One Month!

I can't believe it's been over a month now since Hudson was born. Time has gone so fast even though I try to savor every minute of it. The sleepless nights haven't been as bad as I anticipated, even though we have had a few really difficult nights and it is hard to get anything done because he wants to be held all the time. In the last week or so he has really started opening his eyes and looking around, and reacting more to me when I talk to him. Danny has been back to work for almost a week now, and it has been more difficult without his help but we are managing! I think I miss his company more than his help, but he has really been such a huge help. I can't believe how much he has helped out actually. He has really been great!

Every week I've been taking a picture of Hudson on a new fabric (an idea I totally stole from Young House Love). He typically HATES it, and screams through the whole thing when I lay him down on the ground, but this last week I got so many cute pictures of him I had a hard time choosing which one to use for my weekly picture! Here's the weekly pictures so far:

Pretty cute, huh? Here's the outtakes from week 4:

Hopefully they stay this cute! I'm pretty stocked up on fabric and looking forward to his Halloween week! (Next week). Now, while he's still sleeping I'm going to try to get a quick shower in before our day starts.

Hudson's Birth Story

He's here!! I can't believe he is already 10 days old...every day that goes by I think to myself that this is the last day he will be 10 days old...or 9 days old, or 8 days old...I'm trying to enjoy and take in every second of every day. When he is up in the middle of the night screaming I try to remind myself that I don't want to wish this time away, because very soon he won't be so little that he needs me in the middle of the night anymore. I still get teary eyed when I think about him growing up, but hopefully that will go away with the rest of my hormones! :)

I need to write about his birth before I forget it, and it seems like an easier way to tell everyone about what happened than one at a time. The Tuesday before he was born, I went in for a routine appointment at my doctor's office, for a non-stress test and growth scan to make sure he wasn't getting too big. I passed my NST, then did the growth ultrasound, and then waited for the doctor to come in to see me. My regular doctor was out of town until Sunday, and we had planned on inducing on Saturday night so she could deliver me. I was seeing one of her partners while she was gone, and after waiting for 45 minutes for her to see me I was convinced she forgot about me. Finally she came into the room and apologized for taking so long, but said she was talking with her other partner and the hospital about my ultrasound, and because my fluid levels were so low on the ultrasound, she thought it would be a good idea to induce me that night. We had to get to the hospital at 4:30, so when I got home I had about 3 hours to get there...I had no idea what to do for 3 hours so I mopped the floor, then Danny and I went to get lunch. It was so strange to know we were about to have a baby. We got to the hospital, and the doctor (another one from my practice) came in to give me a foley bulb-which goes into my cervix to soften it and get me to dilate. When he tried to put it in I felt a gush of liquid (along with a horrible pain) and thought he broke my water. He had a panicked look on his face, and the nurses ran to grab towels. He lifted his hands up and I saw they were covered in blood. Then they took the end of the bed off and I saw it was covered in blood. The doctor said this had never happened before and he didn't feel comfortable going ahead with the procedure. I obviously didn't either. Luckily Danny had ran to get a drink right before the doctor came in and didn't see what happened-one of the nurses stopped him in the hallway to keep him from coming back in. (For anyone who doesn't know him-he has a VERY low tolerance for blood, and passed out at my first ultrasound). The doctor said we had the option of a c-section that night, or we could wait until the following night and try a different induction method. I didn't know what to choose...I really wanted to go ahead right then and get the c-section (the thought of having my baby 2 hours from then was very tempting...along with skipping the entire labor process) but the nurses told me when we were one on one that I should wait and try to be induced so I could deliver vaginally. Also, I had heard so many terrible things about c-sections so was afraid of the recovery. So we decided to give it another night and try something else the next day. The next morning the other doctor from the practice came in, and gave me cervadil-another drug to "ripen" my cervix. She inserted it in my cervix, and it hurt really badly going in but then I couldn't feel it. We left that in 12 hours, and she checked me again. Nothing had happened so she inserted another cervadil for 12 hours, after that still nothing, and they put something else in (I can't remember the name of that) and in the morning still nothing. The first doctor called my cervix "unfavorable" and the second called it "a steel trap". Well after going through this for 45 hours, we decided that c-section was the way to go. I had had horrible contractions all night and could not handle anymore when nothing was happening. We scheduled the C-section for 1:30 on Thursday, and they came to take me back to give me a spinal block a few minutes before. Danny stayed in the room and got ready...

We were pretty worried about if Danny could handle being in the room with me with as queasy  as he gets, but he was a trooper and wanted to be there. They gave me my spinal block, (not as bad as I expected) and soon I couldn't feel my legs. Then Danny came in, and sat with me and held my hand, and after a few minutes, he asked if he could lower his stool because he was seeing too much (they had a curtain set up so we couldn't see anything just like on TV). It felt like they were lightly rubbing my stomach, and a few minutes later the doctor told Danny to get his camera ready, and we heard the sweetest little peep we've ever heard.

They asked Danny if he wanted to hold him after they wiped him off and I looked at him and asked if he had ever held a baby before-to which he replied no :). He still did a great job!

He came out with his hands clasped like he was praying. So cute!! And, Danny didn't pass out even though he said he saw some guts!! They put me back together and brought us back to our room, and Danny and I got a few minutes alone with Hudson before all of our friends and family came in to see him. We stayed in the hospital for 3 more nights, and got zero sleep. Hudson was awake all night and we had visitors all day every day so we had no chance to nap. We were so excited though we didn't care. And I couldn't sleep through the night anyway when he was sleeping because I couldn't stop staring at him.

The newness still hasn't worn off...I still hate to sleep because he is wide awake at night and I don't want to miss anything. I love him more than I ever thought I could, as sappy as that sounds. Danny has been such a huge help, I am so excited he is still off for 2 more weeks with us! Due to my lack of sleep I'm sure I'm forgetting some details, but that is the gist of our hospital stay! The c-section was not nearly as bad as I had expected-I've been in a little pain but have stayed on my pain pills until recently. I can't compare it to a vaginal birth since I have never had one, but I would have no problem choosing this again!  Here are some more pictures of our cute boy:

37 Weeks!!

I can't believe I'm full term today. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, and she set my induction date to the 24th! I was really hoping to have him before that, but my doctor is going to be out of town the week she was hoping to induce me. Since my sugar levels have been good she doesn't want to induce me any earlier, and that is fine I guess. But I will go in on Saturday night, and hopefully have him sometime the next day. I would rather just go into labor on my own sometime soon! Like, now.

Two of my good friends have been pregnant with me through this-one had her baby yesterday morning, and the other is in labor as we speak! I'm getting jealous now to be left behind. But if Hudson isn't ready yet, I guess that's okay :)

I am getting less nervous and more excited, especially after seeing my friends baby yesterday. He is SO cute! I can't wait to hold my own little boy soon.

I don't feel like I am that big until I get a look at myself from  the side. WHOA.

The doctor said his head is down really far-and I had guessed that. Things are starting to get a little uncomfortable but not unbareble. This has been a lot easier for me than I thought it would be, other than all the extra things I have to do because of gestational diabetes. Hopefully the delivery will go just as easily!! I am starting to get a little sad about not being pregnant anymore, I love feeling him moving around in there. But it will be just as fun I'm sure to hold him when he gets out! Hopefully soon!

Hudson's 3d Ultrasound Pictures

I can't forget to post these! He is just too cute. We went in almost a month ago to have this done...I'm having another ultrasound Thursday to check growth but it will be a regular one. It will still be fun to see how much he has grown since then! The Doctor says she will induce me at 39 weeks if my sugar is being controlled, and 38 weeks if it isn't being controlled. So...either 4 or 5 more weeks! So soon!! Here is my handsome man:

The ultrasound tech was poking him a lot to get him to move his hands..I don't think he was very happy about it!

How cute are his feet?

32 Weeks.

It is hard to believe I'm already in the 30s. I have about 7 weeks left if Hudson stays where he is until his due date, but he will more than likely be early because of my gestational diabetes. I'm hoping like 3 weeks early. At least part of me is, and the other part is terrified. I felt not an ounce of apprehension or nervousness until the last few weeks. Danny had been asking me several times a day if I was nervous, and I would reply "No...are YOU?" Yes, was his answer. Now, he's not nervous at all and just ready for the baby to get here. Now I am realizing that in a few short weeks I will be DELIVERING A BABY and I am scared. I'm scared of actually delivering him, and I'm so scared of right after. Not that I'm scared of the night feedings and everything that goes along with that-I'm scared something will happen to him. I talked to an old friend on the phone tonight who lost her baby at 3 months to SIDS, and it really puts it all in perspective for me. I am going to try to enjoy even the toughest moments as much as possible because I know there are so many people out there longing for those exact moments. I just want him to get here healthy, and stay that way. Another part of me feels a little sad that everything will be changing for forever. We won't be able to run to the movies on a whim like we do now, and lay around in bed all day long if we feel like it. But then I think about Halloween coming up, and Christmas, and get so excited to celebrate those things with a little baby that is half me and half Danny. I feel so lucky to be starting a family with him, he will be such a great father. This pregnancy has just gone SO fast I don't know if I'm fully prepared yet. But I guess no one is until it happens.

This is as close as it is going to get for maternity pictures for me. I did want at least one picture to remember my baby bump by, and I thought since I actually fixed my hair, put on makeup, and was wearing something other than leggings I would take a picture of Hudson and me at 32 weeks (and a few days).  I can't wait to hold him!

Nursery is Done! (Mostly).

It has been WAY too long since my last blog, but I finally have something good to blog about. I've been working on this nursery for months now, and am finally almost finished. We have less than 2 months until Hudson makes his appearance (I probably haven't mentioned this yet in my blog but we finally decided on the name Hudson Lee Applegate) and I'm feeling more ready than ever and less ready than ever all at the same time. I have all his clothes washed and put away, all his bottles sterilized, and the nursery mostly done (except for the mobile Danny and I are making and getting a glider of some sort). All we need now is for him to get here! This pregnancy has really gone so fast, but is now starting to go sooo slow. I found out a few weeks ago I have gestational diabetes, and that is really sucking. I'm taking insulin 4x a day and pricking my finger 4x a day and on a strict diet. As if there isn't enough things I couldn't do already, now I can't eat anything either. I have to eat SOOO much meat, and for everyone that knows me, you know how much I hate meat anyway. I may never have another egg or piece of meat the rest of my life after this. And I'm planning on eating 20 cupcakes a day and being drunk for the next 3 months to make up for what I'm missing now. Kidding. Kinda. ANYWAY! I love the way the nursery has turned out if I do say so myself, and I've been dying to show people! SO! Here are the pics so far!

I copied this idea from this picture which I saw on lots of nursery decorating blogs...It is harder than it looks. I got the letters at Jo-Ann fabrics, Hobby Lobby, and Michaels and added paint or modge podged on scrapbook paper, or some variation of that for most of the letters.

The curtains are from Ikea (which I bought on ebay) and the little blue chest my mom found for me at a garage sale for a few dollars that I spray painted a shiny blue to match the curtains. They will hold toys or blankets...not decided yet for sure on that one.
 

I bought this shelf for $3 at a garage sale and painted it. I have more books than it can hold but it will do for now.

I bought this at a garage sale too....It was a steal for $10. It was the woman who was having the sale's desk as a child...it needed some paint and new handles and is adorable now! We found a Bengals ticket from the 70's in the back of it while trying to get it to open all the way. Or maybe the Browns? Finding that out for sure would require me walking upstairs to look again and at this point I'm not doing that unless it is necessary. Like to nap.

Not the greatest picture of the print or shelf, but it's the best I could do today. I got the elephant print at this etsy shop and the shelf at my favorite semi-annual activity, the Springfield Flea Market extravaganza in Springfield Ohio. This next extravaganza is in September this year...and I will probably have a week old infant at that time, so that will be a no go this year. The hat is from gap, and the starfish we picked up on our Savannah trip this year!

The nightstand is another painted garage sale find with some anthropologie nobs, and the lamp I had but painted, and recovered the lampshade in a fabric I thought went with the room.

I bought the dresser at a garage sale for $10 and painted it...All the picture frames I found at garage sales and painted. The chalkboard is made from a piece of sheet metal I cut to fit the frame and then painted with chalkboard paint, so it is magnetic too! And the guitar fabric is a pinboard, but I don't have anything to pin onto it...yet.

I should get a better picture of this too to do it justice. My incredibly talented friend Kris made this as a gift for me after spending hours trying to recreate it myself. Sometimes it's best to leave it to the pros.

Ahhh...cookies. Miss you. I bought this print at this etsy site.

I accidentally ordered the wrong print from this store (I originally wanted the baby porcupine) but when this arrived it was too cute to send it back...and I was in a hurry to get the room put together so I kept it. I ordered it from The animal print shop.

This print came from this etsy seller

This is from one of my favorite etsy sellers, I have another of his prints in my office.

This may not fit the frame perfect, but I still love it. It's from this etsy store.

This also came from this etsy store. 

 

 

 

 

 

 I had my eye on this print for a while...luckily I stalked his etsy shop often, and they were having a 40% off sale! So, I snagged it up and it's one of my favorite's in the room now. 

That is all I have so far, unless in my exhausted stupor I forgot to post some pictures, which is entirely possible. I still have a few things to do, but am mostly finished. Now, all we need is a baby. I'm going to do my best to keep up with this better! But, for now it is WAY past my bedtime. More later!

It's...a...BOY!!!!!!

FINALLY today we found out that our little Mango is a Boy. I am just so ecstatic to know and be able to buy things I think I might burst. It has not been an easy road for the last few weeks however...

I got a call from the OBs office a few weeks ago that my blood test results came back, and my chance of downs went to 1:888 (based on my age) to 1:252 and said that she wanted me to see a specialist. I completely freaked, and was so sad to think that on the day we went in to find out what our baby was going to be, we would be worried that we would find something wrong with it. I couldn't get into the specialist until the 16th, so I kept my original appointment with my OB to have my ultrasound. That was Monday.

Monday came, and we were excited that we would get to find out what it was, and wouldn't have the added worry of being at the Specialist's office. Well, our little one wouldn't show us what he was, but the Doctor came back to let us know that thought that the baby had something called Dandy-Walker Syndrome, a horrific neurological disorder. He said he wanted me to get into the Specialist right away and so he called to get me in Wednesday (today). I have been an absolute disaster the last 2 days...I haven't been able to sleep and I have been crying at the drop of a hat.

So we get to the specialists office, and the baby still would not uncross his legs for the ultrasound...I assumed once again I would not know what it was before vacation! The ultrasound tech put me in a hydraulic chair that made my feet go up all the way to the ceiling and then pushed on my belly and lo and behold....he uncrossed! I said "IS THAT A PENIS!?" I couldn't believe it. I would have bet my life that we were going to be having a little girl! I am so thrilled to be having a little boy though.

Then the Doctor came in...she said everything looks PERFECT. I have NEVER been so relieved I could have jumped up and kissed her on the lips. And we leave in three days for vacation! AHHH what a relief! This has just turned into the best day!!!

Next time, I'm just going to the woods and delivering my baby there to see what happens. No more doctors scaring the crap out of me!!