Can I just say I LOVE NOT BEING PREGNANT!! I wanted to give a little update of the family and then write down my thoughts on this pregnancy and birthing process.
Family updates- we are all doing really well. Rob headed back to work today...had it not been for my friend and neighbor who took Jack for the morning I don't know how I would have handled it all today. Parker had a Doctor's appointment early this morning and Jack just wasn't in a cooperative mood. Rob being back at work means I don't know quite how to juggle two kids. I am hoping that I'll adapt soon- baptism by fire right? I am recovering from my emergency c-section nicely. I am trying to get enough rest and not overdo it. Jack has been a rock-star of a big brother. He is so kind and soft with Parker. The two boys are sharing a room and I really was nervous about the baby waking up Jack in the middle of the night and then I would have two kids to put back to sleep, but Jack seems to sleep right through Parker's whimpers and grunts. Parker on the other hand is a sweet, easy going little man. He sleeps a ton and he eats like a champ. I wasn't able to nurse Jack for any amount of time- I pumped for quite a while, so to have one who is a good nurser makes all the pain worth it. Today at the Doctor's Parker has now surpassed his birth weight and he is on the charts despite being 4 weeks early. I laugh at the percentages he has...I know he'll catch-up soon, but I just seem to have little babies.
PREGNANCY AND BIRTHING- I know that I've talked a little bit about my pregnancy, but I just have to say, it wasn't easy. Don't get me wrong, I don't think pregnancy is easy on anyone. I consider myself a fairly tough person who has a high tolerance for pain and isn't brought down by much, but this pregnancy seemed to wear me down. Last summer I knew it was time to have another child. We got pregnant and then 6 weeks into it, I started to spot and cramp. I had my first ultrasound and a couple trips to the lab for blood work, and my first RoGham shot (I am RH negative). I heard the babies heart beat then and we found out that it was a viable pregnancy. Into the sickness I went. This pregnancy was a lot worse for sickness than the last. Zofran became my good friend :)! Along with my normal prenatal visits to the Doctor I also took part in a pre-term study. That meant more Doctor appointments, more shots and more blood work, but that also meant more ultrasounds and hopefully finding out some reason why my body goes into pre-term labor. Things along the way went smoothly. I started my progesterone shots at 16 weeks. Like I've said in other posts this was administered to me by my friend, nurse and neighbor Joyce. She was such a blessing through this pregnancy. She was always there to answer questions and give me my weekly shot. Things were looking great and I was feeling great until I hit the last leg and then the rest of the story up until the birth is documented.
BIRTHING- On the 22nd I went in for a regular appointment. I was not far enough along and contractions were not happening as close as my doctor would like. That day I went home and cleaned and got things in my house in order. All day I had been having intense contractions- about 10 mins apart. About midnight the contractions were 5 mins apart and I told Rob we needed to go to the hospital. We loaded Jack up and called my parents. We dropped Jack off and drove as fast as we could to the hospital. I have to admit that was the longest drive EVER. By the time we made it to the hospital my contractions were about a min apart and they HURT. I was admitted and my doctor was called. I barely had time to get an epidural and then my SUPER STAR of a doctor was there to break my water. As she was making sure everything was good to go she realized that what we thought was a head was instead a bum...the baby was breech! She looked at me and said, Meggan it looks like we are moving onto plan B, a C-Section. That was not something I had even thought about let alone prepared for. This pregnancy had already been stressful and I wasn't sure how much more I had in me. At this point I began to realize that one, the Lord knows how much we can handle even if we don't think we are capable and two, I was BLESSED with an amazing team of doctors, nurses and Rob was right there by my side holding my hand and reassuring me that everything would be fine. I was then prepared for surgery...man they were fast. I was on the table being cut open and I could feel a little bit more than I'd like so they gave me some more anesthesia- can I just say DRUGS are great! The next thing I know I hear a baby cry and then the tears stared to flow down my cheeks. I was still being attended to, but I had a baby and he was crying and it was the most beautiful sound. It was worth all the pain and stress. Rob brought him over to me and I recognized his little face immediately- this was our son and he was glowing! As I reflect on this birthing process I can't help but see some "tender mercies" of the Lord given to me. One, my doctor was on call that night and she was AMAZING. She was lead by the spirit not only during the surgery, but throughout the entire pregnancy. Two, the anesthesiologist ended up being and old neighbor of mine and we chatted and caught-up on old times as I was being put back together (that really took my mind off what was happening to my body). Third, I was blessed with a level-headed, loving and incredibly caring husband who was by my side and not only blessed me with his presence, but he blessed me with the sacred priesthood that he holds. I have been given so many more during this pregnancy and recovery period, but those are the ones I want to document. I know this is a long post, but this is more for me than anyone else. I want to remember that I can do hard things because I always have the Lords help. Whether that help is manifested through others or not, I know that through this process the Lord was with me and blessed me to bring one of His choice spirits into this world. Parker, I love you so much. I was able to get to know you for a little while before you came out, but now that you are out and I can hear you grunt and moan, and I can taste your sweet baby scent and I can feel your warmth radiate I am even more in love with you. Thank you for coming to our family and making it feel that much more complete. Thank you for teaching me things about myself that I didn't know and thank you for bringing a sweet piece of heaven into our home. We are so blessed to have you here and we can't wait to get to know you more!
