Tuesday, May 9, 2017

He's Here!

Well this is how I originally intro'd this post, when I started it back in February! Oops:

6 months since I last blogged....sounds about right! Ohhh how our lives have changed in the most incredible way.

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that our baby boy will be 6 months at the end of February. Where did the time go?!
___________________________
But let's backtrack to the beginning. Our little Teddy Bear! (who's not so little anymore and is nearly 9 months old. NINE!)

On August 20, 2016 we welcomed our son into the world weighing in at 8 lbs 1 oz and measuring 20 inches long. Complete perfection, and my love for this little boy (and his sister) knows no limits. 

While I would have loved a few days off after stopping work, Teddy arrived right on time, just like his older sister had.

Thursday, August 18: Last day of work! But unlike last time, I wrap things up as soon as possible and head home a little early. I cannot concentrate on work any longer. I have a baby coming any day! My OB had diagnosed me at 2cm dilated at 38 weeks but I wasn't really expecting much, and was hoping for a few last days home by the pool with L.

Friday, August 19: I head to my weekly OB appointment. What I wasn't expecting to hear....you're 3-4 cm dilated, you're not feeling anything?! Paired with quite the shocked look on the doctor's face. Umm nope.

But of course, thanks to that lovely check, I'm starting to feel crampy. Some of this is probably mental but I can't help but think oh my god, this baby will be here so very soon. I have plans to meet up with my MIL and nephew at the playground with L before naptime and she confirms my current concerns with L's heavy breathing, call the pediatrician. I'm definitely starting to feel some contractions but I've had braxton hicks for a while now and a hot day on the playground could be the issue.

So we head out and give the pediatrician a call. J is not keen on me going alone given the OB report and my current cramping. Poor guy has the scene from the movies in his head and is freaked out my water is going to break and baby boy arrive minutes later on the side of the road or in the pediatricians waiting room. Hah. Don't worry, didn't happen.

But I am getting more and more uncomfortable as we wait (far too long IMO) for our scheduled doctor's appointment. Double ear infection and a cold for L. Poor baby! We take advantage of her nap time to pack up anything else we're going to need at the hospital and check in with my parents. It's so hard to tell how long it will be until active labor begins but I'm getting nervous by the fact that they deemed me nearly 4 cm this morning. And I don't see us lasting through the night at home.

So before I know it, my mom comes to pick up L and our fur baby Tucker - probably around 4ish. This was so hard. My baby girl's world was about to change so very much, she's sick, and she won't have me with her for the next day or two. So much mom guilt!

 
 One last photo of the 3 of us!

But contractions bring me back to reality and after a call with the OB, we're on our way to the hospital. If you read L's story, you know that my mom and I made a pit stop at Dunks on the way to the hospital. Well this time, I made Jay stop at McDonalds haha. What?! One thing I remember vividly while in labor with L was how insanely hungry I was. And I couldn't eat anything. So ya, a few chicken nuggets and fries were a must this time!

Ok, on to the hospital! Where I'm checked in and measured as 5.5 cm. What?! I was expecting to be a little further than that having been on my feet most of the day. But they keep us there and we aren't leaving without our new baby boy at this point. Omg!

Post labor with Lu was not fun. Her NICU stay was so very hard at first. We didn't see it coming in the least bit - my pregnancy was great, labor went great, her stats were all good, and then at the last minute things changed and we had ourselves a bit of a scare. When that all happened, I couldn't move. I was stuck in my bed until the epidural wore off and it was the longest hour of my life. So this time, I tried with all my will to go natural and bounce right back post labor in case something happened again. I probably should have done a little ready on this to prepare myself better...

Holy cow. To those of you who stuck it out without an epidural, I bow to you. I didn't realize there would be a point in contractions where there is no break. And then the back labor. And then the nausea. At this point I needed to throw in the towel and get some rest. I was proud of myself for getting as far as I did but it was unbearable. All of the hip pain I had during this pregnancy came flooding back during labor. I've never been so relieved to feel some relief.

And I say some because the damn epidural only worked on one side this time. Wtf. My right side, the side with the hip pain to begin with, was getting no love. I was afraid I had slept for too long on my left side so we repositioned me, and repositioned me, and brought out a crazy ball/peanut to try hugging. Nada.

Saturday, August 20: It's getting late (well I guess so early), we're really not sleeping, and I just want my baby at this point. But the doctors want to try to let my water break on its own and naturally start labor. Pretty sure I cried right about here. With L, they broke my water for me. Just do it!

So an hour later they did, and started me on a dose of pitocin to speed things up a little bit. Baby boy had made himself way too comfortable in there and it was time to help him out. Holy sh*t. Pitocin is awful. It's about 1:30 in the morning and J is in a fog from falling asleep and I want to die. Active labor on pitocin is causing excruciating pain in my right hip. The best way to describe it would be as if it was being ripped into 2 pieces.

I have never been so relieved to start pushing. And unlike pushing with L which was well over an hour and incredibly exhausting, second pregnancy/pitocin/waiting a little longer to push meant baby boy would make his debut a mere 15 minutes later.

And he is perfect! There are no health concerns and he is placed on my chest immediately. They let him lay there for well over an hour, soaking up everything we missed the first time around with L and her scare. Skin to skin is just about the most amazing feeling ever. Teddy seemed to know exactly who we were and what he needed to do.

 My boys.


 
Our son // Me & my babies <3
 
Sunday, August 21: We are discharged to head home! The hospital gives us the opportunity to be discharged a day early and settle in at home with the whole family. It was perfect. 
  

L is the best big sister we could have ever hoped for. Her love for her baby brother is so intense, and sweet. I love catching her talking to him, especially as he's getting bigger and able to react to her. Getting him to laugh at her is the best thing ever.  



This baby boy has changed our family in the most incredible way. He is so very happy all the time! And man is he chill, for the most part. He has very much adapted to being the side show to the toddler's main act, but we all know his time will come. Just look at that sweet nugget face!

I never felt like our lives changed too much with one - socially, work, etc. It was 2 against 1 and very manageable. But I have to admit that 2 has been much harder to adapt to. I'm learning to embrace the chaos but would be lying if I said I was truly prepared for it initially. I'm hoping to document more on this to help me process it all and in case anyone else would find it helpful. I wouldn't change a thing, in fact I'd still love to add more to the crew! But it has certainly been more exhausting than Instagram and Facebook posts lead on. :) 





Friday, July 22, 2016

Baby C2 - 35/36 weeks


Most likely, this is going to be my last update before baby boy makes his debut. 36 weeks down, 4ish to go come Monday. How in the world did we get here?!

I think I'm in a bit of denial on just how much life is going to change with 2 babies next month. I can only rely on my experience with L as a baby right now, and I'd take that again in a heartbeat. I'm stupidly building a mental to-do list of all the things I'd love to get done while I'm home. Because I'm going to have so much free time.....right.

35 weeks!

What I can say is that for those of you pregnant with your first baby, or home with your first baby - cherish it! Take those naps! I didn't factor in raising a toddler when thinking about pregnancy #2. And honestly, right now that is my biggest deterrent to more babies (I know this is a temporary feeling stemming from my current level of exhaustion). I've hit a wall recently, which the heat and our crazy schedule are definitely factoring into. And it's frustrating.

35 weeks @ a gorgeous wedding. (Love this dress! Size down...)

Um what a difference in our deck since Baby C updates! Same bump size though?
Can we talk about how long my hair is getting?!! I've been growing it out since finding out we were expecting for easy ponytails and buns. And training it to go longer between washes...day 3 hair above. The curling wand is my best friend and so won't my Patriots hat be come fall.

Anyways, enough rambling. Here's the latest scoop on pregnancy with Baby C2.

Cravings/Aversions: Really no changes here since my last update. Still all about cold drinks, fruits, ice cream. And no desire to cook so many nights of cereal if J isn't home. However, I did get sucked into the Instant Potcraze on Prime Day. And I will say, so far this thing is awesome! We've only made a few meals in it but they have been so easy to throw together, it doesn't heat the kitchen up, and I don't need to stand there and cook. Win. win. win.


What 36 weeks really feels like:

I will start by saying, I really cannot complain about either pregnancies I've experienced. The minor issues I've had have been just that, minor. And for that, I am so grateful! But I'm still going to gripe a little ok? Thanks. :)

  • Rib pain/tingling sensation at the very bottom of my ribs, top of where my baby bump starts. In the EXACT same spot as my last pregnancy. And just as annoying/itchy. Silly me for thinking I may not experience it carrying a boy lower.
  • Omg my feet. Suddenly, they are balloons every night if I don't move around enough. It's awful. Damn heat. (Check out those puppies above...yikes)
  • But at the same time, no more walks. This past Wednesday was L's 2nd birthday and we started the day with a quick family walk. Not fast and not far, but I had hip pain and discomfort the rest of the day. I don't have these issues when weight training so I'll plan to stick with that.
  • Filling up very fast, but also always hungry. ugh. 
  • Braxton hicks contractions often - no cause for concern. Bending to pick things up is the biggest culprit really, but try not doing that while raising a toddler. Ya, no. My stomach turns rock hard for a few seconds and then we're back to normal. 
  • Exhausted. Up 2-4 times a night between bathroom runs and leg cramps. It's a miracle if I'm in bed before 10 pm and sleeping later than 5:30/6 am.
It's bugging me how purple Jay's shirt looks in these pics! It was white, trust me.


What's on our to-do list:
    • Pack the hospital bags and install the car seat. I cannot believe we've reached this point. 
    • Clean out the guest room closet and add in a closet system for L. Currently thinking the PAX system from IKEA but of course our ceiling height is between the 2 options they have...and the shorter one is just too short, ugh. Jay might be hacking this one a little bit so that it works. Closet is cleaned out, painted, and the PAX system installed. I have to say, it's pretty amazing. Of course my 2 yr old would have the best closet in the house...


       

    • Purchasing L's new convertible crib and getting her big girl room set-up. I have some floral fabric I am using as the colors for her room - similar to this with some touches of purple too. Well, the crib has been purchased...but L figured out how to climb out of her current crib this past weekend! Yes, while J was away of course. And yes, after our current video monitor decided to sh*t the bed on me. Nothing like hearing little footsteps and a should be napping L saunter into your room. So now we're figuring out plan B over here....I think we'll be cutting down the legs on the amazing spool bed we inherited (it is super high off the ground!). I've always envisioned it in her big girl room, just didn't realize that would be happening so soon! Update: L has successfully transitioned to a full size bed with no issues. I can't believe it! She is doing so well in her new big girl room! (which is not even close to being decorated...). Turning the frame into a platform and removing the box spring did just the trick in bringing the height of the bed down. Phew!
         
        • Repainting the nursery and add a few "boy" personal touches. Currently thinking greens, natural woods, nature-themed (with at least 1 fishing reference for J's sake). Love the idea of something like this. Update: the nursery has been painted in BM Louisburg Green (at 25%). The furniture has been moved into place, fabric purchased for the rail guard, and now its time to decorate! Can someone make me this sign please?
         
         
        • Picking out/purchasing a double stroller (currently leaning towards the GT City Mini Double - good?!), a second monitor, and a few odds & ends I've been adding to an Amazon registry (for the completion discount) - we are definitely getting a bottle sterilizer this time around! Update: We are loving our new monitor and came home to quite the surprise recently - our double stroller! We have the best 2 sets of parents around I tell ya! Amazon Prime Day had some great deals on the diaper backpack I was eyeing, humidifiers, and diapers...and then Diapers.com got me with a Bravado nursing bra sale and a review on the Milk Snob covers had me hitting purchase before I knew it....so we had many boxes show up at our house last week. My nesting so far is coming out in the form of stocking up.

        After 5 weekends of nonstop plans and long days/nights, we will be enjoying the rest of our summer home and eventually on baby watch. I am currently planning to work up until my due date with a few days off here or there for time with Lucie and a much needed spa day with my mom. And since we recently finalized baby boys name, I went ahead and ordered his custom thank you notes. Couldn't resist! But no, we will not be sharing it until he's here. :)

        Wish me luck!


        Friday, June 10, 2016

        Baby C2 - 29/30 weeks

        I'm not even surprised that I missed my 4 week schedule for Baby updates....life. And titling this 29/30 weeks since it has taken me that long to finish writing it and posting it.

         
        28 weeks, quick gym bump snap

        The beginning of the third trimester seems to be a busy time for us. Traveling, enjoying the warmer weather, mile-long weekend to-do lists... realizing how fast time is moving and what we have left to get done.

        Since the 24 week update we've spent a week on Hilton Head Island (@ 27 weeks), built a paver patio out by our pool & took a trip to IKEA to stock up on items for L's new room (@ 28 weeks), and continued to tackle yardwork and toddlerhood. I'm honestly not sure which of the last two are more exhausting these days.

        Attempting some family photos with a toddler...

        I decided to have someone come over and watch L while my mom and I got some yardwork done last weekend and my biggest regret, not doing so sooner! Toddler attention spans are short and require lots of energy, creativity, and your 100% focus. L had so much fun and we were able to get almost all of my planned to-do list done. I am hooked on hiring a Mother's helper from time to time now - it was well worth it for me.


        According to the many comparisons available, at 30 weeks baby is the size of a honeydew melon, a Hawaiian pineapple, or a head of cabbage. Really?! This makes me nervous. But reminding myself that my body is fully capable of this - it's done it before!

        Cravings:
        • Iced coffee, cold cold water, lemonade
        • Salads - loved this one and this one (with steak tips) last week
        • Ice cream- oh man, if you're local, the current seasonal flavors at Hornstra are insanely good.
        • Fruit salad

        Aversions: Anything that involves turning on the oven. Ha. It's getting hotter here and I'm definitely running warmer these days so I think we'll be using the oven less and less and opt for the grill instead.



        What 29/30 weeks really feels like:
        •  At 25 weeks my right hip pain got so bad I could barely walk. Think pain so sharp it takes your breath away. :( The very worst day of it occurred Mother's Day and I've never felt so defeated and at a loss on what to do. An ultrasound reported everything looking just fine thankfully, but that meant it was something I'd have to deal with and chalk it up as positional pain. 
        • Well I'm counting my lucky stars that by the time we left for vacation at 27 weeks preggo the pain was gone! And still is. They think some extra growth in my uterus allowed baby boy to re-position himself. I have never felt so relieved. 
        • At 28 weeks, I left work one day and realized just how great I've been feeling. Good weather doesn't hurt, but the level of pain I had carrying L by this point is much duller this time around and same with the foot swelling. Knock on wood...no rib pain yet. Guess it's true what they say, I am definitely carry this little guy lower than I carried L.
        • Definitely feeling fuller faster as baby boy continues to take up more room
        • And along the same lines, so many more bathroom runs. My bladder is definitely getting squished lately.
        • Sooo much movement lately. And some minor Braxton Hicks contractions where my whole stomach tightens. I don't think I had this much movement with L or have her kick me in the bladder area and have an oh oops! moment (ha, ya...) ...but maybe? It's getting harder to remember. But it seems like baby boy is much more active in there then L was! We get a kick out of watching my whole stomach move around...and somehow there are 10 more weeks of growing left to do. Yikes!
        • Remember all the yardwork I mentioned above? It was such a satisfying feeling to get so much done with J out of town, but I woke up Sunday exhausted. J was away for the weekend so I was setting my alarm an hour or so earlier than I expected L to wake both days to get a few things done and enjoy a little coffee & quiet time. Sunday morning included a nice headache and that silly hangover feeling I mentioned previously when there's not enough sleep.  Not ideal when toddler swim lessons were on the agenda! 
         
        27 weeks - Downtown Savannah and morning walks on the beach in HHI

        What's on our to-do list:
        • Clean out the guest room closet and add in a closet system for L. Currently thinking the PAX system from IKEA but of course our ceiling height is between the 2 options they have...and the shorter one is just too short, ugh. Jay might be hacking this one a little bit so that it works. Closet is cleaned out and painted! And the PAX system has been purchased. I cannot wait to set it up, hopefully this weekend.
        • Purchasing L's new convertible crib and getting her big girl room set-up. I have some floral fabric I am using as the colors for her room - similar to this with some touches of purple too. Well, the crib has been purchased...but L figured out how to climb out of her current crib this past weekend! Yes, while J was away of course. And yes, after our current video monitor decided to sh*t the bed on me. Nothing like hearing little footsteps and a should be napping L saunter into your room. So now we're figuring out plan B over here....I think we'll be cutting down the legs on the amazing spool bed we inherited (it is super high off the ground!). I've always envisioned it in her big girl room, just didn't realize that would be happening so soon!
        • Repainting the nursery and add a few "boy" personal touches. Currently thinking greens, natural woods, nature-themed (with at least 1 fishing reference for J's sake). Love the idea of something like this.
        • Picking out/purchasing a double stroller (currently leaning towards the GT City Mini Double - good?!), a second monitor, and a few odds & ends I've been favoriting to an Amazon list - we are definitely getting a bottle sterilizer this time around! Our video monitor has been slowly dying lately and completely shut off on my last weekend. J got it back on once he was home but  a new and improved one is on its way. I think it's safe to say the GT City Mini double stroller is a definite. Currently a little confused on the infant car seat adapter situation but it sounds like they're just still coming out with them for their newest model? Anyone know what's up for a Chicco Keyfit adapter?
        At this point we are done with any major travel and hoping to savor the next 2+ months of summer before baby's arrival. It is going to fly. But I'm getting more and more excited as the days pass. Watching L with my niece on vacation and seeing dear friends become moms recently is giving me all the feels. I cannot wait til our baby is here!


        Past Recaps:


        xo,


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