Isabella's Arrival Story

Isabella Rose-Marie was born Friday July 23rd, 2010 at 11:59 a.m.  She weighed 8 lbs 8.9 oz and was 20.5 inches long.  Most importantly, she is pure perfection. =)  This is the story of how she came into this world.

Wednesday July 21st I was scheduled to begin induction due to gestational diabetes and borderline high blood pressure.  The doctors didn't want my blood pressure to go up, Isabella to get too big, or for my placenta to begin to break down.  So at 39 weeks and 1 day I was on my way to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital at about 3:45pm.  We got into our room and settled in.  Over the next bit of time they checked my vitals, checked me for progress and got me and Isabella strapped up to our monitors.  I was having regular contractions (as I had been for some time) but was only 1 cm dilated (maybe) and still pretty "thick".  The decision at this point was between an oral cervical ripening gel and a Foley balloon, to get my cervix to dilate.  Unfortunately due to my contractions, the balloon was the best bet.  So they went ahead and put in the balloon.  I thought this was a good thing- no drugs, perhaps it would initiate a natural labor!  Well it was easily the most painful thing I've ever experienced having that darn thing put in.  Probably because I was just a little too undilated still for it.  But it sure did get labor going!  From 8pm until 12:30 I labored, and labored hard.  I was having regular contractions and they sure seemed to be doing something.  I did everything right- showering, walking, sitting on the birthing ball.  It was hard though and oddly the most "comfortable" place was on the toilet.  But I worked at it and breathed through the pain.  I was "doing great" and had high hopes that I would have my baby by morning.  Every so often they would tug on the balloon to see if it had dilated me to the 3+ cms that they are looking for with the balloon.  No such luck.

When they checked me however, the progress was slow and barely happening.  Finally at about 6am the doctor came back and determined that the balloon was not really in properly and therefore not doing what it needed to do.  They took it out and were going to put in another.  You can imagine I was just about on the ceiling at this prospect after so many hours of pain from labor that did nothing, and the worst procedure I'd ever experienced.  So the doctor convinced me to get some pain meds- a little in my IV and two shots.  Once that kicked in a bit they put the second balloon in.  This was nothing like the first time, and what I imagine it should have been like if I had been in a better position for it.  They also began pitocin at this time to help things continue to move.

Thanks to the meds (and in line with the advice of all of the doctors and nurses) I spent the day Thursday sleeping.  Despite this very inactive labor (against all natural birth suggestions) I was still making progress throughout the day and having regular contractions.  By the end of the day I had reached the ever important 4 cms marker!  I thought for sure as the night progressed with the help of pitocin that things would really continue on the right track.  Unfortunately by 10pm the doctor was back and not very happy with my progress.  It was just going so slow I could be there for a week and no baby.  She suggested that they break my water.

I genuinely lost it at this moment.  I had worked so hard over the last day and a half and had already had more medical intervention than I'd hoped for.  I was scared.  The doctor asked me what I was scared about, what were my concerns, etc.  She didn't want me to do anything I wasn't comfortable with, but this was her advice.  I actually couldn't even put into words what I was worried about.  Well actually I was mostly worried that it would "start the clock ticking" on my labor, putting me at high risk for c-section.  She assured me that this wasn't the case.  There was no clock and they would just watch me for infection by taking my temperature.  I wasn't going to be pushed into a c-section unless they thought I was getting an infection, regardless of the time.

So I agreed to have my water broken.  It wasn't painful at all, but it was seriously the flood of the ages.  I couldn't believe how much fluid there was!  Even the doctor and nurse were shocked at how much fluid came out.  You can have excess fluid with GD, but since they've been checking me for fluid levels for weeks, no one expected as much as I had I guess!  I kept thinking "gee all that fluid, maybe that means my baby is even smaller!"  They also put in the internal monitor for Isabella since she kept coming off the external monitor and needed to watch her as long as I was on the pitocin.  Also they put the internal contraction monitor on which tells you not only frequency (like the external contraction monitor) but strength as well.  I swear I had more cords coming out of me at this point I felt a little bionic!

Right after they broke my water, I decided that my mental strength had been worn down and if I wanted to be able to push this baby out, I needed some pain management.  I opted to get the epidural.  I am very grateful that I made this decision even though it was the last thing I had planned on.  The pain was too much for me to manage after such a long process.

The epidural itself wasn't painful to get.  Yes the local stings a bit, but really the hardest part is to sit still through the contractions while they put it in.  My epidural was a bit lopsided, a little too much on the left side.  It freaked me out a little to be honest because I had almost no control over that leg.  I could raise it up from the side, but couldn't lift it into a bent position or anything like that.  We also had to call the doctor back in because this lopsidedness was a little more than just uncomfortable.  I was still feeling cramping on my right side.  But after the doctor came back the pain was all gone and I was able to relax a bit.

After the epidural I was able to sleep through the night.  Thank goodness for this!  At about 5am the doctors checked my progress and I was only 5 cms.  I was devastated but trying to keep my head up.  At 7am they checked me and I was 6cms.  This was the fasted progress I'd made!  I thought for sure things would pick up from here.  Unfortunately around 6am I had started feeling a little nauseous and overheated.  I thought it was just my blood sugar or something.  I got cooled off but when the doctors came in I asked if I could have juice or something to eat because I thought I needed something.  They told me no since I'd had the epidural.

Between these new day shift doctors and the day shift nurse, all of a sudden I felt bullied and unsupported.  I had yet another mini breakdown when I found out that they decided to up my pitocin every 20 minutes.  My sister talked me down and I tried to sleep a little.  In retrospect the doctors and the nurse may not have been kind and gentle, but they were not doing anything inappropriate.  I had just reached my capacity of dealing with this process.

The next thing I knew though I started feeling pressure with my contractions.  They kept asking me to rate my pain and I kept telling them there was no pain just pressure.  It really does feel like you need to go poop.  They checked me around 9am and I was 8 cms!  They said they'd be back in two hours.  I told my sister that there was no way, they'd better be back before then because the pressure was becoming insane!  Not only was I feeling the pressure but every few contractions I could feel the head moving out of the rectal area and into the birth canal.  This baby was on her way.

Around 9:30 it was so intense we convinced the doctors to come back.  They checked me and I was ready to go!  Since I was having the pressure and feeling like I could push, they said I could push the baby down into the birth canal instead of laboring through it if I wanted.  So at 9:45 I started pushing.  It seemed like forever before there was a medical staff member even present for this.  I just pushed with my sister and husband working me through each contraction.

From this point on I have to be honest, it is a little bit like a dream.  I know it happened and that I experienced this birth, but it was all very surreal.  Each contraction became more difficult to get through.  I was pushing like my life depended on it though.  It wasn't painful, but very uncomfortable and I just wanted the relief of having it over.  At one point my motivation was "you didn't want a c-section, so here you go.  You asked for this!"  Another point my motivation was just my husband counting in my ear.  I definitely had a couple of moments internally of "oh my god I can't do this" but knew that I had to.  With the last couple of pushes my sister, husband and doctor all told me "she's right there, you can do it, she is nearly here!"  That was the motivation at the end when it actually became painful.  I don't know what the doctors were doing but it felt like they were ripping me open to get her head out!

Not terribly surprising I had some tearing.  The doctor made a very small episiotomy cut to help her head out, which resulted in a very small tear.  The doctor told me she doesn't like to do episiotomies so really it was very very small and not a big deal as far as tearing goes.  However they told me as the baby came out she "scratched me" (what??? not sure about this explanation but whatever), and so I had a tear above my urethra.  As a result, they worked on me for 45 minutes after delivery.

Isabella came out with a cry but her heart rate dropped right before delivery, and her cord was a little bit around her neck so they took her away to the baby warmer before I got her.  Honestly, I needed the moment to recover anyhow and I could see her from my bed.  I had the oxygen mask still from my laboring and kept it on to get my head back together.  Once she was determined to be good, they brought her to me and put her right on my chest.  It was no more than a couple of minutes and really did give me the chance to enjoy my first moment with my baby with a clear head.

I wouldn't describe it as love at first site, but more like coming home.  It just felt right.  Holding my little girl in my arms was the most calming and healing experience I think I've ever felt.

I will write soon about our first few days but for now this will have to do.  Here are a few pictures of our baby girl on her birthday.

The Nursey- Final Viewing

I'm really proud of how the nursery turned out.  I think it is pretty and girly, but still classy and warm.  I realize that it will likely never look this way again, since everything will change once we are actually using it, so I wanted to share my vision for our baby girl's beautiful nursery.  Some of these pictures will look similar to what you've seen before, and others will be brand new!

The two blankets that you see were handmade for Isabella.  The purple one is from her great Noni, Marie, and the beige one is from her great aunt Judith.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt

 I made this for Isabella using wall stickers.  I loved the quilted look and the hummingbirds too.
A little nod to her great grandma Patricia.

 These were decorations from my baby shower that my sister's Sarah and KC threw.  KC actually made the dragonflies.  I used some of the butterflies and dragonflies to add to the mobile above the bed, and the rest you see here above the rocking chair.

I needed a small trashcan for the room and wasn't impressed with any of the "cute" ones that I saw.

So I bought a really basic plain white one, and used some of the leftover stickers!

I am very pleased with the result.

The table for the rocking chair.  I'm sure there will be a great deal of use for this eventually, but for now it is the home of our twilight turtle- at least until it is time to start using it.

"I feel just like a princess."  I hope she does in all the right ways. =)

The dresser and changing table.  I still haven't broken down the amazing diaper cake my friend Angela made, so it gets to live on the changing table until it is time to put it to use!

The closet.  This child already has so many clothes it is a little silly!  And these are only the ones that are 3 months or bigger!  I'm also ready for the shoe collection, which she is starting out with 6 pairs.  As you can see the closet is also storage for all those things we just can't use quite yet, including our diaper stash!

And finally the super cute laundry basket I found.  We'll see how it works out.  I may end up swapping my own with this one if it isn't convenient enough, but we'll go with cute for now!

Final Weekly Update

How far along? 39 Weeks

How big is baby? I am guessing she is just under 8 lbs and 21 inches.  Place your bets now folks!

Total weight gain/loss: Somewhere under 10 lbs total weight gain, though not entirely sure the actual number.  Looking forward to seeing what that scale says after she's out!

Maternity clothes? yes, though even those are a tad uncomfy at this point

Sleep: Still pretty well.  Up to pee, but easily napping during the day too.

Best moment this week: Just accepting that my birth "plan" is changing a little.

Movement: Every day and quite regularly.  Her active times are in the afternoon (after lunch) and late evening (between 9 and midnight usually).  I get some activity in the morning too, but nothing like the afternoon and evening.  It will be interesting to see if this is any indication of what her active cycles will be as an outside baby!

Food cravings: none

Food Aversions: none

Gender: All girl!

Labor Signs: no progress despite all these contractions.  Here's hoping that my induction is still smooth tomorrow with minimal medical intervention.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: not feeling like the doctor's plaything.  I realize the precautions are all appropriate, but sometimes it's hard to accept when I know that there is in truth nothing to worry about.

What I am looking forward to: seeing my baby girl in the outside world.  I wonder if she'll have dark hair and olive skin like her daddy, or be more fair like me.  Will she come out with blue eyes, or brown?  So many exciting things to find out.

Weekly Wisdom: I say this in the most non-religious way possible, but- Let go, and let god.  We usually have little control over the way things go, and ultimately it will be perfect in its imperfection.  I trust that everything will be exactly as it should be, and that ultimately I always have the right to ask questions, and say no if something doesn't feel right.

Milestones: Scheduling induction!  Let's see when baby girl decides to actually join us!

Bump Picture: The final one!

The end is near

Much to my surprise at my last doctors appointment, we set the induction date.  I always knew that they wouldn't let me go past my due date, but since things have actually been going quite well, I thought they would let me get close.  I had sort of been thinking that Friday the 23rd would be the earliest (since I am due on a Tuesday and I don't think they like to schedule inductions on the weekend).

Well this is where the surprise came in.  The doctor doesn't want me to go much past 39 weeks now because of the concern with my blood pressure (the reason I've been sent to Labor and Delivery twice).  I am officially 39 weeks this Tuesday!  So induction is set for the next day, Wednesday July 21st.  This is Nick's brother Gerlando's birthday.  The one day I was trying to avoid!  Go figure.

The other unfortunate news is that despite all of these contractions I've been having, I haven't made any "progress" other than perhaps a little cervical softening.  Still "closed and long".  So what this means is that my induction will be a multi-step process.  We will call in on Wednesday, and they will tell us what time they want us to come in (depending on how full and busy they are, etc).  When we arrive and settle into our room, they will give me a cervical ripening agent as the first step.  This in and of itself can sometimes be enough to get labor going, which is what I am really hoping for since I've been having contractions already.  But if not, it is designed to get things opening up so that the next day when we start the Pitocin it isn't just giving me painful, useless contractions.

Yes, I did say the next day.  I anticipate going in sometime later on Wednesday for step one of the process, and then beginning the Pitocin early on Thursday.  This would mean that hopefully Isabella will join us as an outside baby sometime on Thursday, July 22nd.

Worst case scenarios can include a couple of things.  The first is that the process doesn't work the first time to get active labor and we have to go through more than one round of it.  You can imagine this now becomes a multi day process.  Or, something doesn't react well with me or the baby, and we end up in c-section.

In the meantime, I am doing everything I can to either get my body to go into labor before Wednesday, or at least be more favorable for this induction.  I'm walking and eating spicy foods and sitting on the birthing (i.e. yoga) ball, and even doing acupuncture.  I've gone twice for my induction points already in hopes that things will get moving.  Even if they don't my acupuncturist worked on my blood pressure points (to keep things under control), and even more important my various stress points.  Relaxation is key for a good labor.

Other than being a little upset that the end of my pregnancy is being rushed, I feel good.  I'm not wretchedly uncomfortable, and am ready to meet my little girl.  I'm even coming around to be emotionally prepared for "worst case" so that if that happens, I'm not devastated.  I'm working on enjoying my last few days of "freedom" and really make sure to do enough of the things I want to that might be hard to do soon.  I'm keeping my head up and staying hopeful that I will still get a birth experience in line with what I want.

The craziest thing is, by this time next week, no matter what else happens, Nick and I will be parents.  Exciting and terrifying all at the same time! =)

You never know!

I debated whether or not I wanted to write this, but I figure that I want the record of events eventually when this journey is done.

I've been having semi-regular contractions since yesterday afternoon.  It started Monday morning during my NST.  I had a couple of good contractions on the monitor with some irritability in between.  Not uncommon, but a little more than I've had in the past.  Then I went out and felt a couple more here and there.  Nothing that even inspired me to to think twice about them though.  I went to Old Navy and Costco with Sarah and Mia, and had a few more, encouraged by the walking.  Once I returned home my belly continued to work, but I thought nothing of it.  Sometimes it takes awhile after I've been walking for the contractions to settle down.  Most importantly, they aren't painful or regular, so I just assume that they are braxton hicks, or practice contractions.

Well as the evening went on, and they didn't stop, I thought perhaps I just over did it.  I took a little nap, thinking that laying down on my side and some rest would surely right me.  When I woke up and realized that the contractions had in fact not stopped, but had continued while I was sleeping (it was a fairly light sleep), I had a moment of sheer panic hit me.

I sat up and drank some water.  No change, so I watched the clock.  Within 20 minutes I had about 4 or 5 contractions, some longer, some shorter, but consistently 4-5 minutes apart.  I had a moment of cognizance that this could be "it" and my house was a mess.  I got up and started cleaning.  We had clothes to put away and fold, and dishes to wash.  I started moving through the house like a crazy person because if the contractions increased, or my water broke, I did not want to come back to my messy house with a new baby.

Poor Nick had come home not feeling well due to a nasty allergy attack, so had been sleeping as well.  He woke up to find me in the middle of my fit.  I explained what was happening and that although I didn't think I was in "labor" that I needed to get things organized just in case.  Nick, being the amazing person he is, started helping.  I suppose I got his adrenaline going too. =)

We finally went to bed, having accomplished the main things I wanted done and tried to sleep.  It took me awhile to settle down, but eventually I did fall asleep.  I fully expected to wake up feeling silly and back to "normal".  Well, that is not exactly what happened.  Here I am, more than 24 hours later, still having mild contractions.  This morning I described how I felt to my mom as having done a full abdominal workout yesterday.  My muscles in my stomach and back are just fatigued.  Clearly the contractions continued throughout the night.

So here I sit, apparently in early labor, with mild contractions coming and going.  They aren't painful, or even easily timeable.  I also have no idea if they are "doing" anything, or just torturing me a little. =)  They do excite baby girl though, so she's been quite active these last 24 hours.  It's a good sign though, since early labor can go on for days or even weeks, at least I know that she isn't distressed by the contractions.

Now I sit and wait.  I keep hoping my body will just go one way or the other.  I'm not anxious for this baby to be an outside baby yet- especially since we have two more weeks till our due date, but if she does decide she wants her birthday early, I am ready.  I do however want my body to make up its mind.  I am just uncomfortable enough that I either want progression (an end in sight) or for things to settle down.  I guess if nothing else changes, I'll have a little more information on Thursday!

So don't get too excited.  A few contractions don't make labor immediate!  It is at least good to know that my body clearly has some idea of what it is supposed to be doing.  Perhaps the next post I write will be "false alarm" or "she's here!".  You just never know!

Weekly Update

How far along? 38 Weeks

How big is baby? Big, and getting bigger. =)  The books say she is the size of a watermelon... Hmmmm...

Total weight gain/loss: Fluid retention still makes this a big question mark, but I'm guessing somewhere between 5 and 10 lbs up total.

Maternity clothes? mostly dresses to stay comfortable in the warmer weather, but even my maternity clothes are getting tight around my expanding belly!

Sleep: Up a couple of times each night, but sleeping pretty well other than that.

Best moment this week: Getting through a full week with no trips to Labor and Delivery! =)

Movement: It is like a dance party in my belly sometimes.  She is a big girl and I am feeling it!

Food cravings: none

Food Aversions: none

Gender: All girl!

Labor Signs: regular contractions on an irregular basis.  My next prenatal is on Thursday so we'll see if I've made any progress.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Not feeling guilty when I miss or skip one of my 8 daily pregnancy monitors.  I'm done with the effort this is all taking.

What I am looking forward to: Singing with my baby girl.

Weekly Wisdom: You just never know what to expect, so try to keep a smile on your face and trust that everything will be exactly as it should be.

Milestones: I am officially full term!  Human gestation is actually 38-42 weeks (hence the average of 40 weeks) so baby girl can come any time now with no worries about her health!

Bump Picture: not this week.

Productivity

It's been a week of productivity.  Two trips to labor and delivery and increasingly frequent contractions finally lit a fire under me.  I made a list of things to accomplish with the determination to accomplish at least one thing every day.  Of course on the first night Nick's nesting instinct kicked in (or maybe his desire to not have a crazy pregnant wife!) and he accomplished everything with his name by it.  He then proceeded to accomplish everything else that he could do (items that were not assigned) the next night! =)  He's such a good husband/ daddy to be!

Anyhow I stuck to my "at least one item per day" program and here it is on Friday and I've accomplished all of the important things.  Our hospital bag is packed (I know- you'd think two trips to the hospital would have forced me to do that much sooner!), the car seat is installed, I've purchased all of the items I think we'll need for the baby in the first couple of weeks, and the house is essentially ready for our pending arrival.

Now I'm finally down to those "non-essentials" like getting a pedicure, seeing a couple of movies, and continuing to get as much rest as humanly possible! =)  I did accomplish one of those "non-essentials" today- I finally went for my final pre-natal massage.  Sadly I think I waited too long and did not get to enjoy it quite the way I'd imagined.  They have this amazing pillow where you can lay on your stomach.  I've been dreaming about it since my first massage back in my second trimester.  Today however almost as soon as I was laying down I started hot flashing and just couldn't stop.  My therapist got me a cool towel- not enough.  So he got me a glass of ice water.  I drank the whole thing.  He got me another glass of water and put another cool towel on my back.  It helped for a minute, but not enough.  Finally I flipped to my back, which lasted a good 10 minutes before my back couldn't take it anymore.  I finally tried my side and realized that is where I should have been the entire time.  It was disappointing because by then my massage was nearly done, and I hadn't been able to relax much at all.

Lesson learned.  Pregnant women are meant to be on their sides for a reason.  Don't fight it and you'll feel better.  =)  I just wish I had figured that out earlier in my massage so that I could have really enjoyed it!  But it was still good and helpful for my muscles.  I guess it also will be a good reminder when I'm in the hospital that if I am getting over heated, I should lay on my side to help cool down and relax.  I'll have to make sure Nick remembers that!

Overall it has been a good week.  Lessons in balance to make sure I am resting enough, getting my "fun" in, and accomplishing those last minute household and baby related tasks.  I'm getting the hang of it though and am sure I will have it nailed just in time for Isabella to join us as an outside baby.  I'm almost ready. =)

Weekly Update

How far along? 37 Weeks

How big is baby? With three weeks left, I'm still guessing between 6.5 and 7 lbs, anticipating half a pound of growth each week now...

Total weight gain/loss: Still under 10 lbs total- I think around 6 or 7 lbs but it's hard to tell with the hot weather.

Maternity clothes? exclusively- non maternity shirts look like half-tees on me now!

Sleep: still sleeping decently.  Up a couple of times at night- not bad.  Plus I'm napping like I'm drugged every day too.  Good think I'm off of work now!

Best moment this week: I went to see Wicked (the musical) and after Defying Gravity (the big number that ends the first act), baby girl was startled awake by the applause.  It was pretty funny since she'd been active for the first half of the act, but had just settled down when the crowd went wild and woke her up again.

Movement: All alien, all the time.  She is big and strong and makes sure I know she's there.

Food cravings: none

Food Aversions: nothing in particular- just not super into food.

Gender: All girl!

Labor Signs: contractions are becoming more regular (as in daily occurrence), but still no "progress"... In my doctors words- I'm still "locked up tight".

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Not going to the doctor 2+ times each week.

What I am looking forward to: Not seeing the lovely medical professionals of Kaiser Bay Area for awhile.

Weekly Wisdom: Laughing and letting go will not only make your own life easier, but make the people around you grateful that you aren't freaking out.  Happy "service" people (i.e. nurses and doctors) are much happier to work with you!

Milestones: My second trip to labor and delivery!  Hmm... maybe not a pattern I want to start!

Bump Picture: Finally!

Seriously???

I keep joking that I like to keep things interesting, but I've officially hit my limit on excitement and am ready for some peace and quiet.  Just a couple of weeks is all I'm asking! =)

Anyhow today was my regular prenatal appointment.  I slept in, enjoying my first day off of work.  Got ready and was running a little late (as per usual these days!).  I arrived at my appointment feeling fine and ready to find out if I was starting to make any progress since I'd had some contractions at my appointment yesterday.  Got into the room and surprise surprise my blood pressure was a little high.  I sort of laughed when the nurse said that and told her that it was because I was running late and that it would be down in 10 minutes.

Then my OB came in and informed me that she was being made to move me to an MD.  I had hoped to get myself out of that, but apparently it is protocol.  So I agreed and we started talking.  Then she informed me that there was protein in my urine.  Normally they want to see negative or trace readings.  A "1+" is acceptable.  I read a "3+" today.  This is an indication of pre-eclampsia.  I asked if something else could possibly cause that because I had just checked myself last night and had a trace reading.

Anyhow they (my OB and my new doctor OB) sent me to labor and delivery again.  I confirmed that they would just be monitoring me, much like last time, and the chance of induction was very very low.  Essentially even if there had continued to be protein in my urine, they wouldn't likely induce me right away.  The only way that would have happened would have been if my blood work came back showing that my kidney or liver function was compromised.

So I picked Nick up and off we went to the hospital again.  At least this time they put us in an actual labor room instead of in triage.  The bed was MUCH more comfortable and we had a tv to watch while they checked my blood pressure and strapped me up to the baby and contraction monitors.  Right away the nurse told me that my urine was back down to trace protein.  So I could relax a little which brought my blood pressure down.

As usual, the baby looked good, and I'm still having some random contractions.  Nothing painful, and I really only feel about half of them.  They must technically be "false labor" still though because I'm not making any "progress" (i.e. I'm not dilating or effaced at all).  Then after a couple of hours of monitoring my blood results came back and that all looked good too.

So yet again, nothing has actually changed.  But we're getting to know the folks at the hospital and even saw the same doctor again (only because she remembered me, so that was nice!)... Now I'm hoping to not go back for at least two more weeks, and then only for the real event.  It's getting a little ridiculous getting sent in like this.  My plan to avoid this is to drink mass quantities of water (I think maybe I was a little dehydrated this morning) and keep myself as low stress as possible.  It should be do-able now that I am off of work.

So there you have it.  Another exciting day in the life of pregnancy.  I realize that I missed my weekly update this week, so I will try to rectify that tomorrow sometime.  For now, it is off to bed.  I capped my day off with tickets to Wicked, so at least I got a treat at the end of my crazy day.  But now I am exhausted! =)