Tuesday, May 27, 2008

What a difference a week makes...

Hello!! :) Surprised to see me?!?! LOL :) I was sure I wouldn't be able to blog until this boy was 1 year old!! LOL

So, the new addition to our family {finally} arrived last Monday!! Thank you, Missy, for letting everyone know the details!! You were a great reporter!! :) And, thank you for visiting Eli's website!! :)

I can't believe he's here!! He was a BIG boy & I was pretty uncomfortable there at the end, and after the final push (I'll go more into that...not THAT into that, though hehehe, in a minute), I was talking to Dr. H & said that my sister who had the C-section asked me what it felt like to push a baby out (hehehe) & I told her it was the best feeling of relief EVER!! LOL Dr. H agreed & said she remembers that with her babies & that even the afterbirth (sorry if that's too graphic for you) was even more so...Anyways, amazing what kind of conversations you have with your OBGYN while she's still working on you!! LOL

Anyways, here's how it all went down :) LOL

6:15a.m. Steve & I arrived at the hospital (yes, 15minutes late...what can I say?)

6:30ish Pitocin drip started...WiCkEd stuff, man...

7:00ish Pitocin is definately working...

8:00ish Yeah, where's that epidural?!?! LOL

9:ooish FEELING GOOD!! :) Epidural's in!! :) I'm dialated to 4cm!! (from 2.5 when I came in at 6)

10:00ish Still laboring...The pitocin's working, and the gang's all there...Mom, Dad & Chelle were there after Dad's car was forced into the Krispie Kreme drive-thru...Abbey & The Inlaws arrive shortly after.

11:00ish Still laboring...Dad, FIL, BIL, and Abbey leave the room every time the nurse comes in!! LOL

12:00ish A "Check" tells us we're at 5cm!!

12:15ish Eli's heart rate starts dipping at the end of every contraction & nurse does another check...We jumped from 5cm to 7cm in 15minutes!! YIKES!! There's some information lost in translation between my nurse & Dr. H (apparently there was a language barrier), and pitocin is stopped for a bit to let baby destress...

1:00ish Dr. H comes in & is upset with the nurse because she didn't get the right message...says we could've been done by now!! LOL :) They restart the pitocin, and with Dr. H just right outside things progress quickly again...

2:00ish My nurse (who is pregnant, btw) is forced by the other nurses to take a lunch, they start getting things ready for me to push...

2:20p.m. PUUUUUUSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! Steve is threatened within an inch of his life to count to ten every time I push...

2:45p.m. I'm pushing but can tell that there's something going on with the baby...Dr. H is VERY focused on "things." I vaguely remember hearing something about the umbilical cord...

2:50p.m. Dr. H says, "You're gonna have to deliver through it..." HUH?!?! I believe that's what I've BEEN doing!! LOL One final push & Eli Jacob Lee enters the world!! Dr. H placed him right on my belly, just like in A Baby Story (she didn't do that with Abbey because she came out "sunny side up" & the nurses needed to check her right away...) Anyways, there was my precious baby boy, screaming his head off & all gross with that "stuff" on him!! :) What an amazing miracle!! :) There's not a more miraculous sight, I've gotta tell you...

Now, you know that my inlaws were here & surely you know that I've left out some of THAT part of the drama...but I'll get to that :)

My MIL is a nurse... An OB nurse, and she's been an OB nurse for over 30 years, so I'm sure she's got a wealth of knowledge...Do you know why I'm sure? Because she never seems to waste a moment to remind us all that she's been an OB nurse for over 30 years & doesn't hesitate to share some fact or use OB nurse mumbo jumbo that nobody but an OB nurse would understand while explaining things to you...

But there was not a breast yanked out of a hospital gown without permission this time...So, maybe she's learning?

There were a few issues, though...And I was VERY proud of my husband for standing up for me to her...I believe Steve had told her to video a few things for us, and that was fine...I believe she understood I did not want a documentary version video, or any of the pushing, for that matter, but some before, and some after would be just fine, thank you!! :) So, towards the end I started feeling "pressure" & was starting to get uncomfortable, even with the epidural...So uncomfortable that I was starting to breath through the contractions again, but because of the need to push, not the pain of contractions...There is a misconception about epidurals that they take away ALL the pain...that is false...ANYWAYS, MIL got out the video camera during one of these moments & starts narrarating my "progress" to the camera, and I look at her & Steve & said, "Uh, no!" I wasn't going to go into it, because I was trying to breath through that stuff, so there wasn't much breath left over to say, "TURN THE HONKEN CAMERA OFF YOU CRAZY LADY!!" But, when Steve saw what she was doing he said, "Mom, turn the camera off." She says, "I won't get any of the [nurse jargon here that means documentary video]." "Mom, turn it off!" Then, my very tightly wound husband took a few deep breaths & says, "Mom, let's get a cup of water," and leaves the room to tell her that I probably didn't want to be taped because of how uncomfortable I was. When he told me that my jaw dropped!! LOL :) I hadn't told him why, but that was EXACTLY why!! I do not get excited about seeing myself in paint, thank you!! LOL Or, anyone else seeing, either!! But, she did pout the rest of the day, I think, at least that was my perception. But, that didn't completely stop her the rest of the week...but that's another blog entry!! :)

I felt AWESOME Monday evening & Tuesday & Wednesday...We came home Wednesday & that night we had the inlaws & my family over for burgers & dogs & watched the AI finale...It was a pretty good one...It was a little awkward in spots, though, because the inlaws (at least his mom & dad) don't watch AI (I KNOW!! Who doesn't watch AI?!?! LOL) and MIL kept asking questions & made this comment, "Oh, so they're just trying to sell [fill in the blank]." My Mom says, "Isn't that what all TV shows do?" Again, MIL didn't say much after that...that's her way of pouting...

Thursday I was feeling a little more achy & tired (duh, I'd just spent the first night at home with a baby & a big girl!!), and Friday Eli had his first meeting with Dr. Matt!! He was already past his birth weight!! Which means that we can let him go a little longer between feedings during the night!! :) YAHOO!! :) (I was waking him up during the night to feed him every 3 hours, because I wasn't sure if it was OK to go longer than that...) Saturday & Sunday I was tired, too, and achy & sore...Yesterday wasn't too bad, but I think I definately over-did it last week in the beginning...I just felt so much better than I had in a long time, I didn't think about it...

Last night I was an emotional wreck...HORMONES GONE CRAZY!! I just started thinking that tomorrow (today) would be my first day with both the kiddos by myself because Steve went back to work today. I was just dreading last night's feedings & today's "activities." But, things went just fine, mostly, and Abbey was really good, and Baby Boy did alright, too :)

Alright, duty calls...Steve needs to get online & I need to get Abbey into her jammies after her bath :) Love you all & thank you so much for your prayers!! Things went so well at the hospital & after today I know that I am capable of being home by myself with the 2 of them...I know that not every day will be easy, and tomorrow may be a totally different story, but I needed today...

Okay, seriously...LOVE YOU ALL!! :)

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Last Post for a few days...

Well, I go in tomorrow VERY EARLY (6a.m. we have to BE there), and I will be holding my baby boy in my arms instead of on my bladder at LEAST by tomorrow night!! LOL :) Hopefully sooner!! :)

My inlaws are enroute as we speak (although, they didn't leave until 11:30ish instead of 10a.m. as they had planned...I can't say much about that since we do that with just about every big trip we take...) But, they will be here sometime tonight. We have a 30th birthday party (not mine!! LOL) scheduled tonight at a skating rink (COOL!! oh, wait...I don't think I'll be strapping on any skates tonight...) but we'll see how it goes...I might just take it easy tonight, we'll see...

Yesterday was an interesting day. I had a wedding shower to go to (it's really been a long time since I've been to a wedding shower!! Most of my friends have already had their 2nd Baby shower by now!! HAHA), but this was for a cousin & his bride-to-be, and they're a bit younger than I am!! :) SO, that was fun...Abbey & I picked Mom up & headed over there, then afterwards did some last-minute running around (I needed one more "leisure" outfit for the hospital, and Mom wanted to get this cool drink jug thing from Sam's Club (It is REALLY cool...she says she's throwing out her punch fountain because it's junk...it only worked, like, 2-3 times...but this thing is really pretty & has one of those spouty-things at the bottom...anyways...). So, we "ran" around & did that, then dropped Mom back off at her house & Abbey & I went home for a little while (so she could "rest" & I could clean the kitchen...or so I thought...

So, we got home, and of course, Abbey zonked out on the way home...Well, as soon as I picked her up to carry her inside she woke up & got her second wind...then I saw what my husband had been up to all day while we were gone...I have never been so mad in all my life...He was trying to do the "deep" cleaning (as I would say) without sorting through the "junk" laying on top!! I was livid!! Seriously, I was just so disappointed & overwhelmed, because usually when we leave like that & he's home to work at his stuff you can tell he's done something other than move the loveseat into the kitchen...But NOTHING was put away that was on the loveseat, and even though he'd done 2 loads of laundry, they were piled on top of the big couch...Now, this wouldn't be so bad, except that Chelle & I had just worked in the living room really hard, and I was planning to straighten the kitchen up, only to find that I couldn't get INTO the kitchen...and I'm 9 mos pregnant, people!! Do I really need to make excuses for my fluctuating hormones?!?!?! Let me hear the pregnant women say "Amen!" lol Anyways, that, and it just didn't look like he'd done a daggone thing in the 5 hours we were gone...and his parents coming in 24 hours...ARGH!!! Yeah, we might've had a loud "discussion." Okay, very loud, because I am a yeller... That is one thing I don't share with you, Brain Twin!! LOL :)

Anyways, after I calmed down (which took a while, btw) and apologized to Abbey for the ugly display her parents didn't hide very well (we tried going to our room with the door closed, but she still heard us...), we were off to Fazoli's to meet Mom & Dad so they could watch Abbey for us while we went to Candlelight (which was AWESOME, btw!!), and we talked a LOT more calmly & "made up" (minds out of the gutter, people, we were in the van!! LOL) & even prayed together (okay, so it was over dinner, but we held hands, still), I think because we were going to Candlelight...and I needed that last night...It helped to really make me see clearer & see that, while it's OK to get mad, we all get mad, my behavior was petty & yes, childish...Hormones or not...but, anyways..."He's still workin' on me...to make me what I ought to be..."

I get so frustrated with myself AFTER I react like that...I am SO not proud of that...I'm sharing this ugliness because I know we all have moments we're not proud of, and I just wanna be real...I'm gonna fail, repeatedly, this side of heaven, and that probably won't be the last time I react like that...but hopefully these incidents will get further & farther apart, and not as loud (lol) as the time before...

SO, glad I shared that...Steve just walked in & was reading over my shoulder & asked, "Why do you have to share our fights?!?!" I hope he reads the above paragraph someday...

Love you all & hope I haven't made anyone uncomfortable!! LOL :) We're doing better today, and just need to do those little things you do before "company" comes :)...I'm sure Missy will share pictures of Eli tomorrow as soon as she can!! :)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

JUST A FLY-BY!! :)

Hey, there!! :) Well, I had my appointment with Dr. H this past Monday, and I was dialated to 1!! LOL :) So, she said if I wanted, we could induce me on Monday the 19th!! I said, very quickly, "YES!!!!!!" So, we will have a Baby Boy this coming Monday!! :) I'm excited!! :) I'm just hoping & praying that everything goes as smoothly as things did with Abbey...

Steve's parents (and brother, of course...) are coming on Sunday night, and staying through 'til Thursday. They're staying in a hotel close by, though, so that's less weight off my mind...I could only imagine what my house would look like if bil stayed here without me to stay on him to pick up his dirty socks in the middle of the floor...it will still be crowded with their stuff, regardless, though...They are paper & other junk bringing kind of people...See, you can really tell I'm 9mos pregnant!! LOL :)

Chelle's been a MAJOR help to me this week...I think I would go insane if she weren't here to help, and she's just been great...My husband seems to be stuck in an "everything will get done" mode, yet he is Mr. Major Procrastinator, and it's driving me insane...

But, anyways, things will, eventually, get done...and there may just be a point where we call it "done" whether or not it is!! LOL :)

I'd better go...Abbey's throwing a GINORMOUS fit right now because I wouldn't change the channel to one of "her shows." She also had a sucker in her mouth (with permission) and was whining with it in her mouth & I made her throw it away because she was whining...THEN, she proceeds to scream a blood-curdling scream at me because she was mad...so, now I'm waiting for her to calm down in her room (with her door closed, because that works with her), and can talk to her about her behavior...and I'm thinking she doesn't get to watch any more TV today...we'll see...

Love you all!! Talk to ya later!! :)

Thursday, May 08, 2008

I come to you, Journal Goddesses, another year older...and it was a big one...but I won't go on about that!! LOL :) Let me just say, I don't recommend being pregnant during your birthday...I squwalled all day...not about anything in particular, but once Abbey said, "Here comes the crying again," and shook her head at me...LOL

We went out for dinner with Mom & Dad & Matt & Chelle (& Katie & Abbey, too!!). We went to Logan's, and I didn't check my sugar after I ate!! LOL I'm such a rebel!! LOL I also had TWO pieces of cake!! LOL :) My sugar levels were fine in the morning :)

I am SO ready for this baby to be here...Well, in ways, mainly physical, I'm ready for Baby Boy to be here...We still need to set up his room (we're waiting on his new crib to arrive!! Sears had a great deal on one that was exactly what I was looking for!! :)), and we still need a changing table, but we're getting there with his room...Once the furniture is in everything else will fall into place, ya know? So, hopefully this weekend, early part of next week, we'll have his room finished, and the rest of the house? We're getting there....Chelle came over today to help me clean out/re-organize my 2 front closets (a coat closet gone awry & my pantry closet), and now my scrapbooking stuff has a home instead of being out in the middle of the floor!! :) That is SO nice, and takes away some of the overwhelming feelings I've been struggling with...I didn't realize how much that stuff was bothering me...

Our room's still a work in progress...Hopefully it will be "done" this week...And, by "done" I mean clean...Steve's job is to get all his paper junk out of here & to make room for the port-a-crib for Baby Boy's first few nights home. I'd also like to get a few of the things I've bought for the redecorating of our room out, including the beautiful quilt & shams that Mom bought me for Christmas from Lil' Dolly's over a year ago!! I need to get a new bedskirt for that, too...Curtains DEFINATELY need to be replaced, but that's gonna have to wait for now...Oh, and not just curtains, but a new curtain rod, too...

See why I've been feeling overwhelmed? One thing just leads to another & I start to think bigger than I've got time for!! LOL :) But, we'll get there.

I've been obsessed with Designed to Sell lately, and that probably doesn't help!! LOL :) I'd love to repaint the living room & halways a lighter more neutral beige color (more appealing to a wider buyer market, and with so much dark color on the walls our living room can feel cave-like at times...), but that's definately gonna have to wait until Baby Boy's a little older...

I think we're narrowing down on a name...Nothing set in stone, yet, but we're getting there. I hope to have him named before he comes...Abbey knew & responded to her name already by this point!! LOL :) j/k Poor baby...

Okay, I'd better get back to work...I'm feeling inspired to clean/declutter more in the living room...Oh, the Vietnam Vets are loving our house right now!! :) We have them come by picking up stuff once a week/every other week!! LOL :) They didn't come this week, though, when they were scheduled...

Okay, I'm starting to just ramble...I love you guys & lurk even when I don't post a comment...I don't know what I'd do some days without checking on my Journal Goddesses!! :)