Happy 2006!

Just a few new pictures to share as we roll into the new year! We are hoping to all be SLEEPING tonight when the ball drops. But, it's the little guy who's in charge at our house now and he'll decided whether or not that will be the case. Happy New Year! Be safe and happy!

First Bottle!

Last night, Josh got to feed his son for the first time! At first, Isaac was not a fan of the bottle of expressed breastmilk... but, once he figured it all out, he chugged away! LOL... Josh had to stop and burp him after three ounces so he wouldn't get too gassy. He inhaled 5 ounces like a little pig! Anyway, the plan is to have Josh feed the baby a bottle each evening to give me break from nursing. We'll also use the bottles when we are out and about.

First Pictures

Below are some more pictures to share... from Isaac's first three days of life. Can you tell he was passed around a lot? LOL... from one pair of adoring arms to the next. :)

Recovery In The Hospital

My recovery in the hospital was pretty rough... I couldn't get out of bed at due do to epidural that had numbed my legs. The first time the nurse and Josh helped me up to use the restroom, my legs both felt like lead weights. I honestly felt like I was learning to walk all over again or something and felt proud to count the "laps" I did in the birthing center wing. A lot of my memories about my recovery are pretty personal (ie. the aftermath of pushing for 2 hours, removing my c-section dressing, trying to pass gas... LOL).

My mom and sisters were there visiting and holding the baby a ton. Josh was up with me nonstop helping me however I needed it. It felt SO great to finally get the "go ahead" to order some food... I woofed it down! I remember how badly it hurt to cough or laugh due to my incision. The hardest part besides walking was getting in and out of bed. I needed assistance almost every time.

Isaac slept in our room the whole time in his basinette (except for the first night when the nurse took him for about 4 hours). Nursing was a struggle each and every time. Josh and I were extremely frustrated many times! The nurses and lactation consultants were a huge help. Isaac only had to be supplemented once with glucose water because they were worried he was dehydrated. I am very happy we stuck with breastfeeding though because our little guy is happy as can be and is gaining weight.

The birthing center was very busy while we were there and my recovery room was tiny. By our last night there, I was the only patient! So, they let us move into a big suite and spread out. Josh and I had to watch newborn care videos and go through discharge info. with a nurse. Dr. M, our family doctor, came to perform Isaac's circumcision the last morning... we felt so horrible for the little guy! What a pain diaper changes were that first week, too! He was in a lot of pain each time he peed and was changed, I'm sure.

It was quite a chore to pack everything up... all my toiletries, our clothes, flowers, etc. Josh brought the carseat up and it all seemed so surreal as we carried Isaac down the elevator and out of the hospital. He was so good in the car the first time and slept the whole way home!

In my next post... I'll post tons of pictures from Isaac's first few days (during our stay at the hospital).

The Surgery

Although we didn't want or plan for a c-section... it was the best decision that we could have made because it meant that our little boy was delivered safely.

I LOVE the picture below... one of the first ones taken. He's holding onto one of my fingers and one of Josh's! So cute! :)
Once I found out I was not going to be able to deliver Isaac naturally, I was upset. I was scared... I'd watched way too many birthing shows on tv and knew what c-sections looked like being performed. Most of all, I was nervous about dealing with a second anethesiologist. My super sweet nurse kept telling me that she just wasn't sure whether or not he would be able to administer my pain meds through the epidural or whether he'd have to start over and admister them separately. I had a pretty BIG and crazy "freak-out" moment at that point... neither the nurse, my mom, or Josh could settle me down for a long time. I just layed there sobbing at the thought of having to go through what I went through to get my epidural all over again.

Surgery prep seemed to take FOREVER although it only took about 45 minutes. I had to drink a nasty drink, they washed and shaved my belly, and then... the best man at Knox Community Hospital walked in! Vern, the wonderful anethesiologist! Seriously, he was a million times better than the first guy! I'm pretty sure Nicki, my nurse, had told him about my meltdown because the first thing he told me was that he could indeed use the epidural that was already in place to give me my pain meds for the surgery. I told him that I loved him, I think. LOL

I was very anxious to be wheeled into the surgery room... it was COLD and had very bright lights. There were about 8 people running around getting everything ready. They transfered me to the operating table and set up that big blue sheet/curtain you see on tv. The frigid temperatures immediately made my teeth start chattering and I was shivering as well. Josh soon joined me and looked silly in his hospital garb. Dr. N did a needle poke test on my belly to see if I was numb enough for the surgery to start. Vern, bless his heart, was right by my side talking to me about each step along the way. Josh was also very supportive.. but, we were both so nervous. We both remember Vern talking through everything to make us more at ease.

Even though I wasn't in any pain during the surgery, I still FELT a lot. I felt Dr. N make the vertical incision (The bikini cut was not able to be done b/c they were worried about Isaac's size). I also felt TONS of pressure as they were delivering the baby... my mom told me she heard me cry out. She was just outside the door of the room. We were VERY lucky to have a baby who cried immediately after being delivered. The tears just started rolling down my face when I heard him. Josh looked up over the curtain and he said Isaac was covered in a grey goop and looked pretty big. The nurses rushed him over to clean him up. Vern turned to me and said, "See, 5 minutes of pressure and it's all over." Next, I remember three separate voices announce that the baby was definitely all boy! Someone also said, "Wow, he's long!"

While waiting to meet the baby, I start shivering A LOT. I couldn't seem to stop! I also started to do this weird quiver/yawn combo with my mouth. A nurse brought Isaac over and put him extremely close to my face and asked, "Do you want to give him a kiss?" I did, of course... and then she whisked him away to the nursery. My mom got to meet the baby and my sisters were watching through the glass windows as he was weighed and checked out.

I kept asking Josh if the surgeons were almost done. I was happy to hear them stapeling my belly closed after finishing the inside sutures. I'm so happy he stayed right with me because the incision seemed to take forever to be closed. Next, I was moved back to a regular hospital bed and wheeled into a very dark recovery room. I could still not seem to stop shivering even though I had been covered in warm blankets. My nurse explained that the blood loss from surgery was causing the shivers and that it would soon stop. Isaac was soon brought into the room and I immediately tried nursing. We didn't have any success, but we did get lots of snuggling in.

It seemed like my vitals were checked every 5 minutes. The rules were bent and my mom was able to come and visit with her grandson and I for a few minutes.... she was SO happy as you can imagine to hold the baby for the first time. I remember being VERY thirsty and wanting to drink cups and cups of water. The rest is kind of blur until later that night. I do know that the actual surgery only lasted 15 minutes and it was all SO worth it to have our son. I'll post more about our time in the hospital, my recovery, and our first days home soon.

2 Weeks Old

Isaac is two weeks old today... what a big boy! This week, he has been more aware of his surroundings. He loves to look at people's faces, track them with his eyes, and has just started to get more into looking at some of his toys. His favorite place to sleep is still cuddled up on someone's chest... and he likes to inch up towards your neck. We introduced "binkies" this week and he's doing okay with that. Sometimes he loves them and other times, he flings them out of his mouth with a swift backhand swing. I can't believe it's been two weeks already! Today is the first day I've been "home alone" all day with him and it hasn't been too bad (I do miss all the help, for sure!). I will add that Isaac does not sleep the normal 18-19 hours that all the newborn/childcare books state.. LOL He stayed up for over three hours just this morning and I thought he'd never take a nap! He can be a little stinker (a very cute one!). :)

The Induction

**Very long post!**

On the night of December 13th, I got 2 hours of sleep and Josh got just three. We were extremely anxious, excited, and nervous about my induction the next morning. My mom headed with us to the hospital and I checked in at 5:00 a.m. I was having very mild contractions 7 1/2 minutes apart, was 2 cm dialated, and 70% effaced. At 6:20 a.m., I was given the drug Pitocin to bring on labor.... they upped the drug every 10-15 minutes while monitoring my contractions.

At 7:50, I was starting to really feel stronger contractions and then Dr. N came into break my water. At 10:30, I was given Nubaine (sp?) to take the edge off the contractions and back pain. I finally showed some progress (3 1/2-4 cm) at 11:27. Next came the WORST part of all of my labor and delivery. .. the epidural! The anesthesiologist called mine "much more difficult than most." He tried for 45 minutes, poked me three times, and actually hit bone once. While he was trying, I had to sit up in bed with my back arched (during extremely strong contractions which were 2-3 minutes apart).

By 1:10, my pain was under control and I started progressing rather quickly. At 2:15, I was 9 cm and then fully dialated by 2:43 in the afternoon! I remember being soooo hungry and hoping I'd get to eat dinner. LOL I pushed for about an hour and 45 minutes (with my mom and Josh right there as my coach and cheerleader). My nurse called my doc to update him on my situation and he decided that I should take an hour break so as not to rush my big baby!

I pushed again for 45 minutes... but, the baby was not coming down any further. My epidural was good, I could still feel when to push. The nurse could see Isaac's head, but it had started to swell as he was rocking back and forth on my pelvis bone. Two nurses tried checking the position of his head and they couldn't seem to figure out how it was positioned (face down, but... sort of angled in a funny way, not straight).

At this point, Dr. N checked me out and basically just told me, "There's a better way to do this. I'd like you to stop pushing." It wasn't a suprise to me really that he was suggesting a c-section. We knew it was a possibility and we both sort of sensed the urgency coming from the nurse as she tried her best to help me deliver naturally. I myself remember the look on Dr. N's face as he entered the room and knew what he was going to say before he did the exam.

Basically, he thought that I probably could deliver the head, but he wasn't sure the shoulders would come out. He told us that it wasn't safe to try any longer due to complications... he said the baby could have life-long health problems if things didn't go well with the rest of the delivery. He, too, was also not positive about the postion of Isaac's head... as it turns out, Isaac's one ear is still sticking out a little bit from the way he was stuck (It should be back to normal by 6 wks.). :(

Twelve hours of labor! At 6:43 p.m., I was rolled into the operating room for my c-section and I'll tell you all about that when I can find some time to type up the post!

Oink!

Isaac had a doctor's appointment this afternoon! Dr. M said that he has "no concerns" and that basically, Isaac is very healthy and is doing very well!

*Up from 8 lbs. 2 oz. last Tuesday to 8 lbs. 8 oz. today!
*Up from 21" long last Tuesday to 21 1/2" long today!
*Up from 41" head circumference to 14 1/4" today!

Our little guy is growing big already! He gained 6 ounces in a week and is already above his birthweight! Aww... we love our little pigger! ;)

More Holiday Pics!

Just a quick sec to post while the baby is napping... these pictures are from the last few days. We enjoyed a very fun, yet busy, Christmas visit with my family. Isaac slept through two Christmas Eve church services, our gift opening & holiday feast, and went shopping to the mall for the first time yesterday. He has been spoiled like crazy with love and attention from everyone!

Merry Christmas!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! We feel very blessed this year with our little boy... and are enjoying a nice visit from my mom and sisters. Enjoy the new holiday pics!
Love,
Laura & Josh

Our Christmas Cards...

...are on their way if you haven't received your's yet! I honestly didn't think we'd get them out in time because of my late delivery! Thankfully, I had already addressed all the envelopes, printed the announcements with blanks ready to be filled in, and picked up a cute Santa hat for the baby to wear!

A HUGE, HUGE, HUGE thank you to my sister Beckie for setting up a mini photo shoot in my hospital room in order to help me accomplish my goal! She took these Christmas pictures when Isaac was just 2 days old and neither of us had been discharged yet. My mom bought the baby the adorable stuffed snowman and they decided to use him as a prop... along w/ other holiday items they picked up at my home. While it was rough at times, they were able to get some adorable pictures! My sisters then ordered the digital pictures from a one hour place and the whole family helped to write out the birth info., add pics, and seal the envelopes. I was just so thankful to have my mom an sisters as my helpers!

The top three pics are funny "mess ups" and the bottom two are the ones we used (along w/ a 2nd version of the snowman pose).




So stinkin' cute! It looks like he's
holding the teddybear! :)



















He was an excellent model once he took a nap! LOL