Wait, what day is it?

These first few weeks have been such a mish mosh of crazy, I really don't even know what day it is. Things are going really well. I think Nicholas is starting to settle in and has realized he will not be going back into my belly anymore :)

Sleeping has been better, I don't want to jinx anything but he's doing better at night. It takes him awhile to settle down but I just sit with him on my chest until he goes into a deep sleep. The fun thing right now is that I'll feed him - to wake him up I change him before feeding, he'll eat, then drift off, get into a deep sleep, and then poop again. So that takes awhile but I think that's just the way it's going to be for now :)

I've actually been doing well with breast feeding lately. The plan the lactation consultant came up with was to undress him/change him if needed, nurse him on my good side, and then supplement with a bottle. He gets approximately an ounce out of me (we weighed him before and after when he latched at m y appointment) and then I supplement with a 2 oz bottle. If I have breast milk pumped I'll use that, if not, formula. He usually takes it all but if he doesn't I don't stress about it. At the lactation appt he was 7 lbs 9 oz and I was told it'd be ok if he weighed a little more than that, so to give him 3 oz if he wanted it. My friend Katy gave me some milk storage bags so I'm slowly starting to save some milk. I think it's going to be very difficult to keep up with breast feeding once I go back to work but I really want to try for as long as I can. I'm just happy he's starting to catch (latch, haha)on. I was getting pretty discouraged and Nick told me I was doing everything I could, and the lactation consultant was very proud of me, so that made me feel a lot better. I'm lucky to have a very good support system. I give so much credit to women that breast feed, it is not easy! I also completely understand why women give up so quickly.

Not to much else going on this way other than talk about my boobs :) Dexter is happy, constantly wanting to lick his brother. The other night I woke up with Dex in my arms in bed and I freaked out, thinking it was Nicholas and I started trying to burp him! I yelled at Nick "where's the baby!!?" And he was safe and sound in his bassinet. I guess a crazy sleep schedule will do that to a person.

Erik & Joe will be coming today and staying until Saturday. I'm so excited for them to meet their nephew!!

A few pics from yesterday:

Wide awake!

A few minutes later...

later that night...

Napping on momma

Happy First Birthday to Quinton

I can't believe how fast time has gone by! :)

Sleep Update

Nicholas did great last night - I managed to keep him up off and on all day yesterday and transitioned him into night by turning off the lights, winding down, etc. He did not wake up AT ALL during the night, I only woke him up at 2 am and 5 am when I had to feed him. He did great and went right back to bed. I'd love for it to happen again but taking it one day at a time and thinking positive. :)

I handed him off to Nick so I could pump and I snapped this picture. I don't think I could be any more in love.

Here he is with the hiccups, for about the 50th time since he's been born. He used to get them in my belly a lot. Also funny, when he sneezes, he never sneezes once, it's always 2 or 3 times, just like his Momma.

Specifics on the csection

Here are the specifics of why I had a c-section, thanks to Momma D (Nick's mom is a delivery nurse at the hospital where I gave birth).

The condition you had was HELLP Syndrome which stands for hemolysis (or breakdown of the red blood cells), elevated liver enzymes (amylase, SGOT, SGPT,etc..) low platelets (or clotting factors usually 150-200,000 but yours was dropping and as low as 110,000 (below 100,000 is really scary because you can have excessive bleeding.

H-Hemolysis
EL- Elevated liver enzymes
LP- Low Platelets

A rather rare complication of pregnancy that I think occurs due to delayed or untreated PIH (or pregnancy induced hypertension). Delivery is the cure and rarely does it occur in subsequent pregnancies although hypertension may as well as gestational diabetes.

So much to do, so little time!

So far this week has been a whirlwind, and not being at work, I hardly know what day it is.

I met with the lactation specialist on Tuesday and it was a great appointment. I wasn't really looking forward to it because of the trouble I've been having. But, we came up with a plan and I'm going to see how it goes, just taking it one day at a time. I have a follow up appointment next week.

Nicholas went to the pediatrician (I almost wrote vet!!) yesterday and he is one ounce away from his birth weight, which for those of you that don't know babies can lose up t o 10% of their birth weight after they are born due to loss of fluid and other stuff (I think the meconium/poop? :) The pediatrician likes them to be back to their birth weight by week 2 and since he's only a week and a half old, I was told we're doing great. The doc also talked to me about breast feeding a little bit and was very encouraging, telling me that it's great if I can do it but I also want to make sure I'm happy as well - I really appreciated his comments on the matter (much more so than the doc at the hospital!)

Today I had a follow up with my doctor as well and unfortunately my blood pressure was in the 140's. I have to go back next week to get checked again, but it may stay that way for awhile.

Nicholas is doing well, still sleeping most of the day and then up at night, although he's up less now at night then he was just a few days ago. I'm hoping that gets better as Nick is having a really hard time with the lack of sleep. I'm feeling well, my abdomen is a little sore but overall I have nothing to complain about.

I tried to take the babe for a walk today because it was beautiful out, I finally get everything together, get halfway down the road, and realize I don't have a bag if Dexter poops. So I gave up and came back home. But just getting everything together and taking about 30 steps left me winded, so I'm going to say I got a little exercise in today :)

Hi from naked Nicholas!

xoxo

First Doctor's Visit

Another quick update - Nicholas had his first doctor's visit and it went smashing! He was about 6lbs 15oz at the appt so now it's on to get him back up to his birth weight of 7lbs 6oz by his next appt wednesday (it is totally normal for babies to lose up to 10% of their birth weight after they are born). I don't think it'll be a problem because the kid eats like a champ. He is healthy and doing well. Our pediatrician and his wife actually had their baby the same day as we did, so he was "comparing" our situations a little but in a nice way.

We'll talk shots/vaccinations at the next appt and I'm already afraid for him!

xoxo

The First Few Days at Home

Warning: may be a little TMI for some :)

I sit on the lap top downstairs as Nicholas slumbers away peacefully in his crib upstairs. My good friend Brooke bought us the video monitoring system we registered for so I have it next to me to watch him. He looks so small in the big crib!

A lot of friends of mine have babies and there are also several that do not, so I thought I'd share some stuff that's going on with me (why should Nicholas get all the attention?? :) as well as how it's been having him the first few days.

Sleeping & Eating & Breastfeeding: Nicholas is a great sleeper so far, from 6 am until about 10 pm. We wake him up for feedings, he's not overly fussy, minimal spit up (I think the Dr. Brown's bottles Nick's cousin's wife recommended are really great) and he pees and poops A TON. It is hilarious to hear him fart, it's as loud as an adults, and he looks so happy when he does it - especially if he's in your lap.

Breastfeeding has been very difficult for me (skip this if you don't want TMI about my body). While in the hospital, I was approved for a hospital grade pump because my right nipple is flat & inverted, and Nicholas is unable to latch on. It was also difficult for him to latch on to the left side, but he managed a little bit here and there. The obstetrician that checked on me the day I was approved for the pump was very nasty - he is actually one of my favorites at my office but has very strong opinions about pumps. He upset me a great deal where I ended up crying - and I'm really not a crier (and I refuse to blame hormones!) He first asked me why I had a c-section when he could have looked at my chart, then stated if I was going to pump he would bet that in 6 weeks I wouldn't be breastfeeding any longer, because it is easier for Nicholas to take a bottle than feed from me - which I agree with, but he wasn't aware of my boob issues and didn't even bother to ask. He knew he upset me and said he didn't mean to, and signed the approval for the pump. I talked to the nurse after and she told me he's a great obstetrician but feels that the hospital pushes the use of the pump too much and he doesn't agree with it. Well, later that day I met with a social worker (which is routine) and she had heard about what the doctor said to me - apparently everyone on the floor did. Later that day, the doctor came back and apologized - I was in shock. He was very sincere and said I could slap him if I wanted to. I let him know that I'm not a crier so he did a great job at making me cry. I'm proud of myself for sticking up for myself, and I really appreciated how sincere he was when he apologized. He's the head of obstetrics at the hospital and the practice he is in, so I guess he can be a bit cocky at times. I also thanked the nurses because I know they laid into him and that's part of why he apologized.

Anyway - my problem is that I only have milk coming in on the one side, absolutely nothing from the other except a few drops here and there. I pump as much as I can, including the right side, in the hopes that constant "stimulation" will get something going. I'm meeting with a lactation consultant tomorrow, and plan to pump for as long as I can, but he's already eating more than I can produce so we are supplementing with a lot of formula. Also, when my milk came in it was not incredibly painful like some said - more than anything they were sore, like a PMS type soreness.

Enough about my boobs!

Before getting pregnant, I wasn't aware that after birth you bleed for several weeks. I was told I would bleed less with a c-section, and after a week I have to say I think I'm about done. It wasn't uncomfortable, and there wasn't very much of it. I think me constantly moving around and being active has really helped. While in the hospital, I had a lot of gas (TMI again, I know!), and would take frequent short walks to help it pass. It was honestly more painful then my abdominal muscles/c section scar.

Another thing I was told - enjoy your showers because you don't really get to take them once you're home. I have been lucky enough to take a nice comfortable shower each day that I've been home. Nicholas helps because he's such a good sleeper, and Nick is home with me so that's part of it too. We'll see how that goes in the coming weeks.

I only gained about 20 pounds throughout my entire pregnancy. I lost a few pounds when I found out I had gestational diabetes (I was too nervous to eat too much for a little while), then lost a few pounds at the end. I was very active until about month 8, when the babe settled on my sciatic nerve and even walking was difficult. I had no morning sickness, and not much of an appetite in the first and third trimester. Also, the gestational diabetes kept me from eating a lot of my favorite things like pizza and pasta. Because I gained so little weight, I kind of expected to look like myself again right away (like "oh hey I'm wearing my pre pregnancy jeans home from the hospital!) Little did I know, your uterus stays swollen after the birth. It has gone down quite a bit in the week, but I have a definite loose tummy with sagging skin and a pretty good pouch going on. We went for a car ride and when we hit a bump it jiggled - I was like what the heck is going on!! And when I sleep on my side it's a little uncomfortable because it "hangs" a bit. Nick jokes and says now I "only look 4 months pregnant" and "you have the benjamin button of stomachs, it's getting smaller and smaller each day." It hurt to laugh right after the surgery, but I'm thankful to say that's getting better each day because Nick sure does make me laugh a lot.

That's all I can really think of right now, and I hear the babe stirring so I'm off to see what he needs. If anyone has any questions or comments for me, please feel free to share.

xoxo

Nicholas Photos

A few of my favorites so far:

His very first photo, could it be more hilarious?

The cap we brought home for Dexter to smell - he thoroughly enjoyed playing with it just like he thoroughly enjoys sniffing and trying to lick his new brother.

Checking out his Mom

In the hospital crib

He was 7 lbs 6 oz and 19.5 inches long, but looks WAY longer in this pic (Nick is hoping he eventually gets my brother's height)

Sleeping on Grammy (my mom)

Grampa and Grammy - my parents came up once they knew what was going on and got there around 11 pm Monday night.

Excuse the lack of make up :)

Welcome Nicholas Joseph

Hi Everyone,

So I'm going to try to explain Nicholas' birth story as best as I can :)

On Monday March 12th I had a follow up doctor's appointment due to my high blood pressure stay over on March 8th & March 9th. I saw Dr. Bass at my appointment who sent me back to the hospital as my blood pressure was still to high. He wanted me to get some lab work done and be monitored for awhile. Nick's sister took me to my appointment as Nick had an important work appointment that day.

I was set up in the Labor & Delivery Unit and had blood work drawn by around noon that day. Awhile later I was thinking I would be released because the results came back so quickly, and instead a nurse came in with a johnny telling me to get changed as I would be having a baby that day. HOLY CRAP! Alexis almost started crying (and wanted to call people)and I started sweating so bad that I thought I actually broke my water. Nope, just sweat. I called Nick to tell him I was going to be induced and he went crazy. I called him back to let him know he had time to go get our overnight bag, check on Dexter, etc.

I was moved to another room where Dr. Fortune (who delivered Quinton as well as delivered Nicholas for us) explained what was going on. I'm not good at the medical specifics, but basically my blood work was not looking very good. On top of my blood pressure, my platelet count was very low and there were issues with my liver and some other important bodily functions (kidneys?). The doctor basically explained to me that I could have a seizure if I gave birth vaginally and was recommending that I have a c-section. It wasn't an "absolute" emergency, but I was told I could wait it out and things still may not change, or suddenly get worse. I could go through trying to have him vaginally and still need a c-section. After talking to Nick's mom (for those of you that dont' know she is a delivery nurse at Lowell General), I decided to move forward with the c-section. I called my family and friends to let them know and my parents decided to leave later that night.

I was started on an IV of magnesium sulfate due to the preeclampsia. Basically what this does is inhibit your body's ability to go into labor, but helps prevent me from having a seizure. I had to stay on this for 24 hours after the delivery to make sure everything was ok. The side effect of this drug is basically that I feel like I'm going through menopause. Within 2-3 minutes of the drip starting, I was hot, sweaty, nauseous, and wanted to kill everyone (good times!). I received a large dose pretty quickly and then it was slowed down for the remainder of the time. One of my nurses, Laura, was so incredible. I had to pee SO bad and was terrified of having a catheter put in until I had my anesthesia (the spinal). I was not allowed to get out of bed because the magnesium has started, so she was able to let me use a bed pan just once and I was so very thankful to her for that!

Nick put on his "sterile" suit and I was wheeled into the operating room. Laura was with me the whole time - I held onto her while getting the spinal - I couldn't believe that it did not hurt AT ALL. You know when you go to the dentist and get novocaine in your gums? The spinal hurt less than that. Laura told me everything that was going on while it was happening and made me feel so comfortable. Once I was laid out on the table Nick was allowed to come in and be by my head.

The only thing I felt were my legs being moved slightly so the catheter could be put in, and then the marker being used to draw where the incision would go. I felt light pressure (like someone pushing gently on my stomach) and that is it. One thing I'm pretty sure I felt, when Nicholas was about to be removed, I think he was kicking up high in my belly, and that was pretty amazing. Then, he was out...I was able to look at a clock the whole time and the surgery took 15 minutes! He cried instantly and was shown to me - all I said was THANK GOD HE IS CUTE. Nick was allowed to follow them back to watch him be cleaned up, and I think it took about a half hour to "put me back" together. Once I was moved to a recovery bed, Nicholas was laid on my chest - I can't even explain what it felt like and how I felt. Amazing. That's all I can think of. It just felt so good and so right.

Although Nicholas' birth may not have gone how I thought it would, I'm so thankful to the amazing doctors and nurses at Lowell General for doing such an amazing job. I'm so proud of Nick for not crying (when they talked about what was going on with my body) or passing out (when we saw lots of bloody gauze and he accidentally got a glimpse of what was on the other side of the blue curtain) and being next to me the whole time. My friends and family are so wonderful and I know everyone loves Nicholas (almost) as much as we do.

I have many many pictures to come, but just wanted to get this story blogged because a lot of people didn't know what happened. My recovery has been good so far, the pain is manageable and I just keep moving and that really seems to help.

Thank you to everyone for your love, kind words, and support.

xoxo

A Message from my Nephew Quinton (thanks Dan)

Took this funny picture of Quinton a little while ago! Hope you like it and we're on our toes waiting for good news!

Surprise Hospital Visit - Round 2

May be a little TMI for some :)

I had my weekly doctor's appointment yesterday and was sent to the hospital because my blood pressure was in the 160's. I am measuring fine (also measuring as if he's dropped..so that's a good thing) and the babe's heart beat was 140, so I was sent as a precautionary measure since I'm so close to my due date.

I got to the hospital around 10 am yesterday and was not released until 8 am this morning. Thankfully Nick was with me and I was so glad to have him there, and my friend Brooke was able to take care of Dexter for us. I met Dr. Domingo for the first time and I really liked her because she was straightforward and no nonsense - very matter of fact and to the point. She checked my cervix (ladies..for those of you who have never had this done, it is quite possibly the most pain and discomfort I have felt in my entire life and it was done 5 times in 2 days...can't wait for labor!) and I was completely closed. The babe and I were monitored for several hours, and by 5 in the afternoon, my blood pressure was much better, but still had a few spikes. The decision was made to try cervidil, a drug that could soften/thin out my cervix in order to prepare it for labor. This was also quite uncomfortable going in (it is basically a $500 piece of long string with a hormone on it that is put against my cervix) and then left in for 12 hours. I was told not to get my hopes up, that it might not work at all, but where I am almost 39 weeks it may help to get things going. I did not have any expectations of it working. I also had an iv put in just in case and bloodwork drawn - unfortunately I was poked several times for bloodwork until a vein was found - and people wonder why I don't like having it done. The nurse that did my IV was amazing, minimal pain and I hope she's on when I deliver because I adored her.

Sleeping at the hospital was very uncomfortable, and my cervix started to tighten/cramp up, and in the tiny bed, no position was a good one. I woke up the following morning and had the cervidil removed, only to find out that there was no change to my cervix. Dr. Domingo waited for the next doctor on, Dr. Bass (also the first time I met him and really liked him as well), to check me as well and then the decision was made to release me. I'm glad I wasn't put on bed rest, but I was completely wiped out from the experience. In the morning I started crying - not because of pain, but just from tiredness/worry I guess. Apparently that set off an alarm and sent nurses running in - I was mortified, but they were so nice and kind and made me feel a lot better. I really really love Lowell General and don't understand people that said they "would never go there" and would only go to Boston.

One more exciting piece of news - I had an ultrasound and he is measuring about 7.5 pounds, give or take a half pound. If I don't deliver for 2 more weeks, my guess of him being 8 pounds will be right! His head (although I didn't want to look) measured a little over 12 cm...oy! ;) The ultrasound tech was super funny and didn't want to scare me since this is my first baby, but I'm not afraid. He said prior to me he did an ultrasound on a women with triplets...I can't even imagine!

I have a follow up on Monday with Dr. Bass in the morning, so I will keep everyone posted. If we didn't contact you about this, please don't be offended. Not knowing what was going on, we really didn't want to worry/concern people unless the baby was coming or if there was a serious problem.

Love to all!

Crystal

37 Weeks and 5 Days - but who's counting?

I had my 37/38 week check up at the doctor today and it went well. I am measuring at 37 weeks and have gained a little under 25 pounds (I no longer take my huge boots off when I weigh in because it’d probably take me an hour). Babe’s heartbeat is in the 140-150 range and he’s doing well. His legs/knees/feet are up at the top of my stomach so he’s definitely remaining in the head down position and I hope he stays there. Even though he’s on my sciatic nerve and it’s quite painful, I’d rather have him stay there because I know it's where he's meant to be.

I was wearing a striped shirt today and told the doc it’s my co-worker’s favorite because you can really see the rippling of my belly when he moves. She felt my belly and said “oh wow, you’re all baby, no fat.” Did I mention how much I love my doctor’s office??

My co-workers have been really great lately. Yesterday two of them wanted to go get my car and then clean it off for me because we’ve got our first snow all winter. I managed just fine, but it was very sweet of them to offer. I told them I should just get pregnant every winter from now on!

Not too much else is going on – I don’t think he’s really “dropped” yet so I’m just going with the “I’m ready for him when he’s ready” mentality, and will be so happy once he finally arrives. I really can’t believe how fast the time went, and how any day now we will be holding him in our arms! We jokingly practice hold with Dexter on his back – he is not amused by it at all! I can’t wait to see Dexter with the baby, I know he’s going to be just fine. He's been around a lot of babies and toddlers and is excited that they are at his level.

Hope everyone is well!

xoxo