Hello,
I have decided it is finally time to get serious about losing these pregnancy pounds. I didn't want to put alot of pressure on myself to lose the baby weight right away because I knew it would be too much stress at once. While on maternity leave I focused on her, and the first month back at work I was just trying to make it through the day. Belle is 3 1/2 months old and I'm finally getting into a routine. I'm getting more rest because she is a much better sleeper now. I should have time now to workout consistently again which is something I have missed. I enjoy exercising so that isn't a problem, it is watching what I eat that gives me trouble. My friend and I have committed to losing weight together and it will be helpful to have an accountability partner. As the weather gets warmer and the shorts and bathing suits (eeekk!) are about to come out of the closet, I know I won't be happy with how I look unless I lose weight I wasn't in best shape before I got pregnant, so I also want to lose some weight beyond what I gained with Belle.
Here are the stats:
*I gained 25 pounds while pregnant. (I only carried her until 7 1/2 months, imagine if I went the entire 9 months!)
*While I was breastfeeding I was able to lose about 12 pounds, but I gained some of it back once I stopped, so I have only lost 8 pounds total.
*Therefore, I have 17 pounds to lose to get to my pre-prenancy weight. This will be my first goal.
*I also want to lose an additional 35 pounds to get to the weight I was when I got married almost 5 years ago! I was pleased with the way I looked at that size. People are telling you the truth when they say marriage will make you fat and happy :-) This will be my second goal.
The Plan:
*I am going to use Weight Watchers online to keep track of my food intake. Weight Watchers gives you an allotted number of points to use for the week, and if you do not exceed those points you should be able to lose weight. I desperately need the help because I am not good with portion control or eating healthy!
*There is a very nice gym at work, and the best time for me to exercise is during my lunch break. If I wait to workout at home it will probably not get done because I'm busy with the baby. My goal is to exercise 4 times a week for 30 minutes. I will start out doing light cardio and some weights. Once I build my endurance again I will extend my workout sessions.
*I would like to lose about 1-2 pounds a week. I want to lose the weight slowly so I can keep it off. I am a bridesmaid in a wedding in June, and I would like to be at my pre-pregnancy weight by then.
It is also important to me to be healthy so I can take care of Belle. So here's to becoming a hot mama!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
3 Months Old and My Return to Blogging
I know I've been gone from blogging for months now, but I've been really busy! Since my last post I have returned to work after maternity leave, Sean has started training for his new job, and Belle is already three months old! I have missed blogging about Belle's first few months of life, but to be honest it was probably a good thing because the transition into parenting was tough. She was more difficult to take care of because of being being born 7 weeks early. We had to feed her consistently every 2 to 3 hours so she would gain weight quickly. Also, the newborn stage lasted a long time because she was a premie, so all she did was eat, sleep, and pee/poop. We also had major colic issues when she was two months old. I remember one weekend me and Sean got a total of maybe five hours of sleep between the two of us! That was the same weekend of my 2 a.m. Walgreens run to beg the pharmacist for advice. We learned about gripe water and gas drops, what a lifesaver! A few weeks later, her first emergency room visit was fortunately not a big deal. We noticed she had a hernia and wanted to get it checked out over the weekend. It was funny because when we were in the waiting room I mentioned to Sean that all the people there had carseats, obviously we weren't the only nervous, new parents!
Adjusting to going back to work after eight weeks of maternity leave was a very difficult time for me. I experienced the typical "mommy guilt," and I still wish I could stay home with her. Belle stays with both grandmothers during the weekdays so I know that she is in the best care possible. Now that we are used to the daily routine it is much better. She is finally used to her all-formula diet, and her gas issues only occassionally cause her problems. Belle was never a good breastfeeder because she was a premie and could not latch well. I pumped for her while I was home on maternity leave, but I had to stop when I went back to work. She never really co-slept with us because I was always afraid of SIDS. For awhile she slept in her bassinet beside our bed, but she made so many noises that I could not sleep. We moved her to the nursery and we use the baby monitor at night. It also helped when Sean and I would switch off on night duty in the beginning because one of us could sleep in the guest room with the monitor and the other one could sleep in our bedroom without any noise to wake us up. Now that she sleeps for 4 to 5 hours at a time at night instead of 2 to 3 hours, we can both sleep in our comfortable, king size bed. She was sleeping in her bassinet until just last week. Our girl grew too long for the bassinet and it is hard to believe she was once a 3 lb, 9 oz premie!
Now that she is three months old her little personality is shining through. She loves to play and her favorite time of day is early in the morning (6 a.m.!) I can't resist sticking around later than I should before going to work to kiss and play with her when she is so happy. Today we got two big smiles out of her while she was on her changing pad doing her aerobics (i.e. lying there kicking her legs like crazy). As soon as Sean got the video camera out she stopped, go figure. This is my absolute favorite time of day because I get to see her so awake and happy!
3 months old on 3/12/12: What a big girl in blue jeans!
She has outgrown her bassinet and now sleeps in her crib as of 3/9/12 and loves it!
Here are a few things I want to write down before I forget:
-Belle, when we last weighed you a few weeks ago, you were 10 lbs, 1.5 oz. I'm pretty sure that you are closer to 11 lbs now!
-In the past two weeks you have really enjoyed playing. Your favorite thing to do is to lay down on your changing pad and kick your legs like crazy. You also enjoy laying on your activity mat and looking at the toys and mirror. Last Sunday I was able to leave you there for almost an hour while you entertained yourself. You will sit in your swing, but only for ten minutes at a time before you get upset/bored. I haven't tried to use the Bumbo seat yet because you can't hold your head up very well. We are working on head and neck control by doing 5 to 10 minutes of tummy time every day. Sometimes you do well at tummy time and hold your head up and look around and other days you just lie there. It is so cute seeing you kick your legs like you're swimming. I can see that in a few short months you will be sitting up and crawling for sure! Lights, ceiling fans, and your mobile in your crib are your favorite things to look at and they keep your undivided attention.
-You definitely recognize the sound of our voices. Whenever mommy and daddy talk to you, you turn your head and look at us. You smile on a daily basis now when we talk in our animated voices, and Grandma swears that you giggled yesterday! We can tell you want to laugh out loud, but the sound just won't come out quite yet. You will open your mouth really wide when daddy tickles your knees! You make a few cooing noises, but haven't started consistent babbling yet.
-One of the funniest things that Belle does is pout. When her mouth begins to frown and her bottom lip sticks out we will talk to her in sweet voices to get her to stop before the crying begins. Sean says he can already tell she is going to be a handful when she gets older.
-Having a regular nightly routine is easier said than done. We try to give you a bath every other day, but sometimes you are so tired you nap all evening long. This usually happens when she doesn't nap well during the day or has a fussy day due to gas or constipation. You are very grumpy when we wake you up before you are ready, and it takes you a long time to calm down.
-You are not the best sleeper yet, but we're getting there. Hopefully when she is four months old and can have rice cereal she will sleep through the night! We usually give you the nighttime bottle around 9:30-10:00 pm. You usually sleep for 4 to 5 hours at night before we have to give you your "dream feed." The dream feed is between 2:00-3:30 a.m., and we feed you quickly and try to get you to go right back to sleep. Then you sleep another 2 to 3 hours before waking up around 5:30-6:00 a.m. We are working on not feeding you very much at night and calming you down when you wake up with a pacifer or rocking you instead. Whenever you wake up in the morning you are in the best mood! You are an early bird (like your mom, unlike your dad) and this is your favorite time of the day. Yesterday your daddy found you in your crib wide awake at 6 a.m. just staring at the ceiling fan, you didn't even cry to get our attention so we had no idea you were even up!
-You drink the regular Enfamil infant formula and take usually 6-7, 4 oz bottles a day. We give you Zantac for acid reflux, gas drops, and gripe water. I'm not sure which medications work, but your colic has subsided so I'm not willing to stop it just yet.
-We tried to give you Gentlease and Prosobee formulas to see if that would help with the gas, but you hated the taste. So apparently you like the taste of milk for sure!
-You have always been a bottle drinker and we have tried every bottle out there. Now we have invested in Dr. Brown's bottles and you are doing great on them.
-Sometimes the formula makes you constipated so we give you an ounce of pear juice to help. You usually only poop once every other day, but when you go it is a big one!
-Monday through Thursday you stay with your Grandma (Sean's mom). She has a complete nursery set up for you and you feel right at home. On Fridays you stay with Yay (my mom) and you have just as much fun over there. You are so blessed to have both of your grandmothers watching you while mommy and daddy go to work. When we move in September because of daddy's new job you will have to go to daycare. I am dreading having to do this, but hopefully you will be able to play and have fun with the other babies because you will be 9 months old by then.
-We usually drop you off around 7 am and pick you up around 4:30 pm. My second happiest time of day is when I get to see your sweet face in the afternoon after a long day at work!
-Our evenings usually go like this: Pick Belle up, make dinner and do chores, watch television, play with Belle, do tummy time, give her a bath, feed her, and put her to bed.
-Because the work week is so hectic we really do cherish our weekends together. We sleep in a little later, play together, go out to eat, run errands, and go to church. Now we know the best times to take her places. She has to be awake when we put her in the car seat because this little one is very cranky when she is woken up. Also, she cannot be out and about for a long time, but hopefully that will change as she gets older. She has not been in the church nursery yet, but I think next week will be a good time to start since she is 3 months old now.
-These past few months have been a learning experience for sure. Our lives are completely different now. Sleepless nights, being busy constantly, and staying tired all the time are the norm. I have become an expert at one-handed eating because Belle always wants to be held right when we sit down for dinner :-) We used to be social butterflies. We had date nights, participated in numerous activities, spent time with friends, and went out to eat all the time. Now we stay home for the most part and enjoy the little things in life alot more. God has blessed us with a healthy and happy daughter, and we are so grateful to have this precious time with her.
Adjusting to going back to work after eight weeks of maternity leave was a very difficult time for me. I experienced the typical "mommy guilt," and I still wish I could stay home with her. Belle stays with both grandmothers during the weekdays so I know that she is in the best care possible. Now that we are used to the daily routine it is much better. She is finally used to her all-formula diet, and her gas issues only occassionally cause her problems. Belle was never a good breastfeeder because she was a premie and could not latch well. I pumped for her while I was home on maternity leave, but I had to stop when I went back to work. She never really co-slept with us because I was always afraid of SIDS. For awhile she slept in her bassinet beside our bed, but she made so many noises that I could not sleep. We moved her to the nursery and we use the baby monitor at night. It also helped when Sean and I would switch off on night duty in the beginning because one of us could sleep in the guest room with the monitor and the other one could sleep in our bedroom without any noise to wake us up. Now that she sleeps for 4 to 5 hours at a time at night instead of 2 to 3 hours, we can both sleep in our comfortable, king size bed. She was sleeping in her bassinet until just last week. Our girl grew too long for the bassinet and it is hard to believe she was once a 3 lb, 9 oz premie!
Now that she is three months old her little personality is shining through. She loves to play and her favorite time of day is early in the morning (6 a.m.!) I can't resist sticking around later than I should before going to work to kiss and play with her when she is so happy. Today we got two big smiles out of her while she was on her changing pad doing her aerobics (i.e. lying there kicking her legs like crazy). As soon as Sean got the video camera out she stopped, go figure. This is my absolute favorite time of day because I get to see her so awake and happy!
3 months old on 3/12/12: What a big girl in blue jeans!
She has outgrown her bassinet and now sleeps in her crib as of 3/9/12 and loves it!
Here are a few things I want to write down before I forget:
-Belle, when we last weighed you a few weeks ago, you were 10 lbs, 1.5 oz. I'm pretty sure that you are closer to 11 lbs now!
-In the past two weeks you have really enjoyed playing. Your favorite thing to do is to lay down on your changing pad and kick your legs like crazy. You also enjoy laying on your activity mat and looking at the toys and mirror. Last Sunday I was able to leave you there for almost an hour while you entertained yourself. You will sit in your swing, but only for ten minutes at a time before you get upset/bored. I haven't tried to use the Bumbo seat yet because you can't hold your head up very well. We are working on head and neck control by doing 5 to 10 minutes of tummy time every day. Sometimes you do well at tummy time and hold your head up and look around and other days you just lie there. It is so cute seeing you kick your legs like you're swimming. I can see that in a few short months you will be sitting up and crawling for sure! Lights, ceiling fans, and your mobile in your crib are your favorite things to look at and they keep your undivided attention.
-You definitely recognize the sound of our voices. Whenever mommy and daddy talk to you, you turn your head and look at us. You smile on a daily basis now when we talk in our animated voices, and Grandma swears that you giggled yesterday! We can tell you want to laugh out loud, but the sound just won't come out quite yet. You will open your mouth really wide when daddy tickles your knees! You make a few cooing noises, but haven't started consistent babbling yet.
-One of the funniest things that Belle does is pout. When her mouth begins to frown and her bottom lip sticks out we will talk to her in sweet voices to get her to stop before the crying begins. Sean says he can already tell she is going to be a handful when she gets older.
-Having a regular nightly routine is easier said than done. We try to give you a bath every other day, but sometimes you are so tired you nap all evening long. This usually happens when she doesn't nap well during the day or has a fussy day due to gas or constipation. You are very grumpy when we wake you up before you are ready, and it takes you a long time to calm down.
-You are not the best sleeper yet, but we're getting there. Hopefully when she is four months old and can have rice cereal she will sleep through the night! We usually give you the nighttime bottle around 9:30-10:00 pm. You usually sleep for 4 to 5 hours at night before we have to give you your "dream feed." The dream feed is between 2:00-3:30 a.m., and we feed you quickly and try to get you to go right back to sleep. Then you sleep another 2 to 3 hours before waking up around 5:30-6:00 a.m. We are working on not feeding you very much at night and calming you down when you wake up with a pacifer or rocking you instead. Whenever you wake up in the morning you are in the best mood! You are an early bird (like your mom, unlike your dad) and this is your favorite time of the day. Yesterday your daddy found you in your crib wide awake at 6 a.m. just staring at the ceiling fan, you didn't even cry to get our attention so we had no idea you were even up!
-You drink the regular Enfamil infant formula and take usually 6-7, 4 oz bottles a day. We give you Zantac for acid reflux, gas drops, and gripe water. I'm not sure which medications work, but your colic has subsided so I'm not willing to stop it just yet.
-We tried to give you Gentlease and Prosobee formulas to see if that would help with the gas, but you hated the taste. So apparently you like the taste of milk for sure!
-You have always been a bottle drinker and we have tried every bottle out there. Now we have invested in Dr. Brown's bottles and you are doing great on them.
-Sometimes the formula makes you constipated so we give you an ounce of pear juice to help. You usually only poop once every other day, but when you go it is a big one!
-Monday through Thursday you stay with your Grandma (Sean's mom). She has a complete nursery set up for you and you feel right at home. On Fridays you stay with Yay (my mom) and you have just as much fun over there. You are so blessed to have both of your grandmothers watching you while mommy and daddy go to work. When we move in September because of daddy's new job you will have to go to daycare. I am dreading having to do this, but hopefully you will be able to play and have fun with the other babies because you will be 9 months old by then.
-We usually drop you off around 7 am and pick you up around 4:30 pm. My second happiest time of day is when I get to see your sweet face in the afternoon after a long day at work!
-Our evenings usually go like this: Pick Belle up, make dinner and do chores, watch television, play with Belle, do tummy time, give her a bath, feed her, and put her to bed.
-Because the work week is so hectic we really do cherish our weekends together. We sleep in a little later, play together, go out to eat, run errands, and go to church. Now we know the best times to take her places. She has to be awake when we put her in the car seat because this little one is very cranky when she is woken up. Also, she cannot be out and about for a long time, but hopefully that will change as she gets older. She has not been in the church nursery yet, but I think next week will be a good time to start since she is 3 months old now.
-These past few months have been a learning experience for sure. Our lives are completely different now. Sleepless nights, being busy constantly, and staying tired all the time are the norm. I have become an expert at one-handed eating because Belle always wants to be held right when we sit down for dinner :-) We used to be social butterflies. We had date nights, participated in numerous activities, spent time with friends, and went out to eat all the time. Now we stay home for the most part and enjoy the little things in life alot more. God has blessed us with a healthy and happy daughter, and we are so grateful to have this precious time with her.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Belle's Birth Story
Hello,
I've finally returned to blogging after some very wonderful and hectic weeks learning how to be a mommy. First, I want to write down Belle's incredible birth story so we'll never forget how it happened. I left off with my last post waiting patiently in the hospital on mandatory bedrest because my water broke early. My OB wanted to wait to induce labor until after I was 34 weeks along which would have been December 15th. Instead, Isabelle decided that five days of bedrest was long enough, and she arrived on her own time on December 12, 2011 at 4:15 p.m. Here's the story:
On Sunday night (December 11th) Sean had already left the hospital to sleep after spending the day with me. I tried to relax by watching television, but I noticed that my lower back was hurting. I just assumed it was due to sleeping for days in the uncomfortable hospital bed. At around 10 p.m. the pain was keeping me from sleeping, so I asked the nurse for some Tylenlol and a heating pad. After about two hours the pain was getting worse and not better. The nurse decided to hook me up to the monitor to check the baby's heart rate. She also gave me a button to push whenever I felt the pain increase. I had never felt contractions before so I wasn't sure if this was what I was experiencing, and I was confused because all the pain was in my back and not my abdomen. I called and woke Sean up at about 1:30 a.m., and he said he would come first thing in the morning. I was in early labor all night long and could not sleep. Apparently, the medication they were giving me to stop my labor for all those days could not supersede nature. Our sweet girl had a mind of her own and was ready to arrive!
Sean arrived at the hospital at 7:30 a.m. and ate breakfast while I watched. Actually, I snuck some food even though the nurse did not want me to eat anything until I saw the doctor. My OB came by around 9:00 a.m. and confirmed I was having contractions. She ordered Pictocin and said I could have my epidural at any time. We were moved from the high-risk pregnancy unit to a labor and delivery room. Now, this is where it gets interesting.
We had decided long ago to not have anyone else in the delivery room except for me and Sean. What we hadn't discussed was if we were going to let our parents and others wait in the waiting room while I was in labor. Everyone had been calling us daily since I had been in the hospital to see how I was doing so it was going to be very difficult to keep it a secret. Ultimately, we decided we didn't even want anyone there, even in the waiting room so we basically lied to anyone who called/texted us that day. For instance, my mom called at noon and asked how I was doing. I was in the middle of a contraction so I braced my hands on the side of the bed and said, "Fine, everything is good, bye!" We also had to ask our visitors to keep the delivery a secret from our families for the time being. A friend from work stopped by and I had Sean meet her in the lobby to tell her what was going on. Then, our pastor from church came by for a surprise visit and he was re-directed to labor and delivery. When he came in he realized what was going on, told us he was praying for us, and left within five minutes. Also, Sean's aunt and my best friend's mom both work at Baptist. They had visited me regularly while I had been in the hospital. Both discovered that afternoon that we had moved rooms and we made them promise to not tell the grandparents until we were ready.
Now back to the actual labor story. I was trying to not have the epidural until the last possible moment because I wanted to be able to stand up and move around during the contractions. The contractions were bearable as long as I tried to focus on something else during the pain. At noon I was 3-4 centimeters and the pain was getting worse. A nurse from the NICU came by to explain what would happen once Belle was born, and I could barely focus on what she was saying because my contractions were so painful. I would have to ask her to stop talking and grip the bedrails until it passed. I went ahead and said I wanted the epidural and fortunately the anesthesiologist was nearby. I was in so much pain from the contractions that the thought of a needle in my spine didn't faze me. I didn't feel any pain, just a cold stinging. After a few minutes the epidural began to work, and I felt my legs and feet go numb. Fortunately, that was when we had our surprise visitors stop by and I was able to talk to them. Sean and I were starting to relax that afternoon and I was looking forward to getting a nap in before I had to push. Instead, about an hour after my epidural, I noticed it began to wear off. I was slightly numb, and when the contractions came I could feel the pain especially on my right side. I requested to see the doctor. A different anesthesiologist came by and asked me if I wanted a second epidural. I went against my instinct and said okay. Now looking back, I should have just declined because apparently they do not work very well on me. It was almost 3:00 p.m. by the time he was able to administer the second epidural, and I had progressed so quickly that there wasn't enough time for the epidural to take full effect. The nurse called for my OB to come at 3:50 and she arrived ten minutes later. Those were the longest ten minutes of my life because I had started to feel the urge to push. The nurse told me I couldn't push until my doctor arrived, and it took everything I had to keep myself from pushing.
Well, at 4:00 p.m. my OB arrived, prepped everything and had me start pushing. The first round of pushing I wasn't sure how to do it. I pushed but I wasn't focused and exhausted myself quickly. By the second round of pushing I knew what to do. I think I only had to push 6 or 7 rounds before her head was out. Sean was by my side the entire time and I'm pretty sure I bruised his hand. The last round of pushing was the biggest relief because her body finally came out. Sean said I pushed so hard she shot out like a rocket! Belle was born at 4:15 p.m. She was 3 pounds 9 ounces and 15 3/4 inches when she was born. He wasn't able to cut the cord because it was wrapped around the baby's neck. My OB cut the cord quickly and she immediately started crying! That was the most joyous noise to my ears! They took her over to the side of the room to clean her up and get her hooked her up to monitors due to her premature status. My husband was so sweet and started crying. He also was able to film her with our camera while my doctor completed my stitches and delivered the placenta. I was not able to hold her, but they did bring her over to me so I could see her for a moment before they took her to the NICU. To be honest, I was so exhausted from the labor that it didn't matter that much to me. I knew she was in excellent hands and that we would see her soon.
After she was taken to NICU and my OB had left, we started calling the grandparents. It was fun calling them and telling them to come to the hospital right away because Isabelle had been born. They all pretty much said, "What, the baby's been born?" "Okay, we'll be there right away!" My dad was so excited that he ended up being late to the hospital because he rear-ended someone on the freeway! He said the traffic ticket was worth it! Sean's parents handled the news pretty well and were just excited to see Belle. My mom was a little upset with me since I lied to her on the phone earlier. Fortunately, she got over that pretty quickly once she got to go see her sweet granddaughter. We had family visitors all evening long, and Sean had to take them two at a time to see her in the NICU. I was the last to see her, and they took me by her bed on the way up to the recovery room. I had not cried the entire day, but as soon as I got to see her sweet face I burst into tears! It was the best moment ever sitting there holding her hand with Sean by my side. Ultimately, Sean and I were happy about our decision to go through the labor and delivery by ourselves. It was never stressed about having family waiting on us for hours, and it was special knowing only me and Sean shared the experience of bringing our daughter into the world. We became a family in an instant, and I don't regret a thing.
I was taken up to the recovery room and finally allowed myself to relax. Obviously I had never been pregnant before, I had never given birth before, and I had never had to recover from a birth before. I was bleeding quite a bit, but I thought it was normal. My nurse on the recovery floor helped me to the restroom before I tried to go to sleep. She also noticed I was bleeding alot and was passing huge blood clots. I was bleeding so much that by midnight she became concerned and contacted the doctor on call. At 1:30 a.m. the doctor arrived to examine me. This was the most painful experience, much more painful than childbirth. I was already sore and torn from the delivery that it made the examination unbearable. I immediately started crying due to pain. Sean later said he was so upset because he thought it lasted longer than it needed to. The doctor determined I had some type of laceration that had not been stitched and had me taken down to the operation room. I was relieved and thought it would be a simple fix with a few stitches. This was not the case. As soon as we arrived back downstairs two anesthesiologists began asking me all kinds of questions about my medical history. Then, several nurses came in to prep me. I knew this was major surgery when I was being wheeled into the stark white operating room. The doctor asked me if I wanted an epidural or to be put under. This time I knew exactly what I wanted, "Put me under!" because I was afraid the epidural would not work. In the meantime, they scared Sean pretty badly while he was waiting on me. They told him it could be an easy fix or it could be so severe that I could lose my uterus! He was upset and called my mom and his mom to tell them what was going on. Fortunately, it was an "easy fix" and they repaired a blood vessel that ruptured while I was pushing. The surgery only took a half hour, and we still found a little humor in the whole situation. Apparently, when I woke up from the anesthesia I was pretty violent. So violent that I tried to pull the breathing tube out and scratched one of the nurses all over her arm. Sean told me all of this while I was in the recovery room waking up. The nurse that I had scratched was still in the room checking my vitals. I was still pretty drugged and I said groggily, "Did I scratch you?" She said, "Yes, but that's okay it happens all the time." Then I said in my drugged state with no sympathy in my voice, "Sorry." and turned my held and fell back asleep! Sean told me later her arm looked like a cat attacked her, and she was definitely annoyed. He said it was all he could do to not laugh out loud!
I stayed in the hospital an additional two days to recover. It took me about four days to feel back to normal after giving birth. While I was there the lactation consultant helped me express milk so we could give Belle some clostrum. We visited her several times a day, and I was comforted knowing she was just downstairs. It was so hard leaving her in the hospital while I went home. By the grace of God, she was born healthy and never required any oxygen or assistance while in the NICU. She had an ECHO and we confirmed that she had no congenital heart defects. I will have to put up a second post about the first two weeks of her life, and how we finally were able to bring her home.
Right after Belle was born
Isn't she beautiful
The first time I got to hold her and I was definitely crying.
A proud daddy: the first time Sean got to hold her.
I've finally returned to blogging after some very wonderful and hectic weeks learning how to be a mommy. First, I want to write down Belle's incredible birth story so we'll never forget how it happened. I left off with my last post waiting patiently in the hospital on mandatory bedrest because my water broke early. My OB wanted to wait to induce labor until after I was 34 weeks along which would have been December 15th. Instead, Isabelle decided that five days of bedrest was long enough, and she arrived on her own time on December 12, 2011 at 4:15 p.m. Here's the story:
On Sunday night (December 11th) Sean had already left the hospital to sleep after spending the day with me. I tried to relax by watching television, but I noticed that my lower back was hurting. I just assumed it was due to sleeping for days in the uncomfortable hospital bed. At around 10 p.m. the pain was keeping me from sleeping, so I asked the nurse for some Tylenlol and a heating pad. After about two hours the pain was getting worse and not better. The nurse decided to hook me up to the monitor to check the baby's heart rate. She also gave me a button to push whenever I felt the pain increase. I had never felt contractions before so I wasn't sure if this was what I was experiencing, and I was confused because all the pain was in my back and not my abdomen. I called and woke Sean up at about 1:30 a.m., and he said he would come first thing in the morning. I was in early labor all night long and could not sleep. Apparently, the medication they were giving me to stop my labor for all those days could not supersede nature. Our sweet girl had a mind of her own and was ready to arrive!
Sean arrived at the hospital at 7:30 a.m. and ate breakfast while I watched. Actually, I snuck some food even though the nurse did not want me to eat anything until I saw the doctor. My OB came by around 9:00 a.m. and confirmed I was having contractions. She ordered Pictocin and said I could have my epidural at any time. We were moved from the high-risk pregnancy unit to a labor and delivery room. Now, this is where it gets interesting.
We had decided long ago to not have anyone else in the delivery room except for me and Sean. What we hadn't discussed was if we were going to let our parents and others wait in the waiting room while I was in labor. Everyone had been calling us daily since I had been in the hospital to see how I was doing so it was going to be very difficult to keep it a secret. Ultimately, we decided we didn't even want anyone there, even in the waiting room so we basically lied to anyone who called/texted us that day. For instance, my mom called at noon and asked how I was doing. I was in the middle of a contraction so I braced my hands on the side of the bed and said, "Fine, everything is good, bye!" We also had to ask our visitors to keep the delivery a secret from our families for the time being. A friend from work stopped by and I had Sean meet her in the lobby to tell her what was going on. Then, our pastor from church came by for a surprise visit and he was re-directed to labor and delivery. When he came in he realized what was going on, told us he was praying for us, and left within five minutes. Also, Sean's aunt and my best friend's mom both work at Baptist. They had visited me regularly while I had been in the hospital. Both discovered that afternoon that we had moved rooms and we made them promise to not tell the grandparents until we were ready.
Now back to the actual labor story. I was trying to not have the epidural until the last possible moment because I wanted to be able to stand up and move around during the contractions. The contractions were bearable as long as I tried to focus on something else during the pain. At noon I was 3-4 centimeters and the pain was getting worse. A nurse from the NICU came by to explain what would happen once Belle was born, and I could barely focus on what she was saying because my contractions were so painful. I would have to ask her to stop talking and grip the bedrails until it passed. I went ahead and said I wanted the epidural and fortunately the anesthesiologist was nearby. I was in so much pain from the contractions that the thought of a needle in my spine didn't faze me. I didn't feel any pain, just a cold stinging. After a few minutes the epidural began to work, and I felt my legs and feet go numb. Fortunately, that was when we had our surprise visitors stop by and I was able to talk to them. Sean and I were starting to relax that afternoon and I was looking forward to getting a nap in before I had to push. Instead, about an hour after my epidural, I noticed it began to wear off. I was slightly numb, and when the contractions came I could feel the pain especially on my right side. I requested to see the doctor. A different anesthesiologist came by and asked me if I wanted a second epidural. I went against my instinct and said okay. Now looking back, I should have just declined because apparently they do not work very well on me. It was almost 3:00 p.m. by the time he was able to administer the second epidural, and I had progressed so quickly that there wasn't enough time for the epidural to take full effect. The nurse called for my OB to come at 3:50 and she arrived ten minutes later. Those were the longest ten minutes of my life because I had started to feel the urge to push. The nurse told me I couldn't push until my doctor arrived, and it took everything I had to keep myself from pushing.
Well, at 4:00 p.m. my OB arrived, prepped everything and had me start pushing. The first round of pushing I wasn't sure how to do it. I pushed but I wasn't focused and exhausted myself quickly. By the second round of pushing I knew what to do. I think I only had to push 6 or 7 rounds before her head was out. Sean was by my side the entire time and I'm pretty sure I bruised his hand. The last round of pushing was the biggest relief because her body finally came out. Sean said I pushed so hard she shot out like a rocket! Belle was born at 4:15 p.m. She was 3 pounds 9 ounces and 15 3/4 inches when she was born. He wasn't able to cut the cord because it was wrapped around the baby's neck. My OB cut the cord quickly and she immediately started crying! That was the most joyous noise to my ears! They took her over to the side of the room to clean her up and get her hooked her up to monitors due to her premature status. My husband was so sweet and started crying. He also was able to film her with our camera while my doctor completed my stitches and delivered the placenta. I was not able to hold her, but they did bring her over to me so I could see her for a moment before they took her to the NICU. To be honest, I was so exhausted from the labor that it didn't matter that much to me. I knew she was in excellent hands and that we would see her soon.
After she was taken to NICU and my OB had left, we started calling the grandparents. It was fun calling them and telling them to come to the hospital right away because Isabelle had been born. They all pretty much said, "What, the baby's been born?" "Okay, we'll be there right away!" My dad was so excited that he ended up being late to the hospital because he rear-ended someone on the freeway! He said the traffic ticket was worth it! Sean's parents handled the news pretty well and were just excited to see Belle. My mom was a little upset with me since I lied to her on the phone earlier. Fortunately, she got over that pretty quickly once she got to go see her sweet granddaughter. We had family visitors all evening long, and Sean had to take them two at a time to see her in the NICU. I was the last to see her, and they took me by her bed on the way up to the recovery room. I had not cried the entire day, but as soon as I got to see her sweet face I burst into tears! It was the best moment ever sitting there holding her hand with Sean by my side. Ultimately, Sean and I were happy about our decision to go through the labor and delivery by ourselves. It was never stressed about having family waiting on us for hours, and it was special knowing only me and Sean shared the experience of bringing our daughter into the world. We became a family in an instant, and I don't regret a thing.
I was taken up to the recovery room and finally allowed myself to relax. Obviously I had never been pregnant before, I had never given birth before, and I had never had to recover from a birth before. I was bleeding quite a bit, but I thought it was normal. My nurse on the recovery floor helped me to the restroom before I tried to go to sleep. She also noticed I was bleeding alot and was passing huge blood clots. I was bleeding so much that by midnight she became concerned and contacted the doctor on call. At 1:30 a.m. the doctor arrived to examine me. This was the most painful experience, much more painful than childbirth. I was already sore and torn from the delivery that it made the examination unbearable. I immediately started crying due to pain. Sean later said he was so upset because he thought it lasted longer than it needed to. The doctor determined I had some type of laceration that had not been stitched and had me taken down to the operation room. I was relieved and thought it would be a simple fix with a few stitches. This was not the case. As soon as we arrived back downstairs two anesthesiologists began asking me all kinds of questions about my medical history. Then, several nurses came in to prep me. I knew this was major surgery when I was being wheeled into the stark white operating room. The doctor asked me if I wanted an epidural or to be put under. This time I knew exactly what I wanted, "Put me under!" because I was afraid the epidural would not work. In the meantime, they scared Sean pretty badly while he was waiting on me. They told him it could be an easy fix or it could be so severe that I could lose my uterus! He was upset and called my mom and his mom to tell them what was going on. Fortunately, it was an "easy fix" and they repaired a blood vessel that ruptured while I was pushing. The surgery only took a half hour, and we still found a little humor in the whole situation. Apparently, when I woke up from the anesthesia I was pretty violent. So violent that I tried to pull the breathing tube out and scratched one of the nurses all over her arm. Sean told me all of this while I was in the recovery room waking up. The nurse that I had scratched was still in the room checking my vitals. I was still pretty drugged and I said groggily, "Did I scratch you?" She said, "Yes, but that's okay it happens all the time." Then I said in my drugged state with no sympathy in my voice, "Sorry." and turned my held and fell back asleep! Sean told me later her arm looked like a cat attacked her, and she was definitely annoyed. He said it was all he could do to not laugh out loud!
I stayed in the hospital an additional two days to recover. It took me about four days to feel back to normal after giving birth. While I was there the lactation consultant helped me express milk so we could give Belle some clostrum. We visited her several times a day, and I was comforted knowing she was just downstairs. It was so hard leaving her in the hospital while I went home. By the grace of God, she was born healthy and never required any oxygen or assistance while in the NICU. She had an ECHO and we confirmed that she had no congenital heart defects. I will have to put up a second post about the first two weeks of her life, and how we finally were able to bring her home.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Until I Get More Time...
Hi Everyone,
So sorry that I haven't posted to the blog in awhile, but I have an excellent excuse! Isabelle Catherine was born on December 12, 2011 at 4:15 p.m. Our sweet baby was 7 weeks early at 33 weeks and 5 days, and she spent two weeks in the NICU. Sean and I finally have her home and she is thriving! Here is a link to some photos of Belle until I have time to return and write about the most eventful time in our lives.
So sorry that I haven't posted to the blog in awhile, but I have an excellent excuse! Isabelle Catherine was born on December 12, 2011 at 4:15 p.m. Our sweet baby was 7 weeks early at 33 weeks and 5 days, and she spent two weeks in the NICU. Sean and I finally have her home and she is thriving! Here is a link to some photos of Belle until I have time to return and write about the most eventful time in our lives.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100119122549457.2382453.20604483&type=1&l=2c10be8173
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Expect the Unexpected
Hello,
As I type this post I am sitting in a hospital room trying to absorb our sudden change in circumstances! On Monday December 5th I had my monthly appointment and my OB noticed my blood pressure was high at 154/91. She told me to take the rest of the week off work, relax, and return on Thursday to re-check it. Well, on Tuesday I stayed home, sent out my Christmas cards, and made chicken pot pie for dinner. To be honest I was excited about the forced staycation for a few days!
That night (well really Wednesday morning at 1:30 a.m.) I woke up because I thought I wet the bed. I heard this could happen because of the baby being on your bladder, but in my mind I knew that wasn't true. I could tell it was a rush of warm liquid, and the worst came to mind. I woke Sean up saying, "Sean, something's wrong!" and he sat up in bed quicker than I've even seen him. You have to understand my husband is a heavy sleeper, and it usually takes him a long time to wake up! I had him look to see if it was blood, and when he said it wasn't I was so relieved. Then he went into hospital mode while I stood there trying to figure out what to do. Sean said I started shivering and said I was cold, but he knew it was my adrenaline making me freak a bit. He called 911 and they transferred him to our hospital so they would be expecting us in labor and delivery. We got dressed, packed a bag, and drove to the hospital while it was snowing! The entire drive Sean was such a rock and said everything was going to be fine while I repeated, "It's too early..."
We checked into the hospital, and they asked us a billion questions. When I had to fill out the form and I didn't have the name of a pediatrician yet, I suddenly realized we were not prepared for Belle to arrive! Even though my water broke they were able to give me medication to stop labor since I wasn't dialated. I was also given steroids to mature Belle's lungs while in the womb, and they monitored me for the rest of the night. I was also put on an IV and had antibiotics administered to prevent infection. Sean and I can honestly say that was the worst night's sleep we have ever had. He was sleeping on the uncomfortable couch, and I was hooked up to so many machines I could barely move. In the morning, they moved us to the high-risk pregnancy unit where the beds are much more comfortable. My doctor ordered an ultrasound and we confirmed she's a girl (just to make sure :-), her head was down in position, and she weighs approximately 4 pounds 11 ounces. They want to keep her safe in my womb until she is 34 weeks on December 14th, and will likely induce labor on Thursday or Friday.
I immediately began contacting family and friends and asked them to pray for us. Sean and I were overwhelmed by the love and support we received! Just an example, on the second day at the hospital I had 11 visitors! Thank you to everyone for keeping me from being lonely while Sean works and takes care of things for us outside the hospital!
Due to my emergency circumstances, Sean and I do feel a little lost because we aren't getting to make the birth plan decisions that we had discussed. I will receive Pictocin to induce labor rather than going into labor naturally, and we have decided to go ahead with an epidural injection if I need it. I think me being in the hospital on bedrest is harder on my husband than me because he has to take care of our lives without me. He is still going to work, feeding the dog, paying the bills, and preparing our house for Belle's arrival. Thank goodness we did alot of the "baby stuff" early like the baby showers, completed most of the nursery, and we even had time to take maternity photos!
Last night we took a tour of the NICU to see where Belle would go when she is born. The babies are so tiny, and when Sean walked in the ward he said something to the effect of, "Oh man!" I was more matter-of-fact about it and asked lots of questions. Even though they seem so fragile, I learned that babies are resilient and can survive much more difficult circumstances than what Belle will be born into.
After our tour, Sean and I finally had time to sit in my room and talk about how much our life will change next week. It is a little sad that we didn't have the extra time to prepare for her birth, but we are beyond excited to be a family. Before he left to go home to sleep, he rubbed my belly and talked to Belle while I laid there listening. I asked him why he did that, and he said he wanted her to know his voice. Those tender moments make life worthwhile. We know all we can do is pray for her to be born healthy, and all I want for Christmas this year is for my sweet baby to be at home with us.
We appreciate the thoughts and prayers and we will keep everyone updated.
Here's a little something fun, we took some maternity photos with the amazing Candice Mitchell Web & Design, and here are a few shots:
Love,
As I type this post I am sitting in a hospital room trying to absorb our sudden change in circumstances! On Monday December 5th I had my monthly appointment and my OB noticed my blood pressure was high at 154/91. She told me to take the rest of the week off work, relax, and return on Thursday to re-check it. Well, on Tuesday I stayed home, sent out my Christmas cards, and made chicken pot pie for dinner. To be honest I was excited about the forced staycation for a few days!
That night (well really Wednesday morning at 1:30 a.m.) I woke up because I thought I wet the bed. I heard this could happen because of the baby being on your bladder, but in my mind I knew that wasn't true. I could tell it was a rush of warm liquid, and the worst came to mind. I woke Sean up saying, "Sean, something's wrong!" and he sat up in bed quicker than I've even seen him. You have to understand my husband is a heavy sleeper, and it usually takes him a long time to wake up! I had him look to see if it was blood, and when he said it wasn't I was so relieved. Then he went into hospital mode while I stood there trying to figure out what to do. Sean said I started shivering and said I was cold, but he knew it was my adrenaline making me freak a bit. He called 911 and they transferred him to our hospital so they would be expecting us in labor and delivery. We got dressed, packed a bag, and drove to the hospital while it was snowing! The entire drive Sean was such a rock and said everything was going to be fine while I repeated, "It's too early..."
We checked into the hospital, and they asked us a billion questions. When I had to fill out the form and I didn't have the name of a pediatrician yet, I suddenly realized we were not prepared for Belle to arrive! Even though my water broke they were able to give me medication to stop labor since I wasn't dialated. I was also given steroids to mature Belle's lungs while in the womb, and they monitored me for the rest of the night. I was also put on an IV and had antibiotics administered to prevent infection. Sean and I can honestly say that was the worst night's sleep we have ever had. He was sleeping on the uncomfortable couch, and I was hooked up to so many machines I could barely move. In the morning, they moved us to the high-risk pregnancy unit where the beds are much more comfortable. My doctor ordered an ultrasound and we confirmed she's a girl (just to make sure :-), her head was down in position, and she weighs approximately 4 pounds 11 ounces. They want to keep her safe in my womb until she is 34 weeks on December 14th, and will likely induce labor on Thursday or Friday.
I immediately began contacting family and friends and asked them to pray for us. Sean and I were overwhelmed by the love and support we received! Just an example, on the second day at the hospital I had 11 visitors! Thank you to everyone for keeping me from being lonely while Sean works and takes care of things for us outside the hospital!
Due to my emergency circumstances, Sean and I do feel a little lost because we aren't getting to make the birth plan decisions that we had discussed. I will receive Pictocin to induce labor rather than going into labor naturally, and we have decided to go ahead with an epidural injection if I need it. I think me being in the hospital on bedrest is harder on my husband than me because he has to take care of our lives without me. He is still going to work, feeding the dog, paying the bills, and preparing our house for Belle's arrival. Thank goodness we did alot of the "baby stuff" early like the baby showers, completed most of the nursery, and we even had time to take maternity photos!
Last night we took a tour of the NICU to see where Belle would go when she is born. The babies are so tiny, and when Sean walked in the ward he said something to the effect of, "Oh man!" I was more matter-of-fact about it and asked lots of questions. Even though they seem so fragile, I learned that babies are resilient and can survive much more difficult circumstances than what Belle will be born into.
After our tour, Sean and I finally had time to sit in my room and talk about how much our life will change next week. It is a little sad that we didn't have the extra time to prepare for her birth, but we are beyond excited to be a family. Before he left to go home to sleep, he rubbed my belly and talked to Belle while I laid there listening. I asked him why he did that, and he said he wanted her to know his voice. Those tender moments make life worthwhile. We know all we can do is pray for her to be born healthy, and all I want for Christmas this year is for my sweet baby to be at home with us.
We appreciate the thoughts and prayers and we will keep everyone updated.
Here's a little something fun, we took some maternity photos with the amazing Candice Mitchell Web & Design, and here are a few shots:
Love,
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Seven Month Check Up and the Third Baby Shower
I went to my 29 week OB visit this week and everything is going great. I gained 4 1/2 pounds since last month (yikes), Belle's heartbeat was 135 bpm, and I passed my glucose test (this means I don't have gestational diabetes, yay). I will have one more monthly appointment in December, and then after that I have to return every two weeks for a checkup. I can't believe we're almost to that point, it is getting close! Sean and I also attended a Preparing for Birth and Newborn Care class recently. It was fun being in room with so many pregnant couples, and hilarious when the teacher asked the fathers what was the worst thing about the pregnancy. Most of them said dealing with the hormones and mood swings! We learned tons (Sean might say too much), and feel better prepared for the delivery and for Belle's arrival.
To end the week, my office threw me my third and final baby shower. Sean and I already feel like everyone has done so much, and for my co-workers to want to do this for me is amazing! I've been working there for a little over a year, and I can honestly say everyone there is so nice. They welcome you with open arms even as a newbie. The office chipped in and purchased the stroller besides some other gifts and gift cards! Now that the showers are all over I'm looking forward to putting everything away and completing the nursery.
The centerpiece on the food table
The spread, the office break room never looked better!
Ready for the party
Me and Judge Fowler, an awesome boss!
The wreath on the door
Me, Mary, and Kim
Me and Vallie, we went to training in Virginia together for two weeks, fun times
Me and Christy, she is my mentor at work, love her!
A photo with the hostesses (minus Vallie and Kathy): Kim, Mary, me, Jana, Christy, and Cherie
table centerpiece
Adorable Snow Baby gift basket Lynne made, she is so crafty!
Ready to open presents
The cupcakes
Opening gifts
To end the week, my office threw me my third and final baby shower. Sean and I already feel like everyone has done so much, and for my co-workers to want to do this for me is amazing! I've been working there for a little over a year, and I can honestly say everyone there is so nice. They welcome you with open arms even as a newbie. The office chipped in and purchased the stroller besides some other gifts and gift cards! Now that the showers are all over I'm looking forward to putting everything away and completing the nursery.
Second Baby Shower
My two best friends from high school, Leah and Sarah, along with their moms, Mrs. Ammons and Mrs. Nix, hosted my second baby shower. It was wonderful to see some friends that I never get to see due to the miles between us. Lensa and Sonia, my friends from law school, drove all the way from El Dorado, Leah came from Tulsa, Allison came from Conway, and the list goes on and on. My law school bestie, Lyndsey, could not come because she just delivered her sweet baby boy, Graham. She was definitely there in spirit via some special M&Ms. Sarah was the mastermind behind all the party planning and made some really cute decorations, including a diaper cake. Thank you again and we feel blessed!
The food table
Adorable diaper cake, look at the booties on the teddy bear
Bonjour Bebe Belle!
So excited for the shower to begin, me at almost 29 weeks!
Wreath Sarah made on the door with the shower invitation
Sweet Sarah
Mantle decorated with Madeline books and a clothesline, as I opened presents the clothes I received were displayed on it.
Gift bathtub from the hostessess
Wishes for Isabelle, the guests went around and said some of their wishes for her, so sweet.
Amazing!
You almost don't want to eat them ;)
Me and Mom
High school best friends: Leah, me, and Sarah
Me and mom with the lovely hostesses
My childhood best friend, Lauren
Marie, me, and Allison, they made my first job out of law school so enjoyable. Erika we need to photoshop you in this picture.
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Me and my mother-in-law, Renee
My college bestie, Maria
Opening gifts
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