Sterility

It is so odd knowing that there is a 99.8% chance that I will never get pregnant again. My uterus was x-rayed yesterday and the Essure procedure worked 3 months ago. My fallopian tubes are effectively blocked off. That means no more birth control, just enjoyment. I hate birth control pills. I am bad at taking them, the hormones make me gain weight, and the monthly cost/hassle is frustrating. We both hate condoms. Brent wasn’t too keen on the idea of a vasectomy so I agreed to Essure when I heard how easy the procedure is. It is an outpatient procedure and only caused mild cramping. I did have a back ache for about a month after the procedure, but the gynecologist had never heard of that being a side effect. Just figures that I would have that particular issue!

No more babies for us. We have two beautiful children that are loving and bright. The temptation is there to have more children, but in all practicality, I do not want to be out-numbered! There is something to be said for 2 kids and 2 adults! The world is built for a family of four.

I am just wondering if this is how men feel after they get snipped. I have lost some of my womanhood… I can no longer bear children. I didn’t expect that feeling and it is sure to fade.

Brief!

It’s truly amazing how time flies.  I have been through so much physically and mentally since Anna was born.  The agony of not producing enough breast milk despite jumping through hoops, going back to work at a job I didn’t enjoy, and juggling more at home all while physically recovering from a tough pregnancy.  Anna is 4 ½ months old now and is the sweetest little girl a mom could ask for.  She has us all wrapped around her finger.  Alex is madly in love with his sister, but he has been more challenging in general since her birth.  I have been struggling with finding myself since her birth, but I am slowly coming around.  I just started a new job and yoga… these things seem to be helping tremendously.  I am in the mood to write, but want to get out of here as well.  Family dinner tonight!

Anna Therese Johnson

We were told for weeks that our baby girl was ready to come, but alas, Pumpkin was too happy inside her mommy's tummy.  A co-worker joked that I must have cable TV and a recliner in there for two kids to have to be induced!  I went to my 39 week appointment with Dr. Justesen and after giving me an exam she asked if Monday worked for me.  It was a Thursday.  I said, "Works for what?"  She replied, "To be induced.  Does Monday work?"  I was thrilled, and it was scheduled for Monday morning.  We were told to call first thing in the morning and if there was availability to come on in.  I tidied everything up at work and was anxious.  Big brother Alex was picked up by Grandma and Grandpa, Marty was being watched by Sydney... we were all set.  Monday arrived quickly and both Brent and I were so excited, nervous, and feeling a bit overwhelmed.  It was potentially the day to meet our baby girl.  We called and were green lighted... so game on!  My water was broken by Dr. Justesen at 8:20 AM on June 11, 2012.  She was on rounds so we were lucky enough to have her through-out the whole process.  At one point, Brent had left the room to go get something from the car and Dr. Justesen asked how I was doing.  Something about the tenderness in her voice helped me to release my emotions and I started crying.  I was so nervous!  The pregrnancy had been so much more difficult that I was worried the birth would be the same way!  By 8:49, Petocin was administered to aide in dilation.  The contractions started almost immediately, but I was not dilating at a quick rate.  When the contractions moved to my back the anesthesiologist was called at 10:44 AM.  I remember getting up to go to the bathroom multiple times.  I was drinking plenty of water, but that was a lot of bathroom trips and every time I got up more of the amniotic fluid would leak out which really grossed me out.  It would have been funny had I not been so uncomfortable!  The doctor was busy with a little boy so he could not make it to my room until 11:25.  By that time, I was having a really hard time coping with the pain of back to back contractions.  Petocin had been stopped to help while we waited for the epidural.  By 11:35 AM I was no longer in pain which was awesome.  I was able to rest a bit.  By noon I was at 9 CM dilated so Dr. Justesen was called.  I really wanted to push!  I was told to wait until the doctor arrived, but that was proving to be difficult because my body felt so ready.  By 12:30 PM the doctor arrived and I was fully dilated at 10 CM.  After everyone cleaned up and got ready, I was finally allowed to start pushing.  I was able to push 3-4 times with each contraction.  I was shocked to hear within minutes Dr. Justesen saying, "She has a full head of hair!  It's brown!"  I honestly thought she was kidding.  How in the world could the baby already be crowning!?  Suddenly the room filled with extra people, Pumpkin's heart rate was plummeting with each contraction was was getting dangerously low.  The neo-natal nurses were called in to assist if needed and everyone was looking grim.  Luckily, I was told about this afterward and didn't even notice, but Brent certainly was aware of the change in atmosphere.  When Anna joined this world at 12:50 PM she cried immediately and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.  She was healthy, hungry, and all ours.  She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.  I had always wanted a daughter named Anna and Therese is Grandma Penny's middle name, combined the name is just as beautiful as the girl herself.  She was 20 1/2 inches long and 8 pounds, 12 ounces.  Now our baby girl is thriving.  She really likes to nurse and snuggle.  If she isn't doing one or the other she tends to be upset but we are working on that!

Exciting Times!

I am so excited to meet my little girl.  We are 36 weeks and the doctor said she is riding low and thinks I will deliver by 38 weeks!  She is applying a lot of pressure and that should help my cervix dilate.  I am working part time at this point because of the swelling, headaches, pain, and general misery!!  30 hours a week with the support of my doctor and FMLA (not my workplace).  Unfortunately, they have not been supportive in the least.  The best part about this whole ordeal is that I will be meeting my little girl soon.  I can’t wait to see her, hold her, and introduce her to her family.  I just love her so much.

Pumpkin's Room

Thank goodness for little girls! I have been craving some pink in this house and here is my chance! We touched up the paint in our yellow nursery and Alex helped me apply some adorable, girly decals to the walls in Pumpkin's room. The result is so calming and sweet that I find myself just sitting in there and enjoying it.

We are 31 weeks along and Pumpkin is proving to be a big girl! Taking it easy these days and feeling much better for it. We seem to be crusing right along in the 3rd trimester, but I am finding it difficult just getting around. I am big as a house! I swell pretty easily and have lots of little aches/pains. All normal, which is something I remind myself of daily.

Enjoy the pictures!

Baby Bump!

I don't know if you can tell or not, but Pumpkin is making her presence known! She is a big girl that moves frequently. She will not tolerate caffeine and I have already gained the same amount of weight at 7 months that I did the entire pregnancy with Alex! Oye!

Good times ahead my friends!

It's a girl! We went to the ultrasound and promptly to celebrate over lunch at our favorite Mexican place El Loro. I really celebrated with this delicious Fried Ice Cream for desert. Pumpkin liked it!

Big Event with Little Lydia

Last Monday I was admitted into the ER for shortness of breath and minor heart palpitations. Before I get into the details, let me say that I am okay. I wouldn't have been as worried except for the little baby growing inside of me... Pumpkin is six months along and she has been a handful! I was literally sitting at work when I lost my breath. I have a desk job, very sedentary, no reason to be out of breath. It was so persistent that I called the nurse line. They advised me to go to the ER and my heart really started racing then. I immediately called Brent for comfort and rescue to come and pick me up from work. I tried to keep it together but of course, could not seem to manage. There were a few private tears, some concerned conversations between myself and co-workers. Brent arrived to pick me up and we went to the nearest hospital. I haven't been to the ER personally since I was stung multiple times by bees in high school. I was also having trouble breathing in that occasion as well, but this was totally different. I am an adult now, a mom. I was so worried about Pumpkin and not at all about myself. I knew in my gut that I was okay, but I wanted to make sure that nothing was causing the discomfort, that nothing was wrong with my baby. The doctor's name was Alex and right away I knew we were in good hands. Brent was amazing. He stayed calm, supportive, and took the information from the Dr. Alex that I was sure to forget. He asked the right questions which was key. We spoke softly to one another between tests. They did an EKG right away. My blood pressure was good. Oxygen level a little low. They did a chest x-ray, blood work, and an ultrasound of the legs to rule out a blood clot. Lots of tests, and they were able to rule out quite a few things. What they didn't find is what caused the issue. If it happens again, I need to get a Cat Scan. They didn't want to do that because one CT is about 100 x-rays worth of radiation... and Pumpkin would not like that very much. Hopefully it was just a fluke as the doctor suspected. But being out of breath for over 4 hours is definitely not normal. I took it as a sign to slow down. No more plans with friends during the week. No more running out to the store after work if I am tired. Lots more sitting on the couch. Lots more resting. I had my scheduled 6 month appointment this past week as well. My doctor agreed that it was probably a fluke and could have been the baby sitting the wrong way making it difficult for me. This early on that is not normal, but it is a likely cause. Bottom line- we're okay but need to slow it down. We spent time as a family on Saturday night at the local community center swimming and playing. I let Brent take the lead on chasing Alex through the play gym and I walked on the indoor track. I am still trying to walk, but slowly. Seems odd how quickly life can change. I went from losing 35 lbs on Weight Watchers and doing a walk/jog combo 3 times a week to gaining weight and walking so slow it's laughable. At least I'm still walking!! That's all I can say. I can already tell that Pumpkin is going to be completely worth it. She is spunky and opinionated. This is a completely different pregnancy and I was convinced I was carrying a girl from the beginning. And I was right! She is kicking me as I type. She just seems feisty to me. I am so excited to meet her. I just hope we make it through the next few months with ease. On that note, time to get ready for bed!