Happy Halloween

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. Who doesn't love a day that revolves around dressing up and getting free candy?! Lucky for me, I was feeling the Halloween vibes early and put up all of my decorations in the middle of September before I was placed on bed rest.

Pretty sure Chad found the biggest pumpkins in Orem. Together they weigh 140 pounds!

We ordered a pumpkin shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's for dinner {it tasted a lot better than it looks} and watched Beetlejuice and Casper while we carved our enormous pumpkins.

 In case you're wondering how to carve a 70 pound pumpkin while on bed rest...

We got a surprise visit from the cutest Cinderella and Mike Wazowski there ever was...

Our busy night left us with two worn out dogs.

I'm so excited for next Halloween when we get to spend it with baby DeVore! Happy Halloween!

26 weeks

The best thing about being a "high risk" pregnancy is that I get to see this little babe every two weeks. At every appointment I have an abdomen and cervical ultrasound. In most pregnancies, you usually have 2 ultrasounds your entire pregnancy, so it's definitely fun to watch the progress of this little guy. 

Today, I was exceptionally nervous for my appointment. The further along I get, the more nervous I get about my cervix holding the weight of the baby. During my ultrasound, I was so anxious, I almost passed out! But luckily, the ultrasound tech re-assured me that my cervix is doing perfect! It is still measuring about 2.7 cm, which is the same since surgery... which is amazing news!!! This little guy is already ahead of the charts and is weighing in at 2 pounds! Baby DeVore is one strong baby and we are SO excited to meet him in about 14 weeks!

24 Weeks

My life consists of Gilmore Girls, cuddling with Bruno, playing endless amounts of Sudoko, writing a novel in my journal, and working at my goal of actually filling an entire coloring book. Welcome to life on bed rest :)

How far along: 24 weeks and 2 days!

Total weight gain: 12 pounds

Maternity clothes: Since I leave the house once every 2 weeks for my appointments, I never put on normal clothes. Who wants to lay around in jeans? So, it doesn't feel like I need maternity clothes since I'm basically wearing gym shorts and t-shirts all day :)

Stretch marks: nope, lets hope it stays that way!

Sleep: I haven't been sleeping that great. Since I am laying down 23 hours of the day, I get really bed sore. My hips get really achy. I'm grateful for my full-sized body pillow, it definitely helps!

Best moment of the week:My 8 year-old neighbor coming to my house and giving me crayons and a coloring book. Little does she know how much I love to color. It was the sweetest thing!

Miss anything: I miss being able to stand longer than 5 minutes at a time, shopping, cooking, cleaning, corn mazes, family gatherings, working out, date nights, and just being able to walk around! Being on bed rest has definitely taught me patience and how to be pro at countdowns... only 110 days to go!

Movement: Baby DeVore is quite the kicker, especially during the middle of the night. I love waking up to his little kicks, especially when they wake me up from my horrible nightmares.

Cravings/Aversions: Surprisingly, I haven't had any cravings. I will eat anything!

Looking forward to: My baby shower next month

Notes from Dr. appointments: I followed up with my Dr. a few days after returning back from CA and he was upset when he found out I had a cerclage surgery. He basically said how he can't diagnose me with an incompetent cervix until I have lost a baby (because there are no symptoms of an incompetent cervix....your cervix starts opening without contractions, and you don't realize it until you're going into labor). That's why most people lose a baby before they realize the problem. It made us disgusted to think that he was OK to have us miscarry, and then for the next pregnancy, he could officially diagnose me with an incompetent cervix. That's why we are SO grateful Dr. DeVore was able to see the problem before it was too late. 

Anyways.... we decided it would be best to switch to a different doctor. I need to feel 110% comfortable with my Dr. since I am trusting my baby's life with him, so it felt like the right thing to do. Dr. DeVore recommended Dr. Broberg in Provo, and honestly, it was the best decision we could've made. He makes you feel like you are his only patient and that he has all the time in the world to answer all of your questions. I feel so comfortable with him and am so grateful that we switched!

At my appointment, he checked my cervix to see how it looked since it had been 2 weeks since my surgery. I was very nervous to get the results, but I was so relieved when he said it was still measuring the same since the surgery, 2.67 cm! A huge relief was lifted off my shoulders and gave me a lot of motivation for bed rest. I can do this!

23 Weeks

Isn't he adorable?! I haven't stopped looking at that cute lil' face since our 23-week check-up appointment yesterday. It's always a good day when I get to see (& hear) this little man. I'm not gonna lie, it's quite nice to get out of the house, too. It was weird to actually put on make-up and normal clothes! I'm proud to say that Baby DeVore is growing strong and has a healthy heartbeat of 165 bpm. I can't wait for the day when I get to squeeze those chubby cheeks and kiss those luscious lips! 

My baby bump is really starting to show, and it's SO fun! I absolutely love being pregnant! It's so amazing to watch the changes your body makes to grow a little human. It's truly remarkable! It is such an exciting time in life and I feel so privileged to be able to experience it. 

Back to Reality

1 week of bed rest down, 18 more to go! I couldn't be more grateful for our little trip to California. I will be forever thankful for Dr. DeVore and all that he did to save our little baby! Getting me home from California was the tricky part. Since I would be sitting up for 3+ hours flying home, (going through the airport, security, plane ride, etc.), Dr. DeVore decided it would be best for us to drive home, considering I am only allowed to sit up/be on my feet for 5 minutes an hour. Since we flew to California in the first place, we had to rent a car to get home. Chad rented a luxury Buick, which was perfect because I was able to lay down in the back seat the entire ride home. I don't think I have ever been so excited to get back to Utah. I was so anxious to lay in my own bed, eat our own food, and see our dogs! 

I am so grateful for the love and support we have received from our friends and family. Yesterday was our first day back, and I couldn't believe all the texts/calls/visits from our friends and family. My parents brought Chad and I Zupas for lunch and my mom spent a few hours talking with me. My friends, Rashell and Sarah, brought me Swig and spent the rest of the afternoon keeping me company, and my mom brought over dinner that night. I am so grateful for the little acts of kindness we have received!

Being on bed rest is definitely not easy, and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone, but honestly, I couldn't be happier. I have so many things to be grateful for! First, I am so grateful for Chad. He has been my shoulder to cry on, he strengthens my weaknesses, and he is the biggest supporter I could ask for. He has been by my side through it all and has picked me up when I thought I couldn't handle it anymore. I honestly couldn't do it without him. 

Second, I'm grateful for baby DeVore's fierce little kicks, they are what keep me motivated. I am doing this 100% for him, and I wouldn't want it any other way. I have grown so attached to this little man, I just want to keep him inside as long as I can! 

Third, I am so grateful to have had a successful surgery. My cervix is now a whopping 2.67 cm and I couldn't be happier!

Last, but not least, I am grateful for my two little bed rest buddies that keep me company. They give me someone to talk to all day ;)

This may be a tough time in life, but it won't last forever, and I know it will definitely be worth it in the end!

Hospital Bound

It's crazy how your life can change so drastically so suddenly. This post will probably go down in history as my longest post, but I want to remember all the details, since I consider this my journal. So here is your warning, there may be a little too many details, so feel free to stop reading now ;)

Chad's uncle is an OBGYN specialist in Los Angeles. When we first got pregnant, we decided it would be fun to fly out and see him for an ultrasound, since he has one of the most advanced 3D ultrasounds (there are only 4 in the world). We flew out on Sep. 22, 2015. Chad's aunt Dorothy picked us up at the airport and said we were going straight to his office for the ultrasound so we would have time to go to the Dodgers vs. Giants game that night. The ultrasound was remarkable! We were able to see the 4 chambers of baby DeVore's heart in 3D and the blood (in color) flowing through it.

When you are as far along as me (21 weeks) you can normally see the entire baby from an abdomen ultrasound. When Dr. DeVore was doing the ultrasound, the head was really low in my pelvis so he wasn't able to see it. He decided to do a vaginal ultrasound to check out what's going on. During the vaginal ultrasound, when he pushed on my stomach, there was a black hole that would get bigger... He said the black hole was my cervix. Pressure on my cervix was causing it to open which can lead to pre-term labor. A normal cervix is 4 cm and mine is 1.5 cm and once it reaches a 0, you start to dilate and go into labor. Dr. DeVore said my cervix probably would've lasted about 1-2 weeks before I went into labor, which would've resulted in losing the baby. The only way to keep the baby inside was to have surgery to stitch up my cervix.

Dr. DeVore immediately admitted me to the local hospital to prepare for surgery. Honestly, there was so much for me to take in in such short time, that it didn't hit me what was happening. Since the surgery was happening after hours, they had to call the on-call Dr. to come in.

As we were sitting in the waiting room waiting for Dr. Frields to arrive, I overheard the hospital staff talking behind the counter about my situation. They were whispering things like, "her cervix is 1.5 cm and she is only 21 weeks. Can you believe that?!" Apparently it was the talk of the town because every new nurse that walked in had to know. The way they were talking about it really started to make me nervous. Was this a common situation? Was my baby going to be ok? I held back tears and tried not to listen, I had to prove to Chad that I could handle this. A few minutes later a nurse handed me my hospital gown me and told me to go change. The moment I stepped into the bathroom by myself, I completely broke down. Feelings of stress and worry were taking over, but mainly a feeling of gratitude. What if we wouldn't have flown out here? Would we have lost our little baby that we have grown so attatched to? I went back to Chad and he held me while I sobbed in his arms.

The nurse attatched my IV, which would become my best friend for the next day, and wheeled me down to the operating room. I was shaking uncontrollably, I don't know if it was because the room was 60 degrees or because I have never been in a situation like this. Either way, I was anxious for it to be over. The staff moved me onto the table and gave me an epidural to numb the lower half of my body. The shot was very painful, but it was totally worth it because I couldn't feel a thing. I was completely awake and aware during the surgery. I was so grateful for the anesthesiologist that stood by my side and told me about her life story. I don't think I could've handled it without her. I spent the night at the hospital, so me and the baby could be monitored. It was such an amazing feeling to be able to hear the baby's heart beat so often.

In order to keep the stitches in place, I have to be on strict bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. I can spend 5 minutes an hour on my feet to go to the bathroom, etc. but I need to be laying down for the remainder of the hour. I am not allowed to cook, clean, laundry, shopping, etc. As the baby gets bigger, there is going to be more pressure on my cervix which can cause the stitches to tear. The surgery has a 95% success rate for full term pregnancies, so I just have to be diligent to the bed rest. So, if you have any movies, books, netflix series, etc that you would recommend, I am definitely open for suggestions. I'm going to have plenty of time over the next 19 weeks ;)

As I look back over the past few months, I realize how everything happens for a reason. I decided to quit my job in August, although at the time, I wasn't sure if it was the right decision, and I decided to go school full time at UVU instead. Literally at the last few minutes of registration, I decided to take all my classes online so I wouldn't have to go to UVU. I knew I could get bored very easily being at home all day, but it just felt like the right decision. Chad and I had been wanting to go on a baby moon sometime in September/October. We had been trying to plan a trip for 3 months, but nothing felt right. We couldn't decide what we wanted to do, and it was really frustrating because we knew we were running out of time. We decided we would go to California first and then decide last minute on a trip. Looking at my situation now, I realized how those decisions at the moment didn't seem too big, but they made all the difference for my situation now.  There is no way I could go to work, go to school at UVU, or go on a vacation with being placed on bed rest. I am so grateful for the little inspiration that we had!

I am so grateful for Chad's uncle and aunt, Greg and Dorothy, for taking us into their home for the week. We were planning on flying home on Wednesday (yesterday) but we have to stay at least a week here in Cali so I can follow up after my surgery. We will know at that appointment if it's safe for me to fly (because of the air pressure) or if we need to rent a car and drive home. I couldn't be more grateful for the love and support we have received from our friends and families and the amazing Dr's that helped us through this process. I will be forever grateful!!!

Baby DeVore waving at us ;)

soap box moment

I have been a stress case all week. Our bulldog, Lucy, was pregnant with 3-5 puppies. I took her in for a checkup on Monday and the Dr. said she had lost all the puppies and had a horrible infection in her uterus. It was so severe it could take her life if it wasn't treated properly. This news was especially hard on me. Monday was the day we found out we are having a boy (!!!), but it was the day I received this horrible news. It was hard for me to be happy knowing her life is at risk. I have become really attached to Lucy. She and Bruno are my little pals. I had to leave Lucy at the vet because they had to do emergency surgery before the infection spreads to the rest of her body.

It has been 5 days and Lucy is still at the vet. Her procedures went well and she is on the long road to recovery. I'm pretty sure I have never cried/prayed/stressed so much than during the past 5 days. I am so anxious to bring her home next week! 

Quick story...

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and was a grump all morning.  I quickly ran to the post office to drop off some packages (we have a little business through eBay), and when I came home, Chad was gone.

Where would he go? We had no plans today.

His phone went to voicemail. This made my blood boil. Why wouldn't he answer his phone?

Seconds later, he is pulling into the garage holding a dozen roses. "These are for you. You mean the world to me. I love you!"

My eyes got teary (I blame it all on the pregnancy hormones ;) How does a grouch like me deserve this?

 If you've ever met Chad, one of the first things you'll notice is how calm, sincere, and sweet he is. He never complains and is always thinking of others before himself. This sweet little act of kindness completely changed my perspective.  It made me realize how easy it is to get caught up in our own little stresses and problems in life. I need to focus more on others and forget about myself. Sorry for my little soap-box moment, but I'm just so grateful for a loving husband and best friend!!