Birthing a 10 pound boy

Our sweet boy is turning three months next week! I thought I'd take the time to write down all the details I can remember about his birth. It was the most intense experience of my life and it went nothing like how I envisioned it! 

September 26th 2017: We checked into labor and delivery around 2:00 am when my contractions were five minutes apart.  After they checked us in they said would check my progress in one hour. Preston and I walked/waddled the halls non stop for that hour and I did as many squats and lunges as I could being what felt like 854 weeks pregnant (in reality I was 38 weeks pregnant). At 4:00 am they hooked me back up to the monitors and just before 5:00 am I was at 5 cm and admitted. At 7:00 am we met our nurse for the day, her name was Janice and she becomes important later. At 8:30 we met the on call doctor. My doctor got stuck somewhere else thanks to hurricane Irma. The on call doctor broke my water, which was SO uncomfortable. I wanted to crawl out of my skin. As soon as my water broke my contractions became very painful and two minutes apart. We ordered an epidural at 7:00 am and the anesthesiologist didn't make it to me until almost 11:00. After I got my epidural I fell asleep and woke up around 12:30 for another check to find out that I was 10 cm and baby was coming! Our nurse started setting everything up and getting me ready. At this point I got really, really nervous. Pushing with Harper was rough to say the least and took forever, I was so scared it was going to be awful again. As we were waiting for the doctor I started to feel an insane amount of pressure, the nurses started saying not to push and to relax and breathe but I couldn't focus on anything else. At this point I got really nauseous and ended up throwing up. After being sick the pressure grew and grew and I remember laying there with my eyes closed trying to focus on anything else while we waited for the doctor to come. I remember hearing nurse Janice asking around if any doctor was nearby or on the floor and telling me repeatedly not to push and to just breathe. It was the most intense moments waiting for the doctor and then all of a sudden Janice was tearing the monitors off my belly and asking for blankets. She laid blankets on my stomach and said I could give her one small push. I didn't even get my chin to my chest to push and Cohen was pulled out and on my belly. I honestly laid there in shock for a few seconds. I had NO idea what the heck just happened. My baby was born without a single push. Not one. I didn't even know that was possible! I remember Preston telling me to open my eyes and see how big he was. At that point the on call doctor rushed in, a little bit too late. Everyone started guessing how big he was and after some skin on skin they took him away to check him and weigh him. The nurse announced his weight in grams and all the other nurses and doctor started laughing and then they told us that meant he was 10 pounds 4 ounces. We just love this our big boy. He is seriously the sweetest guy and we're so happy he's here. 

25 Weeks Pregnant with Baby Boy!

This pregnancy is still flying by! It's so strange to think I'm headed into my seventh month soon. I'm so excited and also starting to get anxious. Having two kids seems so intimidating to me! I also feel very unprepared for him so far. When I was pregnant with Harper I basically started buying baby stuff right away and then I sat around the last few months annoyed that I had nothing left to do or prepare. This time around it honestly hasn't even really registered in my mind. I know its just because I have my hands full with Harper so it's really not priority number one to go buy a bunch of tiny socks when I still have three months to go. 

In other news, we've officially lived in VA for six months. I don't think we really knew what to expect doing a cross country move as a family and uprooting our lives. But, even through all the crazy we truly love it here. It's definitely been an adjustment and probably still will be for a while but we're so glad to be here. 

This pregnancy continues to be completely different from Harper's. I'm reaching the stage where I'm very much sore and uncomfortable but I am counting my blessings that it's really my only complaint. This pregnancy almost has me convinced I could have a bunch of babies ;) The only real symptom I've noticed the last few weeks is that I have pretty much zero stamina. Its really shameful, my energy levels and ability to do simple things is just not where it used to be. I flew to Wisconsin for a four day trip. I went by myself for my best friends wedding and to see my family and while it was so fun, I was completely exhausted. I slept pretty much on and off for the first two days after I got home. On the way back to my parents house from the wedding, I was driving and made it about halfway and legit pulled over and had to call my parents to come get me hahahah I was SO embarrassed but I seriously thought I could have fallen asleep at the wheel. I have never reached that level of tiredness to where I thought I would fall asleep driving. Luckily my parents are great and were more than willing to come save me. 

We've got about 3 months left to go now, I'm very much looking forward to meeting this little guy and also to not being pregnant ;) I truly love having a newborn. The early days with them are just so special and sweet and I can't wait to experience that again and to get to meet him. I love that we are having a boy and I get to experience the differences from having a girl. I also can't wait to see Harper as big sister. She keeps telling us to, "get the baby out!"

Here's my 25 week bumpdate info:

How far along? 25 weeks 

Baby's size? head of lettuce 

Weight gain? 18 pounds 

How is sleeping? Can't complain, I'm usually asleep by 10 every night

Food cravings? Cheese quesadillas and Kraft mac n cheese (probably why I've gained 18 pounds haha)

Also Costa Vida, which is a restaurant in Utah and I get SO sad that I can't have it 

Baby purchases? I've stockpiled all his diapers and bought some clothes 

Gender? Boy!

Name? I believe we have a name but we're not sharing it until he's born. We got way too many opinions with Harper and I just don't care to deal with that again haha 

Stretch Marks? Not yet

Happy or Moody? For the most part Happy, I cry WAY easier than I normally would though so that's super annoying. 

Worst moment of the week? Just getting annoyed that I can't keep up and do all the things I want to do/ normally could do 

Best moment of the week? Hearing that my ultrasounds I had all came back normal! I got a little anxious when my Dr. had me come in for more photos of the baby's heart but everything came back great.

Looking forward to? Taking my Glucose test in the next week or so. I like getting that over with and hopefully I pass and things are fine there as well! Also I'm about to start seeing my doctor every 2 weeks which is crazy! 

Bumpdate: Trimester #1 with baby #2

I legit cannot believe my first trimester is done. I also can't believe I'm actually pregnant again and we are having another baby and that I'm a third of the way done growing this little baby. Time is flying by this time around! I will start off by saying this pregnancy is SO different from Harper's. I hate to sound ridiculously dramatic but I will anyway, my first trimester with Harper's pregnancy was honestly one of the hardest things I've ever gone through. I was young and naive and not prepared for what was about to go down during that time. I got diagnosed at 7 weeks with her with what is called hyperemesis gravidarum which is basically severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. It was terrible and not something I would wish on anyone. Deciding to start trying again this time around I knew it was very possible I would go through that again and honestly I was really terrified but I knew if we wanted more kids, we would just have to figure out a way to get through it again. Thank goodness this pregnancy has been nothing like Harper's. I did experience nausea starting at about 5 weeks but so far it has been nothing like before. The most amazing part has been that I haven't thrown up once this pregnancy which is a huge blessing to me. Now that I'm 14 weeks I very rarely feel queasiness, if I do it's usually at night when Harper is already down for the night. I am so, so grateful to not experience what we did before. This pregnancy has honestly been super mild. I really haven't had a lot of symptoms and maybe that's another reason these weeks are flying by. Preston and I keep joking that Harper is our wild child and this baby will just be our chill little laid back kid who just goes with the flow. I guess time will tell! 

Here is some bumpdate info:

How far along? 14 weeks 

Baby's size? Peach

Weight gain? 2 pounds 

How is sleeping? Great! I sleep about 10-12 hours at night hahah I am SO tired at the end of the day 

Food cravings: None...yet

Baby purchases? Nothing :O

Wearing maternity clothes? Yes, give me all the stretchy pants! I don't want any tight waistbands anywhere near me. 

Baby movement? Not yet 

Gender? We find out in 2 weeks 

Gender prediction? I've thought a boy since this pregnancy has been SO different, but we'll see!

Stretch marks? Not yet 

Happy or moody? Happy 

Worst moment of the week? Nothing too crazy, my allergies got bad this week so I had a couple rough days waiting for the medicine to kick in but that's about it! 

Best moment of the week? Hearing the baby's heartbeat at my check up