10 days and counting

Here we are, 10 days after the birth of our precious baby boy Drew. It has been a rollercoaster ride to say the least. I promised details of his birth day, so here goes, if you're interested. Just a warning, some of this may be too much information!

I woke up Monday, July 28 at about 5am, and lo and behold, I was having contractions--not huge ones that sent me into screaming fits; they were more uncomfortable than anything. I started thinking, well, maybe that Oscar performance won't be needed after all. I got up, took a shower, and we packed all the last minute stuff into the car. On the way to the hospital, we started timing my contractions (which were still not that intense)--they were about 2-3 minutes apart the whole way there! We walked into L&D at about 6:30, and the nurse at the desk took us to a birthing room where they checked how much I was dilated and such. I was only 1.5cm and about 50% effaced--no change since my OB appointment the Wednesday before. BUT since my contractions were steady and so close together, I was told, "We're not going to send you home." Music to my ears! They called Dr. Taylor, who got there about 7 or 7:30, checked me again and told me I was about 2cm dilated. A little while later, she went ahead and broke my water, which hurt like hell for a second, and then it was just really gross. With Trent, I already had my epidural before they broke my water, so I didn't feel a thing...this was quite different. I won't go into any further detail on that.

Probably about an hour later (I wasn't paying too close attention to the time), the anesthesiologist came to give me the epidural. That was the worst pain I have probably ever experienced. I was a bit shocked at this, as I didn't feel a thing when I got my epidural with Trent. Ouch, is all I have to say. But once it was over, it was smooth sailing. They gave me pitocin to make my contractions stronger, and I steadily dilated to about 5cm by 12:25pm. At this point, my nurse talked to Dr. Taylor on the phone. Dr. Taylor told her she expected to have this baby by 2:00. I thought, "You've got to be kidding me--I'm only 5cm, and that is in an hour and a half! There's no way!" Little do I know...

The nurse gave me another dose of pitocin, and wow. I went from 5 to 8cm by about 12:50. Two contractions later, I was 10cm (about 12:55 or 1:00--I don't know all these times for sure because I was a little busy at that point). All I know is that all of a sudden...something felt really different. I've always heard that women in labor feel the need to push at a certain point, but I never really felt that with Trent, but boy, did I feel it this time. It didn't necessarily hurt, it just felt like he was coming, and he was coming NOW! I started pushing a few minutes later, and 10 minutes after that, he was here, all 9 lbs. 2 ozs. of him. The rest is a bit of a blur, but my heart felt so full, I thought it might burst. I truly didn't know I could love another human being as much as I love Trent, but God truly does provide enough love in a mother's heart for as many kids as He sends your way.

One of the biggest struggles early on was with breastfeeding. I really wanted to breastfeed more than anything. I can't pinpoint the exact reason why, it's just something that I wanted to make work this time. Well, Drew had other plans. He just was not latching on in those first few days, and I'm pretty sure it was because I wasn't producing milk yet, and he is apparently one of those kids on whom the concept of delayed gratification is lost. He wanted it NOW, dammit! So after a couple of days of frustrating feedings at home, we decided to supplement with formula and I would use the breast pump. At least that way, we could give him whatever I had to give and fill in the blanks with formula. Things got much more relaxed around here after that. I did start making more milk and it got to the point that we did not have to even use formula. Every bottle he got was breast milk. Yay! And now that I am producing milk, he has even nursed a few times.

Another issue we have been dealing with is jaundice. Trent had jaundice too, but I don't remember it being as big a deal as it has been this time. We have had to go to the doctor every day since last Thursday (aside from Saturday and Sunday) to have his bilirubin level checked, and to do that, they have to prick his heel, which is getting quite old. His bilirubin level has slowly been coming down every day, and we actually got to skip going in today and we'll go back tomorrow. Hopefully that will be the last time. We have to keep him in a biliblanket, which is basically a blue light that we have to wrap around his midsection and keep on him as much as possible. It's a pain in the butt because I want to hold my baby, not a glowing little wiggly thing. I did not give birth to a Glo-Worm! Like I said, hopefully tomorrow will be the last time we have to go for that reason. We have to go on Tuesday for his 2 week well baby appointment. Oh--one other thing--he totally peed all over the doctor and the exam room yesterday! I've never seen so much pee in my entire life. Why the doctor didn't cover him with his diaper, I do not know, but there was a fountain of pee flying across the room, splattering on the floor! It was hilarious!

Other than that, he has been sleeping pretty well at night, or maybe I just knew what to expect this time and I'm not so surprised that he is awake at night. Last night, for example, I got to sleep from about midnight-3:30 (he was asleep from about 11-3, but I had to pump), and again from 4-7, and I woke him up at 7. Pretty good for a 10 day old baby!

Here are a few pics from the last week and a half:

Trent and Drew watching TV together--that glowing thing on Drew is the biliblanket.


First bath at home - 8/2/2008

This is cold!

Aaaahhh--that's better!

All warm and cozy

1 week postpartum

1 week old

Holding that head up--he's so strong!

He rolled over to his side by himself this morning!