Yet another baby scare...

Well I thought our week of craziness was over...I was wrong! Sunday night at 9:30 pm I had sudden, severe back pain that started in my middle back (right side), wrapped around my side and went up into my shoulder blade.
The most painful thing I've done in life so far is to have my ribs tattooed. So on my pain scale, that is a 10. This pain was easily a 9.
I went with it all night, getting no sleep or relief. At 4:30 am I woke up Brandon and told him that I had to go in. I told Brandon that he should stay so he could go to work with Seth in the morning. When he agreed, however, I had a panic attack and started freaking out and crying so he ended up going with me. I'm glad he did, I don't know what I would have done without him!
We went in and actually got seen pretty quick, I got 2 vicoden and a sonogram to check my gallbladder. We went back to the waiting room and waited forever. The vicoden took the edge off the pain but I was still very uncomfortable. So they gave me a loritab when the vicoden wore off. That wasn't much better but you know, whatever.
They got my sonogram back and my gallbladder looks fine. So they ask for a surgical consult. I talked to the surgeon and she basically said that there are 2 possibilities. It could be apendicitis or my kidney is swollen. With apendicitis they can operate, the only way to fix my kidney is to have Corbin.
So here I am, 32w5d pregnant. In bed. On percocet. If the pain gets worse I have to go right in because that probably means apendicitis. If it stays the same, I have to go in tomorrow evening and we're talking delivering Corbin early. If it gets better, I just hope to goodness that everything stays ok until I hit 35 weeks and I can safely have him! So just 16 more days for that.
I had a midwife appt today and she said that Corbin is still measuring big for dates, she even asked if I was positive about my LMP! So I know he'll be ok.
Talk to y'all later!

Baby Scare

Ok well after a few days of feeling a bit off, we decided to call the midwife and see what he wanted us to do.
He said "Oh why don't you just head to the hospital, I'll meet you there and we can check you out." So we said ok, and left. Didn't pack a bag, call anyone or anything.
Well this was Thursday and I just got home!
When we got there it turned out that I was in preterm labor (and probably had been for a few days) and I'm dilated a centimeter and 50% effaced!
Brandon and I most enjoyed the contraction monitor. I don't know why, it was just weird watching what my body was doing on the screen. Anyhow it didn't take long to figure out that I was having contractions every 2-6 minutes.
So they admitted me, gave me drugs to stop labor (made me very loopy!), gave me steroid shots to mature the baby's lungs faster (in case he really really wanted to be born) and pumped me full of fluids and antibiotics (for a UTI, which I already told one of the midwives I had but she didn't believe me).
I only slept for 2 hours Thursday night because I was in the most uncomfortable bed ever, with an IV and hooked up to monitors. I slept for about 5 hours last night and I plan to sleep all day tomorrow!
So now I'm on Procardia and bedrest until further notice. But the baby is happy and healthy and doesn't seem to mind me being in labor at all! So if he is born early, he will be ok. :) That's all for now, I'm off for a nap in my own bed!

Baby Update!

Ok well actually it's not so much of an update because there isn't much new going on with him. He's healthy, happy and big! He is still in the same head down, butt and feet in my ribs position. His heart rate is in the 140's and he kicked the midwife this morning!

I have had a busy week:
Monday-Babysitting Emily, grocery shopping with Anella and Ender.
Tuesday-WIC appointment, La Leche League meeting.
Wednesday-Breastfeeding class at the birth center.
Thursday-Baby appointment.
Friday-Meeting with doula.

I can't wait to relax this weekend! Ok, I lied...we will be cleaning this weekend. Maybe I can relax Sunday...after church. Geez, does it ever end?

Pros and Cons

Hi everyone! One thing my mother can tell you is that I am always making plans for the future. Most of the time, they are idealistic and not very feasible, but Brandon and I decided to have a serious talk about what he will do in 2013 when his time in the Army is up.
Our choices are: Stay in the Army and go career (20-25 years) or get out of the Army and do the civilian version of his job at NSA in Denver.

Staying in the Army and Going Career

Pros

1. Each year he will have the opportunity to advance in rank and earn more pay.
2. We want a lot of kids, the Army will increase pay for each dependent we have up to 5.
3. We might end up adopting, the Army reimburses adoption fees.
4. Tricare-Free medical service.
5. Retirement-If we start investing now, we could actually retire at 45 with no worries. If he stays in for 25 years, he gets 75% of his base pay as retirement.
6. Property-We could go ahead and pick out where we want to settle down, buy some land, and have it paid for when we are ready to settle.
7. Familiarity with the military "system".
   

Cons

1. We won't be able to "settle down" until we are 45.
2. Moving is hard, moving with kids is probably a lot harder!
3. Brandon might deploy.

Getting Out of the Army and Doing the Civilian Version of His Job in Denver


Pros

1. Higher pay is almost certain.
2. Getting to "settle down".
3. No moving.

Cons

1. Retirement is not very clear.
2. No Tricare.
3. Uncertain promotions.
4. Basic uncertainty.

And so we decided that staying in the military has the greatest advantages and the least disadvantages. So he is going to go career. :)

Long Post!

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long, my computer has been retarded and we've been really busy! I can't add pics right now but be assured that I have them in my camera still and they will be posted as soon as I can get my cpu fixed! So what have we been up to lately?

August 21-23 we went on a marriage retreat! Some of you may know that things had been a little rocky between Brandon and me lately, so needless to say I was looking forward to this opportunity. It started on Thursday morning with a fight before leaving. We left and headed to the resort/spa located about 30 min away. The very first day we had some great classes and learned a lot about ourselves and eachother. We had a 3 hour break that afternoon, which we spent working through a year's worth of issues. By the end of that break we were a different couple! From then on we started spending our breaks outside by the pool. Enjoying the cool breeze and talking. We were having fun! The next day, after class, we went on a dinner cruise! Despite the fact that I hate water, it was pretty fun! The retreat ended after the cruise, however we didn't have to check out until the next day at noon so we enjoyed the extra time together. Before we left Brandon let me get a prenatal massage! I had been having trouble sleeping because of my back pain (Brandon had to rub extra-strength Bengay into my back for like 20 min before I could sleep). After my massage I didn't need help sleeping for a week! Unfortunately I'm needing help again but I know how to get my back fixed now (after Corbin). So all-in-all the retreat was awesome! It turned our marriage around and now Brandon and I good to go!
Labor Day weekend we went to a church picnic that was fun! This reallllllllly old couple sat with us, they were awesome! We were just able to bring sandwiches and fruit for us but they kept feeding us fried chicken, fresh corn on the cob, fruit, potato salad, home grown tomatoes and onions, etc. It was delicious! The guy is a WWII vet and he was at Normandy (like I said, he is old!!!). But it was a fun end to a fun weekend. :)
Also, I had a prenatal appointment Tuesday. Corbin is a little big for his age. He is also already head down! His butt is in my right ribs and his feet are in my left ribs. Sure explains some things! I also felt him get the hiccups for the first time the other day, it was weird! Anyway I'm starting my bi-weekly appointments so my next one is on the 18th.
So that's all that's been going on with us, I'll write again soon!