Induced, round two...

12 March - Friday morning I woke up pretty early and made my last diabetic breakfast ever. Because I knew it kept my numbers in line and it provided me with a fairly healthful meal, I had eaten two eggs, sunny-side-up, two pieces of whole-grain toast, and water for breakfast every day for three months. Nothing else kept my numbers in the safe zone so I just lived with it. After I had eaten and waited the appropriate hour to test my blood sugar levels I would then enjoy a cup of coffee, if the numbers were right. I was happy that this morning, the numbers were right and I really enjoyed that cup of coffee.

After getting ready for the day and having a large prayer circle with Nana and Papa, Mom, Matt, and I loaded into the BMW and headed to HSK, arriving around 9:00 am. We were met in the Labor & Delivery area by "Prickly Pear" as we called her. She kept telling Matt to go downstairs to get me admitted but the only guy working didn't speak English and tried to send Matt to the OB ward. (We had already gone there on another occasion and Matt knew that wasn't where we were supposed to go. And, last Friday when I was there for the first attempt at induction we dealt with a great lady who admitted me from her desk and I was sent back upstairs to L&D... why this guy was sending Matt on a wild goose chase, we'll never know.) Matt returned to the waiting room where Mom and I were still sitting (which we didn't have to do last week) and joined us in the wait. "Prickly Pear" came out and sent Matt back downstairs again, implying that I was not going to be seen until admitted. Matt went back back down to find that all the employees were in a meeting. A grumpy Matt decided that he was going to wait on our Host Nation Liaison (German-speaking Army-provided liaison who also happens to be Carson's and Bailey's AWANA teacher) before he attempted anything else.

"Prickly Pear" came back out and rolled her eyes when Matt said that they were all in a meeting. At last she took me back for observation, but would only allow one extra person to come with me. Since Matt had experienced last week's 20 minute fetal-monitoring session he stayed in the waiting room and mom joined me. By the time I was in a room with an IV inserted into my hand (not my wrist, which I would have preferred) it was 11:40. We had wasted precious hours in the waiting room due to "Prickly Pear" but I must say that I am very pleased that this was the last of my interactions with her. From the moment I got into the Labor room I was treated by the sweetest staff imaginable.

Because I wasn't close enough to delivery for Pitocin to be effective they decided to do Cervidil around noon. I had never experienced this before and was really hoping something would happen. When they administer Cervidil you have to lie flat for 2 hours. Um, this coffee-loving gestational diabetic had had a cup of joe and who knows how much water. Can you see the recipe for disaster written on the wall? I was miserable after one hour and thought I might not survive lying flat on my back feeling no labor pains! Forget the pain of delivery! I had to PEE! (Without going into detail, let me just say that I had to ask for assistance!)

I remember at one point a familiar face from the week before came into the room to help another laboring mother and when she was finished I asked her to explain how the cervidil was supposed to work and when/if I might be given Pitocin. She came over and, whether or not she was supposed to be "my" midwife or not, I adopted her right then. When my two hours of confinement were completed, I was instructed to go for a walk around the hospital to return at 4:30 for another round of monitoring. I was, at this time, having regular, mild contractions, but I was able to easily talk through them.

We went downstairs to have a snack, though I was not able to eat due to pretty strong contractions. I was convinced this was going to be "the day."

As we went back upstairs the contractions were strong enough to cause me to want to stand in order to find comfort. The best place to do so was in the hallway where Mom and Matt could sit at a small table and we could all chat. I would talk until a contraction came, then pause. Once it'd pass I could carry on with what I was saying. At one point they strapped me up to a wireless fetal monitor which is how I was able to stand in the hallway rather than lie in the bed. Loved that thing! I could go into the room every few minutes to check on the heart rate and the strength of the contractions. Those earlier in the day had been topping out at around 20 while these were going past 100!

While we were out there Matt pointed out a new daddy looking at his freshly born baby. It was someone we knew from Wiesbaden but I had a hard time at first believing it was him... his wife wasn't due for another month! But sure enough, their baby had been born while we were downstairs in the cafe! She came in and within 4 minutes of getting into a delivery room she had delivered... When dad and baby were whisked off to NICU the mom and my family had an impromptu prayer session in the hallway asking God for protection and for a strong baby. While baby stayed in the NICU for several days, I know for a fact that she's home and all is well at the present! God answers prayers!

Back to my own story, my amazing midwife started pitocin at 5:00 pm. I had found out that she was to get off at 10:00 and my hopes of delivering before then went up! I really wanted her to deliver, but I can't force nature... we'd been trying for a week! :)

Just one hour later they took me off pitocin because nothing much was happening. Plus, there were so few ladies laboring that it was best to send the bulk of the staff home for the evening and the few of us upstairs for a night's rest. I was so disappointed. (Looking back, I'm happy with what they did and am glad I was ultimately able to labor and deliver without Pitocin but at the time, I was quite disappointed.)

I was moved (bed and all) to a room upstairs on the new-mommy floor and placed in a room with another Army wife. She was on bed rest due to preterm labor. We enjoyed quiet conversation for a while before I had to go back downstairs for further monitoring. Here is what I posted as my status when I returned to the room:

I just returned from my last 30 min of monitoring for the day. Had "piggy-back" contractions for the first time ever. (2 that were 2 min apart then a 4 min break, then 2 that were 2 min apart then a 4 min break, etc. ) Going to sleep now. Thanks for your sweet words of encouragement!!

As I am writing this, I'm having to go back and look at my "Wall" on Facebook to get the details and times right. I have waited too long to post this journal! VERY thankful I kept updating my Status as now it is the only way I can remember certain things! I also loved having the ability to receive the love and encouragement from family and friends all over the world in real-time. That was not possible when I had the other boys... I so appreciated knowing that people were praying for Parker and me!

I went to bed half expecting to be pregnant for the rest of my life. I had serious doubts that he'd be born the next day. Pitocin had worked wonders with both Hayden and Bailey. With both boys, they had arrived only hours after the medicine was introduced. I had now been given Pitocin twice with Parker and neither time had it worked. Those irrational thoughts that one has at the end of pregnancy feel real... like, "I will still be pregnant with this kid 3 months from now! He's never going to come! He's going to be 14 lbs! I'm going to be on insulin for the rest of my life." I was disheartened, but a good night's sleep was ahead...

Down to days...

We are at a point where I can count the number of days left until we meet Parker on one hand! He will (barring any unforeseen complications) be here on Friday, March 12th. The best part b about this news is that Napa and Papa will arrive the day before and therefore will be able to be a part of his arrival! I am SO excited about that! In fact, that news is what has kept me from being disappointed at Parker not making his grand entrance last Friday.

In order to bring my journal up to date, let me recount the events of the last couple of weeks.

(Warning: This post may have more information that some of you want to read. I will not be offended if you quit now. I'll never even know!)

25 Feb I went to my 37 week appointment with my OB and she estimated Parker's weight at 7.5 lbs. Later that day I went to the hospital where I am going to have Parker to meet with the Chief Doctor who schedules inductions. After looking at my blood sugar numbers, Parker's weight and the size discrepancy between his head and belly, and my swelling, she wanted me to stay that day for a stress test and to possibly be induced. She did give me the option to wait one week. I chose that because I needed a chance to get my boys taken care of. By that evening two friends had stepped up and were willing to take care of the boys for the weekend. It took a few hours for me to get over the disappointment of Parker not arriving on Bailey's birthday, or even after my parents were to arrive. But eventually the excitement of having him in my arms took over and I began to accept what was to be.

4 March I went back to my OB and gave her the report. After my exam she concluded that Parker was close to 4000 g. (which translates into 8 bs 13 oz) still 2 full weeks before my due date. She was fully in support of my being induced the next day, which is a big deal as German doctors do not typically favor induction at all, especially prior to one's due date. As far as natural progress toward labor, there was not much. I was not dilated at all and his head was still VERY high up, but I was softening . In fact, if my water were to break I was instructed to call the ambulance to get me to the hospital as there is concern about him plugging his umbilical cord as he descends. Last bit of good news was that he was in perfect position to begin labor and delivery. He had been sunny-side-up for a few weeks, then turned 180 degrees, which was better, but still not quite right. As of the 4th he was perfectly positioned.

After such a good visit and with the very real probability that this was my last day as a pregnant lady, I had many thoughts running through my mind. The first of which was that tomorrow could be the day I get to STOP testing my blood sugar. You may wonder why in the world this was among my first thoughts and my explanation is simple: we pass by a great bakery on the way to and from my doctor's office. We pass by this bakery on foot because there is no parking within a mile of her office. If the boys have been great in the waiting room we stop by on the way home for a treat. Our favorite treat is a small bag of what I can only describe as "donut holes." Only they're not quite the same as what you're probably thinking. Not nearly as sweet and covered with a mild sugar crystal. I want to enjoy one of these one day without concern for my blood sugar. (I usually only allow myself one, if any at all.) On this particular day, however, we opted for fresh pretzels as a reward...okay, THEY got pretzels, I got nothing. ONE MORE DAY...ONE MORE DAY... that's what was going through my mind.

We met Daddy for dinner and really just had a great time celebrating our last night together as a family of five. I had gotten SO much accomplished and was ready for Parker to arrive. (Boys' hair cut; a few more meals frozen; boys doled out; floors cleaned. And let me say, that last one, was a BIGGIE! For some reason it was a big deal to me that I head for the hospital with my floors clean. Thanks to Matt for vacuuming so I could dust, then mop... I was ready. Oh, and not to mention that I found a freezer in the Stars and Stripes that was perfect for us. Matt literally picked it up after we had our "last family of 5 meal" and stored it in our basement... the sellers lived in the neighborhood right next to ours! HOW PERFECT?!?)

5 March I woke up early and got my shower. I also woke the boys up earlier than they normally get up so that we could get on the road. We had a LOT to pack up because we had to take a load of stuff to the Evans' house for the boys' overnight stay and then we also had to pack the car with all the stuff we would need for an extended stay in the hospital. And here one must pack her own towels, washcloths, and snacks. (That was a tip I received from Heather, and let me say, it was invaluable. The food there was AWFUL!) If we had not had the food I packed I would have starved (and my blood sugar would have been really screwy!).

So, after dropping my boys off at the Evans' and seeing their surprise that Wyatt was not at school after all but was taking a day off of school, Matt and I headed to the hospital. But not before Elizabeth presented me with Parker's hand-made baby blanket that just so happens to match the color scheme of his room! It's beautiful and I will be sure to have pictures taken of him snuggled in it!

We arrived at the hospital on time and headed up to the Kreißsaal (L&D). The midwives began my exam with fetal monitoring and inserting the IV into my wrist that was to be used for the pitocin. After the monitoring they did a check which revealed that overnight I had dilated to 1 cm! This was encouraging as I really thought that the pitocin would take over and finish things up. During the monitoring I had a single contraction even before having any meds administered! Another sign of good things to come!

Because my mom and friends are so far away I was happy to update my Facebook status via iPhone throughout the day. I was so thankful for the entertainment my iPhone provided me!

After my initial exam I was sent downstairs to be admitted and then when I came back upstairs, they put me in a room with 2 other beds. I was hooked up to the monitor which revealed another all-by-myself contraction and given 3o minutes to get the baseline established. Then they came in every now and then and upped my pitocin by 10 units. (No idea how much that is in what length of time, but it started at 10 units at 10 am, and by 3 it was at 90 units.)

At this point I was a bit discouraged because my contractions had an hour to go from Braxton Hicks-like to SERIOUS STUFF or they were going to send me home. After getting all that stuff packed and loaded, including the boys, I didn't want to go home without Parker. Being perfectly honest, this was the most disheartening part of the whole day... all the work it took to get to that point for nothing. Not that I wasn't ready to meet my sweet new addition, but waiting a week would allow my parents to get here! That's GREAT news! But I had gone through A LOT to get many bags packed, snacks purchased, boys scheduled out not to mention the family who was taking care of them for 24+ hours! Needless to say, my contractions barely worsened when they bumped me up to 100. After a while at this level a doctor came in (one I hadn't seen before but would be responsible for my labor and delivery) with an ultrasound machine. He checked the size of the baby and got a smaller size than the two previous doctors (whose measurements had matched perfectly). He really felt it was best that I just go home and wait a week. And after an exam that revealed that six hours of pitocin had left me at 1 cm and Parker still very high, I had to agree. (And I have to say, when I had pitocin with Hayden it left me doubled over in pain within an hour. I asked the dr if having two prior experiences with pitocin would leave me less sensitive to the drug and he said, "Oh No!! It would make you MORE sensitive to it." In conclusion, Parker was not ready to come.)

I was told to walk the hospital for an hour and then they were going to do one last fetal monitoring. During this hour we enjoyed a snack in the cafe and I made plans for the evening: Pick up the boys, go shopping for a friends' birthday present, and had decided that the next morning we were going to try to make it Orrin's birthday party a couple of hours away. Imagine my surprise when they hooked me back up and told me I was staying overnight!! I was still having regular contractions that matched those while I was on pitocin, due to the meds still being in my system.

The hospital staff showed me to my room on the new-moms-floor and I was left to enjoy a private room for the night. Matt ran to get some dinner and Tums (which I had forgotten to pack... I wouldn't have needed them if I had had Parker!).

When he returned we watched a movie on his laptop and he headed home. No sense in paying 50 Euros for him to sleep in an uncomfortable bed when there's no baby to help me with.

6 March I got up around 6:30 the next morning to a beautiful, snowy view. I got as ready as I could for the day (having an IV in my wrist put a kink in my "shower" plans...). I went back down to L&D and they monitored me for 30 minutes seeing no contractions at all. Matt arrived during this time and within an hour I was released.

We got our sweet boys who had had a BLAST with Wyatt, and headed home. A quick lunch and we were all off for a 3 hour nap! I had to wake Hayden at 4!! The boys played in the snow for a while and when they came home, I had a plan. After 2 days of being cooped up I needed to get out so we piled in the car and drove along the Rhine River and saw at least 10 castles! I can't wait to find information about these castles and take my parents there! This was a sweet time with our boys, added time as a family of 5, which is kind of hard to explain. We're ready to met Parker but treasuring these last few days which are "life as we know it."

Before he went to bed Hayden told me his head hurt. He had a low-grade fever, sore throat, and headache. I worried about strep throat and Matt made a decision I fully agreed with. Since he already had tomorrow's church service covered and we needed to rest, we were going to stay home. We rarely do that, but it was a good thing.

7 March Hayden still had a slight fever this morning but his throat only hurt when he coughed, which was not often. He BEGGED all day to go outside so I can tell he's feeling okay. I'd say it is probably a little cold that will be better tomorrow and we're praying no one else gets it. We cancelled a play date all three boys had today in order to not share it. (I spent the entire day putting together a "build-a-mummy" thing I had bought for Carson's birthday... SO glad I was able to get that done before Parker arrived!) I also made the lesson plans for M-W. We will welcome Nana and Papa to Germany on Thursday and most likely Parker into the world on Friday! It's a big week!!!

Now, I'm off to bed. I must say I'm so thankful for the many prayers people were praying for our health on Friday. I can honestly say I believe they were answered. If pitocin is pushed too hard before the baby is ready, it can lead to c-section. If that can be avoided, I'd like to. We'll try again this week and will pray for more progress.... like, say, DELIVERY! :)

Two months down...

Where has January gone? It seems like just yesterday I was hurriedly writing our "Year in Review" blog waiting on Matt to get home with our new (but very old) car. Much has happened in the past few weeks, though most of it mundane. I'm okay with mundane!

I'll fill you in as I'm sure you've been waiting impatiently for me to do just that! But first, one observation: We've been in Germany 2 months and 1 day. In many ways I feel like we just got here, but in others I feel like we have been here much longer. 2 months ago today was Thanksgiving and we celebrated it with the Keslings. We had only been in country 24 hours and were so jetlagged. We were glad to be out of the confines of the hotel but were still looking around dazed and confused. Fast forward to today and I sit here in my house, fully furnished with my things that arrived (mostly) unharmed. I not only have my house set up, I have a baby nursery completely finished just waiting on its new occupant. How in the world did we get from hotel to home in such a short time? My only answer is that many prayers have been prayed and all have been answered. We are so thankful for the many prayer warriors we have standing behind us, lifting us up in their homes, churches, and small groups. Without those prayers, we very well may still be in a hotel waiting for a house to come available.

Now that I have shared that observation, I will look back at the past few weeks in a bit more detail.

10 Dec. We got our unaccompanied baggage, a WONDERFUL day! I put our Christmas tree up and a few of our personal photos around the house.

11 Dec. I took my second 3-hour glucose test and failed miserably. (I had passed the first one in the states, so I developed Gestational Diabetes at around 26 weeks.)

17 Dec. MY STUFF ARRIVED! Oh, what fun I had putting things where they belonged. Okay, fun might not be the word, but I was glad to fill our empty house with our things!

22 Dec. I finally had my diabetes appointment which opened my eyes to a whole new world. I never had any idea what managing one's blood sugar levels entailed. (The day before, Stephanie drove 2 hours here to get me, drove me and all 5 of our kids an hour and a half away to a Pharmacy that had what I needed for my appointment, the drove us back home. Then, of course, she had another 2 hour drive back home. Army is just family waiting to be introduced. I am blessed!)

31 Dec. We get our new (but old) car and have the freedom to drive to Ramstein Air Base to see our friends who had taken the ultimate adventure and flown Space-A to Germany!! We welcomed the New Year in but only barely, as the boys fell asleep 20 minutes before midnight and we had to work hard to keep our eyes open. It was very strange not being able to see the ball drop this year. I was NOT about to wake up at 6 am to see that... sleep was more important!

1 Jan. We spent almost the entire day at the Ramstein BX/PX because we had told the boys that our treat for the afternoon would be to see the "Squeakquel." When we got there to buy our tickets they were sold out. We were VERY disappointed. I decided to head back to the cashier and ask if there were any tickets left for the later showing and she said there were. But only 4. She sold them to me and then told me that Bailey would just have to sit in Matt's lap. NO PROBLEM! Only thing was that movie was much later than I expected. We ended up at the Bailey's house after 7, if I remember correctly. But we still had time to chat and visit before bedtime.

2 Jan. We took our first trip to a touristy destination: Triberg, Germany, home of the "House of 1000 Clocks." We ate real Black Forest Cake in the real Black Forest. We about froze as the temps were much cooler there than we had expected. We didn't get to see the largest waterfall in Germany because we didn't realize we'd have to pay to see it. None of us has the energy to spend the time outside to see it, plus we didn't really want to pay for it. So, we headed back to the Bailey's house for our 2nd night and had the men go get Doners for dinner. YUM.

3 Jan. What fun we had that morning! We got the kids as bundled up as we could and let them sled for about an hour! I believe that was the highlight of the weekend for my boys, considering the trip to Triberg was mostly an adult-fun kind of day.

4 Jan. I take my DRIVER'S TEST! And I pass! I studied a lot because I had heard what a tough test it was going to be. It was worth it and I was SO thankful to have passed! (Small note, today, the 26th, I got my real license in the mail! I've had the temporary one in my wallet thus far!)

5 Jan. I get a call at 4 pm stating that my car is here. WHAT?!? I asked if we could come right then but he said there wasn't time. I had to wait until the next day.

6 Jan. Now, I don't mean to undermine any of the previously mentioned amazing things I had experienced thus far, but there was something truly blessed in having my van returned to me. After being squashed in a tiny BMW, which we are absolutely grateful for, having my van which perfectly fits my family was truly a God-send. I love having my independence and I love being able to fit my family into one car without having everyone touch each other. Being in a BMW with 3 kids is like trying to fit all 5 of us in a queen sized bed and trying to get a good night's sleep. Could we sleep? Maybe. Could we get a good night's sleep? Uh, no. SO, spreading out in my van was glorious! And, on top of that, I had freedom to come and go as I pleased while Matt was at work. I had a drs apt later that week and was able to take myself! (I've learned that my van will fit in the parking garage but on level 4 my antenna will scrape the ceiling, freaking me out every time!)

12 Jan. I attended the required New Parent Orientation class at WAAF giving me a prized possession: A tag to place in my car giving me access to the "Expectant Mom" parking places at the post office, commissary, and PX! YEAH! And it lasts until Parker's 6 weeks old! LOVE parking up close, especially when it's snowing!

I also had another diabetes appointment (haven't been listing them all as they're mostly boring) but at this one the dr threatened me with hospitalization if my numbers weren't better in 48 hours. I cried when I got home, got over it, mentioned it in FB and had many people praying for me very soon. My dad fasted from sweets and soft drinks which is a very difficult thing for him to do, as he's the one who unashamedly eats dessert before meals whenever possible. I appreciated this more than he'll know!

13 Jan. I attended my first Chaplains' Spouses Coffee. It's good to be around other people in similar situations! Starting to get back into a normal lifestyle!

19 Jan. My first PWOC in Germany! Oh, how sweet it is. I actually had tears streaming down my face during worship as we sang, "In Christ Alone." So great worshipping with other women and then getting to sit and learn in an intimate setting with them. So great I can't put it into words.

I meant to mention that at some point the boys started going to AWANA. The first week all three were hesitant, but Carson and Bailey dove right in. Hayden said several times that he didn't want to go. The next week all three went and again and Hayden was still hesitant. Matt asked him afterwards if he had a good time and his much-too-mature-for-his-own-good response was, "If you're asking if I want to go back next week, the answer is, "no." Well, tonight happens to be AWANA night and he has not complained since and goes with no trouble at all. He actually has fun! It just takes him a while to warm up to new situations. He gets that from Matt, not me, but I'm sure that's pretty obvious to anyone who knows us! :)

22 Jan. I take the boys to our first homeschool co-op thing since Hayden was in Kindergarten. Physical Ed at WAAF and they really enjoyed it!

23 Jan. Oh, was this a lovely day! Matt had scheduled a Pedicure for me and gave me several hours off in the middle of the day. I went to Babies R Us and looked like an idiot trying to get a buggy. You have to put a Euro in the slot to release the buggy from the buggy in front of it, but I misread the sign and was trying to put in the wrong coin. I asked help from a German lady who sifted through my change only to discover I didn't have the right coin. She, thankfully, had left her buggy unsnapped and walked over and got it for me. I'm sure she walked to her car thinking to herself all sorts of less-than-flattering thoughts about me. Oh well, I got a buggy and shopped by myself for over an hour. It was heavenly!

25 Jan. I had my 2nd opinion diabetologist review my numbers and insulin levels. She told me that all looked fine and I should continue on as I have been. What a relief to know that so far I'm doing a good job!

26 Jan. And here we are, to today! Another great day of PWOC and AWANA for my family. Chapel services are what we get as a formal time of worship with other believers. I consider these two ministries as what "Sunday School" might be in the civilian world. Our SS class in Forest City was a group of people in a similar age group in similar life settings doing life together. We welcomed each others babies into the world, worked hard at Upward basketball, and played hard at softball. Not to mention, we ate together every Sunday night after church at Bantam Chef!

We don't have that same luxury in the military setting, but PWOC offers part of that to me, AWANA offers that to the boys. I wish there was something like this for Matt.

27 Jan - TOMORROW we get to go tour the hospital where I'll have Parker! Can't wait to see what is in store for me! I've heard so many stories!

It's hard to believe that all of the above has happened in 2 months. And even harder to believe that our 4th son is due in 51 days... less than 2 months! I love adventure and having a life that is sometimes a whirlwind! But I'm glad that we're here for 3 years and can get settled in and get more of a routine! Speaking of that, when I left the homeschool co-op Friday, a friend I had met at PWOC 3 days earlier said, "I guess I'll see you on Tuesday." That small comment made me realize that I am finally getting into a routine, one in which I'll see friends on a regular basis. It made me start to feel at home here. While I already feel at home in my home, it is great to begin to feel that way when out and about with other people!