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Saturday, June 20, 2009

More of Luke


Luke is such a good baby! I feel so lucky! He eats, sleeps and poops. I hardly hear a cry out of him except for if he is really hungry. He nurses like a champ and seems so chill. I love him so much! Andrew seems to like him a lot too. He is always concerned about where the baby is and when he first wakes up now he asks for the baby. I hope it stays that way! I am feeling stronger and stronger everyday. I can't quite lift Drew yet so that is frustrating, but I feel like the recovery isn't quite as bad as my last C-section. I can't wait to feel all better so I can start exercising and lose this baby weight! UGH!

Good thing these little angels are worth the trouble.

Monday, June 15, 2009

2 for 2

Well it is official... I am now 2 for 2 as far as not-so-fun birthing experiences go. If you want to refresh yourself, you can read about Drew's birth here.

So let me tell you the story of my darling little Luke, born June 11, 2009, at 11:15 p.m.




This is a long one!

Compared to my pregnancy with Drew, this pregnancy was a breeze! I swear with Andrew I was calling my Dr. every week with some new worry, where as this time around I maybe went in once unscheduled, and called twice with a question. It was a completely different experience and thankfully none of the problems that I had last time came up this pregnancy. I was so thankful for that!

About halfway through this pregnancy I decided that I for sure wanted to try a VBAC. An automatic repeat C-section just didn't sound good to me. My first experience with a C-section was terrible and so it really scared me to think of going through all of that again. I would think about it and just cry because it terrified me so! I just wanted to have a normal vaginal birth, especially for an easier recovery as well! So I found a great Dr. here in Vegas who has a lot of success with VBACs. I felt very comfortable with him and was so excited about the prospect of a vaginal delivery! Plus, I had two friends who had just had successful VBACs with the same Dr. in the last few months. I felt so good about it!

Anyway the labor part was seriously not all that bad. I had a foley balloon catheter inserted the day before and so when I went into the hospital I was already dialated 4 cm. with very little pain! (except for when the freakin nurse with the tiny hands had to check me and couldn't find my cervix and basically shoved her entire fist up my hoo-haa. Oh I wanted to knock her out!) So they got me started with a tiny bit of pitocin (very low dose to keep things safe and controlled) to get things moving. I started having some pretty good contractions but nothing I couldn't handle. I felt pretty good! When the nurse checked me again the baby had dropped a bit more and I was at 5 cm. The contractions were coming stronger and stronger and more painful at this point so I decided it was epidural time. Unlike my experience in Oregon, the epidural worked this time! HOORAY! I was so happy and relaxed! The only annoying thing is feeling like my legs weighed 1000 lbs each. I hate that tingling weird sensation!

After the epidural, they broke my water and I started progressing very quickly. The baby was doing great this whole time! I was so happy about that. He seemed to be taking the contractions very well. I was finally at 10 cm at around 8:30 p.m. The nurse told me we were going to do some "practice" pushing so she shut my epidural off and my Mom and Raleigh held a leg and there I went pushing my little heart out. No one ever told me what hard work that is! Holy crap I was exhausted!!

After a half hour of pushing with the nurse the Dr. came in to check on how things were going. They pulled in a table and a big light and a few more nurses came in, and I was thinking this is it! I am going to do it! So the Dr. sat there and tried to help the baby out. I was pushing so hard I was sure I was going to rupture a blood vessel in my face or something. It was hard!

After another hour of pushing like this and trying new positions the baby's head would just not come down past my pelvic bone. This really surprised me, because it is not like I am a tiny person! For some reason I just could not push him into position. By this time I was starting to get discouraged. Then Luke's heart rate dropped a few times. Not too badly, but enough to bother the Dr. a bit. The scarier thing though was that I had started bleeding quite a lot. I of course had no idea what was going on down there, but my Mom could tell the Dr. was getting worried. The most worrysome part for me was that I started having some serious pain in my previous incision site. It was progressively getting worse with each contraction/pushing session. Taking all of these things into consideration (I had been pushing for nearly 2 hours by this time)along with another heart decel by the baby, and the Dr. decided enough was enough.

Time for another freakin C-section.

I bawled and bawled because I was so disappointed, but at the same time I knew it was the right decision. I just thought for sure after getting that far that I would be successful! I guess it just wasn't meant to be though. They wheeled me into the O.R., Raleigh put on his scrubs and sat by my side (and watched me turn my head and puke over and over on the operating table - good man, that Raleigh) the anasthesiologist made sure I was numb and that was it. They started cutting. After only a few minutes I heard the best noise in the world -

Little Luke's first cry! He sounded so good. The dr. showed him to us before he handed him off to the nurses and Raleigh and I just both looked at each other and it was instant love for each of us for this little baby. He is so precious!

It isn't quite the recovery that I had hoped for or anticipated, but that's ok. I know I will survive.

So I may be 2 for 2 on crappy deliveries, but I am also 2 for 2 as far as adorable little boys go. :)


Luke Michael is here, safe and sound. He is beautiful and healthy. and THAT is what matters most.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

36 weeks 6 days


This day in pregnancy is significant to me because on this day in my previous pregnancy I was in the hospital giving birth! It is just crazy to think that I didn't carry Drew further than this. Poor little guy. Although I was happy to get him out at that time, I wish things would have been more normal and that he could have "cooked" a little longer.


I was so paranoid last night thinking about today that I went to Albertson's this morning and checked my blood pressure on their little machine. Thankfully it was normal. I guess I just keep expecting something to go wrong with this pregnancy and it is so weird that it has been smooth sailing so far! I am so thankful that it has been so much easier this time around and that the little guy seems to be doing well and that my body has yet to go crazy. Two weeks from tomorrow I will be seeing his little face for the first time. I can't freakin wait!!

(Yes, I can't believe I am posting another pregnancy picture. If you were around me when I was pregnant with Andrew, you know that if I ever saw a picture of myself during that time I usually broke down and had a good cry! Well I guess this time I am just embracing it more, I mean yeah I am huge. But what can I do?! And I will only allow side profile pictures from far away. )

Friday, May 22, 2009

Movin on up like George & Louisy

Hello my private readers! Are any of you bothering to sign in?

now that my blog is private I think I can tell you our latest news without getting a talking to from the husband...

I'm pregnant!

oops, you already know that.

No seriously, the happy news is that Raleigh found a job!

WAHOOOOO!!

Currently he has been doing a clerkship for a Judge downtown but that ends in August so we have been searching and applying to firms since about February. As all of you know, this job market sucks bad, so it was getting pretty scary there for a while. We kept hearing of firms laying attorneys off and he had a couple of interviews that went well but then the firm decided it wasn't hiring, etc. We were thinking we might have to move back to Utah and live in someone's basement or something if worse came to worse!

Thankfully he got an offer a couple weeks ago from a great firm that he is excited about working for. I can't tell you what a relief this is! I am so proud of my husband and happy that he was able to find something.

So it looks like we will definitely be residing in Vegas for quite a few more years. Which is fine by me because I love it here! (although check back with me in a few weeks when we get into the 100's again. I might change my mind. )

P.S. Did my title put "Getting jiggy with it" in your heads? Teish? Remember dancing to that one ALL THE TIME?!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Pedi's and Pazookies

I just have to write a quick post about how nice my friends are!


On Saturday night I was picked up by my friend Susanna who casually had suggested earlier in the week that we go get a pedicure together. She was very adamant that it be Saturday at 6 p.m., but I didn't really get suspicious until she brought her kids over for Raleigh to watch for a few minutes and Raleigh didn't act put out about it (meaning he knew beforehand).


Anyway we got to the Pedi place and when I walked in there were 4 of my other friends already sitting there!! It was so much fun to sit and chat and be pampered together! They also bought me a huge case of diapers and wipes (YAHOO!!)



Here are our pretty feet:

I'll give you a hint - mine is the one with the FREAKISHLY small pinkie toe.









After the pedicure they took me out to BJ's for some yummy appetizers and a pazookie. Oh how I love the pazookie! For those of you who haven't had one - it is a delicious cookie fresh out of the oven with ice cream on top. SO GOOD.




Anyway it was just such a fun surprise to have a girl's night like that before I have this baby. This last month has been brutal and I am so ready to be done!

Just a little update on the little fetcher and his birth - I have decided to for sure to go ahead and try a vaginal birth this time. I found a great Dr. and I am really excited about it. I am getting induced on June 12th - so hopefully all goes well! Only a little over 3 1/2 weeks left. YAH!

Monday, May 04, 2009

Sleeping with the Enemy

Sleeping for me lately has been a HUGE challenge. It seems like every night is a struggle lately - and I am not even taking naps during the day (well usually not). After careful consideration I have put together a list of possible reasons for my insomnia:

Suspect #1:

Raleigh (aliases include: the husband, hubs, Ralz, jerkface, etc). Has been known to fall asleep AS SOON AS head hits the pillow. Tends to snore quite loudly, especially when the wife is about to fall asleep. Also likes to roll over into wife's territory while messing up the covers at the same time.




Suspect #2:


Andrew (aliases include: Drew, the Drewster, little monster, little guy, etc). Usually a solid night sleeper, but has been known to cry out a time or two, especially when sick or teething.







Suspect #3:

Little Fetcher. Enjoys having dance parties in Mommy's tummy especially when she is trying to go to sleep. Loves to stick little feet or fists right in Mommy's ribs.








Other possible suspects: SERIOUS heartburn, frequent headaches, the fact that I need a freakin bulldozer to help me roll over at night - all are contributing factors I am sure.

But after a thorough investigation I think the real perpetrator is:

drumroll please....


My own stupid mind!





I seriously cannot shut it off at night! It drives me crazy! I lay there and think and think and think about everything. Here are some examples of what went running through my mind last night:

I can't believe that stupid girl stopped to go to the bathroom on the Amazing Race. What was she thinking?

It is hot in here.

What are we going to name this baby? (run through possibilities again and again)

We've got to finish cleaning out this baby's room. I've got to wash his little clothes.

Am I crazy for trying a VBAC? I REALLY hope I am successful.

I want a new house so bad.

I am huge.

Is this heartburn or a heart attack?

What should we have for dinner this week? (made mental list of groceries to buy)

I am getting hungry again.

and the List goes on and on and on.

I even tried a little trick that sometimes works for me - I run through the alphabet in my mind and try to name a fruit or a vegetable for each letter. This did not work last night. I started running through names for every letter, countries for every letter, etc. It was ridiculous!!

Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do to shut down at night? I am going crazy!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Keeping the spark alive

The other night I couldn't sleep very well so I got up and being the loving wife that I am decided to write Raleigh a little note. I wrote the following and stuck it on the bathroom mirror so he would see it when he got up to get ready for work the next morning:



"Ralz-

You are the smartest, sexiest guy I know. I love you! Have a great day!

Love, the Incubator"



Behold, his return note to me this morning:





Oh my husband - such a romantic.

At least he is resourceful!