Correction

Baby is NOT sleeping. She still sleeps a long stretch at night, thankfully, but not during the day. She still won't stay asleep for longer than 10 minutes without needing to be burped (again) or spitting up. I'm worn out from holding her all day! Time to call the Dr. and see if we need to up the dosage or switch to a different medicine. She's on Zantac right now. Brynlee was on that too when she was a baby for the same problem, and we had to switch her to Prevacid.

It's hard having a baby that is tired and cranky, and wants to sleep but can't stay asleep!

The Scoop

On Sunday, the day after Halloween, Brynlee got what we thought was the flu, complete with mild throwing up and a full on heavy cough, runny nose, and fever...oh and let's not forget DOUBLE pink eye. Then Rae got it a few days later, all of it (except only threw up once thank goodness)...but she got double pink eye too. Then I got it a few days after that! Luckily, not the pink eye. We kept praying that the baby wouldn't get it! And she hasn't! What a blessing.

My sister left right when everyone got sick (because she got sick too and needed to get home before she was any worse) and I was on my own for the first time since the baby was born. It was hard, waking up for late night feedings, and just as I got to bed, one of the older girls would be up coughing for the next 2 hours. Then it was time for baby to eat again just as the older girls went back to sleep!

Plus, Ambree decided to go through some very cranky spells during all of the sickness, and wouldn't/couldn't go to sleep for longer than 5 minutes at a time...no matter what position and method I tried. It was very tiresome. Then we figured out that she has developed GER too (gastro esophageal reflux). The acid was hurting her and keeping her from being comfortable enough to sleep. We have her on Zantac for the past 3 days now and she's a happy girl! Lots of smiles and more sleep! Actually, she's an awesome night sleeper. She averages one 5 hour stretch from feeding to feeding in the night. I'm spoiled, I know it!

Then Brynlee developed a rash and was sent home from school on her first day back from being sick. We thought it was an allergic reaction to the antibiotic she was on, but discovered it was 5th disease. Sheesh. At least the rash means that it's over and she's not contagious anymore.

8 trips. That's how many times we've been to the pediatrician this past month. Between the newborn check-ups, weigh-ins and sick visits, we sure have utilized our insurance this month. Today was Ambree's 1 month check-up and is hopefully the last time we'll have to be at the Dr.s' until her next well-check.

I wouldn't have made it through without the kind meals delivered during that week. Thanks ladies!

I still have a productive cough, but at least the older girls are sleeping through the night again! Oh how heavenly sleep is.

Other than all that craziness, it is great to have my body back. I can cook, clean, stand comfortably, move, not go pee every 5 minutes, and just today I discovered I can fit back in my smallest jeans again! WAHOO! I didn't think that would happen until next spring, after I started running again.

My body back. Girls are healthy. Baby is sleeping.

LIFE IS GOOD.

Stay Tuned

Just dropping a quick line to say that life has been kinda crazy the past 2 weeks (since Halloween) and it finally looks like it might be on track again. I'll finally have time to post again! Soon.

Daddy Time

Trevor is smitten. For the 12 days Trevor was able to spend at home with Ambree, he was in HEAVEN! We lucked out that he was able to get that much time off to spend with us. I referenced his happiness, like he was on a "babymoon". He was soaking up every minute, and would beam a smile at me and say, "I love this" or "I just love this little girl". All of the pics I snapped of him with the baby just happened to all be sleeping pics!

Look at her little angel wings!

Aunt Becky

or Aunt "Betty" as Raelyn calls her. I was so lucky to have my sister come to stay with us for about 2 weeks when the baby was born. The girls were in heaven and loved laughing at all the silly things Becky did. She also helped cook, clean, and do everything else that I needed help with. It was like having an extra "me" around, which was so great. We got to teach her how to play "Go Fish" and then she and I had fun playing UNO and Crazy 8, like old times. We also got to do Halloween with her too! Unfortunately, Brynlee gave her the flu as a parting gift on Tuesday. Thanks again for coming Aunt Becky!

Talking to her hubbie on the phone while snuggling with Ambree.

Feeding her a bottle.

Ambree was taking care of some "business" while eating and Becky was a little wary.

Playdough time

"Hey, it's stuck"

One of Becky's creations

Her nickname is "Booberry" from her hubbie, so we bought the cereal for her to enjoy.

Mommy time

Just some pics taken of Ambree and I right after eating.

First Sponge Bath

Such a life a baby has! With someone to bathe and feed you at the same time!

Her favorite part of bathtime is when I put running water over just her hair to rinse out the soap.

Meeting the family

During the evening on the day Ambree was born, the girls came to see their sister for the first time. They were careful to be quiet and gentle around the baby. Otherwise, Raelyn was a excited little monkey who climbed and wanted to get into everything.

Ambree with big sis Brynlee

Raelyn wanted so badly to cuddle with the baby.

Raelyn's saying,"Ohhh...she's so tute" and "So trecious" (precious)

Raelyn, concerned about the baby's belly button.

Go "Sish"

Between sessions of conference (the first weekend in Oct) we played Go Fish. I have never played before so Trevor and the girls taught me (they had played and learned a couple of days before with Daddy).

It was a very giggly game, as Rae continued to say, "Go Sish" or "Oh Man!" whenever she had to draw a card.

Last Preggo Pics

Rae just happened to kiss me right at the same moment the photo was snapped.

She's such a silly girl!

Ambree's Birth Story

On Tuesday, Trevor didn't have any surgery cases, so he was able to stay home. Yippee! We spent the day busily doing all those "honey-do" jobs that have been waiting to be done.

On Wednesday, Trevor had an early morning surgery he had to go into work for. I woke up that morning, trying to think of things I could do to pass the time until the baby was ready to come. I was trying to decide between visiting my friend Evelyn (and her newborn) an hour away, or repainting the dresser that I had Trevor bring out to the garage for me. In the end, I decided on the dresser.

I got Brynlee sent off to school and brought up all the paint supplies from the basement. I put a movie on for Rae so I could paint. While waiting for the DVD to load (at around 8:30AM), I started feeling very crampy. I had to sit down. I continued to feel this way for 30 minutes, not wanting to move from the couch. I didn't want to call Trevor just in case this was "nothing" again as I've been tricked before, although never feeling like this before.

I went upstairs to email him since he can check his email faster than a voice message on his phone while at work. Then I decided that I should page him after all, because I just didn't want to be alone anymore and I couldn't quite focus on keeping relaxed while Raelyn wanted a snack fixed, etc. I took a shower and he called and I told him, "I think you should come home".

I threw my bag together and then called my neighbor to tell her it was "time" and brought Raelyn over to her house to play. Trevor pulled up just as I was walking back to the house. Then I sat in bed, listening to my hypnobirthing cd, trying to relax, realizing this is most likely the real thing since they were pretty crampy, uncomfortable and 3 minutes apart, and sometimes back to back. Realizing that I didn't want to be starving during labor, in case it was going to be awhile, I tried to eat some cereal. I had about 5 bites and then said we better go to the hospital.

I kept my eyes closed during the bumpy drive to the hospital (Michigan has terrible roads). Trevor kept encouraging me to breathe and relax. We arrived at the hospital and I told him to use the valet service and I wanted a wheelchair. We arrived at triage and they told me to get changed into the gown. While in the restroom, it took quite a bit of time, as I tried to do what I could between contractions, leaning on Trevor for support. Then I got to the bed and the triage nurse started asking questions...you know, the kind that you already filled out and turned in for the pre-registration forms. I knew they were going to ask more questions, even though I was wanting to concentrate on relaxing, not answering questions, and wanted Trevor's attention on helping me, not answering questions either. So the nurse was asking questions, I was breathing and Trevor was answering. After a few questions, the nasty nurse cut him off and said,"Let Jennifer answer". I've never wanted to flip anyone off until that moment. Hello! Couldn't she see that I couldn't answer? I was breathing through contractions! And what was wrong with my husband answering? He knew all the answers!

She got ready to "check" me and I asked her if she could wait until when I wasn't having a contraction. She did an impatient sigh and waited. When she discovered I was at an 8, she started calling everyone in a calm panic way, using all their hospital acronyms of a woman in labor at an 8 and we need to get things rolling ASAP, because I was group B strep positive.

Everything else after this was kind of a blur. I kept my eyes closed pretty much the remainder of my labor to help me breathe and focus on relaxing my muscles. Trevor did a great job reminding me to breathe and relax, giving me lots of encouragement. I also prompted him with words I wanted him to tell me like, "relax your legs/shoulders". I was shaking and my teeth were chattering as if I was cold, but that is normal during labor.

There were 2 residents, 1 nurse, 2 nurse techs, 2 students and my Dr. ALL in the same room. I didn't want such a crowd, but at that point I didn't want to waste any of my energy to kicking them out, I was just trying to breathe. The most annoying part was that all of the question asking started all over again. Trevor would answer a question (address/birthdate/etc) and then 3 minutes later the SAME question was asked by someone else in the room. HELLO! Coordinate yourselves and let my husband answer once, he has a more important job to do...helping me!

I really wanted to "breathe" the baby down as a hypnobirthing technique, but my Dr. told me I needed to push to get the baby down. He also had to break my water since I was complete and it still had not broken and the baby wouldn't descend. After about 30 minutes of pushing, I was emotionally and physically done. I started saying, "I don't want to do this anymore, can someone else do it for me?" or "Just tell me I only have 1 more push left." After 10 more minutes, she was born and I kept saying, "My baby! My baby!" as I saw her for the first time. They briefly showed her to me and then had to clean her up as she had swallowed some meconium and they had to remove that.

It took so long to push her out because she was face up and had a 14 inch head! She didn't cry hardly at all, mostly made little noises like she was "talking", as she was being cleaned. It was the most beautiful sound.

So, did the hypnobirthing work? Yes. I would have NEVER been able to stay as calm and in control as I did without pain medication without hypnobirthing. I didn't yell or scream at anyone. Was it pain free? No, but it was manageable and the part that was hardest for me was the pushing, which I didn't do the hypnobirthing "breathing down" way. Would I do it this way again? Most likely (but maybe a waterbirth if there is a next time). I recovered so quickly this time and have lost almost all of my weight already within the first 2 weeks. It's unbelievable! I'm still shocked at seeing myself in the mirror, that I'm already so much smaller.

I'm so glad that I'm no longer pregnant and have my body/energy back! Even with middle of the night feedings, I have more energy now than I did the last weeks of pregnancy. It's so nice to feel like I can take care of my family again.

Thank you for all of your warm wishes! More posts to come!