Life with Baby Week 2

During week two we have figured this little girl out more and more.  We know that she likes to eat about every 3 hours.  She is a big wiggle worm.  She is a pooping machine and is the queen of the hiccups.  She gets the hiccups several times a day! 

Since we have sold our house we have been staying at Heathers.  Luckily she has two extra rooms, one for us and one for my mom.  I am so thankful that Heather has let us stay with her but I am counting down the days until we are leaving and will be moving into our new place!  Doug has compared living at Heathers to living in a college dorm room, except he has a wife, a baby and a dog!

This past week we gave Madigan her first bath.  Doug held her in the shower and I washed her off.  She did awesome and didn’t cry at all!!!  The second bath she did just as great but decided to pee and poop in Doug’s hand!

She has been a little trooper in the car seat and doesn’t mind going out and about.  Since we are stuck in our little room we try to get out of the house about once a day.

We had a couple of visitors stop by to say hello.  Thanks for visiting, John and Pav.

Madigan had her two week follow up and all the nurse practitioner could tell us was that she is perfect!  Her two week stats…7lb12oz(29%ile), 20 3/4 inches(65%ile), Head circumference 34.2cm(10%ile).  She still has a really small head but her stomach is huge!

Random Madigan facts:

• She wears size newborn diapers
• She wears size newborn clothes
• She loves laying on her side and will probably be rolling over before we know it
• The majority of her umbilical cord came off on day 10
• She is a wiggle worm
• We have found ourselves calling her several nicknames, but the main one is Biscuit…Doug came up with this one
• She has to be swaddled to sleep because if she isn’t she wakes herself up by moving her arms and legs all around
• Doug gave her her first bottle on day 14 and she took it will no problems

Life with baby Week 1

After leaving the birthing suite in the hospital we made our way down to where we spent the next two nights.  We had so many different nurses while we were in the hospital and they were all amazing!  They were all so willing to help with any questions that we had and they taught us so much about caring for the little munchkin that they were going to let us leave with.

While being pregnant I never really feared or worried about labor and delivery because I knew that it would be hard but it would eventually be over with. What I feared most was breast feeding! I have heard so many horror stories of sore, cracked, bleeding nipples that had scared the crap out of me. We attended a breast feeding class that was great, but still left me feeling unprepared. I’m so glad that Doug was so on board with breast feeding because if it wasn’t for him I would have given up after the first try. Breast feeding is HARD!!! Doug pretty much did everything during the first few feedings, I just held her. We had to try different things to wake her up to feed and then just to keep her awake during feeding was even a challenge. Once she would stay awake to feed we had to get her latched on correctly so she wouldn’t rip my nipple off. Breast feeding is not for everyone, but I am glad that we have stuck it out and have successfully made it through that first week with nipples still attached! 

Heading home from the hospital…

We were discharged from the hospital on Saturday and I have been sleep deprived ever since! Change diaper, Eat, Burp, Change diaper again(this little girl is a pooping machine), Sleep….this has been my routine for the last week and I wouldn't change a thing. Doug has been such a big help! He jumps right in to help with anything I need and is the king of swaddling!

She lost 4oz while in the hospital and at her checkup on Monday she has gained 1 of those back! We go back when she is two weeks old and I can’t wait to see how much she has grown!

I have been an emotional disaster.  I cry at the drop of the hat.  I just look at Madigan and bust into tears because she is so precious and I can’t believe she is ours.

This has been a tough week figuring this new little being out!  But my motto over the next few years maybe even 18 years is…this is just a phase, enjoy the ride!

Madigan Reese’s Birth Story

I had my 39 week check up scheduled for Thursday, June 13 at 11:30.  My last day of work was the Wednesday before, Doug was finished working at the hospital except for doing some out processing things, my Mom was in town for the long haul, and Ellen was on her way out from Atlanta for Doug’s residency graduation.  The stage was set for everyone to be here and the little princess could make her arrival. 

I decided that at this doctors appointment if they informed me that I had a favorable cervix that I would have them strip/sweep my membrane.  When they strip the membrane the doctor goes up into my cervix and separates the amniotic sac from the uterus.  I have heard mixed reviews about having this done.  For some people it works to start labor and for others it is just a painful 2 minutes that does nothing.  After the doc checked my cervix and said that I was dilated 3cm and 50 effaced I decided to go ahead and let her do the sweeping.  It was a painful 30 to 45 seconds, but the pain went away as soon as she was finished.  I sat up on the table and she told me that contractions should start soon and when to come back to the hospital.  She wanted me to get dressed and she would be back in the room shortly.  When I sat up on the table I noticed that I felt really wet where I was sitting, but wasn’t sure if it was normal.  I showed Doug what I was sitting in and he said that he thought my water just broke!  The OB returned and we showed her the table and she confirmed what Doug had suspected.  She told us to go and get something to eat and then we should go and be admitted to Labor and Delivery.

We headed across the street from the hospital to get a quick bite to eat and then headed back to L&D.  We were admitted and placed on the monitors.  I was starting to have a few contractions so we decided to hold off on the potocin and wait and see what my body could do on it’s own.  Doug had to run back to the house to drop Wrecks off and pick up a few things, so I didn’t want anything to begin without him.  The contractions were starting to pick up some and beginning to feel like bad period cramps instead of just an uncomfortable feeling.  They were about 2-3 minutes apart.  The doctor didn’t want to continue to check my cervix because since my water was already broken I was at a higher risk of infection, so I have no idea how dilated I was at this point.  Doug made it back to the hospital and we decided to start the potocin around 6 o’clock.  I knew that I wanted an epidural, but was super nervous about the actual injection.  The anesthesiologist came by and told me that they could do the initial injection and not start the meds until I needed them.  This way I wouldn’t be trying to time the injection in between contractions.  This was awesome!  I had the epidural placed and it didn’t hurt at all!  Once my contractions became closer together I decided to go ahead and get the epidural meds started.  After this happened my legs went a little limp and all the pain went away.  I was never in much pain to begin with, but I am so glad that  I got the epidural.  It made my labor seem like a breeze!  Doug’s mom, Ellen arrived at the hospital around 8pm so the whole gang was ready and waiting on Madigan! 

The doctor returned to the room around 10 to check my progress.  I had dilated to a 6 and was 90% effaced.  She told me to try and nap if I could and she would be back in a couple of hours.  I knew that I would only be able to nap if everyone left the room.  Everyone left to go and get something to eat.  I attempted to go to sleep, hoping to get some energy for all the pushing that was ahead of me.  About ten minutes after everyone had left I started feeling a lot of pressure and felt like I should push.  Since I am a first time mom, I wasn’t quite sure if the feeling I was feeling was my body telling me to push or if this is what getting closer and closer to go time feels like.  The nurse kept coming in every five minutes asking me if I still feel the pressure and if it goes away.  The pressure would come with the contractions and then go away when they were done.  She didn’t seemed concerned, so I was just continuing on the ride.  I called Doug a couple of times and he didn’t answer his phone.  I was so afraid that they weren’t going to make it back and I was the one that encouraged everyone to go and get something to eat.  I finally got a hold of my mom and she said they were in the elevator.  I was so relieved when Doug walked into the door.  I just wanted him there to hold my hand.  The doctor came in right after him to check me.  Doug says that she said that I was fully dilated, but all I heard her talking about was pushing.  I didn’t think that I was ready to push!  It all happened so fast.  In about 45 minutes I went from a 6 to a 10 and was about to deliver this little girl that I was dying to meet for the past 10 months!  Doug did awesome coaching me and both him and my mom stayed well behind my head so they didn’t see any of the gross things going on down south!  In about 20 minutes of pushing, little Madigan made her way into the world screaming at the top of her lungs!  They placed her on my chest and she was the sweetest thing ever.  I knew looking at Doug that he was completely in love with her and she had him wrapped around her finger right then and there! Our family of two became so much more in just a few seconds.

Madigan Reese was born at 11:28pm on June 13, 2013. She weighed 7lbs 6oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. She is a pretty chill laid back baby so far!

 

Almost 39 weeks (39 weeks 4 days)

*Total weight gain?: 24lbs

*How big is baby?: Likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds

*Sleep: Sleeping when I can until I wake up with anxiety about going into labor.

*Sex: A sweet little GIRL!

*Maternity clothes: Not buying anymore!

*Showing yet?: Yes! And I am ready to pop!

*Stretch marks: No stretch marks at all!!!  Mission accomplished!!!

*Movement: She is not as active as she has been, maybe she is saving all her energy to use during her grand entrance.

*Food cravings: Still loving the ICE CREAM!!!

*Labor signs: Having some contractions on and off, but nothing to start keeping track of.

*Belly button in or out: Outie!!!

*Wedding ring on or off: It is on and I can’t believe that I made it this long without any major swelling!

*Worst pregnancy symptom of the week: The same thing that  I complain about every week…my horrible top of stomach numbing/stabbing/throbbing pain.  I don’t think that it has gotten any better, but I am just learning to tolerate it.

*What I miss: Nothing much since I am hopefully nearing the end of my pregnancy.

*What I'm looking forward to: Meeting this little girl!!!  I can’t wait to see this little being that has been taking over my body, mind, and all my thoughts for the past 10 months!  God is amazing!

*Best Moment of the Week: My mom arriving!  She was so nervous that she was going to miss the delivery.  She came into town on Tuesday, so Madigan now has permission to come any day now!!!!  Ellen comes on Thursday and would love for little miss prissy to come this weekend.

My last day of work was Wednesday.  So weird knowing that I don’t have a job that I have to show up for everyday.  I am going to miss all my patients.  Ok maybe not all, but most.

*Week 39: Baby is about the size of a mini watermelon!

38 Weeks

*Total weight gain?: 20lbs

*How big is baby?: She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she is over 19 1/2 inches long.

*Sleep: Sleeping like a baby!!!

*Sex: A sweet little GIRL!

*Maternity clothes: Still wearing all the ones that I have and refusing to buy more!

*Showing yet?: Yes! We think that she has dropped over the last few days.

*Stretch marks: None yet!  I am trying to avoid them like the plague.

*Movement: She is stretching her arms and legs out all the time!  Doug loves messing with her when she does it!  He will push on her and she will either kick him or push right back on his hand.

*Food cravings: Ice Cream, Ice Cream, Ice Cream and more Ice Cream!!!

*Labor signs: This past week we had a little scare where we thought that my water might be slowly leaking.  We went in and had everything checked out just to be on the safe side.  They did about 4 different test and one of the test came back positive that I was leaking amniotic fluid.  They were a little confused by these results and decided to send me home.  They wanted me to come back if the leaking continue or if I had any changes that worried me. 

*Belly button in or out: Lets just call it an outie!!!

*Wedding ring on or off: It is on during the day, but really hard to get off at the end of the day.

*Worst pregnancy symptom of the week: I have actually been feeling really great this week!  My hip hasn’t been bothering me and my stomach/rib pain has been tolerable.  I don’t have too much to complain about this week!

*What I miss: Nothing much since I am hopefully nearing the end of the my pregnancy.

*What I'm looking forward to: My mom comes into town on Tuesday and Doug’s mom comes in on Thursday.  Hopefully we can talk little Miss Madigan into coming this weekend since both of her grandmothers will be here! Oh and I only have two more working days until I a become a stay at home mom!!!!

*Best Moment of the Week: I had an ultrasound this week and they told me that Madigan is doing great.  She has a small head and big belly…so she averages out overall!

My maternity pictures came in this week and I love them.  I am so glad that we did them!

Doug had is Orthopedic graduation banquet this weekend and it was a ton of fun.  I can’t believe that he is actually graduating and finishing residency!  I can’t believe it has finally come to an end.  I am so excited about this next chapter in our lives!

*Week 38: Baby is about the size of a leek!