New Blog

Since Josie is here now, I have decided to combine my two blogs. All new blog posts about Josie and Sophie can be found here:  http://lifeiswonderful12.blogspot.com/

Josie's Birth Story

My baby girl is finally here! Josie is so sweet and precious. I can't believe how blessed I am to have two wonderful little girls.

I was so anxious on Tuesday (and it was super windy outside) that I couldn't sleep. I was scared about my c-section and excited that I was finally going to meet my little girl. I knew I needed to get some sleep since it would be a long time until I had 'real' sleep again. I finally fell asleep sometime after 2 and before I knew it Joe was waking me up to get ready for the day. My mom came over so that she could take care of Sophie while we went off to the hospital. I made sure to get my 39 week picture in before we left as well as a picture of our family of three on last time. It was hard leaving Sophie behind. The poor girl had no idea that her whole world was about to change. Good-bye to being an only child with all of the attention!

The drive to the hospital was very nerve-racking. I couldn't believe that in two hours I would get to meet my little girl. When we arrived at the hospital I signed in and they took me back to the prep/recovery room. I got dressed in one of those awesome hospital gowns and headed to my bed to get my hooked up to monitors and to await my IV. Of course with my luck they had to stick me twice because my first vein would not accept the IV. They also took some blood to make sure that my platelet count was up so that I could have the surgery. After what seemed like forever, but in reality was just an hour or so, my doctor came back to make sure I was ready to go and gave the approval so I can head back to the operating room.

As soon as I was wheeled into the operating room they were ready to do my spinal. Last time I had my C-section I was given an epidural, which was no fun. I'm not saying the spinal was fun, but it was a lot better then the epidural. It was still uncomfortable but there wasn't as much pressure as there was when I received the epidural which was nice. It also worked immediately. I was getting so anxious to meet Josie that I was glad I didn't have to wait for the numbness to kick in. Once my spinal was complete they laid me back and finished prepping me for surgery. Just like last time, I was so afraid that they weren't going to let Joe come back in time. I kept asking for him. I was getting pretty nervous at that point and all I wanted was my husband there to hold my hand. Luckily I didn't have to wait that long before he was sitting by my side.

I was so happy that Joe was back there because I started to feel very nauseated from everything that was being pumped into me. I remember feeling this way the last time I had a C-section, but this was a lot worse. I dry heaved for a good minute before the medicine they gave me to curb the nausea kicked in. Joe held my hand the whole time, which was comforting. When I finally felt better, I squeezed Joe's hand, stared over at him and waited around for all the things that I remembered from my last C-section. I waited for the smell of flesh burning, the tugging sensation (as if I was about to be pulled to the floor), the pushing around in my stomach, etc. I felt a little bit of tugging but not as much as I remember from the past. The next thing I knew I heard Josie cry - a kind of choked up cry instead of a wail. I couldn't believe that she was already here! It had seemed like they had just started the surgery. That spinal really worked its magic! I fixed my eyes on the curtain that was separating my head from the lower half of my body waiting to see my girl. The doctor held her up for me to see and my heart instantly melted. Josie was perfect! I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my face.

Love at first sight!

Next was the cleanup portion of the surgery, for both Josie and myself. While I was being stitched up, Josie was ushered off to the corner of the room to be weighed, measured, and wiped down. Joe stayed with me for a minute until I urged him to go over and check on Josie and report back to me. Her APGAR scores both came back as 9s, which made me very happy. I stared over at her while I was being stitched up and cried some more happy tears. She looked so perfect and healthy. She even had some little rolls on her legs, which her sister never had. I remember seeing a few red spots on her back and being very concerned about them, asking if she was okay. Of course she was fine and the spots were nothing to be worried about (they have since gone away). I held my breath when they put her on the scale to weigh her – 6 lbs. 2 oz.! I was expecting her to weigh closer to 7 pounds, but I was so glad that she was not a shrimp like her sister. Everything was looking great for her. I was so happy and thankful!

Josephine Evelyn Stenger - born at 10:36AM - 6lb 2oz - 19.75 inches 

You can see a few of the red spots on this picture. Under the bright OR lights they really showed. 

Once I was stitched up, Josie was placed in my arms and I was wheeled off to the recovery room. In the past, you only had to stay in the recovery room for an hour. Now you have to stay in there for two hours. I was a little bummed by this. Our parents, Sophie and two of Joe's sisters were out in the waiting room so they could meet Josie. While the adults could come into the recovery room, Sophie, the person I couldn't wait to introduce Josie to, wasn't allowed. I remember anxiously looking at the clock, hoping that I would be released to my room so that Sophie could meet her sister before she had to go home for a nap. We ended up being in the recovery room for closer to three hours. Even though that stunk, I was happy just snuggling with my baby girl. 

The proud papa and his baby girl.

Our first photo together (ignore my puffiness - I just had surgery after all!)

I've been waiting to hold my baby for months! Such a wonderful feeling!

I am so glad that Josie is here and that she is healthy. This little girl is such a blessing!

39 Weeks

Josie will be here very soon! I can't believe it! In just a few hours I will officially be a mom to two beautiful girls! It is hard to believe that exactly one year ago I was suffering a miscarriage. While I am still sad that I don't have that baby, I am so happy with how things have turned out. What a difference a year makes!

How far along? 39
Maternity clothes? Yes 
Stretch marks? Yes
Sleep: I keep falling asleep randomly. I feel bad for Sophie in the mornings when I fall asleep on the couch while she is watching cartoons. She doesn't seem to mind, but my Mommy guilt takes over. I won't be getting much sleep for awhile now, so I'm glad that I got some this past week.
Best moment this week: Josie was on her best behavior at our last NST. Things were looking great with her and we got out of there pretty quick. 
Miss Anything? I don't miss anything right now. Pretty soon though I will miss being pregnant!
Movement: Yes. I am going to miss that so much. It sounds strange to know I am going to miss feeling her in my stomach when I will be able to hold her in my arms. Still, I will miss that bond we shared. 
Food cravings: None.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Food and I still haven't been the best of friends. I can eat now, but that doesn't mean my stomach likes it. I've lost a few pounds since getting the flu.
Any pregnancy complications?: Not really. The flu has left me and my stuffed up nose is mostly gone. My platelet count is back up. There was some protein found in my urine, but not enough to where I have pre-eclampsia. My blood pressure has been behaving for the most part. It has been a huge improvement from last week!
Have you started to show yet: Oh yeah.
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: Josie being here! I'm counting down the minutes. 

Our last picture as a family of 3.

A Few Final Preggo Pics

I forced my poor husband to take some preggo pictures for me tonight. He was a good sport about it (even though he really wanted to watch basketball). I love that man. Then he hung some prints about the crib for me. The nursery is basically finished now! All that is left for me to do is to pack my hospital bag and then load up the car! I still can't believe that Josie is almost here!

My view of Josie

Joe's sister, Susie, gave us these adorable letters!

I'm not in love with the spacing of these prints (they should be closer together). With the way the crib is, it made things a little difficult. Joe was so patient with me as I directed him, so I decided to let it be for now. I love the prints (found them on etsy) and I think they look great in the room. 

Not the best view of this corner, but you get the idea. I want to have a shelf above the dresser to put the frames and things on. Plus I have some tissue pom poms that I might put in the corner of the ceiling. That will have to wait for awhile though.

I still need to get the changing pad and Diaper Genie from Sophie's room and move it in here.  Plus I need to add something to the wall. I have some canvas I painted purple, but that is as far as I've gotten with it. 

My co-worker embroidered the shirts and I added the ribbon and bows.  I can't make those big fancy bows (which is what I had originally envisioned on the shirts), so this was the best I could do. Not as cute as they could be, but who cares. The girls that will be in them will be cute enough to detract from the shirts!

I looked back at my very first post on this blog to see what my birth predictions were. I had the birth date and gender correct. I wonder about the other things...

My predictions: 
Gender - girl
Birthday - January 30, 2013
Weight - 6 lb 8 oz
Length - 19.5 inches
Lots of hair

38 Weeks

Ugh. This week has sucked. Seriously. I love being pregnant, I really do. I know a lot of people who hated being pregnant and couldn't wait for it to be over. Not me. I love the kicks and movements. I love knowing that my baby is growing in there. I love the stretchy pants. I love that I have a bond with my baby. The mood swings, random aches and constant peeing aren't the best, but I don't even mind those that much. What I do not love is the flu. I don't love being sick at all, but who really does? Still, being sick and pregnant is no fun. You can't really take anything for it and there is the worry that your illness could be doing something bad to your baby. It is just no fun at all. Luckily I am at the tail end of my sickness. I am still congested and exhausted, but really those could just be a part of pregnancy and not just from the flu (probably is a combo of the two). 
Due to catching the flu last week (4 students in my homeroom also had it!), I have decided to start my maternity leave early - today was my last day. I was going to have Friday be my last day, and take Monday and Tuesday off next week to spend with Sophie. However, the more I thought about it this weekend, the more I realized that all the germs I could be picking up are just not worth it. With my luck, I would get over the flu and catch something else from the kids. I realized that those few extra days at school were not worth the risk of more germs. I want to give myself extra time to completely get over the flu and make sure that I am healthy for Josie. I would hate to be sick when she gets here and then have her get sick! So even though starting leave early wasn't part of my original plan, I think I am making the best choice for me and my family. They come first.
I will say that I am glad that I am the one who was sick and not Josie. When I was pregnant with Sophie and she had issues, as well as after she was born and all her issues then, I always wished that it was me having the problems instead. I hated that it was her who had to go through all of those struggles. So while I hate having the flu and being sick, I am so thankful that Josie is okay. I would have the flu every day if that meant my children didn't have to be sick. Of course people would probably hate me because I would constantly whine, but it would be worth it if that meant my kids never had to be sick.
I hope that this last week of pregnancy goes by without any major issues. If there are issues, I just hope Josie is safe. I can't wait to meet that little girl!

How far along? 38
Maternity clothes? Yes.
Stretch marks? Yes
Sleep: I've been sleeping a bunch this week. I will feel myself starting to fade and then I am out for a few hours. Not sure if that is from having the flu or from being 9 months pregnant. I'm going to say a combo of the two. I haven't had to wake up to pee as much, but I'm pretty sure that just means I am still a little dehydrated from the flu. Oops. I should fix that.
Best moment this week: Considering this week pretty much sucked, I'm going to have to say that the best part was knowing that Josie is doing okay, even though I'm not. Every heart beat I hear (or see on a monitor) and kick I feel reassures me that I have a tough little girl in there. (Leaving school today and knowing I don't have to go back until April wasn't too bad of a moment either.)
Miss Anything? Feeling well
Movement: Yup. Hook a fetal heart monitor up to me and Josie will kick it and move out of the way so her heart beat is lost. Sneaky girl, just like her sister.
Food cravings: None.
Anything making you queasy or sick: The flu and all this congestion is making me queasy. I just don't feel like eating. When I do eat, it is hard to keep it down. Stupid flu.
Any pregnancy complications?: Blood pressure...flu...low platelets...low iron...I miss my sciatic nerve issues! Still, I am glad these are my issues and not Josie's
Have you started to show yet: Only a fool would think I wasn't pregnant. I mean look at me.
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: Feeling 100% better so that I am healthy when Josie gets here. 7 more days!

Sophie can't wait for Josie to get here. She has been practicing how to be a big sister with her baby dolls. It is pretty adorable. I can't wait to see her give Josie real kisses!

Another Shoe

I wasn't anticipating another shoe being dropped (maybe the other one wasn't really a shoe in the first place), but one has. I have the flu - type a influenza.

At the start of the week I had a slightly sore throat and my nose was clogged. Didn't surprise me much since we went from having 60 degree weather to 30 degree weather. Besides the throat (which only bothered me first thing in the morning) and the nose, I felt fine. Wednesday after school I was exhausted though. I assumed that was because I stayed up late to write thank you notes the night before, as well as me working all day and being 37 weeks along. I felt fine other than that though. When I woke up yesterday morning I felt cruddy. My nose was still clogged, I was tired and just felt sluggish. I went to school and the assistant principal was worried about me. She said I was pale and didn't look like I felt well. I admitted to not feeling my best, but brushed it off thinking it was just sinuses. After lunch I started to feel a little cold. Our school building (especially my classroom) goes from hot to cold all of the time, so I didn't think that much of it. An hour later, during my planning period, I started to feel warm. I went down to check my temperature and it was a normal 98.3 degrees. Still, as my planning period went on, I started to feel worse. Luckily it was our afternoon in the computer lab, so I didn't really have to teach after planning. I put my coat on and laid my head down for the most part of the class while my students researched for their projects. I was feeling pretty bad. I was starting to get way too warm, but every time I tried to take my coat off I started freezing again. Not good. Not good at all.

After school I had my second NST. It was cold outside so I was shaking all over when I got into the building. I still didn't feel my best, but was happy to be able to rest for awhile. I was still feeling cold, so after getting me strapped in, the nurses covered me with my coat. They worried over me a little as I still was shaking but my cheeks were getting progressively redder. They finally went in search of a thermometer so they could check my temperature. 101.4. This concerned them, as well as the fact that Josie's baseline heart rate was in the 160s and I was having contractions (or uterine irritations). So, they took all this data to the doctor to see what they should do about me. I asked which doctor they were going to see and of course it was the worry wart doctor. I begged them not to go, saying he would send me straight to triage! They laughed but went anyway. Sure enough, the doctor told them to wheel (yes, in a wheelchair) me straight over to the maternal-fetal center's triage. Awesome. He wanted blood work, a urine analysis, and a flu test done. I was fine with the flu test (I wanted one done anyway), but going to the hospital was not something I was interested in. I was both annoyed and scared.

When we made it to triage, I signed in and was informed I would be there for at least a few hours. Great. It was 5:00 by this point. I hadn't ate since lunch at 11:30 and I finished my water at school at 3, so I hadn't drank since then either. Not only was I hungry and thirsty, but now I was going to be stuck at the hospital for hours. I was not happy. I called Joe and filled him in, telling him I would call back when I found out more details. I was led back to a room and told to change into a gown and get comfortable. After about 30 minutes of laying there, a nurse came in to get my vitals and other information. She also came to collect my urine...with a catheter. Seriously? Gross and annoying. Then she strapped me up so they could monitor Josie's heart rate and any contractions (as they do during my NSTs) and she was on her way. Before she left I asked if I could get something to eat or drink, telling her how long it had been since I had food or water. She said no. She also said no to giving me something for my fever. If she hadn't been so nice and friendly, I would have hated her. About an hour goes by without anyone coming in to check on me. I talked with Joe and he was going to drop Sophie off with one of his sisters (thank you Sara and Susie for watching her yesterday and today!) so that he could come be with me. Right before he got there, someone finally came to get my blood work and to swab me for the flu. After she left, it was back to the waiting game. I was so glad when Joe arrive so that I had some human interaction. The only time a nurse would come in was when I would shift in bed and the monitor would lose Josie's heart. It was frustrating. With Joe as my back up though, I was finally able to pee and get some food and water. Yeah! Peanut butter, crackers, veggie soup and ice water have never been so good. After my food, the nurse even brought in some Tylenol for me! Joy! After that, it was back to sitting around and waiting for my flu results. Joe and I were both sick of being in the hospital. Besides our phones, our entertainment was watching the monitors pick up when I was having contractions. They would come every few minutes and last about 10 seconds. They never hurt (Braxton Hicks?), just my uterus tightening. Sometimes my back would get uncomfortable, but that was about it. The nurse didn't seem concerned by them. She was happy with Josie's base line heart rate and how she reacted to the contractions. I was just glad that my baby was doing okay even though I felt cruddy.

By 9:00, we still didn't have the flu results. My blood and urine results came in already (low iron and slightly dehydrated. Everything else was fine), but the quick result flu test was taking forever. We heard the nurse call down to the lab and get feisty with them. God bless her. The results came back quickly after she did this. Apparently, the original nurse who put in the order didn't do it correctly, so even though it was marked as urgent, the lab technicians ignored it. Once the nurse called and told them what was going on, they worked their magic. It took about 7 minutes to get the results. I was beyond annoyed. I waited for hours for something that only took a few minutes to get. My annoyance helped me not cry when the nurse told me that I did in fact have the flu. She told me that the doctor (the one I love who delievered Sophie and soon, Josie) recommended that I stay overnight in the hospital so they could rehydrate me and monitor things. However, he said if I put up a fuss he was okay if I went home as long as I promised to drink a lot of fluids there. Joe and I talked it over quickly and decided to go ahead home. (I figured Dr. J wouldn't throw out the option of going home if he was super worried about things). We finally left the hospital around 10:00.

Not feeling well and not happy.

I feel so stupid and irresponsible about getting the flu. If something happens to Josie it is all my fault. I didn't get a flu shot this year. I know that getting the shot doesn't mean you won't get the flu, but every little bit helps. I have thought about getting the shot, but I honestly couldn't remember if I had already received one. I've had a lot of blood work and shots during this pregnancy, and I couldn't remember if the flu shot was one of them. I meant to ask the doctors when I would go in for check-ups, but they were always in and out of the room within 5 minutes and in the rush I would just forget. Still no excuse. I am a teacher, so I should have made that a priority. Speaking of being a teacher, we've had a lot of kids out due to sickness in the 5th grade this week. 3 of the kids had confirmed cases of the flu (1 who is in my homeroom and 1 of my other classes, the other who is in 3 of my classes. Both of these are in my small reading RTI group.) On Wednesday, I ended up having 6 kids absent. Yesterday there were 4 absent (2 came back to school only to be sent back home due to fevers). Apparently there are 6 other students absent today, as well as me. Geez! Wednesday we really sanitized the classroom and I've been cleaning my desk area each day in hopes to keep everyone's germs away. It is hard when you see over 60 different kids a day though. These things are exactly why I should have made sure I had that flu shot. *sigh*

I feel much better today. I've been hydrating, resting, and there have been no fevers. Hopefully the worst is behind me. I just worry about Josie. She was moving around today, but not as strongly as she normally does. Of course I have been laying around for the most part so maybe she was just relaxed herself. Her movement did get stronger as the day went on. Maybe I should have stayed at the hospital. I don't know. If she is still not moving strongly tomorrow I am going to call the doctor's office. I just don't know what I would do if something happened to her. I have faith that she will be fine though. Still, I've cried both yesterday and today about how irresponsible it was to not get a flu shot and putting our baby in danger. Any prayers for Josie's health would be much appreciated.

**Update: Josie has been super active today (Saturday). Lots of strong movements, hiccups, and moving my stomach all over the place. Thank goodness!

37 Weeks

37 weeks is here! Josie is now officially a full term baby! When I was pregnant with Sophie, I was heading to the hospital at 37 weeks so that I could be induced. I am so glad that Josie will get a little more time with me. I can't wait for her to get here, but I am happy that she gets to 'cook' a little more.

My NST on Monday went well. It took way longer than I expected, but everything was fine. Apparently I had some contractions (I had no idea. I am thinking they were Braxton Hicks. I just thought her little butt was pushing up against me. I guess not...), which worried the nurse. She asked a doctor for advice and he told her to check me to see if I was dilated. Ick. There was absolutely nothing going on down there, so that was good. My check-up yesterday with the doctor went very well. He said my bloodwork and NST results were good and that my blood pressure is at least not to a scary place. It actually was down some today (back in the normal range), so that was exciting. I asked him if he was still expecting January 30th as the due date, and he said absolutely. That is a relief! The plan now is to keep going to my NSTs (my next one is tomorrow), get some more blood work done before Josie gets here, and to relax when I can. Sounds like a plan to me!

How far along? 37
Maternity clothes? Yes.
Stretch marks? Yup
Sleep: It has been going okay. I have been trying to sleep in my bed again instead of the couch. It has been going okay, but it is difficult getting down in the middle of the night when I need to use the restroom. Oh well.
Best moment this week: My sister-in-laws, mother-in-law, sister and mom all had a little baby dinner celebration on Sunday. Joe dropped me off at Carrabba's (my favorite!) for dinner with everyone. There were gifts, cupcakes, and delicious food. It was so nice of them to do that for me and Josie. What a great family I have!
Miss Anything? Wine
Movement: Yes. She currently has the hiccups.
Food cravings: Chocolate
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Any pregnancy complications?: My blood pressure. Also, my doctor told my platelets were low. He isn't worried though, so I'm not either.
Have you started to show yet: Oh yeah! However, a stranger this weekend asked me when I was due. I told her and she commented that I was holding my weight well and didn't look that far along at all. Thank you, stranger! That made my day!
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: Holding my baby girl. 2 more weeks! I just can't wait!