37 Weeks {& Good News!}

37 weeks! I'm feeling so swollen in the face and hands lately. It got worse so quickly that I was initially concerned about pre-eclampsia, but luckily even though my blood pressure has been higher than normal for me, it's still way in range.

You guys ready for the good news?! The version was successful!!!! (see last post here if you missed that news). Quinn is now head down! Beyond it being successful God was so faithful and so good and the entire procedure was more than amazing. Quinn was completely unfazed by the ECV and her heart rate never altered. The doctor was able to turn her head down in under a minute. Most amazing was the pain and discomfort that He lifted from me. At the least, having an ECV is expected to be uncomfortable, but my doctor told me beforehand that most women describe it as painful and some even stop the procedure and decide to not continue because of the pain. This is something I was very anxious about and prayed to be delivered from beforehand. God blessed me and I was shocked when the doctor said the ECV was over because I didn't feel one single thing! Amazing! 

I was feeling so defeated and like I was doomed to undergo another c-section. Now I feel like I'm back in the running for a VBAC and it's such a great feeling! So now we're back to the plan for an induction (via breaking my water) on June 13th. Of course I can always go into labor on my own before then (hint hint Quinn). There is only a 3% chance of Quinn flipping back to breech at this point. If that does happen then on the day of my induction we will repeat the version and then immediately break my water, so she isn't able to have that lovely swimming pool to flip in. Even though I feel confident in this plan and it's effectiveness, I still am paranoid about her returning to breech. Ever since the ECV last night I've been feeling my belly trying to tell what position she's in. I'm assuming that the pelvic pressure and cervical twinges I've been feeling are a good sign that she's being a good girl.

Now if I could just get my allergies under control within the next 13 days. They have been HORRIBLE the past month... worse than I've had them in years. I'm coughing, so hoarse that I sound like a man, but the congestion is the worst. I can't stand being congested and it keeps me up at night. The past 3 nights I've hardly slept at all. I desperately want to be able to breathe through my nose and get some good rest!

 

Having an ECV Tonight

I had another checkup yesterday and Ms. Quinn is still breech. Why child, why?! 

I thought that I would decline doing anything extreme to attempt to turn her, but apparently I don't know myself as well as I thought I did. I just really feel like I need to do what I can to avoid a repeat c-section. So today at 5pm I'm checking into Labor & Delivery and undergoing an External Cephalic Version (ECV) and I am terrified. I hope I'm making the right decision for Quinn and I. I hope it's successful. I hope it doesn't hurt. An ECV is procedure done by applying pressure to the abdomen and manually trying to get the baby to turn head down. Here's a YouTube video of a successful ECV if anyone wants to see it. I'll admit it was hard for me to watch.

My doctor says it has about a 60% chance of working. Not the most amazing odds, but it could be worse. There is also the risk that it could end in an emergency c-section, but my doctor has only had to do one once in 14 years. I have to say that I completely trust my OB and his judgement. I've never trusted a doctor as much as I do him and he's also the smartest doctor I've ever met. I'm still full of reservations though. I don't want this to have any negative effects on Quinn and even the thought of the ECV stressing her out fills me with guilt. I'm also scared of an emergency situation arising. Lastly, even though I know my pain tolerance is high, I'm afraid of the discomfort or pain during the procedure. I hope it doesn't last long. I just have to remind myself that if this procedure is successful it will all be worth it and anything that could occur is the same that I would experience if I just scheduled the c-section. Even if it's not successful in turning her I will be able to know that I did everything I could.

Please keep Quinn and I in your prayers and I will update as soon as I can.


 

Still Breech

I had another growth scan for Quinn yesterday and she is still breech. UGH! Please pray that she flips in time. I can not express how much I don't want another c-section. Besides the obvious fears and worries about going through surgery, I so desperately want to experience a VBAC. Also, with my hospital with a vaginal birth you get an hour of uninterrupted time with your baby after birth to breastfeed and just be together. With a c-section the baby goes out of the OR almost right away and they try to get the baby back to you as soon as possible, but of course you have to be sewn back up first, transferred to recovery, etc. Additionally a c-section means a longer hospital stay and a longer hospital stay means more time where I'm away from Cor.ben. I'm so stressed about all of this. There is nothing about a c-section that I'm happy about (well except for getting that sweet baby at the end). 

Whatever happens I just need to remember that this is outside of my control. I'm doing a few techniques to try to get her to turn at home and trying to find a webster technique certified chiropractor that takes my insurance, but other than that I don't think becoming obsessive will help anything. 

Plllleeeeeeeaaasse turn baby!

I can't not include the good news though. Quinn is absolutely healthy and is 6 1/2 lbs already! Some machines and techs can be off by quite a bit, but the equipment and expertise at my perinatologist results in pretty accurate estimates. Plus I get scanned twice an appointment, once by the tech and once by the doctor. I'm happy she's big and healthy :)

I have a problem

An overabundance of clothes problem that is. Quinn has 122 articles of clothing just in the closet alone. 90% of the clothes in this picture (all the way to the 3rd pink separator) are sizes newborn to 3 months. Probably 1/2 of those were given to me, but the other 1/2 I bought. I don't know what I was thinking not buying more in bigger sizes. Well, I know what I was thinking... "buuut these outfits are so much cuter the smaller they are". Hopefully Quinn won't be like her big brother who was wearing 9 month clothing at 3 months old and just kept rapidly expanding after that. If she's a big baby like he was then there's no way she will get to wear most of these clothes. What was I thinking?! What a rookie mistake. I hang my head in shame.

Everything is insanely cute though.

 

35 Weeks

Only 3 weeks & 5 days left! Assuming labor doesn't start on it's own, which I am hoping and praying that it will. The plan is to start stripping my membranes (doesn't that sound so lovely) at 37 weeks. Sweeping membranes releases prostaglandins, which can signal to the body to go into labor. Here's the catch... I have to have some dilation going on to do that. At my appointment on Monday I had nothing going on. Nothing! BOOHOO! Obviously that can change at any moment. I'll also start pumping for nipple stimulation around the same time frame. Nipple stimulation releases oxytocin, which just like pitocin, can cause contractions. 

Normally I wouldn't bother trying to naturally induce labor (it'll happen when it happens), but as you may remember, due to lupus I have to deliver by 39 weeks on the dot. The reasoning for this is that lupus loves to attack the placenta and it's extremely common for the placenta to no longer function after 39 weeks with lupus patients and this is very dangerous (obviously) for the baby. This is what happened with my pregnancy with Corben. If I don't deliver on my own by 39 weeks then I'll be admitted to the hospital, they will break my water, and I then have 12 hours to go into labor on my own. If not, then it's a repeat c-section for me. I am absolutely terrified to have another c-section and I would also really like to experience a vaginal birth.  

I'm feeling pretty good for this stage of pregnancy. Of course it's getting harder to stand or walk for prolonged periods of time and I am much more fatigued now, but that's all par for the course. I've noticed some increased swelling in my hands, feet, and face, but that's probably because water suddenly sounds unappealing to me and I haven't been drinking even close to the amount I'm supposed to. Oooh, but what is super appealing to me is fruit. I could pretty much eat grapes or fruit salad all day long if I didn't restrain myself. I crave fruit salad (strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and pineapple) covered in whipped cream sooo bad. I save it for a special treat every now and then because I don't think TONS of fruit and whipped cream is a good thing and I don't think our grocery budget appreciates me buying fruit every day. Here's some food porn of my craving. YUM! I want some NOW!

I wasn't lying when I said I like it covered in whipped cream.

See there is in fact fruit under all that cream.

Sooo good!

Anyways, back to the pregnancy.... Some days the braxton hicks are pretty intense and on top of each other, but surprisingly no where near where they were with Corbe.n. Thank God! I'm getting NST's once a week, seeing my high risk ob once a week, and seeing the perinatalogist every four weeks. I see the peri again on Monday and I'm sure I'll probably be seen weekly from here on out. I just know I'm so excited for that appointment. Getting to see Quinn on ultrasound and get a growth estimate is awesome!

I've decided to not weigh myself anymore because it doesn't serve any good purpose. I don't even look at the scale at the doctor's office. I'm eating well and I'm just going to gain what my body needs. Last week was the last time I weighed myself and I was up 29lbs. I suspect I haven't really gained much, if any, since then.

Horrible picture and lighting, but I didn't feel like trying for a better one. Oh well, haha.

 

I Tackled The Beast!

The closet beast that is. In my last post, "Quinn's 'Room' Preview", I showed the disaster scene that was the closet in Corb.en's room. When something needs to be organized I can't relax until it's taken care of. Clutter stresses me out big time and literally keeps me up at night thinking about it! I worked a miracle (that is the master closet is now packed to the brim) and now Corben and Quinn's closet is as orderly as possible. I also put some more work into her dresser organization. That will get more orderly as she gets bigger sized clothes that need to be packed away. Both of my sister-in-law's recently had baby girls and are generously passing on a lot of their barely used baby clothes to us. Too bad that hasn't stopped me from buying too much myself. I'm a lost cause.

Truth be told I'm trying to make things as perfect as possible for Quinn because I'm suffering from big time mommy guilt that she won't have her own nursery waiting for her like C.orben did. Goodness, we had his room completely done way before his arrival. Hopefully I won't scar her for life that she was 2 months old before she had her own nursery ;).

Before: .... now I wish I would have further embarrassed myself by showing you the top shelf so that you could really appreciate the transformation. That's where I did the most work. Oh well. Just imagine a huge giant mess.

The closet now:

Top shelf from left to right: Ergo carrier, moby wrap, bin for clothes that she outgrows, boppy pillow, Chicco hook-on highchair, carseat adapter for our double stroller, Corb.en's backpack, baby books, blocks (Cor.ben has way too many blocks so I put the excess up for now).

Hanging: Corbe.n's clothes (We need to go shopping this weekend. He suddenly hit a major grow spurt and went from 24 month clothing to 3T), Quinn's clothes, and our out of season clothes. 

Floor: Disassembled storage shelves, transitional crib parts, pack n play, carseat (I'll install that in a few weeks), and Corb.en's play tent/tunnel/ball pit. I so regret buying that. He absolutely LOVES it, but it's such a pain to put together and take apart and then he throws a fit every time we put it away. It takes up too much space to leave out. I fantasize about throwing it away, but wouldn't that make me a mean mommy?

Now on to Quinn's dresser... still a work in progress.

Like I mentioned this will become more orderly as I get more clothes and figure out how I want it organized.

Quinn's bigger cloth diapers and Corben's night-time disposables (Seventh Generation) since he soaks through every cloth diaper option I've tried.

Corben's extra sheets, a blanket my sister-in-law knit for Quinn, muslin blankets.

The neglected bottom drawer... Just a thicker blanket and a carseat bug netting.

 Now what am I going to do to satisfy my nesting urges? I will admit that I've already washed everything. The only thing left to do before she gets here is to purchase literally 2 small items (cloth wipes warmer that I've been drooling over and carseat fans to keep her cool during our brutal summer) and pack my hospital bag. 

I would stress over making sure I have a detailed novel (obsessive much?) written on everything necessary for someone to care for C.orben while I'm in the hospital, but we've decided that for the short time that I'm in the hospital my husband will go home during the times that Corb.en will be waking up or needing to go to sleep. Of course both of them will come to see Quinn and I in the hospital, so I will probably make up a little bag of new toys and snacks to keep Corbe.n entertained at the hospital. During other times when C.orben won't need the direct comfort of his parents my Mom will take care of him and won't be needing instructions (she shares my thoughts on healthy eating for kids and I don't have to worry about what she'll feed him). Corbe.n is going through the separation anxiety phase and really relies on comfort from his parents, especially from his mommy. It breaks my heart and makes leaving him for any period difficult. I can't tell you how much I'm dreading my hospital stay. I do NOT want to be away from him at all. Okay, okay... I better end this post before it goes from closet organization to my emotional breakdown from being away from my son. 

Happy Friday!

 

Quinn's "Room" Preview

We're in a bit of a different situation in that we will be moving when Quinn is about 2 months old. With my husband's job relocating quickly we had to find a place in an insanely short period of time and in knowing that it was going to be short term we got a place that is very small. So, until we move Quinn's things are unfortunately in a few different places. 

Quinn's crib is in our room and her clothes that she'll be wearing for the first few months are in the first two drawers of my dresser. Also in our room is the changing pad and a storage cart. Her clothes that aren't in my dresser are hanging in Corb.en's closet. My Dad just got Quinn her own dresser as a gift, so that's in Corben's room as well. I haven't quite decided how I'm going to organize that or what will go in it until we move. I really would like to put everything in her new dresser, but don't want to have to worry about going into Corben's room in the middle of the night to get a new nightgown or anything else. Agh, I can't wait for her to have her own room that I can decorate. Still I'm incredibly blessed that everything has fit together so perfectly.

I still need to get some decorative handles for the dresser and something to hang above the changing pad

Her cloth diaper's are in the diaper stacker

I'm going to get some decorative pegs to hang her letters on.

Her little friends :) that I'll place on a shelf or something. The giraffe is really special because she's the "sister" to Corb.en's elephant that he picked out himself at 4 months old, loves, and still HAS to sleep with. My husband found and bought the giraffe for his baby girl, aww!

Top drawer: burp cloths, Middle drawer: extra sheets, Bottom drawer: extra diaper inserts

Q-tips, Cotton balls, Lotion, Burt's Bees Multipurpose Ointment, Leave-in Conditioner (Corben gets all lotioned up in our room after his bath, so some of his stuff is in this area as well)

Bin 1: hats, Bin 2: headbands & bows, Bin 3: pacifiers, sunglasses, & carseat toys, Bin 4: bibs & scratch mittens

Newborn pajamas, Pants, Bloomers, and Socks

These are the containers I'm using as drawer organizers. Gotta love the dollar section at Target!

 

Ugh, this closet is a disaster right now! I'm a little embarrassed to post a picture of it, but oh well. Storage is a big issue in our current place and some things simply have no where else to go. I won't even show you the shelf at the top of the closet! There are some things I can do to help a little though. I need to get dividers for Quinn's clothes and some of this clutter (such as the car seat) will be gone soon. I still need to reorganize the center shelf organizer and decide what I want to go where. Right now it has C.orben's little backpack for our trips to see his Grandma, his extra sheets, receiving blankets, regular blankets, muslin blankets, his extra diaper inserts, etc.

Oh  and pardon his t-shirt with pajama bottoms. That's what happens when Daddy gets him ready for bed ;).

 Quinn's dresser that I still haven't decided how to organize. Right now it has her bigger sized pajama's, bigger clothes, and extra cloth diapers.

...and just because this post needed another Corbe.n sighting. He's in love with his little table and chairs.

As you will see I've gotten a lot done, but still have some minor things to finish up. It will be so much easier and pleasing to the eye once we have more space, but Quinn will be plenty comfortable in the meantime.