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One Month Old

Chase is now one month old (a week ago)!  He weighs about 10.5 lbs., wears size 1 diapers, and is completely out of Newborn clothes and in 0-3 month clothing.  He eats every 2-2.5 hours, and is good about going right back to sleep after his midnight feedings.  He is much more alert during the day, and is a pretty calm baby!

With his giraffe from Blake at about 1 week and 1 month!

Chase's Birth Story

After a long, tiring pregnancy, I was induced on Oct. 19, 2011 at 39 weeks, 4 days.  I was pregnant one week longer than I was with Blake.

I had been measuring big from early on, so we expected a big baby.  At 36 weeks, Chase measured 7 lbs., but the doctor said he was closer to 8 1/2, so we scheduled induction.  I was 3 cm dilated then, so we were both sure he would come before then.

The last few weeks were exhausting.  I was so achy, tired, but couldn't sleep more than 4 hours at a time.  I was just ready to be finished being pregnant.

We got to the hospital at 5:45 on Wednesday, Oct. 19, and waited.  The nurses had it written down that I would be there at 7:30, so they waited until shift change to start anything.  About 7 my nurse came in and tried to start the IV.  After poking for 10 minutes, we switched hands and got it in right away.  We started pitocin at 8, and the doctor came in about 8:30.  She checked me and I was still 3 cm, 30% effaced, so it was a waiting game.  Contractions started, very inconsistently, and at 1 the doctor came in to check me again and break my water.  The contractions started picking up.  By 2, I was ready for the epidural.  Dr. Craig came in and gave me the epidural, and things were good to go by 2:35.  I tried to rest, but Blake got to the hospital about 3:15, so no rest for me!  I visited with Blake, but had to ask them all to leave at 4 because I was having super duper pressure, and needed a booster to the epidural.  I got that and just hung out for a little.  The pressure became stronger, and at about 5, the doctor came in to check me again.  I was fully dilated and we did a practice push. My doctor asked me to wait for her to come back to push again since she had 2 other patients ready to deliver at the same time!  We waited while they got every thing set up and at 5:15 she came back in.  We did 3 sets of 3 pushes, and Chase was here!  He weighed 7 lbs. 10.8 oz, and was measured 22" long.  He was a lot smaller than we thought, but is absolutely perfect.

He is an exact copy of Blake at birth.


Chase




Blake

Things are going perfect, and I am really enjoying being home with my boys!

L&D visit #1

Friday night, I went to bed late--after 11.  I woke up at 12:45 when Joe came to bed, and then I couldn't go back to sleep.  I was having contractions fairly regularly, so I got up at 3:30 to start timing.  I timed contractions from 3:30 until about 5, took a bath, timed them again until 6:30, and finally called the doctor at 7ish.  I was contracting every 5 minutes with them lasting about a minute long.  I thought it was time!  We took Blake to Joe's mom, and headed to the hospital.  I got hooked up to the monitors, and the nurse with the biggest hands in the county checked me.  I was still 3 cm, so we started walking.  We walked the halls for an hour and got hooked up again to the monitors.  I was contracting every 3 minutes and they were pretty strong.  Not strong enough though.  She-man checked me again, and I was still at 3 cm.  I got sent home with a prescription for sleeping pills.  Joe and I ran some errands, bought the last few things I wanted and got home about 3.  We were both asleep by 4, and slept until 9 a.m.  It was nice to rest that long, but I was super groggy yesterday.  

No real contractions yesterday, and nothing today to speak of.  I am crampy today though, and my pelvis is super sore.  I went on 2 long walks in hopes to encourage this little guy to move on out.  Since I was induced with Blake, I don't know how it starts, or what a natural contraction feels like.  Keep your fingers crossed that he comes sooner, rather than later!

Maternity Leave

I have begun my maternity leave. No, I am not due yet, but I really couldn't be fully functional at work anymore. My hips have been so sore, I was having tons of contractions, and to top it off, a C.R.A.Z.Y. parent screamed at me last week in the classroom because I asked her to get a tardy slip when they were 15 minutes late. Really??? Anyway, I am home now, and relaxing....or so I am supposed to be.

There's so much that needs to be done (not really) and I have been trying to chip away at it.

Yesterday I had an ultrasound, and our nameless baby weighs 7 lbs.

I am dilated to 3 cm and not effaced at all. He is still pretty high, and I have tons of fluid, just like with Blake. I started my walking routine this morning. I really don't know how far I went, but I was out of the house for 35 minutes. I was cramping a bit during the walk, and hope this means it's making him more ready to come.

We have a tenative induction scheduled for Oct. 19 (not soon enough) but hopefully he will come before then! We'll see!!

Why I love Kindergarten

Some times I forget that 5 & 6 year olds take things literally. Today I laughed at something one of my babies said.

We were on the playground and someone had brought the un-mentionable to school. GUM. Yep, gum. Whoa! Serious offense. It was a kiddo in the other Kinder class. Another student came to me and said that Ed* was chewing some of that gum that Peter* had and then he swallowed it.

I called Ed over and said, "A little birdie came to me and said that you were chewing some of Peter's gum and swallowed it. Is that true?"

Ed looked at me like I had 2 heads and said, "What? A bird was talkin' to you?"

I almost fell off the chair I wasn't supposed to be sitting in! Hilarious! He has no concept that I was talking about gum. I love my babies!

Today I registered Blake for Kindergarten at our neighborhood campus. It was late, and at dismissal, so I rushed a little but we got everything filled out and he's all set for Kinder at Fuentes!

10 weeks

I turned 10 weeks on Saturday. Only 30 to go! I am already starting to show, well, not starting, I am. No hiding it now!

We went to the doctor on Tuesday to have an ultrasound, and saw the baby moving all around. It was awesome and I was so excited to be able to share with Blake.

Today at school, I had the kids guess what I had growing in me that would need the doctor to check. I got bones, healthy food, carrots, flowers, a bean stalk, and a dragon. I told them they would find out at the end of the day, and I would share a picture of it. At the end of the day, I put the ultrasound picture up on the projector and one kiddo yelled out, "What!!! You have a rock growing in you?" The other kids kind of giggled and then said, "No, silly, it's a baby." I pointed out the body parts and they were excited. I am excited to share it with them. I contemplated waiting until someone noticed, but I know 5 year olds pretty well, and I don't think anyone would have guessed it. I did get some questions about how the baby got in there, and how it was going to come out. Anytime I get those type of questions, my response is, "Talk to your mom".

I have been feeling pretty good this week. Just tired, but I know its just my body telling me to relax! I had an emotionally stressful job with Blake, and this one is emotional and physically stressful. I have been coming home early, but Some days I can't...like today. I was at school until 4:45. YUCK!

Sicko

I woke up yesterday morning, got ready for work, then looked at Blake. He looked miserable. Joe stayed home with him, and I took today off. He was acting fine, but looked HORRIBLE! At 10, his fever spiked again, so I called and made him an appointment. Turns out he has a double ear infection. Poor baby! I hate it when he's sick, and today was the 4th time THIS year he's been to the doctor. Last year, we went twice. Once for his well-check, and the other for his annual ear infection in December. We got some yummy Augmentin, and headed home. We both took a 2 hour nap, and feel great!

13 more school days until Spring Break!

Surprises

Joe and I have been trying to make a baby for a long, long time (since Aug. 09). I know every weird detail about a girls cycle and when the best time to do the deed to get pregnant. But it just didn't happen. In Oct., I went to a new OB-GYN since my old one retired. I told her of our struggles and she said, "Well, great! Let's have blood work, blood work, and more blood work done, an HSG (weird, painful thing where they put a tube in your cervix, blow it up, and inject you with dye to see if your tubes are blocked), and then Clomid.

I took my first round of Clomid in December. They say there are some side effects and the most apparent ones were hot flashes--boy do I feel bad for pre-menopausal women, and mood swings. Boy were the mood swings CRAZY!!! At least it was over the 2 weeks I was off at christmas so only Joe got to experience them. January rolls around, and bam! I was pregnant. We were excited, set an appointment, and then one week later, Jan. 15, I started bleeding. We went to the Emergency Room, I was poked and prodded by a very loud, gum smacking tech, and found out that I had a "pregnant looking uterus" but there was nothing in it. My hormones levels were super low (11). I went home to a very heavy, long period.

I went into the doctor on the 18th. She says the same thing, a miscarriage. Actually a chemical pregnancy. You are actually pregnant, but the egg doesn't implant. There's nothing I could have done to prevent or cause it, and the doc says we are free to try our next cycle after this month.

Fast forward to last week. Blake and I were sick, and we were home on Monday and Wednesday. On Wednesday, we watched Cars, and I was eating one of my favorite snacks--Buffalo Chicken Dip. I couldn't eat it. I almost threw up just at the smell. Anyone who knows me knows I am sensitive to smells, so the vinegar in the Frank's Red Hot was too much. I was disappointed, but thought it was my illness.

Some friends of ours are moving back to Florida, and were having a going away bar-b-que and Ken makes the most delish margaritas I have ever had, so I wanted to be sure. Saturday morning I get up, pee on that wonderful stick and wait. I fully expected it to say "Not Pregnant", but this is what I got

WHAT!!!!! I wasn't due to start until Tuesday, and last month, I tested 3 days late and that was my first positive. I took another test on Monday afternoon...very dark positive line! I also had blood work done on Monday and when the nurse called on Tuesday, she said I was "very pregnant".

We are still cautious, and worried about miscarriage, but with great numbers and continual peeing on a stick should keep me occupied until Feb. 28th (my first appointment).

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