2 Weeks Old...a week late

 

I realize my baby is 3 weeks old now, but the camera doesn't get pulled out much. Here's our little Avery at two weeks old with a VERY tired me. Yes, you can see the gigantic bags under my eyes as proof that there isn't much sleeping happening at night around here. She's getting better and is generally a really good baby. I made a deal with her while I was pregnant that as long as she was inside me, she could continue to make me miserable, but when she was born, she had to be an angel child. (And let me tell you, she took FULL advantage of reeking havoc until the moment she entered this world! I just have to remember how horrible being pregnant was and a 3am wake up call doesn't hurt so bad.) For the most part, she is a great baby. She's easy to read and generally only fussy when a normal person would be...hungry, dirty, tired. Sometimes I wish I could just cry when I was hungry and food would magically appear, or when I'm tired someone would soothingly rock me to sleep. Pshh! She's got it too good!

Another happy moment, I think my body is finally adjusting to functioning off of a few hours sleep. Maybe not well, but surviving at least. I don't think there's really any way to prepare yourself for parenthood. I knew mentally I would be exhausted and the life support of another individual, but until your crying newborn wakes you up to eat after just an hour cat nap, the idea isn't fully realized.

Anyway, life is good. Oh, and please look past the grammatical errors and run on sentences, my brain has yet to return. Yesterday, I was copying down a recipe and wrote "flower" instead of "flour." Yikes.

Confessions.

So I might have pretended not to hear Avery when she woke up to eat at 2am.

Sorry Brian.

In my defense, she is closer to his side of the bed.

Short Story of a LONG labor.

So....to continue the arrival of our little girl, the contractions never stopped. We made it to the doctor on Tuesday and I was truly hoping he would admit me to the hospital. We threw our bags in the car just in case. I was 2+ centimeters and he said I probably wouldn't make it to my due date. ***side note--I would like to know the precise way they are measuring how dilated you are. There's no ruler, just a guess it seems to me. Hmmm...*** I asked him about the recommendation for an induction because of my baby being on the large side, and he said I was already in the laboring process and that the ultrasound is just an estimate. (HA!) So, he sent me home with a prescription to help me sleep.

I was totally exhausted and a little upset we couldn't get this show on the road. I think a friend must have read my mind and offered to bring dinner by for us. (btw, thank you soo much!! We'd been eating cold cereal for dinner the last couple nights. Not that I don't like cold cereal, but a real meal was truly appreciated.) So off to bed I went after a fabulous dinner and my magic pill. It unfortunately turned out not to be so magical after all as I was up most the night breathing through more contractions. I didn't think much about them at first because they had gotten progressively stronger every night but by 2am I couldn't lay down anymore. I started pacing the hallway trying to get some relief and at around 3:30 I was so sick of it we went to the hospital. This time I was sure they would keep me.

So we called them up and off we went. It's a good thing we did call because by the time we got there, 3 other women were on their way. They went from a quiet evening to a labor and delivery room so full they had a lady waiting in the nursery. The nurses decided it was the barometric change from a hot summer day to a foggy fall one. Whatever it was I was happy to hear I was dilated to a 4 and having a baby!!!

It was a little surreal at first...(okay, it's still surreal almost two weeks later as I type with my left hand holding a sleeping girl in my right.) But I was actually glad to have gone a few days before to the hospital because all the check in info was already done. The nurse then asked me about my birth plan and I must have been a little out of it because this is what I told her...

"HAVE A BABY, BE PAIN FREE."


It makes me laugh now, because truly that's about as far as I had thought things through. I was going to go without drugs as long as possible and then have an epidural, but when I got to the hospital I was so exhausted that they gave me something through my IV to take the edge off so I could get some much needed rest. I finally felt some relief and got some rest between the nurse coming in and out checking things. My doctor came in at about 9am on Wednesday and broke my water and things started to progress a little quicker. The anesthesiologist was hanging around labor and delivery around 11am so I figured I may as well get it over with. I was expecting an epidural to hurt a lot, but really, the IV hurt worse. After that I was pretty relieved and just slept and relaxed. I actually began to feel a little guilty that I was feeling so fabulous while in labor.

The nurses continued to check me and each one had the same comment after telling me how dilated I was. "WOW, she's got a lot of hair!!" they'd say. I was dilated to a 10 about 3pm but they decided since I didn't feel any pressure yet that they'd let my baby continue to work her way down with the contractions that were still coming at a decent pace.

I had had two great nurses so far but a little after 3 I had THE WORST NURSE EVER!!! I am still contemplating writing a complaint letter about it. She had me start pushing about 4pm and I pushed like my life depended on it. After about 5 pushes, she left the room and told me to just keep pushing as I felt contractions. Are you kidding me?? This is not how they show it on A Baby Story! I had no idea what I was doing. She then would check the monitors, type some stats in her computer and then about every 15 minutes, see how I was doing. I began to feel super sharp pains on my left side that she told me was "just pressure honey" like I was some naive teenager having a baby. Trust me, I know the difference lady! Anyway, I finally told her to find the anesthesiologist because my pushing wasn't very effective with the pain that had now spread across my whole abdomen. I couldn't get a deep enough breath to push because the contractions hurt so much. The magic man came and saw that I was still on the lowest drip on the machine and cranked it up one notch...ahh, relief. And yes nurse Beth, I still feel pressure--THAT was not it.

I was so grateful for a staff change at 7pm. I had been pushing with Beth for 3 hours and was making minimal progress trying to figure out how to push as she moved me into different positions with not much advice. I ended up with the nurse that had checked me in at 4am. It was nice to see a friendly face and she was excited to be able to help finish the job she started. I ended up pushing another hour and a half and with each contraction that came I was nervous I wasn't strong enough to deliver my baby and have to have a dreaded c-section after all this work. So after 4 1/2 hours of pushing I finally said I didn't want a c-section, but I was keenly aware of the circumstance. She said I was pushing the baby down with each contraction, but just minuscule amounts. She got the doctor on call and they decided to use a vacuum to help get her out. I was thankful there was an end in sight as my lovely Beth said I would probably only be pushing for an hour. (psshh!)

So in came the doctor and the respiratory therapist and some additional nurses. This was it! I gathered the last ounce of energy I could find for the last few pushes with the vacuum. It took a little longer than anticipated as the vacuum kept losing suction because our baby has so much hair. Finally, at 8:55 our little girl was born! The whole room gasped as the doctor put her on my stomach and they saw how big she was. I remember thinking, "Holy cow! No wonder I couldn't get her out of me!"




They began cleaning both her and I up and it was funny to watch everyone lingering in our room waiting for them to put her on the scale. People were guessing in the 9 lb and 10 lb range and I was still in shock. Literally. I couldn't keep my body from shaking uncontrollably. I realize now how severe the situation was as normally they wouldn't let a woman go that long before performing a c-section and once they realized her size, they REALLY wouldn't have suggested a natural delivery.


Yes, you read the scale right. 10 POUNDS 9.2 OUNCES!!! And check out her hair!!



We laughed about naming her Ally--for "finally she was here" and then Bessie because of her enormous size. She didn't look like any of the names we were thinking about. I envisioned this tiny little frail baby and instead was looking at a severely cone-headed 3 month old! (normal baby cone head + vacuum sucker = keep that beanie on please!) Both of our parents had been waiting at the hospital since I began pushing and they were growing increasingly nervous as each hour passed by. They were as relieved as I was she was here and healthy and excited to meet a new grand-baby.

We stayed 2 nights in the hospital--not my favorite place to hang, but I needed the time to recover--and finally brought little Avery home Friday after trying on a few different names. It was the weirdest thing strapping her into her car seat and driving away from the hospital.




We're all doing well now. Adjusting to our new life that is forever changed. We're happy and healthy and EXHAUSTED, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Labor Day Weekend

I've always loved Labor Day weekends as school has usually started and it's a welcome break after the first couple weeks. It's the true end of summer in my book, and hopefully the end of the heat...yummy family BBQ'S or a picnic at the lake. So how did I celebrate my labor day weekend this year??

IN LABOR!!!!!

yep.

no baby yet, but I've been having consistent and increasingly painful contractions since Saturday evening. Oh the joy this child has brought me already. I can't WAIT to meet her and see what all her fussing is about.

I woke up Saturday just feeling different. Not my usual uncomfortable pregnant self, but I had a laundry list of things I needed to get done. One of which was finally pack a bag for the hospital...glad I did that. By Saturday evening, I was so exhausted I hopped into bed and started feeling the first contractions every now and then. At first it was exciting to think this baby could be here in the next few days, and I started writing them down as they became closer together. By midnight, they were 5 minutes apart like clockwork. Not terribly painful, but enough I couldn't sleep through them. I became a master at the 3 minute cat nap. At 3 in the morning I was so tired we decided to call the doctor and get some advice. She said people usually come in about that time, or that I could wait it out at home. I like my bed a little more than a hospital room, so we hung around the house.

I did have another "first" moment. My first 3am shower. Not quite the invigorating type, but I didn't want to be in more severe pain and rush to the hospital without one. I hopped back in bed and this time the contractions picked up intensity. No sleep for me!! This went on ALLLLL night, and ALLLLL day Sunday. They'd pick up the pain level about every 4 hours and by 2 Sunday afternoon I finally decided we should just go and see how far along I am to put it to rest. And then maybe I could get some rest!!

We got all checked into the hospital, they gave me a lovely outfit and hooked me all up to the monitors...checked my progress and held me for observation for 3 hours to see if I had any changes. Those were a very long 3 hours. Uncomfortable hospital bed + tight monitors across your stomach, it was 5-star luxury. Ugh, I'm so glad I waited THIS long to come. Brian snapped another picture, you know, for the "posterity only" album, but here you go:



He took it on his cell phone, that's why it's so blurry. But I'm glad it is, because you can't really see how utterly exhausted I was...and am.

Long story short, they sent me home. I happily accepted. I was dilated to a 2 and had no changes while I was there. In fact, my contractions slowed down near the end. I think I was so anxious before I got there that I was finally able to relax a little when I knew baby was good, and everything looked normal. I do have one stubborn baby inside of me. I would have a contraction, push baby down a bit and then afterward, she'd wriggle around and out of whatever position she had just been put in.

The saga continues. (you knew it would) They gave me the BEST drug to help me sleep to make sure if I came back the next day I would have energy enough to push the baby out. I slept like a log for a good 6 hours and then started getting SUPER painful contractions. Ugh. I was NOT going back to the hospital, they just sent me home. This time they were 7 minutes apart but much longer and sharper than before. I figured I'd go back to the hospital when they hit like 4 minutes apart. So, I got longer bits of cat naps this time around, but the rest of the night into early afternoon today constant every 7 minutes. They eased up this afternoon and now they're about 10 minutes apart and not so bad. OR, I've just become used to them. Luckily I have an appt. tomorrow and I'm hoping the doc will say, you need to head to the hospital now!! Wouldn't that be nice?

So, here we are...almost 48 hours of contractions. A record of my labor on Labor Day. No longer will family BBQ's be what I reminisce about on Labor Day Weekend.

For Posterity Only

It's really no coincidence that I don't have any pictures of me plastered on my blog in the last, well, 9 months. First I was green and by the time I felt good, I already had a belly (which at the time was huge and not cute but I now realize it was cute then), and NOW I'm swollen all over (mostly fat I'm sure), with acne, and the list goes on. This pregnancy thing can be a real joy. So you see, there hasn't really been a prime photo shoot opportunity. I'm glad I'm coming to the end and looking back realize that the hardest things I've done in my life are the most worth it. So, this little girl's going to be the best thing E-V-E-R!!

Anyway, with her in mind, I had Brian snap a shot. I decided I would have loved to see my mom 9 months pregnant with me. But, please oh please don't blow it up. It's large enough! Actually it's our little girl that's large! At my appt. last week, the doctor said I had been measuring larger than I should have my last couple visits and wanted me to have an ultrasound done to measure baby versus fluid and stuff. So, we took a picture hoping I could get an 'outside' shot of baby and an 'inside' shot as well. The technician wasn't really up for a photo op and just did her measuring. She said our baby looked about 8 1/2 lbs at birth (or so I THOUGHT.)

Come to find out at my appointment this week, our chubba-lubba was 8lbs 7oz as of the day of the ultrasound!! They say these estimates can go a pound either way, which means, normal size, or a 9 1/2 pound monster! They told me they don't usually recommend inducing a first time mom, but they also are not a fan of delivering a 12 pound baby. For the record, I'm not either and I'd like to at least use SOME of the newborn clothes I have. It all became very real to me as they said they'll schedule an induction date at my next appt. for later next week. NEXT WEEK!!?! As in, 7 days from now I could be a mother. whoa. Granted, I could go into labor tomorrow, so I guess I should stop panicking.

Anyway, here I am in all my glory--this is my, "Brian, hurry up and take the picture so I can get this over with" face.

Crafty

So, truthfully it was my mom who I conned into being crafty, but I was a very good supervisor. heh. I bought a cradle on craigslist for super cheap and have been looking everywhere for a cute bumper for it. You'd think with all the baby stuff around, I could find one I liked. Well I finally did, and of course, like my to-die-for wallpaper, it was $80. For a piece of foam and some fabric!?! Not to mention our little lady will only be in it four months max. So I started searching the blog world for a tutorial to make one. A little, well, A LOT of help from the mamacita and ta-da a totally cute cradle ready for my baby. (which is good because her room is still a little bit in shambles.)


I was then inspired to be a little crafty on my own and while looking through tutorials found one to make nursing covers. I had looked at these covers online and they're kind of expensive, not to mention they didn't really have fabric options I liked, so I decided to make some! And this time I can take full credit!




This last craft project I started as soon as I found out I was having a little girl and was a little intimidated by the world of accessories. Honestly I was hoping for a boy I could put in a t-shirt, jeans and chucks and call it a day. Don't worry, I have pink chucks for my lady. But the hair bows and the shoes and the dresses, it took me a while to warm up to the idea of it all. I'm excited now, but here are the first of the hair things I made. Amateur, yes, but I'm getting better.

I Spy...

I spy with my little eye, I spy something the size of a tums but definitely IS NOT A TUMS!!!

A couple nights ago after a trip to the loo I walked my zombie self back to my bed, grabbed a tums to calm the heartburn, and BIT DOWN ON A PENNY!! Shocking and scary and disgusting all at the same time. Plus, it hurt my teeth. It might have had the same alkaline effect as an antacid, but I wasn't going to take the chance.
(don't worry, the penny no longer resides near the tums, I just had to re-enact it in the picture for you.)

Olive Edwards

I had an "Olive Edwards Moment."

Okay, for the few of you who remember sweet Olive Edwards, you'll laugh at this like I did. For those of you who never had the pleasure of meeting this sweet lady, I'll try and explain.

Let's travel back 10 years or so when Olive was the organist for our church ward. She was elderly and seemed to get more frail each week. But, she diligently came to play the Hymns for us, slow and steady, no matter what the tempo should have been. After playing the first couple of Hymns, she would scoot off the bench for a more comfortable seat to listen to the speakers when, "HONK!!" she would accidentally tap her foot to a pedal and startle us. It soon became endearing as it started happening more frequently. I'm sure by others she was more well known for her kind heart, but I appreciate the comic relief she provided.

So there you go.

How do I fit into this?? Well, I've been the Primary pianist for the past little while and because we have so many kids in our ward, we have primary in the chapel. As soon as the postlude of the organ stops, I begin playing the piano to let people know, "PRIMARY IS STARTING...get a move on!" (don't worry, the music I play sends a much more subtle message than that.) So, I hop up to the piano quickly to get all situated, and this last week, as I sat down on the bench, "HONK!!" My belly played about 10 keys!! First I winced at the thought that my belly had grown that much in a week and then laughed as I thought about how I've joined the Olive Edwards club. It's makes me a little proud to be in such good company.