C's Birth Story

I did the same thing for B, and I wanted to make sure I have a record of C's story.  Disclaimer: I'm not holding back details and terms that are common when discussing labor and delivery.

Let's go back two weeks, when I started working from home.  I had had on and off Braxton Hicks up until that point, but they were pretty mild and I barely even noticed them.  The day I started working from home, the Braxton Hicks started to become stronger.  And by stronger, I mean that they were definitely more uncomfortable and noticeable, but not terrible.  This went on throughout the week, with no consistency.

On Saturday, October 12, I started to pass my mucus plug.  I will spare the icky details on how I knew, but I knew, even though I had not passed it (at least not that I'd noticed) with B.  My BH contractions were feeling stronger, and starting to hurt in my lower abdomen and back.  They still weren't what I would consider "painful", but they were coming consistently every 20 minutes for several hours.  We both thought that this was the beginning of labor, and that things would start to progress, but then, all contractions completely stopped.

I continued to pass more of the mucus plug the next day, but only had a few sporadic contractions.  I was starting to feel defeated.  I continued to work throughout last week, and my BH contractions continued to come and go randomly.  Although they were not consistent, they were becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

My check-up was on Thursday, and I was at least happy that I had progressed from 1cm the week before to 2cm.  On Friday, I noticed more bloody show, and was a little hopeful that labor would begin soon, but not holding my breath.  I was also having period-like cramps (a good sign), but they were pretty mild, so I figured it was just more of my body preparing itself.

I woke up on Saturday morning disappointed that nothing had happened during the night.  We started to make a grocery list, and showered for the day (thank goodness).  I went to the bathroom and had more bloody show, only this time, it was about a tablespoon's worth of bright, red blood in it.  I wavered a little on if it was normal or not, and decided to call the doctor's office to be safe.

They asked if it could be my mucus plug, but I told them that had started coming out the week before.  They asked me to come in to Labor & Delivery to get checked out, just to make sure nothing serious was going on.

We arrived at the hospital around 10am.  K stayed with B in the waiting area (until our friends could come pick him up).  I went into an observation room, where I was hooked up to a contraction and heart rate monitor.  The nurse checked my cervix and I was 3cm dilated.  After about an hour, she came back and asked, "Can you feel those contractions?"  I told her I could, but that they weren't what I would consider "painful", just "uncomfortable".  She then had me get up and walk around for an hour to see if that made my contractions stronger.

After walking for an hour, I was again hooked up to the monitors.  At first, the contractions felt the same, but then they slowly started to feel stronger, and were fairly consistent.  She checked me again and I was a little more than 3cm.  They monitored me for another hour, and then the nurse checked in with the OB.  Another nurse walked in and hooked me up to an IV and they told me I was going to be moved to another room shortly.

All the while, we had been thinking that they were just making sure everything was ok, and that we'd be sent home.  Surprise!  This was around 12:45pm.

Once in the new room, I was hooked up to the monitors.  The doctor came to check me at 2pm, and I was 4cm.  They continued to monitor me at that point.  They asked about an epidural, but I was handling the little bit of pain well at that point, and I didn't want to get one too early.

At 6pm, the doctor came back, and I was still at 4cm.  She decided to break my water.  The intensity of the contractions changed within minutes, and I asked if I could have an epidural.  The anesthesiologist was called, and they started to prep the epidural cart.  By the time he got there, my contractions were insanely painful.  I hate to say it, but I was that woman somewhat screaming through the pain (not at anyone, no obscenities...just screaming out loud).  He had to keep pausing and do one step at a time quickly in between my contractions because I could not sit still.

During my last two contractions, I started to feel the urge to push, but could hardly speak as I was trying to be still for the epidural.  He got the catheter in, and as they went to lay me down, I told the nurse I had to push.  She checked me and I was at 10cm.  They rushed to get the doctor, and the peds team (there was meconium).  The anesthesiologist quickly hooked up the starter dose for the epidural, hoping it would take even a little of the edge off.  They quickly had me roll to my left, then my right to try to get it to take, but when I started pushing, it hadn't had time to set in.

I was honestly ok with it, because my epidural with B had made me so numb that I couldn't even feel the urge to push.  With C, I felt it, and in five pushes, he was out at 7:16pm!  And, to the amazement of the doctor and nurses, I quickly went from screaming from the pain to smiling and talking, even as they finished up on me.

I only tore a little with this delivery (as opposed to the most severe tear with B), so she only needed a few stitches.  My epidural kicked in shortly after I delivered (of course).  We had some time for skin to skin contact (love!), and then they took C to the nursery for his newborn tests and to get cleaned up.  K was wonderful enough to go out and get us dinner, as it was almost 9pm by then.  After eating, the nurse helped me get cleaned up and use the restroom, and then I was moved to our recovery room on the other side of the wing.  We got in a few more hours with C, then sent him to the nursery so we could get a little rest.

C is doing great.  He's taking a bottle every 2-3 hours, and eating like a champ!  He loves to snuggle, and he already tries to hold his head up and look around.  My stitches pain is gone, and my bleeding has gone down significantly.  I had a bit of stronger pain from my uterine contracting on Monday evening, but woke up feeling great yesterday.  Unfortunately, my milk came in, and as I have chosen not to breast feed, I am feeling quite a bit of pain in my chest right now.  Yesterday, I also felt generally ill and my arms were in pain from the flu and TDAP vaccines I was given on Monday.  I can handle the pain ok during the day, but I was writhing last night.  The doctor prescribed me strong Motrin, which helps take a little of the edge off, but I think I am going to call and ask for something stronger today, just for the evening.  (If you don't know me that well, I don't like to take medicine if I can avoid it.)

So there it is!  We did not expect to have C this weekend, but I'm so glad we did!

Home, Sweet Home...Almost

Well, gang, it's official.  We closed on the house just over a week ago, and the big moving day is Friday!

Other updates on our family:

• B can successfully count to 14 with no issues (sometimes higher, but he usually forgets at least one number).
• B knows his months of the year (in order, and he even knows when daddy's birthday is)
• C is causing me terrible heartburn (does this mean he will have a lot of hair?)
• Tomorrow marks 27 weeks pregnant!
• We've been busy packing and moving stuff, so that's all I have!

Pregnancy

This pregnancy is very different from B's.

With B, I had very mild nausea during the first trimester, which was easily cured by snacking.  By the second trimester, I had tons of energy, and was nesting like crazy.  My heartburn didn't begin until well into the third trimester, and overall, I had very little round ligament pain, and no Braxton-Hicks contractions.  As for cravings?  It was pretty much pizza and Mexican food throughout the pregnancy.

With C, I had a bunch of on and off nausea in the first trimester, and into the second.  Munching on crackers did nothing to help.  In the second trimester so far, I have had next to no energy.  I really just want to lay on the couch all day.  My heartburn has already begun at full force, and my cravings vary from week to week (and are mostly sweet things from candy to fruit).  I've had a lot more round ligament pain, and I think I've even started some Braxton-Hicks.  It's been enough to rouse me from my sleep in the middle of the night.  I have also had insane balancing issues.

The balance issues have me a little worried.  I understand that later in pregnancy there are balance problems, but that's more so due to having a huge bowling ball in your stomach.  Last week, I had intense vertigo and dizziness that lasted for over 6 hours, and landed me in the ER.  Yesterday, I felt fine.  I wasn't dizzy; I was simply walking from my car to the front door of our building.  I went to go up the first of two concrete steps to the front door, and it was like I suddenly had no control over my legs.  I started to trip, and tried to catch myself, but, I just kept falling.  Thankfully, I did no more damage than some achiness to my shoulders and arms (from landing), and scraping a chunk of skin out of my big toe (doesn't sound like much, but let's just say K was even grossed out by it).  When I was in the ER last week, they ran blood and urine tests, but nothing was out of the ordinary.  My next check-up is on Thursday, so I guess I'll see what doc says then.

It's a bird, it's a plane...

I received a call today from B's daycare that he had injured himself jumping off of some cots.  They asked if I wanted to come look at his nose, which had stopped bleeding and they didn't believe was broken, or wait until the end of the day.  I decided to go.

When I got there, he was sitting, quietly, with an ice pack on his face.  His poor nose was a bit swollen, and you could see the dried blood in his nostrils.  He also had a nice cut on his upper lip (which was swollen).  (And, just to top off his day, he had fallen this morning and hit his chin on the foot of his bed, cutting it.)

They explained to me that he had climbed a stack of about 6 cots (not terribly high), and basically did a Superman jump off of them.  This caused him to land flat on his face on tile floor with cement beneath.  He was crying, and had a bloody nose for a little bit, but had luckily agreed to let them put ice on him.

I took him to the doctor, and thankfully, his nose isn't broken.  He has a laceration along the inside of his left nostril, so they told me to make sure he doesn't try to pick out the blood clot.  Otherwise, he should be feeling much better in a couple of days.

When I asked why he jumped, he replied that he was jumping on one of his friend's heads.

By this evening, he was loopy from missing his nap, and was back to his old ways, wrestling with his daddy.

We're expecting a little boy!

On Wednesday, we went for our 20 week check-up and ultrasound.  Here's our baby boy!  B is really excited to have a baby brother!

House Progress

We went to visit the house today.  Drywall is up!

View from the front door

Dining Room (from the Family Room)

Kitchen

Garage (from Kitchen), Bathroom on left, Closet on right

Garage full of cabinets, railings, etc.! 

Living Room looking at the front door 

B's Room - he's excited! 

Baby's Room

Master - love the window!

Master Bath

Another downstairs view

And another

Settling In

Now that our Wisconsin house is off our plates, and we have another little one on the way, we've decided to officially settle down here.  We are building a townhouse (I won't post exact location here). We debated between an older house closer to everyone, or new construction just a little ways out, and decided that new construction is safer for mine and B's allergies.  K met with the builder this week to do a pre-drywall walk through.  Enjoy the pics!

Standing in the Living Room, looking at the front door and stairs.

Standing near the stairs in the living room.  That will be a wall with a cutout looking into the Family Room.

Standing in the Dining Room looking into the Family Room.

Standing in the Family Room looking into the Dining Room. 

Standing in the Dining Room looking towards the Kitchen.  That is the door to the garage in the back.  The half wall here is for the bar top. 

Standing in the Kitchen (door to Garage just to the right).  This will be a half bath.

View from the top of the stairs.  That will be our bedroom.

Standing in our bedroom.  The back bedroom to the right will be for baby.  The one to the left will be for B.

Standing in our room.  To the left is our bathroom with the full size shower stall.  To the right will be our large, walk-in closet!

Standing in B's room, looking at the closet.  Just behind his closet is the hall bathroom, and next to that is the Laundry/Utility room.

Standing in B's room, looking toward baby's room.

Another view into baby's room.

Another view from B's room, looking out into the hallway.

View from the front door.  We are standing in the living room.  The wall upstairs is the back wall of the closet in baby's room.

Mother's Day 2013

Highlights of this year's Mother's Day:

• "Mommy, I'm making you muffins!"  (followed by a kiss)  Ultimately, they were inedible as B somehow turned the oven up to 500 degrees when K turned around and burned them.
• "Hi, mommy!  Happy Mother's Day!" (followed by another kiss, as he gave me my gift)
•  Lunch at Ruby Tuesday
• B critiquing the dresses I tried on for a friend's upcoming vow renewal.  He actually came up to me at the register to make sure I was getting the "flower one" (I did...he has good taste!).
• B snuggling with me, at least for a little while, on the couch
• Feeling baby move around like crazy last night and today

Naked Toddler Strikes Again

Toddler wakes up from nap.  Mommy and Daddy go into his room.  We smell something stinky, and find a naked toddler in his crib.  There's an empty diaper next to him.  Daddy lifts his blanket, and there are two "presents" for us underneath it.  GROSS!

Stinky

My child never ceases to amaze me.  He knows the first three and current presidents.  He knows a good chunk of his alphabet (including being able to name several letters when I draw them out).  He's figured out how to climb into his crib, and how to climb to turn on the bathroom sink.

He was still sick this morning, so I stayed home with him.  I put him down for a nap in his crib (because he was far too crabby for his big boy bed).  I heard him making "woo"-ing sounds, so I gave him a few minutes to fully wake up, and then went in his room.  When I walked in, he was standing in his crib, completely naked.  His clothes were neatly in a pile, and next to it was a poopy diaper, which he was pointing to, saying, "Stinky!"  What amazes me most is that he a) got his diaper off cleanly without making a mess in his crib and b) he was just standing there waiting for me to get him and clean him off.

I can only imagine what he'll do next...