Rebound

I feel like I'm just now rebounding from having my facebook and e-mail address hacked into and taken over. Word to the wise, if you haven't set up recovery e-mail addresses and a phone number in your account, do so. I'd have my g-mail back by now if I'd done that.

Having my privacy invaded in this way sent me into a little tailspin of sadness and gloominess. Pair that with Dan going back to work, and you have an unhappy wife and mom. Yesterday was not a good day. Today was much better. Dan sacrificed some sleep this morning to help with the kids and gave me a chance to get out of the house and run an errand. Who knew that a trip to the store to buy another nursing bra could be so exhilarating?

A friend requested more baby pictures. Let me see if I can help you get your fix!

Elena at the birth center

Relaxing at home, soon after her arrival

Half a week old

This pictures are already old. I've realized I don't have many of this little lady (my mom, on the other hand, has lots and lots!). I guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow...

Hacked

For anyone concerned, we aren't in Madrid and we aren't hurt. Some mean people hacked into my facebook account and then my e-mail.

Make sure your own passwords are crazy difficult to crack. Mine weren't. Lesson learned.

Thanks to my mom for the early morning phone call alerting me to the strange message e-mailed. And thanks to my techie husband for knowing just what to do.

Week One Musings

It's been a week since Elena was born. Yesterday at about 8:20 I looked at the clock and remember thinking "last week at this time I was in labor." Already labor and delivery are a thing of the past. It's kind of amazing how so much time can be spent thinking about it, and now suddenly, it's over.

We've had a lot of help this past week, which has been wonderful. My mom came and stayed overnight two different times (once when I was in labor and for the first day here at home) and then just earlier this week. Dan's mom and dad also came and spent a some time here with us.

Dan had a number of days off after Elena's birth and will have some more time off beginning tomorrow.

Overall the adjustment is going well. I'd forgotten how tough nursing can be in the beginning and I kind of thought it'd go more smoothly since I'd gone through it one time before. I didn't waste any time, however, in getting some help from the lactation consultant at The Birth Center. I went to an appointment with her on Tuesday and came away from it feeling so much better. (I also think the support of friends through facebook comments really helped - what would we do w/o social media??)

Edwin enjoys having "Baby" around and usually asks for her first thing in the morning. He definitely wasn't quite himself this week, but I know it was a combination of having a cold, having lots of people come and go and suddenly having our routine interrupted by Elena's arrival. I'm looking forward to creating a new routine over the next couple of weeks.

For now, I'm dealing with night sweats, interrupted sleep, breastfeeding ups and downs, lots of diapers, afternoon naps, wonderful newborn snuggles and the peace that comes with finally having the baby on the outside. (There were two times this past week when I had the thought: "I haven't felt the baby move in a while" only to realize that's because she's not inside of me anymore! Kind of weird, I know.)

Drive-Through Delivery

This is what my uncle called my labor and delivery after hearing the story from my mom. I think it's pretty adequate. This labor and delivery was very different from my first, and I have to say, I much prefer the second version (although the first was a good experience too)! I wanted to give a few details for those of you who are avidly checking the blog for our birth story. I figured the best way at this point is to give you a timeline of what happened. Buckle your seat belts!

Tuesday, December 13:
Loose mucous plug in the morning.

Wednesday, December 14:

4 a.m: Notice watery mucousy discharge when using the bathroom.

7:30 a.m: More watery mucousy discharge. Don't think it's amniotic fluid but not sure.

10 a.m: Call the Birth Center after talking to Dan because of continual wetness. Could my water have broken?

1 pm: Appointment at the Birth Center. Upon initial exam, the midwife doesn't think it's amniotic fluid. Upon official view of fluid under a microscope, the midwife confirms that my water did indeed break!! We're going to have a baby.

(The Birth Center requires that you be in "active labor" within 24 hours of your water breaking. That meant I'd need to be in active labor by 4 a.m. on Thursday morning. So far, at 2 pm, I'm only having infrequent, slight contractions. And my blood pressure readings are high. Will I get to deliver at The Birth Center???)

1:30 p.m: Hooked up to a fetal monitor for a non-stress test. Baby looks great! Antibiotics are started since I'm GBS positive and we want them to be in my system for a minimum of 4 hours before delivery. Doesn't look like that will be an issue! I'm 2 cm and 80% effaced at this point.

3:30 pm: Back home with a 2 oz. dose of castor oil. The midwife suggested I take it at 4:30 to help kick start some contractions.

4:30 pm: I lay down to rest. I'm all emotional and weepy. Worried about my blood pressure. Worried because Edwin hasn't napped and here I need to be thinking about having a baby and I have no idea how it's going to play out! Lay on my bed and cry and pray and really try to give it all over to God. After all, I'm not in control - so why try to be?

5:30 pm: Chase down 3/4 of the castor oil with peanut butter swirl ice cream. I can't finish it all because I'm starting to feel myself gag with each successive swallow.

5:45 pm: Eat supper with Edwin, Dan and my mom.

6 pm: Feeling stronger contractions. The castor has already kicked in and the toilet is becoming my dear friend.

6:20 pm: Say goodby to a crying Edwin and go the birth center for a second dose of antibiotics.

7 pm: Antibiotics are finished. Contractions are definitely getting stronger and regular. The midwife doesn't think I'm at a point where I need to stay there, so we drive back home (it's only 10 minutes away).

7:45 pm: We put Edwin to bed while I'm breathing through strong, regular, close contractions and the castor oil is continuing to work its magic.

8 pm: Edwin is peacefully in bed (so thankful I was able to put him to bed because he doesn't do well with others!) and I'm sitting on our bed feeling a lot of pelvic pressure, breathing through contractions that are 2-3 minutes apart and very strong. We call the midwife and tell her we're coming back in.

8:10 pm: Arrive at the Birth Center and get to the birth suite we'd selected. We're the only laboring couple there. I'm at 6 cm, 100% effaced and the baby's head is right there. The midwife smiles and says: "You're going to have a baby right quick."

8:45 pm: Lying on the bed I feel my body begin to bear down during a contraction. I sit up for the next one and bear down then as well. There's a burst of amniotic fluid! My body has completely taken over, and I'm along for the ride. The midwife suggests squatting so she and the nurse bring over the birthing stool. It's perfect. I place my hands on the midwife's shoulders for the next contraction, bear down and the baby's head starts to emerge.

8:51 pm: After being coached to go slowly and give small grunts and pushes through the contractions and to breath calmly in between (yes, there's burning, but we want to take it slowly!), the baby is born, crying lustily. (The midwife gets drenched with more amniotic fluid.) The baby is handed directly to me, and I see we have a little girl!!

8:55 pm: The placenta is out. Labor and delivery are over and we haven't even been at The Birth Center for an hour. Wow.

Thursday, December 15

1:00 a.m: We're discharged from the birth center after the 4 hour minimum stay. We drive home and get to introduce our little girl to my mom. We get some sleep.

7:30 a.m: When we wake up in the morning, in our own bed, we look at each other and say: "What just happened last night?!"

We've been adjusting well. I've been able to relax and take it easy. Dan is off work until Monday. My mom has been here helping out, and recovery is going well. Elena was over a pound smaller than Edwin (although almost just as long) and her head is definitely smaller, so delivery was much, much easier. I really think the size of the head makes a huge difference!

Cookie Baking

We took part in a Christmas cookie exchange last week and Edwin helped with some of the cookie prep.

He helped me open the butter

and was very, very proud of himself.

He was introduced to the joy of licking the beaters

(yes, I let him eat straight sugary icing!)

and got to add some sprinkles to the cookies.

While I finished up decorating the cookies, he got really quite at one point and this is what I saw when checking on him in the next room: