These are my "journal entries" of my journey towards getting our little Afton here. Many of these entries are emails that I wrote to friends and family.
Decenber 12, 2007
Michael and I have been thinking about signing up for some "Hospitalization Insurance" through Aflac and Conseco Insurance Companies. There are 3 plans and they require a monthly premium for each. It would be a good financial decision to sign up for this insurance if I am to be hospitalized within the next 10 months (a.k.a. have a BABY!). I have been thinking a lot about us having another baby and believe it is good timing for us.
Everyone says that the first year of marriage is the hardest... not so for us. Year 3 has been the toughest. Michael has been pretty opposed to the idea of having another baby at this "rocky" time in our relationship. We really have been working through a lot of things lately and he recently told me that he didn't think we were ready. I have been praying that Michael will have a change of heart and feel the same way.
We decided to meet with an insurance agent today to get the details about the insurance for future use. The agent finished telling us about all of the plans and was about to leave when Michael stated that we were ready to fill out papework and sign up. I was so happy I started to cry. After the agent left he told me that he felt like we were ready and that he knew it was the right thing for us right now.
No one is perfect, and every marriage takes a lot of work. I am grateful for a husband who is willing to work through the tough things and for our ablity to be close to the Lord. I am very optimistic and excited to see what the future holds!
April 6, 2008
I'm pregnant!!! I took 3 pregnancy tests just to be sure! =)
June 16, 2008
I had my first doctors appointment with Dr. Ryan Jones (my uncle). I went in for my appointment being very anxious and excited. That excitement quickly turned to worry and fear. While in the restroom at the doctors office I began to bleed and I was afraid I was miscarrying.
It was finally my turn and the nurse took back. She asked, "So, how are you today?" I lost it. I was crying and told her about all the blood. She took me to a room to try and find the baby's heartbeat. She found it. The baby seemed fine (thank goodness) but they think that I probably have a tear between my uterus and the amniotic sac.
Ryan and his nurses recommended that I have an ultrasound to see the condition of the tear. We don't have any insurance coverage right now because Michael just switched jobs so it would be really expensive. Ryan said that there was nothing I could do to change the situation and that it probably wasn't too serious (he says that it's actaully pretty commom to have some bleading), so I decided not to have the ultrasound. He told me that I just need to be careful and to come back in if I had more bleeding.
July 14, 2008
We are supposed to leave to go up to Hebgen Lake for the Covey Family reunion this week but I am a little nervous about the baby. I still don't really know what is going on and I worry about the baby being okay. I haven't had anymore bleading but I have a feeling that it is a bigger deal than the doctors think.
I decided to set an appointment for the next day to get an ultrasound. Michael agreed and although our insurance won't cover the cost we would rather be safe than sorry.
In the ultrasound I was able to see our little baby (which was very comforting) and also see the size of the tear... and it's A LOT bigger than they expected. Ryan said that it's about 7mm x 7mm x 10mm which is almost halfway around the entire amniotic sac. This is much more serious than expected and I am so worried.
Ryan put me on "bed rest" and helped me to understand my condition. I asked him if he thought I should go to Hebgen. He said absolutly not. The reason is because if I was to miscarry we would loose the baby and it would be very dangerous for me. West Yellowstone, Montana is such a small city there isn't a hospital that could treat me anywhere nearby. He said that by the time I could get to a hospital that could help me I could bleed to death.
Scary. He also explained that I was now on "bed rest" which means that I need to sit down as much as possible and not "strain my body in any way." I don't have to lay in bed all day but I need to be very, very careful. I can't pick up anything heavier than a gallon of milk (so no picking up Lance), avoid getting in and out of cars or going up stairs... etc.
Michael's mother, Kathy, and his sister, Becca, are living with us and it is such a blessing. Kathy is an angel and has offered to help do everything that I can't. She is going to do all the grocery shopping and help out a lot with Lance. She is so wonderful.
July 20, 2008
I worry a lot about this little baby. I am so excited to be pregnant again, but so nervous that I will miscarry. Michael still works a lot of nights at his second job for Sean Clark doing his personal accounting and is gone at least 2 times a week and doesn't come home until 9:00pm or later. There are many nights when I go to bed alone and just lay in bed and cry. I cry and pray that everything will work out like it is supposed to. I pray that I will be strong enough to get through whatever the Lord has planned for me and my family. And I pray and ask that He will bless this baby to be healthy and bless all of us to be okay.
July 29, 2008
Hopefully I won't be on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy, but it is definitely a possibility. I bet that at my appointment next week they will tell me to keep doing what I have been, but hopefully as time goes on my body will heal a little and I will be able to get back to more of a normal routine (getting out of the house would be nice!).
We find out if the baby is a boy or girl a week from today... I'm so excited! I keep thinking that it will be a boy, but all I know is Lance, so thinking of a girl seems so different. We will be very happy either way. I'm just so excited to find out what this little baby is going to look like and what kind of personality will be inside that tiny little body! =)
August 5, 2008
IT'S A GIRL!!!
We are so happy and are excited that that we will get a little girl this time! She looks healthy and is growing well. She likes to suck on her little thumb (or her whole hand) and looks beautiful already. =)
I am already thinking about the crib bedding that I am going to make and about how fun it will be to have a little girl! =) I am constantly wondering what she will look like. I hope that she has light eyes like Michael. Wouldn't a brown hair, green eyed girl be so cute? =)
As for my condition, it is about the same. The doctors are encouraged because it hasn't gotten any worse and we just need to get through this pregnancy week by week and hope that nothing gets worse, especially for the next couple of months. I have been spending a lot of time at home playing with Lance, reading, and taking it easy. It gets hard sometimes to be confined to my house, I'm not even going to church, but I am happy because I'll do anything to keep this little baby safe.
August 15, 2008
My condition is the same. Which is a good thing because at least it's not worse.
My family was so excited to hear that we are having a girl! My grandmother passed away a few months ago and her name was Afton. We are going to name this little girl Afton in rememberance of her. They are thrilled that we are carrying on her name.
I have already started making little tiny bracelets and headbands for our little baby and I am very excited to have a little girl. It's just tough because although we are really excited, we are really nervous too. Michael gets worried about me making all this baby girl stuff because there is still a chance that we can lose her. He thinks it will be even harder if I have a lot of things for her. So, I'm holding off on a few things, but still making some things that I could give away as baby shower gifts if I need to.
August 18, 2008
I am really hopeful and the further along I get the more excited I get about this little girl!
I am 20 weeks right now (5 months) and for a baby to be born and survive the EARLIEST they can be born is 25 weeks. That would mean 3 or 4 months in the NICU and lots of extra care with physical problems.... so not too good. But at 30 weeks things look a lot better. The baby would still live int he NICU for a couple of months but most likely not have too many problems. Every week after about 32 weeks is big for development so every week is a bonus and leads to a healthier and healthier baby.
It's just so crazy to think that if we had to, we could have this baby in only 5 weeks.... wow. That is so soon. I really hope that my body can hold out and that we can at least get past week 32. That is what we are praying for at least!
Our families have been so great and supportive of me through this. My cute grandparents call me every week so see how I am doing and they always tell me how much they love us and are praying for the baby. My Papa Covey even sent out a email to all of the family (all 10 of his children (plus their spouses) and all the adult grandchildren) to ask them to pray for me and the baby... I just love my family!
I am so happy that she is growing, but it still is so strange to me to see my body change so much! It's so funny how surprised I am every day to see my tummy grow! I thought that since I've been through this before it wouldn't be surprising... but it sure is! =)
August 21, 2008
I've been so worried. The last 2 days I have had a lot of cramping and I really hope it doesn't turn into something worse! I'm not bleeding or anything (thank goodness) so that is a good sign, but still scary.
September 2, 2008
I went to the doctor today and had an ultrasound and things are looking really good! Better than expected actually.
All of the bed rest is paying off! My tear is healing! The tear looks smaller and the baby looks wonderful. I just love ultrasounds because I get to see that cute little girl!
It's pretty miraculous because my doctor didn't think that I would be able to heal much at all (because the tear was so large) but it looks like it's a good amount smaller and we are so excited and optimistic! It is such a blessing and we feel so grateful. We just hope that things will continue to look up and that she won't be born until she is ready.
November 3, 2008
Things are going well and I am able to do a bit more these days. It's so nice to get out of the house. I have gone to Wal-Mart a couple of times and driven around the automatic wheelchair carts! I use my Grandma Felt's old handicapped parking pass, hop in a wheelchair and feel so much freedom!
November 20, 2008
I am doing well and always amazed as my tummy gets bigger and bigger! This little girl wiggles around a lot and it's so funny to watch my tummy shape shift! I am actually feeling really good and it is really nice to be able to do a bit more.
I am so excited for the holidays. Hopefully it will make time fly by and I'll have my baby in my arms in no time! I'm scheduled to have my baby on December 30... so it's not too far away!
Michael and I are so excited for our sweet Afton to arrive and it's so fun to see Michael be anxious for her arrival. He has been extra cute with other little babies lately and I just love watching him be so sweet. Our neighbors just had a little girl a few weeks ago and when I watch him hold her I get so excited for him to hold OUR little girl!
November 28, 2008
Well, 4 more weeks until my life changes again! I can't believe that we have made it this far. It is so calming to know that even if we have this baby tomorrow she would be healthy. We feel so blessed.
We are very excited to have another little one and think that the transition will go pretty smoothly. Lance is really sweet with other little babies and I think he will love having Afton around. He is pretty independent so hopefully he won't be too jealous (but I'm sure he will act out sometimes). I'll just have to be sure to spend special one on one time with him everyday while the baby is sleeping.
December 15, 2008
I'm feeling good, just more uncomfortable. No real contractions yet... so we will see. I am actually hoping not to deliver early because it's so close to Christmas that is poor girl will never get recognized on her birthday!
December 22, 2008
No baby yet, but I was up a lot of the night with some minor contractions! Ahhh! Crazy!
I am actually scheduled to deliver THIS SATURDAY Dec. 27th. I hope she stays put until then because we have so much to do with Christmas and everything else. =)
I will be induced sometime on Saturday but won't know exactly what time I go in until the day before. There are just so many babies being born in Utah that they have to make sure there are enough rooms to accommodate everyone... so hopefully they can fit me in! =)
December 26, 2008
Tomorrow. I get to hold my baby tomorrow! I really can't believe it! It is so strange to think that I will go to bed tonight, wake up in the morning, go to the hospital, and have my baby!
We got the call from the hospital and they told us to come in at 6:30AM. I'm planing on waking up at 5:15AM to shower, get ready, pack the last minute items and go! Kathy is spending the night to be with Lance and I have him scheduled to be with both of our families while we are in the hospital. It's going to be a long, exciting day tomorrow and I really hope that everything goes well.
It was my night to pray tonight and I got really emotional. I am so happy that our baby is full term and will be born healthy, but still nervous that we have one more day, and the delivery, before I know that our little girl is safe. I just prayed and prayed that everything would be okay and that I would be blessed with peace and comfort.
December 27, 2008
Our little Afton is here!
We got to the hospital at about 6:45AM. I changed into the gown, got settled into my bed (which I would get to sit in for the next two days), hooked me up to all of the monitors, got my IV, and got started on the pictocin. The contractions started pretty mild and didn't intensify for a long time.
By the time the contractions started to get pretty uncomfortable Ryan and his nurse Cherie wer encouraging me to get the epidural. I was so surprised. When I delivered Lance in California the doctors and nurses were very much against me getting an epidural and Michael really had to demand that they give it to me. By the time I got it I was in so much pain that I was vomiting and my whole body was shaking from pain. Now here I was, uncomfortale, but not dying of pain and my doctor was telling me that I should get it. Great!
I got the epidural and about 30 minutes later I started having trouble breathing and my arms and chest were getting numb. The anesthesiologist come back in and lowered the dosage, which helped, and I was able to get a lot of my feeling back. It was crazy because I could feel every contraction, but it wasn't painful. I could feel y legs and move them very easily and could even feel the cathiter.
I felt fine about not being very numb for the moment, but didn't want to be able to feel the baby while I was pushing. My contractions started slowing and getting irregular so I asked our nurse to bump up the pictocin. She did this twice (I didn't want to wait all day if I didn't have to!)Just before 1:00pm I started feeling like this baby was ready to come out! I could feel a lot of pressure so I called the nurse and let her know. She had just checked to see if I was dialated an hour or so before and I was only at a 4, so when she checked me again and I was at an 8 and fully efaced we were all surprised!
She called over to Dr. Jones (who was playing Guitar Hero with his son Nelson at his office across the parking lot) so he could come and deliver our baby! I got another quick "shot" through my epidural to numb my lower half more. Dr. Jones arrived, got the bed adjusted and everything ready and started pushing!
After only 15 minutes of pushing (which seemed more like 5 minutes) we had our baby girl! I couldn't believe it was so easy! Here was my baby, healthy and beautiful after so many months of worry and concern... what a true blessing from heaven.
Ryan (Dr. Jones) showed us the placenta and it was just another confermation that Heavenly Father was looking out for this little baby. In addition to my sub-chorionic hemmorage (the amniotic sac tore away from my uterus) my placenta had abnormalities too. On a normal placenta the umbilical chord is connected to the center of the thickest and most nutrient part. On my placenta the chord was on the very edge. This is scary because the rest of the sac is very thin and is pretty easily broken (that is how the "water breaks"). If my water would have spontaniously broken at any time in my pregnancy it probably would have been at the spot where the chord was attached, and if the chord would have become disconnected our baby would not have survived.
Michael and I are so grateful that the labor and delivery went well and that we didn't have any additional scares. Everything went perfectly and just as planned. Our little girl is here and it is such a relief to have her safely in our arms.
After holding her for a few minutes the nurses took Afton and Michael down to clean her up and do all of her measurements and tests. When I was pushing Michael called our families so the ones that could came to the hospital right away and were there to see Afton just minutes after birth.
We truly feel blessed that our little Afton "Hope" is here safe and know that it is only by the grace of God that she is here. There are so many things that could have gone wrong, so many times that we could have lost her... we feel so blessed.
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