Baby #2 Overview Weeks Seven, Eight, and Nine

Week 7:

This time during my first pregnancy I was researching birth centers and mid-wives. Experts say if your pregnancy is going well with no problems or risks, then there is no reason to have to deliver at a hospital. No doubt hospitals freak me out, but I'm so glad I delivered Gavin at a hospital. Right after delivering Gavin, I had uterine atony and hemorrhaged so bad I passed out. I almost needed a blood transfusion. Just because the pregnancy is going smoothly and perfectly doesn't mean the delivery will be just as smooth. I love my doctor and all the nurses who helped me. I'm glad I ended up delivering at a hospital and I am doing it all over again!

The Baby: 

Is the size of a BLUEBERRY! This week our baby's brain is developing. The face is also becoming more defined. Tiny arms, legs, hands, and feet are beginning to bud.

Mommy's Health: This week I started having those crazy pregnancy dreams. I had these dreams during my first pregnancy too. It's always the same, Tommy walks out on our marriage. He either left me for someone else or just moves back to his parent's home and ignores all my phone calls and text messages. They feel so real and I wake up in a panic. I sometimes wake him up and ask him if this really happened. In the beginning he would say, "I love you, that would never ever happen." Now he just rolls over and says, "Babe, stop." I can't help it!! These dreams usually last a week and then go away until the third trimester, hopefully. 

Other than that everything is the same, nauseous, tired, headaches, and gassy. I'm also still on cloud nine, I love being pregnant. 

WEEK 8: I have my first doctor's appointment for this pregnancy next week. I'm so excited! I've been feeling bloated, especially after I eat and it doesn't go away for hours!! It's so uncomfortable.

The baby: is the size of a raspberry! This week our baby's ears, eyelids, fingers, and toes are developing. The baby now has wrists and elbows that can flex.

Mommy's Health: This week has been awful. I'm sick with a cold. Last time I was pregnant and sick, it lasted a month!! I don't take anything (unless it gets really bad). Nothing else is really new. I still get headaches throughout the day, nauseous, and fatigue. My appetite is coming back! Veggies still upset my stomach, but I eat them anyway. 

WEEK 9: Well this was an interesting week. On Tuesday morning I felt a little out of it. I was light headed and had a couple hot flashes before leaving for work. I always eat something small to settle my stomach right after I get up. Once I made it to work I ate my breakfast. I had a bagel with cream cheese and about 3 cups of water. I was still feeling hot and light headed when my students walked in. I was introducing their writing assignment, when I started to feel extremely dizzy. I told my paras that I had to go to the bathroom. I was on my way to the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face when I started seeing black spots. I walked past the bathrooms and decided to go right to the nurse. She's the only one who knows I'm pregnant and I know I can trust her. As I started walking down the hall the dots started to disappear and then everything went black. I felt the doors along the wall to try to figure out which door was the office that lead to the nurse. I guessed right and almost fell stumbling into the office. I said, "I can't see anything." One of the secretaries grabbed my arm and yelled for the nurse who quickly ran over to grab my other arm. After that I blacked out for a couple of minutes and woke up on the nurses bed. She was taking my blood pressure and told me it was a low. She gave me orange juice to drink and called the vice principal to tell her I needed to go home. She arranged for a teacher to drive me home. I already had my baby appointment tomorrow with my gyno and ended up taking the day off. After I got home, the teacher took Tommy back to the school to drive my car back home. The teachers told the students Gavin wasn't feeling good and that I had to go home to take care of him. 

The next day I went to my doctor. I told her about what happened yesterday and she said it was probably from low blood pressure. I already have low blood pressure and now more blood is being pumped to the baby. She asked if I ate anything and I told her what ate. She told me to drink more water because my body is dehydrated after not drinking anything all night while I'm sleeping

I just love my doctor! She was going to give me a pap smear and check up, and an internal ultrasound, but I told her I didn't feel comfortable stirring anything around in there since I was only 9 weeks and scared to miscarry again. She said no problem and said she would try an external ultrasound. She was able to find the baby! We saw the heartbeat and placenta! My doctor said everything looks good and healthy. The baby is measuring 9 weeks 3 days!

The baby: is the size of a grape! This week our baby's tail disappears and the hands and feet are looking less like paddles and have formed fingers and toes. The eyes are fully developed. He/she is not an official fetus yet.

Mommy's Health: The horrible pregnancy dreams stopped for now (yay!). I still feel dizzy every morning. I get dressed, then have to sit down, I put my make-up on,then I have to lay down, I drink orange juice and eat every morning. I drink as much water as I can, but it's hard. I feel sick to my stomach in the morning. Hopefully this will go away soon. It's scary! 

<3

Baby #2 Overview Weeks Four, Five, and Six

THIS IS SO EXCITING. I missed blogging my pregnancy every few weeks, and now I get to do it again! So, when I posted during my first pregnancy, I had three categories: What Tommy and I were doing to prepare for the baby (and other updates), how I was feeling, and the size and development of the baby. I also posted a picture of my growing belly. I plan on doing the same thing except this time I want to compare my current pregnancy to my first pregnancy. You can always go back into my blog to read previous posts, if desired... This post is for weeks 4, 5, and 6 and I can not wait another second to get started!

Week 4:

We must start off with how I told Tommy about the next addition to our family. For the first pregnancy I wrote a letter to Tommy pretending to be the baby and then took a video of him reading it. I wrote things like, "I can't wait to meet you, I love you already, you're going to be the best dad in the world." Then I watched him tear up with joy as he read the letter. This time I found out right before Christmas, so where else would I tell him other than right in front of the Rockefeller Tree in New York City?! Here are some pictures:

I knew I was pregnant before I even took the test, but I didn't want to get my hopes up since I miscarried just two weeks before. I was nauseous, tired, bloated, cramps, and just had that pregnant feeling. I took the test the day I was supposed to get my period with a digital pregnancy test. The digital test took FOREVER, but when it finally stopped blinking, it was positive!!

Last pregnancy Tommy and I took pictures with the fruit/vegetable that represented the size of the embryo or fetus. This time, I am taking a silhouette picture in front of my bedroom window. They are beautiful and more of an intimate feel.  

The baby: The embryo is now the size of a poppy seed and busy implanting into the lining of the uterus where the placenta has already started and will continue to develop. 

Mommy's Health: Last pregnancy I didn't have much of an appetite, but I still ate very healthy and had 10-12 glasses of water every day. I had cramps and I exercised almost every day.

This pregnancy, at four weeks, I feel amazing (so far). I'm hungry all the time and I try to eat as often as I can. When I do eat large meals I feel full for 4-6 hours at a time. That's because my digestive system has slowed way down to accommodate my growing baby and placenta. I don't have the time or the energy to exercise. Gavin takes all of my time and energy. This pregnancy is going to be way different.

Week 5: 
Tommy and I were nervous this time around. I didn't lift anything and I rested more. It's hard to take care of an 18 month old while trying not to strain yourself. Thankfully, Gavin is an excellent boy. He's going to make an awesome big brother. We talk about his new baby brother/sister a lot. Gavin loves to give kisses to the baby (he kisses my belly). We want him to be prepared for what's to come. We are even practicing to share with his friends, which seems to be going well, and to share his mommy, which isn't going as well. He doesn't like when I hold other children, but we have 8 more months of growing up we'll keep trying.

The Baby:The embryo is now dividing into three layers of cells. The top layer will become the central nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, spinal nerves, and backbone). The middle layer will develop into the circulatory system. The bottom layer will develop the lungs, intestines, thyroid, and other major organs. 

Mommy's Health: Last pregnancy I was still rarely hungry, which caused me to get minor headaches. But once I ate I was fine. I still drank a lot of water, ate healthy, and exercised. 

This pregnancy: I started to feel very tired. Working as a full time teacher, raising an 18 month old, and growing a baby takes everything I have, and it's only 5 weeks in! I started feeling nauseous and my boobs are already leaking. Jeez, the body doesn't even give women a chance the second time around does it?? What the weird part is I already felt little flutters and bubbles. I know it wasn't gas because well, I didn't, you know... Plus it felt different than gas, it felt like my embryo was moving already, so cool, weird, and magical at the same time. 

Week 6: I love what I wrote when I was six weeks pregnant with Gavin, and I feel the exact same this time around:

"Before I get started on the update of my last two weeks being pregnant, let me just say that I LOVE being pregnant. If I sound like I'm whining or complaining in this post, it's because I am. BUT that does not change the incredible feeling I have everywhere I go. Just knowing I have my miracle growing inside of me everyday gives me huge fluttering butterflies flying around in my stomach. And because I am solely responsible for the growth of this baby for all nine months...I have the right to complain."

NOW ON TO THE COMPLAINING... (soon) 

At six weeks I had already gone to the doctor to confirm the pregnancy, get a pap smear, and check-up. Not this time, I'm in no rush. 

The baby: Is the size of a green pea! Every week the baby triples in size. This week the baby is developing eyes, ears, and the heart starts to pump!!! The tissue for the backbone, ribs, and some muscles are also developing. 

 Mommy's Health: First pregnancy: I still had no appetite except for pasta and cheese, but I still ate healthy. I was still cramping and didn't exercise everyday due to fatigue. 

This pregnancy: I am already starting to be annoyed at the first pregnancy me. Exercising and eating super healthy? Only small headaches and no nausea? I already know this time around is much worse, but to read about how great I felt the first time...Get ready for some complaining!! Week 6 is the worst week so far. I think I feel worse than I did in my whole first pregnancy put together. I feel like I have the flu. I'm achy, so so soooo tired. I was able to nap when I came home from work with the first pregnancy, but now with Gavin, he is usually just waking up when I get home. No naps for me! My headaches start at work around 1 in the afternoon until about 5 in the evening. I start to feel better around 7. This stinks because the baby goes to bed at 8. I feel guilty not being able to give Gavin all my attention, but it's something we both have to get used to. Hopefully this will pass and I'll start feeling better soon. 

<3 

Update: The Exciting, the Sad, and the Sincere

Hello all! I know it's been awhile since I've posted, but we've been rather busy around here!

Gavin is now almost 20 months old and so stinkin' smart, I can't take it. He's talkative and can say mama, dada, ghanag nah (that means juice don't ask me why), Nack Nack (that means blankey), cocoa (for Chloe, our chihuahua), Rye Rye (for Riley, our other chihuahua), Na-Na (for Sophie, or other other Chihuahua), Good girl (referring to his puppies), Pa (for grandpa), Papa (that means puppy), no, yeah, Toodles (from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse), wawa (for water), bye bye, ba-ba, teacher, yellow, two, cheese, crackers, car, and go, just to name a few. He can also talk using sign language. He is seriously so smart, I can teach him something once or twice and he catches on right away. I can't list everything he can do, because I would be here all night. But everything is documented in his baby book! He is also very observant, which is good, but we definitely have to watch everything we do and say. Gavin is a wild boy! He loves to climb, run, and play. We have to go to the park everyday because if we don't he will end up climbing onto the kitchen counters... I'm serious! He is also sweet, loves the outdoors, loves Mickey and Paw  Patrol, and of course food!

We had a busy summer, we went to the boardwalk every Tuesday and Thursday morning before Tommy went to work. Gavin is obsessed with going on rides. He loves to go fast! We went in the pool a lot, had so many barbecues and play dates. We went to a few library play groups, We went on vacation to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and we went to Sesame Place a different time. We went to the park and out for ice cream countless times. We had a blast this past summer!

I went back to work in the fall. It isn't too bad, Gavin wakes up at 8 a.m. and I come home for lunch at 11 for an hour to see him. Then he naps from 1-3 and I get home at 3! I spend the rest of the day with him. I don't miss too much during the day. And the good news is: My mom and Tommy are still with him during the week so Gavin is able to stay home!

We are still currently living with my mom to save up for the house we are having built for us. If everything goes as planned, the house should be finished around Fall 2016.

The holidays were fun and Christmas was extra special this year...







YES, WE ARE PREGNANT AGAIN!! 
BABY NUMBER TWO IS DUE AUGUST 21st 2016!
I am 9 weeks pregnant! YAY!!!!
WE ARE EXCITED AND OVERWHELMED BY ANOTHER BLESSING FROM GOD!



This time getting pregnant wasn't as easy as it was the first time around. Wait, getting pregnant was easy, it was staying pregnant that was the problem. We conceived last August and lost the baby in September. I bled a dark brown for a few days and called my doctor right away. She told me to come in to check everything out. When I arrived, my doctor checked me with an ultrasound. She saw the yolk sac, but no embryo yet. She said it was because I was very early along and couldn't be no later than 4 weeks pregnant. The dry blood could be implantation bleeding and not to worry.  The next day I bled, a lot. Thick, red, and I even saw some things I wish I didn't. It was seriously one of the saddest days of my life. I was left feeling empty and wondered why God would let something like this happen to me. With help from God and his Word, Tommy and I did a lot of soul searching. Our faith was definitely being tested and we read so many helpful versus to help up through this, but the one verse that helped my husband and me the most was:

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Worrying won't change anything, but praying and talking with God helped us feel at peace with our situation and helped us move forward in the future. There were potential reasons why I miscarried, The most common one was the embryo could have had a chromosome defect. But, maybe it wasn't the right time for us. Whatever the reason, we put every ounce of trust in God and know he will guide us in the right direction.

After blood work confirmed my miscarriage, my doctor told me to wait until I had a normal period cycle before trying to conceive again. We waited and then conceived again in October. I found out I was pregnant right before our trip to Colorado. Tommy, Gavin, and I were going to visit family with my mom and sister. I started bleeding November 6th which was five days before my period was due. Right away I was suspicious because my period is always right on time, never late, never early. I thought maybe the miscarriage through off my cycle...great now I'll never know when I'm ovulating! Besides my "period" being early, my boobs were tender, I was nauseous, I had food aversions, I was moody... But, there was no way I was pregnant with this bleeding situation. I caved in and took a pregnancy test. Sure enough, it came out positive. I called my doctor right away and she told me to come in. At the doctor's I took a pregnancy test and it tested negative. She did another ultrasound and didn't see anything, except a thicker uterus lining, which was probably from my period. She sent me to get blood work and I went right away because we were leaving for Colorado in two days. My blood work came back with an HCG level (the pregnancy hormone) of 43, which was low, but confirmed my pregnancy. The morning of our flight out to Colorado, I had to get more blood work done to see if the HCG levels were rising or falling, talk about stressful. Two days into our trip my doctor called and told me my HCG level went from 43 to 46. So either that means I was very early or I will miscarry again. The night before our flight back home, I started bleeding. A lot. Actually, I couldn't even stand without the blood running down my leg. What a fun flight that was. When we got home, I had to get blood work, yet again. My level was back down to five and I felt back to "normal." Tommy and I continued to pray and read the bible every night. We continued to trust God with all of our hearts. We healed quickly from the second miscarriage.    

 Right after I miscarried in November, we got pregnant again that month. This time I've been pregnant over the 4 week mark where I've seemed to be miscarrying. After the second miscarriage, my doctor sent me to get a bunch of blood work (I'm surprised I have any blood left) to see if we could find any answers to why this was happening, especially since my first pregnancy was problem free. Everything came back negative. She then told me to get an emergency ultrasound at the hospital RIGHT AFTER my next period... which never came.

I am 9 weeks now and I just told my doctor last week that I was pregnant. I didn't want to rush to the doctors like I have in the past. I wanted to wait to see what happened. It's not worth getting stressed out and worried about the chances of losing another baby, so I waited. I have an appointment this week, and I will keep everyone updated. 

The reason I am putting my personal business online for all to see is because I wanted to share my miscarriage stories with other women. Nobody ever seems to want to talk about miscarriages. I mean, some people won't even mention they are pregnant until the second trimester for that reason alone, which is fine, it's their choice. But for me, I'm glad I told everyone I was pregnant so early because then when I had to share the sad news, I had so much support. I can't even tell you how many women said, "Oh, that happened to me too." Miscarriages are common, yet nobody wants to talk about it. In fact according to: http://miscarriage.about.com/od/riskfactors/a/miscarriage-statistics.htm "As many as 75% of conceptions miscarry." The number one cause for a miscarriage is a chromosome defect and the embryo isn't growing right. The body basically aborts the fertilized egg because it recognizes a problem. Some of these women also told me how alone they felt because they never told anyone, so no one could help them through this heartbreaking time. I am seriously grateful for all my friends and family who shared their stories and helped my family and me through this. If any of my readers, whether you are friends, family, acquaintances, or just my blog follower, feel free to contact me if you need someone to talk to. I would love to be the person to help you through this! 


As of now I have over 12,000 readers from all over the world and I can't wait to share my pregnancy with you all!

Xo,
  Lindsay

Nine Months Later...

I'M BAAAAACK! HI EVERYONE!!! The title of this post was "Eight Months Later..." but it took me a month to write it, so I had to change the title to"Nine Months Later..." I have so much to update you on. But, instead of cramming the last nine months in one post, I will be writing a few posts.

Let me start off by saying: motherhood was everything I hoped and dreamed it would be and more. The feeling can't be compared to any other. Gavin is my whole world and I love him more than words can describe. There is so much to write about, which makes me wish I blogged throughout these last eight nine months, but I'm glad I took a break from blogging so I could spend every second with my sweet baby boy. Gavin is nine months old already and I'm planning his first birthday party. WHAT?!?! I AM GOING TO HAVE A ONE YEAR OLD????? THAT IS UNBELIEVABLY CRAZY!!!

Alright, enough with the freaking out... let me catch everyone up to speed.

During our stay at the hospital, parenthood was extremely easy.  Gavin was the perfect baby the whole time. He only cried for a few minutes after he was born. We already had a routine: I nursed him every two hours, Tommy changed him, then Gavin (and I) napped until it was time to nurse again. Piece of cake, right? I felt comfortable leaving the hospital with my new bundle of joy and my just-as-confident-as-I-was husband. I've come to terms with the realization that yes, the hospital stay tricked Tommy and I into thinking this mommy and daddy thing was easy.

The first six weeks were stressful and hectic. Tommy and I had to adjust the way we lived life and everything was new for Gavin. Being home was waaaaay different than the hospital. I've read many books and articles about every new parent topic out there to prepare myself for Gavin, but reading a book was NOTHING compared to actually caring for an infant in real life. We had to adjust our schedule to meet Gavin's needs. Tommy and I LOVE our sleep. Before Gavin we slept at least eight hours a night. I knew it was common for most babies to have their days and nights mixed up. I always thought, "I can stay up and still have enough energy to care for my baby." Well, yeah...sure! I could have pulled it off if I did not just give birth! My body had liters and liters of blood to replenish after I hemorrhaged while giving birth. I was so physically and mentally drained. I remember screaming into my pillow when Gavin woke up crying for milk. I felt such a weight on my shoulders because  I was the only one who could supply milk. We pulled through those tough nights and within the first week home I was feeling better. We even had a little routine started. Call me weird, but once I started getting some sleep I LOVED waking up to feed Gavin every two hours, even throughout the night. My heart ached for him when he was sleeping and I couldn't wait to hear his little hungry cry so I could jump up, run to the nursery, and kiss that little face over and over again. I cherished every moment. I took thousands of pictures (not exaggerating) and I still do. Gavin is my entire world.

After my six week leave, I went back to work for a week to finish the school year. Then I was off from school again for the summer. Of course I spent every second of my summer with Gavin and Tommy. We took trips to the beach and boardwalk, we went to the zoo, barbecues, out to dinner, strawberry picking, blueberry picking, carnivals and fairs, and long walks by the lake. The summer flew by and I went back to work in September. It was probably... scratch that... definitely the hardest thing I ever had to do. I constantly reminded myself "I only work 180 days out of the year and I leave work at 2:50 p.m. I get long winter and spring breaks and summers off." It didn't help much. I tried reminding myself  that Tommy/my mom was with him and he was always well taken care of. That didn't help much either. I cried most mornings on the way to work. It's unbelievably hard to work and raise children. Honestly, it's like having two full time jobs and there aren't enough hours in the day for exclusive family time. Not to mention the excruciating pain in my heart all day long without Gavin. It was the worst...

I worked from September to December 22nd and then took the rest of my maternity leave. I return back to work mid-April!!! I AM SO EXCITED to have four extra months to be home with my BABY!!! I love being home with Gavin.  He is just the perfect happiest baby. While I was working I usually cleaned the house, did the laundry, wrote my lesson plans, graded papers, and everything else I couldn't do during the day because I was working. My days flew by and I couldn't stand missing this time with Gavin. Now I cook and clean during the day when Gavin naps, and play, feed, sing, read, dance, and everything else when he is awake. This is the closest thing there is to heaven.

So let's get to the topics I wrote about while I was pregnant. Remember? I wanted to breastfeed, use cloth diapers, make my own baby wipes, make homemade organic foods and make homemade organic fruit and vegetable juice, and exercise and eat right in order to drop the baby weight. Some people probably thought I was crazy (maybe some still do). Some even flat out told me, "You'll see once you have the baby you will be SOOO tired and SOOO busy, there won't be enough time to do all of that." Well, I do breastfeed, use cloth diapers, make my own baby wipes, make homemade organic foods and homemade organic fruit and vegetable juice, and dropped my baby weight in three months. I do it all.. now and even when I was working. Except when I worked I didn't do everything on my own, my husband, mom and I did everything as a team. My mom helped/helps us out tremendously. Tommy, my mom, and I took turns watching Gavin throughout the week. My mom watched Gavin Mondays and Wednesdays. Tommy watched him on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays during the day and worked Tuesday and Thursday nights. Tommy is off on Fridays. And I had Gavin all day Saturday. Tommy and I both had Gavin on Sundays, which we call our family day. Gavin did not attend daycare while I worked like we initially planned, and I am so grateful for that. Not that there is anything wrong with daycare, I mean I worked at an extraordinary one for eight years. I just feel Gavin is too young for daycare. He gets one on one time in the comfort from his own home.. We go to a small church group on Friday nights where he interacts with babies his own age and we also have play dates. I used to worry because Gavin would freak out and cry when he saw a stranger, which is completely common and normal, but ever sine we started attending the small group he became very outgoing. COMPLETE turn around! Now he smiles at anyone who will look at him... Or stare at someone until they tell him he's cute. He's such a ham.

Now on to breastfeeding. I'm going to be honest, I always planned on breastfeeding, but a part of me was worried I would fail. I had a ton of support from Tommy and my mom. Without them I probably would have given up. If you don't have support and really want to breastfeed you need to go to a support group because breastfeeding is not easy. The first couple of days at the hospital were fine because the nurses helped Gavin latch on properly. They also showed me different ways to hold Gavin while nursing. Once we were home and the colostrum turned to regular breast milk, Gavin needed to be fed every two hours...gulp. It was uncomfortable, painful, unpleasant, discouraging, and frustrating. My nipples were constantly sore and every time Gavin cried for more milk, I cried because I just couldn't take the pain trying to get him to latch on correctly. In order to increase my milk supply, I pumped after I nursed him every time. That was every two hours, around the clock, day and night. But, It helped tremendously. I was making around fifty ounces of milk a day. Gavin wasn't drinking that much daily, so I was able to freeze and store the extra milk. We even had to buy a chest freezer to put in the garage because there was no room in our kitchen freezer.  The pump helped increase my milk supply drastically and it toughened up my nipples. I am extremely glad I pushed through and never gave up. I've witnessed many mothers give up too easily and regret it. After three endless months, yeah that long, I was finally able to exclusively nurse Gavin without the pump or pain. I nursed Gavin until he was eight and a half months. While I was working, most of Gavin's milk stash was used up because I was only nursing/pumping four times a day (it's hard to pump when you are a teacher). I was barely making ten ounces. When I started my second leave in December, I had to increase my milk supply again. I pumped every two hours. I couldn't nurse Gavin every two hours like I did when he was a newborn because Gavin was eating solids and not drinking as much milk. When it was time to give Gavin milk I had nothing left in me because I pumped every two hours. I had to give him the breast milk in a bottle. I tried to nurse him once and day, but he started preferring the bottle over me. The milk comes out of a bottle faster. Now I'm pumping every two hours and I make about thirty ounces a day. Since Gavin eats solids and drinks twenty-five ounces a day, I store the extra ounces. I plan on supplying milk for Gavin until he turns one (May 6th- just in time for summer!). I have enough stored that I can gradually stop pumping once I go back to work in mid-April. Although I miss nursing him, I am glad I don't have to worry about supplying enough milk. After he turns one we move right to almond milk :)

Next topi- cloth diapers. I did not use cloth diapers for the first three months because a baby's poop is very watery until he or she starts eating solid foods. I started Gavin on rice cereal when he was four months old because he was constantly hungry, even after drinking a full bottle. I knew the recommendation is strictly breast milk for the first six months... yeah right, not for Gavin. Every baby is different and Gavin would have starved if I waited until he was six months. The breast milk went right through him. Gavin had rice cereal for a couple of weeks and had no allergic reaction. Rice cereal has next to nothing when it comes to nutrition, so I asked Gavin's doctor what I should give him instead of rice cereal and he recommended oatmeal cereal. We use "Earth's Best" organic oatmeal cereal. There are many vitamins and minerals. After we started Gavin on solids, his poop became a little... easier to manage? Hahaha. We use "Bumgenius" all-in-one snap cloth diapers. I bought twenty diapers and wash them 2-3 times a week. It's super easy. I take the soiled diaper and if there is poop, I flush it down the toilet. Then I take the wet insert out and put both the insert and cloth diaper into the diaper pail. When Gavin is low on diapers I empty the bag into the washing machine and wash the diapers. I dry them in the dryer then put the inserts back in. I put the clean diapers in the changing table drawer. That's it! It might sound like a lot, but it really isn't. It's part of our routine and so worth it... No chemicals or diaper rash! I love cloth diapering!

I also love to make Gavin's baby wipes. It is so EASY and there are less CHEMICALS. I bought three huge Bounty paper towel packages and haven't even used up one package yet... it's been nine months! I did a post about these wipes way back when, so I'm not going to post the process again. If you want to know how to make the wipes look back in my blog or ask! :)

I also make Gavin's organic food. I use the baby bullet and tons of two ounce storing containers. I make about a month worth of food and freeze it. Making baby food involves peeling, chopping, steaming, and blending. It is fun and worth the extra work. I know exactly what is going into my baby's food. Nothing is added and there are no preservatives. As of now Gavin eats apples, bananas, pears, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, peas, eggplant, butternut squash, zucchini, brown rice, chicken, whole wheat pasta, and his favorite... sweet potatoes. He loves it all. In addition to making his food, I make homemade vegetable juice and fruit juice. I take the bottled water that the vegetables boil in and combine them into a pitcher. I do the same thing for the fruits. All the vitamins from the fruits and vegetables leak out into the water. I put the juice into ice cube trays. Once the cubes freeze I put them in a freezer bag. When it's time for juice, I heat the cubes in a pot on the stove until it turns back into juice and serve. Please feel free to contact me via Facebook, E-mail, in person, phone, text messaging, or Twitter, if you want more information on anything! I love to share!

It feels great to be back blogging again. I love writing about topics that I am passionate about and I enjoy sharing my life as a mom.

Here is my world-
        
     


XOXO

Overview Weeks Thirty-Eight, Thirty-Nine, and Forty+

Week 38:  

Easter was Sunday, April 20 2014. Happy Easter!!

On Monday I had a doctor's appointment. Gavin's heartbeat and my blood pressure were both perfect and I gained three pounds. Now for the exciting news... I was one centimeter dilated and thirty percent effaced. Effaced means how thin the cervix is and I had seventy percent to go before my cervix completely thinned out. My doctor could feel Gavin's head, which meant he dropped! I know one centimeter dilated doesn't seem like a big deal, but this was the start of my body getting ready to deliver my precious baby boy. Plus during this time I still had two weeks to go before my due date. My doctor said being one centimeter dilated and thirty percent effaced at only thirty-eight weeks, "wasn't bad for a first time mom." Even though Gavin dropped, I could still feel him above my ribs. He must be super long! 

On Tuesday, Tommy and I went to a baby class offered at Babies R Us. We went to one of the classes last Tuesday, but I forgot to write about it in my last post. Last Tuesday's class dealt with breastfeeding concerns. I read a lot about breastfeeding and talked to many other moms about their experiences. The nurse who taught the class worked at a nearby hospital (not the one I would be delivering at). I pretty much knew everything the nurse talked about. But I did learn some things, so it wasn't a complete waste. This past Tuesday's class dealt with infant care and labor. The infant care part of the class didn't help much, it was all common sense (how to hold your baby, how to change a diaper, and so on). But the labor portion of the class was very helpful. I learned breathing techniques and Tommy learned different massaging techniques to help ease muscle pains during labor. 

On Wednesday we had a sonogram appointment to check up on Gavin's growth and internal organs. Everything looked wonderful! The tech, Barbara, said Gavin's head and belly were more portioned than the last sonogram. She said Gavin had a great sized head and he should slip out easily (I wish it was that easy). Barbara estimated his current weight to be eight pounds and four ounces. WHAT?! HE'S ONLY THIRTY-EIGHT WEEKS!!??? She further explained that the estimate could be off by a pound, so he is between seven to nine pounds. Well, that information is useless. There is no way this baby is already over eight pounds. During my third sonogram appointment the doctor estimated Gavin's birth weight to be seven pounds five ounces. So, no one knows anything. We will know how much Gavin weighs when he is born. Gavin was being so stubborn during his sonogram photo shoot. He kept putting his hands over his face. This is the best picture Barbara took and all I can say is Gavin and Daddy are TWINS... LOOK AT THOSE LIPS!!

The baby: is the size of a bundle of leek! Even though Gavin is full term, his brain and nervous system are continuing to develop. I can't wait to see what he looks like, he is going to be the most adorable baby ever!

Mommy's Health: On Thursday night I felt horrible pains in my cervix. It felt like my cervix was being stabbed with a knife every time Gavin moved his head. I called my doctor and she said sharp pains near the cervix was normal. It meant he was moving down. Plus my cervix was still softening and thinning. She asked if I was contracting and I wasn't, so there was no need to go to the hospital. About an hour after I called my doctor, the pains stopped. Thank God... but I knew the worse was still to come. I was more than ready!Well that was enough excitement for one week!

Week 39:  

Friday, April 25, 2014 Tommy and I made homemade wipes. This is the coolest thing ever!! They are all natural and it saves money! Here's the website I used to get the recipe and an outline on how to make them:  http://www.ouroutofsynclife.com/2012/02/homemade-diaper-wipes.html

Supplies:

- Tall, round 3 Quart container with a lid.  (I use the second to largest container that comes in a plastic canister set for dry baking ingredients.)

- Better quality paper towels (the cheap paper towels don't work well on a dirty bottom)

- Knife to cut the paper towel roll in two (serrated knife works best)
- Baby shampoo

- Baby oil (I have also used Avon's Skin So Soft)

Directions:

1.  Cut a paper towel roll in half so you have two short rolls.  I like to pre-cut several rolls at a time since the cutting process makes a mess and is the largest pain of the process.  An electric knife is very helpful but not necessary.  A husband to do this job is the best suggestion!

2.  Set one roll inside the canister.  Set the other half aside for next time.

3.  Combine and stir together:

1 1/2 cup hot tap water

2 Tablespoon baby shampoo

2 Tablespoon baby oil

4.  Pour the liquid mixture over the top of the paper towel roll.  As the liquid soaks through, the moisture will loosen the cardboard center making it easy to pull out.  If you get lucky, it will bring with it the end of the paper towel roll.  If not, carefully pull on the wipes in the center to get the sequence going.

5.  Pull out the amount of paper towels (from the center) that are needed.  Reseal after each use.

6.  If the wipes are not wet enough or the lid doesn't get put back on, just add more water. If the wipes are too moist, leave the lid off for a little while.

 They are also great for sticky fingers and faces!!

On Sunday there was a baby fair at a local hospital. It wasn't my hospital, but we went to check it out anyway. Well, the baby fair turned out to be lame. There were twelve vendors. Five out of the twelve tables were newborn photographers. There was also a table with information on storing baby cords, a daycare, a body caster (where this guy takes a molding of your pregnant belly and paints the molding so you can hang it on the wall....no thanks), and other random tables that I forgot about. We didn't win anything and it was a waste of time, except for the car seat check. A police officer outside the hospital checked to make sure car seats were installed correctly. She corrected ours and told us some safety tips and then we left.  

The baby: is the size of a mini watermelon! Gavin is continuing to build a layer of fat and slough off the outer layer of his skin. The vernix is almost completely gone and the placenta is working hard to provide the antibodies to help protect him from infections in the outside world. 

Mommy's Health: On Monday I had my weekly doctor's appointment after work.  It turned out I wasn't close to meeting Gavin at all. I was only one and a half centimeters dilated and fifty percent effaced. Dr. B mentioned that if I am a week late, she wanted me to be induced. One week after my due date was May 9th, but she wanted me to be induced on Thursday, May 8th. Being induced means to artificially start a woman's labor. It is unnatural and I am not interested in being induced. Some women need to be induced for medical reasons, but I am as healthy as a horse and have no need or desire to be induced. Women who are induced are more likely to experience increased pain and a longer labor than women who deliver naturally. Legally, all women have up to two weeks to wait for the baby to come naturally without being induced. I knew I had to do anything and everything to get this baby out naturally! I didn't even reach my due date yet, so I wasn't worried. After the internal check, I went to wipe away the gel and I saw some blood on the paper towel. Tommy went to get Dr. B. She came back and told us the blood was normal because she was poking around up there. 

The next day I woke up early and while I was getting ready for work I felt a trickle of water run down my leg. The first thing I thought was, "OMG! MY WATER BROKE!" I called Tommy and then my mom and told them what was going on. They were both working and told me to call the doctor. Doctor B was on call that week so I called the service line. Dr. B called me back and told me to go to the hospital. I called Tommy and my mom back and told them I was going to the hospital. I didn't want them to come all the way to the hospital unless the nurses confirmed my water broke and/or I was admitted. I drove to the hospital and had contractions all the way there. Once I arrived, one of the nurses took me into a room and told me to strip down and put a hospital gown on. The nurse hooked me up onto two different monitors. One monitor kept tract of my contractions and the other monitored the baby's heartbeat. The nurse could see I was having contractions, however, they were irregular. Sometimes they were six minutes apart and other times they were only two minutes apart. The nurse checked  if my water broke. She took a long Q-Tip and circled it around my cervix for two minutes. Then she placed the Q-Tip in a small tube. We had to wait ten minutes for the test to detect the amniotic fluid. The test was similar to a pregnancy test. If the strip showed two lines, my water broke and if it showed one line, my water didn't break. Dr. B was on her way to the hospital because another patient was in labor. The nurse had me wait for Dr. B to come check up on me and send me home. The nurse could tell I was upset that it wasn't time for Gavin to come. She reassured me that me coming to the hospital was the right thing to do. I had all the labor symptoms: contractions and water dripping down my leg. We also checked up on the baby's heart beat, which was excellent. We were both healthy and I was happy to experience what it was like being on the maternity floor.  As for the water running down my leg? Dr. B was pretty sure it was my mucus plug. Gavin was going to be here in no time, he just had to be!

After the hospital visit I did not return back to work that day, or the rest of the week for that matter. I was tired and stressed, so I took my maternity leave four days earlier. My last day was Friday anyway. 

Week 40:  May 2, 2014

My due date has arrived! Tommy and I tried everything to get this baby out! We took long walks every night with the puppies, we went off roading through bouncy dirt roads, we ate spicy foods, I sat and "hula hooped" on the birthing ball to try and open my cervix, and we even had sex a couple of times (that was eventful). Did any of these tricks help the baby come earlier? I have no idea! But not long after attempting these old wives tales, Gavin was born! 

The baby: is the size of a small pumpkin! This week was my due date! May 2, 2014! It's not uncommon for this date to come and go. Approximately only five percent of women deliver on time.  

We did not have time to get a pumpkin picture!

Mommy's Health: Alright ladies and

 gentlemen, here it is... My birthing story!

First I want to say these past ten months have been the best months of my life. I loved being pregnant and I am looking forward to the months ahead with my growing family. 

Ok, It all started on Sunday, May 4th 2014. Throughout the whole day I was having mild irregular contractions and night time wasn't much fun either. I never had any trouble sleeping at night. I usually got up once or twice to use the bathroom, but then I'd fall right back to sleep. But Sunday night was a rough night. I wasn't in any pain or even contracting, I just could not sleep. I sat up in bed, walked around, and tossed and turned the whole night... very unusual for me. 

On Monday, May 5th 2014, I had my last doctor's appointment before the baby was born. It was at 9 a.m. and I was very tired, but hopeful that I was going to meet Gavin soon. I was supposed to meet with Dr. V, but she was at the hospital delivering other babies, so I had to meet with the Dr. B again. I lost three pounds, which is completely normal at the end of pregnancy.  My blood pressure was great and Gavin's heartbeat was right on target. Now for the internal exam...AAAAANNNDDD I was only two centimeters dilated. GRRRR. Dr. B said my cervix turned down (for what? -_-) which apparently was a big deal. Blah. I didn't want to hear it. Dr. B discussed the arrangements for my inducing date. I had to go into labor before Thursday May 8th at 5:30 p.m. if I wanted to have Gavin naturally. 

After the doctor's appointment I went home. I ate a big bowl of elbow macaroni with sauce and cheese, then went to sleep. I woke up at 2:30 p.m. with bad cramps. I went to the bathroom and after I wiped I noticed a decent amount of blood on the toilet paper. I looked in the toilet and saw drops of blood. I remembered last week when I was bleeding after my internal exam, but that was from the exam. There was something different about this time. Last week I wiped and there was a little bit of blood, this time there was a decent amount of blood dripping into the toilet. After every visit the doctors would always say, "Please call if you notice your baby isn't moving or if you are bleeding." So, I called the doctor just to make sure...better safe than sorry. I called the doctor's office thinking my doctor might want to see me in the office since it was was still open. Dr. V got on the phone and told me to go straight to the hospital. I called Tommy and my mom to tell them what happened and they both left work to meet me at the hospital. 

I arrived at the hospital around 3:30 p.m. and changed into the stylish hospital gown (not). Then I was hooked up to the contraction monitor and baby heartbeat monitor in no time. My contractions were regular! They were less than five minutes apart and lasting for two minutes each. The nurse checked to see if my water broke. I didn't feel any liquid all day and there wasn't anything on my pants, but the test came back positive... There was a faint second line! I asked the nurse why I didn't feel any liquid. She said the amniotic sac might have had a small hole in it or maybe one of the membranes broke. After the news, Tommy and my mom walked through the door within minutes apart. I told them my contractions were regular and my water "broke." After an hour of wondering whether or not I was staying (I didn't get an official "yes" yet) I asked the nurse what was going to happen. The nurse turned to me and said two magical words: "You're staying." This was it! My baby was on his way!!!!!!! 

That past Saturday I put together a "Daddy Survival-Kit." It was a basket of goodies to help Tommy get through the labor and the long nights ahead. As soon as the nurses told me I was staying I let him open his present. 

The kit had:
-life saver mints because he has been my life saver through it all
-A coffee mug that says "Best Dad" with Foldgers instant coffee packets for the long nights
-A baby book "Just Me and My Dad" by Mercer Meyer for Tommy to read to Gavin
-Matching NY Giants shirt and onesie because that is Tommy's favorite sport and team
-A package of trail mix with Tommy's favorite snacks

He loved everything. 

My mom and Tommy were my coaches and stayed in the room during Gavin's birth. Tommy's parents came, but waited in the waiting area outside of the maternity wing doors. They waited for a good ten hours for Gavin's arrival. I was in labor with Gavin for fourteen hours and the last fifty minutes were spent pushing him out. Not bad for my first time!! 

Dr. V came in to say hello and check up on me. She said my water didn't fully break yet and if it didn't break naturally, she would have to break my water. This wouldn't happen until Gavin was closer to being born. She confirmed I was only two centimeters dilated. She also discovered Gavin pooped inside of me. Don't worry, it wasn't a big deal. The nurses just had to take him and syringe his mouth immediately so he wouldn't swallow any of it. Around 5:00 p.m. the contractions starting getting stronger... not terrible, but stronger. I used the birthing ball for the next four hours and it helped tremendously. If you don't know what a birthing ball is, they are like those big work-out balls that you can do sit-ups on. I used it to rock back and forth, move my hips in a hula hoop motion, and bounce up and down. The birthing ball helped because it put pressure on the cervix. This relieved some of the pain and pressure. 

                                     


By 8:00 p.m. I was six centimeters. When I arrived at the hospital at 3:30 p.m. I was only two centimeters, so in four and a half hours I dilated four centimeters. Once I reached six centimeters all hell broke loose (I remember it was after 8:00 p.m. because dancing with the stars was on). I was in so much pain, it hurt soooooooooo bad. The worst pain in the world. I also felt nauseous and threw up twice, Dr. V came in to check on me and decided it was time to break the rest of my water. I had to get off my birthing ball and onto the hospital bed. After Dr. V broke my water, the fluid gushed out all over the place. The intense pressure was now released and I felt great... for two minutes. Then the contractions kicked into overdrive. I went back on the birthing ball and bounced. The fluids were still pouring out of me and it didn't look like water. The water was greenish brownish because the baby pooped in me. The nurses cleaned my mess while I tried to take my mind off of the contractions by watching DWTS, but I couldn't concentrate on anything else. For the next two hours I cried and cried and screamed and cried. I couldn't take the pain anymore. Tommy was rubbing my back the whole time, which helped A TINY bit. At 10:00 p.m. Dr. V came back to check how many centimeters I was dilated. With all of this pain, I thought for sure I reached ten centimeters. She told me I was only seven centimeters. In two hours I only dilated one centimeter?? I cried again, well still. Really? Seven?? Dr. V said my dilating slowed down and I still had plenty of time to go. Great. 

Dr. V encouraged me to get the epidural. The nurses encouraged me to get the epidural. Tommy begged for me to get the epidural. After I heard my dilating slowed down and I still had three centimeters to go, I cracked and got the damn thing. I couldn't deal with the pain any longer. Fifteen minutes later (which felt like fifteen hours later) the anesthesiologist  walked into my room with an IV cart and a box. He took his sweet time putting together whatever was in his science kit. He proceeded to ask me questions like, "Are you allergic to anything?" and "Are you aware of the epidural procedure?" I was in so much pain I answered "Hurry up, this hurts!!" to every question. I just wanted him to stick the needle in my back and shut up. After the inquisition,  it was finally time to get the epidural. I had to get off the birthing ball and sit on the bed. Then I had to sit still for TEN MINUTES while he gave me the epidural. TEN MINUTES?? I was contracting every two minutes, are you kidding me?? Tommy basically sat on my lap to hold my legs together while I had to arch my back like a cat. He finally put the needle in my back. It burned and pinched a little, but nothing compared to the excruciating pain in my uterus. Then, he taped my back with what felt like Scotch packing tape. This held the needle in place. I had tape ALL OVER my back. He finished and I was still in pain. I was crying, "When is this going to start working??" He replied calmly, "in about twenty to thirty minutes." UGHGUGUHUGHUGUHGUGUHHHHH. Every time I had a contraction for the next twenty to thirty minutes, I made sure everyone in my room was aware that it hurt. One minute after the epidural injection: "IT STILL HURTS!!" Two minutes after that: "I CAN STILL FEEL THEM!!!!" Two minutes after that: "THIS FREAKING HURTS!!!" And you get the picture. FINALLY my legs started feeling super heavy. I couldn't even lift them up. I couldn't feel anything from the waist down. Nothing. No contractions! This was the best decision of my life, well besides marrying Tommy and deciding to get pregnant.

                             

                              

 Shortly after the sweet relief from the epidural, I fell asleep. I had a dream that I saw Gavin. I couldn't really see his face, but I dreamt I had already given birth and he was in the room with me. Then he was gone. 

I woke up and Tommy was sitting next to me.  I guess I thought my dream was real because he asked me how I felt and I answered, "Give me back my Gavin, you took him from me. I saw you." Tommy nervously replied, "No hunny, you didn't have the baby yet. He is still inside of you." Of course he would tell me that, he was the one who stole my baby. I wasn't going to believe him. I said," No, you took him, I want him back." My mom heard our conversation and walked over. She tried to clear up the situation and explained to me, "No sweetie, you didn't have the baby yet. He is in your belly. Feel." I guess that convinced me because I said, "oh" and fell back to sleep. Weird right? I slept until 2:50 a.m. and woke up to Dr. V and four nurses in my room. One of the nurses introduced herself as "the baby catcher," ha-ha very funny, like babies really shoot out that fast. And of course Tommy and my mom were in my room as well. I was just about to ask why there were so many people in my room, when Dr. V said Gavin was starting to come out and it was time to start pushing... WHAT!!? Already?! This was it!!! ...Well thank God I got that nap in...

I couldn't feel my contractions because of the epidural, but I could feel the intense pressure from Gavin moving down. The nurses monitored my contractions on the computer screen and told me when to start pushing. Every time I had a contraction I pushed for ten seconds three times in a row. These ten seconds were the longest seconds ever. Tommy held my left leg up and a nurse held my right leg. My mom was the photographer and took plenty of pictures for me.  I wore an oxygen mask because I held my breath while pushing through the contractions. In between each push I took a quick breath to get ready for the next push and the oxygen mask really helped. When the nurse told me to push, I pushed with all of my might. The first ten seconds were always easiest. Then I took a quick breath and started pushing with all of my might for the next set of ten seconds. The last set was the worst of them all. For each set, Dr. V counted the seconds while I pushed. During the last sets I pulled a lot of: 1...2...3...4...5...6,7,8,9,10!!! I stopped pushing because I had nothing left in me. This was probably why it took me fifty minutes to push him out. Dr. V could feel Gavin's head and used her finger to determine how many more inches he had to go before he was born.  I loved watching Tommy's face (except for the face he made after I pooped, which later he told me I pooped four times...thanks babe). 

                             

                            

Every time Dr. V said Gavin was getting closer, Tommy's face lit up and he kept cheering me on to push harder. After thirty minutes of pushing I couldn't do it anymore. "JUST TAKE HIM OUT PLEASE DR.V... JUST PULL HIM OUT!! CAN'T YOU JUST PULL HIM OUT? I NEED HELP!" Dr. V was very calm through the birth. Partly because she was at the hospital delivering babies since Saturday with minimal sleep. It was now 3:15 on Tuesday morning and she was basically falling asleep. Dr. V said once she stood up that meant Gavin was here! My goal: Make Dr. V stand up. Twenty minutes later Tommy yelled excitedly,  "I CAN SEE HIS HEAD!! HE HAS HAIR!!" This encouraged me to make the next push...THE push. With everything I had left in me, I pushed... hard. Dr. V had to do an episiotomy. An episiotomy is when the doctor makes an incision to give the baby more room to exit. In addition to the episiotomy, I ripped all the way to the first layer of skin in my rectum.  yeah, ow. After the rip, Gavin shot out like a cannon ball. I felt instant relief. "The Catcher" caught Gavin (they weren't kidding) and Tommy cut the cord. The nurse took Gavin to the little bed in the corner of the room to make sure no poop entered his mouth. I caught a glimpse of my gorgeous baby and just wanted to hold him. But it was going to be a little while longer before I could...

Dr. V. took the placenta out and put it into the tray next to her. Then all of a sudden, I felt extremely light headed. I knew something didn't feel right and I looked at Dr. V. She was more alert than ever and looked concerned.  I looked at Tommy who had a panicky look on his face. My mom went somewhere to get out of  everyone's way. I started feeling dizzy and I couldn't see straight. I felt Dr. V push her hand all the way up my vagina. Was that a normal procedure? A nurse kept pushing down right below my belly-button. While all of this was going on, another nurse tapped me repeatedly on the face saying, "Lindsay I need you to stay awake, focus on me. Keep your eyes open, Lindsay." I opened my eyes, but I only saw black. I seriously thought I was going to die. I heard Tommy ask if everything was going to be okay. Now I was worried. Dr. V was stitching me up (which took forty-five minutes) while nurses scrambled around. Dr. V told a nurse to hook my IV up to Pitocin (which is used to help a pregnant woman's uterus contract...but I already had the baby?!). Another nurse grabbed my left leg and stabbed a shot into the top of my thigh. What the hell was going on??  I opened my eyes again and tried to focus on the nurse who was still tapping my face. She was blurry, but at least I wasn't seeing black. After Dr. V finished stitching me up, a nurse sat me up and I could see straight. The nurse placed Gavin on me and I immediately started crying. He was gorgeous. I couldn't believe he was mine. I made him. He was finally here, I could see him, touch him, hold him, and kiss him. I am proud and honored to finally introduce Gavin Thomas to the word. Born at 3:35 a.m. on May 6th, 2014, weighing 8 lbs and 7 oz, 21 inches long, here is Gavin Thomas:


                               


                              



So the next day, Dr. V filled me in on what actually happened. After Gavin was delivered, I started to hemorrhage. I lost more than two liters of blood which caused me to feel dizzy and black out. But wasn't all. On the last push, my uterus started coming out. Thankfully after Gavin and the placenta were delivered. Dr. V explained how the uterus is shaped like a light bulb. The bottom part of the uterus looks like the bottom part of a light bulb (the part that gets screwed into a lamp). Well, the bottom part of my uterus started coming out. That's why Dr. V had her hand/arm up my vagina. She was pushing my uterus back up into my body. The nurse was pushing down underneath my belly-button to try and harden my flimsy uterus. She also had to keep my uterus in place while Dr.V stitched me up. The Pitocin in my IV made my uterus contract to help it harden faster. And the shot? I forgot what that was for. 

For the rest of my hospital stay, Dr. V and the nurses had to monitor my blood pressure. Because I lost so much blood, I almost had to get a blood transfusion. I ended up not getting one. Instead, I took an iron pill three times a day in addition to my prenatal vitamin. I also took a stool softener twice a day because the iron made my stools hard (ouch). I ripped bad enough and I didn't need to rip anymore.  

The rest of Tuesday and Wednesday morning I felt so weak. I couldn't get up to use the bathroom because I was so dizzy. I tried using a bed pan, but I couldn't go. I ended up having to get a catheter, which was no fun now that the epidural wore off. I also pooped four times in my bed because I couldn't get up to walk to the bathroom. The bathroom was only six feet away, but it felt like miles. The nurses were great. Tommy held me up while they cleaned me and changed my sheets and blankets. Whenever a new nurse was on shift, they would come into my room saying, "It's the hallway hero!" They were all so impressed that I breastfed and took care of Gavin throughout all of the fiasco. Of course I breastfed and took care of my baby, he came first!! Plus Tommy was there to take care of Gavin too. Luckily, breastfeeding came easy to Gavin and me. The nurses showed me different ways to hold him and how to properly latch. We were pros by the time it was time to go home. 

After Gavin was born I was finally able to have a turkey sub! As some of you may know, cold cuts may contain listeria. Listeria is a bacteria that can be killed by children and adult stomach acids, however, it can harm a fetus. On Tuesday, Tommy bought me the sub I was dying for throughout my whole pregnancy and it was deeeelish. 

Many visitors came to the hospital Tuesday and Wednesday. We also had visitors over our house to meet Gavin. Everyone was head-over-heels in love with Gavin and raved on and on about my gorgeous son. 

On Wednesday morning, the pediatrician that works in the hospital came to check up on Gavin around 6 a.m. He goes by his first name and wears work-out clothes, very weird. Anyway, he came into my room while we were all sleeping. Tommy was sleeping on the pull out couch/bed, I was sleeping in my bed, and Gavin was sleeping next to me because I am a believer in co-sleeping/the family bed. He said in a rather loud voice, "GOOOD MORRRRNING." I woke up and he scolded, "We need to talk...this right here is a no no." He was talking about Gavin sleeping in bed with me. I understood the hospital was responsible if something happened to Gavin, but there was no reason to be rude. So right off the bat I wasn't thrilled about this pediatrician. His prime reason for coming into my hospital room was to inform us that Gavin had a slight case of jaundice. Jaundice refers to the yellow color of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by excess bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is produced by the normal breakdown of red blood cells. It is very common for newborns to have jaundice, but could be a potential problem if the baby has a high percentage of bilirubin. The pediatrician said we could still go home the next day, (Thursday) but we needed to come back Friday to retest Gavin's blood.  At least we could still go home the next day. 

                              

Later on that day, Gavin was taken by Dr. B to get circumcised. He was only gone an hour, but I was worried sick over the procedure and I missed him so much. That was the first time I was apart from Gavin.  Wednesday night/early morning the nurses took Gavin to get his hearing test and blood test done. This time they were only gone for twenty minutes, but I still missed him. 

The hospital has a photographer who offers free newborn photo sessions. Before we left, she asked if we wanted a newborn photo shoot. Of course I said yes, I have a major obsession with pictures. I ended up buying the rights to all the pictures and bought every single one. Here are some of my favorites: 

On Thursday morning we packed up everything because we were going home!! We waited for the nurses to come and check Gavin and me. My blood pressure was still very low. Since Gavin's birth, he lost a pound. It is completely normal for a newborn to lose weight after he or she is born. But we were all healthy enough to go home. 


                                             


On Friday we went back to the hospital's pediatrician to get the beilirubin test done and to get his weight checked. In one day Gavin gained weight and was back to his birth weight. My breast milk was doing it's job! We met with the other doctor, who was not much better than the rude one. He sent us to the lab for Gavin's blood work to check the beilirubin levels. The lab was backed up, so we were sent to the maternity floor upstairs. One of the nurses I knew took blood from Gavin's foot and sent us back to the pediatrician. We ended up waiting FOUR hours, yes, four hours with a three day old newborn.  The test results took forever, I was furious. We finally received the results and Gavin's beilirubin levels stayed the same, which was in the "safe zone." So we left and never went back. Don't get me wrong, there were many pros about this pediatrician office. The staff was nice, they had great hours and even weekend hours, the office was close to home, and the office was inside the hospital. But I was uncomfortable with both doctors and I didn't trust them with my child.

 The good news is I found an excellent pediatrician who has been recommended by many trustworthy people. This pediatrician has two offices, one in the town where I work (in case I need to take Gavin there if he gets sick at school) and one close to home. I love Gavin's new pediatrician. He listens to me and let's me make my own decisions that are best for Gavin. For example, I do not want Gavin to receive his shots all at once. I believe there are too many immunizations given at one time. I want them separated by at least two weeks. Well I can proudly say Gavin receives one shot every month. This doctor is great to work with and I trust him with my child. 

Well that wraps up my pregnancy and the birth. It's been quit a journey and I wouldn't change a single thing. I'm so in love with my son and looking forward to raising him to be a perfect gentleman. 

In case you were wondering, I plan on blogging about important baby topics. Check back every so often!