Read along in Colleen's journal to find out what the journey through pregnancy holds for her the third time around.

Colleen is a Florida mom who most of you know as the co-administrator of Mom's Life.  She and her husband Jim are already the proud parents of Catherine, born December 1995, and of Grace, born August 1997.  In September of 1998 they found out that there would be a third baby joining the family. 

May 15 1999
I finally have a moment to think out this whole birth story thing and type it out. It almost seems like a blur now, the whole day flew by.
We were to be at the OB's office at 8am, or so we thought. We were running late, didn't get there till 8:20, and the staff was sitting outside. Seems the office manager, who had the key, was running late. We decided to run Catherine over to preschool and come back.   Once we got back to the office (we still had Grace with us) we went through the usual weigh in, blood pressure, sample, and then saw the doctor in the hall. He looked at us kind of funny and asked why we were there. Turns out he meant for us to go to labor and delivery at 8am, but his staff had thought we needed to come to the office. Oh well!

We went to my moms house quickly to get our video camera, and of course for me to pop online and quickly post that we were finally off. 

Got to the hospital around 10am, got checked into a room, answered all the pre admission questions and finally got some blood drawn and my IV started. I was still at 3cm when I was examined.  The pitocin was started and I immediately started having contractions. I was pretty surprised because when I was induced with Catherine it took a few hours for things to get going. The contractions got regular and strong pretty quick, but not strong enough to make me beg for drugs just yet. I didn't even feel a need to breathe through them at this point.

11:30am My mom was off work by now and one her way home, so she picked up Catherine from school, and Jim went to meet her at her house with Gracie. My mom only lives 5 minutes from the hospital, so the plan was she or Jim would wait there with the girls, and call our sitter (a neighbor who lives across the street from my mom) once things were moving along.

By noon I was 4cm, and I was happy things were getting started. I still wasn't that uncomfortable, but the nurse did let me know I could have some stadol if I needed it until I got to 5cm and could have my epidural. My mom had come to the hospital to be with my while Jim was with the girls at her house.

2pm I took that shot of stadol...I was having to breathe through my contractions. The baby's heart rate was a bit low through all of this as well, hovering just below 120. The OB wasn't concerned for him, but did want to see his heart rate get up a bit, so they put an oxygen mask on me and gave me a rush of IV fluids. It worked, but the nurse told me to keep the mask on so it wouldn't happen again. This was probably the most annoying thing for me! I could stand the contractions, but the mask was such a pain.

The stadol made me pretty loopy, and I didn't want to be on it for the birth. I was really light headed and kept talking to my mom thinking I was making NO sense at all. I was almost at 5cm!

My mom left and Jim came back...the OB came in and broke my water to increase the contractions. He also put on an internal monitor and said I was 5cm and could now have my epidural. Good thing, the stadol was wearing off and I didn't want any more of it. Jim and the OB sat in the room chatting about Europe (once you get our OB talking, he'll go for hours!) until my mom called, wondering what the heck was going on.

3pm  The woman came in to give me my epi, and kicked Jim and the OB out. Jim told me mom to come in about a 1/2 hour, since my epi would be in then. We never thought this would be such a close call!

My epi took two tries, the first time she got a nerve ending and I could feel shocks up and down my left leg. The second time took, and she asked me how long my last baby took once I got the epi. I said about 2 hours, so she left enough meds for that time frame, sure that it wouldn't be longer than that.

4:30 ish My mom had only been there about 15 minutes, I hadn't been examined in the hour or less since I had gotten the epi. I felt fine...Jim and the OB went down the hall to get a cup of coffee, the nurse left the room saying "I'll be right back" and my mom stayed with me.

All of a sudden I felt the most intense pressure, almost as if the epi had totally quit on me. I felt such an urge to push, something I never felt with the girls. (With both of my previous labors, the epi had worked so well that I had been totally numb and just been told when to push and done it on instinct. In fact, with Catherine, her head was crowning and I didn't even realize it!)

I told my mom to check (in between groaning from the pressure) and make sure there wasn't a baby's head popping out under the sheet. She did a quick peek and didn't see anything, so then we tried to call the nurse. The call button was attached to the TV remote, which had fallen, and we couldn't find it! The pressure was really mounting so I yelled at her to RUN down the hall and grab someone! She came back with Jim, the OB, the nurse, and a nursery nurse. The OB did a quick check and announced I was at 10cm and a +2 station, and ready to push! (Well DUH!)

I grunted in between the pain that I wanted the mirror moved so I could see him come out. I wasn't going to miss this!  I pushed for 5 minutes, half the time of the pushing I did with the girls, but a lot worse. It didn't hurt or burn, but the pressure was very intense, he was coming so quick. I did three great big pushes on one contraction and got his head out. The OB paused me to suction him out, and I resumed pushing. Two sets of pushes later, at 4:33pm, Matthew James was born, the OB said, "It's a boy!" and Jim and my mom cheered.

The nurse put him on top of my bare stomach, and I held him as I delivered the placenta. Jim cut the cord, and baby Matthew peed on me! I held him the entire time the OB stitched me up, as I tore right along my previous scar. (I was cut with Catherine and tore with Grace)

After a long chance to hold him, the nurse asked if she could get some stats on him and warm him up. I handed him over, and she told us he was 7 lbs 5oz and 20 inches. He looked so much longer than that!  He had to be warmed up for quite a while, so my mom and Jim stuck around so they could hold him, then my mom left to go get the girls. The big sisters arrived around 7pm and were enthralled with their new baby brother. Jim and I kept marveling that if he had gone downstairs to get that cup of coffee, he would have missed the whole thing!

He's 2 days old now and just as sweet as can be. Jim and I catch ourselves saying "She" (after two girls old habits die hard!) but we are so thrilled so finally have a little boy.

May 13 1999
Announcing the birth of Matthew James, May 13 1999 at 4:33pm.  He is 20 inches long and weighs in at 7 lbs 5 oz.  Mom and baby are doing fine!

May 10 1999
The end is in sight...but not near enough! My OB was pretty surprised to see me this morning, he was sure I would have gone over the weekend. He asked us what we wanted to do, as far as being induced, waiting another week to see what happened, etc. We wanted to go with inducement, but since he's not the doctor on call this week, he needed to consult with him first.

So he gave me an exam, I'm still at 3cm, the baby is at a -1 station. He talked to the OB on call (who was the one who delivered Grace) and that OB wanted to wait till I am 38 weeks, which will be Thursday. If nothing happens by then, we are to be at the OB's office on Thursday at 8am for one last check up and exam before getting sent to the hospital. He also *roughed* me up again during my exam today hoping to set something off for me.

I'm glad the end is in sight, but I'm kind of upset at not being done today. My mom is going back to work tomorrow and if she can't get off Thursday she'll miss the birth. Plus Jim is on vacation this week, now he's going to ask for another week so he can be home next week once the baby is here.

May 9 1999
Still nothing new to report.  Had a wonderful Mother's Day with Jim and the girls, and enjoyed a bit of family time while we are still a family of four.  OB appointment is tomorrow morning, I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight!  I'm so excited by the prospect of maybe having this baby tomorrow, I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve!  My bag is packed, the video camera is charged up...I'm ready to go!

May 7 1999
I'm getting desperate...I thought for sure getting my membranes stripped yesterday would work.  I went to lunch yesterday with my mom and godmother, and my godmother told me our friend castor oil worked for her twice. So my mom talked me into it today.

I mixed it with a glass of OJ, held my nose, and drank it down. The only result so far is that my system is TOTALLY cleaned out. I'm actually hoping it doesn't work at this point, since it is so late in the evening, if I went into labor now we have no one to watch the girls but my mom, and she wants to attend the birth. If I go during the day we have plenty of people to step in for my mom.

Also seeing lots of blood tinged plug, but nothing else to report!

I did have my appt scheduled for 3pm Monday, since Jim had to work. But he told his boss that we'd be having the baby by then for sure, so his boss was nice enough to switch Jim's vacation from the end of the month (we originally planned it last year around my due date) to this week. So because he will be off, I changed my appt. to 9:20am.

May 6 1999
Just got back from the OB...he said the baby's head is VERY low, and he stripped my membranes for me to help things along! He thinks I'll go before Monday, as I'm dilated to 3cm now, but if I don't go by then, we'll see about getting some more help to get labor going.

May 2 1999
I'm waiting to feel the baby move! I haven't felt him today at all, which sometimes can be the norm for me. I get so busy doing other stuff I don't notice what he's up to.   But now that I've noticed that I haven't noticed him, I'm waiting for him to perk up! I just ate a PB&J sandwich so maybe that will get the little guy going again.   Jim says, call the OB! But I'm going to wait a bit and see if he moves on his own first...I am REALLY sick of going to the hospital for false alarms!

Later....
All is well...he perked up after lunch!  I guess it was naptime for the litte guy?  Hope he's as good of a sleeper once he's on the outside!

April 21 1999
Another trip to the hospital yesterday.  I saw some spotting so we went in just in case. This was NOT it...my OB thinks I lost part of my plug and didn't notice it, but ended up seeing the blood part of the whole mucous plug thing.   So the good news is although I'm still contracting, I'm still only 1cm dilated and he was very impressed with the results of my u/s and said I can go off the meds and bedrest at 36 weeks for SURE and he wouldn't be worried at all about the health or size of this little guy. :-)

You KNOW you're spending too much time in the maternity ward when the nurses know you by name and ask "Is this it??" as you walk in!

At this point I'm just hoping to make it past May 1st so that I can take Catherine to the sibling class we signed up for at the hospital.

April 20 1999
Had my ultrasound yesterday morning, and the results are good! 

The baby is even bigger than we thought...I'm 34.5 weeks right now and he's measuring between 35.5 and 36 weeks along, and the estimated due date according to his size on the u/s is a full week early...5/20! So I can probably have him a tad bit early and still have a healthy big baby.

His estimated weight right now is around 5.9lbs, give or take a few ounces, which they said was great for 34 weeks.

And the other news is...it is most definite the baby is a boy! We saw his "equipment" very clearly! We also got to see his little heart beating away, it was so neat, all 4 chambers could be seen!

April 15 1999
Some not so good news today at my 34 week appointment.  I haven't gained any weight from 32 to 34 weeks, and my measurements haven't changed either.  So my OB is sending me for an ultrasound this week just to check this out.  Meanwhile I'll be trying not to go nuts before then wondering what could be wrong!

April 13 1999
Lucky me.....hospitalized for pre term labor!  Here's the whole story....

I had been having braxton hicks contractions for the past week and a half, EVERY day. Talked to my OB about them and she said not to worry unless they began to hurt, or I could time them. So I went out with my mom Saturday morning and the contractions started coming every 7-10 minutes. I called the OB and she said get to the hospital just in case. (I also had contractions at 23 weeks and they were stopped with a shot of terb...which at the time I thought was AWFUL stuff! Gave me the shakes and made my heart race)

So we got to the hospital, I was given two doses of terb, nothing happened. I barely got the shakes from it! And I was still having contractions, not ones that really hurt, but about the level of a PMS cramp.

I was admitted and started on magnesium sulfate, which is horrid nasty stuff. Makes you feel like you're burning up, you can't see, can't walk, ick ick ick. The lower doses didn't work so I was getting the max on it which finally did kick in. I didn't sleep all night long because of that mag sulfate, but I had the most wonderful nurse during both of my nights there. The first night she kept the temp in my room nice and cold so I wouldn't be hot, and kept bringing me ice packs and cold washcloths to try and fend of some of my discomfort.

She was older than I, but had two girls the same ages as my girls, and she kept me company most of the night talking with me about them, and keeping me cool, holding a basin for me all the times I got sick, she was wonderful. I only hope she's my nurse again when it is *time*!

Anyway, I was totally miserable on this stuff. Because it is a muscle relaxer, you can't see, can't walk, even my bladder was relaxed. I would feel like I had to go, but I would have to strain to pee! And of course I had to use a bedpan which only added to the fun! I was totally miserable not being allowed to eat (since I was throwing up so much) and also I couldn't get out of bed! I tried to use the bathroom once with help from 2 nurses, ended up getting sick in there and fainting! Had to have them revive me with smelling salt salts.

Day 2: I was still on the mag in the a.m. (and I truly feel for ANYONE who EVER has to take that!) and begging them to lower the dosage. But my contractions were still too close and my OB wanted me to have less than 4 per hour. So after what seem like hours I got on a lower dosage and began to feel human again. Soon the contractions had tapered off enough that I was weaned off the mag sulfate. However, I was still having contractions and not allowed out of bed. (Luckily I had a sponge bath the night before!)

I was started on pills, something they actually use for heart patients to lower their blood pressure. Boy does it do that! My blood pressure is normally low, like a diastolic of 60, well now it's running in the 40's on these meds...but they're doing the trick!

However, even though I was off the mag, my OB wanted me to stay one more night to make sure the meds would cut if for me. However I was able to sleep so much better.

Day 3: You could tell I was back to normal this a.m because I got annoyed at not being woken up for breakfast! LOL....it was cold by the time I got to it...luckily Jim brought me donuts...what a guy!

My OB released me in the afternoon and I got to take a REAL shower before I left...won't ever take that for granted again! And it felt wonderful to finally get those fetal monitor belts off my stomach, and I was about ready to rip that IV out on my own!

So I got weaned off the meds and I'm on pills now, and on STRICT bedrest. Jim is putting the recliner in front of the computer so I can lay back and be online. I'm still having some contractions but less than 4 an hour. (Which is my "danger" zone) They don't hurt, just I can feel my whole belly get tight.

I'm also only 1cm dilated but 50% effaced. The OB is trying to hold me off till after 36 weeks so I've got 2 1/2 weeks to go. Luckily Jim's work has been super through all of this and he has got all this week off with pay (thank god!) and he is working a few nights and weekends till I make 36 weeks, so my mom will be taking the girls for me then.

The upside of all of this (see me finding the silver lining??) The baby is ok, we'll probably make it to 36 weeks, dh will have lots of time with the girls during the next few weeks, and someone has always got it worse then me! We got a birth announcement in the mail today from a friend who was due 2 weeks AFTER me. She had her daughter 10 weeks early due to toxemia, her water breaking, and placenta previa. Her baby is doing fine, but it has made me count my blessings!

March 23 1999
I've got a belly shot to show off...this is me at 30 weeks:

The verdict is in, no gestational diabetes this time around!  I had it with Catherine and ended up being induced on my due date (which actually was not such a bad thing!)  I failed my one hour test with Gracie, and then had to go for a three hour test, which I passed.  Thankfully the one hour glucose test did it this time!  Sitting in a lab for three hours and being stuck umpteen times is NO fun, so I'm glad I've avoided it. 

I also bid on and won a large lot of baby boys clothing off an auction website called Mother's Nature.  From the picture posted it looks great, and we could sure use it after only buying girls clothing for the past three years.  If this baby turns out to be a girl, I'm in big trouble!  Check out the site if you get a chance, there are a lot of great auctions and some nice things for sale, all all are geared towards moms and baby.

March 18 1999
We heard from our pregnant friend today.  She went to the hospital this week to try and have the baby turned. It was not successful.  She is due April 7th and will be scheduled for a c-section the week of her due date.  She did warn me that it hurt quite a bit as they dug into her belly trying to turn the baby, she had to stay home from work today due to it. I really hope our baby turns, I'm looking forward to going through a labor and delivery one last time.

I knew I was in a breech position with my mom, so I asked her about it last night. She had told me she went overdue with me, and into labor, pushed for a while, and then had to have a section.

So the wheels get creaking in my head, and I'm wondering didn't the doctor KNOW I was breech beforehand? Yep, he sure did, but in those days, they didn't try to turn babies, nor did they schedule a section for them! Instead the routine practice was to have the mother go into labor and see if she could deliver breech! Since he only guesstimated me at being 7lbs, he thought she wouldn't have a problems, but I was 9 1/2 lbs! 

Thank god we've made some medical advances since then.

March 15 1999
Jim and I reorganized the girls closets and dressers today, pulling out things that didn't fit them, handing things down from Catherine to Grace...and we cleared a spot in the closet for the baby's things. I have a few things that were given to us, but I still have not been in the mood to run out and go nuts on blue things. I just have this wait and see attitude!

In the next few weeks or so I'm going to start washing all those little baby sleepers and blankies...the nesting instinct is in full effect! 

Catherine is so excited about having a "brover" and comes out with the cutest things now.  The other night as we ate dessert, she asked me if my tummy was full now. I said yes, and she said "all the way down to your toes full?" So I replied yes again. Then she said, "Momma, the pie goes into your mouth, down to your tummy, and right into the baby's mouth!" Dh and I thought that was pretty smart of her considering we haven't really discussed anything of that nature with her at all!

March 11 1999
Another appointment today, they're getting to the point where they are quite routine.  I'm still measuring big, gaining about a pound a week.  We'll find out next week if I passed my glucose test. My AFP came back normal. 29 weeks down...11 weeks to go!

My one big concern at this point is that the baby is not head down.  My OB said he'd let me get to 36 weeks before we worried about trying to turn him. A friend of ours who is at 36 weeks now and goes to my OB is going in to try and have her baby turned this week. (Doesn't that sound painful? There's not very much room in there already...and we want this baby to turn all the way around? OUCH!)  I'll be paying close attention to what happens with my friends pregnancy, as right now we're in the same boat, just an eight week difference in due dates.

February 27 1999
Can I please have my ribcage back?  This baby seems big to me...he is SO far up into my rib cage already...I have this pain/pinching feeling just under my ribs on the right side...OW!  He doesn't just do it when I bend over, He's been in my ribs for a few days now...and I have to squat to get things off the floor!  Laying down on the couch at night with a heating pad on my back seems to help...

February 4 1999
Went to the OB again this week for a checkup after my hospital adventure.  The bad news is I am still effaced.  The good news is that I am not dilating!  And the even BETTER news is that the baby is measuring about 1.5 weeks larger than he should be.  Yippee! 

January 28 1999
Last night I had some contractions.  They started around 11pm and kept progressing, and of course I was getting worried.  They were quite painful. I called my OB and in the meantime, went to use the bathroom.  It was then that I saw the teeniest amount of blood, but enough to worry me.  My OB hone me and told me to get to the hospital pronto.  Jim was home, and wanted to take me, but I didn't want to wake the girls and drive them to my mom's house.  So I told him I would drive myself and call the minute I knew anything.  Luckily the hospital is only five minutes away, and there was virtually no traffic at this late hour. 

The bleeding was the biggest concern, as my contractions calmed down quite a bit once I was laying down and hooked up to the fetal monitor.   The baby had a good strong heartbeat which was reassuring to hear.  My exam showed that I was effaced, but there was no dilation.  I was given some "terb" via IV to stop the contractions completely, and it was horrific.   The drug gave me the shakes and made my heart race.  By the time I got released early the next morning I had been up for eight hours and was exhausted.  Jim stayed at our house with the girls and I went to my mom's house nearby so I could be alone and get some much needed rest.

The good news is that I'm not on bedrest.  My OB is going to let me "strike out" one more time before he benches me for the season.   We'll be going back next week to make sure I'm not dilating at all. 

January 16 1999
Last night I left work early due to the worst cramps I've had in a while.  I felt fur sure they were Braxton Hicks contractions, but no matter what I did, they wouldn't go away!  The pain was concentrated on the lower right side of my belly, so then my paranoid mind started thinking, "What if these aren't BH contractions?   Oh no..where is my appendix at?"  By the time my doctor called me back I was sure I would be rushed off the the hospital for an emergency appendectomy.  Turns out it was just a bad case of my ligaments stretching, and I actually made it worse by walking around and being active.  (Which is what you would do to get rid of BH contractions.)  So per the doctor's orders I got to lounge around for the rest of the evening.  Thank goodness, they did pass, but then I got the worst lower back ache.   I can't win!  I couldn't get comfortable in our bed at all, and although Jim was being sympathetic and trying to rub my back, it wasn't working.  Besides, the poor guy had to be up at 4am for work...I couldn't expect him to rub my back at 11pm so I could get to sleep.  I ended up laying on the couch with my back propped up against the back of the couch, and I slept soundly, finally.

January 5 1999
I got my ultrasound pictures back!  I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and I've gained 4 lbs in the past month!  YIPPEE!  That makes for a total weight gain of 8 lbs with this baby, and with my track record, that's pretty good.  I also had my AFP screen done yesterday, I guess we'll find out the results of that at our next appointment in 4 weeks.

December 31 1998
We had our ultrasound today...and it looks like the next baby will be a..

.
BOY!!!!

We're just thrilled to death!  This baby will be the only grandson for both my mom and Jim's mom, and only the second great grandson for my grandmother.

I'm finally popping out a bit! We were worried there for a while because I had only gained 5 lbs in this pregnancy. My ultrasound showed the baby measuring 19 wks 1 day, and I was at 19 weeks exactly when I had the u/s done.  The ultrasound was great.  My dh, the girls, and my mom all attended, we got some on tape, and we were even able to count ten little toes!

So now I am out of my jeans and not quite fitting into the maternity pants! Dh bought me a really nice pair of khaki ones for Xmas, and I don't think they'll fit till Spring. But this week I got a deal at Target, on some regular leggings, and I got a size larger than I normally wear...voila! Maternity pants. And they were half the price of the maternity leggings! (Because we all know maternity clothes are a rip off anyway!)

December 25 1998

Merry Christmas!  As I watched the girls opened the gifts this morning I found myself daydreaming about next year, I'll have 2 little girls very into the gift side of the holiday, and we'll all be celebrating another baby's 1st Christmas!

I'm 4 1/2 months along now, and last night at church , I couldn't bear to stand. There was incredible pressure on my pelvic and groin areas, not actually in my uterus, but lower. It was just a dull pressure and after about 5 minutes I couldn't even stand. For the rest of the night I was fine as long as I was sitting or moving around. It didn't bother me at all today.  I did end up calling the doctor's office about it, and they said it was very common, and similar to the cramps most pregnant women feel on both sides of their uterus under the rib cage.    Seems everything is just stretching out again to make room for baby!

December 19 1998
I felt the little bean move last night for the 1st time (I am 17 weeks now) and told my mom, "I just felt HIM move"....Freudian slip? We'll see in about 2 weeks at our ultrasound!

I've been waiting to feel that movement!  I thought with my third I'd feel it earlier, like I did with Grace.  Actually, I think I did feel the baby move earlier than this, but the movement was too fast and fleeting for me to be sure.

December 9 1998
I just got back from my dr's appt, and I am now 16 weeks along! (And if I forget, at least I'll have this journal to refer back too!) I have been scheduled for an ultrasound in 3 weeks, and I am having a Level II u/s at the hospital. The dr. told me things would be a lot clearer and we should be able to see a bit more. We heard the heartbeat again, and it was 141.  (Hmm...does that mean a boy?)

I'm just so excited because we definitely want to find out the baby's sex, and it will be so exciting to see whatever little bits and pieces are there....I honestly have no preference now!

My dr. also gave me a prescription for Claritin. I've had this cold on an off for three weeks now, and for 4 days I was as sick as a dog. Then I seemed to get better, and now it seems like every two or three days I'm congested, or my nose is runny, or I have a lot of mucous I cough up. (Sorry to gross anyone out!) So I'm going to try this and hope it works!

Hmm...what else? I go for my AFP blood work soon, that's a lot of fun. (NOT) Oh, and my total weight gain so far has been 5 lbs, STILL! I haven't gained anything since my last appt. The nurse freaked me out a little because she seemed concerned by that, and was asking me if I was eating, or still having any m/s. So we talked to the dr. about it, and he went and looked at my chart for my total weight gain with the other two. He said this seems normal for me and I will probably only gain 20lbs total. So...at least I don't feel weird anymore for not being in maternity clothes yet!    And because I'm not wearing maternity things, I really don't *feel* pregnant!   If I just weren't so tired!

November 2 1998
Morning sickness has attacked me!  I've been dreading it, there's nothing I hate more than throwing up.  I've also been worried about the coping with it and dealing with two little girls. 

When I was pregnant with Catherine I was sick for 5 months.   As a result, I lost a lot of weight.  It was a horrible feeling, waking up and being sick, getting ill at work, and not being able to eat a thing.  I worked at a grocery store at the time, and sometimes just things I would see coming through my register line would make me have to run to the bathroom.  I lucked out with Gracie and only got ill a few times.  (Once seeing some strawberries turned my stomach something awful!)

So I figured it was a tossup this time...either I was going to be sick as a dog, or have another pregnant like I did with Grace.  I lucked out, and had the best time with morning sickness ever!  (Not that anyone can really have a good time with it, but compared to my previous pregnancies...)  So what did happen?   I was on the couch for four days suffering from a lack of energy, headache, and an upset stomach.  Then it was over!  NO praying to the porcelain god each morning.   And the best part was Catherine and Gracie were such good little girls, and were content to stay inside and veg out for a few days.

October 1998
We had our first ob appointment this month, and an ultrasound as well.  We are going to the group of doctors who delivered Catherine and Grace.  It used to be a husband and wife team, but they have also added two partners to the office as well.   We also had our first ultrasound, and we've come up with a due date of May 27th 1999.  (It seems so far away!) 

When I was pregnant with Catherine, we had a lot of problems with doctors.  We started going to one as soon as I found out I was pregnant, and the office was very cooperative in letting us play on a sliding scale.  (Since we were not married I was not covered under Jim's insurance, and I would not be eligible for free coverage from the state till my 7th month.)  This worked fine for a time, and then little things the office kept doing upset me enough that we left.  Once I was given an ultrasound and the door to the room was left open.  (For a first time mom who has not had 10 people in a room as she gives birth, this was a big deal!)  Another time, we went to their office and found non one there for our appointment.  We waited, thinking they could be on their lunch break, and then waited some more, We finally called their emergency number and found out our appointment was at their other office 15 miles away!  We had never been to that office and had no clue why we were scheduled there!   The final straw the broke the pregnant lady's back was waiting in their office for 2 hours to be seen.  I understand emergency cases do come up, but I got no explanation and was fed up!  So then we found a midwife's office that would also let us pay on a sliding scale.  I enjoyed going there a lot, and everything seemed fine until I had my test for gestational diabetes at 7 months.  I did have it, and the midwife could no longer take me because I was high risk.  She referred me to a doctor near the children's hospital in St. Petersburg. (A good hour drive from our home)   After my first meeting with that doctor, I was scared to death!  All I heard was c-section due to the baby's size, and I was out of there.  We found a new office closer to home.  At our first appointment I knew this husband and wife team was it for me!  All of my fears and concerns were put to rest, and I was assured I could have a normal delivery with a healthy baby!  The best thing was I was now covered by the state and we didn't have to pay a thing.  Since then I have fallen in love with this group of doctors and their office staff and referred all my pregnant friends to them!  

September 1998
This month was a busy one for us.  Jim had the opportunity to go on a 2 week trip of Europe with some friends, so the girls and I bid him farewell.  Little did I know how much I would be looking forward to his return!  

A bit of background first.  Catherine, our oldest was conceived while Jim and I were dating.  We got married when she was three months old.  Gracie was conceived on Christmas Eve 1996, 3 days before Catherine was to turn one!  We really didn't have any plans for a third, but you know how that goes!

On September 22 I was officially a few days "late" so I took a home test and hopped online to tell my friends as soon as the line was pink!  Why didn't I tell dh first you ask?  Remember, he was backpacking across Europe on what appeared to be the last "boys trip away" for some time!  I also took the home test to my mom at work and had Catherine give it to her.  She couldn't figure out what it was, and I had to tell her!  But she was thrilled as well.  Jim finally came home and I broke the news to him, and the daddy to be for the third time around couldn't have been happier!