Visitors

Bo has lots of people that already love her. 

This post will be of pics of all of her visitors so far.

Grandpa Theis

Grandma Theis

Uncle Curtis

Cousin Sophia

Uncle Charlie

Aunt Jody, Cousin Sophia and Calvin, and Uncle Charlie



Cousin Calvin



Cousin Ashland

Aunt Angela and cousin Ashland

Bo's godfather "Nip"

Great aunt Kathy and Cousin Becky

Jon

Bridget

Laurie and Andrew

Grandma Cleveland

Grandpa Cleveland

Cousin Avery

Aunt Emily

Uncle Jamie

Great Uncle Kevin

Aunt Jess

Cousin Grady

Cousin Maddox and Uncle Mitch

Bo's Baby Story Mommy style

January 23rd:

I started to have light contractions right before the Bears game, then during the games the contractions stopped.  Then within an hour after the game they started up again.  They were sporadic between 15 min and 3 min until 10:00pm.  Then they just stopped, so off to bed we went. 

January 24th:

Around 2:30am I woke up to contractions, so I tried to walk them off, and then tried to take a bath.  They were 3min. apart for about 45min., so I woke up Josh and we headed to the hospital. 

We were checked in by 3:30am, and they placed me on the monitors. 

Yep, 3min apart. 

We stayed on the monitor and by 9:00am they said were not going anywhere and I was 2cm. dilated. 

By noon I got to eat something, then they started me on pitocin starting at 6 and moving up to 8. 

We stopped the pitocin around 6:00pm so I could eat and try walking around to help me dilate more. 

Around 8:00pm Jamie and Emily stopped by with Avery since Jamie was going to be out of town the next couple of days, it was nice to visit with them before Bo arrived. 

Avery sang us some great tones and entertained us, it was a nice distraction from the contractions. 

By 9:00pm I still wasn't dilated past 2cm, so they decided to give me some pain meds and something to help me sleep in the hopes that by relaxing me I would dilate more by morning.



Oh yeah, my hives came back FUN!

 January 25th:

I got up many times in the middle of the night to use the restroom, and let me tell you how incredible annoying it is to try to get out of the bed and detach the machines just to go to the bathroom. 

By 7:00am the nurse came in and told me that since I still haven't dilated they might send me home. 

I was thinking really your going to send me home I am still contracting every 2-3min. 

Ugggg......

She then took me off the machines and told me to take a shower and then go for a walk to see if I start dilating more. 

Off to the shower I went.

Boy did the contractions hit me hard, all my other contractions were at a 5 or 6 and these were at plus 10.  I came out of the shower and told Josh to call the nurse. 

The nurse came in and showed Josh how to push on my hips and try sitting on the ball, and to just breath through it. 

At this point I couldn't focus on breathing; I was in so much pain. 

I started begging for pain meds and they told me I couldn't have any because I wasn't past 2cm. 

 Ugggg....

So, by 8:30am the nurse asked me if I wanted to be checked again, of course. 

I was at 6cm, so in an hour and half I went from 2 to 6 cm.  Thank GOD!

The nurse ordered me an epidural. 

By 10:00am they came to give me the epidural I was having a contraction and they told me to relax, so they could put it in.

 I was in so much pain I couldn't even tell them I was having a contraction. 

They finally figured it out and waited for it to pass. 

Then they quickly inserted the needle, and within minutes I was in heaven.

They let me sleep until 12:00pm and then they re-checked me 9cm.  Sweet almost time for our baby to arrive.

I started pushing a little after 1:00pm and I pushed until 2:20pm when our beautiful baby girl was born.

Josh was amazing during the whole process especially the delivery, only having to sit down once and use the bathroom once. 

However, he was able to watch our daughter be born, and was even able to cut her cord. 

 I have never been so in love with him as I was the moment we saw our daughter. 

Immediately after she was born they handed her to me and I was able to stare at her for a good half an hour. During that half and hour I realized they forgot to tell me if she was a boy or a girl.  So, I had to look just to make sure.

The moment she was in my arms!

They weighed her 6lbs. 15oz. and measured her 19 1/2 inches, then I was able to breast feed her.  She latched on right away, and I loved every minute of it.

Bo less then an hour old.

What an amazing life changing experience. 

I never thought I could love something as much as I love our daughter she is amazing, and the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. 

I can't wait to watch her grow, and enjoy all of your milestones along the way. 

I love you Bo!

Letter to Bo

Dear Bo,
Your daddy and I are very excited to meet you.  I know that it is very warm in there and it is very cold out here.  However, we are very ready for you to come into our world and turn it upside down.  You still have a few more days until your due date, but you keep getting us excited with all of your contractions.  We realize you will come out when your ready, and when you do we are going to love you more then we have ever loved anything in our life.  Daddy says he will love you more then the Cubs and Hawkeyes, and when you get to know your daddy you will realize how very much that is.  There are so many people in our life that are also very excited to meet you too.  We love you already see you soon.
Love Mom and Dad

Week 39 Midwife Appointment (Follow-up) Baby #1

Test results came back most were normal, but my iron and protein are low, so I have to start to take iron pills and eat more protein.

Easy!

I lost 3 lbs too, and my blood pressure was 110/70 which is also lower, so guess resting has helped. 

They put me on a monitor to check on the baby, and she is doing great. 

Contractions are nonstop, but I'm still not dilating, however, I am 50% effaced so that's something.

She will come when she's ready, and now that I know that we are both healthy I feel better about letting her come on her own.  She'll come when she's ready.  I might as well enjoy the rest while I can get it.

Baby Bump week 39

Week Thirty-nine:
Baby:
Baby Size: 20 inches
Baby Weight: approx 7.25 lb.

As your baby prepares to join the outside world, he's continuing to build a layer of fat and slough off the outer layers of his skin.  The vernix and lanugo are nearly completely gone although you may see some traces of it after birth. 

Your placenta is also still hard at work providing critical antibodies to help protect your baby from infections in the outside world.Although, if you choose o breastfeed, your baby will get many of her needed antibodies for your breast milk.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

If you have chosen to deliver in a hospital, you may be wondering when is the right time to go.  You've probably heard mant forms of advice and there is no real right answer since instructions vary from practioner.  However, it's always best to follow your medical proctiononer's instructions. 
If you thinkyour beginning labor, you should monitor and measure the frequency of your contractions: time the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of another.  Time the duration of each contraction from when it starts to when it stops.

How I feel:
I didn't realize how exhausted I was I thin k I slept most of today.  I better get it in now because when our bundle of joy comes there will not be any more of that.  The test results came back, but I will have to ask them tomorrow if the lower numbers are good or bad.  I started wearing stockings to reduce the swelling, which seems to be helping my kankles.  The tinggling in my fingers seems to be getting worse though.  Ohh well as long as our baby girl comes out healthy, I can deal with this.  A few more weeks of being uncomfortable is worth a lifetime of having a family.

Week 39 Covered

Week 39 Uncovered

Week 39 front view

Week 39 Midwife Appointment Baby #1

I went to my midwife today and the nurse looked at my weight and asked to look at my ankles.  I showed her and she said you better show Michelle those. Then my midwife came in and looked at my weight and ankles and told me she thinks I need to be done working now. 

I have gained 10 lbs. in two weeks and my blood pressure is higher, so she started to tell me all the reasons why Edema is bad for me, but to be honest I was so overwhelmed by her telling me I couldn't go to work anymore, and there might be something medically wrong with me I couldn't concentrate on what she was saying. 

What I do know is that they tested my blood and urine for protein (which I should get the results tomorrow), and she wants me to come in again on Thursday to retest my urine, blood, blood pressure, and weight.  If any of these are elevated they will look at inducing me.  The only thing she is really worried about with inducing me is that I haven't started to dilate yet there is a higher risk of having to have a c-section. 

They are going to do what ever is best for both me and the baby. 

Hopefully she just decides that she wants to come out naturally and soon then we don't have to worry about either one of our health.

Now for housekeeping: 
Week 39

Blood Pressure: 116/76
Baby's heart beat: 140

Fundal Height: 36cm

Total Weight gain: 50 lbs. 

Next appointment Jan. 20th

Not Yet!

I started having contractions at 6:50am, so I called the nurse hotline around 8:00am, and they told me to start timing them.  I started timing them.  They were 10-15min. apart, so I laied down and took a nap. 

I got Josh really worried, so he came home at lunch time.  I started retiming the contractions and by 5:00pm they were closer to 6-8 min apart call the nurse hotline again.  They told me to come in.  

So Josh and I headed to the hospital.  They hooked me up and monitored the contractions.  Still 6 - 8  min apart.  She was also moving like crazy.  So they checked my cervix nothing.  They told me to walk around for an hour and they would re- check me.  One hour later the contractions were the same, but still not dilating.  Therefore, they sent us home.  

They think I have definitely started labor, but I just haven't started to dilate.  

Well we have had our dry run, so we are ready when she really wants to come.

Baby Bump week 38

Week Thirty-eight:
Baby:
Baby Size: 19.75 inches / leek

Baby Weight: just over 6.8 lb.

Although your baby is full term with fully functioning organs, his brain and nervous system will continue to develop well into childhood and her teen years.

You may be wondering what your baby looks like.  Many parents are often surprised by the hair or eye color of their baby at birth, but note these characteristics may change as they grow older.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

Before your pregnancy your uterus weighed only two ounces.  By now, it has stretched large enough to hold your baby and weighs around two and half pounds.  Your baby is now considered full term but she will continue to grow until you deliver.

Your breasts will also reach their full size and your overall weight gain will slow, stop or even drop a little.  At this point, waiting for your baby is a challenge.  Many practitioners recommend taking this time to relax and move towards planning and preparing for your time with your newborn.

How I feel:

Nervous! 

I have been doing so much reading about what to expect when you go into labor and knowing the signs, but I know that I will just know when it is time.  I hate the unknown, but I know that no matter how much I plan or prepare there is nothing that can truly prepare me for the birth of our beautiful daughter.  It will happen when it happens and we are as ready as we will ever be.  Work stuff is ready for me to go, and our home is 90% ready, but everything Bo needs to come home is done.  Now we just really can’t wait to meet her and see who and what she looks like.

Week 38



Week 38 uncovered




Week 38 Front


Looking at these pics I feel like I doubled from last week WOW!

It's starting to come together!

Let me start with an apologize for the sucky quality of the pictures.  I still have not uncovered the charger for my camera therefore we get pictures from my phone.

We are getting closer to getting the painting done in the house and we finally get to start to add pictures and little touches of us to our home.



A collage of our nieces and nephews.
 The black frames are the Theis' & the white frames are the Cleveland's
(Bo will be getting silver)



Dinning room paint is done, just need to bring in the table from the garage, and get rid of the paint supplies.



Bo's closet, it's so fun to just look at it and imagine her in the little outfits.
 (Sometimes I catch Josh just staring in the closet)



Bo's room just needs a little more decorations on the wall and maybe a rug. 
Otherwise it is all ready for our baby girl to come home.

 

Our stove finally came, but we decided to return the microwave because it didn't quite fit the way we wanted it to.



Living room still needs a couch, but it that will come with time. 
We are waiting to take the tree down until Chris and Mark are able to come up so we can celebrate Christmas with them.



Time to Vote

When will Bo bless us with her presence? 

Vote on the top right.

Add weight and length to the comment section.

Baby Bump Week 37

Week Thirty-seven:
Baby:
Baby Size: 19.25 inches swiss chard
Baby Weight: just over 6.3 lb.
This week your baby is now considered full term.  That means all of your baby's organs should be fully developed and prepared for the outside world.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

Just weeks a way from your due date it's normal to feel tired of being pregnant and anxious for delivery.  You might experience lightening, when your baby drops down into your birth canal.  This doesn't happen to everyone, but if it does you may notice more room in your abdomen and easier breathing.  However, in return you'll feel more pressure in you pelvis and on your bladder which can be generally more uncomfortable.

How I feel:
This week has actually been good.  Mornings I sometimes even forget I'm pregnant, then about ten o'clock hits and I am reminded by the ten times I have gone pee already.  It has been a lot better since she started to "lighten".  I have been a lot crampier though, which just reminds me that I need to take it easy because I want her to be at least 38 weeks before she decides to join our world.  Josh has been such an amazing husband though, he won't let me lift, work, or do anything but relax when I get home from work.  This has been very hard for me because there is so much that I want done around the house before she gets here, but I know it will all get done with time, and I need to take care of me and baby Bo.


Week 37 covered



Week 37 uncovered

Week 37 front view

Does she look lower?

Week 37 Midwife Appointment Baby #1

Today was another boring appointment.
We did my strep B test (we will find out the results in a couple of days).
We discussed whether I could be enduced a couple days before my due date, and she said no, I have to be 41 weeks to be enduced. I told her do not want to go to early, but I also do not want to go over my due date. I really want to have her before February 1st.  So she recommended that I start taking 2000mg of Evening Premirose Oil every night, and 3000mg after the first week to help prevent me from being over due.  I'm not to worried, but I am so ready to be done. 
We also told her I decided to give birth at Abbott, and I would labor in water, but deliver on the table.  I really want to stay with Abbott, and I think I will feel better the second time around doing a water birth rather then the first time.  Plus the idea of a water birth freaks Josh out.
She also told me that Bo is a small baby.

Now for housekeeping: 
Week 37

Blood Pressure: 114/76 (the highest its been my whole pregnancy) 

Baby's heart beat: 140 (lowest its been)
Fundal Height: 34cm

Total Weight gain: 39 lbs. 

Next appointment Jan. 17th