2 Months!

I can't believe how quickly the last 2 months have flown by. We took Taylor to the doctor today for his check-up and everything went really well until he had to get his shots. He got 3 shots and a liquid that he mostly spit out. He cried really hard but he calmed down pretty quickly. He is now 11 lbs, 8 oz which puts him at about the 50th percentile for his age. They didn't measure him today but I measured him at 24 inches which puts him around the 75th percentile. The doctor said that everything looks good and he's advanced in some areas like holding his head up and his ability to roll from front to back.

I have been back to work for 3 weeks now so I'm finally getting caught up and back into the routine. However, due to the weather and the economy, Bryan is now unemployed. He had been working in the same job for almost 5 years so finding a new one that will pay him close to what he was making before is going to be pretty tough. Right now we are hoping and praying for a job with the city that opened up last week. Good thing we know the mayor really well! Hopefully we will know something about that by the end of the week. Until then, he is looking for temporary work anywhere he can find it.

Here are some recent pictures to keep everyone happy!!

Aunt Stephanie and soon-to-be cousin baby boy!!

Aunt Clarissa

Doctor's Update

At his appointment yesterday he weighed in at 8lbs, 11oz. In a month he's only gained a pound from his birth weight but he did have a little set back when he was congested and couldn't eat very well for about a week. The doctor said that he was looking great and that he's even a little ahead of schedule in some areas. He smiled at her and she just melted. It happens to me all the time!

1 month!

Taylor turned 1 month old on Saturday and it's so hard for me to believe that the time has flown by so fast. I have been able to enjoy this time with him so much and I'm really not looking forward to going back to work next week. This is what I've learned over the last several weeks:

• He is a pretty laid back baby and he only gets upset if he's really hungry or if he's in his car seat too long.
• Contrary to others beliefs, he does cry and sometimes even screams.
• He loves bath time!
• He is getting better about sleeping longer at night. Last night he slept for 6 hours straight!
• He will smile and sometimes even laugh.
• Being a mother is overwhelming and the most difficult thing I've ever done, but it is most definitely worth every bit of it to hold him and kiss his precious face!
• I am looking forward to every single day that we get to spend with him.

Today is his 1 month check-up with the doctor so hopefully it goes smoothly and he's been putting on more weight. I think that he's supposed to get at least 1 shot today so I'm trying to prepare myself for that. I'll update his stats later!

Photo Shoot

Christmas pictures coming soon!!

Pictures!

7 lbs, 11 ozs and 21 inches long

First photo with my sweet baby!

Father and son ... my two favorite boys in the world!

The trip home from the hospital

First time going to church!

He's Here!

Taylor finally made his entrance into the world last Wednesday morning at 3:23 am. It was a long process to get there so let me start from the beginning. I was scheduled to be induced at 7:00 Tuesday morning. At 4:45 I received a call from the hospital to say that they were full and not to come in but call back at 8:00. When I called back I was told they were still full and there was still one person ahead of me on the schedule and that they would call me back when they had an open room. Bryan and I decided to go get breakfast and run a few last minute errands to waste time. They finally called with an opening at 11:00 and we were there by 11:30. Once we got checked in and in our room they got me hooked up to a monitor and started my IV of pitocin at 1:00pm. They checked for dilation and I was not even 1cm so we had a long way to go. They decided to try and insert a balloon catheter to help me dilate faster, that did not work but the pain was intense. They were increasing my pitocin every 15 minutes so the contractions were getting stronger and much closer together but i still wasn't dilating fast enough. They encouraged me to go ahead and get the epidural so that I could relax and not fight the contractions as much. Getting the epidural placed properly turned out to be an adventure of its own but after 5 or 6 attempts I finally felt the relief!

From that point we just had a lot of time to lay there and wait. I could only lay on my right side because if I tried to move, he would lay on his cord and his heart rate would drop. About 6:30 when my doctor came to check on me I was dilated to about 5 cm. The next few hours were uneventful so I'll jump ahead. Around midnight they checked me again and I was at 9.5cm so they had me wait one more hour before we started pushing.

At 1:00am, 12 hours into labor, I officially started pushing. It was hard work but the first hour flew by and my wonderful and amazing nurse Jennifer said that I was doing really well and that he was moving pretty quickly. Some time around 2:30am a nurse came in the room to tell us that my doctor had gone to the ER for a case and that she would be back in about 15 min. I stopped pushing at this point to get a boost to my epidural which had started to wear off.

The dr came back to check my progress and let us know that she was going into surgery with the woman from the ER so I either had to hurry or wait. Waiting wasn't an option so I pushed really hard for the next 20 minutes or so while they were getting everything ready and then it happened.

He turned face up and got himself stuck. They tried to turn him over but it just wasn't going to happen so they told us the best option would be to use the vacuum extractor. I asked if they thought it would work and they said yes and that they would do the same thing if it were them. Once that decision was made we went from having just myself, Bryan and Jennifer in the room to having about 12 people running around like maniacs. I was trying to ignore everything and just focus on getting him here as quickly as possible so that the chaos didn't overwhelm me.

As my dr is applying the vacuum to his head for the first time she tells us that it's hospital policy that if he doesn't come out in 3 pushes with the vacuum it's an immediate c-section. Then I started to panic. I knew that I was exhausted physically and mentally so I was worried that I wouldn't be able to do it. At this point I had no energy left so Bryan had to help me with these pushes. He did such a wonderful job all day but at this point he really kicked into gear. The first attempt failed because it slipped off his head and he has the scrapes to prove it. The second attempt got him close but still not out. I had one last attempt or I was off to have surgery. At this point at least 2 of the nurses left the room in a frenzy to prep the Operating room. I'm not at all sure where I found the energy or the strength for the next push but according to Bryan, I pushed for almost 45 seconds without breathing and he finally came out. I remember the nurse and my dr saying that they couldn't believe it and that they really didn't think he was going to come out that time either. I remember pushing a couple more times to get his shoulders out and then when they finally lifted him up for me to see I was shocked and relieved.

Due to using the vacuum, his head was extremely distorted so I got worried and started panicking. At this point I have been found to be running a fever and so was Taylor so we were told that we couldn't keep him with us, they were taking him straight to the nursery. They did let Bryan take a few pictures and bring him over to me so that I could see him and hold him briefly. Bryan and I were in recovery for about 2 hours before we were moved to our room. It was almost 6:00am before they brought him back to us for the first time. I was overwhelmed with love for this beautiful and amazing little person that we fought so hard to get here.

He spent most of his first day in and out of the nursery but the second day he was in the room with us the entire day. We came home on Friday and have been adjusting ever since.

Here's his stats!
at birth: 7lbs, 11ozs, 21 inches long
at discharge: 7lbs, 3.5ozs
at yesterday's checkup: 7lbs, 8ozs

Past due!

Taylor was supposed to be here last Thursday but he is being stubborn. At my appointment last Monday he hadn't made much progress at all so the doctor helped me along to get things moving. Unless he comes this weekend, I am scheduled to be induced on Tuesday. I'm relieved to finally have an end in sight and know that I won't have to wait much longer but every day is agonizing at this point. Most of my swelling has subsided with the bed rest but I still feel sore all over and just completely physically exhausted. I've been able to work from home some this week so that has been helpful to keep my mind occupied.

I'm going to work on getting the house clean today and catching up on laundry so that I don't have to worry about that later. It should be a nice lazy Saturday.

God bless and look for pictures of baby Taylor next week sometime!

Update

I had a wonderful birthday yesterday that was full of surprises. I knew that I wasn't going to get to go to church so I slept in and right before Bryan left he handed me my birthday card which I honestly didn't think that he had even gotten yet. He brought home lunch after church and then my parents came over for a short visit. Bryan left to go run errands in the afternoon and then went back to church. When he came back he immediately told me we were leaving for a surprise and that I had to close my eyes until we got there. I protested slightly because I was still frustrated that I couldn't go to church but I could go on this trip. Anyway, he took me to dinner where we met a bunch of friends to celebrate. We had a good time and then when I got home I had a present! He bought me a BEAUTIFUL necklace for my birthday and for having Taylor. Since we weren't supposed to do presents this year he said that he just combined a couple so it wouldn't be soooo bad. I guess I'll have to forgive him! ;)

I went back to the doctor this morning and she was absolutely amazed at how much better I was doing after 5 days of bed rest. My blood pressure was back to normal and I lost 4 pounds of swelling. You can actually tell that my feet have bones and ligaments in them now. Kinda makes me wish I had taken a before picture just to see the difference a few days would make. I am still not dilated at all so she said that Taylor probably won't be making his appearance this week either.

However, since I had made such an improvement I asked her if I could go back to work. She was still hesitant so we agreed on working from home as long as I keep my feet up. That's good with me, I just don't want to waste any more of my vacation time unless I absolutely have to.

Thanks for all your prayers and keep them coming!

Birthday ... hopefully BIRTH day!

Today is my birthday and the day that I have been praying for since March. I really want Taylor to be born today because I think that would be the best birthday gift ever. Also, it would ensure that we are out of the hospital in time for Thanksgiving and that some of my family from out of the area would be able to see him before next year.

I am currently 39 weeks and 3 days so we are completely full term. Especially since I'm certain that my due date has been wrong all along. When I was at the doctor on Tuesday I was measuring at 40 weeks already so I'm convinced that now he's just hanging out in there because he has no idea how good he will have it out here in the real world!

I've been trying my best to coax him out for days now but today is crunch time!! Say lots of prayers and keep your fingers crossed!

Bed Rest

I had my weekly check-up on Tuesday afternoon. My blood pressure was up pretty high so they ran some extra lab work and put me on bed rest. I talked to them yesterday and they said that my most of my lab work came back normal so now they are just waiting on one more result. I have instructions to go to Labor & Delivery if my blood pressure rises above 150 or 95, I have headaches that aren't relived by Tylenol, or I start having problems with my vision. I have another appointment on Monday morning so until then I'm just sitting at home with my feet up trying to rest and not stress myself out.

Belly Pics!

These are a few of my favorite pictures from our session a few weeks ago. I can't wait until Taylor gets here so that we can have some pictures made of him too. Let me know what you think!

And last but not least, my VERY VERY FAVORITE!!

Catching up ...

Here are the pictures of the finished nursery. Now the ONLY thing that we are missing is our little bundle of joy. I am getting so anxious to finally meet him and see for myself that he is 100% healthy. I also can't wait to see who he looks like and who he acts like. According to my due date, we are less than a month away from meeting him! I am expecting him to be here early so we'll see who's right.

Also, he FINALLY has a name. It took us a long time agree on anything because Bryan likes to be a little silly and likes to push my buttons. I knew that he would eventually give in and let me have the name that I wanted but I honestly didn't expect him to cave until delivery. All it took was a lot of ladies from church giving him a hard time and 3 rounds of voting before we came to this conclusion.

Taylor Cole

This name means a lot to me personally and I feel like names with meaning are the best. Taylor is my grandmother's maiden name. My great-grandmother was a wonderful and spunky woman whom I miss dearly. She passed away when I was 12 but I still think about her all of the time. After talking to my grandma about his name she told me that she kinda always wished she had named my dad Taylor instead of Terry. I feel a little bad for him that she never liked his name but that means that this has even more special meaning. Cole is the maiden name of my very best friend who also happens to be the person that set Bryan and I up on our first date. We told her when we got married that we owed her everything so we promised to name our firstborn after her. It also happens that her dad was the person who officiated our wedding so the entire Cole family means a lot to both Bryan and I. I couldn't think of a more perfect name for someone who already means so much to so many people.

I will post some of my belly pics when I get them, we had a great time and Teresa was wonderful as always!!

Nursery

It's a BOY!!!

After a lengthy ultrasound today we were finally told that we are having a boy! He is curled up and facing my back with his legs crossed and knees tucked up under him so he was being stubborn (he must take after his dad already!). He refused to move around even after they made me lay on my side for 15 min to see if it would help. He looked pretty comfortable there so I don't really blame him for not moving around too much. The doctor said that everything looked good and i don't have to go back to the specialist again unless something goes wrong. He did say that the reason I'm not feeling any movements is because the placenta is located on the front of the uterus and acting as a sort of cushion. I will eventually be able to feel the movements but he said that it will never be strong feelings. I will post pictures later but I'm supposed to be working right now!

If you have any suggestions for boys names PLEASE let us know!

Vacation!

If all goes as planned, Bryan and I will be leaving in the morning for San Antonio. The annual conference for Athletic Trainers is located there this year and I'm really excited to go back. I've been twice but never had the time to see the attractions and really enjoy it so this will be the year. Bryan has never been so he's looking forward to it.

I'm finally feeling better the past couple days so hopefully that continues while we're on vacation. One month from today we will be having the second ultrasound which will hopefully determine gender if the kiddo cooperates. I am really ready to find out so that we can settle on a name and get the nursery done. If anyone has suggestions for boy names they would be greatly appreciated!

God bless!

Heart Beat

Yesterday was my appointment with the doctor and everything went well. I was able to hear the heartbeat and it was a strong 160 beats a minute. I have been feeling sick the past several days so she was a little concerned that I might have a virus. I was running a temperature of 100.4 which is considerably higher than my normal 97.4. My blood pressure has also been elevated due to the intense pain of the headache and the fever but it was down today when I checked it. The doctor also prescribed some pain killers for the headache that have been working pretty well, I just don't want to take any more of them than I absolutely have to since they are narcotics and I'm not entirely convinced that it's safe for the baby.

Please keep us in your prayers that I can get over this quickly and get back to work. God bless!

12 weeks!

As of last Thursday I am into week 12. For most people this would mean an end to morning sickness, evidently I'm not most people. Other than the constant nausea and extreme fatigue I'm feeling okay. I've stopped losing weight and am now just holding steady. I have another doctor's appointment on Wednesday so hopefully we will be able to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. Currently the baby is about the size of a plum. It just seems so unreal to think about the fact that there is a tiny little person inside of me. I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or girl but we've got another 8 weeks before that happens. If I am able to record the heartbeat on Wednesday I will post it on here.

God Bless!

Baby's First Photo

Today we had the first ultrasound. It was absolutely amazing to see the baby and watch the heart beat. The heart rate was about 158 beats per minute which is about double my heart rate. Sometimes I still can't believe that it's actually happening. Due to the measured size of the baby (1.49 cm) they have moved up my due date by 5 days which I fully expected. I told Bryan weeks ago that I thought the date was wrong and it should be December 3rd. I was right! Here's the photo that they sent us home with. Right now it looks pretty much like a big blob but I promise that it's a baby. Bryan was also thrilled to see that there is only one of them in there!

Storks and Chinese fortunes!

For those of you who don't know yet, we are going to have a baby!! My expected due date is December 8th. This is the photo of the stork that was in our backyard the day after we found out that I was pregnant. I also had a fortune in my cookie about a week before I took the test that read, "Your efforts are budding - Results will appear soon!" How's that for coincidence?!?

So far I have had a lot of "morning" sickness that seems to last 24 hours a day. Other than being really tired, I'm doing okay. We are both so excited and can't wait for all of the monumental events that come with being pregnant. Right now we are just waiting to hear back from the doctor about my bloodwork. Since I have thyroid problems I will be seeing a specialist a couple times throughout my pregnancy but how soon I see him will depend on the lab work. I called my Lyme Disease specialist last week to see if there were any major concerns and his nurse said that as long as I stayed symptom free that we were in the clear. That is such a huge relief so right now I'm trying to keep my stress as low as possible and get as much rest as I can.

Keep all 3 of us in your prayers!! God bless!

New adventures!

After much consideration I have decided to become a consultant for The Pampered Chef. I am extremely excited about the opportunities that this may bring. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do and I will enjoy being able to share that with other people. I need to book several parties pretty soon so if you'd like to help out I would love that! If you don't live around here but would like to have a catalog party that would be great too. Just let me know!