Lately...

Sweet Caroline had to go back to the pediatrician...AGAIN!! She's had a rash on her face, scalp, neck, back and chest for the past few days. We called the on call nurse last night and she told us to come to the office today. Turns out it's no big deal - seborrheic dermatitis (same condition as cradle cap). It looks worse than it actually is. We got a prescription for some cream to put on it and that should clear it right up.

Not too much else has been going on the past few days. Caroline and I went to the Mama and Me group yesterday and we had a really good time. It was nice to get out of the house and see other adults! I'm finally starting to feel more like myself again. My body is just about back to normal, the horrible headaches have mostly gone away and all the crazy hormones that have made me cry ALL THE TIME are starting to level out (I know Adam must be happy!!). It has certainly made the days easier. I was able to get some stuff done around the house, run errands, visit with friends, cook dinner, take care of Baby C AND take a nap! I was pretty impressed with myself. Staying at home with her truly is harder than any other job I've ever done. Here's some cute pictures of my girls to leave you with.


My first baby :)




Can you believe how much lighter her hair has gotten since birth??

Caroline | First Portrait

Check out these AMAZING newborn pictures of Caroline taken by the very talented Stacey Gresham. I can't wait to see the rest of them!

Caroline | First Portrait

My girls

As I am sure you all know, I have the two most adorable girls in the world. Caroline is the most adorable human baby and Daisy is the most adorable dog baby. Daisy just loves her new little sister!! I am so glad that they get along.







Does anyone else notice how all of the sudden Caroline's little newborn face is gone?? She's already starting to get big!! :)

Post Partum Checkup

Yesterday I had my post partum checkup. This was the last official doctor's visit for me for this pregnancy. Everything looked good. I am just about a pound or two away from my pre-pregnancy weight and my blood pressure was great although still a little higher than it was before delivery (but nothing to worry about). I brought little Caroline with me so that everyone could see the finished product - and they all thought she was perfect :) I had SO MANY doctor's appointments while I was pregnant so it's going to be strange to not see them all each week! I really will miss everybody! While I was leaving several nurses told me that I need to hurry up and get pregnant again so that me and "my sweet husband" could come back and visit...all of the doctors and nurses LOVE Adam!!! Two of them even asked why he didn't come with me to the appointment yesterday! Why am I not surprised...

Adam and I were so impressed with UAB during this entire pregnancy/labor/delivery/post delivery/etc. The doctors and nurses are top notch and the facility is amazing!!! Initially I was sad when I got moved from St. Vincent's to UAB, but I would never have a baby anywhere else now (not that that is even an option with my heart...). I can't possibly say enough good things about them and I am so thankful that they got both Caroline and me safely through this journey!

Since it's all over (for now) we needed to celebrate!! Adam and I got to go out last night just the two of us while my mom stayed at our house and babysat. We went to the Rotaract social at The Club and then to the BSC Young Alumni Party at Rojo. It was so fun to get out for a bit and see lots of our friends. She also kept Caroline in her room last night and got up to feed her so that Adam and I could sleep a full uninterrupted night. It was wonderful!! Thank you so much mom!!

One Month Old!!!

One Month Old - June 23, 2010


I cannot believe that my baby is one month old today!! What a month it has been! This time last month I was hooked up to all sorts of monitors and IV's and anxiously awaiting Caroline's arrival. Now, we are just about settled into life as a family of 3 (humans...4 with Daisy). It's surreal - a month ago I could feel her moving in by belly and now I can see her and hear her. Most days I really enjoy being home with her, other days are super stressful but I still wouldn't want to be doing anything else right now. I have a new appreciation for all you mothers out there. I knew that it would be hard, but staying at home with a newborn is much more than I thought it would be!! I am so impressed by all the mama's who can manage to get in a shower each day, eat actual meals each day and still find some time to relax. If you have any tips or suggestions for me...feel free to pass them on!

At one month old Caroline has gained over 2 pounds and as of Monday was 8 lbs 7 oz. She has been eating 4 oz. at each feeding. She usually eats at mindight and then sleeps until 4:30 or 5:00 and then again until 9:00. However, we have had some horrible exceptions. On Sunday night she was up every hour for about 30 minutes. She is still wearing mostly newborn sized clothes but does fit into a few 0-3 month things. She wants to hold her head up so badly and she's just about there!! She's been staying awake more and more during the day and spends a lot of that time looking at things around the room. Daisy LOVES being her big sister!!! She kisses her feet and has even kissed her little face. I just know they'll be best friends one day.

Happy 1 month old birthday Caroline!! I am so thankful to be your mom. I have never been more tired, frustrated, emotional and exhausted as I have been this month - but I have also never been happier, prouder, more excited and more full of love as I have since you were born. I anxiously await to see what's coming in the months ahead (just don't let them come too fast - there's so much of you that I need to enjoy first). Love, Mommy (it's still crazy that I am a mom!!!!)

4 Week Checkup and Road Trips

Yesterday Caroline turned 4 weeks old (her one month birthday is on Wednesday). We had her doctor's visit today. She weighed 8 lb. 7 oz, putting her in the 25th percentile for weight. She is in the 75th percentile for height. She is going to be tall like her daddy!! I knew she was going to be tall - every ultrasound that we had they kept telling me that her limbs were so long! She got her second Hepatitis B shot too and she didn't even cry. Everything else looked great - except that she's been having some reflux. She got a prescription for baby Zantac and we were told that we could add a little rice cereal to her bottles. Has anyone else done that - if so, how did it work? Poor little Caroline has been spitting up more lately, taking longer to eat, and more fussy at feeding time. The doctor told us that it was uncomfortable for her to eat - which makes me so sad!! We're going to follow all the doctor's orders and hopefully she'll be feeling super in no time!!

Last week Caroline visited Huntsville and Haleyville for the first time. She and I went to Huntsville last Tuesday and returned on Friday. She got to meet lots of friends, hang out with her Aunt Katie, and do lots of shopping. I didn't get to take any cute pictures while I was there, but my mom got several so I will post some when I get them from her. On Friday we came back to Birmingham and then left for Haleyville (with Adam) for the weekend. While we were there, Caroline got to...

...meet lots of friends and family, including her cousin Emma.



...go on a stroller ride with her Daddy through her great-grandmother's vegetable garden.



...catch up on a lot of good sleeping.



And let's not forget our first baby...Daisy got to come too! She had a wonderful time going on walks and sniffing everything in sight!

Father's Day

Yesterday we celebrated Father's Day (Adam's first!!!) in Haleyville with his family. We had a great weekend showing off Caroline and relaxing. Caroline picked out some really nice gifts for Adam too :)

I don't know how Caroline and I got so lucky to have Adam!! He truly is the best husband and father anyone could imagine. When I was pregnant, he took the best care of me. He took on so much extra cooking and cleaning around the house so that I could rest. He stayed in with me on Friday nights when all our friends were going out if I was too tired. He would read books and play music to my belly. He spent weekend after weekend doing baby registries, crib hunting, and other baby errands - and NEVER complained once (at least not to me). Once C arrived, he was still doing more than his fair share of stuff around the house since I was in so much pain and exhausted - but he added on all the diaper changes, sleepless nights, and laundry that comes along with a new baby. He was (and still is) so amazing!

Happy Father's Day Adam! I hope that you had a great day yesterday. Caroline and I love you more than anything.


Adam and Caroline shortly after she was born



Adam and Caroline on their first Father's Day


Caroline's Father's Day outfit


And just another cute one of our girl

We made it!!

Well, we made it until Friday! I think that Caroline and I did a good job - only a few hiccups along the way. To celebrate our almost full week together, we decided to venture out of the house. First we went to visit my office so I could show her off. It was so fun to see everyone!! Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with Caroline - but it's nice to talk to adults too. After that we had lunch with Adam and then we ran a quick errand. By the time we were done, we were both ready to get home and take a nap...although I'm sitting here blogging instead. Caroline was such a good girl today!! She ate before we left the house and then slept until lunch time and then quietly sat in her carseat and just looked around at all the people. Once we got home, all she needed was a bottle and a new diaper and then she went right to sleep. She is one of the most calm babies I have ever encoutered (although who knows how long this will last).

If you're wondering why there haven't been too many pictures, it's because I misplaced my camera battery charger and then the battery died. I am going to get a new one this weekend hopefully. I know that no one really cares about these little stories and that Caroline is the only thing you really want to see. I have been well informed of that by now :) So, hopefully tomorrow you can see what we've been up to lately.

Anyway, have a good weekend!! We have a few exciting things planned and we're really looking forward to finally spending time as a family!!

First Day Down...

Yesterday was the first day where it was just Caroline and me. We made it through, but it sure was exhausting!! She was more fussy than she's normally been, which was super frustrating. She seemed like her tummy hurt her. She kept straining, like she wanted to go to the bathroom but couldn't. She was awake for longer periods - which is good, but when she would get tired she couldn't seem to get good sleep. My day was filled with changing diapers, making bottles, trying to sleep, getting up and down to check on the baby...it really was tiring!! I have so much more respect for all the mom's out there. Staying at home with babies is certainly not easy!! I know it will get easier, but it's all still so new to me.

The day was very bittersweet for me. On the one hand, being at home alone with my baby meant that our life as a family of three is official. Adam and I are responsible for this little creature. We cannot just run out the door whenever we want, we have to plan things around naps and feeding time. We are parents and yesterday it really became official. On the other hand, it was the end of a journey. From the time we found out that we had a baby on the way, there was so much anticipation. What are they going to do at each doctor visit? What is it going to feel like? When will I start showing and how big will I get? Is it a boy or girl? When will I feel her kick? Will my water break today? I really and truly loved being pregnant. My body ached all the time, my feet got huge, I had to pee every 15 minutes and I was exhausted all the time - but it was all so new and exciting. Toward the end, I felt like I was ready to be done, I needed my body back. The labor and delivery process was not bad - although recovering from it was less than pleasant! The hemoragging and D&C were scary - but I survived that too. Having my mom around was wonderful as well. Now that all the hospital stuff is over, my mom is gone and my body gets closer and closer to it's pre-pregnant state - it's clear that the journey is over - and it was the most amazing journey. It so funny how everyone says that women forget all the pain of labor after the baby is born. It's so true!! I remember thinking how this would be the only child I had during the process at one point and now I seriously want to be pregnant and do it all again (not that that will happen anytime soon - so don't get any ideas!!). It was all so wonderful though and I will miss it. I will even miss seeing the doctors and nurses!! I got the very best care during the pregnancy and hospital stays and it is sad to say goodbye to people that took such amazing of me. I am still super emotional from the hormones trying to go back to normal so I spent a lot of the day crying. Thank you so much Adam for going on this amazing journey with me - I couldn't have done it without you!! I am looking forward to this next journey with you and Caroline and seeing what that will bring.

We're on day 2 - here's to hoping that there are less tears from Baby C and me...

Due Date

Today, June 8, 2010, was Caroline's due date. Today I would have been 40 weeks pregnant!! Instead, she is already 16 days old. She's had quite an eventful life so far :) Yesterday she had her first lunch date with her daddy. We packed up all her stuff and put her in her new polo dress (still too big, but she still looked adorable) and went to the courthouse to see Adam and meet the people he works with. No major meltdowns occured, so it was a successful outing. I'll post a picture of that later once my mom emails me the pictures from yesterday.

Today is also the first day that I am home alone with Caroline. My mom has been staying with us since my surgery last Sunday and left yesterday afternoon. Adam's at work so it's just the two of us (three if you count Daisy). The morning was a little stressful and I still haven't been able to shower yet - but I think we might make it.



Caroline really is such a good baby! We've been able to get a good amount of sleep - 5 to 6 hour stretches at night. She's been staying awake more and more during the day. She loves to eat!!! Here's a cute picture of her eating a bottle doing "praying mantis" arms. She seems to really like this position.


Daisy has been wonderful!! She really is a good big sister. She even gave Caroline a few kisses the other day. She is very gentle with her and very patient with us when we aren't giving her constant attention. She spends most of the day sun bathing.


Another cute picture!


I heard someone say the other day that having a baby is like always having a turkey in the oven - and I'm finding that it is true. Instead of constantly checking the oven, I'm constantly checking on the baby. If you notice a lot of blog posts in the next few days - that's way. I'm just sitting here waiting to hop up and check on her with not much else to do so I just blog!

Post Delivery (and last post with no pics)

I will spare you all from many of the gross details that followed the delivery if possible and I promise that this is the last of these posts. Of the entire labor/delivery/post partum process - this next part was the worst!! I was so sore from the stitches I got plus my stomach muscles were stretched out so I couldn't move too well. I couldn't even sit up by myself! While on the epidural, I had to have a catheter. Apparently that can cause some "bladder trauma." It happens to most people so it's no big deal, but it takes a while to fully regain bladder function. I had to call a nurse almost every hour that night to help me to go to the bathroom. I constantly felt like I had to go and sometimes I did and sometimes I didn't - it was so annoying! Luckily we had the best nurse in the world who was so sweet. She helped me sit up, walk the 3 steps to the bathroom (I was still too weak to do this by myself without passing out), and then get back to bed. I couldn't sleep at all that night because of the magnesium, even though I was exhausted. It was the most uncomfortable I've been in quite some time. Once they finally took me off the mag the next day, I started feeling much better. We got to enjoy the rest of hospital stay - and I must say, we really did enjoy it! We both loved all the doctors and nurses so much!! One of the pediatricians in the nursery was actually a friend/sorority sister from college, Dr. Julia Stewart. It was so neat that one of Caroline's first doctor's was someone that we knew. I know all the doctor's are top notch, but it made me feel so much better knowing the doctor personally! Thanks Julia! We were allowed to leave around 6:30 on Tuesday. After almost 3 full days at UAB, we were excited to go home.

My mom came to Birmingham the next morning and helped us out for a few days while we tried to figure out the whole parenthood thing. She left us on Saturday afternoon and Adam's family came to visit for a bit. I was still in pain and super weepy, but overall things were going well...until the next morning.

Adam got up and went to church, so his mother watched Caroline while I took a shower. I was enjoying standing under the warm water until I got a little light-headed. I went to adjust the water when I noticed that I was standing in a pool of blood. I got out of the shower and gushed more blood with each step I took. I called in Adam's mom and she helped me lay down on the floor while we called Adam and the hospital. The on call doctor told me to come in right away. Adam hurried out of church and went through red lights to get to me. On the way there, Adam was trying to keep me calm. He said, "I'm sure it's nothing. On the way home we can even get some lunch on the way home." Little did he know that it would be another 2 days before I would leave the hospital. Once we got to the hospital and the doctor's did their exam, they told me that I had some "retained products," in other words, part of the placenta was still left inside. The only way to remove it was to have a D&C. I wasn't emergent, but the surgery was scheduled for that afternoon. After I got out of surgery and got to the recovery room, my BP went super high and caused the worst headache of my entire life. I was crying and pathetically asking the doctors to help me. Thanks to this, I earned another couple nights in the hospital...hooray.

So far, there haven't been any other major traumas and hopefully there won't be anymore and we can just concentrate on being a new family. I am really looking forward to everything that is coming!!! Alright...off to bed I go. I'll have some fun new pictures tomorrow of sweet little Caroline!

And then... (continuation of last post)

We got upstairs to the MEU and checked in. They took me right back while Adam waited in the lobby (they always take you back alone at first and let you get in a gown and hooked up to all the fetal monitors). One of the residents came in and asked what was going on. I told her that I think my water broke but I wasn't too sure. Right about then, I had another gush of fluid - and this time it was more than two little drops. She looked and said, "Yes, your water broke and we're having a baby today!" I was so excited but so nervous! This was the moment that I had been waiting for during the last 9 months. They told Adam to come back to the room and I said that I was in labor and my water did break. He looked shocked and said, "I guess I should call everyone and tell them not to come to the shower." We started calling our families to let them know what was going on.

The nurses started an IV and all the other necessary medical stuff. The contractions were getting more and more painful. It was just horrible!! We still had a little bit of time before I was moved to Labor and Delivery. Adam was trying to be super sweet and coach me through the contractions, but it was making me more uncomfortable. It really was just like in the movies (for me anyway)that I just wanted to punch him in the face!! When the nurse came in I remember screaming "where the f*** is the epidural!!!". I was not a happy camper. Finally they took me to L&D. They came to do the epidural and it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was a tiny catheter that looked like fishing line and they put it straight into my back. Almost instantly I felt so much better. After that I wanted Adam to come back and hold my hand. I liked him so much better once I had that epidural!! Around that time, they told me that I had pre-eclampsia and they were going to give me some magnesium to keep my bp down but it was probably going to make me feel bad. It really took it out of me! Not to mention all the medication they kept pumping me with to regulate my heart rate, pain (b/c you can feel a little even with the epidural), and bp even more.

A while later our families started arriving. I was pretty loopy at this point. Because of my heart condition, the doctor's were not going to let me push. I was going to have an assisted second stage delivery (aka forceps delivery). Since Caroline needed to be at a certain position, they couldn't start at 10 cm, I had to be at +2 cm. We waited all day long. It felt like a lifetime. Since there was a possibility that you may need to be put under for an emergency c-section, you cannot have food or water until you deliver. My mouth kept getting so dry. Adam, my mom, and my sister in law Calyn kept taking turns feeding me ice by hand. They were all such angels that day!!! FINALLY we got to +2 and the delivery could begin. Tons of doctors came in and everyone started suiting up. There were 3 pediatric doctors and 3 peds nurses ready for Caroline, 2 OB residents, 1 MFM specialist, about 3 L&D nurses and 2 anestesiologists in the room plus Adam and me. I couldn't feel my legs, but all of the sudden I was pretty naked with my legs spread wide and 16 people in the room. Modesty really does go out the window while having a baby!!!

Not long after that, at 4:03 pm (after 12.5 long hours of labor) Caroline Grace entered the world as calm as could be. She didn't cry but let us all know that she had strong lungs. I was pretty drugged up but aware enough to know that she was the most beautiful thing I have seen! I did have a stage 3 tear from the delivery so I had to lay and get stitched back up before anyone could come in and see Caroline.

Once they let everyone in, I was so out of it I pretty much went right to sleep. Everyone got to hold her for a bit before they took her to the nursery and moved me to a Post Partum room.

How it all happened...

I know I have been quite a blog slacker these past two weeks...it has been pretty crazy around here! Anyway - here is how it all happened!!

Thursday May 20th I had an appointment with my OB. I was 37 weeks and 2 days pregnant. I was tired, swollen and just ready to meet little Caroline. The doctor had said that I still had a some time left and just try to stay as comfortable as possible. As I checked out that day, I scheduled my next 2 appointments and was kind of sad that I still had over two weeks to go. Two more weeks of exhaustion, two more weeks of dragging myself to work, two more weeks of telling people that even though I was HUGE, I still had a couple of weeks left to go, and thus two more weeks of people telling me that I was about to pop right then!!

That Sunday, Adam and I were supposed to have both of our families over to our house for one last shower for Caroline. We got up early on Saturday the 22rd and started to get the house in order. Adam went outside to work in the yard and I worked inside. I was a little crampy that day but had been having contractions for several weeks so I was pretty sure it was just more of the same. We worked all day long (although I took several breaks!). We were supposed to go to a wedding in Huntsville that evening, but after a long day of work and me feeling pretty crummy - we just stayed home to relax before our shower the next day. Also, Adam was due to teach Sunday School the next morning so he needed time to work on the lesson. Late that evening, Adam got to work on his lesson and I bundled up on the couch. We had been talking for several days about how we just needed Caroline to hold off until this last shower. Right before I dozed off to sleep, we both said how we were so excited that we made it and anytime after tomorrow afternoon, Caroline was free to come!!

About 3 hours later...It's 3:30 am and I've been tossing and turning for a while. I'd started having a few small contractions again. I was praying for Caroline to hold off another 15 hours. All of the sudden, I felt a small pop (like the elastic waistband popped on something while wearing it) and then a gush. I went to the bathroom, but there were only 2 small drops. I woke Adam up and told him that I think my water broke - but I wasn't too sure. After I sat on the toilet for a minute, it was like I was peeing a little but couldn't control it (your welcome for that mental image). I called the MEU (maternal evaluation unit) and told them what was going on. They told me to come on in since they couldn't say exactly what was going on without seeing me. So off we went.

The drive to the hospital was rough. I was having sharper, more painful contractions than I've been having. Plus - Adam was less than pleased. He didn't really believe that my water had broken. Considering that we had already been to the MEU three times, he thought this was another false alarm. He complained most of the way that he was going to be so tired while teaching Sunday School and then he'd have to rush home and start greeting guests, so this was just really not good timing. I was starting to feel guilty and wish that I had just gone back to bed at this point. Right about then, we pulled up to UAB Women and Infant's Center. Adam dropped me off at the door and went to go park. I was standing on the curb having what I thought at the time was the worst contraction ever. I was pretty sure this was it...

Learning

I'm still new at the whole parenthood thing - and I know I'll be learning new things each day that I have my baby girl but I feel like I've learned mountains in the past 10 days!!!

I went into labor at 3:30 am on Sunday, May 23rd. My water broke but it was not a big gush like everyone said it would be. In fact, it was barely anything so I really didn't think that it could be the water breaking. Lesson 1 - labor/delivery/etc. really is different for everyone!
Caroline hardly ever cried at the hospital, even when she was just born. I thought that something was wrong at first because she was so quiet. (Apparently that's normal though). All of the nurses kept telling us how wonderful she was. The second we brought her home she started fussing and crying. I thought that somehow on the way home we broke her. Our little angel was gone and replaced by an unhappy baby. Lesson 2 - that's normal. The first few days they sleep so much and just don't cry. After that, they do. Caroline really doesn't fuss or cry that much, but that first 24 hours at home felt like it was nonstop!! We didn't break her after all!!
Lesson 3 - accept any and all help!! I was so certain that I wanted it to be just Adam and me at home when we were released from the hospital. Having both of our mothers around the past 10 days has been the best thing (extra hospital visits and bed rest prompted that). Target/Babies R Us/grocery store runs are taken care of for us, dinner and laundry are magically done, sometimes they even take the night shift so we can get a good night's rest. Also, we have the most amazing friends that have been bringing us dinner - and even tell me how great I look when I have spit up on my shirt and am still in my pj's at 4:00 in the afternoon. Everyone has been amazing and it's made this transition into parenthood much easier!!
The most important thing I have learned so far though, is how much I love and appreciate my husband. He has been such an amazing father. He's great with the feedings, diapers, loss of sleep, etc. While adjusting to a new baby, he's also taken the best care of me while I am healing. When I was covered in blood this past Sunday, Adam wasn't home. He ran through red lights to get to me quickly and held my hand through every gory minute. Even when he was nervous, he seemed to be calm and worked hard to keep me calm. He has helped me to the bathroom, helped clean my stitches, learned about all my medications and when to take them, and oh so much more. He is truly the best husband and father and I am so lucky he is mine!!!! I have always known he was precious - but in the past 10 days I have learned that he is more than I could ever hope for and more than I probably deserve, yet somehow I ended up with him :)

Sweet Little Baby

Sweet little Caroline just looked so adorable taking a nap yesterday so I had to take a picture...I'm sure I'll be doing that a lot.

Hospital Round 2

I am home (again) from the hospital. This past Sunday I had to make yet another apprearance in the Maternal Evaluation Unit followed by an emergency procedure and two days in the hospital. Not to give TMI...but let's just say there was a lot of bleeding, pain, and a blood pressure that was in the range of seizures and strokes. Everything is under control now. I am home and on bed rest for a while. Thank goodness for all the wonderful help that Adam and I have gotten!! We certainly couldn't have done it alone. I am off to rest now while my mom goes to pick up the rest of my narcotic prescriptions...more to come later!!