Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Andrew turns 12
Tomorrow is my nephew Andrew's 12th birthday. A big birthday. The last one before he's a teenager and the one where he can officially sit in the front seat of the car as an adult does. Which he's completely stoked about. So of course I made cupcakes. Crazy colored cupcakes. Green cake and multi-colored frosting.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Addison's Birth Story
Well, hi everyone! I've missed you and I've been thinking of you out here in cyberspace. In case no one told you, life with a new baby is busy busy BUSY! And yet all you do is sleep, eat, and take care of the baby. Maybe shower if you're quick. Josh and I are thrilled to have our little angel Addison in our arms instead of my belly but things have gotten more complicated with another person to care for, hence the lack of writing. But don't think I haven't thought about it every day. In fact, I'm sacrificing valuable sleep time right now. Most people could predict everyday life is a challenge in itself with a baby; we've all seen the minivans full of items, the giant showers, the suitcase-sized diaper bags that are in style, and the sleek, yet humungous jogging strollers that are all the fashion. I will admit that I own the latter two but only because I aim to always be prepared (always) and I actually do jog...or at least power walk energetically. You'd know that if you ever saw me in person. I passed little old ladies eight months pregnant with a dust cloud lingering behind.
Anyway, I've learned some things you can't know about parenting, unless, you are a parent of course, then you know everything and definitely more than I have learned in four months. Firstly, and what this post is mostly about is, no one tells you that it's absolutely terrifying to give birth. Whether you have a C-Section like I did (my little angel is also my little breech baby), or choose natural, which in my book is how it's supposed to happen, not no drugs (crazies!), but natural like most women have, a drug-aided vaginal birth. Any woman who chooses to have an optional Section is completely bonkers. Even if you know it's coming, it's still shocking to hear that it's officially time to cut you open and pull your baby out. Yes, with me and Addison, they really had to pull. She was borrowed up in my ribcage and even with contractions for two weeks and my eager walking, she wasn't turning or descending like babies are supposed to. Stubborn girl. I keep hearing she gets that from me but my family is nuts so who would believe them?
The day of Addison's birth was a perfect fall day and if I had slept more the night before I might not have gotten the jitters stepping into the O.R. but she wasn't supposed to be delivered until the early morning of September 25th and my darling (stubborn) girl decided her birthday was going to be September 20th. No matter what. Or my body decided that was her birthday. Depends on how you look at it I guess. I started having the serious get-this-human-out-soon contractions at 36 weeks along, two weeks before Addison entered the world. In fact, Josh and I actually did three overnight stays at the hospital before our official the-baby-is-here stay during that two week period. Talk about getting your money's worth out of the insurance company. The first night, September 8th, they stopped labor with meds and ordered bed-rest for four excruciating days. The second night a few days later, I was told even though I was clearly in labor, that I wasn't "in labor" until I was dilated a little. A couple days and a lot of walking after that, September 19, we were back on that baby floor in the hospital and I was 1 official centimeter, but due to some confusion and lack of communication, the on-call doc sent me home late in the night, or wee hours of the morning. The next morning around 9am I put in a call to talk to MY doctor and nurse and got asked to come in.
I'm not gonna say I was in no hurry to rush back...oh what the heck. We took our sweet time. I was tired of being told the contractions were pointless because she was breech - talk about pain for no good reason. I mean when your Mama said "Stop crying or I'm gonna give you a reason to cry", you had no idea that Karma would come b***h-slap you in the face with labor pain for no apparent reason because your daughter is breech. Or I didn't anyway. Stupid Karma. Labor for a breech baby is a reason to cry people. That last night when we went to the hospital I have this vague memory of Josh asking me why I was silently painting my nails and walking around downstairs. My sister explained to him that I was "distracting" myself. That was his cue to put me in the car yet again. When I get quiet, it's serious. I'm getting off topic...The morning of September 20th, after I called the GYNO office and was assured MY people would return soon, I took a shower. I shaved my legs, which is my way of hinting it was a long shower. Those of you who have shaved your legs with a basketball on your torso sympathize. In fact, I was halfway done with my left leg when the return call came. Of course, Dr. Lynch wanted me to come in so she could check me for herself. I agreed to head that way. (The hospital is literally 10-15 minutes away.) I was partially happy to know that at least it'd be a familiar face down there to tell me that I was waiting five more days til the scheduled Section. The call came at about 11am or just before.
I finished showering and dressed, told my mom (who came to the hospital in the middle of the night then crashed on my couch when we were sent home) that I was wasting more gas and then Josh and I walked around the neighborhood. Yeap, we took a nice leisurely stroll holding hands and talking about the fall leaves and how we weren't going to get excited or even take our bags this time. We were just going to get "checked" then come home and relax. We didn't even take the car with the carseat after our walk. And when we got to the hospital, I suggested we walk around the parking lot. We actually got a call from my nurse as we finally made our way into the building around 12:15pm to ensure we were still coming.
Once we arrived at the GYNO office, we were whisked in the back and I was hooked up to a contraction monitor for twenty minutes. Josh was on both our iPhones telling both our moms to "turn around, we don't know anything yet" when Dr. Lynch came in and announced it was baby time. I didn't believe her. "Today? Are you sure?" She said she was and off we were, for the last time, to the baby wing. An absolute whirlwind followed the next half hour. Josh jumped on the phone to the Moms, who were both headed AWAY from the hospital and asked them to spread the word that it was officially official and turn the heck around fast. My mom had to complete her route back to our house and speed-racer her way to the O.R./baby wing because Josh was in flip-flops and needed real shoes. While he was doing that I was changed, monitored, hugged, introduced to a million nurses, some of which I had met from previous visits, poked with a couple needles, and at last told to wheel my I.V. across the hall. Josh looked a tad nervous but mostly so super cute, excited and ready. His mom hugged me tight, kissed my head and wished me well and then, barely in time, my mom ran through the door.
As much as you try to grow up and become your own person away from your parents, there is absolutely one time a chick needs her mommy, ladies and giving-birth moments are IT. Even though my mom was able to deliver all her babies naturally, again I mean vaginally with drugs, and she could in no way tell me what I was about to experience from a real-life perspective, it's just a reassuring thought to know the person who brought you into the world is present in the building as you prepare to do the same. And for Josh, I'd also like to do a shout out to all the daddy's who are able to witness and help their spouse through this amazing though terrifying moment. Mom hugged me and wished me luck and we teared up like we both do at all my big moments. We're so sappy.
Josh and I walked across the hall to the big O.R. doors holding hands and then he was instructed to sit and wait in the hall while I forged ahead alone. We kissed and as he sat he realized he forgot the camera. He tried to shrug and 'oh well' it away but I made my wishes known. "Go get your iPhone! We can't not have pictures Josh!" The nurse assured him they'd let him back in and I stepped through the double doors. Now, I'm not going to say my whole birthing experience was negative. My daughter's birthday was a day I'll never forget and so far, has been the most special day of my life. However, whoever decided it was "sterile" for the hormonal, nervous, excited, terrified, first-time parent, who is did I mention hormonal(?!) to enter the O.R., get jabbed with two giant needles and stripped basically naked in front of at least six strangers technically "alone" I'd love to have a little one-on-one with. I cried of course. I was shocked how fast all this was happening, it had been 45 minutes since we entered the premises, and I barely paid attention to the C-Section part of the birthing class, and this wasn't how I had pictured this day. I had wanted my mom and Josh by my side as I pushed my daughter into the world the way I was made to.
I could spell relief nine different ways when the doc let Josh in. They sounded off and walked me through what was happening. Dr. Lynch asked me about Addison's nursery and how we came up with her name and things like that to help keep me calm and the anesthesiologist took Josh's phone and snapped pictures so Josh could be with me. Then I heard the most earth-stopping sound - Addison's first cry. It was 1:41pm. She appeared to the left side of me and I, sappy as I am, cried again and watched her be quickly toweled off, weighed, measured and placed skin-to-skin with me on my chest. She was beautiful. Everyone says that about their own kid, but let me assure you, Addison was perfect and so tiny and perfect. After a few minutes, I let her go to Josh and the second earth-stopping event occurred when my husband became a father who held his daughter for the first time. I could see the love pour from him. I took the phone and snapped his picture and sent it to our moms in the waiting room along with some other birth shots.
Then it happened. My lungs were being ripped from my body. Now, I have been known to have a tad of a dramatic side and I've heard all women have different Section experiences but I actually could not breathe. Apparently I turned quite white because Josh was looking at me and turned to hand Addison to a nurse and see what the heck was happening. He seriously yelled at the anathesiologist to pay attention and figure out what was wrong. This wasn't some Soap Opera scene and that was about as dramatic as it got but it was pretty scary. Fact was, I just felt like a monster truck was slowly driving over my ribcage. Dr. Lynch explained that she was just removing the after birth and would be done in a second but it was by far a very terrifying moment for me. Probably mostly because I had no idea it was going to happen. After only a few minutes of Josh coaching me and calming me, which felt like a half hour of holding my breath to me, I was told they were closing me up and that nurses would be taking Addison to the nursery for a bit for further attention. I told Josh to go with her and stayed on the table for fifteen more minutes until we were all reunited in the recovery room and more bonding and oohing occurred.
It wasn't the day I had pictured or how I wanted Addison to enter the world, my mom wasn't at my side and I didn't get to push...but I wouldn't trade a second of it. Even the pain. Well, maybe the pain. After two straight weeks of contractions, I'd pass on the rib-crushing if I could. But that was our day and our experience. It was what it was and it brought me Addison so who am I to be complaining? That leads me to the second thing I've learned about being a parent - like most other things in life, you have to go with the flow. My daughter was delivered as safely as possible under the circumstances for a complete breech and I still found ways to include the people I wanted to. I've heard most moms don't get the delivery they have in mind. In a little over an hour, I was a mom and I've been rolling with it ever since. Now, to bed!
Anyway, I've learned some things you can't know about parenting, unless, you are a parent of course, then you know everything and definitely more than I have learned in four months. Firstly, and what this post is mostly about is, no one tells you that it's absolutely terrifying to give birth. Whether you have a C-Section like I did (my little angel is also my little breech baby), or choose natural, which in my book is how it's supposed to happen, not no drugs (crazies!), but natural like most women have, a drug-aided vaginal birth. Any woman who chooses to have an optional Section is completely bonkers. Even if you know it's coming, it's still shocking to hear that it's officially time to cut you open and pull your baby out. Yes, with me and Addison, they really had to pull. She was borrowed up in my ribcage and even with contractions for two weeks and my eager walking, she wasn't turning or descending like babies are supposed to. Stubborn girl. I keep hearing she gets that from me but my family is nuts so who would believe them?
The day of Addison's birth was a perfect fall day and if I had slept more the night before I might not have gotten the jitters stepping into the O.R. but she wasn't supposed to be delivered until the early morning of September 25th and my darling (stubborn) girl decided her birthday was going to be September 20th. No matter what. Or my body decided that was her birthday. Depends on how you look at it I guess. I started having the serious get-this-human-out-soon contractions at 36 weeks along, two weeks before Addison entered the world. In fact, Josh and I actually did three overnight stays at the hospital before our official the-baby-is-here stay during that two week period. Talk about getting your money's worth out of the insurance company. The first night, September 8th, they stopped labor with meds and ordered bed-rest for four excruciating days. The second night a few days later, I was told even though I was clearly in labor, that I wasn't "in labor" until I was dilated a little. A couple days and a lot of walking after that, September 19, we were back on that baby floor in the hospital and I was 1 official centimeter, but due to some confusion and lack of communication, the on-call doc sent me home late in the night, or wee hours of the morning. The next morning around 9am I put in a call to talk to MY doctor and nurse and got asked to come in.
I'm not gonna say I was in no hurry to rush back...oh what the heck. We took our sweet time. I was tired of being told the contractions were pointless because she was breech - talk about pain for no good reason. I mean when your Mama said "Stop crying or I'm gonna give you a reason to cry", you had no idea that Karma would come b***h-slap you in the face with labor pain for no apparent reason because your daughter is breech. Or I didn't anyway. Stupid Karma. Labor for a breech baby is a reason to cry people. That last night when we went to the hospital I have this vague memory of Josh asking me why I was silently painting my nails and walking around downstairs. My sister explained to him that I was "distracting" myself. That was his cue to put me in the car yet again. When I get quiet, it's serious. I'm getting off topic...The morning of September 20th, after I called the GYNO office and was assured MY people would return soon, I took a shower. I shaved my legs, which is my way of hinting it was a long shower. Those of you who have shaved your legs with a basketball on your torso sympathize. In fact, I was halfway done with my left leg when the return call came. Of course, Dr. Lynch wanted me to come in so she could check me for herself. I agreed to head that way. (The hospital is literally 10-15 minutes away.) I was partially happy to know that at least it'd be a familiar face down there to tell me that I was waiting five more days til the scheduled Section. The call came at about 11am or just before.
I finished showering and dressed, told my mom (who came to the hospital in the middle of the night then crashed on my couch when we were sent home) that I was wasting more gas and then Josh and I walked around the neighborhood. Yeap, we took a nice leisurely stroll holding hands and talking about the fall leaves and how we weren't going to get excited or even take our bags this time. We were just going to get "checked" then come home and relax. We didn't even take the car with the carseat after our walk. And when we got to the hospital, I suggested we walk around the parking lot. We actually got a call from my nurse as we finally made our way into the building around 12:15pm to ensure we were still coming.
Once we arrived at the GYNO office, we were whisked in the back and I was hooked up to a contraction monitor for twenty minutes. Josh was on both our iPhones telling both our moms to "turn around, we don't know anything yet" when Dr. Lynch came in and announced it was baby time. I didn't believe her. "Today? Are you sure?" She said she was and off we were, for the last time, to the baby wing. An absolute whirlwind followed the next half hour. Josh jumped on the phone to the Moms, who were both headed AWAY from the hospital and asked them to spread the word that it was officially official and turn the heck around fast. My mom had to complete her route back to our house and speed-racer her way to the O.R./baby wing because Josh was in flip-flops and needed real shoes. While he was doing that I was changed, monitored, hugged, introduced to a million nurses, some of which I had met from previous visits, poked with a couple needles, and at last told to wheel my I.V. across the hall. Josh looked a tad nervous but mostly so super cute, excited and ready. His mom hugged me tight, kissed my head and wished me well and then, barely in time, my mom ran through the door.
As much as you try to grow up and become your own person away from your parents, there is absolutely one time a chick needs her mommy, ladies and giving-birth moments are IT. Even though my mom was able to deliver all her babies naturally, again I mean vaginally with drugs, and she could in no way tell me what I was about to experience from a real-life perspective, it's just a reassuring thought to know the person who brought you into the world is present in the building as you prepare to do the same. And for Josh, I'd also like to do a shout out to all the daddy's who are able to witness and help their spouse through this amazing though terrifying moment. Mom hugged me and wished me luck and we teared up like we both do at all my big moments. We're so sappy.
Josh and I walked across the hall to the big O.R. doors holding hands and then he was instructed to sit and wait in the hall while I forged ahead alone. We kissed and as he sat he realized he forgot the camera. He tried to shrug and 'oh well' it away but I made my wishes known. "Go get your iPhone! We can't not have pictures Josh!" The nurse assured him they'd let him back in and I stepped through the double doors. Now, I'm not going to say my whole birthing experience was negative. My daughter's birthday was a day I'll never forget and so far, has been the most special day of my life. However, whoever decided it was "sterile" for the hormonal, nervous, excited, terrified, first-time parent, who is did I mention hormonal(?!) to enter the O.R., get jabbed with two giant needles and stripped basically naked in front of at least six strangers technically "alone" I'd love to have a little one-on-one with. I cried of course. I was shocked how fast all this was happening, it had been 45 minutes since we entered the premises, and I barely paid attention to the C-Section part of the birthing class, and this wasn't how I had pictured this day. I had wanted my mom and Josh by my side as I pushed my daughter into the world the way I was made to.
I could spell relief nine different ways when the doc let Josh in. They sounded off and walked me through what was happening. Dr. Lynch asked me about Addison's nursery and how we came up with her name and things like that to help keep me calm and the anesthesiologist took Josh's phone and snapped pictures so Josh could be with me. Then I heard the most earth-stopping sound - Addison's first cry. It was 1:41pm. She appeared to the left side of me and I, sappy as I am, cried again and watched her be quickly toweled off, weighed, measured and placed skin-to-skin with me on my chest. She was beautiful. Everyone says that about their own kid, but let me assure you, Addison was perfect and so tiny and perfect. After a few minutes, I let her go to Josh and the second earth-stopping event occurred when my husband became a father who held his daughter for the first time. I could see the love pour from him. I took the phone and snapped his picture and sent it to our moms in the waiting room along with some other birth shots.
Then it happened. My lungs were being ripped from my body. Now, I have been known to have a tad of a dramatic side and I've heard all women have different Section experiences but I actually could not breathe. Apparently I turned quite white because Josh was looking at me and turned to hand Addison to a nurse and see what the heck was happening. He seriously yelled at the anathesiologist to pay attention and figure out what was wrong. This wasn't some Soap Opera scene and that was about as dramatic as it got but it was pretty scary. Fact was, I just felt like a monster truck was slowly driving over my ribcage. Dr. Lynch explained that she was just removing the after birth and would be done in a second but it was by far a very terrifying moment for me. Probably mostly because I had no idea it was going to happen. After only a few minutes of Josh coaching me and calming me, which felt like a half hour of holding my breath to me, I was told they were closing me up and that nurses would be taking Addison to the nursery for a bit for further attention. I told Josh to go with her and stayed on the table for fifteen more minutes until we were all reunited in the recovery room and more bonding and oohing occurred.
It wasn't the day I had pictured or how I wanted Addison to enter the world, my mom wasn't at my side and I didn't get to push...but I wouldn't trade a second of it. Even the pain. Well, maybe the pain. After two straight weeks of contractions, I'd pass on the rib-crushing if I could. But that was our day and our experience. It was what it was and it brought me Addison so who am I to be complaining? That leads me to the second thing I've learned about being a parent - like most other things in life, you have to go with the flow. My daughter was delivered as safely as possible under the circumstances for a complete breech and I still found ways to include the people I wanted to. I've heard most moms don't get the delivery they have in mind. In a little over an hour, I was a mom and I've been rolling with it ever since. Now, to bed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
