Coming Home

One of the things that sucks about having a c-section is the extended stay you have to have at the hospital. Oh how I would love to pop that baby out and be back at home comfy on my couch the next day. 

But then again, there aren't nurses administering pain meds and gas relief throughout the day at my house, so, I mean, there's benefits to both, eh? 

Before we had Norah we were sure to ask my doctor when the soonest is we could come home. And so two days later we were sure to ask to be discharged as soon as those doctors walked in the door. Lucky for us we were all healthy and got the OK. 

△▽△ Of course her coming home outfit was polka dot, would you expect anything else? Also, this is the only time she's had a headband on her little head which is really surprising to myself, the woman who gets in fights with her two-year-old over her wearing a clip in her hair. △▽△

 Welcome Home, baby girl.

Norah's Birth Story

On Monday, July 22, 2013 while the world awaited the news of a prince's arrival in London, Jake and I walked into a hospital for repeat a c-section I scheduled 3 months ago.

After signing the appropriate paperwork we stood awkwardly in the dingy lit labor and delivery reception area until it was time to go to the basement, where babies are currently being born. We joked with each other as a nurse, tired from the length of her shift she was finishing, administered an iv so painful I declared it more so than the spinal block I received a half hour later.

As I walked into the operating room (which is a strange thing to do) doctors and nurses alike discussed the impending delivery of the prince half a world away, while I tried to avert my gaze from anything that remotely  resembled the surgery I was about to have. 

One spinal block and some other things later, in walked Jake, talking about our honeymoon. You see, you need a distraction from the surgery that's happening right below your nose. Last time, I found storytelling to be a welcome one. As I demanded my nervous husband to make up stories on the spot with Gwen, this time he had plenty of warning and came prepared with a pocketful of romantic memories that worked like a charm.

With this baby I did my research and educated myself on breastfeeding as best I could. To say we were hyper vigilant about breastfeeding for this second baby would be an understatement. We were determined not to go through what we went through with Gwen again. For the past month our plan of depending on a lactation consultant morphed into a more DIY approach as I discovered a lack of hire-able help in our area that was followed by a realization that there's a big book of answers to breastfeeding available at the library. The one thing I read and knew needed to be different this c-section was the first 30 minutes.

With Gwen we didn't have a first 30 minutes. What we had was a glimpse, a shocked mom being handled a tightly swaddled and washed baby who was promptly whisked away to a nursery. She was brought down to me 45 minutes later where we made a sorry attempt at skin-to-skin contact.

This time? Norah was laid on my chest and spent the remainder of my surgery taking her first deep breaths of life nuzzled against my skin. This was something we had to fight hard to make happen. It was a heated argument between a strong-willed nurse, us and our doctor who eventually had to play a heavy fisted role to ensure our wishes became a reality. 

This was just the beginning of a wonderful birthing experience. Instead of sitting in an operating room alone while my husband and the baby were on a different floor, I got to be a part of my baby's first moments of life as she cried and did exactly what the books said she would do, she nursed. 

Luckily this time around I was greeted with an amazing postpartum nurse who I firmly believe is the cause of a my speedy recovery this go around. She was on top of my pain medicine, got me up and moving the day of the surgery and was so amazingly helpful I asked her every stupid question I could think of without hesitation. She helped with nursing, got us a lactation consultant when we asked and absolutely made this hospital experience one to be remembered. To make things better, our night-time postpartum nurse was equally amazing. 

Family popped in and out in those two days, coming by to meet our new little babe. Gwyneth spent some time meeting her little sister and being doted on by family until we left the hospital two days later. This was not a moment too soon as the amazing nursing team we were initially assigned with was replaced with a terrible one that made the morning we left miserable.

The second time around was such a completely different experience. We went into the entire thing prepared, knowing what to expect and we weren't afraid to ask for what we wanted. Because of this we were able to make the birthing experience, even if it was a c-section, into a memorable one that will remain a fond memory in our hearts forever.

Moms Are The Best, Aren't They?

For both of my babies my mom has come and stayed a week to help out. When we had Gwyneth my mom and dad helped around the house, giving us the ability to focus solely on that new little baby, which we so desperately needed to do.

Mom did the laundry, the dishes, made dinner for us, made sure our guests were taken care of and my dad fixed all sorts of things that needed fixing around the house (and made amazing breakfasts to boot).

With Norah my mom not only tended to our home, but also took care of Gwyneth in a fashion I like to think relatable to a week-long trip to Disneyland. When we came home from the hospital we were greeted with an excited little girl who had clearly been having the time of her life. 

Dinners this week have been full of the things we don't know how to cook, so therefore we don't eat. Brussel sprouts, ribs, pork tenderloin, baked then grilled sweet potatoes. Things have been taken care of without even having to ask, water cups always filled, babies taken from exhausted, weary arms at just the right moment, weepy hormonal tears discussed and wiped away, missed family members calling at just the right moments. 

And just when my heart is beyond grateful that my mom would take the time off work and care for us like this, Jake reminds me that I someday will do the same thing for my daughters. For Gwyneth who firmly believes her mommy's water is far better than her own, for Norah who prefers snuggles with her mommy over a pacifier. It's obvious now that they need their mom nowadays but its hard to imagine what motherhood looks like 20 years down the road. But then it's times like these when I realize how I truly do need my mom, because she makes everything better. Even if I am 28 years old, married with two children of my own, there's always a place and a need for her and that makes my new little mom heart sing to even think about. 

Life is Good

Life around these parts has been calm and relaxed as we adjust to our new little girl and I heal.

It's been a huge blessing, this relaxed atmosphere, seeing as one week before Norah's arrival we still only had half the use of our kitchen and the Friday before Gwen and I were down at the bank finalizing the last of insurance paperwork. 

But nevertheless, things got done right in time, as Norah conveniently stayed the proper time in utero, even though her mommy was a stressed basket case. 

And here we are, one week in and things couldn't be more perfect. Gwen adores her new little sister and is always eager to help. Norah, unlike her sister, has picked up on breastfeeding and received perfect reports from her pediatrician. And better yet, it seems that when your newborn is eating properly you can heal from surgery in an expedited fashion. That and the amount of care my mom and Jake have made sure I receive. Knowing Gwen and our home are taken care of has given me the peace of mind to be able to focus on this new little girl.

Our hearts are happy, grateful and blessed.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Let it be noted, Tuesday, July 9^th was a wonderful day. 

It began with the moving up of my 38^th week checkup, which was a highly anticipated one as last week the doctor announced that if there were any medical reason, baby two would be delivered immediately. On the day Jake had a business trip scheduled. This lead to us freaking out when it became apparent we could be having a baby soon. Not to sound like a broken record, but that kitchen, the one that’s been a sore in our side since April? Still not finished. We just moved back into the house last Saturday after fleeing so they could complete the kitchen. After being home for a week the roof began to get replaced on Monday. While we get to stay in the house as this goes on, it’s not enjoyable and is no place for a newborn.

So here we were, running around trying to get ready for a newborn, calling in all sorts of help from family (thanks guys!) and waiting anxiously (and angrily) for the kitchen job to someday get finished.

But on wonderful, beautifully hot Tuesday, we went to the doctor where it was declared this baby isn’t coming out anytime soon, just like all my appointments past 37 weeks were with Gwen. After that, Gwen and I went to lunch where she acted like a perfect angel making me look like one hell of an awesome mother, followed by an impromptu photo session at an abandoned building and a Gwyneth who napped through the hammering of our roof. 

As Gwyneth napped and I tried to ignore the sounds of the roofers I hit up Craigslist as I have for the past year, in search of the perfect dresser. You know, one that can serve as a changing table, but when guests arrive be swiftly changed into a lovely item of furniture that’s not a hideous playpen that we’ve been using? And there it was. The perfect dresser that didn’t require any priming or painting, that was in our price range and came with an extra dresser.

The dresser came home with us, and afterwards Baskin Robins was calling our name. As we relaxed outside in the beautifully cool evening air with our ice cream cones we watched Gwen perform her original ice cream dance, covered in ice cream, our first enjoyment of summer 2013.

 Life is heading back towards normal. We’re not bringing a baby into a wrecked home. We have a date set for a finished kitchen, that pesky hole in the roof will finally be fixed after four years of people telling us we should get it fixed and I just got a fabulous haircut (thank you readers, for the stellar recommendation. Jessica Abbot of Eye Candy Salon is the woman to see if you’ve got the curly hair).

So thank you, Tuesday, July 9, 2013, you wonderful, beautiful, marvelous day you.

This Week: The Optimistic Start

I wrote this post earlier this week and forgot to post it. It's now Saturday and a lot happened (not good) since my optimistic writing of this on Wednesday. Lets just say we're back home but not after a whole lot of stress and a kitchen that is STILL not finished. 

Well, as luck would have it the plan for the construction of our kitchen to be done last week, as I wrapped up my time at work and we were all happily out of the house on a daily basis, got pushed out another Earth shattering week. Lets say there was added drama and stress and our entire world felt like it was spinning out of control. Not to be dramatic or anything. 

Friday the 21st was my last day at work. It was the nicest leaving of work I've ever experienced, with kind words spoken, heartfelt wishes and I felt melancholy as I walked out of the empty Legislature for the last time. But then as I sat in traffic on Carson Street I felt like the ending of Grease, where everyone comes running out of the high school to go to the carnival. We did it, we painstakingly made it through the last year of me being back at work. We survived the 3 different daycare situations, the strain of the commute and we're now more comfortable as we wait to welcome baby girl #2 to the family. 

Except.....Gwen and I now have to find somewhere to go while they rebuild our kitchen for the first week I'm home. Due to our past experience of trying to leave throughout the day while they work, I couldn't deal with even thinking about the stress that comes with those plans. Staying in hotels for a day with a 2 year old doesn't work well. And there are only so many stores and attractions you can go to before everyone goes batty. 

Lucky for us my girlfriend has a furnished home she happened to not be using. For reals. At first I had asked if we could camp out weeks ago, but with daycare and the commute it made more sense to stay home and torment ourselves while living in the master bedroom of our house. But this time? We packed it up and we're here for the week. And you bet it's the best. 

You know why? Because on my first day back to being home with Gwen I was privileged enough to make her toast, and noodles and things we haven't had in weeks. I got to prepare dinner that was hot when Jake got home. And Gwen has slept better here than she has at our house since April. 

Gwen and I have spent our week together relaxed, enjoying each other, which is a far cry from the stress-filled evenings and mornings of the past few months. 

And what would you know? It's already Wednesday and looks as if Friday is the 

day slated for the kitchen being finished. 

We're in the home stretch! 

Summer/Pre-Baby Bucket List

After Friday next week I won't be working any longer which means Gwen and I will have an entire month of just her and I time before her baby sister's arrival. I've been pretty concerned about this, as last time I stayed home with her I became a hermit and we stayed in our pajamas all day wasting our days away through cups of tea, episodes of Friends and whatever it is one does with a 1 year old.

To avoid this happening again I have devised a plan and made ourselves our own little bucket list for our "summer" along with plans to take a shower and get dressed before she wakes up. These things will hopefully keep us busy, but not too busy, if you know what I mean. We do still have a big girl room to prepare, a house to clean and a baby to nest for so we can't get too crazy flitting around town in our swimsuits (which I don't have but I'm dying to go swimming with Gwen this summer, 9 months pregnant or not).

Go to Lazy 5 water park

Spanish Springs toddler story time

Go to the Discovery museum after 4pm on a Wednesday (admission is half off)

Go swimming at Deer Park at 1700 Prater Way on Friday from 12pm to 4:30 pm (it's only $1)

Hang out at the fountains around town (Legends, the Sparks movie theater)

Mail a letter to someone special

Make 4^th of July t-shirts

Fly a kite

Run in the sprinklers

Make homemade bubbles

Play Frisbee

Go on a picnic in a shaded park

Try to make sugar cookies with royal icing

Go thrift store hunting for a dresser

What's on your list this summer? 

PS, I got some helpful information thanks to this blog post on the Reno Moms Blog today.