Weird

It is weird that today I have a baby in my body and tomorrow morning at 7:30 he will come out. I had my last doctor's appointment and non-stress test today before delivery. My doctor was in a really good mood. I asked her about listening to music during the C-section. She said they usually don't just because nobody has asked before. She thought it was a great idea. She asked what kind I wanted to listen to and I told her that worship music would be a real comfort to me and help me relax. She said that would be great and she would enjoy it too.

She did say that there is still a chance that the baby will be premature. She said that this is definitely better than the alternative (losing the baby if we had waited too long.) We of course agree, but are praying that he is normal and healthy so that he can be in my room and not need extra care. Here ends my last blog as just the wife of Craig. The next blog I will be the wife of Craig AND mommy to Jack Emmett Butler!

Ahh, It's Just So Nice!

Today is my first official Monday at home. It is so great! I had time to make oatmeal for breakfast, (one of my favorites,) will have plenty of time to make food for small group tonight, will be here so Aaron can finish some dry-walling in the baby's room, and will get some more cleaning done upstairs today with my grandma. We started the downstairs on Saturday and a clean house feels so good! It's just so good to be at home!

Plan C, D, E....I Think We've Lost Track

Yesterday I went to the hospital so they could monitor the baby for a while to make sure everything was still ok after the amnio. They also gave me another steroid shot. The day and time is now officially set for Wednesday morning, September 27, at 7:30 am! I think this is for certain. No more changes unless there is a big surprise in the next few days. We are just praying that his lungs are developed enough by Wednesday with the help of these steroid shots that he won't need any extra help when he is born.

It feels so good to finally, officially be a STAY AT HOME MOM!!! It is such a good feeling. I love being home and have only been off work for two days. I know my days will soon change and am looking forward to it!

He's Not Quite Ready

We are back at home. I had the amniocentesis at 8:00 this morning. It was challenging. My doctor warned us that she would try to get some fluid but wasn't promising as the baby takes up so much room. The amniocentesis was very uncomfortable. My doctor started to get some fluid and the baby moved so she had to take the needle out. She was doing an ultrasound at the same time to watch the baby. She waited until the baby moved again and put the needle back in and was able to get all the fluid she needed. It was then sent to the University and Craig and I went up to Labor and Delivery to wait. While we waited, I was on a monitor to make sure everything was ok after the amnio. We were assured that the baby is a boy. He is also big. I measured at 38 weeks and I will be 36 tomorrow.

After about 2 hours, my doctor came in with a frown. She said that the University had called and his lungs aren't quite ready. I was given a steroid shot and have to go back tomorrow morning for another steroid shot. He will be delivered either Monday or Wednesday next week. My doctor kind of sounded like she was leaning toward Monday. We can get some more things done at home, but it also would have been nice to just do it and get it over with since we were at the hospital. It won't be long now!

Glad I Called

This morning my doctor's nurse called to verify that I needed to be at the hospital tomorrow morning at 7:30 to have the amniocentesis. After I had hung up, I remembered I was going to ask when my doctor would be on call so that we could have an idea when might have the baby. I decided to call back and ask the nurse. When I talked to her, I explained that I was trying to wrap up things at work and wanted to be able to plan so I wondered when my doctor would be on call if we can go ahead with the C-section this week. She put me on hold while she checked with the doctor. She said, to my surprise, that if the baby's lungs are ok, then the doctor will deliver the baby tomorrow! If I need the steroid shot, then it will be next Wednesday. She told me to come prepared tomorrow to stay. Needless to say, today has been crazy. I had to tie up all the loose ends at work, pack my office, run some errands after work, try to pick up at home a little bit and pack. What a whirlwind! It just doesn't affect guys the same way. I come home with my mind racing and Craig is just watching TV as if we have all the time in the world. Then of course there is a bit of an arguement as I try to convey the things that I would really like done in a short amount of time. I am glad I called.

AMNIO

My doctor finally called me at 6:00 last night. It felt like I had been waiting for weeks. She asked what we had decided and I told her we wanted to go early. She said that the next step then, is to be at the hospital Thursday morning at 7:30, and she will do the amniocentesis. She didn't say how long that takes and I didn't ask (a flute student was persistently ringing the doorbell.) She did say that they keep me for observation for a couple hours afterward while we wait for the results. The possible outcomes are: 1)the baby is fine and we just schedule the delivery for sometime in the next few days 2)the lungs aren't quite fully developed and they give me a steroid shot and we schedule the delivery for the next few days 3)she won't be able to get any amniotic fluid and we have to wait until 37 weeks. We are definitely praying for option 1 or 2. I'm a little nervous about the procedure. Craig is going to go with me. Hopefully we will have more news tomorrow.

I did ask if she had seen something of concern to mention this option last Friday. She said that she has had some other patients lately with weaker uteruses, and has done it both ways; waiting until 37 weeks or delivering at 36. She wanted us to make the decision. I mentioned to her living about 40-45 minutes from the hospital, was a major reason for our deciding to go early. She did make me feel a little better by saying she thought we were making a good decision.

Big Decision

I had my regular non-stress test this morning that I have been going to each Tuesday and Friday for the last few weeks. Today, my doctor was on call at the hospital and came in to talk with me. She doesn't usually have much time. Today she came in to let me go early because everything looked great. After she unhooked the monitor, she sat down on the bed. I started to get nervous right away. She said that she felt she had made a decision for us and wanted to let me know about some risks and other options. She said that waiting until 37 weeks for a C-section does increase the risk somewhat, of me going into labor on my own and my uterus rupturing. She said that it's not very likely to happen, but it could happen and it would be horrible if it did. It could mean losing the baby, not being able to have more children, and other very serious problems for me. She said that I needed to talk it over with my husband and she would call me.

She said that she could do an amniocentesis next week to see how developed the baby's lungs are. If they aren't fully developed, she would give me a steroid and deliver the baby at 36 weeks if we decided to do this. That would be sometime around the 25th of September. While she was talking, I was having a difficult time hearing all of it. It just caught me off guard. I'm not sure why I was just hearing about this today. When she calls I will ask her why.

Anyway, we have an important decision to make. I think we are leaning toward having the baby early to eliminate any possible disasters. I just won't be as ready as I had planned. I was planning on having a week at home before the baby came to finish getting organized, running errands, and cleaning. I won't have that time now. Craig had just said the other day, he feels he has observed God preparing me for something. He has definitely been asking me to be tough and very flexible. Today just adds to these thoughts. We would appreciate prayer this next week as we make our decision.

Butler Belly Gallery - 8 Months

Weekly I check Baby Center and some other pregnancy web sites. There are a couple belly galleries that show various women's bellies at different stages of pregnancy. It's amazing how different several women can look when they are at the same place in their pregnancy. Here is the Butler belly gallery (for my memories down the road.)

39 Years Ago Today

Today is Craig's birthday. He wants to ignore it. Since I hadn't said anything until yesterday, he was sure I had forgotten. When I asked what he wanted for his birthday, he said he would like a new pair of overalls. I am very thankful for this man today, and God's gift of him to me. Happy Birthday, Craig!

Calling for Reinforcements!

Well, as of today, Craig has officially thrown in the towel on the closet. The structural part of it has been done for a couple weeks, and I have actually already filled it. It was the trimming part that was left and has completely frustrated him. Since our house is so old, the floors upstairs are not level at all which makes the job very difficult. He tried to finish it today and has decided to call it quits and look for some help. Craig says that suits him fine. When I came home from church tonight, I thought he may have had a stroke or was lying in a coma due to the lack of movement on the couch. I was relieved when I saw a small bit of movement as he picked up the remote to change the channel from football to the race. He has worked very hard and gotten most of the project done by himself which is much more than I could have ever done. I can now get the room ready for the baby for which I am very thankful. He dun good!

Babies, Babies, Babies

We went to visit our newest friend, Josie Moore Wednesday night. She is so sweet with LOTS of black hair. It will be so fun to have children so close in age with some of our best friends. Our visit made Craig and I even more anxious for the next three weeks to fly by. Craig watched Mike change a poopy diaper and is sure he can handle what lies ahead (I know he can too.) Jacque and I had a good visit while the guys raided the snack area (which is to be for the new fathers only, I think.) Craig said the other day that the class of 2024 will have a great football team with all of these boys. Mike and Jacque and Ernie and Mindy are going to have to really watch their girls with all of these little boys in the nursery and youth group while growing up! It will be a lot of fun.

Definitely Craig's Child

I have been having some stomach issues lately that I won't explain in great detail. They started a couple weeks ago and I have just chalked them up to being pregnant. This morning I literally ran to the bathroom. I told Craig that I picture our baby in there like Mikey in "Look Who's Talking," laughing like Craig would, thinking that it's very funny as he jumps on my insides to create these "panicky, have to run to the bathroom moments." I kind of described this more colorfully to Craig. He was laughing pretty hard and said I had to post it. It's all I have right now.

Quiz

1.Grab the book nearest you, turn to page 18, line 4? Ever since he had materialized at the track from somewhere on the frontier-no one knew exactly where-none of the racetrackers had known what to make of him. (Seabiscuit, Craig's)

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch?
A bottle of caffeine free diet coke.

3. What's the last thing you watched on TV?
College football, Craig was watching Michigan and Vanderbilt

4. Without looking, what time is it? 12:30

5. What time is it actually?
12:28

6. Except for the computer what can you hear? The washing machine. I am washing a load of things that needed to be washed on gentle, in cold water, that have been in the bottom of the hamper for a year. I'm hoping I'll fit back into these clothes next summer.

7. When did you last step outside and what were you doing?
Last night when we went to watch the Tipton football game with friends.

8. Before you started this survey what were you doing? Sorting some pictures to put into albums and trying to get motivated to do some house cleaning.


9. What are you wearing? My magic pants (knit capris that I could wear several pre-pregnancy pounds ago and can still wear now), and a pink T-shirt.

10. Did you dream last night? yes, but I can't remember what about.

11. When did you last laugh?
Yesterday at work, when everyone discovered my empty pop bottle stash in the bottom file drawer. I have been collecting them for a very long time and have been too lazy to bring them home. They are now going in Craig's Guatemala fund.

12. What's on the walls in the room you're in?
A picture of Craig fighting bulls, a pictures of his grandpa's unit in WWII, and other various family pictures.

13. Seen anything weird?
The soggy, chewed up cigars that Craig likes to chew on for the flavor and leave laying around the house.

14. What do you think of this quiz?
It's fun to read everyone else's answers.

15. Last film or video seen?
Talladega Nights.

16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight what's the first thing you'd do? Buy the rest of the baby stuff we need, pay off my school loan, and hire someone to finish all the projects around our house.

17. Tell me something I don't know about yourself?
I was very outgoing and could be the life of the party in college.

18. If you could change one thing about the world regardless of politics what would it be? That everyone would always have a smile on their face and find something to laugh about.


19. Do you like to dance?
Only when no one is looking.

20. What comment would you like to make to George Bush?
I think he has an extremely difficult job and he is doing very well.


21. Your first child is a girl what do you name her?
We liked Madelyn but have changed our minds to Ella or Maggy.

22. Your first child is a boy what do you name him? Jack (still working on middle names)

23. Would you ever consider living abroad? It would definitely depend where it is. I'm not sure on that one.

24. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
"Well done, good and faithful servant."

25. Five people you want to do this quiz? I tag:
Any of my blogging friends that haven't done it yet. There might not be any though as I was slow getting around to it.