Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Christmas... Errr Halloween!!


While the rest of the world is celebrating Halloween today, I’m ready for Christmas.  I know, I know, one holiday at a time.  But we celebrated Halloween over the weekend with a fun little parade and trick or treating so I’m kinda feeling like been there, done that.  Yesterday, A brought in the mail and I had no less than five toy magazines/kids clothing magazines.  All advertising deals on toys, cute holiday outfits, and the cutest Christmas pjs.  I have to admit, it made me giddy.  There’s nothing more exciting than Christmas through a child’s eyes.  As a little girl, we always had a family Christmas party.  I had a younger brother and 5 cousins all around the same age.  We all got presents from our grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  We were spoiled.  I remember walking into my aunt’s house for the Christmas party and seeing a room full of presents.  It.was.awesome.  We’ll teach W all about the birth of Jesus, how it’s important to remember those less fortunate and make sure they have a Merry Christmas as well, we’ll tell him about Santa, Rudolph, and Frosty.  But let’s be honest, every kid looks forward to the presents.  Last year baby W was 5 days old on Christmas.  This year he’ll be 1 and won’t understand what’s going on, but I’m still insanely excited to celebrate with him.  And truth be told, W has been wearing reindeer pajamas for about 2 weeks now…

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

A week without a post


I came down with a cold last week so I took a little break from the blog.  It was my first cold in a really long time so I guess I was due.  Sometimes I think colds are the body’s way of forcing you to slow down a bit.  And that’s exactly what I did.  I took sick days both Thursday and Friday.  I did some work from home, but for the most part, I rested.  I was bored out of my mind, but I think I needed it.  Anyway, as soon as I shake this cough and I'm able to sleep, I’ll be back to normal.

 I’m not sure if anyone actually reads this blog.  If you do and you happened to say a little prayer for a good CF clinic visit for A, then I really really appreciate it (and so does he).  His appointment went really well… yay!!  He’ll be getting back on Cayston and he even gained 2 pounds… way to go A!!  I hope I’m able to attend the next appointment.  Very thankful for good health.

 Friday, baby W had a first that I hope doesn’t repeat anytime soon.  W had been standing, lost his balance, and landed on his butt.  It seemed like no big deal, but he started screaming.  A scooped him up and I came over the check on him.  That’s when I saw blood on W’s mouth and on A’s shirt.  W must’ve bit his lip when he fell.  My poor baby. L

 Saturday was the Halloween Parade in Grandma W’s neighborhood.  When I was pregnant, I decided that baby W would be a cow.  Addie already had a pig costume (yes, we dress up the dog – go ahead and judge) so I thought it would be cute if we had our own little farm.  Well, it sounded like a cute idea, but baby W HATED his costume.  He cried when I put it on him and had a sad/mopey face the entire time that costume was on.  He did look extremely cute despite the pouty face.  My poor little sad cow.  The Halloween parade was cute, we enjoyed lunch at Grandma W’s, baby W got to play with his cousins, and then it was time to head home.

 And then Saturday night… make that Sunday morning, around 12:30 am, baby W decided that he no longer needed to sleep.  For the next 2 hours, A and I tried to get him back to bed.  And for the next 2 hours, W would fall asleep in our arms only to wake up and cry as soon as we tried to put him back in the crib.  I finally gave up and brought him to our bed.  He thought this was the best thing ever.  He’d look at A and smile, then look at me and smile.  FINALLY, he fell asleep and I was able to put him in his crib.  I am paranoid and don’t let W sleep with any blankets or other items in his crib so there was no way I was going to let him stay in bed with us.  I’m not sure what happened to my wonderful sleeping baby – if you find him, let me know!  He only had one short nap that day and I think it threw everything off.

 Sunday was our typical church and Starbucks routine (bonus points for making it to church despite the lack of sleep).  Then it was off to Grandma G’s for trick-or-treating.  Trick-or-treating is always the Sunday before Halloween in Grandma G’s town.  I was hoping my little cow would be in a better mood, but no such luck.  After visiting Grandma and her neighbor, Joan, the costume was taken off and happy baby W returned.

 Sunday also happened to be A and I’s 6th wedding anniversary.  We’re planning a date night this coming weekend… I can’t wait!  I feel like the anniversary of our marriage deserves its own special post, but I’ll say this:  I’m extremely grateful to have a best friend who also happens to be my husband and an amazing father.  I often think about the future and how much Baby W will appreciate his dad.  It warms my heart.

 I think that about sums it up.

 Oh, I’ve mentioned it in previous posts -  A and I have been trying to decide when to do IVF again.  It’s a really hard decision to make.  I’m excited about the new doctor we met with and I think we finally decided on a month in 2014 (after changing our minds at least 4 different times).  Our plan may change again, but for right now, I’m happy and at peace with our decision.  We’ve decided to wait a bit longer than originally planned to save up a little more money… here’s hoping our plan is the best path for our family.
 
Sorry for the long post - that's what happens when I go a week without blogging. :)
 


 
 

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Baby W is 10 months old... and life lately...


Lots on my mind, lots going on so pardon me while I ramble…
 

Baby W turned 10 months old on Sunday.  10 months!  That’s crazy.  Here’s his 10 month post:

Happy 10 months!! Wow, double digits. This past month was one of my favorites.  I think I say that every time.  You grew so much - both physically and cognitively.  At 9 months, you were crawling, but now, you are crawling all over the place and fast.  We can’t take our eyes off of you and have to use baby gates throughout the house.  You started pulling yourself up to standing and you’d much rather stand than sit these days.  Of course, booboos and ouchies accompany this milestone and you’ve already gotten a couple. L  You love when we hold your hands and help you “walk” through the house.  You also love when we help you chase Addie.  It’s nearly impossible to change your diaper lately… you roll over and start to crawl away no matter how many toys we have on hand to distract you.  Is it too soon to potty train? J  You babble and say dada, mama, and up quite often, but I don’t think you understand what these words mean just yet.  You clap, wave, give high five, and raise your arms to make the touchdown sign.  You love pulling off people’s glasses (especially daddy’s), pulling hair (mom’s), and your favorite song is currently Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (I think it may have taken the place of the beloved Cookie Monster song).  You’ve gotten quite a few giggles when you try to “sing” during church.  We’ve been trying to transition you to table foods, but you just aren’t a fan – you seem to be very sensitive to texture.  We’ll keep trying.  You can’t eat purees forever, right?  We’ve had so much fun taking you to pumpkin farms and going on family walks this month.  You bring us so much joy every day.  You are our everything and more, little man.

A has CF clinic today.  I always get a little nervous when he goes.  I get even more nervous when I can’t be with him (like today).  Hoping for good results and a good report.  Extra prayers for him, please.  The last CF clinic did not go well... but not for health related reasons.  A was annoyed that the staff seems to constantly try to change his meds despite A having no major issues and good results.  I complained about the horrible survey they sent out and they seemed very taken aback by my interpretation of the survey.  AND there’s this social worker there.  She means well and she’s nice, BUT she looks so young.  I should’ve prefaced this by saying that during CF clinic, A meets with the nurse, doctor, dietician, and social worker – it’s the standard protocol.  Anyway, back to the social worker.  When I first met her, she asked who I was.  I’ve been going with A to CF clinic for almost 10 years now… and also who the heck else would I be other than his wife?!?  Furthermore, I don’t think either one of us feel comfortable sharing our fears and concerns with someone who looks like she should be in high school.

A and I met with a new RE last night!!  I LOVED him.  Now the big question remains… When do we do IVF again?  We’re waiting to find out what exactly will be covered by insurance and that will be a major deciding factor.  But if the majority of IVF is covered by insurance, then when?  I had an arbitrary date chosen.  BUT the new RE’s confidence is causing me to question that date.  I know that confidence is a good thing, but now I’m reconsidering the timing.  The new RE was very assured and even thought it was quite likely we could have twins.  That totally threw me off… we were thinking about IVF next year - maybe even spring time because we figured there was a good possibility it would take multiple attempts to be successful.  I wasn’t even thinking twins.  If we have another baby, we absolutely have to move.  I know people think I’m ridiculous and unreasonable when I say that, but we’re out of space.  I refuse to add another person to our current house.  I discussed that in a previous post.  Now I have no idea what to do.  The previous RE was also really confident/optimistic and our first cycle failed – I know there’s still a good possibility the next cycle won’t work, but I guess I wasn’t expecting the new doctor to be so positive?  Last night I had decided that we would wait before undergoing another round of IVF.  Today, I’ve decided we’ll go with the original plan.  Uggh.  Obviously I have lots of thinking and considering to do… I should mention that A seems to be on board with whatever – he’s so easy going.  I’m not trying to leave him out by saying ‘I’m deciding’, it’s just that he doesn’t seem to have strong opinions on when the next IVF should take place, whereas I’m much more anxious/analytical/worried/stressed about the topic.
 
My car said it was 33 degrees this morning.  Umm what?!?!  I am NOT ready for winter.  I am not ready for my beloved autumn to leave.  BUT with winter comes the end of road construction…. Hmm.  At least that’s one positive.
 
I have a business dinner tonight.  I also have a sore throat and a pimple the size of Mt. Rushmore.  I’ve never seen Mt Rushmore, but it’s big, right?  Yeah, 32 years old and still dealing with pimples.  Not. Cool. L  Nothing says business professional like a huge bump…. Whaaaaa.  How embarrassing.  Okay, I know there are far worse things in life so I’ll shut up about that.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Friday Favorites


Friday Favorites:

 
·         Baby W hasn’t been sleeping well lately.  He’s been a champion sleeper since about 6 weeks old.  At roughly 3 months, he would sleep about 9 hours straight through the night.  Until a month ago, he’d sleep 10 hours straight.  But lately, he’s been waking up anywhere from 1-3 times.  I think teething is to blame.  It’s been rough and there have been many days I’ve felt like a zombie.  But last night, he slept 9 hours straight… yes!!!  I feel so refreshed!!

·         When I interviewed for my current job, I wasn’t really looking for a new job… it just sort of happened.  I agreed to the interview with the thought, “it can’t hurt; I’ll just see what this company has to offer”.  I had reviewed the job description prior to interviewing and one of the items was training.  That set off a big red flag.  I’ve always been shy; I absolutely HATE speaking in front of a group.  Just the idea of standing in front of colleagues gave me major anxiety.  During the interview, I expressed concern regarding the training aspect of the job.  It just wasn’t something I was interested in.  Like at all.  I wanted nothing to do with it.  I was told not to worry, that there wouldn’t be much training, it was a very small part of the job.  Fast forward 1.5 years and I’ve conducted at least 4 group training sessions (including one in Germany).  I’m really proud of myself for conquering that fear and for following my heart when I accepted the job.  It was a risky venture, but I’ve never been happier at work.  I just hope the job satisfaction continues.

·         I’ve always loved shopping, but I think I enjoy shopping for Baby W even more than I enjoy shopping for myself.  I get giddy when I realize he needs new pajamas, a new sippy cup, a new sleep sack.  I have a problem.  The only thing I don’t really enjoy buying is food. J

·         Per usual, I have to conclude with a picture of the cutest boy in town.  I snapped this one last weekend and it’s one of my all-time favorites.  Happy Friday!!
 
 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

How do you know... ??


Last week I mentioned that we have an appointment in a few weeks to meet with a new RE for IVF 3.  I’m struggling with the idea of changing REs and I hope the decision becomes clear after meeting with the new RE.  I’m also really struggling with knowing when to try again.  How do you know when to add another child to your family?  I understand that no one really knows when or if it will happen, but how do you know when to start trying for another baby?

If money weren’t an issue (ha - money is ALWAYS an issue), I’d head to the nearest fertility clinic tomorrow. J  I love being a mom and I’d love for Baby W to have a sibling(s).  But obviously, it’s a lot more complicated than that.  IVF sucks.  It does.  I’m thankful that it exists, but the emotional toll it takes is really tough to deal with.  I need to figure out how to become less emotionally invested.  Not to mention all the needles, doctor’s appointments, procedures, expenses.  Then there’s the issue that if we are fortunate enough to get pregnant, we have to move.  We live in a two bedroom townhouse.  I loved it when we moved in.  I still love it and I love our neighborhood.  But there is no way I’m going to make Baby W share his teeny tiny room.  It just doesn’t seem fair to have a new baby and a toddler in the same bedroom.  We are out of space.  But given the current state of the housing market and the fact that our house is likely “underwater”, moving is going to be really difficult.  I’d love for Baby W to have a sibling close in age.  I think they’d be the best of friends.  I’m absolutely convinced I’m only capable of having boys and I think Baby W would be an amazing big brother.  But given our history, it may take several rounds of IVF to achieve a pregnancy, IF we’re even able to get pregnant.  So perhaps the sooner we get started, the better?  But then again, if the first round happens to work, are we ready to move?  Not really.  I’m so torn.  I’m keeping faith that God has a plan for us and all will work out… I just wish I knew what that plan was. ;)

Monday, October 14, 2013

Weekend Recap


This past weekend was awesome.  Why oh why can’t weekends be three days?!?

I mentioned that on Friday, my company participated in a community service project.  I wholeheartedly believe that every single person should be involved in some type of community service.  It’s good for the soul.  It makes the world a better place.
 
We participated in Habitat for Humanity.  Some colleagues worked at the actual construction site, while others worked at ReStore.  I was assigned to ReStore – probably a good thing since I am not even the least bit handy.  ReStore is basically a warehouse full of building supplies and home furnishings – everything from windows and carpeting to couches.  All the items are donated, people come and purchase them, and the proceeds go to building new homes.  Awesome.  I spent the day organizing materials and delivering donated items to the warehouse floor.  The work was more physical than I realized – lifting heavy floor tiles, moving furniture, and installing drawers.  I was beyond exhausted at the end of the day.  But I felt great about the work we did.
 
Saturday, A let me sleep in.  I was still sore and tired from working at ReStore.  Thank you, hubby!  After Baby W woke up from his morning nap, we took him to visit my aunt and uncle.  They had graciously offered to watch him and we decided to take advantage of the offer.  I was really nervous about leaving W because he notices when we aren’t around.  He has also been very clingy since he started teething again, but there were no tears as we left the house.  A and I hoped to catch a movie (we haven’t been to the movie theater in about a year), but the movie times didn’t work out.  We decided to grab lunch and run a couple errands, then head home to watch a movie since we still have several unopened DVDs we’ve been wanting to watch.  Lunch was wonderful.  It didn’t matter where we went or what we ate; it was just so enjoyable to have time together.  Uninterrupted conversation.  Eating slowly and finishing an entire meal.  Bliss.  We both agreed that we needed to go out, just the two of us, more often.  As new parents, we’ve put so much energy into raising baby W and trying to be the very best parents for him.  I think our relationship suffered.  I’m not saying we loved each other less or we weren’t getting along; I think we actually love each other more now that W is here and we hardly disagree on anything, but we weren’t making time for us and our relationship took a backseat to parenting.  I still struggle with finding a balance between work, being a great mom, and being a great wife, but this weekend made me realize that I need to put a little more effort into our marriage.  In some ways, I feel like our marriage was put on hold for the past 9 months while we tried to figure out the parenting role.  With a little more focus on our relationship, I think we can continue to evolve as a couple while still being the awesome parents W deserves.  I love you, hubby.
 
The rest of the weekend consisted of family walks, church, Starbucks, grocery shopping, cleaning, trying a new recipe, and lots of play time with W… perfection (well, maybe not the cleaning, but the rest was perfection).

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Community Service Day

I'm skipping Friday Favorites tomorrow because I'll be working at Habitat for Humanity.  My company is having a community service day.  How awesome is that?!?  A company that actually recognizes the importance of giving back.  Love my job.  And I think this world would be incredibly brighter if more people participated in some sort of community service.  I definitely plan on teaching Baby W the importance of giving and helping others.

Feeling proud and hopeful...

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Considering a new RE for IVF #3


Remember how I took Thursday off so I could tackle my to do list?  Well, one of the tasks on that list was to make an appointment with a new RE.  I was extremely nervous making that phone call.  I can’t believe we’re thinking about IVF again.  It’s both exciting and terrifying at the same time.  We’re not ready to go through another round of IVF yet, but we do want to have a plan in place for when we are ready.  Switching REs is a decision that I’m really struggling with.  It’s hard not to go with the same doctor that gave us Baby W.  Really hard.  W is perfect and I can’t help thinking that changing doctors is messing with perfection.  BUT there were a few things I didn’t like about our previous clinic.  For one, it’s big.  With several locations.  I never felt like my doctor really knew me or A.  Our first round failed.  I know my expectations were too high and a failed IVF round happens to a lot of people.  But we also didn’t end up with any embryos to freeze.  We started with 11 fertilized eggs… it just seems like we should have had more to show for that cycle.  Our second cycle was successful, but again, no frozen embryos out of 11 fertilized eggs.  During the second cycle, even though I was told my protocol would be exactly the same as the first cycle, the doctor ended up switching one of my medications at the last minute.  The switch wasn’t the result of how I was responding to the medications I was on.  As I understood it, the RE had decided much earlier that he wanted to switch medications, but the medication was never ordered for me.  As a result, I had to pay extra for the medication to be delivered same day by courier.  I remember watching the clock wondering if the medication would be delivered on time to make the injection.  It was extremely stressful.  Finally, with each round, I saw several nurses.  On retrieval day, both times, the nurses started talking about A’s “fresh sample”.  Umm…. A had a TESE, which meant we could only use a frozen sample.  It seemed like they should have known that.  Obviously, the doctor knowing was most important, but the nurses should have known too.

So, with all that, we’re meeting with a new RE from a different clinic in a few weeks.  A friend recommended this RE.  The practice is small and has slightly higher success rates.  It also happens to be a little closer to home.

When all is said and done, I plan on following my heart.  I tend to get a “feeling” when I meet people and can usually tell if we’ll be well-suited.  I hope I get a good feeling from this doctor.  If not, it’s back to the original RE.  I really liked the nurse I spoke with on the phone so I hope that’s a good indication of things to come.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Monday Thoughts...

  • Traffic was actually decent today!  It’s a Monday morning miracle!  Holla!
  • Posting too many political links i.e. anti Obama links on FB makes you seem crazy.  I get it that no one likes the government shut down and it’s ok to disagree with certain policies, opinions, laws, etc.  But seeing one link after another on my news feed only makes me think you have nothing better to do than Google senseless, far-fetched conspiracy theories.  I’m going to have to hide you soon.
  • I can’t get enough fall.  I LOVE pumpkin patches, apple cider, corn mazes, apple donuts, chili, cool weather, scarves, colorful leaves…
  • I would like to take a minute to remind my dear coworkers that I am not a software help desk.  One of my tasks at work is to oversee a certain software program.  I’ve learned a great deal about said software, but I’m not an expert.  Really.  I’m not.  There is a link within the software that gives you access to a Customer Support Portal and there are also many people out there who do actually work for the software company and can answer questions.  I am not one of them.  Really.  I’m not.  Ahhhh.
  • I’m all for breast cancer support, awareness, research, walks, etc.  But not wearing a bra on October 15 to support breast cancer awareness??  I’m going to have to pass on that one.  Besides, if you ask me, it makes more sense to wear a bra… you know, to show support.  Hmmm… maybe a guy came up with this idea?
  • I HATE when people write “should of, could of, would of”.  It’s not ‘of’; it’s ‘have’!!  Come on, people!  Think of the abbreviation… should’ve.  The ‘ve’ is NOT an abbreviation for of.
  • Baby W was super cute this past weekend (who am I kidding – he’s always cute).  He knows how to raise his arms to show touchdown and then he claps.  He also ate a little wheat toast and scrambled eggs.  We’ve been having trouble transitioning him to table food so it was a major victory.
 
 


 
 

Friday, October 4, 2013

Friday Favorites


So usually I do a Friday Favorites post on Friday.
 
I don’t really have any favorites per se, but I did use a vacation day yesterday to catch up on life.  And I’m feeling way better today!  So I guess one of my favorite things is using a vacation day every now and then, if you can, to tackle all those things that get pushed aside for other more important things.

I started out yesterday with 21 things on my to do list.  Yes, 21.  Lately, I’ve been really struggling with trying to max out my Baby W time on weekends while still completing all the chores and errands.  How do parents get everything done??  It seems like something has to give.  So I would try to do at least one fun thing with Baby W (usually an outing of some sort) and accomplish the absolutely necessary errands.  The other errands/chores would get added to my ever growing to do list.  I was feeling overwhelmed by that every growing list.

Yesterday, I dropped W off with his grandma and returned home to begin working on crossing items off that long list.  I started with sorting clothes we had cleaned out of our closets.  Some were to be donated to charity while others were to go to a local consignment shop.  I sorted those.  At the end, I had 2 boxes for consignment and 4 for charity.  Then, I had to load it all in my car – not fun.  I made a couple phone calls I’ve been putting off and headed out.  First stop was the consignment store, then it was on to Babies R Us.  BRU let me make 3 separate transactions so I could use all the coupons I had… people are so much nicer when you shop during the week!  I really appreciated that.  Soon, it was off to the mall to pick up odds and ends – fall candles, some clothes (on clearance) for W, and makeup.  I also had to return a pair of shoes.  I was able to use a coupon for everything I purchased (thank you Carson’s Goodwill Sale, Yankee Candle, and Baby Gap!).  I even decided to cash in a gift certificate I received for Christmas and got a manicure!!  It was heavenly and I’m loving my navy blue polish.  Then, I returned home to clean, pay bills, vacuum, and order a few photos and before I knew it, my boys were home.

It would’ve been nice to watch some tv or read, but it feels amazing to have only 3 things left on my list. J  A successful day for sure.
 
 

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Baby W's Birth Story - Part 2


Finally, 12/20/12 arrived.  I don’t think I slept at all the night before.  I took one final pregnant picture in front of the Christmas tree and kissed Addie goodbye.  I don’t think A and I talked much on the way to the hospital – I was so nervous, tired, anxious, all sorts of emotional.  We checked into the maternity ward as we had been instructed.  The woman at the front desk looked at us a little confused.  “Who is your doctor?  What time were you supposed to be here?”  Turns out someone had really messed up and DID NOT SCHEDULE the c section?!?  A and I were instructed to sit in the lobby while things were sorted out.  I was a mess.  I couldn’t imagine going through all this again.  I was already nervous, we had made all arrangements, we’d gotten up incredibly early, and I had mentally prepared myself as much as possible.  I needed to have baby W THIS morning.  After that hiccup, a nurse came out and told us things were ok and we should follow her to a room to prepare for surgery.  Crisis averted.

In the room, a couple monitors were placed on me.  I was surprised to find out I was having very regular contractions and took it as a sign that Baby W was ready to make his debut.  There was one final ultrasound to confirm that Baby W was still breech (he was).  I think I told everyone – nurses, doctors, anesthesiologist how nervous I was and they all assured me that both baby and I would be fine.  I was in good hands.

As I prepared for surgery I had to drink some nasty concoction to settle my stomach (it was gross).  A put on his scrubs.  An IV was inserted (I was told it would be the most painful part of the day).  Finally, I was told it was time to enter the OR.  A couldn’t be with me as the epidural was administered.  That was one of the scariest and most painful parts of the day.  The anesthesiologist kept telling me to stick my back out and push back while a nurse held my shoulders and he inserted the needle.  How does one stick their back out?!?  Soon enough, it was over.  The nurse holding me also happened to have the same name we planned on calling baby W – I took that as another good sign.  The curtain was raised, A joined me, I felt super awkward being naked on an operating table, and I couldn’t feel my legs… fun times.

The surgery began.  I kept telling the anesthesiologist that I felt nauseous and he would continually increase whatever medicine I was on to make me feel better.  That happened several times.  Eventually the anesthesiologist exclaimed “I can see his butt!”.  A and I heard baby W before we could see him.  He was screaming and I remember smiling and nervously laughing, hoping that meant he was ok.  A few seconds later, the OB brought him over.  A and I both cried.  I said, “He’s so cute.  He’s perfect.”  A tried to hug me, but he ended up rubbing my head and messing up my hair. ;)  Not his fault – I was basically tied to the operating table.  I asked how much he weighed and the doctor told me they didn’t know yet.  Baby W was checked out, measured, and wrapped in a blanket.  He weighed 8 lbs 9 oz and was 20.5 inches long.  He was brought over to me and I got to talk to him and love on him for a couple minutes.  He was, without a doubt, the most beautiful baby I’d ever seen.  A and baby W went to the recovery room while I was stitched up.  That only took a few minutes.  The anesthesiologist asked me if I wanted something to take the edge off.  I wasn’t really sure what that meant and I stupidly said sure.  Whatever it was made me really sleepy.  Soon enough, I was in the recovery room and got to hold and feed baby W right away.  The nurse repeatedly asked how I was doing and I repeatedly told her I was so tired.  I wish I hadn’t gotten that extra medication.  She told me to sleep, but there was absolutely no way I was going to miss out on baby W’s first minutes of life.  While in the recovery room, W’s foot prints were stamped and he got his first bath.  When I could move my legs, it was time to head to my hospital room.  I remember having to move from the operating bed to the hospital bed and that was extremely difficult right after surgery.  I also remember the nurse pushing really hard on my stomach (uterus?) and that was painful.

After we got into the hospital room, A went to find Grandma G and Grandma W who had been anxiously waiting to meet baby W.  Watching them meet him and hold him melted my heart. J  Meanwhile, I was instructed to eat ice chips while the anesthesia wore off.  All was going well…. Until nausea hit me full force.  I started vomiting and was given Zofran.  It helped and I started feeling better.  Eventually, Grandpa W and Uncle M stopped by to meet W.  I’m pretty sure I looked like death after the vomiting episode. J  It was also fun watching them meet baby W.  W is named after both of his grandpas. J That night, I was afraid to eat much because I didn’t want to vomit.  Sidenote: I hate puking.  Not that anyone likes it, but I will do everything in my power not to puke.  I had not gotten sick at all during pregnancy.  How ironic that I did minutes after Baby W was born.

The next few days and nights in the hospital were pretty calm.  I loved being with my boys and I had minimal pain.  Even the nurses seemed impressed that I was walking around the night of delivery and declining pain medication.  I credit my recovery to my awesome OB.  Baby W roomed with us except for a couple hours each night when A and I would catch up on much needed sleep.  W didn’t sleep well in his bassinet and preferred to be held.  That was fine by me, but I knew I needed some sleep.  The second night in the hospital, I was ravenous.  After hardly eating anything the day prior due to nausea, I suddenly couldn’t get enough.  I ate my entire dinner including sides, had additional snacks, and sent A out for a Chicago style hotdog. J  More friends stopped by to meet W and I loved that they were excited to meet him.  W became jaundiced and was losing a lot of weight (1 pound), but we were allowed to leave the hospital as scheduled on 12/23.  Just in time for Christmas.

My OB had instructed me to take it easy and not leave the house, which meant no Christmas celebrations.  But we had many visitors and had lots of fun Face Timing with family.

During the first couple weeks, we had to visit the pediatrician frequently for weight checks and blood draws.  Eventually W figured out nursing and his bilirubin levels stabilized.  In my opinion, there were way way too many blood draws.  I think they should have stopped after the bilirubin levels began to decrease and W’s color was returning to normal.  One of my biggest regrets is not putting a stop to the numerous blood draws. 

My recovery was easy for the most part.  Getting out of bed in the night was the most difficult – I missed the hospital bed rails.  But even that wasn’t terrible.  Looking back, c section recovery wasn’t bad at all.  I think I had an easier time than friends who gave birth naturally.  If I had to have another c section, I’d be completely fine with that.  Dare I say, I might even prefer it!
 
W’s birth was perfect and I wouldn’t change a thing.  One of the best days of my life.  J