No baby yet . . .

DUMB STUPID HEAD NURSES AT THE HOSPITAL!
I wasn't dilating fast enough and they kept sending me home. In labor. Even when I told them my doctor was going to break my water. So we went Friday and we talked to our doctor who felt really bad. He wanted to break my water and deliver the baby that day, before he went on vacation, but the hospital was too full. There was a lot of sad things that needed taking care of, like stillborn babies and babies with neurological problems. So we went home with strong contractions 1 1/2 min apart and got my mom from the airport. The baby knows about weekends, I guess, because I wasn't very uncomfortable Saturday or Sunday. The contractions have started to build again today. If the hospital won't keep me by Wednesday, I have an appointment with a baby doctor and hopefully he will send me in to have the baby. I'm getting pretty impatient. If you think I'm impatient, you should see my mom. If you think she's impatient, you should see Ozzy!

baby time

YES! I was not a know-it-all obnoxious first time mom when I doubted that the nurses should have sent me home yesterday. When I went to the doctor today, he couldn't figure out why they sent me home at 3 1/2. He was planning to come back that afternoon and help me have a baby. So, here's the plan.
I'm now a 4 and 80%. This is enough to break water. My doctor is not on call today, so he says tomorrow is better for him. I'm supposed to take naps and do the stuff that "supposedly" induces labor. Since I'm still in early labor, these activities will just make my contractions stronger and closer. When they're stronger and closer, I go to the hospital. He won't let them send me home. If he thinks he needs to, he'll break my water. Then we will get a baby. (I skipped the pain part.)
We are planning to go to the hospital late tonight or early tomorrow morning so I can have my doctor. We'll go earlier if I'm in pain or Ozzy can't wait anymore. Poor guy, he's so restless and excited for the baby that he's moving furniture. He wants his baby to come!

False (ish) Alarm

I woke up with what I thought at first were cramps at 3:30am. Then I realized I was fat. Then I remembered that I am pregnant and these are contractions. After the ice water and pee routine, it was 3:45. And I was bored. So, I timed the contractions. They were not very painful, but bothersome enough that I wasn't able to sleep. They started out 6-8 minutes apart, but quickly normaled out at 4-5 minutes. By 5:45 I was REALLY bored, so when Ozzy woke up a little, I clued him in and he decided we might as well go to the hospital and see if this was the real thing.
I got there and they strapped me into all the monitors and checked me. The nurse decided I was almost 3cm. At least these contractions were doing SOMETHING. Ozzy was very sleepy and I felt badly about that. We watched the monitor screens until my doctor came by to see what was going on at a quarter to 7. He said it was good that I was at a 3. The plan was to check just after 7. If I was 4cm, we stay and have a baby. If I was still 3 but in more pain than when I came, we stay another hour. If I was at a 3 with the same pain I came in with, we take drugs, go home, and sleep. This early labor can take forever.
Well, a different nurse came in to check me. She said I was at 3 1/2 cm. Not really fitting with any of our game plans. I was not in more pain than when I came. The funny thing is when she checked me, I bled because, well, people usually don't poke other people's cervixes. She didn't realize it and snapped the glove off. There was blood everywhere. It was funny. And gross. And now Ozzy and I think she's an idiot, so when it's baby time, she better not be one of our nurses!
The other nurse gave me a percosett and sent me home to sleep more and come back if I get really painful labor or if my water breaks.
After Ozzy fed me breakfast, he went to work. He tried to call to check up on me, but I was OUT. I didn't even hear my phone. He got worried and made his sister wake up to come see if I was okay. Luckily another one of his phone calls woke me up and he could tell his sister to go back to sleep. It's crazy right now because I can't feel the contractions. Maybe justa little tightening. Hooray for drugs!
So, now we see if, when the drug wears off, my contractions hurt a lot. If they do, we go back to the hospital. If not, but they still bother me, no biggie. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow morning early and he can decide whether we should go over there and try to have a baby again.
On our way out, this man was calling in at the doors because he was sure his wife was in labor. She was smiling and her hair was done and she was in a dress and heels and had makeup on. They are so getting sent home. In the lobby, a man was bringing his wife in. She was breathing crazy, looked really mad, and her hair and clothes were all messy. She is NOT getting sent home!

Homecoming!

My sister-in-law FINALLY brings her baby home today. She was released from the hospital Monday, which means she's been getting up early and sitting in the hospital lobby all day, going in to check on her baby and feed him when they let her, and going home late at night. I told Ozzy that this is why we will be patient, uncomfortable, and rather round and WAIT until it's go time to have our baby! He had jaundice. This is not uncommon for new boys, but he had it when he was less than 24 hours old, and that makes them worried. He was under special lights all week. Then he got a blood infection. I guess this is one of the leading causes of SIDS, so good thing they found it and treated him. He was three weeks early. The doctor thought he'd be BIG, but he wasn't at out of the normal range. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 11 oz. and measured 20.5 inches. Crazy. If our baby is fitting into the standard curve, he's already over 2 lbs. and 14.5 inches! We have a hunch he might be a little on the big side. We were both big babies, Me almost 9 lbs and him a little over, and I've been measuring ahead. We'll know more on Tuesday. That's our next appointment. Woo hoo! I have to take the diabetes test. Salad for lunch and then a big sugar drink before we go in. It should be interesting!

Took my class on a field trip yesterday. The museum did lots of presentations and projects with them, but I still went home sleepy as can be. Weird.

I keep running into stuff with my belly. It's growing faster than I can get used to it, so I'm always surprised when I can't fit though a tight spot, put on my socks, wear a shirt, or balance on something. I'm like a rolly polly little buddah girl.

Sticks and Stones

So, spring break was enjoyable. Doing not much, hanging out with my "in slow labor" sister-in-law, and taking lunches to Ozzy at work was relaxing. I needed that break. I don't think I accomplished that much, but that was never the goal anyway. All was lovely until Friday.

Friday my sister-in-law was having regular contractions, but not close enough together for a hospital run. We went to the gas station for drinks and messed with my scrapbooking stuff instead. Ozzy was curious what all that junk was for anyway. Now he says maybe I can teach him. Isn't he sweet? I know, luckiest girl in the world.

I started having sympathy contractions. It felt like menstral cramps really low. But they didn't come and go. After a couple hours, they hadn't stopped, so I paged my doctor. He said eat dinner, relax and they'll go away. Then everything went nuts.

The pain moved to my right side. It no longer felt crampy. It felt like I was being stabbed. This was uncomfortable. Then it was really painful. Then it got worse, and Ozzy put me in the car and took me to Emergency. We called the doctor on our way there, and he said it sounded like a good plan. Great. Now I'm worried.

They're moving me up to the Women's Center and I'm thinking, "Please don't let this be preterm labor. It is way to early. Please don't let this be appendicitis. Surgery is way to risky."

They do all the tests. They check to see if I'm dialated, they check urine and blood. Meanwhile, the pain is worse and I am SHAKING. Ozzy is not a happy camper. The pain actually made me physically ill.

The doctor arrives and punches me in the back on my right. I want to kill him. He pronounces the verdict. I am guilty of kidney stones. He says to quit taking my prenatal vitamin. Guess you only need them through the first half of pregnancy anyway. I'm eating well enough, I guess. Then he asks whether I want to take a pill for the pain or a shot. I don't care. He says the pill is slower. I still don't care. So I think my hubby might have decided on the shot. One quick shot and I'm down. I'm almost asleep. Then I puke. Then I fall asleep while they're trying to get me dressed, into a wheel chair and out to the car.

My hubby's parents drove me home and called my parents while I snored in my room. Meanwhile, Ozzy loads my sister-in-law into his car and drives at a rediculous speed to score my narcotics and anti-nausea meds from the pharmacy before it closes. I sleep.

So, I was high for the next two days. Monday I skipped school to get off the drugs and make sure the pain was over.

When I went back yesterday, people declared that I was ready for labor because it feels the same. None of them have been through both. I think kidney stones are worse. They hurt in only one spot, but all you get is gunk in a funnel for your hard work. And they don't have to stop. Labor ends. And at least you get a baby.

My sister-in-law had her baby Saturday morning. She only had to push for 20 min. I hope that's the way it works for me! He had jaundice, but he gets to go home today! He's very small and cute in that squished new baby way. Hooray!