birth and the first weeks

Isabella is finally here...she went past her due date by four days. Friday night July 22nd I had false labor..had bloody show and everything..we went to L&D Saturday morning EARLY and I was only dilated to a 2..so they told me to walk around the hospital for two hours and come back to get checked...so I ended up walking the hospital for more like 3 hours including climbing 10 flights of stairs...but when I got checked I had no change so i went home. Had lots of contractions (BAD contractions) for the rest of the weekend but not regular enough to go in. Finally late Sunday/early Monday (July 25th) they got to 5 minutes apart and the pain was so intense it was impossible to focus on not tightening up and to remember to breathe..so I got ready and had mom take me to L&D. They checked me and told me I was 3 or 4cm dilated. They were monitoring Isabella and her heart decellerated so they admitted me and I was at 4-5cm dilated when I got my room. I ended up getting my epidural around 5ish and they started a small Pitocin drip which was only on MAYBE 5 minutes when her heart decellerated again, so they turned off the drip and had me turn onto my side (switching sides every now & then). The worst was as I was talking to my nurse, Isabellas heart decelled down to about 65 and didn't come back up..about 6 or so people came running in and had me turn onto all fours (keep in mind I already had my epidural so my legs were completely numb so they had to do all the work). they got her heart rate to come back up and I was able to lay on my side again. They told me that if her heart decelled ONE more time that I was going to have to have a C-Section. Well by about 11ish her heart decellerated again and I was still only dilated to 7cm (which I had been at for a few hours with no change) so they prepped the OR. By 12:43PM Isabella was delivered. I got to see her for a second then they finished up and took me down to recovery. I didn't get to see her again for 2-3 hours afterward which was complete TORTURE. I didn't get to hold her at all until I got back to my room after recovery. The time in the hospital went well..they only kept me for 2 days and I had a lot of really great doctors and nurses. The first few weeks were really hard as far as lack of sleep and I wouldn't have been able to do it without the amazing help from my mom. Isabella had been throwing up after feedings and her pediatrician thinks she might have acid reflux so we are doing a trial run of zantac, so far it seems to be helping.

Last week on Friday (August 12th) she got to meet her daddy for the first time...it was absolutely amazing...it was such a joyous moment seeing him hold her for the first time. She definitely loves her daddy and is definitely a daddys girl already. She smiled for him so much while he was here.

She will be four weeks old tomorrow and we are both doing really well..i am still sore at times but as long as I don't overdo it then Im usually okay.

Lucas left back to North Carolina yesterday and will be back here to pick us up around the end of September. We have a beautiful house already ready to go in NC on Midway Park..its a 2 story, 3 bedroom, and 2 1/2 bath. I love it and can't wait to see it in person.

Thank you everyone for all your prayers and support throughout this joyous occasion. God is good and blessed me with a gorgeous baby girl and I couldn't be happier.

Bitchy? :/

I don't want to come across as bitchy or rude, but I really don't want a lot of visitors when I have Isabella. I'm not really allowing anybody in the room when I'm in labor except for the doctor/nurses and my parents...and maybe Tammie if she is back in town. I don't know why so many freaking people want me to call them when I go into labor because from what I hear labor can last anywhere from 1 hour to 24 hours or even longer...and since I won't be letting you in the room..its pointless for you to come to the hospital. As far as after she is born..whatever I guess...I am fine with SOME visitors but honestly..if you aren't family and you have made NO effort to see ME since I have been here since December..then why should I let you see MY daughter? It really hurts my feelings that so many people are all of a sudden interested in wanting to hang out or whatever after I have my baby, but yet they have made no effort to see ME before Isabella was in the picture. SORRY but Isabella & I are a package deal. Sorry if I hurt anybodys feelings or whatever, but my feelings are hurt too.

AND lastly about the phone call during labor thing..if you REALLY want to know..I will be sending out more like a mass text message because so many freaking people want me to call them..and I'm going to be a little busy so if you don't mind..a text message will just have to do.

Also..please don't push me to visit Isabella for the first week or two...I will allow visitors once I am ready.

Love you all and thank you for the continuous prayers and support.

July

Well I am now 37 weeks and 3 days along. The uncomfortableness and exhaustion is definitely picking up. She dropped last week and now my lower back is hating me. A lot of contractions (and not just braxton hicks) but they dont last long enough for it to be real labor yet. I get SO frustrated because I will have good intense contractions about 5 minutes apart for about 30-45 minutes and then they stop..and then they come back again after a little while..and then they stop. Its SO frustrating...its like her teasing me..."Im coming mom..get ready...oh just kidding Im not really coming." She is such a little brat just like her daddy!!! :P I am definitely ready though..Im still enjoying most of the pregnancy..but I am so ready to meet this little girl and dress her in her cute little clothes and be a mommy! :] Plus the sooner she is here the faster the rest of this deployment will go. We are ALMOST done!!! I am getting so excited. As of the 1st we were number 41 on the housing list..so we should have a house pretty soon..thats really exciting. I won't be moving there until September though (if our house is ready) because in August Lucas is going fly here for his leave and then take his truck with a bunch of our stuff..and then in September he is going to fly back here and then we are going to drive up there in the Focus with the dogs & Isabella. I can't believe how fast its all happening now. Its crazy.

Anyways...Im taking guesses on Isabellas birth date & weight..Lucas says July 20th..8lbs 10oz...I think Im going to say July 18th..7lbs 8oz. :]

Thank you for the continued prayers and support! I love you guys!

Time for an update

I am now 34 weeks and 3 days along! Only 6 more weeks until she is due and ONLY 3 more weeks until she is full term. Time is FLYING! So far, I have had two great baby showers..one was back in May thrown by Stephy and the other was last Sunday thrown by my cousins & Aunt! It was great! I have two more coming too! One is the 21st of this month thrown by Tammie, Charlotte, & Liz and the other is on July 9th for church & my parents friends! I am loving getting all this great stuff for little Isabella. The less we have to buy the better! Contractions are increasing but they are mostly just braxton hicks. The OB that goes to my church said that is normal..1.especially as she is moving her way down into my pelvic area and 2. Braxton Hicks will increase as I get closer & closer to my due date.

Lucas is doing great as well..we now have a date for when he will be home! :D Of course this can always change but its nice to have an idea of when he will be back in our arms where he belongs! :]

I have been keeping busy working on my scrapbooking (finally finished my wedding scrapbook) and on his care packages. I love crafts! I need to start on my pregnancy scrapbook! Time is going way too fast! Also the housing list is moving pretty quickly so we should have a house around the time Lucas gets home (hopefully not before!) and I am thinking we are going to be moving back around the end of August maybe in September depending on when the house is ready and whats going on as far as little Isabella goes. :]

Things are going great though and I am really happy. Thank you all for your continuous prayers! I love you all!

May

Well its middle of May (well around there anyways) and things are still going great. 31 weeks and 1 day along...9 more weeks until due date and 6 more until she is full term. I had my first baby shower thrown by Steph George on May 14th..that was tons of fun and got some great stuff for Isabella. I have three more showers before her due date..eek. 1 for my family..1 for Lukes family..and then 1 for church people. :] I can't believe how fast its all going. Shes going to be here before I know it! Then Lucas will be home and everything will be PERFECT! I can't wait to be a complete little family. :]

So at the end of last month...I had a 3D ultrasound...it was AMAZING to say the least. Our daughter is super adorable. BUT I must say it drives me INSANE when people say "She looks just like Lucas" 1. You can't tell that from a 3D ultrasound. 2. Lucas & I have extremely similar features..so to say she only looks like one of us..is just ridiculous. Im sorry if I hurt anybodys feelings but it hurts my feelings and makes me extremely irritated when people say that.

Anyways...things are going great and these next 9 weeks will probably fly by.

Love you all!

April update

Well everything is going good. I am 26 weeks and 3 days along...at my last appointment Isabella was measuring about half a week bigger but who knows. My next appointment is May 3rd. This coming week is my last week before insanity starts..then the week of the 25th I have dentist, childbirth class, and possibly maternity pictures, oh and somewhere in there I have to go to Wilford Hall for my gluclose tolerance test. Then May gets busy too. AHH just so much going on. July is going to be here before we know it!

As far as registries go..we are registered at Babies R Us and Amazon.com. The BEST THING to get us is money and/or gift cards since we still have to move back to NC and have very little space in the car. She really doesn't need any clothes (I know they are super fun to buy) Diapers & Wipes are awesome and we plan on using Pampers!

Deployment: I am surprisingly holding up okay..guess I was made to be a military wife..I thought I was going to be a mess especially being pregnant..but I have only had like one or two breakdowns and its been over four months. I miss him a lot though and can't wait to be back in his arms where I belong! I get teary eyed thinking about the homecoming cuz I have it all planned out and Im so excited for him to meet Isabella! :]

Well thats all my updates for now...I really am getting bad about keeping up with this blog. Sorry guys!

Thanks for the continuous prayers for our little Isabella..we are so blessed!

Its March

I can't believe its March already. This year is going by crazy fast. Its been two months since Lucas left me here in Texas. August/September will be here before I know it! :] I really haven't had too much of a hard time with this deployment..granted its easier than if he was in Aghan but it still sucks that he is going to miss all of the pregnancy and the birth of our baby...but I am holding together pretty well..especially considering that I am pregnant. Don't get me wrong..I do miss him like crazy..but it doesn't consume every second of my life.

PREGNANCY STUFF:
This is my little bragging area because Im actually kind of proud of myself...as many of you have probably noticed but so graciously not said anything about is that I have a problem with weight. Well first trimester I lost approximately 10 pounds (could have been more since we had the big move and no scales and barely any doctor visits) So far I have only gained about 2 of those pounds back. According to my books they say I should be gaining about 12 pounds since beginning...so considering I am still under my pre-pregnancy weight..I think I am doing great. Also about a pound a week is what I should be gaining and that is what I am finally gaining. Hopefully it stays this way and I will be able to lose the baby weight fast (enough so I dont look gross when Lucas comes home)

Gender Prediction:
Well tomorrow is the BIG DAY (if Peanut cooperates). I should find out the gender tomorrow...Justin Thomas or Isabella Nicole. I am SO excited and ready to find out. As I said in my last post...Lucas made me promise not to tell anybody until he gets his care package (b/c this is how I want to let him know what the gender is..I have had it planned out since I found out I was pregnant and he was deploying)..he would rather me let him know through skype but I just really want to do it this way. SO we made an agreement that if I didn't tell anybody then he would open the care package on skype for me so I can see the look on his face. :] I am sorry for those of you that are dissapointed but you will just have to be patient with me. I should be making it public around March 14th...as it takes approx 8 days for him to get a care package. So far..the ones that have put in their predictions...12 say boy and 15 say girl. If you haven't put in your prediction yet..please let me know...I want to get as many predictions as possible before I make it public :P

Tomorrow also hits the halfway mark..Thank you God! I am loving my bump & watching it grow. Also..I am pretty sure I can feel the fluttering now...although it is really faint. Heartburn is pretty frequent now along with some other discomforts that are unmentionable. But honestly I have no complaints about any of it..yeah some of the discomforts REALLY suck..but I am so blessed and so relieved that Peanut is doing so well..and I really hope and pray it continues to go well and I get my beautiful baby. I do worry a lot about every little thing and Im sure I wouldn't worry so much if I hadn't experienced those miscarriages..but I would rather worry & it be nothing..than not worry and it be something.

Thank you everyone for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers...I love you all very much.

2nd trimester

Well things are still going very well...I will be 17 weeks tomorrow. Also another good thing is I have made it through an entire month of Lucas being gone...it has not been easy but it definitely hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. I love making him care packages and talking to him on skype or oovoo...my FAVORITE thing though is when I use my heartbeat monitor and let him listen to the babies heartbeat on skype or oovoo...I LOVE seeing the smile on his face when he gets to hear our baby. :]

Well THREE weeks until I find out the gender of peanut (I find out March 3rd)...is it going to be Isabella Nicole or Justin Thomas? Most people say its going to be a girl but Idk if its just my want for it to be a boy or if its that mother intuition but I think its going to be a boy...Lucas REALLY wants a boy. :] BUT I have some bad news for those of you dying to know what I am having....Lucas doesn't want anybody to know until he knows...and I am letting him know through a Care Package..all decorated in either pink or blue...well I am not sure how long it takes for care packages to get there...but I know it takes at least 2 weeks. I promised him I wouldn't tell anybody until he finds out though and he promised to open his care package on skype/oovoo for me so I could see his face when he finds out. :] Im sorry that yall have to wait but he is the father and its his choice too. So just be patient and bear with me! :]

Love you all..thanks for all the continous support & prayers. :]

Its been awhile

Well its been awhile since i have written on here. As I announced last time that Im pregnant...well so far so good still. I am 14 1/2 weeks. Second trimester FINALLY. I have a baby bump and everything. I am loving every second of it. Still have some nausea but haven't thrown up (knock on wood!) since two weeks ago when I had the flu...had to go to the ER because of the flu because I couldn't even keep water down and needed to get fluids for the baby. So hopefully the no throwing up thing STAYS AWAY! Energy is slowly coming back for me for the 2nd trimester. I have an appointment on Thursday with Wilford Halls OB...I am hoping that peanut will be in the correct position to find out its gender. Lucas is still really hoping for a boy and lately I keep calling it a him..so MAYBE. We will see though. BUT I am not posting it publicly because I want to let Lucas know through a care package and don't want him to find out before he gets his care package. So if you want to know message me and I just might tell you. :P

Lucas left me in Texas on January 1st to go back to North Carolina to get ready for his deployment. We won't see eachother again until either August or September. Its going to suck and be really hard but I know I can do it. I decided to live with my parents while he is gone...especially with me being pregnant and my past miscarriages. I wanted to be around family and friends through this difficult time. We put almost all of our stuff into storage and I have our dogs here with us. So far I am holding up okay. Its going to be harder once he actually leaves for his deployment and we won't be able to talk everyday because ever since we have been together (3 years) we have talked every single day..it will be weird...but we can do it! I already got stuff for his care packages and can't wait to start making them. :]

Thanks for all the love & support everyone!