Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Penance
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season. Lent is the 40 days prior to Easter when we, as Catholics, enter a period of penance, prayer, and sacrifice to prepare ourselves to celebrate Easter. My penance today is sick children - complete with one who hacked so bad from his allergies that he vomited all down his bunk bed and into his sister's (one of the cons of bunk beds) and the other one who has been screaming bloody murder all day from an ear infection that won't go away (after two rounds of antibiotics). All I can say is, after stripping and scouring two beds, inspecting a zillion stuffed animals, steam cleaning one bedroom carpet, and doing five loads of laundry, the one bright part of my day is that Violet has been an angel baby today. She has decided today is a good day for sleeping (which I am sure is going to mean a fun night) - even during the animal inspection! (Can you I Spy the sleeping baby?)
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tree's Law
Kind of like Murphy's Law, but in my life!
It never fails - this is the first time Shawn has ventured on an overnight business trip since Violet's birth. The night before he travels to northern Maine, his car is broken into and his GPS stolen (an essential tool for the medical salesman to find those out-of-the-way rural hospitals!). This means an unexpected trip to Best Buy to shell out a couple hundred dollars because Shawn depends on his GPS to do his job. (And me freaking out because there are footsteps in the snow all around our driveway - just the thought of a thief sneaking around our house in the middle of the night now that I am home by myself with the kids. This is why we have a house alarm!)
I actually get my act together and am able to get all four kids fed, dressed, and in the car (it was 11am when we left the house, but I still consider that successful because I did it all by myself). I have packed snacks, drinks, and activities to sustain us through Clare's speech therapy. I herd the four of them inside the building, fighting the driving wind. We wait 15 minutes (which is FOREVER when you're trying to keep little children entertained and not touching everything in sight) before someone finally figures out that Clare's speech therapist took the week off work. Thanks for the phone call!
And then Jamie succumbs to the flu. The actual fever-aches-chills-vomiting flu. On the positive side, he required only 20 minutes of attention before falling asleep in his bed at 5:30pm for the night. It was much harder getting Clare, Simon, and Violet to comply with bedtime, but now they are all asleep by 8pm. (Although I hear little snorts coming from the bouncy seat, so I think my nighttime companion is waking again. Violet missed the memo about being Baby #4. The poor baby is plagued by gas at night, and we are still working on finding out what works best for her. Her worst times are usually 7-9pm and 12-3am. Fun, fun, fun!)
Addendum: As I am now up at 3am with Violet, our house was rocked. There was a loud boom and the entire house literally shook on its foundation. (Thankfully it did not wake up the sleeping children.) Being home alone with four little children, I immediately dialed 911 versus going downstairs to investigate myself. While on the phone with the fire department (trying to figure out if a bulldozer had rammed into our front door), the dispatcher broke into our call stating there were multiple reports of "house rocking" in our neighborhood. Turns out there was an explosion in one of the houses on the street behind us, and the house immediately went up into flames. I can watch from my bedroom window - the sky is white and orange between smoke and flames. I am going to try to go back to sleep, but I will say a prayer for the family who was in that house. I am not sure if anyone could have survived the explosion.
It never fails - this is the first time Shawn has ventured on an overnight business trip since Violet's birth. The night before he travels to northern Maine, his car is broken into and his GPS stolen (an essential tool for the medical salesman to find those out-of-the-way rural hospitals!). This means an unexpected trip to Best Buy to shell out a couple hundred dollars because Shawn depends on his GPS to do his job. (And me freaking out because there are footsteps in the snow all around our driveway - just the thought of a thief sneaking around our house in the middle of the night now that I am home by myself with the kids. This is why we have a house alarm!)
I actually get my act together and am able to get all four kids fed, dressed, and in the car (it was 11am when we left the house, but I still consider that successful because I did it all by myself). I have packed snacks, drinks, and activities to sustain us through Clare's speech therapy. I herd the four of them inside the building, fighting the driving wind. We wait 15 minutes (which is FOREVER when you're trying to keep little children entertained and not touching everything in sight) before someone finally figures out that Clare's speech therapist took the week off work. Thanks for the phone call!
And then Jamie succumbs to the flu. The actual fever-aches-chills-vomiting flu. On the positive side, he required only 20 minutes of attention before falling asleep in his bed at 5:30pm for the night. It was much harder getting Clare, Simon, and Violet to comply with bedtime, but now they are all asleep by 8pm. (Although I hear little snorts coming from the bouncy seat, so I think my nighttime companion is waking again. Violet missed the memo about being Baby #4. The poor baby is plagued by gas at night, and we are still working on finding out what works best for her. Her worst times are usually 7-9pm and 12-3am. Fun, fun, fun!)
Addendum: As I am now up at 3am with Violet, our house was rocked. There was a loud boom and the entire house literally shook on its foundation. (Thankfully it did not wake up the sleeping children.) Being home alone with four little children, I immediately dialed 911 versus going downstairs to investigate myself. While on the phone with the fire department (trying to figure out if a bulldozer had rammed into our front door), the dispatcher broke into our call stating there were multiple reports of "house rocking" in our neighborhood. Turns out there was an explosion in one of the houses on the street behind us, and the house immediately went up into flames. I can watch from my bedroom window - the sky is white and orange between smoke and flames. I am going to try to go back to sleep, but I will say a prayer for the family who was in that house. I am not sure if anyone could have survived the explosion.
Baby in White
We had a beautiful Sunday, surrounded by family and friends, for the Baptism of Violet Grace. Violet was precious all in white!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Rats... Foiled Again
Clare had her pre-op physical yesterday to get the thumbs-up from her pediatrician for her surgery in 10 days. Unfortunately, those thumbs stayed down.
Clare has had a lingering cough from her cold and sinus infection. She also has been very tired these days (her teacher has told me every day this week that Clare seemed tired at school that day). The thought always crosses our minds when Clare seems more tired than usual that there is something going on with her heart. She has her next echo scheduled for mid-April and that cannot come soon enough! But, this time, her lethargy is explained by the lingering cough and congestion and the brewing of an ear infection. She is back on antibiotics (she just finished the course of antibiotics for the sinus infection) and will not stop taking them until the day of her scheduled surgery. So her pediatrician does not want her to undergo the surgery, even though it is a minor one, given her cardiac and pulmonary history.
Clare's ENT only performs these surgeries on the first Monday of the month, so now her frenulectomy is pushed off until April 6. We are disappointed not to have it in a few days (especially since we have been looking forward to seeing how she improves speech- and feeding-wise post-surgery as well as we had all the arrangements in place for Jamie and Simon's care while we were gone). Now probably only Shawn will take Clare, and I will stay home with the boys and baby. I hate being the one left behind, but only one parent is allowed in recovery and Violet is not allowed, so Shawn has to be there with Clare. I would have liked to at least be there to wait and see her before and after the operation, but it can't be helped.
Clare has had a lingering cough from her cold and sinus infection. She also has been very tired these days (her teacher has told me every day this week that Clare seemed tired at school that day). The thought always crosses our minds when Clare seems more tired than usual that there is something going on with her heart. She has her next echo scheduled for mid-April and that cannot come soon enough! But, this time, her lethargy is explained by the lingering cough and congestion and the brewing of an ear infection. She is back on antibiotics (she just finished the course of antibiotics for the sinus infection) and will not stop taking them until the day of her scheduled surgery. So her pediatrician does not want her to undergo the surgery, even though it is a minor one, given her cardiac and pulmonary history.
Clare's ENT only performs these surgeries on the first Monday of the month, so now her frenulectomy is pushed off until April 6. We are disappointed not to have it in a few days (especially since we have been looking forward to seeing how she improves speech- and feeding-wise post-surgery as well as we had all the arrangements in place for Jamie and Simon's care while we were gone). Now probably only Shawn will take Clare, and I will stay home with the boys and baby. I hate being the one left behind, but only one parent is allowed in recovery and Violet is not allowed, so Shawn has to be there with Clare. I would have liked to at least be there to wait and see her before and after the operation, but it can't be helped.
Cousin Casey is Here!
We don't have many details, but Casey Susanne arrived last night! I was talking to my sister Christina on her cell phone on the way to the hospital at 8pm, after her water broke. Next thing we hear, she was having an emergency C-section at 10:30. My mom called after midnight to let us know that both Christina and Casey were okay, but that is the extent of the details this morning. We cannot wait to hear more about Casey's arrival, and our own little brood is so excited to have a baby cousin! (They have never had a baby cousin - they have two terrific older cousins.)
It has been a rough couple of days for Christina and Tee Jay. Thursday night, Tee Jay's 13-year old cousin was killed in a car accident. His aunt and another cousin, also in the car, are in the hospital with serious injuries. After absorbing the shock and grief of this news on Friday, Christina and Tee Jay were dealing with the conflicting emotions of not being able to travel back to RI to be with the family because Christina was almost due (Tee Jay comes from a very close family), while trying to still be excited about their own life-changing event (Christina was scheduled for an induction on February 23). Then Christina's water broke late Friday afternoon. So please keep Christina and Tee Jay, and Tee Jay's family, in your prayers through all these tragic and wonderful events that have happened in their lives over the last few days.
It has been a rough couple of days for Christina and Tee Jay. Thursday night, Tee Jay's 13-year old cousin was killed in a car accident. His aunt and another cousin, also in the car, are in the hospital with serious injuries. After absorbing the shock and grief of this news on Friday, Christina and Tee Jay were dealing with the conflicting emotions of not being able to travel back to RI to be with the family because Christina was almost due (Tee Jay comes from a very close family), while trying to still be excited about their own life-changing event (Christina was scheduled for an induction on February 23). Then Christina's water broke late Friday afternoon. So please keep Christina and Tee Jay, and Tee Jay's family, in your prayers through all these tragic and wonderful events that have happened in their lives over the last few days.
(Later) I just chatted with Christina and all are doing well. Casey was behaving in utero pretty much how Violet was, thus the C-section. My new niece is beautiful!!! (If a little grumpy-looking!)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Sisters
Before we knew whether we were having a boy or girl, part of me really wanted the baby to be a boy. I was afraid what it would be like having another little girl - and a "typical" girl. Would we constantly be comparing Clare and her? Would Clare be left out when her sister had girlfriends, went to the prom, got married, had babies? Would a sister resent having an older sister like Clare? I was afraid of the answers to all those questions (and still am) and just wanted to have another boy to ensure that all those questions remained hypothetical. Then Clare could just continue to be the princess in our house, surrounded by brothers. .JPG)
Sometimes God has other plans for us, and He sent us Violet instead of another boy. I truly love having another little girl, and I am happy that Clare has a sister. (I have two sisters and know how wonderful that bond can be.) And Clare is delighted with her little sister. She wants to hug, kiss, and love her daily. I still am apprehensive of what the dynamics of their relationship will be as they grow, but I hope both Clare and Violet always treasure the gift of having a sister.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Couch Potato
It's amazing how 21 months can completely erase your memory. I forgot how much time I would spend on my butt on the couch nursing a newborn. When there are a zillion other things I need or want to be doing. (Like the mounds of laundry, dust bunnies everywhere, and my sorely-neglected scrapbooking! Don't roll your eyes, K or R - it really is neglected right now.)
But then as I become the self-titled couch potato, Violet and I are usually joined by another child (if not all). Our days have become filled with simple things like playing Candyland Castle a dozen times in a row (Clare's current obsession), reading any board books we have that feature numbers (Simon's), and poring over puzzle books (Jamie's). I play Planet Heroes and save the universe from the evil antics of Professor Darkness (my hero does not move around that much - did I mention I was still sitting on the couch?). I direct Handy Manny (aka Clare) to whatever needs fixing in the house. I endlessly recite numbers with Simon (sometimes it's like talking with Rainman).
Having a new baby always forces me to just sit back and enjoy my children. The laundry can wait.
But then as I become the self-titled couch potato, Violet and I are usually joined by another child (if not all). Our days have become filled with simple things like playing Candyland Castle a dozen times in a row (Clare's current obsession), reading any board books we have that feature numbers (Simon's), and poring over puzzle books (Jamie's). I play Planet Heroes and save the universe from the evil antics of Professor Darkness (my hero does not move around that much - did I mention I was still sitting on the couch?). I direct Handy Manny (aka Clare) to whatever needs fixing in the house. I endlessly recite numbers with Simon (sometimes it's like talking with Rainman).
Having a new baby always forces me to just sit back and enjoy my children. The laundry can wait.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Visiting Friends
Violet and I headed down to Boston last night to hang out with Kerry and Brady at Children's Hospital. I couldn't believe how good Brady looked just a few days post-open heart surgery. He was very out-of-it, but looked like a sleeping angel. He was just wearing a diaper, so I had a good look at his incision (and Kerry - who looked great, too, although I know from experience how exhausted she was - did not mind my gawking - I let her gawk over my baby instead). I wonder if Kerry feels how I felt when I first saw Clare's incision. That disbelief that someone cut into your baby and that visible scar is now there forever. As parents, our scars are not physical, but I think they show just as visibly sometimes.
Kerry was taking everything in stride, like she typically does. One of the things I appreciate most about Kerry as a friend is her down-to-earth attitude. She truly understands how to be a good friend. We can share what we're going through and bounce things off each other without feeling like we're adding drama to the other one's life (I've had friends like that and it is not helpful when you have enough of your own drama in your life!).
Although it was weird going back to Children's (we have not been there since Clare's last cath in September 2007) and my visitor ID badge still said Parent/Guardian, it was good to visit with Kerry and see how well Brady is recovering.
On the way out, I visited briefly with Brian, Tarynn's dad. (On top of the stress of having your newborn undergo open heart surgery, Tarynn's mom, Heidi, is recovering from childbirth and a bout with mastitis, so she was sleeping.) Tarynn is still in the cardiac ICU, but making strides toward getting out on the cardiac floor in the future. I am in awe of Brian and Heidi's strength and courage right now. Tarynn is their second child to undergo open heart surgery as an infant, and in the late spring, their 3-year old is most likely having a second open heart surgery. These last three weeks following Violet's birth have been rough for our family - dealing with the recovery of a C-section, adjustment of bringing the fourth child into our family, extremely sleep-deprived parents, and Jamie, Clare, and Simon are now all battling a bad cold and cough and are usually on the grumpier side (Clare's cold has turned into sinusitis, so she is now on antibiotics, but has not turned the corner yet - which is why Shawn and I are even more sleep-deprived because Jamie is the only child sleeping 12 hours through the night right now!). But everything always gets put into perspective when I see what other parents are going through. I feel as if Brian and Heidi are living my personal nightmare - doing the "heart thing" all over again with another child. I know from experience that you do what you have to do and you get through it, but I don't want to ever have to do it again. I can only imagine how Brian and Heidi feel facing this road for the second time. I hope that we truly are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with Clare, since she has been doing so well for over a year now. She has her next echo in late March/early April, so we continue to look for good news.
In the meantime, we continue to keep Brady and Tarynn and their families in our prayers and that they all get to come home soon!
Kerry was taking everything in stride, like she typically does. One of the things I appreciate most about Kerry as a friend is her down-to-earth attitude. She truly understands how to be a good friend. We can share what we're going through and bounce things off each other without feeling like we're adding drama to the other one's life (I've had friends like that and it is not helpful when you have enough of your own drama in your life!).
Although it was weird going back to Children's (we have not been there since Clare's last cath in September 2007) and my visitor ID badge still said Parent/Guardian, it was good to visit with Kerry and see how well Brady is recovering.
On the way out, I visited briefly with Brian, Tarynn's dad. (On top of the stress of having your newborn undergo open heart surgery, Tarynn's mom, Heidi, is recovering from childbirth and a bout with mastitis, so she was sleeping.) Tarynn is still in the cardiac ICU, but making strides toward getting out on the cardiac floor in the future. I am in awe of Brian and Heidi's strength and courage right now. Tarynn is their second child to undergo open heart surgery as an infant, and in the late spring, their 3-year old is most likely having a second open heart surgery. These last three weeks following Violet's birth have been rough for our family - dealing with the recovery of a C-section, adjustment of bringing the fourth child into our family, extremely sleep-deprived parents, and Jamie, Clare, and Simon are now all battling a bad cold and cough and are usually on the grumpier side (Clare's cold has turned into sinusitis, so she is now on antibiotics, but has not turned the corner yet - which is why Shawn and I are even more sleep-deprived because Jamie is the only child sleeping 12 hours through the night right now!). But everything always gets put into perspective when I see what other parents are going through. I feel as if Brian and Heidi are living my personal nightmare - doing the "heart thing" all over again with another child. I know from experience that you do what you have to do and you get through it, but I don't want to ever have to do it again. I can only imagine how Brian and Heidi feel facing this road for the second time. I hope that we truly are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with Clare, since she has been doing so well for over a year now. She has her next echo in late March/early April, so we continue to look for good news.
In the meantime, we continue to keep Brady and Tarynn and their families in our prayers and that they all get to come home soon!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Friends in the Hospital
I am always constantly thinking and praying when other "heart" friends are in the hospital. This week, we knew of two families whose children underwent open heart surgery. Right now, both kiddos are doing well, but are still at Children's Hospital Boston. (And I am hoping to get down there tomorrow night to visit.) Our thoughts and prayers go out to 3-year old Brady (who has WS) and 1-week old Tarynn and their families for continued recovery and smooth transitions home in the near future.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Bounce You!
What do you do when you have a brand new baby, mom recovering from a C-section, overworked dad, and a 6-year old birthday boy who wants to have his entire kindergarten class at his birthday party? Bounce U, of course!
We usually do our big birthday bashes at our house, complete with fancy, homemade cakes and creative party games, but we were not up to the challenge this year! Jamie was thrilled to have his birthday party at a party facility filled with giant inflatables - slides, bounce houses, and obstacle courses. He invited his class (and all showed minus two!) and we had our family and some family friends as well. Jamie had a blast, as did all the kids and even the adults! (I won't post the pics of Shawn going down
the big slide!) Even Clare and Simon loved bouncing and were non-stop the entire time. It was a fabulous birthday party!
the big slide!) Even Clare and Simon loved bouncing and were non-stop the entire time. It was a fabulous birthday party!(I've been trying to upload a video taken at Bounce U, but Blogger has not been cooperative. I will keep on trying!)
Friday, February 06, 2009
Monarch Time
Jamie loves our local minor-league hockey team, the Manchester Monarchs. For his birthday, we bought him his first real jersey (as in it cost three figures!!!), since he has been begging for one for over a year now. The next evening, Shawn took Jamie to a game so he could wear his jersey for the first time. I just thought this photo of Jamie at the game was so adorable! (It's all for you, Auntie Erin!!!)
Two Weeks Already
Violet turned two weeks old this past Wednesday - where has the time gone? Oh, yeah, I've been in bed or laying on the couch... ha ha ha... No, seriously, I am starting to be more and more on my feet. I've even picked Jamie up from school, although Shawn had to put the other three kids in the car for me to get there. I have my check-up with the OB next week, so I am hoping to get the thumbs up to do heavy lifting again - gotta get back to the gym. (That is most definitely a joke!)
Violet had her 2-week visit with the pediatrician today. It was her first visit with our regular doctor. The doctor's goal is for the baby to be back to their birth weight by this visit (Violet was 6 lbs, 7 oz at birth), and she weighed in at 7 lbs, 5 oz today! The one issue he had was with her tongue-tie. He took one look at it and said we should have it clipped soon. Although Violet shows no clinical signs of having complications from her tongue-tie right now (because she obviously is not having any problem with her feeding!), the pediatrician predicts that she will have feeding and/or speech issues in the future due to the severity of the tongue-tie. (Like I mentioned before, Violet's tongue actually forks like a lizard's when she sticks it out because the tie is so prominent.) I have not called the ENT yet (it's been a crazy day), but we are planning on doing so next week. At this young age, Violet can still have the tongue released in the doctor's office with just a local anesthetic. Violet's newborn blood tests have not come back yet (which usually means that all is normal), but we are planning on having her thyroid labs repeated in a few weeks regardless due to Jamie's and Clare's history of congenital hypothyroidism. Hopefully Violet's results will turn out like Simon's and we will have another medication-free baby!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Happy 6th Birthday, Jamie!
Happy Birthday to our six-year old!
Just six short years ago (to the minute since it is 7:42pm right now as I type this - the time of your birth), your birth changed our lives forever. We could never have foreseen the joys, wonders, excitement, (challenges!), and love you have brought into our lives. You were the one who made us parents - what an amazing gift to us.
We love you, Jamie! Happy Birthday!
Just six short years ago (to the minute since it is 7:42pm right now as I type this - the time of your birth), your birth changed our lives forever. We could never have foreseen the joys, wonders, excitement, (challenges!), and love you have brought into our lives. You were the one who made us parents - what an amazing gift to us.
We love you, Jamie! Happy Birthday!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sweet Stuff
More photos of our cutie pie. And, sadly, this is the only photo so far of my four children together (still weird to say that!). We HAVE to get a better photo!
Monday, January 26, 2009
I Feel Pretty
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"I feel pretty... oh so pretty..." that's Violet talking because I most certainly do not feel pretty! I could go on and on about how this recovery is a zillion times harder (because it is), and now I have so much more appreciation for what some of my friends have been through. But the main thing is that Violet is here safe and sound, and we are all enamored with the newest member of our family.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Postpartum Indulgence
It's a new experience to indulge in Percocet and Toblerone chocolate at 2am. One of the perks of a C-section?
We're all doing fairly well right now. My pain meds have been decreased in strength. Although I am much more aware of my incision pain now, it is such a relief to have the IV out of my arm and the epidural catheter out of my back (they leave it in for two days postpartum). I don't like being all doped up, so I am trying to get away with as little pain medication as I can without killing myself. I have gotten so much great advice from all my friends who have gone through this experience - thank you! I need it because I think one of the hardest parts for me about undergoing a C-section was that I had three amazing birth experiences (and as my OB put it, I have a "proven pelvis") and I fully expected Violet's birth to go along the same path. So this came as a huge shock to everyone, OB included. Since Christina is due a few weeks after me, we have been discussing birth plans and labor and delivery options. And C-section never came up because my biggest concern was not being able to handle the pain and have a drug-free birth like I did with Simon. Although labor was not a piece of cake with Simon, the recovery was. Within an hour of giving birth, I was up taking a shower, walking around, doing whatever I wanted. Maybe just a little slower. There is absolutely no "get up and go" now. I have to rely on someone else to even pull up my underwear! But enough about me!
Violet is doing great. I still cannot get over how tiny she is. Everything about her is so delicate. I think Clare has baby dolls bigger than Violet! It's hard to determine who she looks like, too. We catch glimpses of all our other babies in her. I think she is showing signs of a feisty personality, which is the way Jamie was as a baby. Clare slept so much as a newborn because of her heart, and Simon was a very mellow baby for the most part. Jamie, however, stopped acting like a newborn at one week old - very alert and aware and did not sleep, sleep, sleep like most newborns. Yesterday was a rough day for Violet because she was hungry and wanted to nurse all day long, but my milk had not come in yet. We had a day like this with newborn Jamie, too. (And I can remember my dad spending most of the day rocking Jamie.) I nursed Violet as often as she wanted (even if she's not getting much, it stimulates the milk production and can speed up the process), but eventually started to get very sore. Violet spent most of the day crying or trying to fall asleep, but I think the baby was just so hungry. By Baby #4, I have learned that sometimes you need to let go of how you think everything should be. I would have been appalled to let the nurse do this with Jamie, but I was more than willing to let our nurse cup-feed Violet half an ounce of formula just to settle her tummy a little bit. She did this once late morning and once late afternoon. Both times, it was enough to allow Violet to feel satisfied, and she would settle down to sleep. (And give us a break!) By the late evening, my milk had started to come in. So now, Violet has had a good night, waking only to nurse then she goes right back to sleep for a couple hours. I am alternating between having her in bed with me and putting her in the bassinet. I know she is happy because she does not mind sleeping in the bassinet.
The ENT did stop by this evening to take a peek in Violet's mouth. She does have a moderate tongue-tie, and he could fix it right away using just a local anesthetic. We talked about Clare and our concerns if we did not have Violet's tongue released. Dr. Z was Clare's former ENT, and he was the one who referred us to Clare's new ENT once we found out she had to have her surgery at a different hospital. Since Violet has no issues latching on and is nursing well, Dr. Z said there was no rush to having the tongue released. He was happy to do it before we left the hospital, but also said we could wait a few months. This would still be early enough to not interfere with eating solids or speech. Then Violet would undergo the same procedure Clare is having done. Although this involves general anesthesia, the recovery is the same, and Dr. Z said it is actually a safer procedure because it is more controlled since the child is not awake at all. Violet would be awake if we did it now, and her only pain relief would be sucrose water or breastfeeding after the procedure. So Shawn and I agreed on a wait-and-see approach for now.
We are planning on being discharged this morning. I am a little nervous about going home because I know I will feel even more helpless in my own home. But I am eager to get home because we have three other little ones who are missing us very much (and can't wait to have their new baby sister at home). Simon has decided that he does like me still, and both times he came to visit in the hospital, spent most of the time snuggled against my side in the hospital bed (and he was actually very good and listened about sitting still and not pushing on Mommy's tummy). Unless she was eating pudding after pudding, Clare was often snuggled on my other side. Jamie is the baby hog and just wanted to hold Violet the whole time. Both of our moms are with the kids right now (Shawn's mom has been with them since Violet's birth), and my mom is staying through the weekend, so we will have some help.
Okay, time to track down my nurse for another Percocet.
We're all doing fairly well right now. My pain meds have been decreased in strength. Although I am much more aware of my incision pain now, it is such a relief to have the IV out of my arm and the epidural catheter out of my back (they leave it in for two days postpartum). I don't like being all doped up, so I am trying to get away with as little pain medication as I can without killing myself. I have gotten so much great advice from all my friends who have gone through this experience - thank you! I need it because I think one of the hardest parts for me about undergoing a C-section was that I had three amazing birth experiences (and as my OB put it, I have a "proven pelvis") and I fully expected Violet's birth to go along the same path. So this came as a huge shock to everyone, OB included. Since Christina is due a few weeks after me, we have been discussing birth plans and labor and delivery options. And C-section never came up because my biggest concern was not being able to handle the pain and have a drug-free birth like I did with Simon. Although labor was not a piece of cake with Simon, the recovery was. Within an hour of giving birth, I was up taking a shower, walking around, doing whatever I wanted. Maybe just a little slower. There is absolutely no "get up and go" now. I have to rely on someone else to even pull up my underwear! But enough about me!
Violet is doing great. I still cannot get over how tiny she is. Everything about her is so delicate. I think Clare has baby dolls bigger than Violet! It's hard to determine who she looks like, too. We catch glimpses of all our other babies in her. I think she is showing signs of a feisty personality, which is the way Jamie was as a baby. Clare slept so much as a newborn because of her heart, and Simon was a very mellow baby for the most part. Jamie, however, stopped acting like a newborn at one week old - very alert and aware and did not sleep, sleep, sleep like most newborns. Yesterday was a rough day for Violet because she was hungry and wanted to nurse all day long, but my milk had not come in yet. We had a day like this with newborn Jamie, too. (And I can remember my dad spending most of the day rocking Jamie.) I nursed Violet as often as she wanted (even if she's not getting much, it stimulates the milk production and can speed up the process), but eventually started to get very sore. Violet spent most of the day crying or trying to fall asleep, but I think the baby was just so hungry. By Baby #4, I have learned that sometimes you need to let go of how you think everything should be. I would have been appalled to let the nurse do this with Jamie, but I was more than willing to let our nurse cup-feed Violet half an ounce of formula just to settle her tummy a little bit. She did this once late morning and once late afternoon. Both times, it was enough to allow Violet to feel satisfied, and she would settle down to sleep. (And give us a break!) By the late evening, my milk had started to come in. So now, Violet has had a good night, waking only to nurse then she goes right back to sleep for a couple hours. I am alternating between having her in bed with me and putting her in the bassinet. I know she is happy because she does not mind sleeping in the bassinet.
The ENT did stop by this evening to take a peek in Violet's mouth. She does have a moderate tongue-tie, and he could fix it right away using just a local anesthetic. We talked about Clare and our concerns if we did not have Violet's tongue released. Dr. Z was Clare's former ENT, and he was the one who referred us to Clare's new ENT once we found out she had to have her surgery at a different hospital. Since Violet has no issues latching on and is nursing well, Dr. Z said there was no rush to having the tongue released. He was happy to do it before we left the hospital, but also said we could wait a few months. This would still be early enough to not interfere with eating solids or speech. Then Violet would undergo the same procedure Clare is having done. Although this involves general anesthesia, the recovery is the same, and Dr. Z said it is actually a safer procedure because it is more controlled since the child is not awake at all. Violet would be awake if we did it now, and her only pain relief would be sucrose water or breastfeeding after the procedure. So Shawn and I agreed on a wait-and-see approach for now.
We are planning on being discharged this morning. I am a little nervous about going home because I know I will feel even more helpless in my own home. But I am eager to get home because we have three other little ones who are missing us very much (and can't wait to have their new baby sister at home). Simon has decided that he does like me still, and both times he came to visit in the hospital, spent most of the time snuggled against my side in the hospital bed (and he was actually very good and listened about sitting still and not pushing on Mommy's tummy). Unless she was eating pudding after pudding, Clare was often snuggled on my other side. Jamie is the baby hog and just wanted to hold Violet the whole time. Both of our moms are with the kids right now (Shawn's mom has been with them since Violet's birth), and my mom is staying through the weekend, so we will have some help.
Okay, time to track down my nurse for another Percocet.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Arrival
Okay, I am kicking Shawn off blogger now. It is 2:20 am, and I am surprisingly more energized now that I had about 45 minutes of sleep!
Violet's labor and delivery was nothing like I expected at all. I would never have predicted that it would end in a C-section. We arrived at the hospital at 7am, and I was at 2 cm and 50% effaced. Because I am a carrier of the Group B strep infection, the first order of business was putting in an IV and getting some antibiotics in my system. About two hours later, they started my Pitocin to get the contractions going stronger and longer. Then Dr. B broke my water. By this time, I was at 3 cm and that's when the real fun began.
From the beginning, Violet was not happy with labor. At first her heart rate would go down with each contraction (below 100), then it started taking longer and longer for the heart rate to go back up. Dr. B thought Violet might be laying on her umbilical cord and compressing it with each contraction, so we tried various positions to get Violet off the cord. When that did not work, Dr. B started an amnio infusion, which means that she inserted a catheter into my uterus and started to put fluid back into the uterus. This provided more cushion for Violet, and her heart rate began to improve. At the same time, a pressure catheter was inserted to accurately monitor the strength of each contraction. This worked for a bit, and I dilated another centimeter to 4 cm. Then, once again, Violet's heart rate was acting up again. This time, not only did she have decelerations with each contraction, but in between, she became tachycardiac, and her heart rate would go up into the 180's. So this time, Dr. B inserted an internal fetal monitor to keep an exact eye on Violet's heart rate. By now, I had tubes and wires everywhere. It was becoming quite clear that my "natural" birth was going to be anything but. I was not allowed to labor in the tub or on the birthing ball. I was confined to the bed (which is exactly what I didn't want!).
Dr. B explained up front that if they could not get Violet's heart rate under control, then I would have to deliver by C-section. Definitely NOT in my birth plan, so I was willing to try anything. I spent over an hour on my hands and knees on the bed with the addition of giving me oxygen via mask to see how that would improve Violet's heart rate. Now after 10 hours of doing various things, I was still only at 4cm, and Violet really was not happy in any position. I had told Dr. B that I would stay on my hands and knees for hours and deliver that way, if I had to. But by now Shawn and I realized that a C-section was looking like the best option. After all, Violet's health and safety came first, no matter how the delivery went.
At 5 pm, we agreed to the C-section, and everything proceeded rapidly from there. I admit to being extremely nervous about this great unknown. Dr. B explained the procedure and recovery thoroughly (I love my OB and trust her implicitly - she has delivered all four of my children now). We joked about how I was going to have all the birth experiences possible, and now if I ever did have a fifth child, I could even experience a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean). Getting an epidural while in very little discomfort was also a new, unpleasant experience, but the anesthesiologist was wonderful. Very encouraging and supportive and kept me updated the whole time we were in the operating room. I know Shawn was very anxious as well, but he was strong and brave for my sake! (Thank you, honey, I love you!) The C-section was underway, and Violet Grace was born at 5:42 pm. Although it is still surreal to me that I actually underwent a C-section, when Violet was brought out of me, and I heard that first cry, that was as real as my other births. I cried and thanked God that she was finally here.
We are surprised at what a peanut she is - weighing in at barely 6 lbs, 7 oz. (she was technically 6 lbs, 6.5 oz) and measuring 18 inches long, she is smaller than Clare was at birth! (Who was 6 lbs, 8 oz and 20".) About an hour after birth, Violet's heart and respiratory rates were still high, and she was cold (her feet and hands were blue). That resolved over the next couple hours. Violet did have the cord wrapped around her body twice (and I think once around her neck), which explains her decelerations. Dr. B believes that there was no way Violet would have delivered vaginally because of this. So I am thankful we made the decision to have a C-section before I endured hours more of labor (especially on my hands and knees). This way, I do have a C-section recovery ahead of me, but I am not recovering from hard labor and pushing as well. Dr. B hypothesizes that the stress of labor at least contributed to the tachycardia, but is having my placenta tested as well to rule out any infection. We, of course, have asked over and over, and Violet has no heart murmur (not that I was expecting one, but you never know!).
Right now, I am extremely tender and starting to feel the soreness of the incision. The epidural will remain in my spine for a couple days, and I am receiving pain relief through that. I have developed the "itchies" (which, to me, feels worse than the incision right now) and have received a shot for that. I don't know what to expect from the recovery, but so far, it is all new. Not too bad yet, but everyone keeps telling me, "Just wait." Great!
Violet is in the nursery having her hearing test done, and I miss her already. A mommy's pride, but she is the most beautiful baby. She has dark hair, but not as much as the other three did. She looks like a mix of Jamie, Clare, and Simon - it's so amazing! And I couldn't believe it when Shawn told me she is tongue-tied as well. The pediatrician will look at her later today, but from what I can see, it actually looks like a worse tongue-tie than Clare's, and her tongue may actually fork like a lizard's when she sticks it out because the tie is all the way to the front of her mouth. Thankfully, this should be a simple procedure if she needs it released, since Violet does not have Clare's medical history. But, for right now, Violet is already nursing like a pro and prefers being in bed with me.
I am still in awe that our baby girl is actually here and in our arms. One of the benefits of the C-section was that my sister-in-law was able to bring the kids to the hospital an hour after Violet's birth so they could meet her. Already, Jamie cannot get enough of her and wanted to just sit and hold her. Clare was eager to meet Violet, too. She has not gotten to hold her yet because she was also so excited to see me. Simon, however, wanted nothing to do with me and clung to Auntie Becky. I have a feeling we're going to have a little bit of a rough adjustment down that road. Especially since I have an incision now and won't be able to do all Simon will want me to do.
We will definitely be in the hospital into the weekend now. Shawn is going to download the photos off the camera later (since it is 2 am, and he is actually sleeping), so I will post more photos! Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. We are ecstatic that Violet Grace has finally arrived, safe and sound.
Violet's labor and delivery was nothing like I expected at all. I would never have predicted that it would end in a C-section. We arrived at the hospital at 7am, and I was at 2 cm and 50% effaced. Because I am a carrier of the Group B strep infection, the first order of business was putting in an IV and getting some antibiotics in my system. About two hours later, they started my Pitocin to get the contractions going stronger and longer. Then Dr. B broke my water. By this time, I was at 3 cm and that's when the real fun began.
From the beginning, Violet was not happy with labor. At first her heart rate would go down with each contraction (below 100), then it started taking longer and longer for the heart rate to go back up. Dr. B thought Violet might be laying on her umbilical cord and compressing it with each contraction, so we tried various positions to get Violet off the cord. When that did not work, Dr. B started an amnio infusion, which means that she inserted a catheter into my uterus and started to put fluid back into the uterus. This provided more cushion for Violet, and her heart rate began to improve. At the same time, a pressure catheter was inserted to accurately monitor the strength of each contraction. This worked for a bit, and I dilated another centimeter to 4 cm. Then, once again, Violet's heart rate was acting up again. This time, not only did she have decelerations with each contraction, but in between, she became tachycardiac, and her heart rate would go up into the 180's. So this time, Dr. B inserted an internal fetal monitor to keep an exact eye on Violet's heart rate. By now, I had tubes and wires everywhere. It was becoming quite clear that my "natural" birth was going to be anything but. I was not allowed to labor in the tub or on the birthing ball. I was confined to the bed (which is exactly what I didn't want!).
Dr. B explained up front that if they could not get Violet's heart rate under control, then I would have to deliver by C-section. Definitely NOT in my birth plan, so I was willing to try anything. I spent over an hour on my hands and knees on the bed with the addition of giving me oxygen via mask to see how that would improve Violet's heart rate. Now after 10 hours of doing various things, I was still only at 4cm, and Violet really was not happy in any position. I had told Dr. B that I would stay on my hands and knees for hours and deliver that way, if I had to. But by now Shawn and I realized that a C-section was looking like the best option. After all, Violet's health and safety came first, no matter how the delivery went.
At 5 pm, we agreed to the C-section, and everything proceeded rapidly from there. I admit to being extremely nervous about this great unknown. Dr. B explained the procedure and recovery thoroughly (I love my OB and trust her implicitly - she has delivered all four of my children now). We joked about how I was going to have all the birth experiences possible, and now if I ever did have a fifth child, I could even experience a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean). Getting an epidural while in very little discomfort was also a new, unpleasant experience, but the anesthesiologist was wonderful. Very encouraging and supportive and kept me updated the whole time we were in the operating room. I know Shawn was very anxious as well, but he was strong and brave for my sake! (Thank you, honey, I love you!) The C-section was underway, and Violet Grace was born at 5:42 pm. Although it is still surreal to me that I actually underwent a C-section, when Violet was brought out of me, and I heard that first cry, that was as real as my other births. I cried and thanked God that she was finally here.
We are surprised at what a peanut she is - weighing in at barely 6 lbs, 7 oz. (she was technically 6 lbs, 6.5 oz) and measuring 18 inches long, she is smaller than Clare was at birth! (Who was 6 lbs, 8 oz and 20".) About an hour after birth, Violet's heart and respiratory rates were still high, and she was cold (her feet and hands were blue). That resolved over the next couple hours. Violet did have the cord wrapped around her body twice (and I think once around her neck), which explains her decelerations. Dr. B believes that there was no way Violet would have delivered vaginally because of this. So I am thankful we made the decision to have a C-section before I endured hours more of labor (especially on my hands and knees). This way, I do have a C-section recovery ahead of me, but I am not recovering from hard labor and pushing as well. Dr. B hypothesizes that the stress of labor at least contributed to the tachycardia, but is having my placenta tested as well to rule out any infection. We, of course, have asked over and over, and Violet has no heart murmur (not that I was expecting one, but you never know!).
Right now, I am extremely tender and starting to feel the soreness of the incision. The epidural will remain in my spine for a couple days, and I am receiving pain relief through that. I have developed the "itchies" (which, to me, feels worse than the incision right now) and have received a shot for that. I don't know what to expect from the recovery, but so far, it is all new. Not too bad yet, but everyone keeps telling me, "Just wait." Great!
Violet is in the nursery having her hearing test done, and I miss her already. A mommy's pride, but she is the most beautiful baby. She has dark hair, but not as much as the other three did. She looks like a mix of Jamie, Clare, and Simon - it's so amazing! And I couldn't believe it when Shawn told me she is tongue-tied as well. The pediatrician will look at her later today, but from what I can see, it actually looks like a worse tongue-tie than Clare's, and her tongue may actually fork like a lizard's when she sticks it out because the tie is all the way to the front of her mouth. Thankfully, this should be a simple procedure if she needs it released, since Violet does not have Clare's medical history. But, for right now, Violet is already nursing like a pro and prefers being in bed with me.
I am still in awe that our baby girl is actually here and in our arms. One of the benefits of the C-section was that my sister-in-law was able to bring the kids to the hospital an hour after Violet's birth so they could meet her. Already, Jamie cannot get enough of her and wanted to just sit and hold her. Clare was eager to meet Violet, too. She has not gotten to hold her yet because she was also so excited to see me. Simon, however, wanted nothing to do with me and clung to Auntie Becky. I have a feeling we're going to have a little bit of a rough adjustment down that road. Especially since I have an incision now and won't be able to do all Simon will want me to do.
We will definitely be in the hospital into the weekend now. Shawn is going to download the photos off the camera later (since it is 2 am, and he is actually sleeping), so I will post more photos! Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. We are ecstatic that Violet Grace has finally arrived, safe and sound.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Introducing Violet Grace
S~I planned to do a little more updating, but things got a little crazy. So I am going to keep this short because we are all a little exhausted. Violet Grace was born today at 5:42pm by Cesarean section. The reason for the C-section is apparently Violet likes gymnastics and was doing some tumbling in the womb. She ended up wrapping the umbilical cord around herself twice. After 10 hours of trying with many issues with her heart rate, the C-section was declared. So here is Violet Grace, weighing in at 6 lbs 7 oz and a whopping 18 inches tall (she is our peanut!). And as you can see, just a little hair. Well, that's it for now with a promise to do more tomorrow. Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes!
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