Day 3 and Life is Good

Well, we've now been home for almost a full 24 hours and things are absolutely fantastic.  Everett is especially sensitive and we're trying to douse him in hugs, kisses, praises, and "I love you's."  He loves to "holder" Callum and lets us know whenever he makes a peep.
I still can't believe how much easier things are this time.  Cal's peeing, pooping, nursing, burping, sleeping....everything he's supposed to be doing.  At this point with Everett, things were starting to get bad.  We have had a little bit of soreness with nursing but nothing near how it was last time.  Callum's just a good nurser.  He has already gotten his milk to come in, so he is one content little guy.  We have his crib side-carred onto our bed and it worked fairly well last night.  Between 1 and 4 he was squirming, grunting, and generally not sleeping, so I ended up laying him in the crook of my arm (that was reminiscent of our early Everett days).  I think it was still a little too cold for him.  We just had him in a long-sleeved t-shirt, socks, diaper, and his fleece halo swaddle sleepsack.  Tonight I'll put him in a sleeper inside the sleepsack I think.
Brian and Everett are currently on a walk.  They went down to the library for story time and then they are stopping by the co-op for some milk, mother's milk tea, decaf coffee, and Everett's cheeky monkey snack (he gets to pick out a free apple, carrot, or banana every time we go in - so cool!). 
If Ev's still in an okay mood after they get back, they might head out to wal-mart to pick up some more stuff like fresh fruit, toaster strudels, and soothing gel pads for nursing (got a coupon from the hospital).  If not, hopefully Ev will go down for a nap and Brian can go alone.  I'm trying to let Brian sleep as much as possible at night so he can have enough energy to deal with crazy monster toddler all day.  He generally wakes up when I feed Cal because I either need a light on to get him latched correctly or I can't get him to burp (I am seriously terrible at burping!).  I was a little worried last night too because he hadn't peed much, but he made up for that today when Nana stopped by to check on us....and peed all over her.  Sorry Nana!
Brian's staying home with us this week and Ev's daycare wants to take him for one more week, so we'll send him over there next week to give me some more time to recover at home with just baby Callum.
As far as things go for me, this recovery is soooo much better!  I still have some stitches but the difference between an episiotomy and a small tear is incredible.  With Ev I was in pain, on tylenol with codeine and antibiotics, lying on the couch.  With Callum, I am a little sore, on regular ibuprofen, moving around the house and up and down stairs.  Don't get me wrong - I'm still really tired and lying on the couch (currently with Callum snuggling up next to me) and taking it easy, but I feel a million times better and more human than last time.  I just hope the nights don't get too bad and I can keep getting enough sleep.  I'm so glad that Bri has his job that allows him to be at home with us this week.  I seriously don't know how anyone could ever have a baby alone/be a single mother....it takes me and Bri both to care for these boys right now.  Anyway.  I should get some lunch figured out for when all my boys are back in the house!

Baby Brother Has Arrived!!!

Friday, February 25, 2011

6:00 am  - wake up.  Everett’s whining.  I go in and replace blankets, hoping he’ll sleep in.  Back to bed for a few minutes but can’t sleep.

6:30 am – I decide to take a bath and have two decently strong contractions.  Different from the contractions I have been feeling for weeks.  I tell Brian that I think he should stay home from work today.  With how fast labor went with Everett, I’m sure this will be coming.

Alllll day long – contractions between 5-20 minutes apart, 40 seconds long.  I start getting annoyed that they are not getting progressively stronger/closer together.

11:30 am – some bloody show.  Now I know that today will be the day.  Just, when???

1:00 pm – My doula, Erica, comes over.  She brings me a delicious cookie, brews some comfort tea, makes me a foot soak, and we walk to black cat and back for some decaf.

4:00 pm – I’m back home and tell Brian I’d like to rest.  Contractions are still going and I have an English muffin with peanut butter before resting.

4:30 pm – The plan to rest doesn’t quite go right.  Contractions start coming every 4-6 minutes, increasing in intensity.

6:30 pm – The phone calls are made.  My mom is put on alert, Erica is called.  We tell everyone to go ahead and have their dinner, that we have time.

7:30ish – Brian and my mom work on getting Everett to bed while I work through contractions in front of our living room heating vent.  Back labor is horrid!  I most definitely did not have that with Everett, so it’s an unwelcome surprise.  Erica is awesome about applying counter pressure and rubbing.

I try lots of positions to deal with the increasingly intense contractions.  After one particularly long and hard contractions, I feel a little gush.  It was just blood – things are really picking up.  While sitting on my exercise ball, I realize that my legs are shaking.  I mention this to Erica and my mom and my mom’s eyes get big.  She says, “I got shakey during transition.”  I think I muttered something about this not being transition, but all of a sudden, the contractions were right on top of each other and I had to start moaning to make it through them.

Just before 9:00 pm – Erica tells Brian it is time to go to the hospital and I agree!

At the hospital, I had 4 or 5 contractions before they could even check me.  Forget checking in/getting admitted!  I mostly sat on the ball with Erica rubbing my back and Brian rubbing my thighs.  When they finally got to check me, I was 8-9 cm with bulging water.  Already in transition, just like my mom thought from the shaking I was experiencing at home.  By 9:30, I had been laboring at the end of the bed on my knees while Brian supported all my weight.  It was intensely painful but going so fast.  My water broke (all over me) and I was nearly crying, sometimes screaming from the pain, really feeling that “I need to push” feeling.  It was such a contrast to labor with Everett when the nurses were telling me what to do and this time, I was letting my body do what it wanted and following what Brian and Erica told me.  They were great at reminding me to relax my entire body and keep my eyes open during the contractions.  The nurses gave me oxygen to keep baby’s heartrate up because at this point I was not able to focus on breathing very well.  They tried to get me on my back to push, but there was no way that was happening.  So I was on my side, three pushes, and all 8 pounds, 3 ounces of

Callum George Hammond

came flying out.  He was 21" long and his head was 35cm.  He was crying before his feet were delivered and put immediately on my chest.  My doctor was so amazing about following my birth plan and the nurses never questioned anything.  We waited until Brian approved of the cord being done pulsing to cut it.  The nurses never even asked to take him away, just rubbed all the (huge amount) of vernix away while he lounged on me and started turning super pink.

10:30 pm - My mom and Brian’s mom and dad came over to meet the little guy.  I’m still not tired at all but Brian’s starting to look worn down.

I ended up with no pain meds, no iv, no blood draw, and no episiotomy.  It was the birth I’d wanted and more.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Callum has been an excellent latcher (sooo glad!) but breastfeeding has triggered some unbearable cramping.  I’m only on ibuprofen and regular strength Tylenol but so far, feeling really good!  I ended up with two stitches for a superficial tear and that stings but the doctor thought it would heal better with stitches than without.

I didn’t sleep much overnight because of cramping and suddenly having a functional bladder.  Brian left at 6:10 this morning to go ski his 5^th Birkebeiner race and I’m about to order some breakfast.  My doctor thinks that I’ll be ready for discharge by Sunday and I’m thinking he’s probably right.  We’ll play by ear for now though.  I hope to take a nice soak in the giant tub today, get myself looking presentable, and introduce my new darling boy to our friends and family

What happens when baby's born

I forgot to write about it this afternoon, so I have to do another quick post.  A couple times today, Everett and I have talked about when the baby is born. 

Here's how the conversation goes:

Everett: Baby. Come out. Soon?
Me: Yes, I hope the baby will come out soon and be born.
Everett: Wrap. Him. Up?
Me: Yes, when he is born, we will wrap him up in blankets.
Everett: Hugger? Him?
Me: Yes, we will give baby lots of huggers.
Everett: Mwah? Him?
Me: Yes, we can give him lots of mwah kisses too.

Love that boy.

Overdue

I know you all are stalking me on facebook, but just wanted to add that I am now officially overdue.  What a rude little baby.  :)  I think the time for "fashionably late" has now expired and he's just acting like his dad and being late in general.  I think every time he hears Everett screaming like a maniac, he decides he'll stay in just a liiiiittle bit longer.  Tomorrow is Ev's last day of day care and I haven't yet decided if I'm going to go to work at all.  My doulas are coming over after lunch to chat and have some tea and I heard some mention of a foot bath, so I'm excited.  2/24 would be a nice birthday, but we're running out of hours here.  Anyway!  We'll see!

40 weeks!

Ok, so I totally forgot about doing this update today and now you all probably think I have a cute little baby to snuggle.  No such luck.  Not even close.  Contractions this morning that went away by 6am.  I think he's planning to stay in there forever.

How far along?  40 weeks.  Due date today.
Total weight gain/loss:  Around 28-29 lbs
How big is baby?  Likely somewhere in the 7.5-8 lb range, somewhere above 20".
Maternity clothes?  I have now given up on wearing anything but my maternity yoga pants, tank tops and some sort of sleeves over top.
Stretchmarks?  yes.
Sleep?  Monday night was horrendous.  I don't think I slept at all.  I left work at noon yesterday and slept for three hours.  Last night I took some tylenol before bed and managed to sleep ok.  Baby moved his bum out of my ribcage too, so I'm still ok at work for now.  Meeting my doula at 1 and then probably coming back in for the rest of the day since I don't feel utterly exhausted and miserable today.
Best moment this week?  Umm.... right.  Everett's been a pistol and a sweetie at the same time.  Last night he used daddy's cell phone to voice call my cell phone and left a very long message.
Movement?  Still kicking his feet out my right side and wiggling.
Food cravings?  Not coffee, oddly enough.  Since I got sick (again) on Friday, I have not wanted any coffee.  I've been enjoying some jello cups my mama picked up for me.
Bellybutton?  Same.
Boy/Girl?  Boy.
Labor signs?  I wish.  Just the usual.
What I miss? Sleeping, sitting comfortably.
What I am looking forward to? Being done with this pregnancy!
Milestones: Houston, we have reached our due date.  Something that didn't quite happen with Ev, so I guess that's....neat?