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| 8/25 |
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| 8/25 |
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| 8/26 |
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| 8/27 |
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| His finger escaped the baby burrito while he was sleeping. |
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| 8/29 |
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| This swing is going to be my life saver. He sleeps in here forever. I need to stock up on C batteries! |
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The beginning of week two
Friday, August 24, 2012
Mystery Baby - Week 1
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| 8/19 Cuddling with Grandma M |
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| 8/20 |
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| Monkey Picture 8/20 - 3 days old |
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| 8/20 |
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| 8/21 |
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| 8/22 |
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| 8/22 |
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| Proof that he rolled over on his own. 8/22 |
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| 8/22 |
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| Sneeze! |
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| 8/23 |
Thursday, August 23, 2012
The Birth Story
I don't think this is too much info, but for some of you, it might be. Read at your own discretion.
Mystery Baby was due August 9, the day before Princess Sparkley's 10th birthday. She REALLY wanted him to be born on her birthday, so the week before, at my doctor's appointment when the doctor asked if I wanted my membranes stripped, I said no. With Buddy, having my membranes stripped resulted in his birth that afternoon. With Little Guy, I had to have my membranes stripped twice, but the second time, he was born early the next morning. I was trying to hold out for PS's birthday. And, part of me wasn't ready to face a newborn again. Four and a half years is a long time between kids.
My next appointment was August 9. I'm at 1 cm. Still. I had my membranes stripped. That was a Thursday. On Saturday (August 11) we went to see Mitt Romney and his newly announcement vice presidential running mate in downtown Manassas. It was hot. We had to stand and walk a lot. By the end of the event, I was having regular contractions. I thought this was it. They stopped.
My next appointment was for a week after my due date. Thursday, August 16. I'm at 2 cm. My doctor stripped my membranes again and sent me to the hospital for a non-stress test (ultrasound on the baby checking amniotic fluid levels, etc. and hooking me up to a monitor to listen to the baby's heart, etc.). I was also scheduled for an induction the next morning if nothing happened before then. Since I was being induced the next morning, they also put some sort of gel to help my cervix efface. We went to the hospital after lunch. We get home a little after five. I'm having contractions. The contractions are strong and every 5-7 minutes around 7PM. B and I go to bed at midnight. I don't want to show up at the hospital and have to labor there for several hours. I also don't want to wait too long and miss out on an epidural like I did with Buddy.
Around 2 AM I can't take the pain anymore. I've been in bed, not really sleeping for a couple of hours and the contractions have moved from every 5 minutes to every 3. And I'm shaking. I don't remember shaking during labor until I was at the hospital before, so I'm starting to panic that I've waited too long. B's mom had arrived the night before so we wake her and tell her we're going to the hospital.
We check in around 2:30 and once I'm all hooked up they check me. I'm dilated to 3 cm. I'm disappointed that I've had all these contractions and I'm only at a 3. I'm in a lot of pain. I tell them I want the epidural. I can't get the epidural until my doctor has arrived at the hospital. The nurse finally calls my doctor again, he's close, so she gets the anesthesiologist in there to start prepping me. I'm shaking horribly. They can't get my blood pressure due to the shaking.
The epidural gets in. I start going numb. Really strongly on my right. Not as strongly or quickly on my left. In fact, I can still feel the contractions very painfully only on the left side of my uterus. After the epidural is taking effect, my nurse checks me again. I'm at a 9. This is like with Buddy, except they checked me before the epidural and said I didn't have time for an epidural. I'm glad this nurse checked me after. The doctor is called in, he checks me, says he can see the bag of waters and the head is right behind it. It'll just be a few pushes. He goes and puts on a gown thing on top of his scrubs. They have me start pushing. It's sort of surreal because I can't really tell I'm pushing but they have to tell me to take it slow so I don't tear. The head is out. I don't really feel anything until the body is out and there's a relief of pressure, but no pain.
Mystery Baby has arrived. Just over two hours after we got to the hospital. Almost as quickly as Buddy (an hour and a half, I think). Little Guy was about 5 hours. From the time my water broke (not in labor) to Princess Sparkley being born is something like 18 or 21 hours.
They tell us he's 7lbs. 15 oz (later, the official weight is 7 lbs. 14.6 oz.). He's 21 ¼ inches. Our biggest baby. Buddy was 21 inches. And both Buddy and Little Guy were 7 lbs. 10 oz. Buddy was early. Little Guy was late. Mystery Baby is our latest baby, 1 week and 1 day overdue.
Mystery Baby was due August 9, the day before Princess Sparkley's 10th birthday. She REALLY wanted him to be born on her birthday, so the week before, at my doctor's appointment when the doctor asked if I wanted my membranes stripped, I said no. With Buddy, having my membranes stripped resulted in his birth that afternoon. With Little Guy, I had to have my membranes stripped twice, but the second time, he was born early the next morning. I was trying to hold out for PS's birthday. And, part of me wasn't ready to face a newborn again. Four and a half years is a long time between kids.
My next appointment was August 9. I'm at 1 cm. Still. I had my membranes stripped. That was a Thursday. On Saturday (August 11) we went to see Mitt Romney and his newly announcement vice presidential running mate in downtown Manassas. It was hot. We had to stand and walk a lot. By the end of the event, I was having regular contractions. I thought this was it. They stopped.
My next appointment was for a week after my due date. Thursday, August 16. I'm at 2 cm. My doctor stripped my membranes again and sent me to the hospital for a non-stress test (ultrasound on the baby checking amniotic fluid levels, etc. and hooking me up to a monitor to listen to the baby's heart, etc.). I was also scheduled for an induction the next morning if nothing happened before then. Since I was being induced the next morning, they also put some sort of gel to help my cervix efface. We went to the hospital after lunch. We get home a little after five. I'm having contractions. The contractions are strong and every 5-7 minutes around 7PM. B and I go to bed at midnight. I don't want to show up at the hospital and have to labor there for several hours. I also don't want to wait too long and miss out on an epidural like I did with Buddy.
Around 2 AM I can't take the pain anymore. I've been in bed, not really sleeping for a couple of hours and the contractions have moved from every 5 minutes to every 3. And I'm shaking. I don't remember shaking during labor until I was at the hospital before, so I'm starting to panic that I've waited too long. B's mom had arrived the night before so we wake her and tell her we're going to the hospital.
We check in around 2:30 and once I'm all hooked up they check me. I'm dilated to 3 cm. I'm disappointed that I've had all these contractions and I'm only at a 3. I'm in a lot of pain. I tell them I want the epidural. I can't get the epidural until my doctor has arrived at the hospital. The nurse finally calls my doctor again, he's close, so she gets the anesthesiologist in there to start prepping me. I'm shaking horribly. They can't get my blood pressure due to the shaking.
The epidural gets in. I start going numb. Really strongly on my right. Not as strongly or quickly on my left. In fact, I can still feel the contractions very painfully only on the left side of my uterus. After the epidural is taking effect, my nurse checks me again. I'm at a 9. This is like with Buddy, except they checked me before the epidural and said I didn't have time for an epidural. I'm glad this nurse checked me after. The doctor is called in, he checks me, says he can see the bag of waters and the head is right behind it. It'll just be a few pushes. He goes and puts on a gown thing on top of his scrubs. They have me start pushing. It's sort of surreal because I can't really tell I'm pushing but they have to tell me to take it slow so I don't tear. The head is out. I don't really feel anything until the body is out and there's a relief of pressure, but no pain.
Mystery Baby has arrived. Just over two hours after we got to the hospital. Almost as quickly as Buddy (an hour and a half, I think). Little Guy was about 5 hours. From the time my water broke (not in labor) to Princess Sparkley being born is something like 18 or 21 hours.
They tell us he's 7lbs. 15 oz (later, the official weight is 7 lbs. 14.6 oz.). He's 21 ¼ inches. Our biggest baby. Buddy was 21 inches. And both Buddy and Little Guy were 7 lbs. 10 oz. Buddy was early. Little Guy was late. Mystery Baby is our latest baby, 1 week and 1 day overdue.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Home
We're finally home! The hospital wants you to stay for two nights after a normal, vaginal delivery. I hate being in the hospital and this stay was especially long since my "first day" started at about 2:30AM. Eventually I'll get around to writing/posting the birth story, but for now, we're just happy that we got to come home yesterday.
(Outfit picked out by Little Guy as one of my Mother's Day presents.)
Friday, August 17, 2012
Introducing...
Mystery Baby
Friday, 8/17/2012
4:48AM EST
7 lbs. 14.6 oz.
21 1/4 inches
His first visitors:
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
Tough Week
Last night B was complaining to me about how horrible his week is going to be.
1. He has to watch a baby be born.
2. He has to cut the umbilical cord which creeps him out.
3. He has to be present for a circumcision (he already learned the lesson of not watching this one).
My response, "Yeah, YOUR week is going to be real rough." It's not like I have to give birth or anything.
Then I had a laughing fit remembering a hike we took at Thomas Stone National Historic Site. Little Guy was in the hiking backpack on B's back. B ended up falling into a small creek almost up to his waist. When he climbed up the other side of the creek, Little Guy was exclaiming how his boots *almost* got wet to B, who was wet from his upper thigh, down to his toes.
1. He has to watch a baby be born.
2. He has to cut the umbilical cord which creeps him out.
3. He has to be present for a circumcision (he already learned the lesson of not watching this one).
My response, "Yeah, YOUR week is going to be real rough." It's not like I have to give birth or anything.
Then I had a laughing fit remembering a hike we took at Thomas Stone National Historic Site. Little Guy was in the hiking backpack on B's back. B ended up falling into a small creek almost up to his waist. When he climbed up the other side of the creek, Little Guy was exclaiming how his boots *almost* got wet to B, who was wet from his upper thigh, down to his toes.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Mitt Romney
Photo sources: local news
We found out about a week ago that Mitt Romney was making a campaign stop in town today and tickets were free. B ordered 5 tickets figuring either the baby wouldn't be here yet, or if he was, the baby and I would stay home. No baby.
B got even more excited when Romney announced in Norfolk, VA this morning that Paul Ryan would be his running mate. B likes Ryan more than he likes Romney so he was excited that we'd probably get to see Ryan today.
After reading books to dogs at our library, B going on a run while Buddy and Princess Sparkley rode their bikes alongside, and then B and Buddy mowing our front lawn, we headed out to see Mitt.
It wasn't an especially hot day (I think the high was 87) so it could have been way worse, but it was pretty miserable, especially two days past my due date.
"Doors" opened at 2. I think we parked and got in a super long line around 2:20. By the time we got through security, it was 3:15. Liquid wasn't allowed, which was annoying, but they had some water stations once we were through security. Mitt was supposed to show up at 3:45. At 3:45 the mayor welcomed us. Then some woman gave a 10 minute prayer, which included a laughing point. Then every local elected Republican spoke for 10-15 minutes. Then they went back to music for awhile. Then Governor Bob McDonnell spoke and introduced Paul Ryan. It's about 5PM. Then Mitt Romney. B held our kids up so they could catch glimpses of Ryan and Romney through the crowd (and bay of cameramen that didn't stand and set up their cameras until after the audience was situated behind them).
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| Photo source: friend E.J. (we didn't get to see the buses) |
Our pictures:
Friday, August 10, 2012
Princess Sparkley Turns 10!
PS really wanted this baby to be born on her birthday. B was hoping the ultra sound was wrong and we could give PS a baby sister on her birthday. There is only about an hour and a half left in the day, so it doesn't look like that is going to happen.
When I went in to wake he up this morning I told her happy birthday and she told me that Buddy, his blanket and stuffed animal dolphin, Splash, had already been in to sing to her.
For some reason, our kids think you get to open birthday presents almost first thing in the morning. Like it's Christmas or something. I get it... they don't want to wait, but it makes the day sort of boring for me because there isn't as much to look forward to.
When I went in to wake he up this morning I told her happy birthday and she told me that Buddy, his blanket and stuffed animal dolphin, Splash, had already been in to sing to her.
For some reason, our kids think you get to open birthday presents almost first thing in the morning. Like it's Christmas or something. I get it... they don't want to wait, but it makes the day sort of boring for me because there isn't as much to look forward to.
Here's PS opening her presents:
She got some earrings, a Snoopy shirt, magazine subscriptions,
a book she wanted (on the Kindle), a Lego Friends set, her ears pierced, sandals, etc.
She also got to watch a movie of her choice (Ella Enchanted) and we went to Barnes and Noble to get her free cafe dessert. We also went to Petsmart (her choice) and picked up a Red Velvet cake (her choice again) for her at the grocery store. I got a couple of good recipes from friends, but was never sure if I'd be in a position to bake a cake today. It turns out I could have, but B kept telling me not to stress over it and just buy one. So we did. She also chose Alfredo noodles for dinner. Then cake...mmm.
B-day ?s:
1. What is your favorite color? Purple
2. What is your favorite toy? I don't know.
3. What is your favorite fruit? Apples?
4. What is your favorite tv show? Phineas and Ferb
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Cracker Sandwiches
6. What is your favorite outfit? My purple shirt and purple plaid shorts.
7. What is your favorite game? Candyland, Tell Tale.
8. What is your favorite snack? Poptarts, crackers, yogurt, candy, does dessert count?
9. What is your favorite animal? pandas, dolphins, whales, dogs, cats, guinea pigs and horses.
10. What is your favorite music? Weezer, Killers and Taylor Swift
11. What is your favorite book? I have A LOT! The Sisters Eight series, Half Magic series, The Royal Diaries, etc.
12. Who is your best friend? I have a lot of those too: Grace, Ruth, Audrey, Ella, Lizzy, Emma, Amanda, Jojo, Bryn, and Melanie. I have more though.
13. What is your favorite movie? Star Wars, Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, The Muppet Movie.
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Swim and ride my bike.
15. What is your favorite drink? June Bugs
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas (not just because of the presents)
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Normally I take Rachel Mei, but I take my other stuffed animals too.
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? A fried egg sandwich.
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pizza bubble, alfredo noodles, ravioli.
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A LOT of stuff. I actually have a list. Some of them are: a dolphin trainer, a singer, a director, an author, and an artist. I know I am going to be a mom.
39 weeks. Gone. 40 weeks. Gone.
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| 39 weeks - August 2 |
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| 40 weeks - August 9 |
And, for comparisons sake:
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| 40 weeks with Mystery Baby - 2012 |
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| 40 weeks and 1 day with Baby X/Little Guy - 2008 |
Somewhere, I have a picture of me in this gray shirt on my due date with Princess Sparkley, but that pre-dated us owning a digital camera and I'm not tracking it down right now.
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