The Latest & Angie's Birthday

Update:

I'm doing much better! In fact, we didn't even go to the hospital yesterday ha ha. We were pretty excited about that last night as the day came to an end and we hadn't stepped foot into EIRMC's labor and delivery. And I have to say, I'm embarassed at the pictures on the last post ha ha. What was I thinking!

..

Sunday night I slept for 4 1/2 hours straight. It was wonderful! Afterward I started having a contraction an hour {that I could feel} from then on. I think I was just exhausted from being up all night both Friday and Saturday night. I started taking the medication Terbutaline when we were at the hospital. It helps with relaxing the muscles that hurt so much during contractions. I am still having contractions but they aren't as painful, thanks to this med of mine. I also started a new antibiotic for the UTI that has seemed to really help. The contractions aren't as painful and they're not regular, most of the time. My mom's side of the family had a family fast for us. It was the coolest thing! We could definitely feel the blessings of that fast. It was great.

..

We ended up going back to the hospital on Monday morning. I had a scare soon after I got up that sent us frantically packing a bag in case the baby came. When we got there the nurses checked me and found that I hadn't progressed anymore. They were, however, glad I came in. I've had such a crazy last few days that I'm pretty much at risk for anything at this point. Monday I spent at home all day in my pajamas. Mom came over and helped me wash and put away all the baby's clothes. It was so helpful! I couldn't believe how much work that was. She stayed over for a while and helped me clean the fridge and do other things around the house. Amber came over to visit as well. My aunt Lee and her kids Coya and Jason also came over. They brought me some chocolate - so nice! Tyson's mom came over later and brought us Wendy's for dinner. It was so nice of her to do that! We just love our families.

..

After a good night Sunday I had a long night on Monday. I was getting up constantly from the pain of contractions. I was advised not to take the Trebutaline unless the contractions were 10 minutes apart or less, or if they were as painful as the ones on Saturday night. I'm trying to be careful not to take too many.

..

Tuesday I spent most of the day lying down reading books, writing in my journal, watching TV, and napping. It was hard not to get other things done! I did fold laundry a little later thought. But I knew the importance of not being too active after going into preterm labor. We don't want this baby coming sooner than he needs to!

..

I slept great last night. I woke up at at 1:45 and was surprised that I didn't wake up again till the usual time of 7:30. I even checked the bed to make sure I didn't wet it ha ha. I only woke up once to go! Not normal for me at all. It's normally three times a night that I have to get up. But I felt good and didn't feel many contractions at all. I was told at the hospital that a full bladder will also cause contractions when a UTI is present. So I've been very careful about that. I went with Mom to Abbott's in Rigby today. It felt great to get into some regular clothes and leave the house! The fresh air felt great. Afterward we came back to my house and watched "The Time Traveler's Wife."

..

Since then I've been taking it easy and trying to lay low. The contractions have been around today as well, but completely manageable compared to the ones on Saturday during the day and night. Apparently I get to deal with contractions and other fun things for the rest of this pregnancy. But now that I know how to handle them and what the real and big ones feel like I can rest at ease a little!

..

I talked to a couple of members of the primary presidency on Sunday. We've decided that I should be done teaching Sunbeams at least until the baby comes. I know it will be the best thing for me, but I'm totally sad about it. I love our calling! I just need to take it easy for a while though.

..

I'm officially in the first phase of labor. At the hospital they assured us that now I have gone through what I have, delivering the baby shouldn't be long at all. My body has gotten prepared earlier than normal. I can't say I would want this to ever happen this way again, but I am grateful that I'm already getting prepared. Thanks again for all your super sweet comments and phone calls! I just love you all!

***

Angie's 31st Birthday

Tyson's sister Angie turned 31 on March 23. We had a birthday party for her on Friday night. I love getting together with family!

{I was horrible at taking pictures! The contractions had started Friday and I didn't feel that great. I wasn't on my game at all!}

Cooper, Julie & Easton putting candles on the cake.

Erika made a super cute cake in the shape of a purse. She's so talented!

Lighting the candles
Can you see all the snow outside? I couldn't believe the weather we had!

Angie and her kids blowing out the candles

The ice cream man!

Tyson's dad getting all the ice cream out - yum! We always have so many options of ice cream at Miller parties. I love it!

The One Where I Went into Labor

Seriously, I don't know what's been going on with me and this pregnancy! What a rollercoaster. After getting home from the hospital Thursday night I didn't sleep at all. Maybe an hour. I was having pains every 10 minutes max and was completely miserable. I had been told that the UTI could cause contractions, and they also seemed to feel like gas pains. It was frustrating.

.

I had a baby shower with my side of the family and some close friends yesterday

{pictures to come later}

and I was having contractions the entire time. Dang UTI! It was so frustrating. I had a hard time enjoying it because I was in so much pain. It was still a lot of fun though and I appreciated everyone coming.

After the shower I came home and Tyson brought all the super cute gifts inside. I decided to try and take a nap or I was going to lose it. For the hour nap that I had, I woke up five times in pain. It was frustrating. But I did get some sleep, thankfully.

.

At 7:30 we went to Aaron and Britney's to watch 2012 with them and Mom and Dad. I was having regular contractions while there as well. Except they were a lot more painful than what I'd felt during the day. Everyone was expressing their concern and how I should call the doctor. So on the way home from their house Tyson called Scott. He told Scott my symptoms and Scott recommened a Gas-X and sent in a prescription for pain reliever. He said if I didn't feel better by the morning I needed to go back into the hospital. Great.

.

So we picked up the prescription and I took one pill. I also took a Gas-X. And the pain just didn't go away. I was having them 3 1/2 minutes apart until about 1:45 am when Tyson made me go to the hospital.

When we go there we saw the nurse that helped me the night before. This time I was in a lot more frequent pain. I got changed into the gown and the new nurse asked me questions. This whole time I was in a lot of pain and in my mind begging for some relief. It was awful.

.

When she got around to checking me we discovered that I was 2 cm dialated. Say what?! At this point I'm freaking out and start to cry. Not only was I in pain from her checking me {a contraction started at the same time, it was awful}, but I had all these thoughts running through my head about how we're not ready. I didn't have the carrier, his room isn't finished...There are just too many things left to do!

.

I ended up getting a couple of shots to relax everything, then throughout the course of our visit I was able to take some medication to ease the contractions. It worked, but I still had a contraction every half hour or so. Neither of us slept much at all last night. We've been pretty exhausted today. Mom and Amber came to visit. It was nice to have visitors! We sure do love them!

.

I was checked one more time before we left the hospital. I am now 2-3 cm and 75% effaced. Talk about being freaked out. I need him to stay in longer! But I know that whenever he decides to come is when he's supposed to. We're waiting with welcome arms!

.

By 3:15 this afternoon we were able to head home. We stopped at Walgreens to pick up a new prescription for the UTI {this one is better than the one I had, apparently} and also for the medication that was helping the contractions. We were exhausted when we got home.

.

Mom brought dinner over tonight. It was delicious. She is also coming over tomorrow to help me wash the baby clothes and bedding so I can at least get that out of the way. Tyson said the bishop and his kids stopped by tonight. That was so nice of them! We've also had a lot of other phone calls from many family and friends. We really appreciate all your love and support during this crazy time!

.

Since arriving home at 4:00 I have had five contractions ranging from 9-30 minutes apart. Hopefully we can keep them under control! We'll keep you posted!

PS I refuse to go back to the hospital tonight!

Me having lunch at the hospital today

Tyson & I
He has been so supportive and wonderful!


Mom & Amber came to visit

We were all sad for my contractions!

Back in the Hospital

I think Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center should have a punch card or something. Maybe a "Buy 1 ER Visit, 1 Surgery, and Get a Baby Free" type thing. Either way, I was back in the hospital last night! Here's what happened:

***

The night before last I kept waking up with pains that I assumed were gas pains. Needless to say I hardly slept. The next day I was feeling ok, just tired. The pains came back though, which were more irritable than anything. I got ready for the day then went to Walmart with my mom. By this time I had already started to have some Braxton Hicks contractions and some cramping. I had a lot of groceries to get so Mom wanted to come and help. The entire time I felt Braxton Hicks contractions and knew they were common. So I went on with my day.

.

By the time I got home from Walmart it was about 3:30. I got all the groceries put away then started on a few projects around the house. The Braxton Hicks continued to worsen and cramping began. I thought about calling the doctor but decided it wasn't a big deal.

.

Then I looked on babycenter.com under Braxton Hicks to see what was said about them. Apparently if I'm anywhere before 37 weeks pregnant and I'm having more than four Braxton Hicks contractions an hour combined with menstrual-like cramping, I'm supposed to call my doctor. Great. I'm only at 34. And all of that was pretty much going on all day. By the time I realized to call, the office was closed. But I wanted a second opinion so I called a friend who recently had a baby and who is also a nurse. She told me I need to call the doctor and figure out where to go get checked. So naturally I started to panic a little.

.

I called Scott the PA, who was on-call, and told him what was going on. He told me that I need to sit down, drink a ton of water, and start timing the cramping. If they were between 4-7 minutes and regular I needed to call him and go to the hospital. Otherwise he said they would just go away in a couple of hours.

.

So that's what I did. Tyson was still working at this time and wouldn't be home till about 8:30, so I was on my own! I watched Syracuse lose out of the college basketball tourney {dang it, there goes my bracket}, some Oprah re-runs, and timed the cramping the entire time. By the time Tyson got home {I had called him earlier and let him know what was going on} the times were about 6 1/2 minutes apart, then 12, then 6 1/2, then 8..and they weren't stopping. Great.

.

After calling my sister-in-law Erika and getting her opinion I decided we should go to the hospital. I was able to talk to Scott right before we left to give him the details. I told him the numbers with the cramping and how far apart they were and he was concerned. He agreed that we should go to the hospital and that I needed to be checked to make sure I'm not dilating. If I was we needed to get Dr. Leavitt in there. Talk about a good time to freak out!

.

Yesterday at my appointment I had a higher level of white blood cells suggesting that I might have a UTI. I had no symptoms, but still thought I should get a prescription for it. I picked it up this afternoon.

.

At the hospital they got me all hooked up to the machines and asked me a bunch of questions. The baby's heart rate was right where it needed to be so that was good. I was also hooked up to the machine that monitors contractions. The nurse told me I was probably just feeling "irritability" and not contractions. She showed me on the machine what irritability looked like, which was what was happening at that moment. During the questions I felt another cramp coming on and looked at Tyson with a face full of pain. Then the nurse stopped her questions and pointed to the screen saying that I was definitely having a contraction. She asked me my pain level and then told me I needed to be checked to see if I was dilated. Thank goodness I wasn't! But the contractions kept coming.

.

They had taken another sample and the results eventually came back. I did have a high level of white blood cells that indicated a UTI. Apparently a UTI this late in pregnancy can cause contractions. By taking the medication I picked up earlier the contractions should go away within the next couple of days. Until then, I get to deal with them regularly! Joy.

.

A UTI is making me contract. And I'm still contracting regulary - about 6 to 9 minutes apart. I was given an ambien for sleep last night. It helped, but I still woke up when the contractions got bad. Hopefully those meds kick in soon!

I'm so glad we went into the hospital last night. Even if it was just to confirm a UTI. We needed to feel that peace of mind. And we found the reason for the contractions. A dumb UTI and not preterm labor, yay! I think if I hadn't gone when I did we would have gone in the middle of the night because the pain was much worse. Now I know what to expect when I start going into labor! And it has given us practice timing contractions. In the mean time I'll be keeping myself busy to distract myself from all of these contractions!

I've Lost All Control

I went with Mom to Walmart today. Tyson told me I should pick up something with chocolate. I don't know if I should be allowed to do the shopping anymore! At least while I'm pregnant. I got home and ended up with this:

• Peeps
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures
• Hershey's Eggs
• chocolate Twizzlers
• Mint Oreo Fudge Cremes
  

I may have gone a little overboard! But it's totally worth it. :)

33 1/2-Week Update

I went to the doctor this morning for another check-up. Dr. Leavitt had gotten called out to do an emergency C-section {that I hope went very well for whoever you are who needed it!}, so they were running behind at the office. I waited about 45 minutes before getting in to see Scott the PA. His wife just had a baby a week ago and I'm so excited for them! Congratulations, Scott and Katie!

He checked Baby Miller's heart rate which was at a great 157. That's always comforting! Then he measured my stomach, which is still measuring ahead. It measures at 35 weeks. He asked if I've had any contractions since I saw them last and I told him I may have had one. I described what I felt and he confirmed that I indeed had a contraction. Glad to know what those suckers feel like now! Lovely. Then he checked to make sure the baby has turned upside, which it seems he has. Especially since I can feel his foot in my ribs all the time. It felt so weird when he was feeling my stomach for the head! Crazy feeling.

Everything seems to be going really well. Phew! That's always a great feeling. I still can't believe I'm this far! My next appointment is in two weeks, then I go every week after that. We're getting there!

After the appointment I went to Roberts Crafts, which if you live in Idaho Falls, or the area you've heard that it is closing. So sad! They're having a sale this week where everything is an extra 30% off so I went in to see what they had as far as spring decor goes. I don't have anything! Except for a cute bunny candy bowl for Easter. But that's it. So I ended up with a couple of cute decorations for an awesome price!

I found this super cute flower pot with iron flowers in it. Very springy!

And I also found this little frog that I couldn't leave in the store! He was too funny and cute.

I'm glad I could find a couple of decorations that will work for spring into summer and not just Easter! Score!

The One Where Tyler & Melanie Got Married

My cousin Tyler and his fiancee Melanie were married

March 19th

in

Farmington, UT.

They were married at the home of one of my uncle and aunt's neighbors. It was gorgeous!

I got to know Melanie a lot better when I was living in Farmington with my uncle and aunt.

And I'm just so happy she's part of the family!

Waiting for Melanie to come down the stairs

Here comes the bride!
She looked so pretty.


Giving congratulations

Dad & Mom watching all the fun

We had an awesome turnout from our side of the family!

Everyone visible in this picture is part of our family (except for Melanie's dad in the back.)

Britney & Aaron

Tyler's sister Ashleigh and her husband Nathan with Tyler and Melanie

The luncheon was at the Wight House in Bountiful.

This was probably the fourth picture Tyson and I took so he gave up on the smiling ha ha.

I love these mints! The food was delicious too.

The head table - the bride and groom with their parents

Tyler's dad and Melanie's dad sang a duet of "Sunrise, Sunset" from Fiddler on the Roof. It sounded really nice.

Pictures time! Every groom's favorite part of the wedding day ha ha.

Tyler and Melanie with Tyler's parents, Bob and Penney

The wedding line was upstairs and the refreshments were served in the basement. Their colors were so much fun!

I loved their center pieces. So cute and springy!

Refreshment table

Mints, cheesecake, and cream puffs - delish!

And our boys - Che', Tyson & Aaron

They're such good sports! They don't have any pictures together so we made them pose.

And can't forget about the girls!

Amber, me & Britney

That belly is hard to miss!

***

What a great weekend! Congratulations, Tyler & Melanie!

What Was I Thinking?

I saw this wonderful contraption at Burlington in Utah this weekend. It's called the Snoogle Total Body Pillow. When I saw the picture of this super happy lady curled up to that wonderfully brilliant invention on the box I started thinking about all the sleepless nights I've been having lately. I thought about the five pillows that are rearranged six times a night every night under my head, stomach, behind my back, and between my legs. I decided this Snoogle would be the answer to prayers. And I didn't buy it! I don't know what I was thinking. It could have been the somewhat scary price tag that turned me away. It also could have been the lack of room in the car to get it home. Or simply a moment of stupidity. I think it was stupidity. And now, tonight at 3:15 am as I'm readjusting all my pillows, I'll be thinking about the Snoogle and what I'm going to be missing. What the heck was I thinking! And anybody know where I can get one of these in Idaho Falls before this little guy is born?

My First Baby Shower

On March 10th Amber and Amy rallied together some of my favorite Carino's gals for my very first

baby shower!

It was so much fun. Amber and Amy did a great job!

We all went to Carino's (naturally), had dinner, opened presents, and ate cake. We all had a great time!

Thank you so much to all my friends who came! I just love and appreciate all of you!

Super cute balloons!

Amber and I
I love my twin!

Sisters!
(We missed Britney, she was getting moved into her new house!)


Kayla, Whittney & Allyx

Dallas, Oly, Lauren & Kaylee

Erica & I

Erica likes to give the baby a little rub ha ha. But I love it! It feels so good! Every time I see her she rubs my belly ha ha.

I got so many cute things from everyone! My little boy is already spoiled.

Kayla & Hailey's little boy, Kyler

Whittney & Kaylee made this super cute blanket for our little guy.

They also made matching burpies. So cute!

Can't forget about our server friends, Kris & Jessie! Thanks for the food, guys! My steak was delicious.
Maricella was our server. She did a great job!

Dallas & Oly got me this super cute chest with a whole bunch of fun things in it. They didn't finish it so I can decorate it how I want. So cute!

The cake!

It said "Congratulations Alli" on it.

The whole bunch! I love these girls!

Our little boy got so many fun things! We are just so grateful for so many supportive friends and family members. Baby showers are so great!