The Blevins' Beginnings

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

33 weeks

How far along? 33 weeks 2 days

Total weight gain? Honestly not sure. 20?

Maternity clothes? Yes. Always

Stretch marks? nope 🙌🏻

Sleep? Still tossing a turning all night

Best moment of this week? I had a dr appt this week. More on that in a minute

Things I miss? Not having heartburn. Not getting out of breath so easily

Movement? He's a busy boy. I feel like he stretches from my bladder to my ribs.

Cravings? Sweets.

Showing yet? Definitely

Gender? Boy! 💙 Weston Hayes

Labor signs? Not today

Belly button in or out? It's flat and starting to pop on the top

Looking forward to? Him just being here.

So yesterday I had my dr appt.

32 weeks

I went in for my 38 week appt during lunch break thinking it would be just another quick check-up. I hadn't been feeling very well the last 2 days. I was very lethargic and my leg swelling was no longer going down over night. Weston's heart beat was 110 so they hooked me up to the monitors and it came up to 120. I had protein in my urine sample, my blood pressure was running higher than usual, and throw the swelling in there leads to signs of preeclampsia. They did another urine sample to more accurately test for protein and it came back positive. OB was crazy busy that day so he sent me home for 3 hours and told me to rest and come back. I was to check into OB where they would do more testing for preeclampsia and possibly be induced. So I went home and finished packing our bags and waited on Brian to come get me. When we got to the hospital they drew labs, hooked me up to the monitor, and started an IV (they blew 3 veins before they were successful). My blood pressure came down shortly after getting there. Dr. McCall came and reported that I was pretty anemic which may explain some of the heart rate drops. I was actually in natural labor and we wouldn't have to induce! I was getting closer to a 5 and a little more effaced. Baby is still a little high at minus 2 station. But he said my water is starting to bulge. My contractions were every 5 minutes and I was feeling them. He wasn't going to do anything to speed it up at the time due to how busy the floor is in the other rooms. He told me he was going to come back in 2-3 hours and break my water if it hasn't already. He thought we would have a baby by late tonight or early morning!(5:00p.m.)He came back at 8:30 and broke my water. Said I was a 6 but stretch to a 7 and 90% effaced. He told us he thought I was going to go quick. At 10:00 I was still at a 7. After waiting 2 or 2.5 hours I finally received the epidural a little after midnight. Which was awful!!! It took her 3 tries. Mean while I'm sitting Indian style and having major contractions while she asks me if she's to the right or left of my spine. At 1:15 I was still a 7 so we started pitocin to get my contractions closer together and pick up. The nurse had me lay on my side with an exercise ball between my legs to try and optimize his position in my pelvis. At 2:15 I told the nurse I felt pressure. She checked me and sure enough I was at 10 cm. They called the Dr and I started pushing 2:30. I

pushed for 2 contractions and he was out at 2:47 (4/19)! So much better than pushing for 3 hours. He weighed 8.03 pounds and was 20 inches long. Pure perfection. Since he came out so fast he didn't get the squeeze he needed to rid fluids and also they think he took in some amniotic fluid. This caused him to grunt with every breath. So the nurse was in and out constantly and they did a chest x-ray to make certain his lungs were okay. I was so worried about him that I could not sleep. Plus the nurse was putting him on me then he would get bad and she would put him in the warmer. Just back and forth. He would try to spit up but would not successfully spit it out so you had to suction it out for him. Eventually by 7 or so he stopped doing this. Dr. McCall came in later that morning and explained that he thought my symptoms were the start of something going wrong and we were both so glad that I went into natural labor before anything happened. We had to stay 2 nights in the hospital. Kenton stayed with Gina. That was his first time to not sleep in our house, let alone be away from us as well. She brought him to the hospital that day after Julia's. He was not so sure about Weston at first, but eventually warmed up to him. He was more excited about the big brother present he received. I was so so sad watching him leave after the visit.

Fast forward

Weston got a good report at his 2 day checkup. Passed his jaundice test (even though they did it twice since he looked yellow). He had lost the expected 10% of his body weight being 7.8 pounds. Over the weekend his latch while breastfeeding because so painful, he was making me bleed. He even spit up pink or red. Of course the lactation consultant was not in on Monday so we saw her on Tuesday. Little did I know he had an upper lip tie and a posterior tongue tie that was affecting the way he latched. After some serious effort we are going to a pediatric dentist to have his ties fixed by a laser procedure tomorrow morning 5/3. He has been a great baby so far. He will be 2 weeks old tomorrow. He sleeps mostly all day with 2 or 3 one hour wake periods. He nurses every 3 hours. He sleeps three hour stretches through the night as well. Kenton has done great with him, although he doesn't see him too often since he mostly sleeps so far. He loves to hold him, but does not like being told to be quiet while the baby sleeps. We go in for another weight check in 3 days. I am hoping that he is back up to his birth weight at least, and the ties have not affected this. For now we are adjusting well as a family of four and I am finally learning how to juggle my time between boys. I felt so guilty the first week I could not give Kenton my full attention and he was going to others houses to be entertained.

Easter 37w 5d

38weeks. Before I went to the hospital

Getting through contractions

Kenton vs. Weston comparisons

Thursday, April 13, 2017

37 weeks

How far along? 37 weeks 2 days

Total weight gain? 25 pounds

Maternity clothes? Yes. Always

Stretch marks? I have some developing.

Sleep? Awful

Best moment of this week? I had a dr appt Tuesday. The heartbeat was 130

Things I miss? Not having heartburn or restless legs

Movement? His movements are more dramatic. He's busy

Cravings? Sweets.

Showing yet? Huge!

Gender? Boy! 💙 Weston Hayes

Labor signs? I was pretty much 4 cm dilated and 60% effaced at my appt. He said the baby is still high, but once he engages it will be go time. He was supposed to get my induction scheduled for 39 weeks. I've been having contractions that are slightly uncomfortable but they are not close enough to time or be productive. I do feel like they are trying to move him down.

Belly button in or out? It's flat and starting to pop on the top

Looking forward to? Having this child!! I'm so anxious not knowing when I could go into labor. It could be any day now or I could have to be induced.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

36 weeks

How far along? 36 weeks

Total weight gain? 23 pounds

Maternity clothes? Yes. Always

Stretch marks? I have some developing.

Sleep? Still tossing a turning all night. I have restless legs at night.

Best moment of this week? I had a dr appt today. The heartbeat was 134

Things I miss? Not having heartburn or restless legs

Movement? His movements are more dramatic

Cravings? Sweets.

Showing yet? Definitely. Around 33 weeks I feel he dropped some.

Gender? Boy! 💙 Weston Hayes

Labor signs? At my appt today I was measuring a week ahead. He is predicting that he's going to be at least 9 pounds. He didn't check me. Going to have a growth scan done next week to predict how big he is. If he's already 7-8 pounds then we are going to schedule an induction at 39 weeks.

Belly button in or out? It's flat and starting to pop on the top

Looking forward to? Going into labor. And getting to see him next week on the ultrasound

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

35 weeks

I've been working in this post for weeks now and just haven't taken the time to finish it.

How far along? 35 weeks

Total weight gain? 22 pounds

Maternity clothes? Yes. Always

Stretch marks? No. I have a couple red marks where they are potentially starting.

Sleep? Still tossing a turning all night. Starting to have restless legs at night.

Best moment of this week? I had a dr appt this week. More on that in a minute

Things I miss? Not having heartburn. Not getting out of breath so easily

Movement? He's a busy boy. I feel like he stretches from my bladder to my ribs.

Cravings? Sweets.

Showing yet? Definitely. Around 33 weeks I feel he dropped some.

Gender? Boy! 💙 Weston Hayes

Labor signs? At my 35 week appt today I was 2cm dilated with a soft cervix. He said he's still high and hasn't engaged yet. But is not predicting me to make it to even 39 weeks. Yay! So now I'm curious to see if I dilate more within this next week.

Belly button in or out? It's flat and starting to pop on the top

Looking forward to? Him just being here.

So my 33 week appt. of course was one I took Kenton to by myself. We had a little scare as Weston's heartbeat was running from 90-110. He decided to hook me up to their monitor which showed I was also having contractions every 4 minutes that I was not feeling. So he decided to send me to OB for monitoring, an ultrasound, and possibly fluids. My MIL came to the rescue and took Kenton to her house. He was so restless after being in the dr office for an hour and a half. Brian later met me at the hospital where they monitored his heart rate, my contractions, and did an ultrasound. By this time his heart rate was back up to 135 range and I was no longer having contractions but maybe 6 an hour. We were released home after about an hour. He went ahead and had me come back at 34 weeks. He found the heartbeat right away and strong at 135. He thought that Weston was in an odd position and possibly had the cord in his hand squeezing it.

32 weeks