Monday, July 11, 2011

Congrats are in order...

Exactly one month ago, my best friend said "I do"!  Congratulations again to Mr. and Mrs. Locklear :)
Isn't she beautiful??

2 months

I'm a little late on this post but it's been a crazy few weeks.

The nugget is almost 12 weeks old.  At his 2 month appointment he was in the 75th percentile for weight and the 50th for height.  He was also a rockstar during and after his vaccines, apparently nothing gets this kid down.  Over the last few weeks he's become much more animated and alert, and loves to play on his mat for hours at a time during the day.  He's developed great head control and we're thinking of getting him a jumper soon since his fat little legs never stop kicking.


These fat legs, mama?

This morning David decided that 4:15 AM was a great time to wake up and start chatting away with himself.  Sean was already up getting ready for work, but I was hoping to at least sleep until the sun came up.  One of these days the piglet will sleep all night long but I think he's figured out that since food is so close by, why not wake up and snack every few hours?
Can't really get mad at this face... 
Sean went back to work this week at Huntington Ingalls shipbuilding.  The work is going to be hard but the pay is good and the benefits are great.  I think he was going stir crazy being at home all day with the kiddo and I, anyhow.  He works about an hour from the house and is home by 3:30 every day!  The shipyard here in Louisiana is projected to close in early 2013, so we'll be initiating our move back east as soon as possible, hopefully around January of 2012.  I've also been applying for jobs in anticipation of finishing my degree in the fall.  I've always wanted to work with the FBI but am applying for any federal agency that I qualify to work for.  I'm not expecting to land one of those jobs just yet but it would definitely be a dream come true!


I promise I won't wait a month and a half to update this again... I know some of you (Ashlee) were getting pretty impatient :)

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Things I love - 1 month edition

I've seen other moms do this, so I'll jump on the bandwagon.

A few things that have made my first month manageable (and enjoyable, even!)

The Boppy pillow.  Usually I use it for setting David in when we're on the couch and watching TV, but it makes for a really easy way to nurse him, too.  It's definitely saved my back from being in too much pain from either hunching over or holding him up with one arm.

Thanks to this lanolin, my nipples are intact and are in fairly good shape (sorry if that's TMI for some of you!).  This stuff works wonders.  As do these:
These make it so I don't have to change my shirt 10 times a day.  Although I change them about 5 times a day and have gone through almost 3 boxes so far.



The ring sling.  I can do just about anything hands-free with this.  Even feed the kid, see?  Yes, I realize most of these items are breastfeeding-related but that's what takes up probably 75% of my days.

Finally, my phone:


My Blackberry died about a week after D was born.  My fabulous BFF Ashlee sent me this (she upgraded to an iPhone, tech savvy girl that she is!) and it's been AWESOME.  Especially during those late night feedings - I can use Facebook and post on The Bump while little man is pigging out.  It's about the only way I can stay awake at 2:30 AM when he's hungry.  Thanks Ash!

1 month

David was 1 month old yesterday.  Where does the time go??
Whoa, Mom... do something with that hair, will ya?
All in all it's been a great month.  We've had family and friends over to meet the little guy, he's been sleeping in 4-hour stretches at night which is GREAT for SP and I, and he's learned to love the ring sling so that we can get out of the house and be productive during the day.  He's still a little piggy - he eats around the clock during the day, and he's gaining weight like crazy which is exactly what his doctor wanted.  He's not such a great napper, unless he's laying in bed with me - then he could sleep all day.  Which is fine, some days I don't really need to get out of bed anyway.

Yesterday, we went to the local farmer's market.  We had to make it an early and short trip because it's summer here in Louisiana and my a/c isn't working in the Camaro (of course!).  I had my "mother of the year" moment on Friday when we took SP's paycheck to the bank, we were gone all of 15 minutes and by the time we got home, David was not only screaming at me from the backseat, he was bright red and sweating like crazy.  Naturally, I freaked out and simultaneously held him next to the open freezer while holding a thermometer under his arm (temp was fine).   And then I cried for being such a horrible mother and (almost) overheating my child, and so he got his favorite treat (the boob) and we napped for 4 hours.  Anyway, back to the farmer's market.  I used the ring sling to carry him so I could have my hands free to taste all the delicious goodies they had there, and man was he a rockstar!  Everyone wanted to come see the little baby (and no one tried to touch him, which was cool), and everyone thought the sling was the neatest thing (one guy about my age said, "dude, that is the coolest thing ever - I want to be carried like that all day!).  I usually take $40 with me, and I made out with 3 jars of jelly, a loaf of banana bread, and a big bag full of veggies for $21.  I need to shop there more often!
Snug as a bug.  And a way-too-big hat.

Today is Sunday, which means SP is off work.  Unfortunately, once he wakes up he's going to have to go to Home Depot and get some insect spray for the house.  I wanted to take a bath last night with the baby (it's way easier to do it that way!) but of course, my bathtub was full of ANTS!!  Big ones!  Coming out of the ceiling and into the tub!  So, that needs to be fixed asap.  (We ended up taking a bath in the guest bathroom, after I washed remnants of our termite swarm down the drain - ugh).  I should probably scrub the bathrooms down today, too... but let's not get too ambitious.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Quick! While the baby is asleep!

Well, this last week and a half has gone by so fast!  All of our help is gone and it's just been David and I at home during the day since last Tuesday.  The first two days were rough, we spent all day long in bed nursing non-stop (the 3-week growth spurt, I assume, is the culprit!).  It really wasn't horrible, but I got nothing done around the house and it's amazing that I even was able to break away to eat for a few minutes a day.

This week things are a bit easier.  David is napping longer so today, I managed to take a shower, dry my hair (which hasn't been done in months practically), start AND finish a load of laundry, and run the dishwasher - and as I'm typing this, he's still out cold!  Naturally, my mommy instinct causes me to get up and check on him every 5 minutes.  And he's just so darn cute when he's asleep!
This is a "food coma"

As far as David's progress, he's growing way too fast.  He gained 2lbs in 2.5 weeks.  He grew 2 inches in 3 weeks.  He's fitting into outfits that were too big 2 weeks ago.  He's getting even chubbier cheeks and thighs (you're welcome, little guy).  We still haven't decided who he favors more, so far he's a pretty good mix of both of us.

This week, my goals are to:
1.  Walk every day, starting with the stroller and graduating to the Moby or ring sling
2.  Practice every day with the Moby or ring sling.  We've done a few minutes in each one a few times, but D still isn't 100% content to hang out in one for a long period of time.  These will save my sanity if he learns to love them!
3.  Be diligent with the pump.  D is going to be babysat by my mama when I'm in a wedding in a few weeks, and so far all I've managed to pump is 4 oz a day.  That's not quite one feeding for him.  So I need to up my supply a bit so I'll be able to leave enough with Mom, especially since I'll only have 2 days to pump pre-wedding!

D only wakes up once or twice at night, so I'm plenty well rested.  He's napping better during the day, so I've had time to read some books on the Kindle and catch up on TV shows online.  If we can keep that pattern up, I'll be able to do this SAHM thing for awhile :)

Finally, some random pictures of the little man, because he's just too darn cute!

Friday, April 29, 2011

1 Week Postpartum

I hate to jinx myself by saying this, but the first week home with David has been a breeze.  My in-laws are here as well as my mom and my sister, and I haven't had to do much of anything except for keep my feet up and feed the munchkin.  It's been so great!  I've learned a lot over the last 7 days about being a mom, and I'm loving every second.
1 week post-baby - pretty happy with this bod so far!

Healing
I'm still getting used to having an incision.  I like that I have glue instead of stitches, but it's really strange to not be able to feel my belly.  The area about 2" above and below my incision is totally numb, but sometimes starts to sting which I'm guessing is the nerve endings starting to grow back.  I have a girdle/wrap that I wear during the day, because my abs are so weak I can barely stand up straight if I do too much without it.  I've been able to take a few trips out of the house to the store, and walking around feels really good.  I can't wait until I can start doing a little bit of exercise and taking walks/jogs with David, it's going to feel so good!

Breastfeeding
Is amazing.  I was so scared after the c-section that I'd have a hard time with this.  In the books that I read it was said over and over again that the more medications you have, the more interventions you have, and the longer you wait after birth to feed the baby the more trouble you will have with breastfeeding.  This terrified me.  The very first time I tried in the hospital, we used a shield to help David latch.  After that first feeding, he's had ZERO problems, doesn't need a shield, and nurses often and well.  It's such a euphoric feeling for me, I can't really describe it - it's like, when he's feeding I can tell my endorphins are rising and my mood gets better.  It really is one of the most natural things I've ever done, and is great bonding time for me and the little guy.  He's funny though, when someone else is holding him and I say something near him, he starts suckling the air - he's already associated my voice with food!  SP calls me the milk factory, lol.   Oh yeah, and my boobs are humongous

Sleeping
David is a great sleeper.  During the day he naps for 2-3 hours at a time, sometimes more, then eats and socializes for 45 minutes or so before taking another nap.  His favorite time is late evening, between 8 and 10 - he's super alert and that's usually when he has 'Daddy time'.  The first few nights he would cluster feed from about 11:30-1:30, and then sleep until 4 or 5, and then cluster feed again.  Thank goodness this didn't last long.  Now, at 8 days old, he pretty much sleeps for 3-4 hours, eats for 30 minutes, and sleeps again throughout the night.  This is great for me - I just pick him up from his bassinet (which is bumped up to my mattress), feed him, and lay him back down and go to sleep myself.  Usually once SP leaves for work, I put David in bed next to me and we doze and watch the news until I feel like getting up :)

David is such a good baby.  He only 'cries' when he gets his diaper changed, and even then it's such a wimpy, fake cry :)  He doesn't fuss, sleeps great, loves to be held and cuddled, and will nap/rest/hang out anywhere.  I know all of this can change, but I'm counting my blessings that I have such a happy, healthy, wonderful baby boy - and such a great family to help me out and transition into my new life!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Birth Story

Short version: Induced at 5:30 AM on 4/20, and ended up with a c-section after 22 hours of labor at 3:47 AM on 4/21.


Grab a drink and get comfy, friends - this is a long one!


I got to the hospital at 4:30 AM for my scheduled induction on 4/20, filled out all my paperwork, and got settled into bed to begin the process.
Last baby bump picture!! 38 weeks 6 days.  
Ready to rock and roll!
They offered me pain meds right off of the bat, but I wanted to wait and see what it all felt like before I decided what I wanted to have.  They started pitocin at 5:30.  For the first few hours I barely felt the pitocin contractions.  It sort of felt like mild period cramps, but they weren't even that bad.  The nurse checked me a few times, and I was still hanging out at about 2cm, and I was effacing quickly and my cervix was moving into the anterior position.  She said that my doc would come in and break my water around 10.  At about 9, I got up to use the bathroom and my water broke all over my bare feet.  I kind of stood there like, "What the hell??" and the nurse just laughed at me.  My doctor came in a bit later and said, "I knew you were going to go today!"


SP and I played a few card games, watched the House marathon on TV, and they kept cranking up my dosage of pitocin every 30 minutes.  By 3:00, I was maxed out on pitocin and still not on pain meds.  My contractions were about 45 seconds apart and a minute long.  I started feeling a lot of pressure in my right hip, and got off of the birth ball and back in bed to see if I could find a good position to relieve it.  The nurse checked me again and I was around 3cm, 100% effaced and totally anterior.  We couldn't figure out why the heck I was dilating so slowly, since she could feel the baby's head and my contractions were very, very strong.  She suggested I get the epi so that I could sleep, because it was going to be a long night.  I agreed, and they shotgunned 2 bags of fluids into me in 5 minutes to prep me.  My anesthesiologist was hilarious, and soon I was feeling absolutely nothing below the waist except some pressure in my right hip.


I slept for a few hours, and by 10pm they decided to drop the pitocin back down to zero and ramp it up every 15 minutes.  They said most of the time this will stimulate contractions and bring on labor quickly.  I was still at a 3 and 100%, so I went back to sleep.  I started feeling really intense pressure in my right hip but nowhere else.  When I woke up, I mentioned it to the nurse, and she said it was probably because of the way the baby was facing.  I'd been having problems with this hip for awhile, so I wasn't totally shocked.  So, I went back to sleep.

My doc came in at 3:15 and checked me again.  I was almost a 4, they could feel baby's hair, and she wasn't really happy with my progress.  She was really confused as to why I wasn't going faster - she was so sure I was going to go on my own anyway, so she assumed I'd have had the baby hours ago!  She said she'd like to do a c-section, since she couldn't figure out what exactly was going on, and didn't want it to end up being an emergency situation later just in case.  At this point, what the hell - I said OK.

I was in the OR, prepped, and drugged from the shoulders down in less than 20 minutes.  SP joined me and my body was trembling horribly from the drugs when they started to cut.  About 2 minutes later I heard some mumbling from the doc and nurses, SP made a face at this strange popping/cracking sound, and I heard a teeny tiny little baby cry.  The whisked David over to the warmer and started to clean him up, and I was crying my eyes out on the table

Hello my sweetheart! 
7 lbs, 3 oz 

They finally brought him around to see me, but he was grunting and breathing bubbles so they rushed him to the nursery to get him fixed up and dried out.
Love at first sight

His APGARs were 8 and 9, and the nurse told me he was acting great!  SP went with him and took pictures and let his parents see the little guy while I got stitched (well, glued up).  They wheeled me back into my room to let the anesthesia wear off before moving us to our postpartum room.


I was told when we did our nursery tour that I'd have the baby within an hour for breastfeeding (sooner if it was a vaginal birth), and an hour came and went.  SP told me they still had the baby under a light and warmer.  A nurse came in and I asked here where my baby was and when I could have him.  She didn't know, and went to check.
Another hour passes.  Another nurse comes in.  I ask again, "WHERE THE HELL IS MY BABY?!"  She doesn't know.  She'll go check.


Finally, one of the nurses comes in and explains to me that sometimes c-section babies end up with fluid in their lungs that they have to allow to absorb.  A baby born vaginally will have these fluids "squeezed" out when they are born, but that doesn't work with a section.  If you handle or agitate the baby during this time, they can aspirate the fluids further, so the best thing to do is to put them under a warmer and leave them be.  I was stuck in bed, unable to walk because of the anesthesia, and couldn't even see my baby at all.  SP would go periodically to the nursery and check on him, but couldn't go in and see him so he just reported what he saw through the glass.

SIX HOURS LATER, they finally brought David to me and I started crying all over again.

As it turns out, the c-section was absolutely necessary.  David's head was jammed into my hip socket, which is why I'd been having so much pain in my right hip for the last 2 weeks and especially during labor when my contractions got stronger.  The right side of his face was smashed up at delivery, he has a huge bruise on the side of his head, and his right ear is clubbed at the top.  The doctors think that it will become normal over time, however.  His cord was also wrapped around his neck.  I'm so glad that I listened to my doctor!

David Arthur Delany II was born on April 21, 2011 at 3:47 AM, weighing 7lbs, 3oz and at 19 inches long.  We can't get enough of him and can't wait to continue to show him off as he grows up!


Lady, quit talking and let me feed my baby.

We think he has Daddy's nose!