Birth : how i lost 20 poouds in 2 days

Some people want to know all that went down with Charlie being born, but I'm not one for telling that entire story, so I'll give some bullet points here:

- Charlie was due on December 18th.  Since we all know that due dates are just guesses, I was hoping that he'd come early.  I was ready and my schedule was cleared after December 6th.

- The day after Charlie's due date I went in and was checked and they told me that it would likely be another week before he arrived.  I didn't believe them because Christmas was right around the corner and I just knew that he'd come before that.  But he didn't.  So Christmas came and went and was pretty weird because everyone had expected him there.  And because I'm bad at having my plans changed.

- The next week I went back (he is now 9 days past due) and I asked to be induced.  At that point I had less than a week left of Travis and Savannah's winter Break - you know, the one I was planning on having all of us home every day for to help with the new baby.  They scheduled the induction for Friday night and called me later to push it back to Saturday morning.  UGH.  God was really teaching me to not make plans.  Every "plan" I had for Charlie's arrival had not come to pass.

- Saturday morning Travis and I checked into the Hotel  Hospital.  The nurses gave us all this paper work, asked a hundred questions, then hooked me up to an IV full of Pitossen. I HATE IVs, and I knew that getting stabbed in the hand would be the worst part of the whole thing.. and it actually kind of was.  They continued to dose me with Pitossen, increasing it every hour or so through out the morning.  It wasn't until about noon that I began to feel contractions at all.

- Once contractions started it was still 3 hours before they were anything to complain about.  Our nurse kept coming and and finding me checking facebook and pinterest and saying "I need you to be more uncomfortable than this!".  So she kept upping my dosage.  One thing is for sure - that boy did not want to come out.  Around 3pm the contractions starting hitting hard and by 4 they were on top of each other - so I asked for them to get me an epidural.  I had planned all along to get one.  I got one with Savannah, but I had foolishly waited until I had been in intense labor for over 12 hours.  I didn't want that again.  So at 4:30 I got the epidural.  About 5 minutes later it was a whole new ball game.  But still not totally numb - so at 5:30 I got another dose of something into my back that made me totally numb.  We started watching Harry Potter on TV because I knew it would help me rest and hopefully nap to get ready for pushing.  Unfortunately, just as I started to doze off (around 7:30pm, the midwife came in and checked me out and said I was ready to push.  I wasn't expecting that at all - it kinda freaked me out.  But they rolled everything in and we went for it.  Travis and the nurses had to totally lift and hold my legs because I could not move or feel a thing from the waste down.  Some people dont like that - and to be honest, I didn't love not feeling ANYTHING - but it has to be better than feeling EVERYTHING.  During the whole pushing process I got really light headed and felt like I was going to pass out.  They put oxygen on me but it didn't really help.  I actually had the thought "Is this it?  I'm I going to get this kid out as the last thing I'll do?" But no - I made it through.

- 8:36pm, Charlie Baylor comes on out.  I was still light headed so I didn't get really into it all right away.  I'm not really like that anyway so I wouldn't have anyway.  They cleaned him up and all that jazz while I directed Travis to take pictures and tried to get my head together.  It's so gross - the whole birthing thing.  And once they had him out, I'm reminded by the midwife "Okay, we just have a few other things to get out of there!" - YAAAAY.  Just what I want to do!

- Savannah met Charlie first, with just us.  She came in and introduced herself.  She was so so so excited.  Then our parents.  We didn't invite many people up this time, which I'm glad for.  Last time we had a revolving door of visitors - that's what we thought we wanted.  This time we had a 2 day, super relaxing, super easy stay.  Travis got a little bored, but that's partly because he was so tired from sleeping in a chair for two nights.  I love Mary Greeley.  The nurses, doctors and other staff were awesome.  We came home around 1pm on Monday and took some time for naps and showers before Savannah came home.  It was good to just settle in a little before little miss got here.

So that's the story.  And here he is!

Apps and Amenities

This first week of having a new born again has made me so so so thankful for my iPhone.  Not that things were rough with Savannah, but boy does technology make things easier!  There are a few apps that I have really appreciated in this time:

Camera Plus

I have had this for a while - I use it for all my picture taking. I think it cost me like $1.99 to buy and it was well worth it.  It takes faster pictures and lets you edit them and then save them to your camera roll.  I usually just download everything from my camera roll once a month or so and then delete most of it from my phone so it's nice that I only have the pictures I actually wanted to keep in the camera roll.  But mostly it's nice because it takes better pictures.  

iBabyLog

Just got this one last Sunday, while we were in the hospital.  With Savannah we wrote down all her feedings and diapers and sleeping on a paper - not that it was so awful or anything, but it's just way nicer to have it on my phone, that is always with me, and doesn't require searching for pen.  It has timers on it so when we start a feeding I just hit the start button and let it go.  It also lets you go in and manually enter things, because I forget all the time to do it in the moment.  It was free.

Rainmaker 

This app was essential to our whole family in the hospital.  We've had this for a long time too and we use it in our room on the those nights when it's too cold for a fan in our room, and too warm for a space heater.  In the hospital it was great because there are so many sounds in the hall way and so many things to think about.  When it was time to sleep I'd just crank on the rain, and out we all went.  Charlie seemed to like it quite a bit there too.  Now that we're home we have another sound maker in his room (it's a sleep sheep stuffed animal that plays white noises - love it).  

Netflix

Another more recent mention is the netflix app on my phone.  I brought some headphones up to our room and have been watching season 3 of Glee while I feed Charlie in the middle of the night. It's amazing how much quicker feedings go this way compared to when I just listen to the sound of his sucking and fight sleeping. 

And while we're at it, I'm giving a HUGE nod to the Hotel we stayed at... I mean Hospital we stayed at, Mary Greeley.  This place is NICE.  All the birthing rooms have a huge TV, a whirlpool bath, and people the bring you any kind of food, drink, or drug you want - straight to your bed!  I think the nurses here are more friendly than any hotel staff I've ever encountered.  

And here's another bonus - They'll do things like wheel your baby out and wash them in the middle of the night while you sleep!  The night Charlie was born everything didn't wind down until almost midnight.  Our nurse came in and said that it was time for his first bath, but if i'd rather sleep than watch, she would take him to the nursery and gladly take pictures for me.  How great was that?!  So Travis and I got to sneak in about an hour of sleep alone before the new parenting started.  I should also throw in that I did not change one diaper until we got home.  Love this place. 

Borned

So, baby Charlie Baylor Pierce finally made it into the world!!!! We had to force him out a little with an induction, but after only about 8 hours of labor, he finally came! I plan to blog later with more birth details (for people who like that) and also with some apps I'm really thankful for the last couple weeks. For now I'll give you what you probably want : a quick run down of how we are and some pictures.

Charlie: doing great. He has been eating and sleeping like a two week old, which makes scenes seeing as though he would be two weeks old had he come on time. When he screams, one thing that almost always calms him (even I only for a few minutes) is his big sister singing to him. He's already addicted to a pacifier - whoops and slightly dependent on the sound of rain when he sleeps.

Savannah: loves being a big sister ad care taker. She scolds me if I go get him from his room without her. She needs to know where he is and what he's Doug at all times. She over showers him with kisses and hugs and songs. Today when he was crying for a while I found her siting at her little card table with head phones on coloring. She said she just needed a little break. Isn't she the best? She has been an amazing helper already with laundry, dinner, and diaper changing. I'm so proud of her!

Travis: after two nights in the recliner at the hospital (the only thing we did not live about our stay there), Travis was sooo glad to sleep at home. He's been completing list after list for me of house work the last 24 hours. He loves being a daddy of a boy. Travis is also the diaper changer around here - which means he's been peed on several times because we keep forgetting that boys squirt ya!

Me: I'm tired, but not exhausted. I have no idea how to care for two kids, but
People say it will come. I have a hard time relaxing and resting, but I really want to. Junk food has taken over my life, but I figure I have a week or so left of guilt free eating, then I should probably wise up. So bring on the cakes and cookies! I'm enjoying Savannah and Charlie most as siblings. I love them separately too, but it's just magical to see them interact.

Snow much fun today

Savannah had her first snow day ever today!
We had heard before bed that Ames schools were cancelled today, but it was after girly had gone to bed. At 6:45am she came running into our room to tell Travis he probably didn't have to work because there was sooo much snow outside. It was really fun to tell her that none o us had to go anywhere! By 7:30am she had all her snow gear on and was out the door. After over an hour she told me "I don't live in the house anymore, I live in the snow"

Come on Charlie!

So here we are, 39 1/2 weeks down the road of pregnancy.  For some reason I had totally convinced myself the entire time that our new brother would come sometime between 37 and 38 weeks.  It was just more convenient.  And since we already know what we're in for (in terms of labor and having an infant around) we might as well jump right into it!  You can imagine the feelings I may have had at my appointment last week when Ms Doctor told me she's thinking more like the end of NEXT week!  Patience.  Patience.  Here's what I would tell me if I wasn't me: "God has a time for this, and who knows what might go wrong or be harder if things were to happen in YOUR time instead of His.  He knows and will control the day and time and way that this will happen".  Right. I'm so right.

Also, everyone around us knows I think because we are Travis and Wendy and we have no secrets about our own lives, we decided back in August that we were going to name our kiddo Charlie Baylor Pierce.  My maiden name is Charlson - and my dad has some friends that have called him Charlie (or Chuck) since high school.  We liked that name and it means a little somethin somethin to us so there it is.  Other popular references to our son to be's name include : Charlie the Magical Unicorn, Charlie bit my finger, and Charles in Charge.  Which are all okay.  But just know - we're writing it down and double stamping it as CHARLIE - not Charles.  Baylor has nothing to do with the school.  Travis just liked it and since I had pretty much demanded that Savannah's middle name be Sue, he got to chose this one's middle name.

I'll just keep working away here - I've cleaned the entire house in preparation at least 15 times now.  Not that I'm nesting, I just don't want to come home from the hospital to a dirty house.

Savannah is doing great also.  The other day she made these two statements within two minutes of each other: "I want Charlie to come out now.  Come on baby Charlie!" and "Momma, I never want Charlie to be born because I like it just me and you".  I'm sure that will represent her feelings about him for the next 20 years.

To make this even more interesting, I'll include some pictures of her.  Everyone likes pictures of Savannah :)

E Z Eating

Momma has been tired a lot so Savannah and I have been eating out a lot. I didn't realize how much until I saw that I had several recent pictures of savannah eating out on my camera roll. Whoops!

Pretty much Anything cooked at our house these days is either in the crock pot or the microwave. What can I say? It's that time....

Just waiting now

I had my 38 week Dr appointment today. That means we're two weeks (or less) from having this kiddo! There have been lots of mixed emotions around here lately. Excitement for our new family shape. Nervousness about all the changes. Anxiety about being ready, the birth and all. Thankfulness that we made it this far... Really, the emotions are mostly from the girls. Travis is just pumped to have a son on the way. We have pretty much everything we know of that we need. His room is getting there. And I have about 7 meals in the freezer waiting to go. So lets get this show on the road already!