Olivia's birth story: Part 2

This is part 2 of Olvia's labor and delivery story.  I will be sharing alot of pictures in this post.  Like I said in part 1 of this story, this is mainly for my memories but enjoy sharing this with others as well.  Please enjoy!

Tuesday morning I woke up around 5:20 a.m. really excited to meet my little girl yet anxious for the induction part.  I was definitely ready to get the day going!  I got dressed and made sure I had all my hospital stuff together and at the door ready to be taken out.  At 5:45, I called the Labor & Delivery department at the hospital to check for when to come in.  They told us to go ahead and head up there! I was very excited as we told my parents bye and headed out the door.

Last pregnancy picture.  Can't believe how big I was!

 We got to the hospital and got all checked in and I got an IV.  We had an AWESOME nurse who was amazing and hilarious at the same time.  She started the pitocin around 6:30 a.m.  I had heard from most of my friends that since I was being induced it would probably take longer so I had prepared myself for a long day.  The contractions slowly started and gradually got a bit more noticable.  I wasn't in much pain just felt a good bit of pressure in my back.  **Side note, I had back contractions with all 3 of my babies.  VERY painful and so uncomfortable since you are mostly on your back with an epidural.  I was on my side a good bit as well but still so uncomfortable.**  Around 8 or 8:30 a.m., the contractions started getting much more painful so I let my nurse know.  She found out the anesthesiologist was in the next room so we went ahead and ordered the epidural.  He came in about 10 minutes later and put in the epidural.  He was super fast and friendly which made the whole process of a needle going into my back much less painful.  I started feeling the anesthesia pretty much right away.  After that I was much better!

During all this time, I was dialating very well and much quicker than I anticipated.  Around 9:30 a.m., I felt a much different feeling......um down there in my lady part.  Ahem, excuse the tmi but I don't know how else to describe it! I called my nurse to come and check me.  She said I was 10 cm and ready to push!!! Boy did my heart start racing then!  Thankfully, my dr was right outside the door just waiting for the call and came right in.  I started feeling a huge amount of pressure down there and really focused on not pushing until my dr was ready.  The dr set up quickly and told me to go ahead and start pushing.  I pushed and would stop for a few seconds to breath then back at pushing.  It only took about 3 big pushes and Olivia was here!!!!  Praise the Lord, I had a very small tear but didn't need any stitches. 

Olivia came out completely beautiful! She didn't cry until they started messing with her.  She had dark hair and dark blue eyes.  She was 7 lbs 7 oz and 21 inches long.  The nurses cleaned her up and quickly gave her back.  My mom and dad were waiting outside with Jonah and Tucker so once we were all cleaned up they rushed in.  Jonah was SUPER EXCITED to see Olivia and Tucker was very curious as to who Mommy was holding.  They both held Olivia and we all just enjoyed our few moments of just us.  I was so amazed that Olivia was here before 10 a.m.!!!! I was seriously in shock for quite awhile and just kept staring at her.  She was just perfect.  Jeremy was an amazing support during all my labors and this one was no exception.  He is always close enough when I need him but far enough for the nurses to do their jobs.  While I was pushing, I could here him close to my ear cheering me on.  He is completely awesome!

We didn't have to wait long at all for a regular room.  As soon as they wheeled us in to our room, I ordered lunch.  I have no clue what I ate but I do remember having chocolate cake for dessert! Ha the things you remember.  Jeremy went and ate his lunch.  My sister-in-law came in with my nieces then later my mother-in-law came in.  During all this, I was feeling great even though my epidural was wearing off.  I honestly felt completely normal just tired.  I didn't have any pain at all! I didn't actually take any pain meds until later that night so I could hopefully get some sleep.  Olivia had slept that whole day only waking up to eat about a half of a bottle.  She did wake up a good bit that night but was easily calmed with a diaper change.  I didn't get much sleep between Olivia waking up and the nurses checking on me but I expected it.

The next day was filled with nurses checking out Olivia. My nurse came in and asked me if I would like to go home that day.....I was amazed!  I told I would love to go home today so she told my dr who discharged me by lunch.  We then had to wait until all of Olivia's tests were done so we just rested and enjoyed the day.  My parents and the boys came up for awhile that afternoon.  We finally got news that we were ready to go!  It was around 7-7:30 p.m. so we stopped and got Chinese take-out for dinner then headed home.  It was so wonderful to be home and especially special since my parents were still up until the next day!  We had a good night and Olivia even slept a 4 hour stretch.  My parents left the next day and our life began as a family of 5!

We have fully enjoyed Olivia since the moment she was born!  She is the perfect addition to our family.  She is just a beautiful creation.  We thank God for her and are trying our best to be the best parents for her. 

Thank you for reading!  Have a great night!

Olivia's birth story part 1

Today I am sharing the first part of Olivia's birth story.  This post tells about the few appointments and the day before Olivia's birth.  This post is mainly for my memory so it may be long winded.  Hope you enjoy if you decide to read!



My 2 monkeys love to leave me surprise pictures on my phone. lol I don't mind it when they turn out cute like this!

On November 28, I had a normal routine weekly check-up.  I was not effaced at all but I was 2 cm dialated, and my cervix was soft.  During my appointment, my dr asked if I wanted to be induced or wait until my due date to see if I would go into labor.  Since Olivia had a 2 vessel umbilical cord, my dr wasn't going to let me go past my due date.  I was so ready to get this pregnancy over with so I told her I was fine with scheduling an induction.  I left the apt really hoping my body would naturally go into labor since I wasn't looking forward to being induced.  I had been given the inducing medicene with Jonah to speed up my delivery since my body wasn't moving fast enough and I remember that pain.  I do not do well with pain so I wasn't looking forward to being induced at all but was ready to meet our sweet girl. Plus I had some friends tell me they had awful experiences with their inductions so I had mixed feelings about the whole thing.

 

3 days before my induction.  Jonah wanted a belly like mine.  I look awful since I'm still in my pjs...and not even cute ones.....but I am so thankful for this memory. :)

My hopes of my body going into labor on its own didn't happen.  Olivia wouldn't make her entrance into this world for almost 2 more weeks.  I went about my normal schedule but tried to walk more which wasn't a problem since I was nesting and trying to make sure I had everything ready plus I have 2 very active little boys.  I got our hospital bag packed and made sure the carseat and carseat base were all together ready to go.   My parents were both coming up to stay with the boys which was very exciting since my Dad hadn't been able to come up when Jonah and Tucker were born. We were all just on pins and needle waiting! I was super ready to meet my little Olivia which didn't help the time pass any quicker. 

This was the night before I was induced.  We were all waiting patiently for Grandma & Pop to get here.  Tucker tried his hardest to hold on but passed out. 

At my next weekly apt, DecemberI was between 2-3 cm and 40% effaced which was some improvement but not what I wanted to hear since I had been having contractions on and off a few days.  Dr. Kieth went ahead and checked her schedule for the next week since I was having an induction.  We set up the induction for the following Tuesday. I also set up my last pregnancy apt for the following Monday where they would do one last ultrasound to check baby girl again.   I was told to rest when really sore but try to walk and keep active to speed up the process.  I was still hoping my water would break like it did with Tucker but alas it didn't. 

This was the Saturday before my indcuction the following Tuesday.  We got season passes for the Greenville Zoo for Christmas (Thank you Mom and Dad!) so we took the boys since it was beautiful day.  It was our last family fun day of 4! We all had a blast and I was secretly hoping all the walking would bring Olivia but it didn't!

My last appointment, December 10, I went in very hopeful since I knew I would be having Olivia the next day.  We went to the ultrasound room and started checking Olivia.  The ultrasound tech checked everything but seemed to really be focusing on Olivia's chest.  She told me she wasn't seeing Olivia practice breathing like she should.  I had to adjust to lay on my side and she checked again.  Still didn't see it.  I adjusted to the other side.....still didn't see it.  I was given a small cup of water to drink but still nothing.  By this time I was getting very nervous but I knew God had Olivia in his hands so I was resting in that fact.  I hadn't eaten in a few hours so they told me to run and get some lunch and come right back.
 My Dr came in and told me if they didn't see her practice breath I would have to be admitted to the hospital for observation and then they would start the induction in the morning like planned as long as nothing changed.  I prayed as I walked out and left all my anxieties in God's hands since I knew he was in control anyways.  I was trying not to think about who would watch our boys since my parents wouldn't be here until late that evening.  My mother in law was watching them while I was at my appointment but I didn't know what she had planned the rest of the day.  I grabbed a burger then raced back to get another ultrasound.  Thankfully Olivia did right what she was supposed to do and everything else looked great. 

Boys and I enjoyed lots of time playing soaking up our last days without Olivia.  We tried our best to really just rest and enjoy each others company.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning and making sure things were ready for the next few days.  We were all SOOOOO EXCITED  to meet out new little addition.  I prayed a great deal that day for the induction and delivery coming the next day.  I knew God was in control and I tried to push aside my anxious feelings.  We enjoyed playing simple things at home since I was so huge and tired most of the time.  I was super ready to meet Olivia but was also very nervous as to how I was going to handle 3 littles 5 years and under. 

My parents got here around 10 pm that night.  The boys both tried theirbest to stay awake to see them but only Jonah succeeded.  We all got to bed around midnight. I slept pretty well considering I was so huge.  I had instructions to call the labor and delivery ward at the hospital at 5:45 a.m. so they could tell me when to come in. 

Part 2 coming soon..................

 

It's a ......

GIRL!!!!  We had our 20 week gender ultrasound July 26 and found out we are having a girl!!!  Olivia Michelle Pressley will be joining our growing family right before Christmas.  I am so super excited it isn't funny.  My husband is getting there but is a bit nervous about having a girl.  He said he feels like it is his first baby all over again.  lol. 


*My view at 17 weeks.*

I already had a very strong feeling since this pregnancy has been completely different than my other two with the boys.  I also had 2 dreams about her before we had even talked about having anymore babies.  What was crazy is we didn't even have the name Olivia picked out on our list of favorite names but in the dreams I had that was her name.  We discussed it when I got pregnant back in march and both really liked it so decided that would be it.  We didn't pick out any boys names because I really felt like it was a girl. 

 *Baby girl at 19 weeks.*

The ultrasound went really well.  It is always so sweet to see our sweet babe on that screen.  We did find out that the umbilical cord is what they call a 2 vein cord instead of a 3 vein cord.  See a normal umbilical cord is made of 2 arteries and 1 vien making it a 3 vein cord.  My umbilical cord only has 1 artery and 1 vein, hence the name 2 vein cord(2VC).  The ultrasound tech also couldn't get good views of certain things like the spinal cord and they saw a few more small abnormalities so they referred us to a specialist.

                                    

*Baby girl sucking her thumb. We got to actually watch her raise it up

to her mouth and start sucking. Her whole bottom jaw was going so fast.

lol It was so cool though.*

When they found the 2VC, my doctor suggested I take the genetic blood disorder tests just to make sure nothing came up.  It is a simple test where they test for Trisomy 21, 28, and down syndrome among other ones.  I had never taken that with my other 2 pregnancies and had originally declined it with this one but the dr said it would be better to be safe than sorry so we went ahead and did it.  Thankfully, all of that came back negative.

                                    

*The it's a girl shot! Really had to see in this picture but if you look to

the right that is a shot from under her booty of her girl parts and legs.

That blob to the left is part of the placenta.*

Once we found out about the 2VC and the other abnormalities, I immediately starting asking my family and friends to pray.  The response was overwhelming and really conforting! I love having such awesome friends and family!  I prayed and believed that sweet Olivia was perfect and whole in God's eyes and that no matter what she was the way God wanted her.  Don't get me wrong, I was concerned but knowing she and I am in God's hands no matter what is so comforting.

*Olivia's face and arm in 4D.  This was the best profile we could get

 since she had her hand in her face the whole time.*

I went to the specialist on August 7 by myself....talk about being nervous! Jeremy's work has been slow and that week they actually had work so we knew he needed to go.   I made sure my appointment was first thing in the morning so I wouldn't be nervous about it all day.  A very nice ultrasound tech did a very in depth ultrasound.  We even got a few shots of Olivia in 4D! She had her little fists right up to her face so we didn't get too many shots of that but we were able to see everything else.  The doctor then came in and explained that they saw nothing out of the ordinary except for the 2VC! He said sometimes with a 2VC the babies have kidney or heart issues but that our little girl looked perfect and he cleared me from having to come see him again.  We are so thankful the Lord is looking after me and our little girl as she grows in me. 

*Another 4D ultrasound shot.  Olivia with her mouth open. 

I think she was looking for her thumb again.*

I have my next regular checkup appointment next Friday, August 24 at which they will listen for the heartbeat and give me the super sugary drink for my glucose test at the next appointment.  It is super exciting to me that I am halfway through this pregnancy! I am so super excited to meet my little girl! I have been sewing and making things for her lately. :) I love it!

*Lovely group of girly blankets and sheets I got

at the thrift store to use for projects.*

Thanks for stopping by.  Sorry this is almost a month late.  lol Life has been busy. 

Catching up

I feel like lately I have had nothing really to blog about but its really I just don't feel like sitting down to write it out. We have been busy but in a good way and I need to record some memories so I don't forget. I feel like most of my blog posts have just been recipes or how to's and nothing is wrong with that but I also want to record family memories. As our family grows, I look forward to looking back at these post and remembering all the wonderful family times. So this post is just a quick catch-up of the past few weeks.

Lately, I just wanna be here......Sullivan's Island.

Jeremy and I are doing wonderful, as usual.  I am so thankful for the man that he is and is becoming.  I truly love him more everyday and I pray that I never lose these feelings for him.  We still don't have many date nights but truly cherish our time together after the boys go to bed.  We usually just relax, talk, and watch a tv show together.  He is still loving his motorcycle.  Lately, we have had a good bit of time together on the weekends and that has truly been great.   We both love spending time together with just us and the boys even if its just staying at home.  I can't believe we will be married for 7 years this September just because it has been so great.  Don't get me wrong we have our problems and life throws us drama many times but we get through it together.  I truly can't imagine being married to any other man.  He works so hard for our family and for me to be able to stay at home with our boys.  I love you Jeremy Pressley with all my heart! You are my hero.

Jeremy and our boys.  Sadly I have no recent pictures of the two of us.  Need to fix that!

 Jonah is growing and becoming such a smart little boy.  He is truly amazing and I love how his little brain is growing and absorbing so much knowledge.  As much as I hate having to answer at least 400 questions a day, I truly am trying to keep my patience and answer him the best I can.  He will be 5 in October and that just blows my mind.  Five just seems so old! We are not sure as to if we are going to get him tested to see if he will qualify for K4 due to some factors going on in our life but I do know that he is really smart for his age.  He is still loving his Treehouse class at church which Jeremy and I both love. He is still in karate and loving it so far.  He continues to be a great big brother and teacher although he loves to mess with Tucker. I can't wait to see what the future holds for Jonah!

Jonah with our new pet iguana, Speedy Gonzalas. 

Tucker is growing like a weed! He just turned 2 last week and just seems so big now.  He is officially a little boy and not a baby at all anymore. I think if I wasn't pregnant with #3, I would be very sad to see him growing so fast but knowing I will have another baby keeps me happy.  He is just like parrot who repeats everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING! LOL  He can say some words that Jonah still has trouble with.  He is really into naming all of our family members right now.  I have pictures of our families on our fridge so we can see them and Tucker loves going up to it and naming the people.  He loves playing with his big brother but also likes to have play time by himself.  He is just starting to tell on Jonah when he does stuff to him which does not make Jonah happy at all. ;)  He has just moved up to the 2 year old class at church called Pop's Garage and absolutely loves it.  I think he was getting bored in the toddler class cause he didn't even look back at us when we dropped him off this past Sunday.   I can't wait to see how he reacts to the new baby and I know he will be a big brother.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for Tucker!

Tucker and I.  This was taken on his 2nd birthday.

Baby #3 is doing great! I am 17 weeks and a few days.  Starting to show a good bit lately and have moved to mostly maternity clothes although I can wear a few regular shirts still.  My blood pressure has been great so far and the heart rate has stayed around 150.  The start of this pregnancy was so rough but praise the Lord I have had no sickness for a little over 2 weeks now! I am slowly starting to get my energy back although I wake up tired every morning.  I get worn out really easily with this one especially if I have been out in the heat.  But I think so far I am doing well.  Our next appointment is our gender ultrasound July 26 and I am so excited! I still feel like its a girl just because this one has been so different than with my boys but we will see in a two weeks.  Jeremy really doesn't care as long as the baby is healthy and I agree but truly desire a girl this time.  Can't wait to reveal what we are having soon!!!  Once we find out what the baby is I will have a good bit of sewing to do, especially if its a girl.  I already have a list started  of a few things I need to make like cloth diapers and a baby carrier.

15 weeks baby bump taken at the mall.

17 weeks baby bump looking down..

My Etsy shop has been empty the past few weeks and it is truly because I have had no energy to do much.  This past week I did start sewing some things and I am still sewing this week.  My goal is to have at least 30 items to list by the end of the month.  I already have 20 items made so far so I might go over that but I feel like its a good start.  I want to really keep up with it this time and not let it run out before I have more items up.  I am still loving my new sewing machine and love when I finish a project and it turns out better than I expected.  I may or may not have already made 2 dresses for our possible little girl. ;) I figure if we find out its a boy, I can always sell the dresses so I don't lose anything. 

Well I think that about does it.  I will be posting a few family fun things in the day or so.  If you are friends with me on facebook, all the pics and posts with be a repeat but you can still enjoy it. 

Have a great night!

Our week in Instagram photos #2

Happy Friday night everyone!  I hope you all had a great day.  I have had an absolute wonderful day with no sickness at all!!! PTL for zofran.  It has been a great productive day.  It's that time again for our weekly updates in Instagram photos.  This is working out great since I usually take a good many every week anyways. :)

Jonah and Tucker are the sweetest brothers I have ever seen! They do argue and fight but they are pretty inseperable.  Anytime you find one, you usually find the other.  I pray these two stay as close as they are now and grow to be life-long friends.

 

We were at Nona's and Papa's a good bit this week.  One of the boys favorite thing to do there is to ride on Papa's motorized wheelchairs.  They love riding around the wrap-around porch.  Jonah does really well driving it slowly and turning corners.  I love it cause I can just rest while they ride!

Jonah and Tucker also had fun eating popsicles in the back of Papa's truck.  I love Tucker's little pooched lips! lol  And Jonah is always ready with a smile.  We always eat popsicles outside over there so we don't make a mess.

It rained the first few days of the week here but by Thursday it was beautiful so we played outside.  The boys loved just sitting in the shade throwing rocks down our dirt driveway.  Jonah started it by sitting down and Tucker followed.  That's usually the way it goes. lol  Then Tucker tried to pick up a big rock.  He was so funny grunting and getting frustrated cause he couldn't get it.  He finally gave up and moved to smaller ones.

My husband, Jeremy, got a new...to him...motorcycle! We have been a one car family for a while and this will be his work/play vehicle.  It is a 2004 Honda V  1300.  It is an amazing gas saver which is awesome plus the boys and I won't be stuck at home all the time anymore. 

I got my Mother's Day present early....a new Singer sewing machine!!  It's a Singer 5400 Sew Mate 60 stitch electric machine.  I am so super excited since my old machine has been broken for a while.  The cost of this machine is about how much it would have cost to fix my old one! This one is beautiful and I can't wait to use it. 

We had our first ultrasound for the new baby! It is just so amazing seeing that little person...hopefully little girl....on the screen moving around.  The hearbeat was strong and everything looked perfect.  We go back to the doctor next month.  

Well I hope you all enjoyed your week!  Hopefully I can get the sewing machine out and figure it out soon to get some more projects on here.

Have a great night and Happy Mother's Day to all the fellow mother's out there!

First ultrasound

Hello friends and family!  I hope you all had a fabulous week.  I have still been pretty sick feeling this week so haven't had much to share but hopefully will be feeling better soon.  God has truly helped me with the boys lately since I have been sick.  Usually Jonah wants me to play with him the majority of the time which I don't mind but lately he has been happy just playing by himself or Tucker.  It has truly been a blessing!

We had a doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon plus our first ultrasound.  I love ultrasounds!  It is just so amazing to see our little blessing on the screen moving around.  My favorite part about it is watching the heartbeat.  It is just so tiny yet so strong and we are so thankful!

Here's our sweet babe's first picture:

The baby is measuring right on track so far and looks perfect.  She did say my uterus felt bigger than 9 weeks which isn't anything to be worried about but it explains why I already have a little belly going! lol  This was me Wednesday night:

With my other two pregnancies, I was all belly and boy was it a big belly! Here's me 8 months pregnant with Jonah back in 2007. Hubby and I were at the Bass Pro Shop in NC.  SO glad I have my blonde hair back. lol

The baby's heartbeat was 150bmp.  Isn't that crazy?! Dr said it was perfect and we are so thankful. 

Here's a picture of the baby and the heartbeat:

Overall, Dr said everything looks great so far! She did give me a prescription for zofran for my sickness and so far it is working awesome.  Hoping I can find some energy now that I feel better. 

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a fabulous day!