Sophia Renee-Marie Tyree

Let me first say that I don't know how you Mommy bloggers continue to blog once you have a baby. I feel like I don't have any time to sit down and write and the only reason I am able to do this blog now is because my little girl is asleep.

This post is going to be all about my labor and delivery story. This may be long so you if choose to skim then that is totally up to you. That's what the scroll bar is for and hey, I won't know what you read and don't read, ha ha!

On Friday, March 13, I had a monitoring session for the baby. My due date was March 9th and because I hadn't delivered yet, they wanted to see me every two days to monitor the baby and then if I didn't go into labor by March 16, then they would talk about inducing me. I discussed with Daniel about possibly seeing if I could be induced early just because I was in so pain. He agreed and said he would support whatever I chose. We went to my appointment on Friday and when I got to the monitoring session, I asked about being induced and she said I would have to talk to the Dr. I finished with my monitoring session and went to talk to the Dr. I got called back and he asked what was wrong as everything looked out on the monitoring and that I wasn't having any contractions. I asked if I could be induced early and the Dr looked at me like I was crazy and said that there was no logical reason why I should be induced. I told him that I was just so uncomfortable and that I was in pain. Daniel chimed in and said that I was just always in pain. The Dr said that since I was in pain that they would try with the induction. I headed back to the monitoring room and they got me set up with an Oxytocin (pretty similar to Pitocin) drip and continued with that for about 4 hours. Unfortunately, I didn't have a reaction to it. I went to bed that night and hoped that I would start with having contractions through out the night.

Saturday morning we woke up (Yes, Daniel was able to stay with me at the hospital,) and went back down for monitoring. They started me on a new regimen which is called a Tampon Insert. It apparently looks just like a Tampon and has some gel on that they say is supposed to help with induction. At 10 am I was feeling as though I was having contraction so we went back for monitoring and the midwife told me that she wasn't seeing that I was having contractions. We walked around the hospital hoping that it would help with starting labor. At 12 pm we went back for another monitoring session and I told the midwife I was feeling contractions and after the 30 minute session she said that she still wasn't seeing anything on the monitor. I asked her what I was feeling and she pretty much told me that I wasn't feeling anything. I was not a fan of my midwife at this point. When we got back to my room I expressed to Daniel with how frustrated I was. At about 2 pm I told Daniel that he should go home and try and relax for a bit. He hadn't eaten since Monday morning before we left for the appointment so I told him to go home and get some food and to try and relax. At about 4 pm, I told Daniel that I thought I was starting to feel to contractions. He decided that he would come back and we would go back to monitoring to see. At 6 pm, we went back to monitoring and I told the midwife that I was starting to feel contractions. She monitored me for 30 minutes and when she came back I asked if she was able to see anything on the monitor and she said no, The Dr came in at this point and said that they could start me on the triple cocktail (castor oil, orange juice and champagne) if I wanted to and I told her that I didn't want to try that option as I didn't drink alcohol. She told me that was fine and that they would start me on a new regimen in the morning and to try and get some sleep.

Sunday morning they started me on a vaginal gel insert which is pretty similar to the tampon insert but they put it directly on my cervix. They did this at 9 am and again at 2 pm. I waited around all day for contractions but nothing happened. Again, I feel as tho I was having contractions but the midwives kept telling me that they weren't seeing anything on the monitor. At one point when Daniel and I were back in my room I could see that something was wrong with me. I asked what was bothering him and he said nothing but eventually I got him to talk to me. He was saying that he was just frustrated that nothing was working and that he felt as tho we were wasting our time at the hospital and that we could be relaxing at home. He told me that he felt like I was hoping to go him and get a miracle on Friday and that I would have the baby with in a few hours. I told him that I understood and that I was frustrated as well. We discussed our options and decided that maybe it was for the best that we ask about going home. I said a prayer before bed and asked if I our decision was the right thing.

Monday morning I told Daniel that it might be best to just go home and let nature take it's course. The Dr came in my room and said that they were going to be doing the vaginal gel insert again and I asked if it was a possibility to just go home and he said that was fine. They would need to see me again on Wednesday for monitoring and as long as the baby and I were fine they would let me go home and then they would need to see me again on Friday of that week and if nothing happened still that they would need to keep me at the hospital at this point and start with the induction again. Daniel packed up all our luggage and then we went back for one more monitoring session. When we were done I stood up and thought that I felt my water break but told myself that it didn't. There was barely a trickle of water so I told myself that I just must have leaked a little bit. We walked back to my room to get all our luggage and I went to the bathroom before we left and I looked inside my underwear and saw the water and saw that it also went through my pants as well. I decided that my water must have broke so I came out of the bathroom and I told Daniel that my water broke and oh man I wish I could have had a camera at this point so that I could have captured the priceless look on his face. We went back to monitoring and the midwife checked my cervix and tested whether it was my water breaking or just amniotic fluid and she said that it was my water. Well....so much for going home LOL

She told me to come back at 1 pm and they would check me again. That is what is weird about German hospitals. I figure once my water broke that they would want me in a hospital gown and to keep in close for monitoring. Having a child in a different country is definietly a different experience.

At 1045 I told Daniel that I was having alot stronger of contractions and to see if I could get something for the pain. We went back and she checked my cervix and told me that I was only at 2 cm. She gave me two suppositories, one to take now and one to take in 30 minutes. We went back to my room and I was just continually in pain. I was either laying in bed or sitting in a rocking chair trying to get into a comfortable position but nothing seemed to help. I want to give a shout out to my husband because he was there for me through every contraction. Holding my hand, dealing with my hard squeezes and continually telling me how great I was doing and also telling me to breath through each one. At 1 pm we went back for monitoring and I told the midwife that I was still in a TON of pain. She checked my cervix again and told me that I was only 2.5 cm and that I still couldn't get an epidural (I had to be 3 cm for that to happen.) She told me that she would start me on an IV drip for pain. Once it was all set up, I just started to cry because of the pain. She came in and told me not to cry and that everything would be OK. Within about 10 minutes, Daniel noticed that I wasn't in much pain anymore but didn't say anything. I guess 1.5 hrs passed by because the next thing I know it's 230 and the midwife came in and told me to undress so that they could check my cervix. Once they were finished I turned over and a few minutes passed by and the Dr came in the room and told us that they were going to have to do a c-section. Daniel and I were thinking the same thing and he asked, "Is there any other alternative?" We both knew that this is not what we wanted as I wanted to have a vaginal delivery. The Dr said that it was the only option as the baby's heart rate had dropped too low. Things progressed quite quickly from there. 

They wheeled me down to the OR with Daniel by my side holding my hand and telling me that everything was going to be OK. He told me that he would be right back. They got me set up and started to do the spinal block so that I could be awake for the surgery. They tried poking me 6 different times but nothing would take. They told me that they would have to do a local anesthesia. I asked where my husband was and they said in the other room. They started to put me under and I was going to start crying but told myself to stay calm and that everything was going to be OK. The next thing I know, I'm waking up in a completely different room I think one of the nurses saw me with my eyes open and said, "congratulations you're a mom." I asked 3 questions once I was able to. Is she OK? Is she a she? (The Dr's were never really sure.) and Is my husband with her? All 3 questions were answered with a yes. They wheeled me back up to monitoring where my husband and the baby were. I heard Daniel's voice but couldn't see him. I asked how the baby was doing and he said she was beautiful and healthy. The midwife got me cleaned up and then they gave me the baby. The Dr came in and asked how my pain level was and I told him that it was probably at a 10. He said that was normal and that recovery was about 3-4 days.

Sophia Renee-Marie Tyree was born at 3:13 local time and weighed 7.25 lbs and 21 inches long. We are so grateful for everything and are grateful for our little girl. Here a few photos of her first days of life :)

40 weeks!!

So, yesterday marked my 40 weeks/my due date! Unfortunately, Sophia has still decided to stay inside. I went in yesterday for my 40 week check up and the baby is still doing good. I will continue to go in for monitoring every 2 days and if I don't have her by Monday (the 16th) then I will be induced. I really hope that I don't have to be induced as I would like her to come naturally but I guess I understand and I definietly want whats best for her.

I wasn't sure if I was going to share this story but I decided that maybe this will help other mother's out there. On Friday (the 6th), I went in for my OB appointment and everything went well. That night while I was cooking dinner I felt like I was almost having contractions. I felt pain in my pelvis but when I stopped to sit or lay down, the pain went away. I figured this was just normal pains and that everything was OK. That night as I laying in bed trying to go to sleep I realized that I hadn't felt the baby move in quite a while. I started to get worried so I pushed around on my stomach and tried to get her to move. I still never really felt her move but decided that everything was fine. I woke up Saturday morning and started worrying again as I still couldn't feel her move. I informed Daniel of this about an hour later and we decided that we would go to the hospital. After taking a shower, I sat down to call the Doctor and I just lost it. I couldn't even make the phone call to the doctor without crying. I asked Daniel if he would call for me and see what they said. They told me to come down and they would check everything out. My wonderful husband took me down there and might I add went faster than normal (thank goodness for the autobahn, lol). We got there and she set me up for monitoring and found the heartbeat right away. When she left the room, I started crying again. It was such a relief to know that she was OK. When I was done, I asked the midwife if she was OK because I still hadn't felt her move. She showed me on the graph that they do monitor when she moves and that she was moving enough and even though I couldn't feel her move that she was still moving. It was such an emotionally exhausting day and I'm just glad that everything turned out OK.

I went in for monitoring again yesterday and still hadn't really felt her move. I just need to remember that she is running out of room and that she may not move as much as normal. The midwife came in and scared me because she asked if I had felt the baby move and I said no. She had me take some deep breaths and waited a few minutes and then looked at the graph again and said that she was moving but not alot. I really do hope that even though she isn't moving very much that she is doing OK and that she will come out a happy and healthy baby. I think with this being my first pregnancy and first child that I am going to worry about everything but I truly hope that she will come out healthy and without any complications.

Hopefully she shows up soon!

4 weeks to go :)

I've been trying to keep this up to date more but with the last few weeks of this pregnancy my mind has pretty much gone to scrambled eggs. I don't always forget things but I just feel like I'm running on fumes. I just have to keep reminding myself that I only have 4 weeks left :) :) :) 

Some days I realize that I am going to miss being pregnant but other days I just can't wait for it all to be over. I haven't really been in much pain or discomfort up until this last month. About 7 months along I started getting really uncomfortable pains in my stomach (yeah, gotta love those Braxton hicks.) Then very recently I have been VERY and I mean VERY uncomfortable when I sleep. Before I got pregnant, I always slept on my stomach. Now that I'm getting bigger, it's getting harder to try and find a comfortable position to sleep. I recently spoke with my sister and she suggested to put a pillow between my legs and then that way the bottom of my stomach could rest on that instead of laying it on the bed. Let me tell you that my sister was EXACTLY right. Last night was the first night that I actually slept without waking up every hour on the hour. I just hope that I can continue to sleep well. I know that sleep is pretty much gone since I'm pregnant and now that I will have a newborn baby but it's nice to be able to get some kind of sleep while I can.

I was going through my checklist the other day and realized that there are a few things that I still need but thankfully with each passing day, I am able to either order the item I'm missing or am able to find a family or friend who is willing to help us out. Recently, I put the word out that I was looking for a baby bassinet and thankfully a friend from our church let us know that since his wife was expecting twins this time around that they were going to be buying a bigger bassinet and that they were going to be selling their other one. I was so grateful to find this out and was even more grateful for the WONDERFUL price that they were able to offer me. This bassinet probably goes for around $100-150 and they sold it to us for $40. This bassinet is lovely and I can't wait until we can officially use it. 

I want to give a big shout out to my husband before I forget. Recently, my back has started hurting so much that it's unbearable. I've tried to do what I can to relieve the pain but nothing has helped. I told my husband what was going on and he took care of me. Rubbed my back, gave me Tylenol, comforted me, drew me a hot bath (let me tell you that this really helps,) etc. I know that most husband's deal with alot of crap while their wives are pregnant and I just want to say that my husband and grinned and beared it through it all. I love him unconditionally and I'm glad that he can still love me even through this all. :) . 

36 weeks and counting!!!!

So as I stated in my last post, the Dr has changed my due date from March 18 to March 9. Again, I think it's been like this since I arrived in Germany but never really paid much attention when we were at my appointments.

I am happy to say that I am FINALLY done with all the baby shopping!!!! YAY YAY!!!!! Daniel got paid this last week and we were able to get the rest of the things that we needed. We still do need a few things but they are very minor that it won't really matter right now. It is just nice to know that we are done shopping and done with all the nursery decorations and that all we need to do now is wait for the little miss to show up :)

So, for the first time the other day I experienced Braxton Hicks Contractions! Let me tell you right now that if you are or have ever been pregnant and not had the pleasure of experiencing these than you are one of the lucky few. They hurt like crazy. Yes, I know that it's just my body trying to get ready for the real thing but if real contractions hurt anything like the practice one's then I am for sure going to get an Epidural!! I may sound like a wimp but hey if I don't have to feel them then great!!

Not much else is going on with us right now. Everyday is just another day waiting for our little girl to show up. I just hope that she decides to come on her due date so that I don't have to go through the agony of waiting or being in pain/discomfort. Here's to hoping :)

Almost there :)

So we had a DR appointment this last week and the Dr asks how I'm feeling at almost 34 weeks. I look at him shocked and say, "I'm only 32 weeks." He looks over the paperwork and says that I am 33 weeks and 1 day. I guess it's been like this since I arrived here in Germany but never really listened when they said it. My due date is now March 9 and not March 18. It's crazy to think that we have 9 less days to wait for our little girl's arrival. It does make me realize that there are still quite a few things that I want to buy before her arrival. When Daniel gets paid in February it's going to be a big baby haul and hopefully we can find everything that we need so that I don't have to worry about it after this. Thankfully my family sent me a package for Christmas that finally arrived a few weeks ago and it was packed full of clothes, blankets, etc.

I am grateful for all the Lord has blessed us with and for everything that I know he will continue to bless us with throughout this year.

Only 10 weeks left :)

WOW! I can't believe that I only have 10 weeks left until I get to hold my baby girl in my arms. (Hopefully she doesn't decide to come late because oh boy, lol)

I came to the realization the other day that I really only have 10 weeks left and yet I still have so much I need to buy for the baby. Thankfully alot of the big things have been bought. There are a few things that I want to get but if we don't get them then it's not the end of the world. I do have a list of essential things that I know we need to buy but unfortunately with my husband's paycheck being shorted this week (more on that later,) we are just going to have to wait until next month. 

Thankfully a friend from the church has offered to host a baby shower so hopefully I will get some more needed things. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I was going to have a baby shower as I didn't really know anyone around here and with my family being in the states. This friend is wonderful and I'm grateful that she is willing to host a baby shower for me.

So....as I said before about my husband's paycheck. Let's go back a few months. My husband found out that he needed to go down and talk to someone in finance as there was something wrong with how we were being paid. Somewhere along the line, he was being overpaid or underpaid (I can't remember which one), and we had to pay that money back. We were told that we would get a big check at the beginning of the month and then nothing for quite a few months. I believe this is so they could figure out what happened. Well, apparently, my husband checked his pay stub for this next paycheck and found out that they were again trying to take more money out and we were going to have a very TINY paycheck. Thankfully, we didn't have much due this paycheck and with being diligent in paying our tithing I knew that the Lord would help us with this speed bump. Apparently, they still hadn't been taking out the money we owed so they decided to take it all out in the biggest chunks possible. Well, this can't happen. Unfortunately, we aren't made of money and we need this paychecks to survive month to month. We got a payment plan worked out and thankfully they are only going to be taking a little bit out at a time. I just hope this time they have figured it out and that we won't be dealing with anymore of these issues. The only plus to this situation is that they weren't paying us for the time when I arrived overseas and we weren't getting our COLA (Cost of living allowance) to live overseas. So thankfully we will see this money and hopefully we can get the things we need for the baby.

Back to the baby, it's crazy how time flies. I still can't believe that I only have 10 weeks left. I look at my growing stomach every day and just think, wow, there really is a little baby in there. Sometimes and it's rare, but I forget that I'm pregnant. That is until I bend over to pick something up or until I've peed for the millionth time that day. I do rely on Daniel to help me out and thankfully he is always willing to help me out no matter what. 

Decisions, Decisions!

So as the title of this post states, we have many decisions to be making for this upcoming year.

When I went in for my most recent OB appointment we found out that our little girl is still Breech. The Dr told us that it is nothing to worry about as things change all the time but if the baby is still like that closer to the end of my pregnancy that we would most likely have to do a C-Section. I have gotten advice from family and friends but it is still ultimately up to us on what we decide to do. Hopefully our little girl decides to go head first and then we won't have to worry about it :)

Daniel and I have also been talking about what we want to put on our Dream Sheet for the Airforce. For those of you who forgot, a Dream Sheet is a list of places that you want to be sent to after this base. You can choose up to 8 and when the time comes for you to PCS, then they go over that list and see whether or not you are needed at your first choice base and then so on until they can find you somewhere to live. We definietly want to go back to the states if possible so that we can be closer to family and not be thousands of miles away. We for sure have picked one in Colorado (where my family is) and one in Texas (where Daniel's family is) and then a few all over. A few on the East Coast and a few on the West Coast and then one in Hawaii!

Hopefully everything will begin to fall into place for us and that the Lord will guide us in the direction that we need to be.