Veronica is HERE!!!

Sorry it's taking me so long to update on here, BUT VERONICA IS HERE!!!!!!

After 16 hours of labor, 4 doses of epidural, lots and lots of ice, and 20 minutes of pushing, Veronica arrived on November 2, 2009 at 3:19 p.m., 9 pounds 3 ounces and 22 inches long!

We arrived home Wednesday Nov. 5th and we're all doing well! Veronica goes to her first check up this coming Monday. It is hard to believe she is almost 2 weeks old!!!

Matt and I couldn't be happier!!!

A Very Quick Update - Sunday's the day!!!!

We went to the doctor yesterday and I'm still 1 cm dilated. The doctor said that they wanted to induce labor that night because of my high blood pressure. It wasn't terrible yesterday, but it wasn't low either. It's been up and down each week. They are concerned that it might turn into preeclampsia. I believe another reason they wanted to induce last night was because they know that Veronica is developed enough to not be underweight. They also gave us the option if we didn't want to induce that night to wait until Sunday (they don't induce on the weekends) and see if she decides to come on her own. This is obviously what Matt and I decided since we didn't go to the hospital last night. You wanna to know how we decided? We played Rock, Paper, Scissor. No lie frog eye. Thankfully I won and I was Sunday. Even though I won, I'm 99.99% sure that we would have gone with Sunday anyways. So, here's our time schedule for Sunday:

Lunch: Last big meal of the day
3:00 p.m. light food after (i.e. soup) but continue drinking fluids
7:00 p.m. call the hospital to make sure they still have room for us
8:00 p.m. Get to the hospital to start the process!
Sometime after 8:00 p.m. HAVE OUR DAUGHTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We'll try to keep you as updated as possible though here. If you're on Facebook or gmail, you'll probably know before you know just from here, so check there. Most likely I won't feel like updating on here till after I've slept and rested.

I'll also try to come up with an email "tree" tomorrow, so if you want to for sure be added to that list, send me an email at kathryncmonroe@gmail.com or post your email here.

VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

Week late, or Week early?

Well, today marks week 39!! Can you believe it? We sure can't!!!!!!!!!! Other than some braxton hicks contractions last Thursday and Friday, not much has gone on here. We go to the doctor tomorrow for a check up so we'll find out where we stand. Hopefully I'll be 8 cm dilated and Veronica will be here within 30 minutes, HA - wouldn't that be nice?!!!? But of course I know that won't happen. We're hoping though that we won't even need to go to the appointment tomorrow afternoon!!!

I've been feeling great!! I'm not miserable at all, and thankfully I still don't feel pregnant sometimes - certainly not 9 months pregnant! You'll catch me waddling every once in a while, but that's probably because I'm tired and have been on my feet for a while. I have certainly had a wonderful pregnancy, and I know I'm very lucky!!

So, keep your fingers crossed for us that she gets here soon!!!!!

Can't wait to share the good news and photos with you all!!
Love you all,
Katie and Matt

Getting close to the due date!!!

(get ready for one of my story tellings...)
Well, I feel for the Braxton-Hicks contractions on Sunday. I thought that I wouldn't fall for them, but turns out I did! I had been getting them for the last couple months, but it was very irregular and I knew they were just preparing my body. But Sunday morning they started and kept going throughout the day. I kept an "eye" on them but Matt and I went on with our plans for the day. We stopped by our friends' house in the morning to give them a baby gift - Laurie and Jamie Painter are due at the end of November, it's so fun to go through this experience with a friend, and we cannot wait to meet Wyatt!! After we left the Painters, we headed to Mom and Dad's to pick up our changing table. Thankfully Matt's pretty strong because all I did was tell him what to do - well I did bring out the drawers, so I guess that helps right?! After getting the truck and picking up the changing table, we headed home stopping at Home Depot on the way so that Matt could work in the yard. During the flood, our neighbor's tree feel (rather it rested, thankfully!) on the corner of our carport, so that needed to be removed. He was also planning on cleaning out the gutters and cutting the grass. So, we stopped at Home Depot, I waddled through the store following Matt. We left Home Depot and headed home. Because I'm always hungry, I asked Matt what he wanted for dinner. He said: Steak, Potatoes, Asparagus, Rolls, Apple Pie and Ice Cream. So, that meant a quick stop at the grocery store. We went to the store, Matt stayed with the truck and I went in and got Steak, Potatoes, Asparagus, Watermelon, Milk, Eggs, and a Paper so we could get the coupons. I conveniently forgot the Apple Pie and Ice Cream because we had some ice cream at home already. I also managed to walk past the doughnuts without adding them to my cart. So, we had stuff for dinner and could now finally go home. When we got home, I cleared out the area for the changing table while Matt brought it in for me and we both started on our separate tasks for the day. Through out all this, I was still having what I knew was Braxton-Hicks contractions, but they weren't that big of a deal. So, I'm working in the nursery getting it cleaned and organized. Matt is up on the roof cutting branches from trees and cleaning out the gutters. Thankfully I can hear him walking around on the roof while he's doing that, and I'm going outside every once in a while to see how he's doing and if he needs anything. I'm also giving him updates on the "contractions" We both joke how we've got lots to do today and that we're not ready yet. Ha, ha, ha. Around 5:30 p.m. I notice that they are getting stronger and closer together, so I go out and give Matt an update. He decides that he's going to finish up the yard work and put away all the yard toys so that he can come inside and clean up - just in case. At 6:00 I start writing down the contractions. They are about 5 minutes apart and lasting any where between 45 seconds to a full minute. I'm trying to keep working on the nursery. Around 6:45 p.m. I decide that maybe I should go finish packing my bag and get Veronica's outfit ready and her bag packed as well. We decide that if we do go to the hospital that we're not going to call anyone until we know for sure that I am in labor. I call Katie Walker to get advice on what to pack and she gets it out of me that I might be in labor. So, I go back outside to tell Matt that I'm about to call the doctor to tell them that I think I'm in labor and then I'm going to get in the shower. While I'm in the shower, the doctor calls back. It was decided that since they were 5 minutes apart, that I'm not in any pain (it's just uncomfortable and annoying right now), and that I'm far enough along that we should pack up and head to the hospital to get check out. My plan all along was to stay at the house for as long as I could before heading to the hospital so I take my time getting ready. Making sure the food that we got for dinner is put up. Making sure that Veronica's room is good to go. Picking this up, putting this away, looking for this, walking around, anything to waste time. It's about an hour later and I've done all that I can do and say, well I guess we can go now. So, we pack up, say goodbye to the 4 legged kids and hit the road. We joke at how glad we are that we switched to DeKalb since it's so close to us. We talk about what we want to stop and eat for dinner. We stop at Sonic and sit there and eat our dinner (which wasn't Steak, Potatoes, Asparagus, and Rolls) - but we did get dessert! During this time Katie Walker is texting me asking me what's going on, how I'm feeling, telling me to let my family know, ect. So, I text Alice (who is out of town) telling her that we're headed to the hospital. Matt calls Jamie (who is at work) and tells her that we're headed to the hospital and we would keep her posted. And I call Mom and Dad (who are in Savannah till Tuesday) and tell them that we're headed to the hospital, but not to freak out because we don't know anything. Mom asks me to hold off till they can get home, I tell her I'll do what I can. Matt had already talked to his brother, who would go home and get their mom if this was really happening. So, all the family was on alert. We're both full from Sonic and we head to the hospital. Because we haven't had the tour yet, we weren't (or I wasn't) 100% sure where to go. Luckily Matt had delivered a pizza to a family who just had their baby (well really to the husband) so Matt knew where to go. I sign in at 8:37 p.m. (so an hour an a half after the doctor told us to head to the hospital). The lady at the admission desk tells me that they will call me back as soon as a room opens up. So we wait. I mention to Matt that the contractions aren't as bad as they were while we were at home and we both look at each other like Uh Oh, hope this wasn't a trip for nothing. So a little while later they call me back to assess my situation. The nurse asks me this, she asks me that, then she asks me about my contractions. I tell her that they have lessened and she looks at me and I think - oh crap, I fell for it! But she hooks me up to the monitor, and hooks sweet Veronica up as well. V's doing great, good strong heartbeat and I am for sure having contractions. I tell her that my level of pain is about a 3 and that I'm not in any real pain it's just annoying. She looks at me again. She then tells me that I have to be 4 cm dilated to be admitted. I'm 1 cm dilated. She tells me that she's going to go run some tests and will tell Matt that he can come in the room. He comes in and I tell him the news. So we wait till she comes back with my test results. As it turns out, I was really dehydrated and that's why I was having the contractions. Apparently just because you drink (what you think) is plenty of water the day before and the day before that, doesn't make up for the fact that you had hardly drank anything THAT day! So, at 10:00 p.m. I get my first ever IV and amazingly the contractions spread out and lessen in strength. This also explains why the contractions decreased in pain after eating yummy Sonic. Around 11:15 p.m. I'm cleared to go, all hydrated up, with instructions to drink a gallon of water a day and was told how the real contractions will be. I go back for my check up Wednesday afternoon.

Sorry this story was so long!! I did manage to leave out some of the details though (like the dad yelling at the nurse saying that his daughter was in pain), so it could have been longer! I promise when the real thing happens, I won't write a story about it.

So, the waiting game is back on! We had another ultrasound on October 1st and she's still measuring about 2 weeks ahead and they estimated that she weighed 7 pounds already!! Ugh. Tomorrow we have 3 weeks till our due date, but she could really come any time now. Let's just hope we can make it through the tour of the hospital on the 18th!

Here are some pictures of Veronica's room. We have things to go on the walls but haven't put them up yet.

31 weeks, or is it 33 weeks?

Last week I went for my 30 week checkup. After checking my blood pressure, the doctor was a little concerned that it was getting higher each check up. So, she had me do a 24 hour test to see if I had Preeclimpsia. Preeclimpsia (or Pre-eclimpsia) describes a group of symptoms that occur only during pregnancy or shortly after delivery. Some of the books I have interchange Preeclimpsia and Pregnancy-induced hypertension. It's basically high blood pressure, swelling (more than normal), protein in the urine, and some other symptoms. Apparently (or from what I've read) the only cure for Preeclimpsia is delivery. If I had it, I would have been put on strict bed rest. And if my blood pressure didn't improve on that, then they would have to induce. Thankfully I don't have it. But, my doctors are still concerned about my high blood pressure, which is called Gestational Hypertension (which some books also call it pregnancy-induced hypertension). Long of the short is, I had to stop working at the restaurant, and I'm only going into the office one day a week, then working from home the rest of the week. I'm also not allowed to do anything that will raise my blood pressure, so I had to stop working out. I guess you could say that I'm on light bed rest. I just have to take it easy and rest a lot during the day. Oh and try not to stress.

Which brings us to today. Last week at one of my appointments (I went Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday!) one of my doctors said she wanted to do an ultrasound to check Veronica's growth. So Matt and I went for our 4th (if you don't count the very first one at 7 weeks) Ultrasound this morning. We didn't get any pictures, so none to post (sorry). But we did learn some interesting things.

In one of my books, it says that at 31 weeks, your baby weighs about 3 1/2 pounds. The ultrasound tech measured Veronica weighing around 4 pounds 15 ounces. OH and she also said that she has me measured at 32 weeks 6 days (almost 2 weeks ahead of my due date!) In the same book, it says that at 33 weeks, your baby weighs about 4 1/2 pounds. So either way, Veronica's already a big baby!! And who knows when she'll arrive! The good news is that she is no longer breech.

So, what does all this mean? I don't know. But what I do know is that Veronica is growing healthy, her heartbeat is excellent, she's moving around and is very active, my weight gain has been minimal (which makes me happy), and I feel great. Normally I would be going to the doctor every 2 weeks, but because of my high blood pressure they want me to go every week (now I'm even more pleased that we changed doctors!) The doctor suggested that I cut out all liquid sugar; so juices, sweet teas, milk. What!!! Milk?!!?! This can't be! I literally almost started crying when she said to only have a small glass of milk a day. I go through a Gallon of Milk every 2 to 3 days lately! So, guess we won't be buying milk every 3 days now :( We're not changing my due date, and we're not sure if we'll have another ultrasound later on.

Matt has finals tomorrow then he'll be on break from school for 3 weeks. Unfortunately he will still have to work and do things around the house on his break though. But don't worry, he's still got plenty of golf trips planned for his break.

Our 4 legged kids are all doing well. We've taken all 3 cats to the vet and they all got a clean bill of health. Black Cat (yea we still haven't changed his name) weighs around 4 pounds, Meredith weighs around 7 pounds, and Frank weighs a woppin 13, almost 14 pounds (now you know why we call him Frank The Tank!!!) We haven't taken the dogs to the vet yet, but plan to do that before Veronica gets here.

The weeks are counting down quicker and quicker!!!!!!!! But we absolutely cannot wait to meet Veronica!!!!!!!!!!!

Almost Week 30!

Can you believe I'm almost 30 weeks?!! Matt and I sure can't! I'm in the third and final trimester! To start off, I feel great! There are still times and days that I forget that I'm pregnant! Veronica's been moving around for quite some time and her kicks, punches, and movement has gotten stronger. I'm still working out (of course some weeks more than others), I have 5 personal training sessions left then I'll put my membership on hold until after Veronica's here.

I'm sorry that I haven't updated lately, no excuse other than laziness. Much has happened with Veronica since I last updated. We had a tiny scare about a month and a half ago but thankfully it was nothing (besides a sore shoulder for a while). I slipped outside on our wet carport and landed on my left side. Thankfully Veronica continued with her moving around and kicking that night and hasn't stopped since!! We've been to the doctor a couple times since the last update and her development is going great!! At 25 weeks, she weighed close to 2 lbs - which according to the Ultrasound doctor, her weight is a couple days ahead of schedule. So, this means she's going to be a big baby, she's going to be early, OR she'll be both!!! Matt thinks she'll be a week early. If she's like her mother, she'll be late.

We've switched Hospitals - from Northside to DeKalb. I wanted to go to DeKalb to begin with but my doctor - who both Matt and I LOVE is at Northside. I didn't realize that there was a chance that she wouldn't deliver our baby, so after much consideration, we switched to the hospital I wanted to go to in the beginning. Driving 10 minutes in traffic for our doctor's visits is so much better than driving the 30 minutes with no traffic to a hospital I didn't want to go to. This Wednesday will be our 3rd visit with our new doctors and we couldn't be happier!

We've painted the nursery and put the crib together.

Alice is painting a mural on the "changing table" for us. I say "changing table" because it's not your typical changing table. It's actually the piece of furniture that Mom used as my changing table. And it's actually a Hoosier Kitchen Cabinet. Here's a picture of the before - keep in mind that this piece of furniture has been in Mom and Dad's basement since we moved to GA in 1986, and it was painted shortly before 1979. Mom and I did a lot of work to get it to where it is now...

BEFORE! The top part:

BEFORE! The bottom part:

We cannot wait to see the finished product!! Which of course I'll post pictures. It's a Latte Color now. And yes, the strawberries are gone.

We still have lots to do in the nursery - like move the furniture to it's spot in the room. I keep telling myself that it will all be ready by the time she gets here.

We have a new addition to our 4 legged kids. Matt got me a cute little black kitten. We haven't come up with a name for him yet, so we're just calling him Black Cat right now. Thankfully he's still pretty small, weighs about 3 lbs, because he loves to walk all over my belly. He's a handful, and super sweet when he's sleeping. Other times he's a pain in the butt, especially to Meredith (our grey cat). They have a love hate relationship. With the addition of Black Cat, that brings our 4 legged kids up to 3 cats and 2 dogs. We'll be stopping there, this house is going to be pretty full come November!

Sorry again for being so slack on the updates! I'll try to do better. Since Wednesday marks Week 30, I'll start going to the doctor every 2 weeks. Around the beginning of October I'll start going once a week till our daughter arrives!! Cannot wait!!!!

Here are a few pictures for you.

2009-07-22 (25 weeks) this was taken at our last ultrasound. She weighs an ounce shy of 2 lbs (the baby book says "your baby now weighs about 1 1/2 pounds" But then clarifies by saying that this is an average weight - I'd say!!!)

By now, her eyes can open and close and react to light!

2009-08-12 (28 weeks) At the Vet with Meredith and Black Cat - not sure what BC will do when the belly goes away...

Much to some peoples scare tactics, the Vet did not tell me that our cats (or dogs for that matter) will kill Veronica - either by mauling her or suffocating her because they smell milk on her breath. Trust me, the cats haven't tried to suffocate me with all the milk I drink!

I'll try to do better with the updates!! Thanks for following us!

Katie, Matt, Veronica, Sam, Lash, Frank, Meredith, and Black Cat Monroe (that's a mouth full!!!)

some pictures from the ultrasound

I remembered I took pictures of the ultrasound on my phone. We've got some other good ones that I'll post after I get the folder back from Mom and Dad.

SHE'S SOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Veronica's feet: Veronica's hands: