Katherine: A Baby Story

I decided to blog the majority of the details of the births of each of my babies.  I have found that I have left out some of the grosser details of childbirth, and that will likely hold true for this baby story as well.  Anyone who has delivered a baby vaginally probably knows all the gross stuff anyway ;).  But even without some of those yucky parts, I find documenting the births of my babies to be an important thing.  And I've returned to both Lynnaea's and Corbin's birth stories to re-read them and have found myself grateful that I chose to take the time, while the memory was still fresh, to record them.  Time is a precious commodity -- always -- but especially when there is a new baby.  But Katherine will want to read these details one day, and so I am taking the time to record the story of her arrival.

I visited the doctor on Thursday, December 28.  At that point, I was 38 weeks + 6 days pregnant.  I'd had some contractions, so opted to be checked.  What we found wasn't as promising as I'd hoped, but still progress:  50% effaced and almost 3 centimeters dilated.  Dr. Phillips informed me she was on-call all weekend, so if I did go into labor over the weekend, it was likely she'd deliver me.  If not, she'd see me in the office the following week.  I told her we were aiming for Sunday at the earliest.  Jeremy was on-call at Farley through Sunday, and having to figure out what to do for child-care and getting me to the hospital and all that if he was at work was stressful.  We figured we would be in the clear on Sunday and he wouldn't likely get called in that day.

But then he did get called in at 5:40 a.m. on Saturday.  And he was there all. day. long.  Literally.  He finally got home at 10 p.m. Saturday night.

Jeremy and I headed to bed about 11 pm on the 30th. At about 1:15 am, I woke up because I needed to pee (not surprisingly).  But then I noticed it felt like already HAD peed. (Sounds lovely, no?).  So I rolled out of bed and stood up, and felt more gushing as I did so.  Still uncertain if I was peeing or if this was what it feels like to have your water break (which had never happened to me before), I walked to the bathroom.  And still couldn't determine for sure if this was urine or amniotic fluid...  I pondered it for about 5 minutes before waking up Jeremy to tell him.  I knew we probably needed to go in and be checked, because I had read numerous times that when it comes to the water breaking, one should never try to guess whether it was urine or fluid... It's too risky for the baby and risks infection.

So I woke Jeremy and told him. I hated to do that since he has had such little sleep. But he came right awake and went right into "go mode".  I called my mom to have her come to the house to watch the kids and told her it might be nothing, but we have to go get checked. Then I got dressed and finished packing the hospital bag.  I was feeling really anxious.  This was not part of the plan!  I was expecting labor to be as it had been before. I always had clear, strong contractions before heading to the hospital. This time I wasn't having any!

My dad dropped my mom off at about 1:40, and Jeremy and I headed to the hospital. I wasn't feeling any baby movement, which added to my nerves and anxiety. We got to the medical center easily (not lots of traffic at that time of the morning!), parked, and headed to the birth center.  And found a sign at the reception desk sending us to the emergency room to register, which was completely NOT what we were told would happen when we went for our tour.  We had been told that no matter what time we came in, there would be someone to register us there on the 4th floor. 

So we got back on the elevator to try to head to emergency. But that proved harder than we thought it would be, so we went back to the 4th floor and buzzed their call thing to ask how to get to emergency. They buzzed us through and pointed out the other elevator that goes straight to the ER.  We got on that and went down to the ER. When the registration lady looked at me, I could see the confusion on her face as I said, "I think my water may have broken, and a sign on the 4th floor told us to come here."  In the end, they escorted us back up to the birthing center where we were finally taken to a triage room.

Let's just say I am glad I wasn't having massive contractions at that point, seeing as it took a while for us to get into a room and included lots of walking!  Or waddling, in my case.

So I was given a gown and told it would be an easy to test to see if my water had, in fact, broken. So I went into the bathroom to change (and pee again). And every single movement I made, I dribbled out liquid. I know that sounds gross. It was.  I told the nurse, "either my water really has broken or I have the worst incontinence problem ever.  Oh, and that bathroom floor now needs a good cleaning..."  she laughed and told me not to worry, then got ready to do the swab for the test.  But as she was about to, she got a nice big gush and said, "well, your water definitely broke. I don't need to even do the swab to see that, but I will anyway."  So there was no question about it: we would be admitted.  A baby would be born to our family in 2017 after all.

I also learned that I was having contractions, but they weren't very strong. And they found baby's heartbeat, so I could stop feeling anxious about that. And, of course, they did the pelvic exam and I learned I was dilated to a 4/5 and about 75% effaced.  Definitely not as far progressed as I would have hoped to be, but at least further than I had been at my Thursday appointment.

After what felt like a long time, I was finally moved to a delivery room.  Oh how I love the dignity of hospital gowns. Ugh.  I went pee one last time without a million cords attached to me. And leaked more on the floor :/. Then got in the hospital bed to start all the procedures.  First thing was the IV placement. I hate having an IV. They got it placed in my left hand, but couldn't get enough blood for the CBC, so they drew that from the back of my right hand.  And they started running the antibiotics, because this time, unlike both previous times, I was Group B Strep positive. Let's just say this pregnancy was full of firsts. By this time I was also actually starting to feel the contractions. But they weren't painful. 

Jeremy pulled out the couch and slept. I tried to sleep, but that didn't happen. I was too wound up.  I was expecting a quick labor, since Corbin came in 5 1/2 hours and everyone said 3rd babies come fast anyway. In fact, I later learned my OB was so certain I would go fast that she went in to the hospital at 3 when she learned I had been admitted.

Life had other plans, I guess.  I kept laboring, and eventually, the nurse came in and asked me to turn on my side, because the baby's heart rate kept dropping. This was before 7 am, because it was the night nurse who did all this. She also checked my progress again.  I was still only about 75 to 80% effaced, but had dilated to a 7/8.  I was getting excited about that, since I took that to mean all this would be over sooner than later.

So I was on my side for a while, and the contractions started picking up in intensity and were coming about 4 minutes apart. I got a new day-time nurse (the one who would ultimately be in assisting in delivery).  Eventually, I asked if I could flip off my back, because my hip was hurting and the contractions were getting more painful.  They said sure.  And once I did that, the relief was amazing.  I could actually rest a bit between contractions, and the contractions weren't that bad at all.  I was thrilled.  I was thinking this could be my easiest labor yet!  And when the charge nurse came in to start setting up the table with all the instruments the doctor would need, I took this as a very good sign.  It couldn't have been past 9 in the morning at this point.  She said the charts they were watching with the baby's heart-rate were indicating baby was slipping down into the birth canal and would be ready to be born soon.  I was so thrilled.  The charge nurse also mentioned that me laboring on my side would speed up the progress and delivery, but the contractions would be more intense.  She said if I wanted to get into a weird "pretzel" position, it would help things move along.  I opted out of that, as anything that made the pain worse wasn't high on my list of things I wanted to do.

And labor continued.  And again, the contractions started to intensify. Eventually I had Jeremy's hand to squeeze through contractions and he helped me focus on my breathing, etc.  It's funny...  When we didn't know when all this was going to go down and where he would be in terms of on-call at work and such, I was thinking, "You know, I got through this with Corbin, and Jeremy was there, but I think if he wasn't I would have been okay.  So if the worst happens and he isn't there, I'll get through it!"  In hind-sight, I know that -- at least with this labor -- there is no way that is true.  I needed Jeremy a lot this labor.  I don't know what I'd have done without him. 

Eventually the pain got so intense and the contractions so close together that both Jeremy and I were sure it had to be time to push.  So he went and asked them to come check me, because I really was starting to struggle with the pain.  My doctor came in at this point and they said they wondered if they should come in and check, but were waiting to see what I'd do.  They had offered pitocin to speed along the process, since my water had broken, but I have only heard that pitocin makes labor more intense, and I wasn't super interested in that (as mentioned above).  So I opted to see what my body would do on its own.  Because, as you can probably tell, I didn't get the epidural, so I felt every ounce of this.

So they checked me.  I had progressed to about 90% in effacement, but there had been NO progress with dilation.  Oh, and the getting checked was now excruciatingly painful.  And that news was just about as painful.  It was right around 12:15 at this point, and I was so done with this.  I was exhausted and the pain was a lot worse than I remembered.  And here's what was going on:  half of my cervix wasn't cooperating.  I didn't know this was possible.  But apparently it is.  Half of it wasn't thinned enough to be "complete," so my dilation was impacted.

And at this point, the suggestion was again made by my doctor (and seconded by the charge nurse) that I labor on my side (the side on which my cervix was not completely thinned) with my leg backwards in a stirrup.  I would labor in that position for 10 to 15 minutes.  They said it would really intensify the contractions, but would force the baby's head onto my cervix and that would open up my cervix.  Then they'd flip me to the other side for about 10 minutes to shift the baby's head over again, and then they'd check me to see if I was ready.  I agreed to this. 

Let me just say I cannot even describe the pain this was.  I actually cried and just kept saying, "I don't know what to do, the pain won't stop!"  The charge nurse was placing a cold damp rag all over my back and neck as Jeremy blew on my face and held my hand and let me squeeze so hard I was grinding his wedding ring into bone.  I have never experienced anything else this painful.  Ever.  And then they flipped me to the other side.  The flipping and moving was also painful.  I was told I could push gently against the contraction to alleviate pressure, but not to push too hard.  I kept asking how long it had been, because this felt interminable.  It hurt SO badly. 

Finally the doctor came back in and they had me roll to my back to check me.  Which, by the way, I couldn't even do by myself.  I was in so much pain, they pretty much had to move me.  And if I thought the previous check was painful, it was nothing compared to this one.  I tensed up immediately and was like, "Oh my goodness that hurts so bad!" 

I don't think a single swear word came out of mouth, but I definitely had the thought that one might.  I also had thoughts (during this whole side-labor process) that I wondered if it was too late for an epidural and I also considered telling them I'd rather opt for a c-section now and just have them cut the kid out.  Which, in my rational mind, I wouldn't choose to have surgery for no reason.  But I was not rational. 

So they checked me and at least brought the blessed news that I was "complete" and ready to push.

Did I mention it was excruciatingly painful to be checked?  Yeesh.  I was in pretty much constant pain, and as soon as I was on my back and they had checked me and announced my being ready to push, I felt a huge contraction and the desire to push. Unfortunately nobody was ready for me to do that yet. I think they were getting my legs in the stirrups and the doctor was gowning up.  I kept saying, "what am I supposed to do!?!"  

And finally the stars aligned and it was time to push. I hate pushing. I never push correctly at first, so it's just wasted efforts. And I was exhausted enough after 12 hours of labor.  With every contraction I pushed 3 times.  I remember them saying, "just one more!" And me saying, "I am trying!"  I had a lot of help from the two nurses assisting to pull my legs up.  

There is so much going on on those moments. I could feel EVERYTHING.  Contractions. Pushing. My doctor putting pressure on the spot "down there" where she wanted me to focus my pushing.  I felt them throw something on my torso as they said I was almost there.  And then, with my next contraction, I pushed four times, and felt that relief as she was pulled out of me and placed on my chest.  

In that moment, everything felt surreal.  I remember thinking that: how surreal it was.  I had just survived the worst pain of my life and I opened my eyes to a baby on me.  And she was mine. Crazy.

Katherine came out covered in the yucky stuff my doctor likes to call cottage cheese.  She finally gave a good loud scream after 30 seconds or so.  I could still feel her connected to me via umbilical cord until they had Jeremy cut the cord. And after that I could still feel the cord as my doctor held it, waiting for my placenta to be delivered.  Which took about 10 minutes, and a nurse had to massage my abdomen to help it along, and that was painful.  I remember feeling the contractions build again, and I just dreaded it, even though I knew it would not be hard.  I had to push a little, and I felt the placenta fall out of me too (kinds of a gross feeling).  Then, because I had a very small tear (which required 1 stitch), I had to wait to be stitched up.  Funny how, after all of that, you don't even know you have a bleeding wound.  She had some sort of numbing medication that she injected and said it would feel like fire.  I felt nothing of the sort.  I did, however, feel the pinch when she used the needle to sew me up and also the sensation of the string (or whatever they use) being pulled through my skin.  It didn't hurt, just was weird to feel the tugging and such. 

By this point, they'd gotten the baby wrapped up and cleaned off a bit.  Weighed and measured (8 pounds 15 ounces and 20 inches long!) and done her first shot (which I can't remember what it was).  Oh, I should mention she and I did skin-to-skin for a while while they were taking care of me.  I didn't do it with my other two babies (not sure why?  I think because I wasn't asked, but they asked here).  Actually, with Lynnaea, because she came out floppy and pale and didn't respond like they wanted her to, they whisked her to the nursery for a few hours.  With Corbin, I'm not sure why.  Anyway, she really was so sweet snuggled against me.  She was very content and happy.  So she was pretty unhappy when they took her to weigh her and all that jazz.  Which you can probably tell from her picture on the scale.  LOL. 

While they were cleaning Katherine up, the doctor asked me if I wanted to see my placenta.  I figured why not.  Well, that was a massive placenta!  Really thick.  The doctor said that well-fed babies have big placentas.  And my babies are nothing if not well-fed.  Their momma likes food!  Apparently a few weeks before I was due, one of Jeremy's co-workers asked if I was interested in keeping my placenta, because his wife does some sort of thing where she dries it and grinds it up and encapsulates it for the mom to ingest.  Okay, I know there are animals that eat their placentas.  And I know other women who actually do this.  But gag me.  I am not one of them.  They say you get so much energy from that.  Well, energy sounds lovely, but I'm sorry...  I could never mentally get past my knowledge of what I was ingesting.  So instead, I just let my placenta go to be used for burn victims.  I'm okay with that.

For the first time in all my deliveries, I got to stay in the same room I delivered in.  Both times I delivered in Washington, I delivered at their busiest time of year, so they needed the delivery rooms for new patients and I would be moved to a post-partum room.  If it hadn't been a busy time, I would have stayed in my original room.  Same thing here, I guess, but either they have more rooms here or there were just fewer deliveries, because I was able to stay where I started for almost 48 hours.  Although I will say I much prefer getting to leave after 24, which they do in WA, but here they keep you for 48 (but you can ask to leave a little early... so we did).  Hospital stays are hard, because it's not the "normal" and there's no way to get started on figuring out normal until you get home.  So it just feels like limbo to me, and there are so many rules, making it much harder to get sleep.  Plus all the interruptions of the staff taking vitals, etc. 

Jeremy stayed with me both nights (I learned my lesson about that after having Corbin and staying with him alone so Jeremy could be with Lynnaea!).  This time, my mom came over and took care of the kids until we got home.  I love my mom.  Immensely.  Jeremy would come home and bring the kids up to visit and he spent all of New Years Day at the house with the kids so my mom could go home and get stuff done.  But at night my mom was here with the kids, and I had Jeremy to help me at the hospital. 

It took us a day to come up with her name.  Jeremy and I never agree on names, and I had picked one that I really wanted, but he really wasn't on board with it.  And by the time he told me that, it was almost time to deliver and I couldn't come up with another name.  As we discussed it in the hospital, Jeremy said he had looked at her and thought she looked like British royalty, so he had started thinking about British royal names.  Ironically one of those names he'd thought of was a name someone I love (my cousin) had jokingly suggested to me as an awesome name, because it's hers.  Haha.  I told Jeremy that, and he said, "You know, that was actually on my list!"  So we decided she would be Katherine.  And finally, after the second night, we came up with Emmeline.  Which is a name I loved and had considered for Corbin, had he been a girl; but I had forgotten about it!  And we continued the pattern that my mother-in-law noticed in our first two kids:  the last letter of their first name is the first letter of their middle name.  She thought maybe we'd done that on purpose.  And I hadn't even realized it was like that until she pointed it out to me!

We were discharged on Tuesday, January 2nd at about 11:00 in the morning.  And since then, we've had ups and downs.  I always get the baby blues, so I have battled that (mostly in the first week, and since it's taken me a whole week to finish writing this, I'm already feeling better).  We have had new breast-feeding problems this time around, which has been a disappointment.  Mainly because I am producing more at this point than I ever have, but Katherine prefers not to latch, because of nipple confusion, I think.  We introduced the bottle quickly, because I have always been bad at helping brand new babies to latch, and then I get blistered and have to stop to heal.  And I think that all happened too fast this time, so Katherine learned that it's much easier to drink from a bottle and now prefers that.  She will latch occasionally and nurse, and I still maintain hope that she will start doing that regularly.  We will still have to supplement with formula.  It's just the way it is with my body.  But for now, in order to get her as much of my milk as possible -- and to encourage my body to continue producing -- I am having to pump, which I loathe.  But, because I want it for her, I will continue to do it. 

So that's Katherine's story.  I may have missed a few details.  Like I said, 1.5 weeks later and some things get forgotten.  Her labor and delivery did not go at all as planned.  But she arrived safely, and I made it through naturally, and we are well on our way to figuring out life with 3 children.  And that's what matters most.

 I look rough!  But I seriously was retaining so much water and was so swollen.  Thankfully, at this point (as I type this), my feet and ankles are back to normal!  I'm already down 22 pounds!  Hurrah!

 Not happy to be taken from mommy...

 Ready to go home!!!

Lynnaea and Corbin were excited to have Katherine home!

 Our first family of 5 picture :).  We'll have to re-do this once we aren't quite so rough looking ;).

Post-Christmas, Pre-Baby

Well, in the interest of documenting this information like I did with Lynnaea and Corbin, I'll post about where things stand in my pregnancy.  Because I just went back to read theirs and am so grateful I posted it and could find it easier.  I don't know that we plan to have any more babies (on purpose), but just in case, it's nice to have stats for comparison purposes ;).

But first, I'll start with Christmas!

We had a nice Christmas.  It is a little chaotic, and Jeremy and I both tend to be wound a little tight when it comes to chaos.  We're trying to be less so, so that it can be more enjoyable all around.  But overall it was still good.  I just like to try to have controlled chaos (which, as you know, is an oxymoron.  Haha).  Our kiddos are well-loved for sure.  Dinosaurs, poster art kits, books, air spinners, an awesome stool made by their grandpa...  They got lots of really neat stuff that they really enjoy.  I got a ginormous bottle of Mexican vanilla from my in-laws -- and this is very exciting to me!  I also got other great stuff like a book about foodie holidays and a wok and a pretty cheese plate, etc.  And the kids got me and Jeremy a 1000 piece puzzle of TV history.  I'll probably break it out after Baby arrives and Jeremy is off work for a couple weeks.  I do love puzzles.

So here are a few Christmas morning pictures (we also had cinnamon rolls for breakfast).

 Well, I'm awesome...  I only took 3 pictures with my camera and the rest are on my phone.  So there you go:  three pictures from Christmas morning.  I don't want to mess with getting the pictures from my phone to the computer at the moment.  I'm just that lazy ;).

Now, this is a picture of me at 38 weeks, 1 day.  Or 2 days, technically, I guess.  Since it was taken around 2 a.m. Sunday morning (Christmas Eve) while I was up wondering if I would be waking up Jeremy to go to the hospital.  I really didn't want to be in the hospital on Christmas.  But I had contractions that kept me up for 2 hours, so I wasn't sure if they would progress and be the real thing.  They didn't.  They eventually tapered off.  I've noticed the swelling go down a bit in my feet, which is nice.  For a while there I had serious cankles and my feet were so puffy they hurt.  My blood pressure has been good, though, so there weren't big concerns about a toxic pregnancy.  It was just uncomfortable and ugly.

And this next picture is from today at 38 weeks, 6 days.  I've had another night of contractions (the night before last night), and these were more consistent and more painful.  So Tuesday night was another night of wondering if we would end up in the hospital.  The problem is that this is Jeremy's on-call week, so we kind of want to make it through this week before the baby comes.  LOL.  But we'll deal with whatever happens.

So in addition to two nights of contractions, the baby has also dropped.  A lot.  So I know it's just a matter of time.  Ergo, when I went to my doctor appointment today, I asked her to check me so I knew where things stand.  And here's where they stand at 38 weeks + 2 days.  I am about 50% effaced and at a 2/3 (though she said if she had to pick one, she'd pick 3). 

So we're aiming for Sunday, because my doctor is on-call and will deliver and that's Jeremy's last on-call day.  But it'll be what it'll be.  I'm nervous and excited all at once.  If only childbirth wasn't so painful ;)!

Pre-Thanksgiving

I name this post thusly only because we are a mere 4 days away from Thanksgiving.  In a way, I think it hints that I may write a blog called Post-Thanksgiving...  I wouldn't hold my breath.  I'm batting about zero in my blogging lately.  It still cracks me up that I used to blog almost daily and now I'm lucky if I blog once a month!

Ah well.  Life does have its priorities.  Mine have just changed over the years.

Jeremy just finished outage.  Good gravy that was a long 5 weeks.  6 days a week on 12 hour shifts.  I was starting to feel like a single parent.  And it gave me such appreciated and admiration for those women who ARE single parents.  It's no joke how much work it is to raise littles.  I often take for granted the help that Jeremy brings to the table at the end of the day.  I sometimes don't realize just how much his presence helps our home and family run more smoothly, just because he's here to help take up some of the effort.  So it's probably good for me to have opportunities to be reminded.

Last night he and I went on a date.  We don't go on many dates, but I wanted us to squeeze in at least one more before this little girl arrives.  and time is running short.  7 more weeks until my due date, but I have already started having Braxton Hicks contractions (thankfully only one day so far).  Though I'm definitely tired and feeling quite beached-whale-like and ready to be done with pregnancy, I am not so done that I want my baby to come before she is fully ready to come.  So I'm hoping to avoid any further contractions until after the 37 week mark, when lungs are fully developed, etc.  But anyway, back to our date...  We took the kids to my parents' house where they had fun playing with cousins.  Corbin has been pretty clingy with me lately, so I am always hesitant to leave him.  But, though he had a couple of meltdowns, they said overall he did great.  My sweet little guy.  Jeremy and I went to Olive Garden for their never-ending pasta bowl (but I don't have a lot of room in my body for food these days, though you will see a picture which will make that statement seem like a lie!), so my never-ending pretty much ended after the first plate.  I did have a little of a second type, but then passed it to Jeremy (who also helped me finish the first plate).  We left with our tummies full.  And we headed to the movie theatre to see WONDER.  Jeremy is not a big movie person, so I rarely ask him to watch a movie with me at all, much less in a theatre.  But this one I kind of felt like he would like, and I really wanted to see it after I read the book and found out they were making a movie.  The book, as is typical, was better than the movie, but the movie was awesome.  Which should tell you what I think about the book.  I did my share of crying, though.  Such a heart-felt and touching movie (and book).  It is one I would recommend.  And I was right about Jeremy liking it.

In other news, since my last post, I have gotten another year older (hello, 37!) and had a blast hanging out with Julie and April in Birmingham.  I got a milkshake up there at this place called K&J's Elegant pastries that probably should have put me in a sugar coma -- and which did nothing for my waistline.  Haha.  But it was for my birthday, so I figured it was all good.  The kids had their own ice cream cones (which you'll see pictured below).

We went to the Peanut Festival, sort of.  We went on Pre-K day, so it was free.  No rides or concessions, though.  Just the educational stuff.  The kids don't know any better, so they didn't care.  They had fun.  We wanted to go as a family in the evening and let the kids experience the fair, but then Jeremy got called into work and that plan got dashed.  So we'll just do it next year when he's sure to be off during fair time.  Plus I won't be hugely preggo then, so maybe it'll be more enjoyable for me!

We also went to the parade.  It's nice that my dad lives a block off Main Street, so we can enjoy watching the parade.  I love the marching bands.  But I think I could do with about 1/3 of the pageant winners.  I always forget just how many pageants they have here until I watch the parade and see float after float of waving princesses.

So that's a very brief overview of the last month.  Now here's a few pictures.  We'll start with the big beached whale one and move onto better ones ;).  Okay, actually, that picture is the last in this group.  And I'd forgotten that we had Halloween in there too.  So here are our Halloween pictures this year.  Lynnaea wanted to be a spider.  She wore black shoes for trunk or treat, but it happened to be the same day as dance class (where she was allowed to wear her costume), so she used her ballet shoes and then changed.  Corbin was my dinosaur.  I was a magic 8 ball, because I had to do something with this gigantic stomach ;).  We only did trunk or treat and said Halloween was done.  Other than doing the Hila-ween party on my birthday, but I didn't actually snap pictures of that.

And the rest:

 Julie made me a delicious mint chocolate birthday cake.  Because I think mint and chocolate is the perfect combination.

 Corbin had blue monster ice cream in B'ham.  Lynnaea had strawberry.  In the future, I'm avoiding this much food coloring for Corbin.  I think he has a sensitivity to it, and it's not really great for our bodies anyway.

 These were at Pre-K day at the Peanut Festival.  Christina and Connor joined us.  They loved being on the tractor, and then being a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 

 And here they are collecting the peanuts that were poured from the cement truck during the parade.  I love the happiness on Lynnaea's face here.

 Above is me and the kids at Aplin Farms.  We went there to pick out our pumpkin and just check out the farm animals. 

 The kids loved visiting the library while the monster was up over the book drop.  This was another dance day.  They also loved that their grandma was the one who made this monster.

 The days have gotten so much nicer, and some days we would just go out front and draw with chalk.  The kids love it.

 Again at Aplin Farms.  Same trip as above, but for whatever reason, this one loaded way down here.  Just my cute little pumpkins.

And this is at the Pre-K day at the Peanut Festival.  It was a picture taken by one of the HIPPY ladies, which is why Christina and Connor are kind of off to the side.  That was a hot day.  Blah.  I'm so glad the cooler weather has arrived and seems like it's here to stay.  For a little while at least.

October, Supposedly

So my calendar says it's October.  The weather outside my door says it's more like the end of August.  LOL.  I'm ready for Fall, y'all!  I can't get in a hot chocolate drinking mood when the thermometer outside keeps reading 90 degrees!

It's been a crazy little while.  Natural disasters abound, and, though not horribly impacted, our little corner of the world did get quite a bit of rain and wind from two hurricanes in the last month (Irma and Nate).  These are the times I'm grateful for the counsel of a living Prophet.  Our little family can be better prepared, but at the same time, I am grateful for what we have done thus far to prepare.

My in-laws came for a visit for about a week.  The kids LOVED having them here.  So did Jeremy and I.  We took them to the beach so they could experience the Gulf Coast.  Jeremy took each of the kids into the ocean and into the waves.  They both really loved it.  The anxiety mom in me had to just trust that he had a good grip on them.  It is insane how much I love my babies.  Not really insane.  Just something I had no concept of until I became a mother.  Or maybe I'm just a crazy person...

So just a few pictures, because what else can I do?  I'm so behind I'll never catch up.  So I just start somewhere ;).

 Here's our little family at the beach in Florida.  It was a nice day, and a Monday, so not many people there.  Plus we went to a State Park, so had to pay.  But totally worth it for the covered picnic spots and bathrooms.  And fewer people.

 Lynnaea spelled her name in the sand.  She has gotten so good at writing her name!  Sometimes, when I look at her, I can't believe she is almost 4 1/2. 

And this is what I've been doing:  getting fatter.  Hahahaha.  We have a baby girl growing and wiggling around in there.  Which means I keep growing too. 

I had other pictures I thought I'd saved somewhere.  Like of the kids in front of a peanut by the Krispy Kreme.  And on the carousel at the mall.  But since those didn't end up being where I thought I'd saved them, I guess I'm done ;). 

We're going to do a Hila-ween party for the first time in 4 years.  I'm excited.  Maybe I'll even get around to posting a blog about it ;).  One can hope, right!?!

Summer-time

I'm such an awesome blogger anymore...

But let's be real.  Other than those people who actually have popular blogs and, usually, lucrative ones, not that many people seem to be doing the blogging thing much anymore.  It's all about the facebook and twitter and instagram.  Of those 3, I think I'm signed up for two.  And I only use one.  Sort of...  I've gotten out of the habit of sharing a ton on facebook lately. 

But since I've grown tired of getting anonymous comments (that are sales pitches for ridiculous products I can learn about by following their link -- no thanks) on my most recent post (though, if I counted, I'm pretty sure I'd learn that it was one of my most commented on posts...), I've decided to write a new one ;).

So what gives with my 1.5 month hiatus? 

Well, we went on vacation.  More on that below.

And I've been reading a ton.  I tend to go in phases.  Currently I'm in my "all I want to do is read" phase, and I've largely been doing just that.  I've read over 10 books since the end of May, and since some of those were 500+ pages and not the most engaging books ever, I'd say that's quite an accomplishment for me. 

And I'm totally using the pregnancy card.  Because it's true.  And exhausting.  I feel lots better than I did during weeks 6 through 10.  But I'm still really tired and take a nap almost every. single. day.  It's sort of ridiculous.  And it also means I lose out on that really productive time when the kids are down for a nap -- because now I'm napping also ;).  Growing a human is no joke.

Speaking of which, I'm a little over 17 weeks.  Starting to feel the baby move.  Going to listen to a heartbeat tomorrow.  And then the next appointment will be the ultrasound.  And I'm seriously thinking about finding out gender.  We already think we know.  But if I can get confirmation on that, we can down-size some of our baby stuff.  Because I'm pretty sure this will be our last one.  Granted, Heavenly Father may have other plans for us, and that's fine.  But this will be our last intended pregnancy (at least as of this moment...).  Because, for the record, this doesn't get any easier as you age ;).

So anyway, that's what life has been like these last several weeks. 

And now, to re-cap our vacation.

We flew out of Atlanta.  And we'll never do that again.  Too crowded and too much extra hassle.  But we survived.  Then we rented a car at SeaTac.  Something else we'll never do again.  Let's just say this trip was all about trying out new things -- and learning what we won't do again.  LOL.

The first full day at Jeremy's parents' house, the kids got lots of farm life experience.  Corbin loved the chickens.

 Then we went to one of Jeremy's brother's house and they have rabbits, goats, chickens, and ducks.  The kids loved petting the bunnies.  AND both the goats gave birth while we were there (on two separate days), so Lynnaea loved "herding" the baby goats.  She also learned that a goat does not lay an egg.  Which was her previous supposition.  I wish I'd have taken some pictures of her with the baby goats.  But, true to June and early July in Washington, my allergies acted up something fierce, so I tried to stay inside a lot. 

 I did a lot of napping.  And most days this cutie was my nap partner.  He is pretty much the cutest sleeper ever.

 We attended my friend's daughter's wedding near Bainbridge Island.  It was a beautiful day and a beautiful venue.  And a very beautiful wedding. 

 So I snapped a picture of us waiting for dinner.  Much to Lynnaea's chagrin, we had to leave before the dancing, because it was getting too late, and we had over an hour drive back to my in-laws'.  But we really enjoyed being there for such a special time.

 Corbin felt quite overwhelmed at times.  He kind of made my in-laws' house his "new normal" and preferred to be there.  This was Saturday when I took the kids to Bremerton to stay with my mom.  He pretty much clung to me most of that night.

 We enjoyed seeing a lot of the family on the 4th of July.  But I didn't take any pictures.  I was pretty lame about that this trip.  And then, since getting the pictures off my phone isn't always the quickest process, I was pretty selective about the ones I chose.  So now you get to see Corbin sleeping on Jeremy on the way home in the airplane.

 Which leads me to say this about our return:  that was the most horrific beginning to a travel day ever.  We left my in-laws' at 3:10 in the morning.  Lynnaea had eaten a piece of pumpkin pie for breakfast.  And then puked it all up all over the rental about 15 minutes before we reached the car rental facility.  So we had to stop to get gas and spent 15 minutes changing her and trying to clean out the car as much as possible. 

We returned the car, had to haul 2 car seats, 2 backpacks, 2 pieces of luggage, and 2 kids (one of whom smelled like puke) to the shuttle for the airport from the car rental facility.  We got to the Southwest line (which was loooong) and mid-line, Lynnaea said she had to throw up again.  Which she did -- in my hand.  So we frantically ran around trying to find a bathroom while Jeremy stayed in line with all our bags to check in, because hey -- we got there about 45 minutes before our flight was to leave and hadn't gotten anything checked in yet as far as bags go.  So I changed Lynnaea again and tried to wipe her down as much as possible.  Get back to the ticket counter and Jeremy is up at the front.  30 minutes to flight departure and we still haven't gotten through security.  I really didn't think we'd make the flight.  All our stuff was late-checked. 

Tender mercy of the trip:  the sniffer dogs were out at the security lines which seems to mean it's a lot easier to go through security.  Jeremy's bag was flagged (a bunch of electronics mixed with the squeezie pouches apparently looks suspicious), but even with that small bump, we arrived at our gate just after family boarding had ended (we were A boarding group, but we'd missed that too).  But the kind lady at the beginning of B let us go first (bless her). 

Once on the first flight, Lynnaea puked in the puke bag one more time.  And then she slept.  And so did Corbin.  Sadly, our first flight was the short flight -- to Oakland, CA.  Corbin was still in his pajamas, so we changed him in Oakland.  And pretty much it was time to board there.  On the second flight, Lynnaea had more tummy troubles (but on the other end), and we visited the potty twice during the "fasten seat belts sign" is on phase :/...  But I think they understand with kids.  Lynnaea pushed the flight attendant button in the bathroom as I was washing my hands, so I had to hurry and open the door to assure them we were fine.  And then, after that, I made Jeremy take her the last time.  And then, thankfully, the rest of the flight was pretty uneventful.  Just long. 

We made it to Atlanta, and the other tender mercy of the day:  so did all our late-checked bags.  We finally got to our car and started the 3 hour drive home.  But we stopped at Cracker Barrel to eat, so we didn't get home until 10.  By that time, Corbin had cried himself to sleep. We still had to throw Lynnaea into the shower so we could get all the vomit smell off of her.  AND, we had to strip down her car seat and wash all that PLUS all the vomit clothes. 

For now, I've pretty sworn off flying.  My current plan is to drive out next summer and see how I like that.

Life back home has been fun.  Several pool days out back.  Enjoying popsicles, S'mores, and hot dogs.  Trying to "cook" in a home-made solar oven.  Looking forward to cousins arriving soon and having snow cones. 

So now I'm somewhat caught up.  And it's getting close to my bed-time ;).  Oh!  We signed Lynnaea up for dance.  She's super excited.  I have to learn how to make a tight bun.  Hair is not my forte.

Growing Hands

I have really been slacking on this blog.  Over two months since my last post.  It's crazy to think I used to blog almost daily. 

Of course, I've been slacking on lots of things lately. 

Because I've been busy growing hands.  Hahaha.  (I got that phrase from a gal who said she told her husband that after he'd asked what she'd done all day while she was pregnant with their first kiddo.)

Tomorrow I'll be 11 weeks pregnant.  We heard a great heartbeat at 8.5 weeks.  My next appointment is in a week. 

I am beyond exhausted this go around (which probably shouldn't be surprising, since I am having a geriatric pregnancy).  That's really only kind of funny.  Ha. Ha.  That is really what the medical world calls a pregnancy for anyone over 35.  But I think it sounds like an oxymoron.  And, thankfully, my doctor prefers to use the phrase maternally mature pregnancy.  I think I prefer it too. 

Anyway, the point is, I'm a lot more tired this time around, and have had several days of just feeling yuck.  And chasing a 2 year old and a 4 year old around is a whole load of work in and of itself, so growing these hands (and feet and ears, etc) is definitely adding to the whole exhaustion thing. 

But it's all good.  If all goes well, we'll welcome Baby around January 5. 

And now I can wait another two months to blog again ;).

Corbin: a Baby Story

I wrote a post like this shortly after Lynnaea was born.  I am grateful I wrote it, for it is the only place I recorded all the details of her birth.  Well, maybe not all the details.  Some were a little graphic for my personal comfort level of posting online for the world to see ;).  But the majority.

So I knew I wanted to record Corbin's birth that way too.  And who knows...  Maybe I'll feel more comfortable sharing some of the less "pretty" details about my experiences with childbirth.  We shall see as I write how I feel...  But the point is, I want to have these stories recorded.  They are for me -- and they are for my children.  Their birth days are monumental events.

So here is Corbin's birth day story.

The truth is, we really anticipated Corbin's arrival literally any day during the week before he was actually born.  I had experienced some false labor with him the previous weekend (May 30 and 31).  Both times, the contractions I experienced only lasted about 1 1/2 to 2 hours and they were rather mild.  But I figured this was a "sign" he would come any day.  So we vamped up the prepping and got the hospital bags mostly packed and Lynnaea's little "adventure" bag ready for when she was either dropped off at my friend Lea's or when Lea came here to watch her -- whichever ended up happening.

But each day ticked by, and there was no more sign of labor.  Other than the progress shown at the doctor's office, of course.  My body was continuing to prepare.  But I was not really feeling anything different.  I felt enormous.  But I'd been feeling that way for a while ;).  I was so convinced this little guy wasn't coming early after all, that we sent a message to someone we give a ride to church saying "Well, I know we said last week that we may be unavailable to take you to church due to the possible arrival of the baby...  But at this point, we aren't expecting to deliver a baby in the next 24 hours, so if you would like a ride to church, just let us know!"

Apparently that's the kind of thing you say when you want to hurry a process along ;).

I woke up at 4:55 a.m. on Sunday, June 7, and I was in labor.  In fact, I'd been in labor for a short while already -- and I knew that because I had been incorporating my contractions into my dream.  At this point, the only part of the dream I remember was being at my church building in Panama and having a contraction and knowing the baby was coming.  So I am guesstimating my labor started between 4:00 and 4:30 a.m. on June 7.  I got up and went pee.  Laid back down.  Couldn't sleep anymore and wasn't really timing my contractions but was figuring they were around 4 minutes apart.  They were painful, but not unbearably so (even for a wimp like myself!).  So I lay there thinking for a bit.  But then I decided I may as well get up and get moving; because I felt like this was going to happen for sure.  So I came out to the living room.  And started working on Corbin's baby book.  Haha.  It has been a personal goal for me to keep a baby book (filled out, mind you) for each of my children.  I did a great job with Lynnaea's up until she was 1.  And I've kept up with some things in it since then.  But I only just ordered the pictures for her 1 year birthday!  And she just turned 2...  So there you go.  And with Corbin's, I had the baby shower stuff to put in, etc.  So I sat there working on that for about 1/2 an hour.  But then the pain was really increasing (though the frequency of contractions was not), so I decided to wake Jeremy.

Now, I was hungry.  But I was only drinking water.  Because when I was in labor with Lynnaea, I vomited all night long.  That was a miserable experience, so I was trying to see if we could avoid that this time.  But I was hungry and thinking about the energy I would expend over the next several hours.  I went and woke Jeremy up at 6:15 a.m. to let him know I was in labor and that the contractions were coming (officially, now, per the clock) every 4 minutes apart and were intensifying.  It was time for him to help me finish getting ready.  So up he got and then Lynnaea got up, because she'd heard us talking.  She was particularly clingy -- I'm sure she sensed change in the air.  She wanted me to hold her a lot.  So I was stopping frequently to pick up my toddler while having contractions.  That was interesting.

I called the hospital to let them know we were coming.  Then I got in the shower.  I did that with Lynnaea as well.  Knowing what's coming, I have this urgent desire to be as clean as possible.  Hahaha.  I got dressed and even tempted fate concerning the whole vomiting thing by wearing the same top I wore to the hospital with Lynnaea.  Oh, and Jeremy made me incredibly sweet chocolate milk so I'd have some instant energy from the sugar but not have to eat anything that might "press" the vomit button.  It was disgustingly sweet -- even for this sweet-craving lady.  I texted Lea to see if we could drop Lynnaea off within the hour (it was around 6:45 a.m. by this point).  I even managed to snap a picture -- the last preggo picture with Corbin on the inside.

Someone said I looked way too relaxed to be about to go to the hospital in that picture.  Well, I think right after that picture, I was leaning on a table through a contraction.  The contractions had definitely intensified to the painful point.  But we were ready.  Jeremy pulled the van out front and loaded everything -- including a bucket! -- into the van.  The bucket was in anticipation of the vomit, just FYI ;).  Then he got Lynnaea loaded and I s-l-o-w-l-y made my way to the van and s-l-o-w-l-y managed to haul myself into the passenger seat.

We got to Lea's, and she was waiting for us.  Lynnaea did amazingly well with the drop-off!  I was so nervous that she would be clingy and cry.  But she didn't.  I had a contraction that hit hard while we were doing the drop-off, so I was leaning against the car.  Lea later told me she could tell I was in pain -- that I was so sweaty, etc.  And I was.  I was sweating like crazy.  We had the a/c on in the car (naturally this little guy chose the hottest weekend to arrive ;)) and it was cranked up and blowing right on me.  We got back on the freeway and I called our moms to tell them.  Not because we wanted anyone there (I'm not inclined to have anyone waiting at the hospital, especially not in the delivery room), but because last time no one knew.  Ha!  So we at least told them.  Contractions were still about 3 to 4 minutes apart.

We arrived at the hospital (so far vomit-free!) and I s-l-o-w-l-y made my way in to registration.  They got me straight back to triage (it was about 7:45) and the nurse named Julie told me if I want an epidural I needed to do that right away or I'd have to wait a bit, as the anesthesiologist was prepping to go into a c-section and wouldn't be available for an hour at least.  I decided this meant I was just going to have to grin and bear the pain, since I again wanted to try to go as far naturally as I possibly could.  After all, I hadn't even been checked.  So I gowned up amid the pain and got on the bed.  The nurse had previously said, when I first walked in, "So you've been through this before.  Do you think this is real labor?"  I assured her I was convinced it was!  After I laid on the bed, she was talking about a gal that had been sent home the night before who was dilated to a 5 because there was no other progress (like contractions).  I said, "Oh, please don't send me home.  This hurts a lot."  Haha.  She said, "Oh no, you're not going home.  I can see pain written all over your face.  You're in labor.  The girl last night wasn't. But she'll probably be back in today sometime."  Well, then she checked me.  She said she was pretty sure I was dilated to an 8/9 (!!!!) but wanted a second opinion, because she wasn't sure if that was my cervix or not because it was so paper thin (which would mean I was 100% effaced) and she wanted a second opinion.  So she called in another nurse. The charge nurse.  She checked me.  She agreed with the first assessment, but wanted the on-call doctor's opinion as well, just to be sure, because again, they couldn't believe how thin the cervix was that they couldn't even feel the "lip" of it.  So they apologized to me (to which I said that if they wanted to give me that kind of good news about my progress and it took 3 people to get it to me, I was fine with it!).  The on-call doctor came in and checked me.  And yep, that's where I was!  Holy cow!  I could only have dreamed of it being that way.  I knew the odds were in my favor that this would go quickly, especially without the epidural, with me coming in this advanced in labor.  I am in no way saying this was all fun and easy, of course.  I was hurting a lot by this point and telling myself (and Jeremy) that I just needed to relax and breathe through the pain... 

Anyway, so they got the IV in me and moved me in a wheelchair to the delivery room we'd be using.  I don't remember every detail as I was wheeled down the hallway, but I remember one nurse informing the triage nurse that they'd called my doctor and she was on her way in.  The phone call to my doctor was made at 8:23 a.m. and she lives about half an hour away.  So they got me into the bed and started running saline into the IV.  Time is funny.  The next 30 minutes both took forever and flew by.  I'm not sure how that's possible, but it is.  I was starting to feel urges to push (but only mildly, so I don't know if this was the power of suggestion or if that's just how things start).  My amniotic sac was still intact, though.  They checked me once I told them I was starting to want to push and I guess I was fully dilated, because the comment was that the only thing keeping me pregnant was that the water hadn't broken yet.  News also came that my doctor was moments from pulling into the parking lot.  And while another doctor was standing by to deliver if it came down to it, they were trying to hold out for my doctor to get in there and deliver.  I remember her coming in the room (I still had my glasses on for a while there).  I remember her breaking the sac (this was uncomfortable) and the comment that it wasn't a lot of liquid that rushed out.  I remember pushing for what seemed like another eternity. 

Now, previous to all of this starting -- while we were driving in -- I told Jeremy, "I don't want to scream, but I might."  I don't know why, but I have never wanted to draw attention to myself during labor.  And I've heard about screaming and moaning and even roaring during labor.  I remember apologizing a lot during this process.  Because, though I never did scream... and I certainly didn't roar...  I did whine a lot about the pain.  Haha.  So during my break between contractions and pushing, I'd apologize for being so whiney. 

Jeremy, meanwhile, was blowing on my face to keep me cooled off.  I was soooo hot.  Sweating a ton.  I can remember some sweat rolling down the left side of my face at one point.  Shortly thereafter, someone asked if I wanted my glasses on or off, because I was fogging them up.  I told them I didn't care -- so someone took them off.  I really didn't care.  I had my eyes closed the entire almost-hour I was pushing.

I also remember them telling me how awesome my blood pressure and pulse readings were.  They said it was like I was running a marathon.  In my mind, I was thinking of a witty thing to say to Jeremy about how clearly my diet (which includes things like pop-tarts and ice cream and sugar cereals) is a phenomenal one.  And then Jeremy beside me pretty much vocalized my thoughts and said, "It must be all those pop-tarts."  Hahaha.  It was funny -- and mentally I could acknowledge it (I was even thinking the same basic thing!), but still all I could do physically was say to him shhhhh and shake my head.  I was not really in the laughing mood.  It's funny now, though. I honestly can't remember if this all happened during the pushing part or right before.

I remember having people help me with the pushing part.  I had a nurse helping me lean up and "hug" my legs to my chest and curl around my tummy (as they described it) during my contractions.  I don't know why, because now I can clearly picture what they were wanting me to do, but at the time, I just couldn't do exactly as they wanted.  There were people reminding me to breathe certain ways or to not breathe during pushing.  People telling me to bear down when pushing (and describing how to push -- which, if you're wondering, is described as taking the biggest poop of your life). 

Which leads me to my other thoughts during the labor and delivery process:  there is nothing glamorous about childbirth!  I'm not saying it's not a beautiful amazing wonderful thing.  Just that it's not glamorous.  The amazing thing is that you don't even care so much at that point.  You don't even care, really, how many people are in that room while you're on display and whining ;).  In fact, I found out the next day that I had no idea about several people (hospital staff) that had been in the room (this because I kept my eyes closed). 

Oh and here's another thing I kept saying while I was pushing:  This is never going to end!  I'm never going to get this kid out!  Seriously, I kept saying that.  And, in the moment, I really felt that too.  It took me a while to get the groove of pushing.  It's indescribable, really, but I had to actually figure out how to push correctly and effectively.  And once I did, my goal was to push like that every time, because I could actually tell that I was making progress, even if it still felt like I'd never push the kiddo out.

So somewhere along in these moments, his head crowned.  And I ran out of contraction and push.  Well, let me tell you that that was intensely painful.  It's true what they say, you do "forget."  I'm only 5 days out from all of this and though I remember quite clearly that it hurt like you-know-what...  I actually can't remember the actual pain.  But I know this was the infamous "ring of fire" feeling.  And now I know why it's called that.  I'm just sorry I had to sit at that point and wait for another contraction so I could push again.  Oh yeah, and Corbin would keep moving in between contractions, which hurt sooo bad.  I was frustrated at the time, because it meant there was no relief from the pain.  It felt like more contraction, but wasn't -- so I couldn't push. 

Anyway, somewhere along there they told me to push and then to stop.  Turn out the cord was wrapped quite tightly around little man's neck.  And then I was told to push again.  And oh my gosh, if I could describe it, I would.  But I have never known relief such as that in all my days.  He was out and on me in the same moment.  But I can remember the relief.  It was so amazing.  Jeremy announced we had a boy!  He was wiped off while laying on me for a bit and then moved over to the machine for all his stats and also to get a little oxygen since he wasn't screaming at that point.  He was squeaking a bit, but they like to hear the loud crying.  And that didn't take long for him to do.  So he was wrapped up and returned to my arms.  He was born at 9:58 a.m.  My total labor/delivery time was about 5.5 hours.

But meanwhile, I had to deliver the placenta.  I can remember the feeling of contractions coming on and knowing I had to push again to get that placenta out.  I was actually dreading it, because I was so done.  But then it was like two small pushes and I felt it fall out of me.  Which sounds so gross, I know.  But seriously...  With no pain meds whatsoever, I felt everything.

Somewhere around this point, I realized my doctor had at some time gowned up (when my eyes were closed ;)).  I also found out just how big my baby boy is.  I found out just what I had pushed out!  The nursery nurse was guessing at 9 pounds 2 ounces.  He was 9 pounds 6.6 ounces.  BIG BOY!  And apparently, that story circulated:  about the gal who came in nearly fully dilated and with no time for an epidural who gave birth to a 9 1/2 pound baby.  Because every time I'd have a new nurse come in my room for the duration of our hospital stay, they'd say something like, "Oh you're the one who pushed out the big boy with no time for an epidural!"


True, he is a big boy.  He doesn't fit in any newborn stuff.  But he's still so small!

His little feet were so purple for so long it seemed!  But they say that's normal.  It just looked weird to me.  But then, I didn't see Lynnaea much at first because she had enough struggles post-delivery that she went to the nursery for a few hours.  Not so with Corbin.

Which brings us to the story of how he got his name.  So once we knew for sure he was a boy, we knew we didn't have a name picked anymore.  You know, since Justin Timberlake just named his kid Silas (and that was our planned-on name since we were expecting Lynnaea!)...  So Jeremy didn't want to stick with that name anymore and now we had to come up with a new one!  So there we were, discussing this post-delivery and I mentioned how Jeremy and I never agree on names.  He wants Xerxes now!  Haha.  And the nursery nurse perked up in her corner where she was doing whatever she was doing and said, "You know what name I like that I have only ever seen once in all my years of working with the babies?  Corbin."

And that's how it came to pass.  Jeremy liked it and the uniqueness of it (if she's only seen it once with all the babies she's seen!) and I like the name (cuz it ain't Xerxes! ;)).  And so we stuck with our original middle name choice, though we also started considering Daniel.  But he is Corbin Nathaniel, and I think that is a nice name :).  And I really like that nursery nurse named Denise.  She was amazing.

Somewhere else along in here I started shaking a lot, so they got me all covered up with warm blankets.  They say it's normal because my hormones will be all over the place.  It's funny, though, because I was so hot and sweaty during labor and delivery and then afterwards I was piled under warmed blankets.  Haha.

Jeremy stayed most of the day with me.  He napped when Corbin slept and I tried to nap.  But seriously, my mind could not shut off, even though I was so exhausted!  I kept reliving the whole labor and delivery process and my stress level just shot up like crazy.  Haha...  I guess you could say I was a little traumatized ;).  The day actually passed really quickly.  Unlike with my delivery with Lynnaea, I was completely mobile right away.  I'm not saying moving was pleasant.  Quite the contrary.  It hurt to move.  My inner leg joints are still sore.  And I did tear a little, so I have stitches.  So it took a lot of effort to move myself.  Even so, I wanted to feel more human.  So after I had eaten breakfast and lunch, I asked if I could get a shower and they said I could.  Yay!  Which worked well, since they moved us to another room after that. 

Jeremy left to get Lynnaea around 6:30.  She'd been with my friend Lea all day.  And, thankfully, as we checked in with Lea, all had gone well. Lynnaea was a champ and didn't cry.  She is an amazing little girl.   And Lea is an amazing friend.  I'm so grateful beyond words we could have a place for Lynnaea where she feels comfortable and happy.  A place where we feel she is loved and cared for as we would care for her.  It's amazing what matters when you have your whole heart wrapped up in another human being (and now 2!).  We decided we wanted life to be as normal as possible for Lynnaea, so Jeremy went home with her so she could sleep in a familiar environment.  It meant I was alone to face the first night with a newborn.  And it meant I only got 2 1/2 hours of sleep.  But hey...  No better time to be re-introduced to the lack of sleep that accompanies newborn parenting, right!?!

So Jeremy came to get me around lunchtime the next day when they discharged us.  And Lynnaea met her baby brother for the first time (I was worried she would cry and be upset if he brought her up there Sunday and then I didn't go with them when they left, so we just opted not to bring her until Monday when I would go home).

She made herself totally comfortable watching TV in the hospital room and eating snackies while Jeremy and I got everything ready to leave. 

And I actually remembered to get a "going home" shot of Corbin (I forgot that detail with Lynnaea). 

And actually, this was all so much easier than the first time.  My recovery has been phenomenal.  I am still sore in the areas where I pushed out almost 10 pounds of baby.  That's to be expected.  But I have felt good and have been out most of the days since Corbin was born (choosing to go out and do stuff so I don't feel the same level of depression I did post-Lynnaea).  But with Lynnaea, I had that bad epidural and had spinal headaches for a week afterward -- which meant I had excruciating head pain unless I was laying flat on my back!

So I was home by 2:00 Monday afternoon and we just have been settling in to our new life.  Jeremy is off of work for 4 weeks (he had tons of sick leave to burn), and he's been amazingly helpful.  There is lots of adjustment going on for sure.  For all of us.  But it's going well.  I'm not getting much sleep and we're struggling with breast-feeding again (Corbin isn't a great latcher, so we are currently taking a break from nursing and I'm pumping) but we were more prepared for things this time around, so it's less emotionally traumatic for me.  I'll probably detail more stuff later, since this is his baby story :).  I just wanted to get this documented for posterity's sake :).

So here we are, a family of four: