The New Baby

Well we've had the baby!  My water broke at 6 pm on Saturday March 28th.  We went to the hospital and they had to put me on pitocin since my contractions had not yet begun.  It's very important to have the baby within 24 hours of your water breaking to prevent infection to the baby.  Soon after they started my pitocin drip, they gave me my epidural so I never felt any pain!  It was a very easy labor.  They started my pitocin at about 9 pm and by 12 pm I was only 4 cm dilated.  I was already 3 before I came in so I was worried that this was going to be a long labor.  Well, by 2 am Sunday morning I was 6 1/2 cm and then by 3 am I was dilated the full 10 cm.  Wow!  So I started pushing about 20 minutes later once they got the room all set up.  Abigail Lauren was born at 3:49 am Sunday March 29th.  She weighed 6 pounds 3 ounces.  You can check out pictures on www.themackensfamily.shutterfly.com.

Baby Showers and More...

So I've had all of my baby showers so far and have gotten so many wonderful things for baby Abby.  Her room is completely stocked now and have all of you to thank for it!  I had so much fun organizing Abby's room and bathroom with all of her new clothes, toys, and baby products.  She has some of the cutest clothes I've ever seen!  We've already set her car seat up in the car so we will be ready to go when she decides to make her appearance.

Well, I started back to school 3 weeks ago.  I had one week of school, then we had spring break, and then school this week.  I went to the doctor on Tuesday and she said I was 3 cm dilated and 75% effaced.  Then Wednesday night, I began having contractions and so we went to the hospital when they were 4 min apart.  When I got there, they said they weren't that strong and gave me some water to make sure I was hydrated.  Since the contractions didn't get anymore severe and I didn't dilate anymore at the hospital, they sent me home.  I could have just been dehydrated or I could be in early labor.  I'm pretty sure I've had my "bloody show" (ladies you probably know what I'm talking about).  It is a sign of early labor.  My nurse saw some blood while I was there and I have had some since then.  It is caused from the cervix dilating and effacing.  I have also felt several cramps today although still nothing severe.  I have been drinking water constantly so that the next time I feel contractions, I'll know for sure that they are not from dehydration.  I thinking/hoping that it could be this weekend...but things hardly ever go the way we think, huh?  I'll keep ya'll posted and try to put some more pictures of my belly and the nursery up tonight.

Negative!

So my last protein test came back negative!  Dr. Dulaney said that if I felt like going back to work I could, and I said that I did want to.  I'm actually kind of getting used to my routine at home now, but it will be nice to get back.  I think it will make the time go by faster.  The doc told me that if I start feeling contractions or pressure again that I may need to go back on bed rest, but here's hoping that I don't.  

Doctor, Baby Shower, and More...

Went to the doctor yesterday and the good news is that I haven't dilated or effaced anymore.  Yea!  Doc did another protein test and we should hopefully find out the results of that by the end of the week.  If it's negative, I should return to work on Monday.

I had my first baby shower on February the 21st here in Memphis at my friend Amy's house.  The shower was hosted by Amy, my friend Brooke, and my co-teacher Tamela.  It was absolutely beautiful!  The food was wonderful, and they had a little diaper cake and a little baby sock corsage for me.  I also received some wonderful gifts for little Abigail and have already started setting up the nursery.  When I get my camera back from my sister (love you sis!)  I'll try to post some pictures from the shower.  I'm also going to take some pictures of the nursery and post them later.  

Abigail is moving and kicking all the time now.  I don't go very long without feeling her.  She is still being shy when other people try to feel her kick though.  Not sure why, but she'll just be moving and a jiggling in there and when someone puts their hand on my tummy to feel her, she just stops.  I don't know how she knows!  I've not been sleeping very well the past week.  I've had a really hard time getting comfortable and my legs get really numb and sore in the middle of the night.  I'm constantly tossing and turning.  I also have to get up several times a night to use the bathroom or turn on the fan because I'm sweating or get a snack bar because my stomach is growling.  No fun!  That's the only thing I'm worried about when I go back to school...that I won't have enough sleep to function.  Oh well.  I'll be back for a week, then spring break for a week then only a few more weeks after that.  I'm excited about getting back to the kiddos though.

Good News

Yesterday we received the results of the protein test and found out that it was negative!  So we have at least 2 more weeks with no baby which is a good thing.  In two weeks, I'll be tested again to make sure it is still negative and then I should be able to go back to work for a few weeks.  The doc still wants me on bed rest and Austin is being really strict on me.  He says that even though the test came back negative, I still can't do anything around the house.  It is so hard for me not to do anything!  I go back to the doctor on Tuesday, so I will let ya'll know any new updates then.

Complications...

So, if you haven't yet heard, I am on bed rest for the next 3 weeks.  I had my regular doctor checkup on Monday and asked the doctor to check me because I thought i was dilated.  Austin had checked me the week before because I was having some cervical pain and thought I was dilated maybe a half cm.  When the doctor checked me, she said I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced.  Then she hooked me up to this machine because she wanted to see if I was contracting.  And sure enough, I was having small but quite frequent contractions.  

So...the doctor is not sure why this is happening, but she gave me a steroid shot on Monday and another one yesterday.  This will help Abigail's lung development if she does come early.  The she prescribed me a drug to help with the contractions.  It is supposed to relax my uterus.  Finally she gave me a protein test yesterday and we should know the results of that today.  If negative, there is an almost certain probability that I will not deliver within the next two weeks.  If positive, there is a 1 in 5 chance that i could deliver within the next two weeks.  

Keep praying for us and I will try to give ya'll updates as I know them.  Believe me, I have plenty of time to update this thing now!

New Pictures Below

There are new baby bump pictures below.  Check them out!