new life

I'm finally starting to adjust to my new day-to-day life. Instead of coping with Preschool, potty training, taunting contractions, herniated bellybuttons and heartburn, I now spend my days prepping for Kindergarten and dealing with poopy diapers, pacifiers, burp rags, sore boobs, aching back, kissing 2-year-olds and clocks. I have to tell you, I love every second of it. Oz is a wonderful baby. He's very laid back and spends most of his day lounging in his "rocky" (a rocking vibrating chair) out on the deck getting sunshine and fresh air.

The kids are handling the adjustments really well, too. Tay has a hard time leaving him be while he's sleeping, but she tells me when he's fussing or if he's awake from his naps. Vin would sit in front of Oz and kiss him all day long if we let him. He always wants to give hugs or kisses, and he loves to rub Oz's head and comment about how soft he is.

I'm also really really really excited about how well breastfeeding is going. I was unable to breastfeed my other two, but this time around I was determined to do it and by golly, I'm doing it!! He eats every 2 to 3 hours during the day and at night he's only been getting up once to eat. Last night was amazing, his last feeding was at 9 pm, and he didn't wake up again until 3 am. Then this morning I had to wake him up at 6 to start our daily schedule. I discovered that if I wrap him up in a plush blanket for s "pseudo-swaddle", he sleeps much much better at night. I think it's because that keeps him nice and snuggly warm. We'll try it again tonight and see if we get similar results.

There certainly is much that has changes since Oz came home, but we're all handling it and adjusting as we need to. Overall I really have absolutely nothing to complain about the whole thing. I mean sure, there are certain things that are less-than appealing like the cramps and the inflamed back from my epidural, but I'll take the discomfort from those two things any day for the joy and beauty of newly enlarged family.

He's Finally Here!!!

I don't have a whole lot of time or energy, so this is going to be a quickie. I just wanted to let you all know that Owen Zechariah is here and healthy!!

We ended up going into the hospital Thursday night just to be sent home an hour later (surprise surprise). They gave me an Ambien to help me sleep and said see you in the morning. I went to sleep around 10 pm and woke up at 4 am in REAL labor. My contractions were stifling. I felt like I was splitting in half. We got to the hospital and hour before our scheduled induction and after a total of 5 hours in active labor, it was time to push!!

Oz decided to make it a bit more challenging for me, though, and was facing my side as he came through the birth canal, so we had to spend a little bit of time turning him, but once he was face down he came flying out. Literally I hear.

He weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces and is 20 3/4 inches long and has a full head of hair. He looks exactly like my daughter did when she was born, he's just too darn cute!!

We're home now, enjoying every bit of him and getting to know each other better. Breastfeeding is going remarkably well so far (keep your fingers crossed that it stays that way) and he's currently on a great schedule. 2 1/2 to 3 hours during the day and 4 hours at night, which means I get some decent sleep at night!!

We're all very excited to finally have Oz here, and the kids both are loving to help out and give him lots of kisses. I'll post more photos later, but for now, here is our new little boy!!

Last post for a while????

We're getting ready to put the kids to bed and watch a movie before hitting the hay ourselves, and I don't know when I'll have another opportunity to blog again after Owen is born, so I am taking this chance to say to everyone, Thank you.

Thanks for reading and supporting me through this somewhat hellish pregnancy. It's been long and hard, and although I've had so many rough patches, I've had so many "ups" as well. It will all have been worth it tomorrow when we finally get to hold our boy, and I can hear Dominick say "hello Owen, I'm your daddy."

As of right now my contractions are about 5 minutes apart and a 7 on the pain scale. If they continue then we're headed off to the hospital tonight. I'm fighting it but both Dom and my mom are pretty determined to make me go. I just don't want to go back there to be sent home AGAIN. I don't have much say in the matter, though.

So I'll post again as a new mommy with pictures for all when I get a chance.

Our Last Day as 4

Today is officially our last day as a family of four. Starting some time tomorrow we'll be a family of five.

Oh my goodness!!

I'm still trying to accept that reality. 3 kids. I must be out of my mind.

After all the turmoil and drama of this pregnancy, I can't wait to get this little guy outta me and into this world. We thought we were going to meet him yesterday, but that didn't work out. At my appointment on Tuesday my doctor stripped my membranes, and by 11 that night I was having contractions every 10 minutes. We went to the hospital, and after staying all night they sent me home because I was not dilating any further than 2.5. I cried like a baby. Once again we did the walk of shame to the exit. I struggled for the whole rest of the day, I am so tired and uncomfortable, I just want him out!!

I've continued to have contractions every 8 minutes since then. I was up all night with them. I doubt anything will come of it today, so right now I'm focusing on counting down the hours until I can go to bed tonight, because tomorrow is the day. AT LAST.

The nurses promised me that no matter what, when I go in tomorrow, I'm not leaving without my baby boy in my arms. This is very comforting.

So now I must find things to occupy my time, thus making it feel like time is going faster, because I'm anxious and excited and so DONE.

Can I Please Start Over?

This morning has been a rough one. I know we all have those days when we wake up and everything seems to be more complicated than it should be, and we just want to crawl back into bed for an hour or so and then start all over anew.

Today is that day for me.

First off, despite what my brain has been telling me since checking the clock at 4:30 this morning, it is Tuesday, not Monday. Tuesday. TUESDAY. IT IS TUESDAY!!! 

Now, because my brain has been telling me Monday, I slept in too late and missed Bible Study with my mom. Don't get me wrong, I've only gone once, and that was the week after Tay got out from school so I was used to waking up earlier and getting my day going, but since Summer has officially arrived here, it seems all of us are on a lazy sleep mode. Even little Vin has had a few days of sleeping until 8:30!! So unless I program my brain the night before, I won't wake up for anything other than a crying child.

Which brings me to the next item of today's messed-up list.

When Vin gets up before I'm ready to be up, I turn on one of his two favorite movies. Today was CARS. He gets to watch the movie while I rest in bed for a while longer, we both win. Well, today went fine until I felt breath on my face, and rolled over to find Vin hovering over me, whispering : pooh pooh, mommy. Ok, no problem. Time to get up. Not that easy.  He had poohed out his diaper and had tried to wipe it up...with his fingers.  Gross.  Nasty.  So wrong.  So I did my very best attempt of jumping up out of bed at 39 weeks pregnant and ran to get him cleaned up. He's been having some not-so-pleasant diapers for the last three days and now is raw in all places that no boy ever wants to be raw. So the cleaning included lots of screaming in pain. I felt bad for the poor guy, but my recently awakened ears felt rather attacked.

Getting Tay up out of bed was the first smooth thing that happened. We grabbed the milk and headed upstairs (to where the main kitchen is) for some cereal. Breakfast went fairly well, Vin kept trying to convince me that my food was better and therefore should be consumed by him rather than me, but this happens at nearly every meal. After we ate I washed the dishes then started unloading our dishwasher. I wanted to wait until later, but I thought it would be nice for my mom to come home and see that I had taken care of it, sort of a "I'm so sorry I slept through Bible Study" gesture. As I unloaded the breakable objects, Vin collected the plastic things and put the silverware away....hes quite the helper. He was reaching to grab a glass cup when I stopped him, knocking over one of Dominick beloved pint glasses and breaking it. When i say "beloved pint glasses" you may have laughed, but you shouldn't have. People don't really understand exactly how much he loves those glasses. He collects them when he's on the road for work. He has several, and they are perfect for him to drink his tea in, or pour a glass of soda into with some ice. They are very special. Only recently have I been able to use one without hearing grief for it. It's an honor.

So I broke one. The one from Flagstaff Brew Company in Arizona. I felt horrible. I had to call right away and confess so that he would be prepared. Naturally he was fine with it, and actually sounded confused as to why I was so upset, but still, I felt better having told him as soon as it happened.

Then we gathered up our "downstairs stuff" and toted it down. Tay carried the stack of tupperware, and Vin carried the cups...I carried the milk and the one remaining pint glass I managed NOT to break. Vin put the cups on the table when we got down, and Tay decided to build a tower. Of course the tupper ware bowls had to go on the bottom for sturdiness, but it wasn't sturdy, and as she walked away the whole thing came tumbling down.

This may not seem like a horrible thing, but let me tell you. When you are as ginormous as I am, and lack sleep, and are recovering from a nasty eye infection, and are fighting of a lung infection, and are Generally Irritable Due to Life, such a small things feels like the end of the world.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to shout and kick my feet.

AAARRRGGGGHHHHH

I'm over it now, though.

Can I please hit the RESTART button? Can I claim that this was a practice round, that I was just warming up for the real thing?? Please?

No?

Fine.....be that way.

I'll just put on my big-girl panties and deal with it like an adult. >sigh<