Not a Typical Christmas

This Christmas was not exactly a traditional Christmas. We were missing family, I was stuck on the couch, and Braiden and Dave were a bit under the weather with colds. However, we were together and I didn't spend it in the hospital!
All smiles after his bath on Christmas Eve

A tradition since Phillip and I were little was listening to my Dad read Twas the Night Before Christmas before bed time on Christmas Eve. The tradition continued with Braiden when he spent his first Christmas in VA with his Pop. Last year and this year, we sadly were not able to be with Pop, so we had to listen to him read the story through a recordable book. What a great thing technology is. Braiden absolutely loves his book and has continued reading it every night since Christmas Eve :-)

Waiting for Santa's arrival

Braiden seeing all of the presents under the tree

All of his presents were transportation related

We are very blessed to have wonderful friends in our neighborhood. Since I was on bed rest, our wonderful friends, Sarahand Don offered to cook us Christmas dinner. They came over and spent the evening with us.

Opening a present from his friends, Lauren and Ashlynn

The girls with a very silly, Braiden

The last Christmas of us being a family of 3 :-)

My sweet baby boy on Christmas

Merry Christmas

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Bed Rest Update

I've officially made it 10 days on bed rest! I have been back to labor and delivery since then and actually spent a few hours there last night. I was experiencing a lot of contractions yesterday, every 2 minutes to be exact. Finally, at 9:00 pm I decided I better call the Dr. Of course, they immediately advise that I head to labor and delivery.
So, yet again, Dave loads my suit case into the car and our wonderful friends, who were actually over visiting stayed home with Braiden. Once I got hooked up to the monitors, what I already knew was confirmed. I was contracting every 2 minutes and they were strong! So, immediately IV fluids were started and a shot of terbutaline was given. The shot didn't stop the contractions like it's supposed to, so another was given. The contractions did not fully go away but became less intense and less often. I was given another bag of IV fluids and at this point it was decided that I needed to be checked to see if I was dilating anymore than I already am. Good news is, I'm still at 3 cm dilated. So, I was able to return home after midnight. I am still on strict bed rest and my medication at home was bumped up to every 6 hours instead of 8 hours.
My goal now is to make it until Monday! I want to be home with my little boy on Christmas day, NOT in a hospital!
The doctor explained that our concern now is dilating. The second I dilate past 3 cm I will be admitted to labor and delivery and will be kept there until Gavin arrives! So, please say some prayers for us. I do not want to end up on bed rest in the hospital, which would also mean I would be hooked back up to magnesium sulfate, which is one of the worst medications I've ever been on. The doctors and nurses refer to it as the flu in a bag. It makes you sweat, causes blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, your heart races, and you must lay flat on your back and be hooked up to a catheter. NOT FUN AT ALL! So, my prayer is, once I start dilating further, I dilate quickly. If I get to 7 cm they will end up doing the C-section. We will do our best to keep everyone updated.
Me and my bed rest buddy :-)

33 Weeks

Cookies for Santa

My biggest fear since being put on bed rest was that something would go wrong and I wouldn't be home on Christmas to decorate cookies with my baby. So, the other night, Dave went out and bought cookie dough and I got to watch Braiden decorate cookies. As you can guess, he enjoyed licking the icing and eating the sprinkles :-)
I think ALL of Santa's cookie were pre-tasted this year!

My baby concentrating on his cookie

A Puppy and a Hair Cut

Braiden's hair, as you can see in the pictures below had gotten very long quickly! So, Dianna was nice enough to come visit and give him a little trim. They recently got a new puppy that we had no met yet and they brought him to play :-)
Braiden and Jax the puppy

Sitting like a big boy for his hair cut

Hospital Stay and Strict Bed Rest

All of the posts below this are very short and mainly just include photos. The reason being, I am currently on strict bed rest and realized I had not updated this blog since the first week in November. So, sorry for the lack of postings, but I will explain here...

As you read the post before this, you will see that December has started off as a difficult month and isn't geting much better.

This past Thursday I was experiencing lower back pain, so I called my doctors office. Since I'm high risk, they get me in with any little complaint. So, in to the office I go. The doctor suspected a kidney infection, but when I arrived at the office and was examined it was clearly not a kidney infection causing my back pain, it was the start of contractions and the fact that I was 1 cm dilated. My doctor wasted no time and sent me straight to labor and delivery to be monitored. While over there, I continued dilating and the contractions became more frequent, occurring every 4-5 minutes. I received two shots of Terbutaline, an injection used to slow down contractions. When this medication wasn't doing it's job, the doctor decided it was time for me to be admitted. Soon after being admitted, I was started on Magnesium Sulfate, another drug used to stop contractions and was given my first steroid shot to develop Gavin's lungs. By Friday morning my contractions had slowed down and by the afternoon I was taken off of Magnesium sulfate and put on Procardia, another medication used to stop contractions. Friday went well and I was finally allowed out of bed to go to the bathroom on my own. My contractions had subsided, the medication and fluids were continued. That night I received the second steroid shot for Gavin's lungs. On Saturday the decision was made that I could return home on strict bed rest and would remain on the Procardia. So, I am now home and stuck in bed and on the couch for the duration of my pregnancy. I'm currently 32 weeks and our goal is to keep Gavin in as long as possible.
Please keep us in your prayers and hope that we can hold out for a few more weeks! While Gavin is trying hard to follow in his brothers footsteps, we're trying to get him a bit more chubby before making his appearance :-)

A much needed visit from my baby boy on Friday evening.

A Difficult Start to December

Just a few days shy of her 90th Birthday, my Baba went on to heaven. Braiden and I were all set to fly to PA to surprise her for her birthday and a few days before we were to depart, I received the devastating phone call. Healthy, strong, and tough... that was my Baba. No signs that she was about to leave us. We will forever miss her.

This picture was taken exactly one year ago on her 89th birthday.

While we were in PA, we celebrated Baba's life and had our family Christmas party. We had a nice time visiting with all of our family and Braiden of course enjoyed the party :-) A special thanks to my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Ken who kept us for our entire visit! I'm sure they're glad to have peace and quiet back in their house!
Braiden sitting patiently while getting his face painted

Aunt Kathy and Braiden

Gigi and Braiden

Braiden and his Pop-Pop

This year, Santa was a very special Santa... Braiden listening carefully and trying to figure out why the voice of Santa sounds just like his Pop ;-)

Santa, Gigi, and Braiden

Braiden and Mommy with a special Santa

Our Family

All 8 of Baba's grandchildren together

Braiden and his very special Guardian Angel

Carousel Park

Gigi and Braiden got to play together at the carousel park!

Alligator Farm

While Uncle Phil was in town, he insisted on taking Braiden to the Alligator Farm. They both loved the trip!