What a busy time for the Betzold family! Both immediate and extended. From now on, we will celebrate our anniversary, a birthday, and Christmas all in the same week. This year was definitely extra busy. Mike and Cassandra did get married (Mike was having second thoughts/cold feet just a few days before the wedding) and I think they'll have a very happy marriage.
Last night was their reception. We went, and I'm glad we dud, even though it was pretty overwhelming to me. I was sitting by the dessert table with Jared (Lori and Tracy Boggs did the desserts and they were yummy) and we were swarmed with people, so eventually I moved to a much more secluded part of the church and was bothered less there. I never had these intense mother bear type feelings with Lila, but I also didn't take her our so soon after she was born. So, church for the next month or so is out of the question. It's way too stressful, lol. I don't understand how people can just go up to newborn babies and touch their faces without asking!! I'm talking to you, Mark Greenwood.
Anyway, the reception was nice. Lots of food. Cassandra's dress was very beautiful; her mom and sisters made it. I was expecting something very simple, but it was pretty elaborate and now I can see why they were all so busy working on it. so, she's my sister-in-law now and that's pretty awesome. Jake and I spent s lot of time visiting with Annalaura. She and Chris are still at BYU and she expects they'll be there for a few more years still. We both really like Annalaura. They've been trying to get pregnant for a while now. She sure loved holding Jared. And she sure loves me, lol. She said that her heart jumps for joy just to see me. Jake and I want to have a Baby party in the summer with all the couples from the branch who have kids now. I think that would be really fun, especially since there will be a lot of baby boys born within months of each other. Overall, our first big outing with 2 kids went well. Lila had a BLAST dancing and running around with the other little kids there. She was having sooo much fun and Jake and I had sooo much fun watching her. She is such a sweet little girl. She was enamored with Cassandra's bouquet and wanted to carry it around all night. She'd smell it and exclaim, "OOH! Smells good!"
There was a moment when Jake and Lila were "slow dancing" together and I was sitting watching, holding Jared, and I felt pure joy. So happy and grateful for my family.
So, things are still going well. Last night was the roughest night yet. Jared kept waking up every 10-15 minutes for about an hour or more, having to burp or whatever. So we're kind of tired today. We had a nurse over this morning to take blood/urine samples for our life insurance applications. It'll be a slow day. We have plans of getting Lila to bed early and then eating junk food and having "date pop" while watching the ball drop. Looking forward to another NYE with Jake.
A year ago today was Mike and Cassandra's first "date." Pretty crazy!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
A week old
Jared is a week old today! He and I are sitting in the car at menards. Jake took Lila in to buy wood. Jake and his dad have been putting up some sheet rock in one of the storage rooms downstairs. Seems like they always need to be working on a project. I was getting really annoyed by it a few nights ago. He literally didnt see Jared all day because he was busy working in the basement. So he was wise and took a break.
Jake's parents left yesterday for nauvoo. Mike and Cassandra got married today! No backing out now, though mike still has some concerns. Mostly he just needs to relax. I'm looking forward to the reception tomorrow.
I'm feeling really good (relatively, of course). It is sooo nice to not be pregnant!! The whitakers stopped by to meet Jared today and when I saw Kate (who is due in 6 weeks) I could only think how grateful I was that I had the baby already. On Tuesday I had a quick midwife appointment, mostly I think to see if I have postpartum depression (I don't). I dont even think I'll have the baby blues this time around (I did with Lila). I was pretty surprised and disappointed to find that I still weighed 138 pounds! I would've thought that I'd have lost more weight. Oh well. Jake reassures me that it'll come off. Hope so!
Yesterday after dinner we went to the mall. We actually also went for a walk outside while it was sunny out. I was pretty tired and sore after both excursions, but not too bad. It was really nice to get out. We ran into Desiree at the mall, funny enough. We picked up my anniversary ring which I got repaired and also the most adorable little button up shirt for Jared to wear to the reception at The Gap. I think I'm more excited about dressing him than I was to dress lila. That little boy has me completely smitten.
After shopping we sat in the food court. I got my beloved chocolate shake from mcdonalds, Jake got a parfait, and Lila got chicken nuggets.
Jared is waking up around every 2 hours at night usually. Lila was up twice last night too but as soon as I gave her ibuprofen she slept soundly. She has been very cranky and whiny, the way she gets when she's teething. Doesn't want to eat, etc. But it's not too bad. Just annoying.
Jake's parents left yesterday for nauvoo. Mike and Cassandra got married today! No backing out now, though mike still has some concerns. Mostly he just needs to relax. I'm looking forward to the reception tomorrow.
I'm feeling really good (relatively, of course). It is sooo nice to not be pregnant!! The whitakers stopped by to meet Jared today and when I saw Kate (who is due in 6 weeks) I could only think how grateful I was that I had the baby already. On Tuesday I had a quick midwife appointment, mostly I think to see if I have postpartum depression (I don't). I dont even think I'll have the baby blues this time around (I did with Lila). I was pretty surprised and disappointed to find that I still weighed 138 pounds! I would've thought that I'd have lost more weight. Oh well. Jake reassures me that it'll come off. Hope so!
Yesterday after dinner we went to the mall. We actually also went for a walk outside while it was sunny out. I was pretty tired and sore after both excursions, but not too bad. It was really nice to get out. We ran into Desiree at the mall, funny enough. We picked up my anniversary ring which I got repaired and also the most adorable little button up shirt for Jared to wear to the reception at The Gap. I think I'm more excited about dressing him than I was to dress lila. That little boy has me completely smitten.
After shopping we sat in the food court. I got my beloved chocolate shake from mcdonalds, Jake got a parfait, and Lila got chicken nuggets.
Jared is waking up around every 2 hours at night usually. Lila was up twice last night too but as soon as I gave her ibuprofen she slept soundly. She has been very cranky and whiny, the way she gets when she's teething. Doesn't want to eat, etc. But it's not too bad. Just annoying.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Good still
Only Wednesday. Time is passing slowly right now, and that's ok. I wish my baby would stay small and tiny like this.
Things are going well still. We get tired at night, in the evenings, but usually feel pretty good. Jake and I both got a nap this afternoon and Lila's still sleeping now. She's been extra tired lately, and a few days ago I saw that she's getting at least one of her molars. She's been pretty good for the most part, but I think she's freaking out a little bit with all the changes. I just need to give her lots of love and attention, when I can. It's also good for her to freak out sometimes. Can't always get what you want.
Things are going well still. We get tired at night, in the evenings, but usually feel pretty good. Jake and I both got a nap this afternoon and Lila's still sleeping now. She's been extra tired lately, and a few days ago I saw that she's getting at least one of her molars. She's been pretty good for the most part, but I think she's freaking out a little bit with all the changes. I just need to give her lots of love and attention, when I can. It's also good for her to freak out sometimes. Can't always get what you want.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
In love.
I am way in love over here. Jake and I both are. Jared is just way too sweet! I just feel like I could have a dozen more babies if they're as sweet as this guy is. I always wondered how I would feel about a baby boy, if I would love him as much as I'd love a baby girl. And yup, I do. So in love.
Our Christmas Day didn't feel like Christmas Day. We woke up early to have Jared's baby blessing at 8am that morning. Bishop came over to preside. We wanted Jake's brothers and dad to be there, and it was the "best" time to do it. So we got dressed up in nice clothes (I was engorged and uncomfortable) and had the blessing. Jake got emotional, of course, and he always feels a little frustrated with himself when he does. He asks me, "Why do I have to get like that?" Uh, because he's your son and he's wonderful and you love him. :) It was a beautiful blessing and so special to me to see my husband bless his son. What I remember... that Jared will be blessed with a spirit of honesty, kindness, and love and be a good example to his siblings and cousins. He was also advised to prepare to receive the priesthood :) and with health that he may carry out the duties he was sent here to do.
I just love that we have a son. I love that he will be his father's son. I love that Jake will get to pass on his awesomeness to another man. I love Jake so much, I think he's a really good man... and I'm just so grateful that we can have children together and raise them together.
We had a green Christmas this year. No snow! It was in the 40s! I think it was my 2nd green Christmas ever. I always imagined bringing home Jared in the snow and cold, but he brought the warm weather with him. It's actually snowing and gray today. The rest of the family went to church at 10:00. I was feeling pretty good after I'd gotten dressed and considered going to... but eventually changed my mind as I got more and more tired. Jake's dad gave me great advice: "If you can't decide what to do, it probably means that you shouldn't."
Mike and Cassandra spent that day with her family, and Jim/Angela were at our place till 2 or 3. We had turkey for a late lunch/early dinner. Jim and Angela have been trying to get pregnant for some time now, and haven't been able to. Angela has poly-cystic ovaries... and I don't think they have health insurance, or at least not good health insurance, so haven't been able to or haven't wanted to seek more medical attention. Jim did some research about progesterone cream, so she's been using that, but they forgot it in Holland and Jim wanted to go back to get it before they left for Detroit... but ended up not. Anyway, it was a little bit of drama.
That was the last big "event"... Christmas day. We've just been trying to relax and enjoy our family. Except for Jake and his dad, who are of course keeping busy with project after project. Right now they're working on something with the furnace and also putting up some sheet rock in the basement storage room. They love keeping busy. But it's been ok. They've taken several trips to Menards and always take Lila with, and she'll usually fall asleep in the car and nap for a while out in the garage. And he lets her "help" them. Yesterday she was down there and Jake was busy working on something, and she holds something up and asks, "What's this?" Jake didn't look and guessed that it was a flashlight. So he said, "It's a flashlight." She walks up to him, holds up a screw, and said, "It's a flashlight." lol.
We all watched The Little Mermaid together, and Lila lasted the whole movie, though she did play around the basement, but it allowed Jake and I to rest. I've been getting a decent amount of sleep, I guess. Last night I got a few 2-3 hours stretches, and I got to lay down for a while last night and this morning. This morning Jake took Lila out to Menards and Jared and I got an hour of peaceful quiet time together watching the snow fall. He was awake the whole time, and I just loved having that time to pay attention to just him. I haven't been spending a whole lot of time with Lila this week actually, she's been busy with other people, so I try to give her special attention too. She's been sleeping well at night and taking good naps, so that's good too.
Our Christmas Day didn't feel like Christmas Day. We woke up early to have Jared's baby blessing at 8am that morning. Bishop came over to preside. We wanted Jake's brothers and dad to be there, and it was the "best" time to do it. So we got dressed up in nice clothes (I was engorged and uncomfortable) and had the blessing. Jake got emotional, of course, and he always feels a little frustrated with himself when he does. He asks me, "Why do I have to get like that?" Uh, because he's your son and he's wonderful and you love him. :) It was a beautiful blessing and so special to me to see my husband bless his son. What I remember... that Jared will be blessed with a spirit of honesty, kindness, and love and be a good example to his siblings and cousins. He was also advised to prepare to receive the priesthood :) and with health that he may carry out the duties he was sent here to do.
I just love that we have a son. I love that he will be his father's son. I love that Jake will get to pass on his awesomeness to another man. I love Jake so much, I think he's a really good man... and I'm just so grateful that we can have children together and raise them together.
We had a green Christmas this year. No snow! It was in the 40s! I think it was my 2nd green Christmas ever. I always imagined bringing home Jared in the snow and cold, but he brought the warm weather with him. It's actually snowing and gray today. The rest of the family went to church at 10:00. I was feeling pretty good after I'd gotten dressed and considered going to... but eventually changed my mind as I got more and more tired. Jake's dad gave me great advice: "If you can't decide what to do, it probably means that you shouldn't."
Mike and Cassandra spent that day with her family, and Jim/Angela were at our place till 2 or 3. We had turkey for a late lunch/early dinner. Jim and Angela have been trying to get pregnant for some time now, and haven't been able to. Angela has poly-cystic ovaries... and I don't think they have health insurance, or at least not good health insurance, so haven't been able to or haven't wanted to seek more medical attention. Jim did some research about progesterone cream, so she's been using that, but they forgot it in Holland and Jim wanted to go back to get it before they left for Detroit... but ended up not. Anyway, it was a little bit of drama.
That was the last big "event"... Christmas day. We've just been trying to relax and enjoy our family. Except for Jake and his dad, who are of course keeping busy with project after project. Right now they're working on something with the furnace and also putting up some sheet rock in the basement storage room. They love keeping busy. But it's been ok. They've taken several trips to Menards and always take Lila with, and she'll usually fall asleep in the car and nap for a while out in the garage. And he lets her "help" them. Yesterday she was down there and Jake was busy working on something, and she holds something up and asks, "What's this?" Jake didn't look and guessed that it was a flashlight. So he said, "It's a flashlight." She walks up to him, holds up a screw, and said, "It's a flashlight." lol.
We all watched The Little Mermaid together, and Lila lasted the whole movie, though she did play around the basement, but it allowed Jake and I to rest. I've been getting a decent amount of sleep, I guess. Last night I got a few 2-3 hours stretches, and I got to lay down for a while last night and this morning. This morning Jake took Lila out to Menards and Jared and I got an hour of peaceful quiet time together watching the snow fall. He was awake the whole time, and I just loved having that time to pay attention to just him. I haven't been spending a whole lot of time with Lila this week actually, she's been busy with other people, so I try to give her special attention too. She's been sleeping well at night and taking good naps, so that's good too.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Jared Brother
AnnaMarie asked if it was weird having my mom and Emily there at the delivery. With Lila I definitely wanted it to be just Jake and I, but this time I was really excited when my mom said she could be there. She absolutely loved the experience, even though she was only there for the tail end of it. I figured it was probably one of the best gifts I could ever give her. And i don't know if we'll ever be induced again, so we might not be able to plan on having her here again. With Emily, a few days before we delivered she wanted to know if she could be there, and I said no. And she thought that was lame, and said that when I had Lila I told her she could be at the next one. I don't remember telling her that. I originally didn't want her there because usually she stresses me out. She said, "But it'll help me be not so scared to deliver a baby!" lol. Ok, that made me want her there even less. But, she came up with my mom to my room before Jared was born, and I think the fact that it was all happening so quickly and relaxed that I didn't feel like kicking her out. My mom had told me the day before that I should let Emily be there because Emily loves my babies like they're her own and takes such good care of them, and that's very true. So Emily had camera duty (though Jake had to tell her once to get out of my business) and stood by my head. And it's actually pretty nice to have pictures of everything. All in all it went very well and didn't stress me out.
Also, now that I've given birth twice, hopefully next time I'll have the sense to make sure the epidural is lined up for right after I have my water broken (assuming it doesn't break on its own). I kind of liked being induced. It was especially nice to have help lined up for Lila .
Lila is doing really well! So much better than I thought. Of course, she's had a lot of attention from grandparents, aunts, and uncles and that has helped a ton. Jim and Lori brought her to the hospital a few hours after Jared was born. She'd fallen asleep in the car so was pretty sleepy, but she did really well. She didn't cry and she was very interested in meeting "Jared Brother." She was a little shy of me and wary of the hospital bed, but she'd say, "Hi Mom! Hi Mommy!" and we took pictures and visited. Jake's parents spent Thursday night in Holland with Jim, so Mom and Emily watched Lila that night. Lila didn't go to bed till 1am! She had Emily playing bowling, listening to music, "turn Christmas tree yight on." Finally Emily buckled down and rocked her to sleep and Lila slept through the rest of the night, which is good.
Having that alone time at the hospital, just Jake, Jared, and I, was really nice. Felt like a bit of a babymoon. Mike and Cassandra came to visit that night and brought me a chocolate milkshake from McDonald's. Here's a funny story... an hour or two after I delivered, Mike calls and asks to talk to me. He congratulates me on having the baby and everything, and then he starts telling me about the massage that he bought Cassandra for Christmas, and how awesome it's going to be, and how she's going with her girlfriend, and how he wondered if she would have issues being touched by another person, but that it would be a great opportunity for her to talk to Serena (her married friend) about how awesome it is to be naked with your husband and how awesome sex is. And I had just given birth! lol. I was like, "Wow, Mike. That is very cool." Dude has no clue. :)
Jake watched Atlas Shrugged (one of the DVD's we rented the day before) while I dozed in and out. The night was pretty long. Lots of visits from nurses. We did get a little sleep.
Friday morning, Dr. LaRue (Lila's first pediatrician) made rounds and little Jared got circumcised. Jake went with, I stayed behind. Jake said Jared didn't even cry and he (Jake) thought the whole thing was very interesting. I felt pretty bad for Jared, but it's what we wanted to do. I later was talking to my parents and it turns out that back when my dad was a kid in the Philippines, they didn't circumcise the boys until they were 10 or 11. So my dad was circumcised when he was 10 without any anesthesia!!!!
AnnaMarie and her girls came to visit. They were in the area for a wedding. It's too bad that our visit couldn't be longer, and things were hectic because Mom, Emily, and Lila showed up, and then Aunt Gina did too. But they all got to meet little Jared, which is especially fun for them because AnnaMarie is having twin boys in March!
After our visitors left, we just had to play the waiting game. We had to wait till Jared was 24 hours old to have some blood tests done, but we made it out by 4 as we'd hoped to. We had lunch and I showered and Jake watched TV. Then we packed up and headed home.
My mom and sister had left right after visiting us in the hospital that morning, so they were gone, but Jim and Lori were back. Lila does really well with Jared, and with having me be busy with Jared, unless she's tired and hungry. She was both of those things when we got home, so I spent some time with her. I've nursed the two of them at the same time twice so far, and Jake thinks it's awesome and hilarious. Me too. But Lila is perfectly okay with me holding and nursing the baby otherwise and is concerned when he cries. She's been helpful. Sometimes she wants to "hold Jared"... she wants to carry him around. But she's also sat in our laps and held him. It's all going a lot better than I thought. Jake thought that she would be able to sense/tell that he was her brother and he was right. She's good with him. I'm so grateful.
We had the Betzolds over for Christmas Eve. Jim and Angela came (Emily spent it with Sarah) and so did Mike and Cassandra. We had lasagna for dinner and then opened presents. Lila got a lot of nice gifts and had fun opening them, but she got bored of presents and it took her until last night actually to unwrap most of them, and she still has one that she hasn't unwrapped yet! Jake and I bought her a baby doll and stroller. I knew she'd love the stroller. She got an owl hat from my aunt Jackie that she didn't "yike" at first but now she does. She got an outfit, socks, books, and a stuffed animal from Grandma Lori. From my mom she got The Little Mermaid, some more gel stickers for the window, and a 5 little monkeys book. From Mike and Cassandra she got a stuffed giraffe that you can wind up and it plays "rock a bye baby", which is hilarious because first of all, she doesn't like music box type music, but also rock a bye baby always makes her cry. lol. Mike didn't realize that's the song it played. Before opening presents, we sang Once in Royal David's City, read Luke 2, had a prayer. Jake got a warm hat and a drummel tool from his parents. I got a cast iron baking pan, an America's Test Kitchen cook book, and oven mitt gloves. And Mike got me a plastic thing to put over dishes when I warm them up in the microwave so it doesn't splatter all over the microwave, which I was just thinking I needed the other day, funny enough.
We've had 3 nights with Jared at home so far. We're not getting a ton of sleep, but it's not terrible I guess. Last night he did a 4 hour stretch, which was really really awesome. He's sleeping in bed with us, usually on our chests. Seems to sleep better that way, and we're both so tired and that we just want to get sleep at this point. But during the day I've been laying him down and he usually does fine for a while. I don't think he likes to sleep on his back. Prefers his stomach or side. Jake absolutely loves having Jared sleep on his chest. He's missed cuddling with babies, since Lila isn't too much of a cuddler with him.
Jared is soooo much sleepier than Lila was as a newborn. She was awake SO much and didn't want to sleep a lot! Jared seems to be much more like a "normal" newborn and sleeps most of the day and night. He'll be awake for a little bit, but not long. He's so cute when he's awake though, likes looking at me and when I talk to him. I was telling my mom about it and she said, "Well it sounds like he'll be a good baby for you. Which is nice, because Lila was/is pretty high maintenance."
Today we went to the pediatrician to have Jared weighed. He's at 6 pounds 7 ounces. Healthy.
My milk came in yesterday or the night before. I was engorged all Christmas day. Lovely. Not as bad as it was with Lila, but still very engorged and my boobs are ginorm. It's nice that this time around I know that they will eventually shrink back down, but it's still very uncomfortable and they're huge and I'm self-conscious about it. Oh well. It's worth it to have this cute little one. Lila has been my breast pump.
Also, now that I've given birth twice, hopefully next time I'll have the sense to make sure the epidural is lined up for right after I have my water broken (assuming it doesn't break on its own). I kind of liked being induced. It was especially nice to have help lined up for Lila .
Lila is doing really well! So much better than I thought. Of course, she's had a lot of attention from grandparents, aunts, and uncles and that has helped a ton. Jim and Lori brought her to the hospital a few hours after Jared was born. She'd fallen asleep in the car so was pretty sleepy, but she did really well. She didn't cry and she was very interested in meeting "Jared Brother." She was a little shy of me and wary of the hospital bed, but she'd say, "Hi Mom! Hi Mommy!" and we took pictures and visited. Jake's parents spent Thursday night in Holland with Jim, so Mom and Emily watched Lila that night. Lila didn't go to bed till 1am! She had Emily playing bowling, listening to music, "turn Christmas tree yight on." Finally Emily buckled down and rocked her to sleep and Lila slept through the rest of the night, which is good.
Having that alone time at the hospital, just Jake, Jared, and I, was really nice. Felt like a bit of a babymoon. Mike and Cassandra came to visit that night and brought me a chocolate milkshake from McDonald's. Here's a funny story... an hour or two after I delivered, Mike calls and asks to talk to me. He congratulates me on having the baby and everything, and then he starts telling me about the massage that he bought Cassandra for Christmas, and how awesome it's going to be, and how she's going with her girlfriend, and how he wondered if she would have issues being touched by another person, but that it would be a great opportunity for her to talk to Serena (her married friend) about how awesome it is to be naked with your husband and how awesome sex is. And I had just given birth! lol. I was like, "Wow, Mike. That is very cool." Dude has no clue. :)
Jake watched Atlas Shrugged (one of the DVD's we rented the day before) while I dozed in and out. The night was pretty long. Lots of visits from nurses. We did get a little sleep.
Friday morning, Dr. LaRue (Lila's first pediatrician) made rounds and little Jared got circumcised. Jake went with, I stayed behind. Jake said Jared didn't even cry and he (Jake) thought the whole thing was very interesting. I felt pretty bad for Jared, but it's what we wanted to do. I later was talking to my parents and it turns out that back when my dad was a kid in the Philippines, they didn't circumcise the boys until they were 10 or 11. So my dad was circumcised when he was 10 without any anesthesia!!!!
AnnaMarie and her girls came to visit. They were in the area for a wedding. It's too bad that our visit couldn't be longer, and things were hectic because Mom, Emily, and Lila showed up, and then Aunt Gina did too. But they all got to meet little Jared, which is especially fun for them because AnnaMarie is having twin boys in March!
After our visitors left, we just had to play the waiting game. We had to wait till Jared was 24 hours old to have some blood tests done, but we made it out by 4 as we'd hoped to. We had lunch and I showered and Jake watched TV. Then we packed up and headed home.
My mom and sister had left right after visiting us in the hospital that morning, so they were gone, but Jim and Lori were back. Lila does really well with Jared, and with having me be busy with Jared, unless she's tired and hungry. She was both of those things when we got home, so I spent some time with her. I've nursed the two of them at the same time twice so far, and Jake thinks it's awesome and hilarious. Me too. But Lila is perfectly okay with me holding and nursing the baby otherwise and is concerned when he cries. She's been helpful. Sometimes she wants to "hold Jared"... she wants to carry him around. But she's also sat in our laps and held him. It's all going a lot better than I thought. Jake thought that she would be able to sense/tell that he was her brother and he was right. She's good with him. I'm so grateful.
We had the Betzolds over for Christmas Eve. Jim and Angela came (Emily spent it with Sarah) and so did Mike and Cassandra. We had lasagna for dinner and then opened presents. Lila got a lot of nice gifts and had fun opening them, but she got bored of presents and it took her until last night actually to unwrap most of them, and she still has one that she hasn't unwrapped yet! Jake and I bought her a baby doll and stroller. I knew she'd love the stroller. She got an owl hat from my aunt Jackie that she didn't "yike" at first but now she does. She got an outfit, socks, books, and a stuffed animal from Grandma Lori. From my mom she got The Little Mermaid, some more gel stickers for the window, and a 5 little monkeys book. From Mike and Cassandra she got a stuffed giraffe that you can wind up and it plays "rock a bye baby", which is hilarious because first of all, she doesn't like music box type music, but also rock a bye baby always makes her cry. lol. Mike didn't realize that's the song it played. Before opening presents, we sang Once in Royal David's City, read Luke 2, had a prayer. Jake got a warm hat and a drummel tool from his parents. I got a cast iron baking pan, an America's Test Kitchen cook book, and oven mitt gloves. And Mike got me a plastic thing to put over dishes when I warm them up in the microwave so it doesn't splatter all over the microwave, which I was just thinking I needed the other day, funny enough.
We've had 3 nights with Jared at home so far. We're not getting a ton of sleep, but it's not terrible I guess. Last night he did a 4 hour stretch, which was really really awesome. He's sleeping in bed with us, usually on our chests. Seems to sleep better that way, and we're both so tired and that we just want to get sleep at this point. But during the day I've been laying him down and he usually does fine for a while. I don't think he likes to sleep on his back. Prefers his stomach or side. Jake absolutely loves having Jared sleep on his chest. He's missed cuddling with babies, since Lila isn't too much of a cuddler with him.
Jared is soooo much sleepier than Lila was as a newborn. She was awake SO much and didn't want to sleep a lot! Jared seems to be much more like a "normal" newborn and sleeps most of the day and night. He'll be awake for a little bit, but not long. He's so cute when he's awake though, likes looking at me and when I talk to him. I was telling my mom about it and she said, "Well it sounds like he'll be a good baby for you. Which is nice, because Lila was/is pretty high maintenance."
Today we went to the pediatrician to have Jared weighed. He's at 6 pounds 7 ounces. Healthy.
My milk came in yesterday or the night before. I was engorged all Christmas day. Lovely. Not as bad as it was with Lila, but still very engorged and my boobs are ginorm. It's nice that this time around I know that they will eventually shrink back down, but it's still very uncomfortable and they're huge and I'm self-conscious about it. Oh well. It's worth it to have this cute little one. Lila has been my breast pump.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Jared Jacob is born.
Merry Christmas! I'm engorged!
So, Wednesday night, I went to bed feeling pretty sad and disappointed, and cranky. My contractions slowed down and I was actually able to get a really good night's sleep. Well, about 5-6 hours, but I slept like a rock. Woke up at 6, got ready again. Tried to have a good attitude about everything, but was still nervous that nothing would happen at the hospital again that day. Drove to the hospital in the dark, got there at 7:30.
Heather checked me not too long after we got settled into our room. She was pleased to report that I was dilated to a 2 and around 50% effaced; said that it was enough progress to start the pitocin. I got hooked up to IV's. We had a really sweet, awesome nurse named Nancy. She's worked in Labor & Delivery at Bronson for 18 years. Very nurturing and friendly. She started my IV at 8:30. We were kind of watching Water for Elephants but it was dumb and eventually we started walking around because I wasn't noticing any contractions. They have to start you out on Pitocin pretty slowly and up the dosage every half hour. We walked for probably a half hour or more and I was starting to notice regular contractions. Heather came up to check me again and I was already at 3cm and 80% effaced.
Things happened pretty quickly after that. While she still had her hands up there checking me, she announced I was dilated to a 3, and told Nancy, "Hand me an amniotic hook! I'm going to break her water!" Jake and I were both surprised and asked, "Right now??" and she said yup, and did it! This was at around 10:30. The water was clear, no meconium like when Lila was born. Nancy told me that I could get an epidural at any point after that, and if I wanted to order one, I should be aware that it might take 30 minutes for the doctor to get there because he was in a C-section and there was one other woman ahead of me to get one.
I really should have known to order the epidural right then, but I thought I'd see how long I could make it without one. Just like with Lila, as soon as my water was broken, the contractions became A LOT more intense and painful. I labored on a birthing ball for a little while, but then had to go to the bathroom, so I ended up laboring on the toilet for quite some time, because THINGS GOT CRAZY. I was getting 9 mL/hr of Pitocin, and the contractions picked up and were very painful, coming every 2-3 minutes. I hadn't planned on laboring for very long or being in that much pain, because with Lila as soon as I ordered the epidural, the anesthesiologist was there (it was in the middle of the night, though). After not too long, it became clear to me that I needed the epidural, so we had it ordered and the nurse told me it might take a half hour, but it actually ended up being around an hour.
I didn't really have to labor very much with Lila, so this was new to me. I didn't want to get any narcotics because of the way they made me feel when I was in labor with Lila. I eventually did ask the nurse to turn the Pitocin down, and once she did, they became more manageable, but for the period of time when the Pitocin was at 9 mL/hr, I experienced a lot of pain. Jake stayed with me and helped me focus, reminding me to breathe and encouraging me and being there for me. It got to the point where even in between contractions, I couldn't speak or keep my eyes open very well. It was miserable and awful. I didn't know how I was going to make it much longer. I really tried to stay strong and tell myself that I was strong and I could do it.
Finally though, the doctor came in with my epidural. I was so relieved just to see him. He explained to me possible side effects and risks and I couldn't even respond to him most of the time, I couldn't speak. Jake answered questions for me. The doctor asked how tall I was, and when I said 5', he asked, "Are you sure you're not stretching that a little bit?" lol. They had me sit Indian style, which was hard to do in my condition, of course. The epidural stung a little bit (I don't remember getting my epidural with Lila), but relief soon came. He gave me the test dose and my legs started going numb, which apparently is a sign that something didn't go quite right. Instead of being given an epidural, I was basically given a spinal because the needle pierced through the membrane instead of staying inside of it. So I was extra numb, which was just fine by me. I immediately felt relief, could breathe and talk and open my eyes and even smile. I thanked the doctor a few times (Jake and I think that anesthesiologists probably like being thanked a lot) and said, "I can't imagine why anyone would choose not to have an epidural!" Really. I went from being in the most awful pain of my life to instant relief.
I had the shakes for a while and was pretty exhausted, but felt so much better. Not too long after I got my epidural, my mom and Emily arrived. Mom was kind of sad to see me in that condition, so I'm glad she wasn't there when before I got the epidural, she probably wouldn't have liked that. Heather was soon there to check my progress and I was at a 9 and that we'd have the baby there in an hour. And then soon after that, I started to be able to feel pressure and some contractions, so Nancy checked me and said she could feel the head! She guessed that he'd be out with a few pushes!
I wasn't going to have Emily be in the room when I had the baby, but changed my mind and decided she could stay. I kept thinking that pushing would be similar to how it was with Lila--very strenuous, exhausting, vulnerable. But this all seemed so easy... I couldn't feel anything and I felt really relaxed, so told Emily she had to stay up by my head. Soon, they had all the equipment ready and they got me ready to push. I really couldn't feel anything. They told me when I was having a contraction, and so I would push, and I couldn't feel anything. I thought that I really wouldn't like an experience like that, but it was actually pretty awesome. I was talking and relaxing in between contractions. It took maybe 4 contractions to get him out. We'd heard a while ago that the average push time for a second baby is 6 minutes, and really hoped that it would be true for me, and it was... he really did slide out.
It was really exciting when they could see the head--Jake said, "He has dark hair!" That was really exciting for me and I laughed just thinking about it: a child that looks like me! Jake "caught" the baby with Heather's help. He said the cord was wrapped around Jared's neck once. And then he put him on my belly and I cried and my mom was crying and we were all so happy. He was tiny and perfect and beautiful, a head full of dark brown hair. Jake cut the cord. This is all something we couldn't do with Lila because she had meconium in her amniotic fluid. It was very happy and exciting.
Delivering the afterbirth and everything was a lot better this time too. Not anywhere near as painful or traumatic as when Lila was born. I did tear a little bit. I think Heather said I have three stitches.
Anyway, Jared. We are completely in love with him already. At first, I couldn't stop comparing him to Lila, how he reminded me of her and how he didn't. But now I just love him so much, just for the sweet baby he is. He was born at 1:49 pm and weighed 6 lbs 10 oz and was 20.5 inches long. A tall guy for weighing so little. As soon as he latched on and started eating, I was in love. He's just so sweet. He's a good eater already--latches on perfectly and gulps the milk down. He likes pacifiers sometimes, which is good... hopefully that means he won't have eating issues like Lila. He's SO skinny and tiny. The little baby we never had :) It's funny to think that Lila weighed 2 pounds more than he did at birth. It looks like he's got a dark complexion like me and that his eyes will be dark. Right now they're like a dark gray. I think it's funny to see Jake holding such a dark baby and knowing that it's his... must be like me holding Lila. He's a quiet, calm baby like Lila was, except not as alert. Lila was awake A LOT when she was born. We looked through some of her newborn pictures and she almost always had her eyes open and was so alert. Today he's had more awake moments and he is just so sweet, he likes looking at me and he even "smiled" a few times. His eyebrows remind me of Jake, and something about his face reminds me of Sam too. He only cries when he's getting his diaper or clothes changed--he hates that--and when he's really hungry. He's good at burping and has had lots of poopy diapers.
Our time at the hospital was nice, but I'm definitely glad we decided to stay just one night. We didn't get a lot of rest with nurses coming in all the time to check on us. Jared had to have his blood sugar checked every time he nursed, which I hated... they had to prick his foot. Poor guy. But his numbers were great. Our nurses were great again. I remember with Lila feeling so grateful and indebted to them, for taking care of me when I was such a giant mess. This time I was still grateful but it didn't seem like as big of a deal, and actually this whole experience has just felt so much less overwhelming than it did the first time. I was surprised at how natural everything seemed when he was born, how I just loved him right away and how it feels like he's been here forever.
So, Wednesday night, I went to bed feeling pretty sad and disappointed, and cranky. My contractions slowed down and I was actually able to get a really good night's sleep. Well, about 5-6 hours, but I slept like a rock. Woke up at 6, got ready again. Tried to have a good attitude about everything, but was still nervous that nothing would happen at the hospital again that day. Drove to the hospital in the dark, got there at 7:30.
Heather checked me not too long after we got settled into our room. She was pleased to report that I was dilated to a 2 and around 50% effaced; said that it was enough progress to start the pitocin. I got hooked up to IV's. We had a really sweet, awesome nurse named Nancy. She's worked in Labor & Delivery at Bronson for 18 years. Very nurturing and friendly. She started my IV at 8:30. We were kind of watching Water for Elephants but it was dumb and eventually we started walking around because I wasn't noticing any contractions. They have to start you out on Pitocin pretty slowly and up the dosage every half hour. We walked for probably a half hour or more and I was starting to notice regular contractions. Heather came up to check me again and I was already at 3cm and 80% effaced.
Things happened pretty quickly after that. While she still had her hands up there checking me, she announced I was dilated to a 3, and told Nancy, "Hand me an amniotic hook! I'm going to break her water!" Jake and I were both surprised and asked, "Right now??" and she said yup, and did it! This was at around 10:30. The water was clear, no meconium like when Lila was born. Nancy told me that I could get an epidural at any point after that, and if I wanted to order one, I should be aware that it might take 30 minutes for the doctor to get there because he was in a C-section and there was one other woman ahead of me to get one.
I really should have known to order the epidural right then, but I thought I'd see how long I could make it without one. Just like with Lila, as soon as my water was broken, the contractions became A LOT more intense and painful. I labored on a birthing ball for a little while, but then had to go to the bathroom, so I ended up laboring on the toilet for quite some time, because THINGS GOT CRAZY. I was getting 9 mL/hr of Pitocin, and the contractions picked up and were very painful, coming every 2-3 minutes. I hadn't planned on laboring for very long or being in that much pain, because with Lila as soon as I ordered the epidural, the anesthesiologist was there (it was in the middle of the night, though). After not too long, it became clear to me that I needed the epidural, so we had it ordered and the nurse told me it might take a half hour, but it actually ended up being around an hour.
I didn't really have to labor very much with Lila, so this was new to me. I didn't want to get any narcotics because of the way they made me feel when I was in labor with Lila. I eventually did ask the nurse to turn the Pitocin down, and once she did, they became more manageable, but for the period of time when the Pitocin was at 9 mL/hr, I experienced a lot of pain. Jake stayed with me and helped me focus, reminding me to breathe and encouraging me and being there for me. It got to the point where even in between contractions, I couldn't speak or keep my eyes open very well. It was miserable and awful. I didn't know how I was going to make it much longer. I really tried to stay strong and tell myself that I was strong and I could do it.
Finally though, the doctor came in with my epidural. I was so relieved just to see him. He explained to me possible side effects and risks and I couldn't even respond to him most of the time, I couldn't speak. Jake answered questions for me. The doctor asked how tall I was, and when I said 5', he asked, "Are you sure you're not stretching that a little bit?" lol. They had me sit Indian style, which was hard to do in my condition, of course. The epidural stung a little bit (I don't remember getting my epidural with Lila), but relief soon came. He gave me the test dose and my legs started going numb, which apparently is a sign that something didn't go quite right. Instead of being given an epidural, I was basically given a spinal because the needle pierced through the membrane instead of staying inside of it. So I was extra numb, which was just fine by me. I immediately felt relief, could breathe and talk and open my eyes and even smile. I thanked the doctor a few times (Jake and I think that anesthesiologists probably like being thanked a lot) and said, "I can't imagine why anyone would choose not to have an epidural!" Really. I went from being in the most awful pain of my life to instant relief.
I had the shakes for a while and was pretty exhausted, but felt so much better. Not too long after I got my epidural, my mom and Emily arrived. Mom was kind of sad to see me in that condition, so I'm glad she wasn't there when before I got the epidural, she probably wouldn't have liked that. Heather was soon there to check my progress and I was at a 9 and that we'd have the baby there in an hour. And then soon after that, I started to be able to feel pressure and some contractions, so Nancy checked me and said she could feel the head! She guessed that he'd be out with a few pushes!
I wasn't going to have Emily be in the room when I had the baby, but changed my mind and decided she could stay. I kept thinking that pushing would be similar to how it was with Lila--very strenuous, exhausting, vulnerable. But this all seemed so easy... I couldn't feel anything and I felt really relaxed, so told Emily she had to stay up by my head. Soon, they had all the equipment ready and they got me ready to push. I really couldn't feel anything. They told me when I was having a contraction, and so I would push, and I couldn't feel anything. I thought that I really wouldn't like an experience like that, but it was actually pretty awesome. I was talking and relaxing in between contractions. It took maybe 4 contractions to get him out. We'd heard a while ago that the average push time for a second baby is 6 minutes, and really hoped that it would be true for me, and it was... he really did slide out.
It was really exciting when they could see the head--Jake said, "He has dark hair!" That was really exciting for me and I laughed just thinking about it: a child that looks like me! Jake "caught" the baby with Heather's help. He said the cord was wrapped around Jared's neck once. And then he put him on my belly and I cried and my mom was crying and we were all so happy. He was tiny and perfect and beautiful, a head full of dark brown hair. Jake cut the cord. This is all something we couldn't do with Lila because she had meconium in her amniotic fluid. It was very happy and exciting.
Delivering the afterbirth and everything was a lot better this time too. Not anywhere near as painful or traumatic as when Lila was born. I did tear a little bit. I think Heather said I have three stitches.
Anyway, Jared. We are completely in love with him already. At first, I couldn't stop comparing him to Lila, how he reminded me of her and how he didn't. But now I just love him so much, just for the sweet baby he is. He was born at 1:49 pm and weighed 6 lbs 10 oz and was 20.5 inches long. A tall guy for weighing so little. As soon as he latched on and started eating, I was in love. He's just so sweet. He's a good eater already--latches on perfectly and gulps the milk down. He likes pacifiers sometimes, which is good... hopefully that means he won't have eating issues like Lila. He's SO skinny and tiny. The little baby we never had :) It's funny to think that Lila weighed 2 pounds more than he did at birth. It looks like he's got a dark complexion like me and that his eyes will be dark. Right now they're like a dark gray. I think it's funny to see Jake holding such a dark baby and knowing that it's his... must be like me holding Lila. He's a quiet, calm baby like Lila was, except not as alert. Lila was awake A LOT when she was born. We looked through some of her newborn pictures and she almost always had her eyes open and was so alert. Today he's had more awake moments and he is just so sweet, he likes looking at me and he even "smiled" a few times. His eyebrows remind me of Jake, and something about his face reminds me of Sam too. He only cries when he's getting his diaper or clothes changed--he hates that--and when he's really hungry. He's good at burping and has had lots of poopy diapers.
Our time at the hospital was nice, but I'm definitely glad we decided to stay just one night. We didn't get a lot of rest with nurses coming in all the time to check on us. Jared had to have his blood sugar checked every time he nursed, which I hated... they had to prick his foot. Poor guy. But his numbers were great. Our nurses were great again. I remember with Lila feeling so grateful and indebted to them, for taking care of me when I was such a giant mess. This time I was still grateful but it didn't seem like as big of a deal, and actually this whole experience has just felt so much less overwhelming than it did the first time. I was surprised at how natural everything seemed when he was born, how I just loved him right away and how it feels like he's been here forever.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Not Today
Ok, so our son is not going to be born on the 21st! Heather (midwife) came to check my cervix a little after 9 and found that I was 1 cm dilated but not effaced at all, though my cervix was soft. She did not want to start me on pitocin because she didn't think it would be effective at that point. Instead, she gave me a dose of Cytotec. It's a pill inserted near the cervix that helps it to soften and to hopefully start some labor and contractions. It's required that with a dose of Cytotec that they monitor you for 4 hours. So, I was hooked up to a wireless heartbeat and a contraction monitor. Jake and I walked around the halls for a long time, talking. He also went out to get three movies and some food for himself. They told me not to eat after midnight the night before, so I was really hungry... but as soon as they gave me the Cytotec they let me have breakfast.
So, at around noon or 12:30, Heather came in again and was pleased that I was having regular contractions (~5 minutes apart). She couldn't give me another dose of Cytotec because of that, so there was really nothing left to do but wait. We asked if we could go home and "wait" and she said that was fine. If my water broke or if my contractions became so intense that I couldn't talk or walk through them, I should go back into the hospital. Otherwise, we're to go back tomorrow morning at 7:30 to start the Pitocin. They're assuming that by tomorrow morning, my cervix will be "ripe" enough to use Pitocin. I sure hope soooooooo!!!!
I've been in good spirits most of the day but I'm starting to get pretty cranky right now. I'm still having contractions but I don't think anything will happen overnight. I'm feeling bummed out that things didn't go as planned and that I have to sleep another night while pregnant. It was nice spending this morning with Jake though. Kind of like a date. Lila had fun with her grandmas and Emily, they went to the mall and she napped in her car seat for 2 hours. We watched Evan Almighty on TV and talked a lot (Jake and I).
So, that's that. Hopefully tomorrow is the day!!!
So, at around noon or 12:30, Heather came in again and was pleased that I was having regular contractions (~5 minutes apart). She couldn't give me another dose of Cytotec because of that, so there was really nothing left to do but wait. We asked if we could go home and "wait" and she said that was fine. If my water broke or if my contractions became so intense that I couldn't talk or walk through them, I should go back into the hospital. Otherwise, we're to go back tomorrow morning at 7:30 to start the Pitocin. They're assuming that by tomorrow morning, my cervix will be "ripe" enough to use Pitocin. I sure hope soooooooo!!!!
I've been in good spirits most of the day but I'm starting to get pretty cranky right now. I'm still having contractions but I don't think anything will happen overnight. I'm feeling bummed out that things didn't go as planned and that I have to sleep another night while pregnant. It was nice spending this morning with Jake though. Kind of like a date. Lila had fun with her grandmas and Emily, they went to the mall and she napped in her car seat for 2 hours. We watched Evan Almighty on TV and talked a lot (Jake and I).
So, that's that. Hopefully tomorrow is the day!!!
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