Part 2

Well, after Blakely was born, things went (I guess) as normal.  Not a lot of sleeping...lot's of holding and staring.  I knew I should be sleeping- and everyone kept telling me so, but I was just too excited to go to sleep.  She was so tiny it was scary.  I'd cry every time I or the nurses changed her diaper cause you could really appreciate how skinny she was. 

Nursing was hard from the get-go.  She was so small, and since she was early, she wasn't strong enough to suck well.  Luckily, for some reason, I was the queen of milk and I was able to pump what the nurses and doctors acted like was record breaking amounts of colostrum.  After the first day of not eating, and losing a little bit of weight she had to get a feeding tube put in.  It was so sad and pathetic looking.  It was through her nose, and taped to her cheek.  They would let me attempt to feed her until she or I was in tears, then they would feed her formula or pumped colostrum through her tube.  Then an hour or two later they would actually pull it all out of her stomach to see how much she was actually digesting.  It was pretty crazy.  It always seemed like surely it hurt, but they assured me it didn't hurt her at all.  Everything was pretty much a blur that second day...

That evening my parents brought us up some food, and Stephen's parents got in town and came to see Blakely for a little while.  Stephen ate some pizza which would prove to possibly be the worst decision ever.  Around 9pm, he told me to invite some friends up to see her- which I thought was odd, but I did it anyway since I was dying to see people.  My friends Kristyn and Claire came, and Stephen was just sortof gone most of the time- but I wasn't paying too much attention.  Then my friends left, and Stephen said he had been feeling bad for a while, and since it was the end of the year, we had already met our insurance deductible he was just going to go down to the ER downstairs and see if they could give him something to feel better.  It seemed logical to me- (I'm not sure why...) so I wasn't worried.  Then a few minutes later, my mom and dad showed up- it's around 11pm.  I thought this was very strange since my mom goes to bed at like 8:30.  Little did I know, Stephen had been dying for quite a while, and actually needed to go to the ER, he just didn't want me to worry.  Around 3am, I knew it was bad when the nurses were all talking about the "pitiful" looking husband puking his guts out down in the ER.  I panicked of course and thus began the uncontrolable crying.  I was already a basketcase thanks to post-pardom hormones and an underweight baby, and this did not help.  The nurse told me to go downstairs to check on Stephen if it would make me feel better.  So I went down to the ER with my hands covering my mouth the whole time.  As soon as I walked through the doors I could hear Stephen death barfing down the hall.  There is no other way to describe it except that it literally sounds like someone is dying.  Other ER patients were sticking their heads out their doors to see where the death vomit was coming from.  I followed the noise and found him looking green and not making much sense between barfs.  Literally, could. not. stop. crying.  I just sobbed and sobbed and he kept trying to get me away from him for fear that I'd catch whatever bug he had.  I went back up after a few minutes cause I knew I needed to stay away, and then I just cried for the rest of the night.  He spent the next several hours throwing up, got several  bags of IV fluids and lots of drugs, and finally got to go to his parent's hotel around 6am.  He was then quaranteened for the next couple of days incase he had a virus and not just food poisoning. 

So here I was, alone in the hospital with Blakely weighing just over 4lbs at this point, not eating, with a feeding tube.  Thank goodness for my mom staying with me.  Oh, and for some reason my blood pressure went way up and we just couldn't seem to get it to come down.  This actually sortof ended up being a good thing.  My doctor said he was going to keep me another night- which was great cause B wasn't going anywhere until they could take the tube out and she could eat on her own.  So luckily I didn't have to go home without my baby- I can't even imagine how terrible that would have been.  We had lots of nurses and doctors preparing us for the worst- telling us it could be several days or weeks until she could go home.  It was so scary and I felt very alone since I couldn't even really talk to Stephen on the phone about it cause he was practically dead. 

I had nurses telling me to give B a pacifier to help her practice sucking, I had nurses telling me to feed her formula from a bottle, I had one lovely nurse that told me that after I gave her a bottle, that I had "sabatoged breastfeeding" for my daughter.  At this point, my eyes were nearly swollen shut.  I met several times with the lactation consultant, and got so many different pieces of advice, and had so many people trying to help me nurse I thought I'd go crazy. 

Finally I called my pediatrician (since she was in Lawrence she couldn't be my ped at the hospital) and I was barely understandable in the message.  I decided that whatever advice she gave me I was going to take.  I told her that I wanted to nurse, but that the most important thing to me was that B grew and was healthy.  I told her I wanted to do whatever was going to get me and Blakely home the fastest.  So she told me to take the feeding tube out and basically force B to eat however she could.  I attempted nursing each time, and then offered her a bottle afterward and pumped like crazy.  That day she stopped losing weight (day 3!) and started gaining!  By the end of that day, she was nursing every 3 hours with the help of a nipple shield.  The next morning we were discharged. 

Stephen stayed in the basement, and I'd stand at the top of the stairs to show him Blakely every couple of hours.  My mom would make him food and leave it on the stairs for him to come get.  The doc said he had to be fever and diahrrea free for at least 24 hours before he could come in contact with either of us.  Finally, Sunday night, he came up and hung out in the living room for a couple of hours. 

Blakely's birth story: Part 1

My friend Tracy inspired me to write out B's birth story.  Her son is a few months older than Blakely, and she is about to have her second baby as well!  She didn't start blogging until Landon was a few months old, so she never told his birth story- so she wrote it out this week.  Well, I was blogging when B was born, but I never got around to writing out the whole detailed story.  And in my old age, I am really starting to forget things- so I better do it while I still remember!!!

It is quite a dramatic story, so I figured I will do it in installments.  Here goes with Part 1...

So around 32 weeks at my regular checkup appointment my belly was measuring about 6 weeks behind- so the doc sent me in for an ultrasound.  B's stomach was measuring abnormally small, so doc sent me to a specialist- a perinatologist (doc for babies in the womb.)  So I got another ultrasound and they said she wasn't growing properly so they'd check back two weeks later and if she hadn't show enough progress then they'd go ahead and get her out.  It was the LOOOOOONGEST two weeks of my life.  I was also put on bed rest, which was even worse.  So I pretty much just sat on my rear thinking and worrying about our baby. 

Finally it was time to go to the ultrasound- I was a little over 35 weeks, and she hadn't grown enough, so he said, "Well, get ready cause I think you'll have this baby today or tomorrow."  woah. 

So I went in for my regularly scheduled checkup that same day and I was so glad that everyone was in high spirits.  All the nurses and my doc didn't act alarmed- they only acted excited that I was getting to have my baby so soon!  It was a nice change since I was freaking out.

So the next evening (the longest 24 hours of my life...) We were scheduled to be induced.  So I spent the next evening and day after that pretty much just pacing the house, having hourly breakdowns, calling my mom over and over for her to tell me everything was going to be ok, and googling WAYYYY too many things. 

We got antsy, and went ahead down to KC (where my hospital is) late afternoon- I wasn't scheduled to check in until 8pm.  We packed our own dinner- but I wasn't feeling it, so we went for Chick-fila instead.  Then we had a Newborn Care class that we had already signed up for at our hospital at 7.  It was funny cause everyone went around the room and said their due date- and when it got to us, we got to say, "actually, we will be leaving the class early to go have our baby."  :)

So we headed to our room, and got all hooked up- and began the induction process.  They gave me some pill thingy to get things going, then an ambien so I'd sleep that night- wonderful.  I started having contractions around midnight, but thanks to that magic pill I could pretty much sleep through them.  And they really weren't too bad.  Then in the morning they checked me and I had dialated to a whopping 1/2 cm.  So they started my pitocin around 7am.  The doc came in at 8ish, and I still hadn't dialated anymore, so he broke my water.  Woah nelly.  Thus began the most excruciating pain of my life.  I guess cause my body wasn't ready for labor, and the pitocin, and water breaking, my contractions were on top of each other- literally no break in between.  I was writhing.  And shaking uncontrollably.  So our lovely plan to try to go natural went out the window and I begged for whatever drugs they were willing to give me.  So they gave me whatever narcotics they have, and basically I was still in just as much pain but I also felt drunk.  Not that I know what that's like....

So a few more hours went by, and I was finally to a 3 1/2ish and my doc said I could get the epidural.  I was previously so scared of the needle, but it could have been 10 feet long and had to go through my eyeball and I would have gladly signed up. 

Well, the lovely thing only took to half my body, and I got to feel the whole process of a catheter- ew.  Not to mention she put it in the wrong place the first time- I didn't even want to know what that meant or how it happened....so after trying to reset the epidural- that not working, and doing the process all over again, I was pain free- AND I could have cut off my right leg and not felt a thing. 

I had a super sweet med student there for all of this, and I wasn't super excited about letting her do much pre-epidural, but once I got the good drugs I gave her free reign.  So long as I couldn't feel it, I was all about her getting in some good practice.  She was a sweetheart- Stephanie. 

So then labor was actually pleasant.  I got to hang out with my parents and Stephen, and laugh and enjoy myself.  I was at a 5 around 3:30, then at about 3:45 I started feeling my contractions.  Nothing terrible, just some serious pressure.  So I told my nurse I felt like I needed to push, and she doubtfully went ahead and checked me and low and behold I was ready to push! 


So she called the doc in and the whole fam- yep, mom and dad were in the room.  I would have died if you had told me I would be ok with that before I was in labor, but at the time it just wasn't weird at all.  I think it was great that they got to be in the room.  I could see my mom's face the whole time and it was hilarious.  My dad sortof lurked behind a curtain cause he was a little too unsure to come any closer- can't blame him.  So about 15 minutes later, sweet Stephanie caught Blakely and she was here- 4lbs 9oz. 16 3/4 inches long.  She was puny.

21 (and a few days...)

This poor baby is going to feel so unloved when he/she sees how much I documented about B. I can only imagine the complex our third (and beyond!) kid will feel! :)

So because my hair is down and makeup on I figure I better document it!!!

I am 21 weeks and a few days. I found out a week ago I have been telling people the wrong due date. Just one day off, but still. May 28th is the day.

I'm feeling great, just tired. I get round ligament pains more than I did with B.

I have been craving spinach lately. I think I've eaten it almost everyday for about two weeks.

Baby is kicking all the time now. I notice it a lot more than I thought I would with chasing B around.

I am also having Braxton hicks contractions fairly regularly. I had them really early with B too.

We went in for our 20week ultrasound last week. And by we, I mean me and the baby in my belly. It was a little sad to be alone, but it just wasn't worth messing blakely's whole day up. We will have ultrasounds once a month until 30weeks then every 2 weeks. So I figure there will be plenty of them for Stephen to go to.

We did not find out the gender. Stephen still doesn't love it, but he is going with it for now. I'm enjoying not knowing, but I must say I was tempted during the ultrasound!

Here's my belly!

Oh and one of B. She has been a super clingon so I have to either be holding her at all times or she has to be right in the middle of what I'm doing. Which is why she is on the counter sticking her hands in my cake batter. :)

13 months

I will probably not put a big bow on B's head and do our monthly photo shoot for her posts from now on (for both our sakes..), but I do want to continue to update on what she is up to so I don't forget! 

I couldn't understand how my mom couldn't remember certain things about us as kids cause I thought, "There's no way I'll forget these things!"  Well, I've already forgotten so much.  Friends with  younger babies ask me about the early months with B, and there are so many things that I just can't remember!  So I want to keep updating.  I don't know how frequently... We have some friends who have a 3 1/2 year old daugher and they still do monthly updates and pictures.  So we'll see how long I can do it!

Blakely has done really well with sleeping/napping this past month.  She got really consistent with her naps, and has been going down super easy for them.  (with a few exceptions...) She has also lengthened her naps a little.  She freqently takes 1 1/2 hour and occasionally a 2 hour one!  I hardly know what to do with myself.  The lengths have been all over the place though, and it makes me wonder if she is getting close to dropping her morning nap.  Just today she refused to go to sleep this morning, so I just put her down...she will either wake up in 20, or maybe 2 hours.  Let's pray for the latter. 

She is really attached to her hippo.  I wanted to get her attached to something long ago, and I think it's going to come back and bite me in the rear.  I have said for months that we need to get another one for back up, and now I think it might be too late.  The thing is already getting a little floppy. 

She is taking 3 bottles a day- 8oz in the morning, 4/5oz at lunch, and 4/5oz at supper.  I am trying to get her off the bottle and on to a sippy, but it is not going so well.  I don't know if I need to just put my foot down and not give her the bottle anymore, or what.  Any suggestions, mom's?  She also is off and on with whole milk.  She will sometimes take it fine, and sometimes we have to mix in some formula or she won't eat all day.  She will not take anything but formula from other people- so wierd.  She also is still hooked on her binky.  That's another thing on our "to do" list to get rid of, but I keep putting it off cause I don't want to deal with it!  Stephen wants to go cold turkey, and I want to go gradual...Suggestions???

She is off and on with solids.  She had about a month where she would not eat anything but sweet potatoes and bananas (baby food).  She is now eating a few more bites of veggies, but will not eat any meat.  She eats bread, occasionally cheese, she LOVES yogurt, and crackers and cheerios.  She really wants to use silverware by herself.  She has pretty much zero accuracy on her own, but we have just been trying to embrace the mess the last few days. 

She is starting to climb.  She wants to climb up in a chair or on the couch and she wants to stand up.  I should probably not be letting her do this, but it's too funny. 

She is saying momma and dadda/daddy a lot more.  She also says, duck, bath, ball, bottle, chicken (sortof), baby.  She is a yeller- she loves to talk as loud as she can.  Especially when Stephen and I are taking to each other- so we can't hear a word the other is saying.  She barks when she hears or sees a dog, she knows where ears, eyes, nose, mouth and teeth are. 

Oh, and she has two teeth on bottom, and I think she is cutting one on top. 

She is wearing 12-18 month clothes, and she still wears a lot of 9month onesies.  The arms are getting short though.  She wears a 5-5 1/2 shoe and apparently she has wide feet.  She got her first pair of real shoes- which I am not a huge fan of.  Why can't they make kid's shoes cuter without being totally impractical?  The cute ones are like flats- which just doesn't seem like a good idea for a baby, and the practical ones are so clunky and ugly.  But I decided if she is going to run around outside then I want her to wear good shoes- not cute ones, good ones. 

Whew!  That was a long one...

Christmas

I am way behind on posts AND I didn't take many pictures of our adventures over the last few weeks. Oops. So here's what I got!

We loaded up the van and headed to see Stephens grandmothers in Newport, AR. It's always so good to see them, and we are sad they are so far away.

B did ok in the car, she is just not a fan. I can't wait till she gains just a couple more pounds and we'll turn her seat around

Then we headed to Memphis for a little less than a week for the Christmas celebrations. It was fun, and B did so good sleeping, napping, and just exploring, but with children I've learned even more that there is just no place like home! We were all showered with wonderful gifts, Blakely by far winning the biggest loot.

The day after Christmas we decided to leave as soon as B made her first peep, and lucky for us that was at about 5:15am. She didn't sleep nearly as much as we wanted her to but her DVD player christmas present and Jonah veggie tales movie helped a little.

We made incredible time considering my pregnant bladder, and I may or may not have peed in a cup a few times to avoid stopping...

Here are the pictures!