Week 2

 Well, we're one day early, but who knows if I'll be able to update tomorrow. Bryan's first day back to work was today and we didn't do too bad on our own! It's been hard on Bryan because there's only so much he can help me with since I'm nursing. He did a lot more than he thinks he did though! He got me water, wrote down feeding times for me, got me pillows and burp cloths, made me food, and held her so I could use the bathroom! I know he missed her all day today so I'm sure they'll cuddle all night tonight!

It's amazing how much things can change in one week with a newborn. Even though I see her all day, everyday, I can see the changes in her. Nora never ceases to amaze me!

She's definitely gaining weight because her Newborn clothes actually fit now! Her cheeks are getting chubby and she's becoming my little chunk a munk.

She's staying awake for 1-3 hours in between naps. She eats for a while in that time, but she's also pretty content just looking around! She watches us a lot more when we talk to her and she's noticing more in the room like the fan, blinds, and the tv.

Sweet girl

 Now that she's noticing more, we put together her play gym and she loves it! We get down on the floor with her and keep her engaged, but she loves to look around and see herself in the mirror. I love watching her.

She loves her play gym!

Holding onto a ring

Hey beautiful!

 Miss Nora loves listening to us. She doesn't respond yet, but it's like she's trying so hard to get a noise out! I love how alert and focused she is now.

Hi Mom!

Little Dinosaur Yawn!

 Nursing is going well! She eats a ton, but it's great most of the time. I get frustrated in the middle of the night sometimes because I'm so exhausted and she plays games with me. She'll turn her head, put her hands in her mouth, and even punch me -_- She makes me crazy sometimes!

I am thankful she's a great eater. We go through about 18 diapers a day... because she only poops in a clean diaper... and won't eat if she's in a dirty diaper! The good thing is, she's never had a diaper rash because she never sits in a dirty diaper! She's still in newborn size so we're just buying one package at a time until we can put her in size 1s.

I have a good supply started in the freezer. I think I have about 20-25 ounces stored so far. I don't pump after every feeding because I don't really have the time! I just pump once or twice a day for 5 minutes on each side and freeze it in storage bags. I borrowed my aunt's Medela Swing electric breast pump and it has been so easy to use and clean. I'm so happy I was able to borrow it. It's been a lifesaver!

Wearing her pretty headband!

I know I'm biased, but she's so darn cute. We can't get enough of her.

Hanging out with Daddy on his last day home with us

 Bubs sleeps about 3 hours at a time during the day and 5 at night. As long as she has enough milk in her belly and her diaper doesn't get too full, she will sleep for good stretches of time! We are spoiled and the extra sleep helps mom keep her sanity during the day.

Whoever said "Sleep when the baby sleeps" must have a dirty house with unpaid bills! When she sleeps during the day, I make myself lunch, check my Facebook, pay the bills, work on her baby book, empty/fill the dishwasher, do the laundry, clean the bathroom, sweep the floors, etc. When else will I do it?

<3

 We tried putting her in the bassinet in our bedroom, but she hates it. We tried swaddling her first and she SCREAMED because she couldn't straighten out. Then we tried rolling up blankets to make her feel like she wasn't alone in the big bassinet... but she won't sleep more than a little while like that... and it makes me crazy with worry that she's going to suffocate with the blankets in there. Soooo she sleeps in her swing every time she goes down for a nap or for sleep. I feel like we're starting a bad habit, but if it means she'll sleep (and we get to sleep!) I don't care at this point!

She still loves sleeping in her swing

 We tried to get out of the house a little more this past week. It's very hard for a nursing mom who isn't too comfortable with nursing in public! It requires a lot of planning! We go to my mom's house for dinner a couple nights a week for dinner. She only lives a block away, but we still have to get her in the carseat and pack a bag! We spent the day at my grandma's this weekend and it was okay. My mom held her for a while so I could have a break and eat some food. When she nurses, it's easier for us to just go in the other room... but its isolating.. and we can't leave until she's satisfied.

We went to Target to buy some nursing stuff for Mom! I got two nursing tank tops, two nursing sports bras, some comfy pants, and some washable cotton nursing pads (which I LOVE!). We also went to Wal-Mart one day to exchange some diapers. The Wal-Mart brand sucks... so we exchanged them for Pampers. Thankfully Nora did not wake up because I told Bryan to keep a blanket over the carseat so none of the crazy people touch her. Bleh.. I hate Wal-Mart!

Mom caught a smile!

Post partum is all good now! My swelling is completely gone, my stitches are healed, and the bleeding is almost gone. It's amazing how much better I feel after two weeks. I thought I would never feel better! I was expecting some PPD, but thankfully it hasn't hit me. I cry occasionally in the middle of the night... but that's out of exhaustion when she's screaming. My hormones are still kind of wacky. It doesn't take much for me to start crying... but that's okay.

We're all doing well, and that's all that matters! Her next appointment is August 6th. I can't wait to see how much she's grown!

Week 1

My little bird

 Little Miss Nora is a week old and I can't believe it! Every single day I stare at her and think, "Holy moly she's getting bigger!" It's amazing how much things have changed in a week. I love it!

Monday she went to her first doctor's appointment and it went well! She weighed 7lbs 12oz at birth on Wednesday, dropped down to 7lbs 3oz Friday, and was back up to 7lbs 10oz 3 days later at her appointment! Little piglet gained 7 ounces over the weekend. She's definitely a good eater! Everything else looked great!

• She is starting to really stare at faces when we talk to her. This morning I saw her watching the bun bounce on the top of my head haha. 
• She's starting to fit in her clothes now! So many of her newborn clothes were too big on her, but now they fit just fine!
• She is an AWESOME eater! She nurses like a champ and has the poop to prove it! We change about 18 diapers a day. She only likes to poop in a clean diaper... so as soon as you change her (before you can even pick her up) the next poo-splosion is coming your way
• Some of her nicknames include: Nor-Nor, Little Bird (my favorite!), and Snug a Bug
• She doesn't like to be swaddled AT ALL. She sleeps with her legs stretched out and her arms up by her face or over her head (just like in the ultrasound)
• She usually has to be woken up for a feeding... or she wakes up just in time on her own. She eats every 3 hours during the day and every 4 at night

She hates her bath time and just screams until you get to her feet and butt. She loves that part! She just looks up at us and watches us :)

Talking to her Daddy after her first bath

I love those cheeks!

 She's had lots of visitors this week to see her and bring her mom and dad dinner! Our families have been feeding us all week and we appreciate it! I even had a glass of wine with dinner one night and it was so nice! Everyone loves holding her, but I'm still getting used to nursing so I have been trying to work visitors around our feeding schedule. I've been pumping and I have a decent sized stash so far, but we still haven't tried a bottle yet. Maybe in a few more weeks!

Lookin at her mom

 Post partum life has been getting better. I had to call the doctor a couple days after I got home because of swelling though. At the end of the day I was getting in the shower and noticed my extremely swollen feet weren't the only problem. The swelling moved up to my upper thighs and made this big lump. She said the extra saline I received was causing this and it was nothing to worry about. The swelling was running out of room so it just started migrating. My feet were so huge, I could feel them slosh when I walked. I soaked in Epsom salt in the bathtub, tried to lay down as much as possible, and pushed a gallon or water a day until my kidneys kicked back in. My carpal tunnel is still around... and my middle finger on my left hand is almost always numb. My stitches are healing and I'm starting to feel much better. Because of the back labor, my back muscles hurt pretty bad still. I'm constantly sitting with a heating pad on it. I hope I'm feeling loads better by the time Bryan goes back to work!

Daddy loves holding her

Always stretched out!

Most of the time we're okay, but sometimes in the middle of the night we get extremely tired. It's hard to nurse sometimes because I always have to get up and I get easily frustrated when she slips off her latch 25 times in one feeding. It's hard because sometimes I just tell Bryan to hold her for a little while so I can relax before we can try again. I'm not looking forward to him going back to work. I wish we could just both stay home with her all the time.

When she screams bloody murder and then calms right down when I talk to her... it makes me melt. Even though I get frustrated at times when I'm exhausted, I love nursing her. It's our own special time together where she gets to watch me and I get to talk to her. She makes the funniest faces, snores, kicks her legs out and grunts like a man to poop. I love this little girl more than I can even describe.

Lenora Quinn

 Tuesday night I barely slept at all! My alarm was set for 2:45am and despite a warm bath, going to bed early, and a Benedryl, I only slept two hours before we woke up, had breakfast, got our bags ready, and left for the hospital. My induction was scheduled Wednesday morning at 5am and I was NERVOUS! We got to the hosptial, got set up in our delivery room, and got my IV started. I was Strep B positive so I was hooked up to antibiotics and saline. What they don't tell you is that the antibiotics BURN your hand. The nurse said the burning was because the antibiotics were being pushed so quickly. Ouch! After I got my dose, my oxytocin was started and we were on our way to having a baby!

Beginning of labor after the oxytocin. We watched the "Baby Shower" edition of The Price is Right!

After a few hours of laboring, my doctor came in and broke my water. I was told before that my fluid levels were high and they weren't kidding! I was afraid it would hurt, but it was just really disgusting feeling. After she broke my water around 11am, my contractions started to pick up in intensity.

Watching tv in the rocking chair and breathing through contractions

Back in bed so they could monitor Nora for a little while. The pain was really starting to pick up.

I labored in the rocking chair, standing up holding onto Bryan, walking the halls, on the birthing ball, and lastly, in the tub. My goal was to see how far I could get without any pain relief. I just wanted to see if I could do it. This was all assuming I was going to have a normal labor. Turns out, Nora was facing the wrong way and I had incredible back labor. The pain of back labor is unlike anything else in this world. Along with the front contractions, it felt like someone was crushing my pelvis, hips, and spine with a sledgehammer. By the time I was getting in the tub, I told my nurse I wanted the epidural. The labor in the tub was incredibly painful. The contractions were right on top of each other and there was no relief. I got out of the tub, got checked, and I was already at 7cm. She called in the anesthesiologist, I got my epidural, and laid in bed. The epidural only worked on one side so he had to adjust it to try and get the other side to work.

My mom got to the room to take pictures, but ended up helping my deliver my baby. The epidural only worked in one leg so I had one dead, gross, numb leg... and everything else was normal! It provided relief in my belly, but I still felt everything in my back, hips, other leg, and crotch. With the amount of pain I was in, the small amount of relief was enough to allow me to sleep (and DREAM!) in between my contractions when they were 60 seconds apart. Finally I couldn't take it any longer... I had to push. My mom and Bryan had my legs, my nurse in my face, and my doctor was nowhere to be found. After 6 or 7 pushes, my nurse told me I could attempt to breathe through the contractions for a little while and let her come down on her own. I did and it worked. After 5 or 6 more pushes (and no pain relief!) Nora was pulled out and placed on my stomach at 3:48pm. After my epidural, it took about 90 minutes for me to go from 7 to 10 and deliver! I had to get a local when being stitched up because I could feel it.. which wasn't pleasant. I tore in two different spots and got 4 stitches. Thankfully, they weren't too bad!

Miss Lenora Quinn was born 7/17/13 at 3:48pm. She weighed 7lbs 12 oz and measured 18 1/2 inches long

After 10 hours of labor, Mom is exhausted

Dad is in love

Our little family :)

Long toes!

We had lots of visitors about an hour after delivery. It was a bit overwhelming, but it was nice to have our families close to share our big day.

My mom with Nora

My dad and Nora

Bryan passing out chocolate cigars while the family waits their turn

In awe that she's so little!

Big yawn!

Proud, tired Mama

Nora immediately nursed like a champ. She brought my milk down before we even left the hospital. She had no trouble latching or filling her little belly. Because she was such a good eater, I had the nurse take her from my room while we slept in between a feeding once per night while we were there. The first night she slept for two hours and the second night she slept 4! We spent 48 hours in the hospital and were on our way home! I was healing and feeling pretty good and Nora was doing very well

Nora's coming home outfit!

So excited to come home!

Pants came off as soon as we got home

Pretty girl is SUCH a good sleeper!

We've had lots of family and friends come visit us and I have loved the company!

We've had visitors everyday and it doesn't really bother me too much. I just make sure I try to nurse her before they come and she'll be out like a light for a few hours! Our families have been making us food and that has been so amazing. It's nice to not worry about food.

Looking at dad

Some skin to skin with mom

 Nora nurses like a champ still, and I have to say I am impressed that I am able to do it with ease! I borrowed a pump because I was getting engorged... and if I only pump for 5 minutes on each side for relief, I get 2 ounces for storage! I have to say I'm pretty impressed with myself and SO HAPPY that I'm able to provide for her. The bonding time when we nurse has been incredible. She sleeps in her swing and we have to wake her up for almost every feeding. We are able to take turns sleeping and we all sleep in the middle of the night.

Post partum life hasn't been terrible! My stitches still burn, but I'm taking care of them. I am INCREDIBLY swollen. My feet slosh when I walk and the swelling is moving up my legs. The doctor suggested warm baths with epsom salt, walking, and keeping them up while I am sitting. With nursing, I am incredibly thirsty so I have been drinking my gallon of water still. Doctor said my kidneys will get a jump start in a couple days and start working again so all of this fluid will flush. It's incredibly uncomfortable! Everything else has been okay! I've been tracking water intake, medications, using lanolin, sleeping, and eating. I'm on my way to recovery!

I love her more and more everyday. We can't stop taking pictures of her (We have hundreds already!) Tomorrow we go in for our first appointment so I'm interested to see what she weighs now! I'm nervous that she will want to nurse while we are out. I'm not sure how to nurse in public, but there's a first time for everything and we're about to try!

We are adjusting to our new life well! It feels like she's always been apart of my life.

She's Here!

She's here! Miss Nora arrived yesterday and we are doing well :) I will update with pictures and details when we come home.


She's a beautiful little piglet!

Due Date!

Well today's my due date... and no Nora! I am finally full term and this little one loves her cramped little home!

Well, we had a little bit of a scare yesterday. I woke up at 7:30am and by 10:30am, I realized I hadn't felt her move all morning. I texted Bryan and mentioned it and then tried to get her going. I drank 50 oz of cold water, ate, poked her, talked to her, got up and did some laundry, and then finally drank a Mountian Dew. After the Mt. Dew she moved a little bit but then that was it. Around 2pm my mom came over and told me to call the doctor to let them know. They told me to head into the hospital and get on a monitor just to get checked out. I had a contraction in the lobby and then she went nuts (of course). We got hooked up and her heart rate was in the 180s for over an hour. They were concerned with that... so they made me wait until she calmed down and had a lower resting rate.

After that, they took me down to get a Biophyical and then we were nervous. They have a time limit for her to pass all of their  "checks" like amniotic fluid level, respiratory function, etc. He couldn't get her to pass her breathing test. He sat there frowning for a while and said... nothing. Then he started shaking my belly, pushing down on the wand, and then got out the auditory stimulator. He "shocked" her like 10 times and she still wouldn't move. One buzz after another... and she wouldn't move. Finally he gave her a long BUZZ and she stirred enough for her to pass her test (with like 2 minutes to spare). Afterwards he goes, "Oh! I almost had to fail her. She was starting to worry me." Uhm... yeah... thanks! Me too!

They sent me home and she barely moved for the rest of the night and she's been pretty quiet today. I guess she's just exhausted... because she's a pretty hard sleeper apparently. I don't think I'll be going into labor before my induction but we will see. The good news is that she's just comfortable in there. My amniotic fluid is high and shes doing just fine. We will see!

Doctor's Appointment: My 39-40 week appointment went well. I'm a full 2 cm dilated and thinned out so that's a big relief. It's nice to know there's something going on in there. Her heart rate was 143bpm and all is well. We tested for a UTI, but it came up negative. I've been having terrible contractions after I use the bathroom in the middle of the night. Turns out that even when I'm drinking a gallon of water a day, I'm still dehydrated. They said it's probably because my kidneys just aren't working at full capacity. Well, I guess that makes me feel a little better knowing I don't need to drink MORE water... I just need to keep doing what I'm doing.

What is Baby Up to This Week?:

• Nothing new this week! Her little lungs are just a little more developed
• She has reached her birth weight!

Weight Gain: +24 total

Gender: I really hope she's still a girl. She has a very girly room!

Name: Lenora (Nora) Quinn

Symptoms:

• Still swollen
• After my appointment, I have lots of hip pain and achiness. We were walking every night and it was nice, but now the hip pain makes it uncomfortable. No more walks for us... she'll come when she comes. For now, I'll rest
• The heartburn hasn't been too bad, thankfully
• Headaches
• VERY tired... even when I'm laying down all day

Swelling: My feet, legs, fingers, face are all swollen. My arms must be swollen too because my arms, hands, and fingers go numb and fall asleep all the time. It's hard to sleep with dead arms every night

Sleep: Sometimes I'm awake just to use the bathroom... and some nights I'm awake for 6 hours and then sleep all day. Sometimes it's contractions and sometimes it's just because I can't sleep!

Movement: She is a nutball 85% of the time, rocking my belly, kicking my ribs, punching me in the crotch. She's a stinker!

Food Cravings: Nothing too much! I've been really hungry lately.

Food Aversions: Nothing in particular. The nausea in the morning has let up, thankfully

Rings On or Off?: Rings are off!

What I'm Looking Forward To: Getting this little lady outta here!

What I Miss: Not being so swollen! Honestly.. this has become one of the worst symptoms of 3rd trimester.

What I'm Loving: Being able to relax all day. My body is just exhausted.

Labor Signs: Contractions throughout the day and in the middle of the night. The're not close enough or strong enough to become a worry. On the monitor last week, they were a 15 and yesterday they were a 50 so they're getting stronger!

Belly Button: In! It's getting shallow, but I don't think it will ever pop out!

Next Drs Appointment: No more! We have an induction scheduled for next week

Best Moment of the Week: Going to the outdoor movie in the park with my family! We ate dinner together and all went to the park. We brought chairs, snacks, and blankets and watched a movie. Evelyn had a good time and even sat on Bryan's lap and held his hand. He absolutely loved it!

Full Term!

Week 39

Doctor's Appointment:  Well I gained two pounds this week (thank you 4th of July!), my blood pressure is still great, swelling... not so great. I'm dilated to 2 centimeters though! That's a lot of progress from last week so I'm happy with that. If Nora hasn't come by my appointment Thursday, we will schedule an induction.

What is Baby Up to This Week?:

• Most babies weigh somewhere between six to eight pounds when they are born
• Not much has changed from last week, all her internal organs are ready to support her in the outside world, she’s developed healthy amounts of baby fat over the past week, and her immune system is developing and will continue to develop after she is born
• She's probably able to flex her limbs now
• Her brain is still rapidly developing -- she's getting smarter by the week!
• Her nails may extend past her fingertips.

Weight Gain: +23 total (+2 last week)

Gender: Well, after two ultrasounds and all of this pink stuff... I hope she's a girl!

Name: Lenora (Nora) Quinn

Symptoms:

• Very swollen fingers, toes, legs
• I'm SO tired! I get tired from sitting on the couch and doing nothing
• Contractions
• Heartburn as usual
• Arms, legs, and fingers falling asleep

Swelling: I've been trying to drink enough water, but nothing seems to keep the swelling down. My fingers and toes burn

Sleep: My hips and back ache when I lay on my side for too long so i toss and turn all night. I get up to use the bathroom every two hours and the trips usually come with a nice set of contractions

Movement: Despite her lack of room in my belly, this little girl is a nut ball! She's moving around so much it hurts. A lot of the time it takes my breath away because it hurts. She still gets the hiccups 2-3 times a day and I feel so bad for her!

Heyyyy big belly!

Food Cravings: Lots of food! I'm just hungry most of the day.

Food Aversions: Nothing in particular. The nausea in the morning has let up, thankfully

Rings On or Off?: Rings are definitely off at night and sometimes during the day

What I'm Looking Forward To: This kiddo coming out!

What I Miss: Sleeping comfortably. Holy moly did I take that for granted.

What I'm Loving: Knowing she will be here soon!

Labor Signs: Yesterday after my appointment, I was spotting so we were hoping things would get started. This morning I was up from 4:30am-7:30am with contractions. They started off every 90 minutes, then every hour, then every 30.... then they stopped being so consistent! They were alternating between every 30 minutes and every 50 minutes. I'm still spotting... but waiting until the contractions get a little more consistent and closer together.

Belly Button: In! It's getting shallow, but I don't think it will ever pop out!

Next Drs Appointment: Thursday July 11th

Best Moment of the Week: The 4th of July was amazing! We had so much fun! I made fruit kabobs and we cooked out with the family all day. The guys played bags and the girls swam (even though it was SO COLD). We had a really great day. I'm happy we got to spend time together before this kiddo comes out!

Ohh we're cute!

Fruit and dip!

Fruit Kabobs!

Big and uncomfortable

39 Weeks

:)

Hopefully our last picture update!

Love him!

Soon!