Casey's Birth Story!

Casey's Birth Story

Throughout our entire pregnancy we've been closely monitoring my bile acids for signs of ICP, and every week we were surprised by low levels- my liver was doing its job!

Around 36 weeks, I started getting nervous due to some serious itching on my belly and arms and occasional itching on the soles of my feet. Something was telling me that Casey needed to be born. Kevin and I started reading medical article after medical article on ICP trying to determine if it's possible to have ICP without symptoms or high bile acids (it is- it's called asymptomatic ICP) or how quickly bile acids could rise at the end of pregnancy (turns out- pretty damn quickly). Bile acid tests take 2 weeks to come back, so if my numbers jumped at the end, we wouldn't know and full term with ICP is VERY risky.

It felt as though no one at our practice really understood ICP and our concerns every visit were quieted with, "But your numbers look good, so you're fine." At our 37 week appointment we decided we'd ask to be seen by a high risk doctor to ask about realistic risks. Luckily, the obgyn we saw (not the high risk) took our concerns very seriously and called the high risk doctor. His response was, "If she had ICP once she'll probably have it again... if she has any itching anywhere she needs to deliver."

Our doctor came in and told us we could go to labor and delivery that night for a repeat c-section, or have the first spot the next day. We chose to do it in the morning, making Casey 37 weeks and 1 day when he was born.

The c-section and recovery went just about as well as it could with only a few set backs in recovery. Casey was born on Wednesday, 2/1/17 at 8:07 am weighing a whopping 7 pounds and 1 ounce. He had a little jaundice but nothing out of the ordinary for a munchkin born 3 weeks early.

At my first postpartum visit my midwife pulled my bile acid results from 1/26 and lo and behold, they were well on their way up. I cried for a few minutes just feeling so, so thankful that we listened to our gut feeling, and that we had an obgyn who took us seriously and our little "itch" is here safe and sound.

Declan has been an AMAZING big brother! He is incredibly helpful, wetting wipes and getting diapers when I need him to. He can't stop hugging and kissing Casey, which may be the sweetest thing I've ever laid my eyes on.

32 Weeks!

Remember that time I said I was going to keep on top of the blog this pregnancy? Yeah, I thought it was a pretty funny joke, too. The semester and the pregnancy combined ended up kicking my butt, and when I disconnected from Facebook, I didn't put as much thought into the blog. So here we are, with a 9 week gap. I'm determined to blog every 2 weeks through the rest of the pregnancy (which shouldn't be too hard because that's really only like 2 more posts....)

We're waiting on one more set of bloodwork, but everyone seems pretty convinced that my ICP (Cholestasis) is back. I had it with Declan, which is why he was induced early. My liver just doesn't like being pregnant and apparently can't hold it together. Once we have confirmation from this last blood test, we'll likely schedule a C-section at 37 weeks (which is the END OF JANUARY. Holy crap.)

We've been pretty busy with the holidays, but things are slowing down now. Which is good, because the baby's room is in shambles. Speaking of "baby," we think we changed his name. Kev and I both woke up one day and randomly decided this tiny human isn't Owen. We're playing around with a few options, but won't nail anything down until he's here.

Let's do some stats :)

How far along?  32 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss?  I think we're hovering around 30 lbs gained, which I'm trying not to beat myself up over. I had high hopes of being more active and healthy this pregnancy, but trying to juggle being a mom, wife, and PhD student was hard and I let my nutrition slip.

Maternity clothes? Uh, some of my maternity clothes don't fit. I live in one pair of jeans and one pair of leggings on permanent rotation...

Stretch marks? I think I see some, but they're on the underside of my belly so they're hard for me to see.

Sleep? Oh man, I sleep like a rock... until I have to pee or switch sides due to hip pain. I'm not sure I had this kind of pain with Declan, but holy smokes. I wake up and my hips are on FIRE. Luckily, I can fall back asleep easily and have only had one night of not being able to sleep at all.

Best moment last week? Declan came to our last ultrasound with us and was absolutely smitten. He asked me if the baby could come out that day. He's going to be an amazing big brother.

Movement?  Sure thing. This baby seems much lower than Declan was so luckily his jabs don't hit my ribs and aren't painful. Woo!

Food cravings? Not really.

Labor signs? This is something I never experienced with Declan, but I get contractions when I over-do it. They aren't anywhere near consistent but it's not pleasant.

Belly button in/out? Kind of neither? Not an innie anymore, but it's definitely not an outtie either.

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach...

What I am looking forward to: Meeting this little munchkin! And getting the blood work back so we have a concrete plan.

Milestones: Our ultrasound confirmed that my placenta moved away from my cervix. Good job, placenta!

23 Weeks

This post is going to be a little different than my standard updates because honestly, this is where I'm at and anything else would seem so fake. Let me start by saying that I am so, so grateful and appreciative of this beautiful life. The reality is, though, that being a mother to a 3.5 year old, a wife (to an amazing husband), a PhD student in a competitive program, and 23 weeks pregnant is HARD.

Last week I travelled to a conference, and while it was filled with so many incredible experiences (2 presentations- 1 where I was first author, making connections with seasoned researchers in the field, and doing what I can to make a name for myself), it was absolutely exhausting. Amazing, but exhausting. I came home on Sunday and "real life" was waiting, with a tired husband, cranky child, and a week ahead waiting to be prepped for (groceries, lunches to be packed, and dirty laundry).

Sometimes, you just need to cry it out. So that's what I did this week. Lots of crying.

I cried because...
- heartburn is hurts,
- hip pain sucks,
- I can't sleep and yet I constantly feel like I'm going to pass out,
- I worry about being the best mommy to Declan and his little brother while trying to be competitive in my profession.

And then I cried more because...
- I am so beyond blessed to be growing a second tiny little man,
- Owen got the hiccups,
- Declan has his first girlfriend (Hayley) and I'm so proud of the respectful gentlemen he is,
- I have a husband who busts his ass every day so that the mortgage, pre-school tuition, and bills are things that I don't need to worry about,
- Everyone is healthy and we are so freaking blessed.

And then I cried more because figuring out how to balance all of these scary and beautiful things is hard, hard work and I'm just doing the best that I can. And then I cried more because I know the best I can do is perfectly fine and is damn good enough for my family.

Phew, okay. Let's talk week 23 :)

Little man has a name! Owen Adrien Monahan.

Here's a side by side from Declan and Owen, and then Owen on his own. We switched it up this week and took a picture outside because I wanted to soak up the cooler weather.. and the leaves on that tree are awesome.

How far along?  23 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss?  I honestly have no idea. My nutrition isn't great so I want to work on that. I had my appointment yesterday and while I didn't pay attention to the scale, no one mentioned anything about weight gain, so I'm not worrying about it.

Maternity clothes? The shirt in Owen's 23 week picture isn't maternity and I think it might be the last time I wear it (unless I wear it to school tomorrow... which I might, because my standards are pretty low).

Stretch marks? Still nothing!

Sleep? I'm falling asleep okay, but tossing and turning constantly. Our bed just seems way too small.

Best moment last week? Coming home after the conference and seeing D and Kevin.

Movement?  Yesterday, the midwife was trying to find Owen's heartbeat and said, "Yikes. This is a pretty active baby." So, yup. Lots of movement!

Food cravings? No real cravings.

Labor signs? Wayyyy too early.

Belly button in/out? Still an innie, but I'm sure it'll pop out in a few weeks.

What I miss: Wine. All the wine. Is this my answer every week...?

What I am looking forward to: I can feel Owen from the outside sometimes, but it's very sporadic so I'm excited for D and Kevin to finally feel him.

Milestones: No big milestones to report!

21 weeks

Hey all!

We were dealing with croup all weekend, and now have a crazy, steroid filled toddler running around. Never a dull moment over here!

How far along?  21 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? I think around 10ish pounds. I have been SO much healthier this pregnancy. I really learned my lesson with Declan. Granted, I definitely indulge but I am making sure I'm getting a variety of veggies, fruits and lean proteins throughout the day. Even if I do this sometimes (okay only once):

It was worth every weird look Kevin and the guy at Taco Bell (when he saw my Wendy's bag) gave me.

Maternity clothes? Living in them. I have one pair of jeans and 3 pairs of leggings that I rotate throughout. Fall is the perfect time for maternity clothes!

Stretch marks? Starting to creep in.

Sleep? haha What's that? This little man keeps me awake a ton at night. Mixed with the heartburn and hip pain, sleep is something that I don't get as much of as I'm used to.

Best moment last week? Feeling this baby move!

Movement?  This kid is a wild child. He is so active it's unreal- especially after I eat or want to sleep. Declan was active, but I don't remember losing sleep over it.

Food cravings? Nothing really.

Labor signs? Wayyyy too early.

Belly button in/out? Still in- stayed in with Declan, so we'll see!

What I miss: This week I've missed wine. I have so much going on in school that wine would be so, so wonderful.

What I am looking forward to: Kevin and Declan feeling him move :)

Milestones: All about the movement this week!

Boy Mom!

It's here! Sex reveal day- and little Monahan #2 is a boy! We had a great day hanging out, eating and debating boy names (no final decisions yet!).

Our anatomy scan was on Friday, and baby is looking really healthy. The only minor concern was my placenta being too close to my cervix, but it was like that with Declan and resolved itself so we're not too worried.

16 Weeks

Hey-o! Somehow we're already at 4 months. During the last 16 weeks, the days felt like they took absolutely forever and somehow the weeks fly. Kind of reminds me of motherhood ;)

The last two weeks have been good with morning sickness subsiding, and the "good days" starting to outnumber the "hard days." Thank goodness for that.

Here's a side by side of Declan and Baby Monie 2.0 at 16 weeks:

On to the weekly stats!

How far along?  16 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? Up about 3 pounds. My appetite has been awful- I'm just not hungry, which is something I have never really experienced. I'm keeping an eye on my weight, and trying to make sure the tiny human gets the nutrients he/she needs.

Maternity clothes? It's here. Time for maternity clothes. A friend from high school gave me a bunch of really cute stuff, and I've gotten better with my online shopping. Building a comfy stash for winter.

Stretch marks? Nada

Sleep? Sleep has been okay. The Boppy has been a really big help. I'm getting up less to go to the bathroom, but still averaging about 2 wake ups a night, which is super manageable.

Best moment last week? This isn't baby related, but Declan is finally (I think) starting to adjust to pre-school. He had a great day today, and that made me feel amazing today.

Movement?  I *think* I've felt this baby a few times. Once was 2 nights ago laying in bed on my side, and I had two times today that I thought it might be the baby.

Food cravings? Nothing really.

Labor signs? Wayyyy too early.

Belly button in/out? Still in- stayed in with Declan, so we'll see!

What I miss: Energy! A PhD program while pregnant is no joke ;)

What I am looking forward to: Definite movement from the little one. Also finding out the sex (end of September!)

Milestones: No real milestones in the last 2 weeks, but a healthy baby growing away!

Week 14

Here we are! Week 14. I started school again this week (starting year 2 of the 4 year program), and if my energy level doesn't come up a tad, this is going to be an interesting semester!

Declan started pre-school full time this week and he is doing so well! The first few days were rough, but this week has been amazing. He even went on a field trip today... rode a school bus and ate FIVE pieces of pizza. He was in his element.

This week he's started kissing my belly, saying hi to the baby, and asking if the baby is growing, since "your belly is getting so big." It's an amazing experience watching Declan go through this pregnancy with us. Every Tuesday when the "week" changes we watch a short clip of what development is happening that week. Tonight he curled up, and when they showed the animation of the baby, he squealed, "Oh! They baby is SO CUTE." <3

I thought it would be fun to look back every once in a while and compare my first pregnancy to this one.

Here are the weekly stats:

How far along?  14 weeks

Total weight gain/loss?  I think we're up to 4, but honestly I have no clue.

Maternity clothes? I bought a few things online and they'll be here soon. I've never done any online shopping, so here's to hoping it goes well!

Stretch marks? Nada

Sleep? We started going through the old baby things in storage and found my Boppy. My life is now amazing. It helps me get a good night's sleep and I'm so thankful for it!

Best moment last week? Declan kicking butt at pre-school. Proud mama!

Movement? Nothing yet. We found out I have an anterior placenta (meaning it's in the front), so it may be a while before I'm feeling anything.

Food cravings? No cravings (okay, my DQ Blizzard... but that was before I was pregnant, too), but I'm starting to be able to eat a wider variety of foods.

Labor signs? Wayyyy too early.

Belly button in/out? Way, way an innie

What I miss: My energy!

What I am looking forward to: Appointment tomorrow and hearing that beautiful heartbeat.