Last bits of pregnancy with Trike

My last bits of pregnancy was interesting...

At my 38 week appointment I was 3 cm dilated, 50% effaced, had one contraction in 20 minutes, and was surprised to hear that Dr. Norton fully expected me to go into labor that weekend. I was super happy that she texted the dr on call to make sure she was notified when I went into labor so she could come in to deliver. The appointment all in all was a great one, the nurses were excited to see what I was having, Dr. Norton was really positive, and I was happy that I had made some progress. Of course, we now know Dr. Norton was right and I would go into labor less than 48 hours later.

I hadn't been feeling great all that week so we aren't sure if it was the stomach bug that is going around, early labor, or some combination of both. I was restless in sleeping, not feeling good, having more contractions (but nothing consistent), and using the restroom constantly. I think my body was prepping for labor, but wasn't working in synch yet.

I was really glad I went into labor when I did. At about 38 weeks you are just tired enough, still enjoying being pregnant, but starting to get impatient, and just feeling comfortable with self induction methods (like walking...not castor oil). I had been walking with MacKenzie a lot because I figured it couldn't hurt. At the very least it would loosen things up for delivery and it would be good for both Mac and I to get fresh air. I had been working hard to make sure the house was at least somewhat straightened up and was glad for it when I went into labor.

Here are a few pictures of 36 weeks and right after my water broke...I know it is the same shirt, but they are two different times!


At 36 weeks


Post water break-age...doesn't look too different...

Mac at 16 months

MacKenzie,

What an amazing month. I cannot continue without reminding you of the biggest part of this month...you are officially a big sister!!! Keegan was born on Saturday and we are so excited to welcome her into our lives. So far you have been pretty good with her. Obviously you have no idea what is going on, but you are doing a good job giving her kisses, pointing to her ears, hair, feet ect, and trying to say her name (Tee). We think you will grow up to be a great big sister and hopefully you girls will be good friends. While we were in the hospital you got to visit with Kyle and Micah Hill (who had prayed they would be able to watch you soon) then spent the rest of the weekend with KiKi and Popi! They took you out to eat to PF Changs and to Pappasitos where all the servers doted on you. You loved to come visit Mommy and Daddy at the hospital where you acted like a ham and made all of our family, friends, and nurses laugh.

This month you are pretty much your average (but extra smart) toddler. We have gone on play dates to Chick Fil A with Jade and Jonathan and with Avah and Henry. You love to play in the play area. You won't crawl all the way up, you like to sit on one of the lower platforms and laugh at all the other kids as they rush by to climb and slide. You have also learned how to spin around (but you only spin right), how to march in place, and you are getting all around better at walking and climbing. We are still working on teaching you how to climb down the stairs. You do really well at other people's houses, but our stairs are pretty steep and can be slick so we think you are extra wary of them. You can now identify turtles, bicycles (along with the sign), grandpa (along with the sign), dolphins, frogs, and a few other animals in addition to all of the other animals and things I listed last time. We also started playing with some magnet letters recently and you can pick out the "F" and the "M". I am not sure why I started out with the f, but you went along with it. I hope you realize why we taught you the m! You still love to read (which is nice when I am nursing Keegan), but are becoming even more physically active. You like to push your car, stool, bench, or boxes around the house while crashing before steering around furniture. You have also enjoyed playing outside more and more and love to check the mail or walk out to the car when we are about to run errands.

You have been bogged down with a cold for the past two weeks (it is going around for sure) so we have been trying to do a lot to make you better. You haven't been super hungry lately, so I cannot report a lot on your eating habits (because they have been all over the place). Hopefully you will feel better soon and get back to your usual, consistent, champion eater self. Because you haven't felt great, we have gotten in a lot of snuggle time lately. This week Daddy and I put on a movie, popped some popcorn and sat with you on the couch. It was nice to spend time relaxing as a family and you loved the movie and the popcorn. We watched Happy Feet so you really liked the fact that it was a movie about animals with lots of music and dancing.

I am sorry there isn't more to report for this month. I promise we have had fun and we have spent a lot of time together. Daddy and I love our little first born and wouldn't trade you for anything. All of our love Mac! You are one special little girl!

Mommy and Daddy

Our bundle of Joy...

So I have to post about being 36 weeks pregnant, but I will get there later. I know more people want to hear about the birth of our precious new daughter- Keegan Joy!

At my last appointment on Thursday, I was really hoping that I had made some progress from nothing the week before. As the doctor checked me I was concerned that I had not until she smiled and let me know I was 3 cm and 50% effaced. I was really excited as that was some definite progress and 3 cm was nothing to sneeze at. I was already in the hospital with my water broken at 3 cm with MacKenzie so it was odd to be walking around like everything was normal. The doctor texted the doc on call this weekend and let him know that if I was to go into labor (which she was fully expecting) then she would come in to deliver. I went home and traded off resting with playing with MacKenzie and doing last minute things around the house.

Friday night we joked with friends that I should go into labor around 6:30 the next morning so Matt would not have to go to work (but he wanted a full nights sleep unlike with MacKenzie). When I woke up Saturday morning I told Matt that I was sorry as 6:30 had already passed...he said he didn't have to leave for work until 8 so we still had plenty of time to go into labor. I went back to sleep for a bit and woke at 7:45 with an urge to go to the restroom (which was odd as I had already been). Just like with MacKenzie, my water broke on the toilet! I think it is great that my daughters are so considerate that they have my water break on the toilet so nobody has to clean it up. Matt was excited (the least of which was that he didn't have to go to work). We took our time getting ready, I took a shower, repacked my bag, fed MacKenzie, started laundry...you know...all of those normal things! We stopped by Chick Fil A to get a chicken biscuit on the way to the hospital which I know is "naughty", but I had to eat something!

When we go to L & D, we changed into a gown, got checked (still at a 3), and answered the thousands of questions they have you ask. Our nurse was great and we felt comfortable and happy that we were there. Seeing as I still had a ways to go, we sat on the exercise ball for a bit, walked around a bit, and waited to see what would happen. They kept telling me that with this being my second birth, especially if I skipped the epidural that the baby would be born by 4 (which I thought was nuts). At 2:15, we were checked again (at a 5) and Dr. Norton called to say she was on the way and that she wanted me started on pitocin. The nurse hinted that they were somewhat concerned about dips in the baby's heart rate, but that it was overall nothing to worry about. In the first 30 minutes of being on pitocin, I progressed 2 more cm and Dr. Norton and the nurse needed to know if I wanted the epidural or not. I was working really well through the contractions, but was scared out of my mind about the actual delivery. Everyone in the room was so encouraging and supportive about me doing it without the epidural that I felt confident that we could go all the way. Over the next 45 minutes my contractions built like crazy until they were literally on top of each other. I kept asking them to check me as the baby was turning into a better position because I was feeling pressure (but not the kind they needed). The nurses kept switching me from side to side to ease the baby down the birth canal. At about 3:15 they switched me back to my right side and told me the baby was basically coming down the shoot and that this next bit would be intense. I focused on Matt grinding his fist into my back, my mom rubbing my head, and me not saying words that I really wanted to.

At 3:30 or so, I asked them to come back in and while they didn't check me, they started to get ready. I was so thankful to have the support of our nurse and Dr. Norton there. They were so reassuring and supportive with the extra touch of you can do this/you have to do this! All of the sudden my body took over and I told them I had to push. They needed me to hold off so they could wash up and get everything sterile. The nurse really talked me through breathing and waiting (which was hard to do as my body was really trying to push on it's own). I remember thinking to myself "In the movies they hold on to the bed...maybe that helps...", which is what I did and it took my mind off of things (to some degree) while they moved me into the stirrups and got ready. Matt said that the baby was very much crowning by the time they got me into position. They told me to let go of the bed (which I really did not want to do) and grab behind my legs to push. I pushed once...good, pushed twice...good and stop! They told me the baby was right there, but I needed to wait. I found out later that the cord was wrapped tight around the baby's neck twice (which explains the dip in heart rate). Dr. Norton tried to loosen the cord to pull it over, but had to make the cut herself rather than Matt (which we all know was fine with us). Once the cord was removed, I pushed once more and the baby was delivered at 3:42! From 5 cm to in my arms in 1.5 hours!!! As they suctioned the baby, we all waited for Matt to let us know if it was a boy or a girl...he must have been in shock because it took him some time before he said "It's another girl!". I think we were all surprised! They placed her on me for a few minutes then took her to the warmer to clean and measure her. She was 20 inches long (1/2 inch less than Mac) and weighed 7 lbs 8 ounces (almost a full pound less than Mac).

While I definitely had pain during the contractions, during birth, and after, the part I didn't like about no epidural was how out of control I felt at the end. So I am not sure if that was pitocin related or no epidural related. Everyone in the room said I was not out of control and there was no cussing or craziness, but the way I felt...in wanting to against what they needed and feeling like I had made the wrong decision in those last few minutes...made me feel out of control. I will say that I immediately felt better after having her and much more mobile.

When they gave her back to me I was shocked by how much she looks like MacKenzie. We told the people in the room that we decided on the name Keegan Joy (Keegan means little fierce one). We think the name is perfect for her and goes well with her Big Sister's name. She nursed for a bit before going to the nursery to get checked out and cleaned up some more.

Since then we have had a barrage of visitors (all welcome of course), been working on nursing (which she has been doing great at, especially the past 24 hours), and learning about ourselves as a family of 4. Mac has been adjusting as well as can be expected for a 16 month old (smile at baby, trying to play, ect).

I am sure there will be more to post soon, I just wanted to get the basics down before I forgot and for all of those who are super interested!

3 weeks to go...

I have pictures of the 36 week belly, but I am far to lazy to go get them...

The doctor informed me I am not dilated at all...

We started walking to help that...

Hips are a bit sore at night, it is getting hard to sleep, but even harder to not fall asleep...

I love this baby no matter what!

More later...

Beef "stew"

Yesterday I made progress on one of my goals to make more soups/stews. It is rather chilly here in Houston and before the rest of the nation complains that they are colder and have lower numbers on their thermometer, I ask that you all remember that it is relative. Us Houstonians think that anything below 90 degrees is nice weather, especially if the humidity is low. When the warmest it gets in several days is 35 degrees and the wind chill and humidity help punch that coldness in your face then we think it is pretty gosh darn cold...

But I digress...

I had leftover scraps of top sirloin from a dish my mom made, potatoes, some odds and ends of frozen and fresh veggies, and some Shiner Bock on hand so naturally a beef stew/soup formulated. This is a method, not a recipe and can be easily tweaked to satisfy the contents of your pantry and your taste buds...

Cut beef into bit size chunks (manly bite sizes, not wimpy bite sizes) and put into crock pot. Top with some sort of dry soup mix ( I had vegetable soup mix on hand), dry beef bouillon, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add one can of beef broth, a Shiner Bock ( I guess you could use another beer, but why?), two cans of water and a bag of frozen soup veggies (I was trying to clean out the freezer and pantry...use whatever kind you like). Let cook on low setting for about 4 hours and go shop at Target. When you come back, add onion (chunks please), carrots (peeled chunks), potatoes (unpeeled chunks), and celery (you guessed it...chunks). Let that cook on low for another four hours or so. Taste and adjust seasoning, put crock pot on warm. Add frozen peas about 30 minutes before serving.

I will say that I wish I had Kitchen Bouquet on hand to add to this. It was a really great soup, but lacked the thickness of a stew. I recognize that I could have taken the time to brown the meat with flour in a separate pan, then deglazed the pan with the beer and stock to add more depth of flavor, but I didn't want to...this was so easy...and it meant I could go shopping at Target!!!

You could serve this with more veggies on the side or a nice, crisp wedge salad, but I highly recommend you have a good crusty bread to soak up the extra broth with.

Enjoy!