I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out how to access this account so there were SO many posts I wanted to write but didn't get too. I have to go back and read the post about having a positive pregnancy test because since then, I had a glorious summer off with Lydia that was filled with pretty terrible nausea all throughout the day and low energy that made playing with her sometimes a real challenge. I'll admit, there were many days that were a real struggle bus and made me mourn a bit the lost free summer with Lydia. Misquitos were also a real problem at home. But we did have tons of fun playing at the park, traveling to either Merrill or Tomahawk, library time, books, crafts, lots of travel to visit Grandma Mary and Aunt Bernadette and Evey and so on. We also took an amazing trip to Glacier with the whole Jacobson family where we announced our pregnancy (at a whole 12 weeks along). School started back up and I had the pleasure of continuing to soldier through another semester of commuting, testing, anatomy labs, and testing all while growing more and more pregnant. It was an awkward time as my classmates didn't really know what to do with me (I am a n=1 and only 1 of 2 mothers/parents in the class). I was pretty relieved to go on xmas break. Along the way, we had some health scares in that I got immensely big VERY quickly (good-bye to my running :(), had excess water and did a bunch of extra testing and scanning to make sure everything was ok. Everything kept checking out normally but it was sure stressful knowing all the things that could be wrong and all the medical resources to look at to scare myself silly. After a really great xmas break with some really really fun times with Lydia, I was off to my first 6 weeks of clinicals. 4 weeks of IM at Marshfield (6d/week and pretty long days, generally at least 6a-5p plus 2.5hrs of commuting). Then a week of psych where I got to just sit. I was supposed to do a final week but knowing that the main doc was coming back and hoping I'd go anyday, I called it done. But then no baby came...by Tuesday evening I was pretty nervous, at some point school would be expecting news of a babe! Wednesday still no babe. But then at 12a Thursday morning I woke up with contractions that were continuous and exceedingly uncomfortable...woke Kyle up and told him he could stay home from work. Contractions continued ~8min for 2min at a time but never got closer. As the morning progressed my frustration grew. We walked to copper lake and all the way out to the island and back. I'd have a contraction every 10min but that was it. Are you serious I thought? Then they picked back up to q6-8min but stayed that way. Kyle's folks came for dinner and a walk. Then they went home. All of a sudden I started timing things again and realized they were coming every 3-4min and lasting 2+min. I waited it out for a while and then went to show Kyle the timer schedule. He called his parents who said they would finish up dinner and be over. I got a little nervous wondering if that'd be soon enough but figured itd still be a while. I was definitely getting very very uncomfortable. I tried music, moved around in all different positions, sat on the ball which didn't help like it had for Lydia. I jumped in the shower and that did help. Finally, Kyle's folks came. I was in go mode. He tried to make the bed for them and I said, we just have to go! I tried to say goodbye with a normal face/composure and then collapsed in the car. Distinctly not feeling great. I texted Amy Falkenberg to tell her I would most definitely be getting an epidural. Kyle called the hospital to tell them we were coming and I told them to make sure they knew I wanted an epidural too. Kyle started our 50min drive and I tried not to count how many contractiosn I still had to get through before we got there. We were much too far away for my comfort at this point. About halfway there my contractiosn changed and I started screaming through each one. After a few I realized I was pushing! The baby was coming NOW. I told Kyle and he laughed. He was so nervous he didn't know what else to do. Luckily for me, he started driving faster! We got there and I could feel the baby's head during each contraction. He pulled up to the front and got a wheelchair. Registrtaion tried to stop up but I told them unless they wanted to deliver my baby, we needed to move! He ran me down the hall, up the elevator, and into the birthing center. I was hardly paying attention except to crawl in bed, they wanted me on my back but I couldn't tolerate it. Each contraction I just screamed through. The doc showed up, had me push and 4min later dumped a hot squirmy crying babe on my chest. Best moment and best feeling a momma can experience. It was amazing. Little Louise Frances, born 4 min after we got to the hospital at 7p. 8.5lbs and 19" (though I think she was actually bigger). Just a stitch or two and life and love filled our hearts once again-couldn't be more grateful and so happy for yet another gorgeous daughter. Her smile and chill personality, the way her face lights up everytime she sees me, how she sleeps so well at night, cracks a smile the minute she sees her big sister and is growing by leaps and bounds just has me bursting with joy and love every day. 6 weeks of maternity leave-amazing and much much much too short at the same time. Who knew how great kids would be? To experience life always wanting them to experience things and learn gives you an opportunity to re-explore the world at the same time. It is a most precious gift to live again with the wonder of a child as an adult. My heart is so full. I am such a lucky women.
followed by 1 week of in-patient psych that I just did with Trista
as the doc was off. For the month of IM, it was a huge learning curve, so much
course work, projects and presentations, long days, and 2.5hrs of driving on top
of it-it was pretty exhausting but interesting. The week of psych was nice
short hours but boring-probably a good way to head into maternity leave. I was
supposed to start a second week but I was so cashed and assuming the baby was
coming any minute that I emailed everyone on Monday to say I was in labor. Of
course, I grew more and more frustrated as the days passed and I wasn't in
labor! I got to the point where if I wasn't in labor after Thurs I was going to
go back, but lo and behold, I awoke at midnight Thursday morning in labor!
Things were going along well. I walked round, tried to eat little snacks, drink
lots of water, and just pass the time. I was able to doze on and off but knew
this was the real deal! In the morning I told Kyle we were a go but by 10a,
things really slowed down and I got pretty disheartened. We ended up taking
Lydia on a long walk down to copper lake, across the lake to the island and
back. I'd have a very strong contraction every 8-10min but that was it. I
really started to feel bad that Kyle had stayed home. Later that day, Grdma and
Grdpa Jacobson came to visit and we went for another long walk. Again, I'd have
a strong contraction every 5-10min but nothing was seeming to get faster. Then
they left and things really picked up. I stopped timing things because it was
pretty frustrating but I was definitely very uncomfortable, it was difficult
because Lydia wanted to see what I was up to and I was jonesing for a little
more support from Kyle but he had to hang with her. I showered, listened to
relaxing music, and tried all different positions. Finally I started timing
things and realized they were getting really close and long. We hemmed and
hawed about calling Sandy and Dave but finally did...they said they;d be back
over in 1.5hrs (since they had just got back to the cabin). I was a little
nervous about that but figured I still had plenty of time. I was definitely
exceedingly uncomfortable and concerned about how much worse it was going to
get. I texted Amy Falkenberg and told her I would probably be getting an
epidural because I didn't think I could do it. In-laws showed up and I barely
made it to car..I was getting grumpy with Kyle because he wasn't moving as quick
as I wanted and with an hour drive ahead of us we still had to get there. On
the drive I must have been laying in the perfect position because we weren't
more than 15min in the drive when the quality of the contractions changes and I
found myself screaming through each one. It took me a bit before it dawned on
me that this was pushing time! I told Kyle, I think I can feel the baby's
head...he laughed. I said, I'm serious. He started driving faster. We got to
the hospital about 7:05. He pulled up to the door, grabbed a wheelchair as I
screamed through another contraction and wheeled me in. They were trying to
register me at the front desk but I looked at them and said, unless you want to
deliver my baby right here, we are going to keep going. Run kyle. We got up
the stairs. To the room as I struggled through another contraction. The nurse
was like shit! The doc came flying in the room and asked how dilated I was. The
nurse said, I saw the baby's head on her last contraction. It was go time! 4
minutes later, after a lot of screaming and refusing to move from my side to my
back, a squirmy, super warm, snuggly little bundle of joy was dumped on my
chest. Louise Frances. Born 5 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. </P>
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