Cory & Annie &Bee: October 2008

Friday, October 31, 2008

Bee's First Halloween!

Sorry I left you all hanging with new pictures of Bee. I have been just a little busy lately! As I am in a time crunch I will not be re-ordering the pictures. They are in reverse order!

This picture was taken just minutes ago!

A very happy baby!

Bee attended her first Halloween party this afternoon!
Elizabeth and her superman son Nathaniel hosted the party today.

I (along with 20 other mom's) are part of an October Mom's group!

Lobster, Bee, Pea in the pod, Chile Pepper, and Carrot.

It was fun meeting other mom's and babies around Bee's age! Did you notice my costume?

Bee's hat didn't stay on very long! Thank's Andrea for her costume!

Caption: ?

My little Honey Bee! Bee's outfit was a present from a California friend. She even has matching Bee socks!

Cory and Marlene went to the view this Thursday. I requested tickets a year ago and they finally came!

Bee loves her mirror!

She enjoys watching and listening to her mobile as she looks in the mirror. Cute Bee outfit from a California friend (Carin).

Family Picture!

Bee found her thumb!!!

Momma and daughter!

Bee's fresh belly button! The cord fell off for Grandma!

Cory adores his daughter!

Marlene custom made burp cloths for Bee with the help of Susan. Thanks Susan for the awesome embroidery work!

Grandma-to-Bee!

Grandma Marlene arrived early Sunday morning from California! Bee is her first grandchild! She has been a huge help for me! I am sad that she will be leaving soon!

Sleeping Angel!

The girls!
Cristina and Jessica came over to hang out with Bee and help me out with some awesome food!!!

Jessica holding Bee for the first time!

Bee wearing a halloween outfit a little early. This outfit was from Kerry and the girls! I was afraid she wouldn't fit in it by Halloween (she still does) because she is growing so fast! This past Tuesday she already weight 9 lbs 1 oz!!!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

My Natural Birth Plan

It has been a day over two weeks since I went into labor and I have been thinking a lot about this blog. It is hard to explain exactly what happened because it involves a lot of indescribable pain!!! It is amazing how quickly the painful memories fade. This blog would have been a lot different if I was writing it as it all happened. The main point of this blog is...God is Good! I have an amazing little girl and Cory and I couldn't be more blessed!

I will try and sum up my story...
I woke up with my first labor contraction at 12:30am October 12th. It was very excited. Bee was a very prompt little girl (her due date was October 12th).

This is me about 4pm that afternoon.
At first the contractions just felt like period cramps but they soon turned very painful. I was told that if you can talk through a contraction then they aren't that bad yet. Well, at this point I was smiling because I was in between contractions. I couldn't talk while my contractions were happening! They started at about 6minutes between and by the time I went to the hospital at 9:30pm they were between 2 and 3 minutes apart.

It was a very excited cab ride to the hospital because I knew she would be here soon!
When my midwife checked out my progress after 10 hours of labor I was bummed to learn that I was only 3 cm dilated! She gave me 3 options...
1. Get epideral and start pitocin
2. Get on an i.v. to relax me
3. Go on a 1 1/2 hour walk

As my birth plan stated...
NO drugs of any kind...
I opted for option #3

That was the most painful walk of my life!
When we got back to the hospital I was praying for 8 cm but I was only at 4 cm.
So...I got on an i.v.
This helped as I was dehydrated (they had a hard time even getting the i.v. in).
After some time I had to start thinking about throwing my "birth plan" out the window.
I got on the drugs...
The epidural was an interesting process.
When it was in I was one of the lucky people who react to it with the feeling of being itense itchiness. This was not fun. I couldn't feel my legs but I was itchy and it wouldn't go away.
The epidural helped me to get some rest, but I was still not dilating very good so they put me on piticon.
My midwife broke my water and after many hours at 10:45 am on October 13th I was able to start pushing!
It is really hard to push when you can't feel below your waist!
I pushed and pushed but she wouldn't come. She was in a posterior position making it difficult for her head to get through the birth canal.
So...the doctor came in (along with a cheering squad of nurses) and gave me an episiotomy and used the vacuum and...

Bee arrived at 1:15pm October 13th!

It amazing as her head and then her body come through. I was so exhausted at this point that I only opened my eyes for a second as they lifted her up. She was so big!!!
I forgot to mention that during my pushing phase I ran a fever (I thought for sure I was going to pass out) and had to be put on antibiotics.
It was a miracle I didn't have to have a c-section! Thank you God!!!
Because of the antibiotics they had to wisk her away to the corner of the room to check her out. She scored a 9/9 on her apgar test!

I could barely feel the placenta being delivered but I sure felt pain as they were stitching me up! I learned that they will not let you take the placenta out of the hospital because it is considered a body part.

Bee fresh out!

This is me meeting our daughter for the first time!

Now, let me tell you a little bit about my amazing birth partner...
My husband Cory was amazing throughout the whole pregnancy. I couldn't have done it without him! "What did he do" you might ask...any thing and everything! I didn't yell at him at all like I hear wives some time do during labor. Maybe it is because I didn't have the energy!!! No, he was the perfect partner! One of the nice things he did was he massaged me with oils that I had mixed with specific birth-friendly essential oils. When any one walked in the hospital room they noted how nice it smelled!
This picture is his first picture with his daughter! We couldn't believe how beautiful and big she was.

After Bee breast fed for the first time she went up to the nursery to get measured and weighed. Cory went with her!

A video clip of baby Bee getting weighed!
7 lbs 11 oz and 21 inches!!!

Okay, that is basically the short story. The hours and days that followed in the hospital were very painful as I couldn't even get out of bed without help. I have a few tips for those of you who will be delivering in a hospital.
1. Get a private room: Roommates are great in college but not while you are in pain and need rest.
2. Be prepared for painful hemorrhoids. It took me a few days to realize that is what was going on back there. Tux pads and motrin helped so much!

3. Keep your husband with you at all times unless he is going out to get you good organic food!
(The second night Cory stayed with me in my private room).

4. Prepare for sore nipples if you are breastfeeding. Lanolin and olive oil are good to have around!

5. Talk to your mom because you might deliver just like her. I thought for sure I would have an easy labor because I prepared my body (at least I thought) but it turned out that my body had a different plan and it was very similar to my mom's deliveries!

During the second day Bee had to stay under the lights as her bilirubin level was a little high (jaundice). So when she wasn't sun bathing she was nursing and when she was out of the room I ate and slept with the help of Cory! At one time I nurse came in and asked if we had a natural birth and Cory replied "no." Turns out that according to the hospital I did have a natural birth because it wasn't a c-section!
Wednesday evening we got to go home!!! I will never forget the first days of Bee's life. They were painful...but that memory will fade and all I will remember is the exciting time. There is nothing better then being with your baby for the first time! Cory and I love her so much!!!

With the help of my friend Amy we made it home. That first night home was the most challenging but every night since then get's easier. The next day we had to go in to the pediatrician's office so he could check her out. He said that she was doing great and she had even already gained her birth weight back! We really like our pediatrician! He takes great care of Bee but he also took the time to give us good advice.

This whole "having a baby process" would be a lot easier if I wasn't sleep deprived. A mother I talked to today who has a 6 week old said that for her she has gotten used to only getting a couple of hours at a time!

Gone our the days of sleeping in...
But...it is all worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to stop writing so I could get to uploading pictures of Bee...because that is what it is all about.

We have a baby Girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!