Happy day!
musings from a mom and vet
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
A Birthday Party To Remember
Ian's birthday fell on a Saturday this year, and we were able to throw him a little party at the nice park that's only a mile or so from the house. We love this park, it has a wonderful playground, a walking track, and a big field and it's always filled with people, kids, and pets. That's one of the really nice things about living in this city, we have a great parks and rec department. At the beginning of May last year the existing playground was removed, and members of the community got together and rebuilt it. It was built entirely by volunteers over a 5 day period. J got to participate, and I look forward to telling Ian in the future that hey - see that rail there? Your dad helped build that!
But oh my, it is HOT here right now. We of course had scheduled the park for 1 pm, and it was 94 degrees when we got there. And the humidity? Let's not talk about those percentages. Everyone that came were troopers about the heat. There's a covered pavilion there, and it was just perfect for our little party with family. We had close to 20 family members attend.
We had pizza, and believe you me we didn't have to worry about it going cold!
Instead of doing a cake, I made cupcakes the night before. Strawberry cake for our little man who is a strawberry eating machine! Cream cheese icing and colored sprinkles. I completely forgot to take a picture of the cupcakes, there were 40 (waaaaay too many), and they looked pretty. . . . .until they set outside in the 94 degree heat and 400% humidity, and the icing turned to liquid. Here's a picture of some that were left over, the icing didn't exactly recover, but they're still tasty.
Ian, however took it all in stride and shoved the whole cupcake, icing first, into his face.
He liked it.
We also brought a tub of ice cream, which he was also quite pleased about eating.
And then presents. And he actually enjoyed opening them!!! Seriously, he couldn't wait to see what was in those bags!
We had such a nice time with everyone. I was especially grateful that my grandfather drove up from Georgia to attend. Ian is his 15th grandchild. Us grandkids call him Pop, and I cannot express to you how awesome it was to see my little man point at him and say, "Pop!"
In this rush of trying to get ready for the party, we completely forgot to give him his presents from us. So after we got home he got to open a few more.
A little magnetic gardening kit.
An abacus, which he thought was the coolest thing ever.
Yup, he had a pretty good birthday. He won't remember it, but we sure will. I still can't believe he is 1.
But oh my, it is HOT here right now. We of course had scheduled the park for 1 pm, and it was 94 degrees when we got there. And the humidity? Let's not talk about those percentages. Everyone that came were troopers about the heat. There's a covered pavilion there, and it was just perfect for our little party with family. We had close to 20 family members attend.
We had pizza, and believe you me we didn't have to worry about it going cold!
Instead of doing a cake, I made cupcakes the night before. Strawberry cake for our little man who is a strawberry eating machine! Cream cheese icing and colored sprinkles. I completely forgot to take a picture of the cupcakes, there were 40 (waaaaay too many), and they looked pretty. . . . .until they set outside in the 94 degree heat and 400% humidity, and the icing turned to liquid. Here's a picture of some that were left over, the icing didn't exactly recover, but they're still tasty.
Ian, however took it all in stride and shoved the whole cupcake, icing first, into his face.
He liked it.
We also brought a tub of ice cream, which he was also quite pleased about eating.
And then presents. And he actually enjoyed opening them!!! Seriously, he couldn't wait to see what was in those bags!
We had such a nice time with everyone. I was especially grateful that my grandfather drove up from Georgia to attend. Ian is his 15th grandchild. Us grandkids call him Pop, and I cannot express to you how awesome it was to see my little man point at him and say, "Pop!"
In this rush of trying to get ready for the party, we completely forgot to give him his presents from us. So after we got home he got to open a few more.
A little magnetic gardening kit.
An abacus, which he thought was the coolest thing ever.
Yup, he had a pretty good birthday. He won't remember it, but we sure will. I still can't believe he is 1.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
12 Months
Dear Ian,
At 5:07 pm, you will be one year old. Happy birthday!
You will no longer be considered a baby, you are now officially a toddler - oh my!
A lot has happened this month. About 2 weeks ago you figured out how to get up on your knees and crawl.
However, if you have serious, important business to attend to you flop onto to your belly and resume your army crawl - which is fast! It's hilarious to watch, because you still hardly use your legs at all. Upper arm strength, buddy!
About the same time you figured out how to crawl, you also figured out how to pull up to a standing position. The first time you did it I was in the kitchen, and I thought you were playing with your blocks when I heard you giggling. I looked around the corner and there you were, up on your feet holding on to your jumper, hips swaying unsteadily. You were absolutely ecstatic about it. Since then you pull up on just about anything you can grasp. It didn't take you long to figure out how to get back down to a sitting position - thank goodness for cloth diapered bums!
And speaking of mobility, there are noticeably fewer pictures of you this month. This is because you never sit still, and most of the pictures end up being the back of your head. For example.
But success, you sat still for a second.
Until you saw the flower pot.
Eating has taken on a whole new dimension, no more baby food for you. You're all about real people food. Your favorites are strawberries and bananas, but you also really like American cheese and peas (apparently they're okay as long as they're not pureed). Here you're getting some biscuits with some strawberry freezer jam.
Those yogurt melts that Gerber makes? I'm convinced they lace those with something highly addictive. No matter how full you are, I think you would eat an entire package in one sitting if we let you. You LOVE regular yogurt, too. I have some every morning for breakfast and once you get your eye on that container you crawl over and open your mouth wide for a bite.
We made it to our breast feeding goal of 1 year. It was kind of a bumpy road, but I'm so grateful (and a little proud) that we made it. I will start to wean you now, although to be honest you've already started that process yourself. You only nurse right before bed and early in the morning, you're just not interested anymore during the day. I think the only reason you nurse now is for comfort.
Your sleeping is SO. MUCH. BETTER. You go to bed at around 8 pm, sometimes falling asleep immediately, but sometimes after 30 minutes or protest. Once you do fall asleep you sleep until 5 or 6 am, nurse, then sleep until 7:30 am. Naps are still incredibly inconsistent. Some days you don't nap at all, other days it's 2 30 minute naps, occasionally an hour or two. I hear other friends talk about their children napping for 2-3 hour stretches and I cannot imagine what that must be like. Maybe we'll get there one day.
We took you on your first road trip this month, and unfortunately you cried most of the 3 1/2 hour drive. You were not pleased about being trapped in that car seat at all. But you did enjoy the dinner break, you're very first trip to the Waffle House, and ate every bit of your grilled cheese sandwich. You spent the entire dinner twisted around so you could watch the waitresses and cooks and flirt with all the other customers.
The rest of the trip went great. You slept well and loved seeing all the people. Not once did you act scared. And you slept almost the entire drive home (thank goodness).
This month has been brought to you by the letter C. Besides mama, dada, and bye, you have expanded your vocabulary to include car, cat, cold, and cow. Car came first and you say it a thousand times a day. For a while it was the first thing you said when we walked into the nursery in the morning. Sometimes walking through a parking lot is sensory overload. And I'm convinced you know cow because of all the Chik Fil A commercials on PBS. Oh, and unfortunately you have figured out how to shriek, and let me tell you it makes our ears ring and toes curl.
Taking you to the grocery store and Wal-Mart is so fun (unless you're screaming) because you smile at everyone and show off. But that's okay, I'll admit that it makes my day that you make others smile.
We'll be saying bye to your front facing baby carrier, you've outgrown it.
Here's you in August 2011.
And now.
We have an Ergo carrier now, which is infinitely more comfortable for us (and probably you), but you can't face outwards, so you can't see all the action like you used to. Soon enough and you'll be walking anyway (!!!)
So in closing the monthly report, shall we take a little walk down memory lane?
May 2011. Brand new.
June 2011. So small, you're newborn clothes swallowed you.
July 2011. Enter the onset of the chub.
August 2011. Onset of awesome facial expressions.
September 2011. Neck, what neck?
October 2011. Fat cheeks officially established.
November 2011. Discovery of solid food.
December 2011. Double chin.
January 2012. Discovery of toys!
February 2012. Sitting up all by yourself with no help.
March 2012. Look at all that hair.
April 2012. Nothing better than sitting in the grass.
May 2012. Big boy.
Being your momma is the best job in the whole word. It's also the toughest, but I'm up for the task. I'm sad to see the baby stage go, but I am so excited to see who you become.
You are destined for great things, my little man.
I love you so.
At 5:07 pm, you will be one year old. Happy birthday!
You will no longer be considered a baby, you are now officially a toddler - oh my!
A lot has happened this month. About 2 weeks ago you figured out how to get up on your knees and crawl.
However, if you have serious, important business to attend to you flop onto to your belly and resume your army crawl - which is fast! It's hilarious to watch, because you still hardly use your legs at all. Upper arm strength, buddy!
About the same time you figured out how to crawl, you also figured out how to pull up to a standing position. The first time you did it I was in the kitchen, and I thought you were playing with your blocks when I heard you giggling. I looked around the corner and there you were, up on your feet holding on to your jumper, hips swaying unsteadily. You were absolutely ecstatic about it. Since then you pull up on just about anything you can grasp. It didn't take you long to figure out how to get back down to a sitting position - thank goodness for cloth diapered bums!
And speaking of mobility, there are noticeably fewer pictures of you this month. This is because you never sit still, and most of the pictures end up being the back of your head. For example.
But success, you sat still for a second.
Until you saw the flower pot.
Eating has taken on a whole new dimension, no more baby food for you. You're all about real people food. Your favorites are strawberries and bananas, but you also really like American cheese and peas (apparently they're okay as long as they're not pureed). Here you're getting some biscuits with some strawberry freezer jam.
Those yogurt melts that Gerber makes? I'm convinced they lace those with something highly addictive. No matter how full you are, I think you would eat an entire package in one sitting if we let you. You LOVE regular yogurt, too. I have some every morning for breakfast and once you get your eye on that container you crawl over and open your mouth wide for a bite.
We made it to our breast feeding goal of 1 year. It was kind of a bumpy road, but I'm so grateful (and a little proud) that we made it. I will start to wean you now, although to be honest you've already started that process yourself. You only nurse right before bed and early in the morning, you're just not interested anymore during the day. I think the only reason you nurse now is for comfort.
Your sleeping is SO. MUCH. BETTER. You go to bed at around 8 pm, sometimes falling asleep immediately, but sometimes after 30 minutes or protest. Once you do fall asleep you sleep until 5 or 6 am, nurse, then sleep until 7:30 am. Naps are still incredibly inconsistent. Some days you don't nap at all, other days it's 2 30 minute naps, occasionally an hour or two. I hear other friends talk about their children napping for 2-3 hour stretches and I cannot imagine what that must be like. Maybe we'll get there one day.
We took you on your first road trip this month, and unfortunately you cried most of the 3 1/2 hour drive. You were not pleased about being trapped in that car seat at all. But you did enjoy the dinner break, you're very first trip to the Waffle House, and ate every bit of your grilled cheese sandwich. You spent the entire dinner twisted around so you could watch the waitresses and cooks and flirt with all the other customers.
The rest of the trip went great. You slept well and loved seeing all the people. Not once did you act scared. And you slept almost the entire drive home (thank goodness).
This month has been brought to you by the letter C. Besides mama, dada, and bye, you have expanded your vocabulary to include car, cat, cold, and cow. Car came first and you say it a thousand times a day. For a while it was the first thing you said when we walked into the nursery in the morning. Sometimes walking through a parking lot is sensory overload. And I'm convinced you know cow because of all the Chik Fil A commercials on PBS. Oh, and unfortunately you have figured out how to shriek, and let me tell you it makes our ears ring and toes curl.
Taking you to the grocery store and Wal-Mart is so fun (unless you're screaming) because you smile at everyone and show off. But that's okay, I'll admit that it makes my day that you make others smile.
We'll be saying bye to your front facing baby carrier, you've outgrown it.
Here's you in August 2011.
And now.
We have an Ergo carrier now, which is infinitely more comfortable for us (and probably you), but you can't face outwards, so you can't see all the action like you used to. Soon enough and you'll be walking anyway (!!!)
So in closing the monthly report, shall we take a little walk down memory lane?
May 2011. Brand new.
June 2011. So small, you're newborn clothes swallowed you.
July 2011. Enter the onset of the chub.
August 2011. Onset of awesome facial expressions.
September 2011. Neck, what neck?
October 2011. Fat cheeks officially established.
November 2011. Discovery of solid food.
December 2011. Double chin.
January 2012. Discovery of toys!
February 2012. Sitting up all by yourself with no help.
March 2012. Look at all that hair.
April 2012. Nothing better than sitting in the grass.
May 2012. Big boy.
Being your momma is the best job in the whole word. It's also the toughest, but I'm up for the task. I'm sad to see the baby stage go, but I am so excited to see who you become.
You are destined for great things, my little man.
I love you so.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Ian's Birth Story, Part 2
The alarm went off at 4 am, and we groggily got out of bed and loaded the car up. We were supposed to be at the hospital by 5:30 am, and it was about a 30 minute drive from the house. It was dark outside and very humid. I let Phoebe in from the sunporch. She came in cautiously, confused and suspicious as to why we were getting up so early. She did not, however, turn down her breakfast. Her eyes were as wide as saucers as I put out enough food for 3 days.
"Don't binge and purge," I told her.
I stood in the kitchen and ate a container of strawberry yogurt. Almost the entire last trimester of the pregnancy I would wake up hungry somewhere between 2 and 4 am, and I usually would eat some yogurt in the dark and look out the kitchen window.
Ian had the hiccups.
We left the house and drove about half a mile before realizing that the cell phone was still on the kitchen counter. So, we drove back and picked it up. We ended up getting to the hospital at about 5:35 am.
As J turned the car off I turned to him and said, "Well, here we go." He reached over and squeezed my hand.
We walked into the Labor and Delivery Ward and it was so quiet. Most of the lights had been dimmed or turned off. We stated our name and were led to our labor room. Unless you have a C section, you delivered in your labor room. The hospital where we had him was relatively new and very nice, but it was a bit of a ghost town. Only 4 doctors delivered there, and during our entire 3 day stay there were only 3 other babies born. That was nice, because it was always so quiet.
They had me change into a hospital gown, which I remember the right shoulder looked like a dog had been chewing on it. Nice fancy hospital, sad little hospital gown. A device was placed around by belly to measure fetal heart rate and contractions, and I wasn't surprised to see that I was already having contractions. An IV catheter was placed and by 6:30 am they had started my Pitocin drip to further induce labor.
Within 30 minutes of receiving the Pitocin I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes. They would last about 90 seconds, and they were not bad at all. It just felt like my abdomen was tightening up. Around 8:30 am my doctor showed up and they broke my water. It didn't hurt, but it was by far one of the weirdest feelings I have ever felt. At that point I was still only dilated to 1 cm. The doctor said she would be back in a couple of hours to check my progress, but that everything looked fine for now.
We were surprised to find that there was no wireless internet at the hospital, we received an ethernet cable and J tried to connect our laptop without any luck. We never were able to get internet access at the hospital. We watched TV and talked. By 9 am both of our parents were in the waiting room. The Pitocin rate was increased about every 30 minutes. My contractions got more intense, and by noon I couldn't talk through them, I had to concentrate on breathing. J was awesome, always right there holding my hand. The doctor showed back up and I was sooooooooo disappointed to find that I was still only dilated to 1 cm. I remember her frowning and saying that she expected me to be at at least 3 cm by now.
She left and they continued to increase the Pitocin rate. Not long after that two of J's sisters and my brother showed up. Our family filled up the whole waiting room!
By this point contractions were very intense, and they would last about 90 seconds - I had about 30 seconds of relief between each one. You could actually watch my belly and see everything tense up, it was so crazy. Again, I could not have done this without J. He was so focused and calm, telling me I was doing great. Around 2 pm I was starting to feel pressure, and I was sure I was progressing. When the doctor showed up and announced that I was still only dilated to 1 cm, I burst into tears. She said she wasn't sure why I wasn't progressing, that at this point based on my contractions and his positioning I should be dilated to at least 7 cm. A C section was brought up at this point, and she said that she would be willing to give it another 2 hours or so before going that route. I asked for an epidural at that point - if I had actually been progressing then I would have tried to hold out for a natural birth. But I was already exhausted and had not gotten anywhere in 8 hours of labor.
I don't remember getting the epidural, but I do remember what it felt like after it took effect. My legs felt like giant logs, I could actually feel them a little and I could feel the tension of the contractions, but there was no pain. At some point they had me laying on my side, and when they rolled me to the other side I had an intense wave of nausea. Apparently my blood pressure had dropped really low, a potential side effect of the epidural. Then, his heart rate started to decrease at the end each contraction, which is an indication of fetal distress. I felt horrible for having had an epidural. My blood pressure finally came back up to normal, but his heart rate still indicated he was in distress. At around 4 pm the doctor came back in and checked me, and she said I was still only dilated to 1 cm, he was in distress, and that she recommended a C section.
I completely lost it. I was so, so scared. For Ian, and selfishly for me. It wasn't until later that I realized why I go so upset. In my profession, C sections more often than not do not go well for either the patients or the babies.
I signed some papers and within 10 minutes they were prepping me for surgery. They had me put a cap on, and J had to wear a "bunny suit." They wheeled me down the hall to the surgery suite, and right before we got there they had J step aside into a waiting area, telling him that they would bring him in in a few minutes.
I didn't know they were going to do that, and I remember seeing the surprise on his face, too. I didn't like being without him for one second.
As we came into the surgery suite I heard the nurse say, "Cesarean birth. We have a potentially small baby, folks." They moved me to the surgery table, and quickly put a curtain in front of me so I couldn't see anything in front of me. I remember turning my head to the right and seeing a cabinet full of suture, it was the exact same kind I used to do my surgeries. The nurse anesthetist sat to my left and explained everything that they were doing. She was so nice. They did something that increased my numbness to the chest down. There was a neonatologist from UT hospital there, he came over and introduced himself, "I see you have 21 years of education, what do you do?" I told him I was a veterinarian, and he seemed to be delighted about this.
J came in shortly after that, and I was so glad to see him. He sat on a stool just to my right and held my hand. I was shaking uncontrollably all over at this point, and my teeth were chattering. Another epidural side effect. My hands shook so bad, I grabbed onto my IV stand with my left hand. I so hated to feel out of control.
My doctor came in and sat down, I remembering her smiling at me and saying, "You're going to be a mommy very, very soon." The anesthetist continued to explain what they were doing, step by step. She peaked over the curtain one last time, leaned close to me, and said. "Okay, in a few seconds there going to pull the baby out. It's going to feel like someone is standing on top of your chest and pulling really, really hard." And that's truly what it felt like, it was the most incredible feeling. Ever. Time can to a standstill, I saw nothing and heard nothing, I just felt him leave me.
And then I heard him cry. It wasn't an angry cry, but one of surprise. A, "Hey, it's bright in here and suddenly I'm not upside down anymore," cry. I think that was by far the most emotional moment for me. Hearing him for the very first time. I just cannot describe it other than I felt it to my core. I realized I was holding my breath, and I gasped as my heart felt like it came up my throat. The doctor called out, "Oh! He was turned sideways - that's why you weren't dilating!" So, instead of facing my back like he should, he was actually turned to face my right side. He had a large knot on his head and some scrapes from my pelvis. The nurse showed him to me very quickly before they took him to clean him up.
Weight: 6 pounds, 15 ounces (small, but not 5 pounds like they thought!)
Length: 21.5 inches
J had been allowed to go watch his measurements and weight. I remember him saying, "Oh, he's perfect, Tina! He's so perfect. He just grabbed my finger!" After they cleaned him up and finished with his vitals. J brought him over to me. I will never, ever forget the look on J's face. The nurse anesthetist took a bunch of pictures. Again, the look on J's face will be forever burned in my memory. And Ian was so tiny, and so perfect. And so ours.
A head full of dark hair. Perfect little button nose. The most amazing thing, ever.
And that is Ian's birth story.
"Don't binge and purge," I told her.
I stood in the kitchen and ate a container of strawberry yogurt. Almost the entire last trimester of the pregnancy I would wake up hungry somewhere between 2 and 4 am, and I usually would eat some yogurt in the dark and look out the kitchen window.
Ian had the hiccups.
We left the house and drove about half a mile before realizing that the cell phone was still on the kitchen counter. So, we drove back and picked it up. We ended up getting to the hospital at about 5:35 am.
As J turned the car off I turned to him and said, "Well, here we go." He reached over and squeezed my hand.
We walked into the Labor and Delivery Ward and it was so quiet. Most of the lights had been dimmed or turned off. We stated our name and were led to our labor room. Unless you have a C section, you delivered in your labor room. The hospital where we had him was relatively new and very nice, but it was a bit of a ghost town. Only 4 doctors delivered there, and during our entire 3 day stay there were only 3 other babies born. That was nice, because it was always so quiet.
They had me change into a hospital gown, which I remember the right shoulder looked like a dog had been chewing on it. Nice fancy hospital, sad little hospital gown. A device was placed around by belly to measure fetal heart rate and contractions, and I wasn't surprised to see that I was already having contractions. An IV catheter was placed and by 6:30 am they had started my Pitocin drip to further induce labor.
Within 30 minutes of receiving the Pitocin I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes. They would last about 90 seconds, and they were not bad at all. It just felt like my abdomen was tightening up. Around 8:30 am my doctor showed up and they broke my water. It didn't hurt, but it was by far one of the weirdest feelings I have ever felt. At that point I was still only dilated to 1 cm. The doctor said she would be back in a couple of hours to check my progress, but that everything looked fine for now.
We were surprised to find that there was no wireless internet at the hospital, we received an ethernet cable and J tried to connect our laptop without any luck. We never were able to get internet access at the hospital. We watched TV and talked. By 9 am both of our parents were in the waiting room. The Pitocin rate was increased about every 30 minutes. My contractions got more intense, and by noon I couldn't talk through them, I had to concentrate on breathing. J was awesome, always right there holding my hand. The doctor showed back up and I was sooooooooo disappointed to find that I was still only dilated to 1 cm. I remember her frowning and saying that she expected me to be at at least 3 cm by now.
She left and they continued to increase the Pitocin rate. Not long after that two of J's sisters and my brother showed up. Our family filled up the whole waiting room!
By this point contractions were very intense, and they would last about 90 seconds - I had about 30 seconds of relief between each one. You could actually watch my belly and see everything tense up, it was so crazy. Again, I could not have done this without J. He was so focused and calm, telling me I was doing great. Around 2 pm I was starting to feel pressure, and I was sure I was progressing. When the doctor showed up and announced that I was still only dilated to 1 cm, I burst into tears. She said she wasn't sure why I wasn't progressing, that at this point based on my contractions and his positioning I should be dilated to at least 7 cm. A C section was brought up at this point, and she said that she would be willing to give it another 2 hours or so before going that route. I asked for an epidural at that point - if I had actually been progressing then I would have tried to hold out for a natural birth. But I was already exhausted and had not gotten anywhere in 8 hours of labor.
I don't remember getting the epidural, but I do remember what it felt like after it took effect. My legs felt like giant logs, I could actually feel them a little and I could feel the tension of the contractions, but there was no pain. At some point they had me laying on my side, and when they rolled me to the other side I had an intense wave of nausea. Apparently my blood pressure had dropped really low, a potential side effect of the epidural. Then, his heart rate started to decrease at the end each contraction, which is an indication of fetal distress. I felt horrible for having had an epidural. My blood pressure finally came back up to normal, but his heart rate still indicated he was in distress. At around 4 pm the doctor came back in and checked me, and she said I was still only dilated to 1 cm, he was in distress, and that she recommended a C section.
I completely lost it. I was so, so scared. For Ian, and selfishly for me. It wasn't until later that I realized why I go so upset. In my profession, C sections more often than not do not go well for either the patients or the babies.
I signed some papers and within 10 minutes they were prepping me for surgery. They had me put a cap on, and J had to wear a "bunny suit." They wheeled me down the hall to the surgery suite, and right before we got there they had J step aside into a waiting area, telling him that they would bring him in in a few minutes.
I didn't know they were going to do that, and I remember seeing the surprise on his face, too. I didn't like being without him for one second.
As we came into the surgery suite I heard the nurse say, "Cesarean birth. We have a potentially small baby, folks." They moved me to the surgery table, and quickly put a curtain in front of me so I couldn't see anything in front of me. I remember turning my head to the right and seeing a cabinet full of suture, it was the exact same kind I used to do my surgeries. The nurse anesthetist sat to my left and explained everything that they were doing. She was so nice. They did something that increased my numbness to the chest down. There was a neonatologist from UT hospital there, he came over and introduced himself, "I see you have 21 years of education, what do you do?" I told him I was a veterinarian, and he seemed to be delighted about this.
J came in shortly after that, and I was so glad to see him. He sat on a stool just to my right and held my hand. I was shaking uncontrollably all over at this point, and my teeth were chattering. Another epidural side effect. My hands shook so bad, I grabbed onto my IV stand with my left hand. I so hated to feel out of control.
My doctor came in and sat down, I remembering her smiling at me and saying, "You're going to be a mommy very, very soon." The anesthetist continued to explain what they were doing, step by step. She peaked over the curtain one last time, leaned close to me, and said. "Okay, in a few seconds there going to pull the baby out. It's going to feel like someone is standing on top of your chest and pulling really, really hard." And that's truly what it felt like, it was the most incredible feeling. Ever. Time can to a standstill, I saw nothing and heard nothing, I just felt him leave me.
And then I heard him cry. It wasn't an angry cry, but one of surprise. A, "Hey, it's bright in here and suddenly I'm not upside down anymore," cry. I think that was by far the most emotional moment for me. Hearing him for the very first time. I just cannot describe it other than I felt it to my core. I realized I was holding my breath, and I gasped as my heart felt like it came up my throat. The doctor called out, "Oh! He was turned sideways - that's why you weren't dilating!" So, instead of facing my back like he should, he was actually turned to face my right side. He had a large knot on his head and some scrapes from my pelvis. The nurse showed him to me very quickly before they took him to clean him up.
Weight: 6 pounds, 15 ounces (small, but not 5 pounds like they thought!)
Length: 21.5 inches
J had been allowed to go watch his measurements and weight. I remember him saying, "Oh, he's perfect, Tina! He's so perfect. He just grabbed my finger!" After they cleaned him up and finished with his vitals. J brought him over to me. I will never, ever forget the look on J's face. The nurse anesthetist took a bunch of pictures. Again, the look on J's face will be forever burned in my memory. And Ian was so tiny, and so perfect. And so ours.
A head full of dark hair. Perfect little button nose. The most amazing thing, ever.
And that is Ian's birth story.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Ian's Birth Story, Part 1
During pregnancy I read a lot of different birth stories, all the while wondering what mine would be like. The take home message I got from reading all of those accounts was pretty simple, even if you have a "birth plan," don't expect things to go the way you think they will. Babies have their own agenda.
So I tried to be very open minded about labor. Still, my birthing experience was absolutely NOT what I expected it to be. But as his birthday creeps closer, and I replay those last few weeks over and over in my mind, I've decided that I do want to write it down. Maybe one day he'll be interested in reading about it.
The only part of a "birth plan," I had in mind was to try to deliver without an epidural. I didn't want to be a hero or anything, it was just something I wanted to try and do. I'm kind of a control freak anyway, and the thought of having no control from the waist down bothered me. However, I was okay with having an epidural if needed.
Anyway, so Ian's birth story really starts on May 12, when I went in for a prenatal checkup. The last month of the pregnancy you go in weekly. My appointment was for 11:15 am, and I left work and made the drive over to the doctor's office. I sat in the waiting room for about an hour, unfortunately the doctors office doesn't get any brownie points from me regarding their wait time. It was awful, every visit.
At some point during my wait I was told by a receptionist that my doctor was in emergency surgery, and I would be seen by her associate. I got moved to an exam room, where I waited another half hour. The doctor came in, performed her exam, and glanced through my chart. She told me everything looked fine, I was still dilated to 1 cm (I had been for several weeks), and that a nurse would be in shortly to check the heart beat and measure my belly. Ian's heartbeat sounded great, but the nurse paused when she measured my belly. She looked back through the chart and frowned, "Have you been measuring small?" I told her not to my knowledge, she smiled and said she was sure everything was fine but she would let the doctor know.
My heart sank. Not good, I thought. So I waited another 15 minutes, alone and scared to death, until my regular doctor, now finished with her surgery, came in. She measured me herself and confirmed that I was measuring 2 weeks behind schedule, and that they would like to do an ultrasound to make sure everything looked okay.
Off to the ultrasound room, my stomach in knots while the sonographer made measurements. His heart rate, positioning, and activity all looked normal, but he was measuring around 5 lbs, which is considered small for 38 weeks.
I was sent back to the exam room, and the doctor appeared with the nurse. She gently told me that he was measuring small and that basically they had no idea why. She also said that the ultrasound is not very accurate at that stage because the baby is so low in the abdomen, meaning that even though he is measuring 5 pounds, he could be 8. To be on the safe side I was told to come back every 3 days until I went in to labor. She said that if I didn't go into labor they didn't want me to go past my due date of May 27. I was scheduled for an induction on May 26th.
I mentioned work, and was quickly told that I needed to be on bed rest. The doctor patted me on the shoulder and said, "This is the only time in your life a doctor is telling you to go home, sit on the couch, and eat as much as you want."
I felt numb at this point, and tongue tied. I was so freaked out by all of this I didn't even ask any questions. Everyone there seemed so calm about this, but I was not. Other than the typical first trimester nausea, I had had a relatively easy pregnancy.
I left and called J as I was walking to the car. I don't remember much of the conversation other than I was trying really hard to keep my composure together. Then I called work and dropped the bomb that I wouldn't be coming back. I was scheduled to work up until the 25th.
The next 2 weeks were a bit of a blur. I did as I was told, spending most of my time parked on the couch, either surfing the internet or watching Netflix. I watched the whole run of My So Called Life - oh, how Angela Chase was my idol when I was 14! But good grief, talk about hurry up and wait, it's not easy to suddenly go from standing on your feet all day to sitting down all the time.
Every member of our immediate family called me during that time frame. I never knew exactly what to tell them. Other than feeling like I was 9 months pregnant, I felt fine. Yes, my doctors visits were going okay. Yes, the baby is measuring small. No, they don't know why.
I kept hoping I would go into labor on my own, I really didn't want to be induced.
May 25th came and I went to Wal-Mart that morning, picking up the last few items we would need at the hospital. I remember walking by the pharmacy isle, well waddling would be more like. I felt like everyone was staring at how huge I was. I felt so, so tired and out of breath. I remember thinking that I could just lay down in the middle of the isle and take a nap. That was the most exhausting Wal-Mart visit ever.
I got home and anxiously waited for J to get off of work. He was planning on taking 2 weeks off, and I was so, so grateful he was able to do this. About 5 pm I had a real, honest to goodness contraction, not one of those Braxton Hicks contractions that I had been having for months. It's hard to describe how it felt, kind of like I was trying to do a sit up but then couldn't release it. It was hard to breath. It lasted almost 20 minutes. J got home from work about 5:30, and we went out to get a pizza. It was a ham and pineapple (I had read that pineapple might help to induce labor, I was still hoping to go into labor naturally). We finished watching the Deer Hunter, a movie from the 70's staring Christopher Walken. Good movie. After that I remember sitting on the back porch while J watered our plants. The highs for the next several days were to be in the low nineties. After we came back inside J took my picture.
I tried my hardest to go to sleep that night, knowing that there was likely to be very little sleep the next few days, potentially months. However, I slept very, very little. I was terrified, anxious, and excited all at the same time. It was surreal. I had a few more contractions, but they weren't consistent. The last time I looked at the clock it was 2:30 am. Our alarm was set to go off at 4 am.
So I tried to be very open minded about labor. Still, my birthing experience was absolutely NOT what I expected it to be. But as his birthday creeps closer, and I replay those last few weeks over and over in my mind, I've decided that I do want to write it down. Maybe one day he'll be interested in reading about it.
The only part of a "birth plan," I had in mind was to try to deliver without an epidural. I didn't want to be a hero or anything, it was just something I wanted to try and do. I'm kind of a control freak anyway, and the thought of having no control from the waist down bothered me. However, I was okay with having an epidural if needed.
Anyway, so Ian's birth story really starts on May 12, when I went in for a prenatal checkup. The last month of the pregnancy you go in weekly. My appointment was for 11:15 am, and I left work and made the drive over to the doctor's office. I sat in the waiting room for about an hour, unfortunately the doctors office doesn't get any brownie points from me regarding their wait time. It was awful, every visit.
At some point during my wait I was told by a receptionist that my doctor was in emergency surgery, and I would be seen by her associate. I got moved to an exam room, where I waited another half hour. The doctor came in, performed her exam, and glanced through my chart. She told me everything looked fine, I was still dilated to 1 cm (I had been for several weeks), and that a nurse would be in shortly to check the heart beat and measure my belly. Ian's heartbeat sounded great, but the nurse paused when she measured my belly. She looked back through the chart and frowned, "Have you been measuring small?" I told her not to my knowledge, she smiled and said she was sure everything was fine but she would let the doctor know.
My heart sank. Not good, I thought. So I waited another 15 minutes, alone and scared to death, until my regular doctor, now finished with her surgery, came in. She measured me herself and confirmed that I was measuring 2 weeks behind schedule, and that they would like to do an ultrasound to make sure everything looked okay.
Off to the ultrasound room, my stomach in knots while the sonographer made measurements. His heart rate, positioning, and activity all looked normal, but he was measuring around 5 lbs, which is considered small for 38 weeks.
I was sent back to the exam room, and the doctor appeared with the nurse. She gently told me that he was measuring small and that basically they had no idea why. She also said that the ultrasound is not very accurate at that stage because the baby is so low in the abdomen, meaning that even though he is measuring 5 pounds, he could be 8. To be on the safe side I was told to come back every 3 days until I went in to labor. She said that if I didn't go into labor they didn't want me to go past my due date of May 27. I was scheduled for an induction on May 26th.
I mentioned work, and was quickly told that I needed to be on bed rest. The doctor patted me on the shoulder and said, "This is the only time in your life a doctor is telling you to go home, sit on the couch, and eat as much as you want."
I felt numb at this point, and tongue tied. I was so freaked out by all of this I didn't even ask any questions. Everyone there seemed so calm about this, but I was not. Other than the typical first trimester nausea, I had had a relatively easy pregnancy.
I left and called J as I was walking to the car. I don't remember much of the conversation other than I was trying really hard to keep my composure together. Then I called work and dropped the bomb that I wouldn't be coming back. I was scheduled to work up until the 25th.
The next 2 weeks were a bit of a blur. I did as I was told, spending most of my time parked on the couch, either surfing the internet or watching Netflix. I watched the whole run of My So Called Life - oh, how Angela Chase was my idol when I was 14! But good grief, talk about hurry up and wait, it's not easy to suddenly go from standing on your feet all day to sitting down all the time.
Every member of our immediate family called me during that time frame. I never knew exactly what to tell them. Other than feeling like I was 9 months pregnant, I felt fine. Yes, my doctors visits were going okay. Yes, the baby is measuring small. No, they don't know why.
I kept hoping I would go into labor on my own, I really didn't want to be induced.
May 25th came and I went to Wal-Mart that morning, picking up the last few items we would need at the hospital. I remember walking by the pharmacy isle, well waddling would be more like. I felt like everyone was staring at how huge I was. I felt so, so tired and out of breath. I remember thinking that I could just lay down in the middle of the isle and take a nap. That was the most exhausting Wal-Mart visit ever.
I got home and anxiously waited for J to get off of work. He was planning on taking 2 weeks off, and I was so, so grateful he was able to do this. About 5 pm I had a real, honest to goodness contraction, not one of those Braxton Hicks contractions that I had been having for months. It's hard to describe how it felt, kind of like I was trying to do a sit up but then couldn't release it. It was hard to breath. It lasted almost 20 minutes. J got home from work about 5:30, and we went out to get a pizza. It was a ham and pineapple (I had read that pineapple might help to induce labor, I was still hoping to go into labor naturally). We finished watching the Deer Hunter, a movie from the 70's staring Christopher Walken. Good movie. After that I remember sitting on the back porch while J watered our plants. The highs for the next several days were to be in the low nineties. After we came back inside J took my picture.
I tried my hardest to go to sleep that night, knowing that there was likely to be very little sleep the next few days, potentially months. However, I slept very, very little. I was terrified, anxious, and excited all at the same time. It was surreal. I had a few more contractions, but they weren't consistent. The last time I looked at the clock it was 2:30 am. Our alarm was set to go off at 4 am.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
What's Bloomin', Edition 13
Rose - Rosa spp. Other than the green rose mentioned here, this is the only rose bush we have. It was here when we moved in, and honestly it looks terrible. It has one stalk what produces a few flowers each year, but it's just not a healthy plant. I think roses are beautiful, but I don't know much about their care other that they can be a challenge to grow due to pest and disease problems. We also really don't like dealing with the thorns. We will probably remove it from this flowerbed in the fall, as the azaleas are drowning it out anyway.
Amaryllis - Amaryllis spp. I planted 2 of these in our shade bed several years ago, the leaves have always come up but this is the first year they actually bloomed. And wow, the blooms are enormous and vivid. I think J's mom gave us these in a pot mixed with some other bulbs.
Biting Stonecrop - Sedum acre. This comes up in the middle of the back yard, I don't know how it got there, but it's really pretty when it blooms. I just recently planted a red variety that I hope will do as well.
Amaryllis - Amaryllis spp. I planted 2 of these in our shade bed several years ago, the leaves have always come up but this is the first year they actually bloomed. And wow, the blooms are enormous and vivid. I think J's mom gave us these in a pot mixed with some other bulbs.
Biting Stonecrop - Sedum acre. This comes up in the middle of the back yard, I don't know how it got there, but it's really pretty when it blooms. I just recently planted a red variety that I hope will do as well.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
An Early Birthday
Monday at work a pharmaceutical rep dropped of some muffins from Mimi's Cafe. Let me tell you, those muffins are HEAVENLY. As soon as I lay eyes on the container, it occurred to me that this week is going to be one full of nostalgia. Ian will turn 1 this coming Saturday. While we were at the hospital, a family member dropped off a dozen of Mimi's muffins. And that first week alone with a newborn, we ate one every morning for breakfast. Those muffins will always make me think of a brand new, tiny baby boy.
We are having a small birthday party Saturday for Ian with both sides of our family, and I am so excited to hear that my grandfather is driving up from Georgia. It won't be anything fancy, we mainly wanted to have family get together and watch that boy dive into a cake.
You see, Ian had a cake test run a few weeks ago. We had a little joint birthday party for him and his bestie WeePT, who is a month older than him. I've been meaning to put the photos up, so here you go.
The cake in all it's pre-baby glory.
First bite.
Getting a little more interested.
Getting down to business.
More, please?
So ya'll are get to see him eat birthday cake twice! More cake pictures to come next week!
We are having a small birthday party Saturday for Ian with both sides of our family, and I am so excited to hear that my grandfather is driving up from Georgia. It won't be anything fancy, we mainly wanted to have family get together and watch that boy dive into a cake.
You see, Ian had a cake test run a few weeks ago. We had a little joint birthday party for him and his bestie WeePT, who is a month older than him. I've been meaning to put the photos up, so here you go.
The cake in all it's pre-baby glory.
First bite.
Getting a little more interested.
Getting down to business.
More, please?
So ya'll are get to see him eat birthday cake twice! More cake pictures to come next week!
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