http://www.mindysuephotography.net/
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Here's to winning a giveaway! :)
My friend here is a fantastic Ohio photographer and does work in Idaho too, check it out! Mindy Sue Photography
http://www.mindysuephotography.net/
http://www.mindysuephotography.net/
Sunday, June 10, 2012
5 Day Old Photoshoot
Our lovely friend Allison (Allison Bills Photography)
from our ward here in Ohio did Jacob's newborn photoshoot and the
pictures turned out amazing!! We LOVE them all and will cherish them
forever! She came over Monday afternoon after we took Jacob for his
doctor appt (the one they have you go to 2 days after being home from
the hospital to check their weight, etc.) and she was an angel to bring
all of her supplies to our apt so we didn't have to leave. She was SO
patient and fun to work with, my mom and I had a blast with her and the
pictures. Since I love them all, I couldn't just pick one or even two or
three, so here are some collages for your viewing pleasure. :)
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| Such a funny little pop-eye picture! Love the deep blue of his eyes starting to come through and his big chubby cheek pushing up his other eye practically closed. :) |
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| Credit to my amazing friend Jenny for the ADORABLE beanie! Man I loved him in that hat this winter! It seriously was perfect with such amazing detail, she creates at a level I most certainly could not...although I will take credit for creating the sweet boy in the hat at least! lol I take what I can get. :) |
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| The many faces of Jacob Israel... |
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| Sleeping on the beautiful blanket that my mom crocheted for him. It is so gorgeous with the soft colors and texture, could not be more perfect. It too will be cherished forever. |
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Newborn memories in the first month
I'm catching up things since Jacob's birth, which will hopefully make his baby book easier at the end of the year. Maybe I'll even get to backtrack post one of these days from all of our married life adventures! We'll see how quickly I get the hang of this thing... :)
The first few weeks I was pretty darn sore and couldn't move around a ton, thankfully lots of friends from the ward brought meals every other night for a couple of weeks after my mom left and Aaron pitched in a ton too. I was SO tired all the time, but knew it wasn't going to be long before we would get more sleep and I would feel better (still hard to remember at the moment though). At my two week appt they said my incision looked good and they took off the steri-strips, though they still said to wait till 6 weeks to do anything basically. At least I had an adorable little boy to look at and hold all day! I did get to work for a bit the first week and then started again after 4, it's much easier to get back to work with a home office and a newborn that naps half of the day. :) SO thankful I have the opportunity to work from home and still provide for my little one. Love my job.
Jacob's First Two Weeks
Loved our snuggle time! He is already a cougar fan (check out his white beanie). Has pretty skinny legs and isn't very chunky anywhere else either, he's solid! Lots of dirty diapers the first few days.
So sweet and made it easy on me trying to figure out how to bathe a newborn. :)
First time visiting friends! Cassie (with Beck and Hank above) is my friend who also has a husband in podiatry school as a first year and get this: she was due 3 days before me and also had a C section (though she was lucky enough to schedule it a week and a half early, while I went 5 days late...boo) and also had a baby over 10 lbs (10 lb 1oz)! So weird, but so helpful to have her experience everything as I did and can help relate with our boys being so close. It's been awesome to have that support!
Sad day when Grandma left! Then Daddy and I snuggled him in his cute little baseball outfit the rest of the day while watching movies. What would we do without Redbox?!
I sure can see the resemblance can you?!
Meeting his Grandpa (or Papa as some cousins call him) Israel for the first time! He was a hit. :) Got him his first little football too. Grandpa drove up and stayed the weekend on his birthday just watching BYU's bowl game and UNC's basketball game with sandwiches we made from Giant Eagle's deli supplies and their bakery's cake. :) He also got me a Happy Lamp which was SUPER nice since it was a gray winter and I was indoors so much!
The many faces of Jacob with a few of me included. One of the only pictures you'll see of him with a pacifier since he never can keep it in his mouth and doesn't care to have it back.
His first church outfit (red plaid) but last time wearing it...too bad newborn clothes don't fit my newborn! Loving his black rocker outfit and getting in some tummy time.
Other Memories at One Month
The first few weeks I was pretty darn sore and couldn't move around a ton, thankfully lots of friends from the ward brought meals every other night for a couple of weeks after my mom left and Aaron pitched in a ton too. I was SO tired all the time, but knew it wasn't going to be long before we would get more sleep and I would feel better (still hard to remember at the moment though). At my two week appt they said my incision looked good and they took off the steri-strips, though they still said to wait till 6 weeks to do anything basically. At least I had an adorable little boy to look at and hold all day! I did get to work for a bit the first week and then started again after 4, it's much easier to get back to work with a home office and a newborn that naps half of the day. :) SO thankful I have the opportunity to work from home and still provide for my little one. Love my job.
Jacob's First Two Weeks
- Ate every two hours around the clock - all I did was basically feed, burp, change diaper, lay down for .2 seconds hoping for some supplemental daytime sleep just to hear him start the hunger whimper again. :)
- Having a C section changed my ability to get out quite a bit.
- SUPER noisy sleeper, always grunting or humming or squeaking.
- Umbilical cord came off and so we could finally stop wearing those awkward button-across white shirts and use real onesies instead!
- Everyone says he looks like his Daddy!
- First bath sponge and regular bath, didn't mind either one. Actually, he slept through the sponge bath because he was on top of the counter while the dishwasher was running underneath! He loved the white noise, rumbling and warmth of it I'm sure.
Aaron gave me a sweet card and DELICIOUS chocolate covered strawberries from Malley's for Valentine's Day! The next day we went out to eat at Outback Steakhouse, only we ordered it to go and sat in the parking lot since Jacob was only a couple weeks old - still was amazing for me to get out of the house. :) He looked so cute in his bassinet (forgive the pink sheet alternate). LOVE seeing his sweet sleepy face on the boppy pillow after feeding. He is great at helping Daddy study on the iPad and loves to watch basketball or baseball on TV. Screen capture of what we spend lots of time doing (please also forgive my sleepy pajama look) - Skyping!
Other Memories at One Month
- Went to church at 3.5 weeks
- Hiccups less now
- Weighs 11 lbs & 10 oz (got back to birth weight at 3 weeks) - 95% percentile
- 23 1/2 inches tall - 98% percentile
- Eats about every two hours so sleep isn't great except for the occasional 3-4 hour shift night that he'll do once in awhile now
- Starting to smile more
- Nicknames: Poopy Poopster, Jakester
- Just moved from the bassinet in our room to the crib in his own room (thank heavens for the Angelcare monitor so we know he's breathing or we'd be checking on him 100 times more than we already do)
- Pooped in his mesh sling bathtub while I was almost finished bathing him
- Loves tummy time, pretty much puts him to sleep
- He could sleep all day and night if he is on Aaron or my chest (or in the carseat), regardless or hunger or anything...too bad we can't do that at night or we'd sleep wonderfully!
- Still a noisy sleeper, especially if he's reclined or curled up (see video below)
- His doctor always likes to see him and gets a kick out of how he just lays there alert, looking around and just "hanging out" she says - he is just so mellow and we love it!
- When he's awake, he's super alert and people comment on it all the time
- He's starting to lose his hair, mainly on the top as a receding hairline :)
- Often has trouble with gas, it's hard to see him struggle
- Had thrush for 2 weeks now
- Lifted his head during tummy time at 6 weeks I believe (when he decides he will actually struggle with it instead of feeling comfy and taking a snooze)
- Likes the car and really going anywhere new, he's an angel at church, the doctor's, visiting friends houses, voting in the primary election, you name it. :) He looks out the window or looks around and soaks it all in.
- He loves sleeping on his tummy if we let him (on our chest or tummy time)
Sunday, April 22, 2012
A Baby Story (Warning: Extended Version)
Things don't always happen the way we plan, but I've found that almost always what does happen is for the better some way or another. That was definitely the case with the process of Jacob joining our family! I will say, however, that the unexpected turns did make for an even MORE exciting arrival. :) Now let the record-keeping begin...
At 36 weeks (pregnancy post to follow, but we'll start here for now) I was dilated to 2cm and about 70% effaced (apparently a bit unusual for a first-time-mom). At 37 weeks I was dilated to 3cm and about 50-70% effaced, so making progress! At 38 and 39 weeks, still at 3cm and I chose not to get my membranes stripped because I didn't really want him to come early (I had work to finish, baby prep to finish and wanted my mom to be there).
On Wednesday Jan 25th Mom flew out to stay for 2.5 weeks and thankfully J had not yet arrived. When my mom got in that night we ate at Strongsville's new Chik-Fil-A with the nicest workers and flowers on the tables! Fanciest fast food joint I've ever seen for sure. :) We listened to the BYU basketball game on the KSL streaming app on our smart phones, hit up CVS for my UTI antibiotic and got back to our apt in time to see the very end of the game. Thankfully BYU won so it was a good night. :)
Thursday came and we anticipated J to come any time, but hoped he would wait till at least Friday afternoon so Aaron could take his quiz and do other important schoolwork before the weekend. So I kept working and my mom and I planned meals and things we would need to get at the store before baby came.
Friday was my due date (1/27/12), I practically felt like it was my birthday I was so excited! My mom and I hit up Giant Eagle just before my Dr.'s appt and I walked as fast as I could up and down the aisles so that my baby would know it was time. lol I wanted to tell everyone in the store my baby was due today! But I refrained and I'm sure my mom was grateful I didn't. :) then I went to see Dr. Bagley with my Mom and I was now dilated to 4cm! So I had my membranes stripped for an extra precaution, SO SURE I was going into labor in the next 24 hours. Jacob had stayed in the womb Thursday and Friday thankfully so Aaron could finish his quiz and case study, but now I was ready to move (since I had stayed home and didn't move around much in an effort to last a few more days). I got home and found out my boss at work had been let go, so I was trying to figure out a gameplan with my coworkers for when I would start again seeing as they'd need a bit more help during a busy time. That was quite a surprise so with that news, my adrenaline only increased. The Friday before we went to Aaron's church basketball game and I had consistent contractions that night (some said Jacob just must love basketball and wanted to come out and play!), so we decided to go again to Aaron's game that night hoping the activity of the outing would put me into labor (the previous Friday after the game I had a series of contractions enough to keep track of). I saw lots of friends from church and talked about where I was at with progressing into labor and got excited since it seemed my progression was further than most ladies started labor. After we left the game, Aaron drove us around the nice houses on the shores of Lake Eerie to show my mom Huntington beach (too dark to see the lake but could see the houses enough). Then I started having contractions, getting closer and closer. So we went to the store to get some jello and things not heavy before I would go into labor. Things continued to progress, when we got home from 10:30 to about 1am they were at least every 5 mins and long enough to be real labor. So we called the hospital and they had the Dr. on call (actually happened to be Dr. Bagley that night) ring me back. She said if I could still walk/talk through them I could try to get some rest and they'd wake me up if they got worse (we were just worried I'd be too far along for the epidural since we live 40 mins from the hospital and the epidural can take an hour to get in and ready). I did go to sleep...it was pretty poor quality, but eyes were closed at least, lol...but no contractions woke me up. :(
Soooo Saturday morning came with no baby and now I was determined to get the baby out, so we went to Costco and walked the warehouse tasting samples, getting food, and buying fun things in bulk I "needed" (cami shirts, chia seeds for smoothies, etc.). Aaron took us so he could be ready and with us if anything happened. A few contractions, but still nothing. So the next stop was across the street to the mall. :) Aaron studied in Macy's and other various stops in the mall while my Mom and I walked around as much as we could (I was so huge by then it hurt my pubic bone to walk to fast - felt like it was grinding or something...probably TMI...sorry). We ate samples at the bridal fair in the center of the mall and saw other fun stuff. Then I wanted to go to BareEscentuals since my friends here rave about their makeup and I REALLY needed a pick-me-up in the "fresh-looking" dept. So we went in and the MAN with the nicest makeup in the store was the one to help us out. :) I basically bought the starter set with face powders, eyeshadows, mascara, lip gloss, the works. Definitely felt better! BUT no more progress...
Sunday came and went without more than a few contractions.
Monday I had an ultrasound scheduled by Dr. Bagley who just thought it would be good to check fluid levels and everything just in case (though from her exams everything seemed great and she estimated a 7-8 lb baby). Aaron and my mom came with me and I was in a pretty light-hearted mood since I didn't think they'd have anything new to tell me. After the sonographer finished her measurements, things changed and my jovial mood was pretty much out the window with the next discussion. She said, "Do you want to know how much I think he weighs?" and I was wondering if she'd have a guess so I said, "Sure!" and she said, "10 lbs 11 ozs!" I started laughing because I thought that was so funny, but then she said, "Well, I measured everything twice and they're all coming up the same." Then I realized she was making this "guess" off of measurements! Real clinical data! You have to be kidding me I thought. I mean I used to joke with my friends that I'd have huge babies because I myself was 9 lbs 10 oz a week late and Aaron is a big guy (about 8-9 lbs at birth too), but 10...almost 11 LBS?! That's crazy. From there, the radiologist came in and talked about the serious risks involved when a baby is that big. He suggested we go discuss options with Dr. Bagley right then if possible, so we did. She said he would be in danger of shoulder dystocia, which could cause all sorts of problems (paralyzed arm, broken arm or other body part on the way out, stuck in the canal too long, needing an emergency C section anyway). As she listed all of the things that could go wrong and harm our precious baby it brought tears to our eyes and once she left for us to discuss I looked at Aaron and we both knew I needed to have a C section. So we scheduled it for that Wednesday and then went across the street to Panera to get some food and unwind a bit. That was a lot for me to digest! I now wouldn't be anywhere near a natural birth that I'm a fan of, or have the excitement of water breaking or an "It's time!" moment, but I wanted my baby safe and healthy most importantly so I knew the decision was right.
Then Wednesday came, even though I had lots of signs of progressing I knew after our appt. that I was not going to go into labor on my own. He needed a C section's help and sure enough, I went 5 days late without any problem. I didn't eat anything all day (no food 8 hrs before and mine happened to be scheduled for 5pm) but finished up some things for work, Aaron did some studying, my mom made me some homemade Larabars/healthy fudge babies for me to take to the hospital (thx to Chocolate Covered Katie's blog!) and then we left early in the afternoon.
The pre-op was the longest part and was terrifying to get the IV, be questioned on everything under the sun (including who would make decisions if I went unconscious or whether or not I was an organ donor...thanks for the reassurance right?!). The nurse even wanted to feel me again and said "You just don't feel like there's a 10 lb baby in there! You must carry it well!" But as nice as she was, I honestly thought I could not go through with it. I could not voluntarily let them cut right through all layers of my abdomen, regardless of the fact that women do this every day. I was absolutely terrified and holding back tears, but Aaron had given me another priesthood blessing the night before and I knew everything was going to be alright. The operating room was bright white and very clean so I wasn't as scared there. The anesthesia people were super sweet and the spinal was no big deal. They laid me down both arms outstretched on slender boards and strapped down with towels over them to keep warm with a big curtain below my chin to shield me from seeing the surgery. Aaron got to sit with me by my face (they freaked out when he tried to look around the curtain - too many dads pass out) and talk to me. Within 15 minutes, I felt some pressure and they had our son out! I heard him cry and I just smiled so big, I was so happy he was here. It used to bring tears to my eyes thinking about that moment, but in it I was just so excited to see him and happy he was alright. I heard the doctor say, whoa he has big shoulders. Then I heard them say something about a head full of dark hair and 10 lbs 3 oz!! Glad we went with the C section. :)
Aaron got to cut the umbilical cord and be there while they got him cleaned and everything. The sweet nurse anesthetist sitting by me gave me the play-by-play the whole time and said about Aaron who was across the room with Jacob, "He is absolutely in love over there." :) Then Aaron brought him over to meet me and I remember his big cheeks smashed up around his little nose and all I could do was give him a little kiss when Aaron put him close to me. He was such a doll, and his hands were huge just like Aaron's were and he had the same flat feet with a big gap between the first and second toe. :)
In recovery I felt nauseated so I held Jacob for a bit but then Aaron looked after him while I just rested for a couple hours (Jacob got the eye washing and other stuff too). Then I was taken to my room and met up with my mom, who later said I didn't look so good (color left my face) but I got some jello and juice so I could have something in my system (didn't eat real food till lunch the next day, and it was the best roast beef, carrots and wheat roll I ever had! lol). We were so excited to just look at our new blessing and enjoy getting to know him.
It was a long first night, he made noises all night and I had nurses checking on me all night. Thankfully my mom stayed on the little "bed" and helped get Jacob in and out of the crib thing for me all night (we MADE Aaron go home and sleep because it was exam week starting and I would rather have him around during the day with me). When Aaron came back to the hospital he jumped right in like a champ. Especially since I was still recovering and could barely get up to go to the bathroom. The nurse showed Aaron all the changing stuff and he took care of poopy diaper after poopy diaper and held Jacob so we could enjoy him together for a bit. One time Jacob just starting shooting pee all over in the middle of a diaper change, which was messy and Jacob didn't like it getting all over himself, lol. My mom took shifts going back to sleep at our apt in the afternoon and then let Aaron go home at night, it was great. I hated if anyone said anything funny because laughing or coughing hurt so bad. Starting to walk was tough, pretty darn painful. NEVER let the pain meds get forgotten the day after surgery, it is a terrible situation if you do and need to walk to the bathroom. Never felt so helpless in my life, but it was very humbling. Aaron helped me go on little walks to keep blood flowing and told me with a smile that this was what it will be like when we're old, he'll be helping me walk around. :) I told him no way, I'd be helping him walk around! lol I'm convinced that he's going first even though he is the one with 100-year-old relatives still alive...
Anyway, on the way home we needed to pick up my pain medication (remember my warning about them wearing off...) but by the time they finished my discharge paperwork it was after 9pm on Saturday and all the nearby pharmacies were closed. I was in tears, but then a guy in a pharmacy overheard us talking to the cashier about it and followed us out to tell us of a CVS near his house that was open 24 hrs and how to get there (needle in a haystack for us, mind you, so it was truly an answer to our prayers). Then we came home with our new adorable little boy! Engorgement-city began and I had to get that under control for the next 3-4 days but other than that we were pretty good. :)
My mom and I would keep Jacob out of the bedroom at night to take care of him while Aaron slept (even if it meant we slept out on the couch/ottoman with the baby). During the day I would feed him and my mom would help burp and/or change him while I tried to get rest before the next feeding or got some work done while I had her help. Then my mom had to leave and it was very hard. My Facebook post while I stayed home with J since it was a snowstorm and Aaron took my mom to the airport was:
Saying goodbye to your mom after 2.5 weeks of amazing company, support, cooking, cleaning, organizing and baby tending is the WORST. She has been amazing and made our transition to parenthood incredibly smooth and enjoyable. Such great memories and we will be getting the blog and skype ready to keep close in touch. In the meantime, I'll enjoy a relaxing Saturday with my boys. :)
And that's precisely what we did! Aaron came home with a delicious smoothie from Robek's to cheer me up and we 3 sat and watched Planet of the Apes together as our new little family. All I could think was how overwhelmed with love I felt. I just felt SO SO much love for my family I could never have imagined it. I can only guess it gets better and better from here. :)
Observations/comments we heard in the first week:
At 36 weeks (pregnancy post to follow, but we'll start here for now) I was dilated to 2cm and about 70% effaced (apparently a bit unusual for a first-time-mom). At 37 weeks I was dilated to 3cm and about 50-70% effaced, so making progress! At 38 and 39 weeks, still at 3cm and I chose not to get my membranes stripped because I didn't really want him to come early (I had work to finish, baby prep to finish and wanted my mom to be there).
On Wednesday Jan 25th Mom flew out to stay for 2.5 weeks and thankfully J had not yet arrived. When my mom got in that night we ate at Strongsville's new Chik-Fil-A with the nicest workers and flowers on the tables! Fanciest fast food joint I've ever seen for sure. :) We listened to the BYU basketball game on the KSL streaming app on our smart phones, hit up CVS for my UTI antibiotic and got back to our apt in time to see the very end of the game. Thankfully BYU won so it was a good night. :)
Thursday came and we anticipated J to come any time, but hoped he would wait till at least Friday afternoon so Aaron could take his quiz and do other important schoolwork before the weekend. So I kept working and my mom and I planned meals and things we would need to get at the store before baby came.
Friday was my due date (1/27/12), I practically felt like it was my birthday I was so excited! My mom and I hit up Giant Eagle just before my Dr.'s appt and I walked as fast as I could up and down the aisles so that my baby would know it was time. lol I wanted to tell everyone in the store my baby was due today! But I refrained and I'm sure my mom was grateful I didn't. :) then I went to see Dr. Bagley with my Mom and I was now dilated to 4cm! So I had my membranes stripped for an extra precaution, SO SURE I was going into labor in the next 24 hours. Jacob had stayed in the womb Thursday and Friday thankfully so Aaron could finish his quiz and case study, but now I was ready to move (since I had stayed home and didn't move around much in an effort to last a few more days). I got home and found out my boss at work had been let go, so I was trying to figure out a gameplan with my coworkers for when I would start again seeing as they'd need a bit more help during a busy time. That was quite a surprise so with that news, my adrenaline only increased. The Friday before we went to Aaron's church basketball game and I had consistent contractions that night (some said Jacob just must love basketball and wanted to come out and play!), so we decided to go again to Aaron's game that night hoping the activity of the outing would put me into labor (the previous Friday after the game I had a series of contractions enough to keep track of). I saw lots of friends from church and talked about where I was at with progressing into labor and got excited since it seemed my progression was further than most ladies started labor. After we left the game, Aaron drove us around the nice houses on the shores of Lake Eerie to show my mom Huntington beach (too dark to see the lake but could see the houses enough). Then I started having contractions, getting closer and closer. So we went to the store to get some jello and things not heavy before I would go into labor. Things continued to progress, when we got home from 10:30 to about 1am they were at least every 5 mins and long enough to be real labor. So we called the hospital and they had the Dr. on call (actually happened to be Dr. Bagley that night) ring me back. She said if I could still walk/talk through them I could try to get some rest and they'd wake me up if they got worse (we were just worried I'd be too far along for the epidural since we live 40 mins from the hospital and the epidural can take an hour to get in and ready). I did go to sleep...it was pretty poor quality, but eyes were closed at least, lol...but no contractions woke me up. :(
Soooo Saturday morning came with no baby and now I was determined to get the baby out, so we went to Costco and walked the warehouse tasting samples, getting food, and buying fun things in bulk I "needed" (cami shirts, chia seeds for smoothies, etc.). Aaron took us so he could be ready and with us if anything happened. A few contractions, but still nothing. So the next stop was across the street to the mall. :) Aaron studied in Macy's and other various stops in the mall while my Mom and I walked around as much as we could (I was so huge by then it hurt my pubic bone to walk to fast - felt like it was grinding or something...probably TMI...sorry). We ate samples at the bridal fair in the center of the mall and saw other fun stuff. Then I wanted to go to BareEscentuals since my friends here rave about their makeup and I REALLY needed a pick-me-up in the "fresh-looking" dept. So we went in and the MAN with the nicest makeup in the store was the one to help us out. :) I basically bought the starter set with face powders, eyeshadows, mascara, lip gloss, the works. Definitely felt better! BUT no more progress...
Sunday came and went without more than a few contractions.
Monday I had an ultrasound scheduled by Dr. Bagley who just thought it would be good to check fluid levels and everything just in case (though from her exams everything seemed great and she estimated a 7-8 lb baby). Aaron and my mom came with me and I was in a pretty light-hearted mood since I didn't think they'd have anything new to tell me. After the sonographer finished her measurements, things changed and my jovial mood was pretty much out the window with the next discussion. She said, "Do you want to know how much I think he weighs?" and I was wondering if she'd have a guess so I said, "Sure!" and she said, "10 lbs 11 ozs!" I started laughing because I thought that was so funny, but then she said, "Well, I measured everything twice and they're all coming up the same." Then I realized she was making this "guess" off of measurements! Real clinical data! You have to be kidding me I thought. I mean I used to joke with my friends that I'd have huge babies because I myself was 9 lbs 10 oz a week late and Aaron is a big guy (about 8-9 lbs at birth too), but 10...almost 11 LBS?! That's crazy. From there, the radiologist came in and talked about the serious risks involved when a baby is that big. He suggested we go discuss options with Dr. Bagley right then if possible, so we did. She said he would be in danger of shoulder dystocia, which could cause all sorts of problems (paralyzed arm, broken arm or other body part on the way out, stuck in the canal too long, needing an emergency C section anyway). As she listed all of the things that could go wrong and harm our precious baby it brought tears to our eyes and once she left for us to discuss I looked at Aaron and we both knew I needed to have a C section. So we scheduled it for that Wednesday and then went across the street to Panera to get some food and unwind a bit. That was a lot for me to digest! I now wouldn't be anywhere near a natural birth that I'm a fan of, or have the excitement of water breaking or an "It's time!" moment, but I wanted my baby safe and healthy most importantly so I knew the decision was right.
Then Wednesday came, even though I had lots of signs of progressing I knew after our appt. that I was not going to go into labor on my own. He needed a C section's help and sure enough, I went 5 days late without any problem. I didn't eat anything all day (no food 8 hrs before and mine happened to be scheduled for 5pm) but finished up some things for work, Aaron did some studying, my mom made me some homemade Larabars/healthy fudge babies for me to take to the hospital (thx to Chocolate Covered Katie's blog!) and then we left early in the afternoon.
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| On our way to the hospital! |
The pre-op was the longest part and was terrifying to get the IV, be questioned on everything under the sun (including who would make decisions if I went unconscious or whether or not I was an organ donor...thanks for the reassurance right?!). The nurse even wanted to feel me again and said "You just don't feel like there's a 10 lb baby in there! You must carry it well!" But as nice as she was, I honestly thought I could not go through with it. I could not voluntarily let them cut right through all layers of my abdomen, regardless of the fact that women do this every day. I was absolutely terrified and holding back tears, but Aaron had given me another priesthood blessing the night before and I knew everything was going to be alright. The operating room was bright white and very clean so I wasn't as scared there. The anesthesia people were super sweet and the spinal was no big deal. They laid me down both arms outstretched on slender boards and strapped down with towels over them to keep warm with a big curtain below my chin to shield me from seeing the surgery. Aaron got to sit with me by my face (they freaked out when he tried to look around the curtain - too many dads pass out) and talk to me. Within 15 minutes, I felt some pressure and they had our son out! I heard him cry and I just smiled so big, I was so happy he was here. It used to bring tears to my eyes thinking about that moment, but in it I was just so excited to see him and happy he was alright. I heard the doctor say, whoa he has big shoulders. Then I heard them say something about a head full of dark hair and 10 lbs 3 oz!! Glad we went with the C section. :)
In recovery I felt nauseated so I held Jacob for a bit but then Aaron looked after him while I just rested for a couple hours (Jacob got the eye washing and other stuff too). Then I was taken to my room and met up with my mom, who later said I didn't look so good (color left my face) but I got some jello and juice so I could have something in my system (didn't eat real food till lunch the next day, and it was the best roast beef, carrots and wheat roll I ever had! lol). We were so excited to just look at our new blessing and enjoy getting to know him.
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| First family photo :) |
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| Proud new Grandma Paravato! |
It was a long first night, he made noises all night and I had nurses checking on me all night. Thankfully my mom stayed on the little "bed" and helped get Jacob in and out of the crib thing for me all night (we MADE Aaron go home and sleep because it was exam week starting and I would rather have him around during the day with me). When Aaron came back to the hospital he jumped right in like a champ. Especially since I was still recovering and could barely get up to go to the bathroom. The nurse showed Aaron all the changing stuff and he took care of poopy diaper after poopy diaper and held Jacob so we could enjoy him together for a bit. One time Jacob just starting shooting pee all over in the middle of a diaper change, which was messy and Jacob didn't like it getting all over himself, lol. My mom took shifts going back to sleep at our apt in the afternoon and then let Aaron go home at night, it was great. I hated if anyone said anything funny because laughing or coughing hurt so bad. Starting to walk was tough, pretty darn painful. NEVER let the pain meds get forgotten the day after surgery, it is a terrible situation if you do and need to walk to the bathroom. Never felt so helpless in my life, but it was very humbling. Aaron helped me go on little walks to keep blood flowing and told me with a smile that this was what it will be like when we're old, he'll be helping me walk around. :) I told him no way, I'd be helping him walk around! lol I'm convinced that he's going first even though he is the one with 100-year-old relatives still alive...
Anyway, on the way home we needed to pick up my pain medication (remember my warning about them wearing off...) but by the time they finished my discharge paperwork it was after 9pm on Saturday and all the nearby pharmacies were closed. I was in tears, but then a guy in a pharmacy overheard us talking to the cashier about it and followed us out to tell us of a CVS near his house that was open 24 hrs and how to get there (needle in a haystack for us, mind you, so it was truly an answer to our prayers). Then we came home with our new adorable little boy! Engorgement-city began and I had to get that under control for the next 3-4 days but other than that we were pretty good. :)
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| Leaving the hospital Saturday night (4 days in a hospital does not make for my most attractive picture, but it's what I was working with at the time, lol) - Jacob was hungry and we almost never saw that face, but that little hat falling off him was a crochet beanie I made for him that ended up being WAY too small, even though I made it the biggest size estimate for newborns. :( |
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| Ready to go home from the hospital! |
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| First night at home in the bassinet next to our bed. |
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| Feeling better with some makeup, but look how huge my baby boy is! Still blows my mind he just came out of my tummy. :) |
Saying goodbye to your mom after 2.5 weeks of amazing company, support, cooking, cleaning, organizing and baby tending is the WORST. She has been amazing and made our transition to parenthood incredibly smooth and enjoyable. Such great memories and we will be getting the blog and skype ready to keep close in touch. In the meantime, I'll enjoy a relaxing Saturday with my boys. :)
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| Jacob did NOT want Grandma to leave! :) |
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| Suspicious look... |
Observations/comments we heard in the first week:
- Wow! Look at that big kid!
- Big head, big shoulders, big hands and big feet - no fat rolls
- So strong, lifts his head and pushes himself up and/or off you
- Look at those broad shoulders!
- Look at those huge hands!
- He's a little linebacker!
- Look at those shoulders!
- Loves looking at the light especially out the window in the morning
- Doesn't make much noise, just stares for hours when awake, looking around and observing.
- Such a serious face, pensive look trying to get his eyes in focus when he hears you
- Delays typical sleepy time when dad gets home because you can tell he just enjoys sitting with him
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Taking the plunge!
Not with marriage of course...we've already done that...but with keeping up a blog! :) I really wish I would have started this when we got married 4 years ago so I could remember all the fun things that stage of life offered, but my picture albums (work in progress...) will have to suffice. :) However, I did promise myself I would at least start a blog once we had our first child and that day has arrived! I plan to use this blog to keep in touch with family and friends, as well as keep a personal record of our lives (so feel free to pass on posts with the seemingly superfluous details...I think it's fun to remember the small stuff once in awhile too). Enjoy!
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