After all of this birth stuff, Lou Lou said, "When your water breaks, how do you get it all back together?"
On the day Sweetie Pie was born, Bear said on the phone, "Mama, I know you were at 3. I don't know what these numbers even mean, but what number are you on now?" When I called him to tell him it was a girl, the first thing he said was, "Mama, did you ever make it up to ten?"
Monday, November 8, 2010
New Baby/Crazy Week
So our new baby is 8 days old. She came 5 weeks early. Her blog name is Sweetie Pie. She weighed 5 pounds 3 ounces and was 19 inches long. Here's a rundown of our week...
Sunday, October 31, 2010 - I woke up suddenly at 4:50 a.m. and felt that my water had broken. I went to the hospital and by 8:30, I was dilated 3 centimeters. I was having contractions but they weren't painful and were irregular. By 3:00 p.m., I was still 3 centimeters. My plan was to have a doula in there with me to help me work through the labor rather than having pain medicine. My doula called me early that morning and said that she couldn't be there because she was awaiting knee replacement surgery. She had given me a few tips during my earlier phone conversation so I tried these during the labor and they really worked. I cried when I found out she wouldn't be there but things turned out alright. Although the labor was painful and intense, I worked through it better than my other labors. I worked on my breathing, concentrating, and relaxing my muscles. I was excited that I made it through with no pain medicine, although I did ask for some at one point. By the time I asked for it, it was too late. Once I got to 6 centimeters (around 5:00 or 5:15), the labor went very fast.
At 6:12 p.m., I had been pushing for maybe two minutes. I prayed aloud that I would be through by 6:15 p.m. The doctor joked with my husband that he loved a girl with a sense of humor. At 6:15 p.m., the baby girl was born! Yay!
She was working to breathe so I didn't hold her or nurse her. They had her on a heart monitor, respiration monitor, and temp. monitor. I pumped through the night. I held her for two minutes the next day (Monday) while the nurse changed her bedding. In a few hours, the doctor came in and said her lung had collapsed and they were sending her via helicopter to the hospital in Greenville. I immediately asked for an early discharge so I could go with her.
On Monday night, I came back home to help out with getting everybody ready for school the next morning. Basically, she continually had relapsed lung collapses on the right side. I came home again on Tuesday night.
Early Wednesday morning, she had her last collapsed lung. She's been getting better ever since. She got her chest tube out on Thursday and then I got to hold her for the first time (for more than two minutes) on Thursday night. We did kangaroo care (skin on skin) as I sported my new Walmart button-down shirt.
On Friday, she started trying to nurse. She has done pretty good with that. They weigh her diapers and check her blood sugar to make sure she's getting what she needs. She came off of her IV on Saturday.
Today, the only thing keeping her here is her body temp. When she learns how to regulate her own body temperature, she'll be on her way to home. All the kids and Jimmy came to see her yesterday, and that was good and a little bit hard. I think she'll be home soon, hopefully by the end of this week.
Visitors...
Halloween - birthday - Carolyn S., MaJe, Papa J, YaYa, Mama C, Dawn S., Tracy P., Aunt Sue
Monday - Freda D., Kathy D., Nel W., Crystal C., Carolyn S.
Tuesday - TiTi, Pam G.
Wednesday - Tobie G., Laura H., TiTi, Papa
Thursday - MaJe, Bonnie G.
Friday -
Saturday - Donnie and Pam G., Paul and Michelle C., Nolan and Payne
Sunday - all the kids and Jimmy, Tracy P., YaYa
Sunday, October 31, 2010 - I woke up suddenly at 4:50 a.m. and felt that my water had broken. I went to the hospital and by 8:30, I was dilated 3 centimeters. I was having contractions but they weren't painful and were irregular. By 3:00 p.m., I was still 3 centimeters. My plan was to have a doula in there with me to help me work through the labor rather than having pain medicine. My doula called me early that morning and said that she couldn't be there because she was awaiting knee replacement surgery. She had given me a few tips during my earlier phone conversation so I tried these during the labor and they really worked. I cried when I found out she wouldn't be there but things turned out alright. Although the labor was painful and intense, I worked through it better than my other labors. I worked on my breathing, concentrating, and relaxing my muscles. I was excited that I made it through with no pain medicine, although I did ask for some at one point. By the time I asked for it, it was too late. Once I got to 6 centimeters (around 5:00 or 5:15), the labor went very fast.
At 6:12 p.m., I had been pushing for maybe two minutes. I prayed aloud that I would be through by 6:15 p.m. The doctor joked with my husband that he loved a girl with a sense of humor. At 6:15 p.m., the baby girl was born! Yay!
She was working to breathe so I didn't hold her or nurse her. They had her on a heart monitor, respiration monitor, and temp. monitor. I pumped through the night. I held her for two minutes the next day (Monday) while the nurse changed her bedding. In a few hours, the doctor came in and said her lung had collapsed and they were sending her via helicopter to the hospital in Greenville. I immediately asked for an early discharge so I could go with her.
On Monday night, I came back home to help out with getting everybody ready for school the next morning. Basically, she continually had relapsed lung collapses on the right side. I came home again on Tuesday night.
Early Wednesday morning, she had her last collapsed lung. She's been getting better ever since. She got her chest tube out on Thursday and then I got to hold her for the first time (for more than two minutes) on Thursday night. We did kangaroo care (skin on skin) as I sported my new Walmart button-down shirt.
On Friday, she started trying to nurse. She has done pretty good with that. They weigh her diapers and check her blood sugar to make sure she's getting what she needs. She came off of her IV on Saturday.
Today, the only thing keeping her here is her body temp. When she learns how to regulate her own body temperature, she'll be on her way to home. All the kids and Jimmy came to see her yesterday, and that was good and a little bit hard. I think she'll be home soon, hopefully by the end of this week.
Visitors...
Halloween - birthday - Carolyn S., MaJe, Papa J, YaYa, Mama C, Dawn S., Tracy P., Aunt Sue
Monday - Freda D., Kathy D., Nel W., Crystal C., Carolyn S.
Tuesday - TiTi, Pam G.
Wednesday - Tobie G., Laura H., TiTi, Papa
Thursday - MaJe, Bonnie G.
Friday -
Saturday - Donnie and Pam G., Paul and Michelle C., Nolan and Payne
Sunday - all the kids and Jimmy, Tracy P., YaYa
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Thumbs
Birdie still likes sucking her thumb and touching her belly button. When I asked her what her thumb tasted like, she immediately said, "Sugar!"
Evolution
Sometime in the last year, the twins started asking me about evolution. My quick answer was that this was the idea that people came from monkeys. When they didn't understand, I said, "Some scientists believe that people started out as monkeys." Bear said, "Well, I've seen my baby pictures and I don't look anything like a monkey!"
The Maid
One night after supper, all the kids left all their dishes on the table and ran off to play. I rounded them up downstairs and told them that there was no maid coming over later to pick up their mess or help me get things back in order in the kitchen. Only the people currently here were responsible for cleaning up the table because a maid would not be coming tonight. After I said this, Birdie said, "Why? Is she sick?"
Note: We've never had a maid so this was especially funny to us all!
Note: We've never had a maid so this was especially funny to us all!
MaMa
About a month ago, for some reason, Birdie and Bug were all about asking me questions about my grandmother dying. My grandmother died in December of 2007, and Birdie and I were there when she passed away. I took Birdie because she was still nursing and the rest of the children stayed with Jimmy. Anyway, for like 30 minutes straight, the two girls asked me a blue million questions about MaMa's passing away. They come up with all kinds of stuff...
Who was there?
Where was MaMa?
Why did Birdie get to go?
Did you see Jesus there?
Did you see Jesus come get her?
Who was in there with her?
I was so fortunate to be in the room when my grandmother passed away. This was God's way of taking care of me because it made her going easier for me. Anyway, the two funniest things that they came up with were...
Bug - "When she was fixing to die, did you tell her, 'You're fixing to die!'?"
Birdie - "When she started to die, did you tell her, 'Come back! Come back!'?" She used hand motions as she said this:).
Who was there?
Where was MaMa?
Why did Birdie get to go?
Did you see Jesus there?
Did you see Jesus come get her?
Who was in there with her?
I was so fortunate to be in the room when my grandmother passed away. This was God's way of taking care of me because it made her going easier for me. Anyway, the two funniest things that they came up with were...
Bug - "When she was fixing to die, did you tell her, 'You're fixing to die!'?"
Birdie - "When she started to die, did you tell her, 'Come back! Come back!'?" She used hand motions as she said this:).
Back to School
Our family is back in the swing of things with school. This year I'm teaching kindergarten and am so excited about it. So far we've only had staggered entry days - a few kids each day...Wed. 5, Thurs. 7, Fri. 7, and Mon. 4 or possibly 5. All the kids come on Tuesday. After a year of teaching Title I, it's good to be back in the trenches again. I'm working on lesson plans this weekend, which is one of my favorite parts of teaching.
The twins started third grade. They have the same teacher they had last year, which we were all very excited about. She is very kind and gentle and they love her so much. Lou Lou has been frustrated because they haven't had any homework - one way that she's just like me:). She is also nervous about the grades in third grade. This is their first year of having A, B, C, etc. Grades are a part of life, but there are so many better ways to determine what children know and can do rather than assigning a grade. This is also their first year of the end of grade tests. The whole setup for this method of assessment and accountability is messed up. American education seems slow to change, even when research supports it.
Bug started ballet and has been to two lessons so far. She is so independent and walks in there with all smiles. She feels so excited because now she knows some actual ballet words and positions. She comes out each week telling me what she learned and how much fun she's having. Lou Lou is taking ballet and jazz. When the twins were small, I considered ballet, jazz lessons, etc. to be a waste of money. I took ballet as a child and where did it ever get me? I certainly don't use first position, battement, tendu, plie now. However, now I consider it more as fun for right now. Now I think there's nothing wrong with having fun and keeping physically active with no lifelong dream or plan attached to it. Fun for the sake of fun. Anyway, they are really enjoying it.
Bear is excited about scouts gearing up again. His room is decorated - I use that term loosely:) - with camping stuff. We need to do some more with that, but we just haven't gotten around to it yet. Anyway, camping is his thing. Jimmy took each twin for a camping trip this summer and is going to take Bug in September. Birdie is still a bit young yet for camping.
Birdie and Bug have both moved up to the next class at daycare. Bug is officially the oldest kid in the daycare. When Bug moved out of Ms. Sharal's class, Birdie moved in. On their first day back, Bug said, "When we get there, I'm going to go hug Ms. Sharal." Birdie protested, "No, you can't do that. She's my teacher now!"
The twins started third grade. They have the same teacher they had last year, which we were all very excited about. She is very kind and gentle and they love her so much. Lou Lou has been frustrated because they haven't had any homework - one way that she's just like me:). She is also nervous about the grades in third grade. This is their first year of having A, B, C, etc. Grades are a part of life, but there are so many better ways to determine what children know and can do rather than assigning a grade. This is also their first year of the end of grade tests. The whole setup for this method of assessment and accountability is messed up. American education seems slow to change, even when research supports it.
Bug started ballet and has been to two lessons so far. She is so independent and walks in there with all smiles. She feels so excited because now she knows some actual ballet words and positions. She comes out each week telling me what she learned and how much fun she's having. Lou Lou is taking ballet and jazz. When the twins were small, I considered ballet, jazz lessons, etc. to be a waste of money. I took ballet as a child and where did it ever get me? I certainly don't use first position, battement, tendu, plie now. However, now I consider it more as fun for right now. Now I think there's nothing wrong with having fun and keeping physically active with no lifelong dream or plan attached to it. Fun for the sake of fun. Anyway, they are really enjoying it.
Bear is excited about scouts gearing up again. His room is decorated - I use that term loosely:) - with camping stuff. We need to do some more with that, but we just haven't gotten around to it yet. Anyway, camping is his thing. Jimmy took each twin for a camping trip this summer and is going to take Bug in September. Birdie is still a bit young yet for camping.
Birdie and Bug have both moved up to the next class at daycare. Bug is officially the oldest kid in the daycare. When Bug moved out of Ms. Sharal's class, Birdie moved in. On their first day back, Bug said, "When we get there, I'm going to go hug Ms. Sharal." Birdie protested, "No, you can't do that. She's my teacher now!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)