Hey There Delilah...

Delilah Elizabeth "Lyla" made her arrival on February 12, I was so determined not to have her Birthday be the 13th (call me supersticious) but ironically she was born at 11:13 pm. Ha! She weighed in at 7 lbs 8 oz and 20.5 inches long!
Here is the abbreviated birth story for those who may be interested!
I began having regular PAINFUL contractions on Tuesday the 9th and was SURE it was time! So after 3 baths and 14 hrs of timing just to be sure we headed to the hospital at 6 AM. I got hooked up to the monitors and all that jazz and to my dismay was only 1 cm. I was put on an IV for fluids because the baby's heartbeat was low and dropping with each contraction. Finally they decided to ultrasound to make sure all was well inside. It was. And they sent me home. I was all "Just induce me, I'm past my due date and in EFFING pain!" The doctor then scheduled an induction date for a whole week later! Note- reason number 43 why she is my least favorite Doctor in the office! So they gave me a sleeping pill and sentme onmy merry way telling me to come back when it REALLY hurts, my hugely pregnant (41 weeks) hormonal self did not. Take this well. Fast forward to Thursday my contractions had become so incredibly painful and were now 2 minutes apart! I was sure it had to be time but nervous because I just couldn't stand to be sent home again! Finally we headed to the hospital around 5 pm and still I was only 1 cm, they gave me the strongest sleeping pill they could and sent me home again. The contractions were stronger than the sleeping pill apparantly because I was in so much pain I could hardly stand it, sleep was not in the picture so I spent the majority of the night in the bathtub and crying. Around 6 AM I told baby daddy we were going to the hospital and they weren't sending me home. He tried to talk me out of it thinking it still wasn't time since we were just sent home last night. At that point I scream "get your effing ass out of the bed, I am in labor damnit!" So he does, and we go. Get to the hospital and the same nurses from the night before are there (they were all amazing btw) and we find out my favorite doctor is on call! So they hook me up and check me, 2 cm= progress! The nurse asks me to walk the hospital for an hour, let me just say thank you to the grab bars on the hospital walls because I needed them every two minutes as it is impossible to walk through a contraction! We walk and I even made baby daddy proud by walking 4 flights of stairs and we went an extra 15 minutes (I was determined!) They check me again, 4 cm!!!! Hell yea, I'm being admitted! Baby daddy calls family and tells them come on, this is it! The nurse then hooks me up with some fentanyl in the iv because I'm begging forpain meds at this point, this gave me a happy feeling but didn't do much for the pain. I say get it anyway because the happy feeling is nice! ;) As soon as I getin my room I receive a spinal and epidural. The spinal was wonderful and had me numb immediately and lasted several hours. The most amazing thing was as soon as I sat straight up after the epidural I see out the window that its MEGA snowing, and I'm in Atlanta people, it just doesn't snow here!
The doctor came in and broke my water and out gushed brown liquid.... Wonderful... Meconium. Hello NICU team.
So now we wait! Around 9 my nurse tells me she's gonna have a back up check on me because she is needed for a c-section. Well wouldn't you know as soon as she's gone my epidural bag is empty. I screamed. A lot. And cried. A lot. And little miss back up nurse wasn't so sweet and informed me the anesthesiologist was also in the c-section room. I didn't give a damn, he could step away for a second and refill my bag and come on how long does a c-section take. An hour later he appears, refills my bag and adds lydocain. Well you see, this did me no good because during this most painful hour of my life I had gone from 4-10 cm so it was time to push. With a nonworking epidural. Let me tell you this was not a part of the birth plan. (I didn't really have one but still, I planned on them doping me up as much as possible so I would feel as little as possible!) Well I ended up pushing for just about an hour an out pops my bundle of joy!
Good thing we did not have a birth plan because if we had NOTHING would have gone the way we wanted! Due to that nasty meconium our little princess was whisked away so quickly, baby daddy didnt cut the cord and I never saw her cord be cut. I started to worry because she wasn't crying and the doctor informed me they did not want her to cry because it could infect her lungs! So the NICU doctors finally let me BRIEFLY hold my daughter about 30 minutes later and I begged them to let her daddy have a moment with her too, they did. and then she was taken to the NICU :( luckily only for a few hours and she was just fine!
Sorry I just realized how long this is so I will continue later.... baby needs me :)

No one told me that nesting hurts!

So, I have had the urge for several days now. everything in this apartment is bothering me and it just didn't seem like it would be clean enough for me to bring a baby into in just a few weeks. Plus, the clutter is really getting to me and I don't know when I'll have the time to get to everything with an infant around. So it is time to simplify, organize, disinfect, clean, and throw a bunch of stuff away! Also, it is time to complete all the things I want to before it is home to my precious baby girl!
Yes, I am totally nesting...
and it HURTS!
My back and hips are killing me and stiff and I can hardly walk or even move. This is gonna take a few days and it's stressing me out because I just want it done to help me feel a little more ready for baby!
I invited friends over to dinner on Friday hoping it pushes me a little harder to get things done this week knowing I want a super clean home when company is coming.

35 Weeks... I can't believe she will be here in about a month!

How far along? 35 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: I am so not telling!
The bright side is- I weigh less now than I did this time 2 years ago and everyone is telling me I don't look like I have gained weight anywhere but the belly! (I wonder if they are just being nice?)

Maternity Clothes? Oh Yeah! And Guess what... I won a contest on one of my favorite blogs! I am waiting on this cute set of maternity clothes and hope it arrives soon! Thanks Mommy Brain Jen! (p.s.- if you haven't read her blog, you really should! I love it and she's great!)

Stretch Marks? OK, so I discovered three on my belly this morning- I was soo excited thinking maybe.. just maybe... I would be one of the lucky few who didn't get any on my belly... welll no such luck for this girl!

Sleep? Other than waking up every 30 minutes to pee or to roll over because my hip hurts I have been sleeping pretty soundly :)

Best Moment This Week: She dropped! No more rib pain... and let me tell you- this past month it has been BAD!

Movement: Oh yes... She really doesn't stop moving. I can push her around in there too. Her new favorite position is right in front pushing out so I can feel her little back and booty all the time!


Food Cravings: Mexican Food

Gender: Girl!

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button - In or Out? flat mostly, if I just ate it's out

What I miss: Being able to bend over! Being able to get up off the couch without Donny's help!

What I am looking forward to: My baby shower next Saturday!


Weekly Wisdom: for the men- Do not, I repeat, DO NOT tickle your pregnant lady while she is sitting on your lap (especially if she warns you)... unless of course you don't mind getting peed on!

Milestones: Finished baby registry this week, baby dropped yesterday and I feel significantly more comfortable!

Hi, My Name is Katie and I am a Horrible Blogger!

Ok, So I know I haven't posted on here in two months and I really didn't keep up with this as well as I hoped. But... I have made a resolution (to myself?) to be a better blogger- mostly because I would like to document my little girl's life from day one (which is coming up VERY soon!) and I think this will be the best way to do it so that family and friends can keep up too!
So on that note... I am not making any huge promises regarding the frequency of my posting, however I will TRY MY HARDEST to blog at least once per week!

I wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope that 2010 brings wonderful things to everyone!

99 Days... Holy crap, I am in the double digits!

How far along? 25 Weeks and 5 days

Total Weight Gain: Still just 21 pounds.... I was sure I had gained a couple but went to the doctor on Monday and no weight gain in the past 3 weeks. WOW- not to worry fundal height has increased by 2 inches so baby girl is get plenty to eat!

Maternity Clothes? Yeppers, still in Yoga pants and t-shirts, mostly sports bras now too bc I seem to be outgrowing all the regular ones

Stretch Marks? Still only the two on the hips... go belly!

Sleep? been pretty good this week (knock on wood), I have been waking up on my back about every hour or two with very sore hips but I just reposition with my mountain of pillows and fall back to sleep.

Best Moment This Week: Getting to hear her heartbeat on Monday and the doctor saying "yep she is definitely a wiggler" (like her momma!)

Movement: More and more EVERY day! I can now see my belly move too, I will just sit here and watch her when she's really active!


Food Cravings: Nothing in particular.

Gender: Girl!

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button - In or Out? Still weird and flat

What I miss: Being able to fit into normal clothes, I was at the store the other day and saw all these cute dresses that I would have worn last fall but could not even think about fitting into now!

What I am looking forward to: Loving on my baby instead of my belly


Weekly Wisdom: I had a come-to-Jesus with myself the other day because I keep stressing about EVERYTHING! like, am I really ready for this, am I gonna be a good mommy, am I gonna be able to afford this, etc... and I realized I am NOT the one in control here, God is and the minute I give it back to him it will all work out... and I prayed and I prayed, and guess what... the next day baby daddy got a call about for an interview he has been trying to get for 3 months now... his dream job! and they are trying to have him hired by Thanksgiving... and that's not even what I was specifically praying for... just for God to sort everything out... and this is a HUGE answer to prayer... so readers, if you pray, pray for this job!

Milestones: Being able to distinguish between her kicks, pokes, and somersaults!

Stats from DR.
My BP- 93/50 (Excellent)
Baby Girl's Heart- In the 160's (ACTIVE!)
Fundal Height- 26 Inches- a week ahead (I'm thinking, she's gonna be a big baby, I weighed almost 10 pounds and baby daddy weighed almost 9)

AND, I got to enjoy this lovely beverage while I was there, I got lemon-lime and it was mostly just like drinking sugar-water, not as nasty as I've heard... but maybe that's just the orange flavor.

Here's what Baby Center has to say about being 25 weeks preggo:

How your baby's growing

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

How your life's changing

Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. (That's for sure, I was just thinking the other day how much hair I'm normally losing this time of year.) Enjoy the fullness while you can — the extra hair will fall out after you give birth.

You may also notice that you can't move around as gracefully as before. Unless your caregiver has advised you otherwise, it's fine to continue to exercise, but follow a few safety rules: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired and stop if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don't lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.

When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, a second tube of blood may be taken at the same time to check for anemia. If blood tests show that you have iron-deficiency anemia (the most common type of anemia), your caregiver will probably recommend that you take an iron supplement.

101 in 1001

I have created 101 goals to complete in 1001 days. Visit Day Zero to create your own. I will keep track of these goals on my blog and some are blog-related to get me started and keep me accountable with this.

The Rules from the Day Zero Site:
The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

My List:

To Complete By December 31, 2009:

Goals Regarding My Baby Girl:
1. Make Butterfly Mobile for nursery.
2. Tour Hospital
3. Make Baby Name Art to Match her Nursery- Similar to This
4. Paint Nursery
5. Find a new home for Kitty
6. Make fairy art for her nursery
7. Babyproof our home
8. Read to baby every day for 30 days (0/30)
9. Write a letter to baby once a month until shes born. (October, November, December)
10. Organize all baby clothes- Hang and fold
11. Start a piggy bank for baby- put in .50 per day- November and December (0/61)
12. Crochet a blanket for her nursery
13. Read 3 Baby/Parenting books (0/3)

Goals Regarding Money Saving:
14. Cut coupons once weekly for remainder of the year. (0/10)
15. Start piggy bank for myself- put in $1 for each goal completed
16. Go through closets- take good clothes I no longer wear to consignment stores/plato's closet
17. Go through DVD's and Books- Sell at least 50 on ebay, craigslist, and amazon (0/50)
18. Create family budget
19. Create weekly meal plan every Sunday for remainder of the year (0/10)

Goals Regarding Blog:
20. Blog every day for 30 days straight (0/30)
21. Enter at least 4 contests per week (0/40)
22. Keep Photo Log of goals completed (0/
23. Take Weekly belly photo and post to blog (0/10)
24. Complete weekly pregnancy progress survey (0/10)
25. Create Craft Photo Journal for Blog
26. Comment on 5 blogs a day for a week (0/30)
27. Get 40 blog followers (0/40)


Goals Regarding Family/Relationship:
28. Talk to mom, 2 sisters, brother, and dad at least once per week (0/40)
29. Send Christmas Cards
30. Cook Dinner at Least 4 times per week (0/40)
31. Set up weekly cleaning routine/schedule and stick to it (o/10)
32. Set up family information binder
33. Finish Scrapbook for my mom
34. Start Scrapbook for baby
35. Do something everyday to let Donny know he is special and important to me (0/68)
36. Try one new recipe per week and keep book of them

Goals Regarding Personal Growth:
37. Go to the gym 3 times per week for a month- with doctors permission (o/12)
38. Read Bible every day for one month (0/30)
39. Get a pedicure once per month (0/3)
40. Tweeze my eyebrows once per week (0/10)

Goals Regarding Crafts/Cooking/Domestic Goddess Projects:
41. Create a recipe book with our favorites
42. Complete 2 crafts projects per week (0/20)
43. Organize Kitchen- empty cabinet space for baby stuff
44. Make curtains for the living room

To be continued....

24 Weeks and 4 Days Pregnant: Better now than never to start blogging, Dontcha think?

Where I'm At This Week!

How far along? 24 Weeks and 4 Days

Total Weight Gain: 23 Pounds-ish... that's an estimate seeing as how I refuse to weigh myself and let the doctor's office do that for me :)

Maternity Clothes? Oh Yeah! Since I am home a lot I mostly wear black yoga pants and a tank top or t-shirt.

Stretch Marks? Only 2 on each hip so far... I am sure that wont last much longer

Sleep? Other than waking up every hour to pee, I have been doing alright at falling back to sleep quickly... the first 20 weeks or so I was awake ALL night!

Best Moment This Week: Baby Daddy feeling our little girl kick for the first time!

Movement: She is a wiggler that's for sure! She kicks all morning then naps for the afternoon and is wiggly all evening! She really prefers the right side of my belly which is strange because I seem to be growing a little larger on the left side...
Anyone else grow a little asymmetrical?

Food Cravings: This week it has been chocolate, cupcakes, sweets, etc.... But really I think I crave anything I see that looks good on T.V.!

Gender: Girl!

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button - In or Out? Just kinda weird and flat

What I miss: Being able to take medicine without crazy googling if it's OK... I have had a BAD, BAD cold this week!

What I am looking forward to: Getting all my projects done that I have planned for her room

Weekly Wisdom: Nada right now

Milestones: Baby Daddy can finally feel her! I could see her kick from the outside yesterday!

Here's what Baby Center has to say about being 24 Weeks Preg:
(My Comments are in Italics)

"How your baby's growing:Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and soon she'll start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:

In the past few weeks, the top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball. Oh Yeah, There is definitely at LEAST a soccer ball in there!

Most women have a glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) between now and 28 weeks- I have mine on Monday, wooo hooo. This test checks for gestational diabetes, a pregnancy-related high-blood-sugar condition. Untreated diabetes increases your risk of having a difficult vaginal delivery or needing a cesarean section because it causes your baby to grow too large, especially in his upper body. It also raises your baby's odds for other complications like low blood sugar right after birth. A positive result on your GCT doesn't mean you have gestational diabetes, but it does mean that you'll need to take the glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out for sure.

Finally, if you don't already know how to spot the signs of preterm labor, now's the time to learn. Contact your caregiver immediately if you notice any of the signs mentioned below."