Two weeks later....

McKynlee is two weeks old today. I can't believe how quickly time has passed. Mommy is sleep-deprived, but completely in love with my baby girl. Clint was home with us for a week, which was nice. He took care of her at night, when she's most awake. I was pretty doped up on pain killers, since I'd just had surgery. But he's since gone back to work. He hates it, leaving us every night. He'd much rather be home with the two of us. I've got about another 3 weeks of maternity leave left. The thought of returning to work and leaving her breaks my heart. I'll be a wreck when the time comes. For now, I choose not to think about it. :)

I still haven't shared McKynlee's birth story. I checked into the hospital at about 8 pm on wednesday night, August 10th. By 9:30, I was started on Cervadil (sp?) to begin the induction process. It was 12 long hours. I was almost always hooked to monitors. They took them off around 2 am, to let me get an hours sleep. It was the best hour, ever. :p At around 9:30 am, they removed the Cervadil, and checked me for progress. Nothing. Seriously?? The contractions were there. I swear it! Ok, lets try something else. Dr. Rowan decided to try prostaglandin (again, sp?). That was a 4 hour process. The contractions were pretty brutal. I was having back labor. The contractions were pretty painful, and made it impossible to get comfortable. I went through a ton of heating packs, trying to ease the pain. At the end of 4 hours, the nurse checked me for progress. NOT A THING! Oh my heck. Seriously? Dr. Rowan was in surgery at that moment in time, so they took a message to her, and I was told she'd be in to see me shortly. Within 20 minutes, she came in, to check me herself. I had made very little progress, from when she last checked me in her office (4 days prior). She told me we could continue with the induction process, but that I probably wouldn't give birth to McKynlee until late friday or even saturday morning. Or, she could c-section. If I had made any real progress at all, I would have opted to continue with the induction process. But, I couldn't have pain meds in the immediate future, because they'd slow down any potential progression even more. So, I opted for the c-section. Her head was too big to descend into the birth canal, which is why I wasn't progressing, despite the contractions. I love that she left the decision up to me.
The c-section was NOT that bad. Really. Everyone tried to tell me horror stories of c-sections. The absolute worst part of it, for me, was being numb from the ribs down. I know that sounds dumb, but I had a panic attack. I knew my legs were there, but I couldn't move them. Obviously. But it panicked me. I kept telling them that I wanted to stretch my legs out. They finally told me that my legs were as stretched out as they could possibly be. :p When they stretched my uterus to pull her out, I vomited. It was the most intense wave of nausea I've ever experienced. They told me it was completely normal. As soon as they stopped stretching my uterus, after she was out, the nausea passed. As soon as she was out, they pushed Valium into my IV. I assume it was to mellow me out, stop my panic attack. It worked, and the rest of the surgery is a blur. It seemed to go really fast. I remember Dr. Rowan talking about my placenta. You'll remember that I had a chorioangioma on it. Next thing I know, they were moving me to my bed, and wheeling me back into my labor & delivery room. There, I got to hold my sweet baby girl for the first time. She was/is so beautiful, and I fell in love at first sight. It was short lived, however. My blood pressure went completely nuts. It plumeted, and they rushed to stabalize it. She was taken from me while they pushed meds to fix it. At its lowest point, it was at something like 70/40. Then it shot up to something like 187/140. Numbers are a guesstimate, because I don't remember the exact numbers. Finally, it stabalized to 117/90, or something around there. They were satisfied enough to let me cuddle with my baby girl again, while still monitoring me very closely.
After about an hour, I was wheeled over into postpartum. I was still extremely nauseated, so I didn't spend too much time with the baby. I kept vomiting, for hours. I hadn't had anything to eat in 24 hours. I was used to eating every 2 hours, because of the gestational diabetes. I begged the nurse for something to eat. I told her I'd stop vomiting if I could just put a little food in my stomach. She finally brought me 2 saltine crackers and some sugar free jello. I ate it, extremely slowly. Sure enough, I stopped vomiting. Around 2 am, I really spent quality time bonding with McKynlee.
She's absolutely perfect. My nose, and my coloring. She's got adorable pouty lips. Lots of dark hair. The chubbiest cheeks. She's gorgeous. We tell her how beautiful she is a few million times a day. She's very, very loved by all. Spoiled rotten. Already has her daddy wrapped around her little finger.

Introducing....

Ms. McKynlee Ann McLaws

Born at 4:20 pm on 8/11/11

8 lbs. 4.7 oz. 21 inches long

She's beyond precious. So beautiful. We're completely in love.

39 Weeks- The Birth Plan

We made it to 39 weeks. We weren't sure that we would, for awhile there. Doctors were hoping I would, since babies of gestational diabetes sometimes have slower lung development. They've found that 39 weeks is an ideal number. If I had gone into labor on my own earlier, after 36 weeks, they wouldn't have stopped it. But she's content in there.

However, its eviction time. We're going in at 8 pm tonight to start the induction process. Hooray! We're anxious and nervous. We cannot wait to meet her. We're nervous about how the chorioangioma will affect labor and delivery. Only time will tell. I've been having contractions off and on for weeks now. But, still only dilated to about half a centimeter. So, our birth plan, is simple. We developed it with our doctor at our last appointment.

Tonight, I check in at 8 pm. They'll start me on Cervidil. Hopefully, that will actually do something. She's not sure if my body will respond to being induced, seeing as how my body hasn't responded to the contractions as of yet. My doctor is on call all day tomorrow, so she'll check me in the morning after the Cervidil. We'll then start me on another medication. Perhaps pitocin, if I'm dilating. If I'm not, it'll be something else. If, after those two attempts, I'm not dilating, then we'll cut our losses and do a c-section. She doesn't want to put me through tons of attempts if my body isn't willing to cooperate. Especially since we don't know how the chorioangioma will affect L&D.

So sometime, in the next...36 hours or so...our sweet McKynlee will be here. :) Kinda weird to think about!!! We're leaving the house, and coming home with a baby. Its very, very surreal.

Stay tuned for pictures! If you're on my facebook, you'll probably see pictures sooner :p

Oh, what fun we've had....

and yes, the title is heavy on the sarcasm. McKynlee is determined to give mommy and daddy grey hair before she even gets here. She's already a handful, and we still have about 6 and a half weeks to go. If we make it that far.

I've been in Labor & Delivery Triage 3 times in the last 2 weeks. The first was because I got overheated and dehydrated. Baby girl was perfect. Mommy was sick. A few IV bags of fluids, and I was sent on my way home to rest.
The second time was yesterday. We went to our doctor for one of our twice a week check-ups. They did an ultrasound, in which they do a biophysical profile. Baby girl has been scoring 8/8 on them. Yesterday? A 2/8. She wouldn't move. Wasn't practicing her breathing. The 2 points were given because the amniotic fluid was good. So, we were sent next door to the hospital for additional monitoring. We were there for a few hours. Hooked up to fetal monitors. Her heartrate was great. They did another ultrasound, checked her BPP. The tech literally had to stand over me and shake my belly....and I guzzled some ice water. But it woke her up, she started moving, and we were discharged.
Third time was today. She was fairly active around 7 am. Around 11, I realized it had been a little while since I'd felt any movement. Typically, one should feel about 10 kicks every 2 hours. I drank a little juice, ate a little cereal, and laid on my left side for a little while. By 12:30, I'd only felt 3 soft thumps. I called my on-call nurse, who recommended I go into L&D to be monitored. Especially since she only had a 2/8 just yesterday. So by 1 pm, I was in L&D. Hooked up to monitors. Again, her heartrate was good, but there was no evidence of movement. They ordered an ultrasound, brought me some ice water to try to wake her up, and told me to relax. Easier said than done. The on-call doctor came in shortly after to go over my chart with me, and ask questions that she had. She's not our normal doctor, but WE LOVED HER! She was so nice, didn't dismiss any of our concerns, and really did her best to put us at ease. A little while later, ultrasound came in to do their part. A typical BPP scan will last for 30 minutes, unless they find that everything is great sooner. Her heartrate was good. About 3o seconds into the scan, she started practicing her breathing. So far, so good. But, she wasn't moving. At 29:45, the little stinker finally moved enough that they were more than satisfied. Even the tech was like, "are you freaking kidding me?!?!" So, they reviewed the scan. And the on-call doctor called Phoenix Perinatal (high-risk specialists who've been conducting my Level 2 scans) to get their opinion. Shortly after, they were discharged. Her scans were perfect, so they saw no reason to keep me. Which we understand, but its frustrating. This corioangioma on the placenta can put her in distress at any moment. So when she goes periods of time with no movement, we worry. And the doctors insist we go back in for monitoring. We have an appointment with PPA next week. They're scheduling us for a consult as well. They may end up taking over my care for the duration of the pregnancy. We'll see. So for now, I continue what I've been doing. Try to take it a little easier from here on out. I can continue to work, unless the doctor at PPA says otherwise next week.

In other, better news....my shower is a week away. I can't wait! Its going to be fun to see all the family and friends again. :) And our due date is only about 6 weeks away. Which is SO CLOSE....yet still so far away. We're so anxious and excited to meet our baby girl! :)

31 Weeks

We had another Level 2 ultrasound this week. McKynlee's kidneys look fine, which is great news! The mass is larger. Almost 6 cm now....4 cm larger than 8-9 weeks ago. So at this point, we begin weekly ultrasounds to monitor its growth. Doctor said we may even need to bump it up to twice weekly ultrasounds. If the mass were to get too large, it could begin to put strain on her heart. Hence, the need for closer monitoring. It grows as she grows. The delivery plans are still if-y. Right now, she weighs about 4 lbs, 8 oz. We'll see what happens in the coming weeks, and then we'll decide on traditional delivery vs. c-section.

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 31 weeks, 3 days

Total Weight loss/gain: I have lost count! I have gained weight back, but I'm still below the 10 lbs doctor initially told me to lose. So, we consider it weight loss :)

Maternity clothes: I have one pair of jeans that still slip off me. I'm constantly hiking them up. I can still fit into my pre-maternity jeans, though they're slowly becoming more uncomfortable. My pre-maternity tops still fit just fine. My work shirts are just now becoming a little too short, as the belly starts to protrude more. :p

Best moment this week: She's been SUPER active the past 24 hours. I don't know if she's stopped for more than 5 minutes at a time. I love all her kicks, pokes, and somersaults. Though some of them are becoming slightly painful as she gets stronger and is getting more cramped in her space. :p

Movement: Again, she's BEYOND active!

Food craving: This week, I've been craving mexican food. Nachos, tacos, burritos....whatever! I'm not picky! Although I am trying to ignore said cravings and choose healthier choices to keep the gestational diabetes in check.

What I miss: decent sleep! The past week has become increasingly difficult to get a good nights rest. Between her midnight dance parties, aching hips and back, leg cramps, bathroom dashes....I'm up every few hours.

Sleep: see "what I miss"

What I'm looking forward to: McKynlee making her debut sometime in the next 9 weeks! We are so ready to welcome her into the world! Clint becomes more and more impatient by the day.

Belly Button: Still an innie. Although, its becoming more and more stretched as she gets bigger.

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks have made an appearance. I've had cramping as well, but doctor says its completely normal. Lack of sleep and energy. Achy hips, legs, back. Sciatic nerve pain. I've adopted a slight waddle in my walk :p Nausea is also starting to show again. I went about a month with none whatsoever...it was so nice!!!

I swore I was going to be better....

but I lied.

Just a quick check in tonight....Mommy, Daddy, and Baby are doing great. Mommy is miserably hot. Daddy has joined a gym. Baby thinks its great fun to play punching bag with Mommy's bladder. And sciatic nerve. And even the rib cage, the other day. Only about 10 weeks to go!

We had a check-up last week, where the doctor decided I am officially Gestational Diabetic.

Dang it.


SO Mommy is watching her carbs and sugars....and testing her blood sugars 4 times a day. YAY!!!....not. But so far, I'm controlling it with diet, so no need for any medications. Which is very, very good. :) We have another ultrasound on the 14th of June. We'll see about how much she's weighing. If she gets to 9 pounds, Dr says we'll do a c-section. Sooo....maybe I could have her early? We'll see. I'm ok with that. I'd rather have a c-section then try to give birth to a toddler. The McLaws' are not known for their small babies with tiny heads. But even with enlarged kidneys, a placenta mass and diabetes....the pregnancy has been fairly routine, and baby is super active, which doctors say is a great sign.

I'm off to bed. Volunteering at work tomorrow for our Childrens Miracle Network Carnival. Come by the store and see us! All proceeds benefit Phoenix Childrens' Hospital Childrens Miracle Network :) I'm doing a photo booth... :)

26 Weeks

This week we had another ultrasound to check out McKynlee's kidneys and the "mass" on my placenta. The tech was able to get a 3D image of her sweet face. Isn't she precious?? We like to think so. :) Her kidneys were not nearly as large as they have been the last 2 ultrasounds!! YAY! While they're still just slightly abnormal, its an improvement, and we're so happy to see that! We have another level 2 ultrasound next month. Hopefully, we'll see more improvement then! The "mass" on the placenta IS larger, but its in proportion to the growth of the placenta, so my doctor thinks everything is just fine. They're estimating her weight to be at 2 lbs 4 oz. She's actually about a week ahead of schedule, but its not enough so that they'll change my due date.

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 26 weeks 3 days

Total weight loss/gain: Holding steady. Nothing lost, but nothing gained

Maternity clothes: Still just in my one pair of jeans. I have a hard time spending $50 on a pair of jeans, so I've been shopping ebay. Nothing much out there this week. The pair that I DO have, is a little big still. I'm constantly pulling them up.

Best moment this week: Seeing her sweet face! Clint thinks she looks just like me. His mom sees a good mix of the both of us. What do you think??

Movement: Still a wiggle-worm!!

Food craving: I wanted a coke SO badly yesterday!!!! I got a raspberry lemonade instead.

What I miss: going a day without a headache. they've been brutal lately.

Sleep: haven't been sleeping to well the past week. I've been off the last 2 days, and I spent a lot of it sleeping. I'm a lazy bum.

What I'm looking forward to: the next 3 months passing very quickly!! Its getting unbearably hot.

Belly button: Still an innie!

Symptoms: Very sleepy. Headaches. (some) nausea. Heartburn like nobody's business lol.