The first month has gone by so fast. It's been a good month. You're pretty easy to have around.Your brother is getting more used to having you around, and I think the two of you will do just fine together.You don't mind the bath, but you don't seem to love it like your brother did.You sleep good at night, we're at about a 6 hour stretch and it's so nice. You don't really cry when you wake up to eat, you just make little sounds to let me know you're up and ready. This gives me hope that you won't wake you're brother too much when we move you to your crib. (Your room shares a wall with his and they are not sound proof.)
We've taken you out more than I thought we would, probably because of the holidays. But you do great.You nap with your hands up like this a lot. I love it.You have a couple hours after dinner time, many 4 or 5 days a week, that you're pretty fussy. Dad and I usually talk during those hours about what it could be. But we think it's just you being a little fussy. Other than that, you're pretty content most of the time.
You made it, baby girl! You were a couple days past due, and once you decided it would be ok to be born, you still took you're time. A friend of mine joked that I must have a really nice womb. I can't get my kids to vacate! I'm going to attach your birth story so I don't have to type it again, but first I'm going to catch up on the first 10 days of your life.
You started nursing as soon as you were born. That was a welcome relief. It wasn't so easy with your brother.
You have a sweet little cry, that sometimes I even like hearing. You're not a crier.
You are beautiful. I just wanted to look at you for hours, and I did.
We had a little worry about Jaundice and Acid Reflux. But we didn't need to worry, you're fine.
You dropped 11 ounces at the hospital, but then gained a pound in 6 days.
You eat every three hours.
You still sleep most of the day and so far, you're a pretty good sleeper at night. The past couple of nights I've had to wake you during the night to feed you.
We named you Addison Lee after your Great Great Great Great Grandfather on Dad's side, Addison White. And Lee is after your Great Uncle, Randy Lee Greenhalgh on my side.
You were born on November 15th 2011 at 4:54PM. You weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and measured 19.75 inches. You have thin strawberry blond hair, blue eyes, and the cutest little face. The nurse that took care of me went on and on about your dimples. I guess you get that from me. You looked so much like Garrett did when he was born, but the girl version.
Sometimes I just look at you, or hold you close to me, and still can't believe you're mine.
Here's the story of how you finally made your debut:
I wanted my labor with Addie to be about 100% opposite from Garrett's. It didn't go that way. It was all too familiar, but at least I was confident that eventually this baby would be out of me. With Garrett, I was starting to wonder...
Early Monday morning, November 14th, I started having contractions. They started at 3:00AM, and thanks to my contraction timer app, I knew exactly how far apart, and how long they were. They were almost to the second every time, 5min. 47sec. apart, give or take a second or two. They lasted between 45 and 55 seconds. I timed them til a little after 6:00AM. (I woke Paul around 5 to warn him.) I got up around 6:15 because I was hungry. I ate a bagel and watched a little DVR . Contractions were still coming, but I'd stopped timing. Around 7:30 I took a bath. I was in there for 45 minutes and only had 3 contractions during that time. Garrett woke up when I got out and my mom took care of him so I could nap. I slept til noon and only had very sporadic contractions during that time. By the time I was up and around they had stopped. We went and played at the park, went shopping in Pasadena, then went to watch Monday night football at the in-laws. I'd have a contraction or two here and there, but nothing to get excited about. I had a massage that night, and about 30 minutes after, contractions started again. 5-7 minutes apart for 3 hours. Then nothing. On Tuesday morning at 3:00AM they started again. Every 5 minutes til 6:00. I was bleeding a bit, so I called my doctor. She told me to head in to L and D. We got there around 7:00AM. By then, they were 10 minutes apart. I was monitored for about 3 hours and there was no rhyme or reason to my contractions, but I went from 2 to 4CM's . I was SO happy to NOT hear 3 CM (!!!!!). I was stuck at three for hours, even days with Garrett. But by the time I heard 4, my contractions were 15-20 minutes apart. The nurse came in to tell me she just needed to monitor the baby for a few minutes longer and then I could go home. I responded so quickly I think she was caught off guard.
Me: "I don't wanna go home!" Her:"You want to?" Me: "No, I DON'T want to." Her: Oh, umm... Me: "I have a son at home, and I've been up for 2 nights, and I'm tired, and I can't be like this around my boy, and I need to have this baby today." (There may have been even more rambling and a few tears in there too.) Her: "Oh, ok... Well, 4 cm is active labor, so I can let your doctor know you're here and see what we can do. Me: Ok, thank you.
I knew staying meant pitocin, because I wasn't even having contractions, but I had fatigue flashbacks of my one night of false labor and 2 nights of real labor with Garrett, and I just couldn't do it.
My doc let me stay, and I was taken to my own room. She came in to see me. There were 3 nurses in the room at the time. The first thing my doc said was, "Ok, so you're ready to have this baby... What are you hoping for to make that happen?" A nurse chimed in before I could answer and said, "She wants the baby out. She needs some vagina-mite." My doc looked shocked, but Paul and I started laughing so hard that it got her laughing too.
Anyway, I started on the pit. I hate pitocin. I was on it for 4 and a half hours, with strength increases every 30 minutes. I only progressed *almost* 2 cm. (so, 1). I was struggling and discouraged. My doc said she wanted to break my water so I had an epidural right before that, and then she broke my water. In just over an hour I was at an 8. But still -2 station.
This is where the scary part for me began. Addie's heart rate was dropping during each contraction.
(Side note: Paul knows the L and D supervisor. Our funeral home takes all the infant death cases from this hospital and takes care of them at no cost to the family. So Paul and his Dad have met with her a few times. She told Paul to for sure let her know when we were there. She'd been in once already to see me and she was great.)
Anyway, she was watching my monitors in her office, and when she saw the drop she came right in. Within about a minute there were 5 nurses in my room. All seeming a little stressed and all working on something different. They moved me from my back to my left side, then to my right. They put me on oxygen and one nurse really worked with me on breathing. They put an internal fetal monitor (IFM) on Addie, and another nurse started pumping fluids back in me to create a cushion for Addie and hopefully get her heart rate up. They decided to check me again, hoping that all the flopping from side to side helped. It did. 9CM and +2 station. The heart rate had gotten a little better, but not good enough. (I had a friend here with almost the exact same story at this same hospital, and she had a c-section. I just knew that was coming next.) I was breathing deep on the oxygen, had my eyes closed, praying hard, and saying, "come on baby girl, come on baby girl." My nurse said, "ok, we need to get that baby out, you need to push." She called the doc who came right in with a resident doctor and another nurse. I hated how full the room was. It was a huge room. But laying there helpless watching 8 different people rushing and working and watching my monitors was a little overload for me. The IFM fell off Addie so they had to put another one on and by then I was complete and ready to push. I pushed through 3 contractions and nothing at all. Garrett was out by that point in pushing, and I reminded myself that it wasn't going to be the same and I needed to take it one at a time. But the look on my doctors face made me think this baby isn't dropping and her heart rate is. The next contraction came and I pu-ushed. She was coming down. Paul said afterwards, that on that push he thought my face was going to explode. But he saw the IFM slowly coming out, so he knew she was coming out too. On that push I felt like I finally remembered how to push. The first 3 I really felt like I had no idea how to. It was weird. The next push her head was out and the cord was double wrapped around her neck. My doctor clamped and cut, I pushed again, and she was out.
Then the next scary part began. As soon as I saw her I unsnapped my sleeves and pulled the gown down expecting to have my baby on my chest, skin to skin. But at the exact moment that I totally exposed myself, 3 men, all medic-like, and suited up with a bunch of equipment rushed in the room. A nurse took the baby from the doc and put her under a heat lamp. All the medics and several nurses surrounded her. I looked at Paul who was by my side and said, "go be with her!" My doc then told me that there was meconium staining that must have happened during pushing because my water was clear when she broke it, so it was after that. She said everything was fine but they needed to check her lungs and suction her. I got one stitch while they were working on Addie. It seemed like hours, but in less than 10 minutes the room had pretty much cleared, my baby was in my arms, and I was nursing her.
It was heaven. Paul and I spent the next couple of hours alone with Addie before her bath and heading to postpartum. And just like that, we had a daughter.
I haven't forgotten about you! I just have you're big brother to keep me busy and it makes the time go by so fast. You're just 12 days away from you're estimated date of arrival. I'm measuring a week ahead of schedule and have been for about a month or so. You seem really big in there! You move all the time and you feel a lot lower than I ever remember with your brother. You've kept me good and sick pretty much the whole time you've been in there, I hear its a girl thing.
I really can't believe it's already November. Your room is ready. Your clothes are packed for the hospital. The bassinet is set up next to my bed. Your Grandma Greenhalgh has a plane ticket to fly out here in 8 days (so try and stay in til then). Your car seat in in the van. You have lots of clothes and diapers and warm blankets. I just don't know if I'M ready. I gotta tell you little girl, I'm a little worried about how I'm going to handle two kids. Luckily for you, you'll never know any different. I just hope your brother handles it's ok. I'm sure it'll be a HUGE adjustment for all four of us, but I know we'll make it.
Just know that no matter how hard and stressful it gets, and how much it seems like your mom and dad have no idea how to be parents, that I don't think you could possibly be loved more by anyone.
We'll see you soon baby girl! Try and go easy on me!
Dear Mom,
Sorry about all the dairy products you've been craving. I know you're not a huge fan, but I'm loving it!
Love, 2.0
Dear Mom,
Just remember, it's normal to be more sick when it's a girl. And when you see me in a few weeks, all the throwing up the whole pregnancy will be totally worth it.
Love, 2.0
Dear Mom,
I know you've become quite a worrier over the past year or so, and you're really scared of being overwhelmed and messing up when you have two to take care of. Just remember, babies are resilient, and patient. We'll be just fine.
Love, 2.0
Dear Mom,
What's with all the spicy food?? I'm NOT asking for that. Maybe you should lay off a little.
Love, 2.0
Dear Mom,
I think I want to be a champion figure skater when I grow up. That's why I'm constantly doing triple salchows in your belly. And I feel like 3AM-5AM is the best time to practice. I hope that works for you.
Love, 2.0
Dear Mom,
Thanks for touching your belly and talking to me. I know sometimes it seems weird, but I can hear you and feel you and I know you love me.
Love. 2.0
Dear Mom,
You know that aching pain you've been having in your lower back and tailbone? I'm afraid it's here to stay, and maybe even get worse, at least until I'm out. Just enjoy the massage/chiropractor days!
Love, 2.0
Dear Mom,
See you in 12 weeks! (Give or take.)
Love, 2.0
Your dad and I started a blog for your brother when he was 101 days away from his due date, and that's what I'm doing for you. If you come on time we'll meet you in 101 days. This blog is all for you to look at someday and read all about things you do and say and how your dad and I feel along the way as well.
Just a quick catch up on the last 6 months (that you've been inside me). Just like the news of your brother being a surprise to us, you were also a (even bigger) surprise. I got pregnant with you when your brother was only 4 months old. We had just moved from Utah to California and life was pretty crazy at the time. We knew we wanted more kids, we just thought it would be a little while longer before that process began. But there you are inside of me, just 3 months away from joining the family! We couldn't be more excited to have you.
I was very sick for a long time at the beginning of this pregnancy and it lasted until you'd been in there for about 22 weeks, and even now I feel sick every once in a while. I was so sure you were going to be a baby boy. But at the end of June we got to see you on an ultrasound and we found out that you're a baby girl! Dad and I are so excited to have a girl, even though dad is already seeing how much more money it's going to cost him!
We already have a name picked out for you but we wont be telling anyone until the day you are born.
I've been feeling you kick since mid-May and I notice it more and more all the time. The kicking inside is my favorite part of being pregnant. The doctor appointments have all gone well so far. They are always much shorter than they were with your brother because I feel a little more like I know what I'm doing so I don't have as many questions this time. But I look forward to hearing your little heart beat at each appointment.
We already love you so much and can't believe we'll be the parents of 2 children soon. It's going to be crazy at times, but I'm confident we'll all survive.
Our first due date (that I'm sticking with for now) is November 13, 2011. When I had a confirmation ultrasound to see if you were really in there, they said November 11, 2011. And at the 20 week check you measured to be due November 9, 2011. If you come on Nov, 11th. Your birthday will be 11.11.11. Easy to remember! And 11.11 is also dad's birthday. We're not counting on anything, and I won't try to plan to have you that day. You can come whenever you're ready to come! Once your brother decided to come out he spent 54 hours doing it. I wouldn't mind if you hurried a little faster than he did. But I can handle whatever it takes, just as long as you make it here safe.
The first month has gone by so fast. It's been a good month. You're pretty easy to have around.
Your brother is getting more used to having you around, and I think the two of you will do just fine together.
You don't mind the bath, but you don't seem to love it like your brother did.
You sleep good at night, we're at about a 6 hour stretch and it's so nice. You don't really cry when you wake up to eat, you just make little sounds to let me know you're up and ready. This gives me hope that you won't wake you're brother too much when we move you to your crib. (Your room shares a wall with his and they are not sound proof.)
You nap with your hands up like this a lot. I love it.
You have a couple hours after dinner time, many 4 or 5 days a week, that you're pretty fussy. Dad and I usually talk during those hours about what it could be. But we think it's just you being a little fussy. Other than that, you're pretty content most of the time.
