Pregnancy with Nathan was easy. I was thrilled to be pregnant and I loved the way I looked pregnant. I was 19 years old, newly married and loving life. I was excited to be having a baby with the man I loved and I couldn't wait to meet our little bundle of joy that we made together. There was only one tiny bump along the way with Nathan's pregnancy that I remember. I had failed my first gestational diabetes test and had to take the 3 hour one.
15 weeks pregnant with Nathan
As my pregnancy went over the 20 week half way bump I started to get more uncomfortable. I was now carrying a pound or more of baby and I started to feel it. By the time I hit 35 weeks my hips would grind with every step I took. I slept all day and all night and ate everything in sight. I couldn't fit into my own clothes so I started to wear Daniel's around the apartment.
pregnant with Nathan
As my due date approached it hit me that this big baby was going to have to come out of my body one way or the other. I like to call this time "freak out mode". I counted the days and weeks until my due date and was sadly disappointed when it came and went. The week before my due date I was 2 cm and 80% effaced. My OB could feel Nathan's head and actually told me that she didn't expect to see me in her office again and that she would see my in the hospital soon in labor.
My due date (40 wks) with Nathan
The day after my due date I woke up and latterly rolled out of bed and realized I was officially "over due" that had to be the most depressing thought ever. My baby wasn't here and I was still pregnant. I sat on the couch stuffing my face and telling Nathan he could come out any time. Still nothing happened. A few days after my due date my OB called and said we could induce me that Friday. Days rolled slowly by and Friday finally approached.
Daniel and I had our last meal (well my last meal) at Chilli's before we headed to the hospital. We got there and I filled out the paperwork and was assigned a room. Shortly after my sister in law Sarah, her husband and their two kids showed up to wish me luck. Sarah was amazing and just the person I needed. I was terrified of getting the IV because my mother had always told me horror stories about it. Sarah rubbed my feet and I ended up focusing on my brother in law Dale as the IV was placed. I was a bawling mess and now I'm super embarrassed on how I reacted.
Last pregnant picture at the hosital
41 wks pregnant with Nathan
Sarah and Dale headed home and the induction was started. Cervdil was placed at 6pm and I started contracting on my own at 2 am. Poticen was started at 6am the fallowing morning. I got the epidural and then my water broke on it's own. I was slowly but surely progressing. At 11am I was checked, I don't remember how far along I was but I remember the nurse saying we would start to push in about a hour.
Noon rolled around and I was checked again and fully dialed and effaced and it was pushing time. The next few hours are a big blur mostly but I do remember a few things. I was completely exhausted since I had only gotten 2 hours of sleep that night before contractions started. I remember the nurses having me push in many different ways. I remember seeing Nathan's head start to crown since I had asked for a mirror and I remember that Daniel never left my side.
It took 3 1/2 hours for me to push Nathan out. I remember feeling the "burning ring of fire" and the "pop" of his head and shoulders coming out. He was placed straight on my chest screaming at the top of his lungs. I remember I kept telling him that it was ok and I was there. I remember for a second he stopped crying and looked right at me. With that look I fell in love, a deeper love than a husband and wife can share. I love that can only happen between a mother and her child.
Nathan was then taken away to get cleaned up. He stayed in my sight the whole time. This is when another big surprise happened. My OB had just finished stitching me up and was about to leave when they announced Nathan's weight. A whopping 8 pounds 9 ounces and 20 inches long. I was in shock! No wonder it took over 3 hours to push him out! Nursing went wonderfully and we went home 3 days later adding a new member to our family.
Matthew's Story
Matthew was a planned pregnancy. I got pregnant less than a month after getting my IUD removed. The minute I got that positive pregnancy test I dropped down on my knees in the bathroom and offered a prayer of thanks and to calm my mind on a miscarriage. For some reason this pregnancy a miscarriage was heavy on my mind. I was constantly worried about it and used my fetal doppler every other day to check for Matthew's heartbeat to know he was safe.
It's true what they say about every pregnancy being different. Matthew's pregnancy has been completely opposite of my pregnancy with Nathan. I was nauseous all the time and I constantly gagging. I would throw up once a week and I never knew when it would happen or how often. I was more crampy this time but not as tired as I was with Nathan.
I don't know if it is the fact that I have a toddler to chase around and pick up all the time. Or if I'm in store for another big or even bigger baby this time, but this pregnancy has already taken it's toll on me. I can't ever get comfortable and Matthew is very active. I have had a lot more emotional stress this time around and I'm doing more physical things this time. Over all I love being pregnant. I love feeling Matthew move and I know in 18 more weeks I will have a sweet newborn to cuddle. It's getting to that point that is proving to be the hardest.
My hips and back have taken the most abuse. I am carrying Matthew a lot lower and differently than I carried Nathan. I guess I thought that since my pregnancy with Nathan was so easy that this one would be too. I didn't take into account that I would be picking up 30 pounds of toddler multiple times a day. I didn't take in account that I wouldn't be getting as much sleep as I did last time I was pregnant. I have to keep reminding myself that the award in the end is worth it. I will finally have Matthew in my arms.
One thing I have had my eye's opened to this time around is do I want more children. Daniel and I have talked about this off and on. He can see how difficult this pregnancy has been on me this time. I think the big deciding factor will be how big Matthew is when he is born. Right now I'm preparing myself for a 9 pound baby. It also depends on the Air Force, being a military family means we will probably move around and Daniel will get deployed at some time. I have to make sure I can take care of me and our children while Daniel is away. I have also had to ask myself if I want to drag more than 2 kids from base to base with however many times the Air Force wants to move us. I know what it is like being moved around all the time. I went to six different school's in six years. I personally wasn't a fan of it and I would rather my kids not have to put up with it either. In the end the decision is between Daniel and I. It is our family and we will decide on how many kids we can handle. Since it is us that has to raise them.
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