Bountiful Grace

4 Weeks Old!

2009-05-11T21:50:00.010-04:00

I can't believe how fast the weeks have flown by. Oliver is such a doll! He sleeps mostly unless he's nursing. He's SUCH a mama's boy too! Allan finds it funny when he's holding him and Oliver's crying.... the second he passes him off to me... Oliver becomes silent. It's great! The downside to that however.... is if he's lying in the swing or in the pack n' play and wants mommy....eventually he will cry hard enough to where he holds his breath and his face turns red until I pick him up.... at which time all is silent again. LOL You'd never think a little 4w old baby can have such a bad temper and be so spoiled huh???!! :-P On the up side, he's sleeping 4-5hr blocks at night! He did have a growth spurt last week that lasted 2 days..... that was hard nursing him every 2hrs around the clock, but alas we survived it!

He's still just under 8lbs. I'll update this post once I measure his length and head circumference.

Here are some pics taken by my friend Steve. Gosh he's so cute!!! (You can click to enlarge)

Oliver Scott Hampton is here!!!

2009-04-24T15:46:00.002-04:00

Ok so I'm a little late posting this. :P I haven't had a whole lot of extra time to do this as of late....I wonder why. Here's my birth story. Enjoy!

Oliver Scott Hampton
Born: April 12, 2009 at 5:39pm
Stats: 7lbs 3oz 19" long, Apgar 8/9

The fun started Saturday morning April 11, 2009 at 7:11am when I got up to use the bathroom only to have a gush of amniotic fluid. I was exactly 35 weeks pregnant. I called my doula Oana and my dr. We packed up a bunch of stuff for myself, the kids and Allan, got in the car and arrived at the hospital around 11:30am. I hadn't been tested for group B strep yet, so I received antibiotics every 4hrs. The 2nd dose was administered too fast and my body did not handle it too well. I passed out and my blood pressure dropped. They stopped the flow and then slowed it down and all was well. That was very scary considering I've never passed out in my life.

I wasn't really having many contractions. They slowly started but weren't very consistent and didn't do much in the way of my cervix. We tried multiple things such as walking around, squatting on the ball, different positions to help bring the baby down and put pressure on the cervix. My doula was wonderful and helped me so much with pain management.

At 3am the next day Easter morning, I was checked.....only 1cm at 50% effaced and -2 station. We decided the best course of action would be to start pitocin since it was coming around to 24hrs that my water had broke. I started at 2mU/min and was upped 1mU/min every 15-20min until my contractions were 2-3min apart . After about 5-6hrs, I was checked again and didn't have a whole lot of progress.... 4cm at 75% effaced and -1 station. We got a little more aggressive with the pitocin and upped it 2mU/min every 15min.

It was about 3pm when I was checked again and there was a lot more progress to report! 7-8cm at 90% effaced and 0 station. So, we continued with the pitocin.

Somewhere around 4pm, I felt so completely exhausted and the contractions had been 2min apart at 50secs long and extremely intense...... I decided to get an epidural. I knew that once I got to the pushing stage, whenever that would be, I wouldn't have the energy to do it. So I decided resting before the pushing would be best.

I felt every contraction after that (which later helped tremendously with pushing), but the epidural definitely helped to take the edge off. An hour later, I was checked and was complete!! I found out quickly how difficult it can be to push with no feeling down below. I could still feel him descending though and that was amazing. It was so encouraging. The whole time I couldn't believe I'd even come to that point. I'm sure my adrenaline was racing giving me the energy I needed. After only 20 minutes of pushing, Oliver Scott Hampton was born on April 12, 2009 at 5:39pm via vaginal birth after 2 c-sections! He was an awesome 7lbs 3oz 19” long with an apgar score of 8/9. Shockingly for being born at 35 weeks, he was in perfect health with no problems! I had a 2nd degree tear on the inside of the labia (thankfully not on the perenium) and got stitches. Anastasia was there for the whole labor and delivery. She thought it was the coolest thing. I cried when she came over to me immediately after the birth and said "Mom, I'm so proud of you!". What a grown up thing to say!! She was just as exhausted as I was after all that!

The experience of it was surreal! I've had 2 prior c-sections so this was something I've never had before. It was miraculous in every sense of the word. My dr never gave up on me and for that I am eternally grateful. All other drs would have cut me open again. I think it's a shame that more drs aren't as confident in a woman's ability to birth as my dr is. Thank you Dr. Tate for the wonderful prenatal care and beautiful delivery. You are one of a kind and we love you and your staff dearly! :hearts Thank you also to Oana Hogrefe for being my doula! She helped so much to make my experience enjoyable.

33 Weeks & 8 Full Months!

2009-03-28T19:08:00.002-04:00

Just about 4-5w left to go give or take! I cannot believe how fast everything has gone. I feel big as a house too! At my 32w appt, Oliver was vertex! He's been ever since. :) He dropped somewhere between 31w and 32w. It's become quite a challenge walking around. I'm officially in the "I'm so done with being pregnant!" stage. I am still only up 9lbs from pre-pregnancy weight and my BP is perfect. My next appointment is April 6th.

Don't forget to vote on the stats poll off to the right because I am closing it in just 2w. I can't wait to see who wins!

31 Weeks

2009-03-14T10:42:00.002-04:00

So we have about 6-7w left give or take! (praying I make it to 38w) I'm starting to get anxious and a bit nervous. We're going to have a newborn around here! :-o Kinda crazy.

I'm not feeling too bad these days. My belly is beginning to feel a bit overstretched. I'm having the normal pelvic pressure, braxton hicks and sore hips. This is where being pregnant is fun! :-P Not too much longer! My next dr appointment is on Wednesday. I am curious to see what position Oliver is in. I am going to guess vertex posterior (head down, facing the front). I'll share the update when I do my 32w post. :-)

30 Weeks!!

2009-03-06T13:36:00.003-05:00

I decided to skip posting about 29w since there wasn't a whole lot to post about. I did however have my 28w appointment at 28.5w. At the time, he was breech AGAIN! I think he flipped again sometime over the last 3-4 days. Let's hope he stays in the right position. I also had ketones, sugars and protein in my urine. I believe and so does the dr, that I was not getting enough water at all. Nothing else makes sense..... my glucose levels have been great and my b/p has been on the low end of normal. I have been drinking a ton since then, so we'll see how I do at my next appointment on the 18th. My b/p has been on the lower side (115/63 last I checked it) so there's no concern for pre-eclamsia. I am at 7-8lbs up from my pre-pg weight! Not bad huh?! Kind of hard to gain weight on this diet!

My belly seems to have grown it's own zip code. I love it though! I haven't come to the point where I'm tired of being preggo yet, though I know it's coming. I think I am sad that it's coming to an end and yet thrilled to finally meet Oliver. :-) We pretty much have everything ready except maybe a few items. It's exciting to see everything coming together.

28 Weeks & 7 Full Months!

2009-02-22T12:18:00.004-05:00

30 weeks is right around the corner! I am now in my 8th month. The braxton hicks haven't been too bad over the last few days (or maybe I've learned to ignore them?). My next OB appointment is Wednesday! I am excited. I am probably one of those weird women that enjoy going to the drs (well at least this dr I do). I believe after this one I move to bi-weekly appointments until 36w. I will edit this post with an update on Wednesday. :-)

I had the photo shoot done yesterday at Piedmont Park. It was a beautiful day! I can't wait to see how the pics turned out. I will definitely post those when they come in.

Happy Valentine's Day! 27 Weeks & 3rd Trimester!!

2009-02-14T17:56:00.003-05:00

WOW!! Time has DEFINITELY flown by! I have about 11-12 weeks to go give or take (if I make it to 38 weeks). I started getting Braxton Hicks contractions about 3-4 days ago, fun stuff! I had an OB appointment 24.5 weeks and all is well! Fundal height was exactly 24.5w, I only gained a few lbs and guess what..... HE'S FINALLY VERTEX (head down)!!! YAY! He's been breach this whole pregnancy and though I wasn't concerned, it was nice that he found his way to the right position. So, naturally I've been feeling most the kicking in my ribs. Hehe! He's such an active baby. I don't remember the other two kids as active as him. I will have my hands full! My next OB appointment is on the 25th (28.5w weeks) at which time my appointments will switch to every 2 weeks!!

I met with my doula on Tuesday evening. She's so sweet and I am so excited to be having her for the labor and delivery! I have to schedule my next appointment with her for early March to finalize all the details about my birth plan. She'll also get to meet Allan and the kids then too. :-)

I'm kinda of sad that I won't be having a baby shower, but I honestly need very little at this point, so a shower would be more of a baby celebration. I thought about having a Welcome Baby party after he was born. Who knows.

Next Saturday I am going to a photo shoot! I can't wait! I'll be sure to post pics of that when I get them.

24 Weeks & Pics from the cruise!

2009-01-28T17:37:00.006-05:00

Ok I am a little late with this 24w update. :-P All is well! I had my dr appt today. Fundal height is exactly 24.5w, which I am, BP was 110/74, up 5lbs since my 20w appt (makes for 5lbs total from pre-pg weight) and Oliver is FINALLY head down (which I already knew a few days ago)!!! He's been breach my entire pg until just 3-4 days ago when I noticed most of the kicking was high instead the usual low and the shape of my belly changed. It wasn't sticking out as far. Glad he found his way!

On the 22nd to the 26th we were on the AOMIN cruise from Miami to Key West and Cozumel. We had a great time! Prior to the cruise we went to the conference/debate and that was very educational. Below are some pics. We are so grateful for the family and friends who watched the children while we were away! :-)

22 Weeks and 6th Months!!

2009-01-10T18:07:00.002-05:00

6 months?! What?! My goodness does time fly! Only 5 more weeks until the 3rd trimester and approximately 16 weeks until labor day. I am really hoping to make it to 38 weeks so this may just be high hopes talking. :-P I have kept an eye on my weight and so far am only up 1lb since my 20w appointment. He said he wanted me to gain about 1lb a week so I am behind that goal. :-)

I am deal with a nasty headache today ever since last night. Gotta love pregnancy hormones! I've also been rather irritable. On another note, I am pretty much set for cloth diapers up until about 12-18mos! I can't wait to put him in them. Be ready for more frequent posting once he's here. :-)

20 Week Appt & Ultrasound

2008-12-30T16:35:00.003-05:00

So, I had my 20w appt yesterday. I apparently managed to gain 6lbs since my last appt. I hate water retention! It's because of all the junk I've eaten from Christmas Eve until Sunday. BLEH! He just joked around and said "You think you can slow down the weight gain? Maybe to 1lb a week?" I initially lost 7lbs prior to 8w and since 8w gained the 7lbs back. So I am back to my pre-pg weight. I can't complain about that right?! 1lb a week would put me at about 18lbs total gained if I even make it to 38w. Not bad! Everything else was great, b/p was 102/68. It seems to be low. Better than being high! :-P I measured at 21w so right on target.

The u/s this morning was great! It technically was the "big" u/s but I had the 3D one back on the 6th so I already knew he was a boy. I think the biggest thing they did was to take all kinds of measurements of him. His heart looked perfect with the 4 chambers. She showed me his kidneys and bladder and such. I never even knew you could see that on an u/s. The dr came in afterward and said he looks perfect! He's already packing on the weight measuring at 20w6d (I'm 20w3d) and 14oz! Overachiever! He is a very active boy as well. I drank some OJ before I went in and he was moving all over the place. The u/s tech had fun getting him to stay still for the measurements. I'm so happy he's healthy! Next dr appt is at 24w. :-)

The Nursery is Complete!

2008-12-28T13:44:00.003-05:00

I want to add a few touches like a rug and some wall stuff, but this is pretty much it! I am so happy to have it done!! :-)

20 Weeks!!

2008-12-27T12:14:00.002-05:00

Goodbyes teens, hello 20's! I am so excited about being over halfway done! I know that time will fly now. I have my 20w appt on Monday and the "big" u/s through my dr on Tuesday. So glad we had the 3D u/s done at 17w because it's a long time to wait until 20w just to find out the sex. :-P

The nursery is almost complete. I'm just waiting on the nursery letters now! They should arrive today or Monday. We bought the changing table, stroller, car seat and crib mattress over the last two weeks. I found such great deals (some over 60% off what I would have paid) that I couldn't pass up on. My cloth diaper stash is pretty much complete too..... I may need a few more fitteds but that's about it. :-) Now I can just sit back and enjoy this pregnancy!!

19 Weeks!!

2008-12-20T17:05:00.005-05:00

YAY! This will be a short post because I am sooooo tired from all the Christmas shopping. Dad and I were out last night until 12am shopping at Toys R Us. I was surprised it wasn't at all crowed and I had no problem finding what I was looking for. We woke up this morning at 8am and went to IHOP for breakfast and then hit Super Target. The parking lot was so packed at IHOP that I had to wait about 5min for someone to pull out! LOL Target parking lot was full too but it didn't feel packed inside. I love Super Target!

A friend of mine made me nursery letters for Oliver. I can't wait to get them!

18 Weeks!

2008-12-13T09:17:00.003-05:00

You have to be kidding me right? 18 weeks? *insert eyes popping out here* Where has the time gone??? I am halfway there! I had Anastasia at 37w and Noah at 36w so I imagine I'd have Oliver sometime before 38w. I am praying he stays in until at least then!

It's funny how much personality you can see in them when they aren't even born yet. He kicks and moves in certain ways, if I poke at my belly he "pokes" back, he reacts to music/sounds and he likes it when I laugh. I find myself smiling a lot at the things he does. Silly little sentimental mama I am! I can't wait to meet him. :-)

I don't have any pregnancy complaints. My dry eyes are annoying, but I'll deal. The cold I had 2w ago is trying to stick around. If there's no improvement on Monday I think I'll go to the regular dr. Over 2w is long enough time for a cold to go away.

17 Weeks and It's a.......

2008-12-06T15:23:00.005-05:00

BOY!!!!
Allan is THRILLED!! I am too! I am so happy I got to see my sweet boy moving all around this morning! Allan felt the baby moving for the first time about 3-4 days ago. The kids will take a little longer since they have little hands and don't cover as much area. Here are some pics for your enjoyment!!

16 Weeks!

2008-11-29T20:43:00.005-05:00

Time is flying! This will be a short post because I have bronchitis and pink eye. Fun stuff! I have my 16w appt on Monday and will update after that as well. The big u/s is only a week away!!!! I am so excited! The baby is moving around all over the place these days. A lot more frequent too. It's really cool. Allan and I have been trying real hard to see if he can feel the baby moving on the outside, but so far no luck. No biggie.... I'm sure the time will come. ;-)

Nursery Pics!!

2008-11-24T18:49:00.002-05:00

So what do you think?! I just need a changing table and side table next to the chair and I'll be set for furniture!! I will be adding more wall decor, but until we find out the sex, this is it for now.

15 Weeks!!

2008-11-22T19:54:00.005-05:00

I am so excited that we hit 15 weeks! Only 2 more weeks until the big u/s! I am very antsy to find out if it's a boy or girl. I honestly think it's a girl. :-) I've been playing around with the nursery, but haven't settled on a layout yet. I'll be sure to post pics once it's all set up.

14 Weeks!

2008-11-15T09:21:00.006-05:00

Yay for hitting 14 weeks! I feel wonderful! Baby is moving around more these days. I won't be putting belly pictures in my posts anymore, but you can see weekly updated ones off to the right. :-) I am so excited that only 3 weeks from now we get to find out if this is a boy or girl. I'm thinking pink! :-P

We haven't completely unpacked yet, which is to say we haven't unpacked most of the boxes. *hehe* Today however, I plan to finish both the kid's rooms. I definitely need to get the school house set up before Monday, so that may not get done until tomorrow. We'll have to see how helpful the children are. ;-) I will be putting before and after pictures up when it's completed.

Welcome to 13 Weeks AND the 2nd Trimester!!

2008-11-07T22:51:00.005-05:00

YAY for 13w and 2nd tri!!! I am so grateful to have made it this far! This past week I have been feeling great. Occasional headaches, but it seems that caffeine keeps them away. Tough decision huh? Migraines or caffeine..... which would you take? The baby's movements have gotten stronger and more frequent. There also seems to be a pattern. Mid-morning about 10-11am and in the evenings between 6-8pm seem to be the most active times. It's pretty cool!

Tomorrow is moving day and I am so excited! I can't wait to get the nursery set up. We bought the crib yesterday. Too big of a deal on Craigs List to pass up. I'll post pictures after we get settled in this week. Allan has been FANTASTIC and doing just about all the packing....and not a single complaint. :-) Isn't he such a great hubby? Pray for him this weekend as all this packing and moving will catch up to him. Poor guy.

12 Week Appointment

2008-11-03T13:40:00.002-05:00

Everything went great!! I am down 2 more lbs. No complaining from me for that! The baby's head was right behind my pelvic bone lying vertical face up. According to the head, I'd say he/she is taking after daddy. LOL He/she measured a day ahead. It was a bit difficult to get a good shot because of the position, so no u/s pic this time. The heart was beating away. It was very nice to see. Allan was there too, so that was a bonus! Next appt is scheduled for Dec 1st at 16w. Hopefully we'll be able to get a good u/s pic next time!! :-)

12 Weeks!

2008-11-01T20:37:00.005-04:00

Welcome to 12 weeks! Only one more week to the 2nd trimester! I am feeling great. I haven't had a headache/migraine in 3 days!! Some rather exciting news..... I felt the baby moving around ever since Thursday!!!! It seems to happen the most in the mid-morning and evenings, but only lasting about 5min and in the same place every time. I can only seem to feel it when I'm sitting up. It's nice though because it's like clockwork. Maybe that's the baby's awake schedule, I don't know. Monday is my 12w appointment. I'll be sure to post an ultrasound picture when I return home. :-)

This morning I went to see a free private viewing of Fireproof with Kirk Cameron. It's definitely not a movie for emotional pregnant women to go see! :-P It was however, a fantastic movie that I recommend everyone go see.

Afterward, I went to our new house (we're moving on Sat the 8th for those who don't know) with my father and painted the master bedroom. The only room that needed to be painted. I love the color! I'll be sure to post some pictures after we get settled in. Here's a picture of the house. I honestly don't think these pictures give any justice to how pretty the house is. The neighborhood is BEAUTIFUL and neighbors friendly. I am so excited about the move. I am most excited about getting the nursery set up!! I am definitely going to wait until the gender scan on Dec 6th before purchasing any furniture. We did however buy the crib bedding set last week and I absolutely LOVE it! I got such a HUGE deal on it. It's a 13pcs set.

11 weeks?! Where has the time gone?

2008-10-24T14:04:00.004-04:00

Almost into the 2nd trimester already. God has been gracious to me most days. Still no praying to the porcelain god. My nausea has pretty much been gone since 9w. I continue to have headaches everyday which makes me tired. I know that relief is around the corner so I look beyond the hills for that valley.

I found out yesterday that my OB does an u/s at every appointment! So I get to see my baby every time! How exciting. Next appointment is Nov 3rd. Only 6 more weeks until the big u/s too. Not much more time to vote on whether you think it's a boy or girl. *wink wink*

10w.... sheesh!

2008-10-17T17:59:00.004-04:00

Here's my 10w belly pic. I am popping out! I scheduled the gender 3D u/s for Dec 6th!!! Only 7w until then. I can't wait.

9w Belly pics.....

2008-10-10T15:10:00.002-04:00

Gosh, I seriously am going to be big with this one! I am still down 7lbs. Looks like I'll be heading into the 2nd trimester with a deficit! How nice is THAT?!

My 8w appointment!

2008-10-06T16:14:00.002-04:00

Went in for my 8w appointment this morning. I have to say I just love my OB! He spent at least an hour with me and we discussed pretty much everything. Went over my medical history, got a pap (how fun *insert eye roll*), pelvic exam (more fun) and then had an u/s and got to see our baby!!

I am 8w2d today but the baby measured at 8w5d so he/she caught up and is ahead of schedule! Yippy!!! I go back Nov 3rd for my 12w appt. Here's the pic. The baby is lying transverse with the head on the left. You can see the little arm and leg nubs. So cute! Looks like a baby now and not like a tadpole. Hehe!

My 30th Birthday party!

2008-10-04T13:20:00.003-04:00

We had my 30th birthday party planned for tonight. Sent out evites, gathered the menu, prepped our house.... all that fun stuff. Allan took me to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner last night and we had a fun time. I noticed how strange he was acting the whole evening. Just very nervous. I was suspicious.

So, we pull into the garage and he stands at the door, doesn't go in. I also did not hear my dog barking as I usually do..... my nervousness began. I said to him "Why are you standing at the door?". He reluctantly goes in and says something in my direction. Our garage door opens into the kitchen, so I go in the kitchen to put the doggy bags in the fridge when I look to my right and there was a guitar case lying on the floor. I said "OHHHH Scott was here! Who's guitar is that??!" (Scott is his BFF and since he was the one who had been having many correspondences with Allan that evening.. I assumed.) I look at Allan and he honestly didn't know what to say but gave me the "GO!" whisper. I walk into the dining room greeted with a "SURPRISE!!" by 25 or so of my dearest friends/family. Allan had this surprise party planned for the past month! That sneaky and yet very loving man of mine!

I had a LOT of fun and am grateful that he decided to step up and take care of it all. Pretty cool huh?!

On another note.... I am 8w today! Time is flying by.

Happy Birthday to me!

2008-09-29T13:31:00.002-04:00

So, Saturday was my 30th birthday! I went on an annual women's church retreat in north GA over the weeked and had such a great time. My stomach is sore from laughing so much. This was my 3rd one so I look forward to it each year. I decided not to take any pictures this time since the Fall colors weren't in full bloom yet. I was tired and had a headache most the time but surprising enough my nausea wasn't that bad.

My dad must have been searching the internet for fetus development during pregnancy(aaawwwww) and found a really cool website. Thought I'd share. Click HERE! Next Monday is my 8w appt. Time is flying by!

We have a heartbeat!!!

2008-09-25T13:13:00.005-04:00

So, we went in for our 1st ultrasound today. Not bad at all! Thankfully there's only 1 baby.;-) Right away we saw the sweet little heart just flickering away! It was such a beautiful sight. He swithced it over to sound and that swishy sound was music to my ears! 138bmp! I am 6w5d today and measured 6w3d so everything's perfect! Praise the Lord for his faithfulness!

The Evergrowing Baby Bump!

2008-09-21T13:50:00.004-04:00

So far I have nothing but bloat. I started showing with Anastasia around 11-12w and with Noah 8-9w so I imagine in a few weeks I will start to see a little something. I'm 6w1d today. :-) I'll post new belly bump pics every 2w. I can't wait until Thursday to see my baby bean!! Pray for a nice strong heartbeat!

1st Post!!

2008-09-14T01:01:00.001-04:00

For those who don't know me, my name is Stacey. I am the loving wife to Allan and stay at home mom to step-daughter Alexandria (9), Anastasia (8) and Noah (5). We're currently expecting our 4th child but 1st child together. The purpose of this blog is to share my experiences with trying to conceive, pregnancy and early childhood. Since the experience of trying to conceive is lengthy (19mos) you can visit my Fertility Friend chart for the run-down. I am exactly 5 weeks pregnant today! :-) The due date is May 16, 2009. I have an ultrasound scheduled for September 25th and my 1st OB appointment on October 6th. I'll probably post weekly and share baby bump pictures bi-weeklyunless I have some fun pregnancy things to share. So far here are the most recent blood work numbers. They put me on 200mg 2x a day of Prometrium (progesterone supplements) until week 12 to increase my progesterone. I believe another blood draw will be done prior to the u/s on the 25th.

12 Days Post Ovulation: Beta hCG- 52, Progesterone- 19
14 Days Post Ovulation: Beta hCG- 97
16 Days Post Ovulation: Beta hCG- 221, Progesterone- 18