Sunday, October 9, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Batman Party!
This past Sunday we celebrated Emerick's 3rd Birthday with a Batman Party! We started asking Emerick what kind of party he wanted about 8 months ago, and his answer never changed. So this was the first year he chose his own party theme. It's funny he wanted a Batman party because he seems to like Spiderman a little more than Batman!
Grammy hosted his party this year, which was so helpful considering I have a brand new baby. This was the smallest party Emerick has had so far, just our closest family (+ the MHWs!) and it was also the perfect opportunity for some of the family that had yet to meet Louis to do so. Louis slept through all of the noise and being passed around at the party.
Grammy hosted his party this year, which was so helpful considering I have a brand new baby. This was the smallest party Emerick has had so far, just our closest family (+ the MHWs!) and it was also the perfect opportunity for some of the family that had yet to meet Louis to do so. Louis slept through all of the noise and being passed around at the party.
After everyone had left, Emerick said "let's have a Spiderman party now!" and the next day when Emerick, Louis, and I went over to my Parent's house he thought we were going to his Birthday Party again! He is so dang cute.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Blessed
As any parent about to welcome another child into their lives, I wondered if I would be able to love the new child like the first. I am feeling so blessed right now. My heart is full, these boys are my whole world. There is more than enough love to go around.
The brothers meeting for the first time in the delivery room.
growing
I took Louis in for a 2 week weight check this morning. 1 week ago he weighed in at 8 lbs 8 oz (he lost nearly 1 lb in his first week) and today he weighed in at 9 lbs 7.5 oz. That is nearly 1 lb gained in 1 week, and he is bigger than his birth weight!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Almost 2 weeks
I can't believe he has been here for 13 days, but at the same time it feels like he has always been here. He's the perfect fit to our little family.
These photos were taken on day 12.
These photos were taken on day 12.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
The Birth of Louis
Louis' birth story goes back to the very beginning of my pregnancy with him. I was determined to have a much more peaceful and pain free delivery than I did my first time. I hoped and prayed for all of those months, talked to my Dr., and the end result couldn't have been any more perfect.
*******
We had to be at GBMC at 6:15am on Wednesday September 21st to check in. There was someone ahead of us when we got there, so by the time we got into our delivery room it was around 6:45am. I immediately changed into a gown, and was then hooked up to the monitors. Then they gave me my IV and started the fluids. Before starting the induction the machines were already picking up some contractions. My Dr. (Dr. O) came in a few minutes after 7:00am and broke my water. At 7:20 they started the Pitocin. The Nurse checked me internally just after that, I was 3cm dilated and about 70% effaced - just as I had been at my last Prenatal appointment one week earlier.
It took a couple of hours or so from there for my contractions to become painful. Around 9:00am Megan and Jessie arrived to be there with us for the delivery. At 9:50am the Nurse checked me again, I was 4 1/2-5 cm. From there my contractions were pretty painful and I started thinking about an epidural. I had to pause during a contraction, but in between them I was fine to be apart of the conversation in the room. My contractions were about 2-3 minutes apart.
At 11:45 I got the epidural. It took at least 15 minutes to really kick in. It eased the contraction pain in my belly, but it seemed like as the epidural started to kick in, pressure "down there" was building. At this point I also got the shakes which is a sign you are close. I told the nurse I was feeling increased pressure, so she checked me again sometime between Noon and 12:15. I was 7cm.
The pressure was becoming un-bearable very fast, and not just pressure with a contraction - the pressure was consistently there. I complained to the Nurse about the pressure and said it felt like I was going to the bathroom. The Nurse looked, and assured me that I was not, but that I was probably very close to delivery. From that point the mood in the room changed and there was a lot of commotion. They started prepping the room for the baby, and the Nurse checked me internally again. I was a complete 10cm, and had gone from 7cm to fully dilated in less 30 minutes.
Dr. O came in right after that. He was obviously in a hurry. He took one look at me and said "You're uncomfortble! I promised you that you wouldn't be!" He had the anesthesiologist give me what he called a "Delivery Dose" which was an extra shot of the epidural medicine directly into the catheter in my back. That kicked in immediately and I could no longer feel the intense pressure. He said he ran over from the Operating Room, leaving his other patient on the table just as he was about to start a C-Section. He said he wouldn't be able to deliver me, and Dr. E (one of the other Dr's in his practice) would be right over! Things were moving so fast!
Dr. E came in just before 1:00pm and quickly got "dressed" for the delivery. The Nurse turned off the Pitocin.
A couple of minutes past 1:00pm I began pushing. Louis' head moved down and was immediately visible. I reached down and felt it. Since the Pitocin was turned off, my contractions became a bit farther apart and I had several minutes to wait between pushes. I couldn't feel anything during pushing, or Louis coming out. It was so surreal to have a baby slowly making his way out, all the while I could converse in the room between contractions/pushes!
I pushed through only 4 or 5 contractions, and at 1:23pm Louis James was born peeing all over Dr. E! He was placed on my chest before being taken to the warmer.
The Nurse took Louis over to the warmer a few minutes later to check him out, and weigh him. He was given a 9 & and 9 for his Apgar scores. His weight came in at 8 lbs 6 oz. Dr. E and the Nurse both insisted something was wrong with the scale, they said there was no way he was that small. It wasn't until Louis was re-weighed in the Nursery that we realized the scale had been off. His birth weight was actually 9 lbs 6 oz!
We were in our Delivery Room for about 2 hours after Louis was born. Megan and Jessie stayed with us, and James' Mom Mary, Aunt Debbie, Brother Matt, and my Parents along with Big Brother Emerick came to meet Baby Louis while we were still in our delivery room. Announcing his name was fun. We had only chose his name 5 days before his birth, and his middle name the day before his birth!
Emerick was adorable meeting his new Baby Brother. He had the cutest grin on his face and said to me "Mama! Who you holdin'?!" It was precious.
Louis' delivery was amazing (and soo fast!), it was exactly what I had hoped for. I even got to experience my baby being immediately placed on my chest, something I hoped and prayed for.
Here is Louis' Birth Day through images. Turn up your volume!
*******
We had to be at GBMC at 6:15am on Wednesday September 21st to check in. There was someone ahead of us when we got there, so by the time we got into our delivery room it was around 6:45am. I immediately changed into a gown, and was then hooked up to the monitors. Then they gave me my IV and started the fluids. Before starting the induction the machines were already picking up some contractions. My Dr. (Dr. O) came in a few minutes after 7:00am and broke my water. At 7:20 they started the Pitocin. The Nurse checked me internally just after that, I was 3cm dilated and about 70% effaced - just as I had been at my last Prenatal appointment one week earlier.
It took a couple of hours or so from there for my contractions to become painful. Around 9:00am Megan and Jessie arrived to be there with us for the delivery. At 9:50am the Nurse checked me again, I was 4 1/2-5 cm. From there my contractions were pretty painful and I started thinking about an epidural. I had to pause during a contraction, but in between them I was fine to be apart of the conversation in the room. My contractions were about 2-3 minutes apart.
At 11:45 I got the epidural. It took at least 15 minutes to really kick in. It eased the contraction pain in my belly, but it seemed like as the epidural started to kick in, pressure "down there" was building. At this point I also got the shakes which is a sign you are close. I told the nurse I was feeling increased pressure, so she checked me again sometime between Noon and 12:15. I was 7cm.
The pressure was becoming un-bearable very fast, and not just pressure with a contraction - the pressure was consistently there. I complained to the Nurse about the pressure and said it felt like I was going to the bathroom. The Nurse looked, and assured me that I was not, but that I was probably very close to delivery. From that point the mood in the room changed and there was a lot of commotion. They started prepping the room for the baby, and the Nurse checked me internally again. I was a complete 10cm, and had gone from 7cm to fully dilated in less 30 minutes.
Dr. O came in right after that. He was obviously in a hurry. He took one look at me and said "You're uncomfortble! I promised you that you wouldn't be!" He had the anesthesiologist give me what he called a "Delivery Dose" which was an extra shot of the epidural medicine directly into the catheter in my back. That kicked in immediately and I could no longer feel the intense pressure. He said he ran over from the Operating Room, leaving his other patient on the table just as he was about to start a C-Section. He said he wouldn't be able to deliver me, and Dr. E (one of the other Dr's in his practice) would be right over! Things were moving so fast!
Dr. E came in just before 1:00pm and quickly got "dressed" for the delivery. The Nurse turned off the Pitocin.
A couple of minutes past 1:00pm I began pushing. Louis' head moved down and was immediately visible. I reached down and felt it. Since the Pitocin was turned off, my contractions became a bit farther apart and I had several minutes to wait between pushes. I couldn't feel anything during pushing, or Louis coming out. It was so surreal to have a baby slowly making his way out, all the while I could converse in the room between contractions/pushes!
I pushed through only 4 or 5 contractions, and at 1:23pm Louis James was born peeing all over Dr. E! He was placed on my chest before being taken to the warmer.
The Nurse took Louis over to the warmer a few minutes later to check him out, and weigh him. He was given a 9 & and 9 for his Apgar scores. His weight came in at 8 lbs 6 oz. Dr. E and the Nurse both insisted something was wrong with the scale, they said there was no way he was that small. It wasn't until Louis was re-weighed in the Nursery that we realized the scale had been off. His birth weight was actually 9 lbs 6 oz!
We were in our Delivery Room for about 2 hours after Louis was born. Megan and Jessie stayed with us, and James' Mom Mary, Aunt Debbie, Brother Matt, and my Parents along with Big Brother Emerick came to meet Baby Louis while we were still in our delivery room. Announcing his name was fun. We had only chose his name 5 days before his birth, and his middle name the day before his birth!
Emerick was adorable meeting his new Baby Brother. He had the cutest grin on his face and said to me "Mama! Who you holdin'?!" It was precious.
Louis' delivery was amazing (and soo fast!), it was exactly what I had hoped for. I even got to experience my baby being immediately placed on my chest, something I hoped and prayed for.
Here is Louis' Birth Day through images. Turn up your volume!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Introducing....
Louis James (that's pronounced loo-eee)
September 21, 2011 @ 1:23pm
9lbs 6 oz
20 1/2 inches
Born after a very peaceful labor (induction) that lasted less than 6 hours :-)
Details and more photos later!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Mount Gretna - Year 2
We spent this past Labor Day Weekend at the Gretna Cottage, our second annual Labor Day Weekend trip with my Parents "Grammy and PaPa". The weather wasn't the best, but we did get 1 day without rain to spend on the "beach". Saturday we explored the Indian Echo Caverns which Emerick loved. He is really into "caves" and pretends we are in a cave every time we enter a parking garage :-) We also went on the Chocolate Factory Tour Ride at Hershey's Chocolate World.
I would say the "beach" day was the highlight of Emerick's weekend, he loooves the water. This first picture says it all. Then, there is the photo of my HUGE belly at 37 weeks. I had to take a picture on my cell phone, as I was getting ready to take a bath in the clawfoot tub and caught a glimse of myself in the mirror. Dang!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Sleeping on Grammy
Emerick has a habit of falling asleep on my Mom. He has never been the kind of kid (or baby) that falls asleep just anywhere. He usually needs his comfort items, and his bed or car seat. There is something about Grammy that he finds comfy, and he usually falls asleep on her at a restaraunt for dinner after a long day of play and no nap.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Baby Feet
I took this video tonight, as I was laying on my side on the couch the baby was really wiggling around a lot, and he also had hiccups. The video is kind of dark, but you can see his foot roll across the side of my belly twice, and also some other wiggles.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
36 Weeks
Today was my 36 week prenatal checkup. All is good! I am 3cm dilated, 50% effaced and the head is very low. This past Saturday I lost some of my mucous plug, so things are moving along and I am hoping all this work my body is doing pre-labor will make for a quick labor/delivery. I have braxton hicks contractions every 30mins-1hour since losing my plug.
I also had an ultrasound today. The baby is measuring nearly 3 weeks bigger than my dates, and he is already estimated to weigh 7 lbs 12 oz. If I stay pregnant 3 more weeks (until induction date) assuming his weight estimate today is close, that would make Baby Brother just about the same birth weight as his Big Brother, somewhere between 9-10 lbs. Yikes.
Emerick was so funny during the ultrasound. He was very concerned about me laying on the table, and what they were doing to my belly. He
blurted out cute things during the scan like "look, a riber!" (river), "look the ocean!" and then when there were two images up on the screen at once he yelled "two baby brothers!". When there were colors on the screen (bloodflow) he yelled out "Blue Baby Brother!" and "Green Baby Brother!" He was very excited...he loves ultrasounds because he gets to "Watch Baby Brother" AND get a lollipop
:-)
Saturday, August 6, 2011
32 week checkup
I had my 32 Prenatal checkup this past Wednesday. Everything is good. The Dr. checked my cervix per my request because of the amount of pretty intense Braxton Hicks I have been having for many months now. I think I started feeling them before I was even 3 months along! At this point it is hard to walk through them because they are so uncomfortable and my belly gets soo hard. The Dr. said with a second pregnancy that is pretty normal, but checked me anyways. I am 1 1/2 cm dilated already! I go back in two weeks for my next checkup, at 34 weeks.
Even though I am feeling large - I have so far gained 14 lbs less than at this point with Emerick, and I also don't have the crazy swelling in my face and especially my feet, ankles and legs like I did the first time. It makes such a big difference. My "fundal" height measurement was right on this time, and not ahead by 2 weeks as it was last month at 28 weeks. I will have an ultrasound at 36 weeks to check the baby's position and size, and also to estimate the weight. I am predicting that this baby will be smaller than Emerick was, just based on the fact that I feel like my belly is quite a bit smaller than it was with Emerick around this stage of pregnancy. I am guessing somewhere around 8 1/2 lbs at birth. But, who knows! Here is a cell phone pic taken at 32 weeks!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Precious Preview
Today we had a 3D/4D ultrasound done to get a peek at what Baby Brother looks like. He smiled for us, and appears to have a little dimple on his right cheek! Here are some photos from the scan, taken at 29 weeks & 3 days. 
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
28 Weeks
I had my 28 week checkup yesterday, even though I am officially 28 weeks today. Everything looks good. I've gained 10 lbs less so far than at this stage of pregnancy the first time, so that is good. I am measuring at least 1 week ahead, so no surprise that it will be another big boy.
Here is a video taken this evening at exactly 28 weeks. The baby usually has his butt sticking out just to the left of my belly button, which you can see him sticking it out and stretching in this video :-)
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