Induction day - maybe...

Well, this is day 8.  It has been a rough week.  Andrew, my parents, his parents, our family and friends, and I have been anxiously waiting for this child to come out!  

Schedules have been messed up... thumbs have been twiddled (on my part!)... lives have been put on hold... tears have been cried (again, on my part)... and now we have arrived to the day of induction - or have we?

We are scheduled to go in tonight at 9pm, "check in to the hotel" =)  Then I will be given a drug to help dilate my cervix, we will sleep, and then in the morning we will take the necessary drugs to help the contractions and labor move along.  

That was the plan, but now we are having second thoughts.  Last night Andrew and I went online and did some research on the common medical methods of induction.  Our main concern is that I will be given pitocin (a commonly used drug that is a synthetic version of the hormone oxytocin, which is naturally released from the woman's body to get labor going).  All women have different experiences with this drug, but I have read that pitocin can cause contractions that are more painful than natural contractions, which can lead to the baby getting less oxygen, and in turn the baby becomes stressed.  If the baby becomes too stressed, this can ultimately lead to an emergency c-section.  I do not want to have a c-section.  I know it seems to be a common practice these days, but Andrew and I are planning on having as many children as Our Lord will give us.  I don't want this labor and delivery to complicate any future labor and deliveries.  I have also been hoping to do this birth naturally, and if the contractions are more painful because of pitocin, then I will more likely request pain relief.

Yesterday I went to the doctor's office and they did a "non-stress test."  This involved me sitting in a really big, comfy chair.  The baby's heart rate was monitored and my contractions (if any) were monitored.  I also had this button to press whenever Baby moved.  The whole goal was to make sure Baby's heart rate was responding to his own movements and my contractions.  As it turns out I did have one contraction while I was hooked up to this machine!  I would not have know it was a contraction without having the machine's numbers going crazy.  It was not painful and so I was very shocked to know that that was a contraction.   I have been feeling stuff like that off and on for a while now, but I never knew they were contractions.

Last night, I think I had more contractions.  I tried to sleep as much as I could, so I think I slept through most of them... but I did incorporate them in my dreams.  So it is possible that my contractions are progressing; however, they are not really getting noticeably rhythmic in any way.

So we are thinking now that if we could wait a little while longer, as long as the baby and I are still safe and healthy, it would be better.  Especially if I am starting to have contractions and they are progressing.  I have a call into our doctor and I will talk about all of this with him.  I really trust him, so his advice will help greatly in our decision process.    

I am totally ready to hold my son, but I also know that being patient will help lower the stress in this situation.

Thank you for all your prayers!  I am currently compiling a list of prayer intentions that I can offer as a focal point for each contraction.  If you have anything for me to pray for, please let me know!

Update

Well, our baby boy has not come out yet... we are eagerly waiting for him!  I really wish he would come out today- that would be such an awesome mother's day present!!  I did not sleep much last night because I felt some action happening and was getting excited.  At about 4:40 I woke up from some pain (I thought it was a contraction).  I woke up Andrew and told him I thought I was going into labor.  We were told to stay in bed and try to sleep as much as we can if I go into labor at night.  So Andrew went back to sleep, but I stayed up anxiously awaiting another contraction, but I didn't have any more that were as painful as the 4:40 one. 

I am pretty uncomfortable now and any movement brings on a stretching sort of discomfort.  I don't really know what is going on...

Andrew just made me breakfast, so I will leave you with that update!  Stay tuned =)

Happy Due Date!!

Well, today is Baby St.Hilaire's due date!  I am not sure if he is coming today, but I do feel a sense of accomplishment - like I have done my part.  I guess Baby did not get the memo about the whole "coming out" business.  Boy will he be surprised!

We had a doctor's appointment this morning and found out that I am dilated to 1 cm.  The doctor told us that that doesn't mean much... I could be dilated to 1 cm for a week before anything happens.  We scheduled for an induction next Thursday evening, but hopefully we won't need it. =)  I am pretty confident he will come out before then.  I just need to make him a little uncomfortable... maybe I should start poking and jiggling him!  

Fr. Pavone Blessing

A few weekends ago we went to Seattle to see Fr. Frank Pavone at a pro-life conference.  We went up to meet him and Fr. Pavone gave the baby and me a blessing.  It was really special.  I hope the graces from this blessing will help during labor!

Another slideshow... and thoughts about Baby

Below is a slide show of our engagement pictures - taken a little over a year ago.  After doing our maternity photo shoot on Friday, I remembered taking engagement pictures and went back to my old blog to find the slide show.  

Seeing pictures of myself pre-pregnancy makes me really excited to have the baby out.  It will be so nice to have a flatter stomach (notice I said "er" - I am not expecting to jump right back into my old body!).  I am tired of waddling around and the discomfort of bending over.  However, I am actually feeling pretty good for only having 3 days until his due date.  Perhaps that means he will come late... in that case, maybe I should be complaining more so he will come earlier!  My mom thinks he will come out on Friday the 8th.  We shall see.  

The unknown of his arrival makes me think about the coming of Christ - "We don't know the day or the hour."  Andrew and I feel pretty ready for Baby to come anytime.  We are ready and willing to drop whatever we are doing to go to the hospital.  This is how we should be also with the coming of Christ; whenever the end (or should I say beginning?) comes, we should be ready.  We should always be in the state of grace, so that our souls will be ready to go.  So have your hospital bags packed and your car seat in the car - God could come to you anytime! =)

Family Pictures - 39 Weeks

Wiggling Baby #2

It is unreal watching him move.  This video is pretty good, but I wish I caught him earlier because it was even better!  I don't see how anyone could deny the humanity and personhood of the unborn.  I think it is pretty clear that he is not just part of my body.  Let me assure you, I have no control of his crazy wiggling =D  One of my favorite parts of being pregnant is being able to watch him move.  It is SO cool!!

Nesting

There are only 6 days left until our son's due date.  I am in a nesting mood today.  It is nice to have some energy back, now that my cold is nearly gone.  Here are some pictures of our preparations for the baby:

I deep cleaned the kitchen today!

Here is a dresser/changing table that was given to up by one of my student's parents.  

It is perfect! =)

Baby has more clothes than I do!

Here are some of Baby's clothes next to his daddy's.  So cute! 

I know he is going to love Andrew very much!

Our bed with a co-sleeper on the other side.

Here is a better view of the co-sleeper.

We are ready for you Baby- come on out!!!

Holy Housewifery ~ Chapter 5, 8, & 9

Be prepared for a long post here.  I just thought I would sum up the final three chapters of the book in one post.  I have begun a new book already that I am really excited to share, so I need to finish up my thoughts on this one. =D

Chapter 5 ~ Water on the Knee is Good for the Brain

• "The Church says: 'Let the glorious beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and direct the work of our hands for us... O do thou direct the work of our hands.'"
• Ora et labora- "Pray and work"
• Work "is our prayer, penance, therapy, a release for the intellect." 
• For the love of God
• This is the day which the Lord has made.  Let us work and be glad in it.

Since I have been at home more recently, this chapter was good for me to recognize how I can find holiness and meaning in the chores I have around the house.  This chapter made me think of St. Teresa of Avila who said "the Lord is also to be found among the pots and pans," in the midst of our daily duties and not only in church.  I will write more about this later in regard to the new book I am reading.

Chapter 8 ~ Sophia Loren vs. The Boy Scouts

• "We have become so inured to the plethora of the ABZ Manual Of Love type sex instruction books that our minds are dulled."
• "I come to talk to you about being sexy, full of sex, your sex.  I come to equate sexiness with womanliness, a state of being which takes in more than creativity in the bedroom.  A sexy woman exudes her womanliness at all times, when she presses pants, cleans chickens, pots a hyacinth, reads Stuart Little, bakes a cherry pie, or nags."
• "The definitions of womanliness are as varied as those who wish them.  I feel that it is exemplified best in the valiant woman of the Proverbs, she who sheathed a supple steel in her apron scabbard and 'looked well to the paths of her house.'  Whatever your idea of the womanly woman, when you see her, you know her."
• "Sexiness and holiness aren't such incompatible bedfellows; as a matter of fact, they should work pretty good together in bed.  But a sexy housewife needs a new image; or rather, she just needs an image... The sexy woman stereotype is usually the 'other' woman who indulges in dressing cheap, acting cheap, wearing false eyelashes and bosoms, and dallying with other women's husbands.  You never see her as the demure wife, saintly, faded and slightly starched..."
• "How you accomplish this sexiness is up to you.  You've got to try a bit of this, some of that, something borrowed, something blue, even a rinse by Miss Clairol if you honestly believe that blondes have more fun."
• "For most of us, our womanly potential has hardly been scratched."
• "My own theory, not original, is that the sexiest woman is she who covers up the most."
• In regard to the ever changing trends and fashions: "We should make our own judgements and not run lemming-like into the (New Breed) sea of fashionable ugliness."
• "Being a woman every inch, or curve, of the way won't hinder your being holy.  It may even get you there faster."   

Chapter 9 ~ Anyone Who Goes Gathering Nuts in May is Crazy

(I'm actually not sure what this title has to do with the content of the chapter...)

• Be honest about yourself.  "Your honesty will touch all the vital organs of your marriage."
• "If you can acknowledge that there are times when you and your beloved are moons apart in understanding, there is a quicker bounce back from depression."
• "Even if marriages are made in heaven, they are lived on earth and subject to the stresses of this world."
• "We must accept the advice and pronouncements of friends with good grace, for most of them mean well, and then go about our own decisions."
• "No matter how good friends are, they can never understand the mysterious alliance that is being enacted by you him, and God, simply because they see with their very specialized and limited view, as we all do.  We do not know the sins and sacrifices that go on in the inner city of that couple's community."

I'm Sick

Yes, it is true... with only one and a half weeks until our baby's due date, I find myself in a miserable state. It began as a slight sore throat, but has now turned into complete nasal congestion. I pray I don't go into labor until this passes because I have no clue how I could manage any "deep breathing" at this point. Please keep us in your prayers! Thank you in advance.