Happy Halloween!

It's Keira's first Halloween and of course we dressed up!  Unfortunately, her eyes are closed in all of the pictures, because, as I may have mentioned before, she sleeps ALL DAY!  Not going to take her around trick or treating because frankly Mommy doesn't need the extra candy around while she tries to loose this baby weight.  I'll try to get the pictures up soon, but I have to do it from J.R.'s computer.  Happy Halloween!

End of Week 2

Yikes!  I can't believe that it's been two weeks already.  I had no idea how steep the learning curve would be.  J.R. goes back to work Monday, and I'll be on my own with her during the day.  I'm not gonna lie...I'm nervous.  I have no idea how I will handle it all.  It would be really great if Keira could figure out the difference between day & night.  This sleeping all day and crying unconsolably all night is exhausting.  I know it's "normal", but it's also mentally and emotionally draining.  The good news is her jaundice is completely gone and she is eating up a storm.  Yay for a healthy baby!  We've also had loads of visitors in the last two weeks.  Everybody has wanted to come and see our darling girl.  It has been really great to see everyone and pass around the baby for a spell.  The copious amounts of food left behind have also been appreciated!  For those of you who were wondering if Ill be keeping this up, the answer is yes, but you'll have to be patient with me.  It's probably going to be awhile in between posts, and they will probably be shorter since I am typing one handed with a sleeping baby on my chest!

Home at Last!

I have never been so glad to be home as I was last night.  For those of you anxiously awaiting news, please understand that I had anticipated being home by 9 am and therefore busily updating this blog by 9:30!  That being the case, I sent my computer home with JR Sunday night.  Then, as often happens with carefully laid plans, they got postponed indefinitely.  JR came home on Sunday night to get the house ready for Keira's arrival, leaving her and me at the hospital waiting for discharge papers in the morning.  We had decided to keep Keira in the room with us so that I could keep up with the breast feeding schedule.  As many of you know, when Keira was inside, her peak active hours were from about 9 pm to 2 am.  That's when the barrel rolls and elbow jabs would begin.  Not much has changed.  I had her solo from about 8 pm until 4 am, and in that time I came to realize just how thankful I am not to be doing this alone.  I was pretty much feeding, burping, and rocking in 2 hour cycles and about 10 minutes after I put her down, she was ready to go again.  Did I mention that she was feeding for 45 minute stretches of time?  OUCH! I wasn't sure that she was even getting anything because my milk hadn't come in.  Talk about frustrating!  The few catnaps I did manage to grab did nothing to recharge me and the constant activity was draining.  Around 4 my nurse came in to check on me, saw my dilemma, convinced me that she could take the baby to the nursery so I could take a quick nap.  God Bless her!  I managed to sleep for 3 1/2 hours, before facing a truly atrocious day.  They talk about the third day let down, when your happy hormones desert you.  The fact that my breakfast tray didn't have the toast I ordered was enough to set my off on a sobbing binge that I really could not control.  I called J.R. and asked him to come back to the hospital sooner than he planned because I just wasn't sure I could handle anything more.  My nurse was very reassuring though and told me that the same hormones that set off the tears also help your milk come in, so they do have a plus side.  Just as I was gearing myself up to go home, they came and said that they had to test her bilirubin levels again.  I thought, ok, I'll get checked out when the doctors change shift at 9, she'll get her labs done, home by 12.  Well, the doctor who had to check me out was due on rounds until between 1 and 2pm, but had a late appointment and didn't make it in to see me until 4.  Not that anyone thought to tell us this.  Oh, and her bilirubin test was still high so we needed to stay and have it redrawn at 3 pm.  What you may not know, and what we did not know was that the bilirubin levels that they were testing were signs of jaundice, a fact that again no one seemed to find relevant to mention until late in the afternoon.  Her 3 o'clock test showed that her bilirubin levels had risen, and then the doctor had to decide what to do.  That's all we were told, no talk of options or possibilities.  Just the staff doctor is making a decision.  Then it was, she had to talk to another doctor before she can make the decision.  At this point, I am frantic because I want to go home, my breasts hurt like hell, my baby is sick, and the fact that she is breast feeding may be making her condition worse.  Not to mention that I have been sitting alone in this hospital room all day long waiting for someone to tell me what the hell is going on.  Have I adequately conveyed how crappy the day was shaping up?  Oh, and don't forget that I still have no control over my tear ducts and I am welling up every time I think about what is happening around me.  Finally, the doctor from my practice came in and signed my discharge papers (without even examining me).  I thought we were in the clear.  The decision that the doctor was trying to make was whether or not to keep us there another night & day with Keira under the lamps, or if she could come home with us using a bili-blanket.  Luckily, they were able to find someone to deliver and set up a bili-blanket for us out at the house and we were able to go home.  We came home to a wonderful meal set up by my parents and got our little girl situated in her new home.  She has had to wear the wrap around her middle since she got home, which plugs in to this light box.  It helps break down the bilirubin just like sunlight would, but she needs to wear it all the time.  So now I feel like I have a Matrix baby.  She has this thick cord coming out of her onesie and is connected to this battery pack we have to lug around as we go from room to room.  Did I mention she glows in the dark too?  It's a little spooky...On the plus side, she is her own nightlight!  We took her in to see our new pediatrician this morning and they re-drew her blood for another test.  We should know the results tomorrow, but she said that she could already see where the bili-blanket was working.  So hopefully we are in the clear as the blanket keeps working over the next few days.  She took a cat nap in her bassinet in the puppies' favorite spot, the ray of sun that comes in the back door, just for some added sunlight.  I know this post sounds awful whiny and frustrated, but it had to come out.  I also want to be clear that we have truly been blessed with a wonderful child.  She has put up with all of these tests and her inexperienced, over emotional momma, and is just amazing.  She loves to cuddle against our chests and she smells so sweet.  Her skull needs to firm up soon, or else she will have a permanent kiss mark pressed into the top of her head.  When I am done feeding her, there is nothing better than the feeling of her drifting off to sleep in my arms.  It makes all the crappy feelings fade away and seem insignificant compared to the warm, fuzzy, love that just floods your system.  That being said, she just woke up and is hungry, surprise, surprise.  Gotta go feed my girl!  And don't get antsy if I don't post an update in the next few days.  I have a feeling the exhaustion is going to catch up with me soon...

She's Here!

It's official!  We are now a family of three.  Our little girl decided to join the world on her due date, October 18th at 7:50am.  She weighed in at 8 lbs 6 oz, and is 22 inches long.  She is also still nameless, but we're working on that.  Labor went smoothly or so I am told and she got an A on her first test, the APGAR.  She has a slight heart murmur, but the pediatrician said it does not sound serious and that they'll take an echocardiogram before we leave, but that it usually resolves itself quickly.  J.R. had one, too, when he was little.  For those of you who just wanted the quick update, there you go!  SPOILER ALERT!!!! If you want the mysteries of labor and delivery to stay a mystery, DO NOT READ ON!  Here's the full story of my last few days.  On Thursday night, I was sitting eating dinner with my mom and J.R. when I felt a funny twinge.  Then another one, about 10 minutes later, and another 10 minutes after that.  I started timing the contractions and they were about 10 minutes apart and lasting 30 seconds.  They were also down low near my pelvis, which can be a sign that you're in false labor.  So I wasn't sure if this was the real deal or not.  I took a little nap, and woke up around 11 and started timing them again.  They still had not progressed, and had even started to slow down around midnight.  I had called my doctor to see what he thought and he told me to wait it out and see what they did.  I went to sleep and in the morning, they were still about 10 and 30.  I made plans to see my doctor to get checked out at 9:00 and had JR drive me into work.  It was supposed to be my last day of work, so there were a few loose ends that I wanted to tie up.  I got my room set for my sub and got the last few things taken care of.  Then I got surprised by one of my students and her mom.  They own a confectionery, and had been planning to bring in treats.  Her sister-in-law is the secretary at our school, and called to alert her that I would be leaving shortly, so she hustled over, in pajamas and curlers, kids still in p.j.s, to give me the cookies and candies and flowers.  How sweet!  Everybody at school was marveling that I had actually made it to my last day, until I told them I was having contractions and probably wasn't going to be staying.  I have to say I work with a group of very special people.  Everyone was so excited and happy for me, and I was sitting there surrounded by friends sharing encouragement and hugs when my mom showed up to take me to the doctor's office.  It was a lovely way to go on leave.  Dr. Acharya examined me and said he couldn't be sure one way or the other, false labor or just latent labor that hadn't kicked up yet.  So he sent me home to nap and walk and see how things went.  Mom and I went home, I napped with the pups for about 2 hours, and then we went to the mall for lunch and some shopping/walking.  When I left Dr. Acharya's office I was 70% effaced and only 1.5 cm dilated.  By the time we left the last store, my contractions had increased in intensity to the point that I couldn't walk or talk through them and they were about 4 minutes apart.  We ran by the house to transfer dogs to my dad and grab my bags, and we were off to the hospital, minus the shower that mom thought I had time for.  At this point it is about 5 pm on a Friday and I need to get into the city.  Taking my usual route to avoid 290 traffic seemed like a good idea, until I hit transition while driving over the bumpiest part of Washington Blvd.  I thought I was going to die when Mom hit the brakes for a stop sign and the seat belt grabbed me mid-contraction.  I believe I told her to stop the car with every intention of getting out.  But thank God she was the one driving me in.  I had a professional coaching me through every contraction and she was amazing!  Not only could she tell me when they'd be stopping, she kept reassuring me that this is what the baby needed.  I don't think I would have been as calm as I was without her!  By the time we got to the hospital around 6, I was 6 cm dilated, 100 % effaced, and contracting every two minutes for about 1 minute each.  It was extremely difficult to get the registration paperwork filled out in between contractions!  It took forever!  They admitted me through the ER and I was put in a triage room on the L&D floor, but they wouldn't let Mom back.  So I just kept replaying her coaching in my head as the contractions started coming fast and furious, and these people kept asking repetitive questions about contact lenses and allergies.  Finally they had a resident examine me and decide to admit me.  I guess it really was labor!  In the meantime, J.R. had shown up from work and was waiting out with Mom and Dad.  They had an awful time getting my IV started because my good Sipka veins were not cooperating.  They poked me three times, before asking Joe the anaesthesiologist to help out.  He was great!  Then they asked if I wanted to do an epidural.  I said, "I think I want to try without it, but what's my window?"  Approximately 15 minutes later, when I was having minute and a half long contractions, with about 30 seconds in between, and no coach, I said, "Joe, how about that epidural now..."  We got in the room, Joe started the epidural, and I ceased feeling anything from my belly down.  I actually had to ask if I was still contracting, because I couldn't feel a thing.  Eventually, the spinal wore off and I could feel the contractions, but without any of the pain that was coming with before.  Baby girl quickly dilated to 10 centimeters, but wouldn't drop down far enough that I could push.  They kept examining me throughout the night, but she hadn't budged.  Luckily, with the epidural, I was able to catnap through the contractions, so I got some sleep.  About 4 am, I started coaching little girl on how to work with the contractions to move down.  By 5 am, she was low enough that they called the doctor on call to come in for the delivery.  Once she got there, I was able to begin pushing through my contractions.  This was truly the hardest part.  Baby girl really didn't want to move down that canal, and I really didn't want to keep pushing her.  At several points, I recall asking my dr., "Can't you grab her yet?  Can't you just get her out?"  I have never pushed that hard in my life.  Even now, I am sore and tender through my hips & pelvis just from the repeated pressure in the area.  At one point her head was partially out, and she rolled a little and started to head back in, as if to say "Hmmm, I don't think so. It's a bit chilly out there..."  The doctor made some comment about, "No, you can't go back that way," and all I could think about was having to start all that pushing over again.  Needless to say, I began pushing immediately, contraction or not, because I was not about to lose that progress.  At 7:50 with a few last pushes, out she came. No vacuum, no forceps, even though I pleaded..."It's not medically indicated.  You're doing fine on your own," was the response I got.  "Screw that!" was the response I gave...Anyhow, now she is here and doing just great.  I hope I didn't gross anyone out, but I knew a lot of you wanted to hear the whole story.  Bizarre,...I just signed my first consent form when I had to list relation to patient as "mother".  Wow!

Week 40

So I am officially due on Saturday.  We'll have to wait and see if Baby Moore is punctual or not.  I had another checkup today.  Things are still moving in the right direction.  She is head down, I'm still only 1 cm dilated, but I am 60% effaced now, and she has dropped to -3.  Picture a scale from -5 to 5.  -5 is free floating, 5 is one push from being out in the world.  So she has started to move down, but not as far as she will eventually go.  My doctor keeps warning me that first babies are traditionally late, and that they won't induce until I'm at least a week late.  I wonder if he knows something he's not telling me...  On the school front, things are going well.  Jane and I co-taught today and I was able to sit and rest some more.  I'm just feeling a lot more tired this week.  I'm glad it is a short week.  3 more days, just 3 more days...

Oh, I'll never do that...

When I first started teaching, my mentor video taped me and I was shocked at how manically I was moving about the room.  Picture the Tasmanian Devil with a sheaf of papers and a pencil in his hair.  Over time I have gotten better, but I still spend a large portion of my day on my feet.  I'm up monitoring work, answering questions, prompting deeper thought.  I had seen some subs sitting in chairs and teaching from their seats.  I thought to myself, "How do they do that?  I'll never be like that!"  I imagine this is just the first of many occasions when I will have to eat those words (especially given the new job heading my way!).  I am to the point that I cannot fit between the rows of chairs without bumping kids in the back of the head with my belly.  By the end of the day, my ankles are also swollen to the size of small cantaloupes.  Given that, I am spending a lot of my day in the rolling desk chair at the table in the back or propped up on my stool at the front of the room.  It has really changed the way I am able to teach.  I don't like it!  I hope I don't get too complacent with this new mode when I get back from leave.  

Week 39

Hello all, 

I am just back from my 39 week visit with my OB/GYN.  Everything looks good.  I'm 30-40% effaced and 1 cm dilated.  Apparently that is just where I'm supposed to be, although my doctor keeps reminding me that firstborns can be several days to a week late.  So other than the fact that I'm swollen and tired, everything is going great!  I'll keep you posted.

Mrs. Moore Got Beat Up Today

I don't know if it was the clumsiness inherent in pregnancy or just a really bizarrely painful day, but I got beat up at work today.  My feet got stepped on three separate times, which is not all that unusual for a teacher.  However, when you've got a huge belly as a buffer, it takes some skill to get close enough to even reach my toes!  One of the lead-footed children was a kindergartner who actually ducked under the belly to plant firmly on my poor big toe!  I also got kicked in the shin (on accident), hit on the head with a four foot tall white board (on accident), almost got hit on the head with a full-size United States topographical/political map (managed to catch it mid-air), and bumped my belly multiple times on various countertops, desk corners, and the backs of children's heads.  This doesn't even count the number of times my hip pops out (every time I sit down) and has to be worked back into place (every time I stand up).  This morning, I was sitting on the rug for about a half an hour and ended up with a completely dead right leg.  When I got up (eventually) my face was bright red and I was limping to try to get circulation back.  The poor special ed teacher who was helping out in my room thought I was having contractions!  Here's hoping I make it through tomorrow in one piece!