Exactly one week ago at this time I was sitting in my hospital room watching an episode of Dateline waiting for "real" labor to begin. Where does this time go?!?!?! How did this past week fly by so fast? Maybe sleep deprivation? Who knows, but I do know that this past week has by far been the fastest of my life. I have no idea where the time has gone, let alone what day it is :)
Reese is adjusting well to life in our house. She sleeps alot, as babies with jaundice do. It is not such a bad thing, because mommy can catch a nap then too :) She is eating every 2-3 hours and usually falls asleep right after eating. We had her blood drawn again today to check her Bili levels, and she is down to a 14!!! YAY! The doctor said she needs to be on her bili blanket for one more day, and then we can take it off of her. I am so excited to get to cuddle with her without that blanket attached!
I have been thinking about this past week, and comparing it to what I thought motherhood might be like. Here are my conclusions:
-Never have a goal or expectation for the day. I'm lucky if I get a shower by 10:00 p.m.
-Breastfeeding is much harder than anticipated. No one ever tells you how difficult it might be. We had latching on problems at the beginning, which was very frustrating for Reese and I, but things are going much better now, and she is eating for 20-30 minutes.
-Nap when she does as much as possible. When she is awake, so am I, including from 2-4 in the morning like last night!
-Don't worry about the small things. The dishes and laundry will get done at some point, just maybe not today.
-It is wise not to have a plan, because Reese runs the show. Things are now on what we call the "Reese Clock". Our time is determined by her wants/needs.
-You go through ALOT of diapers/wipes. I anticipated going through a fair amount, just not as many as we are!
-I did not expect the baby weight to come off as fast as it is. I am not complaining in any sense, I feel pretty lucky! I have already lost 20 of the 30 lbs I gained during pregnancy. But I am sure the last 10 are the hardest to lose, atleast that is what other mom's have told me.
In any sense, we love our little baby girl and can't imagine our lives without her :)
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Welcome to the World Reese Isabelle Montgomery!
We welcomed our little bundle of joy this past Saturday, July 24th at 9:27 a.m. She was 20 1/2 inches long and weighed 8 lbs 9 oz at birth! She came a little earlier than mommy or daddy expected. Here is our labor/delivery story:
Last Friday I was scheduled to go to a doctors appointment at 3:00 p.m. for a non stress test, after seeing spots and being tested for preclampsia. So, after work on Friday, I headed to my clinic to be hooked up to a monitor for a half and hour so they could monitor her heart rate. After my test, the nurse came back in after talking to the doctor and said that after I was having a contraction (very little ones I couldn't even feel), Reese's heart rate would decrease for a few moments. Just to be on the safe side, they wanted to send me to St. Mary's (our hospital) for a longer test. There, I would be hooked up for at least an hour. So, I called Kyle and told him I was headed down and he was going to meet me down there. Little did I know at that time that I was going to be admitted. I thought I was just going down for a longer test.
When we got to the hospital, they hooked me up and away we went. Kyle and I sat in the room, making plans for that night. We were discussing where to go for dinner and what the plans for the weekend were going to be. Little did we know... :)
The nurse came back in with a doctor on call, and wanted to do an ultrasound to check the amniotic fluid. My fluid levels were a little low, so they decided to check my cervix and see if I had dilated. When they checked me, I was a 4! So, with all the circumstances at hand, they told me I would not be going home, and that I would have a baby within the next day....WHAT?!?! I was totally unprepared for that news!!! In shock, all I said was "I haven't shaved my legs in two days and I don't have my hospital bag packed yet!!" Haha. I felt so unprepared and was not expecting this to be the way my baby was going to be born. But, plans change so I made a list and sent Kyle home to pick things up before labor really go going. They admitted me and got me settled into the birthing room around 6 p.m. Kyle ran home, and I made some phone calls to family.
Kyle returned around 7 p.m. and the nurse checked me again, and I was dilated to a 5. Still, the contractions did not hurt at all, and I barely even felt them. Kyle and I relaxed as much as possible and watched some tv to pass the time. The nurse came back in at 9 to check me and I was at a 6. Slowly progressing, and again, my contractions did not hurt at all! I thought to myself, "If this is how labor is, I can have 20 kids!!!" Little did I know things were going to change very soon :)
Around 10 p.m. the doctor came and said they were going to break my bag of waters to help speed the process along a little faster. So, at 10:30, my bag was broken, and I immediately had painful contractions. So this is what it really is all about I thought. They also started me on a small bit of Pitocin to help the contractions strengthen. By 12 a.m. I was in so much pain, I requested an epidural. The Pitocin was shut off, because they were making my contractions too painful and too fast. At 1 a.m. my epidural was administered and it was AMAZING. My body was completely relieved of all the pain. I was dilated to an 8, and was told to get a little rest. So, Kyle and I both slept from 1-3 a.m. They checked me at 3 and told me I was a 9 and to get a little more sleep as we would start pushing around 5 a.m. So, I slept from 3-5 and when I woke up, I was a 10. Time to push!
I began pushing at 5:30 a.m. and continued on...for the next FOUR HOURS!!! It was pretty rough. I was not only exhausted from pushing, but I began vomiting between every round of pushing, which was completely wiping me and all my energy out. Around 8 a.m. they gave me an anti-nausea shot, and it immediately went away. Now time to focus on pushing. She was stuck in the birth canal, and at 9 a.m., they gave me two options. Either a vacuum/forceps delivery or a c-section. There was no way I wanted a c-section, so we opted for the vacuum. With three pushes, little Reese arrived at 9:27 am, almost 4 hours after beginning to push.
The minute I laid eyes on her, all the pain and exhaustion went away. How precious she was!! The experience was amazing and surreal. I could not believe she was finally here. We both were in shock and amazement. What an awesome experience to share together. Kyle was fantastic through the whole thing. He was my support throughout the entire night and so strong through everything!
We spent the next few hours staring at her, figuring out who this new little person was, and who she looked like :) We moved over to our Family Suite, where we would spend the next two days learning how to breastfeed, change diapers, give baths, and cuddle constantly.
We came home on Monday afternoon and have been adjusting to life with a newborn. It is alot of hard, tiring work, but so worth every minute of it. Her bili reuben count is high, so she has been put on a Bili Light Blanket since Tuesday. We have another doctors appointment tomorrow to see when she can get it off. Her level was 18 yesterday, and they want to see her between 12-15. Let's hope it goes down tomorrow!
So, there ya have it. Little Reese has joined our family and we couldn't be happier that she is here!
Last Friday I was scheduled to go to a doctors appointment at 3:00 p.m. for a non stress test, after seeing spots and being tested for preclampsia. So, after work on Friday, I headed to my clinic to be hooked up to a monitor for a half and hour so they could monitor her heart rate. After my test, the nurse came back in after talking to the doctor and said that after I was having a contraction (very little ones I couldn't even feel), Reese's heart rate would decrease for a few moments. Just to be on the safe side, they wanted to send me to St. Mary's (our hospital) for a longer test. There, I would be hooked up for at least an hour. So, I called Kyle and told him I was headed down and he was going to meet me down there. Little did I know at that time that I was going to be admitted. I thought I was just going down for a longer test.
When we got to the hospital, they hooked me up and away we went. Kyle and I sat in the room, making plans for that night. We were discussing where to go for dinner and what the plans for the weekend were going to be. Little did we know... :)
The nurse came back in with a doctor on call, and wanted to do an ultrasound to check the amniotic fluid. My fluid levels were a little low, so they decided to check my cervix and see if I had dilated. When they checked me, I was a 4! So, with all the circumstances at hand, they told me I would not be going home, and that I would have a baby within the next day....WHAT?!?! I was totally unprepared for that news!!! In shock, all I said was "I haven't shaved my legs in two days and I don't have my hospital bag packed yet!!" Haha. I felt so unprepared and was not expecting this to be the way my baby was going to be born. But, plans change so I made a list and sent Kyle home to pick things up before labor really go going. They admitted me and got me settled into the birthing room around 6 p.m. Kyle ran home, and I made some phone calls to family.
Kyle returned around 7 p.m. and the nurse checked me again, and I was dilated to a 5. Still, the contractions did not hurt at all, and I barely even felt them. Kyle and I relaxed as much as possible and watched some tv to pass the time. The nurse came back in at 9 to check me and I was at a 6. Slowly progressing, and again, my contractions did not hurt at all! I thought to myself, "If this is how labor is, I can have 20 kids!!!" Little did I know things were going to change very soon :)
Around 10 p.m. the doctor came and said they were going to break my bag of waters to help speed the process along a little faster. So, at 10:30, my bag was broken, and I immediately had painful contractions. So this is what it really is all about I thought. They also started me on a small bit of Pitocin to help the contractions strengthen. By 12 a.m. I was in so much pain, I requested an epidural. The Pitocin was shut off, because they were making my contractions too painful and too fast. At 1 a.m. my epidural was administered and it was AMAZING. My body was completely relieved of all the pain. I was dilated to an 8, and was told to get a little rest. So, Kyle and I both slept from 1-3 a.m. They checked me at 3 and told me I was a 9 and to get a little more sleep as we would start pushing around 5 a.m. So, I slept from 3-5 and when I woke up, I was a 10. Time to push!
I began pushing at 5:30 a.m. and continued on...for the next FOUR HOURS!!! It was pretty rough. I was not only exhausted from pushing, but I began vomiting between every round of pushing, which was completely wiping me and all my energy out. Around 8 a.m. they gave me an anti-nausea shot, and it immediately went away. Now time to focus on pushing. She was stuck in the birth canal, and at 9 a.m., they gave me two options. Either a vacuum/forceps delivery or a c-section. There was no way I wanted a c-section, so we opted for the vacuum. With three pushes, little Reese arrived at 9:27 am, almost 4 hours after beginning to push.
The minute I laid eyes on her, all the pain and exhaustion went away. How precious she was!! The experience was amazing and surreal. I could not believe she was finally here. We both were in shock and amazement. What an awesome experience to share together. Kyle was fantastic through the whole thing. He was my support throughout the entire night and so strong through everything!
We spent the next few hours staring at her, figuring out who this new little person was, and who she looked like :) We moved over to our Family Suite, where we would spend the next two days learning how to breastfeed, change diapers, give baths, and cuddle constantly.
We came home on Monday afternoon and have been adjusting to life with a newborn. It is alot of hard, tiring work, but so worth every minute of it. Her bili reuben count is high, so she has been put on a Bili Light Blanket since Tuesday. We have another doctors appointment tomorrow to see when she can get it off. Her level was 18 yesterday, and they want to see her between 12-15. Let's hope it goes down tomorrow!
So, there ya have it. Little Reese has joined our family and we couldn't be happier that she is here!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Results
After my 24 hour urine sample yesterday into this morning, my results came back this afternoon and all is OK!! No extra protein detected in my urine, so as of now, it does not look like I will have to be induced. My blood pressure was still high this morning (142/90) so they are going to keep an eye on it. All of my blood work also came back ok, which is fantastic! They did schedule me for a non-stress test tomorrow afternoon. This requires me to be hooked up to an external monitor for 45 minutes and they will be watching the baby and making sure she is ok (I'm not really sure what they are exactly looking at). I'll let ya know after tomorrow. I also have my regular 39 week appointment next Tuesday, and they have scheduled another non stress test before that appointment. Other than that, they told me to stay hydrated and keep my feet up when possible! My work has been fantastic and very understanding with all these pop up doctors appointments, which makes it much easier to deal with.
Other than that, not too much else is new with us. We have no scheduled plans this weekend. I told Kyle we need to do somethings that we have wanted to do all summer and have not gotten around to yet. Things that we should do before baby arrives! We are going to try out a restaurant we have never been to before, and may head out to a place called Picnic Point on Lake Mendota. It is a trail you walk on out to an "island" point on the Lake and has a great view of the lake and of downtown Madison. We may hit up the farmers market on Saturday as well. Plans are pretty much up in the air, just some ideas :) I'll keep you posted on the baby after my upcoming appointments!
Other than that, not too much else is new with us. We have no scheduled plans this weekend. I told Kyle we need to do somethings that we have wanted to do all summer and have not gotten around to yet. Things that we should do before baby arrives! We are going to try out a restaurant we have never been to before, and may head out to a place called Picnic Point on Lake Mendota. It is a trail you walk on out to an "island" point on the Lake and has a great view of the lake and of downtown Madison. We may hit up the farmers market on Saturday as well. Plans are pretty much up in the air, just some ideas :) I'll keep you posted on the baby after my upcoming appointments!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Good or Bad?
Which do you want to hear first? Let's do the good. It is always better to start on a happy note :)
I had my 38 week appointment today and I am 2 centimeters dilated and my cervix is 50% thinned out! Much better news than I was expecting. I figured nothing has been going on down there :) But, as excited as I can be, I know that really, I could be dilated at 2 cm for the next 2-2 1/2 weeks. It was just nice to hear that there is some activity going on down there since we are zeroing in on our due date!
Now for the not so good news. For the past week or so, I have been seeing spots (as if someone took a picture of you in the dark, and you see the flash for a little while afterwards). It happens randomly, and last for less than 10 seconds. I get a little dizzy when it happens, so I just sit down and wait for them to pass. I asked my doctor about it today, and she said it could be a sign of preclampsia. Preclampsia is "a complex disorder that affects 3 to 8 percent of pregnant women. A woman is diagnosed with preclampsia if she has high blood pressure and protein in her urine after 20 weeks of pregnancy". Today, I did have high blood pressure :( My readings has always been in the low 120's over low 80's. Todays first reading was 144/90, and the second reading they did was 136/89. Both much higher than normal. So what does this mean? Well, I did more blood work today, and tomorrow I have to start a 24 hour urine sample. This means I get to pee in a jug for 24 hours...ugh! Then I turn the sample in on Thursday morning, and they test it for high protein levels. If in fact I do have high protein levels, I will be scheduled for an induction (since the baby is considered full term and there are no pre-mature risks involved anymore). So, lets pray that these tests come back negative. I really do not want to be induced, but I know that I need to do whatever to keep the baby safe and healthy.
On a lighter note again, my sister and the kids came down to visit Kyle and I this past weekend. We had a blast! It is so great to see them. Aidan is chatting away more than ever, and little Aubrey is not so little anymore :) She is filling right out and is smiling all the time!! It was also nice to get some last minute motherly advice and tips from my sister :) For the details of the weekend, check out my sister's blog- http://www.finnlandnewsandnotes.blogspot.com/.
I had my 38 week appointment today and I am 2 centimeters dilated and my cervix is 50% thinned out! Much better news than I was expecting. I figured nothing has been going on down there :) But, as excited as I can be, I know that really, I could be dilated at 2 cm for the next 2-2 1/2 weeks. It was just nice to hear that there is some activity going on down there since we are zeroing in on our due date!
Now for the not so good news. For the past week or so, I have been seeing spots (as if someone took a picture of you in the dark, and you see the flash for a little while afterwards). It happens randomly, and last for less than 10 seconds. I get a little dizzy when it happens, so I just sit down and wait for them to pass. I asked my doctor about it today, and she said it could be a sign of preclampsia. Preclampsia is "a complex disorder that affects 3 to 8 percent of pregnant women. A woman is diagnosed with preclampsia if she has high blood pressure and protein in her urine after 20 weeks of pregnancy". Today, I did have high blood pressure :( My readings has always been in the low 120's over low 80's. Todays first reading was 144/90, and the second reading they did was 136/89. Both much higher than normal. So what does this mean? Well, I did more blood work today, and tomorrow I have to start a 24 hour urine sample. This means I get to pee in a jug for 24 hours...ugh! Then I turn the sample in on Thursday morning, and they test it for high protein levels. If in fact I do have high protein levels, I will be scheduled for an induction (since the baby is considered full term and there are no pre-mature risks involved anymore). So, lets pray that these tests come back negative. I really do not want to be induced, but I know that I need to do whatever to keep the baby safe and healthy.
On a lighter note again, my sister and the kids came down to visit Kyle and I this past weekend. We had a blast! It is so great to see them. Aidan is chatting away more than ever, and little Aubrey is not so little anymore :) She is filling right out and is smiling all the time!! It was also nice to get some last minute motherly advice and tips from my sister :) For the details of the weekend, check out my sister's blog- http://www.finnlandnewsandnotes.blogspot.com/.
Monday, July 12, 2010
37 weeks
I am now considered full term! So, if I went into labor today, they would not try to stop it. But, that does not mean my due date is changing, its still August 2nd. Back in the early weeks, I thought this day would never come. Even though it seemed like forever ago we found out I was pregnant, the time has actually flown by and I can't believe I am 3 weeks away! Kyle and I (well, mostly me) have been prepping the baby room. Kyle likes to make jokes about the baby's closet and dresser drawers being WAY more organized than my own. :)
Everyone has been asking me (and even Kyle) if I have my hospital bag packed yet. The answer is..no. Why? Because my gut feeling has been telling me I am going to be late (my guess is August 5th). Kyle thinks I will be going early (July 26th). All bets are on! I would LOVE it if he was right, but I just don't think so. So, I might start throwing some things together so that I feel a little more prepared just in case she does happen to arrive a little earlier than expected.
Not a whole lot is new in our house. Kyle has been busy working on the patio this past weekend, and it is almost complete. Once the sealant is put on, it will be ready to use. We had the cement truck here on Saturday, and his cousins came up to help stamp the concrete, and it looks great! I'm sure we will be using it a lot the rest of the summer.
I am looking forward to this upcoming weekend. My sister and the kids are coming down from Friday until Sunday. She is bringing me all sorts of baby goodies that she is done using (bassinet, breastfeeding pillow, onesies, swaddling blankets, etc.) I am so grateful to be able to use it all! We are also planning on going to the Farmers Market, the pool, and I'm sure Aidan won't let us go all weekend without visiting our neighborhood park :) My parents are then coming up on Sunday for lunch before they take off to spend time with them. Should be a great weekend!
Everyone has been asking me (and even Kyle) if I have my hospital bag packed yet. The answer is..no. Why? Because my gut feeling has been telling me I am going to be late (my guess is August 5th). Kyle thinks I will be going early (July 26th). All bets are on! I would LOVE it if he was right, but I just don't think so. So, I might start throwing some things together so that I feel a little more prepared just in case she does happen to arrive a little earlier than expected.
Not a whole lot is new in our house. Kyle has been busy working on the patio this past weekend, and it is almost complete. Once the sealant is put on, it will be ready to use. We had the cement truck here on Saturday, and his cousins came up to help stamp the concrete, and it looks great! I'm sure we will be using it a lot the rest of the summer.
I am looking forward to this upcoming weekend. My sister and the kids are coming down from Friday until Sunday. She is bringing me all sorts of baby goodies that she is done using (bassinet, breastfeeding pillow, onesies, swaddling blankets, etc.) I am so grateful to be able to use it all! We are also planning on going to the Farmers Market, the pool, and I'm sure Aidan won't let us go all weekend without visiting our neighborhood park :) My parents are then coming up on Sunday for lunch before they take off to spend time with them. Should be a great weekend!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Happy 4th of July!
Happy 4th to everyone! This is a picture of the fireworks we went to see last night at Rhythm and Booms here in Madison (the largest fireworks show in the Midwest). It was amazing. Kyle had been once before, but I had never gone. Jody and Jenna (two high school friends) and their significant others went with us and we had a blast. The weather was gorgeous. It was a great night to sit outside and enjoy the show (along with the other 250,00 people there)! There were a ton of people, but it was not that bad. We waited around after the show for about an hour and went to the music stage and beer tent until traffic calmed down. It was the best show I have ever seen. The finale was amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone that lives in the Madison area!Today Kyle's parents came up and helped us form together the spot where we are going to put our outdoor patio. We have wanted to do a patio out back behind our house for a while, and Kyle's cousin is going to come up next week and help us do it. So, Kyle has been busy this past week digging out all the sod to get ready for it to be done. We are very excited!!
Tomorrow my parents are coming up and we are hoping to get out on the lakes to do some boating. My dad might bring his boat, but the weather right now is not looking so promising (50% chance of rain). So, we will see what it looks like tomorrow when we wake up.
Other than that, I am starting my 36th week this week, and have my doctors appointment on Friday. Starting this week, I will be going every week now until she is born. Hope everyone has a great holiday and enjoy your week!
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