Surgical Musings

Today's surgery went well. I was quite nervous of course, because I do not like to go under general anestesia. But I woke up with no problems and am feeling much better than the last time I had surgery. I had a D & C today just over 6 weeks after giving birth to Nola. There was a 2cm piece of placenta that remained behind in my uterus. I had a pretty scary episode of bleeding over the weekend and went to the Doc on Monday. She did an ultrasound and scheduled me for surgery the next morning. I am now sitting on the couch after several naps pondering what I would like to eat next. I go back to work in less than two weeks, and I'm wishing it was later...or never. Guess we'll see how things pan out. In the mean time, I'm thankful I was still off when I had to have this surgery. And very thankful my husband was able to get a few days off work to take care of me and Nola.

Nola is Here!

So happy to announce that Nola Irene has finally made it to the outside world! She arrived on 9/24 at 5:28pm at 8lbs, 7 oz and 21 3/4 inches long.

12 days after my due date, my OB decided it was time to give this little girl a kick in the rear to evacuate, so I was scheduled for an induction at Methodist Hospital on Saturday morning at 7am. We arrived about 6:45 after having breakfast at McDonalds. I was anxious, nervous and jittery. We checked in at Labor and Delivery and they told me that they were just working to turn over the room for me because they'd had a pretty busy night. So we went downstairs and bought Ryan a cup of coffee and sat in the L&D waiting room for a while. Finally, about 8:30 am, they told us that they had 2 other women check in that were already in labor, so all of the rooms were now full. The charge nurse had spoken with my doctor and gave me the option of going to IU North to deliver (30 minutes away) or coming back to Methodist at noon and "hopefully" they would have a room available for me. I decided I didn't want to spend the day waiting around, so we set off to the northside of town.

I was now pretty overwhelmed and much more nervous because I hadn't even been inside the hospital - had no idea what their policies were or what would happen during/after delivery (The original hospital I was scheduled to deliver at was considered "baby friendy", so they had a lot of different procedures than other hospitals) I really hate not knowing what to expect, so this was really throwing me for a loop. We arrived at IU North just after 9:30 am. When we arrived at the information center, the woman on duty was so nice and personally escorted us up to L&D, where the nurse greeted me by name and led me to my L&D room. They had already done the preadmission paperwork, so I only had to sign a few forms and away we went. The nurse checked me and I was 3cm dilated and 90% effaced...same as I had been at my last 2 OB appts. They started me on pitocin at 10am and penicillin since I tested positive for Group B strep.
The next 2 hours were pretty uneventful. I was having regular contractions, but they were not painful in the least. Dr. Soper came in at 12:15 and said she was ready to start making things more painful. (I had been watching TV and eating jello up until this point.) She broke my water and then things really took off. I started having pretty severe back labor, so I spent some time on the birth ball looking for relief. At some point after that (time was pretty much obsolete to me at this point) the nurse felt the contractions had really kicked up, so she made me get back in bed to check me. I was almost 8cm dilated. I hadn't had any pain meds at all, and knowing I was so close to 10 really gave me a new burst of willpower.

Around 3pm, my body was starting to push on its own, and I was breathing thru every contraction like I was blowing bubbles thru a straw to attempt to stop the pushing. After about 20 minutes of this, the nurse checked me again and I was at 10cm. Dr. Soper came in at 3:30pm and I started pushing. The nausea from my first trimester came back and I threw up with every contraction. After 2 hours of pushing, we were right on the brink. I ended up with an episiotomy, but finally at 5:28 pm, Nola made her way into the world. They put her right onto my chest, and Ryan cut the cord. She started crying right away, so she got to stay on my chest for about 10 minutes before they took her to do the standard cleanup and evaluations.

Then the fun really started. My placenta wasn't detatching, so Dr. Soper spent quite a few minutes kneading my stomach. They brought Nola back and let me nurse for a few minutes in the hopes that would make the placenta get a move on. I nursed for about 20 minutes while Dr. Soper stitched me up (lucky me had a 3rd degree tear), but the placenta still hadn't made any moves, and I was still bleeding pretty badly. At that point, she looked at me and told me she was gonig to do a manual extraction. She apologized and told me it would probaby hurt more than the birth. She was absolutely correct. Ryan held Nola, and I yelled a bit and crushed the bones in the nurse's hand, while wishing I had gotten the epidural. She finally got it removed and stopped all the bleeding, and I got a lovely cocktail of narcotics in my IV. Nola got her bath and Ryan was busy making tons of calls and sending pictures.

Scott, Jenn and the girls came to visit about 9 that night, and Ryan went out to bring me a Steakburger and milkshake since I hadn't eaten since 6 am. The nurse then told me that the recovery floor was full so I was going to spend the night in my L&D room. They ended up coming in around 1am and telling me they had discharged someone, so they wanted to move to up to the post partum floor. Ryan was already sleeping, so the nurse woke him up to get our stuff together. After we were settled in on the 4th floor and I fed Nola, we sent her to the nursery for the a little while so I could get a little more rest. On Sunday they checked my hemoglobin levels, and they had dropped from 11.8 (from the blood they drew when we started the induction) down to 7.7. I was feeling pretty weak, but got started on an iron supplement, and in a few weeks everything should be back to normal. We were discharged on Monday afternoon, exactly 48 hours after delivery.

I am so happy to be home. We are still working on finding a new normal, and sleeping thru the night. We had some trouble with feedings at first, and had to supplement a little bit on day 2 and 3, but now Nola is latching well and is off formula! I'm happy to have the next few weeks off to spend with my beautiful daughter. She is honestly the most beautiful baby in the world. :)

I have a Procrastinator on my Hands

I'm 6 days overdue, and this little girl hasn't made her appearance yet. I'm so frustrated and uncomfortable and am really just so ready to have her out!!  Apparently she didn't get the memo that she was supposed to come out on Monday, and that this family has little tolerance for non-punctuality. Oh well, I guess that's just one thing I'll have to teach her - if she ever decides to show up - :(

Eviction Notice

I am 39 weeks today, and with only 7 days left to go, I am officially putting this little girl on an Eviction Notice! I am so huge and clumsy and acutely uncomfortable. I feel like I'm having contractions all the time (I'm not really, of course, but am having pretty frequent Braxton Hicks). I can't get comfortable no matter what position I'm in. SO I'm really just ready to get the next part of this whole adventure....ready to change this inside baby to an outside baby.

So, Baby Girl, consider this your notice - you have 7 days to evacuate the premesis! :)

Of course, today is Labor Day...maybe she'll get the message and come on out today (keeping my fingers crossed on that one)

Tomorrow is the first official day of my Maternity Leave. I will be off work until the Monday before Thanksgiving. It was weird on Friday when I left to think that I don't have to go back for 11 weeks. This week I'm planning to get some rest and get the house cleaned up a bit and maybe do some scrapbooking. And hopefully get this baby out before her due date. I'm a punctual person, maybe she'll catch on.

My Life as a Hippopotamus

Amy and Inga are coming over today. I am having maternity photos taken. I am going to have Ryan in most of them. I have been envisioning kind of like a re-do of our engagement shoot, except for the fact that I'm 32 weeks fat pregnant.
Everything takes so much more effort at this point, which is an odd and new experience for me. It is kind of intimidating to think that I STILL have 8 weeks to go...and grow!
I am excited that I have only 7 more weeks of work before my maternity leave starts. I'm ready now!

Thumping and Rolling

I am feeling very. . . . conspicuous.
Which is very odd for me because I have always been a person who fades into the background. People don't remember be. People don't notice me.
Until now.
Perhaps because I take up twice as much room as I used to.
And I still have 99 days to go. Yikes.
The best thing has been feeling Little Miss thumping and rolling around. I keep telling Ryan with kicks as strong has hers, she's just destined for Soccer. :)
We went to a birth class yesterday, which actually made me feel a lot more confident about everything. I figured it would really overwhelm me, but we went over a lot of information that I already knew the answers to, so I guess my reading has been worthwhile.

Babymoon

We are leaving in the morning for our last vacation before Little Miss comes! (Well, technically we are going away for a weekend for Andy's wedding in July, but that's less of a vacation and more of a reunion)
We are flying to San Francisco, CA! I'm so excited! I've been to Seattle before, when I was in Jr. High, but I've never been to California. Ryan is insisting that we will drive down the coast to Monterey Bay to the Aquarium (which is the best in the world) and I'm so excited to see the Golden Gate Bridge! We are both equally happy to just have some relaxing time away. I can't wait!!

Team Pink

It's a girl!

We had our ultrasound today. She had her little legs crossed at the ankles, but we still saw a good eyeful of her lady parts. Definately a girl. Ryan is already saying she is a "demure little lady" because her legs were crossed. She also waved at us.
Most importantly, there were no markers for any abnormalities and she is even measuring just 1 day behind my due date! My biggest wish was a healthy babe, and she certainly appears to be. We didn't get to see her face, but I'm just fine with given the good outlook she was given! :)

Not Just for Taxes. . . .

This year, I am SO looking forward to April 15th.

Not because this is the day federal income taxes are due. Mine have been filed for quite some time now.

This April 15th, I am scheduled for my Ultrasound! :)

I will be in my 18th week, and we will be learning the gender of the bubs. I am so excited it is only 2 weeks away!!!! I had resigned myself that I was going to have to wait until the end of the month.
What a great surprise for a Friday!~

Weekends

I've missed weekends. I have felt so tired and sick to really do much of anything until the last few weeks. Last weekend my brother and his new fiancee came to town to run some wedding errands. I got to help them start their registry! It was blast. It made me remember how much fun it was 6 years ago when I was starting my wedding registry. It is cute to watch new couples discovering how they are going to fit their individual styles together to make a home that is "theirs."

THIS weekend, my best friend came to visit me in Indy. It has been 4 YEARS since she was last in town. This was the first time she has even seen my house (that I moved into 3.5 years ago!) Last night we went a saw a cutie chickie movie, one that my husband would never agree to see (of possibly would agree and then leave the theatre 7 times during the 90 minute show to use the restroom, get a drink of water, buy a coke, buy popcorn, and buy candy....all on separate visits) Today we are going to do some shopping and who knows what else we will get up to before tomorrow is over. I am so happy that she is hear and finally getting to spend some time with me!

Baby on Board

About 2 years ago, I had another blog post with this title, just to throw everyone off.

This time, it is actually official.
We are expecting!
Due September 12, 2011.

So Exhausted.

Crossing my fingers things go the way I want them to at work..... that would just be FABULOUS!

Time will tell....

I would LOVE to have some evergy. I am just zapped. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm sleeping terribly.

Insomnia

Is not fun.

I was sleeping like a baby, warm and cozy on the couch.
Ryan got home from work and took me to bed with him - which was FREEZING. After several minutes of shivering I finally fell back asleep, only to wake up an hour later because I was hungry.

And now I've been awake since 4, and am just waiting for 6:30 to roll around so I can take my meds and get ready for work.

And speaking of meds - my hats off to the wonderfully inventive science-minded people who invented these amazing drugs.

Until next time.
Peace,
Love,
and Lunesta.

101 in 1001 UPDATE!

So, as 2011 has now begun, I am officially in the FINAL year of time for my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. Here is my progress so far.
101 in 1001




I have been working for a while on my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. Some things are serious, some are random and silly. There are three categories: Complete, In Progress/Ongoing, Not Started

Due: December 1, 2011


1. Lose 20 lbs from current weight and maintain for remainder of days. Update 2/1/10: 13 down!!

2. Integrate Fish as main protein for at least 1 dinner each week.

3. Integrate fresh salad as main lunch at work at least once a week.

4. Continue daily workouts.

5. Take a vitamin everyday.

6. Got to the dentist regularly

7. Take good enough care of my skin that it looks the same or better than it currently does.

8. Find a church we can agree on attending.

9. Become a better housekeeper.

10. Do more of the housework myself so Ryan is less stressed

11. Budget so all of our essentials are on one salary

12. Visit at least one set of grandparents each year

13. Talk to my mom at least once a week

14. Email or talk to Linda at least once every other month
15. Tile the kitchen floor - Summer 2010 Completed. We actually ended up using laminet tiles. Much more cost effective, and a GREAT look!

16. Completely finish the basement. August 2010! What a relief!

17. Re-finish the deck. Summer 2009.

18. Buy a new car. Mercury Milan, purchased 3/2009.

19. Go to Hawaii - we spent 8 incredible days on Oahu in August 2010. Bliss.

20. Celebrate 4th, 5th, and 6th wedding anniversaries

21. Swim with dolphins

22. Parasail with Ryan

23. Go on at least two vacations per year (Total of 5 or 6 week long vacations) We have done a Wine Trail in Madison, Indiana, a Wonderful Trip to Hawaii, and a week long trip to Nashville.

24. Catch up and keep up with my scrapbooking

25. Always have a book 'in progress', never unread for longer than a week

26. Make 2 friends in Indy, have girls' nights out

27. Learn how to make a bearnaise sauce

28. Plant and maintain landscaping the the front yard - we weeded the flower bed and have lots of Tulips.

29. Get a raise each year - Got 3% raise in January 2010; Got 3% again in January 2011.

30. Contribute montly to our savings account, no less than the minimum we set.

31. Finish my short story

32. Teach Gretchen "come"- all the time!

33. Get a pedicure. Get more than one pedicure. Completed 1st pedi in April 2010 with my Mom, Grandma and Aunt Cindy!

34. Buy a new couch and loveseat - we bought a new sectional in August 2010 and moved our old couch and loveseat to our basement

35. Visit Canada.

36. See Timesquare

37. Finish reading my Poe book (The complete works of Edgar Allan Poe)

38. Make a candle

39. Eat sushi - August 2010, in Hawaii. I didn't care for it too much.

40. Paint a piece of pottery

41. Do an activity with Ryan just because its something he wants to do - August 2010 Swimming with SHARKS in Hawaii.

42. Make homemade shrimp ravioli- Pasta too. 1/31/2010- pasta was great!

43. Make homemade white sauce for pasta- Completed 1/31/2010. Sauce was grainy. Need to try again!

44. Ride a wave runner - June 2010 in Lake of the Ozarks Missouri. The next day I felt like I'd been hit by a truck!

45. Walk Gretchen at least 3 times a week

46. Get better at small talk

47. Make a piece of pottery

48. Hold a non-poisonous snake

49. Run a 5 and a half minute mile

50. Continue weekly closet cleaning ritual

51. Donate at least one item to Goodwill each month - I'm kind of doing more of a Purge every few months, but the amount of donations is on target.

52. Drive a convertable with the top down

53. Golf at least once a month during the spring and summers

54. Eat at the Melting Pot

55. Get at least one more stamp in my passport

56. Make a gingerbread house (gingerbread and all)

57. Learn basic conversational Spanish

58. Continue following my daily cleaning list

59. Take more pictures when friends get together

60. Send random encouraging emails

61. Continue buying and learning to utilize spices in my cooking

62. Go to the opera or symphony

63. Hear the Transsiberian Orchestra Play

64. See Joel McHale do standup

65. Go to at least 2 more Bronco Games in Denver

66. Set up and use my sewing machine

67. Have people over at least once every three months

68. Go to Cedar Pointe.

69. Ride all the rides at Cedar Pointe.

70. Buy a pattern and make a black shell dress

71.Completely read at least 2 of my Psych textbooks

72. Make at least one new recipe each month

73. Get the 2nd guest room set up with the Daybed

74. Go to a wine store and buy one I wouldn't normally. Visited Cork Cracker.

75. See GREASE the Movie (saw it for the first time 3/1/09)

76. See a show on Broadway

77. Order a Champaigne Cocktail. Ordered at the Patterson House 7/30/09.

78. Walk Gretchen in a Mutt Strutt

79. Make pumpernickel toast

80. Walk in some type of Red or Pink Fundraising Event

81. Tile the bar in the basement by myself - Scott helped me with the glue/cement stuff, but I laid ALL the tiles my myself! July 2010.

82. Visit the Newseum and the Holocaust Muesum

83. Go to or host a Halloween costume party - Went to the Halloween Howl at the Conrad Indianapolis 2009 and 2010

84. Make a rosotto - It wasn't from scratch, but it was still great!

85. Go see a movie at a Drive-In

86. Watch Fight Club with Ryan (and Stay awake during it)

87. Get photos recovered from the laptop

88. Buy a pair of Jimmy Choos

89. Get professional photos done with Ryan

90. Cook duck a la orange

91. Cook a rack of lamb

92. Host a New Year's Eve Party - seeing as how my due date happens before the end of this year, I am marking this as officially INCOMPLETE.

93. Buy another Coach bag

94. Get Laser Hair Removal for my legs

95. Build and maintain a completely stocked Bar for the basement

96. Buy a big screen TV for the basement when its finished - Bought a 42 inch LCD November 2010

97. Go to Irish Fest

98. Take a tour of the White House

99. Vote in at least one state/local election - Voted in the local election November 2010

100. Go to a French restuarant

101. Have a private, candlelight dinner on the beach