Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Our Little Pumpkin!
Halloween at the McLaughlin house was pretty much a non-event, but Sean did dress up as an adorable little pumpkin, and we got some wonderful pictures of him.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Birth Story (only a month late)
Sorry this is so late, but I thought I'd get it all down on paper, and it has taken quite a bit of time.
After my 38 week (and 5 day) OB appointment on Friday(10/3), I had a number of questions about getting induced, as I had been extra uncomfortable for several weeks. I had an internal and I was at 1cm dilated, and was ripe for induction. All the previous week, I was getting up every 1-1.5 hours, and that was on 2 percocet, and 1-2 ambien per night. I was ready to have this baby, and it felt wonderful to be able to start discussing inducing within the next 10 days (sometime before my Oct. 12 due date). Anyways, I decided to wait to set an induction date until my next appointment for the good of my little boy, well my little boy had other plans.
On Saturday (10/4) I woke up feeling extremely emotional, and tired, so DH decided we would have a day in with no errands, and it was really wonderful to just rest. DH had to pick up a medicine prescription for himself, and we decided to get some Chipotle before watching the CU v. Texas football game. I got something spicy, half joking with DH that it would send me into labor. Well after we got home and ate, the contractions started. So DH decided to start timing them, and they quickly became over 1.5-2 minutes in length, and were coming every 12 minutes to start, and moved to every 3-8 minutes. After a couple hours of timing, DH decided that we were probably on our way to L&D, so he got the hospital bag list that we wrote weeks earlier, and we FINALLY packed the hospital bag. We then called the OB, and let him know about the contractions, and he wanted me to come in immediately for a labor check. Off to the hospital we go. I have to say something told me that they wee just going to send me home, so I wasn't getting my hopes up.
When we got there it was already 10pm, and I got checked pretty quickly, and found out that I was only 1-2 cm dilated, but my contractions were of irregular intensity, but just as frequent as DH and I had been timing. We had the option to stay and walk for an hour, or go home immediately, and we chose to walk. After an hour I was checked again, with no change. The OB sent us home at 1:30am, and told me to go ahead and take my nightly meds of 2 percocet, and an ambien so that I could get some rest. I was told to return if the pain got worse, and boy did it!
All night long, every hour I got up to pee, and each time I was in excruciating pain, but each time I was able to get a bit of sleep. At 6:30am, I woke up and once again did the bathroom run in pain, and came back and laid down. I was in A LOT of pain. I couldn't fall back to sleep, and it was a constant pain that didn't seem time-able. I woke DH up at 7:30 in tears of pain. The pain was significantly worse, and DH threw clothes on both of us and got us in the car and headed back to L&D. I was in SUCH EXTREME pain, they got me into triage very fast, and I was checked almost immediately. I was at 3-4 cm, and I was having very regular strong contractions every 3-4 minutes. I was -1 station, and 80% effaced. The nurse was unsure of Sean's position in the womb, so they do a quick ultrasound to make sure that he was head down, and find that he is, but facing to my right. My IV fluids were started, and the first round of antibiotics were started because I was Group B Strep+. They admitted us and got us in a room by 9:45am. I was dealing with the shakes during every contraction, the nurse said that it was due to the stress and anxiety of labor rather than the temperature in the building. Deep breaths were the only way to control the shakes.
By 10:15am the nurse gave me a dose of Staedol while waiting for the anesthesiologist to get out of a c-section, so that I could get my epidural. Staedol felt wonderful, and allowed me to relax more easily through the pain of the contractions that were coming every 2 minutes or so. Felt like a warm blanket being placed over my whole body. By 10:30am I was checked again right before receiving the epidural, and was a solid 4cm dilated. At 11:00am the anesthesiologist came in to do the epidural. It took him about 15-20 minutes to get it in properly, and then another 15 minutes for the pain to subside. My DH actually got to help hold me in place during the procedure which was a real surprise because he HATES blood and needles. At 11:40am I was checked again, still 4cm dilated, decision was made to break my water. I was told to rest at this point, and that it could be a little while before I was fully dilated. I think it hit me right about this point that I was actually going to have my baby that day, and they weren't going to just send me home like a crazy person. I remember a little sign on the wall saying "10/5 Happy Birthday Sean" it was really very surreal, and I remember asking my nurse if she thought that Sean was really going to come before midnight, she was pretty sure he would be here before the end of her shift at 8pm. Once I got over the realization, I decided to take a nap.
At 12:45pm the nurse came in to monitor my contractions, they seemed to be coming every minute at that point. The nurse told me that if she were on pitocin they would probably have turned it down because of how frequent the contractions are coming. Around 1:15pm the doctor was unsure of the quality of the contractions that I was having, so he decided to insert a pressure monitor catheter to get a better idea of the quality of my contractions. This results in a "geyser" and 2nd water break. By 1:45pm the doctor determined that the quality of the contractions was not as good as he would hope with as many as I was having, so he ordered a "whiff of pit" which was the smallest dose of pitocin that could be administered. I was then monitored very closely by the nurse to make sure that the contractions were doing what they are supposed to be doing. The contractions were doing a lot better, but the pitocin needed to be turned up just one more notch it order to get the contractions to be perfect.
At 3:00pm the doctor came to check me again. I was Fully dilated, +1 station, fully effaced. Sean was still slightly to my right, so doctor told me to lay on my right side, and that we would start pushing in about 30 minutes whether or not he had returned. By 3:30pm the nurse explained to DH and I the procedure for pushing. I took only one practice push. The nurse then told me to just relax, and she would be back really soon to do some real pushing.
At exactly 3:40pm the real pushing starts. I could feel the pressure with each contraction, so I was able to tell everyone when I needed to push which was about every 2 minutes (3 pushes of 10 seconds each per contraction). The nurse quickly called the doctor as well as the rest of the delivery team. I only screamed through the last two pushes when the ring of fire feeling was present, and at exactly 3:57pm, Sean was born.
I didn't get to see his face for about 20 minutes, but I could hear those beautiful lungs. Sean was wisked across the room to be checked out by the NICU team for respiratory distress from all of the narcotic pain meds that I needed to be on for half the pregnancy for the kidney stone. Within about 5 minutes, the NICU team had given Sean 9-9 on his apgar scores, and told us that he was in perfect health. DH told me that the first thing Sean did as the NICU team was checking him out was to pee ALL over the place, it made Bri crack up, and the NICU team frantically look for a diaper. Anyways, Sean measured in at 7lbs 15.4 oz, and 19 inches long (although within a week he had already grown an inch, so we are pretty sure that it wasn't that accurate).
As for me, I received a 2nd degree tear, and it took a while to stitch me back up. I have been healing very well over the last few weeks, and we have all settled in as a family here at home.
After my 38 week (and 5 day) OB appointment on Friday(10/3), I had a number of questions about getting induced, as I had been extra uncomfortable for several weeks. I had an internal and I was at 1cm dilated, and was ripe for induction. All the previous week, I was getting up every 1-1.5 hours, and that was on 2 percocet, and 1-2 ambien per night. I was ready to have this baby, and it felt wonderful to be able to start discussing inducing within the next 10 days (sometime before my Oct. 12 due date). Anyways, I decided to wait to set an induction date until my next appointment for the good of my little boy, well my little boy had other plans.
On Saturday (10/4) I woke up feeling extremely emotional, and tired, so DH decided we would have a day in with no errands, and it was really wonderful to just rest. DH had to pick up a medicine prescription for himself, and we decided to get some Chipotle before watching the CU v. Texas football game. I got something spicy, half joking with DH that it would send me into labor. Well after we got home and ate, the contractions started. So DH decided to start timing them, and they quickly became over 1.5-2 minutes in length, and were coming every 12 minutes to start, and moved to every 3-8 minutes. After a couple hours of timing, DH decided that we were probably on our way to L&D, so he got the hospital bag list that we wrote weeks earlier, and we FINALLY packed the hospital bag. We then called the OB, and let him know about the contractions, and he wanted me to come in immediately for a labor check. Off to the hospital we go. I have to say something told me that they wee just going to send me home, so I wasn't getting my hopes up.
When we got there it was already 10pm, and I got checked pretty quickly, and found out that I was only 1-2 cm dilated, but my contractions were of irregular intensity, but just as frequent as DH and I had been timing. We had the option to stay and walk for an hour, or go home immediately, and we chose to walk. After an hour I was checked again, with no change. The OB sent us home at 1:30am, and told me to go ahead and take my nightly meds of 2 percocet, and an ambien so that I could get some rest. I was told to return if the pain got worse, and boy did it!
All night long, every hour I got up to pee, and each time I was in excruciating pain, but each time I was able to get a bit of sleep. At 6:30am, I woke up and once again did the bathroom run in pain, and came back and laid down. I was in A LOT of pain. I couldn't fall back to sleep, and it was a constant pain that didn't seem time-able. I woke DH up at 7:30 in tears of pain. The pain was significantly worse, and DH threw clothes on both of us and got us in the car and headed back to L&D. I was in SUCH EXTREME pain, they got me into triage very fast, and I was checked almost immediately. I was at 3-4 cm, and I was having very regular strong contractions every 3-4 minutes. I was -1 station, and 80% effaced. The nurse was unsure of Sean's position in the womb, so they do a quick ultrasound to make sure that he was head down, and find that he is, but facing to my right. My IV fluids were started, and the first round of antibiotics were started because I was Group B Strep+. They admitted us and got us in a room by 9:45am. I was dealing with the shakes during every contraction, the nurse said that it was due to the stress and anxiety of labor rather than the temperature in the building. Deep breaths were the only way to control the shakes.
By 10:15am the nurse gave me a dose of Staedol while waiting for the anesthesiologist to get out of a c-section, so that I could get my epidural. Staedol felt wonderful, and allowed me to relax more easily through the pain of the contractions that were coming every 2 minutes or so. Felt like a warm blanket being placed over my whole body. By 10:30am I was checked again right before receiving the epidural, and was a solid 4cm dilated. At 11:00am the anesthesiologist came in to do the epidural. It took him about 15-20 minutes to get it in properly, and then another 15 minutes for the pain to subside. My DH actually got to help hold me in place during the procedure which was a real surprise because he HATES blood and needles. At 11:40am I was checked again, still 4cm dilated, decision was made to break my water. I was told to rest at this point, and that it could be a little while before I was fully dilated. I think it hit me right about this point that I was actually going to have my baby that day, and they weren't going to just send me home like a crazy person. I remember a little sign on the wall saying "10/5 Happy Birthday Sean" it was really very surreal, and I remember asking my nurse if she thought that Sean was really going to come before midnight, she was pretty sure he would be here before the end of her shift at 8pm. Once I got over the realization, I decided to take a nap.
At 12:45pm the nurse came in to monitor my contractions, they seemed to be coming every minute at that point. The nurse told me that if she were on pitocin they would probably have turned it down because of how frequent the contractions are coming. Around 1:15pm the doctor was unsure of the quality of the contractions that I was having, so he decided to insert a pressure monitor catheter to get a better idea of the quality of my contractions. This results in a "geyser" and 2nd water break. By 1:45pm the doctor determined that the quality of the contractions was not as good as he would hope with as many as I was having, so he ordered a "whiff of pit" which was the smallest dose of pitocin that could be administered. I was then monitored very closely by the nurse to make sure that the contractions were doing what they are supposed to be doing. The contractions were doing a lot better, but the pitocin needed to be turned up just one more notch it order to get the contractions to be perfect.
At 3:00pm the doctor came to check me again. I was Fully dilated, +1 station, fully effaced. Sean was still slightly to my right, so doctor told me to lay on my right side, and that we would start pushing in about 30 minutes whether or not he had returned. By 3:30pm the nurse explained to DH and I the procedure for pushing. I took only one practice push. The nurse then told me to just relax, and she would be back really soon to do some real pushing.
At exactly 3:40pm the real pushing starts. I could feel the pressure with each contraction, so I was able to tell everyone when I needed to push which was about every 2 minutes (3 pushes of 10 seconds each per contraction). The nurse quickly called the doctor as well as the rest of the delivery team. I only screamed through the last two pushes when the ring of fire feeling was present, and at exactly 3:57pm, Sean was born.
I didn't get to see his face for about 20 minutes, but I could hear those beautiful lungs. Sean was wisked across the room to be checked out by the NICU team for respiratory distress from all of the narcotic pain meds that I needed to be on for half the pregnancy for the kidney stone. Within about 5 minutes, the NICU team had given Sean 9-9 on his apgar scores, and told us that he was in perfect health. DH told me that the first thing Sean did as the NICU team was checking him out was to pee ALL over the place, it made Bri crack up, and the NICU team frantically look for a diaper. Anyways, Sean measured in at 7lbs 15.4 oz, and 19 inches long (although within a week he had already grown an inch, so we are pretty sure that it wasn't that accurate).
As for me, I received a 2nd degree tear, and it took a while to stitch me back up. I have been healing very well over the last few weeks, and we have all settled in as a family here at home.
Friday, October 10, 2008
He is Here!!!
Sorry I hadn't updated sooner, its been a very uncomfortable couple of weeks, and honestly I didn't want to complain too much about it.
Anyways, on to the good stuff!!! Sean Patrick McLaughlin was born Sunday October 5, 2008 at 3:57pm. He weighed 7lbs 15oz and was 19 inches long.
I had a very quick labor and only pushed for a total of 17 minutes, and through about 9 contractions. I'll have to post the birth story a bit later, because I have a little one keeping me very busy now. Brian and I have to try and recreate it, because just as we had settled in enough to write out some of the notes about what was going on during labor, we were told it was time to push.
In the mean time, how about some pictures??? ;-)
Anyways, on to the good stuff!!! Sean Patrick McLaughlin was born Sunday October 5, 2008 at 3:57pm. He weighed 7lbs 15oz and was 19 inches long.
I had a very quick labor and only pushed for a total of 17 minutes, and through about 9 contractions. I'll have to post the birth story a bit later, because I have a little one keeping me very busy now. Brian and I have to try and recreate it, because just as we had settled in enough to write out some of the notes about what was going on during labor, we were told it was time to push.
In the mean time, how about some pictures??? ;-)
Monday, September 1, 2008
34w1d... Labor Day Weekend and Outside Belly Pics!!
Hi everyone! Well as I promised, I have uploaded some belly pictures. Well as some of you know my husband Brian is quite the amateur photographer. This is his first set of maternity pictures. Brian still wants to do some inside pictures as soon as we have our basement back in order, so I'll put those up as soon as we take them. Here are 5 of my favorites, Brian really did a great job of making me feel beautiful in all of the pictures that he took.
As for the rest of the holiday weekend, Brian and I had a WONDERFUL weekend. On Friday, I was incredibly surprised at work that they threw me a shower. I really didn't think that they were going to since I haven't been in work since the beginning of June. I was incredibly touched by all of the people that showed up, and all of the people that put effort into it. We were given an incredibly generous Babies'R'Us gift card that helped us to buy the majority of everything we still needed for our little one to show up. Oh and Brian surprised me with a brand new point and shoot camera, so that I could take tons of quick pics of Sean.
On Sunday Brian and I went and got pedicures, which was incredibly fabulous, especially since I can no longer reach my toes. It was so nice that Brian was willing to go with me, we found a nice little place that is brand new, and I am pretty sure we will go back there soon. Right after we finished there, Bri and I headed over to Babies'R'Us, and spent $60 on nearly $400 worth of still needed gear. We had saved up all of our gift cards and coupons and used them all in one shot. Its official... with the exception of our crib which still needs to arrive... Sean can come and has what he needs.
Today, other than the picture session, Brian and I worked on putting a bunch of stuff away in the nursery, and it really looks wonderful, as soon as we get the crib in there I will make sure to take pictures of everything so that everyone can see it. Sean has diapers, wipes, clothes, etc. and everything has its place for now. I just need to wash a bunch of items, and pack my hospital bag, and then there won't be much left to do.
Tomorrow is our breastfeeding class which should be a lot of fun!
As for the rest of the holiday weekend, Brian and I had a WONDERFUL weekend. On Friday, I was incredibly surprised at work that they threw me a shower. I really didn't think that they were going to since I haven't been in work since the beginning of June. I was incredibly touched by all of the people that showed up, and all of the people that put effort into it. We were given an incredibly generous Babies'R'Us gift card that helped us to buy the majority of everything we still needed for our little one to show up. Oh and Brian surprised me with a brand new point and shoot camera, so that I could take tons of quick pics of Sean.
On Sunday Brian and I went and got pedicures, which was incredibly fabulous, especially since I can no longer reach my toes. It was so nice that Brian was willing to go with me, we found a nice little place that is brand new, and I am pretty sure we will go back there soon. Right after we finished there, Bri and I headed over to Babies'R'Us, and spent $60 on nearly $400 worth of still needed gear. We had saved up all of our gift cards and coupons and used them all in one shot. Its official... with the exception of our crib which still needs to arrive... Sean can come and has what he needs.
Today, other than the picture session, Brian and I worked on putting a bunch of stuff away in the nursery, and it really looks wonderful, as soon as we get the crib in there I will make sure to take pictures of everything so that everyone can see it. Sean has diapers, wipes, clothes, etc. and everything has its place for now. I just need to wash a bunch of items, and pack my hospital bag, and then there won't be much left to do.
Tomorrow is our breastfeeding class which should be a lot of fun!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
33w3d... Appointments!
So today Brian and I had a regular OB appointment, and another ultrasound to check on Sean's growth.
Well the OB appointment was just fine, my blood pressure is still great, and I finally gained a little weight. The OB said that I will have my first internal and Group B strep test at my next appointment in two weeks, that should be exciting. I am praying for progress!
Then, Bri and I headed over for our growth scan... that was eventful. Sorry no pictures this time, his head is very low in my pelvis busy stretching me out, in what the ultrasound tech called the "launch" position. I am 33.5 weeks pregnant this week, and Sean is easily measuring 35 weeks already, he is 5lbs. Oye... he is gonna be a big boy. They did say they could tell that he has a full head of hair, which some people had been guessing from his previous ultrasounds.
I'll have a longer update soon with pictures from my WONDERFUL baby shower this past weekend. It was a blast, and Brian and I recieved so many wonderful things, we just can't get over our friends generosity.
Also for all of those people asking for belly pics, even though I am hesitant to show off too much skin, Brian is going to attempt his first shot at maternity pics this weekend. Assuming all goes well, I'll have some pics to show off early next week.
Well the OB appointment was just fine, my blood pressure is still great, and I finally gained a little weight. The OB said that I will have my first internal and Group B strep test at my next appointment in two weeks, that should be exciting. I am praying for progress!
Then, Bri and I headed over for our growth scan... that was eventful. Sorry no pictures this time, his head is very low in my pelvis busy stretching me out, in what the ultrasound tech called the "launch" position. I am 33.5 weeks pregnant this week, and Sean is easily measuring 35 weeks already, he is 5lbs. Oye... he is gonna be a big boy. They did say they could tell that he has a full head of hair, which some people had been guessing from his previous ultrasounds.
I'll have a longer update soon with pictures from my WONDERFUL baby shower this past weekend. It was a blast, and Brian and I recieved so many wonderful things, we just can't get over our friends generosity.
Also for all of those people asking for belly pics, even though I am hesitant to show off too much skin, Brian is going to attempt his first shot at maternity pics this weekend. Assuming all goes well, I'll have some pics to show off early next week.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
31w4d.... Pictures(and Sounds) Finally!!!
Sorry for the long delay, but the basement is still torn up, and we are still down a scanner. Luckily I have a wonderful friend who was able to scan the ultrasound pic for me, THANKS DB!
Also today I had another OB appointment, where the doc checked the heartbeat, my weight and my blood pressure. Blood pressure is still great as always, I still haven't gained a pound since getting pregnant, and the heartbeat was as beautiful as ever. Just click the picture below for our ultrasound pic, as well as a recording of Sean's heartbeat from today's appointment.
As for me, well I woke up out of a percocet/ambien sleep in pain last night, but decided to try to go back to sleep since I knew I already had a scheduled doctors appointment today. I am definitely getting more and more sore and tired. I actually told the OB today that I am ready for this pregnancy to be done, she said she would prefer if he cooked for at least another month, then we could talk. She understands/sympathizes with my pain, so I know that she will do whats best for both me and Sean. Let's just say that I haven't had the easiest pregnancy, and although I am eternally grateful to be pregnant, it is getting old, and I am getting sore and tired.
Anyways, in other news we have gotten a start on the nursery, after my family painted, we put up our changing table, and we put a closet unit together so that we could actually start putting things away. We got the call yesterday that our glider had arrived at Babies'R'Us, and we are making a plan to go and pick it up. The crib should be in by the end of the month, and then all that will be left is to bring Sean home! Of course that means we have to finish a whole bunch of other little projects before we are really ready for him to be home.
Ok, more later, but for now enjoy a little picture and sound courtesy of Sean!
Also today I had another OB appointment, where the doc checked the heartbeat, my weight and my blood pressure. Blood pressure is still great as always, I still haven't gained a pound since getting pregnant, and the heartbeat was as beautiful as ever. Just click the picture below for our ultrasound pic, as well as a recording of Sean's heartbeat from today's appointment.
As for me, well I woke up out of a percocet/ambien sleep in pain last night, but decided to try to go back to sleep since I knew I already had a scheduled doctors appointment today. I am definitely getting more and more sore and tired. I actually told the OB today that I am ready for this pregnancy to be done, she said she would prefer if he cooked for at least another month, then we could talk. She understands/sympathizes with my pain, so I know that she will do whats best for both me and Sean. Let's just say that I haven't had the easiest pregnancy, and although I am eternally grateful to be pregnant, it is getting old, and I am getting sore and tired.
Anyways, in other news we have gotten a start on the nursery, after my family painted, we put up our changing table, and we put a closet unit together so that we could actually start putting things away. We got the call yesterday that our glider had arrived at Babies'R'Us, and we are making a plan to go and pick it up. The crib should be in by the end of the month, and then all that will be left is to bring Sean home! Of course that means we have to finish a whole bunch of other little projects before we are really ready for him to be home.
Ok, more later, but for now enjoy a little picture and sound courtesy of Sean!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
29w3d... It's my birthday!!!
Its my 26th birthday!!! I got a wonderful present of seeing my little boy today in an ultrasound. He is nearly 3lbs already, and has adorable chubby cheeks. I'll get everyone a picture as soon as I can but our scanner is out of commission for about a week. I promise he is a cutie though. They did take a quick look at my kidney, and the stone is still there big as ever.
Brian took me over to a tiny little bakery in Annapolis that we found a few months back for me to pick out my birthday dessert. He also took me for a sushi dinner(with doctors permission). It was heaven. I have been so good this whole pregnancy that just 2 pieces of raw tuna and 2 pieces of raw salmon were some of the best sushi I had ever had.
We were going to come home and have a quiet evening and have some birthday dessert, however, as always, plans change and we adapt. We got a call at the end of dinner that was asking to schedule a major basement repair that we need done to start tomorrow morning. Considering we REALLY need this repair completed, we were very hesitant to push it off to another time, so we came right home and we (well, Brian) worked on moving the final items in the basement for a couple hours. We will continue my birthday celebration tomorrow, and have our yummy desserts then.
So what huge basement repairs could cause such commotion, you might ask? Well due to basement flooding... through the floor, we have to get the entire french drain system replaced around all 4 walls in our basement. Its a huge and expensive repair, but it must be done. It will take three days to do the repair, and another three days for the cement to completely dry. So by the end of next week we can have the carpet replaced, and the basement will be all fixed. It will be nice to have our house back.
Another big item that has been worked on lately, is that my family has just finished painting Sean's nursery. As soon as we get a chance I'll start posting pics of the nursery progress since it will come together pretty quickly at this point.
Love to all and I promise to get a picture update ASAP.
Brian took me over to a tiny little bakery in Annapolis that we found a few months back for me to pick out my birthday dessert. He also took me for a sushi dinner(with doctors permission). It was heaven. I have been so good this whole pregnancy that just 2 pieces of raw tuna and 2 pieces of raw salmon were some of the best sushi I had ever had.
We were going to come home and have a quiet evening and have some birthday dessert, however, as always, plans change and we adapt. We got a call at the end of dinner that was asking to schedule a major basement repair that we need done to start tomorrow morning. Considering we REALLY need this repair completed, we were very hesitant to push it off to another time, so we came right home and we (well, Brian) worked on moving the final items in the basement for a couple hours. We will continue my birthday celebration tomorrow, and have our yummy desserts then.
So what huge basement repairs could cause such commotion, you might ask? Well due to basement flooding... through the floor, we have to get the entire french drain system replaced around all 4 walls in our basement. Its a huge and expensive repair, but it must be done. It will take three days to do the repair, and another three days for the cement to completely dry. So by the end of next week we can have the carpet replaced, and the basement will be all fixed. It will be nice to have our house back.
Another big item that has been worked on lately, is that my family has just finished painting Sean's nursery. As soon as we get a chance I'll start posting pics of the nursery progress since it will come together pretty quickly at this point.
Love to all and I promise to get a picture update ASAP.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
27w 4d... Wow its been a while... LONG Update
Wow.... I am officially in the third trimester.
I guess I need to give everyone an update on whats been up with me over the past month. Well its all about getting used to a new normal.
First of all for those that don't already know, we released the name of our little boy. He is officially Sean Patrick McLaughlin. He is also really beautiful. We had another ultrasound on
July 2nd, and the little one is so incredibly gorgeous. We got several 3-D pics of him, and there was at least one that looked just like Bri, and another pic that really resembled my family, so who knows who he will look like in the end. They told us that he already weighed 2lbs at that appointment, and that was 2 weeks ago. He was also measuring 3 days ahead of his expected size. I think we have a big boy coming our way, everyone keeps guessing that he will be in the 9lb range when he is born, I don't know how I feel about all that, but as long as he is healthy then I'll take it.
Second, Brian, my sister and I took a trip to Charlotte, NC over the 4th of July to see his family for the last time before Sean arrives, and take my sister to her final college visit. It was nice to see everyone, and it was such a fun trip. The family threw me a baby shower while we were down there, and we received a bunch of cute outfits, as well as our Pack'n'Play, diaper genie, and a beautiful solar system mobile. We were so incredibly blessed to have so many people excited for us to have our own baby. One incredibly speacial memory from the trip for me was when my niece was talking to me about baby Sean, and she wanted to brush baby Sean's hair, she gave baby Sean a kiss, and put her ear up to my belly to listen to baby Sean. It was such an incredible feeling knowing that even a 2.5 year old understands that we are going to have a baby, and she is so excited about it.
Well, I guess I should get down to my health... I am doing as ok as can be expected. I am still on percocet every 5 hours, and have been for over a month now. Since being in the hospital, I have been seeing the OB every week, just so that they can keep a close eye on me, my pain and our little Sean. So far, Sean is doing wonderfully(as mentioned above), and I am going in for monthly growth scan ultrasounds to keep an eye on him to make sure that he continues to grow as expected. Every time I go into the OB, I know I am a special case... there is one doc that really understands what is going on without us explaining the whole situation, and we have been seeing her a lot, however, we have had a couple other appointments with other docs in the practice since being in the hospital, and each time we have had to explain why we are being seen so often, and whats going on with us. I know that there really isn't a ton that they can do for me, but its frustrating when they can't read my chart BEFORE they come talk to me.
I am also seeing a urologist once a month, mostly to do urine cultures, and to make a plan to remove the stone after Sean is here. It sounds like they can't do any procedures until around 2 weeks after the birth, which of course is frustrating, because it will come right in the middle of the bonding, and the first couple weeks or Sean's life will be full of doctors appointments and surgery for me. That is really hard to accept, and I am trying very hard to work through all of my emotions.
Today I saw a pain management specialist for the first time, it was such a waste of my time. I do know that my OB said that I would need a plan to get off the pain meds after the stone is out, but really I feel like he didn't do anything except take my money, and treat me like I might try to sell my pain meds on the street... it felt great. I will have to see him everytime I need a med refill now... at $40 a pop... what a frustration.
I guess my health is just a big waiting game at this point. Oh yeah, and I am not allowed to work at all. The doctor thinks that it would be too stressful for me to be working in a technical field with my incredibly slow response time. I have had a couple breakdowns over the last couple weeks wondering if I will ever be able to do my job again, or ever be able to think technically again. Its hard when I should know the answer to something off the top of my head that I just cannot recall, and its like my mind just has a huge block. Brian keeps reminding me that it is all temporary, and I will be my old self soon enough. I guess only time will tell.
Oh my, what else.... over the past month, Brian and I have been trying to make progress on several house projects, starting with repairing the leaks in the basement. Well we thought that it would be a pretty simple fix, and while it may have been pretty simple, it seems that it isn't as simple as we had thought, and we are going to have to get a serious professional out to fix the problem. This means that we are going to have to proceed with the nursery painting and such even without finishing the basement. We figure we are going to need to have a place for Sean before too long, so it is getting higher and higher on our priority list.
Oh yeah, my other sister came and stayed with Brian and I for about a week and a half, to help with our house projects. While she was here she created a number of art pieces for Sean's nursery. They are so incredibly beautiful, and so appropriate for what Brian and I do in real life. She painted a sunrise over the earth, a pair of merging galaxies, a supernovae, and the Orion nebula. They are really remarkable.
Wow that was a lot of information for one post.
I guess I need to give everyone an update on whats been up with me over the past month. Well its all about getting used to a new normal.
First of all for those that don't already know, we released the name of our little boy. He is officially Sean Patrick McLaughlin. He is also really beautiful. We had another ultrasound on
July 2nd, and the little one is so incredibly gorgeous. We got several 3-D pics of him, and there was at least one that looked just like Bri, and another pic that really resembled my family, so who knows who he will look like in the end. They told us that he already weighed 2lbs at that appointment, and that was 2 weeks ago. He was also measuring 3 days ahead of his expected size. I think we have a big boy coming our way, everyone keeps guessing that he will be in the 9lb range when he is born, I don't know how I feel about all that, but as long as he is healthy then I'll take it.
Second, Brian, my sister and I took a trip to Charlotte, NC over the 4th of July to see his family for the last time before Sean arrives, and take my sister to her final college visit. It was nice to see everyone, and it was such a fun trip. The family threw me a baby shower while we were down there, and we received a bunch of cute outfits, as well as our Pack'n'Play, diaper genie, and a beautiful solar system mobile. We were so incredibly blessed to have so many people excited for us to have our own baby. One incredibly speacial memory from the trip for me was when my niece was talking to me about baby Sean, and she wanted to brush baby Sean's hair, she gave baby Sean a kiss, and put her ear up to my belly to listen to baby Sean. It was such an incredible feeling knowing that even a 2.5 year old understands that we are going to have a baby, and she is so excited about it.
Well, I guess I should get down to my health... I am doing as ok as can be expected. I am still on percocet every 5 hours, and have been for over a month now. Since being in the hospital, I have been seeing the OB every week, just so that they can keep a close eye on me, my pain and our little Sean. So far, Sean is doing wonderfully(as mentioned above), and I am going in for monthly growth scan ultrasounds to keep an eye on him to make sure that he continues to grow as expected. Every time I go into the OB, I know I am a special case... there is one doc that really understands what is going on without us explaining the whole situation, and we have been seeing her a lot, however, we have had a couple other appointments with other docs in the practice since being in the hospital, and each time we have had to explain why we are being seen so often, and whats going on with us. I know that there really isn't a ton that they can do for me, but its frustrating when they can't read my chart BEFORE they come talk to me.
I am also seeing a urologist once a month, mostly to do urine cultures, and to make a plan to remove the stone after Sean is here. It sounds like they can't do any procedures until around 2 weeks after the birth, which of course is frustrating, because it will come right in the middle of the bonding, and the first couple weeks or Sean's life will be full of doctors appointments and surgery for me. That is really hard to accept, and I am trying very hard to work through all of my emotions.
Today I saw a pain management specialist for the first time, it was such a waste of my time. I do know that my OB said that I would need a plan to get off the pain meds after the stone is out, but really I feel like he didn't do anything except take my money, and treat me like I might try to sell my pain meds on the street... it felt great. I will have to see him everytime I need a med refill now... at $40 a pop... what a frustration.
I guess my health is just a big waiting game at this point. Oh yeah, and I am not allowed to work at all. The doctor thinks that it would be too stressful for me to be working in a technical field with my incredibly slow response time. I have had a couple breakdowns over the last couple weeks wondering if I will ever be able to do my job again, or ever be able to think technically again. Its hard when I should know the answer to something off the top of my head that I just cannot recall, and its like my mind just has a huge block. Brian keeps reminding me that it is all temporary, and I will be my old self soon enough. I guess only time will tell.
Oh my, what else.... over the past month, Brian and I have been trying to make progress on several house projects, starting with repairing the leaks in the basement. Well we thought that it would be a pretty simple fix, and while it may have been pretty simple, it seems that it isn't as simple as we had thought, and we are going to have to get a serious professional out to fix the problem. This means that we are going to have to proceed with the nursery painting and such even without finishing the basement. We figure we are going to need to have a place for Sean before too long, so it is getting higher and higher on our priority list.
Oh yeah, my other sister came and stayed with Brian and I for about a week and a half, to help with our house projects. While she was here she created a number of art pieces for Sean's nursery. They are so incredibly beautiful, and so appropriate for what Brian and I do in real life. She painted a sunrise over the earth, a pair of merging galaxies, a supernovae, and the Orion nebula. They are really remarkable.
Wow that was a lot of information for one post.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
22w3d... Hospitalized... Scary Couple of Days
I apologize in advance for any spelling and grammar errors, as I am hopped up on serious pain killers.
On Sunday night, I was having serious back pain, and blood in my urine, so I called the on call OB, and was told over the phone that I probably had a bladder infection, and that they were going to call in some antibiotics that should clear it right up. Well, DH put me to bed, and went to get my meds. Well, I took my meds, and fell asleep, but slept terribly. I stayed home from work on Monday, trying to help myself heal.
At about 8pm on Monday night, I had another bout of serious back pain, and still had blood in my urine, even after being on the antibiotics for 24-hours. Well I called the on-call OB again, and she decided to have me come in to L&D and get a urine sample, and to double check for a possible small kidney stone(she didn't think this would be the case.) Well after my urine came back with no bacteria in it, she decided to send me down for a renal ultrasound. We got a very quick look at our little boy. He was waving at us as if to let us know that he was still perfect. Anyways after that, it was pretty obvious that I had a stone in my right kidney, but the tech didn't tell us anything else at that point. Well when the OB came to tell me the results, she revealed that it was the biggest kidney stone she had ever seen, just over 2 centimeters. She also said that she was going to admit me into the antipartum unit until a urologist was able to assess the stone.
Well I was in the hospital from Monday evening till today at noon. Basically, I have a massive kidney stone that will NOT pass on its own. If I weren't pregnant they would shock pulverize it and it would turn into powder/smaller pieces, and I would expel them (painfully I might add). Anyways, they can't do that before our little boy is born.
So for the rest of the pregnancy they can only manage the pain, meaning that I will be on percocet/every 4 hours and an antibiotic/ 1 per day. Unfortunately that means that I can't drive for the remainder of the pregnancy, or whenever I am on the percocet. The OB asked that I should get my disability paperwork from work, and start my disability leave now, through 6-8 weeks post-partum. I am not on bedrest (at this point), but I am supposed to take it easy because of the narcotics.
Well I am sure I have regaled you all with enough info for a while, but I figured that I'd update everyone. I also found out that The NEST and my blog are blocked from the hospital internet. I'll be blogging a lot more in the future, since I'll have less to do.
BTW, if anyone else has had to deal with anything even CLOSE to any of this I would LOVE to hear from you. There was SO much information that I had to take in during the last few days, I am a bit overwhelmed.
Thanks for making it through the long story.
On Sunday night, I was having serious back pain, and blood in my urine, so I called the on call OB, and was told over the phone that I probably had a bladder infection, and that they were going to call in some antibiotics that should clear it right up. Well, DH put me to bed, and went to get my meds. Well, I took my meds, and fell asleep, but slept terribly. I stayed home from work on Monday, trying to help myself heal.
At about 8pm on Monday night, I had another bout of serious back pain, and still had blood in my urine, even after being on the antibiotics for 24-hours. Well I called the on-call OB again, and she decided to have me come in to L&D and get a urine sample, and to double check for a possible small kidney stone(she didn't think this would be the case.) Well after my urine came back with no bacteria in it, she decided to send me down for a renal ultrasound. We got a very quick look at our little boy. He was waving at us as if to let us know that he was still perfect. Anyways after that, it was pretty obvious that I had a stone in my right kidney, but the tech didn't tell us anything else at that point. Well when the OB came to tell me the results, she revealed that it was the biggest kidney stone she had ever seen, just over 2 centimeters. She also said that she was going to admit me into the antipartum unit until a urologist was able to assess the stone.
Well I was in the hospital from Monday evening till today at noon. Basically, I have a massive kidney stone that will NOT pass on its own. If I weren't pregnant they would shock pulverize it and it would turn into powder/smaller pieces, and I would expel them (painfully I might add). Anyways, they can't do that before our little boy is born.
So for the rest of the pregnancy they can only manage the pain, meaning that I will be on percocet/every 4 hours and an antibiotic/ 1 per day. Unfortunately that means that I can't drive for the remainder of the pregnancy, or whenever I am on the percocet. The OB asked that I should get my disability paperwork from work, and start my disability leave now, through 6-8 weeks post-partum. I am not on bedrest (at this point), but I am supposed to take it easy because of the narcotics.
Well I am sure I have regaled you all with enough info for a while, but I figured that I'd update everyone. I also found out that The NEST and my blog are blocked from the hospital internet. I'll be blogging a lot more in the future, since I'll have less to do.
BTW, if anyone else has had to deal with anything even CLOSE to any of this I would LOVE to hear from you. There was SO much information that I had to take in during the last few days, I am a bit overwhelmed.
Thanks for making it through the long story.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
20w3d... IT'S A BOY!!!!!!
IT'S A BOY!!! We are so incredibly excited. It was very cool to see him in both 2-D and 3-D.
This is a picture of our little one's face. Look at that cute little nose!
Here is what we call the paparazzi picture. He has his hands right up in front of his face as if to say, "Don't take my picture!".
Here is another picture where you can see the body profile. You can see the head, the arm, the ribs, and the legs.
We are absolutely in love with our little, beautiful baby boy!!!
This is a picture of our little one's face. Look at that cute little nose!
Here is what we call the paparazzi picture. He has his hands right up in front of his face as if to say, "Don't take my picture!".
Here is another picture where you can see the body profile. You can see the head, the arm, the ribs, and the legs.
We are absolutely in love with our little, beautiful baby boy!!!
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