom".  I hadn't realized until that moment how much I was grieving the delivery I had hoped to have with my first baby.

When we lived so close to all of my family in Arizona, I was fortunate enough to have been present for many of the births of my nieces and nephews.  Natural childbirth is a difficult thing and it was always a great support to have all the sisters close by to offer encouragement and be there for that special time as a new little spirit entered the world.  The plan for Alena's delivery was that I would have my mom, my 4 older sisters, and my younger sister Heidi there with me for the delivery.  I had planned to do it without an epidural and that strong support system was going to be very necessary.  Little did we know that she would come 6 weeks early and they would have to rush me in for an emergency c-section before anyone was able to get there to be with me other than Mike.  Don't get me wrong, I could never have gotten through any of it without Mike, but the support of a woman, especially a sister that has experienced the same thing, is invaluable.  I realized at that point as we were driving to the hospital that I was embarking on unknown territory and I didn't have that strong support that I had always envisioned because all but one of them were in a different state.  I was lucky enough that my sister Heidi was living up here in Utah in Provo and was able to come up to be with me during my labor and delivery.

With every contraction I was getting more and more tense and more and more emotionally worked up.  Every time I just thought, "How can I do this without my mom? I'm not strong enough to do this without all my sisters."  We got to the hospital and got up to the triage.  They checked me and found that I was at 4 cm, nearly 90% effaced and that my water had indeed broken.  It was time to settle in and have this baby.  Mike and I were both very excited can you tell?

 

They checked me in and got me moved to a labor/delivery room.  Heidi got to the hospital just as they were moving me, and I was so relieved to see her.  Through all this time my contractions came consistently every 3 minutes and they were each lasting about a minute.  They got me to my room at about 4:45 am and asked me if I would like an epidural.  My plan had been to do the delivery without one but I already wasn't coping well and Mike could tell.  I caved and asked for one.  I had too much pent up stress to have been able to handle it on my own.  We had to wait while 2 other ladies got their epidurals before me, but at 6:00 am the anesthesiologist came in and inserted the epidural.  The nurse checked me when they put it in and I was at 6 cm and almost fully effaced.  The epidural didn't work on my left side at first so they had to give me an extra dose of medication and after about an hour I was fully numb.  I could still move my legs around a little and feel a little of the tightening of the contractions, but I wasn't hurting anymore.  Now it was just time to sit back and let the contractions do their thing while I tried to get a little rest.

We watched a movie and visited and listened to the "labor music" I had brought with me.  It was nice to feel so relaxed and comfortable at the hospital.  The nurses and doctors I had were all wonderful and we were so happy Bryson was on his way.  At 9:00 am they started me on a level 1 pitocin drip to up my contraction strength just a little bit.  At 10:00 am they upped the drip to a level 3.  The contractions didn't get any closer together but they got stronger and I was able to feel them just a little more, but they weren't uncomfortable.  After they upped me to a level 3 (which is still very very low, they usually up you till you are at 20) Bryson's heart rate started dropping with each of my contractions.  They tried having me lay in different positions and they had me go on oxygen to see if it would help his rate stay stable.  Don't I look attractive  :-)

They put me on internal monitors for his heart rate and my contractions.  They wanted the readings to be as accurate as possible, but they still saw too much fluctuation.  They stopped the pitocin at 11:00 am and I was at almost 9 cm and fully effaced.  I knew that meant that I probably could have started pushing with in the hour, but they wanted to make sure that Bryson's heart rate stayed stable before we started trying to deliver him.  We popped in another movie and watched the monitors and anticipated his entry into the world.  At 1:00 pm the doctor came back in and said that they felt his heart rate was looking really good and they wanted to see where I was at.  She checked and I was a full 10 cm and 100% effaced.  She asked me if I was feeling like I needed to push yet.  I said I wasn't really feeling anything and she said if it was ok with me we would wait about another hour and let the contractions bring Bryson a little further down the birth canal.  I said that was fine.  The less work I had to do the better right.  Mike started getting really antsy and I finally had to tell him that he had to sit down and relax because he was making me nervous.

The team came back in at 1:45 pm and prepped everything.  My nurse started telling me that with a first time vaginal delivery it was normal for it to take 90 minutes to 2 hours of pushing.  I was confident I could do it faster than that.  I was having this baby now and nothing was going to get in my way  :-)  I started pushing at 1:55 pm and our sweet little boy was born at 2:25 pm.  30 Minutes, Boo-ya! 

Our little Bryson Michael weighed in at 7 lbs 1 oz and was 21 inches long.  He was the most beautiful little boy it was wonderful! 

Proud daddy with our little guy.

I was so happy to have my baby in my arms. Disregard how haggard I look, I just went through 12 hours of labor  :-)

We were both just so happy to have him with us.

 

I love his puffy face in this one.  He was just starting to open his eyes for me.  He has the greatest blue eyes you ever saw.

I felt so blessed to have such an amazing team of doctors and nurses there for me.  They were all so sweet and supportive.  This is Dr. Clark, she was the attending physician from our practice.  She came in to supervise the delivery.

Then this is the group that was with me through the majority of the labor and all the delivery.  On  the left is Dr Hilary Conway.  She is the resident that actually delivered Bryson. Next to Mike on the other side is Christine one of my WONDERFUL nurses and then Anne the intern that assisted Dr Conway through the delivery. 

 Then my fabulous sister Heidi who I could not have done it without!  She was a trooper and stayed with me through the whole Labor and Delivery even though she was nearly 37 weeks pregnant herself.

I love that you can just see how much Mike adores his little boy.  He is such a good daddy, I'm so blessed to have him.

I love this picture because the puffiness is starting to go down and you can just see how sweet his little face is.

One of the best parts of the day was when Alena got to come to the hospital to meet her new baby brother.  She was so excited to hold the baby.

 

 Bryson started to fuss a little bit and you can see that she was concerned by that.

 

 But once he calmed down you can see that she adores him just as much as mommy and daddy do.

 

Bryson had a bath and Alena still just couldn't get enough of him.

 

 She is such a wonderful, helpful big sister.

We attempted a family picture, but it didn't work out too well.  As you can see, I look possessed, Alena was being a stinker, and Bryson was all fussy.  Life with little kids I guess.

Before we knew it we were all bundled up and headed home.  Now real life begins!!  I LOVE IT!

The Waiting Game: The Pre-Birth Story

There is a little background that needs to be given to help understand some of the views and feelings we had with this pregnancy.  As some of you know Alena's pregnancy was rather difficult and full of surprises.  It started out very hard, smoothed out a little in the middle and then very unexpected at 34 weeks there was Alena  :)  We were so lucky that everything was ok with her and that she is the sweet, healthy, little girl we have today.  Following Alena's delivery (via emergency C-Section) my doctors said that I should expect early babies with each pregnancy from now on.  We weren't too worried though knowing we could be prepared for it and knowing the wonderful technology there is to help such little miracles.

Well, then came the wonderful news that we were expecting baby number 2.  I was ecstatic but realized that it meant a pretty difficult few months ahead.  Not long after finding out we were pregnant I started getting pretty sick.  Luckily knowing how sick I was last time they put me straight on some good medications that helped me not have such a hard time.  Still had a rough time, but not nearly as bad as it could have been. 

Well, at about 18 weeks I was mostly getting passed the sickness and the doctors felt we should start addressing the possibility of another preterm baby.  My wonderful doctor told me that they had been having a lot of success in treating women with previous preterm babies by having them have weekly progesterone injections.  He told me that the added progesterone helped to strengthen the cervix and the sac that the baby is in to try to prevent early dilation and water rupture.  The progesterone also counteracts the production of oxytocin which is what causes women to contract during labor.  The hope was that in having me do the injections from week 18 to week 35 we would avoid another early baby and another NICU stay.  We were all for it!  As unappealing as a weekly shot in the backside was, it was a far better alternative.  So my wonderful hubby Mike learned how to give me the shot and dutifully stuck a very large needle in my rump every Wednesday night for 18 weeks.  

Dr. Branch wanted us to be aware that though the shots could help, they would not guarantee us a full-term baby.  He told us we should still be prepared for a baby to come at 34 weeks like Alena, so prepare we did  :)  We made sure that everything was ready for our little guy to arrive and my 34th week came and went with no activity.  We were very happy that week 35 followed in a similar fashion.  At my 36 week appointment they checked to see if I was progressing and we found that I was dilated just passed 1 cm and was 60% effaced.  Very normal numbers, but we were excited to know that my body was preparing for little Bryson to come.  Waited through another week while having contractions on and off daily till my 37 week appointment.  We had made it to the full-term mark, something we really didn't expect.  At this appointment we had made a little more progress and I was at 2 cm and 70% effaced.  Our little guys was going to be a full term baby which we couldn't have been happier about, but we now had to address another issue with his delivery.

Since Alena was born by C-Section, we were hoping that Bryson's birth could be a VBAC delivery which is a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. There are many factors that a doctor considers when deciding to allow a woman to attempt this.  There are increased chances for uterine rupture because of the formed scar tissue and a labor needs to be monitored very closely to ensure that the uterus is handling the contractions okay.  My doctor also had to take into account that my labor with Alena went very very quickly.  He didn't want me to progress too far on my own "Pre Labor" because they want to have you monitored from 4 cm onward.  At my 37 week appointment he told me that if at my next appointment I was near the 4 cm mark they would induce labor to ensure full monitoring during labor.  This got my hopes up  :)  I was already progressing and I noticed my contractions getting more intense and there were even times when they came very very regular.  I figured I was only about a week away from having my little boy!

Well, we made it to my next appointment and I was disappointed to hear that there had been no change that week.  I was still only 2 cm and 70% effaced.  They said not to worry because I was still having my pre labor contractions and they would see me in a week.  I could hardly believe it!  All the contractions weren't doing anything.  I was already 4 weeks more pregnant than I had ever been and I had been mentally prepared for another 34 week baby.  My mind was done being pregnant but my body had other plans.  Day after day I hoped for a change and Mike was so wonderful and supportive.  He tried to keep my mind busy and suggested a night out in hopes that it would be our last one for a while.  We went to dinner and out goofy golfing.  I'm sure that everyone that saw us thought we looked "Goofy" indeed, seeing as how I was waddling around 38 and a half weeks pregnant, but we had a wonderful time.

July 29th, 2011 - 38 and a half weeks

Well, I woke up 3 days later on Monday, August 1st and I couldn't believe it.  I was still pregnant!  Never from the time I found out I was pregnant did I EVER think I would still be pregnant when August came around, but here it was and my little bugger was still inside.  On Tuesday I was 39 weeks and still no Bryson.  I woke up Wednesday to go to my doctors appointment and I just knew that there had to be progression.  I knew that they were going to tell me I was ready to have this baby.  I went in to the appointment very positive and Sam the wonderful midwife that works with my doctor came in to check me.  I was anxiously watching her face as she did the exam and I knew instantly from the look on her face that I wasn't going to like was she was going to say.  Before she could say anything I already had tears in my eyes, "Still no change".  I couldn't believe it.  She could tell how disappointed I was and then Dr. Branch came in and asked where I was at.  Sam told him still no change and he looked at me and said in a playful voice, "This is what you wanted.  You didn't want another early baby.  We did good."  I quickly replied, "You're right I didn't want another 34 week baby, but I didn't want a 40 week baby either!"  I tried to be positive as they talked about the options if I made it to my appointment the following week.  I didn't even want to think about one more week being pregnant.  I'm sorry, but I don't like being pregnant.  The end result is TOTALLY worth it, but I don't enjoy the process, hate me if you want.  We left the appointment and I drove Mike to work.  As soon as he was out of the car I broke down.  I couldn't help the feelings off, "If I had just opted for another C-Section I would have my baby right now because my doctors office schedules them at 39 weeks."  It seriously felt like it was never going to end.  I knew it would, but I just couldn't see an end in sight.  I allowed myself a couple of hours of self pity, but then I knew it was time to just get over it and keep on waiting.

I woke up Thursday and went about my day.  I tried to stay as busy as my large pregnant self would allow, but I mostly lazed around with Alena and waited for something to happen.  Mike came home from work, we had dinner, watched some Netflix and then headed to bed.  Another day come and gone, with no baby.  I fell asleep thinking "How many more do I have to do?" Not realizing the excitement that was going to start only 2 short hours later :)

He's Here :)

Welcome Bryson Michael McAllister

Born August 5th, 2011 @ 2:25PM

7 pounds 1 oz, 21 inches long

Happy, Healthy and Handsome  :)

Birth details and updates to come

Pregnancy Update: 32 Weeks

So I know I haven’t done one in forever, but life has been a little hectic the last couple months.  Here it goes:

The Bump:

Maternity Clothes:
Well I have to be in maternity shirts all the time cuz my normal shirts don’t fit at all anymore, even some of my t-shirts are too tight around the middle, I’ve only got a few of the super big ones that I can wear to lounge around the house.  Haven’t had to switch to maternity pants though, I can still wear my normal ones.  There is one pair that I have to use the rubber band trick on, but that is just for comfort, not totally necessary.

Best Moment This Week:
Well this is really the best moments the last couple months, but who’s keeping track. 

Moving into our apartment has been super fun, and it is great to feel like we are settling into our own space.  It is still a little rough to figure out where to store stuff since there isn’t a ton of extra space, but we are making it work.  I think the hardest part is the kitchen.  I need like twice the amount of cabinets that I have to fit all of my stuff.  We are making it work though and Holly is nice enough to let us store some of the stuff we don’t need all the time over at her place still.

We were able to make the little trip down to Oak City, Utah for my family’s traditional Memorial Day Breakfast weekend.  It was so much fun and so great to see family.  There are quite a few of the cousins expecting babies between now and the end of the year and it was fun to see how much the family will be growing.  This picture shows most of us, but we are missing 3 just that I know of.  Lots and lots of new babies!!

Mike’s sister Haley and her husband Brett have been living down south in Mapleton, Utah for the last year were Haley has been teaching 8th grade English and coaching track and Brett has been doing school at BYU.  They are expecting a baby the 1st of July and with the school year being over they made the move up to Salt Lake so they could be closer to family.  We are so excited to have them closer and can’t wait for their little girl to get here!!

They opened the pools in our complex here and it has been heavenly to be able to take advantage of them!  They are really nice and kept really clean and Alena absolutely LOVES the water!!  I will post pics and video of her swimming.  She is seriously like a little fish and I love it.  Being in the pool does wonders for my back pain and it is just nice to have a little weightless time every once and a while.

Lastly, Mike and I were able to have a just us date night this last weekend.  We don’t have them nearly as often as we should, and it was so nice to have some time just one on one with him.  We went down to Temple Square and had dinner at the Lion House Pantry.  We had intended to go to The Garden but it was closed.  We were kinda bummed because Mike wanted to have some of their fried Pickles, but the Lion House was just as yummy.  Then we went and did a little shopping at Deseret Book.  I could seriously spend hours there; there is so much to look at and read and enjoy.  Love it!  Then we walked over to the Brigham Young park that is just across the street where they were having a free outdoor concert.  They had a fun bluegrass gospel quartet that sang and Mike and I really enjoyed it.  We found out that the church lines up 2 concerts a week there during the summer and we plan to go again.  Love my honey and getting to spend time with him.

Movement:

This little bugger definitely likes to move.  He flops around all day and they are sometimes strong enough to knock me off balance if I’m not too careful.  He is still in a transverse (sideways) position so I get a lot of kicks and jabs in my sides but he gets my ribs a lot too.  Sometimes I’m surprised I’m not bruised from how hard he hits me.  

Funny story – a couple weeks ago I was sitting with Alena on the couch.  She was sitting sideways on my lap watching TV and she was leaned up against my tummy.  Bryson kicked against her really hard and Alena looked up at me and says, “ Stop it Mommy!  Don’t push Alena!”  She was so offended.  I told her it wasn’t me, that Baby Bryson did it, but she wouldn’t believe me.  She moved off my lap and was very put out.

Food Cravings:

I don’t really have any strong cravings these days.  I still have some issues with nausea (BLAH) so I usually just nibble throughout the day.  It works, but I’m looking forward to my appetite (among other things) getting back to normal once this guy comes.

What I Miss:

Comfortable sleeping.  It is impossible to get comfortable these days.  I feel like something is always hurting, whether it is my back or my hips or my legs.  I’m just uncomfortable, but that is to be expected.  I also miss being able to have my back popped.  It is something I really enjoy but not being able to lay on my tummy makes it not happen.  Only a few more weeks I keep telling myself.

Sleep:

I guess this should be “Lack of” sleep, but that’s ok.  Between me being uncomfortable, getting up constantly to go to the bathroom, and Alena’s new found joy of being up 5 times a night (I thought I had a few more weeks before I was getting up again in the night with a kid), good stretches of sleep are hard to come by.  It’s nice that I am able to take it easy at home during the day though.  If not I would be a total mess!

What I Am Looking Forward To:

Stopping my weekly progesterone injections.  It seriously gets tedious getting poked in the rear every week!  They actually added one more shot onto my original 16, so 14 down and only 3 to go!!  I’m also excited for this because it means this little guy can come safely anytime after that.  I am now only 2 weeks away from when I had Alena and my doctor said that if I got one week farther than that he was happy.  It’s coming up quick, but I’m trying to not get my hopes up that he comes early.  Still have to try and keep the idea of 8 more weeks in my brain!

Symptoms:

Still a little nauseous every few days, super tired, super uncomfortable, Braxton Hicks contractions every once and a while, but all in all I’m doing ok.  Just pregnant!

The Bathrooms

So I wanted to show y'all what I picked out for the bathrooms in our new place.

  

This is what I picked out for the kids/guest bathroom

 I thought it was fun and worked for it being the kids, but at the same time it isn't all cartoons and play.  I was even able to get the entire set for a total discount and saved $30 on it!!  WooHoo!  I still have to decide what color I want to do for the bathrug and additional towels.  I could buy more of the matching towels, but I don't know that I want white towels to use for the kids and stuff.  I do have plenty of colors to choose from, so I'm sure I will end up with something that I like.  I'll let you know what I decide  :)

This is what I picked for Mike and my bathroom.

I know you are probably thinking that it is a little girly, but such is the life of a husband when the wife is doing the decorating.  I liked it because I felt like it gives some fun design to the bathroom.  Mike and I decided together that we want to do shades of gray for our towels and bathrug and get some really classy bathroom accessories, and I felt like this fit that well without being boring.

Two days till we get our keys!!!  I can't wait.  I'm trying to decide what I should move over first since Thursday will be spent with me just taking over small loads of stuff.  The big stuff will move on Friday and that will be our first night there.  Yay for moving  :)  I'll post pictures and stuff once we are in and give you all a "tour" of the new digs.

Pregnancy Update: 20 Weeks (a little late)

The Bump:

This is actually taken at 20.5 weeks, but I figure it's close enough.

Maternity Clothes:

So I am carrying Bryson so different from how I carried Alena. She was always so high, where Bryson sits down pretty low. I have worn a maternity shirt a few times when we’ve gotten dressed up and gone out just cuz it is more comfortable and I don’t want to be in just a junky T-Shirt, but they still aren’t totally necessary.

Best Moment This Week:

Well, this is more the best moments in the last 2 weeks, but Mike and I found an apartment to move into. Staying in Holly’s basement has been a huge blessing to us, but with #2 on the way, it’ll be really nice to have the space and get a good solid schedule reinstated. We love the location and the layout and the price is perfect! We were supposed to sign and get our keys on April 20th, but got a call yesterday that it will be ready for us next week!! I’ve got a busy 6 days ahead of me, but I can’t wait to start getting settled.

Movement:

I can tell Bryson is getting bigger because his kicks are definitely getting stronger. He flips and flops all over the place and Mike is starting to feel more and more of them. It is so reassuring every time I feel him move.

Food Craving:

I’m finally getting back to a somewhat normal appetite (Hallelujah) but I am absolutely loving bagels with cream cheese and peanut butter. Seriously, it is fantastic!! I’ve been craving dairy too, but when I eat too much of it I start getting nauseous again so I have to be careful to not get carried away. One yogurt or piece of cheese or bowl of cereal: Not all of those at once, ha ha!

What I Miss:

Energy! I swear there are times when it feels like I am never going to have the energy to go through an entire day without taking a break. There is so much I want to do, and I hate stopping to rest because while I do Alena undoes what ever I have just finished doing. Depressing, but such is life. I just have to roll with it I guess.

Sleep:

Still falling asleep most of the time on my right side, but my left side is starting to almost be more comfortable, if I can consider anything comfortable these days. I’m not finding myself on my back anymore which is a good thing, but I’m tossing and turning, and waking up a lot.

What I Am Looking Forward To:

Per 2 posts above, I am looking forward to 2 things right now:

1 – A full nights sleep. I know that won’t come till a while after little Bryson gets here, but still, I can’t wait!

2 – Moving into our apartment. I’m excited to be able to do some new decorating (really only done with new stuff for the bathrooms and new bedding for us and both the kids, it is an apartment after all) and just have a little more space. I have found my favorite option for each of the kids.

This is what I am really liking for Bryson right now:

I think the colors are super cute and I know it is hard to see, but I love that they incorporate both the polka dots and the stripes. I really think I'm in love and the set comes with the bumper, the crib sheet, the dust ruffle, and the comforter shown hanging on the wall.

This is what I'm liking for Alena. We saw it at Ikea a week ago and I fell in love!!

The comforter is patchwork style with all sorts of prints in corresponding colors but it all mostly follows the theme from the pillow. I really really love them!! The kids will be sharing a room in the apartment so I feel like the 2 sets complement each other while still staying feminine for Alena and little boy for Bryson. What do you think??

Symptoms:

Not really having any symptoms at this point with the nausea mostly gone other than feeling uncomfortable all the time, I just tell myself everyday that it is worth it! I can’t wait to meet this little man!!!

~*~Per my side note 2 weeks ago, I have been doing (or rather Mike has been doing) my weekly progesterone injections. Seriously, butt shots stinks!! I’m sore for 3 to 4 days afterwards but other than that they haven’t been too bad. Three down and only 13 more to go and then Bryson can make his debut at anytime. Am I getting anxious to be done too soon??~*~

And just to throw it in because I think it is super cute, a little shot of my sweet little girl! I love the smile and the pizza remnants on her face. She is seriously the sweetest thing in the world.

Pregnancy Update: 18 Weeks

The Bump:
Not flattering at all, but it is what it is.  I'm still learning the best way to take them.  I didn't take a single one with my pregnancy with Alena, but I told myself I just have to do them, flattering or not.

Maternity Clothes:

Not quite into Maternity clothes yet, but I think if I was actually getting ready everyday I would probably be in a few things.  Funny thing is that with the weight I lost being sick at the beginning even my normal “skinny” pants are big on me.  Crazy that I only lose weight when I’m pregnant, but such is life.

Best Moment This Week:

Finding out that we are having a BABY BOY!!!!!

Meet Bryson Michael McAllister

Also, finally getting back on top of our house after being M.I.A. for 2 and a half months being so sick.  Now it is just a matter of keeping on top of Alena’s daily messes.

Movement:

I have been feeling little stirrings and flutterings for nearly 4 weeks, but they are getting stronger and so fun to feel.  Bryson is very active in the morning and at night when I lay down to go to bed.  Also, he likes to sit right up front in my tummy most of the time.  It’s really funny!

Food Craving:

I’m still dealing with quite a bit of nausea these days, so every day is a matter of what sounds good at that minute.  One of the few things that settles my tummy on a regular basis is a little cup of Sunny D.  Totally awful I know, but if it keeps me from throwing up I’m all for it!!!

What I Miss:

A full nights sleep.  I don’t think I have had one since finding out I was pregnant, and I know I won’t get another till a while after this sweet baby comes.  Kinda depressing, I like my sleep.

Sleep:

See above, but as to “How” I’ve been sleeping, the only way I can fall asleep these days is laying on my right side with a pillow between my legs.  When I wake up in the night I have usually rolled over to my back, but I have to go right back to my side to fall back asleep.  Getting in as much back sleeping as I can before my tummy gets too big to allow it any more.

What I Am Looking Forward To:

Mike and my 4th Wedding Anniversary is tomorrow.  My how the time has flown.  We will be spending the entire day Friday just the 2 of us (he doesn’t work on Fridays and I love that!!).  We will catch a movie or 2, do some shopping, eat some yummy food (we’ll see what I can stomach), and just enjoying being together.  I can’t wait!

Symptoms:

As I said before, I’m still pretty nauseous most of the time; I’m really hoping it’ll go away at some point.  I was done with nausea at 13 weeks with Alena so this just feels like forever!  I’m also starting to have pain in my lower back as my tummy is starting to pop.  Sad thing is I know this is just the beginning  

~*~ Also, just as a side note, I start weekly injections today that I will do until week 34 of the pregnancy.  They are progesterone injections that are supposed to help me not deliver early this time around.  The needle is huge, and I’m really not a fan of shots, but if it helps keep this little bugger in as long as he is supposed to be, I’m all for it. ~*~

T-minus 2 days

 

So this is the little sign that Mike made to take into work for a poll of his fellow employees on what people think we are going to have.  My appointment is Wednesday morning at 8 am and I am super super anxious to know if we will have a little boy or girl joining our family.  

I also stole an idea from a family members blog that will be a great way to track this pregnancy from here on out.  You will get the first installment of that after the ultrasound on Wednesday as well as the announcement of Blue or Pink.  

Log your votes here if you would like.  I'd like to know what my family friends think we'll be having  :) 

Busy, Busy, BUSY!!

Well, I don't even know where to begin.  This last month has been pretty much crazy for our family.  It started with us finding out on February 3rd that Mike GOT A JOB!!!  He had gone through 3 weeks of interviews and he was the one that got the job.  We are so so happy and he is absolutely loving it!

This added a bit of stress to our lives though because we were all leaving the next morning to drive down to Mesa, AZ for a visit with my family.  Mike was starting work the next Monday morning here in Salt Lake.  What were we going to do?  Well, I wasn't going to miss the trip so my wonderful husband drove Alena and I down to Arizona and then flew back up on Sunday night to start work.

Now our trip wasn't just for pleasure and relaxation, it was actually for something very, very exciting.  My little brother Preston came home from his mission!!  Tuesday the 8th we all headed down to the airport to meet his plane.

Now can you just picture the herd of people standing there at the security gate waiting for one person??  People were amazed and many stopped to ask what/who we were waiting for.  40 people is quite a site at the airport.

 

Please notice the fabulous sign, all the letters drawn by yours truly  :)  Other family members helped with the painting and stuff.

 

Mom was crying 15 minutes before he came out and was up on her tippy toes watching for him the whole time.

 

Isn't he the sweetest thing?!?!  We are all total tear bags, don't hold it against us.

 

Seeing the first hugs with Mom and Dad was really the greatest thing (aside from being able to hug him myself).  It is such a great feeling to witness the honorable return of such a wonderful boy turned to man from a mission serving the Lord.

 

The next item of business was the mass hug from the nieces and nephews.  It was so fun to see them all so excited to see their Uncle Preston.

 

Alena though would have nothing to do with any of it.  She was confused by the whole ordeal and pretty upset that Daddy wasn't there.  She is still a sweetheart in my book though!

We then headed for some visiting and fun that lasted that night and the next day and night. We were all pretty excited.   Sad thing is Alena started running a fever on Wednesday that lasted till Saturday and then the runny nose and grumpiness lasted the whole next week  :(  Poor girl.

While Alena and I were busy with family and sickness in Arizona, Mike more than had his hands full up here in Utah.  He was going through very intense training for his new job, finishing his last 2 nights of class for his MBA program and then to add to all of that, he also got sick  :(  I felt really bad that I couldn't be up here to take care of him.  He is a total trooper and passed everything with flying colors!!  He is all done with his MBA!!!  I am so so proud of him and all his hard work.  He is constantly amazing me.

Well after way too much time apart, Mike flew back down to Mesa of Friday the 18th.  Alena was so happy to see her daddy again and I have to admit I was pretty ecstatic to have him back with us as well.  He was back just in time to be a part of the Wilcken family reunion that we had with my dad's side of the family.  Lots of fun visiting with cousins, lots of food and fun memories were made.

We added into this taking family pictures since all of the 11 kids were all together again for the 1st time in 2 years.  Not to mention, we had 5 new family members since the last picture was taken.  It was quite the adventure since we ended up taking them in the rain.  It's all about the memories right  :)

Well, after 18 days in Mesa, on Monday morning we started the drive back to Salt Lake so Mike could be back to work on Tuesday.  So here we are, trying to settle back into a new routine and put our life back together.  Crazy thing is I'm not just recouping from a 2 week vacation. . . I was MIA for the previous 2 months sick in bed with the pregnancy.  I am feeling pretty good now, not back to 100% but getting closer to it every day.  I've got a doctors appointment tomorrow and might be able to find out what we are having this time, but we will have to wait and see.

I should be working on the house rather than this post so I should wrap it up.  More updates on life to come (I'm not working anymore, so I'll have the time to do it!)

LUVZ!!

McAllister Baby #2 due August 9th, 2011

More updates to come. . .

YAY!!!

Um yeah. . . I love this!!!  What do you think?

Trivia Answer

Well, those of you who answered the Trivia Question were right (yes even you Erica).  This is 712 miles away. . .

That is the house we will be living in in Salt Lake City, Utah (technically we will be living in the basement).  We are moving up the week of June 21st.  We have a TON of mixed emotions over this.   

Excited for the new adventures ahead and the new start we are getting.
Excited to be nearer to some of Mike's family.  
Excited to be closer to my sister Heidi and her sweet new baby Lydia (I guess we are excited to see Robert too  :)    
Excited for the Restaurants that we can only eat at in Utah.  
Excited to make new Friends and be closer to old ones.  

We are sad to be leaving our house  :(  
Sad to be away from so much of my family  :(  
Sad to leave our wonderful ward  :(

We know that this is the right thing for us to be doing so we are pushing ahead and getting ready.  It's crazy how much stuff there is to do when moving.  Cross your fingers that I am able to get it all done with out losing my mind  :)  

I'll have plenty more updates for you, and pictures of everything in the future.  That's it for now.  LUVZ! 

?? Trivia Question ??

What is approximately 712 miles away from us??

Having a Hard Time

**THIS IS A VERY LONG POST.  I apologize for this, but I needed to get this out.  If you take the time to read it, I appreciate it.**

So I have been dealing with some issues for the last little while, and I thought it might help to "journal" it if you will.  This may seem jumbled, and I'm sorry, but it is mostly to try and get my thoughts out in hopes that it will make things a little clearer for me.  Here goes nothing. . .

First off, let me start by saying I am not currently pregnant, but a lot of the trouble I am having has a lot to do with this.  Parts of this date back a while so I will need to give some background.

As many of you know, I had to have a c-section when Alena was born due to the fact that she was in a breach position.  In my appointment 6 weeks following the delivery, it was discovered that I have a "short cervix".  A woman's cervix is normally around 1 inch thick, where as mine is just over 1/2 an inch thick.  They feel that this most likely was a partial cause of Alena being born 6 weeks early.  They also told me that this would most likely cause me to have all of my children premature.  They then said that with my history with Alena's pregnancy (more information on this later), the addition of my "short cervix", thin uterine wall, and the fact that I had to have a c-section, they told me that for my own health protection the deliveries of my children needed to be at least 2 years apart.  At that point that wasn't really a big deal because that was pretty much what Mike and I were thinking in the first place, but to be sure that we didn't risk any problems or complications we made the decision for me to go on birth control.  I started on YAZ and didn't have any trouble with it.  I actually felt really good while on the birth control.

After a few months I started really wanting to have another baby, but I knew that I needed to stay on the birth control at least through January of 2010.  I had calculated that even if the next baby came just as early as Alena did, if I went off the pill the beginning of February and got pregnant right away then the baby would still come 1 month after Alena's 2nd birthday.  This was perfect for me and I was anxiously counting down to the time when I could go off the pill and we could have another baby.  Life however had a different plan for us.  We found out the middle of November that the company Mike was working for was getting rid of the health insurance benefit.  Given my pregnancy history we knew we couldn't have a baby without insurance.  We began looking for plans but there was nothing that we could afford and they all had horrible wait periods on pregnancy coverage.  I would have had to wait a year with the coverage before I could become pregnant and that was much too long for me to wait.  I know there are more babies ready to come to our family, and I need to have them as soon as is possible.

With the ending of our health insurance it was even more important that I not become pregnant, I had to stay on my birth control.  It was hard for me to go past the date I had been planning on stopping my pills, but it was the best thing to happen.  During this time the refills on my prescription ran out.  With being uninsured I could not go in to the doctor to have a new prescription written.  They were having to approve individual refills on my pills.  This wasn't a problem until the middle of March.  I called in my prescription to have it filled, but it wasn't approved by the day I needed to start taking it.  I would have been ok for me to start the day after and take 2 pills that day, but it still wasn't filled.  The last option was to start that Sunday (3 more days) but they still didn't fill the prescription.  I called my doctor to ask them what they thought I should do.  They said that because of some of my past history, that the best thing for me would be to wait until my next cycle to start another pack of pills.  At first I didn't think this would be a problem, but of course an issue had to come up  :(

After about a week off my pills I started having some issues with depression.  I have had trouble with this other times in the past, so I wasn't terribly surprised that it came up.  I had a really hard time with it though and I knew that I didn't want to go through the adjustment of coming off the pills again in a few more months.  Mike and I have decided that I will not start my pills again, and we will try other ways for having me not get pregnant (REALLY SORRY IF THIS IS TMI FOR ANYONE).

With going off the pills, me being pregnant has become more of a possibility.  This is very exciting for me but it has started to become a very scary thing for me as well.  This is the majority of what I am having a hard time with now.

As I said before, I would talk about the difficulty I had with my pregnancy with Alena.  I had been skipping periods before I found out I was pregnant with Alena.  I started taking pregnancy test in October and they always came up negative.  I took a test every week and they were always negative, but I never started my period.  Mike was finishing up college during this and was graduating that December.  We knew he would then be going full time at his job and we would then have health insurance.  I didn't want to go in before we had insurance and end up with a "Pre Existing Condition" issue so since I wasn't having pain or any bad symptoms I decided I would wait till we had insurance to go and see the doctor.  I continued taking tests and they kept being negative.

Our insurance went into effect February 1st of 2008.  I had an appointment scheduled with my OB/GYN for Monday, February 11th.  I took another test on Sat. the 9th and it was still negative.  I went to the doctor expecting the worst.  Since I hadn't had a period they had me take a pregnancy test.  I completely expected it to be negative, they were always negative, but surprise surprise I was pregnant!  I couldn't believe it!  Since we had nothing to go off of to determine how far along I was, they scheduled and ultrasound for the next day to do measurements of the baby and determine a due date.  Mike and I went in the next day and the ultrasound determined that I was about 6 weeks along.  We were so so happy about having a baby.  Things started getting bad really fast though.

I started feeling really sick all the time almost instantly, but I figured it was normal.  I threw up for the first time on Sunday, but figured that was normal too.  I was surprised when I threw up again, and then again all on Sunday.  I woke up Monday and threw up immediately.  I tried to go on with my day but it was really hard.  Each day got worse and worse.  I was throwing up more and more frequently.  The doctors started me on medication but it didn't work, so they gave me a different one and then a different one and a different one, all the while it kept getting worse.  At the worst point I was throwing up 12-15 times in an hour.  You may be thinking "that's impossible" but let me assure you it's not.  I was not keeping anything down and as soon as my stomach even produced a little bile, I was throwing it up.  I went to the ER numerous times and was given hydration through an IV because I was so dehydrated.  I was hospitalized for a number of days and re-hydrated and sent home on yet another medication regimen.  3 days later I was back at the doctors office needing another IV.  Throughout all of this I was losing weight and losing it fast.

When I ended up back at the doctor they decided they wanted to insert a PICC Line so that I could have constant fluids while at home.  It was inserted and I went home for Mike to help me stay on fluids 24 hours a day.  We really hoped that this would be the end, but of course it wasn't, after all, your body can't only survive on water and I had now not kept down any food in nearly FIVE WEEKS!!  I know this may sound hard to believe, but I was not doing well.  My skin was turning gray because I was so malnourished.  In 5 weeks I lost 40 pounds.  This shouldn't happen when you are pregnant.  I was on home care, I had a nurse that came every few days to check my line and make sure it looked ok.  I had to weigh myself everyday, keep track of anything I was able to get in me food or water wise (nothing) and also everything that came back up (everything).  I also had to pee on ketone detector strips everyday and give them my ketone levels.  As it says in that link, ketones are not good.  They are a sign that your body is breaking down parts of you that aren't supposed to be broken down.  My levels were always very high.

I then began to vomit blood and Mike was not going to put up with this anymore.  He called another doctors office and we had my care transferred to PPA.  PPA had me admitted straight into the hospital and went to work.  They inserted an NG Tube so that I was being fed 24 hours a day.  They had to insert the tube so that it went passed my stomach and into my intestines because my stomach had experienced so much trauma from all the vomiting.  They kept me on the PICC Line for hydration and medication.

2 days after they inserted my NG Tube the doctor came in to visit with Mike and I and tell us the severity of my situation.  He had papers printed out showing all of my metabolic levels when I had come in, where there were now and where they should be.  The sheet from when I came in indicate that every level was either critically high or low.  He then said, "Now I don't want this to scare you, but had you waited another week to come to us you would have died.  You were starving to death.  Your body was shutting down.  Your kidneys had stopped functioning.  Your gall bladder is full of sludge and we will need to monitor it to be sure that we don't need to remove it.  We are doing all we can to get your body restarted and functioning the way it is supposed to."  I'm sure you could imagine, that this was a very shocking thing to hear.  No one expects to be told they were a week away from death.

I slowly improved and was sent home from the hospital after 11 days.  I remained on the feeding tube and I was also given a Zofran Medication pump that pumped medication into my leg through a sub-cu.  The doctor said that my sickness was caused by a condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum which you can read about HERE and HERE.

Now after all of this, I still felt fine about having another baby.  I knew I had a new set of doctors that would treat me and take care of me.  I have had no trouble with any of this until the last couple weeks.  Now that I am realizing that I could end up getting pregnant I have started getting really scared of having to go through all of this again.  How am I going to go through this when I have a daughter to take care of?  What am I going to do financially?  I had to stop working last time and that would be devastating to us this time around.  We have just taken on the EXTREMELY INTIMIDATING task of starting our own business.  Mike is working very hard to get our photography business Eli Mac Photography up and running.  This however make it so that the bulk of the income responsibility lands with me.  This terrifies me!

What happens if this time it is worse?  They told me that in many cases it is harder with the next pregnancies.  I have a very hard time picturing this.  What do I do if they can't keep a handle on it?  What if I loose the next baby?  What if they can't take care of me and something horrible happens?  Am I willing to risk missing out on Alena growing up to have another baby?  I have a constant ache to have another baby, it is with me all the time, but I am TERRIFIED!  

I'm sorry to have blabbed on and on and on, but I needed this.  If anyone actually read this, props to you!!  I will keep you updated on the goings on in this area.  Say a prayer for me that it will all work out how it is supposed to.


Thanks!

Remembrance

My Aunt Mary passed away last night after a long battle with cancer.  She is an inspiration in so many ways and I want to pay tribute to a wonderful woman. 

All my life, I remember her being there for every important event in the family.  There was nothing more important to her than family, and she made that constantly apparent.  She was in car and there whenever she was needed.  

When she was diagnosed with cancer, she went into over drive.  She wasn't going to miss out on anything.  She was going to spend as much time as she could with her children and grand children.  She was away from home for months at a time only pausing for cancer treatments when needed. 

My Great Grandma Angie Finlinson always made clear that family was the most important.  I feel that Aunt Mary took this to heart and truly lived out Grandma Angie's thinking.

Love you Aunt Mary.  You will be missed by many.  Loving the thought of the reunions you are having on the other side.  Give the family a hug for us.

Ideas Needed

Hey Everybody.

So some of you know but some of you don't, for those that don't, Mike got a new job. He has been working at his new job with Fortune 5 for the last 2 weeks. I'll post more info on that in another post.

The reason I am posting now is because I need some ideas. Mike is gone ALL DAY with his new job so I need some stuff to help fill my time. I am starting to collect craft ideas and I'm reaching out for help. Any one have any ideas or fun blogs that you like to follow? Please let me know, cuz I'm really wanting to find some fun stuff to do for around my house or just anything :)

Leave a comment and let me know what ideas you have.

Thanks!!

3 Years Already

In the last 3 years we have:

had 1 baby

bought 1 house

earned 1 bachelors degree

started 1 masters degree

paid off 1 car

had 5 jobs

been in 4 wards

had 4 church callings

watched a million movies

went to Disneyland 1 time

laughed a billion times

these last 3 years have had hard times and perfect times.. but over all its been the BEST time ever!!

I love you Mike!!!  Can't wait for the rest of the years and adventures ahead!