Name Change

We've changed Bristol's name just a bit.  A couple of months ago, I started freaking out and didn't like the name we had chosen.  After talking with Michael, he talked some sense into my prego hormonal self and we decided to keep the first name, Bristol.  However, we wanted to make part of her name a family thing since Joey's entire name is all in honor of several family members.  

After just a few seconds of talking, we agreed on the middle name "Fay" in honor of Michael's maternal grandmother.  She was a very amazing woman and we are both very honored and grateful to have had someone so amazing in our lives.  

Hold on world, Bristol Fay is going to be someone that is truly going to awe you!  :)  

35 Weeks

I finally had my first appointment with my North Carolina doctors this week.  I was super anxious for this appointment since we are in the final stretch before the big show and I had TONS of questions for my new doc(s).

The most important question was if they perform Vaginal Birth After C-Section (VBAC).  If they did not, then it looked like I would automatically be having a c-section again due to the very limited amount of time I had left before my due date to find a doctor/hospital that did.  Fortunately, this doctor does perform VBACs  if the lady is a good candidate.  The main concern is where my prior internal c-section incision is located.  If it is a vertical incision, then no VBAC for me.  If it is a horizontal cut, then we're good to go.  Unfortunately, my prior doctor's office sent all of my records except for the actual delivery report!  Ugh!  So, now we have to wait on the records to arrive to my new doctor before they can determine which route we will be going.  

If Bristol is breech, we will automatically have a c-section, as well.  As of this past Wednesday, she was head down and sitting pretty low in my pelvis!  Holla!  As long as she stays that way, we're good to go!  However, I have felt her flipping around this weekend.  I have been feeling her hiccups down in my pelvis, but this weekend, her hiccups were up under my ribs.  This made me think that she may have been head up at that moment.  Baby girl needs to stop being an overachiever and get her butt in the proper position! 

  

I think I look pregnant now!  :)  35 weeks!

I have noticed with this pregnancy that I have had way more sharp pains in my ribs.  I'm assuming this is her kicking me!  If Joey was breech for awhile, that may explain why I never had those types of pains in my ribs.  

I've also had some menstrual-like cramping and pelvic pressure over the past few weeks.  The doctor said that was probably baby girl getting into position.  

Bristol's heart rate was good and she was measuring great, according to the doctor.  My weight gain, or lack thereof, was not even discussed.  However, I did gain three pounds since my last appointment, putting me three pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight.  I'm not seriously concerned about this since I haven't gained any weight until now.  Plus, being with other adults and eating lots of good southern cooking, is not helping!  

I can't believe that I may have another baby in 5 weeks!  If I am going to have a c-section, then I will be having my baby between 39-40 weeks...aka in 4 weeks!!!  YIKES!  I'm not going to lie, the thought of having a newborn again, plus dealing with demanding toddler is seriously stressing me out.  I remember how much I wanted time to fly by when I was at the end of my pregnancy with Joey.  I couldn't wait to not be pregnant and to meet our little guy.  This time around, I am begging father time to slow his butt down!  I am so grateful that I will have lots of family around to help for the first 6 weeks, but I know we're on our own after that and that is a very scary thought.  In my opinion, Joey was a very demanding and high strung newborn.  I didn't like being a mom until he was 4 months old.  I know that most siblings are complete opposites of each other, but I am preparing myself for another "Joey newborn".  Hopefully, Bristol will be the most mellow and easy-going baby and all of this worry and concern was over nothing.  I know there's no need to worry and I can only take one day at a time.  So, for the time being, I am trying to enjoy any free time I have right now and my alone time with just Joey.  If I thought the ride was rough before, I'm in for a rude awakening, I feel.    

Doctor Woes

One of the concerns with leaving our home so late in the pregnancy was troubles finding a doctor that would accept a 33-week pregnant lady as a new patient.  Many doctors will not take a new patient if they are past a certain amount of weeks, like 20 or 30 weeks.  I've heard many stories of military families that moved late in their pregnancies and had to go to an emergency room to deliver their babies due to not being able to find a doctor in their new homes.  How horrible is that?!?!

Fortunately, my mom works at a hospital and knows lots of the staff so she was able to do a lot of the leg work months before we arrived in North Carolina!  She had set up appointments with a general doctor (I have to go to a primary care physician, PCM, in order to get a referral to other doctors) and an OB/GYN.  All doctors were aware of my situation and were more than willing to take me on!  Woo hoo!  No stress in that department...

Until we arrive in North Carolina!  The PCM that I had my appointment with had been dropped by my insurance company.  Crap.  This meant that I had to find a new PCM.  After days on the phone with my insurance company and a couple of docs in the area, I finally found one that would take me in.  

The next problem that arose was the OB that already had my records and was waiting on me, was also not able to see my anymore due to insurance issues.  Are you freaking kidding me?!  The OB was the doc that I really needed to be on board!  Since we had been having so many issues with my insurance, I decided to be proactive and find out what OB I would be referred to by my PCM and call them up.  The new OB's office was super nice, but, unfortunately, did not take new patients after 20 weeks.  Damn.  After talking with one of the office staff for a little while and going into my whole situation, she told me to bring in my records and if my prenatal care was on par, they may accept me.  I took my records in that morning and within an hour, they had accepted me as a new patient!  Hallelujah!  I just had to go to my PCM appointment to get my actual referral.  

Do you know that my PCM made me take a pregnancy test to confirm that I am pregnant...at 34 weeks?!?! (Which by the way, if any of you were wondering, I'm still pregnant).  The nurse also did not even realize I was pregnant while taking my vitals.  Talk about a super huge ego blow to my appearance self esteem (you don't look prego, just super fat!).  Once I told her why I was there, she asked if I was 5-6 weeks pregnant. When I informed her that I was 34 weeks, she freaked.  She also requested that other staff members come look at me and guess how far along I was.  One very lovely front desk lady came back and said "Oh, I didn't gain any weight in my front either.  I just got big in my butt too.  And in my titties."  What.  The.  F*&#.   What wonderful customer service.  If I didn't need that dang referral and they were the only ones in a 40 mile radius that could give it to me, I would have raised some hell.  However, I didn't have time to play around.  I needed that referral!  

After a little bit of hoopla and much noticed anxiety and stress, I finally got the referral!  I was still a little nervous to see if my insurance was going to approve the referred doctor.  After two days, we got the green light!  I found an OB that was approved by my insurance AND would accept me, even though I was so far along.

Thank God this pregnancy has been pretty smooth.  With all of this extra stress I have endured during this pregnancy (insurance issues at the beginning, Michael deploying, raising Joey by myself for a few months, "moving" cross country, and more insurance/doctor issues), I'm surprised that I have not gone into pre-term labor!  Hopefully, this will be the last of the un-needed excitement until I have this baby girl!  

Let's Drive!

Since Michael is deployed, Joey and I decided to head to our family's home to visit and await baby girl's arrival!  

My doctor gave me the approval to drive cross country, as long as it was before I was 32 weeks pregnant.  My parents made their way, via Portland, to California and we headed to our summer home when I was 31 weeks pregnant.  

We loaded up my little car with 4 months worth of stuff, both of my parents, Joey, and myself!  Talk about a tii-ght ride!

It took us about six days to make it to North Carolina.  We drove about eight hours each day for the first three days.  The next three days were a little shorter due to various friend visits and sightseeing ventures.  I tried to drink lots of fluids and we stopped about every two hours so that I could walk around.  However, my feet and ankles still swelled up by the end of each day!  I haven't experienced any swelling during either pregnancies, so it was kind of weird to go through it on our road trip.  The swelling actually made it somewhat painful to walk...no wonder people complain about prego swelling!  

With me drinking so much water, I expected to have to pee a lot on this trip.  Fortunately, I really did not have to take many bathroom breaks during those first three days!  However, my mouse-sized bladder eventually caught up with me and I was having to pee every 20 minutes those last three days!  Ugh!  Talk about dragging a road trip out as long as humanly possible!  

Tia got to visit us for two days before we headed East and she heads to Australia for 6 months to a year!  

I'm so glad that we were able to come to NC to be with family and have some help during the last weeks of pregnancy and beginnings of baby girl's life.  However, I would not want to travel that far along into a pregnancy again!