~Drake's Arrival~

We came in for induction Wednesday morning (4/29/09) at 7:15am. We got all settled in & started the Pitocin at 8:00am. By 9:00am I was at 3cm dilated, 100% effaced & they broke my water (which was pretty disgusting, by the way). By 11:30am I was ready for my epidural! They came in around noon & placed that, twice because the 1st one didn't take. They checked me again & I was at 4cm. I then layed down & rested until about 1:00pm & called the nurse in because I was feeling a lot of pressure. She checked me & I was 9 1/2! Wow in only an hour! 15 minutes later I was at 10 & ready to go. We had to wait about 20 minutes because someone else was delivering at the same time.

We started pushing with the nurse for 3 contractions & the Dr. Miller came in. 2 more contractions & Drake was here! 20 minutes in all & no tearing! I couldn't have asked for anything better!

Drake Lee Steinhauser

Arrived 4/29/09 @ 2:16pm

6lbs 2oz

19" long

We are both doing great!!!

Meeting Mom & Dad

Meeting our little guy for the 1st time was AMAZING!!!

He was so much smaller than we thought & we were dying to see what he looked like.

Luckily he looks just like his handsome Daddy! Drake looks almost identical to Dustin's newborn picture, just has a little bit fuller cheeks & a rounder chin.

I am really swollen from a getting a lot of fluid, but here's our 1st family photo. Just minutes after he was born.
Meeting Mommy!

Meeting Daddy!

1st Bath

Drake wasn't so sure he enjoyed his 1st bath, but he was sure a handsome boy afterwards!!

Enough hair for a mohawk!

He had to have his hair washed twice there was so much.

Our AWESOME nurse Kim giving him his bath!

Showing off his lungs!

More Fun Pictures

Just Hanging Out

We are now on hour (almost) 22. He hasn't even been here a full day & I can't remember life without him! The love you automatically feel is unbelievable.

Last night we discovered he loves to sleep in his boppy!

Last night was a little rough, just trying to get used to each other. But we made it & are just hanging out today watching the rain out the window.

This morning he has been a bit cranky, but is now snoozing away.

38 Week Appointment & The Plan

Today I went to my 38 week appointment. I went in with the intention of speaking up about my concerns with my blood pressure & the way I have been feeling. As all of you know my blood pressure has been up & down for a couple months now. Well, the last couple weeks we have been hitting top numbers (150-160/100) & over the weekend the symptoms starting rearing their head. 

After last Sunday nights visit to L&D & the protein showing up in my urine I was ready to talk about a plan. The way I look at it is we I am now full term, why would we put me or the baby in any sort of danger? To top things off why should I have to keep calling in to work if we can go ahead & deliver the baby. 

So I called this morning & talked with the nurse to make sure my doctor knew before my appointment what had happened over the weekend & that the on call doctor had sent me in to be evaluated & about the 24 hour urine. I also explained I was concerned & did not like the way things were heading. 

So when I got there today my doctor already knew what was going on. The nurse took my blood pressure & low & behold it was 150/100. The whole routine of lay on your left side & I will be back bit. It went down to 133/88. Still not great, but better. 

My doctor came in & I voiced my concerns. She agreed & we made a plan of action.

They will call me tomorrow (Tuesday) with my results of the 24 hour urine test. If there is any protein in the urine we will be induced Wednesday morning. If there is no protein she will see me again this week in the office & we will induce by next Tuesday (if I don't go by myself before than). Either way we will have a baby by then. She then said I don't want you going back to work & to take it easy, not bed rest per say, but not running around crazy. I returned with, then we need to have a baby because I will need to start my leave, I can't just keep calling in. 

Anyway, that is the plan as of now. We are excited & hopeful to be meeting our baby Drake on Wednesday, but are trying not to get our hopes up just in case. :)

On a good note she doesn't think it will take much Pictocin to get me into labor. She thinks I just need a "kick start" & will then go on my own. I have officially dropped, he is engaged, cervix is thinned, soft & variable, & still at a 2. 

I am both excited & nervous! It is crazy to think we could be parents after tomorrow. I can't wait to see what he looks like, we haven't had an ultrasound since 18 weeks! Plus, the relief of knowing that he is okay & healthy will be overwhelming. 

I will post tomorrow once we know the results of the urine collection. 

2nd Trip to L&D

After not feeling well since Thursday, more symptoms of high blood pressure presented yesterday (vision spots, dizziness, shortness of breath, headache). I called the doctor on call & she sent me to L&D to be evaluated.

Once there they did all the normal, checking urine, vitals, baby, contractions, cervix, labs, etc. Baby looked good, still having contractions regularly, cervix is still at 2cm dilated (can you believe that? I can't!), vitals were good with the exception of my B/P being elevated, urine showed protein for the 1st time & my labs came back in normal range. 

So we came home. 

With my urine showing protein it is the beginning signs of preclampsia. I am in the process now of doing a 24 hour urine collection at home so that they can further evaluate.

Today I am feeling frustrated & emotional. I want to do what is best for baby Drake of course. But I had to miss work this weekend due to the way I have been feeling (I couldn't even walk up the stairs to our bathroom without being dizzy & winded, there was no way I could have worked for 12 hours). I also am having a tough time understanding why we aren't just inducing as I am showing more signs now that we are at 38 weeks. 

We have made it this far with a healthy baby (as far as we know). I would hate to jeopardize the baby or myself for 1 more week of gestating. But I am not the doctor & do not get to make those decisions!

I will be going to my regular weekly appointment today at 4:00 pm & plan to talk with my doctor about my concerns. 

Challenges

This past week has been challenging for me. I don't feel great, I am getting bigger by the day (my belly button is even popping out) & I just don't have much energy. To top things off my patients is running thin! 

I know all is well & he still has a couple weeks of "baking" to do, but the waiting game is agonizing! 

I want to work until he comes, but am having to call in because I am out of breath walking up the stairs let alone working 12 hours. 

Last night I was awakened every hour with contractions. This is the 1st night they have actually been strong enough to wake me up. I thought two different times we were going to have to go the the hospital & then they would stop. 

Today I am tired & still having contractions off & on, but not to the point of not being able to talk thru them. Which is when my OB & the L&D floor told me to come back. After talking with one of our friends last night, who is a veteran of 3 you kiddo's, she could always talk thru contractions. This makes me a little nervous that I am going to get to the hospital & be like an 8 or something crazy! 

I am seeing how today goes if I think I can handle work tonight. I am in a dilemma if I should go ahead & start my leave. I don't want to be missing too much, but at the same time I am afraid if I start my leave now this little guy will be late. We will see how the next few hours goes. 

38 Weeks - Are You Kidding?!?!

I know I have said this for the past few weeks, but I can't believe we have made it this far!

The pregnancy road is getting long at this point as I'm sure all Mommy's can relate to.

I am still feeling good for the most part, just tired. I am still able to do pretty much all daily activities. I'm still working (although I really don't like working shifts in a row) full time. I'm still cleaning the house & doing daily chores. I just have to rest more frequently!

The one thing I am done with is the swelling in my feet & legs. It is so painful! Since I have the pinched nerve in my right foot it is double the size of my left one, goes further up my leg & never really goes down. Thank goodness it is warm out b/c I am growing out of my shoes, flip flops are now my shoe of choice.

I have also grown out of my maternity jeans & have moved to lounge pants as everyday wear. I know, sexy right? I'm sure Dustin is thinking the same thing! I did go buy some new ones, so at least they aren't the worn out old ones I usually bum around in. :)

Other than that I am having frequent contractions, just not strong enough yet to buy me an admit to labor & delivery. Today though I must say they are stronger than they have been, maybe it's a sign of events to come.

We will keep everyone posted!

If nothing exciting happens, I go back to the doctor on Monday.

An Emotional Day

Yesterday we took both Scout & Kenzie to be neutered/spayed. I knew this was going to be tough, but I also new it had to be done for their health & so we don't suddenly have puppies on our hands. 

I worked Monday night. Then Tuesday morning when I got home I played with them & hugged on them for about an hour & off we went to The Pet Connection in Mission, KS. We got there & everyone was very nice! Kenzie went right back (as I knew she would) & Scout was not leaving my side. They let him stay with me as I filled out the paperwork in the lobby. I, the emotional person I am, started tearing up thinking of all the potential problems that could occur & I wouldn't be there to be with them. I finally took Scout back about 10 minutes later (I knew I had to or I would have sat there all day with him). I asked if I could call later to check on them & they said of course that was fine. I made it to the car & cried all the way home. I know it sounds silly, but the anesthesia risk in dogs is high, especially in adult dogs. 

I made it home about 10:30 & went to bed. By this time I was exhausted, both physically & emotionally. Not to mention I had been up for 25 hours at this point!

I woke up at 1:00 pm & called Dustin to see if he would call & check on the dogs. I knew I couldn't call without getting upset. He called back a few minutes later & said they were both done with surgery. Kenzie was awake & Scout was waking up. Everything went fine! A sigh of relief.

I went back to sleep until 4:00 pm. I must admit it was nice to sleep in a quiet house! Got up & got ready to pick them up at 5:00 pm.

Dustin met me there because we weren't sure how well they would be able to get in the car. We went in & they brought them both out. Scout was super excited to see us & ready to go! Kenzie was very drowsy, but able to walk on her own.

We made it home no problems in the car. Both dogs went potty before we even came in & Scout blotted for the water bowl as soon as we came in. Kenzie was not acting herself & just standing very still in once spot. I took her downstairs to our family room & put down her "blankies". She did not move from that spot the rest of the night. She was shivering, couldn't stand up for very long & vomited a few times. Of course we were worried, so I called to make sure that was okay. 

They said it was fine & it would just take some time for the anesthesia to get out of her system, even up to 48 hours. So we had a calm evening & just cuddled with her. We went to bed & she went straight to her kennel & laid down. I put a night light close by so I could keep an eye on her thru the night.

Scout at this time was back to his normal self! He had drank, eaten, been outside a couple times & was acting completely normal! What a relief that was, even though I thought it would be the opposite.

The night went fine, both dogs slept great! This morning they were both ready to go. Kenzie is still moving a little slower than normal, but is awake, has eaten/drank, been potty a couple times, is not shivering anymore & has not vomited. 

Luckily we have healthy dogs & hopefully will not have to experience any more surgeries. I don't know if I can handle it, let alone them. :) 

For the next few days they are supposed to "take it easy". They have pain medicine for today & tomorrow. We will just keep an eye on their incisions for any signs of infection. 

37 Weeks

Today we are 37 weeks & 4 days along!

Drake is fully grown now & just gaining that cute baby fat we all love to kiss & snuggle on!

It is surreal to be this far & to know that soon we will be holding this baby in our arms. I have at times forgotten the hard times we have gone thru the past few years to get to this point. Although I won't be completely at ease until I see him & know that he is healthy & okay.

This week started the 2nd appt of our weekly regimen now. If you remember (or go down the previous post) last week on Wednesday I was dilated to 2 cm & 80% effaced. Going into the doctor this afternoon I was hoping for all this amazing progress, but Drake has other things in mind. As of 4:30pm today I was still at 2cm dilated, but now 90% effaced. Progress is progress right?

FYI - Effaced is how thin the cervix is. Beginning at 0% & having to get to 100% for delivery.

Last week they also did the strep culture, which today I found out came back positive. Nothing to be alarmed about, it just means I have to have antibiotics once I get to L&D before delivery. The only potential problem there could be is if we got to the hospital too late. :)

So for now it is still a waiting game. I am working on my patients! I keep reminding myself we still have 19 days until our actual due date & sometimes those aren't even exactly right.

~On to the Dogs~

In the morning (Tuesday) after I get off work I am taking both Scout & Kenzie to be "fixed". Kenzie needs to be done before she is 6 months, which is just in a couple weeks & Scout still needs to be done, just because we haven't done it yet. The place we are taking them likes to do them both on the same day. Of course I am a nervous Mommy & am going to have a hard time leaving them there, but I know it is what's best.

That's really all for now. I will update as things move along! :)

36 Week Appt

Progression has been made, but not quite enough for a hospital admit. :)

Everything looks GREAT! Measuring right on, baby's heartbeat is good & strong, B/P still goes up, but comes down quickly with rest & we are now 2cm dilated & 80% effaced!

Any day now baby Drake will be joining us, just a matter of when he is ready!

This morning I am meeting with the Maternity Care Coordinator at St. Luke's to go over how I would like things to go in a perfect delivery (which we all know never happens). Then the dogs go to the vet this afternoon & then work tonight.

I am 37 weeks today, the official marker of Full Term!

Nesting & Contractions

I woke up this morning thinking of all the things that need to be done! Not that we couldn't bring Drake home otherwise, but I don't want to come home to a dirty house with visitors to follow. I know things I shouldn't worry about right?

Anyway, today I have cleaned out the fridge, cleaned the kitchen, loaded - ran - unloaded the dishwasher, caught up on laundry, cleaned the bathroom, rearranged the dog food/treat area (our dining room was getting a bit to cramped for my liking), washed the dog bed blankies, took Scout for his pre-neuter exam, made appt's for both dogs to be spay/neutered on May 13th, made an appt with the vet on Thursday (for the 2nd round of Kenzie's shots, Frontline application for both dogs, & heartworm med for Scout), made an appt on Thursday to meet with the Maternity Care Coordinator at St. Luke's, paid bills, & ate LC's with Tahisha!

Whew, what a day!! And I still have to work tonight!

Does it sound like I'm nesting??

The contractions are still coming regularly. They are doing the same thing as yesterday, getting stronger as the day progresses. Maybe working will put me into labor, who knows?

Tomorrow I go for my regular appt with Dr. Miller. They are doing my Strep B test & a normal check up. We shall see what she says... 

1st Trip To L&D

This evening we made our first trip to the labor & delivery floor at St. Lukes! I am excited to say that because it means things are moving along, just not quite far enough along yet.

I have been having contractions off & on for the last few days & this afternoon they became more regular (about 3 to 6 min apart). I could still function with them, but was also having back pain & shooting pains in my pelvic area (I know lovely, right).

I called the doctor & they said I can always go in to be checked out. If I feel like it is needed or the contractions get worse to go ahead & go.

Dustin came home at 5:00pm, we got a doggie sitter & off we went.

When we got there they hooked me up to the monitors, checked my urine, checked my vitals, checked my cervix & checked to see if my water had broke.

My water had not broke, my cervix was still at a 1, my urine was fine, my vitals were good except my B/P which was 140/87, baby's heart rate was good in the 150's, & I was having good contractions about every 3 to 4 minutes apart.

They then wanted to watch me for an hour, check labs for Toxemia, & then recheck my cervix.

2 hours later my contractions were still happening (a little less intense), my B/P was much better at 125/82, my toxemia labs came back normal, & my cervix was still a 1.

So home we came.

I was instructed to come back if my contractions got worse in intensity (meaning I have to stop what I am doing & can't talk thru them), my water breaks, I have signs of hypertension (headache, blurry vision, dizziness), or I have bleeding.

So now I am hanging out on the couch & playing the waiting game. It is back to work tomorrow night if nothing progresses, doctors appt Wednesday afternoon, & work again on Thursday.

If we have a baby by Sunday, I have been right all along! I have been saying this week thru the whole pregnancy. :) My Mom swears it will be Thursday (the 16th). Dustin still thinks next week. We shall see!!

Maternity Pictures

TaDa! 

Here they are!

There are several I LOVE & some that aren't so flattering of course. It is a little hard to see yourself with an extra 28 pounds on & feel okay with it.

I wish we would have done more just belly shots & less full body, but here are some of our Favorites!

Any Suggestions?!?!?

*UPDATE*

After trying everything I could think of, all the suggestions & everything I could google my beloved rings would not come off.

So I went to Helzberg & they also tried to get them off with no luck. Out came the cutters. This was much more traumatic than I expected, I was holding back the emotion as she was cutting my wedding rings. I didn't think it would bother me like that, we of course will have them fixed after my swelling goes down, but the thought of my rings being cut was hard.

So with 2 sore fingers, $150.00 to renew our care plans (instead of the $400-$500 to fix them) & all my rings cut I am back home.

I can't wait to get them fixed & wear them again, I knew I missed having them on but I didn't realize how much!

I need some suggestions, fast!

Yesterday we got maternity pictures taken, which was so much fun!! But I of course had to put on my wedding rings (which I have not worn in probably 3 months) & now I CAN'T get them off!!! I had to sleep in them last night hoping the swelling would go down a little, but it hasn't.

I have tried several different things: ice, soap, oil, tape, plastic wrap, etc.

Anyone have any other great ideas?!?!

The next problem is I have to work tonight, which is when I swell the most! If I go to the jewelry store & have them cut off can the fix them later once my fingers get back to a normal size??

32 Days To Go!

Only 1 month (or close to it) left before we meet our BABY!!!!

It is so surreal to think he is going to be here soon. As I walk around the house it is obvious of the change that is appoarching. The bottles & such are washed & in the cabinet, the swing, playpen, bouncy chair, toys, bumbo & car seat are in their "homes" & ready to be used. Our room has his little bassinet & my side table now includes diapers, wipes, blankets & burp rags! His room is complete with our packed bags sitting on the floor (to be moved to the car in the next few days). I don't feel like we could be more ready, but I am sure when the time comes there will be something I don't have! I know everyone thought I was crazy for starting to get things done so early in the pregnancy, but now I can't tell you how glad I am to have everything in place. As we got baby items thru the entire pregnancy I got them washed, put together & put away immediatly & by doing that we have never felt overwhelmed & now we feel prepared. I know if our baby were to join us tomorrow we could bring him home & be ready to care for him without our house being in an uproar. Thanks again to all our friends & family for all the amazing support & generosity you have given & continue to give us!!

This evening we are getting maternity pictures done. I am actually super excited about it!!! I didn't think I wanted to do it, but I am so happy that we are now. I will post some as soon as we have them back!

Yesterday, Tahisha & I went to visit Amber & baby Evan! He is so tiny & cute! Amber seemed to be settling into Mommy-Hood with no problem & was happy to have her "Peanut" home. He is having a little bit of an issue with his billirubin, temperature regulation & losing weight. But they are on top of things & are watching him closely. I am so happy to have a friend to share this amazing experience with & I hope our boys will be buddy's!

Pictures are up!

This is what you see when going up the stairs to our bedrooms! It reminds me every time that our little one will be here soon! I hope he likes his room as much as we do!

Again, here is our changing table & comfy rocking chair! I purchased the Diaper Genie yesterday, which we are super excited about (oh the small things in life)! The baskets have all the essential items in them & are ready for use!

The quote above the window says
"Some people dream of angels I hold one in my arms "


Drake has his own pet fish already!
Actually we have had our "Fishy" for some time, but we decided it would be a good addition to his room!
The blue picture above the chairs says
"Teeny, tiny little toes, small and round litle nose; A precious gift from heaven above, my sweet baby that I love."


Here is his name again, nothing has changed. I am trying to think of something to hang under it. The picture to the right says "Blessings come in all shapes and sizes".


I didn't realize until I had everything out that all our pictures are frames. So right now they are of strangers, but soon enough they will be filled with our growing family!

Siblings & Friends

Scout & Kenzie have become quite the pair these days. They are always together either playing, sleeping, or causing trouble!

We have taken them places seperately now & then & the whole time one is gone the other is pouting & looking around the house. It really is cute!

Even though they aren't really "blood" siblings, they have so many of the same markings & physical features.

She has discovered & LOVES rawhide bones!!! It will keep her busy for at least a couple hours. The sharing is still a little hard at times. They both like to "hide" their bones around the house from each other. It is pretty funny!!

She is now 19 weeks old & is weighing in at 33 pounds!! Yes, she is going to be a big girl!! Gaining 6 pounds in 1 week!

Kenzie's favorite thing is to cuddle with anyone! Scout on the other hand is not much of a cuddler, but he lets his Kenzie girl snuggle right up! This is a very familiar site at our house. :)


As far as training goes things are getting much better! She is now about 95% potty trained, with occassional peeing in the house (no pooping though!), more so on days like today when it is yucky outside & we aren't out as much. She also is completely kennel trained, can sit, stay, come & has learned the word "no".
She is coming along & I think we can say she has become part of our family!

34 Week Appointment

We are finishing up week 34! Tomorrow starts our 35th week! I can't believe we are going to be welcoming our Baby Boy into the world soon! It seems so close yet so far away, but if April goes as fast as March did he will be here before we know it!

The last few weeks have been the toughest for me. This 3rd trimester has been my worst. I am just uncomfortable all the time, the swelling in my feet & legs is constant, the pressure in my pelvis & now my back is unbearable at times & to top it all off I can't sleep (between not being able to get comfortable & our Kenzie). I know I am complaining, I don't mean to, I am so ecstatic to be at this point & to be feeling Drake kick & move around so much.

I went to my 34 week appointment today. Dr. Miller said everything looks good & we are right on track. Baby/uterus is measuring right on schedule &his heart beat sounded healthy & strong. She also checked me again today (due to all the pressure I have). I have officially began dilating! Don't get too excited, she said she wouldn't even call it a 1 yet, but progress is progress, right?!? I can't even begin to imagine the pressure I am going to be feeling as we get closer & closer!

We have started making guesses about when we think lil Man will join us. I think it will be during the week of April 13th. Dustin thinks it will be the following week (April 20th) & my Mom said tonight she thinks it will be April 16th. She is going for the day, not even a range! Anyone else have any guesses??

Everything else is moving along. We have everything washed, opened & put away. We are prepared & ready whenever Drake wants to join us. I even have our bags packed for the most part!

Today my friend Amber (from work) is having her Baby Boy!! She has been on bedrest for 4 or 5 weeks now due to high blood pressure. She has been in the hospital since last Thursday & began showing symptoms of preclampsia. So she is now 37 weeks & her doctor decided it is time! They have had a long last 2 days, but hopefully by now they are holding their precious baby!

Family & Friends Baby Shower

On March 14, 2009 we had our Family & Friends Baby Shower!

The shower was at Stone Canyon in Parkville (great place for gatherings, they make you very comfortable & clean up). We had a packed room! It is so amazing to see all the Love & Support we have for our growing Family!

I have posted just a few pictures! Hope you enjoy!

A special Thank You goes to my Aunt Shelley for hosting the shower!

We would also like to Thank everyone for coming & for all the AMAZING gifts we received! We could not be ready if it wasn't for all of our wonderful family & friends!