It's not so bad!

That is what we tell Leah to say every time she tries something she didn't want to do, like slide down a water slide or get her hair washed. So I think giving birth this time around qualifies as something I didn't "want" to do. Not that I didn't want to do it, you know. But I didn't want to go through childbirth and the aftermath. I was SO not looking forward to it. Let me tell you, it was/is a breeze compared to the first time around. Not that I had it so bad with Leah. But comparatively, it is just so different.

1. My hospital experience was pleasant, my nurse was super attentive. I was her only patient the night Erin was born so she was with me all the time from the time she came on shift at 7pm. When Leah was born, I felt like I would buzz for a nurse and it would take forever for anyone to respond.

2. Erin actually slept in the nursery the second night and I got 7 hours of sleep! With Leah, they were too busy to take her in after bringing her to feed the first time.

3. There was a lactation consultant here and none in FL.

4. I did not need stitches, so the recovery of that part has been a breeze.It does not hurt to sit on hard chairs.

5. Breastfeeding hurts this time too, but I seem to remember it being excruciating last time. It took a whole month to feel okay. So far it's not so bad (my new motto).

It makes me want to do it all again... maybe someday. :)

My new baby girl

I cannot believe she is here! It was all so surreal. Things kept coming out of my mouth and I was like, I said that? Not inappropriate things, but I felt outside of myself somehow for much of the time. Her birth story is pretty simple once we arrived at the hospital. Labor was a total of 28 hours which is an improvement on Leah's 41 hours! Here it is:

We got here at 5pm and I was checked. Totally disappointed to hear I was only 3 cm and 50% effaced after the 2 previous days. (You can read that in other entries). I was thinking about walking a little bit before hooking up to the IV because I wanted to move things along, but the contractions seemed closer together and more painful than they were at home. So they IV'ed me and gave me a shot of Nubain to take the edge off until I was 4cm and could get my epidural. I had 2 nurses at the time, one who was new and training. She did the IV and I was super nervous about that, but no troubles there.

You read the post earlier about being loopy with the drug. That is an understatement. I was having a hard time seeing straight, but I could deal with the contractions. I got a new nurse at the shift change, her name was Joanne. I was her ONLY patient and she was AWESOME! At 7:30, just about when the shot was wearing off and I was pretty much in pain again, the news came that I was 4 cm and ready for the epidural. Mike had gone out to get food, so I had to call him and tell him to get back here and hold my hand for the scary part. Well, the epidural went completely smoothly. Dr. Menk (?) did a fantastic job and I was completely numb. It did worry me that I wouldn't be able to feel to push, but everything felt too good at the time to worry too much.

At 9:30, I was 5-6cm and 75% effaced. (It gets a little confused here because things started happening so fast.) At 10:30, she went to check again and my water had broken. I don't remember the dilation. At 11:15, she checked and said I was complete. The doctor was called and things got prepped. There were 2 issues. One: I could not feel to push and two: every time I turned to lay on my back, I got supine hypotension (technical term for low blood pressure due to laying on back) so I felt like I had to throw up. We tried pushing for a bit on my side before the doc came and it was not really working all that well. With every push though I got more feeling of pressure back and could tell when to push. The epidural was actually wearing off because the syringe of meds if only for four hours. No pain though, only pressure. Finally I decided to suck it up and lay on my back.

I gave one test push and they shouted STOP. Erin was practically flying out and the doc wasn't back yet. So he arrived and we began pushing for real. After maybe 2 pushed her head was out and 2 more after that, she was all the way out at 12:27am on August 13th. As she laid on my chest there was no crying for the longest time and she was getting purpleish. I kept saying she isn't breathing yet and they sand it's okay. Eventually with a little encouragement, she began screaming. Mike got to actually cut the cord this time (he didn't with Leah) but we have no pics of it because he was the photographer and had to put the cameras down to do it. I got a really good look at her before they whisked her off to the warmer. I was so happy that everything went well, but still not convinced that this little girl was mine to keep. Anyway, NO TEARS this time thus no stitches. That was excellent to hear.

After clean-up all around, they brought her to me and we nursed for quite a while on both sides. I was extremely happy about that. She was passed to Mike and then to my mom. I forgot to mention that she made it up right when my nurse paged the doc because I was complete. So just in the nick of time. After I was able to get up ad use the bathroom, Erin had her first bath. We finally were left alone to sleep some at 3am.

Erin has been with us the whole time. She would not wake up to feed when I changed her poopy diaper at 6am so we are going to try again here soon. Lots of tired love to all and thanks for checking on us to often. We are over the moon with this new little life and can't wait to introduce her to Leah later this morning. Pictures of that will follow in the next post.

PS More pictures are on the camera but have not been uploaded to the computer yet. I can add more pics to this post of bathtime and nursing time when they arrive.

SHE'S HERE!!!

Welcome Erin Audrey Gallers. Born August 13, 2007 12:27 am. 7lbs 4oz. 20 inches.

WOOT!!!

operation broken water is a success

Mike: Water is broken! ANg is between 6 and 7 cm dilated. water broke on its own. we're moving right along!

tales of an epidural

Mike: well, theres not really that many tales. or tails. but angelle is hooked up to one now. she was 4cm at last check (7:30) and the nurse just checked and shes about 5 cm now. She said its weird to touch your legs and only feel the sensation in your finger, not your leg. i guess the meds work pretty good. she is trying to take a snooze right now. thats about all the updates. more to come.

At the hospital...

We are here! I was admitted at about 5pm. When checked I was 3cm and 50% effaced and baby is at -2 station. I can't have my epidural until I am 4cm, which thankfully is not that far away. I was able to get a shot of Nubain in my IV to take the edge off the pain and it is a LIFESAVER. I totally feel loopy and sleepy and have to keep correcting my typing because it's hard to see all that straight. But the contractions are totally bearable and I have been doing this visualization thing that they swell and recede. It really works pretty well. I am quite content at the moment.

Doctor wants me checked again at 7:30 to see if I am ready for that epidural. Happy Happy Joy Joy!

Off to walk around Lowe's

So here's the deal. We are gonna go shop at Lowe's while Leah is napping (thank goodness for my mom coming last night). Hopefully the walking will put the C's closer together like it has done. Then I am going to come home and shower and we are gonna go to the hospital around 4ish or so. I don't care anymore, they ARE going to check me. Either they will send me home with something to help me rest tonight if I am not admitted. If I am admitted, all the better, because hopefully I will get the epidural and either rest or get pitocin to ramp things up and maybe have a baby tonight.

We really are nerds

We decided to chart my time between contractions to see the trend. They are getting closer together on the whole, but NOT FAST ENOUGH!! Can you believe I have had almost 100 contractions since last night at 8pm? I am OVER this!

A repeat of Leah's birth

So here it is, 8am, and they are no closer together than they were ALL night. In fact since 7am, they have spaced out back to about 15 minutes. Maybe it's because I was able to doze a teeny bit between. I was having dreams about tracking devices. The contractions are tracking me, I can't escape them! So we are off to walk the neighborhood and get some doughnuts. Maybe a good walk will kick start them again. My body does not want to let babies go. Is that a sign of how I will act when they leave for college?

I doubt anyone else is awake...

but I am! Contractions had been coming anywhere from 7-15 minutes apart from 8pm until 11pm. BUT for the last 2 hours they have been 10 minutes or less. There is no sleeping for me tonight. Mike is on his way home from the airport with my mom. So glad she is almost here. One of my main concerns about this baby coming was what to do about Leah. At least now I know my mom is here and will take care of her without a lot of disruption to her schedule.

Update: The last couple of contractions have been 6 minutes apart! The doctor said to come in when they are 4-5 minutes for a half hour. It may soon be time!

Contractions... is this it?

So I have been having contractions (real painful ones, not just tightening) since about noon today. At least that's when I began somewhat timing them. They have been fairly consistent at 20 or so minutes apart. I have had a few periods where there are none, so that makes me second guess myself. But I woke up this morning feeling different, so I truly think we will have a baby by Monday at the latest. What I am really hoping for is a baby tomorrow. I will update if/when we leave for the hospital!

Oh another thing, I always say my labor with Leah was 41 hours because I began with contractions like this, 20 or so minutes apart, Sunday night at 8pm and she wasn't born until Tuesday at 1:30pm. At what point do you consider that labor begins? Did I really have a 41 hour labor, because that seems insane. I was only 3cm when I got to the hospital at 11pm on Monday night. (Just had to pause for a contraction at 8:06pm) So do I count labor as begun with this one at noon? I guess if I go to the hospital and they send me home, it counts as false labor. They almost sent me home with Leah because the contractions weren't regular enough, but then they took pity and let me have the epidural so I could get SOME sleep.

I am doubting there will be much sleep tonight, especially since my mom's plane arrives at midnight. I am so happy she is coming I cannot tell you. Here's hoping that I update sometime tonight that we are going to the hospital!

Chase Maddex has arrived!

Leah and I just got home from the hospital visiting the family. Laurie arrived at the hospital at 11:50pm last night and Chase was born at 1:19am. She has the best luck with labor and delivery! He was out in three contractions too.

Right now, he's in the NICU on oxygen. He's not quite getting enough in his system. The Dr thinks it may just be extra fluid in his lungs because he came so fast. They are hoping to try to wean him off the oxygen sometime in the next day or so. We were able to see Chase through the NICU window. He looks nothing like Ian when he was born. Even though Chase wasn't necessarily a big baby (7lbs 11oz) he looks big. We are sending our happiest and healthiest thoughts out to him and his family right now.