Cooper's First Christmas

We had such a fun first Christmas with Cooper!  It is so nice that Justin has a break from school so we were able to spend a lot more time together and do some fun things for Christmas.  It is also our first Christmas in our new house, which makes it special as well.  We have a tradition of going to look at Christmas lights every year and this year we went to Prestonwood which is pretty close to our house.  We bundled Cooper up (except that it was 80 degrees outside that night) and were on our way.  Prestonwood did not disappoint and it was fun to see all the streets and themes.  There was even a boy standing on his driveway playing Christmas music on his trumpet.  It was so cute.  Cooper also didn't disappoint as he slept almost the entire time!  He started to get fussy when we were on our way home, as it was about time to feed him again so he was hungry.  When that boy gets hungry, watch out....there is no calming him down.  Thankfully we made it home quickly and I was able to feed him.  Overall, it was a success and we enjoyed it!

On Sunday, we drove to Austin to spend Christmas with Justin's family.  I was worried about the drive as this was the first time to take Cooper somewhere longer than 30 minutes away.  As I predicted he slept the first hour of the trip, but then became super fussy, so we had to stop to feed him.  Since it takes me 40 minutes still to nurse, that adds extra time to the drive.  After that, I ended up sitting in the back seat so I could give him a paci when he got fussy again, which helped a lot.  He took another short nap and before we knew it, we were there.  We first stopped at my good friend Abbie's house to see her and her daughter.  I'm bummed that I forgot to take some pictures with Abbie!  I haven't seen her since our wedding so it was so nice to visit, even if it was short.  We then went to his mom's new house which was beautiful house over looking the golf course.  That first night, Cooper slept 9 hours straight which was a record for him!  Unfortunately, he hasn't slept that long since.  It must have been the drive that threw him off.  Anyway, we had a wonderful Christmas Eve seeing all Justin's aunts and cousins.  Cooper did so good and it was great for everyone to meet him, including his 2nd cousin, Cora.  

She kept reaching out to him and wanting to touch him, and Cooper would just stare at her, it was so cute.  Justin and I were also able to go play tennis together while Justin's mom watched Cooper.  It was so fun to play again as we haven't played together since before I was pregnant.  

Our first family Christmas together

Isn't he so handsome??

Christmas Morning!

He was smiling so big!  

The day after Christmas we left Austin and drove to Kingwood to have a late Christmas with my family.  Cooper got a lot of great things for Christmas, along with Mommy and Daddy.  

All the guys got Texans shirts...too bad they aren't very good right now!  

Our new Aggie hats

It was so fun to see my nephew, Peyton interact with Cooper.  Cooper would smile EVERY time Peyton would talk to him, and Peyton would get SO excited with Cooper would smile at him.  It was adorable.   So Peyton continually tried to make Cooper laugh and smile and succeeded almost every time.  It was so sweet!  I tried to get it on video, but of course every time I was taking a video, Cooper wouldn't smile.  It seems to always work that way.  

We had a wonderful Christmas and are so thankful for our little man!  What a special Christmas it was!

Happy 2 Months Coop!

This week Cooper turned 2 months old!  I really can't believe he's already 2 months, and I'm sure I will say that every month.

We went to the doctor yesterday for his 2 month check up. He now weighs 11 pounds 7 ounces so he is gaining weight well, though he is not a huge chunky baby yet.  He is in the 20th percentile in weight, 50th percentile in height, and 90th percentile for his head.  Thats right folks, our sweet boy has a big head ...but it's oh so cute.  His hats don't fit well and getting his onesies off and on are difficult with his sweet big head.  The doctor said it was totally normal and it just means the brain is growing properly so he is a genius (our doctor likes to crack jokes).  He's still wearing some newborn clothes and 0-3 month clothes.  He's just a little guy right now but I'm sure he will catch up soon!

Everyday gets more and more fun with him. He is such a smiling little guy and can give the biggest smilies that will just melt your heart!  We are obsessed with trying to make him smile.  He loves to be talked to and that will usually make him smile real big, especially after he eats.  My favorite is when I get him up in the mornings and I first talk to him, he smiles so big!  I like to think that he likes to hear the sound of my voice after not hearing it for 8 hours!  ;)   He's also tracking people around the room and will follow you with his head and eyes wherever you go, which is also so cute.  I love when he doesn't take his eyes off of me!  He's starting to enjoy being in his bouncer seat and likes to look at the lights and even bats at the toys hanging down (though probably accidentally).  He still doesn't like the swing and will only stay in it about 10 minutes before he starts to get fussy and wants out.  It's so funny how every baby is different as most moms told me the swing was a lifesaver for them.

He still has acid relux and we just switched his medicine as the other one wasn't working as well.  He spits up constantly which is really frustrating.  Sometimes I feel like he spits up everything he just ate.  He can go through up to 6 outfits a day so the onesies sure come in handy.  I feel so bad for him when he spits up so much as I know that he is hurting.  We are praying that the new medicine will help.

He is sleeping better which has been great for this tired Mama!  He is on a sleep, eat, wake schedule and his naps can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours.  I usually don't let him sleep too long during the day so he will sleep well at night.  Last night he slept 8 hours again which was wonderful.  He hardly ever falls asleep on his own,  except in the car or in the stroller.  He has never been the typical newborn that sleeps all the time...but I think it will get better.  Everyday is different with him...some days he is super happy and sleeps great, and other days he is just extra fussy and doesn't sleep well.  I'm actually taking all milk and dairy products out of my diet to see if that helps any.  He has a little rash on his belly so the doctor thinks he could have a milk allergy.  Giving up dairy is going to be sooo hard, but I know it's worth it!

Though Cooper is not the biggest baby, you can tell that he really is growing...here is a side by side from last month and this month.  He still has long arms and legs!

We definitely love our sweet boy and think he is so stinkin' cute!  We praise the Lord for our little blessing!

Cooper's acting debut

This past weekend, Cooper played Baby Jesus in the Houston's First Baptist Christmas Celebration performance.  There are 6 shows total, and Cooper played in 2 shows on Saturday and Sunday.  It was such a fun experience!  When they called me about a month ago and asked if Cooper could play baby Jesus, we were hesitant at first.  That was when he was getting on acid relax medicine and he was super fussy.  I was so afraid that he would be inconsolable on stage and would be a distraction from the show!  I voiced my concern with his fussiness, but they assured me that it would be endearing if he cried and everyone would know he was a real baby.  So we then agreed and he did sooo good!  I was really nervous the day of the performance because I had to time it just right to nurse him right before he goes on stage since he is happy with a full tummy and that is his normal wake time.  It was a little stressful getting there, nursing him, changing him etc, and then having to wait around longer than expected for him to go on stage.  It was finally his time and he was on stage and he was away from me for about 30 minutes and was on stage during 3 full songs.  I was so surprised by how good he did!  He didn't cry at all and even cooed when "Mary" was singing her solo to him.  Everyone told me he was the sweetest baby!  He also put his hand up in the air right at perfect timing during the last song

I was standing right outside the backstage watching it all on the monitor so I got a close view.  I was snapping pictures like crazy of the monitor and everyone around me was asking me, "is that your baby?"  I guess I was a little obvious first time mom taking a million pictures of a monitor!  He was just so precious and I was so proud of him, even though he had no idea what he just did!

Since everything went so smoothly on Saturday, I wasn't near as worried or nervous on Sunday.  He started to get fussy when the lady took him from me to go on stage so I was thinking he would cry more.  But to my surprise again, he was just perfect!  Justin and I sat in the main sanctuary to see it all, but they didn't have the monitor's on during his scenes so I couldn't see any close ups, but the crew said he did great and didn't cry at all.  What a relief!   Now I have a small glimpse of how parents get so nervous for their own children.  If I was nervous for him over something as minimal of him just being a normal baby, I can't imagine how I'll feel during his sporting and school events.  Oh the joys of parenthood :)

 

Life as a new mom

Well, I have now officially been a mom for  7 weeks and by the lack of my blog postings, I must say I stay pretty busy!  And by pretty busy, I mean I have hardly any free time to do anything but take care of Cooper, and take care of the house (which please don't judge if you come over).  I love my new job so much, and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, but I must say...it is way harder than I ever thought!  When I read other mom's blog postings when they have a newborn, they seem so happy and giddy and all is just wonderful with the world.  I'm tempted to post the same things, but I'm just too tired!  Being a mom really is exhausting.  The past 7 weeks have been the hardest weeks of my life, but also filled with such joy at the same time.  I went from having an extremely easy labor and wonderful 2 nights in the hospital, to the second we bring him home, things just went downhill.  We didn't sleep at all the very first 2 nights, and about a few hours a night the first 2 weeks.   My hormones were also all out of whack.  We were so tired and had to take him to the Doctor a few times to figure out what's wrong, which he has acid reflux. His medicine is helping some, but he still spits up all.the.time!  There are times when my shirt is completely soaked after he eats.  I go through burp cloths like crazy...in fact I need to get more!  He also seems like he is in pain some of the time and I just don't know what else to do for him.  Right when I'm at a breaking point of exhaustion, he does something like this

And my heart just melts and all is right in the world!  He first started to smile a little over 5 weeks and it was sooo adorable!  Now, he smiles a lot and at specific things I do.  He is just the cutest and sweetest baby!  I really think someone should record what Justin and I do to get him to smile, it's pretty ridiculous!

Everyone told me it would get better, and at the time it didn't help much...but they were all right!  This week, Cooper started sleeping about 7-8 hours a night, which has been a huge blessing.  But then last night he went back to sleeping 5 hours, which doesn't surprise me.  One thing I have learned is right when you think you have the mom thing down,   he reverts back to something and it makes you all confused and helpless again.  This definitely keeps me from thinking I have it all together and to depend completely on the Lord!  Like with any job, we must depend solely on the Lord and ask Him daily for wisdom.  I have learned to rejoice on the good days, and when I have a day where he won't stop crying and I have no idea why, I know it will pass and that there will be good days and sweet moments to come.

Cooper also had his 1st Thanksgiving!  We had a great time at my parents house with my brother, nephew, Aunt and Uncle.  Cooper started to track people and look around more, which is so fun.  I am truly so thankful for my boys!  I love my hard working, kind hearted hubby and my smiling sweet boy!

I am also so thankful for my mom.  She has helped me so much with Cooper and watching him when I need a break.  She was diagnosed with cancer back in August and is now in remission after going through chemotherapy (she has one round left).   It is something to celebrate and I am so thankful to the Lord for healing my mom.

Cooper will be 2 months soon and get his 2 month shots!  Time really is going by fast, though somedays seem so slow.  Cooper is also going to be baby Jesus in the Houston First Baptist Celebration Christmas performance.  It's a huge production and he will play baby Jesus on  Sat and Sun matinee performances.  I just hope he's in a  good mood those days :)   December is already going to be busy and I am so looking forward to Cooper's 1st Christmas!

Cooper is 1 month

Where has the time gone?  I can't believe Cooper is 1 month old now!  At times it feels like I just blinked and he's already 1 month, and other times, I feel like he's been here much longer.  We love our sweet boy and just can't picture our lives without him.  He brings such joy to our family!

Though this is such a special time, it has not come without it's difficulties.  The first month has been MUCH harder than I pictured from the beginning.  At first, I thought "oh I know I have to wake up 2-3 hours every night to feed him etc..it will be hard..." but I don't think I realized that not EVERY baby wakes up 2-3 hours and then goes right back to sleep.  Our first 2 nights home from the hospital, Cooper did not sleep one wink the entire 2 nights!  We were going crazy.  Poor guy was so hungry, and I was nursing him around the clock.  We were beyond exhausted.  We have already been to the doctor 4 times now and it turns out he has acid relax so he is on some medication for that.  It has helped and he is not spitting up as much as before.  I also have low milk supply so that is another cause of frustration.  Those 2 things have caused a ton of fussiness and a very tired mommy!  Thankfully things have gotten better but of course there are always good days and hard days.

He has been sleeping a lot better now and went 2 nights sleeping 4 and half hours which was glorious! But then last night he went back to waking up every 2-3 hours, but is going back to sleep right after I nurse him.  I really can't complain at all...after our first 2 weeks where I was up at all hours of the night, having him go right back to sleep after eating is wonderful, I don't even care that I'm waking up 3 times at night.  I am trying to put him on a schedule, but that is much easier said than done.  I do think some babies are more difficult than others and I think Cooper will take more effort on my part to get him on a good sleeping schedule.  I am doing Baby Wise, where during the day he eats, plays, then sleeps and that works some of the time.  He is just very difficult to put down for a nap right now.  He just LOVES to be held, so he usually falls asleep in my arms and then I lay him down.  He's only 1 month old, so I'm not stressing over it.  I just want to enjoy him and this special time and not stress over every little thing.  

Justin and I think he is just the cutest thing in the world!  We find ourselves saying that to each other at least 7 times a day.  I wanted to include some of his newborns pictures that turned out oh so cute!

I really can't believe I've been a mom for a month now.  It really has been the hardest but wonderful month.  Because of all the little issues we've had at the beginning, I really haven't taken him out of the house at all except for the doctor.  The last thing we needed was for him to get sick.  I really haven't left the house much at all besides going on walks, and I will definitely be ready to start taking him places soon.  He's also fussy a lot so I worry I'll be in a situation where he won't stop crying, but I need to just bite the bullet.  I have to time it perfectly where we leave right after he eats, so he has a full tummy!  

I have enjoyed taking him on walks, which is great for me to get out of the house and enjoy the beautiful weather!  The first few walks, he would end up crying and screaming all the way home.  I felt like the people around me were judging me by not doing a thing with my crying child, but what can you do...I gotta walk the rest of the way home!  Then the past 2 walks, he just looked around, didn't cry at all and slept, it was great!  

He is nursing around 8-10 times a day, and it takes him about an hour each time.  If you do the math, that is 8-10 hours of nursing a day!  No wonder I feel like I can't get anything done.  It's exhausting but I know worth it.  Everyone tells me he will get much faster at it and I'm still waiting for my milk supply to increase (yes I have tried tons of stuff to help it).  Having a newborn really can be challenging but I just read a good blog post today about how this time goes by so fast.  Everyone has already told me it goes by fast, but it was a great reminder.  I want to enjoy this season as I won't get it back.  Children are a true blessing and Cooper is a huge answer to prayer and I am so thankful for this season, no matter how hard and exhausting it can be.  

Happy 1 month sweet boy....we are crazy about you!

Cooper's Birth Story....The Final Chapter

For the 3 of you who are still reading this, I'm finally able to post the rest of Cooper's birth story.  I have been wanting to write it all down before I forget.

 I last left off when the Doctor checked me and I was almost at 7cm without any pitocin.  She thought Cooper would be born around lunchtime.  I also had the epidural at this point and was feeling so much better!  My parents were there and we were hanging out in the room just waiting.  It was such a nice break after the rough morning we had.

I don't remember much that happened in the next couple of hours or even how much time had passed, but before I knew it, I was at 10cm and was getting ready to push!  I still couldn't believe how fast I was progressing.  Justin's mom came and my brother and nephew were all there and were waiting in the waiting room with my parents after we told them I was about to push.  At first the plan was to start pushing with my nurse but then the Doctor called and said we should wait for her since she thought Cooper could come fast.  So then it was just me, Justin and my nurse Megan just hanging out and waiting to push.  Megan is a newlywed and goes to Houston First Baptist and she was such a great nurse. I was actually so sad when her shift was over, I felt like I was saying bye to my best friend after all we went through together that day.

Anyway,  I don't remember how long we waited as the time seemed to go by fast, but it was long enough to worry our family as it was taking a long time and they weren't aware that the pushing got put on hold.  Finally the Doctor came and the pushing began!  Let me tell you, pushing is way harder than I ever imagined it being, it's definitely a work out.  Justin was so encouraging though and it was a joy to experience this moment with him.  He held my leg and watched the entire birth without getting freaked out...but then again he is a nurse so not much grosses him out :)  They all kept telling me I was doing a great job though it seemed like I wasn't making much progress.  After about 45 minutes of pushing, I started to get a little concerned and the Doctor decided to give me just a little pitocin to help.    Things definitely sped up and before I knew it, she told me to stop pushing because he was about to be out and they needed to get everything set up.

 It was such a surreal moment as other people started to come in and I knew I was about to meet our son!  Then she told me to push him out and after a few more pushes, he was out!  She immediately put him on my chest and I started to cry and looked at Justin and just couldn't believe he was here!  He was sooooo cute even just seconds old!  Justin then cut the umbilical cord  and I was able to hold him for awhile before  they cleaned him off and weighed him.  I was dying to know how much he weighed and was shocked that he weighed only 7 lb 7 oz.  I had an ultrasound done just 2 days before and she told me he was 8 and a half pounds.  The ultrasound also showed that he had huge chubby cheeks which he didn't at all.  I have heard the ultrasound weight is just as estimate, but didn't think it would be that much off!

The doctor (who wasn't my real doctor, but I loved her too), said that when she looked at my chart that morning, she said to herself, "she will end up with a C-section".  She told me she was just shocked how fast my labor went and how I didn't need any pitocin till the very end, which was barely any.   I told her that a lot of people were praying and she said God definitely heard our prayers.  I knew He did!

Justin was then taking pictures of him being weighed and getting his prints done while I was getting stitched up.   I told Justin that he needed to go tell our families as I knew they had been waiting awhile.   I wish I could have been there when he told our families the great news!  They then put Cooper back on my chest and I was able to breastfeed him right away.  He immediately took to nursing and was a great eater.   Then our families were able to come in and meet Cooper for the first time.  It was so fun!  My nephew brought Cooper a little stuff dinosaur and when Cooper was crying, he was asking the nurses what Cooper was saying.  So cute!

I also said to Justin "isn't he SO cute??" and the doctor and nurses thought I was talking to them, which they immediately responded with, "oh yes he is very cute."  Oops, I told them I wasn't trying to be vain and was talking to my husband but they all kept saying he really was a cute newborn.  I can't help but agree :)

What is crazy about the whole thing is while I was holding Cooper, the Doctor told me that the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice.  I was shocked.  It all made sense as when I pushed Cooper out, my Doctor had this look of fear on her face and yelled "STOP!".  I immediately freaked out and said "what's wrong?".  She didn't want to tell me at the time (which was very wise), so she unwrapped the cord quickly and then said "your baby is here!!" I was in awe at the moment that I had forgotten that she yelled at me to stop so suddenly.  I asked her how long the cord had been wrapped around his neck and she said there was no way to know as it doesn't show up on the ultrasound.  That could explain why his heart rate raced up so high.  And I am SO thankful I went ahead and was induced instead of waiting for him to come on his own.  Just another reminder that God is sovereign and thankfully Cooper was in perfect health.

I am so incredibly thankful for such a wonderful labor experience and for such a healthy baby boy.  I can't help but think of when I first found out I was pregnant and how scared I was to lose this baby.  I remember my whole first trimester when Justin had to give me a shot every night, I had to take progesterone vaginally 3 times a day, and had to take extra folic acid.  And it was all so worth it!!!  It has been such a long, long, long journey through 2 miscarriages, seeing a specialist, and having a long pregnancy with a few scares.  What a journey it has been and after all the fear and anxiety, He is finally here!  Now brings all a whole new world of different types of fear, but that is a life of a mom.

Thank you to all who have been so sweet and encouraging to me throughout this entire pregnancy.  Thank you for praying for us and for Cooper.  He has no idea how many people have been praying for him!  I am so thankful to the Lord for hearing our cry for a child and for answering our prayers.  We feel incredibly blessed and our hearts are overflowing with love for our sweet boy!

Cooper's Birth Story...part 2

Wow, time really does fly by when you have a newborn!  I really don't have time to do much of anything besides feed the baby and keep my milk supply up as much as possible, so I'm just getting around to finishing Cooper's birth story!

I left off where Justin finally arrived at the hospital after being unexpectedly admitted early that afternoon.  The plan was for me to start with cervidil around 9pm that evening which would ripen my cervix and get my body more ready to be induced the next morning.  The doctor told me that it was possible for my body to go into labor on its own after having cervidil, but in my case highly unlikely.  She also told me to expect a very long day tomorrow.  I'm so thankful I serve a God who beats all odds, as my body did in fact go into labor on it's own that evening!

After the nurse put the cervidil in, it seemed like no time before I started to feel some contractions.  They were very minor and I was excited to start to finally feel something!  After a few hours, I knew there was no way I would be able to sleep that night.  I was way too excited/nervous added on to the uncomfortableness of the contractions, the nurse offered to give me something to help me sleep.  I was hesitant at first as I didn't want to be drowsy the next morning, but I also knew that I really needed to get some sleep.  Let me tell you, whatever she gave me (which Justin says was pretty strong), knocked me out!!  I usually have a hard time falling asleep to begin with, and I don't even remember anything else from that evening.  It was great as I didn't feel any of the contractions the entire night.  I did wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and my sweet hubby helped escort me as I had to carry my IV pole with me and detach the heart monitor.  I now have an even higher respect for my mom who has to deal with carrying her IV pole with her when she spends 4 full days in the hospital every month.  I just had to do it one night and it was frustrating!

It was finally 6:00am and the nurse woke me up and took the cervidil out.  She checked me and I was at 2 cm!  I was so excited that I was at 2 cm overnight.  I then got up to take a shower and that was when I really started to feel the contractions.  I had to stop and breathe through each one and it was starting to get more painful. After showering, I got back into the bed and that was when things started to go downhill.

First of all, I was extremely nauseous and threw up about 5 or 6 different times.  The nurse assured me that it was just a normal part of labor.   Justin was so sweet and would take my pan and clean it out when the nurse wasn't there since I was constantly nauseous.  I also had the chills which is also a part of labor. Then for whatever reason, Cooper's heart rate started to go up extremely high.  They were planning to start my pitocin at 7am, but since his heart rate was so high, they had to hold off.  It was definitely a low point, as I was having very painful contractions, was throwing up between them, and was worried about Cooper all at the same time.  At one point I remember 3 nurses in there and they were just staring at the heart monitor and not saying a word to each other.  His heart rate actually went up to the 200's!

My contractions were so strong at this point and so close together, I didn't have much time or effort to ask about Cooper's heart rate.  All I knew is that they couldn't start the pitocin, which was discouraging to me as I knew things were going to be delayed.  I don't think I realized the seriousness of his heart rate getting up that high.  They put me on oxygen, and tried different things to get his heart rate to go back down.  This took about 2 hours total, all with me having such painful contractions!

We brought and iPod player, so Justin played worship music in the background, which is the only thing that got me through those 2 hours not knowing what is going on.  I could overhear them talking to each other and discussing about what to do, all while I'm just trying to make it through each contraction with hardly a break.  Then finally Cooper's heart rate started to go down and everyone seemed to be going back to normal.  It was a huge relief.  After his heart rate when down, I finally asked for the epidural. I wanted to wait as long as possible so it wouldn't slow down my labor, but my nurse told me, "you are in active labor right now, you should get it."  So I did!

 Last time I was checked I was at 2cm and I had no idea what I was at during this point but I knew it was time for the epidural as I was in so much pain with no break.  I couldn't even talk to my husband and didn't even want him touching me during my contractions.  What in the world are all those massage techniques for anyway?  I guess some women like to be touched, but I wanted to be left alone!  All that to say, I wanted to enjoy the rest of the day with my husband and this special time we shared together.  My nurse, Megan (who I LOVED!!) said she would get me the epidural and then the Doctor will check me to see where I'm at and then start the pitocin.

I get the epidural and all is wonderful in the world!  I am not ashamed at all that I got an epidural and would do it again in a heartbeat!  Then the doctor came in to check me right after the epidural and I was almost to 7cm!!!!  What?? We were both in shock.  She said I didn't even need the pitocin after all.   Justin likes to tease me at my reaction when I found out I was at 7cm...I was clapping and was so giddy!  My nurse said, "wow, you were in active labor, no wonder you were in so much pain!"  Um, yes, that does explain it.  We really couldn't believe I got to 7cm so quickly without any pitocin at all.  My doctor then says, "you could be having this baby by lunchtime".  Say what??  I don't think I have ever felt such relief and excitement all at the same time.  I called my parents and told them it could be lunchtime as before I thought it would be evening since everything was delayed.  So now we just have to wait a little bit longer....

Stay tuned for the final chapter!!

Cooper's Birth Story...Part 1

I finally am having a little bit of time to write out Cooper's birth story, and it's a loooong story!  It's such a great story, even though it is NOT what I pictured or wanted in the very beginning.  I love how God knows what's best for us, even when we don't see it at the time.  I don't want to forget anything, and am writing it more for me to remember his story and not forget God's continued blessings from day 1 of his birth.

It all started last Wednesday, Oct 10th when I went in for my 40 week Doctor appointment.  I was 40 weeks 1 day at this point and I was praying hard that my body had made progress since my last appointment.  I just had an ultrasound done 2 days before and everything looked great and I felt good about continuing to carry him until he was ready to come on his own.  I get to my appointment that morning and the nurse comes in and checks the heart rate as always.  His heart rate was in the upper 160's when it's normally in the 140's.  She checked it for awhile and I asked if everything was okay.  She said that the Doctor will talk to me about it.  hmm okay.

The Doctor comes in with the heart monitor again and says she wants to check again as he could have been moving and that's why it was high.  She checked again and it was still in the 160's but was going down a little.  She then asks me the question I always dread, "how are his movements?"  I hate that question because he will have days where I barely feel him move and days where I feel him all day.  He has been a more chilled baby in the womb and the times I have brought it up, everything ended up being fine.  But, it was true that I hadn't felt him move as much the past day or so and so I told her that.  I explained once again that that is pretty normal for him but I could tell she was still concerned.

 She then sat down and basically told me that she thinks I should get ANOTHER ultrasound and have ANOTHER stress test at the hospital.  I couldn't believe it....I just had an ultrasound and everything was great.  But she said things could change in a day.  She also mentioned the possibility of inducing me before I hit 41 weeks.    Before I could really respond she says, "lets check you and see what's going on first."  So I take a deep breath just praying that my body has made some process..just something.

After she checks me she tells me once again that I have made no progress.  I'm still barely 1 cm dilated, 0% effaced and the baby is still high up.  I had worked so hard that week. walking everyday, up and down hills and doing anything else to make some progress.  I really wanted to cry at this point but just tried to hold it together.  She then tells me that I'm already 40 weeks, his movements have slowed down and that there is no reason to continue this pregnancy.  She mentioned that I may need to get admitted into the hospital that evening and be induced first thing in the morning.

You would think a woman who was past her due date would be jumping for joy at this news, but I was being stubborn and just did NOT want to be induced.    I told her that my body just doesn't seem to be ready and I felt that he would come when he's ready.  I also said I really do not want to have a C-section.  Then, she flat out told me that she thinks I will most likely end up with a C-section no matter what at this point.  The tears then start flowing.  I asked her if I  do have to get induced in the morning if I could go home first and then come back in the evening...which she told me she no, I had to stay in the hospital.  Justin is of course at work, I don't have any of my stuff, and I was just not wanting to get induced being barely 1cm dilated.  I then said after doing the stress test and the ultrasound, we can make the decision after seeing those results.  Of course if there was something obviously wrong, I would no doubt be induced!

So, I walk across to the hospital once again and get admitted into the room to get the stress test done, and it was all too familiar.  I'm texting and calling Justin and talking to my mom on the phone explaining that I may get induced the next morning.  I was very upset at this point and just didn't know what I should do.  I was praying for wisdom and that the Lord would make it very clear to me if I should go ahead with the induction.  As I was laying there just waiting for Cooper to move, I realized that he has in fact slowed down on his movements.  I started to get a little worried and then knew that I just needed to get him out.  Why in the world would I risk waiting if something really was wrong.  I knew I needed to put my hopes and my "birth plan" aside and do what was best for Cooper.  Justin also texted me around that same time and said that he wants to get Cooper out and thinks we should definitely get induced.  I felt such peace come over me.  

I then go get another ultrasound and then come back to my room where the Doctor comes in.  She tells me that the ultrasound looks perfect, and that even the stress test looks good.  Then she says very sweetly, "I know that you want to go into labor naturally, and I know that you don't want to get induced, but I really think it's best that you go ahead and get induced tomorrow morning."  I immediately say, "yes, I agree, lets do it"  I think she was in shock that I was swayed that easily since I was not really crazy about the idea earlier.  She told me that if I went home, I would be worried all weekend about his movements and it just wasn't worth it being 40 plus weeks pregnant.  I totally agreed.  She also told me that I have about a 50/50 chance of having a C-section with where I was at.

After being admitted into the hospital for the night, things started to get a little stressful.  Justin is doing what he can to get off work early (he usually gets off around 8:00pm) and I'm calling my parents to get all the details worked out.  My sweet dad met Justin at our house to get our dog, bring him dinner and then take him to the hospital so we wouldn't have 2 cars.  On top of that my phone had died and I couldn't get on the internet or text or call anyone.  Oh, and have I mentioned that I only ate a small bowl of cereal that morning around 8am and wasn't allowed to eat anything until after he was born?  I may or may not have been a tiny bit cranky :/

Anyway,  thankfully I had Justin's number memorized and was able to call him from my hospital room.  I'm going into detail about everything that I need for the next 3 nights in the hospital.  I did have a running list going and some things set aside to pack, but there were still a ton of stuff that I needed.  Finally, after Justin packs all our stuff, he loads everything including the dog in my dad's car and they are on their way to drop Justin off.  He arrives around 8:30pm or so with all our stuff and we were finally able to relax  and face the reality that we will be meeting our son the next day!

To be continued....

He's here!!!

Introducing....

Cooper James Cummings

Born Thursday, October 11, 2012  (10/11/12)

3:33 pm

7 lbs 7oz

20 inches

All the nurses kept commenting on his stats...what a fun birthday he has!!  It has been such  crazy week since his birth that I'm just now getting around to blogging and posting pictures!  We already had to take him to the doctor twice, and had a lactation consultant come out for a visit, but things are looking up from here.  He is absolutely perfect and we love him so!

Birth Story to come soon so stay tuned...

40 weeks....Due Date is finally here!

Well, my due date has officially arrived...but still no baby!  

It feels a little strange that today is October 9th.   How many times have I said October 9th over the past 9 months...too many to count.  And now it's here and is almost over and it has been a very uneventful day.  It's exciting since each day I know I'm getting closer and closer but it's a little anti-climatic since nothing is really happening yet.  Yesterday, Justin and I went in for our 40 weeks ultrasound to make sure Cooper is still doing well and that I can continue on the pregnancy for another week.  Everything went smoothly and Cooper is still thriving in the womb.  The nurse practitioner called today to confirm that the ultrasound looked great, he was breathing well, plenty of fluid and he was moving around well.  She did say my placenta is aging which is expected at 40 weeks and that is why I will be induced at 41 weeks if he doesn't come on his own.  I was definitely relieved that everything is still going well.   We also found out that he is about 8 and a half pounds right now!  We were surprised he was already that big!  They say the baby can gain half a pound a week so if he doesn't come until next week, he could be 9 pounds.  He also has some big ole chubby cheeks!  Justin has always said he wanted him to be chubby and I think he's getting what he wants :)  Even the ultrasound tech commented on his chubby cheeks.   You can see for yourself his cuteness 

The first picture shows the cheeks a little more.  It's actually hard to see everything because what looks like his ear is actually the placenta and so on.  But you can get an idea.  Both Justin and his brother had chubby cheeks as babies and also Justin's niece does too, so I'm thinking Cooper is going to look like his Daddy, but we will see!  

Right now I am just enjoying this last week (or days) until we become a family of 3.  Justin surprised me last week and took me to the Melting Pot to celebrate our 2 year anniversary and it was so fun!

When I walked by some men sitting outside, one man just blurted out, "Goodness Gracious....(long pause) well, congratulations!"  Um, thank you?  Not sure how I feel about the shocked look on his face seeing me as I did look pretty big in that dress.  I'm sure I looked like I was about to pop!  

Justin had to work all weekend long, so I was able to spend some time with my family.  I was so thankful my parents came over on Sunday and helped me with all the last minute stuff I needed help with since Justin's work and school schedule is so crazy right now.  I was definitely in a "nesting" mood and wanted to get more organized.  Thankfully Justin is going to take about 3-4 week off of work after the baby is born which we are both excited about.  He still has to continue with school and his clinical hours, but it will be so much easier having a break from work.  Since we had to work all weekend, he was off yesterday for the ultrasound and we had a really fun day.  We went to lunch, then went to see a movie (thanks to  Bobby and Jen for the gift card) and then went to Target and then a late evening walk in the neighborhood.  It was a fun day especially since we know we won't be doing that just the 2 of us for awhile.  

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow to see if my body has progressed at all.  I'm not getting my hopes up.  I know he can still come at anytime, but even if he doesn't...he will be here by next Tuesday for sure!  I'm going on TONS of walks, walking up and down hills and even stepping up and down curbs.  My friend Jennifer said she walked curbs and went into labor that night.  Granted, she was already 3 cm dilated at the time compared to me being "barely one", but you just never know!  Come on Cooper, we can't wait to meet you!