Luke Kolbe Nobles

Luke Kolbe Nobles
Born 11/26/2010 at 3:10pm
7lbs. 4 oz. 19.5"

(From the Dad)
Mamma and Baby are resting comfortably right now.

Let me just say for a moment that reaching this point would not have been possible without the support and prayers of the women (and their behind- the- scenes husbands) in this incredible blog network. You were there for Karey in her darkest moments and I will never be able to fully express my personal gratitude.

Praise be to God for this amazing blessing and know that just like we were in your prayers you all continue to be in ours!

He's coming soon

This baby's coming on Friday, possibly Saturday, if not sooner.

We found out at my 38-week appointment yesterday that, despite a week of bed rest, my blood pressure had not dropped (or risen, thank God). I also had some protein in my urine (the sample taken at that appointment) which I'd never had before, and I had gained a few pounds in the last week. My doctor assured me I was okay at the moment but that the best course of action was to get me "unpregnant." Things could escalate over the next several days, and I'd much rather have the baby while just dealing with hypertension than have him next week when pre-eclampsia has become an issue.

So, that all being said, I am being induced on Friday (I'll be 39 weeks). It's for medical reasons and I feel confident in my decision (as much of a "decision" as it was; it was medically advised and I trust my doctor). I actually will go in on Thursday night to start the "ripening" (I hate that word!) and stay the night there. Friday morning the actual induction will begin. My doctor will be working that day, which is great, and she wants to avoid a section of course. But... I am unfavorable for induction at the moment (still just 1 cm dilated, not very much effaced), so we're praying that things change by Friday, which is entirely possible.

With that in mind, she stripped my membranes yesterday. My weekly exams haven't hurt, despite her warning they would, but this did. Not terribly, but it wasn't fun either. She said there was a little blood and to expect more throughout the day (I saw a little).

Upon returning home - and back to good old bed rest - I started having slight cramping. I've had very obvious Braxton Hicks since week 18, but this was very different. BH never caused me any pain, just tightening, and this was more like period pain, which I know early labor contractions can feel like. By evening, I started timing them just out of curiosity. They were irregular, but seemed to be growing in intensity. A couple hours later they were really painful and my lower back ached terribly, to the point of making me cry. At that point they were three minutes apart. Ryan, home from work for dinner, packed his bag, but we decided he should go back to work and wait for our call.

Well, almost as soon as he left, the pain started to improve. It must have been false labor, which was very frustrating since it made the entire painful episode seem worthless. But I'm hoping that perhaps it at least caused me to dilate a little more. That's at least my wishful thinking.

I slept okay, but not very long, waking up early this morning to discover some blood-tinged mucus. Not sure if this was the bloody show (even this late in pregnancy that phrase still makes me cringe) or just some blood from my OB stripping my membranes. I tend to think it was the BS (perhaps, again, wishful thinking) because it was nothing like the slight spotting I'd had immediately following the appointment, and because it was in mucus. It was a good amount of mucus, possible more of the plug, which I believe I've been losing over the last three weeks (which really doesn't mean anything, although I've read the BS does possibly mean a little more).

I'll go in today for a meeting with a labor-and-delivery nurse, and then return Thursday night to be admitted. Oh how I hope I am more than one cm dilated at that time! It would be such a blessing to be favorable for induction, and to progress well once it begins. It'd also be nice if I went into labor naturally sometime in the next two days. I don't care if it's even before I get to eat Thanksgiving dinner! (speaking of which, my doctor assured me I can eat a normal Thanksgiving meal before heading to the hospital. Yay!)

So only two more days of bed rest left to go (as I've been saying lately, it's been hard for me and that's saying a lot because I'm admittedly someone who normally LOVES just laying around!) and just about three days until we'll meet our little boy. It's so hard to believe!

And no Black Friday shopping for me. Darn! Just kidding. I've actually never been in my whole life.

I can't thank you all enough for your prayers. They mean so much to me. I will be praying for all of you on Friday!

St. Gerard, pray for us. St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us. St. Gianna, pray for us. St. Therese, pray for us!

Bed rest

Yup, I'm on it.

I had my 37-week appointment this morning and my blood pressure was high again. This time it was right at the cut-off to be considered to have gestational hypertension, so my OB put me on bed rest.

We're waiting for the results of the urine test to see if I have pre-eclampsia and if I do, what will likely happen is that I'll be induced next week at 38 weeks. If it comes back negative, then it's considered gestational hypertension and we'll discuss inducing at 39 weeks.

I momentarily googled both conditions but I'm done with that. I have to remember I am on the low end of the spectrum AND I'm 37 weeks. These conditions are much more serious prior to being full term. At this point we just want the baby to grow a little more, but he'd more than likely be perfectly fine right now.

The doctor told us we really needed to have someone watch Clara for me, which made me realize that bed rest really meant bed rest! We are very blessed because my mother-in-law offered to come for Thursday and Friday, and then my parents arrive on Saturday for three weeks.

I'm pretty calm about everything and I hope I can stay that way. Of course, I don't want to be induced and we're praying I go into labor on my own before then (I'm still only 1 cm dilated, so I'm hoping that changes a little too). My doctor of course hopes I can avoid a c-section but did discuss with me the possibility of one if I don't dilate after being induced. (I asked her how long she'd let me labor and while she said it's pretty hard to put a number on it right now, she ended up saying 12 hours without dilating is a ball-park amount of time before moving to a section. Anyone know if that's pretty typical?)

So, for now, I'm resting. And we're asking for St. Gerard's intercession, as well as the two saints we will soon be choosing between for Baby Boy's name. There are a lot of really strong heavenly helpers in our corner!

Perspective

I'm 37 weeks today. That means baby is full term.

I wasn't always so sure I'd make it this far. I hoped and prayed I would, but the likelihood of my reproductive parts functioning properly just seemed pretty low. Five-and-a-half years of infertility with zero conceptions kind of does that to your optimism. Add to that extremely low progesterone (9.3) at seven weeks and 37 weeks seemed like an impossibility.

(Side note - If you are reading this and have just been told you have low progesterone in early pregnancy, let me be an example to you. Get on progesterone-in-oil shots asap. I don't care if someone tells you the shots won't really help. I took them and, like I just said, I'm full term.)

Early pregnancy seems so long ago. It was Easter. We were vacationing in South Carolina with my family. I thought Clara was so big and now she looks teeny tiny in our pictures. December seemed light years away, and yet tonight at midnight the weeks on my countdown ticker will switch to "2". Yes, it will say "2 weeks, 6 days," but there's something about that two that makes my heart skip a beat.

I'm grateful to be here. Actually that barely scratches the surface of what I'm feeling. I can't put it into words so I won't even try.

I have done my share of complaining as of late, which I try to contain to just my husband and family (lucky them). A year ago I would never have imagined I'd be typing these words, but here goes: it's so easy to get wrapped up in the pain and discomfort of pregnancy. Believe me, I swore I'd not only never complain about being pregnant, if I was so fortunate to become pregnant, but I'd never again complain for the rest of my life. About anything.

For more than five years, whenever I'd hear others' horror stories about labor and delivery, I'd tell Ryan that I'd cut off a limb to go through their pain.

Let's just say I'm going to try to recall those thoughts when it's my turn.

Seriously though, lately I'm really trying to remember those past promises I made to myself. But besides offering it up for all of you still waiting, which I try to do when I remember to, I really want to remember that former self, who would have been so mad at the present me for wallowing in my discomfort.

My current self (and hopefully my former self too) knows that I'm only a weak human being and, after all, pain is pain. But I do feel like I owe it to her, the past me, to try to curb the complaining a bit.

Today I had cause for remembering this when I went to drop my jug o'urine off at my OB's office. My blood pressure was a little high at my appointment on Wednesday so she had me do a 24-hour urine test as well as some blood work to test for pre-eclampsia (I don't expect to have it since I never have protein in my urine at my appointments and I'm not swollen at all).

As I walked up to the office door at 1:30 today, jug discreetly hidden in a big paper bag, someone standing nearby told me they close at one o'clock on Fridays. What? I had no idea. Why would I? That seems like an odd time to close. Four I could see, but one?

I got back in the car and cried. Peeing in a pee-catcher and then pouring it in a jug and then returning said jug to the refrigerator is just plain annoying. Especially when you pee all day long, can only ever leave your crying infant for a second, and when it's 3 a.m.

So I cried as I realized I'd likely have to repeat the same test on Monday.

But then I remembered that a year ago I would have thought it absolutely ludicrous to be anything but completely joyful that I was being tested for pre-eclampsia at 37 weeks pregnant, because it would mean I WAS PREGNANT. I'd be so mad at someone who actually had the audacity to cry because they'd have to pee in a jug for the second time. Oh the horror! How ever would they stand it, big pregnant belly and all, getting ready to meet their sweet little newborn baby in a few weeks?

Former Me really helps Full-term Me to put things in perspective.

Now I'm just hoping she shows up in the delivery room.

Surprise shower!

So this morning I was told we were going to the mall. We just had to make a quick stop at GIMH's house so my husband could pick up something. But, as it turned out, when I knocked on her door, I was actually walking in to my own surprise baby shower!

I am really so incredibly blessed to have such kind and generous friends and family. Our friends were all there (and thanks to Amber from Fertile Thoughts too, for helping GIMH!), my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law and nephew drove up for it. And, yesterday I got a call out of the blue from my sister asking me to pick her up at the Richmond airport! She had flown down for the shower, although at the time I thought she was just surprising me with a weekend visit.

It was so much fun and GIMH did such an amazing job (maybe she needs to do party planning as a side business, now that she's planned three successful parties in the last few weeks!). It was held in her beautiful home and the food was amazing. I had such a wonderful time.

I seriously did not expect to have a shower for Baby #2. I had a shower when Clara was three months old back home and just figured that people had been generous enough then, not to mention the outpouring of gifts after we first brought Clara home. So I was blown away by the generosity of everyone today. Baby #2 will not have to wear pink! Haha!

Here's a look at the festivities:













Thanks so much, GIMH! You are such an amazing and thoughtful friend. And thanks to everyone who celebrated with me today, everyone who traveled here for it, and those who couldn't make it. I never thought I'd have a baby shower, let alone two in one year for both of my babies. It's bizarre to even type those words. I am so, so, so blessed.

Good news

He's head down!

I didn't even expect to find this out today; my OB told me she'd be checking at 36 weeks. Luckily, I had a feeling she might do it at 35, so I made Ryan (and Clara) come with me just in case. She checked my cervix, felt his head (!), and even told me I am one centimeter dilated. I didn't expect that!

I have heard that being dilated a bit this early doesn't necessarily mean anything, but it was still exciting to hear. I know my constant shock at being pregnant might be getting a bit redundant this late in the game but, honestly, those are words I just NEVER expected to hear about myself. "(Blank) centimeters dilated." Maybe in the movies, or about a friend, but not me. I am constantly in awe of this miracle!

So no scheduling of a potential c-section, no decisions to make regarding a possible version, and, as my doctor said, we officially now have NO idea of when he's going to enter the world. And that's fine with me!

Getting close

It seems like I spend some time every morning thinking of a new way to say how close we are. Yesterday there were several: "32 days," "next month," "three weeks until my parents arrive," "two weeks until we're in the two-week window." And, my personal favorite, "less time than has passed since Clara's baptism," because that seems like it was just yesterday!

I'm currently 35-and-a-half weeks. Tomorrow starts my weekly OB appointments, with next week's appointment being a biggy. That's when my doctor will, hopefully, be able to check to see if she feels the baby's head. The baby's head! The reason for this is to see if he's still breech but, to me, the excitement is over finding out there's actually a real human baby in there! With a head...that she can feel. (And hopefully it's not feet she feels, or else we might be scheduling a tentative c-section for 39 weeks.)

I'm starting to feel a little better, but I honestly think it's actually because my body is adjusting and I'm getting used to it. I know what to do when back pain, heartburn and side pain strike. But - and there's a TMI warning on this one - I have developed a new favorite third-trimester symptom... peeing myself. Sorry! It happens when I sneeze or cough. I actually have to laugh every time it happens!

I have heard the baby's movement sometimes lessens at this point, because they are running out of room, but my little guy seems more active than ever. I feel what I think are feet on my right, a butt in the middle up high, and (maybe this is wishful thinking) hopefully a head causing some pressure down low. I love it! I could sit there and watch him move all day.

And, as the end nears, it still never gets old thinking about how long we waited for this and the impossibility of it all. We walked around in a daze those first few weeks after getting a positive test, something we never thought possible (not after more than five years...there were even statistics that supported my pessimism!). While the daze has (somewhat) lifted, it's still totally unbelievable to us. We think constantly about what we were doing last year this time, how depressed I was, how hopeless I thought life was going to be for the remainder of my time on the planet. Soon it will be one year since we received a message from a stranger while in adoration. Then, about a week later, it will be one year since Clara came into the world at only 30 weeks (something we didn't know was happening at the time). A month after that, we'll remember the anniversary of getting "the call" (actually it wasn't so much "the call" as it was "the Facebook message" from a fellow blogger..haha!). And, of course, there will be the first anniversary of laying eyes on our daughter for the very first time.

Soon, those thoughts will turn into "what we were doing two years ago" and infertility will fade further and further into the past. It's inevitable. And, after all, it was always my prayer that it would. I am so blessed in that I don't feel the sting of it anymore. And the pregnancy didn't erase it; it was already gone when we brought home little Clara. I know this isn't the case for everyone, but it was for me and for that I am forever grateful.

Of course, I can call to mind those feelings at the drop of a hat. I'll never forget them and infertility will always be a part of my past (not to mention I will always have all my old blog posts to remind me of how terribly dark and distraught I was). I don't know why it was in God's plan to bless me and my husband in the way that He did, just like I don't know why He allowed us to suffer so deeply for so many years (another form of a blessing, I might add). Or why so many others still do.

I must cut this post off since I can't sit much longer (trust me, it's a pain that reminds me of my abundant blessings and I always offer it up for all of you still waiting). But before I go, here are a couple pictures of my little Clara on Halloween.

And speaking of what we were doing last year, I'm sure Sophie is relieved that I finally have a human baby to dress up instead of her...