Recapping 3 months.....

I must apologize for being the world's worst blogger. New Year's Resolution: Blog more often!

Where do I start?? Let's go back to my last post. I was on bed rest and about to go crazy. On August 31 I did 9 loads of laundry (I was cleaning things that didn't need to be cleaned). In a day span, I'd vacuumed the main room 7 times. I scrubbed every nook and cranny I could. Yes, I was still on bed rest. But, my blood pressure had really gotten much better that I couldn't stand it anymore. Plus, I was hoping to "work" Ady out! On September 1 I baked, cleaned everything I could see (again). I reorganized my freezer, pantry, you name it. I was the epitome of a nester! I had been having contractions off and on for about a week and a half. That night I went to bed in lots of pain, but woke up in none. However, I woke up that morning and I KNEW it was the day. I didn't say anything to anybody, but I just knew it in my heart. I got up and at 8:00 I was watching my favorite show, "Golden Girls" :). I felt a little bit of fluid leak, but didn't know what it was. It wasn't much, but again I had that "feeling", so I got myself up, showered and dressed. As I was drying my hair I was praying and telling God that sometimes I need to be hit upside the head to get the message and I was hoping my water would break. I'd had so many contractions, but they were irregular and I was so afraid I wouldn't know when to go. I stood up from my stool and started to walk into the bedroom to put on my clothes. My water broke EVERYWHERE! It didn't stop, it just kept coming. It happened at 9:23. I called Joseph and he was here in less than 7 minutes. I called my mom and told her to call Tatay! Tatay and Biggie were on the way to Atlanta to a LSU game and Tatay had already mapped where to turn around if I'd called. The last chance for her to turn was in Chattanooga. And guess where they were when mom called? Chattanooga. The Lord's hand was ALL over it! He knew how important it was for Tatay to be there!

My doctor wanted to see me first (we'd had so many false alarms I felt like the boy who cried wolf). But, this time I KNEW it was water, and lots of it coming out! I was 2 cm when I left her office and competely effaced. In the time it took me to walk to the hospital next door (I was stubborn and refused a wheelchair-ha!) I was at 3 cm. They hooked me up about noon, my parents got in from Louisville about then. Then, the problems started. My blood pressure shot through the roof and nothing seemed to bring it down. They'd given me medicine and it did nothing. My greatest fear was having a C-Section (even though I know lots of women do it!). I just didn't want her to enter this world in distress. When nothing else seemed to work, they started my epidural. I was never in any pain. The epidural made my blood pressure go WAY down, too much actually. I turned white as a ghost and was very sick. Luckily, I got to eat a popsicle :) I eventually got much better. Everytime they checked me I was still at 3 cm. We thought it was going to be a long night. By about 7:00 everyone was there, and I, being the people pleaser I am was so upset that they'd driven in because we were confident it'd be 8 or 9 the next morning before she'd come. At 9:00, while watching Big Brother :) (ha! My labor coach, Betsy loved it too and we bonded over it!) I was still at a 3. Betsy told me later that after she checked me then, she told the other nurses if Ady didn't shape up, I'd be having an emergency c section to get her out. At 10:00, I felt like I needed to push. But, I had no constistent contractions. They never went all the way to the top and there was no pattern. I was afraid to tell her I felt like I needed to push because I thought I must be crazy. But, then I felt it again. I told her at 10:10. She checked me and said, "Good girl!!" I asked what that meant and she said, "This baby's ready to be born!" "What am I?" I asked. "You're a 10 and she's coming now! Somebody call the doctor.". Then, after about 3 minutes, she said, "I'm going to have to catch this baby if the doctor doesn't get here!" My family had gone to eat and my mom was frantically calling them. Rachel made it just in time. Tatay sat in a chair and watched her namesake enter this world. My mom was helping me push and poor Joseph's hand almost broke from me squeezing so hard. Again, I was never in any pain, but had to push so hard he was what I'd squeeze. My blood pressure must've gone real low because after the first push I had to put an oxygen mask on. That was the hardest part of labor. Pushing for 10 seconds, inhaling very fast, then pushing again. It was very hard to breathe. Rachel was on the other side of my rubbing my head and helping me push. Ady doesn't know this now, but she brought a lot of healing and restoration to our family in more ways than one. Tatay still says the image of Rachel helping me push and rubbing my head will never leave her mind. I pushed 3 times and at 10:27 Adyline Margaret Bischoff entered this world. My first thought was, "Oh my gosh! She's so tiny!!" And through tears I couldn't believe that my dreams were actually coming true. It was very surreal. As I sat there holding her and watching her, it was then that my faith met my eyes. I realized at that exact moment just how faithful the Lord was. I knew I'd meet her one day, but when my EYES saw hers, well, there are really just no words.

She was cleaned off, weighed and measured, given a shot (and didn't cry)! She weighed 6 lb 4 oz and was 18 1/2 inches long. She was the most bright eyed baby ever. For about 30 minutes everyone passed her around and she just looked at them, didn't make a peep. She smiled at Uncle Austin :) I could just go on and on about her birth. It was miraculous, really. When her cord was cut there was a knot in it. The doctor said it'd been there for a long time because she'd of had to done it when she was small enough to flip aroud and turn it into a knot. And yet, she was perfect. She was 3 weeks early, the product of a mother with PCOS with a 50% miscarriage rate, a knotted umbilical cord, and every doctor that saw her said, "She's perfect". How? Because the hands of Jesus had been on her the entire time.

Our first few days at home were interesting just trying to adjust to life! I had every intention of returning back to work, but I"m telling you, the second they laid her in my arms I just couldn't do it. We are trusting in God to provide for us financially and believe that He will. I am so thankful I made the decision to stay home. While many others judged this decision and gossipped about it, I know that God placed this desire on my heart and He will prevail. In the words of my brother's girlfriend after making this tough decision, "Someone very small will thank you for this one day." I've stuck to that when other people get the best of me. Ady is ALL that matters. Nobody else's opinion, no money, no status, nothing. Just her. And,really it's just money. It will all wither away some day, but the time that I've spent with her will be worth everything else we had to "give up".

I could talk all day about her GER problem, but after 8 LONG weeks and basically no sleep we've discovered the best way to treat her. She takes Prevacid every morning and is on a formula with all the cow's milk proteins removed. She's much better. She still can't be placed flat for several hours after a feeding. We made the decision to not put her on a schedule, but to let her tell us when she wants to eat. After a lot of research and discussion with our doctor we felt it's what was best. She also does not cry herself to sleep. She is too young and with her problem, it only creates more problems. But, she usally goes to sleep in her "baby hammock" as Joseph calls it just fine. She's rocked to sleep and then will sleep in that all night. It balls her up like she likes, so we just didn't see the need in forcing her to sleep in her crib if this was more comfortable. She sleeps on her side and it's just so precious! She falls asleep between 5:30-6:3o and wakes for a bottle around 10 or 11, then at 3 or 4 am, then at 7 or 8 when she's up for the day. The past 2 days she's had her bottle at midnight, then 5 or 6. Not sure if we'll stick to that pattern or not. She's starting to talk a lot, loves to kick, and grab things. She is also teething!!!! Crazy, I know. She's drooling and chewing on things and putting her fist in her mouth :) We just love her and are so thankful that this year we have the precious baby we always dreamed of having! I prayed and asked God to bless us with one baby and He has granted what we've asked. Our desire is to have more children, but with my condition we are unsure of whether or not we'll be able to have another one on our own. It's a tough decision because there's a lot of factors that go into play. But, regardless of the decision we plan to have more-whether they are biological or they're adopted. James 1:27 has been on my heart for a long time: "Look after orphans and widows in distress." I know that God has placed on my heart to adopt at some point. As for now, we are thankful that although the world said "no", God said "yes", and His will was done in Ady. It is a joy to share His work through her.


If you're reading this, know that we give all the praise and glory to God for what He has done. He is the miracle worker. Trust in Him, in EVERY season, and I promise His glory will always prevail!

Psalm 89:1
I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.