Last week, I paid a visit to McDreamy's friendly orthopedic surgeon.
Remember the knee dislocation that I suffered post-birth? Remember that? Oh that was fun. But not quite as fun as having your knee dislocate while taking your baby out of the bath. And dropping him. Horrifying doesn't even describe that moment. Just note that I am smart enough to drain the baby tub before ever removing a baby...and I was kneeling, so Ethan didn't fall hard. But he did bump his head on the side of my big tub. He was fine. No bruises, no bumps. I, however, was screaming in pain and horror at the event. My mother was there when it happened, thankfully. She calmed me down and told me that she once dropped me when both of her knees dislocated. Um...yeah....
I've had "bad" knees since I was 14. The first dislocation happened during gym class. I was running back to catch a frisbee and caught my foot in a hole on the playing field. My leg twisted and my knee popped out. Since the school was afraid of litigation, the coach refused to relocate the knee. It sat out of the socket for hours. The pain was excruciating. The recovery took months. That was my left knee. The next time that knee dislocated was during work at Six Flags. I was trying to rescue a kid out of a climbing net (I worked in the kiddie area). I've had problems with my left knee ever since. My right knee (the one that I injured after the birth and after Ethan's bath), was dislocated for the first time when I was 16. I was trying on a skirt at Dillard's and my shoe was caught in the skirt's lining. The knee popped out and then relocated itself...the right one always relocates. The left one has to be manually "set" back into position. Oh, yes, it's great fun.
The orthopedic surgeon told me that I have to begin doing knee strengthening exercises. And I have braces to wear to hold the knees in place when I do strenuous activities with the kids that put me at risk for dislocation. The braces HURT. Badly. So badly that I need to call the doctor back to discuss it. This Friday, I have to go to one session of physical therapy to learn additional strengthening exercises. Now I just need to dig out my ankle weights to begin the process.
Unfortunately, surgery also will be in order. At some point. The muscles and tendons will be tightened to give my knees more support. I'm not looking forward to surgery, but I want to do whatever I need to do to get my knees strong...or, rather, to get my tendons strong.
As for Ethan's bathtime, I'm now much more deliberate with my movements. I know how I probably caused the dislocation, so now I'm making sure my knees are in positions that don't make them vulnerable to dislocation. And I've created a bath schedule, so that if my husband can't help with baths...my mom can.
I don't know about all of you out there in the blogosphere, but my family has had a hell of a nasty winter...as viruses are concerned. The toddler has had a bad cold with a fever, and we all (except Ethan, thankfully) came down with the WORST intestinal virus EVER. The toddler woke up vomiting and completely freaked out (as he has never thrown up before). Minutes before he woke up, I was lying in bed feeling extremely nauseated and wondering what the heck was up with my stomach. The next few days that followed had me and the toddler completely unable to eat anything. I had horrible diarrhea, a fever and just general malaise. The toddler threw up for only one night and then just suffered from a mild fever and general ickiness. Neither of us could eat a thing. My husband came down with the virus a week after us. Now the toddler is getting over a sinus infection. It never ends.
And, of course, Ethan has been teething for the past few weeks. We are eagerly awaiting the top teeth.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Mothering Basics...or how I completely screwed up with #2
I am an idiot. I. Am. An. Idiot.
Remember how I said that Ethan was teething? And that he was restless with the pain of it all? Like good parents, my husband and I began giving him meds for the pain. We remembered how well Motrin worked for the toddler when he was teething, so we started the dosage. What we forgot was that we alternated Tylenol and Motrin with the toddler...but we didn't introduce Motrin with the Tylenol until he was six months old. Because you cannot give Motrin to an infant under 6 months.
I didn't remember the Motrin issue until Ethan's 4-month well visit yesterday. Our pede noticed he had cut his two bottom teeth and reminded us about how much Tylenol we can use. Noticing that he neglected to update us on the Motrin dose, he looked at me and said "you can't use Motrin before six months....it can cause bloodflow problems to the organs."
I froze. Completely horrified. And then I fessed up that we had used it off and on for the last week and a half.
Thankfully, the pede said that it was probably fine, not to worry, and that the issues were rare...but they tell parents, for safety-sake, to avoid Motrin until the six-month mark.
Obviously, the Motrin is retired from our home. But I still feel like a terrible mother and am now having horrible images about how I could have poisoned my son with my Motrin stupidity.
On a happy note, Ethan now weighs 16 lbs. 13 oz. and is 26 inches long. Head is 16 inches. His weight and height are both in the 90th percentile. His head measures in the 50th percentile. He also had his 4-month vaccines, which didn't go over too well. But he was drugged. With Tylenol. So it was all right.
Remember how I said that Ethan was teething? And that he was restless with the pain of it all? Like good parents, my husband and I began giving him meds for the pain. We remembered how well Motrin worked for the toddler when he was teething, so we started the dosage. What we forgot was that we alternated Tylenol and Motrin with the toddler...but we didn't introduce Motrin with the Tylenol until he was six months old. Because you cannot give Motrin to an infant under 6 months.
I didn't remember the Motrin issue until Ethan's 4-month well visit yesterday. Our pede noticed he had cut his two bottom teeth and reminded us about how much Tylenol we can use. Noticing that he neglected to update us on the Motrin dose, he looked at me and said "you can't use Motrin before six months....it can cause bloodflow problems to the organs."
I froze. Completely horrified. And then I fessed up that we had used it off and on for the last week and a half.
Thankfully, the pede said that it was probably fine, not to worry, and that the issues were rare...but they tell parents, for safety-sake, to avoid Motrin until the six-month mark.
Obviously, the Motrin is retired from our home. But I still feel like a terrible mother and am now having horrible images about how I could have poisoned my son with my Motrin stupidity.
On a happy note, Ethan now weighs 16 lbs. 13 oz. and is 26 inches long. Head is 16 inches. His weight and height are both in the 90th percentile. His head measures in the 50th percentile. He also had his 4-month vaccines, which didn't go over too well. But he was drugged. With Tylenol. So it was all right.
Friday, February 6, 2009
The green-eyed monster
The toddler is acting out terribly against Ethan. This afternoon, while on routine errands, the toddler was playing with his LeapFrog Tag Reader system and decided to hit his baby brother on the head with the tag reader. Ethan, who was sleeping at the time, woke up screaming. The tag reader, if you're not familiar, is a hard plastic pen. I freaked out. My husband freaked out. Thank goodness that Ethan was more scared than hurt (i.e. no bruise or bump). We did a time-out, we took away the tag reader, and we cancelled movie night (we rented Madagascar 2).
The toddler seemed unfazed.
I am at a loss as a parent about what more to do. The toddler does not really seem to show any remorse, and time-outs seem to hold no consequence. I am so sick of him hitting his brother, poking his brother, etc. But what worries me most is that he could really hurt Ethan badly in his actions. Once he even tried to kick at Ethan's head...this sent me spinning...especially since he did hit Ethan a bit with his foot. At that point, I just shut him in his room. And yelled. And freaked out. My husband and I have been discussing his behavior issues and are trying to find other methods of discipline. A part of me really just wants to spank when he acts out, but I know this sends the wrong message.
I never, ever thought I would be having this problem. Before Ethan, the toddler was perfectly obedient. Like all kids, he had his moments...but he was really well behaved. Now that Ethan's here, his behavior is really touch-and-go. Some days, he is loving and awesome with his brother. Other days, like today, not so much.
Any supernannies out there? If any of you have any great behavior tips, please send them my way. I will be brimming with gratitude.
The toddler seemed unfazed.
I am at a loss as a parent about what more to do. The toddler does not really seem to show any remorse, and time-outs seem to hold no consequence. I am so sick of him hitting his brother, poking his brother, etc. But what worries me most is that he could really hurt Ethan badly in his actions. Once he even tried to kick at Ethan's head...this sent me spinning...especially since he did hit Ethan a bit with his foot. At that point, I just shut him in his room. And yelled. And freaked out. My husband and I have been discussing his behavior issues and are trying to find other methods of discipline. A part of me really just wants to spank when he acts out, but I know this sends the wrong message.
I never, ever thought I would be having this problem. Before Ethan, the toddler was perfectly obedient. Like all kids, he had his moments...but he was really well behaved. Now that Ethan's here, his behavior is really touch-and-go. Some days, he is loving and awesome with his brother. Other days, like today, not so much.
Any supernannies out there? If any of you have any great behavior tips, please send them my way. I will be brimming with gratitude.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Guess who's coming to dinner
What do you get when you put a three-year old, a four-month old and a six-month old in a dinner party situation? Chaos.
Last Sunday, our friends C. and E. invited us to have dinner at their home. They are newly-married and have a six-month old baby boy. Since we don't get out much (with the exception of the weekend mall trips...easy stroller time), the hubby and I jumped at the chance to have dinner away from a house that wasn't our own. The trip to their home took us about an hour. Both the toddler and the baby do well in the car, so the ride was fairly uneventful. That was probably the nicest hour of the whole night.
When we arrived at C. and E.'s house, we realized something that we didn't think of before we left: there was nothing for the toddler to do. Sure we brought a few toys with us, and some books, but the toddler is a curious one...and while his own toys were fine at home, this was some place new. And it wasn't really exciting. Unless, of course, you were a baby.
I felt bad for the kid. I really did. Both E. and I were comparing our babies, and spending time with them...and it seemed as though it was more of a baby-centric night. If there is one thing that all toddlers have in common, it is that they wish to be the center of the show. The toddler is having a tough time with not being the center, now that baby Ethan has joined us. He has acted out a lot, both with the potty and with other behaviors. He sometimes hits or pinches his brother (especially during car trips at night). The change has been hard on him, as we expected it would be. And his reactions have especially been hard on us as parents. So to put the toddler into a situation that made him ill at ease was probably not so smart.
Within the first five minutes of arriving at their home, he peed his pants. This was especially uncharacteristic of him now that he's in big kid undies, and he had pottied before we left. I didn't admonish him, and neither did my husband, we simply reminded him to tell us when he needed to potty, quickly changed him, and moved on. But moving on meant keeping him busy. And that was tougher than expected. The house was not childproofed, so I had to keep telling him not to touch things (E. collects snow globes). When dinner was served, E. gave him a glass cup (a real GLASS), and I tried not to freak. You do NOT serve a toddler glassware, you just don't. The toddler picked at his dinner, which was served about an hour after he usually eats. And, in between all the festivities of the evening, there were a few time-outs on the stairs. By the time we left, I was exhausted and just wanted to have a nice ride home.
You can only imagine how the ride home went.
Ethan screamed the whole hour home. And, of course, the toddler decided to poke, hit and pinch him. I would have cried too. And, actually, I think I did. The night, while fun in some respects, was really a lesson in what not to do with a toddler.
That night, no one slept well. We arrived home around nine o'clock, a good hour past the toddler's bedtime. Ethan woke up around 3 a.m. randomly and needed to nurse. And then the toddler began his new routine of waking up at 7 a.m. (he used to sleep to 8:30, then it fell to 8).
The days that followed gave me more wee morning wake-ups, and on Wednesday I discovered the reason why. Ethan has cut his first tooth. And the second is on its way.
As I type this, he is up again. The second time tonight. I don't think sleep is going to go well for us again tonight.
Last Sunday, our friends C. and E. invited us to have dinner at their home. They are newly-married and have a six-month old baby boy. Since we don't get out much (with the exception of the weekend mall trips...easy stroller time), the hubby and I jumped at the chance to have dinner away from a house that wasn't our own. The trip to their home took us about an hour. Both the toddler and the baby do well in the car, so the ride was fairly uneventful. That was probably the nicest hour of the whole night.
When we arrived at C. and E.'s house, we realized something that we didn't think of before we left: there was nothing for the toddler to do. Sure we brought a few toys with us, and some books, but the toddler is a curious one...and while his own toys were fine at home, this was some place new. And it wasn't really exciting. Unless, of course, you were a baby.
I felt bad for the kid. I really did. Both E. and I were comparing our babies, and spending time with them...and it seemed as though it was more of a baby-centric night. If there is one thing that all toddlers have in common, it is that they wish to be the center of the show. The toddler is having a tough time with not being the center, now that baby Ethan has joined us. He has acted out a lot, both with the potty and with other behaviors. He sometimes hits or pinches his brother (especially during car trips at night). The change has been hard on him, as we expected it would be. And his reactions have especially been hard on us as parents. So to put the toddler into a situation that made him ill at ease was probably not so smart.
Within the first five minutes of arriving at their home, he peed his pants. This was especially uncharacteristic of him now that he's in big kid undies, and he had pottied before we left. I didn't admonish him, and neither did my husband, we simply reminded him to tell us when he needed to potty, quickly changed him, and moved on. But moving on meant keeping him busy. And that was tougher than expected. The house was not childproofed, so I had to keep telling him not to touch things (E. collects snow globes). When dinner was served, E. gave him a glass cup (a real GLASS), and I tried not to freak. You do NOT serve a toddler glassware, you just don't. The toddler picked at his dinner, which was served about an hour after he usually eats. And, in between all the festivities of the evening, there were a few time-outs on the stairs. By the time we left, I was exhausted and just wanted to have a nice ride home.
You can only imagine how the ride home went.
Ethan screamed the whole hour home. And, of course, the toddler decided to poke, hit and pinch him. I would have cried too. And, actually, I think I did. The night, while fun in some respects, was really a lesson in what not to do with a toddler.
That night, no one slept well. We arrived home around nine o'clock, a good hour past the toddler's bedtime. Ethan woke up around 3 a.m. randomly and needed to nurse. And then the toddler began his new routine of waking up at 7 a.m. (he used to sleep to 8:30, then it fell to 8).
The days that followed gave me more wee morning wake-ups, and on Wednesday I discovered the reason why. Ethan has cut his first tooth. And the second is on its way.
As I type this, he is up again. The second time tonight. I don't think sleep is going to go well for us again tonight.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
What goes around...
Apparently a lovely virus is going around here in the Midwest. And, apparently, it has taken up residence in our home. A few weeks ago, the toddler exhibited the always suspect runny nose. The runny nose gave way to congestion and a slight fever. All symptoms vanished within a few days, and the ever-energetic toddler was as good as new. Fast forward to this week. Despite my best attempts to Purell the germs off the toddler, some managed to escape and infect myself and Ethan. Of course, the husband was spared. It hasn't been too terrible, but the congestion has made the reflux a bit more pronounced. And, to make matters worse, Ethan's new bottle of liquid Zantac fell into the toilet (don't ask!), and the cap was not properly screwed on. So, yeah, a whole bottle of Zantac went down the toilet. Fun times, here.
I'm also battling sibling rivalry. The toddler is acting out against Ethan, especially during car rides. He likes to pinch Ethan's cheeks or grab his hands. Yeah, real funny. He also pretends to kick baby brother. It freaks me out, and I tend to freak out when it happens. Time outs don't seem to be working. I know that this sort of behavior is normal, but I don't know what to do when time outs don't curb the bad behavior. I'm sure someone out in the blog universe has dealt with these issues, so, once again, feel free to set me straight! Just don't tell me to spank...while, at times, I might understand why parent's spank, I don't believe in it for my own parenting guidelines.
And, this might sound like a weird request, I am at wits end for meals! Since Ethan's birth, I feel like we've been living on easy take-outish meal options, like frozen pizzas, chicken fingers, etc. I need some real food ideas that are easy and don't take hours to prepare. Suggest away!!!!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Motherhood: Version 2.0
Life with a toddler and an almost 4-month old has been a balancing act that I've yet to completely master. Up until now, whence the baby has begun to sleep 12 hours at night, my life has been stuck on automatic pilot...and this blog has been obviously neglected.
I'm not working. Freelancing has been put on hold, as I have no free time to write professionally. And, by the time bedtime hits, I'm too exhausted to think...let alone try to make deadlines. I knew two kids would be exhausting, but um...wow. It's done wonders for the baby weight, though. By four weeks postpartum, I was in my skinny, skinny jeans. And recently I had to buy new jeans. Junior's size 5, because my butt is nonexistent and nothing else fits. It's a good problem to have. So I'm going to enjoy it!
The toddler is now in big boy underpants and has mastered peeing on the potty. Pooping,? Not so much. Everyone tells me this is typical--for boys especially--so I'm not stressing about it. That said, the poop issue has forced us to delay preschool a year. The preschool in which we enrolled him requires that the kids be FULLY potty trained. My friend who is a Montessori school early education teacher says that she doesn't agree with such a rule--kids have accidents, and pooping is usually the last task to be mastered in the potty training olympics. I think we might find a new school for next year, not because I'm worried about poop...but I would feel more comfortable to enroll him in a school that doesn't freak out about accidents (of any sort). And the toddler is ahead of the school's curriculum. He's mastered the alphabet, colors, counting and knows all his states and capitals (he learned this via a USA map puzzle...very handy for teaching geography). He's currently working on reading...he has most sight words down and knows how to sound words out.
Baby brother Ethan is growing so quickly. I almost forgot how quickly those little babies grow. He's still HUGE. At his two-month check up, he was in the 97th percentile for weight and the 95th percentile for length. On December 28th, he rolled for the first time--he is really into being mobile, very different from his brother at the same age. The toddler HATED tummy time! Ethan is grinning and cooing all the time, he's quite the happy little man. I am a sucker for those gummy grins! He still has quite the temper...he doesn't hesitate to "unleash the fury" if he doesn't get his way. Acid reflux continues to be an annoyance; we tried to wean him from the Zantac, but it just made him (and us) miserable. Copious amounts of vomit=copious amounts of laundry. We started him back on the Zantac again, and the reflux has abated. Our pediatrician said that most babies outgrow reflux at six months of age...I really hope that is the case for Ethan.
Everyday life with both kids has been stressful. Ethan nurses on demand, which keeps me tied up a lot during the day. Then I feel bad, because I can't give the toddler the attention he seems to need. And it doesn't help that it's been a cold winter here in the Midwest...so socializing the toddler has been difficult at best. Sometimes we can make story times, but we went several weeks without venturing out much...which made me feel so stressed. Things just always seemed to come up...one week we had to wean him from pull-ups, one week he was sick, the next week it snowed, the next was Christmas...craziness. The fact that he should be in preschool stresses me even more, because I want him to socialize. I will have to look into a mother's day out. Or do play dates somehow. My mom has been a lifesaver. She comes over several times a week to play with the toddler and help out. I don't know if it's typical, but I just feel so isolated while the hubby is at work. Like I said, the fact that it's cold out and we can't get out a lot because of the weather doesn't help issues either. If anyone has any recommendations for ways to further socialize a toddler, please TELL ME! =-) Money is tight here, which also hasn't helped. No freelancing=tight pockets. So, yeah, like a lot of people now, money is an issue. If it wasn't, I'd probably be doing gymboree type classes. Or kindermusik. So low-cost socializing tips are helpful. Ass-vice or advice, I don't care which...just send me suggestions!!!!=-)
I'm not working. Freelancing has been put on hold, as I have no free time to write professionally. And, by the time bedtime hits, I'm too exhausted to think...let alone try to make deadlines. I knew two kids would be exhausting, but um...wow. It's done wonders for the baby weight, though. By four weeks postpartum, I was in my skinny, skinny jeans. And recently I had to buy new jeans. Junior's size 5, because my butt is nonexistent and nothing else fits. It's a good problem to have. So I'm going to enjoy it!
The toddler is now in big boy underpants and has mastered peeing on the potty. Pooping,? Not so much. Everyone tells me this is typical--for boys especially--so I'm not stressing about it. That said, the poop issue has forced us to delay preschool a year. The preschool in which we enrolled him requires that the kids be FULLY potty trained. My friend who is a Montessori school early education teacher says that she doesn't agree with such a rule--kids have accidents, and pooping is usually the last task to be mastered in the potty training olympics. I think we might find a new school for next year, not because I'm worried about poop...but I would feel more comfortable to enroll him in a school that doesn't freak out about accidents (of any sort). And the toddler is ahead of the school's curriculum. He's mastered the alphabet, colors, counting and knows all his states and capitals (he learned this via a USA map puzzle...very handy for teaching geography). He's currently working on reading...he has most sight words down and knows how to sound words out.
Baby brother Ethan is growing so quickly. I almost forgot how quickly those little babies grow. He's still HUGE. At his two-month check up, he was in the 97th percentile for weight and the 95th percentile for length. On December 28th, he rolled for the first time--he is really into being mobile, very different from his brother at the same age. The toddler HATED tummy time! Ethan is grinning and cooing all the time, he's quite the happy little man. I am a sucker for those gummy grins! He still has quite the temper...he doesn't hesitate to "unleash the fury" if he doesn't get his way. Acid reflux continues to be an annoyance; we tried to wean him from the Zantac, but it just made him (and us) miserable. Copious amounts of vomit=copious amounts of laundry. We started him back on the Zantac again, and the reflux has abated. Our pediatrician said that most babies outgrow reflux at six months of age...I really hope that is the case for Ethan.
Everyday life with both kids has been stressful. Ethan nurses on demand, which keeps me tied up a lot during the day. Then I feel bad, because I can't give the toddler the attention he seems to need. And it doesn't help that it's been a cold winter here in the Midwest...so socializing the toddler has been difficult at best. Sometimes we can make story times, but we went several weeks without venturing out much...which made me feel so stressed. Things just always seemed to come up...one week we had to wean him from pull-ups, one week he was sick, the next week it snowed, the next was Christmas...craziness. The fact that he should be in preschool stresses me even more, because I want him to socialize. I will have to look into a mother's day out. Or do play dates somehow. My mom has been a lifesaver. She comes over several times a week to play with the toddler and help out. I don't know if it's typical, but I just feel so isolated while the hubby is at work. Like I said, the fact that it's cold out and we can't get out a lot because of the weather doesn't help issues either. If anyone has any recommendations for ways to further socialize a toddler, please TELL ME! =-) Money is tight here, which also hasn't helped. No freelancing=tight pockets. So, yeah, like a lot of people now, money is an issue. If it wasn't, I'd probably be doing gymboree type classes. Or kindermusik. So low-cost socializing tips are helpful. Ass-vice or advice, I don't care which...just send me suggestions!!!!=-)
Saturday, November 1, 2008
30 things
On September 24, I turned 30. And, ummm, I was induced. I know that I'm a month late in updating...so, for that, I'm sorry. As I am sleep-deprived and in need of some serious down-time, I'm going to give you the story in numbers.
1. On September 20, I experienced false labor. At 2 a.m. My parents were called. They politely stayed until 4 a.m., at which time I realized I wasn't really in labor.
2. September 22 was my last ultrasound. Baby brother was measuring 8 lbs 10 oz. McDreamy said that he would see me again on the 24th for my induction...unless I delivered earlier. Yeah. Or not.
3. Monday and Tuesday (the 22nd and 23rd) were spent horizontal in bed with my mom watching the toddler. My husband was out of town until the eve of the 23rd, so I was desperate to keep baby brother in the ute.
4. At 8 a.m. on the 24th, the hospital called to tell me to get my rear to L&D, as they had beds open. I wasn't expecting this call until much later. So much for a lazy b-day. I called my mom and dad and told them to get here asap.
5. At 9 a.m., my parents still hadn't arrived. Even though they only live 20 minutes away.
6. At 9:30 or 10ish, the parents FINALLY arrived. I had the hubby call them to check their status, and we discovered my mom stopped for donuts. Ummm. Yeah. Can we prioritize a bit?
7. At a little past 10, we arrived at L & D and snagged the last bed. Good fortune? Yes, I think so.
8. After taking all my info, I was given an IV and paperwork to fill out for cord blood donation. The nurse checks my cervix, and I am hanging out at 4 cm. Guess all those contractions paid off.
9. At 11:15 a.m., my bloodstream is introduced to a hateful drug called Pitocin.
10. I contract. And contract. And contract some more.
11. At around 1230 or 1 p.m., McDreamy orders for my water to be broken. I freak out, because I know EXACTLY what that's going to do to my contractions. And so did McDreamy.
12. I CONTRACT!!!!! And begin to really lose my patience with my husband.
13. Then I beg for the epidural. The nurse asks me if I want her to check my cervix. At first, I tell her yes. Then, as she's about to insert her hand to check, I tell her not to. Hard contractions and a hand on my cervix is not a good combination for pain.
14. The nurses call anesthesia for my epidural. I wait.
15. The saints arrive and put a large needle into my spine. I wince. But the result was SO WORTH IT! Epidurals are truly gifts of modern medicine.
16. After a few minutes pain-free, I let the nurse check my cervix. I'm now hanging out at 7.
17. About 45 minutes after the cervix check, I realize that I'm feeling an awful lot of pressure. And I have to pee. The nurse says that she wants to check my cervix again, as catheterizing me could cause the baby to move down faster...and speed up delivery. Not a bad thing, but McDreamy was not yet at the hospital...soooo...she said that if I was close to 10, we should call McDreamy about the catheter. Just in case.
18. I am at 9. No catheter for me. Instead, the nurse calls McDreamy to tell him to get his rear to the hospital.
19. McDreamy arrives. I'm at 10. And pushing.
20. I really cannot remember how long I pushed. But McDreamy informs me that the baby's heart-rate is dipping, so he needs to speed things up. Out comes the vacuum.
21. I push some more. The nurses put an oxygen mask on my face, which really freaks me out. McDreamy announces that the baby's head is almost out.
22. I feel the weird sensation, the indescribable sensation, of my baby's head exiting my body.
23. At 4:49 p.m., Ethan is born. He is huge. He is beautiful. And he has a great set of lungs!
24. My husband and the nurse take Ethan to the scale to check his weight. We realize that the ultrasound was about a pound off in estimation. Ethan weighs in at a hefty 9 lbs 9 oz.
25. McDreamy tells me that I had a 2nd degree tear. Not bad for such a big guy. I also lost more blood than normal. So they keep an IV in my arm...just in case I need more drugs to help contract the ute. I nurse Ethan for the first time. However, I fail to listen to the nurse as she tells me to "bring the baby to the breast, don't bring the breast to the baby." I later develop horribly cracked nipples, as Ethan's latch was off. I breastfed the toddler for a year, so how I could forget such basic advice on latching, I cannot even understand.
26. The toddler and the grandparents come in to see me and the baby. The toddler is a bit weary.
27. I'm taken to my room, whereupon I forget that I have very little feeling in my legs from the epidural. I try to get out of the wheelchair without help, and then I dislocate me knee...my knees are prone to dislocation, but this was SO not the time for it to happen.
28. I order dinner and try to keep the epidural shakes at bay. I also fail to request ice for my knee, which haunts me later in my postpartum recovery. Take note, knees need ice. They also need exercise. If you lay immobile, they hurt more. And they don't heal. And they swell. A LOT.
29. Ethan is brought to me. He is 21 inches long (as noted in the nursery) and has dark blonde hair. He has the same big cheeks as the toddler did at birth, and a tiny, perfect mouth.
30. I notice the mural on the wall of my room, which reads: "Miracles. Believe in them." And I can't help but think that I was given the greatest 30th birthday present ever: a living miracle.
1. On September 20, I experienced false labor. At 2 a.m. My parents were called. They politely stayed until 4 a.m., at which time I realized I wasn't really in labor.
2. September 22 was my last ultrasound. Baby brother was measuring 8 lbs 10 oz. McDreamy said that he would see me again on the 24th for my induction...unless I delivered earlier. Yeah. Or not.
3. Monday and Tuesday (the 22nd and 23rd) were spent horizontal in bed with my mom watching the toddler. My husband was out of town until the eve of the 23rd, so I was desperate to keep baby brother in the ute.
4. At 8 a.m. on the 24th, the hospital called to tell me to get my rear to L&D, as they had beds open. I wasn't expecting this call until much later. So much for a lazy b-day. I called my mom and dad and told them to get here asap.
5. At 9 a.m., my parents still hadn't arrived. Even though they only live 20 minutes away.
6. At 9:30 or 10ish, the parents FINALLY arrived. I had the hubby call them to check their status, and we discovered my mom stopped for donuts. Ummm. Yeah. Can we prioritize a bit?
7. At a little past 10, we arrived at L & D and snagged the last bed. Good fortune? Yes, I think so.
8. After taking all my info, I was given an IV and paperwork to fill out for cord blood donation. The nurse checks my cervix, and I am hanging out at 4 cm. Guess all those contractions paid off.
9. At 11:15 a.m., my bloodstream is introduced to a hateful drug called Pitocin.
10. I contract. And contract. And contract some more.
11. At around 1230 or 1 p.m., McDreamy orders for my water to be broken. I freak out, because I know EXACTLY what that's going to do to my contractions. And so did McDreamy.
12. I CONTRACT!!!!! And begin to really lose my patience with my husband.
13. Then I beg for the epidural. The nurse asks me if I want her to check my cervix. At first, I tell her yes. Then, as she's about to insert her hand to check, I tell her not to. Hard contractions and a hand on my cervix is not a good combination for pain.
14. The nurses call anesthesia for my epidural. I wait.
15. The saints arrive and put a large needle into my spine. I wince. But the result was SO WORTH IT! Epidurals are truly gifts of modern medicine.
16. After a few minutes pain-free, I let the nurse check my cervix. I'm now hanging out at 7.
17. About 45 minutes after the cervix check, I realize that I'm feeling an awful lot of pressure. And I have to pee. The nurse says that she wants to check my cervix again, as catheterizing me could cause the baby to move down faster...and speed up delivery. Not a bad thing, but McDreamy was not yet at the hospital...soooo...she said that if I was close to 10, we should call McDreamy about the catheter. Just in case.
18. I am at 9. No catheter for me. Instead, the nurse calls McDreamy to tell him to get his rear to the hospital.
19. McDreamy arrives. I'm at 10. And pushing.
20. I really cannot remember how long I pushed. But McDreamy informs me that the baby's heart-rate is dipping, so he needs to speed things up. Out comes the vacuum.
21. I push some more. The nurses put an oxygen mask on my face, which really freaks me out. McDreamy announces that the baby's head is almost out.
22. I feel the weird sensation, the indescribable sensation, of my baby's head exiting my body.
23. At 4:49 p.m., Ethan is born. He is huge. He is beautiful. And he has a great set of lungs!
24. My husband and the nurse take Ethan to the scale to check his weight. We realize that the ultrasound was about a pound off in estimation. Ethan weighs in at a hefty 9 lbs 9 oz.
25. McDreamy tells me that I had a 2nd degree tear. Not bad for such a big guy. I also lost more blood than normal. So they keep an IV in my arm...just in case I need more drugs to help contract the ute. I nurse Ethan for the first time. However, I fail to listen to the nurse as she tells me to "bring the baby to the breast, don't bring the breast to the baby." I later develop horribly cracked nipples, as Ethan's latch was off. I breastfed the toddler for a year, so how I could forget such basic advice on latching, I cannot even understand.
26. The toddler and the grandparents come in to see me and the baby. The toddler is a bit weary.
27. I'm taken to my room, whereupon I forget that I have very little feeling in my legs from the epidural. I try to get out of the wheelchair without help, and then I dislocate me knee...my knees are prone to dislocation, but this was SO not the time for it to happen.
28. I order dinner and try to keep the epidural shakes at bay. I also fail to request ice for my knee, which haunts me later in my postpartum recovery. Take note, knees need ice. They also need exercise. If you lay immobile, they hurt more. And they don't heal. And they swell. A LOT.
29. Ethan is brought to me. He is 21 inches long (as noted in the nursery) and has dark blonde hair. He has the same big cheeks as the toddler did at birth, and a tiny, perfect mouth.
30. I notice the mural on the wall of my room, which reads: "Miracles. Believe in them." And I can't help but think that I was given the greatest 30th birthday present ever: a living miracle.
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