Bed Rest

It was Wednesday, November 3 - a typical school day.  I was walking out to pick up my class at 8:15 a.m.  However, as I was walking, I tripped on my own foot.  Being pregnant, I awkwardly sprawled with full force and landed on my hands and knees.  I am so thankful to the Lord that although I was walking on cement, I fell sideways into the grass!  I was a bit shaken but got up and brushed myself off.  Of course, all those who saw it happen rushed to me to make sure I was okay.  I assured them that I was, but they made me promise I would call my doctor to see if I needed to go in to make sure the baby was okay.

I called the doctor's office and they gave me permission to finish my school day but said I must come in as soon as possible to make sure everything was okay.

So, right when school was over, I left my classroom a mess thinking that I would be able to come back either that afternoon or the next morning to set up for the next school day.

After arriving at the hospital, they set up a monitor on me to check up on the baby.  Right away the nurse asked me, "Did you know that you are having contractions?"  I had no idea...  I had felt my stomach tighten for quite some time but thought it was just the baby moving...  Also, the nurse told me  that I was dehydrated so they would need to hook me up on an IV.  The nurse also did an exam and discovered that I was l.5 cm dilated!  After spending a few hours in the hospital, they were able to hydrate me and get the contractions to settle down so that I could go home. 

However, what I hadn't expected going in to the doctor that day was that I wouldn't be allowed to return to work!  The doctor ordered me to stay on bed rest because I was only 34 weeks and I needed to atleast get to 36 weeks or more for the baby's safety.  I felt such a mixture of emotions!  I was so thankful that the baby was healthy but very sad that I hadn't been able to really have "closure" at work.  If I had known it was my last day of work, I would have said "bye" to my students.  In fact, I had just told the students that very day who would be my long-term substitute and that she would be their teacher for the rest of the year.  I assured my students that I would still have about 1 1/2 more weeks with them (my last day of school was supposed to be November 10) and that I would bring the baby back to meet them... 

I know that God was in control, though.  If I had known in was my last day, I would have been stressed out trying to get ready to turn my class over.  As it was, I was already working long hours trying to get ready to turn my classroom over to my long-term sub.  So, I know that God knew what was best.

So, the first few days were a little tough for me emotionally.  But, I had to learn to just "let go."  I knew God was in control and knew what was best. 

My parents, upon hearing of my bed rest, asked if they could drive down from Northern California to take me to my doctor appointment on Friday and to be here while I was on bed rest.  They were so sweet - they left their house at around 2:00 a.m. so that they could be here before 10:00 a.m. to take me to my doctor appointment!  

It was so great to have them here.  It was a crazy time for Ethan at work (Budget time and month-end-close) so he was working long hours.  It was a blessing to have their company and help during the day.  After a few days, my dad needed to head back home but my mom decided to stay longer so that she could help me really stay on bed rest to make it to 36 weeks.  It was so fun to have my mom here!  I will always look back on my "bed-rest" time as a special time that my mom and I got to share together.

Well, the story doesn't end here, but I will save the rest of the story for another blog.  Here are a few pictures of my bed rest and pregnancy.

 This is the last pregnancy photo I took of myself.  I'm not sure how many weeks I was...  Maybe 33 or 34 weeks?

While I was on bed rest, so many of my friends would stop by to visit, bring meals, call me, or run errands for us.  Our good friends, Michael and Caroline, came over one evening.  Caroline had organized a group of ladies from our church to buy our car seat!  She brought that over along with other baby items.  Thank you Caroline for your thoughtfulness (and all our other friends who brought meals, baby items, called me, and encouraged me.  I love the body of Christ!)

Ethan opening our present - a car seat!  :)  Thank you to my friends who pitched in money to purchase it for us.  We love it!

Baby Shower

On Saturday, October 23, my good friends (Angie, Joanna, and Johanna) threw me a baby shower.  My mom and sister were able to fly out for the shower!  It was so fun to have both of them here over the weekend.  Here are some pictures of the shower.

Johanna, Angie, me and Joanna (they were my good friends who planned the shower)

Laura, me, and my mom

The 3 Lisas! (My sister-in-law Lisa, my mother-in-law Lisa, and me)



The 3 pregnant ladies at the shower - Angie, me, and Janella

Pregnancy Buddy

This is a picture of my friend, Christy.  We call each other our "pregnancy buddies."  She is due this week.  She and her family attend our Bible Study.  They already have 2 boys and this is their first daughter.  :)  It's fun to be having little girls together only a few months apart.  In fact, there are two other ladies at our Bible Study who just had girls.  So, there will be four little baby girls at our Bible Study all at the same time in just a few short months.  :)  It will be so wonderful to be able to ask them mommy questions as I embark on this new exciting stage in my life. 

Christy at the end of her pregnancy & Lisa at 31 weeks

 

Baby Bump

Well, some of you have been asking, "When are you going to post pictures of your pregnancy?" I haven't felt like posting because I still don't have a big baby bump yet. I thought by now I would look really pregnant. My belly is popping out a little more which is fun and I am starting to feel her move/kick more. Even so, she seems pretty mellow. I am hoping that since she seems like such a mellow baby in the womb, that she will be a mellow baby once she is born! I can keep hoping. :)

I am now 28 weeks! That means that I am entering my 3rd trimester. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has flown by. God has been so gracious to give me good health. I feel great. Now that I'm back to teaching, some days I come home super exhausted, but I still feel good overall. My feet are starting to swell, though. I'm sure some of that has to do with the fact that I'm on my feet all day with teaching.

Here are some pregnancy photos - I am including a picture from when I was 15 weeks pregnant. That way you can compare the two.

27 weeks

15 weeks

27 weeks

New York Visitors

Last weekend, we got to see Ethan's Grandma, Aunt, and Uncle from New York.  They were here in California visiting some of their family.  It was so great to see them.  The last time we saw them was more than 2 years ago.  We visited them in New York the Thanksgiving we got engaged and the following Thanksgiving after we got married.  Anyway, here are some pictures.

Grandma with her California Grandkids

Ethan, Uncle Marc, Aunt Patty, Jared, and the 2 Lisa's sitting next to Grandma.

 

Ultrasound Pictures

Here are some ultrasound pictures of our little girl.  I am now 23 weeks along. 

I feel great (we'll see if I'm still saying that after next Thursday when I start teaching again!).  This summer has been such a wonderful summer.  I'm so thankful for the extra rest I was able to get, the wonderful times with Ethan as we traveled, and being able to spend time with friends.  This summer sure has flown by.

This was our first glimpse of our baby at 8 weeks.  She was so tiny!  On the far right is her head, in the middle are her hands, and on the left are her legs.  It was so amazing to hear her heartbeat for the first time and see her tiny body. 

The verses in Psalm 139 take on much more meaning to me now as I see God knitting together this precious baby inside of me:

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!

A side view of our baby's face

These are her feet.  I love this picture because during the whole ultrasound, she had her legs/feet crossed.  The ultrasound technician was having a hard time seeing for sure if it was a boy or girl because she didn't want to open her legs (I guess she was just being a lady.).

Finally, our ultrasound technician saw what she was looking for - the "three lines" that mean it is a girl.  :)  We were very excited!

Lately, I have been feeling her kick a lot more.  Before it was just little butterflies.  Now, I can feel it more strongly.  Even as I type, I'm feeling her kick.  It is so cool!  The other night, Ethan got to feel her kicking for the first time.  It was so fun to see the excitement on his face.  What a wonderful gift God has given us!

Hanging out with Friends

Today I got to hang out with two dear friends, Angie and Johanna.  We met at the mall and then walked around.  It is always such a blessing to spend time with them as they are such dear friends.  We were close in college and have stayed close ever since.  I'm excited to soon be joining the club of being a mommy.  :)  4 more months to go!

Angie with her two girls: Katie & Lauren.  Johanna with Nehemiah & Naomi

Naomi - I had to take a picture of her since you couldn't see her in the first picture.  So cute!

At one point we decided to eat a snack.  I was craving a Cinnabon...