Bentley Boe Gilstrap

Introducing our sweet baby boy Bentley Boe Gilstrap!.This is for my records so your welcome to skip right to the cute pictures if you don't want to read his birth story! We weren't expecting to be having our baby boy a week early. I was measuring 2-3 weeks ahead at every appointment but I had not progressed at my last couple of Dr. Appointments. So we didnt think our appointment on the 27th was going to be any different. I figured I was going to be just like my sisters and go a week over my due date. So after  I was done working for the day we headed over to the Dr., he checked me, couldnt tell if I was dialated but  I was effaced . After that he disscussed the option of trying to induce me that day since the baby was measuring  a  few weeks ahead ( we didnt think this was possible because my Dr. told us they dont like to induce before the due date). Well we jumped on the chance..I was done been pregnant (mostly due to all the swelling) and I was concerned about pushing out a big baby if we waited a week or two more. We went home after our appointment to grab our bags and for Boe to give me a blessing. We stopped at subway for some lunch and my last meal and headed to the hospital. We arrived at about 12:30. Got checked in, stopped by to see my co-workers and then headed up to OB. Once we got settled in our room  the nurse  inserted the pill at 1:50pm (hurt like crazy!) I wasnt allowed to get up for an hour after the pill was put in and after 4 hours if I wasnt having 3 contractions in 10 minutes they would put another in, luckily I was! Boes grandma Alma came  to check on us and watched tv with us while we waited. After the 4 hours my Dr. came to check on me , broke my water (also super painful) and offered to start the Pitocin, at this time I was only dialated to a one.We agreed. His prediction was that we would be delivering our baby around 1-3 am that morning. Well the next hour and half was awful. I was having super painful contractions. By the end of the hour and a half I was in tears because of the pain, Boe was by my side letting me squeeze his hand. My mother in-law got my new nurse to come check on me to see if I could have something for pain (They wait to give the epidural till your at least a 4) She came  saw me bawling and got right on it but said she had to check me first.. well when she did come to find out I was dialated to a 4 1/2-5  already (no wonder I was in so much pain) So she immediatley called the CRNA to get me an epidural. I was in heaven after I got it! I honestly do not know how people do it naturally, they are amazing! It's so weird being that numb and feeling like dead weight.. My b/p dropped after I got it so they had to give me something to elevate my b/p. I was so exhausted after that whole ordeal I was just ready to sleep/rest. So the nurse kicked out our visitors and we started the waiting process. I progressed kind of slowly over the next few hours. Some highlights of  labor our puking two different times from the nurse moving me from side to side , got an O2 mask to help me breathe, getting super itchy from the epidural, getting the shakes (my teeth would not stop chattering), my catheter not draining so they took it out and placed another which still didnt drain (they think the baby was laying on my bladder just right) so in turn I swelled up even  more (Boe said I didnt have knees anymore), started to feel my contractions so they added another drug to help. Well 1-3 am came and went and I still wasnt to a 10 . I was hoping to deliver before 7am because I loved my nurse so much and wanted her  for the delievery but I was only to a 9-9 1/2 when she left. I finally got some decent sleep for about 2 hours  when my Dr. came to check on me, I was dialated to a 10 finally and he wanted to try pushing with the nurse .Well I pushed for over an hour and a half with the nurse and Boe (he got to help hold one of my legs). Well thank goodness for epiduarals because ( this was the tramatic part for Boe) I apparently tore and was bleeding a ton I had no idea I was just focued on pushing . Eventually my nurse got worried enough that she finally grabbed my Dr. According to Boe he could tell our Dr. was not pleased that my nurse let me tear that bad,I had a 3rd degree tear which is pretty bad. I pushed with him a few times and then he decided to try the suction to help the baby come out. Baby finally crowned  took about 2-3 rounds of pushes at that point to get him out with the aid of the suction. And finally at 9:51 am on August 28th our sweet baby boy was born! That first cry was one of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard! I was overcome with joy when they laid him on me for the first time. I was in heaven, couldnt believe Boe and I were finally parents to our little miracle. And what a beautiful/handsome miracle he is!We were surprised to find he only weighed 8lbs 6 oz. and was 20 inches long. But my Dr. thinks if he was any bigger I wouldnt have been able to push him out we would have had to do a c-section.  We had to stay  2 more nights at the hospital due to all the blood I lost and my b/p dropped real low again after giving birth. The first night Boe went home to get some rest so it was just my sweet baby and I. Second night he stayed with us.  On our last day  his bilirubin level was high so he was on a bili blanket and we went home with one for about 5 days. We were so excited to go home and start our adventure in parenthood! We are loving every second of it! Parenthood is definitly a rollercoaster but I can't imagine our life without him.He has us wrapped around his little finger already. And Boe is an amazing dad already despite what he thinks. I love my little family so much and feel blessed every day.

Pregnancy Update

Figured it's about time for a baby update! Especially since its been about 12 weeks since my last post. I am currently 33 weeks! 7 weeks left! yay! I am feeling great for the most part just HUGE!! Realizing that summer pregnancies are no fun with all this heat! Especially when you live in a house with no A/C. Thank goodness I work in a cold hospital and Boe takes me to the movies about once a week. Luckily im not swollen every day. I had my baby shower a couple weeks ago. It was so fun!  Baby boy and I were spoiled! My mom came out to visit and stayed for a week! Loved it! Had so much fun and it was so hard to see her go! Good thing she will be back in Sept! Baby is doing great! I have been measuring 2 weeks ahead my whole pregnancy and at my Dr. appt this past week I was measuring 3 weeks ahead! So I had to get a growth ultrasound. Everything looks great and it was so fun to see him again. He was 5lbs 7 oz already! So I could very well have an 8lb plus baby!He is already head down though! yay! I am really okay if he wants to make his appearance one or two weeks early! Not sure if I have had any braxton hicks yet, If I have they sure don't hurt.  My belly is apparently really huge because people always comment on how I am going to have a big baby or they cant believe I still have as much time left as I do. I am still working 3 days at work. It's getting hard but it keeps me busy. I dont sleep much these days between the constant going to the bathroom, being hot, and general uncomfortableness. Plus he now loves to hang out right under my boobs making it hard to breath and making bras super uncomfortable. He moves lots, which I LOVE! So fun! He totally knows Boe's hand when he touches my belly. The baby can be super quiet and once Boe puts his hand on my belly he starts kicking wherever his hand is! Love that they are bonding already! I havent really had strong cravings for any one thing I just really like cold things, so I have bought fruit popsicles, I eat a ton of fruit, and drink water like crazy! I am loving being pregnant but I am so ready to meet him and to not be fat anymore! I can't stand pictures of me, I just want to cry (especially when I step on the scale at the Dr.) Biggest I have ever been, can't wait to work out again! I just keep telling myself it doesn't matter because its all worth it! We can't wait to meet him! Glad he isn't coming for a few more weeks though because we still have A LOT to buy and get ready before he comes!

It's a Boy!!

Bring on the blue! We are so thrilled to announce we are having a baby boy! It never mattered to Boe and I if we had a boy or girl we were just so excited for a baby! I had been feeling though it was a boy all along. In my first trimester I was starving all the time, I felt like I was feeding a growing teenage boy. Also all my baby dreams were of baby boys. So I was not surprised one bit! Boe knew it was a boy as well and could tell right away at our Ultrasound. He was not shy he showed us the goods! lol Since my family lives far away we sent them a picture (I got the idea off Pintrest) and for Boes family we baked a blue cake. And they found out once we cut into it! We had so much fun telling our families! We of course went shopping right after our appointment and bought him a couple outfits. This boy is spoiled already! Can't wait for him to get here so we can put him in all the cute things we got. And my sweet sisters have sent me there baby clothes from their boys. Boe is so thrilled to be getting his boy! I know he is going to be handsome just like his dad! We cannot wait to meet him! We love you baby boy!

Journey to Baby

It's no secret that Boe and I have been trying to have a baby for the past 3 years or so. And it did not come easily. These past 3 years or so have been very hard with many ups and downs. We have learned so much, are faith has been tested, we have grown stronger as a couple, and our love for one another has been strengthed. Infertility is not easy and it took a long time for us to come to terms with. We have been blessed with wonderful caring Doctors and nurses along the way, been blessed financially, and with great Insurance. We have had such a great support system full of family and friends. We strated to investigate our infertility in the fall of 2010. We tried clomide (unsuccessful), 4 IUI's (Intrauterine Insemination) and lastly IVF ( Invitro Fertilization). We started IVF in the spring of 2011. It was the first time we felt we had a chance at getting pregnant. We started our fresh cycle in April which included many Dr.'s visits, lots and lots of shots, and a handful of ultrasounds. Once my ovaries were nice and stimulated we retrieved 12 eggs. We implanted 2 embryos. Those 14 days waiting to see if they took were the longest of our lives! To our surprise we found out we were pregnant! We were thrilled! The Dr. wanted to continue to check my HCG levels to make sure my numbers were going up like they should. But unfortunately they weren't doubling. There was concern over an eptoic pregnancy or the baby had stopped growing. I had to come down for an early ultrasound right away. Boe had to work so I had to make the 3 hour trip to Utah alone (worst idea ever). The ultrasound confirmed our worst fears. The Dr. said the gestational sac looked like it had collapsed within itself. My Dr. tried to reassure me that it was most likely natures way of protecting me from an unhealthy baby. But just to be sure they wanted to do a follow-up Ultrasound the next week. I was crushed and heartbroken. I needed Boe there with me. Luckily I have 2 sisters that live in Utah so I was able to go see them and find the comfort I needed until I drove back to Idaho. The next weeks Ultrasound showed an empty uterus and I "offically" miscarried 2 days later. Worst pain I have ever experienced. We took the required 3 month break and than in Sept 2011 we tried again. This time we did a frozen cycle which still requires shots but no stimulation. So it's alot easier on the body. Due to our embryos not being in as great of shape after being frozen we decided to implant 3 this time. Again another long wait but unfortunately none of them took. After 2 heartbreaking cycles we debated whether or not to try again. I was physically and emotionally drained. I had put my body through so much that past year and I was ready for a break. After many talks, fasting, and prayers we decided to try just one last time before the year was up. This time we decided to try a new Infertility Clinic.We are so glad we did. Not that the first clinic was bad but the second one was so much more personal and our results were better. We had one nurse and one Dr.this time who watched us closely and checked on us often. It was a new set of medications/shots with a slightly different regimine. We retrieved 24 eggs (this is fabulous results), 23 were mature (which is awesome and very rare to have that many), and 7 were excellent or top quality (they said that almost never happens) and 6 were great quality. We implanted 2 embyros two days after my birthday and found out Dec 29th we were expecting.Greatest birthday/Christmas present ever! This time my HCG level was high so no concern! I peed on 5 sticks just to be sure. We had our first Ultrasound in Jan. at 5 weeks and were able to see our baby's heartbeating. We were a little surprised we weren't having 2 but we didnt mind we just felt so blessed. We are so thankful and grateful for the wonderful Dr.'s, Embryologists, Nurses that took such good care of us and our embryos. I am again so thankful for wonderful family members and friends who prayed and fasted for us. I am very grateful for my mother who let me call her constantly and vent/talk/cry her ear off. She is such a strength to me. And to Boe who is my rock I could not have made it through with anyone but him. Our bond and love have grown so much and am thankful he was always there for me with his healing hugs. And we are especially thankful for a loving Heavnely Father who gave us the strength and faith to get through. This baby is going to be so loved. Im starting out 25lbs heavier than I would like due to all the hormones I have been on this past year and half but I dont even care this baby is totally worth it. IVF is obviously not the first choice of way of getting pregnant but honestly it is such a neat process its amazing how far science has come and I am grateful for it because without we wouldnt have this precious baby of ours and 7 more embryos waiting for a chance! : )

My box of all my medications/shots

This is me waking up from our retrival in Dec. I look high as a kite

Baby's first picture! This is a picture of the 2 embryos we implanted in Dec. Not sure which one became our baby.

1 + 1 =3

We are so thrilled to announce we are having a baby!!! We are due Sept. 3 2012!We found out Dec. 29th so it was the best late Christmas Present ever! Even though we found out through a blood test I still peed on 5 sticks just for fun! I am now 21 weeks and feeling great! This pregnancy hasn't been to bad so far. Was only really sick between weeks 6-9. I feel huge already but im loving the bump! Boe is so thrilled about becoming a dad! He loves to touch the belly and can't wait for when he can feel the baby kick! I haven't felt any real distinct movements yet, there have been a few times that I think I felt movement. At our last ultrasound I asked about the location of the placenta and it's in the front so she said I probably wouldnt feel movement until I was farther along. That happened to my sister as well so I'm thinking probably in the next couple weeks I will know the movement for sure. We are in love with this baby already and can't wait to for Sept! We feel so blessed and honored to get the chance to raise one of Heavenly Fathers special spirits! Only 19 more weeks to go!!

Baby G at 11 wks

The bump at about 18 weeks

Baby G waving at us! 18 wks

My recent Crafting

Cute Halloween craft I did with my Sisters

This one is much cuter in person because you can see the cute scrapbook paper I used better

Finally got around to finishing my Valentines sign. Only took me a year and a half. I love it but I noticed the "v" block is smaller than the others so it looks uneven. Oh well! I have come to find I really like doing crafting (even if im not very good) and thanks to Pintrest I have more ideas!

Christmas 2011

I am very behind on my blogging! Lets face it I'm terrible at this. Mostly because Boe and I never take pictures and we don't have anything super interesting to blog about. But anyways here are a few snap shots of our Christmas this past year. It again was super low key and pretty lonely for me. Boe had to work Christmas Eve and Christmas. I didn't get to see him until 8pm that night. Since we weren't able to spend Christmas morning together I made us a yummy dinner on Christmas Eve, we watched The Church Nativity movie, and lastly opened presents while watching Its a Wonderful Life. It was nice to have a little time together cuddling next to our beautiful Christmas tree. Christmas day was the hardest I went to Church by myself and then came home a lounged on the couch for awhile watching Elf. Exciting right? Then went up to Boe's grandparents for Christmas dinner and presents. It was nice to hang out with family but I was so happy when Boe finally got off work and we could be together. Looking forward to this years holidays where I get Boe for all of them!