Monday, May 10, 2010

Where to begin...

Well...where do I start? So much has happened since we last "talked" :-) Needless to say, we have had an interesting ride so far. For those of you that don't know...David and I have had a rough last month and a half. Wow....,month and a half, that is all that it has been, but if you ask either of us we would tell you that it feels like it has been 6 months.

Here is our precious little girl at 25 weeks:





25 weeks is what in the pregnancy world they call "V" Day. This is the day that marks some relief. 25 weeks is said to be the first point that doctors give a baby of surviving outside of the womb. After we passed the first hurdle of 12 weeks, our anxiety then turned to making it to "V" day. On the morning of "V" day we woke up and I felt a huge amount of relief, not that we were in any danger, but you never know and knowing that she had a chance in case anything happened was good to know. After 12 weeks, I would tell everyone, when we get to 25 weeks I think I"ll be so much more calm and just fly through the rest of the pregnancy. I would have never imagined what waited for us at the end of that day.....

We happened to have an appointment that day with our perinatologist for a check up on the baby. When we went in we found out that I had a shortened cervix and was in danger of pre-term labor. The next 30 minutes are a blur to me. He talked about options, what could happen, what we could do to keep her from coming early. I just heard key words here and there and then I heard, "You are having contractions and I want you to go to Labor & Delivery and get monitored for 5 to 6 hours". I don't know about you guys, but getting admitted to the hospital when you are 25 weeks pregnant does not sound like fun AT ALL. I didn't know what was going on at all. We drove to the hospital and they hooked me up to some monitors and started giving me medications to stop the contractions. Our OB met us there and checked on us. She said that I was having contractions and that I should start the daily medication. At this point she said to go home and I should be on bed rest.

For those of you that know me, you know how I am. The worst thing I could have heard was that I needed to be on bed rest. I started thinking that everything was ok and it would be fine. I went home that day and laid down, and the next day I had my office rearranged to have a couch in my conference room so that I could work from there :-) We had an appointment set with our perinatologist set up for a week later to get checked.

Week 26:



Week 26 came around and we went back to the doctor. He checked us and said that everything was good and better! So he took me back up to "limited activity", he told me that I could sit at work now and take it easy the rest of the day. If we could go back and take back anything, it would be this. The next week I did just that, went to work and sat there and took it easy the rest of the time. We were set to go back a week later.

Week 27: When we went back, we were on such a high from the previous appointment that we thought we were invinsible. We got checked. It was worse, much worse. The cervix was still shortening and at a fast pace. We heard those words again, "I need you to go to Labor and Delivery and get monitored again". Back we went to the hospital. As soon as we got there we got hooked up to monitors and within the first 20 minutes I had 4 contractions. The nurses starting giving me the meds right away to stop the contractions. They slowed down. But when the OB came to check on us, she wanted us to stay overnight and be monitored all night long. At this point, I was so lost and didn't know what to think. I was so scared. We stayed over night. I continued to have contractions but they were able to keep them controlled after 3 shots and more meds. We spent 26 hours there, it felt like a week. Poor David stayed the night. Neither of us slept. All we could think about was "what is going on, what is happening?". The next morning the OB came by and said that since the contractions were down we could go home. She sent us home with more medication and extra medication to take when I have contractions. But from that point on I was to be on strict bed rest until the end of the pregnancy.

Strict bed rest: laying down all day long, only allowed to get up to use the restroom and a quick shower. They allowed me to do the stairs one time a day since we have stairs in our house. So since that day my days consist of getting ready upstairs while laying, walk downstairs, get on our couch for the whole day, walk up stairs at night to go to bed.

They set us up for a follow up appt one week later. But 4 days after that visit, I started having numerous contractions and we couldn't get them to stop. We called the OB and she suggested we go in for an ultrasound to check the length of the cervix again. We got in the car and drove. In silence. The past 3 weeks had been such a rollercoaster of emotions I didn't know what to think. 25 minutes of silence in the car. When we parked and David came around to get me out, I lost it. I was crying over everything....I don't want her to come early, I can't believe I am planted to a couch for 3 months, I don't know what is happening, I hate not knowing what is going to happen. It all was so overwhelming. He did great and getting me to calm down and get into the office. We got in and he started the ultrasound, and to our horror it was even worse. At this point he said it again, only this time it was worse, "I'm sorry to tell you guys, but I have to send you back to Labor & Delivery and I am going to have them give you the first round of steroids to develop the baby's lungs". I lost it again. I already had all this medication in me, and now even more. I was terrified. We went over the pros and cons. And I quickly realized that if she did come early, these steroids could make a HUGE difference in her lung development.

Off to Labor & Delivery we go for the third time in 3 weeks. We go there and they gave me the shot after monitoring us for a couple of hours. They told me that I needed to get another shot 24 hours later, so I begged them to let us go home for that time. We couldn't do another night in the hospital. The OB said it would be a good idea to go home and be able to rest in our house. So they discharged us and we went home. We went back the next day and got the second shot and they discharged us right away.

Week 29:



Week 29 brought with it a light at the end of the tunnel. Since this all started at 25 weeks we kept asking the doctor, "so what next, when will this happen, how early will she be??". Both doctors said the same thing, "we can't tell you". Scientifically they couldn't tell us anything, because she could come the next day or she could wait until her due date of July 7th. They just told us to make small goals and once we reach those goals we would make new ones. So we did, and the first goal was 28 weeks. We made it! And then the next goal was 32 weeks. At 32 weeks, they say that she has overcome a HUGE challenge. Every day at this point she develops so much. At week 29 we went in and he said it is looking good, didn't really change much! That was AMAZING news for us!!! He told us to keep doing what we were doing.

Week 30: We went back again and he said that it was still the same! He sent us home and said just keep doing what you are doing :-)

Week 31: Still the same! And only one week away from our next goal! At this point he basically said to just keep doing what we are doing. We have made it far and something is working, so that is good.

Tomorrow we will be 32 weeks. And just writing that brings tears to my eyes. 7 weeks ago I had no idea what was going to happen and what our future held. We will have made it to our next goal. And I can't even tell you how happy that makes me. Our little girl is being so good and staying inside because she knows it is good for her :-) This has probably been the 7 hardest weeks of my life, but I know the day I see her beautiful face, I will have forgotten all about it.

How do I feel? Well I have been better :-) I'm sure a lot of you are saying, "I wish I was on bed rest!!". Well you don't. You just wish you could lay at home instead of working or doing errands or stuff around the house...but you still want to go out with your friends, go to dinner, go to the movies. Bed rest is none of that. You are stuck laying down, mainly on your side, all day long every single day. Little activities that you don't even think about being a privilage get taken away....I can't even sit at the dinner table to have dinner with my husband. We now sit on the couch :-) So at the end of this journey we will need a good couch cleaner and a good house keeper...but we will have a beautiful little girl.

For now? For now, our next goal is 36 weeks. At 36 weeks the doctors will take us off of our medication and probably tell me to go about our daily lives. Why? Well because technically a baby is "full term" at 37 weeks. They are fully developed and all they do in the last 3 weeks of pregnancy is get nice and fatter. :-) David and I have talked about it and I will probably stay down on bed rest until 37 weeks. Because after all we have been through, one more week is not going to kill me and we want her to be full term. Once off of bed rest we don't know what could happen. We could go into labor within hours or she could decide that she is nice and happy in there and go all the way until her due date. :-) And yes we will laugh if that happens. :-) So for now, I am here and making the best of it. :-)

How do I survive? My husband and my family and my amazing friends. David has been absolutely amazing. He is now having to do all of the housework himself because I can't do anything. So he waits on me hand and foot, does laundry, cooks, cleans, basically everything. He doesn't love it, but he says that I am doing my job as a mom and that is his job as a dad. Now I wouldn't be surprised if he forgets all of his skills once she is here :-) And I hope he does....I have never wanted to clean and cook so bad in my life! LOL! My family is amazing. My mom is amazing. She is not only my best friend but I wouldn't be able to get through this without her. She keeps me sane when David can't :-) She always makes me look at the good in things. And of course she tells me to enjoy this while I can, because once this little one is here, I won't ever be able to lay on this couch again! Our families have been amazing, from coming over and keeping me company to bringing us dinner! They are amazing! My mother in law calls me every day to check on and make sure her son is taking care of me :-) My friends. I dont' know what I would without my girls! They constantly check on me, bring me dinner, and supply me with a weekly supply of strawberries!! I owe them sooo much!!! And of course, even from a different state, my best friend Christie never forgets one doctors appointment or one check up. She is amazing even from states away.

How is our precious jewel? She is doing great. Kicking all of the time, I swear she takes after her dad who has restless leg syndrome. :-) And at 31 weeks, she was weighing in at a whopping 4 pounds 7 ounces! 72%! That is our daughter! :-)

Yes, bed rest sucks. But all I can do every day is thank God for making us last one more day and keep praying and praying that we last another day and then ultimately until our goal.

I thank my lucky stars that we have made it this far and that God is watching over us. I can't thank everyone out there enough that have been praying for us. I have so many people tell me that we are in their thoughts and prayers, and I can't tell you how much that means to us.

When she is born, I will tell her all about the cheerleaders she had rooting for her!

Well guys, keep you updated.

Until next time,
-Me

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Valentines Day :-)

Valentines day this year was filled with lots of love :-) The hubs and I started our day with brunch at Porter Valley country club, then headed to see the movie Valentines Day at the arclight (my choice of movie of course :-) ), and then headed back home. At home I was treated to an evening of just sitting on the couch while my amazing husband cooked me a very romantic candlelight dinner. I must say it was DELICIOUS! :-) The man can cook! :-)

At some point that day I realized that this would be our last Valentines day just the two of us, so I was determine to enjoy every last second of it. :-) Next Valentines Day will be about the love we have for each other, but also the love for our daughter....and I can't wait to share that with her! :-)

Of course the hubs never fails to impress me with an amazing thoughtful gift that he knew I would love. This year he gave me some Photoshop goodies that I had been drooling over for a while. :-) I love them sooo much and they have completely reignited my fire for taking pics! :-) Here are some old pics from this past summer, but with some new tricks :-) Enjoy!









Until next time,
-Me :-)

Friday, February 12, 2010

God is good!

You can ask my husband....sometimes I just plain don't feel good. I am definitely one of the lucky ones: I didn't have horrible morning sickness, no horror stories of an experience, general pretty easy sailing so far. However, I do have days where I just plain don't feel good. I have been very very sleepy a lot of the time, I started to get lower back pain very early into the pregnancy and sometimes my hormones are sooo all over the place that I just don't know who I am.

When you go to these doctors appointments you are sometimes manhandeled. :-) You go in, you lay on a table and just wait. Once you wait what seems like forever, they lift your shirt up and push your pants down a little and squirt this gooey cold gel all over your stomach. Oh and this is after going to get tubes of blood drawn from your arm after every appointment. You would sometimes thing, man this sucks!

But as we sat our last appointment this past Tuesday I had such a different feeling. I went through all the same motions (except this doctor heats her gel for you :-)), laid down got the gel squirted on me and waited. She proceeded to start the ultrasound and there pops up our little girl. Squirming around just like daddy, but being stubborn just like mommy and not wanting to show the doctor what she wants to see. :-) She wanted to do it on her own terms. :-)

As I laid there on the bed and watched her on that screen, my eyes filled up with tears. Not because we were seeing her on the screen or because the doctor had just confirmed that she was in fact a girl. But because I felt soooo beyond blessed at that point. Sooooo many people go through sooo many hardships and bad times and bad news during pregnancy, some of them very close friends of ours, and to be able to sit there and hear from your doctor that the baby you are carrying is advancing perfectly....is like music to my ears. I felt so blessed to be able to watch our perfect little baby squirming around inside me. At that moment, nothing mattered....not the back pain, not the sleepiness, not the fact that i had to pee so badly I thought I would pee on that bed, not the nasty gel all over my stomach. All that mattered at the moment were the doctors words saying that everything looked perfect.

So make an effort today to thank God for giving us what we have. So many people don't get to say the things we say.

Thank you God for giving us a perfectly growing baby. :-)

Until next time,
-Me

P.S. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! From the Murphy 3 :-)

All we see for miles and miles is......P.I.N.K.! :-)

Tuesday we had our "BIG" appointment with the doctor. Tuesday was the day that the doctor was going to confirm the gender of our little peanut. They had given us an 85% chance that it was a girl...but we didn't want to go on that because we have heard many stories where it can easily change. We were very anxious to get there and for them to confirm the gender.

The doctor has confirmed that Baby Murphy is a GIRL!!!

We are happy to just know what our little peanut is :-) Here is her big debut:

19 weeks:


Until next time,
-Me

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Little galloping horse...



Yesterday marked our 18th week of our pregnancy. We saw the doctor for another checkup and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat. It sounds just like a little galloping horse in there. :-) We are still feeling good. The "baby bump" is remotely there. David swears that he can totally see a little bump...I on the other hand...just think it looks like chub. :-) I'm excited to get out of this stage of "chubbiness" and into the blatantly obvious pregnant stage. :-) Other than that, things are still good on the home front over here. Next Tuesday we have another appointment and if the baby cooperates with mommy and daddy....we will be able to find out if she is definitely a girl or if we should start thinking of boy names. :-) No movement from the baby here either...although I am desperate to feel it...nothing yet. But I will let you know when there is anything!

We will keep you updated and let you guys know as soon as we know the definite gender of our little peanut! :-)

For now, since we all know a post is better with a picture, I'll leave you with a picture from our anniversary cruise and I'll also leave you with a part of our wedding video. Enjoy!

Until next time,
-Me



Friday, January 22, 2010

Daddy has his own blog

Happy Friday everyone! The newest news in town is that Daddy Murphy has his own blog :-) I made him watch Julie & Julia the other night and he was inspired by the blogging. :-) So he has decided to start his own blog. He cleverly titled it: Thoughts by David Murphy. We all know how David is and how random his thoughts could be...so you can imagine how entertainting this blog can be. :-) If you enjoy my Weekly Tid-Bit by David Murphy well then you will love his random daily thoughts. Check it out if you are interested:

www.davidmurphyinstinct.blogspot.com

And here is another 12 week picture of our peanut. She decided to hide her face in this one :-)


Until next time,
-Me

Thursday, January 21, 2010

The life of a 16 week embryo

For those of you who haven't been fortunate enough (or haven't heard all about it) to experience the past 16 weeks of life with us :-) Here is a little recap :-):

We are officially 16 weeks pregnant. We were able to have an ultrasound at 6 weeks, which doesn't usually happen, but we were so excited when we saw that little heartbeat on the screen. I guess I would say that I was one of the lucky ones and I didn't really get the bad of morning sickness. I didn't need any special medication or anything like that. I would say that I had a steady feeling of nauciousness all day long...which I don't know what's worse...vomiting all day or feeling like you can't all day. My worst day of the whole 1st trimester was Thanksgiving day. Figures! I would say that the 2 weeks after that were the only really bad weeks I had. I was a lucky one.

At 12 weeks we were able to get another ultrasound which is the one below. We were amazed to see how developed she was at just 12 weeks. That pretty much ended the 1st trimester.

And well, 4 weeks later I am feeling great. No mood swings AT ALL. :-) Shhh...don't tell my husband I said that. :-) LOL! But I really am feeling great. We are all giddy and excited. We are waiting for me to get out of the uncomfortable stage right now of just looking "chubby" and into the stage where people I don't know can obviously tell I'm pregnant. David says he can totally tell...but well what are husbands of a pregnant woman for. :-) I know that people can't tell. But we are enjoying every second of it so far.

We go in for a couple more appointments the first week of February including the "BIG" appointment where they will confirm the sex of the baby for us. :-)

Keep you guys updated! :-)
Until next time,
-Me