Jude is here!!

Our Christmas baby!!

Here is Jude's birth story:

We had spent the weekend before Christmas (22nd and 23rd) with my side of the family. I was feeling pretty good overall and pretty positive that I would be going to my doctor's appointment the 26th still pregnant. The night of the 23rd I spent it reading on the couch till about 11:00. As I went to stand up I could tell something was a bit off. I have always been told that your water breaking is not as it always appears on the movies. However, at this point it was just a trickle and I was not positive at all as to what it could be. You hear stories all the time of women going into the hospital and it end up being just a false alarm. I wanted to be sure of what was happening so I decided to just go to bed. Of course by this point I could not sleep at all as I was completely anxious and nervous as to what was happening. I got up to go to the bathroom several times that night and each time I could feel the trickle. Finally early that morning, I got Jeff up and told him what was going on. By that time I was a nervous wreck and confused! We went ahead and called the doctor to see what they suggested we do. They wanted us to come on in and get it all checked out, so we took our time getting ready that morning. We arrived at the hospital around 9 at which point they began running tests to see if my water had actually broke at all. Each test we took either showed to be inconclusive or negative. To be on the safe side they took us to an ultrasound to check on my amniotic fluid. The ultrasound showed there was plenty of fluid so therefore I was not leaking. By this point Jeff and I both believed that nothing was happening and we were headed home. We were even discussing what to have for lunch! They let us sit in the room a bit longer before discharging us at which point we both took a small nap. When I woke up I noticed once again that something wasn't right. I wake Jeff up and am pretty sure my water did officially break. He calls the nurse and at this point she is 100% positive my water did break! I was admitted into the hospital at 12:55 pm on Christmas Eve. Apparently my water might have been leaking all night but it didn't rupture till that morning. I guess I wasn't completely paranoid after all!

I was thrilled that Jude was actually on his way (Christmas Eve wasn't exactly a desirable time but we knew it would be a wonderful Christmas present). All family members were called and were headed on their way down. We knew we had some time as my contraction were minor and I could barely feel them. I relaxed by taking a shower in our room and watching tv. Jeff finally got his lunch with Quatro's Pizza (don't get my started on how difficult it was to not have any myself)! At this point not a lot was happening as I was only dilated at about 2 close to 3. They had decided they wanted to give me Pitocin to jump start my labor especially since my water had been broke since the night before. Before that was administered we got quite a scare as Jude's heart rate began to drop. I am not sure if I had ever been so scared in my life! His heart rate jumped back up but we couldn't figure out what had triggered it so we waited a bit on the Pitocin to give him some time to relax. We started out small on the dosage just to make sure he could handle it. Luckily he did great with it. As labor continued Jude's heart rate would occassionally drop down and we discovered it had to do with how I was positioned. I could not lay on my left side at all. For some reason he did not like it! I could sometimes lay on my back, but he loved my right side! So unfortunatley, I was stuck laying on my right side for most of the labor. I shouldn't have been too surprised as this was the side he preferred through my whole pregnancy as well! The Pitocin wasn't helping a ton as I was only dilating to a 4 and my contractions weren't getting that much worse. We upped it a bit more and eventually the contractions started to get worse but I still wasn't dilating. At this point Dr. Schneider recommended that I get the epidural as she believed it helped a lot of women relax and progress the labor. Jeff and I had been back and forth on our feelings about the epidural. To be copmletely honest I was not comfortable with getting it so trying to decide on whether to get it or not began to stress me out and the tears began to run! In the end Jeff and I decided that the epidural would be the best thing if it would help with getting Jude here quicker.By the time we made this decision my contraction were definitely a lot worse! My parents, sister, and Jeff were amazing through this whole process and I couldn't have done it without them.

Second time holding him!

Dr. Schneider was definitely right on how the epidural would help! I went from a 4 to a 7 in no time flat! Let me just say that the epidural compeltely knocked me out and I actually was able to sleep. The only problem through all this is that Jude was deciding to be a bit uncooperative. He wouldn't move his head to where it needed to be so my labor would not progress any further. Of course the option of moving me around in order ot help him move was out of the questions since he only liked my right side. The only other option was to up the Pitocin a little bit more. I would say that within the hour I began to feel a new pressure and that was the sign that Jude was ready. Dr. Schneider decided it was time to push and within 10 minutes Jude was here!

He arrived Christmas morning at 1:54 a.m. Yes, we did not want to have to give him a Christmas birthday, but in the end it will be the best Christmas we will ever have! Jude was 6 lbs and 12 oz and 20 inches long. A perfectly healthy baby!

Proud daddy!

Great-Grandma

Spending time with Grandpa!

Another happy Grandpa!

Meeting Grandma

First time with Mimi!

Aunt Lindsey!

 

Our first family shot together! Since it was Christmas Jude got to have his own stocking! 

It was definitely a bit different to spend Christmas in the hospital, but with Jude in our lives now it did not matter in the least. We were finally able to head home the 26th with all the snow that we received!

 

Ready to head home for the first time!

Jude's first snowfall!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy some of our family shots!!

Relaxing with daddy!

He loves his swing!

Just a few days old!

Working on our tummy time!

Ready to head out in the cold for the first time since coming home!

Love his face!

Getting so old already!

 

38-39 Weeks

Well, I am officially 39 weeks today. There are moments where I truly feel he could be here anytime and then I am back to feeling almost normal. Right now it is still just a waiting game! I had my doctor's appointment Wednesday for a check up. Everything still looks great between my weight, growth, blood pressure, and Jude's heartbeat (his heartbeat is 130)! I almost forgot that I hadn't explained my ultrasound and appointment from the 12th! We have wonderful new pictures of our little man below. In good news, he has turned head down so no worries about a c-section as of right now. He is also 6 pounds and 14 oz. Probably over 7 pounds by now! I am 1 cm dilated at the moment (not as near as much as I would like), still half effaced, and he's dropped just a bit more. Dr. Tsung explained that I really could go anytime so not to let the only 1 cm dilated to discourage me. My next appointment is the 26th. If we don't have him by then I am hoping that we will be closer so he can be here before January. I can definitely feel more pressure and cramping and know that is a good sign of him hopefully being here soon. Our hospital bags are officially packed and in the vehicle along with the car seat. In addition, our photographer has been contacted and I have been busy looking for newborn photo ideas. Needless to say we are as ready as we can be right now. Please keep prayers and thoughts coming our way as we are nearing the birth of Jude and our adventure as parents!

School is completely finished as of today. I will definitely miss my kids but know I will enjoy this time home with Jude more than anything. They have been such a great class during this time, even spoiling me with quite a few baby gifts! :)
I am glad that I finally get a few days to try and relax with no school. I have been so sore here lately and not sleeping at all that school has been a little rough!

We will start celebrating Christmas this weekend. Everyone will be heading this way at some point so we do not have to travel. I am thankful to get to spend the holidays here in our own home. I am sad that I am not able to do all the Christmas baking that I did last year, but I guess I should enjoy being spoiled for this year as everyone cooks for us!

38 Weeks-I need to get a week 39 picture now!

Close up of Jude

I am wondering if that is a little bit of hair on top of his head??

Still definitely a boy!

Profile

How far along? 39 weeks and 1 day!

Total weight gain: The same!

Maternity clothes? Nothing new.

Stretch marks? Still in the clear......praying it stays that way!!!!!!!

Sleep: I seem to wake up every couple of hours. I have also noticed that I am sleeping best when I can kind of sleep upright on the couch.

Best moment this week: Spending the last week of school with my kids and celebrating Christmas. Of course, putting last minute baby touches on everything here at home and hearing Jude's heartbeat cannot be matched!

Miss Anything? Actually being able to lay down without hurting!

Movement: He still wiggles and hiccups quite a bit. He even had the hiccups during our ultrasound.

Food cravings: No cravings

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Labor Signs: Just more pressure and cramping...the Braxton hicks contractions are coming a bit more frequently too.

Belly Button in or out? The top is sticking out more!

Wedding rings on or off? On....still no swelling!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy except when super tired!

Looking forward to: Christmas with all the family and spending it in our home for the first time. Most importantly we are looking forward to the arrival of Jude! :)

36-37 Weeks!

Week 37...I can hardly believe it! I must say the closer we are getting the less anxious I am becoming and just want him to be here. I have to be honest, I got a little emotional earlier this week because I wanted him here so much. Jeff had to remind me that we want a healthy baby and the longer I can keep him inside me the better off we are. I know this to be true, but it is still so difficult to wait!

We had a doctor's appointment December 3rd. This was my first weekly check-up appointment. We found out at this point that I still hadn't dropped all the way (didn't figure I had), was a fingertip dilated, and was about half effaced. The doctor said my weight gain and blood pressure were great and so was Jude's heartbeat (150 beats per minute). The only news from the appointment that has us a bit worried is that they are still uncertain of whether he had turned the correct way or not. We have an ultrasound scheduled for December 12th so hopefully we can see exactly what he is doing. There are times when I think he is turned how he needs to be, and then other times I have no idea what he is doing! I must say though that I keep feeling him move more and more! I won't complain about having another ultrasound because I think it will be wonderful to see him this far along! However, I am still praying that he will make the turn but if that doesn't happen I have faith that everything will still be for the best. Most importantly we want Jude to enter this world in the safest and healthiest way possible. :)

37 week picture

Our breastfeeding class went well. I was so proud of Jeff for attending (not a lot of dads care to). Many of the information presented I had already read about and was told from friends, but it was nice to hear it all again. It was especially great for Jeff because now I think he will know how to help me out more especially when I hit that point of  "I can't do this anymore!"

We finished up Christmas shopping this past week and I have all the presents wrapped! What a wonderful feeling to be done and not have to worry about it. Of course, we have no idea when we will actually get to celebrate Christmas with anyone, but that is okay! I am hoping with the next post to have some of our Christmas decor pictures.

I am officially beginning to feel ready for my maternity leave. I have everything planned up until Christmas break and have gone over everything with Katie (my maternity leave). I am definitely looking forward to having the weeks off with Jude!

Our nursery is officially finished too! Please enjoy all of the pictures!

The Crib!

The tennis rackets belonged to Jeff's grandma!

Old toys that belonged to Jeff's dad.

More old toys that belonged to grandpa!

Hard to kind of see....but my mom got us this plane and it looks adorable hanging in front of the window!

Rocking chair-present from my mamaw and papaw!

Inside of closet...the clothes are organized by size thanks to etsy, and the baskets and containers also help with organization1

Jeff had to add the Cardinals picture :)

 

Dresser-changing pad-all the neat vintage decor from Jeff's family plus a few extra presents!

Fell in love with these signs!

As you walk into the room....

This old window belonged to Jeff's grandma so I painted for Jude's bathroom!

Thirty-one storage for the bathroom!

How far along? 37 weeks (and 2 days)

Total weight gain: 27 pounds (yikes!)

Maternity clothes? Same old story...I am getting really tired of wearing the same things over and over again though!

 

Stretch marks? So far so good.....

Sleep: Depends on the night. Some nights I do okay and others I do not sleep a wink. Heartburn has finally crept up on me and it loves to keep me up at night.

Best moment this week: Hearing the Jude's heartbeat again. Wrapping Christmas presents (puts me in the holiday spirit), and spending time with Jeff and his fire department Christmas parties.

Miss Anything? Probably not having heartburn......

Movement: A definite wiggle worm!

Food cravings: Nothing really. Although I was craving McDonald's today!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks and mind cramping but that's it.

Symptoms: Braxton hicks, hot flashes, heartburn, leg cramps......

Belly Button in or out? Flat!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! :)

Looking forward to: Our ultrasound on Wednesday will be exciting! Continuing to get the final things in order for Jude's arrival. Our hospital bag is packed along with as much as I can of the baby bag. I have washed some of Jude's clothes. I don't want to wash all because we don't know what size he will be yet! I will be calling our photographer this week to confirm our newborn pictures! I am of course looking forward to all the holiday excitement!

35 Weeks

We had a busy holiday week with Thanksgiving and my dad's wedding. I quickly came to the realization through it all that I just cannot do as much as I did before the pregnancy! Wednesday I had a doctor's appointment. It was nothing more than a quick check. She let me know that everything was normal and I was doing well. There is still a concern about Jude not turning, but we have a few weeks left for him to do so. As my husband and dad both said, "He has a mind of his own just like his mom!" I have my next appointment on December 3rd and from that point on will have them every week. It's crazy to think we are to that point! Jeff, Kasey, and I left on Thursday morning to have Thanksgiving with his family. We had a delicious meal and were able to see Kari's Snoopy room for both Jude and Blaize. That night I had my first Black Friday experience. I have avoided the whole tradition for years now, but Jeff found some luggage at a good price at Kohls and had me convinced to go. We got here at a 11 pm and were not in bed until 2 in the morning! That is a lot for pregnant woman in my stage! :) However, we did get the luggage plus a few other things for me! We had Thanksgiving Friday with my mom and then Sunday with my dad. In between all that we did some Christmas shopping and had my dad's wedding! I cannot express enough how lucky I am to have such a wonderful and supportive husband. By Saturday night I was exhausted and in pain and he did nothing but take the best of care of me. He will without a doubt make a perfect daddy!

After we came home Sunday, I spent the rest of the evening working up at my classroom trying to get ready for my maternity leave. My sub is spending from here on out with me and the kids getting to know our routine. I am lucky to have someone who can spend this much time with us. I can already tell that she is going to be fantastic with the kids.
Christmas decorations are already up. My husband was wonderful and took of the outside lights last night. I have a picture below of Jude's first ornament! Love it! :)

This week we hope to get the final touches on Jude's room and hopefully most of our Christmas shopping done. I am ready to get the wrapping done and everything out of the way. I just keep thinking of how we only have 4 1/2 weeks left until he is hopefully here! Right now everyone is my family is beginning to take bets on when he will arrive. Most agree that they do not think I will make it to Christmas. I guess we will just have to wait and see!

35 Weeks....in front of one one of our Christmas trees!

How far along? 35 weeks (and 3 days)

Total weight gain: I cannot believe that I have gained 24 pounds!

Maternity clothes? Same old same old

Stretch marks? Not that I can tell yet

Sleep: Definitely not getting enough! I know it is just in preparation for Jude!

Best moment this week: Jude's continuous movement cannot be beat! Purchasing his stocking was pretty neat too!

Miss Anything? Not having back pain!

Movement: I feel like I have an earthquake in my belly sometimes!

Food cravings: Nope

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Labor Signs: I get braxton hicks when I haven't emptied my bladder enough or I overdo it.

Symptoms: Mostly back and leg pain...I need to find more time to keep walking. The weather just isn't cooperating!

Belly Button in or out? Flat and out on top!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: My breastfeeding class on Wednesday and my 36 week appointment on Monday. I am getting checked to see if I am dilated and if little Jude has turned yet!

Weeks 33-34

We just keep getting busier and busier as time nears for Jude's arrival! I am officially 34 weeks today. I had a doctor's appointment last Thursday. They say everything looks great and normal so far :)
I go again on Wednesday the 21st, and after that appointment I will begin going every week.

On the 3rd we went to our birthing class at the hospital in Carbondale. It was a LONG day, but we both felt it was worth it. I am one of those people to where the unknown just drives me crazy. Being able to have a tour of the birthing center really eased my fears. The nurse there was great even giving us labor position demonstrations! It gave me so much more to even think about! I will go there again on the 28th for my breastfeeding class which I heard was terrific.

As time nears closer for our little Jude to be here, I realize more and more how blessed we truly are. We had our shower back home in Bridgeport on the 10th. Jim and Kari were kind enough to plan and throw the shower at their home. This was no easy feat as more people showed up than we imagined, so we had a full house! This just continued to help me realize how many people we have that love us and support us, and will of course in return love Jude to no end.

We are currently working on making a decision towards a babysitter for Jude when I have to go back to work. This decision is almost a painful one for me as I cannot imagine letting anyone else take care of him for so many hours while I have to work. I just try to always remember that God will help us in making the right decision for who will best care for him. Work on Jude's room is continuing. I must stay that everything is almost ready and organized (at least as best as it can be). We will be heading to Evansville tomorrow to pick up a few more necessities. Needless to say my mind is going a mile a minute trying to keep track of everything we need. I have begun preparing our hospital bag and the baby bag this week as well. I have great friends who have been helping me along the way with advice on what will be necessary and what we can leave behind or not purchase. Once again it is just another way of showing us how blessed we are for such supportive friends.

As far as school goes, I am going to begin preparing the room and plans for my maternity leave next week. The girl who will do the maternity leave will start visiting and shadowing me as soon as Thanksgiving break is over. I am of course always nervous to leave my classroom and kids in someone else's hands, but I know that once Jude is here he will be my complete priority! I love how in the hallways students will always make such cute comments! "You have a baby in your belly!" or "Your belly is getting bigger, Mrs. Moye!" Of course my favorite is when I hear "You don't even look pregnant from behind!" (I feel very lucky for that)!

In other news we are shopping for my sister's bridal gown tomorrow! Can't believe my little sister will be getting married! We will be heading back home next week to spend Thanksgiving with our families, and to attend my dad's wedding on Saturday!

Below are some pictures from our shower in Bridgeport along with my week 33 and week 34 pictures. I hope to post more pictures of the baby's room soon!

Can you believe chocolate letters for his name??

Delicious food!

Start of our shower

Blanket that my mom made for Jude!

Yes, we are starting him early as a firefighter! My cousin made a great find with this one!

Our swing!

33 weeks!

34 Weeks-I feel ready to pop!

Future uniform!

Firefighter Kasey will be Jude's best friend!

I am quite impressed with my mom's handmade blanket!

Had to add a picture of all the "Grandpa" things from my dad. I just love how it brings a touch of my dad into Jude's life!

How far along? 34 weeks

Total weight gain: 21 pounds

Maternity clothes? Still the same stuff I bought a couple of months ago. I did just receive some nursing pajamas today though! They are quite comfy!

Stretch marks? I don't see any yet.

Sleep:Not consistent at all! I toss and turn most of the night :(

Best moment this week: Oh wow! Still too many. Jude's constant movements are amazing! Our shower was such a blessing and I loved every minute of it too.

Miss Anything? It's hard to miss a thing when I know all of this is for our little guy :)

Movement: I feel him quite often every single day!

Food cravings: Nope

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are a bit stronger at times

Symptoms: My huge belly for starters!!!!!

Belly Button in or out? Flat and a little bit out at the top

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Wedding dress shopping with my sister tomorrow and finishing up Jude's room!