Girl Outnumbered

The next week was the worst week of my life. I was on bed rest and could only get up to shower or go to the bathroom. I was away from Diego and I was anxious and worried. After about the 4th IV site swelled up and I was in pain I refused the IV's and took my medication orally. I begged the doctor to let me go out of my room for a while in a wheel chair. So he wrote an order allowing me 15 minutes a day. The Husband was wonderful, he would come and spend the night with me every night, while someone kept Diego. Every morning he would wake up around 4:30 to go home and get ready for work. Diego would come visit me, but he would grow tired of the hospital and would go home to sleep. I was able to read the Twilight in one day, I watched so much tv and movies, and read countless magazines, and most of all slept. Every morning I would be rolled down to L & D and I would be hooked up to the monitors to check Dylan's heartbeat and for any contractions. Every day the doctor would come by and see me and tell me the plan, and talk away my worries. I'm sure I was annoying him with my questions, it's kinda hard to relax when you know are a nursing student and you know to much. The Neonatologists came to see me and explained to me their Plan A and B if Dylan would arrive before my induction date at 35 weeks. The Plan A & B, after he was born, since he would be a preemie.
So Thursday night, the night before they were to induce me came. The plan to start the Cervidil that thins out the cervix to help with the induction. I was dilated to a 3 so they decided against. That day I was having some small sporadic contractions. So we went to bed, and I planned to wake up early to shower before I would be induced at 6 or 7, I really cant remember the time. The next morning I woke showered and shaved, brushed my hair, and waited for them to come and get me. Well they didn't, at least not on time. I believe it was around 8 when we finally made our way to L & D, and the around 9 when they started the Pitocin. Once again, the first IV they started immediately swelled up, and had to remove it and try in another arm. Since I was 35 weeks now, my midwife was taking over my care. I was dilated to a 4/5, she came in, ruptured the amniotic sack, some where after the 3rd or 4th contraction I asked for my epidural, then I just slept for the next couple of hours. At one point I felt like I couldn't breathe and once again I woke up with an oxygen mask on. I progressed along pretty rapid, and by the time I was a 7 things just slowed down. We expected a fast labor, so we were kind of surprised. The midwife came in again around 11 or so, realized there was still some amniotic sack that hadn't ruptured, she did, and ordered for the epidural to be decreased down a notch. Presto! Let the games begin. Within an hour or so I was completely dilated and I was starting to feel pressure and the urge to push. I remember my sisters and Diego stopped by to visit. They left for about 10 minutes and came back and were told we were going to start pushing so they walked back to my room. By the time they got to my room, they heard the little music come on the hospital plays when a baby is born, and then received a call from The Husband. I remember with one contraction I pushed, and  my midwife says "I better get dressed, this won't take long at all". The next contraction I pushed again, and instead of stopping to rest she told me keep on  going, and I did, and then I heard Dylan cry. It took a whole whopping 5 maybe 10 minutes. I was like are you sure? I remember thinking, Wow that was easy, I think I can do this maybe one more time, but only for a split second. My labor and delivery with Dylan was far less stressful or tiring compared to Diego's. My oldest sister even told me I didn't look like I had a baby, compared to when I had Diego. I wasn't even tired or hardly in any pain, I guess it helped that he was so little. So on Feb 27th, 2009 Dylan came into this world weighing  5 lbs 15 ounces. He was a little guy but was as healthy as can be, except for the high bilibrubin levels. Poor Baby D stayed in the hospital an extra 5 days under bili lights. Actually, that week was the worst week of my life. Not being able to go home with him, or hold him all day only for feedings. I went home before Dylan since I still had Diego to tend to. I cried the whole way home, and that night and almost every day until he finally was allowed to come home. I visited him every day, all day at the hospital to nurse him, and I would go home put Diego to bed, and Daddy and I would go back to the hospital to nurse Dylan again before bed. Finally all was well, Dylan was allowed to come home, and it was the beginning of the rest of our lives as a family of four.

I love my Iphone. It has made my life so much easier, everything I need or want is in the palm of my hand. The best thing about my Iphone is all the "Apps" that I bought for Diego. Diego loves the little games he can play on my phone. They have saved me, in alot of instances where a meltdown is brewing. At first it was frusterating, because he couldn't get his chubby little fingers to cooperate with the touch screen and he would give up and ask for help. Now he is a pro at it. The games are mostly educational games, and sing along games, but it will keep him entertained for hours.

Dylan's First Birthday is right around the corner, so I thought I would tell the story of Dylan's early arrival. Exactly one year ago today, is when Dylan's story starts. The day started off like any normal day, getting Diego ready for school, running late for work as usual. We had just moved in to our new place that weekend, we had no heat- which is another story itself- and the house was a wreck, and we were not remotely prepared for the arrival of baby number 2. I made it to work, did my 8 hours, and at 4 o clock I was off to see Beth, my midwife.

Sidestory:
 First let me say, I love Beth, she delivered Diego and I saw her way before babies ever came to play, so naturally when Baby D #1 came along I decided to keep seeing her instead of  a "Doctor". When I found out about Baby D #2, I called her office to schedule an appointment, and to my surprise she no longer worked there. I reluctantly scheduled an appointment with one of the "Doctors" and sulked all day. I ended up calling the office again and asked about Beth's whereabouts, and eventually found her at her new office in a different town. It was well worth the drive.

Returning to the real story:

I went for my 34 week checkup, Dylan measured big from the start so I went more often than normal for checkups so I really don' remember if this was my weekly or biweekly visit. Anyhow, I had my checkup, all was well, measurements, heartbeat, no contractions, no pain, no complaints. So off I go, and on the
way home my sister Amy met me at Michaels so we can start the baby shower planning. Then we went to Walmart, and at Walmart I feel kinda uneasy, pressure on the abdomen and bladder. My sister tells me I'm walking different, more pregnant than normal, which I just ignore. So five minutes later we are checking out, and I suddenly feel like I just peed on myself. I was like What the? Kinda embarassing, but it wasn't a gush of water how I thought your water breaking was supposed to feel like. As we walked out of the store to the car, the conversation went kinda like this:

Me: I think my water broke.

Sister: Really? Are you wet? Was it a gush of water or just like urine?

Me: I kinda just feel like I peed myself? Can you see? Am I soaked?

Sister: No, you look fine.

Me: Well maybe it was just a little pee.

So off we go to Michaels again, and on the way I kept feeling like I was peeing. I went to the restroom and sat on the toilet and said :
"I think my water did break".

So we waddle back to the car, call my doctors office, and get the on call doctor. This conversation is all a blur.
 On call doctor: "How far along are you?... (Me answering) Well you might just have passed urine thats normal.. and your not having contractions?... (Me answering) When was you last appointment?... (Me answering) An hour ago, Okay. Your not full term yet so I don't think your water broke, but go ahead and head to the hospital and we'll check it out just to be safe, I will let them know you are coming".

So I frantically head to the hospital thats about 20 minutes away in another town, call The Husband who is still at work, and find someone to watch Diego. It had only been exactly an hour since I left the doctors appointment so It was all going way to fast.

We get to L& D, give them the details, they put me in a room, work me up, hook up the monitors-mean while nobody really thinks my water actually broke, except for me. They decide they are gonna test the fluid with some strip of paper to check for amniotic fluid. Of course it changed colors, because HELLO my water broke! The nurse decides she is going to repeat it again, and went off to do something. When she came back, I said:

Me: Can I have some clean sheets and a gown, my bed is soaked.

At this point I don't think I have even been there 30 minutes, and of course the nurse didn't believe me.

Nurse: Why did you pee on yourself?

 She pulls up the covers and FINALLY notices the soaking wet sheets and says:

 I don' think we need to test you again, your water broke. I will call the doctor.

So they call my Midwife, since I was technically 33 weeks and 6 days or something, one day shy from 34 weeks she can't deliver me and her partner Dr. V has to assume care. Okay I thought, I can deal with this. So he decides he is going to let me deliver tonight, so I call my husband who is still at work tell him the good news. I call my boss and let her know I won't be at work the next day and next 12 weeks, text all my family and friends. Five minutes later the nurse comes back and says the Dr decided he does not want to deliver due to the gestational age of the baby, his lung development... At this point I'm only hearing bits and pieces of what she is telling me, I think I start crying. They are gonna stop my labor, start an IV  medication that will help with Dylan's lungs, and I would be on bed rest for a week and then I will be induced at 35 weeks. No I can't go home, I have to stay at the hospital, in case I go into labor again on my own. At some point they did an ultrasound to check if I was dilated. I was bawling and scared, and worried about Diego at home. I was worried about Dylan, and the complications- didn't really help that I just finished Maternity/Baby portion of nursing school- and I knew kinda to much about what could happen.  I was so upset, I asked for a catheter so I wouldn't have to get up to the restroom all night, and adjust those stupid monitors all night.
Finally, The Husband shows up, and I'm tired of crying, sleepy, and worried. He is standing over me, and all of sudden my vision is fuzzy. I can't see  him, the room is spinning, I can't breathe, and I start crying. He is freaking out so he calls the nurse.

Me: I think I'm having a panick attack.

Nurse: Have you had panick attacks before?

Me: Once, years ago.

Nurse: You should have told me that when I took your history.

Me: I have never had one again since the first time years ago, so I didn't think of it.

So you would think the nurse would be helping me instead of lecturing me. Next thing I know I wake up with an oxygen mask on, sweating and of course soaking wet. Somehow I fall asleep, I'm sure with the help of drugs, how else can I go on when my world was crashing down on me. I know kind of dramatic, but thats how I felt.

Stay tuned for Part II!

Valentine's Day 2010 was an extra special holiday, because we had not one, but two little love buys to celebrate with. We had a pretty low key day, nothing fancy, no expensive gifts, just us and the boys relaxing at home.  We started off the morning with breakfast at one of our favorite little Tex Mex restaurant in town. I have been going to this place ever since I can remeber, and I introduced The Husband to it when we first started dating. So naturally, Diego loves it and this was Dylan's first time there. After breakfast and some shopping, we headed back home for a nap and I got the boys Valentine's surprise together. Diego loves surprises, so he was so excited to see his gift.

I forgot to take a picture of the Twilight cards I made for my coworkers and my sisters that I found here. They were a hit.

Yes Valentines Day I DOOOOO!
I was searching the blogworld for some Valentine card ideas for my boys, and I came across this:

Toys! They are in every nook and cranny of our house. I don't know how it got out of hand. I'm in desperate need of organization, or donating them.

See what I mean? This doesn't even include the bigger toys  in the garage, or all the toys under my bed or the other toy box in the living room.

Dear Diego,

Two and a half years ago you came into our lives and turned it upside down, in a good way of course. I never knew how much I could love someone until I held you in my arms for the first time. I still like to hold  you in my arms just like when you were a baby, if you would only sit still long enough for me to. You are growing up so fast and I'm trying to keep up with you as best as I can. I learned to let go of you a little and let you be your own person. You are such a brilliant, caring, beautiful, intelligent, sweet boy. You are a wonderful friend and brother. I love when it when you say " I love you much Mama, to the moon and back". My heart melts. I love when you wake up you say "Goo morning Mama" and when I pick you up from school you are always excited to see me. I love that wonderful relationship you have with your Daddy. He is your best buddy and you are his as well. I know one day you will be a teenager and probablly will be embarassed when I tell you I love you in front of your friends, but I know deep down inside that you will always know how much you mean to me. So baby boy thank you for being my Son, my love, and making me as happy as you do.