Finding out

The day we found out our lives would change was definitely memorable. Yesterday marked one year since I had found out that we were having a baby.

This was the third month that we had been trying to have a baby. I was getting quite impatient. I am not sure if I can say that the tea I had been drinking chugging that month was the reason why I got pregnant, but who cares! I was pregnant!

That morning, May 1st, 2012, I was upset. My alarm, for some reason, had never been set, and I literally had like 15 minutes to get ready for work. I took the test, because they say to do it in the morning, and I barely took the time to wait for the results. Nothing showed up after a few minutes, so I tossed the test. I went to work and my day went as usual.

Throughout the day, I kept wondering if maybe something could have shown up on the test after I had thrown it away. I went home and decided I would check. There was a teeny tiny faint little line...I told myself not to get too excited, it was probably just a moisture mark and nothing more. I told Jon about it and we decided I should take the test again.

I took the test again that afternoon, and sure enough, the line was even darker this time. I was pregnant. I went out to the living room to Jon (half asleep on the couch), showed him the test, and said, "Well I guess we know for sure." He smiled, said something about how he was happy,...and fell asleep... I sat there in all my bliss and happiness, and he had fallen asleep! Weren't we supposed to jump for joy, start picking out names, and talk about our future little family? Nope, apparently it was nap time...

To be fair, Jon is an amazing father and husband. He was super excited for the baby, and so supportive during my entire pregnancy. I am talking about getting massages all the time, coming with me to every appointment with my midwife, and running out at midnight to get me raspberries or Sweet Tarts when the craving struck. He is also absolutely amazing with Adalyn. He loves her so much, and would do anything for her. Still, I love to give him crap about it. :)

Jon and I a few months later, celebrating our wedding anniversary.

That evening was incredibly difficult for us. We agreed that we would not tell anyone right away, and we were visiting Jon's dad in the hospital (after hip surgery). His whole family was there, we had this wonderful news, and we couldn't share!

We made it through the night without spilling the beans, and we went home to let the news settle in...We were going to be parents.

33 Week Scare

This photo was taken for our Christmas card. It was taken a few weeks before Thanksgiving.

So, this was definitely the worst part about my pregnancy.

Prior to 33 weeks, my pregnancy was totally normal. I was even called a "midwife's dream" in the very beginning of my pregnancy. This title would eventually jinx me.

I was 33 weeks pregnant, and it was the weekend after Thanksgiving. We went to celebrate Thanksgiving at one of Jon's aunt and uncle's house. The trip took about 4 hours.

On Sunday, we were supposed to drive another few hours to have a joint baby shower with the other side of Jon's family (Jon's cousin was also pregnant and due right about the same time we were). We had a great time that weekend, talking with family, playing a rousing game of poker, eating great food. We were just saying our good byes when I decided to make a quick potty break before we left. Come on, I was 33 weeks pregnant. There was no way I could hold it that long in the car! This is when I noticed the blood. My stomach did flip flops and my body went numb. Something was wrong.

I pulled Jon into the bedroom we had been staying in and told him. He remained very calm and said that we should go to the hospital and get checked out. We even called the birthing center at our hospital back home, and they confirmed that, yes, we should go to the nearest hospital. I was scared. All I could think about what that we were not ready for Adalyn to be here. We were 4 hours away from home and had no car seat or anything else we needed/wanted at the hospital.

I was definitely scared, but Jon was always by my side, and I knew that as long as Adalyn was safe and healthy, everything would be alright.

The first few hours escalated quickly at the hospital. At first, we were being told that I was just going to get checked out and could be on the road, headed to the baby shower, within a few hours. Then, I was being told I would probably not make it to the baby shower. Within a few short hours, two nurses were rolling in an IV cart, telling me that I needed an IV, muscle relaxers to stop the contractions (WHAT CONTRACTIONS?!?!?!?!), and a catheter. The nurses had us sign NICU paperwork.  I received a lovely shot in the ass, not once, but twice, with medicine to help develop Adalyn's lungs in case she was to be delivered early. I was told that I would be held over night, which turned into two nights. I was put on a liquids-only diet for 24 hours, in case of an emergency c-section, and not allowed to get out of bed for over 24 hours. I had an ultrasound done and was hooked up to a monitor that recorded baby's heart rate and any contractions.

In the end, nothing was ever found. To this day, we have no idea why I was bleeding that morning. We finally got to go home after hours waiting for the doctor to show up on the third day.

We left feeling defeated and hurt. The doctor (as confirmed later by the entire staff of ob doctors at our hospital) was too aggressive with his treatment. This doctor also told us we should never have been seeing a Midwife in the first place, and definitely should not continue to see one when we get home, because, afterall, we wanted "what was best for the baby, right?" Well, sir, I can guarantee that if I had been with my midwife, I would have received better care and not gone over 24 hours without seeing her....but thanks.

Needless to say, we will not be taking any long trips during future pregnancies.