Meet Lil A

My youngest daughter, Lil A is the quiet baby. Don't get me wrong, she is very much mine, meaning she is stubborn, wait, she gets that from her Daddy. LOL! True, she is quiet, but she is very bright, tender, selfless, righteous ( yes at 19 months old, she is very much so!) and next to her sister, she is the most loving child I know.

Born on a national holiday b/c it fit into hubby's training schedule and well, let's face it.........I wanted her out!!!

When Big A was about 7 months old, I told hubby, I was ready to try again. "It's a bit early, isn't it? That was his reply. True, it was a bit early, but I reasoned with him it had taken us a while to conceive Big A, so why not sooner than later?

So, I went off BC pills and we waited for my two normal cycles, which followed right after I stopped taking the pill. I went out and spent a ridiculous amount of money on OPK's and had a new little toy, a fertility monitor. I purchased it the cycle we conceived Big A, so I never got to use it.

With hubby still working out of state and commuting on weekends only, we knew timing was going to be an issue, again another argument I used for starting sooner than later. Fate smiled on us once again, and I was due to O on a weekend. even thou, by hubby promised to take vacation time to drive 6 hours to 'service' his wife if I should get a positive OPK during the week.

Green light on the weekend of the first official cycle of TTC. Despite Big A still getting up 3 or 4 times a night and our usual crankiness due to sleep deprivation, we managed to make the best of the fertile weekend. :) I kissed hubby good bye on Sunday and on the last hug, he whispered to me "We did it."

So, 10 days later, POAS - NEGATIVE! Ouch that hurt!! I was bummed and so was hubby, but we knew what the odds were. However, something kept telling me in my heart the fat lady wasn't singing. So, 2 later, I POAS - again it was negative. Ouch, that hurt even worse. mmmn, let's not do that again.

When I was officially late, which was 3 days later I decided it was once again time to test. This time I knew it was going to be negative, but I needed to be able to tell Dr. M it was negative so he could write be a provera Rx and I could move on to the next cycle.

So at lunch I went to the $ store b/c on the TTC message board someone said to use those b/c they are just as sensitive as the freaking overly priced FRE's. I purchased 5 of them. Looked at my watch and noted I could test at 4:37pm.

It was 4:30pm and I was back at work, but all I could think about was the HPT's hidden in my desk. Temptation got the best of me, I slipped one in my purse and made my way to our office ladies room. $ store tests are great, but messy. You have to collect your urine and use the dropper, you can't just POAS. I dropped the required amount and went about my business, knowing I was just going to wrap it up in TP and throw it in the trash. I picked it up, grabbed some TP and then STOPPED. OMG!!! Is that a second line????????? Holy shit, that is a second line! Shit, how much time has elapsed? Is that an evaporation line? Damn, why didn't I bring two test with me. I went straight from the ladies room to my desk and just grabbed another one, not caring who saw what or the eyebrows is raised. Locked myself in the stall and once again dropped the required amount onto the test. Only this time I paid attention to the test and my watch. Sure enough within two minutes a second line appeared. OMG!!! Hubby was right, we did it.

The next morning I took another one, a FRE and called Dr M., who ordered a beta. Lil A's numbers were not anything like her sisters, that should have been my first clue they were going to be different.

I did have morning sickness with Lil A, but it was just that, morning sickness. It was usually gone by lunchtime. And, if that wasn't good enough, around my 16week, it was gone. It would occasionally come back for a few days, but nothing like before. Lil A was quiet in-utero, so much she had me sacred most of the time. We too had our morning routine, where some mornings I needed to play her favorite song (different from Big A's) to get her moving. I found myself more scared this time around. There was so much more at stake. Lil A, would listen and every now and then gentle nudge me to let me know she was fine and everything was going to be ok.

During this pregnancy, my hubby got transferred back here, the only catch?? He had to go through another academy and there was no way to schedule it around Lil A due date. I hate the government! So my hubby started the academy in September, I was due the first of January. He would finish the academy in February. My hubby was still only 6 hours away, so the chances of him making the birth in time was good, the catch? He couldn't miss a test. There are no makeups in the academy. So, you here that Lil A, you need to be born on a non-test day. See why I hate the government.

The day after Christmas, I threw my back out. It was an awful experience. I called Dr. M and said, Look!! I am miserable, we need to talk induction. At this point I did not care if hubby was here or not, I was in a lot of pain and I needed relief. I told myself, he doesn't have an uterus, so he doesn't get to have an opinion. When he carried our next child, he could determine when he/she was born.

Dr. M agreed an induction would bring me relief and since I was technically term and 2cm dilated and already 80% effaced we could schedule it. his next day on call was 12/30. I out him on hold and called my hubby, 12/30 was ............that is right you guessed it, it was a test day. *^#% government!! i put hubby on hold and while trying to explain this situation to Dr. M. I burst into tears. So we compromised. I was still scheduled to be induced on 12/3o, just not at 6am. We could schedule it for 9pm. Hubby would take his test at 10 am, and he could drive the 6 hours and still have plenty of time to make the birth. the following day was 12/31 - a holiday for the nation and for the #$^%& academy, so he would not have to return immediately.

Ahhh! I felt much better! We had a plan. Ok, Lil A, we need to talk. We need to talk about your birthday.

12/30 is here. Normal - I get up and spend the morning time with Big A. Kiss her bye at school and go tot work. Yes, I am still working. I worked up until I delivered with Big A. Some might find that strange, but as luck would have it our office building is right across from the hospital, so I was technically closer to the hospital at work than at home. Plus, I work for two cold hearted bastards (CHB's) , but that is another post.

12/30 of that year was a Friday and even CHB's have their redeeming moments and one of them is we work 36 hours, get paid for 40 and only work half a day on Friday. Wait!!! Remember they are cold hearted - Yes we work 36 hours, but our workday begins at 7:30am -5pm.

I had lunch with my Mom and IL's, they drove all the way from the midwest to be here. They missed Big A's and regretted it, so they were here. We finished and I went to pick up Big A, only to find her Daddy had beat me to it and was already in town.

We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying being home with Big A. The IL's left around 5pm so we could have some family time. It was nice. While giving Big A her bath, I lost it. Our lives, all of our lives were about to change forever. Lil A moved more those last hours than my entire pregnancy. Knowing her now, I know she was just reassuring me.

Right as bath time ended, our telephone rang. It was the hospital..........no room at the inn. There were no beds and we had two choices. I could wait, maybe there would be beds at midnight, or I could reschedule for 6am. Childcare had already been arranged, so we chose midnight. The nurse told us we were next on the list and there were 3 women in active labor. Our chances were good. We kissed Big A goodnight and made the necessary phone calls. My Mom came over around 9pm and we had a nice long visit. By 11pm, I was done. I needed to sleep. I think I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow, I dreamed about Lil A. The phone was ringing and it was hubby telling me it was the hospital and still no beds. I was sad, angry, but most all disappointed. And then, it really was hubby with the phone in his hand and it was the hospital, I needed to wake up, it was time to go.

We left for the hospital around 11:45pm. I got checked in and was in the labor room by 12:15am. Dr. M came in and broke my water at 12:20am. He gave the same option, walk or go ahead and start pitocin. I was negative for Group B this time around so I didn't have to have those awful fire burning antibiotics. It was 12:25am and I wanted to meet Lil A, so I opted for the pit. Dr. M checked me and I was 3cm. By 2am, I was a good 6, maybe a small 7 and I hurt. I wanted drugs. By 2:30am I could still feel the pain and it HURT! The epi had only taken to one side, my right side. OUCH!! I remember telling hubby to take the bolus and give a shot every time I could have one until I told him to stop. Around 3:30am, Lil A heart rate was dropping. There was talk of a c-section. I couldn't have a c-section. I have a very active toddler at home, a hubby who will be out of state and two CHB's as employers. Ok, Lil A, we need to talk again.

Dr. M told me he did not like what he was seeing, he wanted to roll me on my side and see if that would help. I was given oxygen. He was giving us 30 minutes, unless something unusual happened (like it got worse) and if no change, I was going to have a c-section.

4am, Dr. M. returned and as he was reading my strip, I called for my hubby and told him I really needed to push, he needed to tell Dr. M. My back was to Dr. M and I had that freakin mask on, so I couldn't talk to Dr. M. My hubby relayed the message and they rolled me over and I remember Dr. M. saying he needed to check to see how far along I was and then he said never mind, I can see her head. I was crowning! How is that for progression???

Two small pushed later and Lil A was here, 12/31 at 4:20am (I started pushing with Big A at 4:20pm) She scored 9/9 on her APGAR's and she also weighed 6 pounds and 6 ounces.

Lil A, also had reflux, but being parents for the second time, we were able to get her relief at 3 weeks old. By the time she was 13 weeks old, she was only feeding once a night and by the time she was 17 weeks old she was sleeping thru the night. She is still a better sleeper than Big A.

She won her first beauty/photo contest 2 months ago. She is a gentle, loving, trusting soul. Her laugh is contagious and her smile takes your breath away.