Lincoln Douglas Baker

Lincoln is 3 1/2 weeks old now and I figured its about time I write down his birth story somewhere before I forget what happened. WARNING: This is a long post and contains labor details.

So my due date came and went and we still didn't have our little boy. That was a Monday and on Wednesday we had a doctors appointment. She said I still hadn't progressed past a one and was still 80% effaced. So she asked me if I was ready to have him and if I wanted to be induced. I said yes I was done and ready to have him here so she called the hospital and they were completely full with 3 women on a waiting list to come in and be induced when they had an open room. My doctor said it could be a few days and I was totally bummed. I told my doctor though that I was a little worried Lincoln wasn't moving much. (I knew he was still moving but I was worried it wasn't enough) so she sent me over to the hospital to have them monitor his movements for a little while.

When I was at the hospital they said that since I already was in the room and a few people were being discharged I could stay and be induced!! YAY!! I was so excited I didn't have to go home again with out my baby. So they started me on some medicine to help soften my cervix and when they checked me it hadn't done anything then I got on this other thing and it didn't do anything either. Then they started me on Pitocin. My contractions were coming every 3 minutes as I was walking around the halls with my IV stand. Finally around the middle of the night I started to dilate. I was in pains so I asked when I could get the epidural. The nurse checked me and said I was barely a 3 and said they like to wait till I get to a 3 1/2 or a 4 but I could have some other pain meds till I get there. I said I didn't need any meds I would just wait till I am far enough along. About 20 minutes late the nurse comes in with the anesthesiologist and said since she was here right now and she wanted to go home that they would give me the epidural now. I was pretty excited. It went really well and I didn't think it was painful or a big deal at all. It was so nice to not be in pain and just got to sleep for a while. Well when my nurse midwife came in that morning she checked me and said I was only at a 2!!!! Are you serious?!?! Apparently the nurse was wrong in the middle of the night and that means that I got my epidural way too early. So for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon I didn't progress at all. My doc (midwife I call her my doc) said that this wasn't normal and that there were a couple options....I could go home and wait there for something to happen....they could increase the amount of pitocin to see what happened but that had to be monitored closely to make sure Lincoln would handle it ok....or we could do a balloon thing.They wanted me to get far enough along to break my water but once that happened there is no turning back and if nothing worked to dilate me and increase my labor then there would be a chance or a c-section. Well I wasn't about to go home so I said lets increase the pitocin and hopefully get far enough to break my water. About an hour later I was to a 4 so the doctor on call came and broke my water (my doc had tried when I was at a 2 but couldn't break it yet). So once my water broke that afternoon things finally got going.

When I was at a 7 I told Brian if he wanted to eat he better go now and get food and hurry back. He wasn't too worried cuz it had taken me so long to get to where I was. I called him once and told him I was feeling a lot of pressure and he asked if He needed to come back I said no it was fine. Then the doc came in and checked me and said I was a 9 and that I would start pushing in the next hour. I called Brian and told him to get back as soon as he could. I started pushing about a half hour after Brian got back. I pushed for about and hour and forty minutes. Toward the end Lincoln's heart rate was going down so my midwife stepped in (there was a medical student helping out) and told me to push really hard we needed him to get out so she helped grab him and pull Lincoln out a little. It was such a relief to have him out and on my stomach. Brian cut his cord and then they cleaned him up a little and finished taking care of his cord and gave him back to me so I could have him on my chest skin to skin. It was amazing!

While I was holding Lincoln and the doc was taking care of me I started to bleed more then was expected so then gave me a second IV in my other arm a shot in both of my sides and pills under my tongue to help stop the bleeding. Because of the shots I got sick and threw up twice. The first time I was rocking Lincoln to get him to stop crying and throwing up at the same time haha.
After everything was under control I was totally out of it. I couldn't make full sentences or keep my eyes open. I really didn't know what was going on around me. I just remember calling Laura and not knowing what I was saying to her or what she was talking about. Then Brian got back from getting me food at Wendy's (I really wanted a burger fries and a frosty after he was born) and I only ate some of the food half awake before I finally fell asleep.

The next morning we went to the nursery for Lincoln to see his doctor. While she was checking him out I was standing there and I got really hot and light headed and dizzy so the doc said I need to get back to my room. While we were walking (staggering) down the hall holding on to the wall the nurse came behind me with a wheel chair. I felt so much better once I had sat down. Later that day I got two units of blood. After the transfusion I felt so much better. I felt like I had a clear head and some energy. It was so much better! So I finally got released from the hospital on Saturday afternoon.

Lincoln's Doctor said he had jaundice so on Sunday morning we went back to the Hospital to have his blood drawn to get tested. His levels were too high so we got a belliblanket for him to wear at home for light treatment for his jaundice. He was on that for a week and had his blood checked everyday while on the belliblanket and got to the point he would just sleep while the pricked his heel and took his blood.

The next week Lincoln started losing weight so he was checked and found out that he is a little lactose intolerant. So I have been giving him a lactose pill every day.
Currently Lincoln has gained almost 1 pound (after losing half a pound) so he is doing really well and is really happy. :)
Lincoln is a good baby. He cries only when something is wrong. I change his diaper and feed him and he is all happy again. Oh and he also is now taking baths without screaming! Brian and I are proud parents and think our little guy is the best little boy ever.

Here are some pictures of the labor and delivery and time at home. Enjoy!

Walking around the halls.

Lincoln and Me. I was so happy he was FINALLY here after 31 hours of labor.

Brian is such a proud daddy.

8 pounds 21 inches long

Cute boy!

Going home from the hospital.

Lincoln's first bath at home.

Lincoln with his belliblanket.

Being a little cutie.

Lincoln giving mommy kisses.

He really is his daddy's little boy.

Our little family.

<3 We love you Lincoln!! <3

Little Mans FALSE Labor story

Thursday March 17th I was super busy going to the laundry mat and shopping. When I got home I folded all the laundry put all the groceries away and started to make homemade pizza. From 1pm to 7pm I didn't stop at all and around 6 I noticed I started to have contractions 10 minutes apart. They didn't hurt at all I just felt the pressure of my stomach getting hard. So I kept making the pizza, called my mom and Laura to see what they thought. (Meanwhile Brian was gone flying his dad out to the camp site) They said that it sounded like the beginning of labor. Well I kinda started freaking out (cried to my mom that Brian wasn't here even though I knew he would be home with in the hour) and I started to pack my hospital bag and clean out the car and double check I had the things I needed for the hospital. Well Brian finally got home and the contractions continued.
The next day I went into my doctor to get checked to see how far a long I was and if I needed to go to the hospital. Sadly enough I was only effaced 50% and dilated to a 1. Not much was happening. So my Doctor told me to go walk around for an hour and come back to get checked again. I was excited that this might help and was walking as fast as I could. When she checked me again nothing had changed but she said that I would probably have him sometime that weekend. Well this was not so. My contractions slowly died down that Friday and then were only happening sporadically the next couple days.
Monday I had a doctor appointment and got checked again and she said I was now at 80% effaced but still only dilated to a one.
Tuesday we decided to try drinking Castor Oil. Gross! I mixed it with some orange juice and drank it really fast. It didn't do anything to help labor progress but it got the bowels moving so I guess it did it filled its job requirement.
So since the Castor oil we haven't been doing much to make him come out cuz I just don't think he wants to. He is teaching mommy and daddy a lot of patience. We really would love to have him here sooner rather than later though because we would love to go to Brian's sisters wedding April 9th in Idaho and I would appreciate as much time to recover before we go.

So Lincoln....Mommy knows you are all comfortable and warm inside my belly but lots of people are waiting for you to come out so they can meet and you. I promise when you get here mommy and daddy will take really good care of you and wrap you up warm so you're happy so please please please come out!

38 Weeks

39 Weeks

Hey all!
A little update on the babe on the way... he dropped!!
Ok I know its not that big of a deal but I am really excited about it because it means we are that much closer to having him here. Still have no clue when he will actually be here but I am glad he is out of my ribs for the most part. I think he is going to be really long though because now that he is on my bladder 24/7 and making me almost pee my pants several times a day I can still feel him kicking my ribs. Like really Lincoln can I not get a break!? I just think it should be time to get you out of the small and cramped place and then you can stretch as much as you want and I promise I won't complain.

1 week and 5 days till his due date!!

Moved to Fairbanks

So it has been a really long time again since I have posted a blog about what we are up to and since then a lot has changed....or I guess one thing has changed but it's a big thing so it feels like a lot has changed.

We have moved to Fairbanks! We have been thinking about it on and off for a while now but we always decided to stay in Wasilla because we liked it there so much and his family was there and it is a better town by far. But with all that considered, it kept Brian and I away from each other more often then we liked so last Thursday we decided to move. Friday Brian had us all packed up and we drove to Fairbanks. Saturday we looked for placed to live and found one and moved in. Ya it all happened that fast!! It was crazy!!

It was a very emotional move on me because I was leaving Wasilla, his family (my support when Brian was gone), and our wonderful ward that had just thrown me an amazing baby shower two days before we decided to move. Lets just say the pregnancy hormones were definitely in full effect for these few days and there were lots of tears shed, but my wonderful husband made it so much easier on me then it could have been at 36 weeks pregnant.

Brian completely packed us up in one day and once we got to our new place he unpacked us in one day. He even got all the furniture in the house and set up all by himself! He was so amazing and didn't make me do anything. I did as much as I could though but it wasn't much and he did lots while I was still sleeping in the morning or fell asleep early at night. I can't explain how wonderful he was through the whole thing and now I am very grateful we have moved. Brian has been home every night but one since the move and if we were in Wasilla he would have been gone for the past 5 nights. It has really made me that much happier we are closer to his work and closer together.

So here are the before and after pictures of our house. Sorry if theres a lot, I know my family wants to see it all :)

Our Bedroom (two closets. Brian's is the front one and mine is the walk in :))

The Second Bedroom (Lincoln's Room and Brian's office)

The Bathroom

Stairs

Kitchen table (currently a mess with my sewing project)

Living Room

I couldn't get the last mask hung by myself.

Our wonderful baby swing that Brian's Mom got us (I LOVE IT)

Living Room/Dinning Room (kinda a small space for the table)

Lincoln's half of the room mostly put together (Brian's office half is a mess so I am not showing it)

Lincoln's closet kind of a mess with stuff. I haven't really organized this yet. But he's got everything he needs :)

Bathroom

Our Room with my parents old dresser we brought all the way from Idaho :)

So that is our new little place. :D


OK BABY UPDATE!

Our little Lincoln is still growing and making his
mama bigger and more uncomfortable each day.

So two doctor appointments ago I was measuring good and Lincolns heart rate was good around 150. They said my blood pressure was climbing a little but nothing to be worried about. During the appointment the doctor told me I was having a contraction when she was listening to Lincoln's heart. I thought it was pretty funny cuz I didn't have a clue I was having one (thank goodness).
At the last doctors appointment (in Fairbanks now with a nurse midwife that I just love!) said everything was going good. I got "checked" and she said that I had thinned out a little and seemed to be dilated a little too but that it didn't mean much because I wasn't having any contractions or any other signs of anything happening. But she did tell me that Lincoln's head was in the downward position! That was happy news and now that she told me that I have been having fun playing with him and knowing more surely what body part is sticking out. :)

So these are the updated pictures....

33 weeks

34 weeks

37 weeks

Everything is going good though and I am looking forward to him getting here at any time. I really hope its only one more week or so but I guess we will find out if he agrees with me or not.

Baby Update

So I haven't been very good about updating my blog but here is an update on what has been going on with our little growing boy.

26 weeks

29 week appointment....
At the apointment I had the other day I found out I have gained a total of 10 pounds so far during the pregnancy and I am measuring to be about the normal size. Our little Boys heart rate was 140-150's which is good and normal and was moving around while the doctor was trying to listen to him. :) (I love it when he moves, especially when I can hear his heart beat at the same time :))

29 weeks

Everything is going really well. On Monday I started week 30. At the end of week 29 and a lot this week I have felt him move a lot more. Not just a kick though, I have been feeling those field goals for a while. Now when I feel him move I can see my tummy roll. And its so fun to put my hand on my stomach to feel him roll against me instead of just karate chopping me for a second. Its so much fun! He is especially active like this when I lay on my side so every morning when I wake up I just lay there for an extra couple minutes with my hand on my tummy feeling my little boy stretch and wake up with me :) I have to say this is the best part of being pregnant by far! Its so much fun and satisfying knowing he is ok.

We are now 31 weeks along and things are still going great. I love being pregnant and I can't wait to meet this little guy around 9 weeks from now! Its going to be amazing!