A new year is here! We had a lot of cleaning and little projects to do to prepare for Miss Nicolette. I did a lot of cleaning for sure... and the Christmas things were put away about 3 days after Christmas, rather than on the first, like so many people do. It was amazing to go to Target on the first. No one was there, everyone was busy sleeping in, and or sleeping off a hangover. Josie and I had the store to ourselves. I was happy not to be one of those people. It makes me see the advantages to staying in on big nights. No, they aren't necessarily memorable that way, but I got to spend it with my family, and with my husband, sober and safe, which is a major plus.
January 2, 2010
Just before Lexi went to get groomed (part of my nesting ? hahah)
Pirate Josie
January 3, 2010
Josie with her "dude" (the turtles from Nemo said Dude, so thats what she calls them)
The beginning of January was filled with getting everything ready for Nicolette's arrival. I did not have a baby shower for her. I think that Christmas was what friends and family used as a makeshift baby shower, as she got a lot of things for Christmas. I had everything washed, ready and set up for her arrival very early. I got Michael to hang shelves in both of the girls rooms to display some old toys etc., and the walls were pretty bare, so it was nice to have things up and ready.
I had braxton hicks contractions pretty much daily from November on. By January 12, 2010 was my 38 week checkup. I had talked the previous week with my OBGYN about what her opinion was on the odds of having a successful VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) and she told me that it was hard to say, but the odds weren't necessarily in my favor, considering that my cervix failed to progress with my labor when I had Josie. Suddenly it seemed that I got really nervous about potentially having a repeat of my previous delivery. We agreed to check my cervix this appt and next and then determine what we would do based on that. I was only dilated maybe 1cm and my cervix was still super posterior (way up there) and I was maybe only effaced 40%. My gut told me that it wasn't going to be easy, and to strongly consider a repeat c-section (RCS.) We set a tentative C-section date for Thursday January 21, 2010 at my 37 week checkup. I went in to my 38 week appt, and met with Dr. Roberson (my OBGYN's partner) I talked with her about what we had planned, and told her that I seriously thought that I thought that I was in labor on Saturday with the contractions that I was having every 3-5 min lasting about a min each, but I went to sleep and they stopped. She checked me and I had not progressed at all. She recommended doing it the next day (Tuesday January 19, 2010.) I suddenly was nervous, and texted Michael about it while she was booking the O.R. Thankfully I had cleaned the WHOLE HOUSE that morning. I then went next door to the Hospital that I was delivering at to do the pre op bloodwork. Michael just sent in an email saying that he would be starting his FMLA, and we called Helen to see if she would be able to watch Josie while we were in the O.R. she agreed and we spent our last night as a a family of 4. I went to bed at 10, I was making sure my bags were packed etc. We had to wake up around 4:30 to get ready and leave to make it to the hospital by 6 am. It was hard not to have any coffee that morning. I was up just before midnight and drank a bunch of water because it was the last time I could eat or drink anything. We got there, got checked in and ready, and they got me into the surgery room around 9am. The Dr.'s came in, and I got my epidural, that had to be redone about 3 times. The antacid they gave me on top of my nervous nausea caused me to throw up bile eww. They gave me something to stop the nausea, and then Michael came in. They then started the c-section, and Nicolette was born.
She was having issues with her respirations being in the 90 to 120 range, and they put her into the NICU to monitor her. I was not able to see her until my final check at 4pm, so as soon as they brought me a wheel chair, I was up and out of the bed, totally determined to go visit her. I hadn't seen her since 9:23 when she was born. I wasn't able to really rest until I knew she was safe and sound. She was born with a black eye. They think that she might have hit my pelvic bone during the delivery. It took so much strength and fight to not pick her up. I wanted to ask... I should have. UGH it was HORRIBLE not being able to hold her. But I talked to her, and stood up the best I could and gave her kisses, and held her hand and touched her feet. I wanted to snuggle her, so much. They gave her an I.V. in her little hand, and gave her fluids. They wanted to wait to feed her until her breathing stabilized better. I was able to get them to rent me a pump, as I had forgot mine at home, not expecting to need it. So I pumped every 2 hours and in the 16 hours that I had been pumping, I had managed to get something like 28 ml of colostrum, pumped and stored in plastic syringes and kept on ice and sent to the NICU every 4 hours or so. She spent the first day of her life in the NICU, then the next night. At 4 am I called the NICU as I did periodically to check in, they said that they had taken her off the I.V and that they were going to try to feed her again at 8am. She had a little trouble eating, but did great the nurse said, and that I could come up to feed her if I wanted. I was so happy! OF COURSE I WANTED TO!! They came to take out my catheter at 6, and told me to ask for help going to the bathroom. I ordered my breakfast as soon as it turned 6:30, and it was delivered by 7. I got up and changed and went to the bathroom, as it was coming up on shift change, and everyone was pretty busy, and I was fine to do it myself (meds are good hahaha) I called the nursery at 7:45 to tell them that I was coming as soon as I could get someone to wheel me up there. When the nurse finally got there to take me, she said she had gotten lost. I was totally annoyed but just wanted to get up there. Turns out that they sent Nicolette to a different NICU in the other wing, but I got in there. Just me. My nurse left, I would call when I was done, and the NICU nurse had just changed her and was about to give her a bottle when I came in. She set up a screen behind me, and I placed my bobby on my lap, and snuggled her and she latched on NO PROBLEM! :)
It was a major WOOHOO! moment. I fed her and talked to her and loved her, loved her, loved her. Dr. Bootin came to check her while I was there, and said that she was doing great and that she would release her to my room, and that it should take about an hour, to get everything done. I am glad she told me that. I asked the nurse when she planned to get Nicolette back to me, and she said that later that morning. I told her the sooner the better, and Dr. Bootin told me that it would only take an hour, and I plan to EBF (exclusively breast feed) so it would be great to get her as soon as possible. Thankfully she did. Michael and Josie came to visit that day, but my Xterra needed to go to the shop immediately, so he left to take it in. He said he barely made it there, and thankfully Andrew was able to come and pick him and Josie up and take them home so that she could nap. Everyone came to visit. Kelly brought me an amazing lunch one day, it was soo good. The hospital bed was pretty good itself, but her lunch was great!
I was happy to see everyone, but I wanted to go home. I wasn't able to sleep well while in the hospital. Wednesday, was the day that she was brought to my room. Helen and Sarah came to visit and so did Michael and Josie.
A proud Aunt Sarah!
My big girl, and my wonderful Husband.
This is the most beautiful, genuine smile, ever! She loves her sister SO much already.
Grammy (Helen) admiring her youngest grand daughter.
Thursday was the day Kelly came to bring me lunch. Later that afternoon Julie and Helen came to visit and see Nicolette, and Amanda came by too.
Everyone was gone by 8, and Nicolette and I watched Greys Anatomy and Private Practice together. It was so nice to have time together. The nurse asked when I was ready, that she needed to take Nicolette to do a checkup and a bath. While she was in the nursery, I took a shower, which was WONDERFUL. They brought her back and we were both nice and clean and ready for bed. Friday we went home. My car was fixed, and we all got to go home! Those were the first nights that I have ever spent away from Josie. It was hard, but I was happy that Michael was there for her. He got better sleep being at home, not having to stay at the hospital with me, and there wasn't anything that he needed to have to be with me to do, so Josie needed him home with her. Friday morning...
Time to go home sweet girl,
Saturday January 23, 2010
Daddy and Nicolette in the morning.
Avery and Michelle came to visit to meet Avery's new sister.
Sisters
January 24, 2010
Nicolette got her first sponge bath at home.
January 25, 2010
January 26, 2010
Nicolette had a tendency to poop about 5 times in a row for about a week, Michael got the brunt of it for a couple days lol, he was impressed but not feeling lucky haha.
mmmm... pasta.
January 26, 2010
Amanda and Elaine came to visit, they are family, and always welcome.
Josie and Elaine are going to be best friends, at least Amanda and I hope so.
January 27, 2010
First little attempt at a photo shoot with Nicolette.
For the record, we have taken to calling her Magoo, well, because she looks like she is related to:
January 28, 2010
this picture speaks for itself hahaha
January 31, 2010
Must have been a long day :)
