September 25, 2009

Ender's birth and life thus far...

Well... they say to enjoy every moment with your little one – I guess I've been taking this to an extreme! I've been spending so much time with my baby that I haven't updated everyone on what has been happening.

Life with Ender has been wonderful. He has been the perfect baby! He sleeps pretty well... although not quite all the way through the night yet. He is just like Mommy and Daddy – a night owl! He typically will sleep from 7–11; eat and go back to sleep until about 5am. It has been wonderful even though I am not a morning person! We usually go back to sleep unless we have something pressing that we need to do. =) He has been pretty good about sleeping in his crib which helps me get a better night sleep because I don't hear every little noise he makes (we originally set up his bassinet in our bedroom).

My mom was able to come out for a week, which was fun. =) She got to spend a lot of time holding Ender while I worked on the house. ScottE and I were just so ready to have Ender that it hasn't been as much of an adjustment as we had originally expected. We thought he would have sensitive skin – he doesn't. We thought he would cry a lot – he doesn't. We thought it would be difficult to get him to go to sleep – it hasn't been. There have been a few fussy moments, but for the most part, he is a very happy baby. He recently started smiling and I can't wait until he starts reaching out for us and laughing. He tends to smile most for Daddy... =) which just thrills my soul because Daddy doesn't get to spend a lot of time with him due to his work.

I know I haven't shared his birth story yet... and I'll get to that in just a moment... ScottE has been gone a lot for work. Right now, he is in California to get his work truck which we loaded with a bunch of stuff in the move. We have been living without a vacuum and several lamps since April! It makes me wonder... do we really need all that stuff? Of course, the answer is yes – we've survived thus far, but it will be nice to get all of our stuff into the house. I'm gonna have to find a place for all of it. =)

My recovery has been going well... I didn't tear at all during labor and I'm already below my pre-pregnancy weight. I know I need to get exercising but for now, my metabolism (and nursing) has done all of the work. I truly have been blessed and I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for Ender and how great I've been feeling.

So... his birth! =)
Friday (August 7th): ScottE was given the day off and needed to take in his work truck. So we took it in and dropped it off. We decided to go walk around the mall for a little while to see if we could get our little man to come out. After a couple hours, I was pretty tired and ScottE's truck was done, so we picked it up and came home. I think we ran a few other errands as well and it seems like we went to the movies too, but eventually we got back home. I was feeling pretty uncomfortable but no major contractions to speak of.

Saturday (August 8th): I was feeling really uncomfortable. I didn't want to move a whole lot and so we spent a majority of the day in bed or around the house. I wanted to walk around some to get things moving, but I was in some major pain. I wasn't really having contractions, but I was experiencing some major cramping. I called the doctor but they basically told me I was in the beginning stages of labor and unless things got worse or my water broke that I should just stay home. I didn't sleep much that night...

Sunday (August 9th): That morning, I decided it was time to go to see the doctor. Upon arrival, we had the Bishop and another priesthood holder come to give me a blessing. I felt better afterward... then the nurse came in to check me. She said I was dilated about 2 cm and that they wouldn't admit me unless my water broke or I was 4 cm dilated. I was crushed... but she told us to walk around the hospital for a little while and then come back. We decided to walk around, but it was raining so we couldn't really go outside and there weren't many places we could go. We ate a little something and then went back. The nurse told us we would be going home... but that we would be back later that night. I put my hope in that and made the trip back home...

Once we got home, I felt a little bit better simply because I was more comfortable, but I didn't want to be at home. I wanted to be in the hospital! We called my sister-in-law Jana to see if she was available to come down and help out in the delivery room. She said she would be delighted... so we decided to wait at home until she arrived. Once she got here, we drove to the hospital.

In triage, I was checked. I told the nurse I had been having some bladder issues (or what I thought were bladder issues). She decided to test the fluid to see if it was urine or amniotic fluid. Come to find out, my water had broken and I hadn't even realized it! I was stoked!! That meant we HAD to stay! The doctor finally arrived to check me again - I was still at a 2, but since my water had broken, they were going to admit me into the Labor and Delivery room.

Once I got to my room, all I wanted to do was lay down. The nurse came in and put on the monitors. I stayed on the monitors for a little while and breathed through my contractions as best I could. We tried different things to make me more comfortable - I sat in the tub for a while; rolled over on opposite sides. Mostly I stayed in the bed - I considered walking around a bit, but my legs were so weak... We talked about trying different things, but I was most comfortable in bed, lying on my side doing my best to breathe through the pain.

At some point (my grasp of time was non-existent and I think it was around midnight), my nurse checked me to see how dilated I was. She said I was at an 8 - the first thing that ran through my head was, "Are you serious?! It's nearly over!" I definitely felt it was too good to be true... She went to get the doctor and came back with another nurse who rechecked me. My fears were confirmed as she said I was only a 3-4. I wanted to sink into the bed and die. I couldn't take it. I was exhausted and unable to sleep...

My nurse suggested some pain medication - just to help me sleep. I knew I didn't want an epidural but I NEEDED to sleep! She recommended Benedryl and Nubane which would help me relax so I could, at the very least, rest for a little while. It helped for a little while but didn't last as long as I would have liked.

Monday (August 10th): We finally got to the pushing the next morning. As I said, my grasp of time was non-existent but I know I pushed for over an hour. He came out with a slightly smooshed head, but he was perfect. If you don't know, he weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces and was 22 inches long. Thus far, his eyes are staying blue and I hope they do. He has a head full of hair which he was born with – which is sort of a strawberry blond. We think it may go blond later...

We went to the doctor last week... he got his second hepatitis shot. He was such a sport. He cried after the nurse stabbed him, but I started talking to him, trying to reassure him and he calmed down almost immediately. He now weighs 11 pounds and is 23 inches long. Gotta love breast milk!! On that note: nursing is going really well. He likes to eat at night – which is sometimes frustrating for me, but we're surviving. I occasionally pump a bottle for him so Daddy can help with the feedings.

I have posted some new pictures on my Facebook and will do my best to keep them coming. Life with Ender has not only been wonderful but incredibly natural... and I think that's all for now. =) I will do my best to not let things go for this long, so you don't have to read so much at one time!