A Few Pictures

Good Morning,

Here are a few pictures of our new family! Piper is doing really well. She is such a good baby so far! Hopefully things won't change. We are adjusting nicely, and I don't even mind the middle of the night feedings too much.

I hope everyone is doing well!

Love,

Tracy

Happy Easter

Hi Everyone,

Well, we have been home for three days now, and although we are a little sleep deprived, we are doing well. Piper is keeping us on our toes with her every two hour feedings. Oh well, we love it!
Thank you to all who have tried to call this weekend. Sorry we have not answered the phone, but those of you who have been 1st time parents, I am sure you understand.
Have a wonderful Easter and I will try to post some pictures today or tomorrow.
Love,
Tracy, Vaughn and Piper

Tracy, Vaughn & Piper are home!

The family went home from the hospital tonight. I think everyone was excited about being at home and are looking forward to the next two days just getting acquainted to some of the changes. Tracy and Vaughn are looking forward to also trying to get into a routine and possibly get some sleep while Piper is sleeping.

As we all expected, Tracy and Vaughn are already the best parents ever. I am very proud of both them and I wish them a peaceful next two days at home with each other before Easter and Vaughn goes back to work.

I don't have any pictures to post because I took some with Tracy's camera, but maybe if she gets time, she can put some more up. But, I wanted to let everyone know they were home, healthy and happy!

1 day old

Piper, Tracy and Vaughn received lots of visits today from friends and family. She even received birthday cupcakes from Aunt Brittany and her first Easter Basket from Aunt Sheri, Uncle Chuck and Cousin Connor.

Everyone was in good spirits and Tracy was doing great! She was even able to eat today because she has been progressing so well and the doctor thinks they all can go home Friday :) All of Piper's blood work has turned out normal, so no diabetes, yeah!

I was able to get some good shots of Piper because she was in the room. So enjoy the new pictures!

Piper has Arrived!!!

At 6:42pm on Tuesday March 18th 2008, Piper Elizabeth West was born! She and Mommy are doing great, so is Daddy!

She weighed in at 7lbs 7ounces and is 19 1/4 inches long :)

We did not get to see much of Piper, she was in the nursery the whole time in order to let Tracy recover from the C Section. Tracy was shaking when we got there and we had just missed her throwing up. No worries though, that is normal reaction to the anesthesia. After about 20 minutes, Tracy stopped shaking and she could start feeling her legs again. She was happy that some of her congestion was clearing up, finally!

Tracy will probably be in the hospital until Friday or Saturday. She cannot eat anything until Thursday. However, Piper is doing well with latching on in order to breastfeed. So Tracy and Vaughn hope she is getting enough to eat and won't get Jaundice.

I have attached some photos that were taken with Vaughn and Tracy's camera. She is very cute! Daddy got to spend a lot of time with her since Mommy was recovering from surgery. Enjoy!

Time for Piper to come out!

Well, after a frustrating 2 days, Tracy will undergo a C Section at 5:15pm today.

Tracy and Vaughn went into the hospital on Monday March 17th and waited for something to happen. Tracy was given prostaglandins to help soften the cervix and prepare for labor. She was allowed to eat whatever she wanted, but she did not dilate. I guess no St Pats baby!

Today, (Tuesday 3/18/2008), the Doctor administered Pitocin. Tracy was not allowed to eat anything and after 2pm was very upset that nothing had happened. Tracy signed the papers to have the C Section. The Doctor came in about 4:45pm today. Now it is wait and see. Tracy and Vaughn are very anxious to get through this part of the process.

We should see the first glimses of Piper by 8pm tonight. So keep posted! I will take pictures and give updates when I get home!

Last Doctor Appointment

Well, I had my last appointment this morning. Nothing is happening yet, so it looks like we are going to wait until Monday. Oh well, only a few more days.
I did have one GOOD contraction while on the monitor, but nothing after the one! Too bad.
I wish I had more to report. This will probably be my last post until something happens on Monday or Tuesday. (Actually, Angie will post if something happens, as I am sure the doc would not appreciate me blogging while in labor)
So, I will enjoy one last weekend with Vaughn. I have a baby shower to attend Saturday and then Vaughn and I can have some alone time after that. It will be nice.
Love,
Tracy

38 Weeks

I went to the doctor and for an ultrasound today. Nothing to report at the doc, except my BP was normal again and my swelling is completely gone! It's amazing what keeping your feet up will do. I see him again on Thursday morning.
As for the ultrasound, we saw she is in the correct position (head down and facing my back), and that she is weighing in at about 7.5 lbs. (This is a VERY good weight considering the gestational diabetes) Ultrasounds can measure high, so this is just an estimate.
I got to see her practicing her breathing! That was so cool! The technician said they start practicing around 25 weeks, but it's harder to catch on ultrasound because they don't do it as much as they do now. It was wild seeing her little belly contract with each breath.
These last few days are going to take forever! I know I should be grateful for my time off and alone, but one can only watch so much day time TV, and sleeping is nearly impossible these days. Tomorrow and Thursday I have lunch plans with some girlfriends, so that should break up the days.
Oh, and this morning I went to the police station and had the car seat checked. Vaughn installed it behind the passenger seat, and although he really wanted to install it in the middle, I insisted he install it behind the passenger seat. What do I know? The police officer moved it to the middle. It is not mandatory that it be in the middle, it's just recommended. My husband is so smart! Maybe next time I will listen and save everyone some time. :)
Anyway, I hope all of you are doing well! I will post again on Thursday after my LAST doctor's appointment.
Love,
Tracy

37 Weeks Still.....

I went to the doctor yesterday and he decided that I should stop working for the last week of my pregnancy. It seems there is small amounts of protein in my urine and my BP is a little high. Not so much of either to make him take her early, just enough that I need to rest. I tried to explain that my job is not stressful right now, and that I sit most of the day. This did not matter to him. We agreed that today would be my last day. On top of that, nothing else is happening. He did say that he doesn't think the baby is too big. The ultrasounds always make her seem bigger, but when he measures and pushes on my stomach to feel her, he says she seems average size. That makes me feel better!
I do have to say that as far as work goes, I have the best job! I work with so many nice people, and management has been WONDERFUL about my pregnancy needs. From my multiple doctor appointments per week, to my male co-workers digging out my car during snow storms, everyone has been great!! I am very lucky!
So, I am off work now until June. I am not sure the exact date I will go back yet, that is to be determined.
I will contine to update the blog, but I can't believe how quickly Piper will arrive! Angie will update this site while I am in the hospital and probably for a little while after to keep you all posted.
I go back to the doctor Tuesday and Thursday next week. I will post after those appointments.

37 Weeks

Hi Everyone,

Not a lot to report today. I went to the doctor and nothing is happening. I am not dilated, and she still needs to drop a little bit more. The doctor did say that really doesn't mean anything, my water could break tonight. (It probably won't, but it could) I see him again on Thursday and then next Tuesday I go for the last ultra sound. That will finally determine if I will be having a c-section.
You know, just as recent as last week, I was asked if I was "done yet". My answer was No. How quickly things can change. I am officially DONE! I have had three sinus infections during my pregnancy. (one currently active) My legs hurt, my back hurts and I cannot get comfortable enough for a good night sleep. (I know I will still be sleep deprived after she comes) And my morning sickness has come back, although not as bad as it was in the first trimester. Then to top it all off, I fell on the ice last night and hurt my knee. Now I can add that to my aches and pains.
Don't get me wrong; for the most part, I loved being pregnant. Even with the morning sickness of the first trimester and the Gestational Diabetes of the rest of it, but there comes a point when enough is enough. I am so happy I won't be one that has to go past my due date!! I would probably lose it!! I am willing to bet that God planned it this way: He makes pregnancy relatively easy for the first two and a half trimesters, then he makes it so miserable that you could care less about the pain of giving birth to the baby! Crazy? I think not!!