Baby Knitting

So glad I knit during those first couple of weeks, because now Lucy actually wants my attention and not just my boobs.

So here's Lucy modeling a couple things I finished knitting for her.

First up is this little tunic. I started this just a couple days before she was born, knit a little bit in the early stages of labor, and then finished a few days after she came home. Knit in Plucky Knitter Primo Sport yarn. Color is Jazz Age. I wanted to make a dress, but this yarn was given to me as payment for doing a test knit, so I only had one skein.  Little big still, but might fit for a while as a tunic at first and then a top as she grows.

Also finished this little dress. Made with Plucky Knitter Primo fingering (held double) in Goin' Courtin' (Pink) and Hope is a Good Thing (blue). Its a 3 month size, so still a little bit big too. I just hope I remember to put these on her as she grows. This pattern was a test knit and I was really happy with the pattern.

Also started cloth diapering this week. Isn't her fluffy butt sooooo cute!!! Lucy is already 3 weeks old.

Week 2

I won't be doing a post every week, but there is just so much new right now.

This week we had our first outing with Grandma. We went to the Arboretum and Lucy fussed most of the time. Getting out in the fresh air was nice though. We also went to my parent's house. So first longish car ride too.

Lucy and I also had our first outing with just the two of us. We went to Target and the Post Office. I was worried she would fuss the entire time, but nope. Only a few small cries at the Post Office.

She also gave me the best and worst sleep of her short life. One night she fed for 5.5 hours straight. Another night she slept for 8 hours straight. I think we all know what I'd prefer.

She had her first growth spurt. So fussy is the word of the week. So darned fussy.

Good thing she so freakin' cute.

Lastly, since Lucy will be a day care kid, tonight we introduced bottle feeding. She sucked it down like a champ. So now we'll see if she'll still breast-feed, but ultimately since she needs to learn to drink from a bottle, then bottle feeding will be more important in the long run. Just hoping I can keep pumping with her demand.

Now for the pictures.

Coming home from the hospital in our matching outfits. (I knit for us in the same color yarn. Yes, I'm a nerd.)

Her cute outfit on a warm day

Trip to the post office

Bottle feeding

And Dottie Jo, so she doesn't feel left out.

Oh how the time flies

Lucy is one week old. How did that happen? When people say that time flies by quickly, boy were they right.

Its going really well too.

This week we came home from the hospital.

I got hit with severe pain from delivery, but by Thursday I was feeling good enough for a neighborhood walk. Today we even went on our first family outing to Jones coffee. I forgot to bring diapers. Opps. Rookie Mom mistake. But thankfully we were only gone an hour so diapers weren't needed.

I hit some bumps in the road with Lucy's latch when feeding, but yesterday we hit a turning point and now most nursing sessions are pleasurable rather than frustrating.

Sleeping has been going well with Lucy sleeping at least 1 3.5-4 hour stretch each night. Every morning I wake up from a good stretch of sleep I thank God that she slept one more night. She usually wants to eat ever hour between 8pm and midnight or 1am, but that tires her out pretty good.

We started off co-sleeping, but last night she slept in her bassinet all night. Success.

We also introduced Dottie Jo back into the pack and she has been doing wonderfully. Not ever aggressive, just curious. She's even concerned with Lucy cries.

Over all I feel so incredibly blessed to have Lucy in my life and I'm starting to really enjoy being a Mom.

Now for pictures.

Also major thanks to my Mom. She's fed us, cleaned, ferried me to the pediatrician (so John could work), watched our dog, helped me manage my pain, and so many other things. I'm so grateful for her help.

Also thanks to Katrina, Kevin, and Erin for feeding us this week. It was really nice to not need to figure out meals on top of everything else.

Birth Story

or how I went from this

to this

As you all know my doctor wanted to induce me on Saturday night. I wrestled with the decision before deciding I wouldn't go through with it. Or the doctor would have to show me some solid proof that it needed to happen ASAP or I was going to pass.

We dutifully went to the hospital for monitoring and told them I didn't want to induce. I sat on the monitors for 1 1/2 hours and the baby looked good,  so I was allowed to go home. Yay!!!

Sunday morning I woke up at 7am to cramping and my water had broken (or at least leaked significantly). My gut instinct was right. I just needed a few more hours.

I got up, ate breakfast, took a shower, and John and I went for a walk. I was trying to get my contractions stronger, but I could tell it wasn't working. Oh well, headed to the hospital hoping a little more time would help.

But it didn't. My contractions never got strong enough on their own and I knew by giving birth in the hospital I was on a timeline since my water had broken. So when I was told I would go on Pitocin I was okay with it.

Looking back I'm pretty sure the Pitocin pumped up my own contractions and they got intense pretty quickly. Pretty soon they were coming every 2 minutes. But the stupid monitor wouldn't pick up their strength. It looked like I was having some light discomfort when in reality I was getting rocked regularly. Thankfully my nurse could hear me laboring and believed me rather than the monitor.  Pretty soon they were lowering the Pitocin.

At around 3pm the rest of my water broke and oh wow so did the contractions. In-freakin-tense. That was when I was hitting my wall. I started contemplating drugs and asked to be checked so I could make a decision. I was only 4-5cm. My nurse Maureen was pretty awesome though. She had a lot of faith in my abilities. She recommended rather than going for the epidural that I try a dose on Fentanyl. I did and an hour later I'd progressed all to 7-8cm. She was totally right, I was able to relax just that little bit to help me progress.

The rest of labor is a bit of a blur. All I know was that little more than 2 hours after using the Fentanyl I was already fully dilated. Again Maureen just let me go with how I was feeling and started calling in the team for delivery.

When I was ready to push, I pushed how I wanted. During delivery I briefly remember my doctor doing that whole count to 10 while pushing thing, but I'm pretty sure he abandoned that quickly. Because in only 11 minutes of pushing Lucy Anne was here.

My sister said I looked completely shocked when they put her on my stomach. I think I was just so surprised that she came tumbling out in one big push. My Mom said the doctor was so surprised at how quickly she came that he just kind of caught her and tossed her up on me.

Going into labor I didn't really have a plan. I wanted to try natural, but fully knew it might not happen that way. I was amazed at how the hospital staff handled me. I thought I'd be pushed around, but I really wasn't. Both of my nurses trusted me to judge how I was progressing rather than the machine. And they mostly let me just do my thing. Maureen would directly me a little bit when I got a it frantic and it helped. Mostly I just tried to tell myself the logical thoughts. You are nauseous and a bit panicked. You are in transition. It will be over soon.

And it was. I'm so sore now, especially in the lady bits, but it was all worth it to have my little Lucy Anne.

And to add a touch of humor to the story...

While pushing I was not quiet. Oh no. But the funniest thing I did was growl 'Ring of fu*king fire' as baby was coming out. I'm glad I wasn't paying attention because apparently everyone laughed. It is pretty funny.

Overdue...

I'm officially 5 days over due. Cue induction.

At the doctor's office I turned into a big sobbing mess. I feel like a failure because the baby won't come out on its own.

While my blood pressure was fine, the fluid level is way down and the placenta is still deteriorating.

My doctor isn't one to suggest this unless its important, but I still can't help the way I feel. I was already frustrated enough that I'm still pregnant. Suggesting an induction just sent me over the edge.

So, I spent the day trying every single method I could to try and get labor started naturally. And sobbing. I can now confirm that crying does not bring on labor.

I actually made my piece with the induction until I talked to a nurse at the hospital.

I asked if I wold get to eat anything, but nope. Even though the process takes 24-36 hours, I can't eat anything in case I vomit. Now, I'm fully aware I will probably not want to eat once things get going, but I hate being told I'm supposed to birth a human without a snack even if I want one. Its just in case I need a c-section (oh and don't get me started on the likelihood of c-section from failed induction).

The second question I had was if I would be able to walk around. Guess what...that's a big fat no too. Once I'm hooked up to my IV I have to be continuously monitored, so I can't move more than 2 feet from the bed. And the only time I'm allowed to walk father is to go to the bathroom.

That just upset me all over again.

Anyways, my doctor's office called me at the end of the day to see if I was still certain. Well, no I wasn't. So doc called me back right away and I turned into a big blubbering mess for the thousandth time. So, compromise. Still going into the hospital tomorrow night, but only for monitoring and IV fluids. Then after we take readings for a while I get to choose if I continue with an induction.

So, after a roller coaster day, I feeling A LOT better. And I'm still hoping baby decides to come out on her own.