WHY IS STAYING AT HOME WITH YOUR KIDS CONSIDERED A BAD THING?

Being a stay at home mom is a wonderful experience.  Before having children I would have never imagined staying at home.  I had always had a plan to be out in the world working and earning a living to help support my family financially.  I went to college and completed my master's degree.  When I got married that all changed.  I married a man in the military and a stay at home wife is normal.  Mainly because people don't want to hire someone that isn't going to be around for long.  That is why you see so many military wives that work from home.  After having my daughter I couldn't have seen myself going back to work.  Luckily we were blessed enough that I am able to stay at home with our daughter.  You do have mainstream society telling you that if you aren't in the workforce that you aren't contributing and at first this was hard for me.  But, over time I realized that I have the most important job in the world!  Raising my daughter to be a loving, kind, generous, courteous little lady was the most important job I would ever have in my life!  Why does our world feel the need to make a women feel that she isn't important unless she is contributing financially.  I understand that if you have to work to pay your bills then that's okay.  But, if you are like me and can stay home if you wish then that's okay too.  :)

It's a ........!!!

After waiting 21 weeks we now know what we are having!!!!

It's a Girl!!! 

Baby is healthy! 

Dealing with Loss/Miscarriage

My husband and I had decided it was time to start trying for another baby.  Our first child is now 2 years old and we would like for them to be close in age.  We made the decision to let nature take its course and put it in God's hands.  The first month we tried we were successful and found out we were pregnant!  Little did I know that this happiness I was feeling would be short lived.

FRIDAY

I will never forget the joy that comes along when you first find out that you are having a baby!  It was a Friday morning when I took the test to find out.  I had been having symptoms and thought I might be pregnant.  But, I was skeptical because the chances of getting pregnant on the first try were very slim. Plus with our first child it took almost a year because I had fertility issues.   I woke up and took the test.  I walked out of the bathroom to get my husband.  As we walked back in to check we were both overjoyed and somewhat shocked when we read the words "pregnant"!  

SATURDAY

By Saturday I was already trying to figure out what to do with the nursery and thinking about a birthing plan.  Since we are military we have to think about who will watch our daughter while we would be in the hospital.  The excitement was really kicking in for the both of us.

SUNDAY

Sunday morning started out like any other morning.  But, I noticed my stomach muscles were feeling tight.  I didn't think to much about it, just that it was uncomfortable.  Then as the day went on I started to spot.  I knew that spotting early on in pregnancy was okay as long as no cramping went along with it.  I wasn't in any pain and the spotting was very light.  I decided to go on about my day and try not to worry about it.  

MONDAY

I slept awful during the night.  My daughter was up a lot crying and I was so tired.  We slept in until 9am which was not like us at all.  When I went to the bathroom I then seen one of the worst things I could have, lots and lots of blood.  My heart just sank and I knew what was happening...I was losing the baby.  I had no idea what to do and was so lost.  I called my husband, who was at work, and told him about what was happening.  Unfortunately being a military wife I know all to well that duty comes first.  He was able to come home, but it was a couple of hours later.  After speaking with two doctors and the insurance company I was informed the best thing would be for me to go to ER.  

I still don't know if that was the right decision, but I had no idea what else I could do.  I knew that once a miscarriage started there was nothing you could do to stop it.  But, I had to know if that was 100% what was happening, so I went.  I sat there in the waiting room for 7 hours before I even got to see a doctor.  It was a horrible experience and I honestly wondered at some points if I was going to bleed to death before I could even see someone.  I had later learned the women that took my information only put down that I was there for "pain".  I'm sorry, but me losing a child and having a miscarriage is more than just an average person having some pain!  I was so furious after I learned that, but what could I do.  After 8 hours at the hospital I found out that I was still pregnant, but I was miscarrying and within the next few days I would lose the baby.  This has to be one of the hardest things I have had to go through.  I seen a saying after this happen and it has given me comfort.  

"AN ANGEL IN THE BOOK FOR LIFE WROTE DOWN MY BABIES BIRTH THEN WHISPERED WHEN SHE CLOSE THE BOOK TO BEAUTIFUL FOR EARTH..."

The only comfort I really have is knowing that my little angel is in Heaven already and that I will see them again.

Post Baby Weight Loss

I have reached my 6 weeks postpartum.  I got approval from my doctor to start working out again!  I'm so excited.  I have lost quit a bit of weight since having her, I am down 23lbs.  I currently weigh 130lbs.  My pre-pregnancy weight was 121 lbs.  So that is my goal for now to accomplish.  I am going to periodically post my progress with pictures.  I am going to start out with running and doing Bodyrock again.  Then when I feel ready I will start Insanity!  I'm so excited to be able to do this and have the support of others to help me reach my goal.  :)

The picture on the left is 
37 weeks, on the right 6 weeks postpartum

   

MOVING!!

I am 8.5 months pregnant and I received a phone call from my property manager with bad news.  The owner of our house has decided to move back to Oklahoma.  That means for us that we are having to move!  I can't believe that this has happened,  luckily for us we have another house we can get from our property manager.  This is just the worst time for this to be happened since I am so far along.  I guess we just have to deal with it and move on.  There is no reason to stress over it since there is nothing that we can do.  Sometimes you just have to suck it up and deal with it. 

Labor and Delivery

Sorry it's been a while.  I have been very busy!  I had my beautiful baby girl, Aubree, on Election Day I was 37 weeks and 5 days.  I went into labor on Sunday night, but the contractions weren't close enough to worry about. Then Monday they were coming every 15 minutes or so. Then by early Tuesday, around 2am they were every 5 minutes apart. So I went to the hospital and they sent me home because I was still dilated 1cm. I went back that day at 9am and still no change. But, my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting 1 minute! The nurse made the doctor come and see them because she knew I was in labor. When they walked in I was in so much pain they admitted me right away.
I went around 4 or 5 hours before I was able to get an epidural. The thing was I wasn't dilating from were I had the LEEP procedure. I had been in labor for over 36 hours before they finally admitted me!!! The LEEP had caused me to have scar tissue and it was keeping me from dilating. I was screaming I was in so much pain. My poor husband was in tears because he couldn't do anything to help. Then I finally got the epidural and when they checked me again it made the scar tissue finally tear open. I dilated from 2 to 6 within 5 minutes. It caused me to have a continuous contraction and it was squeezing Aubree. They were making me change positions trying to get it to stop. It made her heart rate dropped and they were preparing for an emergency C-section. They gave me a shot in my uterus and it finally worked. They had to stop my labor completely for 2 hours. Then they started giving me Pitocin to start it up again. I dilated the last 4 cm in around 1.5 hours after that. I ended up pushing for around and hour and it was over!! I have never been in that much pain in my life!!!!  But it was well worth it! 

Welcome to the world Aubree Rae!  6lbs, 1oz, 18 inches long. 

OBGYN: 31 weeks, 4 days appointment

 I can't believe how fast everything is going with this pregnancy.  Everyone is right at first it goes by so slow and then after you find out the gender it flies by!  In two days I will be 8 months pregnant!  It doesn't seem real to me, but is starting to sink in.  I went for my 2 week checkup today.  Everything is normal and good.  I have gained 1lb since my last visit 2 weeks ago.  I have gained a total of 20lbs according to the doctors office.  In one month I have to have a strep B test done.  They told me it was standard to do and is no big deal.  I'm assuming it's just a culture they get.  If I do have it then I have to have antibiotics during labor.  I do know that women that get it can pass it to their babies giving them this infection.  I have no idea what causes it, I just hope that I don't have it.  Even if I do then at least I know it's no big deal and is common.

I did speak with the doctor about my swelling.  The doctor said it's still normal and nothing to worry about.  She thinks that the baby is laying mainly on my left side and is pressing on my blood vessels.  That is the reason why my swelling is a lot worse on my left side.  After 35 weeks I will start to go every week.  I will also start getting checked to see if I'm dilating or thinning at this point.  She also heard from the cardiologist and everything with the ECHO looked good.  I love getting good news.  :)

This day has been a rough day.  Aubree started kicking and moving at 4am again.  I finally got up at 5am because I was worried I would wake my husband up.  I just couldn't get comfortable.  She continued to move until around 10am, then she finally stopped.  The nurse asked me what I had feed her that morning because she was all over the place.  I laid down for a nap when she stopped moving, but 45 minutes later she was at it again.  Needless to say it's going to be a long day...

High Risk Doctor: Update 31 weeks

This is my last visit with the high risk doctor.  I was so excited because we were able to get another ultrasound of the baby!  At first the doctor was concerned since I have been having braxton hicks contractions.  I had a vaginal ultrasound first to make sure I wasn't going into labor early.  This was the main concern and the reason for seeing this doctor in the first place.  Luckily everything was just fine and I have not been dilating or thinning out.  They think I should be able to carry Aubree full term and there is no need to see them anymore.  I was so happy that everything is going good, but bummed at the same time because I like getting the ultrasounds.  At this visit I am 31 weeks.  Aubree is weighing an astonishing 4lbs and is 17 inches long!!  They are predicting her to be around 8.5lbs if she goes full term.  All I could think about when I heard that was "that's a big baby!" LOL

Defeated Again!

Today I suffered another defeat.  But, first I must tell you what happen a month ago.  I know that the farther along you go in your pregnancy the less you will be able to use your abdominal muscles.  With that being said this is what happened.  I was on my way to a birthday party with my husband.  He was driving and I decided to adjust the back of the carseat....that was a mistake.  As soon as I hit the lever my husband accelerated on the gas.  As he did this I went flying backward, I was stuck flat on my back with no hope of getting up.  That is when I first discovered that my abs were no more.  As I laid there trying to get up without success all I could do was laugh at myself.  Eventually I was able to get back up with the help of my husband.  This was my first encounter with unusual accidents.

This brings us to present day.  I was getting some clothes out of the dresser in our bedroom.  Of course what I am looking for is in the lower drawers.  After I get out the shorts I needed I went to close the drawer back, but it was overstuffed.  I proceeded to tuck things in, as we all do, in hopes that it would close.  Let me remind you that I was in a squat while doing this.  As I shoved the drawer forward the momentum knocked me off balance.  The next thing I know I am a wobbling mess as I hit the floor, back first.  I just laid there for a moment realizing what happened.  I have literally been defeated by my dresser... 

Cardiologist Update: Echo

Today was an uneventful day.   I went to get the scheduled echo and it only took around 10 minutes.  The lady said that she wasn't a doctor, but to her everything looked good.  I seen her write down mild on the paper which is were I have always been with my mitral valve.  I'm so happy that the pregnancy hasn't seem to effect anything.  I will get a phone call sometime next week to find out the results.  I'm not worried about anything, but it's always best to be safe. 

I also think that Aubree is going to be a morning riser!  She woke me up at 4am this morning moving and kicking.  I decided since I was already up I should go ahead and do kick counts.  It didn't take but a couple of minutes to do because she was so active!   I just hope that it's not this way when she actually joins us in this world.  She usually wakes me up every morning between 5:30-6:00am anyway.  The doctor said it sounds like she will be a morning person.  I can thank my husband for that he is the same way!  I already told him that he can get up with her because he is the reason she is like this anyway!!  LOL 

Doctor Appointment: Week 29

Went to the doctor today for my monthly checkup.  This was my last visit going monthly and now I will be going every 2 weeks.  I had a weight gain of 6lbs since my last visit.  She told me that my gain is right on target!  That's always good to hear, I would love to be able to get back into shape soon after Aubree comes.  I was measuring were I needed to be also.  Overall, the baby was perfect and had a had a heartbeat of 160bpm.  

As for me I didn't sleep well again last night.  I keep getting numbness and tingling again.  I thought it had passed because I hadn't had it in a few weeks.  My hips are starting to hurt too when I lay on them for longer than an hour.  So it's been really interfering with my sleep.  The nurse said I had mild swelling in my legs and feet.  Besides that everything is good with me too.  

The doctor spoke with me about getting induced since my due date is on Thanksgiving Day.  I told her that I didn't want to be induced unless it was medically necessary.  I don't really care that it's around a holiday.  She said that she couldn't let me go over a week past my due date, so if I haven't went into labor by Nov. 29 that will be my induction day.  She also said that she thinks I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions, but they are nothing to worry about.  She said when I can't walk or talk during the contraction, it's the real deal.  I was also told to make sure to do kick counts, which I have already been doing.  If the baby hasn't moved 10 times within 2 hours she told me to go the hospital.  Aubree seems to be getting on a schedule and it's been easy to count her movements so far.  I go for an Echo tomorrow.  I'm sure that everything will be fine with that too.  

I feel so thankful to God that our baby girl is healthy! 

Post-Baby Exercise

I have always been into working out.  Every since I was a little girl I have been in some type of sport growing up.  I must say that one of the hardest things about being pregnant is the lack of exercise.  For those that read this and exercise regular know exactly what I'm talking about.  It's almost addicting and if you don't do it then you feel bad.  My husband has been doing the Insanity workouts for about the last 6 weeks.  I must say I am jealous because I want to be doing them with him!  For me right now taking a 20 minute walk it exhausting.  So, I have decide that I'm going to give myself a post baby workout challenge!  

My plan is start workout again ASAP after Aubree comes.  I know that I have to wait 6 weeks after labor to be able to do this.  So, when I am able to go for walks again that will be my first step.  Then after the 6 weeks is up I am going to jump right into doing Bodyrock again.  I told you guys about this before.  I really think it had a huge impact on me getting pregnant and sorting out my hormone levels.  I will continue to do this for a month.  They offer monthly challenges and I will do one of those.  After that I am going to go all out and do the Insanity challenge.  It's around 60 days and will be perfect.  I'm sure that in between all this I will start running again.  It's something I have always like to do and is great for just clearing my mind.  

I'm going to record my progress as I go and those that want to follow along and give words of encouragement are more than welcome.  I'm going to take the last picture while pregnant and have that to show how much weight I have gain throughout the pregnancy.  Then I will take one after the baby comes.  I know many times your body will go down, but you still aren't in shape.  Then once I can start the Bodyrock challenge I will take a before and after.  The same will go for the Insanity Challenge.  I feel very confident that this will help me to get back to were I was before pregnancy.  I really hope to get support from everyone reading this.  I have already spoke with my husband and is on board to help me any way he can.  I can't wait to get this started!  

For those that want to follow my husbands progress with his Insanity challenge I will put a link below.  Also, I will link Bodyrock in case you want to start your challenge now!  ENJOY!  

http://thewayoftheartist.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.bodyrock.tv/

Hiccups!

I have been hearing that at any time I could start to feel hiccups from the baby.  I know that some women never feel them, so I wasn't expecting to be able to.  Well, the other night I went to bed and starting feeling little movements.  They were rhythmic, so I knew it had to be hiccups.  After a few minutes, Aubree started getting mad about it.  She starting kicking and moving around the whole time.  They lasted around 5 minutes and she wasn't happy at all!  I got the biggest kick out of it.  I really think that she is going to have an attitude!

I also wanted to share my newest picture that I took.  I am 29 weeks and actually got to take this one with my husband! I look really tired because I am!  I feel like I never sleep all the way through the night anymore.  I've resorted to taking morning naps again after my husband leaves.  Unfortunately it doesn't seem to help.  I just keep telling myself that it's only going to be for a few more months and of course it's all worth it. 

Life Changing Decisions

I was talking to my husband the other night about our future.  He has a little over a year left with his enlistment.  He hasn't decided whether or not he wants to reenlist for another four years.  So we decided to talk about all the options we have and weigh them out.  

The first option is for him to reenlist.  If he does then what would he do?  That is the main question.  There are five options that he is considering if he stays in the military.  

The first is to retrain into another job.  What this job would be we don't know yet.  But, it would mean going to Mississippi for him and getting more schooling.  I would be staying in Oklahoma until he gets placed to his new duty station. This would last for a few months, so it wouldn't be a long time away.

The second would be to become a recruiter.  If he did this there would be a chance of us go back to the East coast.  We aren't a huge fan of the Midwest, so this is a big plus for us.  We would have to stay one year longer in Oklahoma after his enlistment is up.  But, in the long run I think it would be the best option. 

The third option is for him is to become a teacher.  If he did this it would mean moving back to Mississippi.  He would teach men and women right out of basic training and those needing to continue their education.  I wouldn't mind this to much and it would be four hours closer to our family! 

The fourth option is for him to become an officer.  This has pros and cons with it.  The pros would be double the salary and increased respect from others.  The cons would be OTS training, which is 3 months while I stay in Oklahoma.  Then we would move to another state for 6 months for more training, sort of another tech school for him.  Then we would go to his permanent duty station.  Once he becomes an officer he would deploy more often and we would move every 3 years.  To me this isn't much of an option, but to him it is. To me I would rather have my husband at home as much as possible.  The money doesn't mean anything to me if my family would be apart.

The last option is for him to find a job outside the military.  If this was chosen the main question would be what job would he find.  With the degree he has we still probably wouldn't go back to the same state as our family.  Just because there isn't many job opportunities there for his line of work.  Finding a job that offers all the military does would be hard in the civilian world. 

We didn't come to any conclusions, but it is good to talk about.  I'm sure there will be many discussions before we make a final decision.  Luckily, we have some time left before we have to decide.  Are there any other military wives out there with this coming up in your lives?  If so, what are you going to do?  

Cardiologist Visit

Today I went to see the cardiologist, finally!  For the last two weeks my heart rate has been running higher than normal.  I have a blood pressure monitor at home so I can keep an eye on my husbands blood pressure.  I have been checking mine too lately.  My BP has been good, but my heart rate is running around 99 bpm.  This is when I'm resting so I wanted to make sure I asked the doctor about that today.  Also, I have been having shortness of breath when I lay down at night. 

I got into the doctors office this morning and had an EKG first thing.  The doctor came in and told me that everything looks and sounds fine.  I asked him about the increased heart rate.  He said that was normal with pregnancy, it's just from my heart working harder pumping more blood.  He also believes that the shortness of breath is just from pressure on my diaphragm when I lay down.  He suggested changing positions to relieve the pressure. 

I have to go next week to have an Echo done.  The main concern with someone with mitral valve prolapse is increased regurgitation.  He explained to me that when you are pregnant your heart enlarges.  Due to this and the increased flow he is afraid that the valve may not keep the blood from flowing back into my heart.  The Echo will show if there is anything structurally to worry about, especially for the labor and delivery.  This is something else that is precautionary, but better to be safe than sorry!

The Kangaroo Method

I am planning on breastfeeding when the baby comes.  I have been hearing a lot about the Kangaroo Method.  This is the definition I got offline from Wikipedia for those that haven't heard of it before.  "Kangaroo care seeks to provide restored closeness of the newborn with mother or father by placing the infant in direct skin-to-skin contact with one of them. This insures physiological and psychological warmth and bonding. The kangaroo position provides ready access to nourishment. The parent's stable body temperature helps to regulate the neonate's temperature more smoothly than an incubator, and allows for readily accessible breastfeeding."

I am wondering if this really works.  I recently went to a breastfeeding class and they spoke to us about this also.  Research has shown that if you are wanting to breastfeed, performing the Kangaroo method will increase your chances of being successful by 70%.  I know there are many mothers out there that haven't done this method and have been fine with nursing their baby.  But, if there is anything I can do to help increase the chances of being successful I will do it.  I also think that this will be a great bonding experience for my husband.  That has been a concern of mine too.  I want him to be able to bond and most men do that by feeding their baby.  But, if I breastfeed he won't be able to do this for a while.  If anything I think it would be great for him and her to do. 

I'm wondering if anyone reading this has done this method before after giving birth?   If so, did it seem to help?  Please leave comments below. 

What's in my hospital bag :)

Since I am considered a high risk pregnancy I think it's important to be prepared.  One thing I can do is to get my hospital bag ready.  I am in the third trimester now, so it's important to have this in the car in case something was to happen while I was out.  There was only one problem, what should I take?!?  After speaking with many moms I finally came up with what I thought was important to bring on that special day.  To make it easy I'm just going to list them.  :)

~ Baby take home outfit.  I actually have the cute outfit, a onesie that is preemie just encase the other top doesn't fit her.  Plus, one of my friends had a baby and her little boy peed on his outfit before they left the hospital.  So, I have a backup outfit too.  A little overboard I know! 

~ A comfortable outfit for me and shoes

~ Phone charger

~ Camera with extra batteries

~ Socks, 3 pairs

~ Toiletries

~ Undergarments

~ Nursing bras.  I plan on breastfeeding. 

~ Bobby pillow

~ Nursing pads

~ Nipple cream

~ Blanket for the baby.  She is due in November so it will be cold out.

~ Baby Book.  I have this one on here because I have a section in the book were you can get the babies hand and foot prints.  Most of the time the nurses will do this for you.  

Don't forget that you will also be getting a bunch of goodies from the hospital.  Like unused diapers and wipes from the pack they were using for your little one.   If you have any suggestions that aren't on here feel free to leave them in the comments below. 

Spa Day at the Children's Shelter

This past weekend I volunteered again to help at the children's shelter.  It's something that I really love to do.  Seeing the children's faces and how much fun they are having makes it worth it every time.  When I woke up that morning I must admit I didn't really want to go because I was so tired.  Tiredness seems to be a daily occurrence now.  But, I had made a commitment and this wasn't about me.  We had a spa day with the girls.  There were four of us volunteering that day and five girls.  We did mani/pedi's and facials.  They also had little goodie bags to take with them.  They all seemed to love it and to see the smiles on their faces was priceless.  

That previous morning I had to go to the grocery and get the oil changed in the car.  After doing all that I knew it was going to be a long day since I had to go to the shelter too.  I had two hours to rest up after that busy morning before I had to leave again.  The drive to the shelter is an hour total there and back.  I was there for 3 hours.  When I got home my wonderful husband had thrown a pizza and fries in the oven for dinner.  I was so exhausted that I went to bed at 8:30 that night.  

I spoke with my husband about the volunteering and we both think I need to slow down.  Everything seems to be harder on me physically.  Also, if I am on my feet for more than a couple of hours they start to swell pretty bad.  After talking it over with him I think this will be my last time volunteering until after the baby comes.  We only meet once a month, so next couple of times I will be 8 and 9 months.  I just think it will be to hard on me.  In some ways I feel guilty and sad about it because I love doing it.  But, I have to think about my health and the babies health now. 

I just started my third trimester and I'm in the final stretch!  

Glucose Tolerance Test

Since I was suppose to go to the Cardiologist today I decided to go ahead and get my glucose tolerance test instead.  The Cardiologist is on call this week, so he is not taking any appointments.  I'm scheduled to see him next week.  I just hope and pray that everything is okay.  When I was in high school I was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse.  It's a heart condition were the valve does not close properly and I can have blood reenter into the valve.  I have a very mild case, which does not require medication.  But, I have not seen a cardiologist since high school.  So it's been around 12 years and I think it's important to have it checked out.  

Since I had an opening today I decided to go and get my glucose test.  I didn't really know what to expect, but it wasn't bad at all.  The hardest part was fasting for 8-14 hours.  By the time I got into the lab I hadn't ate or drank anything for 10 hours.  Once I got in there they gave me around 12oz of glucose to drink.  I only had 5 minutes to drink it, but to me it tasted like an orange popsicle.  Since that has been one of my pregnancy cravings I had no problem drinking it.  After I finished it, it did have a weird aftertaste.  The baby started kicking and moving around, she was on a sugar high I think...lol.  I had to wait around for an hour before they could draw my blood.  I had to give three vials total.  Then after that I was able to go home.

When I got home the first thing I did was eat something.  After that I went to sleep.  I don't know if it was just the sugar rush and crashing from it, but I slept for 2 hours.  I still feel a little groggy, but overall it wasn't a bad experience at all. 

2nd Trimester - Signs/Symptoms

My second trimester has just come to an end.  I must say that I was feeling pretty good until the last week.  The tiredness has come back and all I want to do it sleep.  During the first part of the trimester I was having some round ligament pain.  But, I got a prenatal massage and that took care of that problem.  I have had some standard swelling in my hands and feet, but nothing to drastic.  Overall, I would say that this trimester hasn't been bad at all.  

We have decide on a name for our baby girl, Aubree Rae!  We love it and are so happy that we have finally made a decision.  It was a long and length process, but we finally came to a compromise.  What we did was picked a name and tried it out for a week.  If by the end of the week we didn't like it anymore we would move on.  Aubree has been going strong for over a month now.  We decide on the middle name Rae in honor of my husband father.  His middle name was Ray, so we have decide to use that name, only using the girl version.  

I am starting to get a little anxious about the baby coming.  Not so much about being a new mommy, but more about the labor.  I know that it will be fine and that women do it everyday.  But, that doesn't change the fact of it being scary.  I guess it's just not know what to expect.  

I did receive a phone call the other day and my cardiologist appointment was moved back a week.  So that makes a total of 10 weeks now that I have had to wait to get in!