Coming Up for Air

Hello world!  It's been quite a while since I've posted- I'm finally coming up for some air.  Both girls are napping, so I have a 1 hour window of opportunity to write and squeeze in a weeks worth of housework.

Here are a few notes about the past several weeks:

1. Staying at home with the girls has been great!  I had no idea what to expect, but it has been wonderful.

2. Emmy was 1 month old on January 12th- it's hard to believe a whole month has gone by.  She is growing and changing so quickly.  1 month milestones: size 1 diapers, her head and neck control is getting stronger, she can focus her eyes on objects, she likes to look at herself in the mirror, she has begun to coo, and she can smile when she sees Weston and I.  She is a terrific little sleeper, waking only once to eat in the night.

3. I'm going on almost 5 weeks of breast feeding!  This is longer than I lasted with Aubrey and I'm so glad I have stuck it out.  Everyone kept telling me it would get easier, and it definitely has.  The hardest part was getting through the first two weeks when I would nurse every 2.5 hours and it would take Emmy a full hour to eat.  I felt like the only thing I did all day was feed Emmy!  But she's getting much more efficient and so it is definitely easier.  I have no idea how long we'll keep it up, but I'm super proud to have lasted this long!

4. Aubrey is in the early stages of potty training, which has provided for a whole new world of hilarity in our house.  We spend a LOT of time talking about potty things and celebrating what happens on the potty.  The funniest thing is that she is usually REALLY sad when she first has to sit on the potty, but when she actually makes something happen on the potty she gets SUPER EXCITED and says "YAY!!!"

5.  We put our house on the market.  What better time to list your house than when you have a newborn and a 2 year old right?  (I know, I'm completely crazy!)  We love our house and are interested to see if someone else takes a liking to it too.  We don't have any solid plans on what we'll do if the house sells, but we're looking at some different parts of town and will just cross that bridge when we get there.

6.  I submitted Aubrey's registration for preschool next year.  She will go two days a week and I know she'll love learning with some other kids her age.

7. Weston and I hosted some friends for New Year's Eve and even went on a date the other night.  It was nice to do something non-baby related for a change!

Emmy's Birth Story

I finally have a moment to sit down and write about Emmy's birth.  It's a long post- written mostly to mark this memory while it's fresh.  Feel free to read, or scroll to the bottom to see pictures of that sweet baby.

Fist let me say- Weston, Aubrey, Emmy and I are all doing well and we're actually getting some sleep. Also, I want to share how thankful we are for all of our friends and family who have helped out over the past several days-- thank you for your prayers and for all the food!

Mary Elizabeth Brown, "Emmy" was born on a very special day- December 12, 2012 (aka- 12/12/12).  She arrived at 12:02 pm, weighing in at 7 lbs 3 oz and measuring 20.5 inches.  She is absolutely, perfectly sweet and amazing. Here's how she made her debut:

We checked into the hospital at midnight on December 12th for an induction.  It was one week before Emmy's actual due date- everything was fine with her, we just opted to deliver early since I had been having regular contractions and my doctor was due to be out of town for a day or two in the week between the 12th and Emmy's due date on the 19th. We settled into our room in Labor and Delivery and began the induction with something to help thin the cervix. We got as much sleep as you can expect to get when there are machines beeping and buzzing all night long.

The nurse started my pitocin drip around 6:45am and I began to have very regular contractions- some which I needed to concentrate and breathe in order to get through.  My doctor came to check on me and break my water around 8:30 and I was only 3-4 cm and 60% effaced.  As expected, my contractions got more intense after my water was broken and I went ahead and received my epidural around 9:30.  I was very nervous that I wouldn't continue to progress after getting my epidural, but I went ahead and did it-- after all my water was broken and there was no turning back.

My anesthesiologist was great and the epidural worked like a charm.  I could still move my legs and wiggle my toes and even feel that I was having contractions- however there was no pain.  And luckily the epidural didn't make me the least bit sick, so I felt very comfortable.

At 10:30 the nurse checked me and I had progressed to 7 cm and 80% effaced.  Yay!!  I was feeling good and making progress so I took a nap.

When I woke around 11:30 I called the nurse to see if she would help me move over to my other side.  She wanted to check on how I was doing before moving me and when she did--- I was complete (10cm and ready to have a baby).  Then things really picked up as they got the room ready for delivery and called the doctor.

We thought it would be awesome to have Emmy at 12:12 on 12/12/12 but she was eager to arrive and we really couldn't wait much longer.  The doctor arrived, Weston suited up to help deliver the baby (he wanted to assist in delivery), and I started pushing.  We could see it wasn't going to take much to get Emmy out, so the doctor said "Hurry up and get in here Dad!" to Weston---- at which point Weston is scrambling to get the little shoe covers and surgical mask on and get in there. During all the commotion-- pushing, listening to my doctor and nurse, and watching Weston-- I see his glasses fly from his face to the floor, his arms flailing to catch them and put on the mask and booties all at the same time.  It was like watching something out of a movie and I actually belly laughed mid-push.  Only a 2-3 pushes later, Weston delivered sweet baby Emmy!  She let out a big cry and they laid her on my chest so I could see her.  Weston cut her umbilical cord, she got cleaned up a little and then came close to snuggle with her mama.

It was absolutely amazing and the entire experience was so joyful. I love Weston for making me laugh and for helping bring Emmy into the world.  I'm thankful to my doctor and the nurses who took such good care of us all during the whole experience.  And I love sweet little Emmy with all my heart.

 

Aubrey's Birth Story

Since baby Emmy will enter this world in just a couple of days, I wanted to take some time to write about Aubrey's birth story while it is still clear and unique in my mind.  I want to take a moment to remember it without having to wonder if I'm getting her birth confused with Emmy's.

Aubrey was due on November 13th, 2010.  Leading up to her due date, my weekly exams indicated that I wasn't really making much progress towards going into labor on my own. Very little dilation and effacement.  So we scheduled an elective induction on November 16th, a Tuesday. We checked into the hospital at 12am that Tuesday to begin the induction process.  We went to an antepartum room where they started my IV and began the process to thin the cervix (they basically just put a little pill of something up next to the cervix and it is supposed to help it thin out).  They had to administer the pill twice during the next several hours- I wasn't making much progress.  Weston and I tried to get some sleep, although we were way too excited to sleep.

Ready to go to Labor and Delivery

Around 9am they wheeled me down to labor and delivery to start the pitocin drip.  The pitocin basically makes you have steady contractions and the contractions should move along the dilation process. At this point I was still at 2cm and not very effaced.  Family started to come by and visit us and hang out in the L&D room until my contractions began to get so strong I wanted them to all wait outside.  I never asked for my epidural, because I wasn't making any progress and I wanted to have freedom to move around and see if I could use gravity to help move things along.  It was around 3 in the afternoon when my doctor said that if I didn't start making some progress, we would have some decisions to make.  The decision was-- 1. let her break my water (at which point we would be totally committed and might have to end up with a c-section) or 2. go home and come back another day. Weston and I prayed and prayed during the next two hours, while he coached me through each painful contraction.  We prayed for progress. We prayed that God would show us how to make the right decision if it came down to that.

Not feeling so hot- trying to stay optimistic 

The doctor came to check me after a couple of hours and I had made zero progress.  We asked her to wait outside for a few minutes while we made a decision.  Words can't express how disappointed we were... we prayed so hard for progress!  Ultimately we decided that if God didn't offer up the progress we so desperately wanted then it just wasn't time for Aubrey to be born.  If we decided to break my water and go for it-- we would totally be doing it OUR WAY without consideration of what God's plan was.

So we packed up and went home.  


We were so disappointed to come home with Aubrey still in my tummy.  Depressed is a good way to describe how I felt.

We killed the time for the next few days and went back to the doctor on Friday, the 19th.  Since it was a Friday- the week before Thanksgiving- we found out that L&D was REALLY booked up.  Although I wasn't "officially" a full week past my due date (I was only 6 days past)- they went ahead and found some room for me in L&D for a medically necessary induction.  I went directly from my doctor's office to the hospital.  We weren't prepared to have a baby that day so we didn't have our hospital bags with us.  My mom went home to get all my things and Weston and I checked in and got settled.

This time it was a breeze!!  They started my IV and my pitocin drip around 10 or 11am.  After about an hour of contractions, my water broke on its own.  It was at that point I decided to ask for my epidural.  The anesthesiologist was there within 30 minutes and the process of getting the epidural was pretty easy.  The medicine, though, made me feel extremely nauseated and kept causing my blood pressure to drop. They covered me with some warm blankets, and moved me onto my side- a position that would be good for allowing Aubrey to move down into the birth canal.

So I just laid there trying not to think about the seasick feeling and then I felt a lot of pressure.  I asked the nurse to come check me and I was at 10cm, Aubrey was ready to come out and it was time to push!

Ready to push!

They called the doctor, prepped the room and explained what I needed to do during the delivery.  My doctor wasn't on call that day- so another doctor from her practice came in to deliver.  I pushed on maybe 3-5 contractions and out she came!  She was perfect.  7 pounds, 6 ounces.  They immediately laid her on my chest so I could hold her, then she went to the other side of the room to get cleaned up.  Weston went with her and held her little hand while they wiped her down and checked her out.

As soon as they brought her back to me, we spent some time skin to skin and I was able to nurse her.  It is absolutely amazing that they just know how to nurse.  No one had to teach her how to do that, she just knew how.  Everything after that is pretty much a hazy fog of adrenaline and emotions.  I remember getting to hold her as they wheeled me up to my postpartum room and we dropped her off at the nursery for her bath.  I went on to my room to get settled in and Weston (and all the grandparents) stayed with Aubrey to watch them give her her bath.  I couldn't wait for her to come back!

She's here and she's perfect!

Getting her here was both tougher and easier than I imagined.  But looking back, it was just the way it was supposed to be.  I love you sweet girl!

Pregnancy Update- 38 wks 1 day

Countdown: 1 week, 6 days**

Great doctors visit today- I am actually progressing! I have dilated another cm from last week's checkup and am 40% effaced (I was 25%) last week. We scheduled an induction for next Wednesday- which means we will meet baby Emmy on December 12th!

Updated countdown: 6 days

Gender: girl

Total Weight Gain: 28 lbs

Symptoms: Lots of contractions! The other night I was convinced it would be the night to drive to the hospital, but I decided to see if I could go to sleep I stead of concentrating on the contractions. I was able to sleep- which means it wasn't quite time. I guess my body is just getting ready.

Stretch Marks: None

Sleep: Sleep has been and on and off struggle the past 2 weeks. Some nights I sleep great and other nights I toss and turn and have to get up to pee a gazillion times. The past two nights I have gone to bed with very frequent and steady contractions which wake me up.

Movement: Poor baby girl doesn't have much room to move around. I can feel her try, although I can tell she just isn't able to move much. Occasionally I get a sharp foot or elbow jab that will stop me in my tracks. Not as much fluid to cushion the blow :(

Miss anything: Normal people clothes! I browsed the non-maternity section at Target today scoping out some post-partum wardrobe pieces.

Cravings: Just the usual- sweets, fruit and more sweets

Belly button in or out: Most definitely out

Mood: Excited!! It feels so great to know we will meet Emmy so soon. I pray she is healthy and perfect in every way and that the induction and delivery go well.

Looking forward to: Date night tomorrow with my boo, then family night early next week.  We will do something special for our last night as a family of 3!

Pregnancy Update- 36 Weeks, 2 days

Only 3 weeks and 5 days left until my due date!  No detailed update here- not that much has changed since my last post.  I went to the doctor on Tuesday and she confirmed that I haven't made any progress yet (no dilation, baby is still very high and cervix not effacing).

Who knows if baby Emmy will come on early, on time, or late.  My guess is that she's not going to come on her own and we'll have to induce.  At this point it's just a waiting game and I'm getting so excited to meet this sweet baby.

This is what I'm looking like these days.  This is Aubrey and I at the Christmas Tree farm helping Weston's folks pick out a tree.

Luckily I'm feeling great and have plenty of things to do to pass the time. The house is ready for Christmas, I'm done with all my Christmas shopping, and I just need to finish some final things to get all set up for Emmy.  I guess I should pack a hospital bag- I haven't gotten around to that just yet. My hypothesis right now is that we will have to schedule an induction just a few days before Christmas when Emmy is 40 weeks and a few days.  Now that I've put it in writing-- maybe the universe will prove me wrong!

Aubrey's Second Birthday

Aubrey turned 2 on November 19th!  It's hard to believe that two whole years have gone by since came into this world and joined our family.   Since she loves to read, we celebrated with a bookworm party at our house.  Several of Aubrey's little friends came by to play and brought her lots of fun books!  The weather was beautiful and it the party was relaxing and fun!

Aubrey's milestones:
Putting words together to make sentences (Dad... car go bye bye)
Telling us what she wants (I need a cheerio, I need a nap)
Saying hello to everyone she sees! (Hi!  How you?  I good!)
Can count on her fingers
Sings many many songs
Is becoming more of a picky eater
Sits on her little potty seat before a bath
No longer needs her paci!
Ready to be a big sister


Some pictures from the party:

Party invitation

Party favor bags: gummy worms, bookmark and a little book

Bookworm cake

Snack table

Enjoying her birthday cupcake

Snacks

Iced down drinks for the little guys: apple juice, yoo-hoo and water

Other birthday pics:

At the park

Hanging with Dad

Bath with cousin Brooklynn

Coloring on her new art easel

Happy Birthday Aubrey.  You are more of a blessing than we ever could have imagined and we love you so very much!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Pregnancy Update- 35 Weeks

How far along: 34 weeks, 5 days

Count down: 5 weeks, 2 days

Great doctors visit today.  Emmy's heartbeat was 136, which is normal, and I am still measuring right on time.  I had gained a pound since my last appointment, which also seems to be on track.  I start my weekly checkups next week and they will begin to check my cervix for any progress.  It's getting closer!!

Gender: Girl

Total weight gain: 23 lbs

Maternity Clothes:  I haven't purchased anything new in the last month and am trying to hold out for just a few more weeks.  Even though the temperature is finally starting to get cooler, I'm going to get creative and find a way to make all my maternity staples work for just a few more weeks.

Stretch marks: None- I guess my belly was just made to stretch.

Sleep: I've been getting some decent sleep this past week.  My hips and pelvis were hurting me pretty badly in the night, so I've started taking a couple of Tylenol before bed and it seems to ease the pain so I can sleep comfortably.

Miss Anything: Deep breaths and endurance. Emmy frequently moves up into my rib cage and it makes it difficult to take really deep breaths. Also- my endurance is starting to dwindle-- normal activities are starting to make me tired long before they would in my 2nd trimester days.  This makes my non-stop nesting very difficult :)

Movement:  I feel like I can feel every single move this little baby makes.  She must REALLY be cramped for space in there.  I have recently felt her have the hiccups (it's a rhythmic full body movement) and can feel her attempts to stretch out every now and then.  

Cravings:  Hot chocolate and Apple Cider

Symptoms:  Just within the last few days I have begun feeling Braxton Hix contractions.  My stomach will just tighten up for about 15-30 seconds and then release and then do it again 3 or 4 more times.  They're not regular or frequent enough to be real contractions, so I can normally just take a few deep breaths and let them pass.  After feeling REAL labor contractions, I'm not inclined to bother all of my friends who are medical professionals with all the details of each fake contraction like I did last time :)  

Belly button in or out:   Out

Exercise:  It's almost time to start taking long walks to help the baby move down and see about getting labor started.

Mood:  I feel nervous.  Today is my last day of work and I am about to really experience life as a stay at home mom-- where there is no sick time and no paid vacation.  It is going to be such a big change, and I know that it's the right thing.  But I'm stepping out into something new- and that's always a little scary.

Looking forward to:  My sister is coming to visit this weekend for Aubrey's birthday party!  She will be the first of my 5 siblings to come visit us in Shreveport, and I'm beyond excited to have some houseguests for a couple of days.  Thanks for making the trip Connie!