So I can't believe it's already been a week since Adrian arrived into our lives! Man, time sure does fly! Since I've been asked how things are going I thought I'd just post a general note. No offense to anyone who sent me notes personally but I simply don't have time (ambition or energy) to post back to every person. I'll try to touch on everything though!
First and foremost, a heartfelt thank you to all my dear friends who've offered dinners, services, babysitting/playgroup for Maddy, etc.. I highly appreciate it. Just because I haven't taken you up on your services yet doesn't mean I won't! So I will let you know as the time comes.
Tuesday, St. Patty's day, during Maddy's nap time my water broke. It was a pretty big gush. My first thought was working the numbers--37 weeks 2 days. Ok, at least I'm full term! Plus, with him measuring big I assumed it would all be good. Next up, call Matt and tell him my water broke. (Thank God he answered his cell.) He said, "Your water broke?" in this dazed way. "Yep." "I'm on my way home--*click*" Next up, call the doctor to let them know I was coming in. After waiting on hold for what seemed like forever (even after getting a hold of someone) they finally came back and said the doctor would be waiting for me at the hospital and to come on in. Then I called Tina and asked if she'd watch Maddy. At first she didn't answer and I thought I would have a panic attack, but when I called her back my call waiting went off and it was her. :) Matt called his parents immediately and they were on their way from Chesapeake.
While on the phone Maddy came down from nap and asked what was up. I told her that daddy was on the way home and Mommy had to go to the hospital to have the baby. She handled the initial news fairly well.
The bags were all prepped upstairs ready to go so I didn't need to worry about that. I gathered up the last of our last minute supplies from my master list and put them in a pile. Then Maddy and I hung out on the couch and waited for Matt to get home. It was nice to snuggle her for a bit knowing this was the last time I would snuggle her without a sibling.
Matt got home and Maddy 'helped' him pack the van. It was very important that she felt like she had a hand in getting ready, but honestly, I was getting a bit frustrated at how slowly things seemed to be moving. Finally, we were all in the van and ready to go.
We dropped Maddy off at Tina's. This was not without tears and octopus arms trying to keep a hold of Matt. She even ran out of Tina's house before Matt was in the van and grabbed hold of him and wouldn't let go. Finally, Matt had to physically pass Maddy off to Tina and have Tina hold her while we left. Not the smoothest drop off, but the best we could do considering how she's been having so much separation anxiety as the baby got closer to delivery. (No matter how many 'waiting for baby' and 'I'm a big sister' books we've read.) Fortunately, she was going to Tina's house who Maddy's known for half her life and with Nate who is just two days younger than Maddy. I knew she was in great hands while she waited for Grandma and Grandpa to arrive from Chesapeake.
After check in at the hospital they set me up in the pre-op room. They had Adrian on monitor and they were monitoring me for contractions. To my surprise, I was having contractions 3 minutes apart! I was only 1 cm dilated. They did a test to see if my water broke and it came back as a no. Hmm.....then what was that big gush of water? Sometimes I don't trust hospital tests.... Anyway, they had me wait around for a while and walk the hallways. When they came back an hour (or so--doctor time, after all) later I was 2-3 cm. dilated. So it was a go!
After that, it was a flurry of activity! I hadn't seen many people other than the doctor once or twice and the nurse since the time we arrived. All of a sudden there were a ton of people in the room with me. Nurses, anesthesiologist, the doctor, and other various medical professionals. I was grateful for how friendly and reassuring everyone seemed. Even though I really wasn't all that nervous (my initial nervousness after my water broke was the worst). I especially loved the co-anesthesiologist's St. Patty's day hair 'net' for a lack of a better word. After getting the IV (YUCK) and having some blood tests (yuck again) it was time to roll! Into the ER I went. Matt had to wait outside for them to call me in. I guess he said it seemed like forever.
Once I was in the OR my nerves set in a bit and I was a bit shaky. Then the OR temp (very very low--easily below 60) didn't help and I was shaking like crazy. This really cool old dude with a jewish cross around his neck was my--I don't even know what his title was? But he was the guy who hung out with me while the prep work was going on. Man, he could talk and keep conversation going. Thank God for people like that. :-) I sat up on the edge of the table with my back arched and they inserted the spinal in my back and then they had my lay down. They laid out my arms on both sides of me straight out to monitor my blood pressure and also keep track of my iv. They sterilized my stomach, laid the paper that sticks to the sticky stuff on my stomach that they work through. After that they basically had me prepped and they put up the curtain so I couldn't see. And then they brought Matt in. That's when I cried a few tears, not due to nerves but because I was pretty excited and most likely really hormonal.
Speaking of nerves--that's some good stuff they put in those spinals. Within about four minutes of having it everything started going numb and I stopped shaking. I no longer felt cold and I felt pretty darn relaxed!! Morphine is some good sh*t!! :-) I think it was the most calm I've felt during the whole event!!!
From what I understand, everyone in the OR was pretty darn impressed that I was holding part in the conversations that were going on around me. They were also pretty impressed at just how nonchalant I was about the whole thing. Well, what is there to do?! Freak out? This is the point of no return people, it's not like I can back out now, so I may as well go with it, right?
The only thing I didn't like about the c-section was the smell of burning 'material' (aka--me) since my skin is cauterized. I really don't know what for, though. Anyway, Adrian was breech (in fact I'm pretty sure his first expression to the world was Kiss My @ss! since that's how he arrived into the world) and he also had the cord around his neck once. Glad it was a planned c-section! Because even if it weren't, it would have wound up being one! He got a 9 on both his Apgar tests which is really great.
Adrian was taken out to the pre/post op room and I sent Matt with cause all they had left to do was seal me up. It is funny to hear them counting off their medical supplies that they used on me to make sure any didn't go 'missing'. I guess they also had something much like a shoe door hanger thing that was labeled with different names of material that should go in it to make sure they had everything they needed to get out. Huh. Glad they are organized!
In the post op room I was able to hold Adrian and it was soooo nice. I couldn't believe he was out! Of course they were still working on getting him all finished up from birth. He was quite large for 37 weeks! 7 lb. 12 oz. and 20.5 inches. I was glad for it though.
That was when the fun began--throwing up. Morphine may be good stuff, but overall the drugs they gave me in the OR did not agree with me. I threw up on and off for over 5 hours that night. Of course, it was more dry heaving. It kind of prevented me from holding Adrian a ton because I didn't know when it would hit. There wasn't much warning. Fortunately, I never missed. :-)
I didn't sleep much that first night--I guess I was just too excited, queasy and coming down from the drugs. The next day was a whirlwind of activity with a lot of nurses and doctors. I did finally get out of bed by 11 am to get moving--it is the best way to heal after all. It felt great to wash my face, brush my teeth and just overall be clean.
We put Adrian in the nursery every night and had him brought back for feedings. We had him spend most of the day in our room except for if we napped (which didn't happen as much as we liked--darn hospital staff coming in every 10 minutes or so it seemed). Matt stayed with me every night and it was nice to have him there to rely on.
Maddy, grandma and grandpa came to visit the next day. Maddy seemed very concerned about Adrian but did not want to get near him, really. He did 'tickle' his head and said, "Oh, he's so cute!" But that was about it. Although she was good to scold daddy when he 'forgot' to cover up one of Adrian's feet when he wrapped him back up in a blanket. She enjoyed taking pictures with her new digital camera that was a big sister gift. But she was ready to go after just a few minutes. She was bored and I'm pretty sure she just really didn't want to be there. She came a few more times over the course of the next few days with grandma and grandpa so Matt would take her to do things while grandma and grandpa visited with the baby.
On Thursday we had our Pastor come over and baptize Adrian. There was no need to hurry, but I am a full proponent of not waiting for baptism. There are no guarantees in life, so I didn't see a reason to wait.
Overall, our time at the hospital was really good. I thoroughly enjoyed this hospital more than the one I gave birth to Maddy in. I thought the staff was great and our doctors did a wonderful job. I absolutely love our pediatrician. (It's a team, but the same one was there every day to see Adrian.) We decided to stay an extra day to watch Adrian's weight and also his Jaundice.
After my throwing up spell, I really came around and I've been doing REALLY well. I've had very little pain, needed very few prescription pain meds (although I am still on advil regularly to keep inflammation down). I was walking the hallways of the hospital within two days. I was dressed and up within two days. It felt so great to take my shower in the hospital. Best shower ever!
I have been trying to keep my activity to a low level. I don't want to overdo it and set myself back. The hardest part is being 'stuck' upstairs. I can only do the stairs ONCE a day. Argh, it is so hard to do! I didn't realize how many times I go up and down until I can't do it.
Grandma and grandpa have been a tremendous help. Grandma has done all the cooking and keeping track of stuff. Matt has had Maddy the entire time along with also keeping track of the house and the baby, too. Grandpa has been dealing with all the cat stuff including Joe's shots. I have been spoiled rotten--food brought to me upstairs, water brought to me, feeding the baby, etc... all done upstairs since we came home.
Maddy has been handling the baby pretty well. She's been a great helper and seems genuinely concerned about him. She doesn't like it when he cries though. She has not held him yet, but she does give him kisses, sings to him and helps with his bottle. However, the separation anxiety has not decreased any. She's done being with Grandma and Grandpa and only wants Mommy and Daddy now (more Daddy than Mommy--she's always been a daddy's girl). We'll have to see how this goes tomorrow when Matt goes back to work! I haven't seen any of the usual regression though--potty training or sleeping. For this we will be eternally grateful.
Adrian has been doing well, too. He's a really easy baby--sleeping most of the time except for when he gets hungry. He's been sleeping in his infant seat since he does NOT like to lay flat on his back. I guess this is usual for babies who are early in term when delivered. He sleeps great in the infant seat though. We have him in our room right now in the pack and play and then in the infant seat next to our bed. He's a good sleeper but that first night flat on his back in his crib he was up every 20 minutes or so and finally about 2 am I had Matt go get the pack and play since we were tired of walking to his room and he woke Maddy up once, too. She was not too thrilled about that. The next night while in the infant seat we got about 5 hours of sleep which isn't that bad and much better than the 3 the night before.
Adrian is a good eater. However, I am not producing enough milk to keep up with his demand so we've had to supplement with formula. I'm also pumping with a hospital pump between feedings and taking some supplements of my own to increase milk supply--however, it is not going well. Adrian is also starting to refuse to nurse because why would he when he can get it easier with a bottle? Anyway, I don't want this post to turn into a 'breast feeding thread' so if you'd like to comment on breast feeding, I'd love to hear it, but please send it via a message. Thanks!
Matt has been super dad. He's been doing everything from making sure I'm stocked with what I need to taking the baby quite often to dealing with a clingy preschooler and keeping up the house as well. However, he hasn't had many naps (I've been napping with Maddy) and he looks utterly exhausted. He's going back to work tomorrow AM and I'm hoping he doesn't bring home any sickness. He is looking pretty run down. Poor guy. I think I'm doing better than he is. Of course, he says that's good since I'm the one on the mend and not him. I do disagree.
Tomorrow AM my plan is to get ready for my day and spend the majority of my time on the main floor. I think Maddy needs that stabilization of having a parent with her during the day. Then both her and I will come up and get a nap leaving Adrian with grandma and grandpa and I'll have to spend the rest of the night upstairs after nap. Fortunately, there are only a couple hours between nap and the time Matt gets home so it should go just fine. Tomorrow should be interesting since Matt goes back to work and Maddy has been so clingy. Hopefully me being around more will help with that transition. Thank goodness for grandma and grandpa who have dropped literally everything to be here for three weeks!!! My parents come in the beginning of April (what would have been two days after my c-section date) to stay for a week. So four weeks with help is really great!
Ok, so there's my update. Wow, that took forever.