Sunday, March 14, 2010
Pictures from the hospital
My aunt Ruth has a photography business and was nice enough to come take some pictures of Abigail while we were in the hospital. They turned out really well and I wanted to share a few of them with you. We are planning on getting one of them printed on an announcement and sending it out.
The sleeping dilemma and pet names
Man, daylight savings time is a killer when you have a new baby. Each hour you get to sleep is precious. It seems so unfair that the government can just arbitrarily take away one of those hours.
Abigail is a pretty good sleeper. She sleeps for almost exactly three hours at a time. That's a pretty good amount for me since I'm breastfeeding, and anything longer than 3 hours just isn't doable. However, she is very picky about where she sleeps and when. During the day, I can stick her just about anywhere. Sometimes she sleeps on the couch in her boppy, or just a blanket. Sometimes I hold her while I watch a TV show or movie. And, sometimes I put her in her bassinet for her naps.
At night, it's a totally different story. She will only sleep in the bed with me and Daniel. I've tried many different methods of trickery to get her into her bassinet to sleep to no avail. Before I had Abigail I had this idea in my head that people who co-slept were weird and endangering their baby. Now, I'm totally left wondering what I'm supposed to do. We only have a queen-sized bed, so I sleep at the very edge to give her all the space she needs so I don't roll on her in the night. The second we move her to the bassinet, she's awake and won't go back to sleep until she's in the bed. I've decided to keep trying to put her in her bassinet every night, but I'm not going to force the issue right now. I just need to make sure I'm getting sleep.
I'm starting to feel physically more like myself. Recovery has been pretty difficult for me, and something I really wasn't prepared for. I feel like I'm off-balance all the time, and I walk funny. It's been nice to see some improvement.
Today we are going over to my parent's house for dinner. My grandmother is coming down from Salt Lake to meet Abigail. Abigail is her first great-granddaughter. I'm also expecting major fights between my brother and sisters over who gets to hold Abigail first/the longest.
My family is really big on pet names. Not so much nicknames, but we all had names that my mom called us when we were young. I was "Miss Mouse" or "Sister." Jacob was "beetle." Sara was "Bug" or "Cakester." Rachel was "Lamb," and Samuel was.... actually, I don't remember what we called Samuel. Anyway, so it was only natural that I would come up with a myriad of pet names for Abigail. In fact, I rarely call Abigail by her given name. She is "baby," "monkey," or "brat." I wonder at what point I will have to actually call her by her given name...
Happy Sunday!
Abigail is a pretty good sleeper. She sleeps for almost exactly three hours at a time. That's a pretty good amount for me since I'm breastfeeding, and anything longer than 3 hours just isn't doable. However, she is very picky about where she sleeps and when. During the day, I can stick her just about anywhere. Sometimes she sleeps on the couch in her boppy, or just a blanket. Sometimes I hold her while I watch a TV show or movie. And, sometimes I put her in her bassinet for her naps.
At night, it's a totally different story. She will only sleep in the bed with me and Daniel. I've tried many different methods of trickery to get her into her bassinet to sleep to no avail. Before I had Abigail I had this idea in my head that people who co-slept were weird and endangering their baby. Now, I'm totally left wondering what I'm supposed to do. We only have a queen-sized bed, so I sleep at the very edge to give her all the space she needs so I don't roll on her in the night. The second we move her to the bassinet, she's awake and won't go back to sleep until she's in the bed. I've decided to keep trying to put her in her bassinet every night, but I'm not going to force the issue right now. I just need to make sure I'm getting sleep.
I'm starting to feel physically more like myself. Recovery has been pretty difficult for me, and something I really wasn't prepared for. I feel like I'm off-balance all the time, and I walk funny. It's been nice to see some improvement.
Today we are going over to my parent's house for dinner. My grandmother is coming down from Salt Lake to meet Abigail. Abigail is her first great-granddaughter. I'm also expecting major fights between my brother and sisters over who gets to hold Abigail first/the longest.
My family is really big on pet names. Not so much nicknames, but we all had names that my mom called us when we were young. I was "Miss Mouse" or "Sister." Jacob was "beetle." Sara was "Bug" or "Cakester." Rachel was "Lamb," and Samuel was.... actually, I don't remember what we called Samuel. Anyway, so it was only natural that I would come up with a myriad of pet names for Abigail. In fact, I rarely call Abigail by her given name. She is "baby," "monkey," or "brat." I wonder at what point I will have to actually call her by her given name...
Happy Sunday!
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| Sitting in her boppy wearing a hat provided by Aunt Rachel |
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| I made the onesie during a baby shower, so cute! |
Thursday, March 11, 2010
One Week Old
Abigail is one week old today. It's been an absolutely wonderful week. Abigail is a sweet little baby, and I couldn't ask for a better daughter.
Breastfeeding has been going really well. I hope that it is something I'll be able to continue when I return to work in a couple months.
I'm so glad that both sets of grandparents live close. It's been fun to watch their interactions with her. My dad came over this evening after work and even though she was sleeping on the couch, he sat next to her and rubbed her back. It was really cute.
Abigail has been sleeping pretty well. Ever since Daniel got sick, we've been going to bed really early. Like 8-9 pm early. With all the radiation treatment and me being pregnant, we just got in the habit. So, our secret to a good night's sleep is starting early. Last night Abigail woke up only once in the night, and went to sleep about an hour later. I'm sure we'll have many nights we won't be as lucky, but she has been very sweet so far.
Being a mom is really great. It's amazing how much I love this little baby. When establishing relationships with other people (friends, husband, etc.) it takes time for those relationships to grow. But, when you have a baby it's like an instant bond is formed when they are born and you want to do everything you can to make sure they are safe and happy.
One big thing I've noticed is that I can not watch or read anything violent, or even really sappy. I can usually find something in every movie that Daniel picks out that will make me sob. Especially if it has anything to do with a mother/child relationship.
Here are some pictures from our first week.
Breastfeeding has been going really well. I hope that it is something I'll be able to continue when I return to work in a couple months.
I'm so glad that both sets of grandparents live close. It's been fun to watch their interactions with her. My dad came over this evening after work and even though she was sleeping on the couch, he sat next to her and rubbed her back. It was really cute.
Abigail has been sleeping pretty well. Ever since Daniel got sick, we've been going to bed really early. Like 8-9 pm early. With all the radiation treatment and me being pregnant, we just got in the habit. So, our secret to a good night's sleep is starting early. Last night Abigail woke up only once in the night, and went to sleep about an hour later. I'm sure we'll have many nights we won't be as lucky, but she has been very sweet so far.
Being a mom is really great. It's amazing how much I love this little baby. When establishing relationships with other people (friends, husband, etc.) it takes time for those relationships to grow. But, when you have a baby it's like an instant bond is formed when they are born and you want to do everything you can to make sure they are safe and happy.
One big thing I've noticed is that I can not watch or read anything violent, or even really sappy. I can usually find something in every movie that Daniel picks out that will make me sob. Especially if it has anything to do with a mother/child relationship.
Here are some pictures from our first week.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Abigail's Birth Story
We are so happy to have Abigail in our family. Here is her birth story.
After about 38 weeks, I was getting really antsy to get her here. I was still working, very tired, and she had dropped so low in my pelvis that it was really difficult to walk.
Once I hit my 40-week appointment, I talked to the doctor about inductions. He said that Utah Valley, where I had decided to have my delivery, does not allow inductions before 41 weeks if it's your first baby. So, we decided that if she didn't come in that week, she would be evicted on March 4. I had an appointment scheduled for March 3 just in case she didn't come before then. When the doctor checked my cervix, I was 100% effaced but just under a centimeter dilated.
I decided that my last day of work was going to be March 2. At midnight that night, I started getting contractions. This time I knew they were real, because they hurt much more acutely than the braxton hicks contractions and I could feel them in my back. I started timing them, and they were every 15 minutes. On Wednesday, March 3, I tried moving around and doing things to induce labor. I even drove into Provo and had lunch with friends. But, the contractions were still 15 minutes apart. When Daniel and I went to my appointment, the doctor said I hadn't progressed any further. He gave me a shot of morphine that was supposed to either let me sleep or jump-start labor into progressing. If it didn't induce labor, I was supposed to wait for the hospital to call me in the morning so we could do an induction.
I was able to sleep until about 1 am, then I was up for most of the night, just feeling anxious. I took a shower, and then got a call at 5:30 am that they were ready for me.
Once they started the pitocin, it took about 3 contractions for me to ask for the epidural. I was about a centimeter and a half at this point. But, pitocin makes the contractions almost unbearable. Once I got my epidural, I was feeling pretty good. I could feel the pressure of the contractions, but they weren't painful. After almost 5 hours, I was at 3 centimeters. At this point I started to feel a little discouraged, because it had been so long and I felt like it wasn't getting anywhere. The doctor had already been in and broken my water.
Then I started to feel the contractions in my back and pubic bone. They were so intense I could hardly talk. One of the nurses gave me a shot to try to relieve the pain until the anesthesiologist could come. When he came, I was still at a 3. He was hesitant to up my epidural dose because it would make me completely numb. He said, "You know, most women don't get an epidural at 3 cm." After he left, the nurse told me that I needed to stand up for myself, and that if I wanted a higher dose, I could get it. So, I did. After that, I was able to relax. Within the hour I had dilated to an 8. An hour later I was at 9.5. Then, 45 minutes later I was finally at a 10. (I might be fuzzy on the timeline, I don't remember a lot from that point on). Then they let me rest and descend while we waited for the doctor.
Once the doctor got there I started pushing. It took about and hour and 45 minutes to get her out. I remember at about 5 pm thinking, "I can do this until 7, and then I just can't do it anymore." My epidural had worn off partially and I was feeling the intense contractions again. But, at 6:59, she came out. The first thing I said when she came out was, "Oh my gosh, she's huge!" I was expecting a much smaller baby. The next thing I noticed was that she had her eyes wide open. And they were gorgeous. They were huge and a dark blue. The nurses commented on them too.
Daniel was able to cut the cord, and then they took her to get weighed, measured, and cleaned up. After I got stitched and cleaned up, they brought her to me. She was crying and for a moment I thought, "Oh boy, now what do I do?" But, she looked beautiful.
She weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 19 inches long. She figured out breastfeeding pretty quickly and did well in the hospital.
Overall, our hospital experience was a good one. There were a few nurses that were a little weird. For instance, one of the PCT's wanted me to supplement with formula the night after she was born because she wouldn't wake up to eat, even though it had only been 4 hours or so.
I would say that the hardest part about childbirth has been the recovery. I have been so sore. I am allergic to ibuprofen and motrin, which are anti-inflammatory medications. So, it's just been ice packs and percocet for me. I think once I'm able to walk and move around freely, things will be better.
But, everything was worth it. Abigail is an angel.
After about 38 weeks, I was getting really antsy to get her here. I was still working, very tired, and she had dropped so low in my pelvis that it was really difficult to walk.
Once I hit my 40-week appointment, I talked to the doctor about inductions. He said that Utah Valley, where I had decided to have my delivery, does not allow inductions before 41 weeks if it's your first baby. So, we decided that if she didn't come in that week, she would be evicted on March 4. I had an appointment scheduled for March 3 just in case she didn't come before then. When the doctor checked my cervix, I was 100% effaced but just under a centimeter dilated.
I decided that my last day of work was going to be March 2. At midnight that night, I started getting contractions. This time I knew they were real, because they hurt much more acutely than the braxton hicks contractions and I could feel them in my back. I started timing them, and they were every 15 minutes. On Wednesday, March 3, I tried moving around and doing things to induce labor. I even drove into Provo and had lunch with friends. But, the contractions were still 15 minutes apart. When Daniel and I went to my appointment, the doctor said I hadn't progressed any further. He gave me a shot of morphine that was supposed to either let me sleep or jump-start labor into progressing. If it didn't induce labor, I was supposed to wait for the hospital to call me in the morning so we could do an induction.
I was able to sleep until about 1 am, then I was up for most of the night, just feeling anxious. I took a shower, and then got a call at 5:30 am that they were ready for me.
Once they started the pitocin, it took about 3 contractions for me to ask for the epidural. I was about a centimeter and a half at this point. But, pitocin makes the contractions almost unbearable. Once I got my epidural, I was feeling pretty good. I could feel the pressure of the contractions, but they weren't painful. After almost 5 hours, I was at 3 centimeters. At this point I started to feel a little discouraged, because it had been so long and I felt like it wasn't getting anywhere. The doctor had already been in and broken my water.
Then I started to feel the contractions in my back and pubic bone. They were so intense I could hardly talk. One of the nurses gave me a shot to try to relieve the pain until the anesthesiologist could come. When he came, I was still at a 3. He was hesitant to up my epidural dose because it would make me completely numb. He said, "You know, most women don't get an epidural at 3 cm." After he left, the nurse told me that I needed to stand up for myself, and that if I wanted a higher dose, I could get it. So, I did. After that, I was able to relax. Within the hour I had dilated to an 8. An hour later I was at 9.5. Then, 45 minutes later I was finally at a 10. (I might be fuzzy on the timeline, I don't remember a lot from that point on). Then they let me rest and descend while we waited for the doctor.
Once the doctor got there I started pushing. It took about and hour and 45 minutes to get her out. I remember at about 5 pm thinking, "I can do this until 7, and then I just can't do it anymore." My epidural had worn off partially and I was feeling the intense contractions again. But, at 6:59, she came out. The first thing I said when she came out was, "Oh my gosh, she's huge!" I was expecting a much smaller baby. The next thing I noticed was that she had her eyes wide open. And they were gorgeous. They were huge and a dark blue. The nurses commented on them too.
Daniel was able to cut the cord, and then they took her to get weighed, measured, and cleaned up. After I got stitched and cleaned up, they brought her to me. She was crying and for a moment I thought, "Oh boy, now what do I do?" But, she looked beautiful.
She weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 19 inches long. She figured out breastfeeding pretty quickly and did well in the hospital.
Overall, our hospital experience was a good one. There were a few nurses that were a little weird. For instance, one of the PCT's wanted me to supplement with formula the night after she was born because she wouldn't wake up to eat, even though it had only been 4 hours or so.
I would say that the hardest part about childbirth has been the recovery. I have been so sore. I am allergic to ibuprofen and motrin, which are anti-inflammatory medications. So, it's just been ice packs and percocet for me. I think once I'm able to walk and move around freely, things will be better.
But, everything was worth it. Abigail is an angel.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
34 Weeks
Daniel and I started birth classes at UVRMC this week. I think most of the things I’ll already know, but having knowledge is never a bad thing. Plus, it’s something to look forward to each week for 4 weeks. I have to laugh at some of the people in there though. Some of the guys are totally clueless. But, I guess that’s why you go to class, right?
Today I’m having a baby shower with my family. I’m really appreciative to my cousin, Vanessa, for throwing it for me. I’m pretty excited to get together with my family and have some fun.
This week I met with my boss about what my hours will be when I return to work. I was pretty sad to learn that I was going to have to keep my 9-5 M-F schedule. I don’t blame my job at all, I know that they have to do what they have to do. But, I do feel a little bit of remorse and sadness over not being able to be with my baby girl. We’re going to have to find someone to babysit Abigail from 9-12 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If you know of anyone who might be interested, let me know.
But, my work is going to be flexible with a lot of other things, and honestly, I’m really not in a bad position. Abigail will grow up in a stable home. And isn’t that the goal anyway? Sometimes you can’t have the perfect situation, but it is still a goal of mine to be a stay at home mom. One day I’ll get there.
Part of me kind of wishes I could just stay pregnant. I know that the next 6 weeks or so are going to be the last chance that I have to be with her all the time. I know that there have been a lot of discomforts of pregnancy, and obviously I can’t wait to meet her, but once she’s born I’m going to have to share her with the world. I was trying to explain to Daniel what her hiccups were like. And I realized that no one really gets to feel her move like I do. I am constantly aware of her presence. And, I hope that doesn’t change once she’s born..
Today I’m having a baby shower with my family. I’m really appreciative to my cousin, Vanessa, for throwing it for me. I’m pretty excited to get together with my family and have some fun.
This week I met with my boss about what my hours will be when I return to work. I was pretty sad to learn that I was going to have to keep my 9-5 M-F schedule. I don’t blame my job at all, I know that they have to do what they have to do. But, I do feel a little bit of remorse and sadness over not being able to be with my baby girl. We’re going to have to find someone to babysit Abigail from 9-12 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If you know of anyone who might be interested, let me know.
But, my work is going to be flexible with a lot of other things, and honestly, I’m really not in a bad position. Abigail will grow up in a stable home. And isn’t that the goal anyway? Sometimes you can’t have the perfect situation, but it is still a goal of mine to be a stay at home mom. One day I’ll get there.
Part of me kind of wishes I could just stay pregnant. I know that the next 6 weeks or so are going to be the last chance that I have to be with her all the time. I know that there have been a lot of discomforts of pregnancy, and obviously I can’t wait to meet her, but once she’s born I’m going to have to share her with the world. I was trying to explain to Daniel what her hiccups were like. And I realized that no one really gets to feel her move like I do. I am constantly aware of her presence. And, I hope that doesn’t change once she’s born..
Sunday, January 10, 2010
33 Weeks
I’ve had a pretty eventful week. I got a nice long break from work for Christmas, and came back on January 4 ready to get back into the swing of things. By Saturday, I was completely exhausted. It’s getting really difficult for me to be at work for 8 hours straight. I’ve been trying to get our new copy machine online, and it’s involved a lot of bending, squatting, and other tasks. Luckily, I have 3 new interns that are around almost full time. So, I’ve been learning to utilize them more.
On Wednesday, I got really busy and forgot to pack/eat lunch. I figured I could just make it until dinner and I’d be okay. I did it all the time before I was pregnant. Well, it didn’t work so well. I’m not sure if this is correlated in any way, but I got home and made some spaghetti really quick for dinner. That night, I couldn’t breathe from around 10 pm to 2 am. I tried every remedy in the book. I could not lay down or be the littlest bit inclined or else I would get incredible chest pain and just struggle for every breath. I contemplated going to the hospital, but Daniel was pretty sick, and I didn’t want to go all that way for them just to say, “So... you’re 33 weeks pregnant and can’t breathe? What would you like us to do?” So, I took some Tylenol, and sat on the couch propped up by pillows. I was finally able to sleep at 2 am. Next time, I think I’ll call labor and delivery first and see if they want me to come in or not. It was a really scary experience.
This weekend Daniel and I babysat my younger siblings while my parents went to San Diego. We went to church with them, and I can’t tell you how many people said, “You’re due in February?! You’re so small!” I guess to others I look a lot smaller than I feel. It doesn’t bother me when people tell me I’m small as long as they don’t imply that I’ve had a super easy pregnancy because I don’t weigh as much as they did.
My pregnancy “blues” have begun to subside. I didn’t write about it on this blog, but I’d been feeling really down for about 3 weeks. It was just like I felt empty. My doctor said it was probably not a big deal since I’ve had a lot that I’ve been dealing with. And, I think he was right. Now that I’m getting closer to my due date, I’m feeling much happier and optimistic about the whole thing.
This week I thought a little about a “birth plan.” I’m not going to be one of those people that walks into the hospital with a list of demands about my birth, but I think it’s good to have an idea and be prepared when situations arise. Things like, will Daniel cut the cord? Do I want the baby to be cleaned up a little before I hold her? How long do I want to wait before getting an epidural? Do I want an episiotomy, or should I risk tearing? It’s a lot of stuff to think about. We’re starting our birthing classes at the hospital on Wednesday. I hope that they’ll go over some of those things.
On Wednesday, I got really busy and forgot to pack/eat lunch. I figured I could just make it until dinner and I’d be okay. I did it all the time before I was pregnant. Well, it didn’t work so well. I’m not sure if this is correlated in any way, but I got home and made some spaghetti really quick for dinner. That night, I couldn’t breathe from around 10 pm to 2 am. I tried every remedy in the book. I could not lay down or be the littlest bit inclined or else I would get incredible chest pain and just struggle for every breath. I contemplated going to the hospital, but Daniel was pretty sick, and I didn’t want to go all that way for them just to say, “So... you’re 33 weeks pregnant and can’t breathe? What would you like us to do?” So, I took some Tylenol, and sat on the couch propped up by pillows. I was finally able to sleep at 2 am. Next time, I think I’ll call labor and delivery first and see if they want me to come in or not. It was a really scary experience.
This weekend Daniel and I babysat my younger siblings while my parents went to San Diego. We went to church with them, and I can’t tell you how many people said, “You’re due in February?! You’re so small!” I guess to others I look a lot smaller than I feel. It doesn’t bother me when people tell me I’m small as long as they don’t imply that I’ve had a super easy pregnancy because I don’t weigh as much as they did.
My pregnancy “blues” have begun to subside. I didn’t write about it on this blog, but I’d been feeling really down for about 3 weeks. It was just like I felt empty. My doctor said it was probably not a big deal since I’ve had a lot that I’ve been dealing with. And, I think he was right. Now that I’m getting closer to my due date, I’m feeling much happier and optimistic about the whole thing.
This week I thought a little about a “birth plan.” I’m not going to be one of those people that walks into the hospital with a list of demands about my birth, but I think it’s good to have an idea and be prepared when situations arise. Things like, will Daniel cut the cord? Do I want the baby to be cleaned up a little before I hold her? How long do I want to wait before getting an epidural? Do I want an episiotomy, or should I risk tearing? It’s a lot of stuff to think about. We’re starting our birthing classes at the hospital on Wednesday. I hope that they’ll go over some of those things.
Glucose Sucks
I had my 37-week appointment today. While I was there, he said that he wanted to do the 1-hour screening. So, I drank the sugary drink and read my book for an hour.
I failed. Which means I have to go back next week and do the 3 hour test. I’ve been having some pretty strange issues with sugar lately, so I wouldn’t be shocked if I had gestational diabetes. That doesn’t mean I want to have it though. Especially with Christmas right around the corner.
Getting the drink down wasn’t bad, but I’ve been feeling pretty lousy all day. I feel really sick to my stomach and I have a headache. Blegh.
On the up side though, there has been a cute little foot in my ribs all day long. I can feel it moving around in there.
I failed. Which means I have to go back next week and do the 3 hour test. I’ve been having some pretty strange issues with sugar lately, so I wouldn’t be shocked if I had gestational diabetes. That doesn’t mean I want to have it though. Especially with Christmas right around the corner.
Getting the drink down wasn’t bad, but I’ve been feeling pretty lousy all day. I feel really sick to my stomach and I have a headache. Blegh.
On the up side though, there has been a cute little foot in my ribs all day long. I can feel it moving around in there.
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