The VERY Beginning...

I can't remember a time when I haven't dreamed about one day getting married and then being a Mom. I thought it would be just that easy...  you get married..  and then have babies. It never crossed my mind that it might not be THAT easy, until I found out first hand. The getting married part was fairly easy..  but having kids..  well..  here is what happened with that...

My husband, Richard, and I had been married for almost 5 years, bought our first home together, had decent jobs and decided that it was "the right time" to start a family. So, I made an appointment with my OBGYN, to get checked out and make sure everything was A-O-K to start this process.  He gave the go-ahead and handed me a prescription for prenatal vitamins..  and so, we began "trying". 

Well, it took two years, several months of ovulation kits/sex on demand, and 2 losses. I miscarried the first fairly early, but not before calling everyone that we loved and telling them the good news. That is a hard phone call to make...  to tell someone that you have lost the baby. The second was ectopic and had to be surgically removed. The doc had said that my tube was hours from bursting when they cut me open. I was 6 weeks pregnant at the time and didn't know it, until I had that SHARP PAIN the day before and went to the doc to see about it. The fortunate thing is..  the pain had gone away and I called and tried to cancel the appointment, but my Dr. wouldn't let me. He insisted I come in anyway, because I was trying to conceive. Good thing for me I went! 

After this loss, I became very depressed. Richard and I decided that we would just STOP it all...  no more ovulation kits, no more sex on demand, no more "trying"..  if it happened ..  it happened. I also decided that it really didn't matter to me if "I" had the baby..  the bottom line was..  I WANTED/NEEDED to be a Mom and I didn't care "how" it happened as long as it happened! I started calling different adoption agencies. Richard got pretty upset with me about this. He said that we were still young and it was not time to give up hope yet of having our "own" baby. He was right!

The very next month...  I missed my cycle. I had been instructed by my doc after the ectopic that when i was one week late I should come in and be checked out. So, I called and made the appointment. I went in and it was confirmed through a blood test that I was INDEED pregnant! He then did an ultrasound on me ...  but didn't see anything in my uterus. Things were not looking good...  again....   but, he sent me home and told me to come back in one week if I had not miscarried by then.  One week later and there it was...  attached...  but on the wrong side...  but still in my uterus, where it should be. HOWEVER...  there was no heartbeat... so things still didn't look good. He sent me home again -- come back in a week. One week later...  and there was a STRONG heartbeat! Andrew was on his way.

I was considered high risk the whole pregnancy, and had ultrasounds almost every time I went into the Drs. office..  but things were progressing nicely. Even then..  Andrew had his "own" way and timing for things. If you noticed in the paragraph above, I mentioned that he was on the "wrong side"...  well, according to my Dr..  when a woman conceives and the egg drops down from the tube..  it is supposed to attach on THAT side...  Andrew decided he would float around for a while and attach on the opposite side from which he was actually conceived. I went into labor with him 6 weeks early, and they put me on Breathene (sp?) (which gave me the shakes) and bed rest for a week. Immediately when I finished taking the meds....  I went into labor again. The Dr. tried to stop it again, but was unsuccessful. He stopped my dilating, but couldn't stop the contractions..  so he had to restart me and  let me have him. Andrew was a difficult baby to birth..  not only because he was my first..  but because every contraction I had..  instead of him moving down in to the birth canal..  he moved further UP into my rib cage.  He was also sunny side up instead of face down...  The nurses had to help me to get him to flip the right way...  21 hours of labor, 2 1/2 hours of pushing, and the use of the vacuum and nurses pushing down on my belly and Andrew was finally here..  4 1/2 weeks early..  weighing in at 6 lbs 12 oz. My Dr. told me that if I had carried him to term..  he would have been a 10 lb-er. He was perfectly healthy and got to go home with me. Although, we did have to return a week later because he had jaundice. Three more days in the hospital under the lights and he was good to go!

Austin was much, much easier.  When we decided to try for our second child ..  almost 2 years later..  I had prepared myself that it may take a while and that it may not be viable the first time out.  Within two months..  Austin was on his way!  I was still considered high risk with him because of all the trouble I had getting Andrew here, but my pregnancy with Austin was much smoother.  I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes with Austin and had to be on a special diet while pregnant with him, but otherwise a normal pregnancy...  until I went into labor with him 6 weeks early. Again, the doc put me on Breathene and bed rest for a week...  I carried Austin an extra week after that and then went into labor with him again. Again, the Dr. tried to stop it, but this time he stopped my contractions but could not stop me dilating...  so he had to restart me and let me have him.  Nineteen 1/2 hours of labor and Three pushes ...  out popped Austin - screaming and peeing. The doc did stop me from pushing after the head was out for a few minutes..  in his words "don't even breathe" but after a few minutes he told me to resume pushing. I thought it was a little odd for him to say that, but didn't question it at the time. I found out later that he had been born with the cord around his neck...  but he, too, was healthy and got to go home on time. Austin weighed in at 7 lbs 2 oz at 3 1/2 weeks early. He, too, would have been 10 lbs if I had carried him to term..  according to my Dr.

Next post..  Andrew ... the Early Years....