Monday, February 20, 2012

My Little Guy

This post is more for my documenting purposes, I took Jack to the doctor last week because he had a head cold/sinus infection and he weighed 28 pounds even! Still just a little guy, he weighed 24 pounds 2 ounces at his 2 year check up back in June - I'm hoping he can pack on a few more pounds before his 3 year appointment. He doesn't eat much at one time, he is more of a grazer and is very picky. I'm affraid we are needing to start giving him vitamins and those supplement drinks that have all the vitamins and stuff in them - he is so small! I guess we will just see what the doctor says when we go see her in a few months!

xoxo

Saturday, February 18, 2012

2 Week Well Baby Visit

Norah was back up to 8 pounds 3 ounces at her 2 week well baby visit!

She was 7 pounds 15.6 ounces at birth, 7 pounds 7 ounces when we left the hospital, and 7 pounds 12.5 ounces at her 1 week well baby visit! She is packing on the pounds nicely! :-)

We did have to start Norah on Zantac, she seems to have the same reflux problems as her big brother - poor girl. It seems to be helping for now, so we are keeping our fingers crossed! Jack had to go on Prevacid which is an acid blocker - while Zantac just nuetralizes the acid so that it doesn't hurt when she refluxes. I'd prefer Norah to stay on Zantac, but we will do whatever she needs to be comfortable. Reflux is particuarly bad for infants the first 6 months or so of life because they are constantly laying down! :-(

She is still pretty unpredictable with her sleeping. She likes to have her fussy time anywhere from 6pm to 2 or 3am - she will usually pass out after 3am on most nights and then sleep until 10 or 11 am (eating every 3-4 hours, but going right back to sleep). She is definitely a night owl at this point! Yikes!

xoxo

Big Brother...

Jack holding Norah for the first time!
Jack has handled the addition of Norah Jane to the family better than I had anticipated. The first couple days home were rough, he did not like that Momma couldn't jump at every beck and call like usual, but he adjusted rather quickly!
While we were in the hospital we kept asking him if he wanted to hold Norah or give her a kiss and he would politely reply, "No...no thank you!" At least he was nice about it, right?
Now he likes to help Momma out by throwing away diapers! He also likes to give Norah kisses and to tickle her, but I think he mainly does it because he likes the attention and praise he gets from Momma and Daddy for being nice to his baby sister!

All Dressed Up...

And Headed Home!

Norah Jane's Birth Story

Oh girls, where to begin! I think that everything that every pregnant woman fears happening when it comes to labor and delivery happened during Norah Jane's induction. This post is probably going to be the most TMI post I've ever written to date, so I apologize in advance BUT you have been warned!

We arrived at the hospital at 6am on Monday, January 3oth. With Jack I had the most wonderful nurse, the second our nurse walked in the room I knew it was going to be a LONG day. She just had that "I hate my life" look on her face, definitely not welcoming at all! She also had really long hair, like almost to her butt and it was just hanging down everywhere LOOSE. I remember commenting to Chris that her hair was freaking me out b/c it was everywhere, haha! Let me tell you she not only hated her life, but she soon made me hate mine as well. She was the ROUGHEST individual I have ever been "checked" by - like I thought I was going to die and she kept wanting to check me and check me and check me and each time was more painful then time before.

Anyway, a little back story - the whole reason we induced was because Norah Jane was not engaging into my pelvis at all and I was dilating each week. When we checked in the hospital I was 3 cms, but Norah was still just bouncing around. Dr. Shaw was concerned that with her still being so bouncy that if my water broke on it's own that we would run the risk of having her cord or a hand slip out with the gush of the water breaking. I had never heard of this before, but a friend of mine confirmed the theory when I told her about it (she had just had a friend that the exact thing happened to a couple weeks before and her friend had to have an emergency c-section). So I was told that the plan was NOT to break my water, but that we were going to start the Pitocin and hope that I would progress without my water being broken - they were hoping that they could break my water right before delivery (spoiler - this did NOT happen).

We started the Pitocin and the contractions started coming. With Jack, Dr. Shaw broke my water and immediately called for anesthesia so I actually never really felt any contractions - this time I was NOT so lucky. Dr. Shaw didn't want to give me my epidural right away and wanted me to try the IV pain meds, to which I refused (because of all the horror stories I've heard about them). The Pitocin started at 7am and I made it to about 1:30pm before I was definitely ready for my epidural...contractions suck! I also had only progressed to 4cms by this time so I figured it was only going to get worse and be a long day!

The anesthesia guy came into the room and at this point I was having some pretty intense contractions. So he gets set up and explains everything and then gets started...I was having contractions and curled in a ball and trying not to move - they kept saying "Oh you are doing good, doing great, almost done..." to only then say "I'm going to have to move up a level"... ugh! So basically he had to do the epidural twice and it sucked...by the time he was done I was dripping sweat and my nurse thought I was going to pass out! I assured her I was fine, it was just the contractions and being curled over for so long and having my hair all in my face. I guess there are 2 different options for getting the epidural medicine as well, they can put it right in your back when they do whatever it is they do or you can run it through the little IV looking machine -which obviously takes a little longer to work. Well my blood pressure had been dropping lower and lower all day - at one point it was 90 over 43 (and no I never got a good answer on why it was doing that), so they said the only option was the IV route for getting the epidural meds b/c the other way causes your blood pressure to drop and since mine was so low already it wasn't an option.

So if you are keeping score, here is where we stand...
1. Mean/Rough Nurse
2. Contractions, Contractions, Contractions
3. Two Attempt Epidural
and it only gets better from here, keep reading...

My nurse said that she had a meeting at 2pm so she was going to give me about 10 minutes and then she would put my catheter in once I numbed up some. Well when she came back in I told her I could still feel quite a bit, I couldn't feel my contractions, but I could feel my legs and even lift them a little bit. She thought I was nuts, but I showed her how I could lift my legs. She then said well let me check you and I told her I could feel her, but not like I could before. She said, "Well I will be in my meeting for an hour so if I don't put your catheter in now and you pee the bed don't be mad at me!" I said OK. Not 5 minutes after she left I was talking to Chris and laughed and proceeded to pee the bed a little. When my mom came back in I asked her to help me change the pads under me. So her and Chris had to roll me side to side like they do the really old people in nursing homes and as soon as they started to roll me to the first side I started laughing, thus peeing and not just peeing a little, like full on pee. Chris was like, "Darci stop, its coming off the bed!" Haha! So my mom just stuck a pee pad right in between my legs and pretty much left it at that! When my nurse came back she got my catheter in and cleaned up my bed a little bit.

I was still pretty much 4cms all afternoon, about 5pm my nurse said she wanted to check me again and then she was going to call Dr. Shaw and see if she wanted to come break my water or what the plan was going to be. She checked me and said I was maybe 5cms at that point. She said Norah's head still wasn't engaged at all and she could push her head away. She kept saying, "Oh yeah, we can't break your water with her head like this...no way." Then she said "Well let me see what she does when you have a contraction if I can still push her away" As she was waiting on the contraction she commented on how bulging my bag of water was, then I got a contraction and she said, "Oh yeah, I can still push her away, there is no way we can break your water like this" and that's when I felt a huge gush! She had put her finger through my water bag and broke it! The look on her face was the classic "Oh Shit!" I knew she was freaking out, but I tried to just remain calm. Chris on the other hand jumped up and asked if she needed him to do anything and she said "Towels, towels - we need towels!" Chris moved faster than I've seen in years. Luckily, the nurse didn't jerk away when my water broke, she kept her hand in there to act as a "cork" and then slowly every couple minutes let a little more water drain out, this was to ensure the cord didn't come out - which was what we were trying to avoid! After what seemed like an hour she assured me that all the water was out and Norah's head had already engaged and everything was fine! What A Relief! Chris was pissed, pissed that the nurse was so rough and pissed that she wasn't friendly and pissed that she broke my water! Haha!

At 5:30 my nurse checked me again and I was 6cms and she said she had also called and told Dr. Shaw that my water had broke. Dr. Shaw came in a couple minutes later and said she figured another couple hours and that she was going to run home and feed her girls dinner and then head back. Around 5:50pm Norah's heart rate started dropping with each contraction, at first the nurse wasn't too concerned b/c she figured the cord was just being compressed during the contraction because it rebounded after the contraction ended. Ok, I can buy that - but the stupid monitor alarm kept going off after each contraction and was so annoying. Finally the nursery nurse came in to check the alarm and asked when the nurse last checked me and I said she was supposed to come back at 6:30pm to check me again - I looked at the clock and it was 6:20pm so I said in 10 minutes. The nursery nurse said, well I'm going to go ahead and check you - by the look on her face I knew something was up, she said "Well I'm pretty sure you are complete!" Before she even got out of the room she was on the phone with Dr. Shaw. My regular nurse didn't believe the nursery nurse that I was complete - I went from 6cms to 10cms in under an hour.

Everything seemed to kick into high gear at that point, the nursery nurse was setting up for Norah, my nurse was getting everything set up for Dr. Shaw. I kept saying I felt like I needed to push and they were like, just wait Dr. Shaw will be here any minute! Dr. Shaw walked in and it was "go time". I had been joking all day that I had alot to live up to because I had Jack in one contraction with only 2 pushes. Norah Jane took 2 contractions (4 pushes the first contraction and 3 pushes the second one). Chris informed me that I did indeed poop, again... while I was pushing. I knew I was going to so I wasn't surpised! Ha!

So here is the final score...
1. Mean/Rough Nurse
2. Contractions, Contractions, Contractions
3. Two Attempt Epidural
4. Peed The Bed
5. Nurse Broke My Water - Unintentionally
6. Pooped the Bed
7. Our Recovery/Permanent Room had clogged drains and the Engineering Men (fancy for Maintenance Men) had to come and snake the drains TWICE!

When they put Norah up on my chest it was love at first sight! I could tell she was bigger than her brother was for sure. And it was wonderful to see her healthy - all of our fears and worries had been for nothing! We sure are blessed and so very thankful for her to be here and join our family!

We love you Norah Jane! xoxo

Introducing...

Norah Jane Spear
born: 1-30-12, 6:43 pm
weight: 7 pounds 15.6 ounces
length: 20.5 inches

Sunday, January 29, 2012

...

It's Sunday night at 8:50pm, we have to be at the hospital at 6:00am tomorrow morning. Today has been a whirlwind, I've been extremely tired and spent the majority of the day on the couch. I think we are finally "ready" to go. My bag and BS2's bag is packed, Chris is half-packed and Jack's bag is packed. The house is clean and laundry is done and folded.

I have to admit I'm starting to get anxious/nervous...there are just so many "unknowns" when it comes to labor and delivery and I feel in our case there are a few extra "unknowns" that have started weighing heavily on my mind this past week. I think knowing a week ahead of time of our induction date has almost hindered me in that I've had too much time to think and dwell and I'm not really liking it.

Tomorrow will no doubt be a long day, but also a telling day. Will BS2 be healthy? Who will she look like? Will she have hair? Will Jack hate her at first sight? Etc. Etc. Etc.

Our last weekend as a Family of Three had been enjoyable for the most part, but my emotions have taken over a few times and I've been angry and mean and anxious so I'm just ready for tomorrow to come and finally get the answers we've been wondering about for the last 4-5 months.

I'll update as I can, I added Twitter back on my blog since the tweets will post automatically to my sidebar. I'll also be on Facebook I'm sure, especially if the day moves SLOWLY! I'm going to miss Jack alot while we are at the hospital and I'm going to be so ready to come home BUT then I'm already having anxiety about how life is going to be so different with a newborn and Jack. I already have guilty feelings that Jack will feel replaced or like he isn't as important - he is quite attached to his Momma and I'm very attached to him. This also makes me nervous about how I will do with her, will I love her just as much or will I prefer one over the other? I know people have multiple kids and it just works and you love them both just as much as the other, etc. but I still can't help but wonder...I think that's understandable!?

So wish us luck, I can't wait to see my little girl tomorrow! xoxo

Monday, January 23, 2012

January 30, 2012

I had my doctor appointment with Dr. Shaw this morning. She checked me again and said that I was a good 2cm and still a little thick, but that I had definitely changed/made progress from the week before. So she said, I think we can for sure induce you next week..."How does Tuesday sound?" I was like sure thing! She told me she needed to call over and make sure she could schedule it for Tuesday, well when she came back she said, "Well you are in luck, you get to go Monday!" I guess they already had 3 c-sections scheduled for Tuesday!

So we are to report to the hospital @ 6am Monday morning...January 30th!

On a side note I lost another pound (last week I had lost 2 pounds) and I even had my big fake ugg boots on! That brings total weight gain to 18 pounds! Much better than the 55 I gained with Jack!

Little girl seems to be running out of room lately and is really starting to develop patterns, she is extremely lazy or increadibly active these days! Although it seems she is active when I'm quiet, laying down or watching TV - this could be a bad sign! :-)

Oh, and on another side note - Jack has his first flu! He woke up around 9:30 last night and had thrown up all over the bed! Chris threw him in the bath (the 2nd one of the night) and got him all cleaned up and we made him a little palet on the floor. He only threw up 2 more times, the second time was just stomach acid stuff. The third time was water that he insisted on drinking after he threw up the second time!

He hasn't thrown up today, but I can tell he feels crummy. He drank maybe an ounce or two of water and had a hand full of fruity pebbles (that was Dad's doing), but he hasn't thrown up. I picked up some Pedialyte on my way home from the doctor so I'm hoping once he wakes up a little he will drink some of it! He has to get better before BS2 gets here! :-)

xoxo

Friday, January 20, 2012

37 Weeks...



Yesterday marked 37 weeks! The plan has been to induce at 39 weeks (at the latest) so here's to hoping only 2 more weeks at most! I had my weekly appointment with Dr. Shaw on Monday and she checked me and said I was 1.5 cm dilated BUT that baby was still VERY high! She assumes because of the extra fluid she isn't being forced to drop and is just as happy as a clam still bouncing around. She is head down, but not dropping into my pelvis or whatever. So...this leads to a whole new set of things to consider. If she doesn't drop then we might need to consider a c-section, there is concern that is my water breaks on it's own or if we induced and Dr. Shaw broke my water and her head wasn't engaged yet that the cord could get under her head and come out first or be compressed as the head did come down - neither of these situations are good.

I had never heard of this before, but when I got back to work I was emailing with a couple friends and one of them said that this just happened to a girl she knows. That when her water broke the cord came out so they had to do an emergency c-section! Scary! So I'm not sure how we are going to proceed. I have another appointment on Monday and Dr. Shaw will check to see if I've made any progress or not and probably make a plan then, so be on the look out for an update Monday!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

2011 - Year In Review

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Well, I've been pregnant before, but this is the first time I'm pregnant with a baby GIRL!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My 2011 resolution was to "Enjoy The Moment" and stop stressing over the little things...well I'm not sure that really happened. This year has seemed to be FULL of stress - selling a house, buying a house, getting pregnant, not having a very stress-free pregnancy, etc. If I had to make another resolution for 2012 I'd say 1. Deliver a happy, healthy baby girl, 2. Stop using horrible language in front of Jack, 3. Complete the Warrior Dash in May, 4. Enjoy my family, 5. Get back in shape. I actually saw a picture of a FB friend's yesterday that said "Work Hard, Eat Clean, Talk Dirty" - that might be my motto for 2012 as far as getting healthy and working out.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, Kortney had Saylor in June and Brandy had Preslee in August.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank goodness.
5. What countries did you visit?
Zip, Zilch, Zero
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Zero credit card balances - this is definitely a big goal of ours this year.
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I'm stealing this from a friend, May 22nd - the day of the Joplin tornado.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting out and making new friends. I was invited to join a Bunco group after we moved to Frontenac this past summer and I was hesitant at first, but now I love it and I've gained 11 new friends!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Probably using the TV as a baby sitter for Jack. I've been so tired and on edge this whole pregnancy that it's just easier to let him watch cartoons all night then for me to be an active participant in his play.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our new house! Love it...although we might be having a bad tile job issue that has just cropped up, ugh - it's always something!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
IDK
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Who cares...I definitely learned this year that relationships should not be one sided and if they are they aren't worth your time - so I've moved on.
14. Where did most of your money go?
House, Bills, Decorating
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting pregnant!
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Any of Adelle's songs, she was ALL OVER THE RADIO
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Happier, Fatter, Poorer
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleep
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worry
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve in Columbus, Christmas morning in Columbus, Christmas Day in Chanute
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Not really...
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Criminal Minds (still - I love that show)
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don't hate anyone, but I have evaluated some relationships and decided they weren't worth it.
24. What was the best book you read?
The only book I read this year was Jaycee Dugard's book - it was pretty good.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
IDK
26. What did you want and get?
We sold our house and bought a new one in the exact neighborhood I wanted!
27. What did you want and not get?
A million dollars.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Oh gosh, we watch so many movies I couldn't pick a favorite.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I honestly can't remember, probably didn't do anything on the actual day - probably dinner on the weekend.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
The year has been pretty good, I can't complain too much.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Maternity Clothes, ugh!
32. What kept you sane?
Friends - the few that are always available to talk (meaning text or email - who actually talks on the phone anymore?) and listen - they are the best!
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Kind of funny, but I love the crew of the Kidd Kraddick morning show! Haha!
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
I'm not really informed about politics much, but I guess the whole "The War Is Over" and all the troops coming home would be the one I heard about the most?
35. Who did you miss?
Charlie and George, we gave them both away to new homes, great homes - but I still miss having a little dog around for company!
36. Who was the best new person you met?
Cassie - at work, she is great!
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Time is precious, don't waste a minute.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I'm going to claim pregnancy brain and say IDK?