Avery's Birth Story

Whew, its been 4 weeks and what a crazy, exhausting, wonderful 4 weeks it has been! Thank you for being patient with me (as if you had a choice :) as I've taken my time to finally commit this to the internets. Avery's birth was wonderful and magical and if I could be assured giving birth would be like this every time, I'd have 10 more kids! What made it so awesome? Let's start at the beginning... (also, may be tmi...fair warning)

On the morning of April 24th I had my normal 39/40 week appointment ( I was due on April 26) and my doctor did an exam. How fun! He told me that I was about 1.5 cm and 50% effaced. I could have told him that... my Braxton Hicks had started taking my breath away over the previous few days, but weren't sustained long enough to go to the hospital.  He warned me that I might notice some discharge due to the exam. Well, by the time I got to work, I was having some strong contractions and yes, discharge. BUT, by the time you're 39 weeks preggo, sometimes it is hard to tell if youre peeing your pants or leaking fluid and with Aidan, I actually went to the hospital thinking it was the latter when it was actually the former...so I brushed it off. All afternoon at work I kept having contractions although they weren't super regular. At one point I was looking at my wall calendar and thinking that if I went into the hospital the next day (Wed.) I'd be home by Friday. I just knew something was different this time.

By the time I got home from work I just felt like I had no control over my bladder and when Dr. F walked in the door, I calmly told him that I didn't think he was going into work the next day. All through dinner we started timing my contractions and over the course of the evening they went from 20 min apart to 14-12 min, then by 10 pm they were 5 min apart. We called my parents and told them they might need to get ready to hit the road, but we were going to wait until my contractions were 5 min apart for an hour before going to the hospital. Now this is where things got complicated because they were coming from VA. We called our neighbor who agreed to come over (after I woke up a sick Mary Frances :( I'm so sorry!!), I took a shower and straightened my hair (I looked rough in Aidan's birth pictures and I sure as hell wasn't going to let that happen again!) and then we headed to the hospital around 11:30pm. After confirming with the nurses that I was staying, we told my mom and dad to hit the road and settled in for the big event. I kept complaining about the peeing and guess what?! My water had actually broken and I was leaking fluid, not peeing my pants! Hooray! I had been waiting for a big pop and gush like the first time.

We settled in and as I got comfortable, my contractions slowed down to the point that they had me start walking the halls. Dr. F slept and I walked for about 90 min. It was boring, but the contractions kept coming until I got back in the bed when they stopped again. I also was stalled at 2 cm, despite being 100% effaced. *I totally didnt mind Dr. F sleeping. I knew if this was going to be a long labor, I'd need him to have enough energy to encourage me later on). By 6am the Dr came in (NOT MY DOCTOR! :( it was his partner, whom I didn't really like) and he decided I'd need pitocin to get labor going again. My first thought was NOOOOOOO because how wonderfully that went the first time. However, I had given walking an honest shot and I did go into labor on my own, so I knew this was the next necessary step. I also knew that despite wanting a natural labor, I was not going to feel guilty if I had to get pitocin and needed the epidural. The dr. wanted my contractions to be consistently 4 min apart before the epidural. I actually made it to 7 cm over the next 6 hrs just by concentrating on my breathing and relaxation/visualization. It was hard, but I was so proud of myself. By 11:30 am I was asking for the epidural and by 12pm it was in and I was feeling pretty good. However, like the first time, it wasn't working on my whole body. However, the anesthesiologist was awesome and re positioned the catheter a few times and actually got it to work on both sides of my body! HOORAY! She explained that my anatomy caused the catheter to move and not be as effective. 2 hrs later I had taken a little cat nap and was 10 cm! And just like that, the nurses told me I was ready to push!

Now, this is where all of my reading about natural birth came in. I knew that my body would do most of the work and if I waited until I was truly ready to push, birth would be easier and I would have the best shot of minimizing tearing. One nurse was awesome, one nurse was not so great, but Anthony was such an amazing advocate for me insisting that as long as the baby's heart rate was stable, I wasn't going to push until I was ready. Although, we did agree that if after an hour, I still didnt feel the need to push, I'd try anyway just to see how it went. By 3:30, I sort of felt like pushing, but not a really strong urge. However, we agreed that I'd push 2 or 3 times to see how it went and if necessary, they'd get the doctor for delivery. I pushed 1 time and they stopped me to get the doctor. I didn't know it at the time, but Avery wasthisclose to coming out. The doctor came in, I pushed for less than 10 min (as compared to 4 hrs with LM!!) and Avery was on my belly and Dr. F and I were crying and smiling and completely in love! I delivered the placenta easily and we donated the cord blood to the public bank. Delivering the placenta was one of the worst parts of LM's delivery because they didnt wait for it to come out on its own. I actually felt the dr. (not the same one this time) rip it from my body. It is amazing I didnt hemorage or have scarring on my uterus because of it. This time, it was out and I hardly realized it. OH, and did I mention...no tearing or stiches... HELL YEAH!!

The first thing I did was look to see if she was a boy or girl. I was absolutely not surprised to see that we had a baby girl! I knew the entire time and she is so perfect. She's already got her daddy and her big brother wrapped around her finger and I've been filling her closet with tutus and ruffles. Whew, if you made it this far, I'm impressed! So as a reward...here are some pictures :)

I love this one!!

Getting ready to head to the hospital!

Daddy's little girl

she's here!!

Introducing...

Avery Anne

Avery was born on April 25th weighing in at 7lbs 9 oz and 21 inches. She is absolutely perfect and we are completely smitten.

Avery's birth story coming soon...when I've gotten a little more sleep!

And here's the part where I complain...

I've officially hit that part of the pregnancy where I'm READY to have this baby. I mean, feet swelling, waddling, enduring the most ridiculous things people let fly out of their mouths READY. Let's recap the top three DUMB things I've been told in the last few days:

1. You better be having that baby really soon- no dipshit, its fun being this enormous and I'd like to stay this way for.ever.

2. Wow, your walk has really changed. I mean REALLY changed- oh really? well, lets see how an 8lb baby sitting on your pubic bones changes your walk, ass.

3. Ohhh I can see it in your face, you are just so done (said while higher up at work wants to touch said face, but gets death stare instead)- your powers of deduction are astounding, assclown. I'm a week away from my due date and there is a full-grown newborn HUMAN INSIDE of my body. Do ya think I'm done?

Apparently, this is also the part of my pregnancy where I curse like sailor because my clothes are big enough to hoist as sails...at least, those clothes that still fit...

Happy Hump Day! (but be careful, this could be you in 9mos! ;)

Growing in every way

This week the Little Man has discovered the joy it brings me (and possibly all women) when a man (big or small) brings them flowers. He officially picked his first “flowers” from our back yard and proudly presented them to me. Of course, they were weeds that have little purple flowers on top, but they immediately went into a vase on our kitchen table. Since then he’s constantly trying to pick flowers to bring me and I love it. This is his first gift that has given of his own free will without any prompting from anyone else. That kid has the biggest heart and it’s amazing to see him growing into a person who understands that other people have feelings and that he can influence them…positively and negatively. We’re also talking a lot about not pointing at people or talking about them. Like I said, positive and negative.

LM’s love of giving me flowers has blossomed so much that last night as he and Dr. F were coming in our front door; he tried to rip out some of the flowers we have planted next to our door. Dr. F quickly stopped him reminding him how hard we all worked to make them look so nice, but our sweet sweet boy started to tear up saying he just wanted to pick flowers to give to me. Our hearts completely melted. Dr. F felt terrible, but I couldn’t blame him for not wanting our new flowers torn out and one never can tell what a 3 yr old’s true intentions are. We all snuggled and Dr. F told LM that they would find other flowers to give to Mommy. All was quickly right with the world as the boys played some basketball and I got dinner together.

Last night was also interesting because after dinner I was completely laid up on the couch with painful contractions 4 minutes apart for almost 2 hours. OH that was fun. It actually might have been “fun” if I wasn’t only 36 weeks and Dr. F didn’t have his exam this weekend. At least it gave me a lot of practice breathing and relaxing…and I didn’t do a single dish and watched American Idol guilt free. It also got me thinking about just how exciting it is that we’ll be meeting SB soon. And SB will soon have a name! And I won’t get the random comments in the elevator at work begging me not to go into labor. Seriously, yesterday some guy who works on another floor just had to check to make sure I wasn’t due any second. It’s a 20 second elevator ride, dude. Calm yourself. My co-workers also demanded that I put my Dr.’s #, my parents’ and Dr. F’s phone numbers up in my cubicle…you know, just in case I go into spontaneous labor and am rendered unable to communicate… of course, most of them haven’t had kids and are totally freaked out about the possibility that I’ll have this kid right here on the floor of my cube. And I kinda go along with it, just because I get a kick out of watching them freak out a little J     

    

Happy Thursday!

Questions

1. LM: "Mommy, when the baby comes out of your belly, will your belly break?" Me: "No, my belly will just get smaller again (I hope!)" LM: "Oh! Good! Then we can snuggle in the daddy chair again!"

2. LM: "Mom, why do I have nipples?" Me: "That's the age old question, kiddo. I have NO idea."

3. what waddles like a penguin, grunts like a weight lifter, and moves slower than molasses in winter? ME.

I was 35 weeks yesterday and between the baby shifting down (oh holy pubic bones) and the amazing (warm) weather, my feet have started to swell and I am having trouble walking. I've even been having a ton of contractions, and they are way stronger than I remember with LM, at least this early. I actually had one that made me nauseous and another one that was so strong, it woke me up in the middle of the night. I know this is all good because that means my body is gearing up and we're getting so anxious to meet Stranger Baby, but I'm hoping (yes, despite the increasing discomfort!) that this doesn't mean SB is planning to make an early appearance... Dr. F has his big nasty exam next weekend, he's got evening lectures the following week, and then my dr. is on vacation the week after that. Basically, the next 3 weeks are a no go, after that, game on.

Happy Friday!!

Ready for my close up!

Yesterday we had our last ultrasound for Stranger Baby. It was amazing! I've never had a 3D ultrasound and wasn't expecting it at all, but suddenly the tech flipped a switch and the most perfect little face appeared! SB's hand is even resting under his/her chin in the Thinker pose.

We also got the great news that the baby looks perfectly healthy, has a full head of hair (no surprise there!), is head down (I already knew that thanks to the copious amount of kicking directly to my ribs) and weighs almost 5lbs already...that last part isn't so fabulous. I mean, its great, but also means we're looking at another 8+ pounder. UGHH.

Dr. F thinks the baby looks like a boy, and I kinda think he's right...but who can really tell? I resisted the (enormous) temptation to find out if the baby is a boy or girl and now there is no way we will know until SB is born. I even read the report just in case I "accidentally" came across the sex, but to no avail. I'm kicking myself. Despite the cute yellow outfits I bought, I really just wish I knew. At least we've settled on our boy and girl names...and even started talking about names for baby #3. Dr. F even initiated this conversation! Let's get this one here first, ok babe?

My camera is also dying a slow and painful death... the lag time is unbelievable between pictures, and that's if it decides to actually take a picture when the shutter is pressed. I really didn't want to spend the money because we're trying so hard to save money...but we can't be a few weeks away from having a new baby with no camera. I read a ton of reviews and ended up going with this baby:

                                         

It got fantastic reviews on image clarity and shutter speed: two things I am really looking for in a camera. What I really wanted was a fancy DSLR camera, but that is no way in the realm of our budget, even a cheap one, so I need a quality point and shoot. I can't wait to get my hot little hands on it! And of course, I had a coupon for $10 off and opted for in-store pick up to avoid the shipping charges. Never pay full price for anything!! :)

Ramblings

Ok, so I have been majorly neglecting my blog lately. I even managed to let February go by completely without a single post. Brilliant. I guess so much has been going on around here that I've not managed to finish one of the 50 million posts I have sitting in my drafts box. Well, it is a quiet day at the office (shhhhh, don't tell!) and I have enjoyed reading everyone else's posts so much...so here goes nothing.

Yesterday my office building opened a gym in our building and it is only $10/mo! and you only pay for the months you use! HOLLAR!! They were supposed to open back in Jan., and I've been stalking them since because this momma needs to move. I used to be a total gym rat back in my single girl days in DC and I miss it like whoa. Obviously, there are more important things going on in my life, but that bit of self-indulgence and me time at the gym... anyway...enough whining. I hit it up yesterday and I felt AMAZING.  I can't push myself too hard or I start having contractions and/or pee my pants (TMI, youre welcome), but the boost in mood alone was worth it. I even slept better than I have in months.

Speaking of sleep and contractions, I'm getting very little of the first and very much of the latter. This happened with Aidan as well, including a 2hr episode of braxton hicks contractions every 10 min when I was 33 weeks along. Yesterday I hit the 32 week mark (and could theoretically deliver in 5 weeks!!!) and this bambino has taken to squirming and jumping and hiccuping right under my ribs. Although, this time my heartburn is much less and my swelling is significantly lower. I am actually still wearing my wedding rings, which is nothing short of a miracle. For any future children, I will demand that I'm only pregnant in the winter! I'm sure having my thyroid levels carefully monitored and regulated by meds isnt hurting either :)

2 weeks ago I also broke down and bought a boy and girl "coming home" outfits. I couldn't contain myself any more and I've started packing my hospital bag. I know I know, I still have some time, but not knowing if this baby is a boy or girl (I've secretly started calling him/her "stranger baby"), I haven't prepared the way I did with Aidan. So I'm doing all of the gender non-specific things I can think of to satisfy my inner planner. I also had to force myself not to buy any extra girl clothes, but they are all so damn cute! And I did make myself buy some yellow and green clothes, but it was not fun. I will never be surprised again, this is miserable despite the fact that Dr. F is loving the surprise. Enjoy it this time, buddy.

This is the back of the girl onesie. Ahhh so cute!

Of course, I also snagged a big brother shirt for the proudest big brother. 

In other pregnancy news, the honeymoon trimester is soooo over. I am trying my best not to waddle and I think keeping up with Aidan has been very instrumental in keeping me mobile. But let me tell you what, I am ready to get some mobility back. I'm thrilled with how my body has handled this pregnancy as far as weight gain  goes (I've also not indulged in quite the number of bagel breakfast sandwiches this time...) and I'm all belly. However, I'm pretty over the massive effort it takes to simply get myself out of bed in the morning. I also really miss being able to really hug Dr. F. I felt this way with Aidan too and it was one of the things I craved the most when I was expecting him...full body contact with my hubby! It sounds silly, but try hugging your man with a beach ball in between you...its like middle school dances at Catholic school where you have to "leave room for the Holy Spirit." 

My cravings have also been pretty mundane. I had the usual insatiable appetite for cheese in my second trimester (namely queso and brie), the need to consume mass quantities of cold milk and felt like pbj sandwiches were delicacies (usually I like them, but this was more like liking them). Lately I've been trying to control myself where chocolate is concerned. I have only a modicum of self-control in the chocolate department and that is being generous.

If you made it this far, I'm impressed :) The flood gates have opened and I'll have to post more soon about Downtown Abbey (Amazing!!), couch dates (Moneyball was so good!) and even a belly shot or two... Happy Friday!