The birth of Cayden

It started on Friday, July 23rd. I was 38 weeks pregnant. I woke up at about 4am because I couldn't get comfortable and could no longer sleep. I noticed that I was having dull back pains and small contractions, but I didn't really think anything of it. I made breakfast for Mando and packed his lunch and sent him off to work. I had plans that day to go see my mom and sister and go with my sister and nephew to the zoo. I hadn't been driving, but I was restless and wanted to get out of the house. I got in my car and right away noticed that something felt wrong when I was driving. I got on the freeway and pieces of my tire were falling off causing my car to shake violently. I freaked out and slowed down to make my way to the shoulder. Then a HUGE chunk fell off knocking my front bumper off and I had to pull over immediately. It was SO SCARY. I called Mando and my mom to let them know what happened and then called my insurance to have them come change my tire. I told the lady on the phone that I was 9 months pregnant, having contractions, and stuck in a black car in the middle of July with no AC. I thought that would get the ball rolling, but I was wrong. An HOUR AND A HALF later the tow truck driver finally showed up. He was so rude! He didn't even apologize for being late or ask me how I was. Then he refused to change my tire because he said my bumper was hanging down to far to drive so he had to tow it. The whole way we were driving to my mom's house I was having intense contractions that were made worse by being inside a bumpy tow truck. We arrived at my house and then my sister and I got ready to go to the zoo. We walked around for a couple of hours and had a nice time, but I noticed I was still having contractions and they seemed to be getting worse. We arrived back home and hung out for a little while until my boyfriend got there and then we all went out to dinner. It was crab fest at Red Lobster and I ate a FEAST! I probably consumed 2 lbs of crab that night. I even joked at the table that it would be funny if this was my 'last supper' before labor. Little did I know...

When we got home I decided to go to bed earlier than normal. I took a bath and fell asleep around 12:30. Mando had decided to meet up with his friends for the night, and I let him go because I knew it would be awhile before he was able to do that again. I woke up around 3:30 and noticed that Mando still wasn't home. I sent him a nasty text message telling him to get his butt home; it was way too late for him to still be out while I was 9 months pregnant home alone. He came home around 4 and fell asleep. I tried to lay down with him, but I was having such bad contractions I couldn't sleep. I went to the living room and laid down on the couch and they were getting really intense. I started timing them on my iPhone and I noticed that they were already 1 and a half to 2 minutes long and only 3 minutes apart! I was shocked. I went to the bathroom and sat on the toilet and internally felt a POP and a gush. Immediately my contractions became so intense I was having trouble focusing. I started crying while still on the toilet and Mando woke up to ask me what was wrong. I explained the situation and he wanted to go to the hospital right away. I had been timing my contractions for about 45 minutes so far so I told him I wanted to wait until at least an hour before I would call. I wanted to take a hot shower to see if they would continue to get worse. The whole time I was in the shower I was bawling because I was in so much pain. By this time they were only 2 minutes apart. Mando called the doctor who I spoke with and she told me to head over to the hospital. I waited about another hour getting dressed, picking up the house, and packing the hospital bag in between contractions still crying the whole time. I couldn't believe how hard and fast they were coming on and I was scared I wasn't even dilating. By the time we got to the hospital and I was checked it was 6am. I was 3cm dilated and my contractions were only 45 seconds apart and they were hitting me HARD. The nurse even remarked 'Wow, labor hit you like a freight train, didn't it?'. At this point I was throwing up crab from the night before and at the verge of hyperventilating. I wasn't getting any break from the contractions. The nurse told me I could get the epidural if I wanted because she had a feeling I was going to go fast. I got the epidural around 8am. It wasn't too painful, but the sitting position was SO uncomfortable and I had to get it during contractions which made it basically impossible to sit still. Finally he was done and I felt better almost immediately. I could focus now and breath and rest. They put in my catheter and checked me again and I was at 5cm and at a +2 station. I spent the next few hours relaxing but I could tell that my contractions were getting stronger. Even with the epidural in, I could feel the pressure. My mom and sister visited around 11am and came in to check on me. I told my sister I felt like I was going through transition. Shortly after the nurse came in and checked me again. She said that I was at 10cm and ready to push! I was shocked. I had only been there for a few hours... I thought that I would be there over night! It wasn't even noon! My family left and the nurses started setting up the room. Unfortunately my OB wasn't on call and couldn't make it (I knew that was going to happen) so I met the OB who would be delivering. She was sweet and made me feel comfortable. Around noon they started coaching me on how to push, but I still still pretty numb from the epidural I received only a few hours prior so they turned it off. They also gave me a small dose of Pitocin (which was thankfully the only time it was needed my entire labor) to make my contractions stronger and more intense in order for me to feel them and push effectively. Then the pushing began. It really was such a challenge for me because I couldn't feel my legs and I could tell I was pushing with the wrong muscles. The nurse was massaging my perineum which really helped because the pressure of her fingers helped me figure out where I needed to push. Every time I felt a contraction I was take a deep breath and let it out. Then fill my lungs with as much air as possible, hold my breath, and push for 10 seconds while my boyfriend and a student nurse held my legs up for me. I had to do that 3 times in a row at each contraction. It was HARD work. After the relief from the epidural I don't think I was mentally prepared for the hard work and it was all happening so fast. I started to get the hang of it as my epidural wore off and my pushes were becoming more effective. The nurse showed Mando how the head was almost out and this baby had a TON of hair. Mando and the nurses just kept telling me how good I was doing and how strong I was (even though I felt like I was doing it all wrong) and they were very encouraging. Right when I started to feel like I couldn't do it anymore the doctor yelled that the head was almost out and to give her one BIG push. I pushed as if my life depended on it and before I knew it, his head was out. When the nurse had checked me earlier she noticed light meconium in the water. Once his head was out they saw that it was A LOT more than they originally thought and I had to wait to push the rest of his body out while they suctioned him to clear his lungs. After a few minutes they told me it was okay to start pushing again. I gave a few more big pushes and I felt his body slide out of me. My baby was born at 12:45pm on July 24th after only 6 hours of labor and less than 45 minutes of pushing. He weighed 7 lbs even and was 19 inches long. He scored 9/9 on the APGAR. It was so surreal.

Because of the meconium, they had a team waiting to check his lungs and to make sure he hadn't inhaled any poop. This also meant that he was whisked away to the other side of the room (with Mando by his side) before I ever got a chance to hold him. The was the only time I got angry. While they checked him the doctor was busy stitching me up. Because they had turned the epidural off an hour earlier I had started getting my feeling back down there. I could definitely feel her stitching me up and had to yell OW! to let her know they needed to numb me some more. After like 5 numbing shots finally I stopped feeling it. This is also when I found out the the doctor had given me an episiotomy (no one ever bothered to tell me this) and despite that, I STILL got a 3rd degree tear. It took her about 30 minutes to finish stitching me up and I was separated from my baby the ENTIRE time without ever having held him. I have to say this was my only negative experience while in the hospital.

Finally when she was done they gave me my baby. I was so full of emotion at finally getting to hold him I just lost it. He was so beautiful and alert and he was MINE. My boyfriend and I spent a few precious minutes just crying together and celebrating our perfect son. I refused the eye drops and immediately held him skin to skin on my chest. I let him crawl up and find my breast and tried nursing him. He didn't quite latch on, but I figured he got some practice in there. I couldn't believe how strong his neck muscles were. His eyes were wide open since birth and he was lifting his head and looking all around. The nurses all commented on how alert he was. After awhile our family started showing up and we spent the next few hours just bonding, taking pictures, and being with family.

We were moved to the recovery room where we stayed for the next 2 days. Nights were hard because of the trouble I was having with breastfeeding, but we were just so happy to be new parents it was all worth it. I'll cherish the memories of those first few nights alone with Mando and Cayden and just getting to know each other as a family. It was magical. On Monday around 1pm we were finally discharged. Cayden did excellent on the drive home even though I was a nervous wreck in the backseat with him. We made it home and have been here ever since just getting used to being parents and bonding. It's definitely been hard, but it is worth every sleepless night and every moment of frustration. We've been so lucky to have the support of family and friends. Everyone who visits has been bringing me coffee. My sister stocked my freezer with frozen meals. Mando's family has been bringing food for us. My best friend brought over homemade enchiladas and baked me cupcakes. We are so blessed. I'm still recovering from the 3rd degree tear (which SUCKS BTW) and I'm suffering from a bad case of engorgement since I quit breastfeeding. Apart from that though, thing have been going great.

Cayden is a miracle. He is so alert and strong already and his little personality just shines through. I am obsessed with his toes and can't stop kissing them. I love the scrunchy face he makes when he stretches. He eats like a champ and had already reached his birth weight + 5 oz at his 3 day appointment. Today he is 1 week old and I feel like we are really getting to know each other. He looks around when he hears my voice and stops crying when he's in my arms. Mando is such an outstanding father and has been such a huge help to me. I'm going to be so sad when he has to return to work in 2 days. I know he wants nothing more than to stay home with his son and 1 week is so short a time. I wish we could all stay home locked away as a family and just snuggle all day!

Motherhood is a lot harder than I expected, but it also has come so natural to me. I'm learning so much and I feel truly blessed to have gotten the chance to experience this for the first time. It really is a life changing experience and I can't wait to watch him grow.

I gave up.

I did it. I stopped breastfeeding and switched my baby to formula.

When Cayden was first born we did immediate skin to skin and I let him crawl up to my chest to breastfeed for the first time. He didn't latch on really, but he was beginning to learn. Later that night when we moved to the recovery room, I tried breastfeeding again and again, but I couldn't quite get him to latch on properly and he wasn't eating. The nurse on call threw a nipple shield at me and told me to keep trying. Which I did, without success, all night long. The 2nd day I was introduced to a new nurse who's nickname was 'The Dairy Queen' and she was a huge breastfeeding advocate. She showed me how to hold his neck and manipulate my nipple to get him to latch on. Hallelujah! Whenever she was there to help me, I managed to get him to eat, but when she wasn't around I still couldn't do it. I was absolutely terrified when her shift ended. The new nurse was a sweetheart, but I could tell she had no clue about breastfeeding. That night Cayden spent 3 HOURS on one nipple (he refused to be on the other side) and I was crying from the pain. Every time he would wake up I would cringe knowing I had to feed him because I knew how painful it was going to be. Furthermore, the staff was beginning to get worried because he hadn't pooped in over 24 hours.

The next morning my favorite nurse was back on shift. Once again, she continued to help me, and finally managed to get Cayden latched on the other side to give my right nipple a break. Whenever she did his latch I wouldn't be in as much pain, but I still couldn't do it on my own. She encouraged me to keep trying and promised it would get easier. Finally Cayden pooped (twice) and I felt a fresh wave of hope. Before I was discharged from the hospital I met with an awesome lactation consultant. She gave me some good tips and showed me some new positions and I prayed I had enough information to go home and feed him on my own.

The first night home was terrible. I was crying in pain every time I fed him. I wasn't getting any sleep because it would take me 15-20 minutes just to get him to latch on and then he would let go after 5 minutes and the process would start all over again. He was screaming and was getting frustrated which was causing me to get frustrated. I was a mess. The next morning (yesterday) I noticed scabs had formed over my nipples and freaked out. I did NOT want to put a scab in my newborn's mouth. However, everyone told me that it was normal to have sore and cracked nipples the first few days and I was determined to make it work. I noticed that my milk had come in and I had boobs that would make Pamela Anderson jealous. I continued to breastfeed him even though we both spent the whole time crying and frustrated. My boyfriend felt helpless and hated watching the two people he loved most go through this over and over again. That night we went to bed, and when he woke up hungry I could NOT get him to latch on. My nipples were completely deformed and scabbed over and I was in so much pain. I could tell he was hungry and I couldn't feed him. After about an hour of trying and many tears I finally got him to eat. We were both exhausted and angry and I really started reconsidering my choice to breastfeed.

I was really only planning on breastfeeding the first 6 weeks while I was on maternity leave. It wasn't practical for me to pump at work so I had planned to slowly introduce formula to him and continue to nurse nights and weekends while my supply lasted. Was all this pain and anguish really worth it for just a few weeks of breast milk? Was a crying, angry baby and an exhausted mama really worth it? I was torn. I really wanted to be successful at breastfeeding and I KNOW it's the best for my baby. I wanted that bonding experience that could only be between him and me. However, I didn't see how this was going to get any better after a week of misery. I completely ran out of hope and I felt like a failure. I knew he had a bad latch, but I was too concerned with getting him to eat that I couldn't worry about making it better. My priority was just to put food in his little tummy. That morning when we got up after my 5th night of no sleep and being in excruciating pain I sent out a panicked text message to my mom and my sister. I couldn't do it anymore. It just wasn't working out and I felt like a failure. My sister encouraged me to keep trying, but just the thought of another day of trying made me start crying all over again. My mom called and finally calmed me down. She truly was the voice of reason. Yes, breast milk is absolutely best for my baby, but a good mental state was just as important. She said it wasn't normal to be in so much pain and if it wasn't working out, don't beat yourself up about it. You gave it a shot. You gave him as much as you could. That was what I really needed to hear and I immediately felt a sense of calm. I sent Mando to the store to pick up a can of formula. No more would I be strapped to the bed for hours in pain. No more would I have to watch my baby screaming in frustration. Finally I could get help from Mando to feed him and maybe even get some sleep. Maybe now motherhood wouldn't seem so HARD.

The next time Cayden woke up I fixed him his first bottle. I was crying as I gave it to him just feeling like a complete failure. But then something changed my mind... From the second I put the bottle in his mouth it was like he was a whole different baby! He wasn't crying! He wasn't frustrated! He looked so happy and finished the first 2 ounces in record time and wanted more. I made him another 2 ounces and he drank about half and then drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep. The whole process took less than 20 minutes whereas I was spending 2 hours or more trying to breastfeed him before. I could take a nap! I could shower! It was like the clouds parted and the sun came out. I knew I had made the right decision.

I've been giving him the bottle all day today. He's eaten like a champ each and every time. He hasn't cried once. I was so worried that trying to digest the formula would mess up his tummy, but he has been pooping spectacularly! As bizarre as it seems, I truly believe that my child prefers formula. Or rather, the formula feeding process. My boobs are rock hard, sore, and engorged and my nipples are still extremely sore, but I feel like there's a light at the end of the tunnel and I know that it will pass eventually. I feel a sense of peace and release knowing I can leave for a few hours if I need to and I won't have to worry about being the only one who could feed him. I could have guests come over to see the baby without being stressed out that I would have to take him to another room to nurse because I don't want to show my boobs to everyone. I can sleep longer because my boyfriend can feed him. And he's just loving the bonding time with his son.

As determined as I was, as hard as I tried, and even with my awesome support team of friends, family, and Twitter, I still failed at breastfeeding. But you know what? I'm okay with that. I feel like I did what's right for us and what worked in our situation. I will NEVER judge another woman who decides to formula feed again. You truly never know what someone is going through until you've been there yourself. Although this wasn't where I expected to be, I KNOW I made the right decision.

Wordless Wednesday

Cayden Gabriel Corona
Born 7/24 at 12:47pm
7 lbs, 19 inches

Birth story to come! I am so in love...

Welcome to baby Cayden's nursery!

Okay, I lied. It's not exactly a nursery. Since we live in a 1 bedroom apartment baby Cayden will be rooming in with us. Honestly, even if I lived in a mansion he would be rooming with us, because I couldn't imagine having my baby in a separate room at such a young age... I would be having anxiety attacks left and right! But luckily, our master bedroom is large enough to not only fit our queen size bed, night stands, and dressers, but it also easily fits Cayden's crib and changing table and allows for a separate 'space' of his own that I could somewhat decorate!

So this is what his main crib/bedding area looks like. We went with the Ahoy Mate bedding set from Babies R Us and I absolutely LOVE IT! We have the matching mobile and wall art and I also found an awesome life preserver that says 'Gone Sailing' for the other wall.





Here's another picture of his crib area from a different angle. You can see the life preserver better...




Here's a close up of inside the crib. The teddy bear used to be mine and the soccer ball is a present from his daddy!





Right next to the bed is his changing table area. (Blurry picture alert!) We have a contoured changing pad with a navy blue cover and navy blue bins on the shelves underneath for storage. There's also a matching diaper stacker on the side even though it's hard to see in this picture.





Here's a better picture of the changing table. In the bin on the top shelf are all the supplies like diaper rash cream, baby powder, extra wipes, etc. In the bins below are his newborn size onesies and sleepers. The diaper stacker is attached to the side and you can also see the diaper pail.





Lastly, these are the little shelves we put up above the changing table. I found the big sailboat on top at the local marketplace and I love it! The 2 smaller boats were cake toppers from the baby shower cake. The hat was a gift from his Auntie and she had it embroidered with his name. You can also see a few books we've started collecting for him. We definitely need more books ASAP!





So that's it! I still want to add a few more things, like pictures and maybe some more wall art, but that can all wait for now. As you can see I desperately need a new camera. The camera used to take these pictures belongs to my boyfriend and is probably 5 years old. My camera (although not much better) broke a while ago because I have the lovely habit of throwing it in my purse and I finally cracked the screen. A brand new 'mommy' camera is on my wish list and I've been subtlety dropping hints to Mando in hopes he surprises me with one someday in the near future. One of my goals is to learn how to use the lighting and lenses and learn to take a really good picture so I can document my little boy growing up!

I had my 38 week appointment yesterday. It was a little disappointing because I'm no more dilated than last week and it seems that my contractions have slowed down. I guess I won't be getting that early birth that I originally thought! But the most important thing is that the baby finishes cooking and arrives healthy so I'm more than willing to wait. My mom has guessed that he will arrive on Monday the 26th... the next full moon! I guess I'll just have to wait and see! :)

Also, this weekend my sister and I are attending the Renegade Craft Fair in Los Angeles. I learned about this from Red Letter Rising which is one of my favorite blogs created by Corie. She's awesome and super crafty so I know that it will be fun if she recommends it. The only crafting I've been doing lately is my scrapbooking every week and knitting Cayden's baby blanket so hopefully going to this will inspire me and give me some new ideas! As soon as I start creating more stuff I'll start posting about it. If you know of any good crafting blogs please share them with me! I'm always looking for new ideas!



So that's it for now! Hopefully the next time you hear from me I'll have a baby in my arms!

For sale!

So because I've been forced to take my maternity leave a few weeks earlier than I thought I would, I thought I'd take the opportunity to sell some of my gently used maternity clothes and a few extra items we have and don't need to try and make some extra money. I know a lot of my followers are single moms or moms living on a budget so this is a good chance to get some things you might need for a good price.

Prices are below, but please keep in mind that I'm willing to work with you so make me an offer! Everything is first come first serve and I want to get rid of this stuff fast! It's been posted in a few other places as well so make your offer as soon as you can! Also, everything comes from a smoke free/pet free home :)


PANTS:

These were my favorite pants all throughout my pregnancy. They don't have a full panel but they do have an awesome stretchy band that makes them super comfortable. They are a size 6 regular and stretch type of fabric which is great to grow in. They are a low rise boot cut from Old Navy. It's a pretty dark wash which I love. They are in awesome condition with no tears or stains. I'm asking $20 for them.





These pants are also from Old Navy and they are also a size 6 regular with stretch fabric. They are a bit of a lighter wash than the pants above and a capri cut with a cute little rolled cuff at the bottom. These pants have a full panel which is great for support of your growing belly. They are also in great condition. I'm asking $20 for them.





These pants are from Target. They are a size 6 with a full panel made from this great stretchy material which was SO comfortable. They are a darker wash and have a bit of a wide leg/flare going on. I only got the chance to wear these a few times and they are in great condition. I'm asking $15 for them.





SHIRTS:

This shirt is from Old Navy and is a size medium. Please keep in mind that their sizes run pretty big, so this fit me well throughout my 3rd trimester. The picture does not do it justice. It's so cute and comfortable made from a stretchy navy blue material. It has a cute drop waist detail on the bottom that ties on the side. I'm asking $7 for this.





This shirt is from Motherhood Maternity and is a size medium and the tags are still attached. This was my absolute favorite shirt - it's so pretty in real life and would work for a casual day with jeans or be dressed up for the office. I was so sad I didn't get a chance to wear it. It also has a tie that can be worn in either the front or the back. It does have a low cut in the front so you would probably want to wear a cami or a tank top underneath. The original price on the tag was $34.98 and it has never been worn. I'm asking $20 for this.







This shirt is also from Motherhood Maternity and is a size medium. I loved this shirt and wore it for my maternity pictures. It has a stretchy band that works really well with your growing belly. It's all white with really cute lace detailing. I'm asking $10 for this.





Here is another white shirt from Motherhood Maternity. This one is a size large and has a really cute bohemian vibe to it. I only wore this once. It ties in the back and has loose comfortable sleeves. The material is light and cool to wear in the summer. I'm asking $15 for this.







DRESSES:

**Please note: Both of these dresses were bought from Target in the maternity/plus size section. I looked, and I can't tell if they are supposed to be 'maternity' or plus sized, but they are both empire waist and I wore both of them into my 3rd trimester with no problem. They are both a size 1 which fits like a medium or large I would say.

I loved this dress! I actually wore it to my baby shower. It has a comfortable tank top on the top that's made from a stretchy material and a black band that sits just above your belly. The bottom is made from a thinner navy blue and white striped material so it's really good to wear on a hot day! I'm asking $10 for this.





This dress is so much fun! It has cute button detailing all the way down and IT HAS POCKETS! I loved the pockets! It's super comfortable and I wore this to a 4th of July BBQ. The back has an elastic panel that stretches well if needed and the tube top stays up really well and is supportive. I'm also asking $10 for this.





MISC:

Bright Starts prop and play mat set:

We already had one of these so we didn't end up needed this one. The age listed is 0+ and it has a gender neutral pattern called Tiny Turtle and friends. It comes with some fun toys to attach and works well for tummy time. The box says "Helps develp strength and coordination'. This is brand new, never been opened. I'm asking $10 for this.





Infantino CozyRider:

This is a baby carrier that works for rear OR forward facing. It says 8-20 lbs on the box. It has an adjustable head support, padded straps, good weight distribution, and is machine washable. It's black with a gender neutral padding on the top of like a gray plaid. This is also brand new, never been opened. I'm asking $10 for this.





Random baby boy clothes/accessories:

This is a bunch of stuff that we just didn't end up needing and couldn't take back. I want to sell them all as a set. They are all in blue "boy" colors (unless your little girl wants to rock the blue which is perfectly okay!). Nothing has been opened/worn and is all brand new. It includes:

-5 pack of Gerber onesies in size Newborn
-4 pack of Gerber diaper burp cloths with a stripe/train detailing
-3 pack of Gerber burp cloths with a stripe/train detailing
-4 pair/pack of Gerber scratch mittens with a cute stripe/dinosaur detailing
-5 pack of Carter bodysuits size XL (12 months) with a teddy bear detailing
-5 pack of Carter bodysuits size M (3-6 months with yellow zoo animal detailing

I'm asking $20 for the entire set






I can only ship to the US at this time. Like I said, everything is first come first serve basis. Prices do not include shipping. I will ship the cheapest and fastest way possible and it will probably average around $10. If interested, please send me an email at luckythirtythree(at)gmail.com and include which item you're interested in and your zip code. I will tell you if it's still available, how much it will cost to ship and then you can pay via PayPal for security reasons. If you're interested in more than one thing just make me an offer!

Also: If you are willing to take every item listed, I am willing to sell it ALL for $115.

Thanks for looking everyone and I hope you find something you like!

37 weeks and counting...

When I first became pregnant and started obsessively researching and planning the way I always do, I had this idea in my head that I would be pregnant until at LEAST 41 weeks. I was perfectly okay with that and have been using that time frame in my head instead of my Aug. 1st EDD. I planned my maternity leave so that I had 2 weeks before my due date to get last minute things done and another 6 weeks afterwards with the baby.

It seems, maybe, that nature has other plans for me.

Last Wednesday at work I started the first of what was to be many waddles down the hall to the bathroom. After I finished my business I wiped. I looked down out of habit and noticed a long, stringy, snotty goo on the toilet paper streaked with blood. Uh-Oh. Was this what I thought it was? Almost immediately afterwards I started feeling very mild contractions. I tried to go back to my desk and finish up my work.

About 30 minutes later I was off to the bathroom again (oh the joys of being 9 months pregnant). I noticed that the contractions were getting a little stronger. After going to the bathroom, I wiped and noticed MORE bloody snot on the toilet paper. I started to panic slightly. I was only 36 weeks. I thought I had plenty of time. This was not happening.

I went back into the office and decided it would probably be a good idea to let my boss know what was going on. I told her I think I lost my mucus plug and that I was having contractions. She promptly screamed 'OH SHIT' and told me to go home before I went into labor at the office, haha. I called my doctor's office and was told to come in and get checked. Of course, my regular OB was on vacation so I had to see someone I had never met before. He checked me and told me I was a fingertip dilated and then had me hooked up to the monitors for an hour to so to check on the baby. Everything looked good so he sent me home saying it could be days or weeks from now.

I decided that I would be better off taking my maternity leave a week early. Even though I was definitely not in labor yet, I had a feeling it was coming soon and I still had so much left to do at home to get ready. I went in to work for a few hours on Thursday to finish things up and set up my replacement and then went home.

Friday morning I was laying in bed when I felt a warm gush of fluid. I went to the bathroom, peed, and then laid back down. This happened two more times. I wasn't sure if this was my water breaking (leaking) or discharge, or urine so I just ignored it for the time being. I got out of bed with a ton of energy and started obsessively scrubbing the house down from top to bottom. After everything was sparkling clean, I made dinner for the boyfriend, and waited for him to come home. As soon as I sat down I felt another gush of fluid. I continued to just ignore it figuring that if it WAS my water I would be feeling something pretty quickly. Mando got home, we ate dinner, and then headed off to our Childbirth Classes. We did about 2 hours of classes that night and then came home, watched a movie, and went to bed.

Saturday morning we woke up and started getting ready for the 2nd session of classes. I noticed that my contractions were getting worse. During the breathing exercises/massage portion of the class I noticed that the contractions were pretty much on top of each other and were hard to talk through. I was still under the impression that my water had broken or at the very least was leaking so we decided after the class to go into L&D and get checked.

I arrived at the hospital and they changed me into a gown and hooked me up for monitoring. They had me drink water and lay on my left side for a few hours. The nurse checked me and said I was 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. She tested the fluid and told me it wasn't amniotic fluid, it was probably just urine or discharge. She said I was having contractions but they were still pretty far apart and I wasn't progressing so I should just go home and take it easy. After about 3 hours we were sent home. She told me once again that it could be days or it could be a few weeks from now. They said I was far along enough that they wouldn't stop my labor if it started and just to take it easy and to get some rest.

Over the past few days I've just been at home and trying to get some last minute things done. I've been having contractions, but they don't seem to be getting much more intense or regular. Mando and I went to Babies R Us and Target last night to do some returns and shopping for last minute items. I definitely have more contractions when I'm up and moving around. I'm driving myself crazy just sitting at home all the time so I'm going to get up and go shopping in a little while today. Maternity leave isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when you're home alone just WAITING for something to happen. I'm trying to stay active and do all those little things I've been putting off.

I still have no idea whether or not the baby will stay in until tomorrow or if he will stay in until I'm 41 weeks, but I definitely feel like SOMETHING is happening! I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I've been getting the infamous calls, text messages, and Facebook comments just about every hour... "Any baby yet?!". They are slowly driving me insane. I know everyone is just excited to meet the baby, but really, I'll let them know when it's time!

We are just so excited to meet baby Cayden and get to hold him. I know I'll miss pregnancy once it's over, but right now I just want to be a mother and hold my baby!

37 weeks

Wordless Wednesday

This is my first Wordless Wednesday post! I have a lot of exciting news to share, but I'll save that for a later post. For now, here's a look at the maternity pictures I had taken. The photographer did them for free because she's trying to build her portfolio. I think she did a great job, even though I wasn't crazy about the location she picked. I'm still glad we were able to get them done! I know I will want to look back on my first pregnancy and someday share these pictures with baby Cayden. So without further ado....