Deacon meets Natalie...

My mom & dad (aka Grammy & Grandpa) were able to come for Natalie's birth and take care of Deacon for us while we were in the hospital.  Since Natalie was born in the morning, they were able to bring Deacon to the hospital later that same day to meet his little sister.

He did so well with her and with me, too.  :)  He was pretty curious about the expanding cuffs around my legs (to prevent blood clots until I could get up myself) but otherwise he just wanted to see Natalie, hold Natalie, kiss Natalie.  He was really gentle with her and it was clear that he was glad she was finally out of mommy's tummy.  :)

Deacon's first week of life...

I'm behind already!  :)

Yes, Deacon is actually almost 3 weeks old already and I'm just now getting a chance to sit down to post about his first week.  To be more truthful, I've just now been able to choose from the myriad of photos we've already taken the ones that I wanted to use in this post about his first week.

My thoughts may be a little random here as I post so bear with me.  :)

Deacon was cirumcised on the day we left the hospital, Oct 28.  He was 2 days old.  His surgery was that morning and by 2pm he was cleared to go home (I had been cleared that morning when Dr. Vogel came in to check me out).  Dr. Pollock did the circumcision and said that Deacon did really well -- that he didn't even really cry.  Hard to believe, but maybe that's what they tell all the new mommies.  :) 

[1 day old, in the hospital]

So we headed home around 4:30pm on Thursday, Oct 28.  Though we'd heard conflicting opinions about the hospital stay -- 1) stay as long as you can in the hospital or 2) go home as soon as they'll let you -- I think I was ready to go.  For one thing, I wasn't going to have the nurses coming in every 2 hours checking vitals at home and I think I relaxed a little bit about the nursing thing once we got home because I didn't have nurses asking me how long he ate and at what time.  I had to keep up with it myself, of course, but I wasn't being hassled about it anymore by nurses, etc.

Daddy got Deacon dressed in his cute little duck sleeper that his Aunt Jill Wenzel got him and we got all our stuff packed up.  Man, we had a lot of stuff!  It didn't seem like much when we checked in...  We got some freebies like diapers, A&D ointment, formula (with a nice sling backpack!), etc.  Plus, my office delivered the most beautiful flower arrangement while we were in the hospital so we did have some extra "baggage" heading out of there.  Between my dad & Jeff we got most everything down to the car in one trip, and then just had a few bags & such to carry down as we went.

[2 days old]

The day after we got home, Friday, Oct 29, Deacon had his first pediatric appt.  He had dropped almost 10% of his birth weight, from 7 lbs 2 oz to 6 lbs 13 oz.  Dr. Gaylord did all her "tests" on him and said he looked perfect.  :)  Because of his weight, they wanted us to come back in on Monday, Nov 1, just for a weight check.  At that appt, he had gained an ounce and they were fine with that -- we were heading in the right direction.  Dr. Pollock saw him at that appt and said he was still doing really great.  :)

***funny story about this appt: Deacon pooped THREE times -- going through 3 diapers -- right in a row, within a span of 90 secs!  We hadn't even gotten the 3rd diaper velcroed before he went!  Sheesh, kid.***

[3 days old, ready for his 1st pediatric appt]

On Saturday, Oct 30, we took a walk down to the mailbox in our nice travel system (carseat/stroller combo).  Deacon did okay but was kinda fussy the whole way.  Keeping that pacifier in at this point is a chore!  :)  I did okay, too.  It was nice to get out and stretch my legs for that long and it was a beautiful day, weather-wise.  Gorgeous blue skies, bright sunshine and balmy temps.  Also, I've heard the more you walk, the quicker you heal after a c-section.  Thankfully, I've really been healing nicely and haven't had much pain at all.

Sunday was halloween (also Jeff's birthday :).  We got some cute photos of Deacon in the little jack-o-lantern bib that I found.  Also, Jeff found some tiny little candy buckets so Deacon had his own little bucket to trick-or-treat with.  :)  Of course, we didn't take him out but wanted to commemorate his first halloween with photos, at least.

Jeff and I usually aren't even home on halloween since it's his birthday -- we usually go out to eat and do a little shopping or something, staying out pretty late to avoid the trick-or-treaters.  But since we weren't really sure what would happen this year, we made sure we had a bag of candy to hand out.  We got about 70 + little trick-or-treaters through our neighborhood.

[5 days old]

[6 days old]

Tuesday, Nov 2 -- at one week old -- was kind of a big day for Deacon.  He went to his first softball game to watch Daddy play.  It was an early game but once that sun goes down, it gets PRETTY chilly so we bundled him up in a onesie, a fleece sleeper, socks and a hat and then wrapped him in a receiving blanket and big fluffy blanket.  He was snug as a bug!  And he stayed that way (with the exception of his little nose, which didn't seem to bother him).  He slept through the whole game, not even flinching when I hollared for the guys.  He's a good boy.  :)

When we got home, we gave him his first sponge bath.  It was a team effort while my Mom & Dad took photos and video for us (SO THANKFUL they were here to document this for us).  We laid Deacon on some towels on our kitchen table and had him wrapped in one of his hooded towels.  I got a basin full of warm water and a couple of washcloths -- one to wash, one to rinse -- and I washed all his little body parts separately, while Jeff dried him off in between to keep him from getting too cold.

He did SO GOOD!  I really didn't think this was going to be a pleasant experience because Deacon doesn't like to get his diaper changed or have his clothes taken off (unless he's having some skin-to-skin time on Daddy's chest :) -- he hollars the whole time.  But not so with the bath.  I think the warm water relaxed him and of course, he smelled so yummy after the bath & lotion.  He really slept good that night, too.

[7 days old, first sponge bath]

[our sweet family of 3]

doctor's appts #24 & #25...

We had our last 2 doctor's appts today.  The first was at my OB office for the standard NST.  That went fine.  Deacon is still doing beautifully.  He has no clue what's about to go down but he'll adjust wonderfully to that, too, I'm sure.  :)

My blood pressue was up, as usual, but Dr. Hall seemed pretty unconcerned at this stage, just mentioning that she wanted us to monitor it to make sure it doesn't climb any higher before tomorrow.

They did check my iron one last time and it was 38 which is perfect.  Never did have trouble with my iron, so I'm thankful for that.

We had a couple of hours to kill before we had our pre-op testing appt downtown so Jeff and I ran a few errands to pick up some last minute things -- things like a 2nd car base for his truck, another changing pad cover, some envelopes & labels, etc.

At the pre-op testing center, we were both impressed with how friendly everyone there was, despite the fact that they.were.slammed.  We saw 3 different people -- one to get us into the system, one to draw blood and the last to explain to us what to expect tomorrow.

I guess I've read enough that I wasn't really surprised at any of the things that Anne told us concerning tomorrow.  Except maybe the fact that I have to shower twice (once tonight & once in the morning) with this specific soap that they gave me.  I guess that gives them a head start on killing any bacteria growing on my skin.

Dr. Hall had told us that she wanted them to take my bp before I left, after lying still on my side for a minute or two, just to see what it was and to make sure it wasn't climbing.  It was perfectly fine, 125/69.  :)

We are the first surgery of the day tomorrow, scheduled at 7:30am, so we'll be heading to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning to get there by 5:45am.  Sheesh.

I think we're as ready as we're ever going to be.  Jeff and I have enjoyed spending these last few days as "just the two of us" and even though we both feel a little bit sad at the "ending of an era", we're ready to expand our family of 2 to 3 and welcome our little man with open arms tomorrow.

doctor's appt #23...

I had another ultrasound with Wilmington Maternal on Thursday morning.  Just a standard appt to check the fluid levels around the baby which they said were really good.  Once again, they did a biophysical profile on the baby and he got great scores.  His breathing is still really great and because I drank orange juice before this appt (his fave :), he was moving all around for Melissa, the u/s tech.  We got to see a really great set of leg and foot movements.  And those were down in my pelvic area.

Yes, he's still breech.  So we're really going through with this c-section on Tuesday.  And I'm honestly okay with it.  As I've said before, I've had time to get used to the idea that this is how things are going to be for my first one and I trust that this is how God had it planned from the beginning.  Even though, this (surgery/c-section) is not how He originally planned women to give birth, I feel like maybe He's allowed it to be this way for me -- the planner -- so that I don't have any reason to be stressed about what didn't get done.  When we leave this house next Tuesday morning, whatever's not finished will be my own fault so I can't get stressed about it.  :)

But getting back to the appt...

My blood pressure was 142/94 -- the same as what it's been for the last 3 or so weeks but they still freaked out about it.  *siiiiiiigh*  I guess the closer you get, the less chances they take.  So they sent us to the hospital for more extensive monitoring, like we did a month ago.

This time I knew how to put the hospital gown on.  :)

So I got strapped up on the fetal monitors and the blood pressure cuff.  The NST turned out great results -- Deacon has been doing great this ENTIRE pregnancy.  The nurse had me actually turn and lay on my right side because she said that always brings your blood pressure down.

REALLY???  Why don't these other doctors know this?  Why can't I just do THAT at my doc appts??

Sure enough, one of my readings was 116/88, and the lowest one ended up being 112/66!  That's when Jeff said, "Is that too low?  Maybe you need to lay on your back for a little while so it will come up some..."  So I did turn, mostly because my right hip was starting to hurt, and the next reading was 123/75.  Still within in perfect range.

The nurse took some blood (out of my wrist!  that was a first...) and those labs all came back "wonderfully", according to the nurse.  They let me go after seeing the labs.  We were at the hospital for a lot less time this time around.

I promised them I would really "lay low" this weekend and I really am trying.  I actually didn't work yesterday and kept my feet up for a good part of the day while I worked on Jeff's laptop, editing photos, etc.

We have a couple of appts on Monday -- a regular NST at my OB office and then a pre-op appt afterward.  And then...we get this show on the road!

a day of firsts (i.e., doctor's appt #17 +)...

I had a routine OB appt yesterday morning with an NST to monitor Deacon's heartrate, etc.  What started out to be a routine checkup turned into a trip to the hospital for more extensive, prolonged monitoring just to be sure everything was okay.

And it was.  Let me just make that clear right here -- everything is fine with me and the baby.

At my appt yesterday morning, my bp was a little high -- 143/97.  And then during the NST, Deacon's heartrate dropped from his norm, in the 140s, down into the 120s twice, without provocation (no contraction or anything), over the course of about 40 min.

[this is what the printout of the NST looks like]

Dr. Woodfill didn't think there was anything really to be worried about; it just warranted an extra look and some prolonged monitoring.  I'm grateful for the extra caution, really, but how annoying to have to go down to the hospital.  *sigh*

Before I left my OB office, they did the Group B Strep test and checked to see if he had turned at all (at my last u/s he was breech).  Dr. Woodfill said that it didn't seem as though he'd turned much yet; that his head appeared to still be up and not down.  He's still got a month to turn so I'm not too stressed about that yet.  Not sure when we'll get the results of the Group B Strep.  If I have it (a bacteria found on the skin that isn't harmful to adults but can be deadly to infants), they'll give me an injection for it once we're admitted.

So off we went to the hospital.  Once there, we filled out the paperwork and signed off on all the forms (that's one good thing about this first trip to the hospital -- we're in the system now so we won't have to worry with the paperwork on the "big day").  They put me in a small room and had me change into one of their gowns and put on a belly band (that's what they used to hold the external fetal monitors in place).  That was my first time trying to get into one of their robes.  RIDICULOUS.  I opened it out and all it was was a ginormous piece of fabric with snaps and ties.  Um, excuse me?  Where are the sleeves?  Where's the neck hole?  I had to have Jeff come in and help me into the thing and together we figured out how to snap things together to make sleeves and a neck hole.  Talk about feeling dumb.

So I get into the bed and they place the monitors where they need to be on my belly (which I'm used to because it's just a longer NST than what I've been having), place a blood pressure cuff on my arm and stick a thermometer in my mouth.  All while I'm trying to finish signing off on all the paperwork.  GEEZ, PEOPLE.

So the monitors begin recording what they're supposed to record and the bp cuff takes my bp about every 30 min or so and records that.  A little later my nurse, Ann, takes some blood (out of my hand) to send off for labs to be sure that I don't have preeclampsia (which I don't, but that's the signs that were showing with my elevated bp and the drop in heartrate at my OB's office, I guess).

About the time she gets done with that, Jeff decides to go get us some lunch from one of the cafes in the hospital.   This was our first time eating at the hospital and we're big fans!  Jeff had a grilled chicken panini sandwich and he got me a grilled chicken & pesto wrap.  Oh, yum!  He also got some spicy beans & rice, some mixed fruit and then a couple of other snacks.  Everything we ate was really good.  We were really impressed.

So I ended up staying on the monitors for about an hour and 45 min *sigh* and that report, combined with my blood labs showed no signs of preeclamsia.  As a matter of fact, they kept saying that everything was "perfect" with me and the baby.  My bp was actually really low at the hospital which was the exact opposite of what I expected given the situation.  So that was very encouraging for me.

Dr. Cunill came in and did an ultrasound with a little portable machine just for extra confirmation that everything was fine with the baby (which it was) and was able to tell us that he is transverse in there now, not breech, but not head down either.  He's basically laying crossways in my belly, with his head on my right side and the rest of him on the left.  So he's making progress.  That's good.  :)

Once the ultrasound was complete, I was free to get changed back into my clothes, we signed off on one more thing and then we were released.  At that point, it was so late I ended up not going into work at all.  Thankfully, Fridays are kinda slow at the office so I wasn't stressed about that.  It was a pretty eventful day, though, so I did feel a little drained.

I would like to say how thankful I am that Jeff was with me for this appt.  He hasn't gone to every appt with me (and I'm fine with that) but I wanted him to hear at least one of the NSTs so he could listen to Deacon's heartbeat and hear him moving around.  So he decided to go with me to this one and I'm so very glad.  Just having him with me kept me from freaking out about being sent to the hospital, and then having him with me at the hospital was a God-send, too.  He is just such a calming force for me.  He always seems to know what to do, what questions to ask.  And he knows just what to say to make me smile or keep me calm.  He is a wonderful husband, the best ever, and he's going to be a wonderful father.  :)

baby care class...

We had our last class, Baby Care, last night at the hospital.  It went from 7:30-8:45pm and Jackie crammed just as much information as she could into it.  :)  The gave us a booklet that I thought was pretty organized and contained lots of good information for us to reference back to.

We talked about procedures in the hospital directly after the baby is born -- like always moving the baby in the bassinet (not carrying them down the hall in your arms).  Jackie mentioned that we didn't need to bring our car seat into the hospital but that we did need to take our car to a local fire department so they could ensure that we've installed the car seat properly into the car.  She also mentioned the 2 routine medicines that almost all newborns get -- the PKU (a blood test done to test for rare metabolic disorders) and the Hepatitis B vaccine.  The hospital also does a hearing screen on all newborns.

We talked a tiny bit about breastfeeding but most in the class, like us, had already taken or were planning to take the breastfeeding class so we didn't dwell on that too much.

We talked about using the suction bulb (aka aspirator) which the hospital will give us to take home.  I've heard from friends (and also from Jackie last night) that the one they give you in the hospital is the BEST -- that they work 100 times better than any you can buy in the store.  Got it.

We talked about diaper changing and even how to clean off little bums before putting on a new diaper.  Very informative.  Jackie passed around photos of normal (and not-so-normal) poops based on whether the baby is breastfed or formula fed.  Nice.

We talked about circumcision care for those of us (over half the class, I'd say) who are having boys -- we covered that pretty extensively in the prepared childbirth class, too, but it was nice to hear Jackie reiterate.  Along those same lines, we talked about umbilical cord care (until the stump falls off).

We talked about how to bathe our babies, and Jackie brought up a really good point in describing how SHE personally used to bathe her babies right after they were born.  I didn't think about this but Jackie described how she would wash "sections" of her baby (head, then face, arms, then chest, etc.) and dry them off before she moved on to the next section.  She said she did that so they would stay as warm as possible while still being completely naked.  Huh.  Just not something I really thought about but I've seen babies just shiver while being bathed and I guess that's a good way to keep them from getting too cold.

We talked briefly about skin care -- using detergents like Dreft or ALL free & clear to wash all the baby's clothes and/or blankets, etc.  Jackie said she actually switched to using ALL for all of their clothes, too, because if you think about it, as you hold your baby, he's up against YOUR clothes, too.  Good point.

We talked a little bit about jaundice -- what that looks like and how to treat.  She said it's normal for all babies to have a little bit but that unusually high levels of bilirubin would require some extra watch and care until the levels drop to normal.

We talked about how to take your baby's temperature and what a "high" temperature for them is (100.4 +).  We discussed different types of thermometers and rectal thermometers were discouraged.  The general consensus was to use a regular thermometer under the armpit of your baby to get the most accurate reading.

A lot of information, right?  It was a great class and, once again, I'm glad we took it.  We had about 28 folks in the class, our largest class by far, and I was pleased to see that ALL the dads were there with their spouses.  Way to represent, dads!  :)

"dinner" meeting...

Okay, so it wasn't a dinner meeting...it was a breastfeeding class but I didn't want to scare folks with that word just blazed across the title of a post.  Call me considerate.  :)

But yeah, we had Breastfeeding 101 last night at the hospital (same place our other class was).  It was an hour long (not even) and very informative.  Our teacher, Briar, had lots of good information for us and really put most of us at ease about the subject.  We had 14 folks total in the class, 4 of them being daddies.  :)

The first thing that Briar did was pass out some items and some cards that she told us not to look at until she said it was okay.  She had us go around the room, tell what our item was and then tell how WE thought it had anything to do with breastfeeding.  Once we said that, we were allowed to turn the card over and read what the item actually did have to with breastfeeding.  It was really quite interesting to hear everyone's answers as well as the answers on the cards.

Jeff's item was a tape measure.  Do YOU know what that has to do with breastfeeding?  Both Jeff and I had a pretty good idea -- and we were right.  :)  Breastfeeding, specifically milk production, burns between 500-1000 calories a day!  That piece of information right there was worth sitting through a whole hour long class, in my opinion.  :)  But we have heard from our friends who have been able to breastfeed that you really drop the weight fast and are able to bounce back to your pre-pregnancy weight (or even smaller sometimes!) easier if you breastfeed.  Out.stand.ing. 

My item was a (positive) pregnancy test.  And my answer was almost word-for-word what the card said.  *brushes shoulder off*  Your chances of getting pregnant decrease while you're breastfeeding but it is not a fool-proof method of birth control by any means.  We have seen that come true first hand with some of our friends.  Let that be a lesson, Mr. Wenzel.  :)

Briar then passed out some handouts for us to look at and make notes one (which I did) while she spoke.  A lot of the stuff I was already aware of but there were some interesting tidbits of info to learn.  I won't get into much detail because really, if you're still with me at this point, I don't want to make you any more uncomfortable that you already are.  :)

It was a great class and I'm glad we attended.  We have one more class, on baby care, next week and then we should be golden, right?  Got this whole parenting figured out before the kid even gets here, yes?  Ha.  :)

childbirth education class #4...

We had our fourth and final Prepared Childbirth class last night.  We talked more about labor and delivery, specifically what happens if a c-section is needed.  Though I'm not a fan of needing a c-section -- I don't know who is really (unless they had serious complications in previous births or something like that) -- but I know that if one is needed, it will only be because it will be in my best interest & that of my child.

With that being said, having a c-section seems like a cake walk compared to a vaginal birth!  Now, I know there are more issues with recovery in the case of a c-section, a longer stay in the hospital, etc.  But the work is done mostly by the hospital staff with a c-section, according to what we learned.  Surgery is surgery, however, and the emotional issues that go along with a c-section HAVE to factor in, I'm sure.

Once we wrapped up the eduction portion, we got to take a tour of the hospital, those areas that we would be utilizing in the labor & delivery of our child.  It was pretty interesting seeing all the different places, and I got lost pretty fast but there are plenty of folks around to direct you where you need to go.  :)  What I liked about the hospital is that it doesn't feel so much like a hospital.  They've done a good job of making the rooms feel more like bedrooms, despite the little bit of medical equipment, etc. that's necessary.

The labor & delivery rooms (vs. the recovery/postpartum rooms) were kind of scary, though.  Only because Jackie flipped on the "delivery lights" (2 huge spotlights!),  took apart the bed and brought out the stirrups and such and I think it just kind of hit me right.then. that I would be going through "all this" in 2 months time.  It, um...well, it kind of...it was a healthy dose of reality.  We'll just say that.

The recovery/postpartum rooms on the mother & baby floor I've seen before after visiting some friends in the hospital after giving birth.  They're pretty nice.  Once we get to that point, it will be better.  I think.  :)

Jeff and I are really glad that we signed up for this class.  Jackie was an excellent teacher and I think we learned some really valuable things through this class.  We have 2 more classes to attend this month, one on breastfeeding and one on baby care.  After those, we'll be pros, right??

childbirth education class #2...

We went to our 2nd childbirth education class last night.  Everyone that was there last week came back so that was good.  We only scared off the sister-in-law that I mentioned in this post.  :)

Again, there was a lot of information covered in this class.  We talked about things to pack for our stay in the hospital, both for before & during delivery, as well as after delivery.  There were lists in the books that we got last week, but Jackie sited specific things that she thought were really helpful.  I made a special note of those.  Especially the one about the "hair tie for long hair".  :)

We also talked about different tools that we may or may not see during the process.  AND it was show-and-tell.  Yes, Jackie brought out things like an IV tube/syringe, an IUPC (internal uterine pressure catheter), a vacuum, a fetal scalp electrode...

It was not a real upbeat time in the class.  And then we went through some of the reasons for induction.

Kind of a downer -- even Jackie said that -- but still, it's a part of being informed and prepared and I'm glad to have the knowledge we learned last night.  Even if it's not all *rainbows & butterflies*.

Jackie did cover pediatricians in the area, too, and had nothing but good, positive things to say about each of them.  I think we've decided on our pediatrician -- one in the Hampstead area so it will be relatively close for us.  That, and we know other kids (and their parents) who are patients there.

childbirth education class #1...

Jeff and I went to our first childbirth education class last night, Prepared Childbirth.  This was the first of a 4-week series of one-hour classes at the lovely (no, really) Women's & Children's Hospital of New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

Our friend -- and phenomenal (so I've heard :) labor & delivery nurse -- Jackie is teaching the class and she did great!  I wondered how she felt about 1) teaching her SS teacher and 2) talking about such things as vaginas & discharge in front of him.  She said it was a little awkward, of course, but she's a professional so she did what she needed to do and told us what we needed to know.

It was a FULL hour's worth of information she threw at us so before we knew it, it was 8:30pm and time to go.  We talked about some of the basic terms involved with childbirth (anatomy, birthing terms, etc.), the different stages of labor, what to look for/note if this or that should happen, etc.  She gave us a book with the information so we had that to take our own notes in if we chose to.

I enjoyed the class and at this point, don't have anything to fear yet.  She was very upfront with how hard this childbirth thing is and how it is painful, but even with that, I'm not panicking.  Yet.

We still have 3 classes to go, so there's still time to scare me out of my wits.

There were about 15 folks in the class -- only one who was there by herself.  I was proud of the soon-to-be daddies that came with their mommies (including mine :) -- there were 5 of those.  One of the girls brought her mom since her husband had to work, and another girl brought her sister-in-law since her husband was also working.  Incidentally, her SIL made a good point: "This is an excellent class to take to KEEP you from getting pregnant!"  :)