I have never been one to take disappointment well. Nick and I went in for my prenatal visit, and I had such high hopes that we were going to find out the gender of our baby.
At the beginning of the ultrasound my Doctor had me on "Cloud 9" because she was thinking it was a boy. She couldn't get a positive view, but she kept saying "he" when she was referring to the baby.
Then.... she tried a different view, and started saying it might be a girl. I asked her if it was 50/50 chance either way, and she said, "no, I am leaning more heavily toward it being a girl".
Her proclamation wasn't a "sure thing". So, I am in denial.
The Doctor left things by saying that we could get a 100% positive ID at my next appointment. My next appointment is on St. Patrick's Day 3/17. The way I look at it... I have three weeks to pray this kid in to a boy.
But, there is a lot to be said for Reagan having a sister too (this is me, trying to be impartial).
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Elmo Juice
Jill and I took our kids on a spur-of-the-moment trip to Borders Bookstore to attend Elmo's birthday party on Saturday.
We didn't find out until we got there that Elmo would only be making appearances at "select Borders locations", and the Borders that we went to was one of the ones that he would not be stopping at. That was a bummer. But the kids got to listen to some Sesame Street Music, had an Elmo book read to them and played some Elmo themed tames. They also got "Elmo Juice". That was the highlight of Reagan's day.
Thanks to Aunt Katie for the new Elmo & Abby purse. It's now Reagan's "must have accessory" of the season.
Another accessory (we are hoping will go out of fashion this summer) is Reagan's pacifier. It is certainly going to have to be gone before the new baby comes. However, later in the day on Saturday I had to snap this picture. Nick and I were driving and we heard Reagan doing a sneaky sort of giggle from the backseat of the car. When I turned around I saw that she had managed to fit two binky's in her mouth. We all thought it was pretty funny.
The major realization I had that day was that once my new baby is born my social life is dead. My cousin Melinda had mentioned how difficult it was to take two children out of the house (especially when one of the children is in the child carrier and one child is mobile). I had not thought of it until this point. But after Melinda pointed this out to me I really opened my eyes and I know that I am in deep trouble.
Reagan is in constant motion. She hates holding my hand. Even with two hands free I often have a hard time keeping her near me.
On Saturday Reagan ran willy-nilly through the bookstore & made several attempts to run away in the parking lot. At lunch she threw a tantrum and ended up tossing a plate: frisbee-style across the table. Thank goodness Jill has "Mom-reflexes" and was able to deftly catch the plate. The cherry on top of all of it was when she picked up a rock in the parking lot and then threw it AT my car when she realized I was going to put her in her car seat. Yes, it appears I will be home-bound for quite some time after the little bambino gets here. My only hope is that I still have several months before the baby gets here- but what are the odds that Reagan will mature and demure in 5-ish months time?
I still love the girl with all of my heart and wouldn't trade her for anything!
One solution might be to get Reagan an older/responsible sibling? Reagan won't willingly hold my hand. But she was more than happy to hold Thayne's hand in the parking lot.
Does anyone have an older child they would like to lend me for day trips? Requirements: must be potty trained, be patient, have zero attitude, never throw tantrums, be able to entertain themselves, not be fussy when it is near naptime, and basically act like an adult. Do you think I am asking too much? :)
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Two and Through.
Some people knew that I was pregnant. Some people found out when they read my last post. Some people looked at my post dauntingly (yes, I know it was long) so they didn't read it, and this is the first they are hearing about the soon-to-be-new-addition to our family.
My reasoning for keeping "mum" on this blogging topic during my first trimester has a lot to do with the fact that I felt like complete roadkill, and if I had mentioned it on the blog my complaining about pregnancy would have taken over. Consider it a favor that I kept silent. I guarantee I would have gone on and on about the EXTREME fatigue, and constant vomiting. But HEY! both of those symptoms persist in to week 15, so there may yet be some posts about how miserable I am!
For those of you out there who are just as nosy as I am- ha ha.... Here are the Q&A's for the thought of, but not always asked questions.:
Q: Was this baby planned?
A: Yes. I would have to say that "fertile myrtle" is NOT my middle name. It was just as difficult for us to get this baby as it was for us to get pregnant with Reagan. Oh well, at least trying is fun! TMI?
Q: When are you due?
A: August 9,2010. How fun is that?! 8-9-10 :)
Q: How have you been feeling?
A: See my aforementioned comments on roadkill. I thought I was sick with Reagan. But that was nothing. This baby has decided that its Mom doesn't need a fully-functioning thyroid. This means I have pregnancy induced hypothyroidism. Hence, the serious exhaustion. And I barf so much (again, with the night sickness) that I haven't gained a pound in my last 3 visits to the doctor's office (I still fit in to my regular clothes, but it looks like I am flaunting some serious muffin top. Cruel). With Reagan even the thought of turkey could bring on the puking. With this kid it is Garlic and Hamburgers.
Q: Do you want a boy or a girl?
A: Nick sincerely says that he doesn't have a preference either way. I, on the other hand want a boy. If Nick won't wish for a future Duke basketball player for himself, I'll do it! There is a lot to be said for having a sister though..... But that is why there is adoption!
Q: Are you going to find out the gender?
A: Yes, Yes, Yes. If the baby cooperates we find out next week!
Q: Do you have any name preferences?
A: Nick won't give me any serious name suggestions until we know the gender of the baby. Right now the names he comes up with run along the lines of: Juan-Ricardo, Vilhelm, Brunhilda. You get the idea. I told Nick that he could name the baby (since this will be the last one I bear), but that I have veto power. OBVIOUSLY, thank goodness I put that clause in there!
Q: Are you excited?
A: I am excited at the thought of being done. I cannot stress enough: how awful I have been feeling. I am not a woman made for child bearing. I have had a few nights where I feel good enough to lay in bed, rather than directly next to the toilet. And on those nights I think happy thoughts about the baby. I know I am going to love the crap out of the kid once it gets here, though!
To finish up; I have A LOT of people to thank. Without the help I have been receiving, Reagan might as well have been an orphan.
Nick has been wonderful. I have never seen a Dad so involved and in love with their kid the way Nick is. Reagan adores Nick and vice versa. Nick hasn't been there to hold my hair when I am throwing up, in this pregnancy. But that is because he is either working the evening shift to bring home the bacon, or he has been bathing Reagan and getting her ready for bed. I know it goes against every grain of his cheap dutch blood to pay for me to eat out at lunch (I can't even stomach the thought of cooking), but he obliges. Today he even went and picked up the take-out and brought it home to me, with very minimal grumbling about the bill.
Heather's help has been indescribable. Like I mentioned, there is a lot to be said for having a sister. She has cooked for me, cleaned for me, done my laundry! And she has a six month old baby to boot! She is truly the epitome of superwoman. Heather, I am so sorry that Reagan peed on your floor the other night when you were giving her a bath. Someday I will be feeling well enough to make it all up to you.
My Mom and Nick's Mom. Both have been indispensable and I know the both love Reagan almost as much as I do. Kay has come up to help me every Monday night since I started feeling sick (Nick has to work Monday nights). I don't know what I would have done without her help.
My Mom has taken care of Reagan's bath time at least once a week for the past few months, AND she came to help me when Reagan had the stomach flu. Only a grandmother can have unconditional love for a grandchild that vomits on her TWICE in one night.
My little brother, Brian (who still doesn't read my blog. But, Whatever)- and his sweet wife Jenny. OK, so since I got pregnant and have been sick Reagan has decided to have three separate bouts of throwing up. The first time it happened my poor little brother was the only person I could get a hold of, and he came right over AND cleaned up the puke. He is such a gem. Jenny has come over to watch and play with Reagan, so that I can get some rest, and I know Reagan loves it!
Also, Jill and Ruthann: for their help the day Reagan had her third run-in with the tummy troubles.
If I have missed anyone please accept my apologies! And to all those of you who are thinking that I have been a really crummy friend lately... Now you know the reason why and I hope you are understanding.
The sickness can't go longer than 5 months. That is the most positive outlook that I can muster at the moment.
Every bone in my body can hardly wait for delivery day!
My reasoning for keeping "mum" on this blogging topic during my first trimester has a lot to do with the fact that I felt like complete roadkill, and if I had mentioned it on the blog my complaining about pregnancy would have taken over. Consider it a favor that I kept silent. I guarantee I would have gone on and on about the EXTREME fatigue, and constant vomiting. But HEY! both of those symptoms persist in to week 15, so there may yet be some posts about how miserable I am!
For those of you out there who are just as nosy as I am- ha ha.... Here are the Q&A's for the thought of, but not always asked questions.:
Q: Was this baby planned?
A: Yes. I would have to say that "fertile myrtle" is NOT my middle name. It was just as difficult for us to get this baby as it was for us to get pregnant with Reagan. Oh well, at least trying is fun! TMI?
Q: When are you due?
A: August 9,2010. How fun is that?! 8-9-10 :)
Q: How have you been feeling?
A: See my aforementioned comments on roadkill. I thought I was sick with Reagan. But that was nothing. This baby has decided that its Mom doesn't need a fully-functioning thyroid. This means I have pregnancy induced hypothyroidism. Hence, the serious exhaustion. And I barf so much (again, with the night sickness) that I haven't gained a pound in my last 3 visits to the doctor's office (I still fit in to my regular clothes, but it looks like I am flaunting some serious muffin top. Cruel). With Reagan even the thought of turkey could bring on the puking. With this kid it is Garlic and Hamburgers.
Q: Do you want a boy or a girl?
A: Nick sincerely says that he doesn't have a preference either way. I, on the other hand want a boy. If Nick won't wish for a future Duke basketball player for himself, I'll do it! There is a lot to be said for having a sister though..... But that is why there is adoption!
Q: Are you going to find out the gender?
A: Yes, Yes, Yes. If the baby cooperates we find out next week!
Q: Do you have any name preferences?
A: Nick won't give me any serious name suggestions until we know the gender of the baby. Right now the names he comes up with run along the lines of: Juan-Ricardo, Vilhelm, Brunhilda. You get the idea. I told Nick that he could name the baby (since this will be the last one I bear), but that I have veto power. OBVIOUSLY, thank goodness I put that clause in there!
Q: Are you excited?
A: I am excited at the thought of being done. I cannot stress enough: how awful I have been feeling. I am not a woman made for child bearing. I have had a few nights where I feel good enough to lay in bed, rather than directly next to the toilet. And on those nights I think happy thoughts about the baby. I know I am going to love the crap out of the kid once it gets here, though!
To finish up; I have A LOT of people to thank. Without the help I have been receiving, Reagan might as well have been an orphan.
Nick has been wonderful. I have never seen a Dad so involved and in love with their kid the way Nick is. Reagan adores Nick and vice versa. Nick hasn't been there to hold my hair when I am throwing up, in this pregnancy. But that is because he is either working the evening shift to bring home the bacon, or he has been bathing Reagan and getting her ready for bed. I know it goes against every grain of his cheap dutch blood to pay for me to eat out at lunch (I can't even stomach the thought of cooking), but he obliges. Today he even went and picked up the take-out and brought it home to me, with very minimal grumbling about the bill.
Heather's help has been indescribable. Like I mentioned, there is a lot to be said for having a sister. She has cooked for me, cleaned for me, done my laundry! And she has a six month old baby to boot! She is truly the epitome of superwoman. Heather, I am so sorry that Reagan peed on your floor the other night when you were giving her a bath. Someday I will be feeling well enough to make it all up to you.
My Mom and Nick's Mom. Both have been indispensable and I know the both love Reagan almost as much as I do. Kay has come up to help me every Monday night since I started feeling sick (Nick has to work Monday nights). I don't know what I would have done without her help.
My Mom has taken care of Reagan's bath time at least once a week for the past few months, AND she came to help me when Reagan had the stomach flu. Only a grandmother can have unconditional love for a grandchild that vomits on her TWICE in one night.
My little brother, Brian (who still doesn't read my blog. But, Whatever)- and his sweet wife Jenny. OK, so since I got pregnant and have been sick Reagan has decided to have three separate bouts of throwing up. The first time it happened my poor little brother was the only person I could get a hold of, and he came right over AND cleaned up the puke. He is such a gem. Jenny has come over to watch and play with Reagan, so that I can get some rest, and I know Reagan loves it!
Also, Jill and Ruthann: for their help the day Reagan had her third run-in with the tummy troubles.
If I have missed anyone please accept my apologies! And to all those of you who are thinking that I have been a really crummy friend lately... Now you know the reason why and I hope you are understanding.
The sickness can't go longer than 5 months. That is the most positive outlook that I can muster at the moment.
Every bone in my body can hardly wait for delivery day!
Monday, February 15, 2010
The Girl That Made Me a Mommy!
Disclaimer: I'm not one to mince words, so continue reading at your own risk. This is my "no holds barred" labor and delivery post about when I had Reagan.
I was reading a blog post, the other day, authored by a girl I knew in Seattle. She delivered her baby in the same hospital that I delivered Reagan in.
Evergreen Hospital, Kirkland, WA
It occurred to me that I had never written about my labor and delivery experience with Reagan. I had been planning on doing it around Reagan's 1st birthday, as a sort of commemoration. But I didn't. So, I am doing it now.
First of all, there really wasn't a single, solitary thing I enjoyed about being pregnant. Nick made a rule that I was not allowed to watch prime-time television, due to the fact that I had "night sickness" which would promptly strike at 4PM EVERY NIGHT and inevitably, if I were watching television I would see a commercial for some kind of food that made me feel sick (manwich...GAG). There isn't too much hustle left in a pregnant woman's waddle, so I could never make it to the bathroom quick enough and 9 times out of 10 I ended up puking on the floor on the way to the bathroom. Nick was so sweet and would clean it up. But such incidents led to the invoking of the aforementioned rule.
My Boss, Kris, was also so sweet. She would make sure I was off of work every day by 4PM, so that I wouldn't be sick at work. Although, I do remember one time that we went on a client call together, to a fishery; and I couldn't take the smell. Kris just kept begging me not to throw-up. I did my darndest to comply. That time, I think I just stood by the side of her car in the parking lot and did a lot of dry-heaving.
Needless to say, by the time my due date got close I was ready to be done. I kept thinking how unfair it was that my sister delivered Lance when he was 35 weeks. Three days before my due-date I went to a matinee with Jeanne and her kids and started getting some back-labor (that pain was worse than actual labor, in my opinion). That evening, Nick and I went to the OB's office (it was the one, and only time I went in without an appointment); and were told that I wasn't in active labor. Go Home. Grrrr.
I had a regularly scheduled prenatal appointment for the day before my due-date. At that appointment I begged my OB to induce me. I told her how miserable I had been, I was so swollen (my ring-finger size had gone from a 6 to an 11!) and gave her the whole "song and dance" that I am sure she hears with every pregnancy. She told me we could go through the weekend and see where things were on Monday. Double Grrrr... Never, in my life had I been more disappointed that I was healthy. If I had, had some sort of health problem they could have induced me. I just wanted to have that baby.
After the conversation; my OB told me she'd check me, really quickly, to see just how much I had (probably not) progressed since I started dilating and effacing two weeks prior. I laid down on the examining table, and the next thing I knew I felt a big GUSH. My OB smiled, and said "guess what? You're water just broke!". To this day, I do not know whether it was: "your water just broke,- wink, wink", or whether it really did just break on its own? My OB would never acknowledge that it was intentional on her part. I'd like to think it was, and that she took pity on a pregnant lady :)
There was Mechonium (sp?) in the fluid. And it sucked having to get dressed to walk down to the the hospital labor and delivery floor. The fluid was puddling up in my shoes and I could feel more leaking out with every step. Gross.
When we got checked ins I had the luck of getting "nurse Helga" assigned to me for the first shift. Upon arrival, I had asked for Drugs, Drugs, Drugs! Pitocin and an Epidural- let's get this show on the road!
Nurse Helga had the Seattle-Treehugger mentality; and told me that she thought it best for me to walk the halls for a while to help the labor progress naturally. Well, I couldn't administer medication to myself, so what choice did I have? Nick and I walked the halls in 15 minute increments for 6 hours! And guess what? Absolutely no progression from doing that.
Also, Nurse Helga did a craptacualr job of putting in my IV. Missed on the first two tries, and then got a painful hit on the 3rd. It made me secretly happy that I ended up bleeding all over her (blood concentrated mainly in her crotch area) and that she had to go change her scrubs. The IV ended up being the most painful part of the entire ordeal.
Oh yeah, and I had eaten breakfast in the morning, but since my OB appt. was at 1PM, I figured Nick and I would catch lunch afterward. I hadn't figured on going in to labor AT the appointment. Once you go in to labor you are not allowed to eat. Of course, for dinner that night the meal the cafeteria brought looked delicious and I got to watch Nick every bite of the dinner that had been meant for me.
Nurse Helga's shift eventually ended. Thank goodness! And I got a sweet nurse named Yolanda, in her place. Yolanda ordered me up my drug cocktail. The pitocin didn't seem bad, and the epidural was heaven.
Reagan and Yolanda
At that point it was after midnight. Nick asked Y how long it might take me to dilate (I had been at 2cm), and she said that her guess was that I wouldn't be having the baby until 7AM the next morning. Y decided to go on her lunch break, and Nick decided to settle down for some sleep. I had been on the pitocin and epidural for about an hour and a half. The nurses didn't want to check me too often, because of the Mechonium (don't want to introduce an infection to the baby) so I was hesitant to ask. If my baby's safety hadn't been a concern I would have been asking for up-to-the-minute play-by-plays. Yes, I am the least patient person alive.
Yolanda's "fill-in" while she was at lunch came in to the room to introduce herself. I had been feeling a lot of pressure in my pelvic area and decided to ask Nurse fill-in to check me.
It's a little past 1AM at this point. Nick has settled down for some much-needed rest. I'm thinking of catching some more shut-eye too. BUT Reagan had other plans. The nurse checked me and was very surprised to find that I had dilated to 10cm. She laughed, because when she announced this fact, Nick sat: bolt-upright in bed. That caught soon-to-be-Dad's attention!
It's all about the drugs, I tell ya. I still get mad when I think about all of the walking I did, in the halls of the hospital. It did nothing for me, except make me tired. Think of all the time I would have saved, if they would have just given me the drugs, from the get-go?!
Yolanda's prediction of the baby coming at 7AM was way off.
She also said that, on average, most women push for 2+ hours. Wrong again. I started pushing at 2AM-ish. A lot of what was happening at this point is a blur for me. I remember that I was shivering uncontrollably. They told me the on-call doctor was leaving her house and heading to the hospital to deliver my baby.
I did have the presence of mind to ask Yolanda if she could see hair on the top of my baby's head. Funny, that this was my most pressing concern at the moment :) Yes, Reagan did have hair.
Yolanda wanted me to start some "practice pushing". I'm not one to do things "halfway', and you had better believe I put everything I had in to what was supposed to be the "practice pushing". Next thing I know Yolanda is telling me to "stop pushing!", because the baby was coming. WAY easier said than done. I started begging Yolanda to just deliver my baby. Fighting the urge to push was next to impossible. The OB managed to make it just in time to catch Reagan, but Reagan came so fast that the Pediatric Team didn't have time to get to the room (they wanted the Pediatric Team of Doctors there to suction Reagan's airways out; since there was the Mechonium).
Reagan Kae Scheurer. My Bundle of Joy!
My Beautiful baby girl made her entrance in to the world at 3:19AM on July 19, 2008. When Nick and I had been discussing our "birth plan" prior to Reagan's arrival, I was adamant about not wanting to deal with- what I deemed to be the "messy stuff". I didn't want to be given a hand-mirror to be able to see firsthand what was going on with Reagan's crowning, etc... I wanted Reagan to be cleaned off before I held her for the first time. I was totally paranoid that I was going to poo on the table, while I was pushing (this fear came to light after I read the hilarious and highly recommended-by ME- book: Belly Laughs by: Jenny McCarthy). But once I got to the actual Labor and Delivery part most of those items were the last thing on my mind. I never did ask for the hand mirror. I did let Nick take a peek, when Reagan was crowning though. I have no idea if I ended up pooing on the table? AND when Reagan was finally born the doctor immediately put Reagan on my stomach, slime and all! Guess what?! It was one of the happiest moments of my life.
One thing I was not able to give-in, on, however.... Was my consumption of Turkey. I avoided Turkey (in any form) while I was pregnant. Thanksgiving went from being my favorite holiday, to my least. Since Reagan was born in the middle-of-the-stinkin'-night, the cafeteria was closed. I was RAVENOUS (remember: no lunch or dinner for me). Yolanda told me that they had some sandwiches in the refrigerator, and that she'd get one for me. Oh, the irony... Y came back with a turkey sandwich! I sucked down a few cups of jell-o and pudding instead, and inhaled my breakfast when it finally arrived.
My first picture as a Mommy.
The cafeteria at Evergreen Hospital was delicious! I loved almost everything about that Hospital! They had "birthing suites", once you went in to labor you checked in to your room and you were able to stay there throughout everything. They had actual beds for your spouse to sleep in (not those awful chairs that convert to beds that some hospitals offer)! Glory of glories, they would give you as much pudding and jell-o as you wanted to eat! BUT they do not have a nursery at Evergreen Hospital. We're back to the whole granola mentality that abounds in Seattle; at Evergreen Hospital your new baby "rooms-in" with you. Did I like this policy? Not so much. I think most new parents want to spend every waking moment staring at their newborn. I ended up spending 50 hours of "every waking moment" staring at my newborn! That's right. I was awake for 50 hours straight, because I couldn't send my little one to the nursery.
Nick and Reagan enjoying a nap. Obviously, I was awake- b/c I was taking the picture. Also, didn't I tell you they had nice beds for the spouses?
This has not been a bad thing, because I can use that line on Nick any time we are in a disagreement and I want to get my way. "Nick, I was awake for 50 hours; after I delivered YOUR child".
Eventually, we checked out of the hospital, and I was able to go home to sleep. The 8 hours of rest I got after arriving home was probably one of the longest stretches of sleep I would get for the next 9 months.
After all of that: would I go through it again? Apparently, the answer is "YES".
For those of you still reading this War and Peace -length post, there is your reward. If you catch my drift. Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge.
And if you want to know what happened after we got home from the hospital... Go back to the beginning of my blog and start reading from there. Reagan, is where it all began.
Reagan in her carseat. She was so little!
I was reading a blog post, the other day, authored by a girl I knew in Seattle. She delivered her baby in the same hospital that I delivered Reagan in.
Evergreen Hospital, Kirkland, WA
It occurred to me that I had never written about my labor and delivery experience with Reagan. I had been planning on doing it around Reagan's 1st birthday, as a sort of commemoration. But I didn't. So, I am doing it now.
First of all, there really wasn't a single, solitary thing I enjoyed about being pregnant. Nick made a rule that I was not allowed to watch prime-time television, due to the fact that I had "night sickness" which would promptly strike at 4PM EVERY NIGHT and inevitably, if I were watching television I would see a commercial for some kind of food that made me feel sick (manwich...GAG). There isn't too much hustle left in a pregnant woman's waddle, so I could never make it to the bathroom quick enough and 9 times out of 10 I ended up puking on the floor on the way to the bathroom. Nick was so sweet and would clean it up. But such incidents led to the invoking of the aforementioned rule.
My Boss, Kris, was also so sweet. She would make sure I was off of work every day by 4PM, so that I wouldn't be sick at work. Although, I do remember one time that we went on a client call together, to a fishery; and I couldn't take the smell. Kris just kept begging me not to throw-up. I did my darndest to comply. That time, I think I just stood by the side of her car in the parking lot and did a lot of dry-heaving.
Needless to say, by the time my due date got close I was ready to be done. I kept thinking how unfair it was that my sister delivered Lance when he was 35 weeks. Three days before my due-date I went to a matinee with Jeanne and her kids and started getting some back-labor (that pain was worse than actual labor, in my opinion). That evening, Nick and I went to the OB's office (it was the one, and only time I went in without an appointment); and were told that I wasn't in active labor. Go Home. Grrrr.
I had a regularly scheduled prenatal appointment for the day before my due-date. At that appointment I begged my OB to induce me. I told her how miserable I had been, I was so swollen (my ring-finger size had gone from a 6 to an 11!) and gave her the whole "song and dance" that I am sure she hears with every pregnancy. She told me we could go through the weekend and see where things were on Monday. Double Grrrr... Never, in my life had I been more disappointed that I was healthy. If I had, had some sort of health problem they could have induced me. I just wanted to have that baby.
After the conversation; my OB told me she'd check me, really quickly, to see just how much I had (probably not) progressed since I started dilating and effacing two weeks prior. I laid down on the examining table, and the next thing I knew I felt a big GUSH. My OB smiled, and said "guess what? You're water just broke!". To this day, I do not know whether it was: "your water just broke,- wink, wink", or whether it really did just break on its own? My OB would never acknowledge that it was intentional on her part. I'd like to think it was, and that she took pity on a pregnant lady :)
There was Mechonium (sp?) in the fluid. And it sucked having to get dressed to walk down to the the hospital labor and delivery floor. The fluid was puddling up in my shoes and I could feel more leaking out with every step. Gross.
When we got checked ins I had the luck of getting "nurse Helga" assigned to me for the first shift. Upon arrival, I had asked for Drugs, Drugs, Drugs! Pitocin and an Epidural- let's get this show on the road!
Nurse Helga had the Seattle-Treehugger mentality; and told me that she thought it best for me to walk the halls for a while to help the labor progress naturally. Well, I couldn't administer medication to myself, so what choice did I have? Nick and I walked the halls in 15 minute increments for 6 hours! And guess what? Absolutely no progression from doing that.
Also, Nurse Helga did a craptacualr job of putting in my IV. Missed on the first two tries, and then got a painful hit on the 3rd. It made me secretly happy that I ended up bleeding all over her (blood concentrated mainly in her crotch area) and that she had to go change her scrubs. The IV ended up being the most painful part of the entire ordeal.
Oh yeah, and I had eaten breakfast in the morning, but since my OB appt. was at 1PM, I figured Nick and I would catch lunch afterward. I hadn't figured on going in to labor AT the appointment. Once you go in to labor you are not allowed to eat. Of course, for dinner that night the meal the cafeteria brought looked delicious and I got to watch Nick every bite of the dinner that had been meant for me.
Nurse Helga's shift eventually ended. Thank goodness! And I got a sweet nurse named Yolanda, in her place. Yolanda ordered me up my drug cocktail. The pitocin didn't seem bad, and the epidural was heaven.
Reagan and Yolanda
At that point it was after midnight. Nick asked Y how long it might take me to dilate (I had been at 2cm), and she said that her guess was that I wouldn't be having the baby until 7AM the next morning. Y decided to go on her lunch break, and Nick decided to settle down for some sleep. I had been on the pitocin and epidural for about an hour and a half. The nurses didn't want to check me too often, because of the Mechonium (don't want to introduce an infection to the baby) so I was hesitant to ask. If my baby's safety hadn't been a concern I would have been asking for up-to-the-minute play-by-plays. Yes, I am the least patient person alive.
Yolanda's "fill-in" while she was at lunch came in to the room to introduce herself. I had been feeling a lot of pressure in my pelvic area and decided to ask Nurse fill-in to check me.
It's a little past 1AM at this point. Nick has settled down for some much-needed rest. I'm thinking of catching some more shut-eye too. BUT Reagan had other plans. The nurse checked me and was very surprised to find that I had dilated to 10cm. She laughed, because when she announced this fact, Nick sat: bolt-upright in bed. That caught soon-to-be-Dad's attention!
It's all about the drugs, I tell ya. I still get mad when I think about all of the walking I did, in the halls of the hospital. It did nothing for me, except make me tired. Think of all the time I would have saved, if they would have just given me the drugs, from the get-go?!
Yolanda's prediction of the baby coming at 7AM was way off.
She also said that, on average, most women push for 2+ hours. Wrong again. I started pushing at 2AM-ish. A lot of what was happening at this point is a blur for me. I remember that I was shivering uncontrollably. They told me the on-call doctor was leaving her house and heading to the hospital to deliver my baby.
I did have the presence of mind to ask Yolanda if she could see hair on the top of my baby's head. Funny, that this was my most pressing concern at the moment :) Yes, Reagan did have hair.
Yolanda wanted me to start some "practice pushing". I'm not one to do things "halfway', and you had better believe I put everything I had in to what was supposed to be the "practice pushing". Next thing I know Yolanda is telling me to "stop pushing!", because the baby was coming. WAY easier said than done. I started begging Yolanda to just deliver my baby. Fighting the urge to push was next to impossible. The OB managed to make it just in time to catch Reagan, but Reagan came so fast that the Pediatric Team didn't have time to get to the room (they wanted the Pediatric Team of Doctors there to suction Reagan's airways out; since there was the Mechonium).
Reagan Kae Scheurer. My Bundle of Joy!
My Beautiful baby girl made her entrance in to the world at 3:19AM on July 19, 2008. When Nick and I had been discussing our "birth plan" prior to Reagan's arrival, I was adamant about not wanting to deal with- what I deemed to be the "messy stuff". I didn't want to be given a hand-mirror to be able to see firsthand what was going on with Reagan's crowning, etc... I wanted Reagan to be cleaned off before I held her for the first time. I was totally paranoid that I was going to poo on the table, while I was pushing (this fear came to light after I read the hilarious and highly recommended-by ME- book: Belly Laughs by: Jenny McCarthy). But once I got to the actual Labor and Delivery part most of those items were the last thing on my mind. I never did ask for the hand mirror. I did let Nick take a peek, when Reagan was crowning though. I have no idea if I ended up pooing on the table? AND when Reagan was finally born the doctor immediately put Reagan on my stomach, slime and all! Guess what?! It was one of the happiest moments of my life.
One thing I was not able to give-in, on, however.... Was my consumption of Turkey. I avoided Turkey (in any form) while I was pregnant. Thanksgiving went from being my favorite holiday, to my least. Since Reagan was born in the middle-of-the-stinkin'-night, the cafeteria was closed. I was RAVENOUS (remember: no lunch or dinner for me). Yolanda told me that they had some sandwiches in the refrigerator, and that she'd get one for me. Oh, the irony... Y came back with a turkey sandwich! I sucked down a few cups of jell-o and pudding instead, and inhaled my breakfast when it finally arrived.
My first picture as a Mommy.
The cafeteria at Evergreen Hospital was delicious! I loved almost everything about that Hospital! They had "birthing suites", once you went in to labor you checked in to your room and you were able to stay there throughout everything. They had actual beds for your spouse to sleep in (not those awful chairs that convert to beds that some hospitals offer)! Glory of glories, they would give you as much pudding and jell-o as you wanted to eat! BUT they do not have a nursery at Evergreen Hospital. We're back to the whole granola mentality that abounds in Seattle; at Evergreen Hospital your new baby "rooms-in" with you. Did I like this policy? Not so much. I think most new parents want to spend every waking moment staring at their newborn. I ended up spending 50 hours of "every waking moment" staring at my newborn! That's right. I was awake for 50 hours straight, because I couldn't send my little one to the nursery.
Nick and Reagan enjoying a nap. Obviously, I was awake- b/c I was taking the picture. Also, didn't I tell you they had nice beds for the spouses?
This has not been a bad thing, because I can use that line on Nick any time we are in a disagreement and I want to get my way. "Nick, I was awake for 50 hours; after I delivered YOUR child".
Eventually, we checked out of the hospital, and I was able to go home to sleep. The 8 hours of rest I got after arriving home was probably one of the longest stretches of sleep I would get for the next 9 months.
After all of that: would I go through it again? Apparently, the answer is "YES".
For those of you still reading this War and Peace -length post, there is your reward. If you catch my drift. Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge.
And if you want to know what happened after we got home from the hospital... Go back to the beginning of my blog and start reading from there. Reagan, is where it all began.
Reagan in her carseat. She was so little!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Funnies
The Sunday comics don't have anything on the Scheurer family. I love being married to a guy who makes me laugh (sometimes he does it on purpose, and sometimes not).
I want to preface this by saying that Nick still wears t-shirts (that I deem juvenile, but he thinks are funny). I have reminded him- ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS- that he is a few short months away from being "middle aged", he is a husband, father, homeowner and Pharm D Doctor; so why he feels the need to wear AquaTeenHungerForce t-shirts is beyond me? As an example.... a few weeks ago Nick took Reagan to her Music Makers class, because I had a doctor's apt. Reagan's music makers class is full of other kids from 2-4 years old and their Mom's. I was happy that Nick took Reagan to her class, even though he knew, most likely, that he would be the only Dad there. A few days after the class I ran in to one of the Mom's from the class and she made a comment about the "interesting" t-shirt Nick had worn to Music Makers. I thought about it for a second and then realized that Nick had been wearing a Monte Python t-shirt that day that says- IN BIG BLACK LETTERS on the back, "I wave my private parts at your Aunties". Totally appropriate, right?!
So, earlier this week we had a knock on the door. Nick answered the front door to find a little girl scout there. She took one look at Nick and said. "Is your Mom or Dad home?"
Nick was wearing a Ralph Wiggum (from The Simpson's) t-shirt that has a big picture of Ralph on the front.
I know exactly what was going through this girl scout's head. No adult would wear a t-shirt with a picture of a Simpson's character on the front. So, naturally; this tall guy had to be a teenager.
I still got a kick out of her question. It gave us all a good laugh that night.
Next up: Reagan had the croup (AGAIN!) a week ago. This, is in no way fun. But when I got home from the pediatrician's office and was giving Nick a report of what the Doctor said, I told Nick that the Doctor had suggested we prop towels under the crib mattress to put it on an incline so that Reagan's head and chest would be propped up. Nick went to work on this little project. When I walked in to the nursery after he had finished, this is what I found:
Chuckle.
Other things that make me laugh: Reagan will now tell me when she has "poo poo" in her diaper. It makes me smile every time to hear her say "poo poo". I guess I am not above "potty humor" after all. Reagan has discovered the full-length mirror in my bedroom and she LOVES to stand in front of it and watch herself do things- like put on bead necklaces. The other day my Dad caught her standing in front of the mirror practicing saying, "No, No, No", over and over again. Lastly, she has started walking around the living room with her eyes closed and her arms out in front of her. Sometimes she runs in to things. This is where "mean Mom" comes out, because I think it is funny. Who knows where she picks half of this stuff up from? I love that kid!
Oh, and one more thing. I want to "plug" the awesome blog my friend Jacki has started. You will find the button/link to it on the left-hand side of my blog. It is called "Bargain Divas" and it is AMAZING! I can't list all of the incredible deals that I have taken advantage of! But some of them are: Genuine Croc's for an awesome price, a free wide-toothed comb for untangling snarls from little' girls hair, Free pampers diapers, Free beech-nut baby food; just to name a few. If you do any sort of online shopping this blog is a MUST! Check it out. You will be happy you did!
I want to preface this by saying that Nick still wears t-shirts (that I deem juvenile, but he thinks are funny). I have reminded him- ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS- that he is a few short months away from being "middle aged", he is a husband, father, homeowner and Pharm D Doctor; so why he feels the need to wear AquaTeenHungerForce t-shirts is beyond me? As an example.... a few weeks ago Nick took Reagan to her Music Makers class, because I had a doctor's apt. Reagan's music makers class is full of other kids from 2-4 years old and their Mom's. I was happy that Nick took Reagan to her class, even though he knew, most likely, that he would be the only Dad there. A few days after the class I ran in to one of the Mom's from the class and she made a comment about the "interesting" t-shirt Nick had worn to Music Makers. I thought about it for a second and then realized that Nick had been wearing a Monte Python t-shirt that day that says- IN BIG BLACK LETTERS on the back, "I wave my private parts at your Aunties". Totally appropriate, right?!
So, earlier this week we had a knock on the door. Nick answered the front door to find a little girl scout there. She took one look at Nick and said. "Is your Mom or Dad home?"
Nick was wearing a Ralph Wiggum (from The Simpson's) t-shirt that has a big picture of Ralph on the front.
I know exactly what was going through this girl scout's head. No adult would wear a t-shirt with a picture of a Simpson's character on the front. So, naturally; this tall guy had to be a teenager.
I still got a kick out of her question. It gave us all a good laugh that night.
Next up: Reagan had the croup (AGAIN!) a week ago. This, is in no way fun. But when I got home from the pediatrician's office and was giving Nick a report of what the Doctor said, I told Nick that the Doctor had suggested we prop towels under the crib mattress to put it on an incline so that Reagan's head and chest would be propped up. Nick went to work on this little project. When I walked in to the nursery after he had finished, this is what I found:
Chuckle.
Other things that make me laugh: Reagan will now tell me when she has "poo poo" in her diaper. It makes me smile every time to hear her say "poo poo". I guess I am not above "potty humor" after all. Reagan has discovered the full-length mirror in my bedroom and she LOVES to stand in front of it and watch herself do things- like put on bead necklaces. The other day my Dad caught her standing in front of the mirror practicing saying, "No, No, No", over and over again. Lastly, she has started walking around the living room with her eyes closed and her arms out in front of her. Sometimes she runs in to things. This is where "mean Mom" comes out, because I think it is funny. Who knows where she picks half of this stuff up from? I love that kid!
Oh, and one more thing. I want to "plug" the awesome blog my friend Jacki has started. You will find the button/link to it on the left-hand side of my blog. It is called "Bargain Divas" and it is AMAZING! I can't list all of the incredible deals that I have taken advantage of! But some of them are: Genuine Croc's for an awesome price, a free wide-toothed comb for untangling snarls from little' girls hair, Free pampers diapers, Free beech-nut baby food; just to name a few. If you do any sort of online shopping this blog is a MUST! Check it out. You will be happy you did!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)