Birth Story of Joel

Labor and Delivery                                          

Remember my mention of aches and pains this last week? yeah, Kent teased me that i was crying wolf so Saturday morning when I woke early, I still felt achy so I took a bath. I thought, that's funny my back hurts, usually it aches after a long day of activity. So I started counting and curiously watching the clock. Okay, real contractions, sounds good, wait a minute these are getting stronger not fading away... So after two hours I called Kelsey and asked her to come get Owen. I nicely woke up Kent and said no false alarms; We are having a baby today! 

I told Owen he was going to his best buddies house and that Mom and Dad were going to the hospital to have baby Joel. He asked if he could hug Joel and then hugged my belly. Aunt Kelsey was the best at confirming my thoughts to go in and she came all the way from Nyssa to take Owen for the duration. He went to the park, swam and had a sleepover with Kara, Katelin, Kass and Kenn at the Peterson's which gave Kent and I peace of mind. I had a lot of contractions in the car but we still gassed up, called about Kent's test and I even shaved my legs before finally getting to the hospital. I had to stop twice in the parking lot and catch my breath and I could sense Kent's urgency as he held my hand and hurried me along. The nurse in triage was my favorite, very efficient, instead of going through checkin questions she checked my dilation when I told her I came in at a 5 with my first one. Turns out I was at an 8 and she hurried to call my doctor. She didn't think I had time for antibiotics for the positive strep b, but when I told her I wanted an epidural she conferred with the doctor and they kept me pregnant(not breaking my water or pushing) so one bag of antibiotics could go through me. And the epidural kept me calm so that we could wait. Everything was very different than with Owen. My water had broke and I felt the need to push and the epidural didn't mask that intense pressure and I pushed for hours and they had to use the vacuum. This time, Kent said I was smiling and nice and we had time to just sit and be excited. I had pretty bad shakes and chattering teeth which they said was normal as my body was having strong contractions. Three hours from checkin it was time to push and after eight sets, beautiful baby Joel was born! Loved how they put him on my chest and I got to see his fingers and toes and cutest cheeks and nose! Kent was overwhelmed but attentive as they fixed up Joel to be held by Dad!

 

39 weeks

So, I'm really not all that uncomfortable and that's crazy but I'm able to do a lot and sleep fairly well. My right leg will go numb off and on and I read its probably my sciatic nerve but I know I'm in for a whole new fatigue with a newborn ;) 

I am also really nervous about labor, delivery and recovery because with Owen it was tough and kinda traumatic. And there are still things on my list but for now I'm pretty much prepared. Kent gave me a blessing last night because I was feeling pains I would call shocks and was wondering if I was having contractions but I think it was just my pinched nerve. 

Owen has the funniest eyebrows when he scowls. Here he is saying he is not a grumpo! He just wants me to go fly his kite.

Luckily, he has an awesome dad who adores him and will spend the evening outside with him. Kent takes Owen to the park after his run and does push-ups and pull-ups on the monkey bars. Owen now shows me his push-up and his strong arms and says he is getting muscles for punching.

38 Weeks and a Whole Family Update

 

Last week at 37 weeks, I had a day of very sore pelvic muscles and walking pulled the muscles even more and it was awful to feel so limited. Last week a lot happened at home too! Kent finished his study week at school, graduated and will study for his board exams at home and take them the first week of July. He has worked so hard and done so well. I am so proud of him!

The weekend brought my mom over to Boise to help me deep clean and get organized for baby. Owen loved showering Grandma with attention and love and didn't really need me as Grandma was so attentive. And my mom was the sole cleaner, we didn't do it together for motivation like I planned instead I had another bout of sore pelvic muscles and she made me nap and sit down. I did some shop work and organizing of the closets and baby bag. Her coming really kicked me in gear to finish all my preparations and plans for baby to come. thank you, Mom!

I just finished my mid-week appt and my strep B results came back positive which made me sad. My doctor asked if I had a desire to be induced at 39 weeks and I said no. I would much rather let my body do its thing and come gradual then having a forced labor. I'm not against pain killers like an epidural though ;)

So Kent and I celebrated our fifth anniversary at a new Japanese Steak House, without Owen. We were able to talk and focus on each other. It's been a crazy ride but I am so glad to have him by my side and to know that families are forever.

Kent was offered an on call job as a PT Tech at his last clinical place in Homedale! Still gives him time to study for the national exam and be around to help with the new baby!
Beccah had her baby girl, Lacie Jo, on Thursday!

Owen had an appointment on Monday with an allergy and asthma specialist. They placed 24 allergens on his back and scaled his reaction to each one. Of course the cashew one flaired up really bad. He also had a reaction to soy, grass, tumbleweed, cat and dog. No wheat, milk, egg, peanut, or mold allergies. The docotor actually told us to keep feeding him peanut butter to remind his body that it was not a threat (vs. the theory that a reaction to one nut will in time, cause a reaction to other nuts introduced). Owen loves his peanut butter sandwhiches and fresh peanuts! But when he goes to school we will just say he has a nut allergy to avoid confusion. Tree nut and insect allergies can escalate fast enough that she gave us a epi-pen and taught us how to use it. She also gave us a chamber to attach to his asthma inhaler for better intake of the albuterol. So yes, my child is in for an interesting summer outside!

My notes on the Babywise Sleep Routine

I struggled so much with Owen as a newborn and getting him to sleep in his own bed and still do to this day (although it is much, much better). I also was a complete novice at the daily care an infant needs. I had heard alot about Babywise before Owen and now and decided to read the book. I really like how it has given me knowledge and a confidence to proactively parent and create a great routine for this new baby. Below I have notes for myself and anyone else interested. This post is just a summary. Next I will post key points of the actual routine and how to achieve feeding/play/sleep.

Babywise's Parent-Directed Feeding is a flexible routine. A center point between hyperscheduling on one extreme and demand feeding on the other end. Babywise's parent-directed feeding brings the crucial element of parental assesment-an aquired confidence to think, evaluate and respond to cries, to real needs and not just react each moment with feeding.

HUNGER CUE + CLOCK + ASSESMENT = FEEDING TIME

Benefits:
1- stable night time sleep patterns lead to a baby's contentment, healthy growth and optimal day alertness and learning
2- a well-rested mom is able to proactively parent and feel confident in determining baby's needs
3-full regular daytime feedings promote breastfeeding success and healthy weight gain for the infant

The key to sucess lies in the order of events:
FEED/WAKE/SLEEP ROUTINE vs. the typical feed/sleep/wake

5K Angel Run

Kent's last clinical rotation was at Rehab Authority in Homedale. Rehab helped sponsor the annual 5K Angel Run, so Kent decided to participate and be involved. Owen and I came to cheer :)

It was a nice sunny day at the park in Homedale (half hour away) and Owen was entertained pre-race with a bat for his face painting and a sword balloon. Also by cute kids on the playground that kept asking us who our dad was and if we knew thier dad ;)

All the other PT's chickened out on the run and manned the First Aid station. So Kent started out himself at his own pace but ended up keeping stride and talking with a EMT from Weiser. He said it felt good to run and he liked his time, he was about the twelfth person to cross the finish line (after the high school track team).

The loop didn't take long but as we left the playground to line up at the finish line, a new song started up and Owen just has a natural rhythm that makes him move his body, haha. I quickly turned on the video and caught some of his original moves.

Just the first eleven seconds are worth watching, but catch his arm motion in the first second, its epic!

35-36 Weeks

So for the past two weeks, I have felt pretty good and if I lay on my stomach on the side then I almost feel normal. Until Joel kicks or gets the hiccups. He always lays with his feet on my right side and when I change sides it feels like I'm heaving a bowling ball around in my stomach. Still  indigestion and still stuffy but able to get around and keep up my daily activities!

Dinosaur Expo Idaho

A traveling dinosaur exhibit came to Boise! Luckily, Kelsey heard about it an invited Owen and I for a fun filled day of exploring with our favorite friends.

Jaeger loves dinosaurs especially T-Rex and Owen got an education on all the different dinosaur names.

Lots to learn, hear, touch and then PLAY!