Welcome to the World, Little Lanie!

Delanie Joy Arlene Autry entered our lives at 7:55pm on Friday, May 15th. We are so excited and so blessed to hold our little bundle of joy in our arms after so much anticipation! A lot of excitement has occurred since my last blog entry! I went to my doctor's appointment Friday morning and was very quickly given the bad news - I had failed my 24 hour protein test . . . again. I was very disappointed, of course, but I had also prepared myself for this outcome so I was able to process it quickly. My doctor told me that she would call ahead to the Novi Providence hospital so that I could go over directly and be admitted to be induced. I called Kevin at work and headed over to Subway to grab a sandwich beforehand (I knew that once in the hospital I would be banned from all food - ridiculous). At 12:30pm we headed up to the Labor and Delivery. Once registered and settled in, the doctor-on-call came to consult me on the plan of action. They wanted to start me on Pitocin right away, but I wanted to try induction by having my water broken first. At 2pm my water was broken and we waited for the contractions to begin. We waited . . . and waited . . . and waited . . .
. . . I knew it could take over 24 hours for the contractions to begin and the thought was a bit overwhelming to consider . . . Kevin and I decided to let Pitocin do it's thing. They hooked me up and began the drip at 3:30pm. Contractions were still slow in coming on, but boy-oh-boy when they started, they REALLY got hard fast! My mom came over around 4:30pm and the contractions were just starting to become uncomfortable. At 5:30pm Kevin and my Mom went down to the cafeteria for dinner since the contractions were picking up quickly and we were afraid it might be their only opportunity to eat. I could talk through the contractions when they left for dinner, but by the time they returned (no more than 45 minutes later) I was doing my very best to simply bear through them - talking wasn't even a possibility at that point.
Within 45 minutes I started to feel the urge to push so the nurses called the doctor right away. Around 7:10pm I was ready to start pushing and 45 minutes later, Delanie Joy Arlene was born! What a miracle! What an experience! What a relief!!!
She weighed in at 7lbs 11oz (our biggest baby yet - and trust me, I felt EVERY ounce) and was 20 1/2 inches long (our longest baby, too). She was alert and ready to meet the world right away.
Our family was all waiting in the family lounge and came in very shortly thereafter to see their new sister, grand daughter and great grand daughter. It was an exciting place, to say the least! Elijah, Ethan and Kaden rushed in, searching for their much anticipated new sibling - it was so heartwarming to see their unabashed excitement. Much pomp and ceremony was placed on each brother having his moment of one-on-one time, then the grandparents each had their moment. Lanie was absolutely showered in hugs, kisses and affection.
It wasn't the birth experience that I had been imagining, but we are blessed to have Lanie here safe and sound none-the-less. Thank the Lord for her safe and quick delivery. Now we look forward to our new life as a family of six!

Here We Go!

Today or tomorrow we are having a baby!

At my last doctor's appointment on Tuesday, my protein levels were back up. My doctor decided she is not comfortable letting the pregnancy continue due to the stress it is placing on my kidneys, and she actually asked me if I could go straight to the hospital right then. Of course my mind was rushing with the overwhelming number of thoughts and logistics to process with that idea! I hesitated mostly, though, because I was still hoping the ABC was still an option. She is a great doctor, and although I know it would be easier for her to just send me over to the Labor & Delivery in Novi, Dr. Pezeshki began thinking of alternative options to try to give me a chance for the ABC. As long as my protein levels are the least bit elevated, I am not permitted to be induced at the ABC (by having my bag of waters broken) because I am considered high risk (that is, the LOWEST high risk possible, but still officially "high risk"). However, if my proteins levels came back down there wouldn't be an issue. So, Dr. Pezeshki said that we would delay the induction until she had the time to run one more protein test (a different, more accurate test) that would take 3 days to process.

SO, here we are . . . I went to the office yesterday with my sample and for bloodwork, and today I find out where I stand. Will I be induced today at the ABC or tomorrow at the Labor & Delivery? Either way, this is a momentous day for me since it is the last day I will be pregnant (almost positively the VERY last time, unless God has other plans). I am so thankful and relieved to know the end is very near because I have reached the very big, very uncomfortable, very yucky stage of pregnancy - but my longing for this to be over with is definitely bittersweet. I may never feel the butterfly flutters and the martial artist kicks again. I may never cradle my belly and know that there is another being growing miraculously in my womb. I may never be an intimate part of nurturing the development of a new life through the amazing and miraculous capacity of my female body. I will definitely miss these incredible and awe-inspiring parts of pregnancy. These last few moments will certainly be treasured and filed away in the area of my brain reserved for the most important memories of all, crowding out all of the unpleasant realities pregnancy can bring (morning sickness, heartburn, total and utter exhaustion . . . you know the ones).

Realistically, the fact that either today or tomorrow we will be holding our newborn daughter is our arms has me incredibly excited and overwhelmingly nervous all at the same time. I am so ready for this, and I am so NOT ready for this all at the same time! Her birth has been highly anticipated and the days could not have gone quickly enough for us, but I've done this newborn thing before and I know how much work I am in store for. Am I a glutton for punishment? Even as uncomfortable as I am right now, it is still easier to care for the baby in utero then it is the first three sleepless months. Apparently some part of your reasoning and common sense dims at this stage of pregnancy, however. ;)

Today or tomorrow! I think I can wait, just that much longer . . . !

Please pray for us today and lift up the baby's safe delivery, if you could. I wouldn't mind either if you asked for quick labor and easy pushing for me while you're praying, if it's not too much to ask. :) Thank you all, for your love and support throughout this pregnancy. I hope to have pictures, stats and information posted soon after the baby is born. Check back in a few days.

Thank you and God bless!

Speculation

I almost titled this blog entry "Pointless Speculation" because of the very fact that speculating has absolutely nothing to do with causing action to take place, but I wanted to sound more optimistic than that. :)  Still, wishful speculation doesn't put one into labor . . . 

Today, I am exactly 14 days away from my official due date (May 20th). At this point, most people would just be beginning to prepare for the imminent arrival of their newborn. I, however, feel as if I have been ready and waiting for the past month. I knew all along that this was a foolish thing to do, but this girl just can't help herself sometimes. :) The thought process that made me "sure" that I would have the baby right around now may be explained by the statistics below:

Elijah's due date - Feb. 2, 2002

date of birth - Jan. 17, 2002

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born 15 days BEFORE his due date

Ethan's due date - September 8, 2004

date of birth - September 5, 2004

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born 3 days BEFORE his due date

Kaden's due date - March 18, 2006

date of birth - March 5, 2006

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born 13 days BEFORE his due date

Like I said, I know that the above statistics don't necessarily prove that this baby will also come early, but the fact that I also dilated and effaced earlier than normal had me hopeful as well.  :)  I have been told that the more times you are pregnant, frequently the earlier you begin to progress, but that didn't stop me from hoping.  Also, the Braxton-Hicks contractions have been regular for over a month now as well.  I'm beginning to think that's it's a little ridiculous that a "seasoned" mother of three wouldn't recognize true labor from "practice" contractions.  Ah well, each pregnancy and labor is unique, so how can one predict how each will go?

So, what's your bet?  I still think I will go into labor sometime before May 10th, but each day that I feel good (such as today) discourages me.  I felt more ready to have a baby a week ago than I do today.  I am always exhausted, but the contractions and crampiness seem to be less regular.  I have actually been sleeping halfway decently (considering the big ol' belly and all . . . ) and haven't noticed any differences in my ability to breathe or a break from the heartburn which might signal that the baby has "dropped."  We are doing all the sorts of things that are supposed to bring about labor (minus Castor oil - that one just seems WAY too messy and uncomfortable to me) and still, I feel pretty good.  My positive spin on this is that perhaps my body is allowing me to be at my best right before the true work begins.  If I could get my energy level up, I'd feel like I was nearly at the top of my game.  For this, I feel blessed!  :)

I'd love to hear your personal stories of the days preceding your labors, if you'd like to share.  Every one's story is so different and unique, and it's nice to see how everyone has progressed.  Please share here as a blog comment, or leave a comment on facebook.  I'd love the distraction of your stories if you have the time.  :)

The end is inevitable, to be sure.  I will just have to bide my time and be patient.

God bless!

Doctor's Report

I just returned from yet another doctor's appointment and I am happy to report that I have finally received the news that I have been hoping for - my blood/protein ratio is FINALLY at an acceptable level!!! I am so thrilled because this means that we will now be able to deliver at the Alternative Birthing Center at the Southfield Providence Hospital again. We delivered both Ethan and Kaden at the ABC and both experiences were wonderful (as far as labor and delivery go, let's be realistic now . . . LOL). It may seem like an insignificant thing to some, but it actually created much anxiety in me to think that the ABC may not be an option this time around. I go 100% natural during my labors and the idea of having to be in the typical labor and delivery area of the hospital made me nervous - I didn't know if they would insist on monitoring, IV fluids, restrictions, etc. I know they have the very best intent for my baby and me, but I much prefer to be as hands-off as possible. With my first labor and delivery I was in the L&D in the hospital and really felt out of control (they really pushed drugs I did not want and my birth plan was all but ignored). In contrast, the ABC is an extremely calm, warm and relaxing atmosphere where I have found that the nurses really listen to your wishes and plans. It helped me feel more in control and comfortable with the natural process my body was going through. I was also able to deal with the pain in ways that were comforting to me (yoga ball, hot shower, walking and standing as much as possible, etc).

Have I mentioned that I am thrilled to have the opportunity to deliver there again?! :)

I would really love and appreciate your prayers that my protein levels would remain where they are (or lower even) and that labor would begin soon. At my ultrasound last week the baby looked 100% healthy, strong and fully developed, but she is already packing on the pounds. I know the female body is fully capable of delivering babies of all sizes, but I would really desire another baby under 7lbs. Kaden was 6lbs 6oz and the difference between him and Ethan (7lbs 4oz) was certainly noticeable. Because she is in the 60th percentile for weight already, the baby will probably be over 7lbs by the middle of next week. Currently I am 3cm dilated and 60% effaced (cervix is completely soft) so labor could begin at anytime, but I have now been at this stage for the last week and a half. C'mon baby, could we get this show on the road?! :)

I know the end is near and I am trying to enjoy these last few weeks of pregnancy, but I am admittedly restless. God's timing is perfect, but it is hard not to be impatient. :) I hope to be sharing exciting news of the baby's birth very soon!

God bless!

Sneak Peek

Pictures of our baby girl at 36 weeks!This is her profile shot. She has her hand over her mouth so it may be hard to see the whole face. According to the measurement of her foot, leg bone, and a few other body parts, she is in the 60th percentile for size. She is already 6lbs and will be about 8lbs if she goes full term - my biggest baby yet!
This is a front view of her face. If you look carefully you can see her eyes (lids closed) and her nose, but her hand is covering her mouth. I thought it looked like she might have been sucking her fingers.

Baby Update

I just got back from my doctor's appointment and I received both good news and bad news. The good news is that I had a non-stress test and the baby sounds healthy and happy. For this information I rejoice over and over! Also, my blood pressure is still in a good range and this is something that they are really monitoring since pre-eclampsia usually always means hypertension (however I seem to be proving this one wrong at this point in time).

On the flip side of things, my protein levels are still elevated and I must still stay on bed rest. Ugh! Do the doctor's realize that this is pretty much IMPOSSIBLE when there are three other children at home? The instructions are for me to stay in bed, laying on my left side, except to eat and use the restroom. Yeah, right. I am really trying to follow their instructions, but the closest I can seem to get is to sit in a chair and put my feet up every now and then. I'm not sure that it qualifies, but I am trying my best.

The doctor checked me and I am thrilled to know that I am now almost dilated to a 3 and the doctor said that I am beginning to efface. My cervix is completely soft. Since the bed rest is not something they see lifting anytime soon, going into labor seems like my biggest salvation right now. Of course I want the baby to "cook" as long as possible, but if she is healthy, I'd really like to go into labor naturally SOON! I pray that God sees to the timing, but I will pray that He is quick with His decision. :)

I am also excited because I am going to get the opportunity to "see" our baby again soon. I am measuring small and because of the pre-eclampsia, the doctor ordered another full ultrasound. I still have to call to set an appointment, but I think it should be within the next week. I am excited to see what a difference there will be in her development from 18 weeks to 36 weeks! It will also be comforting to be reassured once again that it is, in fact, a girl. I have the dream fairly regularly that the first ultrasound was incorrect and that the baby is actually a boy. The pictures were VERY clear the first time around, but that still doesn't make me doubt any less. It all just seems to good to be true! I will feel complete comfort and excitement once I am holding our little pink bundle in our arms.

I appreciate everyone's love, care and concern for us and for our precious baby. Thank you so much for the well-wishes and for the prayers! Your prayers are of GREAT value to me and I know I am so blessed to have so many people petitioning God on behalf of our unborn child and for our family. Please continue to pray and I will try to send along updates anytime I know anything new. My next doctor's appointment is this Wednesday (April 22) and I will be repeating the blood tests and 24 hour protein tests at that time. The results for that, however, will not be available until Friday. I will let you know if anything changes.

Now, I need to go put two little boys down for naps so that I can go obey doctor's orders and lay down. God bless!

No Menu Planning Monday - VII

This week our dinner plans are going to be a little bit up in the air. As of right now I am on complete bed rest for pre-eclampsia and my doctor does not know when (if) I will be able to come off of it. This makes preparing dinner a bit impossible. I go to the doctor again later today (and again on Wednesday, and Friday . . .) so hopefully I will know more soon. If my protein levels or my blood pressure rise too much I will be induced, but that will not be decided until my appointments. Please pray for the health and the development of the baby, and that I will be able to stay put in bed as I'm supposed to. So far I know I have done miserably, but it has been incredibly difficult with the boys running around and needing me constantly. I am hardly able to stay in bed, but I am trying to at least sit and put my feet up as frequently as possible. I hope that God will protect and watch over the little life growing inside of me.

Kevin and my parents (and Julie Lupo) were a godsend over the weekend, and I am so blessed with their kindness and generosity! This week should be interesting, but I know God is in control and that everything is in His hands. What a mighty God we serve!

Sweet Anticipation

A baby girl!

Wow . . . the thought of it still takes me by surprise!!!

I really never thought that Kevin and I would be the parents of something sweet and pink. Oh, how the Lord loves to surprise us!

I am finding that as the weeks are winding down (5 more "officially" to go), my anticipation level is gearing up. With the help of my amazing in-laws, the baby's room is also getting geared up. A few weeks back we (well, mostly my mother-in-law) painted the room a spring green to match an accent color in the bedding I bought used from a friend of mine. Then, the hunt was on to find curtains to coordinate. I searched high and low at every home store and major chain, but just couldn't find the perfect combination of colors. My mother-in-law then suggested that we look at a fabric store and make our own. The idea was overwhelming to me since I have only done very minimal sewing in my life, but she is so amazingly crafty and talented that I bravely went and found the perfect fabric at JoAnn's. We set an afternoon aside at her house to get the curtains cut and sewn, but I was so slow at the sewing machine that she ended up finishing them up on her own and bringing them over a few days later. I am so thrilled with the curtains because they really tie the room together and make it look classical and feminine - it is the perfect touch!

I haven't really picked a theme for the nursery (except for the flowers adorning the blanket and bumper, and the stripes on the curtains, baskets and sheets), but I was thinking I might use one of my favorite old toys as a spring board. Most everyone who knows me for any length of time knows that I am head-over-heels in love with horses. It would just seem appropriate if my daughter became infatuated as well, wouldn't it? If I surround her with horse figurines and pictures now, will it increase her potential as she grows up? I can hope! Also, I love the idea because I still have the horse pictures that hung on my wall growing up and I think the colors might work for the baby's room as well. That would certainly be a cheap and nostalgic fix to my decorating block.

The baby's closet is beginning to fill up now and it is so fun looking at all of the pink and purple things - I truly never thought these colors would be in the nursery! Almost the entire collection of clothing has been tremendously blessed to us from close friends and family. I am so incredibly thankful for the hand-me-downs of others! When we initially found out we were expecting a girl I was worried that we wouldn't be able to afford to clothe her. My fears can be laid to rest now thanks to all of our amazing loved ones! In fact, she has so many 0-6 month outfits, she may not ever be able to wear them all before she outgrows them! Now how's that for a laying a fear to rest?!

I am not particularly a girlie-girl myself, but I must admit that I am really loving all of the girlie clothes and accessories that we have been given. The little shoes and the hairbows are just too much fun to imagine accessorizing our little sweetheart someday soon. Can I admit that I am just going to have too much fun playing dress-up with her?

I am so excited for the next 5 (or less!) weeks to pass! How amazing, different and fun life is going to be by adding a little girl to our family. There will, of course, be all of the incredible challenges that come with having three busy boys and a newborn in the house, but the realities just can't suppress my excitement. I don't relish the ideas of sleeplessness and exhaustion, but I can't help but still want her here as soon as possible. I pray that the Lord watches over her development and decides the perfect time for her to arrive - the sooner, the better, of course!

Menu Planning Monday - V

My menu posting is delayed this week due some preggo distractions. After a trip to the doctor's today we know that the baby is fine and healthy, but I am beginning to show signs that I probably will go a few weeks early. Please pray that we make it to 37 weeks!

OUR DINNER MENU FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 6 - APRIL 12, 2009:

• MONDAY - Leftover Beef Stroganoff, Sugar Snap Peas, Creamed Corn, Homemade Bread
• TUESDAY - Savory Herb and Garlic Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots, Homemade Bread
• WEDNESDAY - Dinner at Applebees with the Hoy's
• THURSDAY - Dinner with the Davis Family
• FRIDAY - Lunch with Wright's after Good Friday service
• SATRDAY - Asian Beef Linguine, Carrots, Broccoli, Homemade Bread (this is the same dish from last Tuesday. We had to change up the menu a bit last week last minute so it returns to the menu this week)
• SUNDAY - Easter Lunch with Wright Family, Easter Dinner with Autry Family

Better Late Than Never, right?

This news is old to some, and I regret to keep the rest of you out of the loop for so long, but the ultrasound results are in, and . . . . . . it's a GIRL!!! Better late than never, right?

We are completely stunned, shocked and in awe of the news! Kevin and I were both sure that we were set to be parents to boys alone, but this new revelation has rocked our world! Pink! Who would have ever thought that we would get to buy pink?!?!

We absolutely love being Mommy and Daddy to our boys and think that we are particularly suited for raising boys, BUT we are completely optimistic and excited to try our hand at raising a little girl. There are so many differences and unique aspects to the feminine spirit. I am sure we are in for a huge learning curve. I just pray that God will give us wisdom and a deep understanding of this new little blessing, as well as for continued help in raising our three wonderful boys. Please keep us in your prayers!

M.I.A.

As you can clearly see, I have been missing in action for quite some time now. I was hit with a recent overload of crazy busyness and just have not been able to keep up with all of my communications. Our photography business has been blessed with an incredibly busy fall season, and it has been all that I can do to not become completely buried under the load! Then, on top of that, we recently discovered that our family is about to expand again - yep, that's right, baby #4 is due May 20, 2009! The exhaustion and the nausea have nearly completely wiped me out, and I am so ready for the first trimester to be over!

Homeschooling has been an up and down affair recently. We recently decided that our language arts and reading program were just not working for Elijah, and so we have taken a leave of absence from those subjects until I can order the right program. What happened is that I originally ordered the Sonlight Readers and Language Arts program for second graders because Eli is a fairly strong reader. Well, the Readers were at his level perfectly, but the Language Arts jumped way ahead of where he was at. We did our best to try to make it work, but in the end we are going to have to step back down to the first grade Readers and LA program. The Readers may be too easy, but hopefully we'll be on the right level for LA, and perhaps he'll be empowered by the ease of the books to read.

Also, because we have been so overwhelmed with Photography recently, we actually took a week off of school completely just so that I could make deadlines. It wasn't on our calendar and it may be a struggle to finish up the year before the new baby arrives, but I just felt for all of our sanity, that the break was absolutely necessary. I guess that's what homeschooling is all about - flexibility when you need it, right? :) We are now back to work and I am actually so thankful for it! During the break I decided that we NEED the structure to our day that homeschooling gives. The boys were bored frequently and this made them irritable and ornery. It seemed that the sibling rivalry was at it's worst that week! It was a frustrating time, but we were able to squeak out our deadlines and no one killed the other - an accomplishment for sure! :)

Well, I hope to stay on the ball a bit more now that the biggest few hurdles have been scaled. There is still a lot of demand from the photography end of things, but I am glad to have a least a little bit more calm and order to our days. I hope, too, that I am nearing the end of the yucky part of pregnancy so that I have more energy and a desire to eat again. . . here's hoping! :)