Garrett's Early Arrival

At my 34 week appointment with my OB, I went over my birth plan.  Mainly I wanted a natural, unmedicated birth with no IV and I wanted to wait and cut the cord after a few minutes.  She didn't agree with anything.  A couple weeks before, I had met a chiropractor at a family fair.  She told me about a midwife group at Harris Methodist in Fort Worth.  It must have been meant to be because after that dr. appointment I needed a new doctor fast.  I made an appointment with the midwives and fired my old dr the next morning.  I was able to go to one meet and greet with Candyss and 1 OB appointment with Lindsay before he was born.  Perfect timing!
On Saturday night, November 22, 2011 @ 38 weeks and 1 day, Mark and I were hanging out with Barney and Kendra.  Mark went to get snacks and a movie around 10 because I suddenly had a craving for pumpkin pie.  While him and Barney were gone, Kendra and I talked about waiting for the baby to get here.  Around 11 PM I got up from the couch and my water broke.  At first I really didn't believe it.  I waited for Mark to get back and then let him start the movie while I had a piece of the pie.  Turns out the movie wasn't what he thought it was so 30 minutes in he decided to stop it and Barney and Kendra decided to leave.  During the movie I pretty much just stayed in my room so as soon as I heard the door shut I told Mark that my water had broke and we needed to call the midwife group.  I called and talked to Tania who told me I could wait a few hours at home until contractions started. 
While we were waiting for the contractions, a bad storm was heading towards us so we started getting everything ready.  Garrett's car seat had not been installed yet so that was the first priority.  We had planned to do it the next day after we had washed the cars, but obviously that wasn't going to be happening now.  We tried installing it without the directions, but once it was all together it didn't seem right so we googled videos on car seat installation.  We finally found the directions (they were in the car seat the whole time) and had to start over completely.  Once that was finished, we finished packing and watched the weather waiting for the end. 
By that time the storm was almost over and I was having contractions about 5-7 minutes apart.  I called the midwife again but when she did not call back within an hour we just decided to go ahead and head to the hospital.
Once at the hospital I waited in the emergency room while Mark parked the car.  Since I had not had a chance to take Mark on a tour of the hospital yet, he took a little longer to park than anyone expected.  The ER guards kept asking me when he was going to get there.  Luckily the contractions still weren't bothering me at that point.  Finally he made his way in and they wheeled me up to L&D. 
After stopping to register and get signed in they took us to the triage room.  I was still having mild contractions and found out I was at  2 1/2 cm, but they couldn't really tell if my water had broken or not.  It wasn't registering according to the little paper test they do, but since they could see the contractions on the monitor they decided I should just go ahead and stay.  Finally, Tania made her way into the room.  It was about 4 AM at this point. Turns out she had delivered 4 babies on her 24 hour shift and was napping.  Mark called mom and dad so they could head down here from Ohio if they wanted. 
They moved us into a birthing tub room at that point and Lindsay came on duty as our midwife.  Pretty quickly my contractions started coming every 1 1/2 to 3 minutes and stayed that way all day with Lindsay checking on me from time to time.  I asked to be checked around 2 PM and found out I was at 8 cm.  I just needed to know I was progressing at that point.  Until then I had spent time sitting on the birthing ball, time in the tub and tried the bed but it was too uncomfortable so I only stayed there for a couple of hours.  Somehow I managed to sleep between contractions.  Talk about 30 second power naps.  Everyone was laughing at me for being able to sleep for such a short time between them, but I was just really tired.  The tub wasn't much better for contractions.  The ball was my best friend.  Around 5 I tried the tub one more time and told Mark I was so tired that I just needed drugs.  I had been more or less awake for over 30 hours by then and was more exhausted than anything.  He left me to go talk to the Lindsay.  Turns out he told her that I was asking for drugs but he knew that I really did not want them so he asked if she could just give me a sugar pill.  (Aw, so he was paying attention to me every night when I told him a natural drug free birth was the only way to go).  She came in to talk to me and said she could check me.  I was at a 10 and could start pushing anytime, so no drugs were necessary.  Unfortunately 3 other women were all trying to deliver about the same time.  Since I suddenly stopped feeling contractions she was off to help all of them.  By the time she came back in it was after 10 PM and I still hadn't had him.
At that point she had contacted the doctor that works with the midwives.  He told her I had 3 choices since we were close to 24 hours now:  find a new position and push him out, get a small dose of pitocin so I could feel the contractions again and push him out or head to a C-section.  Once again Mark made the decision for me.  Pitocin and get him out.  Honestly that was my decision too but I was just too tired to care anymore.  Even with the pitocin I barely felt contractions, but with Mark standing right next to me cheering me on at 11:18 PM, a full 24 hours after my water broke, Garrett came into the world.   
Throughout my pregnancy Mark told me that he was not going to be able to handle the delivery room, that he would be in there, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to do much more than that.  He was wrong.  He barely left my side the entire day.  He even ran to the cafeteria and ran back for some food hoping he wouldn't miss anything.  Mark was pushing so hard right along with me that Lindsay joked that he was going to have hemorroids the next day.  It was definitely a side of him I have never seen before. 
The day didn't follow my birth plan completely but it was still perfect and just knowing that I was being heard made all the difference.  So glad I found the midwife group.  Even Mark could tell what a difference it made.  Had I stuck to my original doctor I am certain the day would have gone much different and while I would still have my precious baby boy the labor part of the day would not seem as sweet.  So much of the day was filled with laughter even through the pain.  All in all it was one of the greatest days of my life. That day I became a mom, Mark became a dad and together we were a family.

29 week appointment

At 20 weeks we were told the baby was average.  At 24 weeks he was perfect.  Neither of those are good enough for this child because today at 29 weeks and 3 days, he is now well above average by 3 weeks.  So yes, he is definitely a King boy child and will probably end up a 10 pounder with a large head.  Poor me.  LOL.  Currently they say he is 4 lbs and 4 ozs and 16 inches long.  His heartrate was 134 which is good.  He is head down but facing my right side so he still has some positioning to do in the next 10 weeks.  I guess that explains all the kicking I get on my right side when my right arm touches my side.  He loves to kick my arm.  My placenta has moved so that is no longer an issue.  All indications are that I can give birth naturally although it is sounding much more painful now.  Dr. said we'll just watch him every 2 weeks and see if we need to do another sonogram before he is ready to be born so we know what to be prepared for.  I think I can safely remove Newborn Clothing from all of my shopping lists though. 

You do move!

All of a sudden on Wednesday night out of nowhere you started kicking and bouncing around in there and you haven't stopped since.  Before I just barely felt the flutters, but now it is clear you are growing and trying to find some room, although I'm growing just as much as you are so surely you have some space still.  Eating makes you move the most and laying on my right side which is strange since everyone tells me you are supposed to move if I lay on my left side.  I always have to be different.  Only 16 more weeks until we meet you. 

We picked a place to birth you little one!

Today I toured Methodist Mansfield.  I loved it.  It is exactly the place where you should be born.  It is only 5 years old, but it is breaking all the records and it is so family friendly.  It easily accomodates natural births so you don't have to worry about any drugs.  They believe in immediate bonding time so you, me and daddy can get to know each other right away.  You will never leave my side.  They even have what I call baby "lojack" there.  They put a little sensor on your umbilical cord and if you get near an exit door the door will lock immediately.  If you get near an elevator a really loud siren goes off.  The nurse that did the tour forgot she had it in her hand so I know the siren works.  You will be very safe.  Daddy will get to be with us the whole time too.  Now, just 5 more months for you to grow bigger and stronger and then we can meet you. 

Our First shopping trip for you Baby!

Wednesday was baby shopping day.  Your momma sure has a hard time saying no to cute things for you.  Grandma Barkema bought some things too.  Dad and Aunt Hannah picked out a lot of things also.  Looks like you will have plenty to wear for awhile, however you don't have a crib, diapers or a way home from the hospital yet, but first things first.  Don't worry we will take care of all that in time. 

Memorial Day 2011-The day we told the Barkema's!

Today we told the family.  We were at Becky's sitting by the pool all day eating when Hannah decided her and Zach needed to leave and go back home.  Of course Mark had picked that moment to go to Graeters for ice cream.  I told Hannah she couldn't leave until Mark came back and then I texted Mark and told him to hurry up.  A few minutes later he made it back (with strawberry ice cream for me) and we passed out our invitations to everyone.

Front:

 Back:

Everyone proceeded to tell me that they have been waiting for us to say something.  I guess they had been talking about me all weekend.  It didn't help that my dress for graduation clearly showed a baby pooch.  I'm glad they waited for me to tell them though. 

Hannah left right after we told them and immediately facebooked that her sister is pregnant.  I guess she forgot that she has 2 sisters because Becky's friends started texting her right away asking if it was her. 

The Family:

  After that we called Grandpa Barkema and Aunt Jacque and Uncle Lon. 

Finally, the world can know!

It's a BOY!!!!!

Tonight me, Mark, mom and dad Barkema, Hannah, Becky and Brian went to Becoming Mom in Mason, Ohio for a gender determination sonogram.  Within a few seconds baby was sitting right on the sonogram with his legs open.  It looks like his first butt picture on a copy machine.  Clearly he is a boy!  Mark and I were right all along.  I guess the orange juice I had before hand worked because he was moving around quite a bit.  At one point he was even swallowing and trying to get his hand in his mouth.  So cute and so excited that it is a boy!  Time to begin shopping.  Think we should start tomorrow.

See what we saw during the sonogram on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA1s8YEypDQ

Determining Gender

This is where the guessing (and the fun) begins:

1.  From day 1 I have just felt like it was a boy.
2.  Ancient Chinese Pregnancy Calendar based on conception month and age of mother at conception suggests this is a boy----EVERYONE tells me this is completely accurate. 
3.  Intelligender Test-pee in the cup variety.  It turned green, so a boy.  Only 82% accurate according to the sonogram place I'm going to in Ohio. 

Are you seeing a pattern????  Well, just wait....

4.  Today an older vietnamese lady attached a string to a ring and held it over my still arm.  She watched it for like 2 minutes and then promptly told me it was a girl.  She had already looked at my stomach earlier this morning and said it was a girl.

2 more weeks from today and we can hopefully find out for sure.

Random things on a Tuesday in May :)

15 weeks and 4 days today.  

Been having strange dreams lately.  I dreamed we had 3 boys at one time and then I insisted we leave the hospital immediately.  Then another night I dreamed my car kept stalling on the railroad tracks.  Last night I dreamed I had the baby but left him at home while I went on this trip with half the people from church.  I wanted to hurry home to feed him but everyone was taking their time and we all road on a bus together.  Very strange. 

We are debating hospital or birthing center for the birth of this baby.  The only thing that has been decided is that I will tour both (with Kendra) and make a decision.  At that point Mark will just go along with it.  So if I decide birthing center none of the ones in the DFW area are covered by our insurance so I will have to go through the process of certifying the one I want to use so they will pay for it.  I think it just might be worth the headache.  Not thrilled with my current doctor as she just rushes me in and out.  I have no idea how much weight I'm supposed to gain, what should be happening with the baby and me from week to week or anything.  The only exception is that I have googled all that so I don't have to ask her a ton of questions she should have already given me answers to.   My personal opinion anyway.  So the reason for the birthing center is for several reasons:  I hate hospitals, I don't want to be bullied by well meaning nurses who are just doing what they are told to do, I don't want to be stuck in a hospital for 24 hours after birth just because that is their stupid rule, I'm not planning to take any drugs, and the birthing center has a whirlpool tub in the room.  Oh and a birthing center is much cheaper. Sounds like a perfect place to me.  The only thing Mark (and me a little too) is concerned about is what happens in an emergency?  But that is just a question I will have to ask when I go visit.  I have already read their reviews and they can handle things like breach babies and even cords wrapped around the neck.  What more could go wrong?  I have been perfectly healthy up to this point.
 
I'm getting bigger and bigger by the day (if not the hour).  I have not gained any weight so far and am at 15 weeks, but my stomach is huge already.  I went shopping for maternity clothes yesterday.  I got the cutest gray cargo pants ever and a pair of black pants for work and 2 t-shirts.  A good enough start I guess.  I already have a few things from a friend too. 

While I have told my boss, the other supervisors and my 2 departments, the rest of the company is slowly finding out about this pregnant woman through the old fashioned way....Gossip and the rumor mill!  One lady insisted I was pregnant to another lady.  The other lady insisted I'm too stuck on my looks and am too obsessed with being skinny to actually let a baby invade my body, so I must just be bloated.  So that's what she really thinks.  Lovely!!!  Well, I'm not too obsessed or bloated.  LOL.  I just think one should take care of themselves no matter the situation...prego or not.  I guess I could have made some sort of announcement at one of our Monday meetings, but honestly at this point it is pretty funny to hear what people really think.

9 days until we leave for Ohio and tell the parents.  I'm really going to have to select creative outfits that hide this belly for 3 whole days until Hannah's graduation is over.  If my belly was not so rounded I could just get away with weight gain.  A sweatshirt in May???  Ok, so I still need to figure this out.  To make it worse I believe a swimming pool is involved for 1 of the days.  Oh my!

That is just a few things that have happened lately.

My First Few Pregnancy Poses: 12 and 13 weeks!