Announcing the Arrival of Logan Bradley C.

Logan Bradley

Born June 4th, 2010

@ 1:35pm

10lbs 2oz

21 inches long

I'm a little late at updating my blog on this, sorry. It's been a hectic couple of days here at the Crabtree household. It all started with a very restless Thursday night. I didn't sleep a wink, I felt really ill. Friday morning I decided to check my blood pressure here at the house, knowing it had been creeping up. 153/104 so I decided to put in a call to my doctor who had instructed me to call anytime it was 140/90 or greater.

So at 8:30am I call my doctors office and I am instructed to come on in to get checked out. I'm at the office by 9:20am. By 10am I see my doctor, the nurse has checked my pressure which wasn't really any better than what my monitor was reading. The doctor walked in and said "that's it...you are too close to pre-eclamtic, we've made it much further than I thought we would. I'm sending you over today... We'll schedule the c-sect for around 1 O'clock.

I think I was in complete shock by this point. I get wheeled over to OB unit from the doctors office and the nurses are in there hooking me up and getting my IV started, 3 tries and me trying not to scream.. it finally was in (my swelling was so bad they had trouble getting a line in). It was like a parade of people in and out of my room, the neonatal nurse, my doctor, my nurse, you name it they were in and out of my room.

By 12:30 I was being wheeled over to the OR. In the OR I was given the spinal which again was given TWICE... OUCH! It took quickly and I my legs were asleep before I was laying down. I remember being so scared for my baby, I was really worried about his lungs and his development.

The surgery seemed to take forever, Brad was by my side the whole time. I didn't have any trouble with the surgery other than I was so nervous about Logan's health.

I remember when Logan was born I wanted nothing more than to hear his cry... the doctor immediatly joked when she pulled him out "Look he has chin rolls!" Finally I hear him cry, I felt so much relief, but I knew he still needed to be checked out. He still in fact early considering he was born at 36 weeks 6 days. But after being checked out by the NICU team, the NICU Nurse explained to us that he looked great and breathing was really good, but that to remember he was a premie and it was still VERY likely that he would need to go to the NICU over the next 48 hours. They let me hold him for a second before they took him off to the well baby nursery to be cleaned up... Brad went with Logan at that time. They said they would call when they got his weight and stuff in the nursery. As they were sewing me up... we all took bets on his size. One nurse said 11lbs, my doctor guessed 10lbs 10ounces, one guessed 10lbs 7ounces... I said, nah, he's 10lbs 2ounces!

Finally the OR phone rings, its the nursery and of course he was 10lbs 2ounces and doing wonderfully! Finally after what seemed like forever but was really only 30 minutes, I was being wheeled back to my room. When I got back to my room Brad met me in there... I started to get sick however and was throwing up. They quickly gave me some antinausa meds and I was starting to feel better. Pretty quickly they brought me Logan, He was so perfect, they had not even finished cleaning him up yet but they wanted me to nurse him since his sugars were just a tad low.  He latched on like a pro and I nursed him for a bit. When I was done they took him back to the nursery for his bath and to recheck his sugars.

Over the next 2 days we visited with lots of family and friends with Logan. Recovery wasn't too bad. I just was fairy uncomfy for the most part and couldn't get comfortable in the hospital bed. I also can't take many pain meds since they make me really ill.. so I ended up taking just motrin and tylenol. I was glad to finally be allowed to get up and move around some. Logan roomed in with us at the hospital and it was a great bonding time, he took to nursing really well and has just been wonderful!

I asked my doctor if I could go home a little early (standard c-sect stay is 3 to 4 days) sinec Logan and myself were both doing so well, she agreed as long as I promised to take it easy. So by Sunday evening we were home. I was sooooo nervous leaving the hospital with him, It's so overwhelming coming home with a new little baby.  Our first night was a little rough, I still could not get up and move around much. By Monday I could get around a little better but I was an emotional wreck (mostly from lack of sleep I think).

Monday night I finally fell into a groove, I managed to get comfortable and get some sleep. Today has been much much better as far as pain and emotions. I am able to get up and move around with my more ease.

My mom has been by twice to help get the house in order, I was far from prepared that Logan was coming when he did. I love being home but have began to get a little stir crazy, Brad has as well.

Logan is doing wonderfully though.... he's such an amazing baby. I feel very much so at ease with him.. I was worried that I had forgetten how to care for a newborn but its amazing how its like riding a bike, you just don't forget. My biggest struggle is making myself put him down, I want to just sit and hold him all day, I love snuggling with him and loving on him.

He has his first doctor appointment on Thursday, he will be 6 days old! I will have to update more then :)

Soon, Very Soon

Yesterdays appointment was very interesting to say the least. I arrived at my appointment for my usual twice weekly biophysical profile (ultrasound to check on baby). The ultrasound tech announced as usual that Logan passed with flying colors! (He was practicing his breathing, moving, and looked all over healthy).

I then head over to get my blood pressure checked by my doctors nurse, blood pressure was 153/86. Not good but not horrible. I jumped on the scale and I am up 8lbs in 4 days! EEK! I head back to the room, to wait to see my doctor... in she comes. Giving me the usual once over to check on my swelling and immediatly is just "WOW!" I show her how the swelling has now crept up INTO my stomach.  She examined the areas on my ankles where my skin is breaking apart from the swelling (eww). She looks over my lab work from the week before, everything looked wonderful, she looked at my weight gain and gasped and said "don't worry hun, it's all fluid, it will go away after he's born" (not right away but will soon).

She said she wanted to check my blood pressure again, to see where I'm at. SO we go back out to the BP station (as I refer to it as) and she checks it for me... 156/90. She then decided to admit me to the hospital and told me that she was going to have labs drawn and have them watch my blood pressure. If everything was okay, she would let me go home but to have my bags packed and with me when I return on Thursday that she is very close to throwing in the towel and saying my body is done... she actually apologized and said she feels like she is tourchering me by keeping me pregnant.

The nurse grabs a wheel chair and off to L&D I go. They get me in a room, tell me I can't have anything to eat or drink and hook me up. Logan is moving and grooving as usual on the monitors. My blood pressures immediatly started to go down once I was laying down... 138/86 and around there. They drew some labs, and sent them off stat. With in an hour my doctor came into the room and said that she was going to let me go! That all my labs came back great, and my BP was going down. I of course was to continue the bed rest and that she would see me in 2 days at her office, unless something changed and we would just play it by ear... I was glad to go home, I was NOT prepared to be having my little man that day, I want him in there just for a couple more days at least... need him as ready as possible to come out.

My appointment for tomorrow is at 3:15... We will see what she has to say. Part of me wonders if she is going to schedule me for a c-sect next week. I am going to be a good girl and get my bag packed today. However that requires a trip to the store that I'm not sure I have the energy to make.

Last night I did not get much sleep at all, I was tossing and turning a lot. I hopefully will have everything ready though, at least for the hospital... I know I can't get my house ready, not with me being on bed rest and so much around here needing to be done... I know it will come together eventually.

Side note:  To all my friends and family that I haven't been calling much, I'm sorry... please understand I love you all, part of me is pretty miserable and trying to get lots of rest, it's often I don't answer my phone, I also struggle with trying to update everyone on everything... it's very difficult having to explain the same thing 25 times when really it was a small visit to the hospital, I promise that if anything monumental happens (for example Logan coming) you will know about it... No one will be left in the dark. I love you all...

A Long Night in OB

Last night was a long rough night to say the least. About 9pm I noticed I was feeling some sharp pains that were coming and going. I also noticed I felt wet... After some thought I decided to put a call into the the doctors office. The on call doctor returned my call immediatly and informed me to go to the hospital to be safe and I'm in my 36th week.

I arrive at the hospital and get up to L&D pretty quickly. The hook me up to the monitors and immediatly they start picking up the contractions. The did a strip test to test for fluid but that came back neg. The contractions however were 3 to 4 minutes apart and pretty strong. They checked my cervix and I was dialated to a 1 still, so nothing major happening. At this point I'm having to breath through most of the contractions they were hurting so bad.

The doctor decided she wanted me to not have the baby yet, she wanted him to wait a little longer since I"m "right" on the boarder of when it's truely safe for him to come. So bring on the Terbutaline ( med used to try to stop labor) I was given the first shot around 11:30pm. OUCH! Not only did the contractions not stop they started to get closer and closer together. At times they were 1 to 2 minutes apart and pretty intense. I was instructed to drink some water, and try to relax. Relaxing after having terbutaline is a joke, that medcine causes you to shake uncontrollably and just all around feel NOT good.  The doctor decided to watch me from this point and not do any more meds and see if they contractions would taper off on their own or if they were changing my cervix.

I was checked again about 5:30am, no change in my cervix but contractions still coming. Doctor decided to do 2 shots of that nasty terbutaline back to back. At 6am I got the first of the two shots, ouch again.... 30 minutes later I got another shot of, double ouch. I was shaking pretty bad and feeling pretty nasty. But finally my contractions started to subside. My uterus was irriatable but not contracting like it was before. At 8:30 my doctor finally came in to see me. She didn't want to to check me in fear she would stir things up, she wanted me to go home and try to get some sleep. And I of course am to come to her office tomorrow.

We finally got out of the hospital around 9am, almost 12 hours later. I'm very very tired. I got sick on the way home in the car, but once home I've managed to take a couple naps.  I really don't feel well at all.

The kids have been with Mimi and Brad has been with me the whole time. He didn't get much sleep last night either.

I am supposed to call the doctor immediatly if my contractions start back up... lets hope they don't for right now, that was a horrible night.

Survival...Day 1 of Summer Vacation

I don't know what part of me assumed that everything would be "easy" when the kids were home from summer break. Today so far has been a challange, I really need to find a routine for us, one that works... and we don't have long to perfect it before Logan gets here.

So far this morning I have cleaned up a shattered pepper mill (made completely of glass), I've doctored a swollen ear... from where brother whacked sister in the ear that is still healing from being pierced a little over a month ago. I made lunch. I've doctored up a minor bike wreck injury.  I've broken up a couple arguments, I even managed to take a shower. Have I manged to keep my feet up much today? No... and it's obvious in how horribly swollen they are, in fact the swelling has moved up into legs and my capris are kind of cutting into my leg.

I do plan on putting together a chore chart for the kids, one that they will be using, I'm here to enforce it and I plan on doing so.

I have another ultrasound and doctor appoinment tomorrow morning.  Might take the kids to see a movie afterwards if I'm feeling okay.   Today I've had a lot of lower back pain... not to mention its so horribly hot outside, I don't want to leave the house.

Yay for summer break! LOL

And so it begins

My current view sitting at the desk...

Last week I was placed on bed rest, and taken off work.  Today the children (thing 1 and thing 2) had their last day of school.

I'm glad they're home, but my lack of energy and limted mobility is going to make for a boring couple months. I have a feeling we will be spending plenty of time at the neighborhood pool, which luckily is RIGHT across the street from the house!

I am seeing the doctor twice a week these days, sometimes more when an issue arrises. I get at least one ultrasound a week and sometimes two. So Logan is a well photographed little guy.

My doctor also refuses to schedule an ultrasound for me because she feels that I just won't make it there and she is sure we won't get to the point she wants me to be at. Logan is head down, feet well up an into my ribs. Logan loves to stretch out as much as he can which is fairly uncomfortable for me. His head is also WAY down and walking has become rather painful, but despite all this, I'm happy he is healthy, I'm happy he is doing well. No more than 4 more weeks and he will be here for sure, and thats the furthest I will have to go. Thats not a long time, not seeing as I've already been through 35 weeks of this. I'm almost ready for Logan, I washed most of his clothes (with the exception of the super cute outfits daddy picked up for him the other day)

Brad is getting excited about Logan's arrival, we both are, time is just creeping by it seems though. Brad also starts his new job June 21st, so lets hope little man makes his grand appearance before that time.

We've had 3 wonderful baby showers for our little guy, and I am still in the process of filling out thank you notes, I'm hoping to get those all out early next week.

As far as the pregnancy and how it is going, I'll be honest... I'm not enjoying this stage at all. I am very large, between my massive stomach (yes to all who ask, there is only one in there, I promise), and my extremely swollen feet and hands... It's not easy.

I don't get much sleep as I get up 3 to 4 times a night to use the restroom... I also can't get comfortable in bed. Logan's position is putting lots of pressure on a nerve thats causing me a lot of pain and limiting my sleep positions at night. I started some medicine for acid reflux since my insides are all smooshed up... luckily the medicine is helping.. so that's gotten better.  My energy level is a joke though. I am so hungry and I want to eat all the time, but I use most of my energy walking up and down the stairs to the kitchen. Sad huh?

My house is in desperate need of being cleaned... I do what I can, and pick up here and there, but it's the weekly stuff that really needs attention. Dusting, cleaning the bathrooms, washing sheets... I have managed to keep on top of the dishes for the most part, and even have most of the laundry washed (putting it away is another story).

Oh well we are almost there... almost.

Logan vs the Egg Plant

Logan is now about 1lb 12ounces and growing strong! I can now watch my tummy move as he dances around inside... sometimes his movements prove slightly painful, but I have to admit I really don't mind. I met with my high risk OB today and she thinks everything looks good. I will start seeing both of my OBs every other week now for the next 6 weeks and then after that I will be seeing the doctor twice weekly (That should be fun to balance with work!)

We will offically be 25 weeks on Saturday, however Logan is measuring like a 26 week baby but thats been the norm with him since early on, the doctors are not concerned... It's hard to believe that 10-12 weeks from now he will be here! I still need a lot of things but we are slowly getting there, we have the crib, carseat, and some clothes.. oh and my mom got us a bouncey seat the other day. Brad and I are looking for an affordable bedding set we both like. My favorite bedding set is four hundred and fifty dollars, needless to say, we don't need to spend that much!

Oh and according to some websites, Logan's size can be compared to an eggplant! Nice huh? And apparently my uterus is the size of a soccer ball, no wonder I am starting to waddle when I walk!

Soccer Mom

And no, I don't mean my kids are playing soccer now.. apparently that's how big my uterus is right now, and believe me I feel it! Logan is growing and growing and movin and groovin! Sleeping is almost non-exsistant as I can only sleep on one side or the other and neither is very comfy. Waddling is taking effect and my lungs are compressed so breathing is fun! But I am enjoying my belly. I love my little man growing inside of it! :) Small inconviences compared to the overall gift!

Micah and Hope are so funny and every night they have to tell my belly (a.k.a Logan) goodnight, it's so cute!

I have two doctors appointments this week, fun stuff! I have another ultrasound on Thursday morning, get to see how big "little man" is getting! :)

Speaking of getting big, Micah and Hope are growing so much! I took lots of pictures of them today... here is one of my favs...