Friday, February 24, 2017

Isla: One Week Old!

Isla is officially a week old.  She has been super sleepy this first week, which I know is how all newborns are, but you kind of forget about that!  Brad and I have been taking turns snuggling her and entertaining the big kids.  Brad has been really good at helping with Ben and Elle so I can have plenty of quiet time to nurse and snuggle Isla.  This first week she is nursing about every 1-2 hours during the day, but very short sessions and falls asleep after only 8 minutes or so.  At night she sleeps about 3 hours before waking to nurse.  The thing that I forgot about the most is all the diapers you go through!  Newborns poop and pee so much, and almost every time we change her she pees on the new diaper before we even have it on her.  I also forgot how hard nursing can be at first too, but that is slowly improving.  

Isla had her first doctor appointment with Dr. Calkins on Monday at 5 days old and she weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces (she left the hospital at 7 lbs 1 oz), was 20 inches long, and head circumference was 34cm.  The doctor was really impressed that she was almost back to birth weight already!  We had to have blood drawn to double check her jaundice level since it was borderline high at the hospital.  Thankfully the doctor said we are good and don't need to worry about it anymore.

A few pics of our first few days at home...


It was beautiful out for February!  Some 60 degree + days, so I put Isla in the Moby and we all got some sunshine and fresh air - it felt amazing!!


Monday, February 20, 2017

Introducing Isla Lucile!

Our sweet little babe decided not to come out on or before her due date, so my doctor set an induction for Thursday, February 16, 2017 (2 days after her due date).  This worked out well because Grandma was able to come on Wednesday afternoon and took off Thursday/Friday to watch Bennett and Eleanor, and my sister Missy was able to take off conferences on Thursday and already had off Friday so she could be in the labor/delivery room with us again.  On Wednesday night I actually thought I might be going into labor.  I was super nauseous and just not feeling well at all.  But now I think maybe it was just nerves. :)  Thursday morning we woke up early, around 6, and called to make sure they had room for us at the hospital to be induced, and they said, "See you at 7:30!"  Bennett sleepily came into our room and asked, "Is the baby here?"  Almost buddy!

Around 8:45, the hospital doctor came and we were able to start the pitocin.  Things were progressing nicely.  Too nicely, because at 10:30 my OB, Dr. Irland, told them to stop the pitocin until I got my second dose of penicillin for being Strep B positive.  I did not like the sound of this, but they assured me things were progressing well and I would be having the baby soon. It wasn't until 3:30 that the Pitocin was back up and running, but it took FOREVER to get contractions going this time.  At 5pm my doctor came in and told them to let me walk around a bit to get things going, but unfortunately the machine did not allow me to walk more than a few feet outside of my room.  So instead the nurse brought me a birthing ball and I sat on there and rocked/bounced while we watched some TV.  Kyle brought dinner for Brad and Missy at this time which was really helpful. :)  


The machine was showing that I was having contractions, but they were definitely not super painful.  They kept turning the machine up, up, up.  My contractions were 1-4 minutes apart but they wanted them a consistent 2-3 before they broke my water.  Finally at 8:30 my doctor came in she said I was good to get the epidural and then she would break my water.  So around 9pm, the anesthesiologist came and put in the epidural.  At 10pm the doctor broke my water and I rested a bit to wait for things to pick up.  At like 10:45 or so I was noticing I was getting very uncomfortable and having pain.  The nurse came in and checked me and I was ready to push!  She called the doctor in and baby Isla was born at 11:12pm!!  


When they put Isla on me I could tell she was a little bigger than the other two had been.  She was not crying enough right away so they took her to her little bed area and called the NICU team in.  That was scary.  They probably spent 10 minutes sucking goop out of her throat, and gave her a few seconds of oxygen too.  Then thankfully she was okay and they gave her to me.  Isla was 7 pounds 9 ounces and 19 inches long.  She was very into nursing right away.


We got up to our recover room around 2am - the new rooms are BIG and BEAUTIFUL and we were lucky to get one of the better rooms with a GREAT view.  The nurses checked me and Isla over and we finally got a little sleep before waking up around 7am the next morning.  We spent Friday and Saturday relaxing and snuggling.  Isla was borderline jaundice but good enough to go home Saturday night!  Ben and Elle were at Grandma and Grandpa's until Sunday after naps so we had some special Isla time.  They came and met her at the hospital Friday morning before heading up there.  Ben LOVED her but Elle was very unsure.  Then Sunday night the craziness of having three small kids began!  Thank goodness Brad is off for a couple weeks to help! :)







Our amazing view!!


AND....ready to go home!!! Ah it's real! :)  Amazing how it's our third time and I was still really nervous and anxious!





Ready to have the whole family of FIVE home!





Monday, February 6, 2017

Brunch for Baby!

My sister and some of my friends threw me a surprise baby shower/sprinkle brunch this past Saturday at Le Reve in Tosa, which is a delicious place for brunch!  My sister did end up telling me about it a couple days in advance so I would be able to get ready and feel presentable (for my 30th bday party no one told me to get ready and I ended up having a greasy ponytail and no makeup and it's scarred me for life from surprise parties- lol!).  

Brad ended up surprising us and treating us all, and my dear friends Kimmee, Sarah, and my amazing sister Missy got us these AMAZING dessert platters!  It was delicious food and good chatting with my closest area friends.  Thankfully my sister-in-law Amanda was even able to come because they were in town for the weekend!  It was such a nice morning!  The girls even brought in a table runner, flower bouquets, and little body scrub favors for all my friends.  So thoughtful!  Such a special way to celebrate Baby Girl coming soon - my last baby/pregnancy!!!




The party planners with me!

38 weeks & 27 weeks!

The Waiting


Still waiting for Baby Girl to make her big debut!  I will be 39 weeks tomorrow, and am more than ready to be done being pregnant.  I know things won't be any easier once the baby is here, but I'm ready to not be uncomfortable and swollen all the time.  So far I'm not making any progress towards labor, but I'm hoping things will just happen quickly?  I have an appointment at 3:30 today so we will see what the doctor says....

Me at 38 weeks and my sister at 26 weeks!  So fun to both be having baby girls!

And Eleanor is having fun using all of the baby's things to play with her dolls.  I find her dolls in the swing, crib, and co-sleeper all the time.  She also loves using the baby blankets for her dolls.  She is excited that we are having, "Baby soon!"