Tuesday, January 22, 2013
oh Bella.
Note to self - when you try to take one of your kids' crackers, make sure they aren't looking. Last night, I reached into Bella's bowl and took a gold fish cracker - she looked at me with the most evil little look, and said, "heeeeeeeeyyyyy". I didn't know what to say, so I did what any parent would do - I gave her back the cracker.
playing catch up
My last post was at my 38 week mark. Wow, we are a little past that. Ethan was born (all 9 pounds 12 ounces of him!) and we now a family of 4! It's so crazy to think that I have 2 kids...I sometimes still think to myself; I'm too young to have two kids. But, then I remember that I'm 28, and 28 is definitely not 18 anymore.
The birth experience -
I can honestly say that the 'planned C-Section' was harder for me that the one we had with Isabella. Part of it was because I already knew what to expect. So, I kept thinking about it for weeks. It's a major surgery, and the thought of me being awake for the entire thing freaks me out. I mean they are literally cutting into my uterus to get the baby out - nuts.
We arrived at the hospital at 5:45am on Monday, August 20, 2012. I had to do a lot of blood work before the surgery which is why we got there so dang early. I was the first surgery of the day - I planned that :) I wanted to make sure that the doctors were well rested, and not tired from having to do other surgeries all day long...no mistakes.
I was taken into the operating room at 7:18am. Stephen had to stay out until I received my spinal. It was HORRIBLE. There’s no sugar coating this whatsoever. I hate needles. Hate them. I was told to lie down immediately after the spinal was done because I would start to feel a very warm sensation in the lower half of my body and then go numb. Sure enough, it was instant and I lay down quickly. It was not a good feeling – the thought of my spine being tampered with is just not my idea of fun.
I was an emotional mess during the delivery. Stephen was amazing; so sweet and calm, and most importantly – supportive. I just remember him telling me, “You are going to be alright, he’s almost here.” Those are the words that honestly got me through the experience. At 7:44am our big guy was born. He came out crying – and at that moment, I knew that he was healthy. He had quite the pair of lungs on him. All of the doctors / nurses in the room kept saying, “oh, my god – he’s huge!” Well, duh. Did they remember the size of my stomach!? He was set on the scale and weighed in at 9 pounds 12 ounces and 21 ½ inches long.
We had lots of visitors at the hospital, but the one visitor that I couldn’t wait to see was little Miss Isabella. After all, she is the new “Big Sister” and I couldn’t wait for her to meet her brother. We waited a day for her to come in, so that I could get some rest – I wanted to make sure to give her a lot of attention once she arrived and I couldn’t do that on the same day as my surgery.
Isabella meets Ethan -
Let me just start off by saying, when you have a baby, that you love with all of your heart and you feel like you just can’t love any other child the same (I know a lot of parents go through this)…well, it’s not the case – because when I held Ethan for the first time, I feel in love ALL OVER AGAIN.
When Isabella arrived to the hospital, she looked like she had jumped into a time machine and had grown up about 7 years. Seriously, she seemed so much older. She was wearing her “big sister” shirt that we bought for her before we went to the hospital. We planned out how we wanted to introduce her to her brother. I had gotten advice from another parent at the pediatrician’s office that when introducing siblings for the first time, have daddy hold the new baby, so that mommy can welcome in big sister / brother in with open arms. That way they don’t feel ‘replaced’. So, she walked into the room and I was sitting in the hospital bed ready to give her the biggest hug and kiss ever. She was so happy to see us. Stephen then brought Ethan over to me on the bed and I held them both…okay, even writing this makes me tear up, because honestly this was the most amazing day of my life. Holding BOTH of my kids in my arms was the greatest feeling in the world.
Fast forward about 5 months –
Ethan is 5 months old (as of Sunday.) He’s a smiling, drooling, laughing out loud machine. Bella is so incredibly smart. She knows her ABC’s, she counts to 20 (skips 15 & 16), knows just about every single kind of animal, knows everyone’s names, sings TONS of songs – and is just over all sweet. We are attempting potty training…again. I will say that majority of it depends on the parents. If we could dedicate a solid two days and not go anywhere and sit close to a potty all day, I think she would get it. But, as soon as we decide to go somewhere, we have to be prepared to stop the car and find a bathroom ASAP. It’s tough. Plus, we have a baby too.
This past weekend we took Isabella to Disneyland to have a mommy/daddy date. She needed it. Lately, she’s been acting out – and craving attention. We spent the entire morning at California Adventure, and Bella had a blast, so did her daddy and I…she even got to meet Jessie.
Now that I think about it, I'm going to have to do a post just on Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas 2012...man, I'm behind.
I can honestly say that the 'planned C-Section' was harder for me that the one we had with Isabella. Part of it was because I already knew what to expect. So, I kept thinking about it for weeks. It's a major surgery, and the thought of me being awake for the entire thing freaks me out. I mean they are literally cutting into my uterus to get the baby out - nuts.
We arrived at the hospital at 5:45am on Monday, August 20, 2012. I had to do a lot of blood work before the surgery which is why we got there so dang early. I was the first surgery of the day - I planned that :) I wanted to make sure that the doctors were well rested, and not tired from having to do other surgeries all day long...no mistakes.
I was taken into the operating room at 7:18am. Stephen had to stay out until I received my spinal. It was HORRIBLE. There’s no sugar coating this whatsoever. I hate needles. Hate them. I was told to lie down immediately after the spinal was done because I would start to feel a very warm sensation in the lower half of my body and then go numb. Sure enough, it was instant and I lay down quickly. It was not a good feeling – the thought of my spine being tampered with is just not my idea of fun.
I was an emotional mess during the delivery. Stephen was amazing; so sweet and calm, and most importantly – supportive. I just remember him telling me, “You are going to be alright, he’s almost here.” Those are the words that honestly got me through the experience. At 7:44am our big guy was born. He came out crying – and at that moment, I knew that he was healthy. He had quite the pair of lungs on him. All of the doctors / nurses in the room kept saying, “oh, my god – he’s huge!” Well, duh. Did they remember the size of my stomach!? He was set on the scale and weighed in at 9 pounds 12 ounces and 21 ½ inches long.
Daddy went with Ethan to the nursery to get ‘checked out’ and I had to be sewn up. That part I was totally fine because all I was thinking about was holding my little boy. I was wheeled into a recovery room and wanted to see my mom right away. I was the same way with Isabella. There’s just something about having your mom there that makes you feel safe. I was pretty much exhausted by the time Ethan arrived into my room. I had so much medication in my system that I was vomiting, and itching, and could barely keep my eyes open. I did however want to hold and nurse him right away.
We had lots of visitors at the hospital, but the one visitor that I couldn’t wait to see was little Miss Isabella. After all, she is the new “Big Sister” and I couldn’t wait for her to meet her brother. We waited a day for her to come in, so that I could get some rest – I wanted to make sure to give her a lot of attention once she arrived and I couldn’t do that on the same day as my surgery.
Isabella meets Ethan -
Let me just start off by saying, when you have a baby, that you love with all of your heart and you feel like you just can’t love any other child the same (I know a lot of parents go through this)…well, it’s not the case – because when I held Ethan for the first time, I feel in love ALL OVER AGAIN.
When Isabella arrived to the hospital, she looked like she had jumped into a time machine and had grown up about 7 years. Seriously, she seemed so much older. She was wearing her “big sister” shirt that we bought for her before we went to the hospital. We planned out how we wanted to introduce her to her brother. I had gotten advice from another parent at the pediatrician’s office that when introducing siblings for the first time, have daddy hold the new baby, so that mommy can welcome in big sister / brother in with open arms. That way they don’t feel ‘replaced’. So, she walked into the room and I was sitting in the hospital bed ready to give her the biggest hug and kiss ever. She was so happy to see us. Stephen then brought Ethan over to me on the bed and I held them both…okay, even writing this makes me tear up, because honestly this was the most amazing day of my life. Holding BOTH of my kids in my arms was the greatest feeling in the world.
Fast forward about 5 months –
Ethan is 5 months old (as of Sunday.) He’s a smiling, drooling, laughing out loud machine. Bella is so incredibly smart. She knows her ABC’s, she counts to 20 (skips 15 & 16), knows just about every single kind of animal, knows everyone’s names, sings TONS of songs – and is just over all sweet. We are attempting potty training…again. I will say that majority of it depends on the parents. If we could dedicate a solid two days and not go anywhere and sit close to a potty all day, I think she would get it. But, as soon as we decide to go somewhere, we have to be prepared to stop the car and find a bathroom ASAP. It’s tough. Plus, we have a baby too.
This past weekend we took Isabella to Disneyland to have a mommy/daddy date. She needed it. Lately, she’s been acting out – and craving attention. We spent the entire morning at California Adventure, and Bella had a blast, so did her daddy and I…she even got to meet Jessie.
Now that I think about it, I'm going to have to do a post just on Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas 2012...man, I'm behind.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
week 38
We are almost there...these last couple weeks have me really anxious. I can't help but think of all of the 'what if's' that could happen with the delivery of our little guy.
What if something happens to Ethan? To me? What if Bella doesn't like her brother?
In short - this is what I've been experiencing:
NO SLEEP
lot's of pain (and pressure)
TONS of contractions
Plus, it's super HOT - like seriously hot. (my edison bill is ridiculous!)...and I am just so large and uncomfortable!
Bella wanted to help me out with the chalk board this week:
What if something happens to Ethan? To me? What if Bella doesn't like her brother?
In short - this is what I've been experiencing:
NO SLEEP
lot's of pain (and pressure)
TONS of contractions
Plus, it's super HOT - like seriously hot. (my edison bill is ridiculous!)...and I am just so large and uncomfortable!
Bella wanted to help me out with the chalk board this week:
Monday, August 13, 2012
week 36 & 37
Week 36 - Another week has basically flown by. We are getting closer to our little boy's arrival! We are now officially in his birth month - crazy! It seems like it was just last week that I took a pregnancy test (or six) and told Stephen that we were expecting baby #2. For the most part, this pregnancy has been pretty easy. I am just now reaching the point where I am super uncomfortable...
We had another doctor appointment, she checked me and I'm not dilated. I'm actually happy that I'm not considering she leaves to go on vacation on the 12th. Ethan still has lots of amniotic fluid, and as long as he's moving a lot, he's happy - since he moves all day and night, I'm going to guess he's SUPER EXCITED to be a part of this family :)
I went and took care of my pre-registration at the hospital, so now all we have to do is show up on surgery day, and tell them that we're here to have a baby - crazy. As we get closer and closer to the big day, I get more and more excited - but I'm not going to lie, I'm terrified to have this surgery. Luckily, I have an amazing husband that keeps reminding me to just 'picture yourself holding Ethan'...and that's what I'm doing. I can't wait to see what he looks like. A little part of me hopes that he looks just like me - it always seems to go that way; girls look like their dad's (Bella is a spinning image of Stephen) and boy's will look like their mom's. We will just have to wait to find out.
Bella still doesn't really understand that she's going to have a baby brother soon. We keep telling her, and she seems excited, but she doesn't know what it means. She has no idea that she's going to have to share her mommy / daddy time with this little boy - that should be interesting. I have been getting things in the room ready, washing Ethan's clothes and blankets and every time she sees boy clothes she'll say, "Dylan?" (our nephew) So, I tell her that she's going to get her own baby Dylan but his name is Ethan...she just looks at me and grins.
Ethan is now the size of a watermelon, and by the looks of my belly in my chalkboard picture, I couldn't agree more!
Week 37 - Total weight gain so far....wait for it....34 pounds. Not too shabby.
We had another doctor's appointment this week (on Monday) it was supposed to be the last one before surgery - but since I pulled a muscle in my stomach, I ended up having to see her again on Thursday to make sure everything was okay, and it was.
I have still not dilated, no softening or anything. This is good. He's listening to his mommy and is going to hopefully stay in until his due date.
We've had a rough couple of weeks. Stephen was in a little fender bender and our Sonata has been in the shop getting repaired, so he's been driving a rental truck (which is impossible to get in and out of, and that's how I ended up pulling a muscle)...and then our expedition decided that it was going to have the ignition lock up on us, so we had to take that in as well to get worked on. At one point we were down to only having a rental car, and with me being so close to my due date, you can imagine how lovely I was :)
Ethan is officially considered full term now. If I were to go into labor, his lungs are developed enough that he wouldn't need serious medical attention - but, we want him to stay in there just a tad longer. At this point we are pretty much set up and ready for baby. I finally packed my hospital bag, his things are with mine. It's funny what you learn for the second time around. I remember checking into the hospital when we were going to have Bella, and we (I) had tons of stuff with me - with Ethan, I threw his clothes and blankets in with my stuff, we have ONE bag, and we're ready to go.
I am having a lot more contractions that I want to be having at this point. There will be a few good ones that I'll have to sit down for. Plus now that our little guy is head down and in the correct position, I have so much pressure it's ridiculous! I can't believe that in just 2 short weeks, I will get to hold my little boy!!
We had another doctor appointment, she checked me and I'm not dilated. I'm actually happy that I'm not considering she leaves to go on vacation on the 12th. Ethan still has lots of amniotic fluid, and as long as he's moving a lot, he's happy - since he moves all day and night, I'm going to guess he's SUPER EXCITED to be a part of this family :)
I went and took care of my pre-registration at the hospital, so now all we have to do is show up on surgery day, and tell them that we're here to have a baby - crazy. As we get closer and closer to the big day, I get more and more excited - but I'm not going to lie, I'm terrified to have this surgery. Luckily, I have an amazing husband that keeps reminding me to just 'picture yourself holding Ethan'...and that's what I'm doing. I can't wait to see what he looks like. A little part of me hopes that he looks just like me - it always seems to go that way; girls look like their dad's (Bella is a spinning image of Stephen) and boy's will look like their mom's. We will just have to wait to find out.
Bella still doesn't really understand that she's going to have a baby brother soon. We keep telling her, and she seems excited, but she doesn't know what it means. She has no idea that she's going to have to share her mommy / daddy time with this little boy - that should be interesting. I have been getting things in the room ready, washing Ethan's clothes and blankets and every time she sees boy clothes she'll say, "Dylan?" (our nephew) So, I tell her that she's going to get her own baby Dylan but his name is Ethan...she just looks at me and grins.
Ethan is now the size of a watermelon, and by the looks of my belly in my chalkboard picture, I couldn't agree more!
Week 37 - Total weight gain so far....wait for it....34 pounds. Not too shabby.
We had another doctor's appointment this week (on Monday) it was supposed to be the last one before surgery - but since I pulled a muscle in my stomach, I ended up having to see her again on Thursday to make sure everything was okay, and it was.
I have still not dilated, no softening or anything. This is good. He's listening to his mommy and is going to hopefully stay in until his due date.
We've had a rough couple of weeks. Stephen was in a little fender bender and our Sonata has been in the shop getting repaired, so he's been driving a rental truck (which is impossible to get in and out of, and that's how I ended up pulling a muscle)...and then our expedition decided that it was going to have the ignition lock up on us, so we had to take that in as well to get worked on. At one point we were down to only having a rental car, and with me being so close to my due date, you can imagine how lovely I was :)
Ethan is officially considered full term now. If I were to go into labor, his lungs are developed enough that he wouldn't need serious medical attention - but, we want him to stay in there just a tad longer. At this point we are pretty much set up and ready for baby. I finally packed my hospital bag, his things are with mine. It's funny what you learn for the second time around. I remember checking into the hospital when we were going to have Bella, and we (I) had tons of stuff with me - with Ethan, I threw his clothes and blankets in with my stuff, we have ONE bag, and we're ready to go.
I am having a lot more contractions that I want to be having at this point. There will be a few good ones that I'll have to sit down for. Plus now that our little guy is head down and in the correct position, I have so much pressure it's ridiculous! I can't believe that in just 2 short weeks, I will get to hold my little boy!!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
week 35
I am exhausted. I am officially on maternity leave now which means that I have only a few weeks to get everything in order before Ethan arrives. I had a doctor's appointment on Monday and was told that our little boy is already measuring 7 1/2 pounds! He's head down, but I'm not dilated yet. He still has plenty of amniotic fluid (that's a good thing), so when (if) my water breaks, it's going to be a huge gush! Dr. Chu told me that by the looks of everything, she's expecting me to go into labor within 1-2 weeks...this was a little shocking to me considering we are only 35 weeks into this, and I'm not expecting him to arrive until August 20th! She also told me that she's going on vacation from August 12-19th - which means that if I do go into labor during that time, someone else will deliver him. This is NOT a part of my birth plan...I am scheduled to go back and see her on Tuesday the 31st, and will continue to see her weekly until he arrives.
My comfort level is diminishing. I feel like it takes everything out of me just to roll over in bed! My stomach has also starting itching, which means that it's growing more and more - which also means that I'm getting more and more stretch marks!
On a good note, Stephen set up his bedding in his crib - I love it. It's so 'boy-ish'...Bella asked us, 'what doing?' and when we lifted her up to see it, she said, 'oh wowwww!' She's going to LOVE being a big sister!
Pictures coming soon of the nursery :)
My comfort level is diminishing. I feel like it takes everything out of me just to roll over in bed! My stomach has also starting itching, which means that it's growing more and more - which also means that I'm getting more and more stretch marks!
On a good note, Stephen set up his bedding in his crib - I love it. It's so 'boy-ish'...Bella asked us, 'what doing?' and when we lifted her up to see it, she said, 'oh wowwww!' She's going to LOVE being a big sister!
Pictures coming soon of the nursery :)
Monday, July 16, 2012
week 34
34 weeks down, and 5 to go! We had Ethan's baby shower this past Sunday, it was perfect. I always get really stressed out before parties - worried that I won't have enough food, or worried that I won't get everything set up in time - and then I leave myself with only a little time to actually get ready...ugh! We had a very good turn out too - I only wish that Ash and Kel could have been there, but they live in Colorado and asking them to fly out is a little crazy :)
the 34 week bare belly...
New things in "Bella's world" - she went POTTY again! This time it was on the big potty (no picture, though - bummer. ha!) She told me 'potty' and then took off her pants, she then started to take off her diaper and Stephen was worried that there might have been a little surprise in there, so he helped her - when we took her diaper off, we realized that she was dry and that she wanted to go potty...so, we sat her up on the toilet and off she went! When she was finished she said, "all done", then she hopped off the toilet, flushed it and said, "bye-bye pee pee"...we rewarded her with a scope of mint & chip ice-cream (her favorite)...I'm hoping she gets used to this whole toilet thing!
Week 34 - baby is now the size of a butternut squash
Here are some cool facts about the baby at week 34:
- At week 34, you might breathe a little easier, since baby may descend lower into your pelvis and give your lungs some space - (not the case for me!)
- He's urinating about a pint a day!
- He can recognize and react to certain songs - which he might recognize at birth, so SING to him!
How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I will have to confirm at my next dr visit - but I'm pretty sure it's close to 25 pounds.
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? Yes :( and I got 2 new ones...
Sleep: not sleeping at all.
Best moment this week: we had his baby shower - it was perfect.
Miss Anything? sleep.
Movement: all night long.
Food cravings: just the normal: OREOS, milk, meat...
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.
Have you started to show yet: I have a HUGE belly.
Gender prediction: you're all BOY baby!
Labor Signs: just the normal few contractions that I get daily.
Belly Button in or out? out
Wedding rings on or off? off
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy all the time!
Weekly Wisdom: register at the hospital, and pack my hospital bag.
Looking forward to: my doctor's appointment on Monday, and my last day of work is this FRIDAY!!! WOO HOO!
week 33
No chalk board pic this week :( to be honest, I think I actually squeezed my 32 week photo in, and I might have just started my 33rd week...I can't keep up - these weeks are literally flying by. I did go see Dr. Chu this week for a check up. Her exact words to me, "I hope you go into labor earlier than your scheduled C-Section date - you look really uncomfortable, and your kid is huge!" wow. OK, that sounds awesome! She only used the doppler at that appointment to listen to his heart - his heart rate was a strong 154. I go back to see her on the 23rd - she'll do an ultrasound, take his measurements, check out how he's positioned, and also check my amniotic fluid to make sure he still has lots. I won't even tell you what my weight gain was - let's just say that I have passed my delivery weight with Bella by 2 pounds, and I have six weeks left :/
We have been trying to get Miss Bella to use the potty ever since her 1st pee pee on July 3rd - no luck yet. She tells us 'potty' and we put her on it and she sits there and makes a psssssssss sound, stands up and says 'all done' - but there's nothing there. She thinks she's hilarious, it's the cutest thing, ever.
Only 6 more weeks until our little boy is here, we can't wait!
We have been trying to get Miss Bella to use the potty ever since her 1st pee pee on July 3rd - no luck yet. She tells us 'potty' and we put her on it and she sits there and makes a psssssssss sound, stands up and says 'all done' - but there's nothing there. She thinks she's hilarious, it's the cutest thing, ever.
Only 6 more weeks until our little boy is here, we can't wait!
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