Owen's Birth Story Part Three

So, the last and final phase had begun!  At any moment we would have the newest member join our family!  Well, that is until he proceeded to be a little tough to push out.  With each push the doctor was certain it would be the last and yet it wasn't.  I knew this baby was bigger than Eva, I had felt it for a long time.  My stretch marks were worse, my belly was bigger, and I felt more uncomfortable than before.  The doctors and nurses were so kind as I was yelling "His head is too big!"  they simply responded, "No it's not it is just the right size."  Well, after quite a few more pushes he was finally here! And yes, his head was big...in fact he was big! Weighing in at 8 lbs 9 oz and 21 inches long.

Although the doctors and nurses were quite kind during labor, Owen was in fact a big boy.  He actually suffered some birthing trauma and has two significant sized hematomas.  The doctors reassure me they look worse than they really are.  But, the fact is he won't have a normal looking head for quite sometime.  Hematomas can take up to three months to heal!

Even though I had false alarms and things were a bit frustrating at the end of this pregnancy I am quite happy with everything.  We have a happy, healthy baby boy.  We are quite blessed that none of the pregnancy scares we had throughout the past 39 weeks turned into real issues.

Owen one month

It is unbelievable that Owen is already one month old!  Life has seemed to be on fast forward.

Owen has been quite the addition to our family.  He is just precious, our quiet, big boy.  He rarely fusses, even though Miss Eva can be a bit rough.  His giant hematomas are almost unnoticeable and his belly button is finally healed (his umbilical cord didn't dry all the way and needed to be treated with silver nitrate).  It's hard to remember life without our handsome man.

Owen's one month milestones:

• hematomas have significantly shrunk
• enjoys tummy time
• LOVES to sleep in someone's arms
• beginning to be more alert, loves to stare at faces and lights
• is a true champ when it comes to tolerating his big sister's attempts to show love
• usually very calm and stoic
• grunts (a lot)

Owen's Birth Story Part Two

We arrived at the hospital around 9 am. I began to realize things were real this time when I couldn't get out of the car until a contraction had passed.  I also was not opposed to a wheel chair!  Upon checking in the strangest thing happened, I began to cry for what felt like no reason.  I wasn't in pain (at the moment) and I had given birth before so I wasn't afraid of what was coming.  Anyways, I had yet another contraction while being wheeled to triage.  This time, the nurse checked me before hooking me up to the machines.  I was just about 7 cm dilated.  I wasn't going home without a baby this time!  I was quickly admitted to the hospital and wheeled to a delivery room.  From there things began to progress pretty quickly.  By 10:00 am I was 8 cm dilated. At around 10:45 my water had not broken and my contractions had slowed down significantly.   Things were quite different than with Eva.  With Eva I was induced.  This created contractions that were consistently 2 minutes apart for the duration of labor.  With this pregnancy there was no predictability of when the next contraction would be.  A bit frustrating, but at the same time it allowed me to have more recovery time in between.  And, when things had stopped for a bit I felt a bit more rested and ready for the next phase.  At this point, we decided to get the show on the road and the doctor ruptured my waters.  It was 11:00 am and I was 8.5 cm dilated.  By 11:15 I was ready to push...talk about getting the show on the road!

36 weeks round two

Let the countdown begin!  I can't believe Baby Dos is already so close to making his arrival.  I have been busy attempting to prepare for his arrival.  Clothes are washed, hospital bag is packed-ish, Eva's bag is packed-ish, and the house is ready-ish!  Other than nesting, I have been feeling more tired and not sleeping very well.  Obviously, these are normal pregnancy issues, but it doesn't mean they are fun.  As we wait for our little man's arrival I am anxious to see how Eva reacts.  She has been learning and growing so much since we found out she would be a big sister.  I know she will be a great helper and awesome big sis!

34 weeks round two

This week I had the littlest helper while taking photos!

32 weeks round two

32 weeks down...only 8 to go!  Ahh, can it be we're in the single digit countdown until baby boy's arrival? I have been thinking a lot about everything we were doing leading up to Eva's arrival...baby showers, stocking up on baby supplies, getting the nursery ready...the list could go on and on. Then, I started to think about what we haven't done for baby dos. We haven't stocked up on baby supplies (i.e newborn/size one diapers) or set up anything to Eva's or Our room for the little one.  On the bright side, at least I started thinking about what I haven't done, prior to this week it hadn't even crossed my mind.  I have now started a "to do/get" list for our little pumpkin, I think I can mange in the next few weeks (as long as Eva keeps sleeping well)!

30 weeks round two

(09/15/2015)

24 weeks round two

Baby Boy Smith is continuing to grow!  I can feel him move more frequently (and Chris can see and feel him as well).
(August 4, 2015)

16 weeks round two

Last week I felt baby dos for the first time.  It was/is completely different this time around.  With Eva, her first movements felt like little bubbles popping.  This little one feels like a fish swimming in my belly.  I'm enjoying I know what is happening when I feel this little one moving.  It is also reassuring knowing he or she is growing and growing!

Pregnancy Round Two

The Smith Family is growing and so is my belly.  I am super excited to have a new baby.  But, I have been hesitant to write about this pregnancy like I did Eva's.  Partly because I am way more busy than the first time around, but mostly because it has not been easy.

12 weeks (mid May 2015)

This pregnancy has come with a lot of scares.  At about 9 weeks I began spotting.   After a few phone calls, the doctor decided I should come in.  Everything checked out okay.  I didn't really get an answer as to what was causing the spotting, but I did have a small bruise on my uterus.  Feeling relieved, I went home with a sense of reassurance.  A couple weeks later I went to the doctor again and all was well. Then, at around 13 weeks I began to bleed again. There wan't any pain, but there was a significant amount and it was suggested I go to the ER.
Sitting in the ER waiting room I tried to remain calm and attempted to think positive thoughts.  I repeated time after time, "I will have a happy, healthy baby in November."  I kept reminding myself many women have things a lot worse.  I thought about everything I was thankful for and tried to breathe.  After about an hour I was taken for an ultrasound.  The wait was agonizing.  As the technician began the screening my first question was if the baby's heart was still beating.  With reassurance she said yes...what a relief.  The exam continued for quite some time.  The tech needed to look at every nook and cranny of my uterus trying to figure out where the bleeding was coming from.  She continued to reassure Chris and I.  The baby looked great, the heart was beating, he/she was measuring 13.6 weeks, and my cervix was closed.  After some investigating she began to ask and explain about placenta previa.
As of now my placenta is attached extremely close to me cervix.  This is not an ideal location and can cause bleeding throughout pregnancy.  In 90% of cases the placenta grows with the uterus and moves away from the cervix. However, if it does not move it can cause issues with delivery.  In this case I will have to have a c-section. Ideally I would prefer to attempt natural child birth again, but I like that I can prepare myself for all possibilities.
It's hard to come to terms with the fact I may bleed throughout my pregnancy. As the days and weeks pass my worry comes and goes.  I can't be certain it will subside altogether, but I am hopeful as this pregnancy progresses things will continue to improve and correct themselves.  Each day that passes is a wonderful feeling, I am that much closer to having a happy, healthy baby.  In my most recent visit the baby's heartbeat was strong (even though it took a little work to find since we have another mover on our hands!).

16 weeks (early June 2015)

Special Announcement

The Smith Family is excited to share our family is growing!

Coming November 2015!

one month

Today marks the one month birthday for little Eva Joyce.  She has been part of the real world now for an entire month.  She has learned so much and grown a ton!   It is hard to look back on life without her, it seems she has been part of our family forever.

Eva's one month milestones:

• She can follow you with her eyes
• She has started to react to us
• She has begun making new and different sounds (other than her normal cries and grunts)
• She loves her stuffed Zebra (picture to come soon)
• Her smile is just precious (no longer just a twitch of her facial muscles)

Marlena and Chris's one month milestones:

• We have survived the first month of parenthood
• Marlena has ventured out on her own twice
• Chris has spent some alone time with Eva
• Nighttime feedings and diaper changes are done like pros!

Birth Story: Final Chapter

The first moments with our little girl are hard to put into words.  Here I am holding this precious being in my arms all the while doctors and nurses are scurrying around the room.  Stitching me up, taking in my stats, the baby's stats, cleaning her off...  I remember looking up at Chris, he had tears running down his cheeks.  He was one proud papa.  We were now a family of three!  We were asked, "Does she have a name?"  We looked at each other, Chris said, "We don't know, there are a couple we liked."  I remember saying, "Well, she has dark hair, I think she is Eva Joyce."  Chris said something along the lines of "You think so? Yep, her name is Eva Joyce Smith."

Eva didn't waste anytime initiating me into motherhood.  She pooped all over me while I was holding her for the first time.  Honestly, I didn't even realize until the nurse pointed it out.  Eventually, they got her cleaned up (as well as myself).  I got her back into my arms, and she proceeded to pee all over me.

The next couple of days at the hospital were a whirlwind.  Doctors, nurses, family, and friends in and out of the room.  We have now begun a new chapter in our lives as a family of three.  I am looking forward to all that is to come.

Birth Story: Part Three

Things were moving fast.  I'm not sure how to determine how long labor had been.  But, technically, I wasn't in labor when we arrived at the hospital.  I would say labor didn't really start until about a half hour into getting induced.  The contractions began coming more frequently and slowly were beginning to get more intense.  I had gone from 2.5 cm dilated to 6 cm in 2 1/2 hours.

At about 4 PM, since contractions were longer, stronger, and closer together I asked again if the portable monitor was available.  No, the person using it was walking the halls.  The nurse suggested some alternatives and I continued to push through the pain.  Chris was a great support.  He was there for each contraction. He rubbed my back, kept a wash cloth cool, and had a calming presence.

Around 6 PM I had begun feeling pressure and I was checked again.  I was 9 cm dilated.  The nurse said when I felt the urge to push to let her know.  It wasn't five minutes later I called them back in saying I felt pressure.  I was now 10 cm and it was go time.  I remember asking the doctors if they were sure I was ready.  I felt like everything had happened so fast.  Little did I realize pushing was actually a god send.  By this point the contractions were highly painful and I was having difficulty breathing through them.  Pushing, although VERY difficult and still painful, felt a million times better than the contraction.  I pushed for a little over an hour and at 7:19 PM our little one entered the world.

I can vividly remember seeing the doctor hold the baby up.  The cord was blocking the important parts (remember, we didn't know the gender of the baby).  As they pulled to cord away, I was able to announce, "It's a Girl!"

It is amazing how in a few quick moments you can go from being in the most pain you have ever experienced to feeling more joy than one can explain.

The first weeks of motherhood...

Wow, I can't believe little Eva is two weeks old today.  It seems like she has been part of our lives a lot longer.  It is also hard to believe I have officially been a mother for two weeks.  Although, I felt semi prepared for motherhood, it is amazing all the things I didn't know.

Things I have learned in the first two weeks...

• Newborns sleep A LOT (a lot more than I thought).
• Newborns can spit up brown junk.  Apparently this is totally normal because they may have swallowed amniotic fluid or blood.
• There can be a bloody discharge due to hormones from the mother.
• Newborns not only spit up, but can projectile vomit and be perfectly fine. 
• Sometimes newborns want to eat all the time.
• Everyday is different, from sleeping, to eating, to crying.
• My husband is an amazing dad.  He is a great diaper changer, comforter, and over all great support for both me and baby!

Birth Story: Part Two

To my surprise, we were headed upstairs to labor and delivery.  I had been informed the doctor felt it was best to get the ball rolling.  This meant I would be getting induced.  In order to get labor started I would be given Pitocin.  Pitocin makes the body mimic real labor.  I wasn't sure what to think.  The thought of being induced didn't really cross my mind since the doc had said she didn't think I would need to be induced.  I began to think about my birth plan.  Honestly, I didn't really have a plan other than I wanted to do everything as naturally as possible.  Knowing my body, I do not respond well to needles or narcotics.  I asked about the side-effects of Pitocin.  The mid-wife made a little chuckle and said "Labor."  This was a bit of relief.

At this point, it was about noon and we had been at the hospital for a little over 4 hours.  As we got settled into the labor and delivery room the nurse began asking a TON of questions. Again, I was hooked up to the monitors and continued being assessed.  By now, I was pretty hungry.  Luckily, I was allowed to eat a little before I began receiving Pitocin.

At around 2 PM the nurse started the Pitocin.  Things felt about the same for the first hour.  Contractions were about 10 minutes apart and not very intense.  Chris and I were enjoying watching some Friends re-runs and playing cards.  Around 3 PM true labor contractions had begun.  I asked Chris to turn the TV off, the glare was bothering me.  He then plugged in the iPod and the soothing music began.  My dear friend, Jessica, had put together a few CDs for me.  They were great, calming and soothing.  I was able to breathe through the contractions and things were still progressing.  At this point I also asked if I could get in the shower to help ease the pain.  Little did I know, if you are receiving Pitocin you are required to stay hooked up to the monitors.  The hospital only had one portable machine and it was being used.  Around 4 PM the doctor came in to see how things were going.  She asked if I wanted to be checked.  Honestly, I didn't because it was highly uncomfortable.  However, while we were talking, a contraction began and my waters broke.  The doctors were unsure, but it appeared the baby may have had a bowel movement in the womb (very common for late term babies).  I decided she should probably check me out. I was now 6 cm dilated, only 4 more to go.  Things were moving fast.

Looking Back

Well, the time has come, Baby Smith (now known as Eva Joyce) has arrived.  The human body is amazing in how it can create, nourish, and grow a little human being.  Here is just a little look back at the past 9 months!

 

Birth Story: Part One

Little Miss Eva Joyce Smith arrived into this world at 7:19 PM on Monday, May 12, 2014.  Here is her story...

I had been experiencing contractions since week 39.  They were little and infrequent but, still there.  At my appointments the doc noted that my cervix had already started to efface and I was beginning to dilate.  Obviously, this meant nothing in regards to when Eva would arrive, but it did mean my body was preparing for her arrival.  The doctor did comment she didn't think I would go too far past my due date and that I probably would not need to be induced since things were already beginning.  Well, I did go past my due date and I was induced!

It was Mother's Day, May 11th (two days past my due date).  I was experiencing LOTS of contractions. I was feeling anxious and thought it would be neat if our little arrived on Mother's Day.  However, my contractions never became longer, stronger, or pattern like.  The day came and went and still no baby.  On the morning of May 12th I woke up to a little bloody show (sorry for the details, but this is the story).  I wasn't concerned because everything I read said it was normal.  But, about an hour later there was still more blood.  This didn't seem normal, so we made the trek to the hospital, St. Joseph's in downtown Denver.   Being in Colorado and the middle of May, there was a big spring snow storm occurring.  The drive to the hospital would normally have taken 20 minutes, instead it took about 45 minutes.

To the surprise of the mid-wife (the message was never delivered that we were on our way) we arrived at the hospital around 7:30 AM.  The mid-wife patiently listened to our concerns.  She said she would check me out, but thought there weren't enough symptoms to warrant true labor and I would probably be going home.  She hooked me up to the monitors and began assessing the situation.  Baby's heartbeat was good and yes, I was having contractions, but again not enough.  She also checked my cervix.  I was about 90% effaced and 2.5 cm dilated.  There was more blood than normal, but not enough to be concerned.  She then proceeded to check my amniotic fluid levels. Again, my fluid levels were a bit lower than desired (4.7 cm instead of 5 cm), however I had one good pocket of 2 cm which is deemed to be medically okay.  With this information the doctor decided he wanted me to stick around for a bit to see if things would begin to progress on their own.  A couple hours later the mid-wife checked me again.  At this point I had begun having more contractions, but there were still about 10 minutes apart.  Again, she said I'll probably be sending you home.

A few minutes later she came back in.  At this point I was convinced we were going home.  I was feeling a bit sad, I was eager to meet our little one, but at the same time I thought "well, if I go home I can at least eat!"  To my surprise she announced the doctor wanted to move me upstairs and get things going in order to have a baby.  He figured I was already past my due date and there were too many irregularities that he didn't want to take the risk of something potentially going wrong.

It's a...

On the evening of May 12, 2014 Chris and I were honored to meet our little one.  We also finally find out the gender of our offspring!  We are happy to announce it's a...GIRL! She arrived fashionably late (3 days past her due date)!  I will take the time later to write her birth story. For now, enjoy a little snapshot of her beauty!

Stats:
Born Monday May 12, 2014 at 7:19 pm
Weighed 7 lbs 14 oz
Measured 19.5 inches long
Beautiful (we could be biased, but I highly doubt it)!