Luke's Birth Story

So just like with my other two kiddos, Luke had to be induced. This pregnancy was by far my most difficult and complicated one. Maybe it was because of the 4 1/2 year gap in between, but I did not remember my other pregnancies being so painful. I also developed gestational diabetes and had to poke my finger 4 times a day for roughly 9 weeks. Not exactly my favorite thing to do, but it was much more manageable than I had imagined it being. I did have to change my eating habits (maybe why I only gained 17 pounds), but I was able to control my blood sugars by diet only and avoided all medications. So all in all, it wasn't the easy simple pregnancy I had imagined but I ended up with a cute and healthy baby and that's the best outcome I could hope for.

So with the development of gestational diabetes and my predisposition towards high blood pressure at the end of my pregnancies, both my doctor and I thought that this baby would show up about two weeks early. That was totally okay with me, because the last two weeks of pregnancy can stretch on for an eternity and I didn't really relish the idea of going overdue. Ryan and I chose not to find out the gender of this baby, so the last few weeks I was getting really excited to meet whoever was in there! Well we get to 37 weeks and I had 3 nights in a row of contractions about 7 minutes apart for 5-6 hours each night. Enough to keep me awake but not enough to actually be real labor. So I was exhausted and cranky and ready for baby, but no. I get to my 38 week appointment and nothing, no cervical changes not even 1 cm dilated. I was so disappointed. 38 weeks comes and goes, 39 weeks arrives and finally my doctor agrees to induce 2 days before my due date. Now keep in mind that I was under the impression that my baby was going to show up anytime after 37 weeks. Gestational diabetics can have larger babies and I had already had a 9 pounder (Thanks Andrew) so size was a concern. But my blood sugars and blood pressure were all looking perfect, so there was no medical reason to induce. My doc did say that she likes to deliver gestational diabetics around 39 weeks just to be on the safe side. I was more than ready.

So we get everything all ready. We needed childcare for the big kids, because it wasn't a school break when my mother in-law had off from work. Finally we agreed that my mom was going to watch them, which meant that this would be the first birth of mine that she wouldn't be present for. I was a little nervous that it might upset her; but we needed someone to watch the older kids and since Ryan and I didn't know the gender I was looking forward to meeting the baby just the two of us at first.

We went into the hospital on Tuesday night after dropping the older two with my mom. We got all situated in the hospital, checked in and shown to our room. I had a great night nurse who despite missing on the first try for the IV turned out to be great! She was so personable and funny, loved having her there. They gave me the cervadil (a cervix ripening agent) to kick start the induction.

Thanks to the cervadil, I had pretty strong contractions all night long. I was hoping that those would turn into labor, but nope! They would be anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour apart. I just watched food network (Chopped) all night long and dozed off an on. Finally morning came, and it was time to start the action.

My morning nurse was Katie, she was amazing!! Honestly couldn't have had a better nurse while in labor. She checked me and got the all clear from the doctor to start the pitocin. She asked me right away what my pain management plan was and I was quick to inform her that I wanted an epidural and asap.  So at 7:15 my pitocin was started and my fluids. By 7:45 I had my epidural! I forgot was getting one was like, and was super nervous but everything worked out fine and it took the edge off of the pain. I still felt pressure and at one point even had to be redosed with the meds because I had a "window" of pain that wasn't going away with changing my position.

After the epidural placement, it was a lot of waiting and checking in. I had to have regular blood checks to make sure my blood sugars were at good levels and that was all good. Then around 9:30 my doctor came in and broke my water. From there, things moved a little quicker. I tend to have pretty quick labors (6 hours or less) so I was prepared for another quick one.

Around 11:45 my nurse checked me and said I was dilated to a 7. She helped me get turned onto my left side and then put a peanut ball (medicine ball shaped like a peanut) between my legs. She told me she'd be back in an hour but to call her if I felt a lot of pressure. Well about 5-10 minutes later, I told Ryan I didn't think I was a 7 anymore. We called the nurse back in and sure enough, it was time for baby to arrive. The nurse got the bed all set up a phone call into my doctor to let her know that delivery was close.

While we were waiting for the doctor to get in, Katie had me do a practice push but quickly told me to stop because "I prefer to have a physician on hand at the birth." So then all the nursery nurses start walking and a few of them commented on how the baby had a nice head of hair. Awkward right? I remember thinking, if you can tell this baby has hair, can we just deliver it. Katie had me breathe through contractions for about 15 minutes before my doctor came running in. At one point she told me not to push and I told her "I'm not pushing, but I think my body is doing it on its own."

After what seemed like an eternity, but was really 15 minutes, my doctor literally came running into the room. She was getting gowned up and putting on her gloves when Katie told me to go ahead and push, but stopped me again because my doc didn't have her gloves on. Once my doc had her gloves on, I was able to push, counted to 4 and out came Luke's head followed by a big gush of amniotic fluid. Then the rest of him came out and Ryan looked at me and told me he was a boy! He was born at 12:33 pm but probably would have been here closer to 12:00 if we hadn't had to wait on my doctor!

It was such a chill and relaxed labor and honestly went great! Luke was the first baby that was able to immediately go on my chest without having to be checked on/worked on by the nurses. It was really amazing to be able to just have my baby with skin to skin contact and really have that bonding time right away. He passed all of his APGARs and his blood sugars were all very normal as well.

My recovery was quick and easy this time around. Very little physical pain and more just exhaustion. Luke was very active at night and our hospital really encouraged rooming in. I did send him to the nursery for a few hours on our last night there so I could get a good rest. My night nurse Elizabeth was phenomenal and absolutely made my stay much more enjoyable.

I'm so glad we didn't find out Luke's gender, it was a great moment when he was born. And I would do it all over again, the diabetes, the surprise gender and the labor. I love my little Luke and I am so glad he's here! He's my only baby that was born with a full head of dark hair (even though it's nearly all fallen out now) and he still likes to have his hands by his face when he sleeps like in the pictures.

By the way these are the newborn photos from the hospital and I thought they were fantastic.

He came back from the nursery with this blue hat that was made by hospital volunteers!

Andrew picked out this teddy bear as a gift for Luke and the pictures with it turned out so sweet!

Luke's Two Week Update

We had Luke's two week check on Wednesday of last week. Our little guy is very healthy and doing wonderful! He's a fairly average sized baby which is nice to hear. All throughout my pregnancy, I was told that if I went full term, I'd have a large baby. Gestational diabetes and having had a 9 lb baby previously, put me at a higher risk for a larger baby. But thankfully everything worked out well.

On his two week "birthday", Luke rolled over from belly to back which is fairly early. I'm hoping it's not a sign that he'll be mobile early like Sarah. I'm loving having a newborn this time around! With the other two, I felt like I was in survival mode. Sarah was my first baby, so I was a constant ball of nerves wondering if I was doing everything right. When Andrew was born, I had a 1 1/2 year old as well. Two kids who needed diaper changes and needed me to do nearly everything for them. Add to that the fact that I was nursing a baby who refused bottles for the first timre and I was pretty stressed then too.

Now that the older two are bigger, potty trained, and able to entertain themselves for periods of time I can actually really relish the newborn stage. Yes it's exhausting and trying but there's also something super sweet about it. The way he folds his legs up and molds his body to fit in my arms, is amazing. It's wonderful watching Sarah and Andrew love on him and hold him. They are both enamored with thi snewborn stage as well. Lucky for them, they are hard sleepers and Luke has not woken them up at night!

Birth story to come later this week.

STATS

8 lbs 6.4 oz (50%)
20 1/2 inches long (50%)
15 in head circumference (98%)

It's Been A Long While

So much has happened since the last time I updated this little space of mine. For such a long time I used this blog as a pseudo baby book/memory keeper. It was where I came to record cute things the kids said, things I didn't want to forget, and how I was coping with life as a mom of two young kids. But then life happened, and as a busy mom things like this blog got put on the back burner. I was too busy navigating the world of potty training, letter learning, and just preschool life in general to have time to sit and compose my thoughts.

But now, I'm in a different stage. I have a kindergartner (who turns 6 this week!!!), a fairly independent 4 1/2 year old, and a newborn! That's right, we added a third baby into the mix, because we weren't busy enough. And I pick now to come to back to the blog and try to record things again? Yes! It was so nice to have a record of things the bigger kids did that I could come back to and re-read. I'm hoping that I can at least semi-regularly have a chance to sit down and write about life and everything going on.

By no means do I think I have it all figured out now, but I do have a few more years as mom under my belt and I can tell you that the third baby is no where near as scary as the first! And newborn snuggles are amazing! I forgot how tiny and scrunchy and squeaky new babies are.

So this is me, making a commitment, to write for me and my kids. Not to get followers or readers, but to have a record of what life was like in their early years. When they ask me questions about "what was I like when..." I want to have accurate answers. I also want to bottle up these early year memories and cherish them for when the hard times of parenting hit and I need to remember those sweet baby faces and chubby cheeks.

Coming up soon, I'll write all about our newest little addition who is 1 week old today, and a little bit of what's been going on in our lives while I was away from the blog.

Hallowen Wrap Up

I LOVED Halloween this year! Seriously, tons of fun! The kids' costumes were kind of last minute things (thank goodness for extensive dress up clothes collections and character jammies!) But taking a 2 and 3 year old out to trick-or-treat was the best. Both kids were super stoked about it and ran around screaming "It's Halloween Day" for a majority of the morning and afternoon. Then they kept asking when they were going to be able to get into their costumes.

Finally after naps, their excitement bubbled over and it was time to go trick-or-treating. Ryan and I even got into the spirit and semi dressed up with the kiddos. I wore a Wonder Woman shirt and tiara and Ryan had a Batman shirt and cape.


So here's a few pictures of the superkids and just how stinking cute they were!

Flying to the rescue!

This could be a poster for super hero children!

How great are these pajamas? Best $6 I ever spent on Halloween day!

Happy Fall

We have officially switched seasons! Or at least the calendar tells me we have and you know the influx of all things pumpkin is another sign. It's still pretty hot outside, although you can tell that the weather change is right around the corner. Right now we are in the weird phase where mornings are pretty chilly but by mid-afternoon everyone is ready for shorts and tank tops. I am anxiously awaiting sweater weather. I just want it to cool off and stay cool, but I can deal without having frigid temperatures just yet.

My birthday was almost two weeks ago. So now I am officially 27 years old! Although if I'm honest, I don't really feel any older than I did in high school. Sometimes I feel like a kid pretending to be an adult, but somehow I remember it being a lot more fun when I was younger. This paying bills, having a job, and raising kids thing is pretty hard at times.

But back to the birthday, I had a great day and was completely spoiled by my family. Having a large family on both sides makes birthdays more fun to celebrate. There's more people, more food, more conversation, and just more enjoyment all around. Anyway, I guess one way that I can tell I am getting older is that instead of getting anything fancy/frivolous I asked for a new toilet. The one in our main guest bathroom was original to the house and was definitely on its last leg. It needed multiple flushings, had the flapper replaced a few times and you had to hold the handle down. Needless to say it made life with a potty trainer a little difficult. So I got a new toilet from my husband and I couldn't be any happier about it!

Our September has been pretty eventful. Besides my birthday, I have been working a little more than usual to start putting some extra cash away for Christmas. And I went to a K-State football and watched my Wildcats win, while melting in the extreme heat. But I had a bunch of fun! We've also been having a few game nights here and there with our friends which has made us feel like real people and not just worn down parents. It's amazing what some time with friends can do for you. My moms group at church started back up and this year I am a table leader. On top of that I am in a Bible study that I am really excited about. I can't wait to see how these things unfold this year. Sarah and Andrew like being back in a more structured routine. It's good for everyone. A regular bedtime, regular wake up, regular naps. Predictability is now something that my kiddos thrive on and I think it's about time! And we've thrown in a few fun things, like going to see The Little Mermaid in theaters (it was interactive with an IPad) and getting bunches of new dress up clothes to play pretend with!

The kids are loving the weather lately. It makes for great outdoor playing because by the time it gets super hot, we are inside for naps. I am really stoked to do fun fall things with them this year. Like apple picking and pumpkin patches!  But we celebrated the official first day of fall with a little bit of crafting!

Andrew's is on the right and Sarah's is on the left.

And because a post wouldn't be complete without a few pictures, here you go!

Andrew's Party and Two Year Stats

I just realized that I never posted about Andrew's second birthday party! He had a Toy Story theme and it was so much fun for everyone involved. I LOVE watching my kids get excited and happy about things and a birthday party is nothing but fun and excitement.

Since Ryan and I both come from larger families, this little boy is pretty spoiled when it comes to gifts. Like seriously, we had to rearrange our playroom and I am still going through a "weed out" process with our toys. It's an ever constant battle to not have the playroom look like a disaster area and it's incredibly difficult to figure out which toys are ready to be packed away, donated, or just trashed. It could be because I am attempting to do this while having both kids in the house...

So here's a few photos from that. I found most of the decorations on clearance which was pretty nice because we didn't have to spend a fortune and we came out with something that looked great! I stayed up pretty late making some alien cupcakes the night before the party. Andrew had a lot of fun wadding up tissue paper and putting it in the trash but he also really enjoyed his presents like his trains, new duplo table that his Papa built him, and a bouncy horse.

As far as two year stats go, he's pretty middle of the road. Which is a good thing considering all the concerns that his doctor had about his head size earlier.
27 lbs - 35%
34 inches - 27%

He's also right on track for physical and developmental milestones. His language skills are exploding and he constantly has new words. Also he's learning the art of getting on big sister's nerves and doing it well. So overall, we have a pretty healthy and happy TWO year old!

Brain Dump

I have had every intention of blogging the last couple of months. I mean really it helps me keep my thoughts in order and it makes me feel good to know that I have recorded some of our memories in a place that I can't lose them. But then life happened and whenever I got the thought "That is something to blog about" or "hmmm maybe I can make a post about this" I would get distracted and eventually forget it.

So I'm a bad blogger, but I can deal with it. What I can't deal with, is my overloaded and totally overwhelmed self! Almost a year ago I took on a part-time job thinking that it would be good for me to get out of the house and make a little extra cash. Well now, that job has turned into a mix of good and bad (like most jobs I assume). I'm fairly certain my boss doesn't like me too much, my hourly wage is definitely much lower than it should be, and people have NOT been tipping well lately. (In case you've forgotten, I'm a barista - which means I make the fancy coffee drinks. Nine years in the business and I can't seem to leave it.) Add on some heavy duty medical bills because oh yeah I had a chest tube for six days and well my extra cash is a little more necessary now.

The kids are 2 and 3 now which is fun but also very trying. I KNOW there are days when I barely hold it together and I praise God (literally) that we are all fed and alive when Daddy gets home from work. I can't seem to find a good balance between work, mommy, and me time and end up feeling like a failure on all parts.

I've been debating about going back to school, putting Sarah in preschool, and possibly throwing a third baby into the mix at some point for months. Seriously here is just a sample of the frenzied thoughts swirling around my head on a near daily basis.

"When would be the best time for school? Is Sarah missing out on some fundamental developmental milestone by not going to preschool this fall, should I look for something for her for the spring? Is preschool really worth the $160+ a month? I miss having little babies around, maybe we should have a third." I lose it over all the toys ALL OVER, and wonder why I ever thought I could handle a third!

A giant mess of crazy I tell you! Some days I seriously wonder why I majored in history and if maybe I would be better off if I had a more full-time intellectual job to head off to everyday. But I love my customers and co-workers at my job. 

What it all boils down to, is that I am feeling a bit lost. After being a full time stay at home mom for the last three years, I want to find something that stretches me more. Lord knows I love my kids, but it would be nice to not cut food into small bites (Andrew's new thing is that he swallows most foods whole and ends up gagging/vomiting. Fun times) and well maybe have a reason to wear more than yoga pants and tank tops every day. I want my kids to see me and be proud, and not just cry when Mommy puts on her uniform and leaves. I work evenings so I leave after or during nap time and don't get home until after bedtime. 

I know, the grass is always greener on whatever side of the fence you aren't on. Here's hoping I can figure some things out soon. I just need some direction in my life. I feel like I am standing at a crossroad but I don't know what the signs say and if I should take any of the streets. So instead I am camped out at the intersection being all awkward and weird.