2 Week Check-up

This past Wednesday Darren had his 2 week old doctor appointment. Everything was great, (besides the fact that we didn't get to see our normal doctor). He has exceeded his birth weight and now weighs 7 pounds 6 ounces which puts him in the 16th percentile for weight, he is now 20 and a half inches long putting him in the 58th percentile for length and his head is 13.4 inches putting him in the 7th percentile for head circumference... got to love our little peanut headed children!!!!

Great Kids

I hahaven't really had the chance to talk about it yet, but Mallory and Wesley have been AMAZING! I mean there has been no jealousy just pure and sweet love from them both of them towards Darren. It has been incredible! Mallory is always wanting to hold him and is singing sweet little songs for him. Being a little momma. Wesley wants to hold him some but really wants to be there to pet his head, supervise diaper changes and would love nothing more then if we would let Darren sleep with him during nap time! It has been such a blessing to have such good helpers!
Today i loaded up the kids and went to the outlets (mom came to). It was a little bit  of a production to get out the door...but all-in-all went really well! Which is good since thats what we have instore for the next 18 years!

Sigh!

I can’t believe that it has been a week already! Time is going so quickly. I am trying to soak in each and every little newborn moment… since this probably is our last baby. The last shriveled umbilical stump, the last of those sweet little newborn cries, those scrunchy old-man-newborn faces he makes, the way he has that little booty-tooch when you pick him up then melts into your chest, the way milk dribbles out his mouth as he slips into a milk-comma… just thinking about how sweet and precious newborns are makes me want another one… for a split second. Because then I remember they turn into tantrum throwing toddlers and know-it all three year olds. So I will just soak up him. His sweet honey-like smell, so different from the earthy/musty Mallory smell, or the soft/cotton-like Wesley smell. His little squeaks and sortie/stuffily breathing.  

Sigh!

I love this little man!  

Darren Matthew's Birth Story

This is a LOOOOOOOOOONG post... so grab some ice cream and settle in...

This birth was different from the previous 2. It seems a little strange to me that as the same person and overall ending in the same result can have the middle be so different each time! I had been feeling so big, so uncomfortable and so ready to deliver for SO many days that on Wednesday March 12, mom thought that she would go ahead had check me (I didn’t have a doctor’s appointment for another week and was sure I wasn’t going to make it until then).  I LOVE the benefit of having an L&D nurse for a mom! How cool is that?!?! She did her exam and I was only 3 cm and about 70-75% effaced… so not a whole lot had changed in a week, despite how ‘ripe’ I was feeling. I spent the day walking, contracting, playing with the kids, contracting, napping, contracting, going to the park, contracting… did I mention I was contracting?! Because of this I contacted my midwife who said she would come over to my house that night and check me. So at 5:30 she showed up and I was now a stretchy 4 and 80%... so some progress. She did a little membrane sweep and said that IF the baby is ready to come, BK3 will come. If it’s not, then we just keep waiting. The BIG thing was that we wanted to have a little wiggle room/prior knowledge because of the need for IV antibiotic 4 hours PRIOR to delivery. So if things progress she recommended I call her and head in to the hospital.

The boys finished BBQing chicken and we ate dinner at 6:30. (Let me tell you from personal experience BBQed chicken is NOT the taste you want in your mouth during delivery.) Anyway. I had downloaded this contraction tracker app. On my phone (thanks mom) and it was evident that the contractions were getting closer together… like ever 5-7 minutes… but still only 20-30 seconds long. Per mom, they don’t really get excited until they are about 40 seconds long. Regardless, we thought we should head in. So we did. Mom, Matthew and myself. The entire drive over mom and I were thinking ‘I hope we aren’t jumping the gun’.

we arrived it was 7:15 and were taken to room 7 (the fancy suite-like room). In each room there are monitors up that show the tracing of all the ladies that are currently in labor(so the nurses can see everyone at all times). The second I walked in the room I said quietly to all the other ladies tracings “Race ya’!” (We know how I love a little healthy competition!) I was ‘checked’ by the midwife that was on that evening (MY midwife hadn’t arrived yet but was coming in special JUST for me!) How sweet is she?!?!?! Anyway, I was STILL a 4! Boo! I wasn’t what they really consider in labor… but they admitted me anyway (even though 5 is the magic number) since they wanted me to get my meds. So the IV antibiotics were started at 7:30, ALLLLLLLL the admitting questions were asked, then I was allowed to get up and walk around. So Matthew and I went for a little walk through the hallways. Stopping and leaning on Matthew with some contractions and walking through others.  

At 9:30 I started feeling like things were getting more intense, so my midwife checked me and now I was a 7 and 100% effaced and my water bag was bulging! Sweet! No one was really thinking that I was going to have progressed that much in 2 hours especially since I hadn’t been in ‘labor’. So everyone started bustling about getting things into the room, moving other things out. Contractions continued to increase in frequency and intensity and at 9:58 my desire to push started…but when they checked me I was only an 8. I was instructed to TRY not to push and to really just work through the contractions to buy us a little more time since at this point we had only been there 2 hours total… and we really needed 2 MORE hours for the meds to work)… but we all knew that wasn’t going to happen anymore… but still I was supposed to try. So try I did! Since arriving I had started to have back labor so I couldn’t really lay down, so I was standing and hanging on Matthew (my arms draped around his neck),  pushing my forehead into his chest, while I moaned, rocked, ‘fuffffed’ and tried really really hard not to push. I thought for sure that I was going to crack his sternum with how hard I would press into him (but he said that really I was barely pushing… then again he has huge rugby guys running into him 2-3 times a week, so I guess to him it was nothing).

At 10:13 a HUGE contraction rocked my world and I while I was trying (unsuccessfully) not to push my water broke. Ahhhhhh! Sweet relief! That feeling was heavenly. The burning  pressure diminished (momentarily) and the finish line was now insight. While that huge contraction was still underway I was gently and slowly guided back to the bed… while hands/drapes were slid between my legs (incase the baby came out while I was standing).  Now that I was back on the bed and before another contraction hit my midwife checked me again… but I was only a 9 (not the 10 we were all expecting). So she really didn’t want me to push yet (I guess if you push while a 9 it can actually cause trauma/inflammation which sets you back again because of the swelling). Lord knows I didn’t want that so I gave myself a little pep-talk and during the next contraction ended up grunting/chanting “Don’t push! Don’t push! Don’t push! Don’t push! Don’t push! Don’t push! Don’t puuuuuuuuuuuuuush!” Yep that last one was a push. We all know what that means and there’s really no stopping it! So my midwife asked if I wanted her to help stretch me to a 10… HECK yeah! So she did. And thankfully she did because right then at 10:18 BK3’s heart rate really dropped and they actually couldn’t find it! So the midwife said that I would need to push that baby out, regardless if I was having a contraction or not! So Push I did! I had a mirror and was touching and watching this beautiful head of dark hair getting bigger and bigger with each push I gave. Matthew was great, reminding me to breath and holding one of my legs so that I cold bear down with more force. Moments later I could see a blue head fully emerge and one push later at 10:25 I was pulling this beautiful blue/pink, vernix covered baby out and up onto my chest! (I have amazing pictures if you guys want to see! They are increasable).

The nurses were rubbing his body, to stimulate a cry, sucking his airways and I was kissing this sweet wet head. Matthew was desperately trying to see if we had a new little boy or girl, but my arm was apparently in the way. When I moved it, his face lit up and he said “It’s a boy! We have another little boy!” (Which is what he was wanting, but had been convinced it would be a girl). Very quickly they got the cord clamped and Matthew was rushed over to cut it, then our little man was taken over to the warming station (feet away from me) and assessed and treated more thoroughly.  A minute later he was crying and back on my chest. He quickly pinked-up (aside from the facial bruising due to the quick delivery).  I had a slight tear, so after that was repaired the three of us got to spend a quiet hour bonding together and getting some skin-on-skin time with our newest family member. All the grandparents came after that to visit for a few moments (and watched Matthew give him his first bath) and get weighed and measured. Then it was off to post-partum… for the next 48 hours since I didn’t get the meds in soon enough.

I figured this would be pretty anticlimactic, but there was a little adventure on this wing as well. After getting our son and me all settled in for the night Matthew headed home. Around 4 am I went to get up to pee and noticed that there was what looked to be a large about of blood pooling around me. I paged my nurse who was also a little surprised by this (and her shock grew as we found more and more layer to it). Not to mention that I had virtually no bleeding prior to 4 am. There was enough blood that the nurse actually gathered up all the sheets/blankets/gown/pad and weighted them to determine how much I had lost. 45 minutes later the same thing happened. At this point I was put on some meds and my little man was brought in for nursing/to stimulated contractions/tightening up my uterus. The combo worked well and the bleeding became normalized over the next 6 hours. Whew!

So that was Darren’s birth story. Labor for 2 hours and pushing for 6 minutes and a healthy baby boy at the end of it!

P.S. Yes that is a black eye that Matthew has… and No, I did not give it to him. ;)

What's In A Name?

Well, after over 38 hours of thinking and reading and talking it over, Matthew and I found a name we really liked and that seemed to fit our new mans looks... Darren Matthew Klein! Its a name that feels unique/old fashioned but without being too strange if dated. It is still strange to say his name out loud and to him. I keep wanting and have called him Wesley because that's the little boy name I'm used to saying. I'm hoping in a few days it will roll off my tongue better. Oh, the other thing about his name that I like is that it is an Irish name that means 'born at night'. So perfect! Mallory was actually NOT happy about the name. She was really set on Elmo and didn't know why she couldn't pick his name. As mallory was holding him tonight she had big crocodile  tears in her eyes as she said 'but momma, I have never got to name a baby before.' Ahhhh poor thing. I told her that when she's a mommy she can name every single one of her babies. That seemed to appease her for the time being.
Darren was circumcised today and both Matthew and I went and watched! It was very cool to see! And I was proud of Matthew for wanting to be there (I mean we are talking about a man who goes white at the sight of blood). Granted he was in a seat with a back, with a boxed juice and sitting a good 8-10 feet from the table...but he was there and made it through without passing out! And Darren handled it like a champ!
Plus, tomorrow we get to go home! Though truth be told, I am sooooo greatful for the extra time that I had to be here. It was a forced mini vacation where Darren and I got to snuggle, bond, great visitors, send visitors away (my kids included) and even nap a little (without feeling like I should be doing laundry/dishes/cleaning...) So for that I am sooooo greatful. But I am ready to be home and tuck my big kids into bed, kiss their sweaty faces when they get up from a nap, smile a I listen to Mallory read to Wesley and I am ALMOST excited for the fighting/tantrums/pouting that is just a normal part of every 2 & 3 year olds lives. I said ALMOST. ;) Plus when I get home I will hopefully have a chance to write out Darren's birth story (since it was too hard on my phone).

Little Man Update

No...no name yet. I've been calling him Little Man and reading a ton of Baby Name books, so its not from lack of trying. Hoping today Matthew and I will get some time to talk names together. But Little Man is doing sooooo well. He is a great little eater, peeing and pooping like a champ and makes the cutest squeaking sounds! Mallory and Wesley are in loe with him. Especially Mallory!!!! She wants to hold him and sing to him anytime he even makes a scrunched up saddish face! Wesley wants to pet his hair like he's a new pet. And actually, while the kids were visiting yesterday, at the conclusion of a round of songs Wesley pointed at the baby then pointed at the bassenett and said 'Back now... back now'. Apperently he was tired of him already. ;)

 

It's A Boy!

We have a handsome new man in our lives! No name as of yet though. He was born 3/12/2014 at 10:25 pm. Is healthy and beautiful! He weighed 7.3 pounds (our heaviest baby ever) and is 20inches long with a 13inch head. He has Mallory's skin tone, eyes and dark hair, Wesley's lips and face shape and mommas loooooong toes and worried brow (just to the left). He came quick...and hard but it was perfect and beautiful. I'll write his birth story soon...and add pictures too!

37 Weeks (and change)

 This is what happens when I try to rest... if it's not the cat, its a kid or two... or ALL of them!

 

So I made it to 37 weeks (and then some). Prior to stopping work I would have bet money that BK3 would have come before now… but since having a week off to ‘relax’ the baby seems quite happy and content to stay put. The contractions are down to more ‘normal’ tightening/Braxton contractions, which I guess is good. Though I wouldn’t mind a little more action. I have even tried to stimulate some more vigorous contractions (since baby is fully cooked) by going on walks, having sex, drinking a little vino, cleaning the bathrooms (floor scrubbing included), cleaning the refrigerator, detailing the Subi and eating curry. At this moment nothing’s really working. Apparently I need to go back to the good-ol’ fashion stress of work.(don’t worry I’m not).

But I am getting really anxious for this little one to arrive though… not only to meet and snuggle him/her, but to put an end to all the pregnancy ‘issues’ that I have had as of late. The ligaments on either side of my groin are gone. I mean GONE! The thought (let alone the action) of adducting my legs is almost comical plus oddly uncomfortable. Also, I feel like a turtle stuck on its back when I lay down, the heartburn isn’t even controlled by the medication I’m on for it, the having to pee every hour is starting to get just a LITTLE annoying and sleep? What’s that? Last night I woke up at 1:30 and was up for the rest of the night. I couldn’t go back to sleep so I read and worked on my photo album (at least I was productive). I wish I could say I was up timing contractions… but nooooooo, I was just UP! So we’ll see how it goes and we’ll see when this baby arrives… hopefully sooner rather than later. Times up kid!

At 37 weeks the baby is a little over 19 inches: which is the length of Wesley's and Mallory's personal little chairs. Any baby should weigh around 6 1/2 pounds.

BK3's Belly Shots

 Yesterday Mom took some belly shots for BK3. At first I wasn't really wanting to do it... but I was reminded by both my mom and Matthew that this baby needs to feel just as loved, special and unique as the other two... because it is! Once we started shooting I started having more and more fun and we ended up incorporating not only Matthew, but the kids and paint as well! It was a blast. During the shot Mom and I started teasing each other and started taking about how it would have been funny to see 1940's/50's 'Belly' shots. Since they probably didn't exist, we thought we would make some of our own! Enjoy. (Try not to laugh at me too much.)

Our 1940/50's Belly shots. 

Blah!

Uhhhg! I'm supper annoyed! My strep B results just came back and I'm positive. I've been negative for the past 2 pregnancies... and though I know it's not a BIG deal to be positive, it's kind of annoying! It means that I need to get at least 2 rounds of IV antibiotics 4 hours apart BEFORE delivery! (and if I don't get both in prior to delivery, baby and I have to stay at the hospital for 48 hours so they can monitory BK3 for any signs of Strep B). Once again I know it's not the end of the world, but it basically means that if my water breaks (like with Mallory) or when contractions start to pick up (like with Wesley) instead of laboring at home I need to go into the hospital (especially considering my longest labor/delivery was less then 4 hours). Blah!
Ok, ok, I need to get over it. If this is the worst thing about this pregnancy I should be counting my lucky stars. ok. Over it.
Yesterday morning I work up and I had dropped! When looking at my profile, I no longer have a shelf that sticks straight out, but now a oblong sloping baby belly. Come on baby you can hold on another 2 1/2 days until you are 37 weeks, right?! The nice thing about dropping is that I can start to eat again! I had been feeling constantly full for the past week since BK3 essentially was obliterating my entire abdomen. Mmmmm, but not now! Last night (at an AMAZING meal at the Neumillers house) I had seconds (and maybe thirds) of just about everything! Have I mentioned that I LOVE eating!!!!????!!!! At my baby dr appointment last Monday I had gained 34 pounds... which is totally right in the middle of what I gained with the other 2 (36 or Mallory and 32 for Wesley).

BK3's Baby Shower

I can’t even tell you how adorable this baby shower was! And how grateful I am for having such wonderful moms in my life! My mom and MIL really outdid themselves… especially considering my original comment to them was something to the effect of “I don’t really want a baby shower, I just want some way of getting everyone here to sign the baby guessing board.” Somehow that must have translated to “Please throw me an elaborate, adorable, sophisticated and perfect baby shower.” Gee am I glad they listen to me ;)

Really though, it was so nice. It was nursery rhyme based (since that’s what I’m doing BK3’s nursery in). Mom had all these cute ‘little’ touches… including the nursery rhymed food/labels,  old and new nursery rhyme books, beautiful antique-looking nursery rhyme banners and pennants. She even designed a cute nursery rhyme game (only one mind you, because we know how much I despise baby shower games). There was the gender/weight signing board (which was the only reason I had originally wanted the shower), and mom came up with a cute little rhyme that prompted people to write their own for us. I can’t tell you how darn cute those rhymes all turned out! I think that I am going to type a few of them up and frame them for the nursery.

And though I CLEARLY told people NO gifts (I mean we have EVERYTHING this kid could need….as far as I know) people still brought gifts. It was really sweet… we now have a TON of diapers and wipes (because let’s face it, you can NEVER have enough), adorable NEW (not hand-me-down) stuffed animals and outfits for either gender, soft blankets, play on blankets, a sound machine, collage money (SWEET!), and of cores the traditional gifts that each of our babies have gotten from the grandmothers;

From Joyce a one of a kind custom created hand drawn circle art based on the nursery theme. So stunning and detailed! A piece of art that they can each take with them through life.

From Mom a one of a kind custom created hand knit with love blanket… actually TWO! A supper soft one that this baby will sleep with possibly forever (as each of the others still do EVERY NIGHT). And one that is beautiful, elaborate, stylish and so perfectly untraditional that I use/drape over the rocking chair and may never give back to the kids (because I love them)!

Once again I was blown away by the sheer number of people who came to the shower. I consider myself such a solitary person, very independent and with little need for the affirmation of a large group of friends. But as I looked around Sunday at those 35 women there to love on me, support me, help me and give thanks for this new baby I was overcome by how truly grateful I and blessed I am to have each and every one of you/them in my life. Thank you all for being there. And thank you for your love and friendship (even if I don’t call on it as much as I should!) Thank you!

9 Months!

I have to start off by thanking my mom and mother in law for throwing me a beautiful and esquiset baby shower yesterday...but I'll blog about that tomorrow (I hope).
Today I had my 36 week baby doctor appointment! I can't believe I'm 9 months pregnant!!!!! Yet at the same time boy oh boy am I feeling very, very, VERY pregnant!
I had my strep B swab, a brief ultrasound to make sure it's head is down, checked the heart rate (still in the 120's) and then my midwife checked me... I am alread 1 1/2 cm dilated and 50% effaced and very spongy/soft. She said that once I start a good run of contractions that I'll probably progress quickly! So between that little fact and how tired I have been getting due to my job/how much I've been working she gave me a note to stop working in hopes of keeping this little one in at least another 6(+) days!!!!! I have to admit, I really appreciate being told to take time off...because that's what I need (both the time off and to be told)! So for the first time in 3 pregnancies I'm actually taking time off before the baby is born! It was with a combination of both guilt and relief that I told my boss that I was done.
Anyway, now I am 36 weeks and baby is about 18.7 inches which happens to be the same length as the turtle that my mom had knit Mallory when she was a baby.

 

This picture of Wesley and my tummy cracks me up...he was kissing my tummy last night and then put both hands on either side, shook it a little and in a deep gravely voice said 'Biiiiiiig baby!'
He's so right!