I have been thinking of a few things that I have wanted to take a minute to blog about. So, with Reese napping... I am going to see how much I can get in!
Potty training continues... and I am so proud to say, we have been accident free for almost a week! To be fair, she still uses pull-ups during nap time and she sleeps in a diaper, but I'm amazed at how far she has come in the last week. For just over a month, the main accidents that we had to deal every day she went to daycare was that she would poopy in her panties. I was really getting tired of cleaning panties everyday, and I KNOW that her teachers were getting tired of it too. But after a poopy accident at home last week (one that occured while I was holding her), we had a big discussion! While cleaning her up, I told her that if it continued, she would have to start getting showers to clean her up. The next day however, my sweet girl poopied on the potty TWICE at school! I mean, she went from accidents to potty OVERNIGHT! Over the weekend, she has also started telling us when she needs to go (instead of us having to take her every hour or so). AND on Sunday, I was told that she went by herself (no help at all -- she went in, used it, came out) while she was in the nursery! CRAZY -- crazy GOOD! I'm so incredibly proud of her! With that said... I'll move on from poopy to other news
We're having another girl. In case you haven't heard yet, we are having a second baby (due June 14), and we found out a couple of weeks ago that it seems to be a girl. :) This was a bit of a surprise... well kind of. I have had a similar pregnancy (no sickness, no real issues, etc.), but I was hopeful (especially for Dusty) that it would be a boy. I know that he would like a a son, and I want him to have one. He's a great dad to Reese, but I think there is something special about a boy and his dad, and I would like him to have that relationship too. But as hopeful as I was, the ultrasound didn't show any extra parts. So, while there was some disappointment at first about that part... the more I have thought about it, the more excited I am that Reese is going to have a little sister.
I LOVE my sister. And for those ladies out there who have one, there is really nothing like having a sister. It's a special relationship that may not be the most loving while growing up (at least ours wasn't), but as an adult, I couldn't imagine what life would be like without Catherine in it. She was with me through our sometimes rough childhood, and she is still with me now as we share the same life seasons together. So, knowing that Reese will have that too makes me happy. Practically speaking, a girl is good for our family (as a bigger picture). I come from a family of primarily girls (there wasn't a boy in my generation until #7). So, we know girls. We have EVERYTHING imaginable for a girl. And with our smaller house, the girls will be able to share rooms and clothes, and toys, and the list goes on.
I have had some conversations with friends (before we found out) about having another girl. And I jokingly said that if this one is like Reese, we may be done after this. After saying this, I want to explain a little bit. Reese is incredibly smart. She's very strong-willed and independent. And she truly lives up to the meaning of her name "enthusiasm" with all of her energy and excitement for life. So part of the fear in hearing it was a girl was that we would be having another girl, I thought... here we go. But I have spent more time thinking about that reaction too. For one, I know that God doesn't make 2 of the same thing, so I know regardless, this baby will be different. And even if she is very similar to Reese, it's okay. Reese is an incredible blessing, and she is such a light to so many. So, what I mean to say is that I love Reese more than I know how to fully express... and if I had another one JUST LIKE HER, I would be okay with that. I would be pretty tired, but I would love her the same.
All this talk about wanting a boy or girl kept me from just being thankful about having a baby. While I waited to see my doctor (after our ultrasound), I overheard her in the next room telling another patient that her pregnancy hadn't progressed. The conversation started so happy... she didn't want to post anything on facebook until after things were good. Then she got the news that things weren't good. They needed to discuss options about the next steps and talk about when she and her husband could try again. Needless to say, I really got a reality check and reexamined my attitude!
Moving on up... to a big girl bed. That's right, Reese has moved up to a big girl bed! With a baby coming, I wanted to make sure Reese had plenty of in her new bed without making her feel that she was being kicked out of a crib so the baby could have it. We have had a toddler bed in her room (still in the box) since her 2nd birthday in October. We've talked about the transitions some, but the assembly didn't happen until this weekend. Because she is so inquisitive and independent, the first step was to put locks on her closet doors! With the door knobs on, the bed was next. She didn't love the wait (we made her play in her bed to keep her in a "safe place" during assembly), but she LOVED the bed! She played in it all evening! The first night was a success, no loud thumps and she stayed in the bed all night! The next morning, she excitingly asked if she would be able to sleep in it again soon! :) Yes ma'am -- at naptime, and tonight, and the next day, and for a long time (I hope).
I guess to sum it all up, I could just say that I am seeing how blessed I am to have such a sweet girl. And while I sometimes think about how happy I am that she is growing up and becoming a little more independent, I also can't believe that she is growing up so quickly.
Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
1.06.2013
Potty Training... and much more.
Let me start by admiting that I am extremely behind on this! I know, I haven't posted any of Reese's recent updates and developement stuff.
For a quick update: Reese is now 27 months. At her most recent doctor's appointment, she was 27.5 pounds and 34 inches tall. Reese is extremely verbal and active. She doesn't sit still for long, unless we are reading a book -- which she LOVES! She talks all the time, and we are frequently amazed at how smart she is. The kid is smart, and that's sometimes not the easiest thing as a parent. But she is a sweet and happy girl, so the difficult times are far less than the joyful ones!
She is no longer using her pacifier for anything... thanks to the initial push from daycare! I guess it was over Thanksgiving that we just stopped giving it to her. There was a Sunday afternoon we thought it might help her nap better, but it didn't. So, that was it! The is a "big girl bed" in her room, but it's still in the box! We haven't gotten her room ready for her to be "free" in there yet (aka - we haven't baby proofed her room enough for me to trust her in there without supervision).
And the newest developement for her... potty training! For months (really it's been about 6 months), I have been putting her on the potty and she has used it from time to time. And for months, I have been pumping her up about getting to wear "big girl panties" and how big girl's don't use diapers, they only use the potty! So over Christmas, we packed all the big girl panties that we owned and took them to Grammy's with us!
I had prepped myself for starting after Christmas. I wanted to have a time period where she would be with me, and I thought the best time would be with the help of a grandparent! :) Christmas was crazy (as it should be with a toddler), and the day after Christmas was pretty busy too with family events. So December 27 was the day! That morning (around 7:30), I got Reese out of her pack-n-play and told her that she was going to start wearing big girl panties! She was excited, and I asked her first thing to get all the pee pee out while on the potty so she wouldn't pee pee in her panties. Every hour I took her to use the potty, but the girl wouldn't go! She said she didn't have to go! By 10:30, she hadn't used the potty or wet her panties. I was AMAZED -- there's no way it could be that easy. Then I let her know it was time for a nap, and she would need to wear a diaper (I didn't have pull ups or anything along those lines, and I certainly didn't trust her in the bed without having used the bathroom all morning)! She had a fit -- she didn't want to wear a diaper, only big girl panties! But she finally settled down and got in a nap. She got up with a slightly wet diaper, but pottied before we headed out to lunch. At lunch, I continued to ask her if she had to potty -- "nope!" was all I got everytime. Until she was nearly done with her pizza. She looked up and said, "Mommy, I pee-peed in my panties." Awesome. Thankfully I went prepared, so while I cleaned her up and changed her clothes in the bathroom, my brother-in-law cleaned up her mess. We talked about it and moved on. Later that day, I had to spend the day at the doctor's office, and Reese had two more accidents, but she also had a few successful trips too. Day 1 was done!
I won't give all the details about each of the other days, but I wanted to at least document some good things that she did that made me extremely proud and gave me hope to go on.
Day 2: Reese started off her day with an accident that morning, but she woke up from her nap dry! She had a few other accidents that afternoon, but I was proud of her 2nd day.
Day 3: Ella (Reese's cousin) turned 1, and we traveled to the birthday party in VA. That morning, she had an accident, but she did much better throughout the day! When we traveled to VA, Reese wore a pull-up! And when we got to the party, she used the potty! Before leaving, she used the potty again... and in between, she didn't wet her pull-up! I was so proud that she was busy and distracted, but she didn't wet her "panties." Before getting back on the road and heading home, we made a few stops. At one of the stops, Reese told me with a surprising looking on her face, "I pee-peed in my panties." But on the way home, she told me that she had to go poo-poo. At the time, we were a few miles from an exit. And I knew that she wouldn't go on the side of the road (not to mention, that's not the safest option for a toddler). So, I asked her if she could wait until we got home. She said yes, but I expected a dirty pull-up when we got back. To my surprise, we went straight to the bathroom, and my sweet girl pooped on the potty! Let me repeat that in case you missed it... she HADN'T GONE IN HER PULL-UP! I was shocked and so so proud!
Day 4: Reese only had a couple of accidents, and again woke up from her nap dry!
Day 5: She started the say with an accident while playing after breakfast, but she was great for the rest of the day!
Day 6: New Year's Day and our travel day back to SC! The morning started off great, and she made it all morning accident free! We left my mom's and headed to the airport to pick Dusty up. Even with a melt down over putting on a pull-up, we made it through her nap, past picking up Dusty, and to the gas station a an hour later or so before she pottied. And when she went then, it was on the potty at the gas station! We then traveled another 1.5 hours before getting to Dusty's mom's where she used potty again! We were so close to an accident free day when... while playing she froze! A few seconds later, she looked up and said, "I'm done." She had pottied... but thankfully, it was in her pull-up. The 3 hour drive home went pretty well with only a slightly used pull-up before bed. Still, I was so proud of her and the lack of accidents we had with all that travel!
Day 7: Only one accident... but even that was in a pull-up.
Day 8: A repeat of day 7, and she and Dusty had a little ice cream treat as a reward for how well she's done.
Day 9: Reese went to daycare for the first time in her big girl panties! She made it past nap time and through most of the day before having a couple of accidents from 3:00 - 6:00.
Day 10 (yesterday): NO ACCIDENTS AND DRY WAKE UP FROM HER NAP!
Day 11: No accidents and only a little damp after her nap!
This has gotten a lot longer than I thought, and I'm pretty sure that most of you don't give a rip about her accidents and successes. But one day, I'll want to look back at how it went. And I couldn't be more proud of my sweet girl's start at potty training. It gives me a lot of hope about having her well trained before baby 2 comes in June! At this rate, I'm confident she can do it! :)
For a quick update: Reese is now 27 months. At her most recent doctor's appointment, she was 27.5 pounds and 34 inches tall. Reese is extremely verbal and active. She doesn't sit still for long, unless we are reading a book -- which she LOVES! She talks all the time, and we are frequently amazed at how smart she is. The kid is smart, and that's sometimes not the easiest thing as a parent. But she is a sweet and happy girl, so the difficult times are far less than the joyful ones!
She is no longer using her pacifier for anything... thanks to the initial push from daycare! I guess it was over Thanksgiving that we just stopped giving it to her. There was a Sunday afternoon we thought it might help her nap better, but it didn't. So, that was it! The is a "big girl bed" in her room, but it's still in the box! We haven't gotten her room ready for her to be "free" in there yet (aka - we haven't baby proofed her room enough for me to trust her in there without supervision).
And the newest developement for her... potty training! For months (really it's been about 6 months), I have been putting her on the potty and she has used it from time to time. And for months, I have been pumping her up about getting to wear "big girl panties" and how big girl's don't use diapers, they only use the potty! So over Christmas, we packed all the big girl panties that we owned and took them to Grammy's with us!
I had prepped myself for starting after Christmas. I wanted to have a time period where she would be with me, and I thought the best time would be with the help of a grandparent! :) Christmas was crazy (as it should be with a toddler), and the day after Christmas was pretty busy too with family events. So December 27 was the day! That morning (around 7:30), I got Reese out of her pack-n-play and told her that she was going to start wearing big girl panties! She was excited, and I asked her first thing to get all the pee pee out while on the potty so she wouldn't pee pee in her panties. Every hour I took her to use the potty, but the girl wouldn't go! She said she didn't have to go! By 10:30, she hadn't used the potty or wet her panties. I was AMAZED -- there's no way it could be that easy. Then I let her know it was time for a nap, and she would need to wear a diaper (I didn't have pull ups or anything along those lines, and I certainly didn't trust her in the bed without having used the bathroom all morning)! She had a fit -- she didn't want to wear a diaper, only big girl panties! But she finally settled down and got in a nap. She got up with a slightly wet diaper, but pottied before we headed out to lunch. At lunch, I continued to ask her if she had to potty -- "nope!" was all I got everytime. Until she was nearly done with her pizza. She looked up and said, "Mommy, I pee-peed in my panties." Awesome. Thankfully I went prepared, so while I cleaned her up and changed her clothes in the bathroom, my brother-in-law cleaned up her mess. We talked about it and moved on. Later that day, I had to spend the day at the doctor's office, and Reese had two more accidents, but she also had a few successful trips too. Day 1 was done!
I won't give all the details about each of the other days, but I wanted to at least document some good things that she did that made me extremely proud and gave me hope to go on.
Day 2: Reese started off her day with an accident that morning, but she woke up from her nap dry! She had a few other accidents that afternoon, but I was proud of her 2nd day.
Day 3: Ella (Reese's cousin) turned 1, and we traveled to the birthday party in VA. That morning, she had an accident, but she did much better throughout the day! When we traveled to VA, Reese wore a pull-up! And when we got to the party, she used the potty! Before leaving, she used the potty again... and in between, she didn't wet her pull-up! I was so proud that she was busy and distracted, but she didn't wet her "panties." Before getting back on the road and heading home, we made a few stops. At one of the stops, Reese told me with a surprising looking on her face, "I pee-peed in my panties." But on the way home, she told me that she had to go poo-poo. At the time, we were a few miles from an exit. And I knew that she wouldn't go on the side of the road (not to mention, that's not the safest option for a toddler). So, I asked her if she could wait until we got home. She said yes, but I expected a dirty pull-up when we got back. To my surprise, we went straight to the bathroom, and my sweet girl pooped on the potty! Let me repeat that in case you missed it... she HADN'T GONE IN HER PULL-UP! I was shocked and so so proud!
Day 4: Reese only had a couple of accidents, and again woke up from her nap dry!
Day 5: She started the say with an accident while playing after breakfast, but she was great for the rest of the day!
Day 6: New Year's Day and our travel day back to SC! The morning started off great, and she made it all morning accident free! We left my mom's and headed to the airport to pick Dusty up. Even with a melt down over putting on a pull-up, we made it through her nap, past picking up Dusty, and to the gas station a an hour later or so before she pottied. And when she went then, it was on the potty at the gas station! We then traveled another 1.5 hours before getting to Dusty's mom's where she used potty again! We were so close to an accident free day when... while playing she froze! A few seconds later, she looked up and said, "I'm done." She had pottied... but thankfully, it was in her pull-up. The 3 hour drive home went pretty well with only a slightly used pull-up before bed. Still, I was so proud of her and the lack of accidents we had with all that travel!
Day 7: Only one accident... but even that was in a pull-up.
Day 8: A repeat of day 7, and she and Dusty had a little ice cream treat as a reward for how well she's done.
Day 9: Reese went to daycare for the first time in her big girl panties! She made it past nap time and through most of the day before having a couple of accidents from 3:00 - 6:00.
Day 10 (yesterday): NO ACCIDENTS AND DRY WAKE UP FROM HER NAP!
Day 11: No accidents and only a little damp after her nap!
This has gotten a lot longer than I thought, and I'm pretty sure that most of you don't give a rip about her accidents and successes. But one day, I'll want to look back at how it went. And I couldn't be more proud of my sweet girl's start at potty training. It gives me a lot of hope about having her well trained before baby 2 comes in June! At this rate, I'm confident she can do it! :)
8.15.2011
10 months... what!?
Reese's 10 month birthday happened at the beach! We went with Dusty's mom and family to Topsail Island to spend a week in a great house on the beach! It was a special time for me especially to have Reese at Topsail, since I spent my first summer, and nearly every summer of my life, there. Although she got off her schedule while we were there and didn't sleep as late in the mornings as she does at home, she did great! We noticed that she has a top front tooth coming in! And in the last few days, I have noticed that there will be 3 top teeth (the other front and the ones beside them) coming in soon behind this one that is already starting to cut through!
But back to the beach! She loved the sand... but the ocean took a few days to warm up to. The first day, she SCREAMED any time you got her close to the waves. In fact, if the waves touched my feet when I was holding her, she would cry. But by the time Tuesday came around, she was okay to let the waves touch her some. And by the end of the week, we had her (in a life jacket of course) out in the ocean! Reese is truly a water baby! :)
She also started pointing while we were there. Valerie (Wes's girlfriend) had a kite that she flew several times during the week. And on Wednesday, Reese caught sight of it and pointed to it! Her sweet little finger was raised as high as she could get it... followed with a "buh" sound! Everything right now is "buh" -- from ball to bird (which kind of make since) to dog and food (which don't make as much sense). So the past couple of weeks have been pretty interesting trying to make everything in to a "b" word.
She also has been using the "wuh" sound. And one of my favorite memories from the beach was when Reese and I were taking a morning walk... to try to not wake others up who were still sleeping. She pointed to the waves and said "buh-buh" which I corrected as "wuh-wuh-wave." She started saying the "wuh" part over and over and as I continued to say wave, wave... I noticed that she was actually waving to the ocean! How sweet! I don't know how you explain that the 2 things are different but called the same thing, but it was precious all the same!
When we got back, I had to take her to the doctor for a weight check. When we got in the office, I undressed her and we went to weight her. "15 lbs 9.2 oz" popped up on the scale's display! I literally cheered out loud! Reese just looked at me like she didn't know what the big deal was... and the nurse helping us looked at me like "umm, okay lady." Then we measured her -- 27.5 inches long and her head is 17.75 inches! Again, I cheered! I was so excited to see so much of a change in just 1 month! The doctor came in (a different person than the one we usually see), and he didn't seem to concerned or even proud. He apparently hadn't read the chart because he said that she had only gained 5 oz since her last appointment. When I pointed out to him that she was previously at 14 lbs 2 oz his story changed a little. "Wow! Let's keep her on the 1 formula bottle and we'll just see you again at 12 months." Okay. YAY Reese! :)
She is still pulling up on everything, and she babbles a lot! She has mama down, but I think she only uses when she's hungry (for milk) or when she's getting pretty frustrated/tired. Like I said... the majority of it now is "buh" sounds. She has a new "trick" if you want to call it that. We have noticed that if you hold a camera and count, she will "smile" for you! Below is an example. I help the camera and said... okay Reese; ready, 1, 2, 3!
It's really hard to believe that the summer is already winding down, and Reese is only a few weeks from being a year old! Time has flown by, but I'm not as sad as I thought I would be about it. I mean, I have days where I think... oh I remember when she was so tiny. But then I look at her, and I get so excited for her as she learns so much more! It really brings me joy to see her play and try to talk. And I love watching her pull herself up and get excited about things she is discovering!
What a blessing it is to be a mom... and to be the mom of that sweet baby girl I get to call my daughter! :)
But back to the beach! She loved the sand... but the ocean took a few days to warm up to. The first day, she SCREAMED any time you got her close to the waves. In fact, if the waves touched my feet when I was holding her, she would cry. But by the time Tuesday came around, she was okay to let the waves touch her some. And by the end of the week, we had her (in a life jacket of course) out in the ocean! Reese is truly a water baby! :)
She also started pointing while we were there. Valerie (Wes's girlfriend) had a kite that she flew several times during the week. And on Wednesday, Reese caught sight of it and pointed to it! Her sweet little finger was raised as high as she could get it... followed with a "buh" sound! Everything right now is "buh" -- from ball to bird (which kind of make since) to dog and food (which don't make as much sense). So the past couple of weeks have been pretty interesting trying to make everything in to a "b" word.
She also has been using the "wuh" sound. And one of my favorite memories from the beach was when Reese and I were taking a morning walk... to try to not wake others up who were still sleeping. She pointed to the waves and said "buh-buh" which I corrected as "wuh-wuh-wave." She started saying the "wuh" part over and over and as I continued to say wave, wave... I noticed that she was actually waving to the ocean! How sweet! I don't know how you explain that the 2 things are different but called the same thing, but it was precious all the same!
When we got back, I had to take her to the doctor for a weight check. When we got in the office, I undressed her and we went to weight her. "15 lbs 9.2 oz" popped up on the scale's display! I literally cheered out loud! Reese just looked at me like she didn't know what the big deal was... and the nurse helping us looked at me like "umm, okay lady." Then we measured her -- 27.5 inches long and her head is 17.75 inches! Again, I cheered! I was so excited to see so much of a change in just 1 month! The doctor came in (a different person than the one we usually see), and he didn't seem to concerned or even proud. He apparently hadn't read the chart because he said that she had only gained 5 oz since her last appointment. When I pointed out to him that she was previously at 14 lbs 2 oz his story changed a little. "Wow! Let's keep her on the 1 formula bottle and we'll just see you again at 12 months." Okay. YAY Reese! :)
She is still pulling up on everything, and she babbles a lot! She has mama down, but I think she only uses when she's hungry (for milk) or when she's getting pretty frustrated/tired. Like I said... the majority of it now is "buh" sounds. She has a new "trick" if you want to call it that. We have noticed that if you hold a camera and count, she will "smile" for you! Below is an example. I help the camera and said... okay Reese; ready, 1, 2, 3!
It's really hard to believe that the summer is already winding down, and Reese is only a few weeks from being a year old! Time has flown by, but I'm not as sad as I thought I would be about it. I mean, I have days where I think... oh I remember when she was so tiny. But then I look at her, and I get so excited for her as she learns so much more! It really brings me joy to see her play and try to talk. And I love watching her pull herself up and get excited about things she is discovering!
What a blessing it is to be a mom... and to be the mom of that sweet baby girl I get to call my daughter! :)
7.11.2011
Reese's 9 Month Appt
Here are the stats: weight - 14 lbs 2 oz, length - 26.75 inchs (but I think that's a little less than her actually length), head size - 17 inches. Those equal out to under 5% for weight, 10% for height, and 25% for head.
All that to say, she didn't grow much over the last 3 months, and the doctor was "a little concerned" about her weight. I admit, I was prepared (and even a little anxious/nervous about what the would say) for it.
As far as developement... she's doing great! She claps and waves and pulls up on EVERYTHING she can manage to grab. She walks when holding hands and acts like she would like to stand on her own sometimes, but she hasn't quite mastered those skills. She babbles all the time, and there are a few words that she seems to say... "Mama" and "hey" are ones that are pretty consistent. But she has also said "Dada" and "bye" in the past month.
I am still nursing, and Reese seems satisfied when she's done eating with a little leftover. So the pediatrician recommended adding a formula bottle to her day. I will continue to nurse, but once a day, Reese is now having a bottle of high calorie formula to help fatten her up a little. The doctor did say that she could just have a smaller frame and smaller build, but they like for babies to have a little more fat on them than Reese does. So... we go back in a month to see how this added bottle of formula will change things.
She has a pretty nice schedule now too. She generally gets up between 6:30 and 7:30 but doesn't eat until 7:30 (or a little after). She nurses and plays for a little while. Breakfast (usually oatmeal and a banana) is generally around 8:30-ish. She plays a little more and is down for a morning nap between 9:30 and 10:00. This is the most productive part of the day for me! She typically naps until sometime between 11:00 and 12:00. At this time she nurses again and within 30 minutes or so, she has a little lunch (something like rotini pasta and yogurt). She is usually awake for a couple of hours and gets her added formula bottle before going down for an afternoon nap. This nap can last for a couple of hours too. When she gets up, she nurses and plays before dinner. Dinner typically includes rice cereal and some kind of veggie. We are trying to introduce some meat to her diet too. So dinner may get more interesting as more foods are introduced! :)
She loves to eat though! Until the last week... she loved to chomp on lump foods. However, she has been teething lately and hasn't eatten as much as she typically does. I think that her gums have been hurting, so it makes meal time difficult and she has been pretty fussy.
Reese is still a joy... even if she is a little small (still wearing 3-6 month and 6 month clothes). I am just going to enjoy her as much as I can, and we can deal with her size as needed and directed! :) Until we go back... I'm going to do my best to feed her healthy (but fatty) foods. And I'm open for ideas. :)
All that to say, she didn't grow much over the last 3 months, and the doctor was "a little concerned" about her weight. I admit, I was prepared (and even a little anxious/nervous about what the would say) for it.
As far as developement... she's doing great! She claps and waves and pulls up on EVERYTHING she can manage to grab. She walks when holding hands and acts like she would like to stand on her own sometimes, but she hasn't quite mastered those skills. She babbles all the time, and there are a few words that she seems to say... "Mama" and "hey" are ones that are pretty consistent. But she has also said "Dada" and "bye" in the past month.
I am still nursing, and Reese seems satisfied when she's done eating with a little leftover. So the pediatrician recommended adding a formula bottle to her day. I will continue to nurse, but once a day, Reese is now having a bottle of high calorie formula to help fatten her up a little. The doctor did say that she could just have a smaller frame and smaller build, but they like for babies to have a little more fat on them than Reese does. So... we go back in a month to see how this added bottle of formula will change things.
She has a pretty nice schedule now too. She generally gets up between 6:30 and 7:30 but doesn't eat until 7:30 (or a little after). She nurses and plays for a little while. Breakfast (usually oatmeal and a banana) is generally around 8:30-ish. She plays a little more and is down for a morning nap between 9:30 and 10:00. This is the most productive part of the day for me! She typically naps until sometime between 11:00 and 12:00. At this time she nurses again and within 30 minutes or so, she has a little lunch (something like rotini pasta and yogurt). She is usually awake for a couple of hours and gets her added formula bottle before going down for an afternoon nap. This nap can last for a couple of hours too. When she gets up, she nurses and plays before dinner. Dinner typically includes rice cereal and some kind of veggie. We are trying to introduce some meat to her diet too. So dinner may get more interesting as more foods are introduced! :)
She loves to eat though! Until the last week... she loved to chomp on lump foods. However, she has been teething lately and hasn't eatten as much as she typically does. I think that her gums have been hurting, so it makes meal time difficult and she has been pretty fussy.
Reese is still a joy... even if she is a little small (still wearing 3-6 month and 6 month clothes). I am just going to enjoy her as much as I can, and we can deal with her size as needed and directed! :) Until we go back... I'm going to do my best to feed her healthy (but fatty) foods. And I'm open for ideas. :)
5.31.2011
scooting, sitting, and teeth -- oh my!
I'm way behind in this posting thing. So, let me get to the stats first...
6 months: 13 pounds (30%) and 26.5 inches (75%) long. (these measurements are from Reese's 6 month appointment at the dr -- where she also got another round of vaccines.)
7 months: 13.5 pounds and 27 inches long.
8 months: (I'll post these on Thursday, or I'll at least take them then).
In the last few months, Reese has mastered sitting up! She has learned to scoot... rather quickly I may add. And she has 2 teeth (both on the bottom). She is eating all kinds of things... mostly veggies, but fruits are slowly being introduced. She can now wave and clap, and this past weekend, she said "mama" without being coached and I think it was when she really wanted me to pick her up! She is kind of in this attachment phase -- meaning, if I'm in the room, she may only want me to hold her or she'd rather sit and play by herself. But she's still happy and seems pretty health.
Reese got a new cousin this weekend too! I will wait for the baby's info to be posted elsewhere by my sister. But let's just say that the baby was several weeks early and surprised everyone with that early entrance into the world. But I think there is a lot of spunk and determination in that little one!
I'll fill in more later, but at least I've got a start on something! :)
6 months: 13 pounds (30%) and 26.5 inches (75%) long. (these measurements are from Reese's 6 month appointment at the dr -- where she also got another round of vaccines.)
7 months: 13.5 pounds and 27 inches long.
8 months: (I'll post these on Thursday, or I'll at least take them then).
In the last few months, Reese has mastered sitting up! She has learned to scoot... rather quickly I may add. And she has 2 teeth (both on the bottom). She is eating all kinds of things... mostly veggies, but fruits are slowly being introduced. She can now wave and clap, and this past weekend, she said "mama" without being coached and I think it was when she really wanted me to pick her up! She is kind of in this attachment phase -- meaning, if I'm in the room, she may only want me to hold her or she'd rather sit and play by herself. But she's still happy and seems pretty health.
Reese got a new cousin this weekend too! I will wait for the baby's info to be posted elsewhere by my sister. But let's just say that the baby was several weeks early and surprised everyone with that early entrance into the world. But I think there is a lot of spunk and determination in that little one!
I'll fill in more later, but at least I've got a start on something! :)
3.07.2011
Another month bites the dust. :)
The little one has reached another milestone... she's 5 months old!
On her 5 month birthday, I measured her at 26.75 inches and weighed her to be 13.4 pounds. I can only guess from the charts in my baby books, but I think she's still pretty long and fairly lean.
Newest developments include rolling from her back to her tummy. She did it will a little help last Monday (2/28), and when I picked her up from daycare on Tuesday, the teacher had left a note on her daily sheet that Reese "rolls from her back to tummy so well!" She has started taking some "steps" (with assistance of course). But when she stands and is leaned forward, her little legs start to go to work! :) Reese continues to LOVE to stand, and she is now utilizing the play gym that Grammy got her. Reese is a very long baby, but most 5 month old babies aren't ready to get in those things... and her legs don't quite reach the ground. So, I put the Wii board underneath it -- and it's perfect! She LOVES it! She bounces, she plays music, she plays with the frog and flowers that are attached to it. It's great... especially since she has "outgrown" her bouncy seat. In her attempt to stand whenever possible, I have caught her trying to stand in her bouncy seat. Therefore, it's being retired!
For some good news on my part... I have a new job! That's right, I've been offered a position with Calvary Home for Children (in Anderson). It's more of a commute that working with the City was, but I anticipate it to be much more rewarding, and the schedule will be perfect for Reese's daycare schedule! I will have a training day on Wednesday and will officially start on Tuesday of next week. I am thankful for God's hand in this job opportunity, and I am thankful for the prayers and support that I have received along the way!
On her 5 month birthday, I measured her at 26.75 inches and weighed her to be 13.4 pounds. I can only guess from the charts in my baby books, but I think she's still pretty long and fairly lean.
Newest developments include rolling from her back to her tummy. She did it will a little help last Monday (2/28), and when I picked her up from daycare on Tuesday, the teacher had left a note on her daily sheet that Reese "rolls from her back to tummy so well!" She has started taking some "steps" (with assistance of course). But when she stands and is leaned forward, her little legs start to go to work! :) Reese continues to LOVE to stand, and she is now utilizing the play gym that Grammy got her. Reese is a very long baby, but most 5 month old babies aren't ready to get in those things... and her legs don't quite reach the ground. So, I put the Wii board underneath it -- and it's perfect! She LOVES it! She bounces, she plays music, she plays with the frog and flowers that are attached to it. It's great... especially since she has "outgrown" her bouncy seat. In her attempt to stand whenever possible, I have caught her trying to stand in her bouncy seat. Therefore, it's being retired!
For some good news on my part... I have a new job! That's right, I've been offered a position with Calvary Home for Children (in Anderson). It's more of a commute that working with the City was, but I anticipate it to be much more rewarding, and the schedule will be perfect for Reese's daycare schedule! I will have a training day on Wednesday and will officially start on Tuesday of next week. I am thankful for God's hand in this job opportunity, and I am thankful for the prayers and support that I have received along the way!
2.11.2011
4 months of love! :)
Reese started her 4th month with colds and what I thought was a possible ear infection. So, I took her in to check. She weighed in at 11 lbs. 10 oz. at 3 months, (and I measured her around 24.5 inches which is probably not the most accurate). The doctor took a look, and even though she squirmed and cried when he checked one of her ears, he said she looked good. Apparently, babies can get pressure in their ears that comes and goes. We haven't had that problem since then, so hopefully it's gone!
At her 4 month appointment, Reese had gained a little weight and grown a bit more! She measured in at 26 inches (still 95%) and weighed 12 lbs. 6 oz. (40%) with a 16.5 inch head measurement (75%). She has grown 5 inches in 4 months! She's still a string bean, and her head is still a little above average, but we have concluded that's simply for that advanced brain. :)
As far as her development... she loves to stand! In fact, when being pulled up to a seated position, she plants her feet and stands up! She holds her head up very well and started rolling over (first time - 1/12/11) and laughing out loud (first time - 1/24/11)! I would say she is considered a "supported sitter" at this time, but she sat on her own for a couple of minutes last weekend (2/5/11). She is working on making new sounds too. She loves to talk, and the newest sounds in her vocab include squeals (almost a whistle pitch -- started 2/7/11) and "mmm" (started 2/8/11). I have heard what sounds like "muh muh" a couple of different times when she had gotten fussy, but I haven't counted it yet. It's close, and I am certainly hoping "mama" will be her first word. She's such a joy! And she really is a happy baby -- we are so incredibly blessed with an amazing baby! It really is amazing how much I am able to love her!
The last few weeks have given me some ups and downs. As some may know, I'm no longer employed with the City of Clemson. It was a bittersweet ending, but an ending all the same. I am currently looking for another part-time job, but until I find something else, I am trying to simply enjoy time with Reese when she's here. She is still in daycare 2 days a week (to keep her spot and to keep her in her routine). I think having those days to get other things done around the house, I feel really blessed to be able to just enjoy her. So if you know of any part-time jobs in the Clemson area (or that I could do from home) please let me know!
In the meantime... I will be here with enjoying my growing and developing baby girl! :)
At her 4 month appointment, Reese had gained a little weight and grown a bit more! She measured in at 26 inches (still 95%) and weighed 12 lbs. 6 oz. (40%) with a 16.5 inch head measurement (75%). She has grown 5 inches in 4 months! She's still a string bean, and her head is still a little above average, but we have concluded that's simply for that advanced brain. :)
As far as her development... she loves to stand! In fact, when being pulled up to a seated position, she plants her feet and stands up! She holds her head up very well and started rolling over (first time - 1/12/11) and laughing out loud (first time - 1/24/11)! I would say she is considered a "supported sitter" at this time, but she sat on her own for a couple of minutes last weekend (2/5/11). She is working on making new sounds too. She loves to talk, and the newest sounds in her vocab include squeals (almost a whistle pitch -- started 2/7/11) and "mmm" (started 2/8/11). I have heard what sounds like "muh muh" a couple of different times when she had gotten fussy, but I haven't counted it yet. It's close, and I am certainly hoping "mama" will be her first word. She's such a joy! And she really is a happy baby -- we are so incredibly blessed with an amazing baby! It really is amazing how much I am able to love her!
The last few weeks have given me some ups and downs. As some may know, I'm no longer employed with the City of Clemson. It was a bittersweet ending, but an ending all the same. I am currently looking for another part-time job, but until I find something else, I am trying to simply enjoy time with Reese when she's here. She is still in daycare 2 days a week (to keep her spot and to keep her in her routine). I think having those days to get other things done around the house, I feel really blessed to be able to just enjoy her. So if you know of any part-time jobs in the Clemson area (or that I could do from home) please let me know!
In the meantime... I will be here with enjoying my growing and developing baby girl! :)
1.11.2011
3 months already!
I have had every intension of writing more often than I have. But who know that having an infant at the house would make time disappear! :) With that being said, I would like to at least take the few minutes that I have while Reese is napping to write what I can about the past 3 months with our new addition.
We have had a very busy past 3 months. Not only have we been adjusting to having a baby, but we've also had quite a bit of company and holidays have come and gone too!
Month 1: October 2, 2010 - November 1, 2010
The first month almost seems like a blur because it came and went so quickly! We had a LOT of family visit -- our moms, our dads, our siblings, my grandmothers, some cousins, an aunt, an uncle, and many, many friends! The first month also included a doctor's visit (at 2 weeks) -- Reese measured 21.75 inches and weighed 8 lbs 15 oz. The doctor said she was perfect! She measured in the 90 percentile for height, 50 percentile for weight (and head circumference). Reese's first month also included her first Halloween! We dressed up as the Black Eyed P's (pictured below).
By the end of her first month, Reese was thankfully sleeping with only one nightly feeding, and she was eating on pretty regular schedule! We have been very blessed with a baby who sleeps well at night and who was pretty easy to get on a 3-hour feeding schedule! I typically stayed up until nearly midnight to feed her the last time each night, and she usually slept until 4:00-4:30 before waking up to eat. After that, she would start waking up 3 hours later to eat. She was pretty easy to get on a schedule too -- another blessing! Reese slept in a bassinet in our room which made late night feedings as easy as possible. But again, we are very thankful for the way that she started falling into a routine and sleep that she did get!
Month 2: November 2, 2010 - December 1, 2010
The second month was a another eventful month! Reese had some pretty big devlopement milestones too (at least to us). On her 1 month birthday, I weighed her at 10.3 lbs and measured her at 23 inches. It was also a time of "firsts" -- 1st outing alone with Mommy, 1st baby sitter (by a non-family member), 1st roadtrip and Thanksgiving, and the 1st time sleeping through the night! That's right, at just around 6 weeks, Reese started going to bed around 11:30 or so, and slept until 6ish! The nights gradually extended to about 7 hours, and by the end of the month, 8 hours were becoming the norm -- WOOHOO!
The second month also brought on my first day back to work and Reese's first day of "school" at The Growing Place. It was hard leaving Reese while I went to work, but once we got in the routine, it was kind of nice. The Growing Place is the daycare (child developement center) at our church, and Reese attends 2 days/week (Tuesday and Thursday). It's nice to have her at a positive place where we know the teachers and they know and love Reese. And it's nice that Reese gets the opportunity to interact with other babies a couple of days a week, but still gets to be home with me for the majority of the time.
Month 3: December 2, 2010 - January 1, 2011
Month 3 started off somewhat difficult -- for me more than for Reese! Her first set of vaccines were horrible! She measure at 24 inches (95% -- definitely from her Daddy), and she weighed in at 10 lbs 15.1 oz (50%)... so she's essentially a string bean! She did great for the appointment until the shots! I survived it with only a few tears! And with a little tylenol, Reese made it through the rest of the day just fine.
More pleasant firsts in her third month included her first Christmas, first 9-hour night (that’s not the norm yet), her first snow, and her first New Year's! Christmas was long, but good. We spent time in Winston with Dusty’s family, then headed to Roanoke Rapids to spend time with my family, then back to Winston to before finally making it home a week later. But while we were in Roanoke Rapids, we got “snowed in” with nearly a foot of snow and all the excitement must have worn Reese out because she slept for 9 solid hours! Both the snow and the sleep were beautiful! :)
The last 3 months have been fun to say the least! Reese is very alert (and has been from birth really). She has great head control and loves to "stand" (she only needs help keeping her balance since she still wobbles a little). She is a talker too! She has been cooing for a couple of months, but she has started "singing" in the last week or so. She takes a big breath and holds out a note until she runs out of air! She's certainly training her lungs! She is such a happy baby most of the time, and she seems really inquizative when meeting new people and seeing new toys. She loves listening to music and watching lights (she LOVES watching TV, but I try my very best not to let her watch it)! We are still nursing, and I have somehow managed to make it work so far with 2 days at work.
Like I said, it's been a busy past 3 months. But I couldn't imagine it any other way! I have had several people say that we will forget what it was like before Reese came along. I don't know about that... I mean, I certainly remember what life was like before her... but I am certainly enjoying life with her now. :)
We have had a very busy past 3 months. Not only have we been adjusting to having a baby, but we've also had quite a bit of company and holidays have come and gone too!
Month 1: October 2, 2010 - November 1, 2010
The first month almost seems like a blur because it came and went so quickly! We had a LOT of family visit -- our moms, our dads, our siblings, my grandmothers, some cousins, an aunt, an uncle, and many, many friends! The first month also included a doctor's visit (at 2 weeks) -- Reese measured 21.75 inches and weighed 8 lbs 15 oz. The doctor said she was perfect! She measured in the 90 percentile for height, 50 percentile for weight (and head circumference). Reese's first month also included her first Halloween! We dressed up as the Black Eyed P's (pictured below).
By the end of her first month, Reese was thankfully sleeping with only one nightly feeding, and she was eating on pretty regular schedule! We have been very blessed with a baby who sleeps well at night and who was pretty easy to get on a 3-hour feeding schedule! I typically stayed up until nearly midnight to feed her the last time each night, and she usually slept until 4:00-4:30 before waking up to eat. After that, she would start waking up 3 hours later to eat. She was pretty easy to get on a schedule too -- another blessing! Reese slept in a bassinet in our room which made late night feedings as easy as possible. But again, we are very thankful for the way that she started falling into a routine and sleep that she did get!
Month 2: November 2, 2010 - December 1, 2010
The second month was a another eventful month! Reese had some pretty big devlopement milestones too (at least to us). On her 1 month birthday, I weighed her at 10.3 lbs and measured her at 23 inches. It was also a time of "firsts" -- 1st outing alone with Mommy, 1st baby sitter (by a non-family member), 1st roadtrip and Thanksgiving, and the 1st time sleeping through the night! That's right, at just around 6 weeks, Reese started going to bed around 11:30 or so, and slept until 6ish! The nights gradually extended to about 7 hours, and by the end of the month, 8 hours were becoming the norm -- WOOHOO!
The second month also brought on my first day back to work and Reese's first day of "school" at The Growing Place. It was hard leaving Reese while I went to work, but once we got in the routine, it was kind of nice. The Growing Place is the daycare (child developement center) at our church, and Reese attends 2 days/week (Tuesday and Thursday). It's nice to have her at a positive place where we know the teachers and they know and love Reese. And it's nice that Reese gets the opportunity to interact with other babies a couple of days a week, but still gets to be home with me for the majority of the time.
Month 3: December 2, 2010 - January 1, 2011
Month 3 started off somewhat difficult -- for me more than for Reese! Her first set of vaccines were horrible! She measure at 24 inches (95% -- definitely from her Daddy), and she weighed in at 10 lbs 15.1 oz (50%)... so she's essentially a string bean! She did great for the appointment until the shots! I survived it with only a few tears! And with a little tylenol, Reese made it through the rest of the day just fine.
More pleasant firsts in her third month included her first Christmas, first 9-hour night (that’s not the norm yet), her first snow, and her first New Year's! Christmas was long, but good. We spent time in Winston with Dusty’s family, then headed to Roanoke Rapids to spend time with my family, then back to Winston to before finally making it home a week later. But while we were in Roanoke Rapids, we got “snowed in” with nearly a foot of snow and all the excitement must have worn Reese out because she slept for 9 solid hours! Both the snow and the sleep were beautiful! :)
The last 3 months have been fun to say the least! Reese is very alert (and has been from birth really). She has great head control and loves to "stand" (she only needs help keeping her balance since she still wobbles a little). She is a talker too! She has been cooing for a couple of months, but she has started "singing" in the last week or so. She takes a big breath and holds out a note until she runs out of air! She's certainly training her lungs! She is such a happy baby most of the time, and she seems really inquizative when meeting new people and seeing new toys. She loves listening to music and watching lights (she LOVES watching TV, but I try my very best not to let her watch it)! We are still nursing, and I have somehow managed to make it work so far with 2 days at work.
Like I said, it's been a busy past 3 months. But I couldn't imagine it any other way! I have had several people say that we will forget what it was like before Reese came along. I don't know about that... I mean, I certainly remember what life was like before her... but I am certainly enjoying life with her now. :)
11.04.2010
Birth Story... part 2
We arrived at the hospital within 10 minutes… calling family along the way letting them know what was going on. We parked in “stork parking” and headed inside to the second floor. For some reason, the desk didn’t have our file, so check-in took a little longer than expected. Once the paperwork was done, we were directed to the labor and delivery hall. A nurse (Emily) met us at the door, checked my weight, and took us into an exam room where I was given a gown to change into before the examination got started.
The nurse put a blood pressure cuff on my arm and a fetal heart rate monitor on my stomach. She then took a piece of paper to check to see if my membranes had actually broken (some kind of test that changes the color of the paper to blue if a woman’s water has broken). Well, the nurse confirmed that my water had broken, so I would be staying the night. The baby was doing great, but my blood pressure was a little high (which is pretty normal for women to have higher blood pressure when they check-in). So, I was moved from the exam room to a labor and delivery room. The nurse (still Emily) told me that Dr. Lacy was on call for the weekend, and he would come in to meet me soon, but she would be our nurse until 7:00 am. So, I gave her a copy of my birth plan and after looking it over. The main thing I mentioned in the birth plan was that I wanted to hold off on pain meds for as long as I could. I wasn’t against them, but I wanted to see how far I could go on my own… and when I wanted them, I would ask for them. I also mentioned that as long as things were progressing naturally on their own, I would didn’t want to use any augmenting drugs. Emily seemed to be fine with what was in the plan. And when Dr. Lacy came by to introduce himself, he seemed fine with everything too.
Dr. Lacy was not the doctor that I had been seeing for the past 9 months, but I was pretty familiar with who he was… at least by name. At least 3 of the ladies that work with me at City Hall are Dr. Lacy’s patients. In fact, he delivered 3 children years ago for 2 of my 3 co-workers, and he delivered a friend’s baby boy in May. So, even though I had to use an on-call doctor, I was happy that it was someone I had heard so many good things about.
(Back to the labor & delivery…)
When the doctor checked me around 8:00, I was only 1 cm dilated and the baby’s head was still fairly high (-2). Dr. Lacy said that he was going to head home for the evening, but not to worry because he lived close by. He also guessed that I wouldn’t deliver until the morning. So, I was pretty much told to hang out for the night, and if I didn’t progress enough overnight, they would start me on pitocin in the morning. So, the wait started… and the contractions started coming. At first, they weren’t too bad. But as the night continued, so did the contractions with increasing intensity. I tried sitting up, walking around some (usually to the bathroom and back and a few laps around the room), sitting on a birthing/exercise ball, and even trying to push/pull through the contraction pain, but the pain continued and my body started shaking because of it. Around 10:30 or so, my sister (Catherine) showed up. It was great to have her there. She provided some comic relief, and she was a great support system.
The contractions and shaking were getting pretty bad, and I started discussing with Dusty (in between contractions) that I may want to ask for an epidural soon. He started asking questions and trying to make sure that I was sure I wanted to get pain meds since I had stated the whole time that I wanted to go without the pain meds as long as possible. But with each stronger and longer lasting contraction, I was getting more and more confident that I wanted an epidural. Shortly afterwards (around midnight), the nurse came back in to check me again, and I was still only at 1 cm… but Emily mentioned that my cervix was so soft she had stretched it to 4 cm. It was then that I asked for an epidural – being that far away from “push time” and having contractions as strong as they were… there was no way I would be able to handle the pain without help.
By 1:00 am, the anesthesiologist was in my room, finished with the procedure, and talking to Dusty about the Greek system at Clemson. I was amazed at how quickly the epidural started working. The nurse told us that she would leave us alone for a while and let us rest… she would check in on us again around 5:00 am. So, we “rested.” Catherine and Dusty may have gotten a little sleep, but I wouldn’t say that I slept. With a blood pressure cuff going off every 30 minutes, the lights from the monitors by my head shining bright, and the constant thoughts and questions going through my head, it wasn’t possible to get sleep. But the time passed fairly quickly. At 5:00 am, Emily came in to check my progress, and she was surprised to report that I was 10 cm, but the baby’s head is still kind of high. Because of that, Dr. Lacy recommended that we start the pitocin to see if that would bring the baby down a little more. The pitocin certainly did something – it brought on stronger contractions that I could feel pretty strong, so the nurse called in the anesthesiologist’s assistant to increase the dose of medicine I was getting.
At the shift change at 7:00 am, the baby’s head was still high, but I was told that I would be able to start pushing soon. Dr. Lacy came in and said that he wanted me to push for a little while, and hopefully it would bring the baby’s head down. I started pushing around 8:00 am, and the new nurse said that she thought I was making some progress. Dr. Lacy came back in around 9:00 am to check again. According to him, the baby’s head was still too high. He told me that I would be able to push for another hour, but if things didn’t change, he would recommend a c-section. With the determination of not wanting to have a c-section, I pushed with every bit of energy I had left in my body. As I pushed, Dusty and Catherine said they were able to see the baby’s head (which was covered with dark hair)! The nurse said that she could tell I had definitely made some progress. So an hour later, Dr. Lacy came back in and again said he couldn’t see much progress. He would give me another 15 minutes, but he thought a c-section would be the safest way to deliver. When those 15 minutes passed, he checked again, and then he reported that the baby’s head was still high, but the problem was that it hadn’t turned the way it was supposed to. So, he wanted to schedule the operating room to deliver with a c-section. My sister then commented that the good news was, that we would have a baby in 30 minutes… to which the doctor replied it may be more like an hour because of the prep and what not. Well, about that time, I started getting extremely intense pains in my back that didn’t let up. Yep, I was experiencing back labor – and honestly, it was miserable.
Because of that pain… they rushed me back to the operating room and started moving along faster than Dr. Lacy had planned. Within minutes, I was on the operating table, and the procedure was underway. Dr. Lacy saw that I had a scar on my abdomen already from a skin graph, and he must have read my chart from where Dr. Shelley (my doc) and I had discussed making the incision over the same scar that was already there. So, in he went, and out she came! I heard her cry, and it made me cry too. She continued to cry for what seemed like forever, and then the nurse placed her on my chest. I didn’t get to hold her for long… and I don’t even think that counts as holding your baby when you can only use one hand to touch her. Very shortly after they placed her on me, they took her to the nursery. I stayed on the table, got stapled up, and was then moved to recovery.
The nurse who was with me during recovery told me that the only thing I had to do to be able to leave recovery and get to my room and baby was move my feet and lift my knees. So she asked me to try… and I was able to do both right then. She smiled and told me I won’t be there long! But then she took my blood pressure and it was really high. She gave me some kind of meds to help bring it down, but it didn’t work as quickly as she hoped. So, I ended up in recovery longer than either of us expected. She continued to check my blood pressure, and then she explained that she had to press on my stomach to make sure I didn’t have any hemorrhaging. She warned it would hurt (and I had heard it was the worse part of having a baby). The warnings couldn’t prepare me for the pain I felt… it was intense, and every time they did it (which was probably 6 or 7 times while I was there) – it hurt! But after surviving that pain, I was cleared to go to my room (even though my blood pressure was still quite high).
I spent a little time getting in my new bed and getting checked out by my new nurse. My sister came in briefly to tell me that she was taking the grandmothers to get some lunch so that Dusty and I would have some uninterrupted time with the baby. She also mentioned that she was beautiful, and Dusty had done a great job of keeping everyone else from seeing her before I was able to have time with her. Once the nurse was done checking everything possible, Dusty came in with Reese.
For the first time, I was able to actually hold that precious baby girl that had been growing in me for the last 9 months. I couldn’t get over the fact that a couple of hours ago, that priceless baby was in me. And just like that, she was here! She’s absolutely perfect – and I don’t think I have ever seen a more beautiful baby (I know I’m a little bias).
No, things didn’t go the way I wanted them to go. I didn’t want a c-section… and to be honest, I was still upset by it for several days. I didn’t feel like I really had an opinion – in my mind, I could have tried harder, or we could have tried something else. But now, I’m just thankful that this sweet girl is home and seems to be thriving. It’s hard to remember what life was like before her… and though I’m extremely tired most of the time these days, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world.
Reese was safely delivered… and at the end of the day, that’s the most important part and the end of this “birth story.”
The nurse put a blood pressure cuff on my arm and a fetal heart rate monitor on my stomach. She then took a piece of paper to check to see if my membranes had actually broken (some kind of test that changes the color of the paper to blue if a woman’s water has broken). Well, the nurse confirmed that my water had broken, so I would be staying the night. The baby was doing great, but my blood pressure was a little high (which is pretty normal for women to have higher blood pressure when they check-in). So, I was moved from the exam room to a labor and delivery room. The nurse (still Emily) told me that Dr. Lacy was on call for the weekend, and he would come in to meet me soon, but she would be our nurse until 7:00 am. So, I gave her a copy of my birth plan and after looking it over. The main thing I mentioned in the birth plan was that I wanted to hold off on pain meds for as long as I could. I wasn’t against them, but I wanted to see how far I could go on my own… and when I wanted them, I would ask for them. I also mentioned that as long as things were progressing naturally on their own, I would didn’t want to use any augmenting drugs. Emily seemed to be fine with what was in the plan. And when Dr. Lacy came by to introduce himself, he seemed fine with everything too.
Dr. Lacy was not the doctor that I had been seeing for the past 9 months, but I was pretty familiar with who he was… at least by name. At least 3 of the ladies that work with me at City Hall are Dr. Lacy’s patients. In fact, he delivered 3 children years ago for 2 of my 3 co-workers, and he delivered a friend’s baby boy in May. So, even though I had to use an on-call doctor, I was happy that it was someone I had heard so many good things about.
(Back to the labor & delivery…)
When the doctor checked me around 8:00, I was only 1 cm dilated and the baby’s head was still fairly high (-2). Dr. Lacy said that he was going to head home for the evening, but not to worry because he lived close by. He also guessed that I wouldn’t deliver until the morning. So, I was pretty much told to hang out for the night, and if I didn’t progress enough overnight, they would start me on pitocin in the morning. So, the wait started… and the contractions started coming. At first, they weren’t too bad. But as the night continued, so did the contractions with increasing intensity. I tried sitting up, walking around some (usually to the bathroom and back and a few laps around the room), sitting on a birthing/exercise ball, and even trying to push/pull through the contraction pain, but the pain continued and my body started shaking because of it. Around 10:30 or so, my sister (Catherine) showed up. It was great to have her there. She provided some comic relief, and she was a great support system.
The contractions and shaking were getting pretty bad, and I started discussing with Dusty (in between contractions) that I may want to ask for an epidural soon. He started asking questions and trying to make sure that I was sure I wanted to get pain meds since I had stated the whole time that I wanted to go without the pain meds as long as possible. But with each stronger and longer lasting contraction, I was getting more and more confident that I wanted an epidural. Shortly afterwards (around midnight), the nurse came back in to check me again, and I was still only at 1 cm… but Emily mentioned that my cervix was so soft she had stretched it to 4 cm. It was then that I asked for an epidural – being that far away from “push time” and having contractions as strong as they were… there was no way I would be able to handle the pain without help.
By 1:00 am, the anesthesiologist was in my room, finished with the procedure, and talking to Dusty about the Greek system at Clemson. I was amazed at how quickly the epidural started working. The nurse told us that she would leave us alone for a while and let us rest… she would check in on us again around 5:00 am. So, we “rested.” Catherine and Dusty may have gotten a little sleep, but I wouldn’t say that I slept. With a blood pressure cuff going off every 30 minutes, the lights from the monitors by my head shining bright, and the constant thoughts and questions going through my head, it wasn’t possible to get sleep. But the time passed fairly quickly. At 5:00 am, Emily came in to check my progress, and she was surprised to report that I was 10 cm, but the baby’s head is still kind of high. Because of that, Dr. Lacy recommended that we start the pitocin to see if that would bring the baby down a little more. The pitocin certainly did something – it brought on stronger contractions that I could feel pretty strong, so the nurse called in the anesthesiologist’s assistant to increase the dose of medicine I was getting.
At the shift change at 7:00 am, the baby’s head was still high, but I was told that I would be able to start pushing soon. Dr. Lacy came in and said that he wanted me to push for a little while, and hopefully it would bring the baby’s head down. I started pushing around 8:00 am, and the new nurse said that she thought I was making some progress. Dr. Lacy came back in around 9:00 am to check again. According to him, the baby’s head was still too high. He told me that I would be able to push for another hour, but if things didn’t change, he would recommend a c-section. With the determination of not wanting to have a c-section, I pushed with every bit of energy I had left in my body. As I pushed, Dusty and Catherine said they were able to see the baby’s head (which was covered with dark hair)! The nurse said that she could tell I had definitely made some progress. So an hour later, Dr. Lacy came back in and again said he couldn’t see much progress. He would give me another 15 minutes, but he thought a c-section would be the safest way to deliver. When those 15 minutes passed, he checked again, and then he reported that the baby’s head was still high, but the problem was that it hadn’t turned the way it was supposed to. So, he wanted to schedule the operating room to deliver with a c-section. My sister then commented that the good news was, that we would have a baby in 30 minutes… to which the doctor replied it may be more like an hour because of the prep and what not. Well, about that time, I started getting extremely intense pains in my back that didn’t let up. Yep, I was experiencing back labor – and honestly, it was miserable.
Because of that pain… they rushed me back to the operating room and started moving along faster than Dr. Lacy had planned. Within minutes, I was on the operating table, and the procedure was underway. Dr. Lacy saw that I had a scar on my abdomen already from a skin graph, and he must have read my chart from where Dr. Shelley (my doc) and I had discussed making the incision over the same scar that was already there. So, in he went, and out she came! I heard her cry, and it made me cry too. She continued to cry for what seemed like forever, and then the nurse placed her on my chest. I didn’t get to hold her for long… and I don’t even think that counts as holding your baby when you can only use one hand to touch her. Very shortly after they placed her on me, they took her to the nursery. I stayed on the table, got stapled up, and was then moved to recovery.
The nurse who was with me during recovery told me that the only thing I had to do to be able to leave recovery and get to my room and baby was move my feet and lift my knees. So she asked me to try… and I was able to do both right then. She smiled and told me I won’t be there long! But then she took my blood pressure and it was really high. She gave me some kind of meds to help bring it down, but it didn’t work as quickly as she hoped. So, I ended up in recovery longer than either of us expected. She continued to check my blood pressure, and then she explained that she had to press on my stomach to make sure I didn’t have any hemorrhaging. She warned it would hurt (and I had heard it was the worse part of having a baby). The warnings couldn’t prepare me for the pain I felt… it was intense, and every time they did it (which was probably 6 or 7 times while I was there) – it hurt! But after surviving that pain, I was cleared to go to my room (even though my blood pressure was still quite high).
I spent a little time getting in my new bed and getting checked out by my new nurse. My sister came in briefly to tell me that she was taking the grandmothers to get some lunch so that Dusty and I would have some uninterrupted time with the baby. She also mentioned that she was beautiful, and Dusty had done a great job of keeping everyone else from seeing her before I was able to have time with her. Once the nurse was done checking everything possible, Dusty came in with Reese.
For the first time, I was able to actually hold that precious baby girl that had been growing in me for the last 9 months. I couldn’t get over the fact that a couple of hours ago, that priceless baby was in me. And just like that, she was here! She’s absolutely perfect – and I don’t think I have ever seen a more beautiful baby (I know I’m a little bias).
No, things didn’t go the way I wanted them to go. I didn’t want a c-section… and to be honest, I was still upset by it for several days. I didn’t feel like I really had an opinion – in my mind, I could have tried harder, or we could have tried something else. But now, I’m just thankful that this sweet girl is home and seems to be thriving. It’s hard to remember what life was like before her… and though I’m extremely tired most of the time these days, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world.
Reese was safely delivered… and at the end of the day, that’s the most important part and the end of this “birth story.”
11.01.2010
Birth Story... part 1
In between feedings and napping (which isn’t happening as much as I would like)... I have taken some time to finally write out Reese’s birth story.
When we had our first ultrasound, Dusty and I made bets as to when Baby Harrison would arrive. I predicted October 1, even though most of my family predicted she would come in September since it’s such a birthday filled month in my family. I guessed she would hold out until October and come on the 1st. Dusty predicted she would arrive on the 7th. I don’t know if he had a real reason for his prediction, but the 7th was his guess all the same.
Fast forward 7 months. Thursday night (September 30), we went to Anderson (with my hospital bag in tow… just in case) to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Anderson (for those who aren’t familiar with the area) is about 20-30 minutes from our house. It’s also the city where the doctor’s office and hospital I where would deliver is located. After dinner with friends and a quick trip to Best Buy, we headed back to Clemson and unloaded the hospital bag from the car. Later that night, I went to sleep, but when I woke up to use the bathroom, I had trouble falling asleep. The only thing that went through my mind was the fact that it was October 1, and if my prediction was right… I could be a parent REALLY soon. I had so many questions go through my mind that night… Is she really coming today? When will it happen? Will I start having contractions – and what do they feel like? Will my water break? How long will labor last? Who will come down to visit and when? The questions kept coming, and the sleep never came back that night.
That morning, I decided that I might as well go to work for a few hours because sitting around the house thinking about the date and the baby’s possible arrival would drive me crazy. I got a little later start (because I was exhausted), but I made it to work and did what I could while there. Before I left, I made sure I tied up all the loose ends I could think of since my due date was on Sunday (10/3). I said my goodbyes (in case it was the last time for a while) and headed home to hopefully take a nap. But once I got home, the nesting started up again. I cleaned as much as I could and did everything that I could see to do before Dusty got home. When he got home, we decided that we would head to dinner for our anniversary – our three year anniversary was going to be the following Wednesday (10/6), but since we knew that we may not be able to go out then because we could have a baby by then, we thought we might as well celebrate with dinner out while we were baby free.
We headed to Anderson (again with hospital bag in tow… just in case) to have dinner at a Japanese steakhouse. We pulled in to the parking lot, and Dusty got out and waited for me to get out too. As I reached for the door handle I felt a pretty sharp cramp followed by a warm stream of liquid that seemed to be leaking from my body. I quickly opened the door and told Dusty that I was pretty sure my water just broke. I got out of the car, with fluid continuing to run down my leg, and Dusty excitedly asked… So are we going to the hospital now? I thankful had a packed bag in the car, so I told him that I would go inside to the bathroom and make sure it wasn’t just my bladder (which I hadn’t lost control of yet, but just to be on the safe side…), change my undies and get a pad, and we could go from there. But while I was inside, he could go ahead and call my sister to give her the heads up to head to SC.
When entering the restaurant, the hostess asked if we needed a table for two, where I simply asked if I could use her restroom first. She pointed in the direction of the restrooms. In the bathroom, there was a much bigger “gush” when I sat down with a continued trickle, and as I changed, I was pretty confident that it was time to head to the hospital. When I was a little more composed, I met Dusty at the door and told him we should go.
(to be continued…)
When we had our first ultrasound, Dusty and I made bets as to when Baby Harrison would arrive. I predicted October 1, even though most of my family predicted she would come in September since it’s such a birthday filled month in my family. I guessed she would hold out until October and come on the 1st. Dusty predicted she would arrive on the 7th. I don’t know if he had a real reason for his prediction, but the 7th was his guess all the same.
Fast forward 7 months. Thursday night (September 30), we went to Anderson (with my hospital bag in tow… just in case) to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Anderson (for those who aren’t familiar with the area) is about 20-30 minutes from our house. It’s also the city where the doctor’s office and hospital I where would deliver is located. After dinner with friends and a quick trip to Best Buy, we headed back to Clemson and unloaded the hospital bag from the car. Later that night, I went to sleep, but when I woke up to use the bathroom, I had trouble falling asleep. The only thing that went through my mind was the fact that it was October 1, and if my prediction was right… I could be a parent REALLY soon. I had so many questions go through my mind that night… Is she really coming today? When will it happen? Will I start having contractions – and what do they feel like? Will my water break? How long will labor last? Who will come down to visit and when? The questions kept coming, and the sleep never came back that night.
That morning, I decided that I might as well go to work for a few hours because sitting around the house thinking about the date and the baby’s possible arrival would drive me crazy. I got a little later start (because I was exhausted), but I made it to work and did what I could while there. Before I left, I made sure I tied up all the loose ends I could think of since my due date was on Sunday (10/3). I said my goodbyes (in case it was the last time for a while) and headed home to hopefully take a nap. But once I got home, the nesting started up again. I cleaned as much as I could and did everything that I could see to do before Dusty got home. When he got home, we decided that we would head to dinner for our anniversary – our three year anniversary was going to be the following Wednesday (10/6), but since we knew that we may not be able to go out then because we could have a baby by then, we thought we might as well celebrate with dinner out while we were baby free.
We headed to Anderson (again with hospital bag in tow… just in case) to have dinner at a Japanese steakhouse. We pulled in to the parking lot, and Dusty got out and waited for me to get out too. As I reached for the door handle I felt a pretty sharp cramp followed by a warm stream of liquid that seemed to be leaking from my body. I quickly opened the door and told Dusty that I was pretty sure my water just broke. I got out of the car, with fluid continuing to run down my leg, and Dusty excitedly asked… So are we going to the hospital now? I thankful had a packed bag in the car, so I told him that I would go inside to the bathroom and make sure it wasn’t just my bladder (which I hadn’t lost control of yet, but just to be on the safe side…), change my undies and get a pad, and we could go from there. But while I was inside, he could go ahead and call my sister to give her the heads up to head to SC.
When entering the restaurant, the hostess asked if we needed a table for two, where I simply asked if I could use her restroom first. She pointed in the direction of the restrooms. In the bathroom, there was a much bigger “gush” when I sat down with a continued trickle, and as I changed, I was pretty confident that it was time to head to the hospital. When I was a little more composed, I met Dusty at the door and told him we should go.
(to be continued…)
10.12.2010
Baby Reese has arrived!
I won't write much for now, but I at least wanted to post a quick something informing those who may not know that our baby is here! :)
Reese Buchanan Harrison was born on Saturday October 2, 2010 at 10:29 am by cesarean delivery. She weighed 7 lbs and 13 oz and measured to be 21 inches long. She has dark brown hair and dark blue eyes (for now at least). She is absolutely precious to us, and we feel so blessed that she arrived safely.
Her birth story will come when I have a little more time to write it. But until then... I'll just say that she's home!
And for your viewing pleasure... here's my favorite picture of her from our stay at the hospital.
Reese Buchanan Harrison was born on Saturday October 2, 2010 at 10:29 am by cesarean delivery. She weighed 7 lbs and 13 oz and measured to be 21 inches long. She has dark brown hair and dark blue eyes (for now at least). She is absolutely precious to us, and we feel so blessed that she arrived safely.
Her birth story will come when I have a little more time to write it. But until then... I'll just say that she's home!
And for your viewing pleasure... here's my favorite picture of her from our stay at the hospital.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)