On Thursday, Nov. 7th I woke up feeling "off." My right leg was still swollen from the previous day, when normally the swelling went down during my sleep & my face was a little puffy. I took my blood pressure and it was 141/114.😬 I started to freak, which I'm sure didn't help my BP, but I was 34w+4d at that point and couldn't help but worry. I called in to work and told them I was going to the doctor.

I called my doctor & she told me to come in as soon as they opened at 8:30 (it was about 7 am at this point)... so I had to sit around for an hour and a half trying to stay calm and failing miserably. I went in to my doc, they took my BP and it was still high. She told me to head to the hospital to do a 24 hour urine test to check for pre-eclampsia.

I was admitted, started the 24 hour test, did some blood work, and then they sent me home with directions on how to finish the test. I went back the next day (Friday) to deliver the urine & get more blood work done. I waited around for the results & they came back negative.🥳 I was released & went home.

Saturday, while hanging around at home, I had a dull headache that just wouldn't go away. I tried not to think about it and took some tylenol. The headache still didn't go away. I took my blood pressure & it was 160/104. I laid down and waited an hour before taking it again. 148/105. I laid back down & waited another half an hour & took it again. 163/108. I called the doctor. They said to go to labor & delivery right away.

After I was checked in, I did another 24 hour test and more blood work. This time they admitted me and I stayed the night. They gave me the first of two steroid shots to hasten baby's lung development on Saturday & I got the second shot on Sunday before being released. The doctor said she wanted to give them to me because I would probably be having my baby "sooner rather than later." 😩 I was released on Sunday & told to keep my appointment with my OB for the next day (I had already had it scheduled as a regular check up).

On Monday, Nov. 11th, I went to my regular OB appointment. They laid me down and took my BP. The nurse sighs & looks at me. It's elevated again. 😫 They bring me to another room to do a non-stress test. After the test, my doc comes in and talks to me about taking me out of work and putting me on bed rest.

I'm about to leave when she says, "let me take your BP one more time, after laying down for half an hour with that test." She takes it and decides to admit me because it's still too high. She told me to go home and pack a bag to head to the hospital because she was going to induce me. At this point, I'm freaking out because I'm only 35w+1d & I'm worried about my baby.

I get to the hospital around 6 or 7 & they start me on Magnesium Sulfate. After a while they place the cervidil. It does its thing & then I get started on pitocin. I wasn't really dialating much for a while.

Tuesday, Nov. 12th rolls around. My 33rd birthday. I'm still not completely dialated, I'm having contractions, but not feeling them (the nurses pointed them out to me on the screen). They decide to break my water to get things going because my cervix was super soft and ready. They break my water & I start to feel the contractions more at this point. I hold out for another hour or so before I ask for the epidural. It goes perfectly, no trouble with that.

It's getting late at this point and the nurse tells me to call her in when I feel "pressure" down there. I say ok and take a nap in the mean time. I wake up feeling something. I'm not sure if it's the "pressure" that she was talking about, so I call her in. She looks & sees his hair! I'm having a baby at this point, lol😂. She calls my doc, we do a few rounds of warmup pushes while waiting for the doctor to get there. My OB arrives & we get to business.

It takes a total of 4 pushes after she gets there & Finnley makes his debut on Wednesday, Nov. 13th @ 2:19 am. He was born at 35w+3d, 5 lbs 12.6 oz, 18 inches.

Unfortunately, I had to stay on the Magnesium Sulfate for another 24 hours after his birth. Y'all. I can't even describe how horrible I felt on that stuff. I was so out of it & weak that I couldn't do anything for those first 24 hours of Finn's life. Luckily his daddy stepped up and took care of him when I was essentially incapacitated from the mag.

Finnley, on the other hand, was a trooper. He did great & didn't have to go to the NICU at all. His daddy took care of him, tube feeding him pumped milk until I was well enough to nurse him. We stayed in the hospital until Friday before we were released. My blood pressure was still high and they put me on BP meds while there & I ended up having to take them for 4 weeks PP. It's all under control now & I no longer need the meds.

Finnley is about 3.5 months old now & doing great. He's so good & such a happy baby. We are truly blessed with our little 🌈 baby. Here's a few pics of my little man.

Nov. 13: Happy birthday!!

4 days old:

1 month:

2 months:

3 months:

Today, Feb. 26th: