3 Weeks Postpartum

Carly is going to be 3 weeks old tomorrow. I cannot believe it. I also cannot believe mothers have babies with no help after. I would also not want my mom leaving me just after only 2 weeks of help. I still struggle walking around for longer than 5 minutes or less at a time. I am very grateful for the generous time my mom is spending to be here during my postpartum period. She will hopefully be leaving around when Carly is 3 and a half weeks old. Partly because we are doing her name and blessing at church labor day weekend. I just hope by then I will be almost 100% and have figured out how to live my life with Grant, mainly getting up when he needs to eat breakfast at 8am and not neglect him until 10am when I'm still sleeping in from getting lack of sleep at night, however she is doing great doing at least 1 five to six hour stretch at night and one during the day of sleep, and then the other stretches are 3-4 hours. Granted her long stretches are sometimes during her first stretch of sleep which starts at around 8:30pm, when we are not sleeping but still I'm proud of her for basically figuring out night and day so soon in her life.  I'm excited for her to grow but I'm also really trying to appreciate her as a newborn and cherish this time because I didn't do that with Grant either. I just wanted him to grow up. Now that he is talking and completely mobile I'm not in any hurry for either of them to grow up and be mature...I'm so happy about life right now and am gearing up to be ready when my mom leaves and I can tackle this new life by my self and be strong for Perry so that he doesn't get weary on top of how tiring his master's degree is and having a job too.  I feel blessed.

Silly Face.

A smile!

Carly Rae's Birth Story

So early labor or pre labor started on August 7th in the morning. I had period like cramps that were light that would come in 15 to 20 min intervals. Then at 2am on August 8th I was woken up, I thought I was woken to pee, so I peed. Then I laid down and tried to fall asleep. After an hour of that I thought maybe I was hungry. So I asked Perry if he would venture upstairs to get me a banana. Then I told him I was having contractions and I couldn't sleep. I ate the banana and tried to fall asleep again. Nope. So I went upstairs to lay on the couch and not to disturb Perry but rest and time the contractions for an hour. They were consistently about 10 minutes a part and lasting over a minute. So I called my mom at around 4:45am. We had never decided what exactly was good enough labor symptoms for her to start traveling up here before her flight date. Well she figured that since I couldn't sleep through the contractions that was good enough reason. By 5:45 they were on their way. I decided to journal this little beginning event. I made a mini to do list of what I wanted to do that day if I really was in labor, and then I tried to rest until 7am. That would give me one hour to relax before starting my day. Luckily my contractions slowed so I may have fallen asleep a little but at 7am I had a harder contraction that woke me. So I got up and showered,   read my scriptures, and started my day. Funny thing though, My contractions stopped or really really slowed in frequency and intensity for about 3 hours. I thought, "Great, my parents are on their way and I may have just had them come for a false labor." But then after 10 ish they were all over the place from 3 minutes apart to 20 minutes apart depending on what I was doing. I cooked a couple freezer meals, cleaned, put things away in storage, and really made sure I was ready for a baby and to go to the hospital. By 4:30pm the contractions were getting bad enough to have to really focus and breath through them. I asked Perry to come home from work so he could take care of Grant until my parents arrived. They got here by 6pm. We decided to go to the hospital once they got here just to check me and see if they would keep me. I thought we would be sent home which would have really meant we would have walked around the hospital for an hour and then went back again to be checked again. They hooked me up to the monitors to monitor my contractions and the baby's heart rate. I was dilated to a 3 and 90% effaced. I thought that wasn't much progress of all day but things progressed in just one hour. It seemed like as soon as I got to the hospital I had graduated to the real labor phase of labor because my contractions magically became between 1 min and 5 min a part and were really really really painful! They were so bad I was a little ticked when the nurse came to check me 5 minutes past the hour that she was supposed to check me (8pm). I was 4 and half cm dilated! Yay! So they could keep me sense I was progressing. And I was allowed to get the epidural.

Side note: I read a book and hadn't completely decided if I was going to have the baby naturally. But my real goal that I had no control over was to go into labor on my own, and not be given pitocin to speed it, and then get the epidural if I decided I couldn't handle the pain any longer. 

The nurse was real logical when she said, honestly, you have probably endured enough all day long that you deserve the epidural. My mother in law also helped me feel good about my decision in saying not to be a martyr.  So I wanted the epidural as soon as they could get it to me. My goal of going into labor and experiencing it well was accomplished. I would be missing out on some of the high mothers get with out one but oh well.

So we went to my Labor, delivery, and postpartum room. It was huge. They hooked up my IV and pumped me with saline since I was knowingly severely dehydrated. Then by 9pm the anesthesiologist arrived and hooked me up in a matter of minutes. After 20 minutes the contraction pains were completely gone.  It was interesting to slowly feel them get less and less painful. Before I got the epidural they checked me again and I was at a 5  and a half. At this rate the baby would be here by 11 for sure without interventions! Its wonderful to know my body is capable of having a baby without being induced. 

Shortly after getting the epidural I realized that it wasn't going to be fully effective. I had what is called a hot spot. I knew this and the nurse knew it because I felt everything and even pain when they put in my catheter. Every time I had a contraction I would feel moderate pain down in that area.  I was a little scared. Then they broke my water.

But since I was comfortable for most of the time I decided I needed some Jello. I had been eating a very light diet all day in case I was in labor. I didn't want to puke. Oh by the way, before I got the epidural my contractions made me feel extremely nauseated. I was feeling miserable.  Anyway, after the jello I skyped my parents. After hanging up with them at around 10:25pm I felt like Carly's head dropped like 2 inches and then I felt horrible excruciating pain where my hot spot was. I called the nurse and told her I was in constant pain and even more when I had a contraction. She came to check me and Carly was indeed descending and I was "complete" (10cm dilated). So she asked if I wanted to push and said yes as long as that was the way to make the pain go away. They also brought in the anesthesiologist for a last ditch effort to make the pain go away. It didn't work. I was pushing a practice push and Carly was already crowning. Then the midwife said Carly would be here in less than 2 pushes. They asked if I wanted to wait for my parents and I definitely did not want that. I just wanted the pain to go away. So I pushed, and then breathed between the contraction and her head was slowly coming out with out pushing and what gave me excitement and joy before she was born is that they told me she had lots of dark hair. 

So was then motivated one last time to push. Her head was out which gave me great relief, and then the midwife finagled her shoulders out, then placed her on my abdomen and rubbed her down.  So she was born at 10:51pm, weighing 6lbs 10 oz and was 19 inches long. She was trying to look at me and stopped whimpering when she heard my voice. The sound of her cry and her being born made me tear up with joy and relief. I felt the normal pain one feels on my left side of what its like to not be numb down there. In that I'm grateful because I didn't feel contractions but still felt that other pain which made me still get the high new mothers get when they deliver naturally. I actually wouldn't have changed a thing about her coming out with that pain because it was a wonderful feeling as soon as she arrived. I did not feel that way at all when Grant came. I felt stoic and foreign when Grant came. 

So after a while Perry cut the cord and whisked her away for her tests and shot and what not. Perry left too to take pictures. My body began to shake uncontrollably (this is normal and can begin during transition before a woman pushes), and it lasted for more than an hour. They put a blanket on me to try to lessen it. It was quite a weird experience. It never happened with Grant's birth.

Then my parents came about 5 min after the birth to watch all that go on. Later the nurse came back and told me Carly was Small for Gestational Age which meant that she didn't have much Brown fat, which is the fat that the babies use to survive while they only get minimal amounts of colostrum to feed on for the next few days. So her blood sugar was low also. So for the next 12 hours we supplemented formula during each feeding with a little tube, while she nursed. From the start in the hospital she always has eaten on a 4-6 hour schedule. The only exception was when she was cluster feeding at 10 days old. 

After the pediatrician saw her he said it wasn't necessary to pump and supplement more breast milk or formula unless we wanted to and we didn't have to wake her to feed her if she didn't wake on her own to eat. So that was good news. The next day my mother in law and sister in law and her children came to visit. Grant and my parents came to visit later on. I napped and ate on and off and actually got decent rest for the two days in the hospital. I felt nauseated on and off too. Grant was very tender when meeting her.

It was all such a blessing and I'm grateful for the experience and that everything went well with the delivery, and that Carly is such a healthy baby.

Big Brother, so tender!

Proud Grand papa.

Proof that my hubby changes diapers.

Proof that my dad helps.

Look at those beady eyes. I think she might inherit my blue eyes.

Newborn photo shoot at home.

Before.

Jello

A little puffy but not cone head because she came out so fast. 

Curly hair. 

Other proud Grandma

My midwife! She rocks!

So little in a big carseat.

The view from my hospital room.

First home bath.

Grant likes her stuff.

Sibling love.

Disgusting

On Monday Grant woke up with diarrhea and vomiting. Which means that the gastritis I thought I was getting yet again for the 50th time was actually some virus. So the happy news is I'm not as sensitive to dairy as I thought..aka I can probably fry things in butter...but I never do that anyway. So I forgot that when we applied for pregnancy medicaid that my due date from my last menstrual period was July 30. So I got a notice from medicaid stating that I had until August 9th to report that I had a baby or else my benefits would end! I was freaking out because as you all know my due date is August 11. And at the time the likelihood of going into labor before the 9th wasn't really going to happen, at least I thought. So I needed to turn in a new due date verification thing stat. So Monday, first thing, we went to my doctor's office, got the form, went all the way back to the medicaid office and stood in line. Grant was acting normal and chipper and great and was asking for food, which is really the only way to tell at all if a child should eat while sick. So I thought we would be okay. Well as we are in line he starts whining and laying his head on my shoulder. As I'm called up to the desk he starts doing that pre vomit thing. Yeah and then he puked all over my clothes and arm and neck about 5 times. Sick. Poor baby though. I felt so bad. But I also smelled and looked rancid. I cleaned off for about 10 minutes in the bathroom where Grant seemed to be back to his normal self again, all chipper washing his hands a million times and being all happy. Luckily I was in there long enough for any customer that was there before had now left, and everyone else was left to wonder why I was just all wet looking. I quickly gave them my due date form and skid-addled. Grant is fine and hasn't puked since. I'm glad we got over this virus before Carly comes.

Nap-time Woes

So today Grant decided to get out of his crib at least 5 times and each time I would put him back in. So after a while I put up a child gate. But then I remembered he can only do it with out hurting himself if the rocking chair is next to the bed. So I moved the rocking chair. Then he has his pants and his onesie snapped over the crotch of his pants. This keeps him from getting his diaper off. Well he figured out how to take off the clothes too. I saw him taking off his diaper on the monitor and decided to try duct tape. We will see how it goes...

Carly's Room and Finished Quilt

So I finally got around to taking pictures of the Carly's room and the quilt that took me forever; Basically because I was bored of the project half way through. But I'm glad I finished it because it really is a nice blanket.  

As you can see I scored a flannel print that was the same pattern as the fleece, just smaller. YAY! I wasn't sure if I was going to have a great coordinating fabric for the back, but it totally ties the quilts look all together.

Mine and Perry's room is in the downstairs part of our apartment. We have a den attached to the room. That is where we put Carly's nursery. Its not super decked out with everything matchy matchy and way cute like I have seen other friends do with their kids rooms. But I used what I had and to me its girly and cute enough. 

Love these space organizers. It freed up a lot of space in the dresser. 

I really like how her dresses are in full view and not in a closet. It gives it a decorative touch.

Still not sure what to put in these shadow boxes...Not loving what I have done with it yet.  Feel free to give me some ideas.

As you can see her crib is loaded with crib toys. 

So her room is ready. Other projects in the works and some finished ones include, putting the child gate up at the top of the stairs (done), putting pantry items that are sealed in our newly made food storage area in our shed, de-cluttering on top of the fridge, de-cluttering and possibly rearranging the cleaning closet, reorganizing Grant's closet, donating some items, selling a random wedding dress I acquired, selling my jeep stroller, making the car seat canopy, cooking and freezing two more meals, and regular maintenance household chores. So my next update will either be my prenatal visit next Thursday or if I go into labor, there will most likely just a facebook status. :)

The Final Ambiguous Countdown

    So the time is soon when little Carly will bless us with her presence. I think I lost my mucus plug on Sunday which made my parents freak out thinking I was in labor but no, nothing more has happened. I am frantically making meals for after and organizing different areas that have nothing to do with baby (I'm guessing that's the extent of my unnecessary nesting), cleaning baby things, selling things so that I can pay myself back for the last couple items I "needed" for Carly. Things are slowly coming together.
   I had my prenatal visit for my 39 week check up. I'm technically 38 weeks and 5 days.. Close enough. I lost a pound since last week. I'm 171.4 lbs. Blood pressure was 102/74. The baby measured 37 cm. This is good news. She was stagnant at 36 cm for 3 weeks and if she didn't get bigger again then we would have had to do a series of tests. So she grew! Good for her! Her heart rate was 138 bpm  which is the lowest it has been all pregnancy, but still in the normal range. The midwife also checked me and I am not 1 and 1/2 to 2 cm dilated, so a little progress there. Still 70% effaced. Also when she checked me she said she could feel the head right there. So I guess she is basically engaged in the pelvis and readying herself. We decided it would be best to wait on stripping the membranes until my mom comes to visit and Perry is done with his class. He really doesn't want to have to deal with anything when the baby comes. So his class ends on Monday and he turns in his final on Wednesday. Plenty of time. I'm guessing I will make an appointment for Monday August 13 to strip the membranes. Then we will just wait and see until 42 weeks when we have to induce for sure.

Pregnant Motherhood Birthdays

   Today I turned 24. My sister is certain its going to be a great year since its her favorite number. I hope so. My years are always good ones. So saying goodbye to year 23 I would like to look back on what it was like being 23. When I turned 23 my little boy was almost 18 months. He got to start nursery at church and what a blessing that is so that I could start to focus on my new calling working with the youth in the church. I enjoyed many many many many more visits than I deserved from my parents and sister through that fall and well basically the whole year. I was really spoiled with that.  Then in December found out I was pregnant with baby #2. My life has been consumed by my little boy and thinking about this new little girl. I got to have my gender reveal party, my baby shower, Megan's bridal shower, attending her wedding, and here we are. It doesn't seem like a lot has happened but it was definitely a really great year.
    I chose to reflect on my year rather than my birthday because the birthday is just a day. The older I am the more I realize how insignificant a birthday is. When you are a child it is the best day ever, mostly because your perspective is so focused on yourself and how exciting the whole idea of having a party and friends over and eating delicious food is. And I always planned my own parties and they were awesome because my birthday is in the summer so we were always outside enjoying water games and what not. Every year I grow older with the adult perspective on birthdays, I realize it isn't all about me. My day will not be a day away from the "kids" at a great spa that serves appetizers (hey I'm not saying this will never happen, but not every year can be that amazing) and my husband will take work off and do extravagant things for me and have surprises planned all day long... No I believe those days are gone. He is no longer on break from school or work and has a job and goes to school right now and when he has a regular full time career I believe it will be much like today when its just a normal day.
    My day was pretty ordinary. I did get a special foot massage this morning and breakfast in bed. Then my hubby was off to work and I was here to be mom for the day. I baked my lemon meringue pies and it took all day it seemed. Grant was really good the whole day. Then my pregnant birthday began to emerge. Today my emotions decided to go haywire and 3 events set it off: Grant threw his yogurt all over the table, fruit, floor, and himself (Grrr we have carpet). My brain about flipped out. I held my tongue and rage and Perry told me to go somewhere else to cool off while he cleaned it up. Then Grant was put in his crib to cool off and he proceeded to take off his diaper and pee all over his bedding (this was the second time he did that today!). Three, I was trying to put up a reinforced child gate guarding the stairs so that if and when Grant decides to leave his crib at night (he is capable without harming himself, he just hasn't done it yet.), we don't want him falling down the stairs in the dark. The drill bit I was using snapped in half in the wall, no way to get it out. ARG! So these events spiraled me into tears. Grant was very sweet saying I'm sorry and giving hugs and asking me if I was happy now and trying to be all chipper in my face about things...well I was up and down with tears for the next hour. After this we got Perry a free sub from Firehouse subs with my birthday and then I ate at Denny's with Grant. Perry was there but he didn't eat because he just had a sub. My meal was free and Grant's was 2 bucks. It is now frustrating trying to find something to eat at a restaurant that is dairy free though. I knew everything was fried in butter but the bacon, and the pancakes probably had a little butter and some milk in them. I basically had 2 bites of each thing, ate the bacon, and chugged the orange juice to get full. Crossing my fingers that my main problem is the amount of dairy and not dairy at all. So we will see if I get sick. I really really really do not want to get sick though.
    Then we had friends/family over for the pie and played catch phrase. Overall a good day, but when emotions are high it seems to consume everything, making the whole day seem horrible. I had a good day after being calm, collected, and able to reflect and count my blessings for the day. Happy Birthday to me!