Cooper is Home!!

Cooper came home a few days ago. We are adjusting nicely to being new parents. Waking up in the middle of the night hasn't been too bad since we take turns. He has a monitor that stays on all the time. It makes me very nervous but it is better to be safe than sorry. Hopefully he will only need it for 4 to 6 weeks.

Winston has been staying with my mom and dad for the past three weeks. He finally came home as well. He has been amazing with the baby. He is Coopers little protector. Winston loves to look at him and sniff.

Today we gave Coop his first bath. He did not like it at all but I got some great pictures. The other big event today was that he peed allover his face, clothes, and bed he was laying in. Of course it was all Daddys fault...haha.

The Labor Experience....

It has now been 9 days since I gave birth to a sweet, perfect little boy, Cooper Jackson McFadden. I am not going to lie, it was HELL every minute I worked to get him here but now that I see him, hold him, smell him I forget all the trouble I went through. It was worth every second! Here is the dreaded story (brace yourself for all of this):

8:00AM Monday 1/19/09: One of the OBs that works with my OB (the one on call for the hospital and the same one who sent me there for high BP on Friday) came in to break my water. They checked and I was dilated to a 4/5. A wonderful nurse that was working with me pumped up the pitosin, since not much was happening since 2 am. A little bit later they checked and I was still the same. Meanwhile, a new nurse took over and brought in pads to cover the sides of my bed and continued to check my reflexes. John & my mom told me a few days ago they did this because I was on the verge of having a seizure due to how high my BP was. Everyone was scared but never let on, I was so clueless about that part.

Now was the time for the Epidural! I had my mom and John, of course, in the delivery room with me. For this part everyone had to be out of the room. Getting the epidural wasn't that bad. The only annoying part was that the doctor would continue to ask me if alcohol pads that he tore open and rubbed on my arms, belly, and legs were cold or not, very repetitive! After all of this I was finally dilated to a 7. The nurse was getting worried because it took quite sometime to get to there. So she had all the paperwork out for a C-section. Now comes the part where all hell breaks loose....

I started to get really hot and felt like I was going to throw up. I suddenly felt EVERYTHING! I told the nurse and she called the doctor to bring in more for the epidural. It was seriously the worst pain I ever felt! I finally had my breaking point. I was crying hysterically and could not breathe due to the severe sinus infection I had when I went in. I told the nurse I was feeling it and she said give the epidural time but it was plenty of time! I snapped at my mom and John. He was in major shock and stood back watching, saying that is not my wife and she is never like that! Thank god for these little blue stress balls that one of my BFFs, Ashley, brought me in the hospital! I squeezed everything I had into that ball! I told the nurse to get the doctor because I was done and didn't want to be in labor anymore. He would come soon but was in a C-section at the moment. Finally 2 hours after all of this and severe contractions he came in only to discover I was right, it wasn't working! My epidural fell out!!! How many people do you know who have their epidural fall out? Of course it would happen to me. I was finally dilated to a 10 and my OB (who made a special request to deliver my baby since she wasn't the one on call that day) was on her way. I had to go through all the process of getting an epidural again. This time I was so exhausted that I just leaned on the nurse and seriously was about to fall asleep or pass out. I needed oxygen a few times through all this. When he was finally done my OB came in and was really concerned because she has never seen me like that before. I finally snapped out of it after the epidural started to work. My doctor gets all set up and I gather myself for the final stage of delivery! The best part was that I only had to push 3 times and he was out! I deserved some ease to my labor! It was amazing!! I survived and had a perfect baby boy! Cooper Jackson Mcfadden...6 lbs 1 oz. 18 1/4 inches long. @ 4:18 pm. and tons of black wild hair!

After delivering I held him for a minute and then he was rushed to the NICU. Since I had to be put on Magnesium before I had to remain on it for 24 hours after delivering. So I wasn't able to see or touch Cooper for 24 hours due to bedrest again. Can you imagine having a baby and doing this?? I also wasn't able to shower for 3 days, I was nasty! I am so thankful I have an amazing husband that took on the mommy role and did everything for Cooper since I wasn't able to!

I didn't leave the hospital until Friday. My BP continues to stay somewhat high. My OB has me on 2 different medications to try to bring it down. I have been trying to rest as much as possible. Cooper is doing very well. He has been in the NICU the entire time since he was born. He wasn't ever hooked up to any tubes but is being monitored because he forgets to breathe sometimes. He does have severe acid reflux but is now controlled by medication and is not spitting up at all. Cooper has went 2 days without a breathing episode so if all goes well he will be coming home tomorrow with a monitor! We are so excited to finally be getting him home!! I go back to my OB for another BP check tomorrow and also have a follow up with my dermatologist. My PUPPS rash has come back somewhat but this can be common for those who do get it. Hopefully I can get off the steroid soon. I finally feel like I am getting somewhat back to normal. Having a baby has already changed John and I both. John has lost over 10 lbs in a week and I have lost almost 28 lbs since they admitted me on the 16th.

I did get to have one shower out of the four that were planned. The Saturday after I was out I had one with mostly my girlfriends. It was great to see many of them that I hadn't in awhile. my BFF, Beth put the shower on and it was great! The best part was the delicious cupcakes she had made! I LOVED them. It was the perfect celebration for the craziest labor experience known to man!

The Unexpected Weekend!!!

We started off the weekend with 2 doctor appointments on Friday. Our first one was a gestational diabetes diet education class which last 3 hours! Now during this time I thought that oh my god, could it get any worse....I was sooo very wrong! At this point good news was the endocrinologist thought that I could control my blood sugar with only a diet change. Bad news was it was going to be a lot of work tracking my meals and that I now had the gestational diabetes label and I still had to prick my finger 6 times a day.

Our next appointment was a prenatal check up. We were called back late but no big deal. They checked my blood pressure and it was a little high but the OB didn't seem too concerned and decided to check it again before I left. So the second time it was very high and she informed us that we had to go to the hospital just to get monitored for a little while and then probably go home. Boy where they wrong on that last statement!

I was so excited to be going to Bedford this weekend. I had two showers planned and could not wait to see many of the friends and family I haven't seen in awhile, so I was slightly irritated that our plan to head down right after my appointment was being delayed. Needless to say, it really didn't matter because both of my showers were cancelled!

Once in the hospital they check my BP and it was still very high. I also had to do a 24 hour urine test and have blood work done. The 1st urine test came back with a lot of protein in it. With this and high blood pressure I now was labeled preeclamsia, of course!!! So after all this I was not going for a few minutes, they admitted me right then. My OB was on call so she came in to go over everything with us. She said I had to stay the whole weekend for observation. My urine levels went down and were fine but my blood pressure continued to skyrocket!

On Sunday, she told me I could probably go home if my BP looked ok and my mom could come up to stay with me since I would now be on strict bedrest for the next two weeks. The OB wanted me to make it to 37 weeks and then be induced! So my BP was 157/110. I was NOT going anywhere. The next thing I knew was that I was being wheeled to labor & delivery! They put me on Magnesium and started the induction process.

So here I am at 3:30AM waiting to deliver! I wasn't allowed to shower today due to the BP. Since I am on the Magnesium I once again am on bedrest which means they had to insert a catheter, which is the most horrendous thing so far! I am hooked up to 3 bags of IV stuff and have my BP check every hour and finger pricked every 2 hours. I cannot eat, which I am starving since all I have ate for the past few days is diet food they bring me that tastes awful! I am on the Potosin drip which should trigger contractions at any time now. Cooper looks and sounds great! He is ready to go with his head down!

So be thinking about me and wishing me luck. Since I have PUPPS (that have came back), gestational diabetes, and now preeclamsia. But it will all be worth it by this time tomorrow (hopefully). I am praying for a great delivery and labor since the pregnancy itself has not been so great. My OB told me today well you are just allergic to being pregnant! Great, sometime to look forward to the next time around. Oh yes, there will be a second!

Here's to a great labor and a beautiful baby boy born on MLK Jr. Day, "I have a dream....of great things to come my way here!"

And the Hits Keep on Coming...

This week I was referred to an Endocrinologist with the impression I was going to be put on some sort of a diet, boy was I wrong! The diet sounds so much than what I have to do now! I have to prick my finger 6 times a day to check my blood sugar levels! I am not on a restricted diet nor do I have to to give myself insulin shots but it might all be just around the corner. My levels have been OK with nothing to worry about but that was a day and a half. The doctor called on Friday to tell me to continue to log my readings and fax them again in a week. So now I carry around a little black bag ready to prick myself before and after each meal. Could it get any better?!? Is anyone really surprised that something else is happening to me during my pregnancy! Here is the kicker or best part, I past all my gestational diabetes tests and I do not have any form of diabetes but I have to act like I do as a precaution because of all the steroids I have been on. Welcome to my 34th week of pregnancy!

I also had another Dermatologist appointment this week. My PUPPS is doing amazingly well! I am now down to taking 15 mg or 1 1/2 pills a day. I've come a long way from the 7 pills I was taking in the very beginning. There has not been anymore flare ups but don't rule all that out yet. I asked if it would be possible to be off the steroids when I deliver and he thought it would be a bad idea since my body is so used to them and doesn't want to put me into shock or anything. So I will be delivering pumped full of steroids. I will see him again for the last time at 37 weeks, I cannot believe my journey with the doctor is almost over. We have really gotten to know each other and he has helped me through the hardest thing I have endured, this far. I asked what he was going to do without me coming in there and his only response was...We can write :)

Today John and I took a childbirth class. It was from 8 am to 5 pm. The class was very informative but very long and tiring. We were able to take a tour of St. Francis, the hospital I will be delivering at. I think the best part of the class was meeting all the strange other couples. I was the only one out of ten couples that did not have a specific birth plan written out and ready to follow. My plan...go with the flow and get him out my any means possible...haha.

John had an exciting week at work. He celebrated his 5th year of owning and operating McFadden Family Dentistry. His wonderfully exceptional staff had sign made for the office. It definitely made his day. Congratulations John on 5 great years and many more to come!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I know I am a little late on the Christmas part and even maybe a little late on the New Years too but it seems to just be my nature! Since my last post things have really been moving along. Christmas was great! My two weeks off went by way too fast. It was wonderful having Cody, my brother, home for so long. It really hits me when we are together for awhile how much I miss being around him. John says it is very scary how much we are alike! Haha. Cody is planning on coming back here for the big arrival in February! We will all see him again very soon.

As for my "condition" aka being pregnant, I was slightly sick over Christmas with a fever and laid around for the most part. It is amazing how tired I get now! Yesterday I was 33 weeks! I can't believe I only have 7 weeks to go. Part of me is surprised how fast it has went by but the biggest part can't believe he is not here yet! I am down to taking only two steroid pills a day (20 mg) and no sign of PUPPS returning. I visit the Dermatologist this coming week. The week before Christmas I took the Gestational Diabetes 1 hour test. I was sure that I would fail it due to the steroid and sure enough I did. So a few days before my break started I had to go in and take the three hour long test. I had to drink more nasty, super sweet stuff and then have my blood drawn every hour. One would think that they could just leave an IV or some drip thing in my arm but oh no, I had to get stuck 3 times in one arm and 2 times in the other. It was awful!!! Luckily I wore long sleeves or I would have looked like a pregnant drug addict with bruises all over my arms for Christmas. Yesterday I went back to the OB/GYN since I am now on the every two week schedule. I always hate going to see her, I just know something else will come up and of course it did. Although I past my 3 hour Diabetes test, I had sugar in my urine. They pricked my finger to check the sugar in my blood and it was even higher. Now I am going to be referred to an Endocrinologist to be put on a diet for the remaining 6 weeks. Can I not get one little break!?! Other than all that everything else is fine, heartbeat is great, my blood pressure is fantastic, and he is moving around like crazy! My face continues to swell/bloat at an alarming rate! It always helps to have your dad tell you, WOW look at your poor face..haha. I am definitely ready to have my body back to normal looking, I know it will never be normal again but as close as it can get, no bloating or acne would be great!

I am starting to get really excited! Coopers room is finally all done and sits quietly waiting for him. In a few weeks I will start having showers which will be a lot of fun! As I sit here typing I am in his room. It seems so peaceful and relaxing only to be disturbed in a few short weeks!