Dear Gracie,
My early pregnancy was uneventful. I was a little tired, but as my usual, never got sick, praise God. Then at about 22 weeks, I found out I had gestational diabetes. It wasn't a huge surprise, since I had it with Jackson. It just meant that I had to eat really healthy and the doctor made me come in almost weekly to keep an eye on us. I had to walk every day to keep my blood sugar down, but I was pretty determined to do what was best for you, so I did everything the doctor asked me to. He was very happy with the way my blood sugars were controlled. I also had to go to the hospital twice a week starting at 32 weeks to have non-stress tests. That was just where they hooked me up to monitors and listened to your heartbeat, to make sure you were doing ok. You were always fine though.
My early pregnancy was uneventful. I was a little tired, but as my usual, never got sick, praise God. Then at about 22 weeks, I found out I had gestational diabetes. It wasn't a huge surprise, since I had it with Jackson. It just meant that I had to eat really healthy and the doctor made me come in almost weekly to keep an eye on us. I had to walk every day to keep my blood sugar down, but I was pretty determined to do what was best for you, so I did everything the doctor asked me to. He was very happy with the way my blood sugars were controlled. I also had to go to the hospital twice a week starting at 32 weeks to have non-stress tests. That was just where they hooked me up to monitors and listened to your heartbeat, to make sure you were doing ok. You were always fine though.
Six days before your due date, on a Friday, the doctor said that it would be safe for you to be born, and to help things along, he did a membrane strip. Then he told me to go and walk, walk, walk and call him if I had a lot of contractions. I had a couple of hours to kill before my scheduled non-stress test, so I got myself some lunch (2 McDoubles minus the buns--always minus the buns), and then went to Walmart and walked around the store forever. At one point I went out to the garden department and walked up and down all through the outside plants. But this psychotic bird was dive-bombing me in the head and I got mad and swung my purse at it and yelled at it to stop, and then some people stared at the crazy pregnant lady, so I decided that was enough of the garden department! I went and had my non-stress test and went home. It was Friday night pizza night and we had our pizza as usual and during the evening I was having contractions. I thought maybe you would come that night. I ended up having contractions for several hours and I was just waiting for them to get just a bit closer together before waking Daddy to go to the hospital. Then I got tired and started dozing and decided I would just go to bed and if they were the real thing, they would wake me up. So I went off to bed and in the morning, those contractions were gone. So the doctor told me to walk a whole bunch all weekend and to call him if I got more contractions. Not much happened on Saturday and by Sunday I was just exhausted and didn't feel well, and so I sent the family off to church, but I stayed home to rest--no more walking, thank you very much. Monday was uneventful, and Tuesday morning I went back to the doctor. He did another membrane strip and told me again the same thing. Walk, walk, walk, and call him if any contractions. If I did get contractions, then he would break my water and then that would really get things going. Sooooooooo, once again I had time to kill before my non-stress test, and once again I went to Walmart (not many air conditioned places to walk in Jackson), but I didn't stay there long. I just felt silly walking around the store. I did pick up some toilet paper and a couple of other things for home. Then I just went and parked at the hospital and walked around on the sidewalks till time to go in. When I went upstairs, they weren't ready for me so asked me to wait in the waiting room. Instead I paced back and forth in the hallway by the waiting room. I was having a few contractions at that point, but not enough to worry about. The nurse came and got me and we did the non-stress test, and you were fine, but my blood pressure was a bit high. They decided to wait a bit and take it again. It was still high. So they called the doctor to let him know, but didn't think it was high enough to worry about. I kept thinking I would be going home soon. Finally a nurse came in and told me that I would be staying because of my blood pressure. They would give me antibiotics in an IV, because I had tested positive for Strep B. It's just a precaution they do if the mommy tests positive for Group B Strep. And then the doctor would come in at 10 pm and break my water.
This was it!
I called Daddy, who had already gone home from work, and told him to get down to the hospital. I remember thinking that now the kids wouldn't have their toilet paper or the groceries I was planning on picking up on the way home.
I got my IV, Daddy came, and we waited. While we waited, I started having contractions about 5 minutes apart. Then the doctor came, broke the water, and things really got moving. The contractions got harder, and my nurse decided to call the doctor back. Poor guy didn't get much sleep that night. I think he kinda felt that she had called him too early, but if she had waited to call him later, he might not have made it. Cause things went fast from there. Daddy was by my side the whole time. The nurse showed him this pressure point in my hand and he pushed on it for every contraction and it really seemed to help. The doctor told me I could have this thing called an intrathecal, which is an injection of pain relief in the spine. It was kind of a waste, since by the time the anesthesiologist got there (he took forever--well it seemed like forever at the time, I think it was about 30 minutes) and did it, I only got relief from one contraction (at least that last contraction was pain free!), then it was time to push you out, which took one push. And then you were here!
Gracie Ruth,
born at 2:20 am, July 6th,
18 3/4 inches long,
6 pounds 11 ounces.
Daddy and I were so happy to meet you.
You were so beautiful. Tiny and perfect.
To be continued...
This was it!
I called Daddy, who had already gone home from work, and told him to get down to the hospital. I remember thinking that now the kids wouldn't have their toilet paper or the groceries I was planning on picking up on the way home.
I got my IV, Daddy came, and we waited. While we waited, I started having contractions about 5 minutes apart. Then the doctor came, broke the water, and things really got moving. The contractions got harder, and my nurse decided to call the doctor back. Poor guy didn't get much sleep that night. I think he kinda felt that she had called him too early, but if she had waited to call him later, he might not have made it. Cause things went fast from there. Daddy was by my side the whole time. The nurse showed him this pressure point in my hand and he pushed on it for every contraction and it really seemed to help. The doctor told me I could have this thing called an intrathecal, which is an injection of pain relief in the spine. It was kind of a waste, since by the time the anesthesiologist got there (he took forever--well it seemed like forever at the time, I think it was about 30 minutes) and did it, I only got relief from one contraction (at least that last contraction was pain free!), then it was time to push you out, which took one push. And then you were here!
Gracie Ruth,
born at 2:20 am, July 6th,
18 3/4 inches long,
6 pounds 11 ounces.
You were so beautiful. Tiny and perfect.
To be continued...
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