Part IV

Once the foundation was poured, the framing began. It was so much fun to see an actual structure begin to go up. Since we had almost purchased the exact same home that we were now building, we knew exactly how the home flowed. If you've ever been through a home that is being framed, you know that it can be difficult to imagine it with walls and all the rooms seem tiny for some reason. Once the drywall goes up, things really start to take shape and it's incredibly fun to watch.

Having hit and passed the mid-way point of our pregnancy, we were settling in. I was feeling the baby move and starting to plan a med-free hospital birth. We started our birthing classes at the hospital and had hired a doula. My mind was on baby, baby baby. My husband's mind was house, budget, house. I think this is the part that was the hardest for me. I felt like he didn't quite

grasp what was about to happen. While I was dealing with fears about being a good mother and trying to deal with my overly involved mother-in-law, he was worrying about the house. It made me feel very alone. I was sad that he didn't seem as into the pregnancy as I was. Sad that he was distracted during this awesome time - a first that we will never get back. I think now that it's all over, he feels sad about that too. Things were scooting along with the house and by early December, everything was framed and all the windows were in. Plumbing, low voltage and electrical rough ins took place and drywall went up.

Me at 28 weeks in the Nursery

Framing Progresses:

Heated basement floor is poured:

In mid-December, I had a bleeding scare and spent two separate days in the maternity triage area of the hospital. My mom was in town for my baby shower, and I was visiting her at my aunt's where she was staying. I went to go pee, wiped and there was blood. I wiped again to make sure I actually saw blood, and it was definitely there. I walked out as calmly as I could and told my mom what was going on, called the doctor, who told me to get to the hospital and then called my husband. We got in the car (I drove because I wasn't having any cramping and I knew that having something else to focus on would keep me calm). It took us over an hour to get to the hospital in the rush hour traffic. My husband was waiting there when we got there. He ended up having to take a cab because I had the garage door opener in our SUV and he couldn't get in to get his car. We got up to triage and they got me in the gown and on the monitors. I was 32 weeks and so incredibly scared that I was going to have our baby girl early. We had absolutely nothing done, weren't ready at all. Both of my showers were being held that weekend and we were waiting until after to see what else we needed. They checked me, and my cervix was fine, there was no blood on the glove. I was having some contractions, but nothing in a regular pattern or strong enough for me to really feel them. I was sent home and told to take it easy.

The next day was my first shower of the weekend. I got up, got ready, was just about to leave, and decided to pee before I got in the car, wiped and there was blood again. Back to the hospital we went. They checked me again, no blood on the glove. I had thrown on a pad before we left and there was blood on the pad, so they believed me that I was bleeding. After hours of being monitored, and ultrasound, and countless other tests, the nurse asked to see my nethers one last time because she suspected that there may be a superficial wound of some kind that was causing the bleeding. That was it. I had either cut myself while attempting to groom myself, had a skin tag or my undies irritated me somehow. We'll never know what exactly it was, but I was so embarrassed! I missed my shower, had everyone worried and spent a total of 6 hours in a hospital bed. Seriously! Oddly enough, the nurse who discovered my wound, was also one of my nurses during my 22 hours of labor. I was way too busy dealing with back labor to be worried about whether she remembered me or not. My birth story is one for another time...stay tuned.