Introducing Sadie Brooke

Sadie Brooke was born on January 31st at 10:06pm.  She weighed 8lbs 10oz.  A strapping baby girl.

Sadie was actually due on January 28th and the doctor didn't want me going too far past the due date so they decided to have me come in on January 31st.  We had to be at the hospital early in the morning.  Once we got checked in and the doctor showed up they gave me half a pill that is supposed to release hormones that you have when in labor.  Sometimes it gets things started.  So they did that and we waited.  I had been having contractions and mild cramps since the day before so I think labor was kind of starting on its own anyways.  After the pill I had to lay still in bed for two hours, which was kind of uncomfortable.  Sean and I got the chance to watch TV shows we hadn't seen in forever.  And the hospital even had HGTV so we watched lots of home improvement stuff too.  After the pill had a chance to work, they checked on us again and apparently there was progress, but not a lot.  At that point the doctor said I could wait and see what happened, let nature take its course, or start the pitocin.  I chose to wait it out and see what happened.  She said she'd come back late afternoon early evening.

 When the doctor came back, a little after 7pm, the baby had moved down far enough that they could finally break my water.  I wanted them to do that initially but they couldn't because the baby was too high.  She liked to sit at the highest station of -2, apparently and they couldn't break the water until she was at 0 or lower.  Since she was, they broke my water at 7:40pm.  All was well for around 20 minutes and then things started happening very fast, just like they did with Kaelyn.  I started feeling very crampy and sick and would walk around for a while, but confined myself to the bed after a very short amount of time.  I just felt so sick and crampy that I could hardly move and it was hard to talk.  It all seemed very familiar since it was just what happened with Kaelyn.  After an hour or so I started violently shaking between contractions.  If that happened with KAelyn, I don't remember it!  Sean called for the nurse/doctor and they came in and said it looked like I was in transition.  I was hot, but it was like I was freezing because I couldn't stop shaking.

By then I was dialated to 9 and the doctor and nurse decided to stick around.  They kept asking me stuff.  Do you feel sick?  Do you want this or that?  I basically ignored them.  Nodded on occasion.  I did manage to tell Sean to schedule an appointment for a vasectomy for the next day because I didn't want to do this again.  Haha.  It's not that it hurt, I wouldn't describe it that way.  It was just the most intense discomfort, I guess I would say.

The doctor said there was just a little ways to go before I could push and she could move the rest of the cervix out of the way if I wanted, but most people told her no because it hurt.  I told her to go ahead because I wanted that baby OUT.  She was right.  It hurt.  That was the worst part of the ordeal this time.  I actually thought I had had the baby when she did that. :)

 But then they let me push and they kept telling me to do this or that with my knees but they weren't in my position.  What they wanted me to do just wasn't possible.  My legs were doing what they wanted! :)  After a few pushes they wanted me to start pushing even when I wasn't having a contraction.  And the oxygen mask came out again like last time and it annoyed me like last time.  As they were telling me to push through all times and not just contractions they were saying that they didn't know what baby was doing so I had to push.  I didn't really know what that meant and didn't really care at that point because I was in a daze.  Strange, but true. 

Then Sadie was born and apparently she had the cord wrapped around her neck twice.  I saw her and she was completely purple.  Her mouth was open and her head lax and she just looked completely still.  They didn't lay her on my chest like they said they would and instead went across the room and picked up an arm and dropped it...completely limp.  Very scary looking back on it now, but at the time I felt completely calm.  They had to breath for her for a while and give her oxygen puffs to get her lungs going.  The doctor said later it was like she passed out from having the cord around her neck but that she came around quickly and all was well.

She eventually cries a bit and pinked up some and was fine after that.  Seeing her purple has turned out to be a real blessing.  EVery time she wakes me and I'm SO tired I can barely thing, I think about that.  She could have not made it.  So I feel blessed and VERY grateful that she did.

Sadie looks very much like Kaelyn did when she was a newborn.  I am anxious to see what she looks like as she gets older.  We came home on Saturday late afternoon after Sadie was born Thursday late in the evening.  Sadie is a MUCH calmer baby than KAelyn was and though she cries, she never SCREAMS like Kaelyn always did.  She sleeps better as well, though not GREAT.  The best part of her sleeping is you can actually set her down places when she's asleep.  KAelyn would always wake up immedaitely when she wasn't being held.  Even at stop lights in the car she'd jar awake!  Sadie is generally easier to keep happy.

Kaelyn is SUCH a good big sister too.  She has been very sweet about and to Sadie.  She always wants to see and hold her and tells me when to feed her and change her etc.  She kisses her and wants to hold her hand and says how cute she is and that she loves her. I'm relieved.  You never know how a kid will react to not being the center of it all ALL of the time etc.

Our family is complete now that Miss Sadie is here.  She's asleep in the swing now and Kaelyn is out playing in the snow so I'm able to get this written.

Christmas 2012

 Christmas has come and gone yet again this year.  Can't believe it!  Our last Christmas as a family of three.  December 15th weekend we went to Sean's family's house to have Christmas there.  All of Sean's brothers were there and we saw the whole big family for a few hours as well.  Kaelyn got a big horse that she likes to have things ride as well as a couple of Elmo books and a Minnie dress up doll and set and car.  She had the most fun with a little village they had set up that had a small horse that moved around and people and lights.  She watched and watched that thing.

 The next weekend, the 22nd, we went to my family's house for Christmas there.  My grandpa was there so we celebrated his 97th birthday, which was back in October.  My sister and her kids and my parents were there as well.  It snowed just before we got there so the kids did a lot of sledding.  It was Kaelyn's first time going down real hills so she had a blast.  She got snow pants and boots and a new coat and it was a good thing!  She was most impressed, however, with the squinkies she received.  Have you heard of these things?  They are tiny little rubber figures that come in little plastic balls.  You would have thought you'd given her pure gold she just played and played with those ignoring everything else she got!  It was really nuts.

We got to be home again for Christmas this year, which was only the second time ever.  We went to church Christmas eve and Kaelyn was really good.  She wore pjs and really jammed out in the aisle to the Gloooria in exclesis deo song.  It was pretty cute.  When she got up the next morning we opened presents immediately.  Sean and I actually did ours the night before so we could just enjoy watching her do hers.  She got a doll house complete with dolls and furniture.  She played with it ALL day.  Since then, she has played with the house occasionally, but the dolls quite a bit.  We have a couple of little cars that the dolls fit in and they travel all over the house, especially around the dining room table.  They climb a "tree" we have in the corner, which actually is a decorative thing with candles and get into all sorts of trouble.  I'd say we did well by her for gifts.  She also got a light brite, some Mickey DVDs and a few other little things.  And yes, the squinkies still get out and play quite a bit as well.  I have been keeping a close eye on them so they don't get lost.

There's still snow on the ground so over the break Kaelyn and Sean went sledding quite a few times in our backyard.  It was nice having him home for so many days in a row.  He's back to work now and we're on out own again!  New Year's Eve was especially nice this year.  We didn't have any plans so around 7pm we had our own little party.  We got out some noisemakers...a train whistle, recorder and harmonica, ripped up some streamers for confetti, and counted down!  We had quite a little celebration and it was SO much fun we then did it another dozen or so times.  Until Kaelyn went to bed. :)  She got up the next morning wanting to do it all over again so we did.  We also had to give kisses every time, which was nice.  She had a blast.  I wonder how long we'll play "New Year Party!"  I managed to stay up till 11 thank to netflix instant play.  And, of course, Kaelyn up the next morning for the first time all break well before 7.  What do you do.

That was a quick version of our Christmas.  Time is short these days as we await baby#2.  She (still looks like it's a girl!) is due Jan 28th.  At my last doctor's appointment shortly after Christmas all was well and she was in the right place etc.  As long as she waits until after Jan 21st, I'll be happy.  My mom is in Florida until then and I really want her here to be with Kaelyn to keep things as normal as possible for her during such a huge life changing event.  The pregnancy has been lovely.  haha.  Heartburn is extraordinary.  I don't understand it at all.  I can eat something as bland as a simple grilled chicken breast and baked potato and suffer the rest of the day.  It doesn't seem to matter what I eat (though some things are worse than others) but IF I eat, I burn.  Tums are my best friends.  I would not have survived otherwise.  That's my biggest complaint other than feeling huge.  :)  I have a leg/nerve issue on occasion, but it was much worse before Thanksgiving.  Baby must have moved somehow to take pressure off of that.  Still hard to get up and walk sometimes, but it doesn't hurt quite as badly as it did for a while there.  I'm anxious to have my body back to myself, but I suppose since I plan to nurse, I have another good year before that can happen.  What do you do!  It seems like a long time, but in the grand scheme of life, it's a very short time.  And so worth it when looking back on how well Kaelyn did with everything.  I just hope I can handle two of these creatures!!

Kaelyn will go back to preschool next week.  In the meantime, we're trying to stay warm (though the pregnancy has also thrown me out of whack and I'm often hot, keeping the inside temp to 65 and freezing everyone else out!) and have fun around town.  We will not be traveling again anywhere farther than the cities right around us until after the baby arrives.  And probably not for some time after that, even.

Merry Christmas (late!) and Happy New Year (also late).  Our next adventure...Sean's birthday.  Then baby. :)