He is here!

Wow I am so far behind. My last post I was pregnant and now my baby is almost 4 weeks old. Nathan Alexander joined us on April 9th at 4:10am. He weighed 7lbs 7oz which was a huge surprise because everyone thought he would be about 8lbs. All the ultrasounds showed him larger than Lauren, the Dr by feeling him felt he was larger and I thought he would be bigger. He was an oz smaller than Lauren. He measured at 20.5 inches although the Dr measured him again 10 min later and he was 21.5 so we aren't sure what to go with. Lauren was 21.5 so I think they were the same length as my Dr's measurement seemed more accurate. Him being that size though would have made him perfect for an all natural breech delivery if I had needed though. Everyone always told me that a normal delivery is better than being induced so I really wanted to go into labour myself to experience it. Now I will call BS on anyone that says being induced is harder. This by far was my most painful and hardest labour although it was also my fastest so that might have had something to do with it.

So on Easter Sunday the day started out like normal, still pregnant and nothing new. We had dinner at my brothers place planned that night. About 1 I went and showered to get ready to go. After the shower I noticed I was losing my plug and that it was a bit pink. This was a first for me like most of what was going to happen. Then I started to get some small contractions. The hurt a little but nothing much and lasted only about 20-30 seconds but were very spaced out. We went to dinner and I wasn't sure if I should take my bags but decided to play the odds and didn't. During dinner they stayed the same so I figured it would take a while. My mom had the same thing with my little brother and he wasn't born for 24 hours. We went home after dinner and I called the hospital as I had no idea at what point I should go in. They said when I got to 1 hour of contractions 3-5 min apart lasting 1 min long to then call back. They recommended that I have a bath and go to bed and they would see me in the morning. I called my mom to give her a heads up and went to bed, it was about 10ish. Well I was not in the bed longer than 5 min and the contractions started fast and close. I got up because I couldn't sleep and didn't want to wake Tony. I went to time them. Well I waited longer than an hour because I was in denial I think that it was really it. They didn't hurt to bad at that point but I was definitely needing to pay attention to breathing through them. I finally called the hospital about 11:30 and they said to come right in. Well I had to wait for my babysitter which ended up being my sister instead of my parents. She got there about 1 and we left. I got to the hospital about 1:30. They checked me and I was only at 2cm so they kept me only because my Dr was on her way in and she wanted to check me. She got there at 2:30. During that hour I was walking around and still talking through the contractions and feeling okay. When my Dr checked me I was still at 2cm. She knew that I tend to stay there till my water breaks so she offered to do that to speed it up and I agreed. Well when she did it I went right from a 2 to a 4. The water was nice and clear which was good because I was overdue but only by 3-4 days. Well I got to a 5 and stalled. It was then that they checked the heart rate and noticed it was dropping so I had to go on my left side. I was comfortable that way and was still feeling good but all of a sudden my body started to push. The nurse kept yelling at me to stop and I told her that I couldn't that my body was doing it. I was still a 5 but my Dr felt his head and noticed I was in the wrong position and he wouldn't come down that way. She immediately flipped me on all 4s. It was now 3:40am. I joked I had 3:50 on the baby pool for that day and it would look bad if I won although being I was at 5cm I figured I still had hours to go. As soon as she flipped me my body kept pushing but I was still talking through the contractions. She asked me to take some fentanyl to calm my body so I wasn't pushing to early. I agreed knowing that it gets out of the system fast. Well the nurse went to get it and she got back and started an IV. I didn't want one but whatever I had agreed to listen to what my Dr suggested as she doesn't try to give meds unless needed. Before the nurse gave me the med though my Dr saw my belly change shape (I was still on hands and knees with my butt in the air which wasn't comfortable)What she saw was him get into the right position and she knew he would come out quick. She then quickly flipped me over on my back and told me to push. I did and in 8 min and 5 pushes he was out and screaming, well after she cut the cord. It was wrapped around his neck twice and very tight. It freaked Tony out because his head was blue and the rest of him was pink. As soon as she cut the cord and removed it though he went pink right away and screamed loudly! Tony never did get to cut the cord for either of our living kids when it was still attached to me, he only got to trim it. We wanted to delay cord cutting but we couldn't because of it around his neck.  I thought I did get the fentanyl as I was not really able to pay attention but found out after I never did get it. I feel much better that I didn't as I really didn't want it. I had my times off too when I updated people but thank goodness for Tony who kept notes like he did when Lauren was born so I know what really happened. I got to have him on my chest for a while and he breastfed like a champ. They took him to weigh him and give him the vitamin K shot. Just as the nurse went to do it he grabbed her glove and wouldn't let go. She had to actually take it off and then do the shot because he was holding her arm back, guess he didn't want to get it. I asked them to not do the eye goop right away as I didn't want it in the pictures, I knew they would forget to come back though as that is what my Dr told me to do. Because she is part of the mat clinic she was not allowed to give me an exemption from ( I don't understand the politics behind it but I know that it works that way). So we got to skip it like we wanted. I did have stitches but that is because I tore by my last episiotomy and I was told that it would happen as the skin wasn't going to stretch. Nathan needed blood and urine done within 24 hours to check for the metabolic disorder. That was a mess as no one knew how to draw it properly and they were trying to take 20 large vials from him. I tried to explain that was above the max allowed on a newborn but they weren't listening. After I called children's hospital to find out the minimum they needed we got it down to 4 vials of blood. Then they were trying to get a lactate and they kept using a tourniquet and I told them you can't use one to get a accurate result so we never did get those results. We had planned to go home the same day but unfortunately Nathan decided he didn't want to pee to give us the results. He peed on me when he was born and then didn't pee again till 1am. The poor guy had to wear a pee bag that whole time till we got it. We had to spend the night and I felt so bad being away from Lauren that long but she was with my parents and she was fine and happy. We still don't have the results back to see if he has the metabolic disorder but hopefully in the next couple of weeks. He has been taking B6 since he was 4 hours old so if he has it then we are covering it already. He does appear to be a 'normal' baby though so that is a good sign. I am learning what it is like to have a newborn and I like it. I just wish my toddler understood that the baby can wake up to eat during the night but she is supposed to sleep. He wakes anywhere from 2.5 - 4 hours depending on if he is having a growth spurt but she is waking every 2 hours for some reason. Makes it interesting around here because then she gets up at 5am for the day and is cranky all day because she is tired. When it was only her I could nap with her. Now I don't get to nap at all. I have had them both nap a few times at the same time but that is when I run around and get laundry and dishes done and Tony's lunch for the next day made, the formula for Lauren weighed out and meds for both of them crushed and mixed up. Then if they are still sleeping I get a shower in too. I can't leave Nathan and Lauren in the same room without me being in between as she will hurt him so it makes it interesting. She doesn't mean to hurt him, she just isn't gentle and is quite brutal. I will try to update more as things are falling in to place better and I have more time

Still pregnant

Well I am now overdue. Something I didn't think I would get to and neither did my Dr. I have an induction date set but don't really want to get to it. This is my last baby and would really like to experience going into labour on my own this time. We will see what happens I guess. I also wanted him here before Easter so I could get some cute Easter pics. I guess I still have a chance but not really a chance of being home by then the way we are going. I don't feel like it is going to happen soon. At night I get some strong BH and lots of pain but nothing else. I just hope at my Drs appointment on Tuesday I can be told I have a change as my cervix is showing that he is comfortable and not doing anything. At least with Lauren I had dilated a bit before 40 weeks and when I was induced for her I had started contractions the day before so it was time. I keep telling him that we all want to meet him so we will see what happens over the rest of the weekend. We are finally ready for him and now he wants to be late.

Wonderful Husband

I just have to brag that I have a wonderful husband. I have been trying to get stuff done for this baby but at the same time have had no motivation and I am sure a lot of it is being scared about not bringing him home and not wanting to put everything away. Well the room he will be in had a pink flowery border and I really didn't want that for him. I finally got out all the baby stuff and washed all the clothes. Tony finally went and got the dresser for him and even found a great bedside table for both his room and Lauren's room. So I was happy we had everything except the border. Tony was just going to take it off and then we would buy some decals or something to cover the space and when he was older we would paint it how he wanted it. Well the border is off and the wall has been patched. Tony has now informed me that I can't go in the room till he is done. He is painting a border with sponges and doing something nice rather than decals that won't look right. It is just a border but he has got into it and I think it will be good. I would have done the room in blues being that it is a boy but it already has green curtains in it. It makes sense that the border will be green and not everything has to be blue. I am excited that everything is falling into place. 18 days max and he will be here. Really it could be anytime but I have been telling him he has to wait till April so that is less than a week away.

Catching up

Wow I need to get better at this before this little guy gets here. SO I am going to try and do a shorter post to catch everything up.

Lauren has had her dental surgery and did really good. Her mouth looks great with every back tooth getting a stainless steel crown and all the front teeth getting capped. This should save her adult teeth. She is a totally different child that has so much better moods and sleeps better. Well she did sleep better. Now she has regressed a bit. Although after talking to my Dr yesterday this is normal for her age and usually starts about 3 and goes for about 6 months. She said it is most common in little girls. Also she said adding a baby to the mix just heightens it at this time. It is also the time that little girls tend to get on a 'daddy' kick and only want him. She hasn't totally only wanted him but more and more she calls for him at night and when she gets hurt she wants him. It is good knowing that I may be with the baby more but sad at the same time when she doesn't call me.

Bad news for her though is that at her last appointment at Children's it was determined from the EEG that she is having all sorts of spikes on the brainwaves. These could be as simple as the brain bleeds from birth forming scar tissue which happens to most children born vaginally but because they don't have MRIs at birth it isn't known or it could be a precursor to more seizures. Metabolics thinks it is just scar tissue forming as her MRI done recently was totally normal and she isn't showing any signs of seizures. But to be sure they have upped her B6 with a follow up EEG planned soon. These spikes can cause headaches though and she has told us that her head hurts 'inside' so I guess she is having them. I am praying for scar tissue as I don't want any more seizures in her. Her EMG (the test of her nerve endings) came back totally normal which is why she is okay to go up on the B6.

As for the little baby, he is doing good. I am hoping to keep him in till at least April 1st though. My Dr thinks he could be early but she thinks i can hold out if I take it easy which I am trying to do. Not so easy with a toddler though. I am still not packed for the hospital though. I do have the car seat ready and I have washed one load of his clothes and still have one more to go. Tony should be getting the dresser this weekend.

I was supposed to get maternity pictures this weekend but the photographer had to cancel. She wanted to do next Saturday but now I have to cancel and Tony is busy with work so it doesn't look like I will get them. I didn't with Lauren so I shouldn't be upset but I sort of am. I will just get newborn pics I guess.

Knowing this is my last pregnancy is sad. I love feeling his movements and see him moving around. I know I won't get to do it again. That said my poor hips and pelvis will be happy to be able to move and walk again. I definitely didn't have this any other pregnancy and I really need to see my chiropractor soon.

Okay I hope that wasn't too long and I hope I got everything although feel free to ask questions if I forgot anything. I will try and keep on track better now

Happy New Year

I have to get better at writing more. I keep having all these ideas and then never get to write them.

This will be a good year. 2011 wasn't so great for us. It started out awful with losing Shane but did get better as the year went on. 2012 just has to be better.

I have decided to make this post about Lauren though. Just some highlights of where she is now in her development.

She can count to 14. I have no idea why it just stops there but it does.

She know all her colours and most shapes.

She can almost dress herself depending on what clothes they are but always picks out what she is going to wear at least.

Her speech is crazy with what she knows and the sentences she uses.

She knows all her aunts and uncles by name and most of her friends too. She will ask for them if she wants to see them too.

Her alphabet isn't really getting there so far we have A B F and G and that is how she says it. Which if you say it out loud sounds like F'n G which gets her some looks.

She can walk and run and is really only unsteady when she is holding someones hand but otherwise she does fine.

In the car she will tell you 'Red light, STOP' or Green light, GO GO GO. We don't know where that one came from but it is funny.

If the phone rings no matter what she is doing she will yell out 'PHONE' and continue with what she is doing.

She loves to dance and jump around to music and will ask to dance many times a day.

You always say 'Please' and we are working on Thank-You although you do use it by yourself for the weirdest things. Like when she falls down and we kiss her better she says Thank-you.

If we say Thank-You she always say 'Welcome' again something we don't know where it came from.

If you ask her what her name is she will tell you 'Lauren' then if you ask Lauren what? She says Lauren Miller. My dad taught her that and we found out at Christmas. It is very cute.

She knows she is going to be a big sister although when we ask what she wants to name him she says 'border' which is actually a name we found out but not one we are using.

Sleep is getting so much better. Usually she will go to sleep about 9 and sleep till 7:30 which means we have to tape Sesame Street as she wants to watch it when she wakes up although to her it is called "elmo street". Elmo is her favourite character.

Occasionally she wakes up during the night and calls for one of us. All we do is get up and go into her room and get into bed with her and she goes right back to sleep. What I found out yesterday though is that if Tony goes in then she sleeps on one pillow on her side of the bed and he sleeps on the other. If I go in she gets as close to me as possible and cuddles right in and goes to sleep. This means I am almost falling out of the bed and get her hair in my nose as I try to breathe. Then the baby starts kicking like crazy as she is in his space. Something tells me Tony did some extra training that I don't know about. If he hadn't left the video monitor on when he went in I would never have known.

She also wants to start potty training and has asked for panties on and used the potty a few times but we are waiting till the end of the month. For one because I work a lot the next couple of weeks and I need to be home and two because she has dental surgery on the 16th and they said that if they are potty trained they will catheterize them so not to confuse them and I would really rather that not happen.

A little on me. I am now almost 27 weeks along and still feeling good. I am much larger this time around but I think it is because my pregnancies were so close together. I am also a very different shape than I was with Lauren so that makes a difference. Tony noticed this the other day when I was complaining about clothes not fitting right that I wore to the end with Lauren. I only have 20 shifts left at work then I am on holidays till April 5th when I start my mat leave officially. I have been really feeling kicks and rolls and pushes. This is all new to me as I really have never felt a baby move like this. I am a little sad that I won't feel it again knowing that we are done having kids. Although I have been thinking about being a gestational host for family if need be. I would do that in a heartbeat if I would be allowed due to my background and my age at time of it happening.