Eat, Sleep, Poop, Pee

Wow, can't believe a week plus has gone by already since Joshua's birth! It really has gone by fast! I will say the first 2 days at home were a bit crazy. Emotionally. My blood pressure was a bit high during and after labor. But I didn't think much about it. After I got home, I began hearing my pulse in my right ear. That made me anxious, plus I was EXHAUSTED. So I began to worry that I was going to have a stroke. I know, really ridiculous. But when you have had about 12 hours sleep in 48 + hours, your mind starts doing some crazy things. Plus whenever I laid down to "nap" all I could think about was how I could hear my pulse and that I was going to have a stroke. So when it was time to sleep, I couldn't. I called my mom on Tuesday and she and my mother in law Leslie came down that evening. What a huge relief. My good friend Amy came by too and we just had a good time with the girls (Jeff was at a high school game recruiting). It was a very relaxing evening. My mom went out and bought me a blood pressure monitor so that I could reassure myself I was NOT going to be having a stroke. My pulse is still higher than normal but I am no longer concerned I will die and leave my baby without his mother. I read that your estrogen level reaches about 50 times normal by the end of pregnancy and goes back to the normal level 3 days after delivery. Thank you estrogen! NOT. But since that relaxing evening, things have been much better. I now fall asleep within a couple min of laying down. Joshua has been eating and sleeping like a champ. I love nursing. Even though we go through at least 2 diapers every feeding, it is SO much fun being able to bond with him.

The only problem I have now is that every evening at about 5:30 (like clockwork), I start crying. The first time it lasted about 30 min. It still happens every evening but it doesn't last as long. And I can't even predict what I say or what someone else will say to start it off. It's pretty funny. I start crying and then say "I don't know why I am crying." Jeff has come to expect it. :)

I love being his mommy. And Jeff loves him and loves to hold him. He has been so good about helping me out! He even made dinner last Thursday night for me. Our friends Roger and Crystal stopped by that evening and held him while we ate. Crystal and I share similar postpartum stories. And my best friend Amy reassures me she was the same way even though I don't remember her being quite so emotional :) I LOVE YOU FRIEND!! And we are praying for a safe delivery when the time comes!

Thanks for all the well wishes!!

Welcome Joshua Olausen Clark!

What a weekend! :) I will try to be brief because I can't get enough of our new little one! Joshua Olausen Clark was born on Friday February 19th at 12:21pm, weighed 6lbs 12oz and was 20 inches long. It was an 18 hour labor if you count the minor contractions that started at 5pm. So I had probably 1 contraction per hour all day Thursday at work. At 5, I started having more regular pain but really didn't feel like my belly was getting tight like I have had during pregnancy. By 7:30 they were regularly to 6 min apart and my belly was definitely getting tight. I paged the doctor at 8 to get his opinion on when I should come in since I was already dilated. But I didn't receive a call back in 30 min so Jeff and I went up to the school so he could play in his intramural game. At about 9:30, the contractions were definitely regular and more intense (I had no idea of what they could become!) We talked to the doctor finally and he said if I couldn't make it through the night because of the contractions, to go to the hospital. But if I did hold off, he would check me in the morning. Well by 2:30am they were bad enough that I didn't want to say anything but just had to breathe through them (so I thought...haha) We decided to go ahead and come on in. I was praying to be dilated more but when we got here, I was only 2.5cm!!!!! Talk about disappointing. We asked if we could go home but they said they wouldn't be able to do anything until the doctor made her rounds at 7am. So all morning long, we walked, watched an office episode and tried to do anything to keep our minds off the contractions. At about 7:30 or 8, I was dilated to 4cm. Praise Jesus that there was change!!! My doctor, Dr. Seward (God Bless Him!) came in at 9:30 and broke my water. Things progressed pretty rapidly at that point. I no longer wanted to move around but sat at the end of the bed and Jeff rubbed my lower back through each contraction. Jeff did an AMAZING job as coach. He would look at the monitor and tell me when the contraction was on its way down. Thank goodness for that. I could no longer breathe through them but did some sort of singing moan. Sorry if that is too graphic for anyone. At about 10:30 I was at 6cm and so thankful. By about 11:30, I went through "transition". The only way I know that was after it was over, I looked back at the monitor and realized for about 5 to 10 min, I didn't really get any break from a contraction. At that point, I started feeling like I needed to push a little. Praise the Lord that when they checked me I was 9cm. If I would have only been 7, I would have gotten an epidural I think. It was about all I could handle. So they paged the doctor to come back in and I started pushing. After about 30 min, a ring of fire, and the most intense thing I have ever done in my life, Joshua was born! The doctor had his head and shoulders out and told me to reach down and pull him out. What an amazing experience. Then Dr. Seward said "It's a boy!" I can't thank Dr. Seward enough. He did a lot of perineal massaging (that was NO FUN) so I only had a second degree tear. Thank goodness Joshua wasn't any bigger. It was the most amazing thing ever. I got to hold him for a little bit while Jeff cut the cord and he got wiped down. He was crying but not like a really high pitched scream so they took him to the warmer and worked on him for a little bit to try to get more of the mucus and gunk out. I loved his little wimpers and grunts. But after a half hour, they decided it would be best to take him to the nursery and put him under some oxygen and get him crying really well. Surprisingly, it wasn't really hard on me because I was under such an adrenaline rush. I kept telling Jeff to go be with him but he wanted to keep checking on me. Such a sweet guy. At about 2:30, they brought him back in with us so I could breastfeed. I can't even describe the amount of love I felt for him. (I know all you moms know what I'm talking about). And I LOVE seeing Jeff hold him and love on him. Such a sap. I hardly cried during pregnancy but since today, my emotions are pretty high. I have cried like a baby every time I look at him. He is just so precious. Breastfeeding is going pretty well. I love that time with him and he loves his hands up by his face. Such a sweet thing. He did that during the last ultrasound too. He has Jeff's hands and nose. Not sure what he has that's mine yet :) Well I'm off to hold and love on him again. Love to you all!! Thanks to everyone for all their love, support, congratulations, flowers, etc!!! It is SO appreciated to know people were praying. I can honestly say that having an all natural labor was nothing short of God's divine intervention on my behalf. So thank you Jesus! Enjoy the pics!!

36 weeks 3 days

I went with my friend Amy to her appointment today since I had the day off (love the Federal Government holidays!)  It was a lot of fun to be able to hang out with her and Jace since I know those times will be changing soon with both of us having newborns any day.  I was going to change my appt from Wednesday to Tuesday just in case I had made progress and shouldn't be going to our away game on Tuesday at Grace.  But the doctor I have been seeing recently isn't in the office on Tuesday so he said he'd just check me today.  Not much as changed.  Just a good 2cm dilated and still 100% effaced.  The baby is at station 0.  So all things seem to be going in the right direction. Just not having any regular contractions.  I am still measuring small (only measuring 34cm).  And I had lost weight :(  Not quite sure why since I have been eating like normal.  So we are going to do another ultrasound next Monday at my appointment to make sure the fluid hasn't decreased anymore.  He said if it's a little lower, we will do a non-stress test to make sure baby is still doing ok.  If it's really low (5 or less), then he would recommend we go have the baby.  So who knows!  I am really praying hard that Satan doesn't get me defeated in the mean time. I just want this baby to be ok.  And I also want to be able to go into labor on my own.  The doctor would be ok with stripping my membranes on Monday if nothing has changed.  By then I would be 37 weeks and 3 days.  I have heard that it's not an incredibly pleasant experience.  I guess I have worse pain to go through during labor :) 

I know our God is powerful and in control. Jeff reminded me tonight to think back on all the times that I had been unsure of the future (possible gestational diabetes, and there are many more) and how faithful God has been to help me through those situations.  So I am going to have to claim some more promises so that I don't let Satan put his thoughts in my head.  

So I guess I would appreciate any prayers that our baby is doing well and that labor will just start on its own when it should.  And while you're at it, prayers that Amy's labor would start on its own before Greg would have to leave for the tournament would be great too!  Thank you all!

I don't have a picture right now but I'm hoping to post one soon.  

Hope everyone has a great week!

Baby news!

Well I had my appointment and ultrasound today.  I had been measuring a little small the past 2 appointments so we had an ultrasound today and Jeff came with me.  The ultrasound was so cool!  I can't believe it's only a few more weeks?? until we have the baby!  The baby's head is down and "very low".  The doctor was a little surprised at how low the baby's head was.  He had a hard time getting a good 3D picture of the head because there was only about an inch of space between the outside and the baby's head.  The ultrasound goes down about 2 inches so it was hard to get a clear picture.  But it's little lips and nose are ADORABLE!!! I think this baby has a Clark nose.  We will see soon. 

So back to the update...

The baby is approximately 6lbs 13 oz right now!  The abdomen is measuring at about 37+ weeks and the rest of the baby is about 36+ weeks but he hasn't changed my due date.  The heart rate was 139.  My fluid is on the low side of normal which is probably why I was measuring a little small from the outside.  But the doctor definitely didn't think our baby was on the small side.  The baby had hiccups while we were doing the ultrasound :) So cute!

Since the baby's head was so low, he decided to go ahead and check if I was dilated or effaced at all.  Well, it turns out I am 100% effaced and 1-2cm dilated already.  And in his words "the baby's head is right there".  YIKES...talk about unexpected news!  I realize that may not mean much and I may stay that way for a few weeks but it is promising that we might have a baby before the trip to Branson and then all of us can go and enjoy the tournament!!!  He seemed pretty confident that this baby wouldn't stay inside for the full 40 weeks.  If my fluid level remained low or even lower, he would probably want to induce me around 38 weeks and since I am already 100% effaced and dilated a little, he said that inducing me should be relatively easy.  He would start with stripping my membranes to see if that got things moving.  I would rather not be induced at all of course, but if the fluid got too low, I would obviously not want to put the baby in any danger.  So, we'll just have to wait and see.  

Here's a couple pictures of the diaper cake my Aunt Jen made me, the house decorated in a basketball theme for another shower I had and a picture of the baby in 3D (it's a straight on picture of the face...cutest nose I've ever seen!) And me at 35 weeks 5 days. 

I will keep you updated.  The car seat base is in the car and I'm going to start packing a bag here in the next day or two.  

Maternity Shoot

I had a good friend take some pictures of me on Sunday.  Amy's sister-in-law, Amanda, is a mother/baby photographer in the making! It was so much fun doing these with her!  They are funky and WAY COOL (in my opinion of course).  It made for a great memory and I can't wait to make a photo album to show this baby someday!  Here's a few of my favorites.  Thanks so much Amanda! I really LOVE them!  If any males read this, beware....there is a lot of bare belly! I am 34 weeks (and 2 days if we are counting days) in these pictures.

In other news, the nursery is ready if this baby comes! I have had some great showers!! The basketball team moms organized a surprise shower for Amy and I.  It was SO sweet of all of them!!  We got our pack-n-play so now when we go to Branson, we will have a bed for baby :)  And my work ladies did a great job of throwing me a "basketball baby" shower.  My aunt hosted a shower for me a little over a week ago and it was so much fun!!!  Thank you to everyone for all your generosity!  We are blessed!