Baby Kai

I will have to find some time to do a birth story, but for now I'll just update. Kai was born on Wednesday, August 19th, at 4:27 am. He was 8 lbs 5 oz, and 19 1/2 inches long. He's got blonde hair, and grey-blue eyes, he looks so much like Rob. In my last blog I mentioned how miserable I was, well, thats because I really was in labor. Good to know! We ended up staying a night longer than we were going to in the hospital because Kai had Jaundice, but he had the light treatments, and I think he's doing ok. Last night being our first night home was pretty hard, he's got his days and nights mixed up, and since I didn't have him until early morning, I had spent a day in labor with no sleep, so I still can't manage to catch up. I got maybe an hour and a half, or two hours last night. Everyone keeps saying "sleep when he does", so I'll be trying to do that so I can catch up a little.

Kai is so precious and I love him so much, and its so awesome to see Rob in his Dad role. Rob's been amazing. He stayed at the hospital with me the whole time except to stop by the house twice to get somthing. He helps me with feedings and anything else I need. He's even at the store as we speak getting girl things for me! Now I have 2 amazing men in my life and I couldn't be happier!

Lame

So this morning I woke up to some contractions that were crampy and my lower back hurt pretty bad. I was spotting a tad yesterday morning and this morning. I tried to sleep a little, but kept waking up to the crampy feeling.
I finally decided to get up and shower, etc. I had a few contractions during all that, but then when I sat down they started getting worse. They were about 4-7 minutes apart for a while, then eased up a little after a couple hours and are now like anywhere from 5-20 minutes apart. I keep thinking maybe I'll call the Dr and see what I should do, but I have an appointment tomorrow morning, so maybe I'll just wait until then. I just hope things don't happen in the middle of the night....that would just stress me out.
Maybe I'll go lay down.... :(

7 Days....

7 Days....makes me think of "The Ring" but really, its 7 days until my due date. I was hoping that I wasn't going to be sitting around wasting my maternity leave on bedrest. But, alas.....no baby yet.
Here's me at 38 weeks and 4 days (gotta love my 87 chins and the maternity shirt that Jalee gave me that doesn't really fit, but I don't have much else!):

I've been havng quite a few contractions, sometimes they get regular, and they're getting stronger, but not productive yet.
Tuesday I had my dr appointment. My blood pressure was way high. Something like 162 over 90. They checked me and I'm almost 2 cm dilated and 80% thinned. She stripped my membranes, but if labor doesn't start in 24 hours, it didn't work...so yeah, didn't work. They reiterated the fact that I need to NOT do anything, no cleaning, no shopping, no sex (there goes that labor-inducing idea), etc. I go back this wednesday. On Thursday I went to the stress-test fetal monitoring, and my blood pressure was a lot better, I only had 3 contractions during the half hour, but they were stronger than last time. My amniotic fluid was a tad lower than they like, so they want to see me twice a week now, so I have another appointment for that tomorrow.
Friday night Rob's parents brought us Cafe Rio! YUM! That was so awesome of them! :D Yesterday and Today Rob has been doing a lot of cleaning, since I can't. But he's been amazing about it. He makes me food, cleans the kitchen, and anything else I need. It's nice that he's being so helpful because I really wanted the house clean before the baby comes.
Last monday a little birdie brought me some crib bedding!! Thank you!!!! So we're FINALLY completely ready in the baby's room. I had wanted to do a tropical/underwater theme, but everything was so expensive, so this works just as well, and I really do love it. The whole room isn't very fancy, so here's just a picture of the crib:

And now that Rob cleaned off the desk, Gizmo has a new place she likes to call her domain. And now if there's ANYTHING on the desk, she likes to knock it off on to the floor! (she's such a turd)

Gizmo has some really bad matted fur right now, we try to brush her a lot, but she just likes to attack the brush. The matts have been pretty easy to brush out or cut out before, but now I think we might have to break down and pay $100 for a groomer to shave her. It's so bad. (and I can't believe it costs that much!!)
My friend, Cami, brought her 5 month old over the other day to visit me and Gizmo did NOT know what to think of that! She hasn't been around any babies or anything, so she just watched from across the room very intently, then gradually came over to take a look, but just for a second. It will be interesting to see how the cats react with a baby here all the time!
Well, I am hoping that Kai decides to come soon or I'm going to go crazy on bedrest! And I am so sore all the time, that needs to end.

Getting yelled at.

My family kept giving me a hard time all weekend. My mom had a lunch at her house yesterday because we had some family in town, so I went over there to SIT AROUND. I personally figured sitting at home and sitting somewhere else was about the same. BUT others didn't agree. "Aren't you supposed to be on bedrest?!?" was the constant question. Yeah yeah yeah. The lunch was good and it was really nice to see everyone. And a couple family members hadn't met Rob before, so I wanted him to meet them. They were having a community yard sale in my mom's neighborhood, and on our way to my moms house I saw a baby swing, so we had to go check it out. That was one thing I didnt have yet, so we looked and it was only $5, so we had to get it. Rob cleaned it up today, and it's as good as new! :D That evening was my neice's birthday celebration because all of Jalee's family was in town. The kids all were playing on the slip'n'slide. I was saying maybe I should go ahead and play on it with them, maybe get some labor going! :D
Today was my neice's baby blessing. Lots of family was there, so it was really nice to be there. Its so awesome to see my brother bless all of his children, I'm so proud of him and his worthiness to be able to do that. After sacrament we got some family pics out front (hopefully I can snag a copy off Jalee's blog soon), then my grandpa and my brother gave me a Preisthood blessing. I was very grateful that I was able to get one before the baby comes. My grandpa is also going to bless my baby when he's here. I'm glad for that, because he's who blessed me when I was a baby.
I am still pretty swollen, we went to Walmart today (before you yell at me, I rode on the motorized wheelchair!)I checked my blood pressure on the machine there, and it was 148 over 88. So still a bit high :/ One of Josh and Jalee's friends was talking to me after the blessing today and said, "Don't be surprised if at your next Dr. appointment, he tells you that you're blood pressure is still too high, and they tell you that you'll be induced that day, and walk you over to labor and delivery." Its probably true, I heard him tell someone that last week. So I guess we'll see what he says with how this appointment goes, PLUS the blood and urine they took last week, and the monitoring. I still have had some mild contractions, but nothing monumental. My next appointment is Tuesday, I guess we'll see what the dr says!

Resting

Warning: may contain TMI
So yesterday started with me losing my mucus plug. I wondered what this meant for me. Would I start having stronger contractions? Would other weird stuff follow?? Well, not right away. My mom came and got me and we went and picked up my urine collection kit...YAY. I hung out at my moms for a while and began collecting my urine in her fridge. My step dad was none too thrilled to hear about that. My mom helped me to make sure the nun's cap I was peeing in would pour nicely in my brown jug, and was convinced that I started having the "bloody show". Then I had to go get monitored at the fetal monitoring office at the labor and delivery unit. (so much for bedrest!) My mom and Rob came with me and I had to make sure that on this outing I didn't have to go to the bathroom, because we had to leave my pee jug in the fridge. I made it alright. I was hooked up to the machine for just over a half hour. My blood pressure was A LOT better 143 over 84. Kai's heartbeat was good, and I had 5 contractions in the time I was there, but they were mild. The tech monitoring me said she thought it wouldn't be long before the baby was here, with all the contrating and the baby being so low. I guess we'll see. I keep having contractions off and on, but nothing strong.
Rob worked all night last night, and I think he was a little worried about me. I told him I'd be fine. And I was...other than not getting much sleep because I can't get comfortable AND because when Rob's gone, I don't sleep well. This morning my mom came to get me and my jug of chunky urine to take to the lab. They had to take my blood (again, I hate needles) and the girl looked to be about 16. I was worried she wouldn't do well. It took her a while to get my vein up and she even suggested using my other arm, but I promptly told her "No, that vein rolls!" So she figured it out and got the vein, but I could tell she wasn't quite a pro, I could definately feel every time she changed the vial. With that done, I called the Dr's office to let them know I didn't get everything done wednesday night, but it was done now. But I'll probably have to wait til monday to hear anything about my urine, blood, and monitoring.
I'll just hope things start moving along on their own, since I can't go walking or any other stuff to move things along. *crossing fingers*
But to end on a really good note, Rob is sooo good to me, he's been cleaning up and making me dinner and everything. And now he's asleep on the recliner since he worked all night. Poor boy!

37 weeks and 3 days...what do you get?

Bedrest.
I had a Dr. appointment today. When the nurse started taking my blood pressure, she says, "HOLY COW, your blood pressure is high!!! Do you have a headache or anything??" I said no. So they had me lay down for a minute and checked it again. It had gone down, but I guess it was bad enough that they said I couldn't go back to work. In a way its good, today was the last day of Month End for Accounts Payable, so I got Robyn trained on it. BUT I wasn't expecting to not go back to work yet. So THAT stressed me out a little. There's still so much that I have to do and get ready before I start my Maternity Leave...but Oh well! I have to stop working. I hope things at work go ok. :/
I have to go get blood work in the morning and then I have to collect my urine for 24 hours....and keep it in the fridge...."WHAT?!" I dunno, but they want every drop to check for protein, etc. I have to go to the hospital and be monitored once a week to make sure the baby is not stressed and see how I am doing. If it stays bad or gets worse, they will induce me early. If not, they're hoping things progress on their own. The dr. thinks that in 7-14 ish days I'll be a mom. Crazy. I haven't progressed much. I am dilated 1.5 cm, and thinned 70%. The exam about killed me today and I am cramping in my abdomen and back a little. I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions more, and some get a bit uncomfortable. I hope things progress quickly because this bedrest thing is going to get old fast. And its stressful to just be sitting here not being helpful at work, home, etc. I know its only going to help me and baby Kai, but its hard for me to just let go and relax. :(
So tomorrow starts my Maternity Leave. I just hope Kai comes soon, so I'm not wasting my leave by just hanging out watching soap operas! :P
I will try to keep my blog updated, so you all know how its going.
I will leave you with a couple cool pics my wonderful mother took this weekend. Yes, its my bare belly, which I have refused to post on here so far! EEK

Getting closer?

This is me at 36 weeks and 4 days (my lips are blue because of the shaved ice I was craving!):

Went to the doctor on wednesday. Had to have the Strep B test...girls...not so fun! But I got checked and I am thinned 60-70%, dilated 1 cm, cervix is soft and baby's head is down. I have 22 days left, but everyone thinks I'll be early. I kind of hope so, but I have to wait until after this wednesday! I'm still training people to cover me while I'm on maternity leave. I have had a LOT of pain in my hips and pubic bone. It feels like someone wrapped a chain around my pubic bone and tied it to a mack truck on the freeway...so it feels nice as you can imagine! :P My ankles are so swollen, and don't go down at night anymore. They're ridiculously huge! I can only wear flip flops now, and almost all of my maternity clothes no longer fit. I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions quite a bit, so I guess my body is getting ready. Also....we have decided on a name! Kai Tanner Dammann. Rob kept coming back to that, and I liked it a lot too, but I really wanted Rob to have a big part of choosing it. We're getting very excited and I am also getting very nervous. We didn't do a birthing class because we wanted to save the money, so I hope Rob will be ready for this.
Gizmo has been such a turd, she's been getting into everything and knocks everything of counters, tables, the desk, everywhere, but this is how she likes to lay now, shes funny: SUPERMAN!!!! (I think she's just hot and trying to cool of on the tile)