Five Minutes

Okay, so I have five minutes..literally to get you caught up on what's going on in my life.

Soooo, Tuesday night I was sitting in my hospital bed eating dinner when I began to have a dull back-ache and menstrual-like cramps. I thought that it didn't seem to be normal so I called my nurse who connected me with the fetal monitor. She came back within 15 minutes and told me that I was in fact having contractions three minutes apart. I called Aaron, who was at home assembling my glider for the nursery. He asked me what he should do. I told him that my guess was that he get his ass to the hospital quick, fast, and in a hurry because I was being taken to labor and delivery and I doubted that anyone would wait for him in the event that I needed a C-section. He got there in about 20 minutes, which is pretty fast considering the distance.

After I arrived in L&D the doctor checked my cervix and told me that I was dilated to 1 cm. That's not much so I was hoping that the contractions would stop and Hannah could continue growing inside for a little longer. She came back in an hour and I was dilated to 3 cm. I started crying because that meant that I was in fact in labor and was going to have a baby that day! I didn't get to take any of my birthing classes, and wasn't really sure what to expect, other than what Hollywood shows us in movies. The doctor asked if I was interested in getting an epidural, before she could get the sentence out of her mouth, I was like yes, please! And I've heard all kinda of bad stories about people "missing their window" and not getting one, so I wanted it as soon as possible. I got it within a half hour and spent the rest of the night with my friends coming and going and watching the monitor and saying how the contractions looked really bad on there and that they probably hurt like hell, but I couldn't feel anything from the waist down! I took a few naps here and there so I would be a little rested and a little before 0500 the nurse told me that I had finally dilated to 10 cm and that she was going to get the doctor. After the doctor got there she explained that when I felt a contraction (I could feel the pressure but no pain) I needed to push and hold it for as long as possible. I knew that my baby was small, so it shouldn't take more that a few pushes right? WRONG. I pushed for an hour. It was exhausting. I pushed so hard at the end that my eye sight became blurry. I do not know how people have normal sized babies. It was hard!

But at 0658 Hannah Erin Billings came into the world. And the moment I heard her cry I began to cry and they handed me my tiny little girl and I felt a love that I could've never imagined. It is a moment that I cannot describe. I got to see her for a brief moment and she was taken to the NICU where she will stay until she is able to come home, probably sometime in October. She's a fighter though, every day she gets stronger and she is able to breathe on her own. She is very active and alert. It's absolutely amazing to me.

I haven't forgotten

I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to write my blog about Hannah's birth, and that I haven't been keeping up with everyone else very well! I am so busy running back and forth to the hospital and trying to spend as much time with Aaron as I can before he has to leave again. Life is crazy right now, but I will get to it soon!

Operation: Healthy Baby...Mission Accomplished!

She's here!!!!!!!

After 13 hours of labor my baby girl arrived at 0658 weighing 3 lbs and 1 oz, 15.75 inches long! I will post another blog with all of the details soon, but right now I am super busy and super tired....and of course I'll post pics!

Operation: Healthy Baby, Day 8

Stillllllllllll nothing new. The doctor said that Hannah weighs 2 lbs 15 oz right now, which is a little small. They are going to check her growth in a few days to make sure that she's still putting on weight, and if not they may have to induce sooner than expected.

So Aaron went home yesterday to shower and let the dogs out and he came back wearing a sweater! Bahahaha! I was like, you do know it's August, right? I guess it is several degrees cooler here than Afghanistan and I keep my room a comfy 68 degrees! Everyone who comes in says its cold but I feel comfortable! I'm baking a bun so it makes my body temperature higher. But I thought it was hilarious!

Operation: Healthy Baby, Day7

So, Aaron got here last night! It's almost unreal to see him! He had been traveling for four days and hadn't slept since he left. After we ate dinner, he crashed. Literally, one minute after his head hit the pillow I said his name and he didn't answer. He must've been exhausted.



But nothing else has changed. No baby yet. Tomorrow I hope to go on a tour of labor and delivery and talk to a nurse because I didn't have a chance to take my birthing classes yet. Hopefully that will make me feel a little more prepared.

Day 6 continued

Aaron's here!!!!! Well, he's not here here but he's in Colorado Springs! One of my friends picked him up from the airport and he will be here shortly!!!!! Ahhh! It seems unreal, I can't wait to kiss him and look at him and hug him! It's great!

Operation: Healthy Baby, Day 6

Nothing new. Which is good. I had a contraction when I was on the monitor last night, but I didn't feel it. And one in an hour is good. No baby coming yet! Which is good, because she needs to wait for Daddy, who still hasn't called and still isn't here. I just expect him to walk through that door any moment.

I have had lots of visitors, which has been keeping my occupied. It's so nice to have so many friends who care. I don't know what I would do without them. And Maggie got to visit too! They have pet visitation for pets over one year who are up-to-date on their shots and groomed. They have to be on a leash and supervised by whomever brings them. Sam brought Maggie to see me and she curled right up with me. I hope she gets to come back, because I miss my puggy wuggy!!!

Operation Healthy Baby: Day 5

Update on Hannah: Nothing has changed, she is still intact and I am not having contractions. I can't feel her movement as well due to the lack of fluid, but according to the monitor she is moving around just fine. We are at 30 weeks and 4 days, and hoping to make it until 34 weeks.

Update on Aaron: No word from him yesterday or today so far. One of his soldiers (who is home for leave) and his wife came to visit last night. I told him what Aaron has said to me during our last conversation about his whereabouts, etc. Williams told me that he probably got put on a flight and didn't have time to call, and he suspects that he is somewhere over the ocean. I hope that he's right! The waiting and the unknown are killing me! I am so anxious for him to get here just in case I do go into labor. And of course seeing his face won't be so bad either lol.

My stay in the hospital has been pleasant so far. All the nurses are really nice, I have Wifi in my room and cable. AND I get room service, so the dining experience has been great! I pretty much have visitors from noon on every day. I have so many supportive friends that have really been there for me, I am blessed!

Operation: Healthy Baby, day 3

Update on Hannah: Still no contractions! We are all hoping that she stays in for another four weeks. No signs of infection. Her heartbeat and movement are very strong on the monitor. Haven't see the Dr yet today. The nurses are all really nice, so far. Which is good cause I'm kind of a demanding bitch especially when stuck in a bed. They are earning their paychecks this week! HA!

Update on Aaron: It's not official, but Aaron's unit is trying to approve for him to stay here for an "open window" meaning that he can stay until I am well and able to care for myself. He seemed confident that they would approve it. Maybe this is a blessing is disguise since elections are about to start over there. Hannah is keeping her Daddy safe! You never know...God works in mysterious ways... So, anyway Aaron should be home by this weekend. I am happy to see him but it's hard to be excited due to the circumstances.

I'll keep you posted as things progress.

Scary turn of events

So remember how I said that I have 10 weeks left of my pregnancy? Well, not anymore. At the most it will be 4.

After work yesterday I was walking back from the mailbox and my water broke. My friend Jenn took me to Evans Army Hospital and they did some tests and confirmed that it was my water and since I am not full-term I had to be sent to Memorial Hospital where they have a NICU. I was given two steroid shots for Hannah's lungs, and I have 24 more hours til they take effect. The doctor said that after that point if I start contracting (I haven't yet) they will not stop my labor because with no fluid in there, there is a big risk of infection. I have been pumped with all sorts of antibiotics. If she doesn't come on her own by 34 weeks they will induce.

I sent a Red Cross message to Aaron and he is talking to the commander about him coming home and possibly extending his R&R past two weeks.

Please pray for my family, I need a healthy baby girl and I so desperately need my husband here at this time.

And the countdown begins...

I have reached 30 weeks of my pregnancy! That means only 10 more weeks to go. So instead of counting up like I have been doing I am now going to start counting down. And if I think of it in terms of how much time is left 10 weeks isn't long. It has only been 10 weeks since I found out that I'm having a girl, and that time has flown by! It's a little scary to think of actually. I still have quite a bit I need to do, but it is all mostly small stuff. I still have at least one baby shower left, so hopefully I will get some of the things that I still need! And in case any of you are feeling generous I am registered at Target and Babies R Us ; )

He <3's me!!!

So today (day number 12) Aaron finally called! I was actually rather surprised to hear from him because I found out yesterday afternoon that the six day mission had been changed to 18 friggin days! Which would make a grand total of 21 days without talking to him since he called a few days before they left. One of Aaron's soldiers just got home for R&R and his wife was kind enough to text me to fill me in on that since I was clearly anxious about him calling. You can imagine how bummed I was to think of having to go another 10 days without talking to him. And you can also imagine how ecstatic I was when he called me today! I don't know how he got to call, nor did I ask (there's no point really since he can't give me details anyway), but I do know that hearing his voice for 30 minutes totally made my day, and was the perfect start to my week!

Six months down...

Six months to go! We have finally reached the deployment hump! It's all down hill from here. AND he should be home for R&R in about 10 weeks! I really think the rest of the time is going to fly by. This first six months have gone by pretty fast and I think with all of the things that will be going on in the last part it will go by even faster!

I still haven't heard from him though...11 days! OMG! This really sucks and right now I am hating the army for not allowing me to talk to my husband. I was hoping that he would be able to call today, but it's looking slim because he usually calls by 1000.


Okay everyone, have a happy weekend!!!!

WTF

So remember the blog that I wrote about USAA? Well someone left me this response:

Tricia Phillip, USAA Social Media said...
Hi-USAA here. It sounds like it was pretty frustrating to find out you'd have to pay $255 for a new windshield. Unfortunately because insurance is regulated by each state certain coverages may change when you move. On behalf of our members, especially the military and their families, USAA has been a longtime advocate of the optional federal charter concept. Should Congress pass legislation in support of an optional federal charter, we believe customers would have access to better, more uniform products and services at lower prices. If you’d like to get a quote for lowering your deductible for any future incidents, you can do so on usaa.com or call us at 1.800.531.8722. Before making a change, though, you may want to ask one of our advisors if the increase in premium that results from a lower deductible is in your financial best interest.

Okay, really??? Does someone at that company just sit around and google things about USAA in case someone is bad mouthing them? I found this to be really odd, and kinda creepy!

If it's not one thing...

...it's another!

So my other little pug, Eddy, got his tooth knocked out! He has an under bite and his bottom teeth stick out, and it's the one right in the middle. So he looks like a redneck! I actually found the tooth and called the vet, but I guess that don't put animal teeth back in like they do human ones. I'm not exactly sure how it got knocked out, but I found it by the fence in our back yard. The neighbor's big-ass German Shepard and him constantly bark at each other through the fence. And that big mother-fucker is so heavy that when he jumps against the fence he knocks the boards loose. I think one of them must've hit Eddy in the face and knocked out his little tooth. Poor pug!

AND it has been nine days since I talked to my husband. This is the longest we have ever gone without communication, and I'm not too happy about it. He told me that they were gong on a long mission, so at least I was prepared not to hear from him, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it! Last time he was deployed we talked almost every day, and this time I'm lucky if he calls twice a week. This deployment sucks and I am ready for it to be over!

You suck, USAA!

I want someone to please explain to me how my husband's truck got a huge two foot crack in the windshield while sitting in our driveway for two months!

Sunday, I decided to drive his truck to Lowe's since I haven't driven it in quite some time and I get in and there is a huge crack on the passenger side. I have no idea how it got there, because it certainly wasn't there the last time I drove it. So I thought okay, whatever I'll call the insurance company Monday and they'll pay to have it replaced. Boy, was I WRONG! I guess Colorado insurance policies don't cover glass 100% like they do in Kentucky and New York, where we grew up...naturally thinking it was like that every where. To go through the person who they recommend it will cost $255 to have the damned thing fixed. It will all be out of pocket because it's lower than our deductible, which is $500. And, if it gets broken again, like next week, we will have to pay for it all over again. So, what is the point of having insurance if they won't pay to fix things that are broken. Had I known that glass wasn't covered I would've had my insurance set up differently. This totally sucks! And, of course, things like this only happen when Aaron is gone, because I don't already have enough things to do as it is!

I am NOT currently accepting applications for new friends...

Before you think, this girl is a bitch! Let me explain myself...

I do have lots of friends, probably more than I have ever had, spread far and wide across the United States, and even a few overseas. And I LOVE my friends! I make friends where ever I go. But when I meet someone new, and they know things about me that I obviously didn't tell them, it creeps me out. I guess we can thank Facebook and Myspace for that, but that's why my pages are set to private! So, how this person gained access to my page I will never know, but she knew I had been on a cruise and that I am pregnant with a girl....And her attitude about the whole thing was just weird...every other thing I said she would reply, "I know, I saw it on your page." So why is it that you're spending so much time on my page looking at my pictures??? You have kids, and your husband is deployed....I would think that you wouldn't have enough extra time on your hands to sit and study someone else's page. And by knowing all of this, did you think I would be impressed?? Well, I am not, I am just plain creeped out. So get a life and go do some housework or something. I didn't ask you to be my friend, so I don't really want you to think you are in fact my friend just because you think you know everything about me. I am good on friends right now, thanks.

Why do I torture myself?

So, remember how I said that hanging blinds is a BITCH. Well, guess what, that status hasn't changed.

I got my electric bill Saturday....$205.36! Now, you might be wondering what my electric bill and window blinds have in common...let me tell you. The blinds in my bedroom broke a few months ago. My bedroom is on the east facing side of the house, where the sun rises, therefore my room gets very hot and uncomfortable in the morning when I am sleeping. So what do I do...go downstairs and turn the A/C down. I thought it might be a good idea to hang some blinds to prevent the sun from shining in so brightly, and hopefully reduce my energy cost. I went to Lowe's and bought some faux wood ones (they look just as nice but aren't as expensive!) and attempted to hang them. It's not really difficult, but it IS a pain in the ass! Hopefully I don't have to hang any more any time soon, cause it's just one of those things that I would rather Aaron did! HA!

But, they do look nice, and I didn't get hot this morning. So I guess they are serving their purpose.

Victory!

I have, once again, learned something new in Aaron's absence.

My neighbor, Sam's husband is deployed as well. We spend a lot of time together eating dinner and hanging out so we have become really good friends. Anyway, she comes and rings my doorbell (remember the one I fixed lol) and says she can't start her car...luckily it was parked in her driveway and not the garage! Anyway, I was like, do you have jumper cables??? She did. So I hop in my car and pull it over into her yard. We read the instructions and made a call to my father-in-law, just to make sure we were doing it right before we started the cars. Voila! IT STARTED! Piece of cake! I swear, the things I have learned to do for myself since Aaron left. I amaze myself sometimes!!!

At last!

I have reached my third (and final) trimester! I am officially 7 months pregnant.....only 80something days to go! I can hardly believe it. The time has just flown by, and I am hoping the last three months do as well too. Her room is 98% done and I could have a small children's store in her closet, with all of the clothes that it contains. 12 weeks to go, and counting...

So, as many of you can guess there are several reason why being pregnant while my husband is deployed sucks. Such as, no one to rub my feet and back, no one to go to the store at midnight because I drink milk like it's going to expire tomorrow, and want it right now, and as I have mentioned , having to do his normal household duties, and of course no sex when I have raging hormones!. But there are reasons that it doesn't suck.

1. Hair grows faster and thicker (and sometimes darker) while pregnant. No one sees my naked body but me, so I can deal with it for a few days longer than if he were here having to look at his hairy wife. I would constantly being shaving/tweezing/waxing something in fear of frightening him when we go to bed.

2. My body temperature is slightly higher, so I can crank up the A/C and don't have to listen to him complain about it...and I don't have to lay next to another body in bed, making it that much hotter.

3. I can sleep in whatever position is most comfortable for my bulging belly and take up the whole bed.

4. I can eat whatever, and whenever I want without having to worry about cooking for someone else. Or the fact that I have eatten the same thing for four days in a row because that's what I'm craving...and I don't have to care that he doesn't like it.

5. I have mood-swings and am cranky and irritable. The silliest things piss me off, so by the time he calls I have (usually) cooled off and we don't argue.

Honestly I would rather have him here, but sometimes it nice to do whatever I want whenever I want, because right now I'm pretty focused on myself, not gonna lie! I am growing a human, I think I am entitled to be a little selfish!

It's a small world.

So I encountered the strangest coincidence Friday night while out to dinner with Sam. We went to this little Japanese restaurant to eat. I have never been to it before, but it's one of her fav's so I thought I would try it. It really was good! Anyway, so we sit down at our "table" which is one of those where the chef cooks your meal in front of you so you are sitting with other people you don't know as well. We were talking about her brother-in-law and how he is in Aaron's unit and they don't know each other,etc. And she said, "Yeah I asked him if he knew Billings." Well, the guy sitting next to me interrupted and asked if she had said her name was Billings, and I replied that no, it was my name. So then he asks if I am Aaron's wife. I was like WTF?! Who are you??

It turns out that he is in Aaron's unit and was home for R&R. But I mean, what a small world..of all people to sit next to at that particular moment. I find things like that fascinating. Anyway, I just thought I would share because I thought it was cool.