Jack David: The Birth Story

My baby boy is 7 1/2 months old.  I can't even believe it!

He has grown and changed so much and he is such a joy!

He loves to scream and giggle.  He thinks it's funny when I walk into another room to scream bloody murder, and then when I walk back to check on him, he is just a laughing!

He is so fun, he bring so much joy into my life everyday.

I haven't ever written his birth story down and I would really like to so I can save it for him to read when he's older and ready to start his own family.

So I'll write it here and print out the page, and all the comments for his scrapbook.

May 1, 2014

3:00 PM: Dr's appointment.  I was still only dilated to 1 cm, and about 50% effaced.  Discussed options and decided to schedule an induction the next day, May 2 at 7 AM.

6:00 PM: Keith took me to dinner at Chinese.  Contractions became VERY painful during dinner, but were still too far apart to go to the hospital.   I did NOT want to get sent home again.

10:00 PM: Bed time, contractions so painful I could no longer breathe, walk, or talk.  Tried to lay in bed for a few hours but I was in so much pain I couldn't lay flat.  Tried a warm bath, and a lot of pacing the floor. I was really trying to tolerate the pain until 6:30 when we planned to go to the hospital, I figured we were scheduled to start anyway, we would just have to use less Pitocin to get the process going.

May 2, 2014

2:30 AM: Contractions became so painful I woke Keith with my grunting and moaning and he convinced me to call the hospital. They told me to come in.

3:00 AM: Made it to the hospital, got hooked up to monitors and the nurse checked my progress.  I was dilated to a 5, and 75% effaced.  I had made a LOT of progress. The nurse called my Dr. to update him and ask about an epidural.  He gave me the go ahead to get the epidural, but Keith and I talked and decided I would wait "just a little longer." 

5:00 AM: I was DYING.  We called the Nurse Anesthetist and I got my epidural.  For me, the epidural was the scariest part. A friend of mine had a baby a few months before and the epidural had broken off in her back and she had to have back surgery immediately after she had her baby. So I was way scared! Keith held me while they put it in, and I FINALLY got some relief.  We watched nick at nite and slept for about an hour.
6:00 AM: The doctor came in to check me and HOLY cow! I was at 7 already.  He told me it wouldn't be much longer.  I called my mom and she left work and came down to Gunnison to be with me.

7:00 AM: My mom was there just in time for the Dr. to break my water.  (That was a weird feeling)

9:30 AM: Set up the room and got ready to start pushing.

9:50 AM Pushed once

10:00 AM Jack's heart rate was dropping too quickly to continue a normal delivery.  My doctor told me I needed a c-section.  (for those of you that don't know, this was my worst nightmare, from the time I got pregnant I had had nightmares about having an emergency c-section)  I bawled.  I was so scared. They took Keith away to get him scrubbed up for the OR and my mom had to say goodbye to me.  At this point, I was all alone.  Okay, not really cause I had some awesome nurses and the Nurse Anesthetist stayed with me the whole time.  But I was SO scared.

10:15AM: I was in the OR waiting for keith, scared to death, crying shaking and freezing.  Finally after what seemed like hours, Keith walked in all scrubbed up. The doctor told me they were going to start.  Then I felt a little pressure.

It seemed like the worked on me forever, and I just kept asking. Is everything okay? Is Jack okay? Where is Jack, is he out? Why isn't he crying.

10:21 AM: Then I heard it. Jack's first scream! He was far away with the respiratory therapist, but Keith got to go to him and see him, and he got to bring him over to me so I could see him.  Our awesome N.A. took a bunch of pictures of us together.

Little Family

Jack's First Picture

First time I saw him!

Then Keith took him away down to the nursery to get weighed.  He was 5 lb 10 oz and 21 inches long.  He was having a hard time getting his temperature up, so he had to be in the incubator for about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, I was in the OR, all alone with all of this medical stuff and nurses and doctors around me.  I was scared.  They kept telling me to try to go to sleep.. But yeah, right.  I was scared to death and all I wanted was to see my baby boy!!!!

FINALLY about an hour later, they wheeled me out of the OR down the hall to my room where all of my family was waiting for me.  Keith, my mom and dad, Kayden, Jill, Nadean, Shelly and David, Maria and Will were all waiting for me.  Keith had Jack.  When we were going into the OR they asked me who could hold him before me, and I said no one.  But I guess Keith was the exception ;)

Then, after what seemed like YEARS of waiting, they handed me my beautiful baby boy.  My Jack. he was here, he was safe, and he was healthy.  I was so happy.

I got to nurse him for the first time, and he was a champ at eating (still is, he doesn't miss many meals ;) )

Then we let everyone in to hold him.
(these were the only pictures on my phone when I was writing this)

Aunt Nadean with Baby Jack

Proud Grandma with Jack

Best day of my life.

May 5, 2014 at about 2 PM we got to take our little bundle home :)

Look how tiny he was in his car seat.  The straps were as tight as they could possibly go.

In this picture he weighed 5 lbs.  SO LITTLE!

I am going to be better at blogging from now on so I can document Jack's baby hood a little better than I have been.

See you soon!

38 Weeks!

Seriously guys.  We are 38 Weeks today! I'm so ready to have this little munchkin that I can't even stand it!

We [The Immediate Family] have officially placed baby bets.

So that means its getting close!

My bet is that he will come Friday, the 18th [GOOD FRIDAY] he will weigh 6 lbs 5 oz. and be about 21 inches long (I've seen the ultrasound, and this kid has big feet and long legs like his daddy)

Keith bets he won't get here until the 27th. I can't remember what his guess on height and weight were, but don't worry, its all written down on my fridge.


Things have been a little more exciting this week (I'm not sure this is a good thing.)

Yesterday morning we had to make an unexpected visit to the hospital.  I hadn't felt Jack move for a good 2 hours, and I just wasn't feeling right.  I went down to the hospital and they immediately found his heartbeat. [I cried, I was so relieved] He still wasn't moving much though, so they kept the monitors on me, and called my Dr.

He told them to give me lots of fluids, so I drank 5 cups of NASTY Gunnison water, and had a bag of IV fluid.  He started moving after that.   Just to be safe, they tested my urine and it came back that I had a little bladder infection [which explains why I've been feeling yucky] so I got an antibiotic for that.

We were so so so relieved when we heard that heartbeat!

 

 

Not knowing is an awful feeling.

Anyways, all is well in baby land.  He's still cooking away, no matter how much I want him out.

I've started eating pineapple, drinking raspberry tea, and going for long walks... I'm ready for baby boy to be here.

38 weeks, and feeling HUGE! So ready to meet baby Jack

What are your tips for "encouraging" him to join us?  No castor oil please :)

My top 10 favorite songs right now

Keith Urban- Cop Car

Rodney Atkins- Watching You

Gary Allen- Tough Little Boys

Conway Twitty- That's My Job

Rascal Flatts- My Wish

Kenny Rogers- The Greatest

Brad Paisley- Anything Like Me

Reba McEntire- You're Gonna Be

Travis Tritt- I See Me

Billy Dean- Let Them Be Little

Are you seeing a trend?  Besides the first one, they can all be dedicated to my sweet boy.

I'm so ready to meet him and hold him and be his mom.

Its a little scary, but I'm so ready to start our little life together as a family.

37 Week Update

37 weeks... I'm hoping there is less than 3 weeks left (like I would prefer to have my little Jack-O-Lantern TONIGHT if I could choose)

I am so glad that I get him soon.

But let me tell you... I AM SOOOO DONE being pregnant.

• My feet hurt, my back hurts, my hips hurt.
• My hands are so swollen I can't grab or hold onto anything.
• My feet are so swollen I'm wearing slippers at work because regular shoes don't fit.
  
• I have to pee every 20 minutes
• I haven't slept longer than 4 hours TOTAL in months.
• Braxton Hicks are crazy.
• Starting to have some regular contractions.

 So now that I've complained...

I will miss a few things about being pregnant.

• Feeling him move inside of me
• Being told I need to eat more (BY A DOCTOR) and getting away with it.
• Keith talking and reading to my stomach.
• Daydreaming about what he will look like.
• Anticipating his arrival (I feel like I'm living on the edge)

So cross your fingers for me that he will come soon :)

36 Week Update!

WOO! we are really almost there now.

37-40 weeks is considered "full-term" so I'm keepin him in for one more week, and then, I'm going to do all I can to encourage him to join us!

I am to the point in pregnancy that I am just done.  I'm tired, I am uncomfortable, I am MISERABLE.  and I want my baby here, so I can kiss him and love him and hold him, and not be so huge and uncomfortable.

I didn't even take a picture this week.  Mostly because I was sooo uncomfortable yesterday I didn't even get out of bed until 1:00 and after that I only got up because I needed to wash pants or else no one in my house could wear clothes today.

I can't sleep.
I can't eat.
I can't walk.


***TMI ALERT!***
It feels like if I squatted, and pushed really hard, I could probably pop him right out of there.

Keith says... "Please don't do that..."

I can take a couple more weeks, I just have to keep remembering... I get to see him soon, I made it through 9 months of this, I can do a few more weeks....

Happy Wednesday!

34 Weeks Update... and the baby bump

34 weeks and counting!

That means we only have 4-6 weeks left!  

Things are starting to get REAL!  

ITS THE FINAL COUNTDOWN! 

(I hope you all sang that line in your best Europe voice)

My shower is this weekend, I am so excited.  My cute Sister-In-Law has planned the whole sha-bang, and I know its going to be awesome.

Looking forward to seeing lots of family! Thats always the best part about showers.

Keith is psyched, as always and continues to prepare for our little boy to join us.

Mazee however, is less excited.  I think she can tell that something is changing, and it is happening soon because she doesn't want anything to do with me.  She only wants Keith.

The other day, I picked her up from my parents house and brought her home.  I got home before Keith, so I just brought her with me.  She spent the hour before Keith got home running through the house looking for him.  Then after she ran through every room, she would go to the door and pout.  Then go look for him again.

I tried to hold her, and coax her to come sit on my lap, but no such luck.  She only wants Keith.

Have any of you had a fur baby, and then a human baby?  How did you help them adjust?

Okay, now onto the baby bump picture!

I feel like he is starting to drop, the bump looks smaller than 2 weeks ago for some reason...

33 Week Update

Went to the Dr. on Thursday and our little sweet pea is growing like a champ, and is right on track with everything.

We are going every 2 weeks now, but our Dr. informed us yesterday that after the next appointment we will start going every week...  EVERY WEEK!!!

Do you know how close that makes us?

Way close.  I'm psyched!

I wanna meet our little guy so bad, My curiosity is getting the best of me.  I just wanna know what/who he looks like, and if he has hair, and whose nose he has etc.

Soon, Kayla, soon.

Meanwhile, here is a picture from our appointment yesterday.  Keith and Jack were playing Dinosaurs :)

I had to screen shot the facebook post so you could all see how sweet my husband is, and how great of a dad he is already.

 

I haven't taken a baby bump picture this week but I'll be sure to at 34 weeks.  

Keith and I are taking a few more maternity pictures this week.  So stay in touch to see those.

Here is my favorite of the ones Keith took last week.

I'll do a whole post on more maternity pictures after my shower. :)

And a post on my shower.

 

31 weeks

WOO! We made it to 31 weeks.  We are now COUNTING down in the single digits!  Only 9 weeks to the due date!!

So excited to see my little Jack-O-Lantern.  I wanna kiss him, and cuddle him, and blow up Instagram with pictures of him (if you follow me, beware, I will be that mother that posts 10000 pictures of her baby on Instagram and Facebook. You have been warned)

Since we are so close, I am definitely in the "nesting" phase, I've scrubbed my whole house top to bottom... Literally, on my hands and knees with a scrub brush...

We got a new-to-us couch from a friend last week, and it was in need of some SERIOUS TLC.

Lucky for this girl, I have a handy mother and husband who fixed it in no time.  Then it was just up to me to clean it.  Let me tell you, I am SOOO pleased with the results.  It is microfiber and was way dirty... I found several cool tricks to clean it up!

But that is a post for another time.. Check back Thursday, and I'll inform you on that ;)

I would love your opinions, I'm going to do an upcoming blog post on advice I've been given for raising a baby...  What is the best/worst advice you were given, and what advice would you give me?

For now, here is a baby bump picture

31 weeks and feeling huge!  My belly button is almost ready to pop out... Keith is really excited for that to happen, he calls it the turkey timer :)
 

Helpful Hints for Raising a Boy?

So you all probably know I'm having a boy, Jack.

When I first got pregnant, I had always pictured me with a girl first.  Probably because I am a girl, and I thought I would know what to do with a girl.

I'm having a boy, and let me just admit to you, I am a little nervous.  Like  a lot nervous.

I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want to teach my son, and what I wish more boys knew.

I work at a High School, so I see a lot of ill-mannered boys every day.  I hope Jack never turns out as naughty as some of these boys, or as disrespectful.

That is one of my worst pet-peeves.  When kids are disrespectful, and sometimes just plain RUDE.

There is this one boy that goes here that is particularly bad.  The other day, I was talking to one of the girls that I knew even before I worked here, and we were talking about how I am the luckiest because my husband helps so much (Keith cooks (ALL THE TIME) and cleans, and helps with everything around the house... except laundry, but that's mostly because I won't let him do the laundry...)

When this boy heard that, he said, out loud, that girls now-a-days expect everything to be handed to them, and they don't want to do anything anymore, they just want men to do it for them....  UMMM EXCUSE ME?!?

I think it is equal opportunity, especially in a house where both parents work outside of the home, no one spends more time at home than the other, and even if there was a stay-at-home mom involved, she has to take care of the kids ALL DAY. The spouse could surely help out when he got home.

So..
Hopping off my soap box, I have started compiling a list of things I want to teach Jack, so he is not one of those rude disrespectful, mean, sexist children.

1. There is no such thing as "woman's work" or "man's work"  It is family work that everyone should help with.

2. Say please, and thank you.

3. When you need help, ask for it, politely, and then pay attention and help the helper help you.  This is how you LEARN!

4. Boys who cook are the coolest.

5. Boys who clean are even cooler.

6. Always be clean and well groomed.  No one likes a slob.

7. Accept others as they are.

8. Never EVER call anyone names.  Words hurt so much more than actions sometimes.

9. There is a time and place for playing.  Learn what it is, and when you should just sit down and behave.

10. If you love or appreciate someone, tell them, and tell them often.  You never know when the opportunity will pass.

Do you have anything more to add?

What do you wish more kids knew?

What did you teach your son?

Also... here's a bump picture :)