Izzy.

Well we came home from the hospital the next afternoon. We could have stayed another day, but we had already been there a long time and we missed our Erin. So I think we made it home around 5pm and grandma brought Erin home.

Erin was very very happy to be home, but she had been throwing up all day. She wasn't running a fever and was fine inbetween vomitting episodes, but she couldn't keep anything down.

Izzy was jaundice and they wanted us to make it back to see a doctor for her on Friday to check her bilirubin levels. We were able to make an appointment here in town so we didn't have to make the hour drive, which I don't think I could have done anyway.

So three days after giving birth we head downtown to get Izzy checked out. First off let me say that the pediatric area in the clinic is amazing! They have a little TV, a place for the kids to run around, a huge aquarium with the coolest fish, and crayons and pictures to color everywhere. Erin had a great time there and played with a bunch of kids.

The downside to this trip was that my husband, who had been doing an amazing job of being a daddy of two so far, got into work mode and kind of autopilot and just found some place to park on the street without giving much thought to it. Now I had no idea where the building was so I just went with it. I figured that the closest building that we had parked by was where we were going. Imagine my suprise when he walked right past it. He carried Izzy in the baby carrier and I was pushing Erin . . .slowly, in the stroller. It was blazing hot out and it turns out the the building wasn't anywhere close to where we parked. I muttered all kinds of hateful things under my breath directed towards my husband. Out loud I asked what the crap he was thinking, I just pushed a baby out three days ago!!! When we finally made it to the building there was a parking ramp. . . under it!!!!!! I was furious and I let him know it!

The pediatrition that we saw for Izzy was from South America so when she said "Isabella" it sounded musical. She said that Izzy looked really good except for the jaundice and that she definately wanted to get a blood draw and check the levels. As long as she was under 15.5 on the scale we wouldn't have to put her in the hospital to be under the lights they use to help babies process the bilirubin. So I left Scott and Erin to play in pediatrics while I took Izzy downstairs to the lab. Turned out that her levels were 12.5 and that they wanted us to come back the next day to possibly check her again. However, I wasn't worried. My milk was already in and she was eating great. There were lots of wet diapers so I felt confident that if anything her levels would go down by the next day.

Safe to say that I made my husband walk to the car and bring it back to the building and promise to park in the parking ramp the next day. The appointment the next day went well, the pediatrition that we saw wasn't worried and Izzy had gained another ounce from the previous day. She said if we were worried to bring her in on Monday. So we did not have to do another blood test and poke her little heels anymore.

I have to say that parking in the ramp was much easier than walking a mile!

More of the adventure to come when I get some more time, and my internet stops hiccuping!

My Birth Story. . . Part 2.

Almost two weeks later and I think I may finish the story this time.

So since I was a generous 5cm dilated and was staying at the hospital we of course. . . did more walking. We stopped walking to get some dinner and then I decided to spend some time in the whirlpool. After I was done in there we relaxed in the room for awhile. I found that the best thing for me to keep the contractions coming was to stand and sway.

My midwife came back around 7 pm and was going to check my cervix again. I was at a generous 6 this time so she decided to break my water. I was nervous because when my water was broken with Erin some really REALLY painful contractions started nearly immediately. After my water was broken my midwife and husband sat there looking at me and the monitor waiting for the same thing I was waiting for. .. pain. It didn't happen.

I decided I wanted to get on the birthing ball for awhile and see if that helped Izzy drop some more and encourage my cervix to open. My midwife gave me a great back massage after I got on the ball and then left and gave me an hour for my contractions to pick up. Well one hour turned into two and then they started the pitocin. My contractions were starting to finally pick up after 2 hours, but since I had been there for over 24 hours already my midwife didn't want me to be in labor forever, hence the pitocin. They turned it up ever 30 minutes until I was contracting at a decent pace.

I stayed on the birthing ball for a couple of hours and did well breathing through the intensifying contractions. My midwife came back in and told me they wanted me to climb into bed and lay on my side to encourage my sunny-side-up baby to rotate. So I relaxed in bed and fell asleep between contractions when I could.

Getting closer to 2 am and my contractions started to get very painful and I started having some that I wasn't doing such a great job breathing through and mostly moaned through. One of these was pretty loud and my husband bolted out his chair and ran over to me. My nurse also came back in and I had a few more that were not nice, so I asked her what else I could have besides an epidural. You see I wasn't sure how long this new phase was going to last. With Erin is lasted two hours and it was horrible! My nurse said she had to check me first and I told her to jump in in between contractions, and there wasn't a lot of time in between contractions anymore. She declared me an 8 and went to get the meds. When she asked me how much I wanted I was a little perplexed because I didn't know the dosing of Nubain. Silly nurse. She said I could have 5mg or 10mg. I told her 5mg because narcotics and I aren't the best of friends. She waited for another contraction and started to push the meds. I felt a little tingly and warm, but as far as pain relief. . . nothing.

A few more minutes passed and this intense bearing down pressure appeared out of nowhere! I grunted to the nurse "I have to push!" which caused her to run for my midwife. I had ahold of my husbands thumb and shirt and was letting out some pretty loud noises. Everyone (and I'm not sure who "everyone" was) was busying themselves in the room and my midwife asked me if I wanted to roll onto my back. I quickly said no through my moaning and grunting. So people helped me hold my legs up and my midwife starting asking me if Erin had a lot of hair when she was born. Apparently she could see the top of Izzy's head already!!! Keep in mind I pushed for two hours with Erin. Some more grunting and people saying stuff to me, which I could hear none of over the top of my own voice, and Izzy's head was out. Then with one maybe two more pushes she was out because it hurt A LOT to get the rest of her little body out of my body and I wanted that over as soon as possible!!!

When she was out I said "Thank you!" over and over and completely forgot that my baby was here! The nurses had me turn over onto my back and put her on my stomach and cleaned her of a bit and we just snuggled. She was born at 2:10 am and was 6 lbs. 5 oz.

She nursed great right from the start, had only a little trouble with jaundice, and so far has been a pretty calm baby. Which I would say that we deserve after Erin, with her screaming for 6 months. Now all my updates can be about the new baby!

My Birth Story. . . Part 1.

Finally. . .

So we get settled into our room a bit and they put my IV in because I was GBS positive and they wanted at least two doses into me before I had Izzy. I also changed into my charming hospital gown. After the IV was in I grabbed the pole and Scott and I started our laps around the L&D floor.

We made countless rounds around that place for the next 30 hours. . . yes it would be 30 hours later before Izzy came.

As we were walking the contractions were still coming and they were intense enough. I felt a lot of pressure in my lower back and my midwife believed that was due to Izzy being in the "sunny side up" position. That meaning the back of her head was pushing on my lower back, and she eventually needed to turn face down to make it into the world.

The midwife we checked in with was done with her 36 hour shift at 8pm and the midwife that I had seen for all my appointments was on for the next 36 hours. She suggested that since it was getting late to rest awhile and if I was able to get some sleep for the night. She didn't want to push things too fast because I was early and they needed to get at least that second dose of antibiotics in.

I was able to sleep pretty well for the night. Contractions woke me up here and there and nurses came in to give me a new dose of antibiotics every 4 hours. At about 2am Scott and I were awoken by emphatic screaming from the delivery room next door. And I'm talking about the kind of screaming that you see in movies! Then she started yelling about the baby coming out and then we heard the baby cry. No joke. . .she screamed probably 7 times at most, then we heard the baby cry.

So since we were awake and the kitchen was open, I ordered some food. I got pancakes, hashbrowns, and a slice of ham. The pancakes were gross, hashedbrowns were good, ham was okay. And then I went back to sleep.

In the morning my midwife wanted to check to see if I had dilated at all during the night, then put me on the monitors to monitor how many contractions I was having and decide what to do next. When she checked me I was a little over 4cm, so there was some movement and then I was having contractions every 4-5 minutes still. So since there was some change in my cervix and I was still having consistent contractions she decided to keep me until the afternoon and see if anything changed.

Commence more and more walking. Eat lunch. More walking. Midwife checks me at around 1pm. I was SURE she was going to send us home. I thought she would check me and I would still be at 4cm and she would send us home. However, I was 5+ and she said she could not send me home. Also that she had talked to the OB on call and that they felt okay about breaking my water once I made it to 6 cm. . .

And now we break for me to get some coffee and breakfast before the mini-squish wakes up and wants more milk. With a birth story that spans 30 hours, you knew it was going to have to be told in parts.

Installment #2

I have a few free moments since Scott took Erin to the grocery store with him and Izzy is only grunting here and there and thinking about waking up to eat. . .

The Friday before turning 36 weeks I had my mom come for a few days to help me with some stuff around the house and with the garden. Scott had hurt his back severely enough to be off work on workers-comp and was unable to assist me in much of anything.

I had found a post on Craigslist for someone needing to get rid of some straw. . for FREE! So I enlisted my mom and our truck to get a load and use it to drown out the weeds in the garden. We picked it up and worked on it the next two days a couple of hours each day. We had enough to cover the rows and such and a little around the mounds of cucumbers, melons, and pumpkins. Another load of it could have been used, but we were too tired to get more.

We tackled that on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday we took it pretty easy. My mom and I were talking during Erin's nap and as I sat on the couch I though I was noticing that I was getting contractions more than normal. So at 2pm I started timing them. Sure enough they were coming between 4-5 minutes apart. Not painful, just happening. I timed them for the next couple of hours and they kept up, but I didn't want to call in yet until they started to feel different because last time for Erin we got to the hospital and then they stopped. . . . So another hour or so of contractions and they started to intensify so I called in to Labor and delivery and they asked how long it would take me to get there and I let them know an hour, which sounded like they were a bit worried about, so they told me to come in now.

Scott then scurried about grabbing bags of stuff and packing it in the car as I was breathing through some contractions and trying to calm our near 3 year-old because we were leaving. The ride was uneventful besides the contractions thankfully and when I got there and was checked I was nearly 4 cm. . . and there I leave you because the squishy is full-on hungry and awake now!

Installment #1

Last time I left off I was only fingertip dilated and going to go visit my dad. Izzy is now two weeks old so I figure I've got some catching up to do. . .

However, I don't have time to do it in the detail that I would really like to. One, because I know lots of people love birth stories. Two, I have a two week old and a three year old and don't have the time. If I didn't at least get started now I would put it off forever. So I need to do installments and hopefully tell the tale coherently enough.

I came home a day early from my dad's because I had a worrysome episode one evening and did not want to give birth early away from my care provider. I was having way too many contractions for my own comfort level. I was very careful the whole next week I was home because I would not be able to stay with the midwives if I went into labor before 35 weeks.

At my 35 week appointment my midwife and I were very pleased to see I had made it that far without incident. She checked my cervix again and I was a little over 1cm dilated and 50 % effaced. She thought I would make it to 37 weeks no problem. And that is all I have time for. . . this time. Pictures are from our Kenosha trip.

33 Week Update.

I have made it another 2 weeks without incident and my midwife was quite pleased by that. She said now I just need two more weeks of being careful, and then I can stop worrying so much! Okay. . . 2 weeks. . . I can handle it.

My belly is measuring right on, even though I feel so much bigger than I did with Erin. Comparing pictures of my belly with Erin and how I look now, I am definitely bigger. I did not gain any weight from my last appointment two weeks ago. I am not surprised because I do not have much room in there to eat. I get full very quickly on a small amount of food and it takes me a long time to feel hungry again. Mostly I am just thirsty. . . very thirsty. But Izzy is definitely growing. My guess is that she will be about a pound more than Erin was.

My midwife also checked my cervix just to see if there were any changes, and because I am driving to Kenosha to visit my dad, his wife, and my sister. I am fingertip dilated, but she said it is less than a centimeter. She also said that the cervix is still long and the baby has not dropped. As long as I am symptom free (no spotting, regular contractions, etc.) she was not worried about me going on the trip. She does want me to take very good care of myself, eat well, and get plenty of sleep. So Erin and I are going to take off this afternoon for Kenosha. . . I hope the car ride isn't horrible.

Other than all that, we had a going away party for my brother Jon here on Tuesday. Thankfully he set it up as a pot luck so I didn't really have to do anything. I was so exhausted all day that I don't think I could have done anything anyway. He leaves on Sunday for Kentucky and won't be back until the end of November. . . crazy. So I will have to send pictures of his new niece to him.

The vegetable garden is doing well. I have decided that this year is the experiment year and just plant stuff and see what works and what doesn't. However, it is hard to find out what will grow well when the deer nibble everything. I got my husband and brother to put up a nice, tall deer fence. . . I'll show them! I finally got cucumbers, watermelon, muskmelon, honeydew, pie pumpkins, and zucchini planted thanks to help from my mom. I have corn and carving pumpkins left to do. Of course there are flowers that I need to get planted too. . . sheesh.

Alright, just need to make it to my birthday weekend now. . .

Como Zoo!

This is Erin's first trip to the zoo. We went to Como Zoo as it is free and I remember going there as a kid. I also love the zoo so it was fun for me too. Thankfully the weather was perfect. We drove through some rain on the way there, but it was sunny and in the low 70's, a pregnant woman's dream! My brother Ben and his girlfriend Katie (whom we all adore!) live very close to the zoo so we all went together.

Here are the huge turtles that they have and Erin looking at them.

These are the African hoofed animals and it smelled like poo in this area, so whenever Erin sees this pictures all she says is "stinky".

It was nap time for the large cats, but they were still very cool to see. Erin was getting quite tired by this time so we had to move quickly to avoid toddler melt-down.

When Erin saw the giraffes she was so excited and BEGGED to ride them. . . the real ones. We eventually got her to settle for the fake ones, but had to wait in a small line for other families to get their pictures. Of course once it was our turn some rude family walked right up in front of us and put their kids on the giraffes instead. So as we kept talking to Erin about waiting, being patient, and taking turns it's the adults who needed the talk instead.

It was surreal to see these gorillas for me this time. They are so big I would hate to meet one in the jungle. There were some gorillas inside as well and Erin was amused by the one that was picking it's nose and eating their buggers.

We saw the short seal show, but we didn't make it there in time to get a seat. Erin had a good spot though, Ben is a little over 6 feet tall. She loved the way his hair felt so she just kept rubbing his head the whole time.

Here is Erin with Katie, Ben's girlfriend. She is the best and so pretty!

I remember coming here and were able to buy a little bit of fish and feed the seals, but it you can't feed them anymore.

They have an old carousel here too, and Scott took Erin on it. She was beyond tired by this time and it was a creative chore to keep her happy. Once she got on her horse she was happy, and then when it started to spin a huge smile spread across her face. Getting her off was a whole different matter. . . tears and more tears. So what did we do, went to McDonalds and got her chicken nuggets, fries and a little pop. We didn't leave my brother's apartment until about 3:30 and Erin was asleep in about 4 minutes after we took off. She has never fallen asleep that fast in the car!

Baby stuff is going well. I have given Izzy her own pillow and that has helped tremendously with my sleep. My back pain is nearly gone, which is so great because I NEED my sleep! Contractions seem under control even with getting some stuff around the house.

We got the peppers and tomatoes in the ground the past few days. There were nearly 40 tomato plants to put in the ground with their corresponding steaks. Scott was kind enough to cut me some steaks out of branches that were laying around our property, as well as dig the majority of the holes for them. Now we have cucumbers, melons and corn left to plant! Plus we have decided that we need some sort of fence to keep the deer out as they seem to enjoy nibbling on my vegetable babies. Then find someone who has some straw for sale to mulch the garden so we don't go crazy with having to weed all summer. I have a feeling that we may be busy with other things.

I have another midwife appointment on Wednesday and as long as things are still looking good Erin and I will be headed to see my dad for the weekend.

My brother Jon is leaving for basic training on June 7th!!! So we are having a little going away party for him on Tuesday. Also with other big news. . . he got married on the 27th! That boy and so much stuff at once. . . enough to make a pregnant woman go crazy!

32 Week Appointment News.

No dilation and baby Izzy has not dropped at all, so those are very good things. My midwife is still concerned with all the contractions that I have and really wants me to make it at least another 4 weeks. The end of June is my goal as I will be 37 weeks pregnant by then. She said as long as I am not having more than 4 contractions in an hour that I am okay, but to call them right away if I am having 4 or more.

She also wants me to take it easy and not do anything that is strenuous or using a lot of abdominal muscles. And no lifting anything over 10 lbs. Poor Erin, she loves being picked up by mama.

So over all, I am very happy that there is no dilation and feel pretty confident that we will make it to at least 35 weeks.

On other Erin news, she now has decided to call her dad by his name most of the time. It is cute, but I think he has grown tired of it. He says it makes him feel like a step-dad. Such a silly girl.

I am getting more and more uncomfortable by the hour it seems. What has been the most frustrating is that my back hurts so much when I go to bed that I am not sleeping well. . . and I NEED my sleep! I'm already limited to my sides and when that causes pain as well I feel I am out of options and doomed to suffer uncomfortable, sleepless nights. Grrrrrr. . .

30 Week Pic.

Well here I am at 30 weeks pregnant. I had to take the picture myself, and it didn't turn out too bad. Things are going well still. I am trying to get last minute visits in before we have the baby and I am far too busy and tired to do anything but take care of her.




We had some Target gift cards leftover from Christmas so I used one to order a new diaper bag. The one we have is okay, but gets stuffed with just stuff for Erin. So I researched and found one that people loved for having more than one kid to bring stuff for. I am excited to get it and plan to pack it up as my hospital bag. It seems crazy that I should be doing that already!


My other brother Jon graduated on May 13th with an Accounting degree. We went to his graduation, but did have to leave early to get Erin to bed. For some reason the ceremony didn't start until 7pm and there was over an hour of speeches. Very hard to get an almost 3 year old to sit still for. But there were plenty of laps for her to travel to and they were happy to see her. My brother did inform us that afternoon that he had spoken with a recruiter and decided to join the Army Reserves. I was a bit shocked, and am scared because who knows what could happen!









We went to Forestville Park to hang out with some friends while they were fishing. Scott made Erin her own pole out of some string he found and a stick. He put a bobber on the end and she had tons of fun throwing it over the side of the bridge and pulling it back up.


Here she is holding a worm, and she also thought it would be a great idea to put one on mom's head. I'm very proud of her that she isn't afraid of them though.























Aparently the park was also a real town and some of the buildings are still there. The bridge is also only for foot traffic or hoof traffic as we had a few groups of prople on horseback ride through.














We did some pruning of one of the flower beds in the back yard. There was some sort of shrubbery thing that must have been planted 50 years ago as it was a monster! We cut and ripped that thing out of there and burnt it in our fire pit. Wonderfully enough there must have been some poison ivy somewhere in it because I got it on my arm and to my delight cleavage. As if I wasn't uncomfortable enough being pregnant now I itch!











We are absolutely loving our new home in the spring. Driving up our long driveway seems almost magical. We have discovered a raspberry patch and we have all three colors of lilacs as well. Lots of the flower beds and "curb appeal" has been sorely neglected, but we will whip it into shape little by little. There is tons of field stone on our property that we plan on putting to use whether in borders or even a patio! So many possibilities. I also ordered fruit trees as I have plenty of room. We already have some apple trees so I though I would try a pear, peach, plum and apricot. Who knows what will happen, but it can't hurt to try!


The latest antics of Erin. . . she had a poop accident in her underwear, didn't tell anyone and tried to take care of it herself. She must have pulled down her pants and the poo fell onto the floor. Well she couldn't have that so she used her little hands to scoop it up and put it in her potty chair, smearing it all over the floor. I found her carrying her potty bucket with the poo in it into the bathroom half naked. Somehow her hands were all clean though. She then informed me that the brand new toothbrush that I bought her was used to scrub the poo off her hands!!! Gross. I promptly threw that toothbrush in the garbage and she melted into a tearful puddle because she really did love that new toothbrush. . .it lit up when you pressed a button. However, I was able to teach her the lesson that poo does not and should not go into your mouth, it will make you sick.


I will try and keep updates coming about the baby!