Back Like I Never Left …

Whew! Can we all agree that we’re over 2020!? Words can’t express how much of an emotional rollercoaster this year has been and we’re only halfway through it. Between the racism, COVID-19 and the upcoming Presidential election, I seriously don’t know which one is worse.

At least we kicked 2020 off on a blessed note! We welcomed our 4^th child (our 3^rd baby girl!) SURPRISE! That clearly explains why I’ve been MIA … We actually decided to keep this pregnancy under wraps. It was such a stressful pregnancy. I simply wanted to enjoy the good news with my household and a hand-few of my “friends”. I stress the word “friends” because I don’t have many! Haha … We announced our pregnancy via our 2019 holiday card. I clearly was due mid-January, it was a HUGE shocker for everyone. I guess that’s a perk of living across the country.

Many wondered why I kept the pregnancy a secret … some people were actually upset BUT when I explained why, it all made sense. It wasn’t the fact that I was trying to hide my pregnancy. It actually felt good (for once) to have something that not everyone knew about. Given my husband’s profession, people can’t seem to mind their own business. Needless to say, I had preeclampsia with my 3^rd pregnancy, two prior emergency c-sections and I was attempting a VBAC (vaginal delivery after caesarean). This pregnancy was clearly deemed a high-risk pregnancy! Therefore, I had to remain as stress-free as possible. I was taking a daily baby aspirin, continuously getting my blood pressure checked and our soon-to-be baby girl received frequent ultrasounds. The last thing I wanted was a bunch of people asking multiple questions and adding unnecessary stress. On top of that, it was so hard to find a doctor that would risk allowing me to have a VBAC after two prior emergency c-sections. Oh, did I mention I had a Bandl’s ring??? **I’ll save that story for another blog post **

Basically, by attempting a VBAC I was running the risk of my uterus rupturing and then both baby & I would be at risk …. So yeah! No one wanted to accept that liability. I finally landed an awesome doctor that was willing to take a gamble. It only took me going through 4 different doctors!!! Best part about this crazy pregnancy was I gave birth (VAGINALLY) to a beautiful baby girl, on my grandmother’s death anniversary. Definitely a happy/emotional day … Rest peacefully Grams, Abigail will continue to place a smile on my face every time January 14^th rolls around.

Until next time …