Happy Third Birthday, my Little Bee!

 I can’t believe three years have now past since Bee’s birth. It’s been a roller coaster of a ride. As I reflected on that August day, I remembered that I never fully detailed her birth story. What can I say? Life has been interesting. But I do plan to gather thoughts and finish soon. The last year has been pretty frenetic, and we’ve  had lots of change that is worth sharing. 

Once I get some sleep!

Happy second birthday, Bee!

 I am a terribly delinquent blogger, and I still owe the rest of my birth story. Just wanted to note today some birthday wishes. Happy birthday, Baby Bee! Love you to the moon and back!

Birth story

My baby girl is one year old today! What better way to celebrate than to finally write her birth story! Note: I started this post almost a year ago... figured her birthday was a good day to post. I may finish it up tomorrow as it’s getting late and I’m sleepy. 

I was scheduled for August 16th at 9:30am, which means we had to be there by 7:30am. I could drink until then, but had to stop eating at 1:30am.  Of course, I woke up and had a snack in the middle of the night!

B, Mom and me left a little later than I would’ve preferred, but we still made it on time.  Fortunately, I prebooked our parking 1.5 blocks away from the hospital. We could’ve valeted, but that would mean going through the main entrance, X-ray machines, etc.  I used to work there, so I know the easy way ☺️.

We get to the Labor and Delivery floor and I check in. They tell me how cute I look, hair done and makeup on. Yay! Then we sit down to wait. After 15 minutes, one of the clerks comes around with my bands.... hmmm. They have yesterday’s date and have to be reprinted.  Oops!

My doctor (Dr. L) walks by. It looks like he just got there, in shorts and a T-shirt with his scrubs in his hand. He chats with us for a few and goes to get ready.

They call me and B back to the Early Labor area.  Mom takes a picture of us before we leave and he rolls his eyes at my being sentimental.

We settle into Early Labor and turn on the TV. It’s the Travel Channel and Man vs Food is on. We get introduced to the nurses. Early Labor nurse hooks up fetal monitor and asks me if the baby’s head is down.  I say yes. She does the ultrasound and says, “I don’t see a head.” After maneuvering more, she says. “That’s why.  Baby’s turned again and is breech. Bottom presentation.”  I realize that’s why my stomach looked different the last few days.  I start crying with laughter.

My IV is inserted in my right forearm (I would’ve preferred my left since I’m right-handed, but oh  well).  Dr. L comes in and we review some things.  I ask him about the clear drape so I can see the baby come out. He lets the nurse know and she goes to get one. Dr. L lets me know the anesthesiologist will be coming around and then we should be good to go. It’s almost 10 by now and I’m getting sleepy because I didn’t really get back to sleep after my nap.  My sister R, my niece and nephew, my SIL and my stepdad have joined Mom in the waiting area.  I know because we are texting and video calling back and forth.

Attending (Dr. M) and resident (I forget) anesthesiologist come in to talk to us.  I’ll be getting a spinal epidural combination. I warn him I have a high tolerance for anesthesia.

We’re told we will be going in soon.  Then we hear a patient in another room groaning. B looks at me and winces with the noise.  She sounds like a dying whale. A nurse comes in and says that Dr. L now has an emergency c-section, so we will have to wait.  That’s at least an hour.  Good thing I work up to eat and am already getting IV fluids. I think maybe I should turn off Man v Food.

We get ready to go in and then they stop us again. Another of Dr. L’s  patients has gone into active labor. So we must wait again.

Finally get the go ahead to leave the Early term labor area and hit the OR. It’s now about 12:30 pm. I give a call to my family that we’re going in and B takes my clothes and stuff to the Recovery area

Stay tined(

35 weeks pregnant...

... and super uncomfortable. Just when you think you couldn’t get more uncomfortable, you find out that your stomach can stretch a little more, that round ligament pain can occur like a beast in the 3rd trimester, and that it’s possible to be constipated even after eating more fiber than you know what to do with and drinking enough liquids to make you seasick 😂. Eleven days to go, and they can’t come soon enough. I’m getting more impatient to see this little face.

Shower recap still to come... soon!

32 weeks - 8 month mark

Wow 8 months pregnant. Didn’t realize it’s been that long since I posted. Just a quick symptom list, and then later this week I’ll post about the baby shower, which was 3 weeks ago today.

Sooo ready for next month. Mostly uncomfortable and short of breath now. Have meralgia parasthetica in my left leg, so all I want to do is walk around in short shorts or underwear. Have some back pain off and on. This little one inside likes to move a bunch! Last week, our bean was in the 55th percentile at 3 lbs 8 oz in weight.

I’ve started sleeping in a recliner in the living room (more in the recliner later). Also have placenta previa, but as I was already a scheduled c section due to the past surgeries, it doesn’t change anything. August 16th is my date. I’ll be 36 weeks and  5 days then. Only 4 weeks and 5 days to go!

26 weeks 5 days pregnant

I’m getting closer, and it’s a wonderful thing. I have a round belly, and look pregnant. Ironically enough, I’m over the “being pregnant” phase, and ready to officially be a mom. Hopefully no earlier than August 16th, though. I’d prefer the baby  not have a NICU stay.

This little one is sitting in the nerve in my left leg, which is quite painful, but it will be totally worth it  in another 10 weeks when this one arrives.

I will find out with the next 9-12 days what date I will be scheduled for.  I will have a scheduled c-section due to past surgeries and a low placenta.

I have a very active little one who likes to move a LOT. Looking forward to seeing a face. 

Huge post - Happy “almost Mother’s Day”

Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and it made me realize how lax I’ve been at posting the lax few weeks. So here goes a huge update:

19.5 weeks - Anatomy scan. This little one did not cooperate. The tech couldn’t get a profile or a heartbeat, so I had to go back a week later for a follow up. They tried having me turn, giving me juice, juggling the transducer.... I have a hider. B kept looking and saying, “No paparazzi, no paparazzi.” I laughed and told him it is definitely your child, hiding from the cameras. Baby gave us its backside a bunch... so like B.  He said he wanted to know gender, so when I was safely ensconced in the bathroom, he was given the news. I told him he couldn’t tell anyone at all. So why does he tell my mother that he knows but can’t tell her, which gets her upset 😡. Then he tells me he doesn’t understand why I don’t want her to know. I’d like to be next on the knowledge list, so she’s going to have to wait. She said something to me about it the next day (about loving me anyway). I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to her as harshly when I told her to drop it. Seriously!?!?!

20.5 weeks - anatomy scan part 2. First pictures show baby with an arm covering its face. Baby just wants to be left alone 😂. I have a bit of a cough, so I’m addition to the turning and jiggling, the tech has me coughing every so often. She thinks she has the right pics, and leaves me on the table to check with the doctor. I am lying on the table having to pee desparately, and she’s gone a looooong time. 😳

21.5 weeks - someone at work makes me sick. Yuck! I’m out for the count for the next week and a half. Thank goodness I can work from home.  Cough still hasn’t gone away totally, but fortunately it’s become bearable. I bought a new inflatable neck roll, which is saving my life, since I have to sleep partially sitting up. I appear to have developed meralgia parasthetica, and have a pins and needles feeling in my left leg all the time, which is no fun to sleep on. Sleeping on the right side doesn’t really work either, as I can feel the pressure on my liver. Can’t wait for August. Starting to feel better. Go to a church fundraiser and put on heels for 2 hours. Couldn’t believe how I felt when they came off. My feet hurt for almost a week. Like achey bones. I’m done with them until this baby comes. That sucked.

22 weeks - let the swelling begin. It’s not crazy edema, and expected at this time. I don’t have very pronounced ankles to begin with, so they can disappear pretty easily. Starting to see indentations from my shores and socks when the come off. My boobs are even bigger; I may have to get a bigger size maternity bra. I’ve already gone from a DD to an E; hope I’m not hitting a G. At any rate that may be what I have to buy so that I don’t waste money on an interim size 😣.

I got kicked this week. Hard, and twice. Was sitting at my desk speaking with someone and felt it. She’s a work friend of mine, so I grabbed her hand, and she was able to feel the second one. She told me that if it’s a girl, there’s a Rockette in there.  I’ve started feeling nauseous again. Thought that was over.

My sister was bugging me for addresses for the shower, two weeks ago, but no one received invites as of a couple of days ago. I don’t know why she was bugging me, then.

My grandmother asked me what I wanted. I told her to tell me her range, and then I would tell her. Instead of doing that, she goes into the store and buys a whole bunch of little “nice-to-have” stuff instead of “need” stuff. I confess to being disappointed. I know that sounds ungrateful, but I can’t help it.

23 weeks - thought I was over morning sickness. What a lovely intro to Mother’s Day weekend. Will need to wear lots of makeup to hide the popped capillaries in my face from throwing up. Ugh. Took my niece to a festival in Central Park because I promised. Of course it rained. I didn’t factor in having to use a portable potty. So traumatized. I almost got sick again. She had a great time, so I guess that what matters most.

B’s eldest niece is having a surprise party next weekend. He gets a text from one asking if they can stay with us. I asked him to clarify “they”. My SIL originally told me it would be just the 2 sisters, but now they say they are bringing some of their kids. It turns out B has procrastinated on putting the bed that’s currently in the office (being converted to the nursery) into storage out of sheer procrastination. But now they will need to use it. Which means I can’t get anything done in there next weekend 😡. I really don’t want them to stay. They don’t clean up after themselves or their kids much. And the house is in a bit of disarray because we’ve been moving things around and it takes B forever to do anything. #TickedOff.

B’s finally weighed in on a girl name. We’ll see if he changes his mind like he does about the boy. I’ve kept pretty mum about names since we keep going back and forth. Think I’ll stick to that. He told me Happy Almost-Mother’s Day yesterday. Everyone else says Happy Mother to Be are something like that. He’s such a strange bird.