Tuesday, October 30, 2012
growing jonah
Jonah had a weight check today. At 3 days old, Jonah weighed 7 lbs and 2 oz. Today, at 13 days old, Jonah weighed 8 lbs and 2 oz! He gained a full pound in 10 days! I'll try to post pictures soon.
Friday, October 26, 2012
jonah's birth story
So Jonah's birth story really begins not long after I went to my 39 week appt where I found out that I was between 3 and 4 cm. During the appointment my midwife mentioned to me that she was not on call that night but she was on call the following night, and in my head I was thinking, "Oh, I hope I don't go into labor tonight."
So I go home and continue on with my day. I did my walk around the house for an hour and prayed my rosary. (I had been walking around the living room because I could no longer venture far from the bathroom.) Then I made some muffins for Tobey. Hindsight is 20/20, and I should have taken a nap instead.
At about 3:30, I went to the bathroom and noticed the "bloody show". I had it with Tobey too right before I went into labor so I was thinking labor was soon, but at the same time, I did have an exam at the doctor's office so I didn't want to jump to any conclusions. But since it really did seem like bloody show, I decided to leave and pick up Tobey from his grandparents so that I could have some time with him before the big event.
When I got home with Tobey, Adam was just getting home so I told him I thought it was getting close. I told him I didn't feel like cooking dinner that night so we ordered a pizza. I sat down in the grass and watched Tobey play for a bit, and then Adam took him to go look at trains and get the pizza. I finished vacuuming the house because there was no way my baby was coming home to an unvacuumed house.
In my head I was thinking I still had hours before labor. I was thinking that I'd wake in the middle of the night in labor. But I started to not feel so great. No contractions, but just not right. So I sat down on the couch, put my feet up, and rested.
At some point before dinner but after we got the pizza, we realized that my car had a nail in the tire. I was decided at that point that the infant car seat needed to be moved to Adam's car.
We started to eat dinner around 6:30pm, and at about 6:45pm, I had my first contraction. I quickly downloaded an app to time the contractions. They were already about 5 minutes apart, but I remembered the midwife saying they needed to be that for an hour. So we started getting ready to go to the hospital, but at the same time we were getting Tobey ready for bed. So we followed our normal bed time routine to enjoy it one last time.
Tobey was very upset that we were going to the hospital, either that or he felt like he was missing out on something big.
At 8:05, Adam called his mom to come over to our house. Actually, I heard his mom say, "What's going on?", and Adam said, "Nothing." Nothing? Nothing? Your wife is in labor, and nothing is going on? Then he said that we were thinking about going to the hospital, and I said real loud, "No, we ARE going to the hospital." Adam's parents were just leaving a restaurant so his mom said she'd be there in 30 minutes.
At about 8:30, I called the answering service for the OB, and the midwife on call called me back at 8:40. I told her I was in labor, and she told me I could just labor at home for a while or take a shower and then come in when things got going a little stronger. I told her that this was my second baby, and it was time for me to come in and that I would be there in an hour. I got the impression that she just didn't want to go to the hospital yet.
Things started to really pick up then. I told Adam that I thought I was about 6 cm based on how I felt. We pulled the car into the driveway and waited for Adam's mom to arrive. I think it took her about 45 minutes, not 30. And by the time she arrived, I really felt like I had to go to the bathroom, but when I tried, it hurt took much like too much pressure down there. So we finally left for the hospital about 9pm.
The drive took about 35 minutes, and most my labor was in my back so it was a very uncomfortable ride. During the waterbirth class, they told us to drink a smoothe on the way into the hospital because they had to have the baby's heart rate up for 30 minutes to do the waterbirth. We were getting close to a Steak 'N Shake so we decided to stop for a shake. But as we are almost there, I had an intense contraction and changed my mind. I didn't want to waste time in a drive thru. We finally get to the hospital, and Adam does what felt like the most wildest turn into the parking lot. Things were getting serious.
Okay, so we get to the hospital at about 9:35, and I can barely walk in. I had to sit on a bench for a contraction. We walk inside the hospital, and we didn't know where to go. Finally we get to L&D, and the nurses are trying to talk to me while I have these intense contractions. Very annoying. I felt like they didn't understand why I wasn't moving a whole lot or not responding.
They had me change into a gown, and they put me in observations. They strapped me up to the monitors and did my paperwork. After about 30 minutes, the nurse finally checked me. I told her I was between 3 and 4 cm at the office today, and she said, "Well, you're not 3 to 4 cm." And I am thinking, "What?!" because I thought she meant I wasn't even that far yet. But then she said I was at 7, and I thought that sounded more like it. She told me they would have me go to my room now and start to fill up the tub.
For some reason, I thought they would wheel me into my room, but they had me walk over there. I barely made it before having another contraction. This is when things started to get a little chaotic to me. It was probably about a quarter after 10. Since I was having back labor, the nurse told me to keep flipping side to try to get the baby to not be sunnyside up. The nurses started filling up the tub, and I had a few contractions before feeling the need to bare down. The nurses told me to blow out like I was blowing a candle, but I told them I couldn't help it. I was not in control of my body at this point.
All of a sudden, my water broke. The nurse checked me then because obviously with the baring down, the baby was coming soon, and I was at 10 cm, and only 10 minutes before I was at 7 cm. The midwife on call was not there yet, and I could tell the nurses were trying to stall a little bit. The other patient in the department was also at 7 cm so I am sure they were feeling a little stressed. But it was time for the baby to come so three of them got themselves into position.
It only took 3 contractions before Jonah was out. I had asked if I had to push, and no one answered. Then Adam asked if I should be pushing or just breathing, and the nurse said it didn't matter because the baby was coming either way. The cord was around his neck, but no big deal. And the whole time I was screaming with each contraction. I felt like I had no control over that either.
Jonah arrived at 10:29pm on 10/17/12, less than an hour after we got to the hospital. The nurses placed him on me, and after the placenta was delivered and they checked me out, they basically left us alone with the baby for an hour which was nice and totally different from how it was with Tobey. The midwife finally came in and said I had an abbration (I came to find out it is called a skid mark), but no tear so I didn't need any stitches. It is where the skin gets stretched but does not tear, like a stretch mark. I felt it happen when Jonah was coming out so I could imagine what it would feel like to tear.
Well, that's basically the story, and I wouldn't change a single bit of it, except I would have liked my midwife to be there. I feel so blessed to have a great labor and delivery and a healthy little boy! I'll have to write again later to talk about life with Jonah some other time.
So I go home and continue on with my day. I did my walk around the house for an hour and prayed my rosary. (I had been walking around the living room because I could no longer venture far from the bathroom.) Then I made some muffins for Tobey. Hindsight is 20/20, and I should have taken a nap instead.
At about 3:30, I went to the bathroom and noticed the "bloody show". I had it with Tobey too right before I went into labor so I was thinking labor was soon, but at the same time, I did have an exam at the doctor's office so I didn't want to jump to any conclusions. But since it really did seem like bloody show, I decided to leave and pick up Tobey from his grandparents so that I could have some time with him before the big event.
When I got home with Tobey, Adam was just getting home so I told him I thought it was getting close. I told him I didn't feel like cooking dinner that night so we ordered a pizza. I sat down in the grass and watched Tobey play for a bit, and then Adam took him to go look at trains and get the pizza. I finished vacuuming the house because there was no way my baby was coming home to an unvacuumed house.
In my head I was thinking I still had hours before labor. I was thinking that I'd wake in the middle of the night in labor. But I started to not feel so great. No contractions, but just not right. So I sat down on the couch, put my feet up, and rested.
At some point before dinner but after we got the pizza, we realized that my car had a nail in the tire. I was decided at that point that the infant car seat needed to be moved to Adam's car.
We started to eat dinner around 6:30pm, and at about 6:45pm, I had my first contraction. I quickly downloaded an app to time the contractions. They were already about 5 minutes apart, but I remembered the midwife saying they needed to be that for an hour. So we started getting ready to go to the hospital, but at the same time we were getting Tobey ready for bed. So we followed our normal bed time routine to enjoy it one last time.
Tobey was very upset that we were going to the hospital, either that or he felt like he was missing out on something big.
At 8:05, Adam called his mom to come over to our house. Actually, I heard his mom say, "What's going on?", and Adam said, "Nothing." Nothing? Nothing? Your wife is in labor, and nothing is going on? Then he said that we were thinking about going to the hospital, and I said real loud, "No, we ARE going to the hospital." Adam's parents were just leaving a restaurant so his mom said she'd be there in 30 minutes.
At about 8:30, I called the answering service for the OB, and the midwife on call called me back at 8:40. I told her I was in labor, and she told me I could just labor at home for a while or take a shower and then come in when things got going a little stronger. I told her that this was my second baby, and it was time for me to come in and that I would be there in an hour. I got the impression that she just didn't want to go to the hospital yet.
Things started to really pick up then. I told Adam that I thought I was about 6 cm based on how I felt. We pulled the car into the driveway and waited for Adam's mom to arrive. I think it took her about 45 minutes, not 30. And by the time she arrived, I really felt like I had to go to the bathroom, but when I tried, it hurt took much like too much pressure down there. So we finally left for the hospital about 9pm.
The drive took about 35 minutes, and most my labor was in my back so it was a very uncomfortable ride. During the waterbirth class, they told us to drink a smoothe on the way into the hospital because they had to have the baby's heart rate up for 30 minutes to do the waterbirth. We were getting close to a Steak 'N Shake so we decided to stop for a shake. But as we are almost there, I had an intense contraction and changed my mind. I didn't want to waste time in a drive thru. We finally get to the hospital, and Adam does what felt like the most wildest turn into the parking lot. Things were getting serious.
Okay, so we get to the hospital at about 9:35, and I can barely walk in. I had to sit on a bench for a contraction. We walk inside the hospital, and we didn't know where to go. Finally we get to L&D, and the nurses are trying to talk to me while I have these intense contractions. Very annoying. I felt like they didn't understand why I wasn't moving a whole lot or not responding.
They had me change into a gown, and they put me in observations. They strapped me up to the monitors and did my paperwork. After about 30 minutes, the nurse finally checked me. I told her I was between 3 and 4 cm at the office today, and she said, "Well, you're not 3 to 4 cm." And I am thinking, "What?!" because I thought she meant I wasn't even that far yet. But then she said I was at 7, and I thought that sounded more like it. She told me they would have me go to my room now and start to fill up the tub.
For some reason, I thought they would wheel me into my room, but they had me walk over there. I barely made it before having another contraction. This is when things started to get a little chaotic to me. It was probably about a quarter after 10. Since I was having back labor, the nurse told me to keep flipping side to try to get the baby to not be sunnyside up. The nurses started filling up the tub, and I had a few contractions before feeling the need to bare down. The nurses told me to blow out like I was blowing a candle, but I told them I couldn't help it. I was not in control of my body at this point.
All of a sudden, my water broke. The nurse checked me then because obviously with the baring down, the baby was coming soon, and I was at 10 cm, and only 10 minutes before I was at 7 cm. The midwife on call was not there yet, and I could tell the nurses were trying to stall a little bit. The other patient in the department was also at 7 cm so I am sure they were feeling a little stressed. But it was time for the baby to come so three of them got themselves into position.
It only took 3 contractions before Jonah was out. I had asked if I had to push, and no one answered. Then Adam asked if I should be pushing or just breathing, and the nurse said it didn't matter because the baby was coming either way. The cord was around his neck, but no big deal. And the whole time I was screaming with each contraction. I felt like I had no control over that either.
Jonah arrived at 10:29pm on 10/17/12, less than an hour after we got to the hospital. The nurses placed him on me, and after the placenta was delivered and they checked me out, they basically left us alone with the baby for an hour which was nice and totally different from how it was with Tobey. The midwife finally came in and said I had an abbration (I came to find out it is called a skid mark), but no tear so I didn't need any stitches. It is where the skin gets stretched but does not tear, like a stretch mark. I felt it happen when Jonah was coming out so I could imagine what it would feel like to tear.
Well, that's basically the story, and I wouldn't change a single bit of it, except I would have liked my midwife to be there. I feel so blessed to have a great labor and delivery and a healthy little boy! I'll have to write again later to talk about life with Jonah some other time.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
i was the one screaming
We took Jonah back to the hospital to get his biliruben levels checked (they are still high), and while we were waiting for the results, I was talking to another family.
Family: When was your baby born?
Me: The 17th
Family: Ours too at 11:39pm.
Me: He was born at 10:29pm. Did you have your baby here?
Family: Yes.
Me: I was the one creaming.
Family: We heard you! (Laughs)
Family: When was your baby born?
Me: The 17th
Family: Ours too at 11:39pm.
Me: He was born at 10:29pm. Did you have your baby here?
Family: Yes.
Me: I was the one creaming.
Family: We heard you! (Laughs)
Friday, October 19, 2012
jonah
Jonah Augustine is here! Born 10 /17 @ 10:29pm. 7#7oz and 20 inches. He came so fast we barely made it to hospital, and the nurses had to deliver him because the midwife was not yet there. Mom and baby doing great! We got home this afternoon. I'll update more when I get some time.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
39 weeks
Today I'm at 39 weeks. I wasn't going to have the midwife check me, and she said it was my choice but that most women did choose to get checked at 39 weeks. So I'm a curious person so I got checked. And now I am between 3 and 4 cm dilated and 60% effaced. It's my understanding that effacement is the better indicator, and I remember being 70% effaced the day before Tobey was born. So who knows. It could be tonight or 2 more weeks, but I am still guessing it will be soon. The midwife of course can not predict when the baby will come, but I got the impression she still thought he'd be here before 40 weeks given that I continue to progress week to week.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
train museum
I can't believe this was our first time going to the train museum in Duluth. They had lots of real trains to look at and walk through. Tobey says he liked the big steam engines the best. Him and Adam also went for a ride on the little train.
We ended up having a busy day today. We also bought a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch at church, bought October Baby a Halloween costume (He's going to be a monkey), and walked and biked at the park. Tomorrow we'll take it easy.
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| 38 weeks and 3 days |
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| Looks like Adam is enjoying the ride |
We ended up having a busy day today. We also bought a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch at church, bought October Baby a Halloween costume (He's going to be a monkey), and walked and biked at the park. Tomorrow we'll take it easy.
Friday, October 12, 2012
days like today
It'll be days like today that I will really miss when the baby comes. I often forget and take for granted how fun and cooperative Tobey is as a toddler. For instance, after breakfast he brought me a few books to read to him so we read for about 30 minutes. Then we played on the bed and he jumped all around like a wild man. We went to Toy 'R Us to find a birthday gift for one of his friends, and Tobey did not ask for anything, not once even though we were there for an hour. He never complained when we went to the grocery store. He just talked to me and was a joy to be with. Then when we got home, I told him he could play outside for 15 minutes, and that was exactly what he did. When I told him time was up, he walked right to the door, opened it, and went inside. It was a pleasant morning.
He definitely has his moments, his days, and even his weeks, but he has been a good toddler. Right now he is in his crib for a nap, but he is just talking. Not crying, not screaming, not climbing out. He's just playing by himself. Actually he is stepping on his stuffed fire engine!
I'll miss days like today and only taking care of him. But I just keep reminding myself that he is not going away. We'll just have a new little person to hang out with every day.
He definitely has his moments, his days, and even his weeks, but he has been a good toddler. Right now he is in his crib for a nap, but he is just talking. Not crying, not screaming, not climbing out. He's just playing by himself. Actually he is stepping on his stuffed fire engine!
I'll miss days like today and only taking care of him. But I just keep reminding myself that he is not going away. We'll just have a new little person to hang out with every day.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
38 weeks tomorrow
I'll be 38 weeks tomorrow, but it doesn't sound like I'll make it to my due date. I'm already between 2 and 3 cm dialated, and the midwife was able to touch the baby's head. I said I hoped the baby would come in one week, and she said that was probably when the baby would come considering my rate of progress. But it is kind of scary to think I'm almost 3 cm already considering I was 3 cm when I got to the hospital with Tobey, and it only took 4.5 hours to get to 10. How fast is this going to be?
Monday, October 8, 2012
Sunday, October 7, 2012
the safety fair
This is the second year in a row that we have gone to the Gwinnett safety fair at the Gwinnett Braves stadium. They have all kinds of emergency vehicles that kids can get in, even helicopters. Tobey especially liked watching the police ride around on their motorcycles this year.
 |
| Touching a helicopter |
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| Driving a fire truck |
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| Posing with daddy |
Friday, October 5, 2012
bacon
Just ate 6 slices of bacon with my lunch. I'm not normally a bacon eater so perhaps I can say that I'm craving bacon during this pregnancy.
and the staples are out!
Penny FINALLY got her staples out today! We had a few incidents at the vets, but they are out! When we got there, there were 2 cats that are always in the waiting room in a cage waiting to be adopted. And of course, Penny started barking at them. It was bad. So bad that the lady at the desk took us back to a room early to wait for the vet. And while we are waiting, I hear her say over the intercom, "I just put a dog in a room because she was bothering the cats." That's my dog! Oh, and then she peed on me. But at least the staples are out. I took the cone off too so this surgery thing is finally behind us.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
butternut squash soup
Last week I bought a butternut squash at the grocery store. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do with it, but I was thinking soup. After inquiring on Facebook for a recipe, my friend Julia sent me this one. Very easy and tasty!
Butternut squash soup: peel, seed, and cut a medium butternut squash into chunks. sautee a diced onion in some olive oil in a big stockpot until translucent. add squash (you also toss in some carrots too), add enough chicken stock to cover the squash. i like to add some thyme and sage. simmer on medium to medium low for about 20 minutes or until the squash is fork tender. puree the contents of the stock pot in your blender (or you can use an immersion blender if you have one). add a bit of cream (i usually just use whole milk or skim the cream from our raw milk) to make it a little thicker. taste for seasoning and add salt/pepper as necessary.
Butternut squash soup: peel, seed, and cut a medium butternut squash into chunks. sautee a diced onion in some olive oil in a big stockpot until translucent. add squash (you also toss in some carrots too), add enough chicken stock to cover the squash. i like to add some thyme and sage. simmer on medium to medium low for about 20 minutes or until the squash is fork tender. puree the contents of the stock pot in your blender (or you can use an immersion blender if you have one). add a bit of cream (i usually just use whole milk or skim the cream from our raw milk) to make it a little thicker. taste for seasoning and add salt/pepper as necessary.
juice
Tobey told me he wanted juice (which is something we never keep in the house and only give him on special occasions), and I told him we didn't have any. He then brought me a bottle of olive oil from the pantry and said he wanted some of the juice.
Which reminds me of the time we were at church and the priest said the word, "Jews", and Tobey started yelling, "Juice! Juice!"
Which reminds me of the time we were at church and the priest said the word, "Jews", and Tobey started yelling, "Juice! Juice!"
Monday, October 1, 2012
family photo shoot
This past weekend we did a family photo shoot with my best friend back in elementary school, Harmony Blackwell. I think it's been about 20 years since I've seen her, and she is now an accomplished architect and photographer. Here is a link to her blog where she previews some of our photos. She did a fabulous job!! Thank you, Harmony!!
http://854photography.blogspot.com/2012/10/steam-engines-and-stunt-airplanes.html
http://854photography.blogspot.com/2012/10/steam-engines-and-stunt-airplanes.html
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