Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Photo link on sidebar
We ordered some photos on Walgreens site for Kenley's babybook and to have around. I had the link to the album added to the sidebar. Feel free to check them out ;o)
A few firsts...
First sponge bath at home (1/2): She didn't much care for this. Of course, I wouldn't either. It's cold. We tried to keep her wrapped in the towel as much as possible but she is very wiggly.
First nap in her "big girl" bed (1/5): We decided to try to move her into her crib slowly over the next week or so. It's going to be the hardest on me. We will do just naps first and then add our nights in as we go along. I still fun in there to check on her with every little noise but our baby monitor is so sensitive it picks up the bathroom radio and the neighbor's dogs barking.
First "swinging" time: (1/5): She seemed to like it. She quickly fell asleep but she had a wet diaper so I had to be mean and wake her up and cut the time short.
First story time with dad: Clay likes to read her one book a day. They read "Let's Dance Little Pookie" first and have enjoyed the snuggle time each night.
First nap in her "big girl" bed (1/5): We decided to try to move her into her crib slowly over the next week or so. It's going to be the hardest on me. We will do just naps first and then add our nights in as we go along. I still fun in there to check on her with every little noise but our baby monitor is so sensitive it picks up the bathroom radio and the neighbor's dogs barking.
First "swinging" time: (1/5): She seemed to like it. She quickly fell asleep but she had a wet diaper so I had to be mean and wake her up and cut the time short.
First story time with dad: Clay likes to read her one book a day. They read "Let's Dance Little Pookie" first and have enjoyed the snuggle time each night.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
This boogie's for you!
Kenley had been nasally (is that a word) for a few days and Clay and I had attempted MANY MANY times to attack with the blue bulb aspirators we stole from the hospital. However, the one nostril was just impossible. We could see the culprit way up there but couldn't reach it. And if we made any progress, she would just sniff it back in before we could do round 2 of the assault. Given Clay is a "textbooker" he went online with Dr. Google to research and found that you can use a saline solution to loosen the mucus and then suck it out. After a call the the nurse at the dr's office, we were told we could use "Little Noses" which is an OTC saline solution to do just the trick. So last night we got to work and you wouldn't believe what came out. How in the world a boogie this size came out of a nose that small on our sweet little girl, we will never know. However I am strange enough to take a picture of course and post it on here. So, this boogie's for you!!!
Of course now we worry cause we can't hear her breathe like we could before... oh geez!!!
Of course now we worry cause we can't hear her breathe like we could before... oh geez!!!
Part 2: The first few days home and more
In continuing the story of our first week with our precious Little Bean...
I had dreaded Tuesday night. We got home around 330 or 4pm and set her carseat down in the living room. We just kind of thought, "Now what?" There is no nursery here to help, no nurses to verify she is doing okay, no clear crib so I can watch her 24 hours a day to make sure she is still breathing. There was only us... two rookie parents with their first baby and a lot of worry, doubt, unknown, confidence (yes you can be worried and still confident), joy, excitement, etc, etc, etc. Too many emotions or thoughts to express for sure. Were we going to be good parents? Could we handle this by ourselves?
We decided we would first have to introduce her to our kitty. I hadn't been home in a few days and Clay had come and gone quickly at times just to feed her or shower so she knew something was up. Here is how the first encounter went...
On the second encounter, kitty was a bit braver until Little Bean uncontrollable stretched her arm out and it ended the same way.
Tuesday night itself was "easy." It lacks a word and easy seems wrong but it went much more smoothly than I expected. She would eat and then sleep. However she still wanted to be held to sleep. However it was more comfortable to do this at home and not in the hospital. We survived night 1 home with a newborn. Whew....
Wednesday 12/30
Wednesday was our first doctor's appointment. It was earlier than normal given the holiday. Ideally the would have wanted to see her on Friday but with the office closed, we went Wed.
We had lost some more weight. She weighed 7lbs 6 oz on Wed but the doctor wasn't concerned. Babies can lose up to 10% of their birth weight before doctors worry and she was at less than 5% lost. We also got our first lesson on the "rectal" temperature taking... the doctor's office said they will always want a rectal temp and not an under the arm temp so I guess we will have to get used to it. She did have to get her heel pricked again as they were checking her jaundice levels. She had some yellowing to the skin and definite yellowing to the eyes and top of her mouth. We were hoping it all worked itself out with the feedings. (Breastmilk is supposed to speed recovery.)
This was Clay's first time meeting the pediatrician. I had met her in the hospital for a brief "social" visit and liked her immediately. Clay likes her a lot too and thinks she will be a great dr for Kenley. Kenley seemed to also like her new doctor and requested a picture with her in snuggle mode.
Wednesday night brought my first mental breakdown.. although it really could have been sometime in the wee hours of Thursday morning. Again things at night are blurry. It seems the 11pm-6am hours vanish and I have no recollection. Am I a walking zombie then or do I just selectively not remember the late night hours?
My mental breakdown came over nursing. My milk had come in officially and my "girls" were hard as granite and we had a lot of latching issues which made for long long feedings and pain that can barely be described, but alas, we survived.
Thursday 12/31
Happy New Year's Eve!! My mom made plans to come and spend the night with us so Clay could get some sleep. Does that seem fair? Why does he get the sleep and not me... oh wait, I have the milk bags for mealtime so I am a required guest at the feedings.. okay fair enough. We enjoyed time with our grandma and she was very helpful at keeping mommy calm as we continued to have a few frustrations latching on to one of the sides. Little Bean was clearly developing a preference for the left boob over the right and it was making me worry that I would never be able to make milk on that right side. Oh where your mind goes at 3am when you are sitting in the dead silence feeding your newborn.
We slept in the New Year as our last feeding in 2009 ended around 1115 and we were all quickly sawing logs.
The sleep for Clay did wonders. We think he got about 10 hours. The next day he was refreshed and ready to go. He did all the laundry and picked up the rest of the house. He had been trying to do one room a day since we got home but the tiredness had kept him from making too much progress. I was glad that he was able to accomplish so much that day and I think he was too. We both appreciated Grandma's help as she stayed through most of Friday to cuddle and visit.
Saturday 1/2
Saturday we treked back out in the cold to go back to the dr's office. We had an early appointment to check our jaundice levels. Our weight was up 4 ounces to 7lbs 10oz so we had almost returned to birth weight which made me very happy. The dr was also so pleased with her coloring (skin, eyes, and mouth) that she said we didn't have to test the levels again and she was recovering nicely. No treatment required. Good news!
Saturday we were also expecting more company. Lissa and Nathan were going to be stopping by to see us. They would be shortly followed by Grandma and Grandpa Brockman who brought Italian Beef for dinner upon request.
It was so nice to see Lissa and Nathan. We had such a good little visit of which Kenley slept through. They brought her a super cute outfit with a hoodie for this spring. We can't wait to wear it.
Grandma and Grandpa Brockman's visit was also nice. I snuck in a nap while Kenley had cuddle time with them. I think even Clay closed his eyes a bit.
Sunday 1/3
WOW! A week.... where has the time gone? It is so strange to think how much life can change in a week (really just in one day or even one minute). We have enjoyed the first week home. We have had some challenges but the many many joys have by far outweighed any struggles.
Things we know about Kenley already from this week:
I had dreaded Tuesday night. We got home around 330 or 4pm and set her carseat down in the living room. We just kind of thought, "Now what?" There is no nursery here to help, no nurses to verify she is doing okay, no clear crib so I can watch her 24 hours a day to make sure she is still breathing. There was only us... two rookie parents with their first baby and a lot of worry, doubt, unknown, confidence (yes you can be worried and still confident), joy, excitement, etc, etc, etc. Too many emotions or thoughts to express for sure. Were we going to be good parents? Could we handle this by ourselves?
We decided we would first have to introduce her to our kitty. I hadn't been home in a few days and Clay had come and gone quickly at times just to feed her or shower so she knew something was up. Here is how the first encounter went...
On the second encounter, kitty was a bit braver until Little Bean uncontrollable stretched her arm out and it ended the same way.
Tuesday night itself was "easy." It lacks a word and easy seems wrong but it went much more smoothly than I expected. She would eat and then sleep. However she still wanted to be held to sleep. However it was more comfortable to do this at home and not in the hospital. We survived night 1 home with a newborn. Whew....Wednesday 12/30
Wednesday was our first doctor's appointment. It was earlier than normal given the holiday. Ideally the would have wanted to see her on Friday but with the office closed, we went Wed.
We had lost some more weight. She weighed 7lbs 6 oz on Wed but the doctor wasn't concerned. Babies can lose up to 10% of their birth weight before doctors worry and she was at less than 5% lost. We also got our first lesson on the "rectal" temperature taking... the doctor's office said they will always want a rectal temp and not an under the arm temp so I guess we will have to get used to it. She did have to get her heel pricked again as they were checking her jaundice levels. She had some yellowing to the skin and definite yellowing to the eyes and top of her mouth. We were hoping it all worked itself out with the feedings. (Breastmilk is supposed to speed recovery.)
This was Clay's first time meeting the pediatrician. I had met her in the hospital for a brief "social" visit and liked her immediately. Clay likes her a lot too and thinks she will be a great dr for Kenley. Kenley seemed to also like her new doctor and requested a picture with her in snuggle mode.
Wednesday night brought my first mental breakdown.. although it really could have been sometime in the wee hours of Thursday morning. Again things at night are blurry. It seems the 11pm-6am hours vanish and I have no recollection. Am I a walking zombie then or do I just selectively not remember the late night hours?My mental breakdown came over nursing. My milk had come in officially and my "girls" were hard as granite and we had a lot of latching issues which made for long long feedings and pain that can barely be described, but alas, we survived.
Thursday 12/31
Happy New Year's Eve!! My mom made plans to come and spend the night with us so Clay could get some sleep. Does that seem fair? Why does he get the sleep and not me... oh wait, I have the milk bags for mealtime so I am a required guest at the feedings.. okay fair enough. We enjoyed time with our grandma and she was very helpful at keeping mommy calm as we continued to have a few frustrations latching on to one of the sides. Little Bean was clearly developing a preference for the left boob over the right and it was making me worry that I would never be able to make milk on that right side. Oh where your mind goes at 3am when you are sitting in the dead silence feeding your newborn.
We slept in the New Year as our last feeding in 2009 ended around 1115 and we were all quickly sawing logs.
The sleep for Clay did wonders. We think he got about 10 hours. The next day he was refreshed and ready to go. He did all the laundry and picked up the rest of the house. He had been trying to do one room a day since we got home but the tiredness had kept him from making too much progress. I was glad that he was able to accomplish so much that day and I think he was too. We both appreciated Grandma's help as she stayed through most of Friday to cuddle and visit.
Saturday 1/2
Saturday we treked back out in the cold to go back to the dr's office. We had an early appointment to check our jaundice levels. Our weight was up 4 ounces to 7lbs 10oz so we had almost returned to birth weight which made me very happy. The dr was also so pleased with her coloring (skin, eyes, and mouth) that she said we didn't have to test the levels again and she was recovering nicely. No treatment required. Good news!
Saturday we were also expecting more company. Lissa and Nathan were going to be stopping by to see us. They would be shortly followed by Grandma and Grandpa Brockman who brought Italian Beef for dinner upon request.
It was so nice to see Lissa and Nathan. We had such a good little visit of which Kenley slept through. They brought her a super cute outfit with a hoodie for this spring. We can't wait to wear it.
Grandma and Grandpa Brockman's visit was also nice. I snuck in a nap while Kenley had cuddle time with them. I think even Clay closed his eyes a bit.
Sunday 1/3
WOW! A week.... where has the time gone? It is so strange to think how much life can change in a week (really just in one day or even one minute). We have enjoyed the first week home. We have had some challenges but the many many joys have by far outweighed any struggles.
Things we know about Kenley already from this week:
- She is an excellent sleeper. She gets this from Clay for sure. We have to wake her for most feedings and she won't fuss herself awake with dirty diapers or anything. Usually the smell wakes us up so she won't sit in it but she seems content sleeping comfortably swaddled up in the bassinet.
- She is impatient when hungry. This she definitely gets from me. I for the most part qualify as "Suzie Sunshine" with a very optimistic and happy attitude, but if I am hungry...all bets are off and I may snap. We have determined if we "prime the pump" a bit before she latches it makes her a bit happier as she gets her milk faster.
- She seems to be a thinker. (Meaning she sleeps with her hands posed by her face. She gets this from me too. I always have my hands by my face when sleeping and usually my mouth open which she does frequently too.)
Sunday, January 3, 2010
What a wonderful week... (PART 1: Labor, delivery and the hospital stay)
Okay so this has been a long time (well, only a week) in the making but I have had to weigh what I "should" do (sleep) with what I "wanted" to do (blog to tell you about my wonderful girl.) So, buckle up ladies and gents (well I think only 1 gent reads this blog).....it's GONNA BE A LONG ONE.... and this is just Part 1.
I decided to do a timeline of my past week...
Sunday 12/27
I woke up around 7am, starving like always. Clay was still sleeping and he had been up half the night with insomnia (finally it was someone else in our house and not me.) I only knew he had been up because of the frequent trips to the bathroom. After eating anything I could find (cereal, banana, nutragrain bars, etc) I sat down to blog. I was going to write a post about Little Bean's Christmas and the Braxton Hicks contractions I thought I was having (more on that later), but I could NOT get comfortable in the chair. It was like I had to go the the bathroom but couldn't so I busied myself and tried to distract myself by surfing the world wide web.
Around 815 or so, I was getting more uncomfortable and restless so I started to pace the house. Those that have been to my house know its not that big so I paced up and down the hall and to the kitchen. I paced and paced and paced. I thought maybe a warm shower would help so I did that. (side note: I attempted to shave my legs at this point to stay in the warm water longer but quickly gave up on that idea.) After about an hour or more of pacing and unsuccessfully trying to get comfortable, I decided it was time to wake up Clay. My lower back was killing me with the pressure and I wanted him to rub it.
Clay got up but even with the back rub I couldn't get comfortable. He asked me if I thought the pressure and uncomfortableness was contractions to which I had no response. They say you just "know" when you are in labor but I don't know about that. Clay asked what Mel or Liz or Val had said about contractions and labor and reminded me about the menstrual cramping like feeling they said it should feel like in class. Okay, you just asked someone who has only had 4 periods of her own in the last 2 years what menstrual cramps are supposed to feel like.
I tried to compare this to getting kicked in the balls. I asked him what it was like to get kicked in the balls and he said he didn't know cause it hadn't happened to him. Well, I haven't ever been in labor so I don't know either was all I could respond with. It was a funny conversation to say the least. We thought about consulting a close male friend who unfortunately has had some experience with painful kicks the groin just to see if someone can adequately explain the feelings and pain associated with such experience.
Around 10, we decided to time a few of what we had finally decided HAD to be contractions. We found them to be about 45 seconds long and 7 minutes apart when I was resting in the bed. Clay wanted to go to the hospital but I wanted to tough it out more at home. I did NOT want to be one of those women that shows up at the hospital and thinks they are in labor only to be sent home disappointed, so we paced some more and Clay finished packing the bag (just in case.)
A little before 11, Clay once again asked if I thought we should go to the hospital. He acknowledged my high level of pain tolerance but added he could tell these "contractions" felt different and were affecting me. I reluctantly agreed. I more dreaded having to sit in the car with the pressure and prepped myself for the return trip home.
Just in case, we took our "headed to the hospital" picture as recommended by Clay's friend Bill.
Off we went to the hospital. We decided not to call anyone until I was admitted. Given it was after hours (i.e. the weekend) we had to enter through the emergency room. I swayed side to side waiting for my ride to the labor and delivery floor to be monitored. Luckily they agreed to let me walk up there but I did walk like a snail.
Once up on the labor and delivery floor, we were put in a room to be monitored and checked. The nurse came in and got us all hooked up and wanted to check my cervix. Lo and behold, we were staying...I was almost 5cm and having contractions about every 4 minutes. Huh! Who would have thought. It was only the constant back pain that annoyed me. So let the waiting game begin....well at least that's what we thought.
I declined the epidural as I wanted to go as far as possible without it. I asked if I could walk around the room given I was still restless and uncomfortable. Clay was very helpful at this point leading our breathing when the larger "pressure" pains came and holding my hand. He also kept me with an ample supply of ice chips and chapstick which are both needed after the "hee's and who's" of breathing. We found our labor nurses name was Sherri (easy enough for me to remember as I just linked her to the wonderful Sherri that I know and reads this blog.)
Around 1pm (not even 2 hours after getting to the hospital) I was around 8cms and progressing very nicely. There was only one other mother in labor on the floor and she had been there since the wee hours of the morning when her water broke and she was still at a 1cm. Poor thing!
This is about the time the back pain became a bit unbearable. Each one sent a shooting pain down through my legs and out the ends of my toes. It made them shake and I could no longer stand or sit comfortably so I decided for the epidural.
The epidural itself is quite an experience. It doesn't hurt but there is something about them tapping into your spinal column that makes you a bit nervous. Clay left the room (both for his benefit and the dr's orders.) This is the moment in time that you truly bond with your labor nurse if you are ever going to. You know when you head is shoved between someone else's knockers and they are hugging you tightly to their chest, its time to bond. Luckily my nurse didn't have BO or anything ;o)
When the epidural kicked in, my belly felt so weird. I was a big mush of jello. There wasn't any more backpain which was wonderful and I could still move my extremities.
Around 315 or so... I got checked again and I was ready to go except for one thing...my bag of waters wouldn't break. The nurse tried to break it a few times manually and had me bear down to try to break it but it was declared one tough bag. The dr had been called and it was time to get the show on the road so they used the amniotic hook to break my water. Then I got to wait for just a few minutes to allow Little Bean to descend further into the birth canal now that she (which we didn't know yet) was free.
Around 350ish or so (the time starts to blur here) it really was showtime. We started pushing with contractions and we progressed a bit each time. The nurses in the room were great. Sherri counted SUPER SUPER S-L-O-W so by the third push on each contraction I could only make it to like 6 or 7 before I had to breathe. Everyone (even the Dr.) gave her a hard time but it was actually kind of motivating...well that and the fact that I was ready to meet Little Bean. I had asked for a labor mirror so I could see the head crown and the FULL head of hair as we kept pushing. Dr. Emm (not my regular dr but the dr on call) came in and we continued with each contraction. Clay was amazing and although he had been worried about passing out or not being able to watch, he rocked! It was amazing to see the head crown and then the progress with each subsequent push. Sherri and the dr. said I was a "rock star" pusher and I quickly let the overacheiver in me take control as I would push to 11 or 12 for super slow counter Sherri when she stopped at 10.
Everyone in the room was super excited for our little surprise. A majority of couples today find out what they are having so the "surprises" are few and far between. After the head was out, it was time for one more big push to find out.
I could barely wait and then PUSH and out SHE came at 442pm. A quick cry and all was right in the world. Immediately Clay and I were both crying too (no surprise for me of course). The rest is a blur at this point. I just remember the Dr laying her up toward my chest and staring at her. She was WIDE awake and seemed so attentive. They gave her a bit of oxygen and allowed a few of our first pictures and our FIRST Family picture.
After they gave us a few minutes with our little girl, she was off (with daddy right behind her) to get weighed, measured, and poked a few times. Clay took a few of the "keepsake" pictures. As they took her toward the scale, we all guessed the weight. I said 6lbs and 3oz and Clay had around 6lbs too. However, the BIG shocker came when she came back 7lbs 13oz (they rounded up).
Then it was time for recovery. OH wait, the name.... well, you all know that we named her Kenley Faith. Clay and I both really liked the name Kenley. We found it on the "little boy" side of a book we borrowed but thought it perfect for a little girl should Little Bean turn out to be a girl. As an added bonus, it has a very similar meaning to my name. Kimberly as I have seen it means "Royal fortress meadow" and Kenley in the book we used means "from the king's meadow" or "royal meadow." And well the middle name Faith was used based on the journey that brought us to her.
As we stayed in the labor room for recovery, we made a few calls to our parents and then Aunt Val and Uncle Scott. It was exciting to tell everyone about our new family edition.
The rest of the evening seems to be a blur too. When they took me to the post partum (sp?) room, we dropped Little Bean off at the nursery for her bath. After what felt like forever we were all back together in our room for the night.
The first night went well. We had the nurse help with the first few diapers and given the long day we had just had, we did have the nursery watch her for just 2 hours so we could sleep. I felt like the worst mom in the world at that point but Clay assured me I needed at least 2 hours of sleep.
Monday 12/28
Monday was the day of visitors at the hospital. Our VERY FIRST visitors were Grandma and Grandpa Coleman. The roads were bad so they arrived a little late but I'm sure the trek was worth it to see this little face.
(Sorry that seems a bit blurry)... Here are pictures with Grandma and Grandpa Coleman.
A few very good friends came to the hospital too. After my parents, Liz, Lee, Shauna, and Tori came to visit. Tori's beautiful Avery came to see baby Kenley too. (My mom has pictures of their visits on her facebook page if you are interested. I don't have them copied over yet...sorry guys...)
Later that day, Grandma and Grandpa Brockman came to see us.
Even our wonderful labor and delivery nurse Sherri stopped by when her shift started to see us.
We had one more special visitor that first day. My friend Kimberly came to see us.
In addition to all of the wonderful visitors, we received flowers, balloons, several outfits and gifts, and cheer cards. This cute arrangement came from my godparents in MO.
(Side note: Clay and I want to THANK all of you that came to visit. We are blessed to have you all in our lives.)
The second night at the hospital was a bit tougher. Little K didn't want to sleep much unless she was being held and I didn't feel comfortable falling asleep with her in my arms in that oversized and uncomfortable hospital bed.
Tuesday 12/29
This was the day we knew we would get to go home. We didn't plan on any visitors as we were hoping that we would be discharged early and home around lunch time. Plans sometimes don't work the way you want.
The pediatrician checked and released our little girl first thing in the morning but we sat around until after 1:30 for my doctor to come around and release me. During that time, we did have her debut picture taken for the world wide web on the hospital site.
(Thanks for letting us borrow such a cute bow Liz and Rylee)
We bundled Little Bean up for her journey home in her cute new outfit and we waited for our discharge.
Around 3 we were released and headed home. This is a great spot to end Part 1 of the wonderful week. I will try to post more about the first few nights at home soon. I hope I added enough pics to keep you all wanting to come back and see our beautiful Little Bean Kenley;o)
I decided to do a timeline of my past week...
Sunday 12/27
I woke up around 7am, starving like always. Clay was still sleeping and he had been up half the night with insomnia (finally it was someone else in our house and not me.) I only knew he had been up because of the frequent trips to the bathroom. After eating anything I could find (cereal, banana, nutragrain bars, etc) I sat down to blog. I was going to write a post about Little Bean's Christmas and the Braxton Hicks contractions I thought I was having (more on that later), but I could NOT get comfortable in the chair. It was like I had to go the the bathroom but couldn't so I busied myself and tried to distract myself by surfing the world wide web.
Around 815 or so, I was getting more uncomfortable and restless so I started to pace the house. Those that have been to my house know its not that big so I paced up and down the hall and to the kitchen. I paced and paced and paced. I thought maybe a warm shower would help so I did that. (side note: I attempted to shave my legs at this point to stay in the warm water longer but quickly gave up on that idea.) After about an hour or more of pacing and unsuccessfully trying to get comfortable, I decided it was time to wake up Clay. My lower back was killing me with the pressure and I wanted him to rub it.
Clay got up but even with the back rub I couldn't get comfortable. He asked me if I thought the pressure and uncomfortableness was contractions to which I had no response. They say you just "know" when you are in labor but I don't know about that. Clay asked what Mel or Liz or Val had said about contractions and labor and reminded me about the menstrual cramping like feeling they said it should feel like in class. Okay, you just asked someone who has only had 4 periods of her own in the last 2 years what menstrual cramps are supposed to feel like.
I tried to compare this to getting kicked in the balls. I asked him what it was like to get kicked in the balls and he said he didn't know cause it hadn't happened to him. Well, I haven't ever been in labor so I don't know either was all I could respond with. It was a funny conversation to say the least. We thought about consulting a close male friend who unfortunately has had some experience with painful kicks the groin just to see if someone can adequately explain the feelings and pain associated with such experience.
Around 10, we decided to time a few of what we had finally decided HAD to be contractions. We found them to be about 45 seconds long and 7 minutes apart when I was resting in the bed. Clay wanted to go to the hospital but I wanted to tough it out more at home. I did NOT want to be one of those women that shows up at the hospital and thinks they are in labor only to be sent home disappointed, so we paced some more and Clay finished packing the bag (just in case.)
A little before 11, Clay once again asked if I thought we should go to the hospital. He acknowledged my high level of pain tolerance but added he could tell these "contractions" felt different and were affecting me. I reluctantly agreed. I more dreaded having to sit in the car with the pressure and prepped myself for the return trip home.
Just in case, we took our "headed to the hospital" picture as recommended by Clay's friend Bill.
Off we went to the hospital. We decided not to call anyone until I was admitted. Given it was after hours (i.e. the weekend) we had to enter through the emergency room. I swayed side to side waiting for my ride to the labor and delivery floor to be monitored. Luckily they agreed to let me walk up there but I did walk like a snail.Once up on the labor and delivery floor, we were put in a room to be monitored and checked. The nurse came in and got us all hooked up and wanted to check my cervix. Lo and behold, we were staying...I was almost 5cm and having contractions about every 4 minutes. Huh! Who would have thought. It was only the constant back pain that annoyed me. So let the waiting game begin....well at least that's what we thought.
I declined the epidural as I wanted to go as far as possible without it. I asked if I could walk around the room given I was still restless and uncomfortable. Clay was very helpful at this point leading our breathing when the larger "pressure" pains came and holding my hand. He also kept me with an ample supply of ice chips and chapstick which are both needed after the "hee's and who's" of breathing. We found our labor nurses name was Sherri (easy enough for me to remember as I just linked her to the wonderful Sherri that I know and reads this blog.)Around 1pm (not even 2 hours after getting to the hospital) I was around 8cms and progressing very nicely. There was only one other mother in labor on the floor and she had been there since the wee hours of the morning when her water broke and she was still at a 1cm. Poor thing!
This is about the time the back pain became a bit unbearable. Each one sent a shooting pain down through my legs and out the ends of my toes. It made them shake and I could no longer stand or sit comfortably so I decided for the epidural.
The epidural itself is quite an experience. It doesn't hurt but there is something about them tapping into your spinal column that makes you a bit nervous. Clay left the room (both for his benefit and the dr's orders.) This is the moment in time that you truly bond with your labor nurse if you are ever going to. You know when you head is shoved between someone else's knockers and they are hugging you tightly to their chest, its time to bond. Luckily my nurse didn't have BO or anything ;o)
When the epidural kicked in, my belly felt so weird. I was a big mush of jello. There wasn't any more backpain which was wonderful and I could still move my extremities.
Around 315 or so... I got checked again and I was ready to go except for one thing...my bag of waters wouldn't break. The nurse tried to break it a few times manually and had me bear down to try to break it but it was declared one tough bag. The dr had been called and it was time to get the show on the road so they used the amniotic hook to break my water. Then I got to wait for just a few minutes to allow Little Bean to descend further into the birth canal now that she (which we didn't know yet) was free.
Around 350ish or so (the time starts to blur here) it really was showtime. We started pushing with contractions and we progressed a bit each time. The nurses in the room were great. Sherri counted SUPER SUPER S-L-O-W so by the third push on each contraction I could only make it to like 6 or 7 before I had to breathe. Everyone (even the Dr.) gave her a hard time but it was actually kind of motivating...well that and the fact that I was ready to meet Little Bean. I had asked for a labor mirror so I could see the head crown and the FULL head of hair as we kept pushing. Dr. Emm (not my regular dr but the dr on call) came in and we continued with each contraction. Clay was amazing and although he had been worried about passing out or not being able to watch, he rocked! It was amazing to see the head crown and then the progress with each subsequent push. Sherri and the dr. said I was a "rock star" pusher and I quickly let the overacheiver in me take control as I would push to 11 or 12 for super slow counter Sherri when she stopped at 10.
Everyone in the room was super excited for our little surprise. A majority of couples today find out what they are having so the "surprises" are few and far between. After the head was out, it was time for one more big push to find out.
I could barely wait and then PUSH and out SHE came at 442pm. A quick cry and all was right in the world. Immediately Clay and I were both crying too (no surprise for me of course). The rest is a blur at this point. I just remember the Dr laying her up toward my chest and staring at her. She was WIDE awake and seemed so attentive. They gave her a bit of oxygen and allowed a few of our first pictures and our FIRST Family picture.
After they gave us a few minutes with our little girl, she was off (with daddy right behind her) to get weighed, measured, and poked a few times. Clay took a few of the "keepsake" pictures. As they took her toward the scale, we all guessed the weight. I said 6lbs and 3oz and Clay had around 6lbs too. However, the BIG shocker came when she came back 7lbs 13oz (they rounded up).
Then it was time for recovery. OH wait, the name.... well, you all know that we named her Kenley Faith. Clay and I both really liked the name Kenley. We found it on the "little boy" side of a book we borrowed but thought it perfect for a little girl should Little Bean turn out to be a girl. As an added bonus, it has a very similar meaning to my name. Kimberly as I have seen it means "Royal fortress meadow" and Kenley in the book we used means "from the king's meadow" or "royal meadow." And well the middle name Faith was used based on the journey that brought us to her.As we stayed in the labor room for recovery, we made a few calls to our parents and then Aunt Val and Uncle Scott. It was exciting to tell everyone about our new family edition.
The rest of the evening seems to be a blur too. When they took me to the post partum (sp?) room, we dropped Little Bean off at the nursery for her bath. After what felt like forever we were all back together in our room for the night.
The first night went well. We had the nurse help with the first few diapers and given the long day we had just had, we did have the nursery watch her for just 2 hours so we could sleep. I felt like the worst mom in the world at that point but Clay assured me I needed at least 2 hours of sleep.
Monday 12/28
Monday was the day of visitors at the hospital. Our VERY FIRST visitors were Grandma and Grandpa Coleman. The roads were bad so they arrived a little late but I'm sure the trek was worth it to see this little face.
(Sorry that seems a bit blurry)... Here are pictures with Grandma and Grandpa Coleman.
A few very good friends came to the hospital too. After my parents, Liz, Lee, Shauna, and Tori came to visit. Tori's beautiful Avery came to see baby Kenley too. (My mom has pictures of their visits on her facebook page if you are interested. I don't have them copied over yet...sorry guys...)Later that day, Grandma and Grandpa Brockman came to see us.
Even our wonderful labor and delivery nurse Sherri stopped by when her shift started to see us.
We had one more special visitor that first day. My friend Kimberly came to see us.
In addition to all of the wonderful visitors, we received flowers, balloons, several outfits and gifts, and cheer cards. This cute arrangement came from my godparents in MO.
(Side note: Clay and I want to THANK all of you that came to visit. We are blessed to have you all in our lives.)The second night at the hospital was a bit tougher. Little K didn't want to sleep much unless she was being held and I didn't feel comfortable falling asleep with her in my arms in that oversized and uncomfortable hospital bed.
Tuesday 12/29
This was the day we knew we would get to go home. We didn't plan on any visitors as we were hoping that we would be discharged early and home around lunch time. Plans sometimes don't work the way you want.
The pediatrician checked and released our little girl first thing in the morning but we sat around until after 1:30 for my doctor to come around and release me. During that time, we did have her debut picture taken for the world wide web on the hospital site.
(Thanks for letting us borrow such a cute bow Liz and Rylee)We bundled Little Bean up for her journey home in her cute new outfit and we waited for our discharge.
Around 3 we were released and headed home. This is a great spot to end Part 1 of the wonderful week. I will try to post more about the first few nights at home soon. I hope I added enough pics to keep you all wanting to come back and see our beautiful Little Bean Kenley;o)
Saturday, January 2, 2010
When...
When a 2x nursing tank isn't big enough for your "girls"...
When your ta-tas are at LEAST 3X the size of your baby's head...
When you line up tucks pads in your underwear like pepperoni...
When you sit on a donut to nurse so your bum doesn't hurt more than the delivery itself...
When you continue to wear the mesh underwear for all its "sexiness"...
BUT
When you see this precious face and realize she is all yours....
It's TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!!
(and yes the world's longest post about the past week in the life of the Brockmans is in the works... stay tuned.)
When your ta-tas are at LEAST 3X the size of your baby's head...
When you line up tucks pads in your underwear like pepperoni...
When you sit on a donut to nurse so your bum doesn't hurt more than the delivery itself...
When you continue to wear the mesh underwear for all its "sexiness"...
BUT
When you see this precious face and realize she is all yours....
It's TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!!(and yes the world's longest post about the past week in the life of the Brockmans is in the works... stay tuned.)
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