Hadley loves her swing!

Hadley has been enjoying her new swing from Great-Granny. She has been sleeping peacefully in it all afternoon! It has several different settings but she seems to like the one that goes around in a circle. I'm just glad we have already found something that she likes and will quiet her down!

She's Here!!!!

Hadley Emily Pettigrew was born Monday, August 29 at 5:34 AM. She weighed 7 lbs, 4 oz and was 18 inches long. She is so beautiful and we are so excited to have her here!!!

The labor and delivery lasted about 12 hours from the start of contractions to delivery. My water broke at the house at 3:15 Sunday afternoon and we headed to the hospital around 5:00 pm. I started having regular contractions around 6:00 pm and they let me labor on my own for a while before giving me some Pitocin to speed things up around 10 pm and then they gave me an epidural around 12:30 am when the pain was getting pretty intense. A few hours later she was ready to be delivered and was here after only less than 10 minutes of pushing (five pushes)!!! I have to say that the labor and delivery went very very smoothly and I couldn't have asked for more. We are back home now from the hospital and trying to get settled in to life as a new family. What an experience!

False Alarm! I'm so mad!

I thought for SURE that last night was IT. Yesterday I felt really crummy all day- I had a headache nonstop and felt achy and tired and sluggish all day. Then last night around 10 pm I had to get up to use the bathroom literally every 20 minutes, so I could tell Hadley had dropped down lower. I started having painful cramps in my belly and what felt like contractions that would tighten up and make it hard to breathe. They weren't regular, they were pretty sporadic, but I was timing them. I timed contractions starting at midnight all the way until 6 am. I tried to sleep but kept waking up- I was terribly uncomfortable and still had a headache. Every time I woke up I would get a contraction. It was like my body wouldn't let me sleep. I thought, "this is it!!" and it was both scary and exciting. Around 6 am I fell asleep and woke up when Thom got up a few hours later. When I woke up the contractions were gone...the crampy pain was gone, and the headache was gone. Which I should be happy about...but I'm not! If I wasn't in labor then why did I have to suffer all night? What a cruel joke! Thom thinks it's pretty immanent and this was a warm up for the real deal. I sure hope so!!

37 Weeks Going on 38

I had my 37-week check up today at the doctor's office and things sounded optimistic. Last week I was dilated to a 1 and was 0% effaced. This week I am dilated to a 2 (almost a 3) and am 50% effaced. I was mistaken last week that I was at a +3 station- I was actually at a -3 station. I must have misunderstood the dr. But today I was at a -2 station, so she is moving on down!

It could still happen any time, especially since I'm progressing right along, but the dr. said that he will induce me around the 31st of August if I haven't had her before. So....we'll see!

I am seriously SO done with this pregnancy and ready to see my little girl!!! The pregnancy side effects are getting worse- puffy puffy puffy feet and hands (and now, face too...blah) as well as difficulty walking, pain in my hips and pelvis, heartburn, difficulty breathing and light-headedness, difficulty sleeping, etc. Plus I feel HUGE like a wildebeest. These last few weeks of pregnancy are NO JOKE. I have a new respect for women who have been through it (and been through it multiple times!) and survived.

In other news, the nursery is pretty much ready to go. We got our crib put together and all the things that we will need for the baby's arrival. We need to set up the pack n' play in the bedroom but that will be quick. I also have my hospital bag about 70% packed, so I just need to grab a few things when the time comes and head out the door! Everything is falling into place and now I just need to wait for Hadley Boo to make her appearance!! Hopefully not much longer....

36 Weeks!

Look at this belly! Just when I think it can't get any bigger...it DOES! I had my 36-week check up today and the dr. said I am dilated to a 1 and the baby is engaged +3... so it could be "any day now" but I hope it is sooner than later. :)

Our next dr. appointment is next thursday.