The Next Chapter Begins!

The day was July 14th, 2015. David was at work and David Michael and I were at home about to make our "cow costumes" for Chick-fil-a's cow appreciation day (hooray for free cfa!). I already had a box of pregnancy tests upstairs and I felt like I really needed to take one. I was only a day or two late with my period but it's always come like clockwork for me (sorry if that's a little tmi haha). Also, my blood sugar levels had been a little out of whack the past few days, especially my morning fasting levels which hardly ever happens when my levels are good before bed (I had been extra good about checking once I noticed the higher numbers in the morning).* I thought about waiting until David got home to take the test so he could be there too like he was the first time but I just couldn't wait. So I took the test and before I could even turn it over (I didn't want to be tempted to stare at it) to let it set for the two or three minutes it takes to get an accurate result, I swear I could already see the second line come into view. I tried not to get my hopes up though, but those feelings are hard to shake. When my timer went off, I rushed to look, and there they were-- both pink lines as clear as can be. (With DM, we took two tests and both times the second line was super faint.) All I could think about then was how I was going to tell David! But I rushed downstairs and scooped up DM and told him, "You're going to be a big brother!"

So while we were coloring our cow spots to go to CFA, DM wanted to color his own picture. That's when I got the idea for this to be how David found out. So I had him color both sides of the paper and then on the side with the least coloring, I held his hand and wrote his special message for Daddy. We hung it on the fridge (word side down) for Daddy to see when he got home. When David got home, I told him to look at the picture on the fridge that DM drew but that he colored on both sides so it was important to flip it over. This message was waiting for him on the other side:

Needless to say, David was surprised and super happy! You can watch my video of him below. :)

Now at this point, I was only 4 weeks along. We wanted to tell our families all together and catch it on camera so we knew we would have to wait awhile to tell anyone. It was super hard to keep the secret, let me tell you! We only had to wait about 2 weeks though until we convinced David's parents to come up and visit for a few days and during that time we all went to see my family to celebrate my brother Bryson's birthday. We set up my phone on the selfie stick but in regular mode as opposed to "selfie mode" (aka screen facing away from us all instead of toward us) so as to "get a better quality picture." I muted my phone and after making sure everyone was in the shot while David held the selfie stick, I started the video and we began "taking pictures"until David announced that I was pregnant. You can watch everyone's [delayed] reactions in the video below!

After that, we all kept quiet for a few more weeks until after my first ultrasound at 9 weeks and a mini-photoshoot to announce our pregnancy with our close friend and "personal family photographer", Davey Morgan (www.daveymorgan.com). He and his wife, Marissa, have captured all our special life moments for us and we are forever grateful. 

      

It felt so good to finally let everyone know! I really hate keeping secrets :)

*[During my first pregnancy I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes which seemingly went away after I gave birth but fast forward a year later and after a trip to the ER (on my own accord and not too serious), a few doctor visits, and a bunch of blood work, I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. My dr and endocrinologist and I believe I had Type 1 before I was pregnant with DM and just didn't know it. So in reality, David Michael probably saved my life. Thank you, little man. :) So now by July, I had gotten my diabetes under good control.] 

Finally Meeting LilBit and Bringing Him Home (Long Overdue Post: Part 1)

The last time I posted was FOUR WEEKS before our LilBit was born! Now he is 15 weeks old. This is nuts. I've been meaning to post every month since his birth but as it is with having a baby-- things tend to get in the way and I either forget or push it off. So instead of doing four separate posts this will just be a long overview of how our lives have changed. Hopefully I will be able to do at least a post per month from here on out.

Meeting our Son

 

These pictures were right before we left to go to the hospital to have our baby boy on Tuesday, November 5th. We had already spent the weekend before (the last weekend in October) in the hospital. We had an ultrasound and appointment on Friday, October 25th and my blood pressure was slightly high. My fluids had been low for two weeks and the doctors kept telling us that we should be prepared to have him at any time. So when they sent us over to the hospital that Friday we thought that was it. Both of our families came into town to spend the weekend with us. The doctors had me hooked up to monitors and they were checking my blood sugar and pressure every few hours. They said they were basically looking for a reason to go ahead and induce me. However, Sunday came along and LilBit was passing all the tests with flying colors which we were happy he was healthy and safe but disappointed that we weren't going to meet him yet. I had another appointment and ultrasound that following Friday, November 1st and he was still looking to be okay so they went ahead and scheduled for me to be induced Tuesday, November 5th and 7pm (well that's when we needed to get to the hospital anyways). I was being induced at 39 weeks because of my gestational diabetes. So Tuesday came and our parents made plans to be there with us. David's parents got there right before we went to to hospital and met as at Chick-fil-a where we had our final meal before going to the hospital. That was my final meal until LilBit was born! (Fun fact: Chick-fil-a was also our first meal as a married couple!) The manager at the CFA found out that we were headed to the hospital to have the baby right after we ate and decided to give all our meals to us for free as well as a little CFA cow! Such a blessing! We were quite grateful.
So after eating we went to the hospital! Once I was checked in and everything and got settled in to my room, they gave me a pill which started the inducing process. They kept me hooked up to a monitor to keep an eye on LilBit's heartbeat and my contractions and then I was also hooked up to a sugar water IV to control my blood sugar levels since I couldn't eat. We knew it would probably be the next day before LilBit came so we tried to just get as much sleep as we could. The hours passed on Wednesday and we were surprised (or at least I was surprised-- David knew) with lots of visitors to keep us company as we waited to meet our little man. Taylor Rhodes, Lisa Jones, Elise Harbin, Neely Nelson, Elizabeth DeVault and David Cook were all there as well as David's parents and my parents and brother Bryson. I was starting to feel contractions more regularly but they were not too painful yet. Around 4pm my contractions were finally getting past a level 4 or 5 on the pain scale and they wanted to break my water so they advised I get my epidural before that because it could cause things to escalate quickly. So I got my epidural and felt wonderful-- it's a miracle drug haha. After that, we just had to wait! They checked me a few hours later to see how I was dilating and there had been a little progress but not much. So they gave me something to help move things along. Next time they checked (around  I had made progress but still had a little ways to go. Somewhere right after 9pm they gave me this huge peanut thing to put between my knees that would help the progress along. About 45 minutes later I was fully dilated, he was down far enough, and we were ready to go! That peanut really did it's job! So a little after 10pm I was all ready to start pushing! After only about 15 minutes and 3 sets of pushes our little one entered the world at 10:31pm!

WELCOME TO THE WORLD LITTLE ONE!

 

As soon as I saw him, I said, "He's so little!" The nurses didn't really agree with me but I was just expecting him to be so much bigger and chubbier. David just couldn't believe he was finally a Daddy. After we just reveled in the awe of this new precious little life we decided to pick a name. We had narrowed it down to really two names and we decided he looked like a David Michael Jr. This name had only been added to our list a week before he was born so we were glad we waited to name him! Our friends had a bet going (they didn't even know any of our names) and the majority voted that he would be a Jr. Crazy! (We didn't find this out until after haha). We decided that we would call him David Michael. He was perfect. Our families and friends were waiting outside the door and got to hear his first cry. David's dad even got a recording of it! So amazing! After we named him and he was cleaned up a little, we called in our families to meet him and learn what we would call our LilBit. There were smiles and tears and cheers. Then we let our friends in to meet him too. After that, we had David and I had some alone time with our little boy. Next we moved to another room and he was weighed and David got to change his first diaper. He weighed 8 lbs 9 oz and was 20.75 in long. Our nurse ended up being someone we knew through a mutual friend! How cool is that?

THE NICU

 

  

Somewhere between 3 and 4 am the nurse came in to check his blood sugar (my gestational diabetes can effect that). It ended up being really low and so they had to take him from our room. The nurse came back about 30 mins later and told us they had to take him to get it regulated. We ended up falling back asleep from exhaustion and when we were awoken by a nurse in the morning we were told David Michael was taken to the NICU and put on an IV with sugar water. They had to prick his little heel every few hours to take blood to check his blood sugar. He was being fed formula and breast milk (whatever I could get out by pumping). He was eating really well but it took awhile for his blood sugars to regulate. By Friday, November 8th, I was released from the hospital but David Michael wasn't able to come home with us. It was so hard to leave him but we knew God would protect him and we were comforted by the fact that it wasn't a life threatening situation. We took the opportunity to get sleep while we could. By the next day he was off the IV when David went to visit him that morning before work. (Side note: David was able to take a whole week of paid vacation from work to stay home with us but worked Saturday because we knew he wouldn't be able to come home yet). We would have been able to take him home late Saturday or early Sunday because his blood sugars were regulated but he ended up having to be tested for bacteria that they found on his body to make sure it wasn't in his blood stream. Because of that, we had to wait until Monday to take him home. However, Sunday night DM was moved to the NICU 2 where we got to spend the night with him in a private room and basically take care of him ourselves with a nurse on standby if we needed her. I'm so thankful for that night, it was the perfect transition.

Coming Home and the First Week

 Monday night after dinner we finally got to dress up our little boy in his "handsome like Daddy" outfit and bring him home. We were overjoyed. And by that time my milk had fully come in so I was able to breastfeed him-- no more formula! and thankfully he adjusted very well. That first week was definitely the hardest. Even with David home from work those first few days I felt like I never slept. He was always hungry and I was worried he wasn't getting enough but by his one week check-up his weight was fine so we were thankful. People warned me that I had never been so tired in my life but they didn't know my sleep schedule in college. Haha. The only difference was in college most of the time I didn't sleep it was my choice whereas this time I had to. That's what made it harder. But every time I got frustrated when he cried or mad that I wasn't able to sleep I would look down at that crying baby and all I could think about was how cute he was and how I couldn't believe he was mine. Though I have to admit, I did have a breakdown once where I just sobbed while trying to rock him and David woke up and took him from me so I could calm down and try to get a little sleep. But despite the tears and exhaustion, I was overflowing with love for my sweet David Michael-- and for his Daddy, my partner and helper in parenthood.

Mommy/LilBit Update: Week 35

The time to meet our little one is sooo near! In fact, it could really be any time now. Which is nuts. I wouldn't mind him coming a little early but I'd like to stay pregnant for a few more weeks at least. Whatever time LilBit decides to make his grand arrival, we will be ready! We have his bassinet set up and his whole side of the room all decorated (pictures to come soon!). 

I've started my weekly doctor and ultrasound visits. So far, so good! LilBit's measurements were even better at the last ultrasound, going from being in the 90th percentile to the 67th percentile! He weighed in a few ounces under 5lbs which is right where they wanted him to be. The insulin is working amazingly well for me and for him-- praise God! He passed his first heart monitor test too.

Also, we had our maternity photo shoot today with Davey Morgan Photography! We went up to Bonclarken for the shoot since that place means so much to David and I-- plus it's a beautiful setting for pictures. We had so much fun and I cannot WAIT to see the great shots that Davey got! Such a great friend and photographer!

Feeling: Getting more and more tired by the day it seems but I still love being pregnant. I love feeling LilBit's kicks and wiggles-- except when he kicks me in the ribs, which he has been doing quite often as of late. 

Cravings: Ice cream. I wish I could just eat ice cream all day, every day. 

Food aversions: None. 

Weight gain: I've reached the 25lb mark now so I will probably stay under 30lbs for my total and I'm hoping to lose the baby weight quickly too since it's all my belly. 

LilBit: He is now the size of a honeydew melon! He is around 18 inches long and weighs over 5lbs! His kidneys are fully developed now and his liver can process waste. His physical development is mostly complete, he really just needs to put on a little more weight. He is practicing his breathing too-- I got to see his little lungs going to work on my ultrasound this past Friday! He doesn't have room to do somersaults anymore like he used to but that doesn't keep him from still being a little wiggle worm. He loves to punch and kick and stretch out. He is also head down so we are hoping he stays that way in case he decides to come early.

Baby Purchases: We've been so blessed with all the baby showers and gifts that we have received so far. They have definitely kept his upcoming arrival exciting instead of worrisome as we are almost fully prepared now for him to come home. We have received many adorable clothes, books, rattles, diapers and wipes, and so much more. We also now have our bassinet, stroller, and carseat (all our big necessities) which make it all seem that much more real! 

Mommy/LilBit Update: Week 31

Only 8 weeks to go!! I can't believe it's finally single digits! At my ultrasound a week and a half ago, LilBit was doing very well. His measurements are still in the normal range, thankfully, but he already weighs 3 pounds! I'm still hoping he'll be under 8 pounds but we shall see. The higher dosage of the pills didn't work so I've been on insulin for 3 weeks now and it's helping a lot. It's so nice to not have to be anxious or worried about my blood sugar when I know I'm eating right. They raised my insulin for dinner time once and then one I take before bed twice. Hopefully it will be fine now, right now the numbers are just barely over what they want them to be (100 instead of 95 or below). Thankfully the insulin needles don't hurt-- when I can find a spot that is. I have to stick myself in the thigh or my lower stomach but it's hard to find a place that I can actually pinch and then sometimes I have to prick myself a few times before I find a place that doesn't hurt. Other than that, no problems. Pregnancy has gotten me over my two fears: throwing up and needles. I still have to look the other way when they take blood though haha. 

We also just moved to a new apartment. It's not very fun to move when you're pregnant but thankfully we have some wonderful friends and family that helped us out so that I didn't have to do much at all. Now we just have some more unpacking to do but it will keep me busy. 

Feeling: Overall, feeling great. Been tired again more lately and obviously some back pain at the end of the day but nothing unbearable.

Cravings: Now I crave things I can't have like chocolate and milkshakes but fortunately they aren't strong cravings

Food aversions: None. 

Weight gain: I've just finally gotten to the 20lb mark. Even though LilBit keeps growing and so does my belly, I'm not gaining much weight at all thanks to my diet and insulin. 

LilBit: Our little man is now about the size of a coconut! He is around 16 inches long and weighs over 3lbs! He can now turn his head from side to side and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump up as the fat starts to accumulate under his skin. I just hope he doesn't get too chubby hehe. He wiggles and moves like crazy, making my belly move in weird ways a lot. I don't mind it though :). Fortunately, he's not keeping me up at night with his kicking yet!

Baby Purchases: Well we aren't purchasing things very much since we have baby showers coming up now. I had my first shower yesterday and got some lovely things. I'm excited for the other showers to come and to actually put all of the gifts to use soon!

Mommy/LilBit Update: Week 26

(almost 27) 
OFFICIAL PICTURE COMING SOON but for now, here's some recent pictures of me over the past few weeks :)

Our Reveal Party: June 19th

 (Reveal Party) June 19th: 19-20 weeks

 June 29th: 20-21 weeks

  July 29th: 25 weeks


     So it's been 6 weeks since my last update, which is crazy, I know! And a lot has happened since then. LilBit is still growing and just as much of a wiggle worm as ever! Over the past month, I've been to the doctor every week. My blood pressure and blood sugar were both high a few times so we had to do testing for both. David and I bought a cool device that checks my blood pressure and keeps track of all the results for me on my iPhone which was great. Turns out my bp is always normal but it gets high when I go to the doctor occasionally. I think I just get anxious. Either way, because we have been keeping track of it ourselves and I showed the dr my results, they aren't concerned about that anymore. Hooray! 
     Now, my blood sugar. So I failed the fasting blood test twice so I never had to drink the nasty orange stuff everyone tells me about. However, they automatically diagnosed me with gestational diabetes. Because I had abnormalities with my insulin before pregnancy (in my case, hypoglycemia), I was more prone to end up with diabetes during pregnancy. They had me simply try to control it by diet for a week while checking my blood sugar 4 times a day and even though I stuck to the diet really well, it didn't keep my blood sugar levels down. So then they had me take pills while still following the diet for another week. This time, my blood sugar levels after breakfast and lunch were good for the most part but they were still high after dinner and when I woke up in the morning. So now they've double my dosage for this week. We are praying that this will control my blood sugar levels before I go back to the doctor on Tuesday so that I will not have to give myself insulin shots. 
     Because I have gestational diabetes, they want to make sure I do not go the full 40 weeks of pregnancy to prevent LilBit from being too big as well as to avoid possible other complications. So that means that if I haven't gone into labor by November 6th, they will induce. I'm hoping he will come a day or two before so we don't have to worry about that but at least I know I will meet my little man no later than the 6th!

Feeling: Overall, I've been feeling quite well. My back hurts every once in awhile but not too bad. My feet hurt, especially after work, but no swelling.

Cravings: Fortunately I still crave peanut butter because the doctors want me to eat lots of it. No really strong cravings though, which I'm thankful for-- especially if they were to be for something I couldn't have.

Food aversions: None. But I have to stay away from a lot of foods now, especially pastas and rice. 

Weight gain: I haven't gained any weight these past few weeks thanks to my diet but overall I've gained a total of 18 lbs. And it is ALL in my stomach.

LilBit: LilBit is now the size of a scallion! He is around 14 inches long and around 1 2/3 pounds. The nerves in his ears are better developed and more sensitive now so he can most likely hear both mine and David's voices as we talk to each other. He's continuing to put on baby fat too. Also, he has started to kick strongly now. I can look down and actually see my stomach move when he kicks! I love it! He kicks a lot too, such a wiggle worm. He's going to be a hyper little boy haha. David can feel him kick really well now too, and he kicks more when David's hand is on my stomach. David can even hear LilBit moving around too when he puts his ear up to my stomach! I got to hear him move around through a stethoscope too! 

Baby purchases: 

We bought a few little items of clothing here and there but we're holding back and buying a lot before our showers and before we move. We've got to let other people buy him stuff too haha plus the less we have to pack, move, and unpack the better. 

Mommy/LilBit Update: Week 20

Well, almost 21 now... :)

We are so excited to finally know that LilBit is a BOY!!! We were so sure we were going to have a girl, so it was such a surprise and we couldn't be happier! We cannot wait to meet our little man! And while we were at the doctor, we found out that we will most likely meet him a week earlier than we planned! They moved our due date from November 13th to the 8th! We also got to finally see how big he is getting. He is moving around like crazy! He was constantly wiggling which is why his heartbeat has been so high-- tricky tricky little one! It was so fun to get to see his little hands, feet, arms, spine, developing brain, and even his heart beating! It just still all seems so unreal sometimes.

We had fun sharing our excitement with family and friends at a gender reveal party. We played games, had everyone wear bows or bow ties to indicate their guesses, ate some good food-- and candy, and finally opened our little bear to discover it was wearing a blue shirt!



Feeling: I have been feeling wonderful. I'm really enjoying having all my energy back. I've also been feeling LilBit move around now too and when I feel him, if I press slightly on my stomach I can feel him kick and punch against my hand! David even got to feel him too!

Cravings: Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. Also, I still want bean burritos. All the time. And peanut butter. 

Food aversions: asian food 

Weight gain: since last update- about 2lb

LilBit: LilBit is now the size of a banana! Instead of measurements being from crown to rump, he is now measured from head to toe. He is around 10 inches long. And at the doctor, they said he weighs 11 ounces! LilBit is swallowing more these days-- good practice for the digestive system.

Baby purchases: 

We have gotten a lot of stuff recently. We have gotten LilBit a lot of new clothes too since we can finally buy things that aren't gender neutral! Below are just a few pics of things we bought/were given. David and I also had fun registering at Buy Buy Baby yesterday for tons of baby stuff! We had so much fun picking everything out and we are going to do it again today at Babies R Us! 

Mommy/LilBit Update: Week 16

Week 16: New trimester since last update!

I know it's been awhile and I missed my week 14 update but I've been crazy busy. A lot has changed since then!

We got the hear LilBit's heartbeat the other day too! Fast and strong! And soon we will find out if LilBit is a boy or a girl!

Feeling: Feeling great! I've gotten my energy back though I didn't realize it til recently because I've been so busy but now things are starting to settle down. 

Cravings: 

not much of anything lately, at least not as strong. 

Food aversions: 
(only slightly) pizza 

Weight gain: 
since last update- 4lb; 10lbs total

LilBit: The baby is the size of a an avocado  LilBit is approximately 4 1/2 inches long and 3 1/2 ounces. LilBit is continuing to grow and develop, everything moving in the right places. His/her head is more erect and the patterning of the scalp has begun. LilBit even has toenails now! Also, LilBit's heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day.

Baby purchases: 

We haven't been purchasing much lately since we still don't know if LilBit is a boy or girl. However, I find myself looking at baby stuff a whole lot. I've found all the stuff I want for the nursery (decorations that is)! However, that hasn't stopped other people! My parents found a wooden cradle that we will refurnish at a yard sale. My friend Lauren and her husband got us a Winnie the Pooh pack n' play! Also, David's parents bought us a cute frame for LilBit's room too!