She's Here!

We had a surprise arrival Thursday!  After talking to the doctor Thursday morning, he thought it would be best to deliver our little ladybug that very day.  Needless to say, Shonn and I were surprised!  Janis had Beckett at Bright Starts so I quickly began packing a bag while Shonn made arrangements for his work.

When we got to the hospital, the nurses and staff were waiting for us. Shonn and I were still somewhat under the impression that Dr. Schultheis wanted to run a few more tests and would decide after that. Not so!  He had reviewed my blood work from the previous day's appointment, and my liver enzyme levels indicated it would be best to deliver right away.

At 1:37, our little sunshine, Harper Jane Hild, joined the world.  She made her debut with a strong cry, despite weighing only 5 pounds 13 ounces!  I couldn't wait to get my hands on her and kiss her sweet face.  The nurse quickly showed her to me and then Shonn got to be by her side while the doctors finished my c-section.  Harper needed a little oxygen to get her on the right track, but she responded right away and showed us all what a little fighter she is!  By 9:30 that night, she was off all oxygen and we were holding our 36 week and 1 day miracle.  Shonn and I were immediately in love.

Nonstress Test

Shonn and I went for our 36 week appointment today, which started with a nonstress test.  Today, they told me to click the button anytime I felt baby move.  I was clicking it like crazy. So much so that Michelle, the nurse, came in about 10 minutes into the test and asked if my finger was going numb.  Ha! She said she was kind of waiting to see if Baby would slow down at all, but she said it wasn't happening.  She is a little dancer, I tell you!  So she said I could stop.  No contractions (yay!), but my blood pressure was a little elevated.  

Back Friday for more tests.

We are getting close!

The nonstress test room. Under the sheet are 2 monitors - one for contractions and one for baby's heart rate. I'm holding the clicker in my hand.  There's also a TV so we could relax while I clicked away. :)

34 Weeks (and then some)

This picture is actually almost 35 weeks (34 weeks and 5 days), but I forgot to get one taken last week! So this is from Monday, when we went to the doctor.

Babay Girl is growing! At the appointment, Joyce (our ultrasound tech) said she was measuring 5 pounds 7 ounces, and she also has tons of hair! We could actually see it moving on the screen, since it is a live scan. (Side note: Joyce explained that's why it is called 4D, because it is happening in real time, which they consider the fourth dimension. I always wondered that.)

We got this sweet picture of her face. Shonn said, "It looks like she has chubby cheeks," and Joyce replied, "Oh, she does. Those are some chubby cheeks, it's no optical illusion!" Ha! I just can't wait to kiss them!

The scan went really well; we were in there for over 30 minutes. She tried to capture the baby's breathing motions, but we didn't see that. She said it wasn't anything to worry about, that sometimes babies go for 45 - 60 minutes without doing the motion, because they are just practicing.

The doctor was really happy with everything. I go back next week for another non-stress test to measure contractions, and by then we will be in the home stretch!

Side view of the major bump!

Baby Girl posing with a little pout!

With Joyce after our ultrasound.  She was supposed to find out news about the efficacy of her husband's chemo on Tuesday.

Baby Shower

With the darling (and delicious) cake and other goodies!

Shonn's cousin, Angie, threw a baby shower for me on Saturday. I asked the doctor if it was okay for me to go and he said yes, as long as I sat down and took it easy. I was so excited to have somewhere to go other than the doctor, and to get to see so many relatives and visit was an even better bonus!

The shower was really, really nice. Angie's house is perfect for entertaining. It's the oldest house in Mount Pulaski and has some really cool family connections. Angie married Dustin Cross, whose parents lived in the house prior to Dustin and Angie. A long, long time ago, Angie's great-grandmother Hild lived there as a little girl.

My mom, grandma, and I rode together. Shonn took Beckett to the farm so they could stop by at the end of the shower. Janis, her sister, Lisa, and her mom, Grandma Beard, all came together. Then, all of Shonn's cousins and aunts were there, too! There was tons of food and a beautiful cake. Everyone gave us such nice gifts for the baby girl, too! It was a lovely day.

Aryn made the diaper cake (there were tons of diapers in that thing!) and Angie made the cute bow bouquets.  She also gave the stuffed animals to baby girl!

Lots of gifts for baby!  Amy, Beth, and Kate are in the background.

"GG", Great-Grandma Hild, and Angie (hostess)

This is a good shot of Amy, Beth, Kate, and LouAnn (Angie's mom)

With Lisa (she looks amazing!) in the kitchen, by the goodies, of course!

The happy hostess!

Bed Rest Week 2

I can't believe it's been two weeks of bed rest!  The first week seemed so long, but this week went by really quickly.  Monday, we had our doctors' appointment, and Tuesday my mom came over for part of the day and my dad came over for the other part.  Wednesday was the first time I was home alone in as long as I can remember, because Shonn took Beckett to the farm with him as he worked on the bookshelves with his grandpa.  Beckett had a blast at the farm and came home with all kinds of goodies.  Shonn sent me this video:

I got a lot done at home, but it was lonely. Thursday, Janis came down and took B to play group in the morning.  In the afternoon, I rested with Beckett and Janis fixed the baby's curtains by adding the yellow chevron to the pink polka dot blackout panels - they turned out so cute!


Today, I was home alone again, as Beckett went with Shonn to Mt. Pulaski and spent another day on the farm while Shonn met with a client.  They are on their way home now.  He had fun with Great-Grandma and Papa Hild!  Janis sent me these pictures:




The medicine has somewhat evened out this week, although I still get dizzy after taking it.  I am trying really hard to rest more.  Shonn has helped out a ton again this week, and he has been so sweet to me.  I have loved spending more time together!

I talked with my sub for work today and she is going to do a great job.  It relieves my mind a little to know that there will be more help for the rest of the office staff - it's a busy job and they have picked up my slack while I've been gone these weeks.  Knowing she will be there makes it easier for me to relax and enjoy my time with family while we wait for the little miss. :)

Little Miss is 34 and a half weeks now, and I can tell she is growing!  Even Janis noticed how much I've grown over the past week.  She's definitely taking up more room and I'm back to being out of breath.  We have an appointment on Monday and we get an ultrasound - yay!  I can't wait to see her!

Baby's Shelves

These pictures make me so happy I want to cry!  Shonn and his grandpa spent the whole day in Grandpa's shop, making shelves for the baby out of wood from the family farm.  It has obvious sentimental value, because Shonn is the fourth generation of Hilds who would farm that ground, and also because it's such special time between Shonn and his grandpa.  The shelves are also something Baby Girl will be able to keep forever.  Love.

Today is just another example of why my husband is so wonderful that I can't believe he picked me.  He is incredibly busy with work right now, but he took the whole day to go do this because he knew it would mean a lot to me.  I know he enjoyed the time with his Grandpa, but I also know he did it to make me happy.  He took Beckett with him to the farm, which is awesome because Beckett loves spending time with Papa Hild and rarely gets to see him.  (He obviously loves spending time with Mee Maw, too, but we're lucky enough to see her more regularly.)  That left me home alone for the first time in... I have no idea.  It's the first time I've been alone at all, anywhere, since I drove to the doctor's office last Monday, the 25th.  It was really quiet around the house, and kinda lonely!  

The guys are on their way home now. Look for future posts of the finished product in Baby Girl's room! 

Grandpa makes the initial design at his workbench.  He is an excellent woodworker.  He made Beckett's crib, a table for his room, all the cabinets for his house, and the wood floors, too, including planing the wood! He is so talented!  I really like this picture.

Measuring the wood from the family farm's trees.

Assembling one of the shelves.  This will be a special picture for Baby Girl's baby book.

Doctor's Orders and Perspective

Shonn and I went to the doctor again yesterday.  (I feel like a preferred customer!) We waited for two hours and finally saw the doctor.  I was grouchy about the wait and uncomfortable in the chairs.  Then we went in for an internal ultrasound to check cervical length and my favorite ultrasound tech was doing it.  She is very patient, personable, and kind.  After years of working at an OB clinic and TTC, she and her husband finally had another baby last spring.  So I asked her how her family was doing, expecting she might show me pictures or tell me a funny baby story. Instead, she shared that her husband was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer.  They are young!  And vibrant! I didn't know what to say, except how sorry I was to hear such bad news and that we would pray for them.  Suddenly, the wait at the office wasn't so important. (Please add this family to your prayer list!)

These are the ultrasound techs at our office. (They do 3D ultrasounds - so amazing.)  Please pray for Joyce, on the far left.

We then headed back to wait for the doctor.  On our way, I saw him standing at his computer station eating an apple.  Our appointment was at 10:40, and at this point, it was 11:45.  I wondered if that was his lunch and then didn't think much more about it.  The nurse came in and my blood pressure was "good", but seemed low to me: 98/69.  (I'm usually around 110/70)  The medication I'm taking is for blood pressure, though, so I guess that makes sense.

An hour later, the doctor came in. I was back to being grumpy about the wait, this time in a not-so-comfy chair. Looking back, I'm embarrassed about how quickly I forgot about the lesson I had just learned.  (I'm blaming it on hunger...???) When he came in, Shonn and I had several questions.  He was helpful and said I could not go anywhere except the baby shower this weekend. I asked about church and he said he was okay with that, but that I needed to stay seated.  (Am I pushing it here?)  He also said I would be on the medication until at least 37 weeks and that I would be on bed rest until the baby comes.  He would not move our c-section date due to state regulations that prevent him from scheduling c-sections prior to 39 weeks and there not being any openings prior to April 15.  He did say that if anything changes with my contractions, more early labor, or other health problems (e.g.; pre-eclampsia), he would go ahead with a c.  The baby sounded great and was moving a lot, so he was happy about that. :)

Later that day, I recalled him standing at the counter, eating an apple, and I realized AGAIN what a brat I was being about having to wait.  Obviously, no one makes people wait on purpose.  And he probably didn't even get to have lunch.  Our next appointment is Monday the 11th (my birthday!) and we get to have more ultrasounds! YAY!  I am resolving to be in a better frame of mind about the wait.  (And take a book.)

This is Dr. Schultheis, our doctor.  He delivered Beckett, and will deliver Baby Girl.  His hair is longer now; I will get a real photo with him next week!

Thanks, Mindy!

My friend, mindy, has had 4 children and was on bed rest for two of her pregnancies. She came over on Saturday with a bag of couch-worthy and toddler-approved projects for me to work on. One of the projects was how to make these adorable bows. They only take about 10 minutes and I can do it while Beckett is playing or temporarily occupied and easily stop quickly to play, read, or do crafts with him. I can do them in bed, too, and it's really calming for some reason.

Non-Stress Test 2

I would like to start by asking, Who names these tests?  Clearly, no one who has ever needed one done!

All week, I have been feeling pressure and tightening, contractions.  I knew I had an appointment on Monday, so I did NOT want to go back to the doctor for a couple reasons:
1) I was already going on Monday;
2) I didn't want them to put me in the hospital;
3) I didn't want to be over-analyzing everything and waste everyone's time.

All silly reasons, I logically realize.  However, this morning, the pains were getting a little more intense.  I took a nap with Beckett and when I got up, I could tell I needed to say something.  I took my medicine (celebrate remembering the little things), and immediately got dizzy and nauseous. (A side effect that I hadn't felt yet.)

Shonn was with his friend and sales rep for Illinois Brick, designing an engineered wall for a project on Lake Decatur, and he texted me on his way home.  I admitted I wasn't feeling well, and agreed we might need to see the doctor.  When he got home, we headed to Effingham.

A non-stress test, for those of you who haven't had one, is a test that involves two monitors being attached to your stomach. One monitors the baby's heart rate; the other monitors contractions. This is the same test I took on Monday that showed I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes, completely unaware.  (I still have no idea how that happens!)  The nurse, Michelle, took my blood pressure, which was very high for me and she said she was going to take it again later because I was "all worked up".  HA!  So, they hooked me up to the machine and baby's heart rate was great.  I was having contractions, but no where near what they were on Monday.  By this time, the medicine I had remembered to take (very proud) had kicked in and was doing its job.  Jamie came in and talked to me about the test and next steps, which include a visit on Monday.  After all of that, Michelle took my blood pressure again: 109/69. Normal for me.  Additional proof that this test is not aptly named.

Shonn and I were both relieved.  Mom stayed with Beckett while we were gone, and I was glad to see her when we got home.  I parked myself back on the couch and my little man climbed up next to me.  All is good.

Picture is from last week, but I love the "Cheeseburger" smile. :)

Bed Rest Week One

Well, our first week of bed rest has come and gone!  I think I would describe it as an adjustment and an emotional roller coaster.  :)  I would also say it has been an opportunity to realize how very lucky we are to have such amazing parents.  Monday night, Jim and Janis brought Beckett home when we got home from the hospital, around 7:30, and they stayed and got us settled in.  Tuesday and Wednesday, my mom stayed with me and Beckett, and Thursday, Janis was here. My mom came again Friday and will be here today (Saturday). Both Mom and Janis have been so great about cooking, shopping, making projects, and asking what I need.  I'm so thankful for them both!

Shonn has been amazing, of course, making breakfast every morning, dinner on Tuesday, helping around the house, and checking on me constantly. (He's also been great about reminding me to take my medicine - why is that so hard to remember?!)  I think this might be harder on him than on me, especially because he can't feel what's going on and has to rely on my less-than-stellar descriptions of how I'm feeling.  For some reason, I find it really hard to articulate the pressure/tightening/whatever-you-want-to-call-it.

I have tried to balance working from home, playing with Beckett, and staying on the couch as best as I can.  I think I'm figuring it out, and will probably have it down to a science by the time Little Miss Firecracker arrives. Beckett has been really, really good, and adjusted to not being carried ("hold you?") really quickly.  I talked to him the first night and explained that my tummy was hurting, so I needed him to help me by holding my hand.  Now, every morning, he says, "Hold hand, Mommy?" and walks everywhere.  It's amazing to me how much he is growing up and becoming more independent every day!

33 Weeks

When we did our first anatomy scan, the ultrasound technician talked about how important it was to get to at least 32 weeks for the baby's viability and overall health.  At the time, it meant nothing to me, because Beckett's pregnancy was such a breeze that I took for granted we would get to 32 weeks with this baby girl - far beyond, in fact!  

Never have I been more glad to have my picture taken with no makeup on and my hair undone.  This is Baby Girl and I at 33 weeks.  I am now very thankful for every additional pregnancy picture we can take!

Here's what Baby Center has to say about 33 weeks:

How your baby's growing:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with aconehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

How your life's changing:

As your baby fills out even more of your belly, lots of things might start to change: Whereas before you were sashaying, you may find yourself waddling. Finding an easy position to sit in — let alone sleep — is becoming more of a challenge. And bumping into chairs and counters is par for the course.

You may be feeling some achiness and even numbness in your fingers, wrists, and hands. Like many other tissues in your body, those in your wrist can retain fluid, which can increase pressure in the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in your wrist.

Here is a video of what life is like for Baby Girl right now:

Inside Pregnancy Weeks 28 through 37

A 3D animated look at a baby in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Little Miss

Someone is getting excited to meet us! I have been feeling a little differently the past two days, like Baby Girl is dropping and pushing downward. I texted Shonn jokingly this morning and said it felt like she could come anytime... Then I talked to the doctor about scheduling my c-section (date set later than originally planned!), and off-handedly described what I have been feeling. Well, he wanted me to come in to do a non-stress test (oh, the irony), so I left work and went in to the office. The test indicated i was having contractions every 2-3 minutes! They sent me to the hospital for fluids and some medicine to stop the contractions. I'm actually typing this in Room 203 of St. Anthony's hospital, where I had Beckett.

Okay, the doctor just came in and said the medicine is working - yay! He also said I have to be on Level 2 bed rest, which means I can't work. I will be home "until further notice". They usually release at 37 weeks because it is considered full-term, so that's about 4 weeks from now. I have an appointment a week from today and they will check to see if I'm dilated at all. We will know more then.

I have talked to my bosses, and they have all been very supportive and kind. I even had to call Mark Forget, who I do consulting for, because I was supposed to fly to Oklahoma City in two weeks. He was so nice. I also have to cancel my trip to Chicago this week, which is another flight to cancel. I can only hope the airlines will be as supportive. Haha!

Of course, our family has been wonderful. In fact Beckett is at the farm today, and Jim and Janis are going to bring him home later. My dad is driving down with Shonn to pick me up. The nurses were really sweet, too.

So, that's where we are at this point. It's been a stressful day. This morning, i never would have guessed i would be lying in the hospital by the end of the day. I'm just so so so thankful she looks good and her heartbeat is strong. I can't wait to meet you, either, Baby Girl, but let's hold on a little while longer. XO

Pics are of: 1) when I realized this was "for real"; 2) the couch where Shonn tried to sleep about 22 months ago; and 3) the dreaded iv, which took 3 tries.

29!

Little Mister was too busy "writing ABCDs" to pose today.

We are 29 weeks with tentative c-section in 10 weeks. It is going so fast!

Here is what baby center had to say this week:

Your baby's very active now. Your caregiver may ask you to spend some time each day counting kicks and will give you specific instructions on how to do this. Let him or her know if you ever notice a decrease in activity. You may need a nonstress test or biophysical profile to check on your baby's condition.

Some old friends – heartburn and constipation – may take center stage now. The pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes smooth muscle tissue throughout your body, including your gastrointestinal tract. This relaxation, coupled with the crowding in your abdomen, slows digestion, which can in turn cause gas and heartburn – especially after a big meal – and contribute to constipation as well.

Some women get something called "supine hypotensive syndrome" during pregnancy, where lying flat on your back causes a change in heart rate and blood pressure that makes you feel dizzy until you change position. You might note that you feel light-headed if you stand up too quickly, too. To avoid "the spins," lie on your side rather than on your back, and move slowly as you go from lying down to sitting and then standing.


Luckily, I have avoided most of this stuff, although I do get lightheaded sometimes. Overall, I feel great!

28 weeks!

Beckett looks adorable in this picture, so I had to post it. :)

28 weeks today, and we had an ultrasound to see baby girl's growth.  Oh my!  She is such a little person!  It was amazing - we saw her heart working, all of her bones, and we even got to see her blink!  The doctor was wonderful - she said, "Your baby is the most photogenic baby I've seen."  I told Shonn I didn't care if she did tell every person that, I believed her! :)  She also called her by name throughout the ultrasound, which I thought was so sweet.  She said everything looks beautiful and that she doesn't have any concerns.  Baby girl is measuring about a week ahead and weighs 3 pounds.  :)

We have another ultrasound at 32 weeks (less than 4 weeks away!) and we will have an echocardiogram down at that point, too.  That appointment is in Effingham, so we will get some good 3D pictures to post.  

I have pictures of the baby, but I need to scan them and then I'll update.

Here is what Baby Center says about 28 weeks:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

25 weeks!

Well, we have skipped a few weeks in our pregnancy counting!  I can't believe 4 weeks have gone by! The three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas were insanely busy and hectic at school, so I think I just let time go by without marking it, and Shonn was very VERY busy with a large landscaping project, too.  In fact, the other day, he asked me, So are we like 22 weeks now?  That's when I realized we had let the pictures slide! :)  Beckett loves picture day because he gets to "color!" on the chalkboard with Mommy.

I am really feeling baby girl grow...She is pretty high, so sometimes it is hard to catch my breath.  I know it seems really early for that, especially because I didn't have that feeling with Beckett at all.  But this pregnancy is so much different than his, which everyone reminds me is the case with most pregnancies.  I am really loving feeling her move, which is frequently and gaining in intensity.  I can see her movements from the outside now, and Beckett got to feel her "kick", too!  We were sitting on the couch reading, his back against my stomach, when she started moving.  I said, "Can you feel sissy saying hi?" and he said, "Sissy KICK!"  It was so cute.  :)  Shonn hasn't felt her move yet, though...probably because Beckett is between us most of the time!

I got the results from my glucose screening: NORMAL.  Yay!  Shonn called me from home when the results arrived so I could celebrate by eating some sugar. (He knows me too well!)  I have another appointment tomorrow (Friday, at 25 & 1/2 weeks) to make up for the appointment I left over break.  Let's hope I don't have to wait 2 hours!

Here is what Baby Center has to say about 25 weeks.

How your baby's growing

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

How your life's changing

You may also notice that you can't move around as gracefully as before. Unless your caregiver has advised you otherwise, it's fine to continue to exercise, but follow a few safety rules: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired and stop if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don't lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. Enjoy the fullness while you can — the extra hair will fall out after you give birth.

When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, a second tube of blood may be taken at the same time to check for anemia. If blood tests show that you have iron-deficiency anemia (the most common type of anemia), your caregiver will probably recommend that you take an iron supplement.

Bows for Baby

Last night after B went to sleep, I got Baby Girl's Christmas bows organized. Oh my.  I also made another bow organizer just in case.  :)

My friend Rachael told me about a 60% off sale at www.haloheaven.com which makes the bows thirty cents.  My other friend told me, "The bigger the bow, the better the mama."  So I figure I'm just doing what I have to do! ;)

I also got the rest of the closet organized, or at least as much of it as I can until Shonn gets home and the dressers are done.  It was fun, and I can't sleep as well when Shonn isn't home, anyway, so it was a good use of my insomnia.

Bunting Update

Here are a couple of pictures of the finished bunting, which is waaaaaay longer than I need, but I'm planning to use part in the bedroom and part in her bathroom on the shower curtain.  I really like how it turned out, and Shonn picked up the paint today!

Christmas from Carolina

Uncle Bob and Aunt Nancy sent the cutest packages for Beckett and Baby.  We opened them on Christmas morning!

The package arrives!  It had all kinds of cute writing on it, including a narrative of the journey (with pit stops)!

For the baby girl

Inside!

For Beckett:

Baby Girl Projects

Here are some of the fun things I've been doing for Baby Girl's arrival.

Fabric for bunting

Cutting out triangles to sew together for the bunting

Traced pencil lines for the cuts

This is the order I decided on with the fabrics.

This dresser will be in white with a changing table on top.  The people who made Beckett's furniture are making hers, too.

This chest will also be in white, and it will be in the closet.

I covered a canvas and strung ribbon to make a bow holder.

It turned out pretty cute! (With her bows so far.)

This is the bedding from PBK.  Hint on the name! :)

Mom got this quilt, which is so perfect. As you can see, I'm having a hard time finalizing paint options.

Accent pillow for the rocker.  Tutu from Rachael in the background. :)

Terrible picture of the ribbon mobile.  It turned out super-cute!