So first off, I wanted to post pictures of some of the milestones of my pregnancy and look at how much my belly changed over the months. It is amazing to see that little Charlotte grow without actually seeing her!
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| Very first belly picture |
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Start of second trimester
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| The 38 week picture that I needed to post from last week |
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| The final belly picture! |
The day finally came and went! D-Day! Charlotte's birthday! Well I guess I will backtrack a little bit - the final days of week 38 were filled with cramps and Braxton-Hicks contractions. I was getting a little nervous that she was going to come before my mom got here. I finished out my week at work on Friday (Aug. 30) and then mom came Saturday and we went and ran some final errands and thoroughly cleaned the house. So Monday night (38 w 6 d) I headed to bed, kinda later, later than I had planned but I figured I wouldn't sleep anyway. I set the alarm for 3:30 am so that I could get up and get a shower and do some final packing and get to the hospital by 5am. Well around 1:15am I felt a pop! in my lower belly and it woke me up. It was a weird feeling that I had not experienced before. I was crampy and thought maybe I needed to go to the bathroom and so I went and nothing so I went back to bed and then the cramps got a little worse so I went back to the bathroom and still nothing. So I then got back in bed and sat for a minute and I started to feel a little trickle and a little more and then I knew that my water had broken. I woke Scotty up by calling his name and he said "huh?" and I said," I think my water broke" and he sat up so fast and said, "when?" and I said about 15 minutes ago. He said, "ok, what do I need to do?" and I said go wake up my mom and let her know and then we need to get ready to leave. So he went and woke mom up and her response was,
"seriously?" Guess she thought that Scotty was trying to play a really mean practical joke. We then all got showers and headed to the hospital around 2:30am. My contractions got worse as we drove over there, not unbearable but uncomfortable. I called the doctor's office and let them know and the on-call doctor called me back and told me to head into the hospital. We pulled up to the emergency room and they were expecting me. I checked in and headed up to the labor and delivery floor. They already had a room prepared for me since I was supposed to be checking in there in a few hours anyway. After I got settled in, the on call doctor came in and checked my cervix and I was about 4-5cm dilated already. It took a while for the nurse to get my IV started because I was so swollen. It started to really stress me out. Mom and Scotty could tell and they knew that was just making it worse. She finally found a good vein and she told me to hold a fist and I tried and then I thought she said to release my fist and I did and it made a popping noise and blood went everywhere. So nasty. But at that point my contractions were starting to get worse and I was concentrating on that as well. So I labored a little while I got a whole bag of fluid and waited for my blood to be checked (required for an epidural). I got the epidural and things started to feel better, more muted. Well then things started to get a little worse. They gave me some pitocin to kick the labor up and Charlotte was not happy with that. The pitocin was making her heartrate low so they stopped that. Then after that I got a "hot spot". This is an area that just isn't getting/taking the medicine. The nurse tried to get me to flip positions and move this way and that way and it just was not working. Then the hot spot eventually became my whole lower half. The epidural was wearing off/hadn't taken correctly in the beginning. So I labored that way for 4 -5 hours. It was miserable. I was in so much pain that I couldn't open my eyes, or talk, and could only manage moaning. I have so much respect for women who chose to labor without meds. My pain was still somewhat muted from the half epidural and it was awful. They kept giving me boosts and nothing was helping. I felt the need to push and the doctor said that I could but I was only 7-8 cm dilated at that point. I pushed for an hour and it wasn't really doing too much. Baby was only moving down a little. Doc said I needed the contractions to do the work for me and move her down or I would get too tired. The doctor said that I had a while to go and she suggested that I get my epidural redone. I was all for that. So the anesthesiologist came back and put in a new epidural and it was so much better! I mean a 100% difference. I have never had an epidural before, or been in labor so I thought maybe that was all an epidural did and I was not happy with the results. I asked the doctor and she said I was in way too much pain for the epidural to be working correctly. So after the corrected epidural kicked in, I was exhausted from the laboring and pushing that I had already done. So I took a 45 minute nap. During the nap I dilated the rest of the way - pain free. Mom and Scotty were watching the monitor with my contractions on it and they said I was having some serious ones but I was snoozing away and while awake, felt nothing. That's what I signed up for! After I woke up and sat for 20 min or so, Scotty went and told the doctor that I was up and they came in checked my cervix and said if I was up for it I could push. I was ready to get this show on the road!! So I pushed for another hour and baby girl was born at 12:23 pm! Like I said, I have so much respect for those who choose to labor without meds, but by having experienced laboring with and without meds, I would chose meds again in a heartbeat. Not because of the pain level, but because when I didn't have the meds I was so focused on the pain I wasn't thinking about anything else. When I got the meds and it was time to push I was happy, smiling, aware of what I was doing and what was going on and it was amazing. I could focus on breathing and pushing and getting Charlotte here quickly and safely. Mom and Scotty kept telling me how good I was doing and how that push was a good one and "you're doing it!", and they were watching her come out so I knew that something was happening from their reaction even though I couldn't really feel it. As things got near the end, I started to feel a little, little bit of pain/pressure and I could tell a contraction was coming and that helped me to push and push correctly. I later found out from the nurse that my second epidural was wearing off and they were trying to keep it hush hush from me.
Mom would count for me while I was pushing and near the end she would go back and forth from yelling the numbers really loud to half crying while saying them. She would get so excited then she would look at Charlotte coming out and get emotional and start to cry. Then I would get emotional and lose my concentration and my good pushing. But it was worth the couple of extra pushes : ) The doctor and nurse said that I was a great pusher. Good to know! My eyes were closed while I was pushing and then at the end everyone in there was yelling, "open your eyes now!" And so I did and I saw sweet Charlotte being pulled from me all yucky and gross and perfect. Scotty cut the cord and they handed her to me and I put her on my chest all covered in gunk and I cried my eyes out with mom and Scotty. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. I will never forget it. I held her for a good while and then they took her and weighed her and did some of her tests that they do while I was being tended to by my doctor. Scotty was watching all the tests being done to Charlotte and mom was taking pictures. Scotty's mom was watching Charlotte be evaluated as well. After her tests were done Scotty got to hold her for the first time and then my mom. I watched as Scotty held her for the first time and it was so precious. I loved watching that. He was so proud and happy. I talked to my dad on the phone right after she was born and he was crying his eyes out. He wasn't even here and he was all emotional. It made me emotional too. He has waited a long time for her too and he was just as excited as the rest of us for her to get her. All he talked about for months was how bad he wanted to hold her. Now he gets to!
As for my help, my mom and Scotty were amazing. They would take turns standing next to me holding my hand while I labored. Mom would pat my head with the wet towel and Scotty would feed me ice chips. They were so attentive and tried to help me as best they could. I only had to give Scotty one mean look. He kept telling me to "come on" while I was just laboring and not really pushing or anything and that was not helpful to hear. But after that look, that was all he needed. He did not want to pat my head with the wash rag. He left that to mom. He was scared he would get me upset. I know that it was hard for my mom to watch her baby in pain but she held strong and was a great support to me. I could not have done it without her. Scotty kept telling me how great I was doing and how proud he was of me. After it was all over he said the videos we watched in class did not do the experience justice. He said it was amazing to watch. He also told me both nights in the hospital and the first night home how proud he was of me waking up every two hours, the way I handled labor, the way I handled being poked and prodded and really trying to nurse and not give up. It is really really really nice to have such great support and have someone who genuinely cares about you. Once again, I am so freaking thankful for him. He is wonderful and he is already an absolutely amazing dad to Charlotte. Mom made him a daddy bag full of snacks, magazines, a dad coffee mug and some other things for the hospital. Dads get forgotten some times and I wanted him to know that I did not forget how helpful he had been this whole time. He had also gotten me a "push gift." He got me an hour long massage and he will take daddy duty while I go to the spa. Yes! Just what this mama ordered!
So we checked out of the hospital and we are now home. Scary and nice at the same time. Scotty and I had a rough first night. We were both so nervous about her sleeping. We were scared that she would stop breathing or that the swaddle would cover her mouth or that she would some how roll on to her face or something. So needless to say we didn't sleep well. Then Scotty left for Georgia and mom slept with me last night to help me out and we had a better routine and I was more relaxed than the first night. I love having my mom here. It is so nice to have someone with experience to bounce my questions off of and she knows what to do and when to do it and I don't have to ask. She also has been doing the cooking and cleaning and that makes my life so much easier so that I can focus on learning how to take care of Charlotte.
My dad and uncle came down on Friday to see the baby. She was sleeping when they got here and she slept for a while and dad didn't want to hold her until she woke up and finally he couldn't stand it anymore and gave in and held her. It was only for a second because then she got squirmy and he freaked out. He was trying to put her hat on today while I held her and he got scared he was going to break her. Scotty says the same things. Men - so silly. They should see how the nurses handle them in the hospital. Babies are much more resilant than you think.
So far we have taken our first sponge bath at home, taken our first walk, had our first doctor's appointment (went very well, she is super healthy), she has slept in the cradle, rock and play, and her swing. She is a great burper! Her cradle cap is getting better (not that it was bad before), her newborn rash is getting better (again, not that it was bad before), she sleeps about 2.5 hrs. - 3 hrs and then she is ready to eat. She does not like having her diaper changed but she does not like wearing a dirty one for long, she likes to be swaddled, and she likes to be snuggled and warm.
I struggled with deciding if I wanted to give her a paci before the first 2 weeks since I am nursing and they say that can affect them wanting to nurse but the pediatrician said that he did not see a problem with it and that there really isn't nipple confusion since milk comes from one and not the other. She was very soothed by my fingertip when she would get upset so I knew that she would like a paci and after I got the OK from the doctor I decided to give her one and she loves it. She is soothed by it and she spits it out when she is done and I only give it to her when she is not consoled by anything else and I take it away as soon as she is.
Things I love about her: well everything obviously but I love her hair for starters! I was so happy she had some - that is all from her daddy and not me. I love when she opens her eyes and just looks at me, I love when she pushes her little chin out, I love when she snuggles down close to me, and I love when she stops crying as soon as I pick her up, and I love how excited she gets to eat. She is such a remarkable little person. I thought that I would miss having her in my belly more than I do. I do miss having her so close but I love having her out and being able to kiss and squeeze her so much more!
Things I learned about labor: First I was thankful that my water broke on its own and I went in to labor naturally. I felt slightly guilty about bringing her before she was ready but I wanted Scotty to be here for the birth. I couldn't have done it without him. It was also fun to experience waking Scotty up and telling him my water broke in the middle of the night. Labor was not fun. I am glad that I got to experience partially unmedicated and medicated labor so that I know the difference. It is weird how when people ask me what it was like I find it really hard to describe the pain and afterward I just forgot all about it. And here is the part that can be TMI - I thought that I would be in A LOT more pain afterward (if you know what I mean) than I am. I really do not have any complaints about that part. They gave me Tylenol and and wrote me a prescription for pain meds but I have not used the pain meds at all, just the Tylenol and I have not taken as much of that since I have been home.
Overall: I cannot say enough how grateful, thankful, relieved I am at how smoothly things went. I could not have asked for a smoother delivery and a healthier baby. She is perfect. I saw parents in the hospital picking up an infant CPR kit and I thought about how lucky we are that we don't need something like that or worse. I will thank the Lord everyday for our safe delivery and our perfect, healthy baby girl.
I have noticed my hormones are in high gear as well. I look at that child and I cry because I love her so much. I can't imagine my life without her. She is so beautiful and I am so grateful and lucky to have her. I know I need to cherish EVERY single moment I have right now because I know how quickly she is going to grow and change. But she will always be my baby : )
So - here are a ton of pictures. Some were taken in the hospital by a service that the hospital offers, some were taken by mom in the hospital, some were taken by me at home, just a little bit of everything. I know that I will for sure be one of those moms that takes lots of pictures. I have a picture of us coming into the house for the first time but I can't find it right now... but here are many, many pictures for now. I plan to keep up the blog and keep everyone updated on how Charlotte is changing and growing. Hopefully, I won't fall behind too bad.
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| Before things started to get rough |
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| Scotty comforting me |
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| Trying to breathe through it |
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| Daddy Scotty cutting the cord |
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| Us admiring our new addition |
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| Getting weighed |
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| On the phone with my dad |
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| Daddy finally gets to hold her! |
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| Fighting the tears |
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| Granddmommy getting a good look at #12 for her |
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| MiMi getting a good look at #1 for her |
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| Mama and Charlotte! |
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| Mom letting the rest of the family know |
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| Trying to look human again |
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| Precious baby girl Charlotte |
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| Aunt Lisa |
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| 12:23 pm |
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| Our family |
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| As soon as Charlotte came and before I could even get a good look at her, my mom was saying how much Charlotte looked just like my newborn photo - Yes she does! |
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| Photos taken at the hospital by the photo service |
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| Smiley Baby |
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| First up close picture! |
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| Car ride home |
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| First Dr. Appt. |
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| Leaving for the hospital |
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| Harley Baby |
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| Leaving the hospital |
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| Daddy putting her in the car |
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| Scotty driving 3 miles an hour |
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| Almost exactly 48 hours after she was born, we left |
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| Add caption |
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| The Daddy Bag |
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| Yes you can see my not-so-cute maternity pants - but this was the final belly measurement picture - 48cm |
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| For the newsletter at work |
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| Out for a walk |
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| Swinging |
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| Hanging in the cradle |
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| Mama and Baby |
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| Her touchdown pose/So Big! |
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