And Baby Makes 5!

 

That's correct! We are excited and surprised to be announcing that our clan is growing again!

For our seventh anniversary Jonathan surprised me with a wonderful night out. He took me to Nashville where we stayed at the Union Station Hotel, ate at Verago, and had a couple's massage. It was amazing. It was also my first night away from Laney bug.

On our way home the next day I started feeling bad. I had been kind of off for a few days and I was about two weeks late. However, I had only had one period since having Laney and I was on birth control so I thought my hormones were just getting back to normal. We decided it was best to take a pregnancy test just to ease our minds. I just knew it was going to be negative. The month prior I had taken one because I was feeling a bit off and it had been negative and then I had my first period. I really didn't think I was pregnant. I was on birth control! Then, the little plus sign appeared.

I had to convince Jon that I wasn't joking and show him the test. To say we were surprised is an understatement! The very next day I was able to get an appointment with a new OB here in Cookeville. They confirmed what we already knew and I got to see a little flicker of the heart that is growing inside of me. No matter how many times you've been through pregnancy, seeing or hearing that first heartbeat will always be an amazing experience. That's when you truly fall in love.

I have to say that we honestly thought we were done having kids. We had been planning to take permanent measurements to prevent another pregnancy but we wanted to make sure we were certain. Apparently we waited too long! Apparently there were better plans in store for us. We call this one our "love child."

I'm definitely a little nervous about having a third child. I worry about changing up our routine, making sure everyone gets the attention they deserve, and of course my sanity. I get nervous about how I'm going to go grocery shopping with three kids and how we will do vacation. I worry about the kids having to share a room and I imagine the house will never be clean. I worry about a lot of things. I guess I did with each pregnancy. But you know what? I think it's going to be quite an adventure. We have so much support from our families and we are in a great place in our lives. I know we will do just fine, better than fine. Just think of all the wonderful grandbabies I will have one day! Our table will be full and that makes me happiest of all.

Happy Birthday Laney Tomlyn Anderson!

Laney was born March 13th, 2012 at 11:17am. She weighed 7lbs and 4 oz and was 20 inches long.

On the evening of March 9th I started have contractions. They lasted several hours but weren't getting closer together or increasing intensity so I went to bed assuming they were just Braxton Hicks contractions. The next morning they gained intensity and by 3:00 they were between 5 and 7 minutes apart. I was in Athens that day so I called my OB and the nurse told me to go on to the hospital. I really thought it was time. My sister, Dana, drove me back to Knoxville and sat with me in triage while nurses checked my cervix and hooked me up to a monitor. Two hours later I was sent home, still having contractions. Saturday and Sunday were the same; I kept having painful contractions but they just weren't making me progress the way they needed to. It was a very long weekend.

On Monday I went to my weekly appointment and saw one of the nurse practitioners. I told her what was going on and she checked me saying I was 5 to 6 cm dilated and if I was still contracting she was sending me to the hospital. She put me on a monitor and sure enough my contractions were steady and about 7 minutes apart. She sent me directly over to labor and delivery. I was so excited and called Jon to let him know he needed to go home and get our bags. Then I proceeded to text family and friends to tell them we were having a baby. Once I got to the hospital I was once again put into triage and hooked up to a monitor. The nurse said I was actually only about 4 cm dilated and that I still wasn't progressing enough to keep me there... I lost it at that point. I had been in pain since Thursday evening and had been sent to labor and delivery twice just to be sent home. The nurse called my doctor and said she would schedule an induction for the next morning. I still wasn't happy but at least I knew that it would be over soon. So we went home and got ready for the induction.

Neither one of us slept very good that night. Not only were we excited but I was also in a lot of pain. I couldn't sit or lay down and even standing and rocking wasn't helping. I had sharp, persistent, pains in my stomach and right side. We called the nurseline and she seemed to think it was a nerve shooting off. This, mixed with my contractions, made for a very long night. If all of this is anything like going into labor naturally, it isn't for me. It was terrible.

Finally I fell asleep for about two hours before our alarm clock went off and we got up to leave for the hospital. Jareth stayed home with Jeremy, Jon's brother, who had come in the night before. He was very helpful and also took care of our dog, Jack. We asked everyone who wanted to come to wait until about 8:30 before coming to the hospital. Jareth had been induced and we knew nothing really happened until about 9:00.

Once at the hospital I was hooked up to an IV and put on a monitor. (Side note: I loathe IVs.) Dr. Walker came in a little after 8:00 to break my water and at about 8:30 the nurse started my pitocin. I had been hurting for about five days at this point so I decided to get my epidural right away. I was at 4 cm dilated already so I didn't worry too much about it delaying my progression. The epidural hurt pretty bad going in and my contractions at that point were very intense. My nurse, Deb, coached me through it. She was incredible the entire time we were there. It was she who determined how this delivery process was going to go, much to my dismay.

At close to 11:00, Nurse Deb came in to check my progression. Everyone except my sister was ushered out of the room. Jon was downstairs getting coffee so Dana stayed in the room with me. Deb checked to see how far dilated I was and made a very important discovery. I was 7cm and she noticed my water was dark. She said that Laney had, had a bowel movement. Then she checked me again and very calmly said "I think I feel a bottom and not a top." Breech, my baby was breech. I looked at Dana and I immediately knew I was going to have a c-section and quickly. Deb ordered an ultrasound "stat" and all of the sudden nurses and doctors were flying around my room preparing to move me to the OR. I started crying and asking if I could deliver her breech which of course my answer was "no." I did NOT want a c-section. I wanted the experience I had with Jareth. I didn't want to be layed on a table and have my baby cut out of me and not get to hold her for god knows how long. I was afraid I wouldn't get any time with her before being put into recovery and I would lose thos precious first few moments.

The next thing I know I'm being shown an ultrasound that Laney's head is in my ribs and am being told the importance of getting her out now. Jon is back and has been thrown scrubs to put on and Dr. Walker is running in. (Dana said she was running down the hall to my room as she left) She comes to my side since I'm still crying like crazy and talks me through the process. She was very firm with me but answered all of my questions and put me at ease. It was exactly what I needed. I look up for Jon and he is rubbing my head and telling me that everything will be fine. Then we are in motion.

In the OR I am moved from my bed to the operating table where they strapped down my arms and put a big, blue sheet in front of my face. A man asks me if I can feel "this" and "that" and I tell him no. Jon is brought in and sits beside me and I hear Dr. Walker get started. She talks me through most of the procedure assuring me that everything is fine. She even tells me not to expect the baby to cry since she'd had a bowel movement and may have swallowed some of the fluid. I felt a lot of tugging and some pressure but of course no pain. Then I hear Dr. Walker say "baby's out" and following that I heard the sweetest cry. Laney was letting me know she was okay. She was brought around to me to see and her little legs were stuck up by her ears where she had been in breech positon for a while. It was comical to see them slowly come down. They took her to a little bed  right next to me and began cleaning her off and doing tests.

She was beautiful. A head full of strawberry hair, big eyes, and the prettiest little lips you've ever seen on a baby. Long fingers and toes. Perfect doesn't begin to describe her. Jon went to take photos of her and kept telling me how good I was doing and how perfect our daughter was. I had forgotten that I was on the table for a few minutes until I heard Dr. Walker say "bladder is back in, bowels are back in." I tried to ignore that statement but I got nauseas and my head started throbbing. Then a nice man named Chris who I think was an assistant to the anesthesiologist put me out for about five minutes. I woke up not having a clue what had happened. Jon just said I took a short nap. It must have been very short because Laney was still being poked and proded not two feet away from me. Her APGARs were 8 and 9 and outside of a scrape on her butt from the incision, everything was perfect.

When they were done sewing me up and done with all of Laney's stuff they put me back in my bed and asked if I wanted to hold my daughter. Absolutely! I thought I would have to be seperated from her and was so suprised that she never left my side even for a moment. They placed Laney on me skin to skin and Deb put warm blankets over the both of us. I was in heaven at that moment. The surgery was over and I had my little girl in my arms. I even got to breastfeed when we got back to the room.

We spent the next three days in the hospital. Jareth was fantastic with his baby sister and of course everyone was smitten with our little angel. We had a lot of visitors. I admit I was pretty loopy the first day. I was in a lot of pain and my emotions were running high so they gave me some good medicine! I just remember being so sleepy and calm. Although recovery has been difficult, I have to say I got better faster than I thought I would. The first 5 days or so were terrible. I couldn't do anything on my own. I have to brag on my husband. Jon was absolutely amazing. I can't say enough how lucky I am to have such a supportive husband. He did everything for us for close to two weeks. On about the 7th day I noticed a big change in myself. I could move around easier and the pain was much less.

A little over two weeks later, I am now doing much, much better. My incision is still sore and I have some ligament pain but overall I'm doing great. Laney and Jareth are keeping me busy and Laney is still doing wonderful. Jareth is an awesome big brother. He is doing so well. I'm very proud of him. Our family of four is just perfect. Jon and I are happier than ever.

39 Weeks and Oh So Ready!

I am more than ready for Laney to be here. Honestly, I've been down right miserable since Thursday night. I started having contractions Thursday evening while we were watching tv. They seemed to let up during the night but on Friday they got more intense and more regular until finally I was having them between 5 and 7 minutes apart. I thought it was time. I had gone to Athens to have lunch with Danyell and to see my sister. I'd been having contractions all morning but they weren't very regular. After lunch I went to Dana's house and they were slowly getting closer together and more intense. She started timing them and within an hour they went from 10-12 to 5-7 minutes apart and they were lasting about a minute each. I called my OB and she told me to go to Park West. So, Dana drove me to Knoxville and I left Jareth with my father in law. When we got to the hospital I went to labor and delivery and they checked me into triage. After an exam, the nurse said I was at 3-4 cm but I was still only 50% effaced. They hooked me up to a monitor to measure my contractions. And of course they had slowed down. I was monitored for 2 hours before they finally sent me home. Fantastic.
It is now Sunday and I'm still having contractions although they aren't regular. I've had my "bloody show" and I feel like I'm about to drop a bowling ball. The bottom of my stomach is very sore. I feel like either my stomach muscles or uterus is being ripped open and Laney isn't moving much at all. I really thought we were going to be meeting her this weekend.
I have a dr appt in the morning so we will see what she says. They already offered to induce me on Wednesday so if that's still on the table I'm going to take it. I would induce tomorrow if they'd let me.

And I was doing so well...

I went to my weekly appt yesterday and all was going well until my nurse practitioner informed me that my Ob would be on vacation the week that Laney is due. Great. So she tells me I have two options. 1. I can be induced next wednesday so that Dr. Walker will be there to deliver my baby. 2. I can go into labor naturally and risk having a stranger basically come in, deliver the baby, and walk out never to be seen again. Fantastic. I was so relaxed up to this point. I wasn't very anxious about when Laney arrives, I just kept counting down the days expecting her to come around her due date. I didn't let myself get all hyped up about the possibility of her coming early. But now I feel so much pressure to have her before Dr. Walker leaves next weekend.
I'd really rather not induce this time around. Yes, I did it with Jareth and it his birth was practically perfect but I wanted to experience going into labor on my own. Also, Laney hasn't dropped yet and Jareth had dropped by about 36 weeks. I'm afraid of going in to be induced and labor not progressing making me need a c-section. That's the very thing I want to avoid. Yes, I'd like to go into labor naturally and yes, I'd like to see if I can go without an epidural. But above all else I don't want to risk having a c-section. It's so tempting to induce. It would be easier on us and our family/friends to plan ahead and there is peace of mind knowing that she is coming and that I won't have to wait any longer. The longer I'm pregnant the more uncomfortable I will be and the bigger I'll get and the more anxious I will be. But what If I choose to be induced and end up having a c-section and I don't get the experience that I so desperately want.
If someone else were in my position I know what I'd say. I would tell them to wait it out and let the baby come on it's own. But that's so much easier said than done. I will see Dr. Walker on Monday and talk to her about it. Maybe I can get Jon to go with me. He seems more level headed than I am right now. If anyone out there is reading this, say a prayer for me!

3cm
50%
34lbs gained

2 Weeks to Go!

Holy Moly! I only have 2 weeks left before Laney is scheduled to arrive. Our bags are packed and we are ready to go. The only thing left to do is wait. I think I'm going to make a wreath for the hospital door like I did for Jareth. His is still hanging on his bedroom door. Everyone thought it was super cute at the hospital. I've got to show everyone how special my babies are ; ) Not much else to report. At my last appointment I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I go back tomorrow to get checked again but I'm not putting too much thought into it. I got stuck at 2cm with Jareth for weeks. Plus, Laney hasn't dropped yet so she may not be coming for a while. Hopefully I can hold out and not be induced this time around. Wish me luck!

A Weekend for Me

My sweet friend, Danyell, called me about a month ago asking me if anyone had mentioned throwing me a shower. I told her "no" and she asked me what I wanted to do this time around. I told her I'd like something different since it was my second baby, maybe something smaller and intimate. She said to leave it up to her. All I knew was the date and that I was supposed to dress up. So exciting! I have to say it was hard to let go and let my friends take care of all the details without my knowledge though. I'm a little bit of a control freak...just a little.
The Friday night before shower I got to have some one on one time with Heather. We went to the Home and Garden Show and had dinner at Chesapeake's. (By the way, their smoked salmon plate is AMAZING!) Afterward she hung out at the house for a little while and then I had the house all to myself. Nice. I slept in on Saturday and it was wonderful. But I did miss my little alarm clock and had to call my little boy. Then, I layed around the house all morning until Erin and Danyell got into town. I loved getting to spend time with these girls. It's not often I get to have them to myself. We went to Market Square for lunch at Blue Coast Burrito and browsed around at the shops. Then it was time to get ready.
The shower turned out wonderfully and I absolutely loved the venue! It was held at Cru Bistro and Wine Bar in Turkey Creek. Jon and I had been there a couple of times and really liked the place so he suggested it to the girls. We had the party in the lounge area where there was live music. Heather made a centerpiece incorporating details from Alice in Wonderland and Danyell had the prettiest cupcakes made. It was very classy. Laney got some really great gifts. The clothes are to die for. She is going to be the best dressed girl around. And oh my goodness at the bows! I need to count them. It's going to be a long time before she has to repeat a hairpiece! There were 13 guests in all, several of which drove over an hour to be there. I am so loved. : ) Here are a few photos from the night.

Maternity Photo Shoot...of a different kind

About a month ago my good friend and photographer, Brittany, invited me via a facebook event to do a budior photo shoot. I soon texted her asking, "You do know I'm pregnant, right!?" She explained that she was getting a group of ladies together for an all day shoot and she wanted me to be her pregnant "model".(I use that term loosely) I was a little nervous at first but I knew I could trust Brittany to make this 8 month pregnant body look at least halfway decent. She is a phenomenal photographer. I decided to make this a Valentine's Day suprise for Jonathan. It was hard to keep the secret but it was very worth it! When the day arrived for the photo shoot I didn't know exactly what to expect. I was told to bring a few items such as lingerie and heels and Brittany sent me some inspirational photos to look at. My appointment was at 3:00 on Saturday and Jon was very curious as to why I was spending so much time on my hair and makeup before I went out to "run errands." When I got to Brittany's and she got started on me I felt so comfortable. Although she is my friend and I would feel fine walking around her half-naked anyway, she was very professional and I think anyone would feel at ease with her. She gave me great instruction and really made the process fun. If anyone out there reading this needs a good photographer, I highly recommend her. After the shoot I asked her if she would have a couple of prints ready by Valentine's Day and she said she would email me one or two so I could suprise Jon. I got something much better than that. Within three, yes THREE, days she texted me that I could come pick up the entire disk! Poor girl probably didn't get any sleep! I was so excited that I took my computer with me so I could check them out immediately. And......they turned out beautifully. I am so happy with my photos! I was so excited to show Jon. I took the disk to Walgreens and made his Valentine's card using one of the photos on the front and I printed off a couple more that I thought he would like. That night, Tuesday night, and yes the night before Valentine's Day I decided to go ahead and give Jon the card. We were cuddling up downstairs and I said something to the effect of "Okay, I can't wait 'til tomorrow!" and I took him upstairs and handed him the card. When he opened it he got the biggest smile on his face and started throwing words like "beautiful," "stunning," and "sexy" around. I think he liked them. I loved how suprised he was. Even 8month pregnant women can be sexy too. Thank you Brittany!
Now I can't put all the photos on here, there are some people in my life that don't want or need to see all of the goods, but here is a small sample of Brit's work.