My C-Section…Part II

Click here to read Part I if you need to catch up! So, when we left off I had just checked into the hospital in active labor, but I wasn’t feeling well. My doctor was unavailable, and I had a brand new doctor whom I had never met before delivering me that day. Luckily this doctor and I were very much on the same page, and he was great about explaining everything to us. He used a lot of percentages to illustrate things which was very helpful to Sam.

In addition to just not feeling well, I was running a high fever and Will’s heart rate was too high. The doctor agreed to let me try to give birth naturally, so he went ahead and broke my water hoping that I would progress quickly on my own. We waited a couple of hours and absolutely no progress was made. Will’s heart rate continued to get higher and he began showing signs of distress. The doctor said there was no way he could handle pitocin, but we could still try to give things a little more time to hopefully happen naturally. I’m not going to go into all the gory details of what happened next, but it became quite clear that a C-section was absolutely necessary for my sake as well as Will’s. During this time, the doctor also concluded that I was suffering from appendicitis. So, the plan was to remove my appendix after the C-section.

I just remember feeling so scared. The room was freezing and bright and I was shaking uncontrollably from head to toe. When Sam had to go change and get sterilized, I lost it a little bit and kept asking the anesthesiologist when he would be back (even though I’m pretty sure he was gone less than 10 minutes.) The anesthesiologist was an older gentleman, a good ol’ boy, and he kept trying to cheer me up about having a C-section. He said numerous inappropriate things to make me laugh. I kind of loved him in that moment. When I had to tell him my weight I made him lean down so I could whisper it in his ear so Sam and the nurses didn’t hear. He thought that was hysterical. Anyway, enough about my bonding with the anesthesiologist…..

Will was born! They showed him to me over the sheet, but unfortunately we could not do skin to skin right away because they still had to remove my appendix. Here’s where things start to get pretty dicey. It was taking the doctor a very long time to remove my appendix. Sam was across the room tending to Will so I was by myself with the anesthesiologist at my head. All of the sudden I started vomiting uncontrollably, except there’s nothing to vomit up (so gross I know.) This goes on for what feels like forever – me just convulsing. Finally Sam came back over to me because he started to get very concerned. The anesthesiologist started exchanging words with the doctor and I began to lose consciousness. I hear the anesthesiologist say, “you need to close her up NOW.”

This story is almost over – I promise! I’m going to split it up into one more part, so stay tuned for Part III in which we find out that Sam Craig is the real MVP.

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C-Section: One Way to Get a Baby Out…Part I

It’s taken me a long time (well, Will is five months old, so I guess it’s taken me five months) to really come to terms with the fact that I had a C-section. First, you should know that I did not have a 12 page birth plan nor was I super gung-ho about having a natural birth. I wanted one, but I do know that birth is one of those things you just don’t have 100% control over, and so for nine months I psyched my control-freak self up and tried to relax and trust my doctor. Side note, my doctor was kind of shocked that I didn’t have a typed up birth plan to give her. I guess she picked up on my control-freakiness over the course of nine months.

Disclaimer: I’m not going to get super into the details medically because ew, and some things really should be private. Reliving the details of the scariest day of my life is not awesome for me, but I do want to put this out there in case others moms might have had a similar experience and are looking for some camaraderie – it’s just nice to know you’re not alone in this sometimes.

Please take a moment and admire this photo my sister took of me in the parking lot at Tucker's Onion Burger a few days before I went into labor. Don't I look thrilled?

Please take a moment and admire this photo my sister took of me in the parking lot at Tucker’s Onion Burger a few days before I went into labor. Don’t I just have that “pregnancy glow” haha

So, I saw my doctor the day before I went into labor at 39 weeks 5 days. I was 4.5 cm dilated and 75% effaced, so things were definitely progressing. During that appointment she said to me, “I hope you go into labor tonight because I’m on call.” Never did she say that she might be unavailable over the next few days. Funnily enough, I did go into labor that night. I came home from church and rolled around on a yoga ball and watched The Fault in Our Stars with Sam because he would basically do anything I asked at that point. I went to bed that night and the contractions were mild but getting stronger and closer together. I woke up the next morning and did not feel well at all. I went back to sleep and woke up around 11am and something was just not right. I felt feverish and extremely weak. I told Sam we had to go to the hospital immediately.

We got to the hospital and a random doctor came in and said that my doctor was “unavailable” that day and he would be delivering me. You can imagine how I took this news. I’ll just leave it at – I was not pleasant. Part of the reason I did not write up any plans was because I fully trusted this woman and her expertise. The new doctor ended up being fantastic – really I can’t say enough good things about him – but that completely threw me for a loop since I had just seen my doctor THE DAY BEFORE and she hadn’t mentioned anything. In my opinion, this kind of set the tone for the whole experience…..

This post is already getting super long so I’m going to split it into two parts. Stay tuned for Part II in which William Craig makes his debut, and the Craigs spend the worst five days of their life in the hospital. Should be fun!

I’m Back!

Well, that was a long break! The end of my pregnancy and subsequent birth took quite a toll, and I just wasn’t able to blog like I had hoped. I originally planned to share my birth story on this blog, but you know what they say about the best laid plans….I ended up having an emergency C-section. It was not something I ever wanted, and to be honest it took me awhile to come to terms with it. I just don’t think I can share the story here.

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I’m somewhat of a planner (ahem) and felt incredibly prepared for childbirth. I read so much and completely psyched myself up, but of course I read NOTHING about C-sections because why would I do that? My pregnancy was pretty run of the mill, minus the debilitating morning sickness, so I just assumed my birth would be as well.

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Unpreparedness = terrified Lindsey. But, we all made it through and our little family is doing just great today! I plan to do a whole post on C-section recovery and what to expect, because let me tell you that is no walk in the park! Until next time! (And it won’t be six months again – promise!)

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Newborn photos by Rachael McBee Photography.

Summer Reading

*Nerd alert* when I was in school I used to devour my teacher’s summer reading list by the middle of June. I usually had to re-read everything before school started so it would be fresh. Even though I no longer have assigned reading, each summer I try to give myself a list to complete. It reminds me of the good ol’ days. Here are my summer 2014 picks: photoChasing God

Surprised by Motherhood: Everything I Never Expected about Being a Mom – I’m currently reading this with Kelly’s Korner book club. It just started – join us!

The Language of Flowers

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I also read Love Does and The Antelope in the Living Room while I was on vacation. Loved them both oh-so-much. Perfect beach reads – nothing too deep yet highly entertaining.

And (shameless plug alert) if you’re in the mood for some more academic reading and/or consider yourself a Baptist history buff, might I suggest my Dad’s recently published book The Resurgence of Fundamentalism in the Southern Baptist Convention: A History from 1960-1979.

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Happy reading!

 

Baby Boy’s Name – And I Don’t Have Gestational Diabetes! Yay!

I think a lot of women might say, “I can’t believe I’m already in the third trimester,” but I am not one of those people. This pregnancy is literally the only period of my life when I can say that time has felt like it is standing still! Each day that crawls by gets us closer to meeting our sweet boy, and baby boy officially has a name – William Grant Craig! We can’t wait for our sweet Will to get here.

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I am also happy to report that I do not have gestational diabetes! I failed the one hour glucose screening by a measly margin, but my doctor still wanted me to take the three hour test. On top of worrying if I am already screwing up my baby by making him a sugar addict, I typically do not do well with needles. I once passed out and hit my head so hard I had to go to the emergency room. I think the nurse drawing my blood for this test was a gift from God, I truly do. She was very no-nonsense, quick and efficient and I’m pretty sure she is the reason I was able to get through the FOUR blood draws like a champ. I also absolutely hate wasting time, and I would say hanging out for three hours in a waiting room with no wi-fi is wasting time. My mom knows me, so she came and waited the entire three hours with me and distracted me with lots of chit-chat. We planned out our future real estate endeavors for the next 50 years and basically solved the world’s problems in those three hours, so at least something good came from it! I am so thankful I do not have gestational diabetes, I just can’t even explain the relief.

Other than that we have been vacationing in Florida, getting Will’s nursery ready (more to come on those) and trying to savor the last few months with just the two of us. Let’s hope they fly by!

Link Love

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These are some of my fav (if not a little random) reads I’ve come across on the good ol’ interwebs lately! Happy reading!

How to Pick a Superstar Watermelon – Goodness gracious I love watermelon. Yay for summer!

10 Creative Ways to Teach Children to be Kind – Such good ideas here. I don’t care if Baby Craig is smart or successful (okay – that’s a lie – I kind of do) but I care far more that he loves the Lord and treats others with kindness and respect.

The One Thing You Should Do When You Encounter Someone “Different” – If you have time, read Brenna’s story.

25 Signs You’re Succeeding at Life (Even if it Doesn’t Feel Like It) – Great reminders. We’re all probably doing better than we think!

The Ultimate Sunscreen Guide – A really good round-up. I’ve been thinking about sunscreen as we get ready to head to the beach!

 

 

 

The Honest Company {Product Review}

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I’ve been really intrigued by The Honest Company for awhile now, and Veronika mentioned that she absolutely loved the body oil, so I decided to give it a go (Veronika has never steered me wrong!) I’ll never be a full blown hippie – but I do try to cut out unnecessary chemicals when possible. I ordered the bundle to save money, and I’ll continue to try other products each month as well as the diapers/wipes once baby Craig arrives!

First up, the body oil that gets rave reviews. I have to agree with the masses – it is hands down the best body oil I’ve ever used. I’ve tried many over the years, and this winter I used L’Occitane body oil religiously and thought it was good. While I’m still obsessed with the scent of the L’Occitane, I realize now what it’s lacking in the absorption department. This body oil really absorbs quickly and leaves my skin so incredibly soft and ungreasy. I will definitely be purchasing it again!

The bubble bath was also great. I didn’t take any baths during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy because I generally like my baths to be scalding hot. Before I got pregnant I was a big fan of taking weekly detox baths with epsom salts, baking soda and various essential oils. Last week I decided I just really needed a good soak, so I made sure the water was less than 100 degrees and dumped in two capfuls of The Honest bubble bath. Although it was a little chilly for me, I really loved the product. The scent was not too overwhelming and the bubbles stayed for a long time. My skin felt amazing after as well!

Like anyone, I’m terrified of getting stretch marks, so the belly balm was a must-buy for me. It has a pretty strong scent, which I happen to like, but it really is strong. I think it’s best applied at night right before bed, and I try to put it all over my belly as well as my hips and thighs. We’ll see how this continues to develop!

The last two products I ordered were the sunscreen and the bug spray. I’m vacationing in Florida this summer and thought they would be perfect for the trip. All the chemicals in regular bug spray freak me out, so I’m happy to have this organic option. Both of these products are effective and well priced!

Overall I’m definitely a fan of The Honest Company and will continue to order their products. Thanks, Jessica Alba!

*This is not a sponsored post, The Honest Company has never heard of me or my little blog. All opinions are my own.

Confessional Friday

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Today I’m linking up (for the very first time!) with one of my fav blogs, A Blonde Ambition, for Confessional Friday! Yay!

1) I confess that I used to silently judge ladies who wore leggings as pants, but since I’ve been pregnant I’ve done it several times. They’re just so darn comfortable!

2) I confess that last night at small group one of my friends told me about the best breakfast burrito in town, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I actually asked Sam to bring one to my office this morning (and he did – such a good husband.)

3) I confess that I can’t stop listening to the song Fancy by Iggy Azalea. It’s so catchy!

4) I confess that I still have no idea what baby Craig’s nursery is going to look like. I keep changing my mind – ah! I’m seriously going to buckle down and be decisive this weekend.

Speaking of….Cheers to the weekend!

Weekend in Chicago

Ahhh…there’s just nothing like the Windy City! Sam and I absolutely love to visit Chicago together every May. Sam’s sister, Sara, and her husband, Daniel, live there, so we enjoy spending time with them and just hanging around the city! This trip was a little more low key than usual due to sweet baby Craig. Sometimes it’s nice to take things a little slower! Being pregnant in Chicago was not without its perks – I’m talking about the food of course! Here’s a little recap of the highlights:

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We were feeling extra touristy (and cold!) but we had a blast on the Chicago Architecture River Cruise!

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The Cubs beat the Cardinals! It was actually our first time to see the Cubs win at Wrigley Field. So fun!

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My favorite meal of the trip was hands down brunch at Little Goat Diner!

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Top Left: Donuts from Glazed and Infused Top Right: Mac and Cheese from Kuma’s (this changed my life – no joke.)
Bottom Left: Bread pudding style cherry pancakes from Nookies Bottom Right: A hot dog at Wrigley Field of course!

Thanks to Sara and Daniel for always being such wonderful hosts! I can’t wait to go back and take sweet baby Craig to his first Cubs game!

Encouragement

It’s been a pretty tough week so far. My mom is always fond of saying, “this too shall pass,” and it’s one of my favorite phrases because it’s just so true! For a long time I thought this phrase was a verse from the Bible; but it turns out it is not, although some Jewish folklore does originally attribute it to Solomon.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 is the verse that people often associate with this phrase. Yesterday I read through it and using my handy dandy YouVersion app I switched between translations. As usual, I loved The Message translation:

“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than what meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.”

I know Paul wasn’t talking about literal new life, and I know my sufferings are nothing compared to his, but what a comforting verse. God is making new life (literally in my case!) and He makes all things new. If you’re having a hard time this week, I hope this verse brings you a little encouragement as well!

The bright spot in this week (and pretty much every other week!) was hanging out with my group of Junior girls. We meet every Wednesday night, and last night was our last time to meet before we take a little break for the summer. I love these girls and am so proud of them.

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I can’t believe the school year is ending and summer is almost upon us!