Wordless Wednesday

As promised, I'll do a "Wordless Wednesday" post where I upload a bunch of pictures from the past week. That way I don't flood Facebook, but you can still see Baby Em! I may caption them, I may not. So without further ado...

 

 1st bath

 Layla still stands guard over her sister :)

 Someone found her thumb!

 

Welcome to the world Emily Raylynn!

I'm back!!! It's been almost a week now since our lives were forever changed when we welcomed our beautiful Emily Raylynn to this world. So, a quick recap of this past week's events...

Tuesday (4.16) night we went to the hospital to be induced.

 Right before leaving for the hospital!

I was started on Cervadil around 8pm. From then on, the evening was pretty uneventful. I did not sleep, however. I should have, but just couldn't. Yes, partly because I was excited/anxious/terrified, etc., but also because I was hooked up to so many monitors, everytime I would roll over, the monitors would lose signal of whatever they were picking up (e.g. baby's heartbeat) and the nurses would come running in to check on me.

Fast forward to Wednesday morning (4.17), the Cervadil was stopped around 8:30 am and Pitocin was started around 9 am. Everything was pretty low key for a while. Contractions were manageable and Paul and I just sat around waiting and talking about what was to come. The contractions slowly got more intense, but still not bad. Still, I opted for the epidural around 2:00 pm, mostly so I could relax a little bit, but also because I was terrified of actually feeling this whole birth thing. So, from about 2:00-5:00 pm I rested, just rolling from side to side to try and help things along.

At about 5 pm, things started to go into high gear. I'll save specific details about it all, but after a check around 5 pm, we thought we still had a few hours, by 5:40 pm I was ready to go. Actually, Paul had to page the doctors and nurses around 5:45 pm because I was sure I was going to have the baby without them.

Paul to the nurse: "Hi, um yeah, I think she's pretty close. You might want to get back in here."

At 5:50 pm I started pushing and by 6:05 pm she was here. She was immediately put on my chest and I was immediately in love. Such an amazing feeling. The doctors and nurses were great and allowed me to hold her as long as I wanted. When I did finally allow her to be cleaned up, Paul was with her the whole time. Let me tell you, you think you love your husband, but you have no idea until you see him with his child. Wow.

So, her stats:

Born April 17, 2013 at 6:05 pm
Weighing 8 pounds 0 ounces
20 1/2 inches long

Her name was a long and involved process. Obviously her last name was set. Growing up, my sister, brother, and I all had 2 middle names, the second one being my mother's maiden name. I knew I wanted that for our children, and luckily Paul agreed, so she has 2 middle names, the 2nd being my maiden name.

Her first middle name (Raylynn) is also a family name. My dad's middle name is Ray and my mom's is Lynn, hence, Raylynn! I was the first one to carry this middle name, now my niece, Riley, carries it as well. And as of Wednesday, so too, does Emily.

Now, Emily. We had thought long and hard about a first name. We wanted something that would stand the test of time and pass a resume test. We had gone through many names before landing on this one. Some of the ones that were on the list:

Harper - before we were even pregnant, this one was up there. After Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Emma - Paul loves this name.
Charlotte - after Charlotte's Web.
Elizabeth - after Elizabeth Bennett; strong female character in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Austen - after Jane Austen, one of my favorite authors.
Mallory - just a fan of the name.
Hailey - again, just like the name!

On the way down to Topsail Island over Christmas vacation, Paul and I were playing our favorite game: go through the alphabet and come up with names at each letter. We got to "E" and Emily came up. I honestly don't remember who mentioned it, but we both liked it. It wasn't after anything, but that was fine by us. We have both known some Emily's, but all of them have been cool, so no bad associations. Still, I wanted to meet her before settling in on a name. Paul, was set! And as of Wednesday, so was I.

I will try to continue to update this as regularly as possible. Emily likes to eat a lot, so I don't have a ton of free time. My plan is to do a "Wordless Wednesday" post, where I can dump a bunch of pictures, that way I'm not flooding Facebook with them. Then probably a post on Friday with updates! Maybe an extra weekend post, if I have time.

Until next time, here are a few pictures of our baby Em!

 Layla saying "hi" to her new baby sister.

 Great Grandma Addie visiting with Em.

 Getting ready to leave the hospital!

 Just hanging out in her swing. This thing is gold.

 Afternoon nap in her bassinet.

 Cuddle time with Mama after eating. My favorite time!

Love bug!

Thanks everyone for your calls/texts/messages! I swear I read every one of them, even if I didn't respond. Your support as been overwhelming. Paul and I feel so lucky to have such amazing friends and family. 

THANK YOU!!!

Why I blog...

I didn't intend to write another post before our little girl arrived, but I was so struck by the support we received yesterday I felt compelled to write a little something.

We originally started this blog as a way to keep in touch with our friends and family back home as we journey through this pregnancy and our everyday lives. It has turned into so much more than that for me. I have had the opportunity to share my story with others and received feedback from some, that this has helped them! I also have "met" some pretty amazing women out there through the blogging world.

Yesterday, I posted an update that Paul and I had decided to go along with the induction, bringing our Baby Girl into this world very soon! This was a very difficult decision for us, one that was not entered into without thought. We discussed our options at length, just the two of us, then again with our doctor. Our doctor, who had originally been very supportive and receptive to our want of a natural birth, expressed her concern with waiting much longer, and in the end, we had to go with her advice.

There was some push back from people who don't believe inductions to be the best option, but for the most part, we felt overwhelmed by the love and support we were given from everyone. I wanted to take a minute to THANK everyone who commented, texted, messaged, emailed, etc. me yesterday with words of encouragement and their own successful induction stories. I will never be able to express how much your support has meant to me.

39-Week Update! Here comes BABY!!

I've mentioned before that my doctors have a different due date set for me than I do. There are multiple ways to come up with a due date; using one such way, my doctors decided I was due this past week, on April 11. I have used a different way, and have my due date as April 21. It is quite a discrepancy. An early ultrasound put my due date somewhere in between, however those can be off by up to 2 weeks. I haven't really been too concerned about it until now. Because I am now technically past my due date (according to doctors), the word induction has started coming up.

After last week's appointment, the doctor I saw scheduled me for an ultrasound this morning to look at fluid levels and fetal weight. She also mentioned starting me on Cervidil this evening to induce. Knowing very little about the induction process, I began Googling it. Don't do that. Don't ever do that. Very rarely do people post stories about how their inductions went swimmingly. People post the terrifying stories. The ones no pregnant woman should ever read. So, admittedly, I had some concerns. Paul and I went in today and discussed some of these concerns with our doctor.

The ultrasound showed our Baby Girl measuring at a whopping 8 POUNDS, 13 OUNCES! Holy hell, that's a big baby! Now, these things can be off by about a pound either way, so she could very easily be under 8 pounds. Paul pointed out, however, that she could just as easily be about 10 pounds. Thanks.

As a result of Baby Girl's size, the doctor thinks the best course of action would be induction, starting tomorrow evening, delivering sometime on Wednesday. While we were a little unsure of how quickly induction is being offered, the doctor assured us she believed this to be our best option. Given the size of the baby, it may be difficult for her to come on her own. Plus, she doesn't want baby to get too much bigger! At this stage, an average baby typically gains 1/2-1 pound a week! While I like to think I know everything, I have to trust the doctor knows what's best in medical situations.

Anyway, here are this week's belly pictures!

As large as my belly is, this probably is a 10-pound baby. 

We started the picture taking process without Layla (she was eating dinner downstairs), and when she heard us, she came running upstairs and into the room. 

So that's it. Next post we should be a family of 3 4 (with Layla!) and I will be another year older. I've been so wrapped up in Baby Girl's arrival, I almost forgot my birthday is Thursday! A happy, healthy daughter will be the best present I could receive!

Pregnancy Favorites

As this pregnancy journey is coming to a close, I wanted to highlight some things that made the process a little easier. So, here are a few of my favorite things...

First up - YOGA! I started doing prenatal yoga when I was about 28 weeks along. I wish I had started sooner. I'm not one of those people who really loves yoga, either. I actually really disliked it before I was pregnant. But, about midway through the pregnancy, I had horrific hip and sciatica pain. After starting yoga, those pains have all but disappeared. So, I recommend to anyone who is pregnant, start taking prenatal yoga classes, or find some DVDs! Definitely worth it!!

Burt's Bees Body Butter - I've mentioned on this blog before my love of all things Burt's Bees. This stuff is great. Lately I have had such terrible leg pains, mostly shin splints, at the end of the day. I think my body is finally revolting against carrying the added weight. Anyway, my wonderful husband rubs my legs at night and we've found this stuff is great for that. Other lotions dry up too quickly and oil is, well, too oily. This is also great for itchy bellies that keep stretching even though it seems impossible for it to get any bigger.

Water Bottle - Pictured here is the Tervis Tumbler Water Bottle, which I am kinda falling out of love with. It tends to leak. Honestly, not Tervis's best work, in my opinion. And I have literally dozens of Tervis Tumblers in all shapes and sizes. Anyway, get a water bottle of some sort that you will carry around to stay hydrated. Every time I go to the doctor's office carrying this thing, a nurse or a doctor comments on how awesome it is because most pregnant women don't get near enough fluids.

Simple Face Wipes - OK, I mentioned the face wipes before. I noted the Neutrogena ones are great, which they are. But, after trying many different brands (including Burt's Bees, which let me down), I have decided the Simple brand is the best for me. Any face wipe will do, but get some, because when that first trimester fatigue strikes back with vengeance in the third trimester, you'll be glad to not have to really wash your face. Also, I've already packed some in my hospital bag. :)

Granola Bars - I found these Nutri Grain ones with yogurt I like, but any kind will do. Really, any snack will be helpful. Just something you can throw in your car or purse and have on hand. I seem to be starving, on the brink of death, at the most inopportune times. I'm always glad when I have a quick snack. I also try to carry around an apple, too.

Body Pillow - I think every time I've done a "pregnancy favorites" section, I have mentioned the body pillow. Some people swear by getting the actual fancy ones made for pregnancy, and I can't speak to that. I just got the $10 body pillow from Target and it has helped tremendously. I'm honestly not sure I could sleep with one of those big pregnancy pillows. This thing is hard enough to maneuver in bed.

So there you have it! A list of a few things to help make the pregnancy journey a little easier. Here are the previous lists I made, for first trimester and second trimester.

Unless Baby Girl has different plans, I'll be back with a 39-week update later this weekend!

38-week update!

That's right, still no baby. I know. I'm as disappointed as all of y'all. But please, continue to express your disappointment every time I walk into a room. It really helps the process.

We are all getting super-anxious to meet our little Butterbean! Including Layla. Actually, I doubt her neuroticism has anything to do with her sister's impending arrival, she's just crazy. I, however, am definitely struggling to wait as the end draws near. You can all rest assured I am now running, skipping, dancing, or hopping everywhere I need to go at this point. Anything to try and shake this little girl out! In fact, just assume this is me everyday from now until she arrives:

Yeah, you're welcome. 

Here's this week's belly picture:

Layla was back at her post this week.

 

It's gotten to the point where wearing pants is not really an option for me any longer. This is unfortunate because it's not really quite warm enough here to walk around in a dress. However, I am like a freaking radiator at this point, so I'm just going with it. 

Along with feeling large and just generally uncomfortable, I'm starting to swell a bit more. That's a lot of fun. I regularly have shin splits after walking around all day. And now, to top it off, I've become quite the hormonal cocktail. My poor husband.

Don't worry, I don't plan on holding any of this over my daughter's head for the rest of her life... 

How to successfully deal with a pregnant woman

This may shock a few of you, but even not pregnant, I'm a little high maintenance. Luckily, most of the maintenance responsibilities fall on me. I just really like shopping. Mostly for clothes and shoes and anything Kate Spade. Also, anything for the kitchen... So yeah, a little high maintenance.

Now that I'm pregnant, I have become even more so. But guess what?! I'm growing human life, so I get to be. While my husband has been more than wonderful during this whole journey, there have been some people in my life who just don't realize how close they came to a swift punch in the throat. For their sake, and for the sake of anyone else who has to gets to deal with a pregnant woman, I've been developing a list for how to handle a pregnant woman. ENJOY.

1. Never ask if it was planned. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Just because someone hasn't announced to the world they are going to begin trying to have a baby, doesn't mean they haven't thought about what they are doing. And who the hell cares if it wasn't planned?! It's not like the baby won't be loved. And hey buddy, I'm not an idiot. I spent the first couple years of my marriage actively not getting pregnant.
   
2. Never comment on weight. I've heard this both ways. I've been told I'm huge and I've been told I'm small. Either way, you should probably steer clear of this one. I'm comfortable with my body, but even I am having some trouble reconciling my new found pregnant body with the size 2 clothes in my closet I can no longer wear. No one wants to be told they're big. Except maybe a sumo wrestler. But you also have to be careful about mentioning someone is too small. You don't know their struggles, so you can't assume this is a compliment. Some people struggle with gaining weight during pregnancy and this can make them freak out even more. Just avoid mentioning weight. Stick with the old favorites of "You're glowing!" or, "You look great!" If all else fails, "Here's some chocolate!" works really well, also.
   
3. Never complain. I shouldn't have to say this one, but there it is. We know our being uncomfortable doesn't negate your being uncomfortable, but it does mean we have lost every bit of empathy and compassion and therefore refuse to deal with you. Oh really, you had a bad night's sleep? I haven't slept in 7 months. Shut it.
   
4. Never offer unsolicited advice. Another one you have to be really careful with. I am asking advice from any and everyone who may be able to help me. Literally, I've taken to stopping women with children on the street at this point. That being sad, if one more person tells me to "just wait" when I mention being tired, I'm gonna lose it. (See picture below.)
   
5. Never walk up and just touch her belly without asking. For God's sake people. I'm gonna say this once, STOP TOUCHING PEOPLE WITHOUT ASKING. I don't walk up and touch your beer gut, so please, stop touching me. I don't know why people do this. Are they hoping to feel her kick? Because I'd be more than happy to kick someone in the shins when they touch my belly without asking.

 

 This is an app you can get on the iPhone called "wee mail." Basically, it's like email from your unborn child. The concept is a little gross, but they're kinda funny, too.

Hopefully, you can take that list and learn a thing or two about successfully navigating through situations with pregnant women. I asked the husband for his input, to which he replied, "just be quiet and agree with everything she says." I'm telling y'all, best. husband. ever. 

Any veteran mamas with some input??

37 week update!

Finally! Full term! (Although, doctors have me measuring about a week and a half ahead, so they consider me to be 38 1/2, almost 39 weeks at this point, with an estimated due date of April 11...) This means, at this point, our little Butterbean is safe to make her debut. And Paul and I tell her that every day! (I read somewhere that talking to your baby and telling her you're ready for her may induce labor. I think I read that on a website entitled "Pregnant Women Will Do Anything if You Tell Them it Induces Labor.") On a slightly unrelated note, I've begun bouncing on an exercise ball and eating pineapples and hot sauce.

In preparation for Baby Girl, we had the carpets steam cleaned this past weekend. I just don't believe our landlords ever had them cleaned and I did not enjoy the thought of our daughter lying on filthy carpet. While the cleaners were doing their thing, I thought it would be best to get Layla out of the house and had her professionally groomed. Now, we don't normally do this. She's not too good for a bath at home in the regular bathtub. But, being that I am now the size of a beached whale and Paul is super busy dealing with my every demand, we figured it would just be easiest if we paid someone else. And, believe it or not, it was! She is ridiculously soft and clean. And, as a bonus, she was really sweet and loving when I picked her up, I think because she didn't want me to leave her again...

So now, Layla is ready for her sister's arrival and so is the house! But I feel like I should also be telling our little Butterbean that if she doesn't hurry up, the house and Layla will again be messy and a little unclean...

Now onto this week's belly pictures!

It's a good thing Paul went to UVA and we're Wahoo fans... I wear a ton of orange and blue...

After not gaining any weight at my previous doctor check-in, I gained 3 pounds this past week! However, I think that's mostly fluid retention, as my rings are fitting more snugly than they ever have. Oh the joys of pregnancy! Still having contractions, although they've slowed down, they've become more intense. Typically, I have a contraction once every 1-2 hours. But they are much more noticeable now. I was talking to my doctor about this at my last appointment, and she said it sounds like my body is trying to get things started. Then, after making my appointment for the following week, she said "We'll see you next week, if not before!" Which was the most terrifying thing I've ever heard.

Anyway! Hope y'all had fabulous Easters and ate lots of great food! We had a lovely dinner with some friends up here and I ate way too much. But I'm strangely OK with it.