It has been an excruciatingly long pregnancy (starting on February 4th when I was put on strict bed rest at 19 weeks) with lots of ups and downs, and I am so unbelievably happy to be on the other side of this! Through all of the stress, and scary times, we always held out hope that we would have our happy ending, and that is exactly what happened!

After several trips to the hospital, 16 weeks of bed rest, 3 days of hospitalization, and oh so much more – my doctor took me off “strict” bed rest at 35 weeks. It was the general consensus that after I stopped the anti-contraction medication, I would go into labor within 24-48 hours. Since I had been given the steroid shots to develop the baby’s lungs when I was in the hospital – my doctor said she would not stop labor if it started any time after 35 weeks.

I was thrilled to be off bed rest, and off that horrible medication!! I was also SO excited that our baby should be coming ANY DAY!!! It was all I could think about and I was just SURE that we would be meeting our son within a few days. To my dismay, that is not what happened, and suddenly, I was in a position where it would pose no risk to the baby to go back to work full time again. What?? So, at week 36 – I was given the ‘go-ahead’ from my doctor, and began working full time from home.

In the meantime, based on the size of my stomach, my doctor ordered a growth ultrasound to see how big the baby was getting. Based on the ultrasound estimates, he was 7 pounds, 12 ounces … at 36 weeks, YIKES!!! Now I was starting to panic. If I went full term with this baby (as it was looking like I might), he could be between 9 and 10 pounds at birth … not okay.

At my next doctor appointment, I started asking about induction. Unfortunately, they would not induce me prior to 39 weeks regardless of his size. I came home from that appointment in tears, and resigned myself to the fact that I was destined to have a giant baby. The next morning, I woke up and decided to change my attitude. It may not be the birthing experience that I would have wanted, but at least I was going to have a strong, healthy baby, and I needed to just get over it! I spent the day working from home, and going about my day with a renewed spirit. And that’s when it happened …

After dinner, on the evening of Wednesday, June 9th – Adam and Payton were at the dining room table with their desserts, and I was in the kitchen getting my nightly ice cream. We were all visiting, and I was saying something to them when … whoa! I felt like I peed my pants! I looked at Adam and Payton mid-sentence and told them I had to go to the bathroom! Payton looked at Adam and told him she thought my water had broken and Adam said “We better hurry up and eat these then!” They both had a good giggle and then ran to the table to quickly finish their desserts! I then yelled at them “MY WATER BROKE!!!”

Adam’s parents were attending a funeral in Portland, Oregon. Adam called to let them know that my water broke, and we were headed to the hospital. It was three hours from the time they hung up until the time they were standing outside my hospital room (this includes a half hour traffic snarl in Tacoma). They may have been a teeny bit excited!

With Molly and Adam in the delivery room, and Payton, my mom, Irv and Laura in the waiting room, I labored for 6-1/2 hours and in the wee hours of the morning, Baby Hudson arrived!

After what seemed like a never-ending journey, I felt like I had collapsed across the finish line when the doctor laid this beautiful baby boy on my chest and I looked at him for the first time. Then I looked at my amazing husband, and the tears in his eyes, and it was euphoric.

Here are some pictures of Hudson’s birthday:

We decided it was a good time for a bedroom “makeover”. Payton still had the pink fairy bedding, rug, curtains, and lamp from when she was four. We brought up the suggestion to her of a new room makeover, and a move to downstairs, and she was very excited!! (PHEW!!!!) She told us she wanted a black and white room … cue my incredibly talented sister, Molly …

I called Molly to see if she could help me find some new bedding and accessories to make a “black and white bedroom” for Payton. Molly happily accepted the request, and decided she should talk to Payton directly to find out more of what she wanted. After a long talk, Molly decided to take on the task of creating a room for Payton very similar to that of her daughter London’s. I had no idea what my sister was planning, and the amount of work that would go into this incredible project!!

After almost 6 months of researching, shopping, creating, and sewing – it was the day of the big reveal!!

Ladies and gentlemen: Behold! The work of MY INCREDIBLY TALENTED SISTER!!

Hand-painted, and sewn pillows, drapes made out of tablecloths, an incredible collage of pictures on canvas, a hand-painted giant clock, hand-painted and distressed personalized boxes, kleenex box, wall shelf and SO MUCH MORE!!!!! The amount of work she put into this project is staggering.

Payton’s reaction on her first time seeing her beautiful new room:

This clock has been made from scratch by Molly by freehand. It says: “An angel among us, established the 15th of February, 2000″ (Payton’s birthday)

This is officially the coolest room in our house now!! A GIGANTIC THANK YOU to my big sister Molly for such an INCREDIBLE job! Clearly, this room was designed and created with so much love by our incredibly talented Auntie Molly.

Around 7:40 that night, I started having timeable contractions. They got to 10 minutes apart, so we called my doctor. I was sent to Labor and Delivery Triage, and by the time they hooked me up to the monitors, I was contracting every 2 minutes. They immediately gave me a shot of Terbutaline, which was AWFUL!! It makes your heart pound right out of your chest, and I felt so shaky – even my lips were shaking!! Luckily though, it stopped the contractions almost immediately. They admitted me for observation for the night, and within two hours, my contractions were back at it, now somewhere between 3 and 5 minutes apart. NOOOOOOO!!! Another shot of Terbutaline. UGH. At this point, my head is pounding, I’m hooked up to several monitors, and nurses are in and out of our room checking on us constantly. We finally were able to get some sleep around 2:45 a.m., but with the constant interruptions from the nurses, the bazillion bathroom breaks, and the contractions, I think I had a total of 3 hours of sleep.

My doctor came to see us on Friday morning, and ordered steroid shots to develop the baby’s lungs. There are two shots, and they have to be given 24 hours apart, so unfortunately, the hospital stay was being extended at least another day. My contractions were still coming regularly, and until we could calm them down, I would not be released. As the day wore on, and I had more time for the anti-contraction medicine to kick in, I was feeling more positive about going home on Saturday. However, around 3pm, my nurse came back in the room to tell me that I was still contracting too close together (3-5 minutes apart again), and I had to have a 3rd shot of the dreaded Terbutaline. All those terrible side effects all over again. That’s exactly when Laura and Nini stopped by. I know all of this is worth it, don’t get me wrong, but I gotta tell ya – it’s ROUGH. At this point, I’m starting to stress a little, because all I want to do is to go home, and snuggle with my family. If we couldn’t get the contractions to stop, I would have to stay in the hospital for almost 2 weeks. We had a fun evening as my mom, Payton, Irv, Laura and Auntie Nini came back for a second visit, and brought in Piecora’s and cookies!! There was a lot of activity, and the baby was moving all over the place from all the commotion! I think he likes a nice party!!

After a couple of hours, the Terbutaline wore off yet again, and the contractions were back. This time, the doctor decided to give me a fast-acting extra dose of the oral anti-contraction medicine I had been taking. This seemed to help a bit, and the doctor decided to up my dose permanently, and see if that would do the trick. By midnight, they finally calmed down. 5 interrupted hours of sleep later, I was awake for the day – with high hopes of being discharged! The nurse came in, and was pleased with my progress, gave me the second steroid shot, and hinted at the possibility that once the doctor came to see us, we could possibly be released. YAY!!!! 5+ hours later, the good news finally came! With my new prescription, a beautiful orchid (thanks, Nini!!), and suitcase in hand (Adam’s hand), I was wheeled out of the hospital, and headed home!! After almost 48 hours of being constantly drugged, and hooked up to monitors, I was SO relieved to go home. I took a two hour nap in MY BED with MY PILLOWS, and MY SHEETS, and even MY PJ’S!! It was DREAMY!!

I’ve continued to have contractions, but they are farther apart, and the hope is to make it to 35 weeks at this point. That’s only 10 more days of strict bed rest. I will be allowed to stop one of the medications at 34 weeks, another at 35 weeks, and the third at 36 weeks if we make it that far. Since the baby’s lungs should be fully developed, my doctor will not stop labor if it happens post 35 weeks. This means, we could have a May baby!! WOW! Maybe we should put the crib together??? Whoops!! We’re a little behind on nursery set up due to this rollercoaster ride of a pregnancy. Not exactly what we had in mind, but luckily, I don’t think he’ll notice if it’s not finished before he arrives!!

Anyway, back to square one – no privileges again. Bathroom breaks, and one 5-minute shower daily. Eating all meals in bed again (the WORST), and of course, the dreaded boredom that comes with all of this. Luckily, I am not stressed out about it this time since we are SOOOOOO close!! AND THANKFULLY, I was able to get in for my hair appointment last Monday, just in the nick of time!! It had been 5 months since I’d had a haircut, and it was DEPRESSING!! Now, I’m all set until after the baby comes, when freedom will find me once again!!

ANYWAY!! This was way up there on my list of the coolest things I’ve ever seen!! We were able to watch the baby stretch, smile, pout, suck his hand and more! It was really incredible, and so exciting!! We were sent home with 53 pictures, and a movie of the appointment! This was an early birthday present for me this year, and I gotta tell ya … it did NOT disappoint!!

Here are two pictures, a face-front, and a profile:

We’ve made it to 32-1/2 weeks, and are hoping to make it to 36-37 weeks. The end is FINALLY in sight, and the goal this time does not feel so overwhelming!! YAY!!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the special mothers I know – there are SO MANY OF YOU!!

~Megan

Along with the usual ultrasound last week, we also had a growth ultrasound which was so fun! They spent extra time looking at the baby and taking measurements to make sure he is still thriving … and that he IS!! He weighed in at 3-1/2 pounds last week – approximately one pound larger than other babies of his gestational age. Yikes!! As mentioned in one of my previous posts, apparently bed rest babies tend to be large due to the fact that they have uninterrupted blood flow and nutrition. It sounds great right now, but I’m afraid as those numbers get bigger, I’m going to start to get scared!!

Due to the great reports, my doctor has allowed me more sitting up time, and even suggested a trip to the movies!! So … that’s exactly what we’re going to do today!! It feels so strange to put on anything other than pajamas these days – and now that I’m getting so big, I’m starting to really enjoy my cozy clothes!!

Just a couple more milestones on the horizon: 34 weeks and 36 weeks. Once we hit 36 weeks, the final touches of lung development will be complete and if the baby decides to come at that point, we should be good to go! Kind of crazy to think we could have a baby in our arms in as little as 5-1/2 weeks, isn’t it?!?!???

We have another appointment next Thursday, and I’m anxious to see where we’re at, since I’ve been sitting up more over the past week. It will be good to know what / if any effect the sitting up has had on me.

My cravings have subsided for the most part – and for the first time in 7 months I’m able to look at, and even swallow a tomato! I am starting to get more tired – and naps have now become a part of my daily routine. I am always surprised that I can still go to bed at the usual time, with no problems!! Staying asleep is another matter. I have at least 4 trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and every time I try and turn over, it takes about 2 minutes to do so. I’m still getting up every morning with Adam at 5:40 – I have spent most of my time reading and trying to do something “different” for myself. I successfully cleaned out a kitchen drawer one day, and have managed to avoid making the latch hook rug for Payton’s room for over a month now … sorry Molly!!

Next week my goal is to finally attack that rug, and to start on a baby blanket. I am starting to feel pressed for time – which is such a foreign concept to me at this point! Lots to do – we haven’t even started on the nursery. We have spent the past few months just hoping to make it to another day, and not really planning anything, and now the “big day” is creeping up on us!! It’s very exciting to be on this side of 28 weeks, and finally time to start getting organized!

Thanks to everyone for all of the good wishes!! I’ll try to be better about posting more regularly!

~Megan

We had another great appointment last week, and although I had lost some length again, I am still considered stable. The amniotic fluid is exactly where it should be, which is great since the contraction medicine I am taking tends to reduce fluid. At my next appointment, on 4/15, they will do a growth ultrasound again – which is the BEST!! They spend a lot of time looking at the baby, and taking measurements, and it’s so reassuring to see how he is growing!

Okay! Now for the privileges!! I am now allowed to sit up a little everyday. I have to take it slow to start, and if contractions start, I need to lay down. I’ve been given permission to work up to the amount of time for a hair appointment, which I’m dying for!! Once I can sit up successfully for that amount of time, I’ll schedule the appointment. I CAN’T WAIT!! I’m also allowed to cook one meal a day for my family. This makes me the happiest of all, because I love to cook, and I really want to be able to contribute. Adam and Payton have been so wonderful throughout all of this (as have all of our friends and family!) and I want to be able to do something for them too! Lastly, I can go for two car rides a week. This is another exciting one for me. Rolling down the window for some fresh air and seeing our beautiful city in the springtime is dreamy!! Not to mention, the probable (definite) stop for ice cream along the way!!

So, tonight we celebrate!! Adam is going to pick up dinner for us and we finally get to look toward our future life as a family of four!

Thank you to everyone for the constant support, and encouragement throughout this process. It has really been incredible to be the recipient of such love and care. Not to mention all of the AMAZING dinners you all have brought to us! We’ve been eating like kings!! I’m not thrilled about my weight gain to date – all of these delicious dinners and desserts have certainly been enjoyed on my part!! I can’t wait to get up and move a little, to combat my new addiction to sweets!!

The baby is getting bigger (as seen by my ever-expanding belly), and in fact, our ultra sound tech said that the bed rest babies get big quickly. They have lots of uninterrupted blood flow, and tend to be bigger than those not on bed rest. So – hey, that’s more good news as far as I’m concerned!!

Here’s a profile picture from today’s appointment:

Oh, and one other thing – I’ve been released from weekly appointments, and will now go every two weeks based on today’s appointment, and my fetal fibronectin test last Friday! So … no update next Thursday, we’ll all have to wait it out until Thursday the 1st of April.

I don’t want to push my luck, but I’m definitely hoping some of this good fortune will spill over into my NCAA bracket. That’s not asking too much, is it??

Bed Rest Day 40 … It’s not as glamorous as it sounds.

Since being on bed rest, I’ve learned the importance of the pillow. There are 4 pillows I use throughout the day/night, and through trial and error, I have come up with the perfect pillow rotation based on my daily routine. Unfortunately, at night, Adam and his pillow have to share the bed with me and my pillows. Now add my growing belly, and there are far too many of us sharing this tiny space! See?? GLAMOROUS.

Oh yeah, and what about eating in bed? What could be more glamorous than that? I mean, who doesn’t like to sleep in the same place they eat? Better yet, what about all the crumbs I find stuck to my cheek when I get up for my 4th bathroom break at 2:30 in the morning? Oooh, and that surprise napkin I found under my pillow from last night’s dinner?? The strawberry stain on my favorite sheets from when I accidentally dropped it at lunch? Did I mention glamorous??

Probably the most glamorous thing about bed rest is my new fancy hairstyle. Some affectionately call it “bed head”. I like to call it “my own special nightmare”. Visitors: beware. It’s not pretty, and there’s literally nothing I can do about it. Anyone else hear Fergie singing “Glamorous” in their heads now? It’s going to be my theme song.

It’s been a long 40 days, but as we start making progress, and hitting these milestones, it makes a big difference! There are 3 more weeks ahead of us to get through the “critical” stage, and I’m looking forward to a celebration on Tuesday, April 6th … who’s with me??

It’s official: We’ve hit eggplant status.

For those of you that didn’t know (I didn’t know), the eggplant is actually a FRUIT, and the fruit is botanically classified as a berry. Thank you, Wikipedia.

Our berry that is an eggplant that is a little teeny baby boy is doing great! He’s kicking up a storm quite regularly, and those kicks are getting stronger and stronger!

Keep your fingers crossed for our weekly appointment on Thursday … will post again soon!

Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean any of my treatment will be changed in any way, since standing up or sitting up could start contractions. So … I am in the same boat as before, only now with MUCH LESS STRESS!!! I’m SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, the ultrasound tech made Payton her own special photo from yesterday’s appointment and wrote “HI PAYTON!” on a picture of the baby’s profile. When Payton saw her new photo, she immediately put it in her new frame, and I have included pictures here …

Here’s a close up: