Labor and delivery

This is a blog for myself so that I can remember the ups and downs of the birth of our child.:) We decided at the end of 2011 that we were ready or as ready as we were going to be to start a family. We were fortunate enough to not have any problems conceiving and found out in February that we were expecting. Then the planning began.....
We found out in June that we were going to be welcoming a little girl to our family. We had the name Kennedy picked out since before we even started trying or thinking about trying. I also have always loved Grace for a middle name so we picked Kennedy Grace to be our little ones name. I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy without any complications. I had one small issue with my heart skipping a beat or two, but after talking with my OB she said it was fairly common and told me to increase my fluid intake. It didn't help the fact that there are not many opportunities to hydrate at my job or the fact that it happened to be the hottest summer on record. :) I spent most of my time indoors due to the crazy heat. I was even able to wear my wedding ring up until about week 36 and at that point I had some swelling. Due to the fact that I had a smooth pregnancy I assumed I would have a normal delivery. I never even gave a c-section a second thought. We were due Oct 26th. That day came and went even though I was convinced she was coming early. We scheduled our induction for Oct 29th which just happened to be my nephews birthday but also happened to be one of the only days my OB was on call. We called labor and delivery early that morning to check in and see if they were ready for us. We were put on hold for a few hours so I tried to go back to sleep for a few hours (that didn't work). I called again an hour later and they said they had several deliveries at the time and said they would have the charge nurse call when she was done. Finally she called about 9:45 and asked if we could be there at 10:30 and I said you bet we can. We got to the hospital and got settled and the nurse started my IV. They hooked me up to Pitocin (which starts your contractions) and said we would go up by 2 every 20 minutes or so with a max of 30. This was also the day of crazy super storm Sandy. I was feeling no pain and watching the news coverage with my husband for most of the day. I was only dilated to a 1 when we got there and after several hours of Pitocin with no pain somehow I dilated to a 4. At that point my OB broke my water and then the fun began. I had planned for a natural birth with no drugs or an epidural. (Even though everyone thought I was crazy) we brought our own birthing ball, aromatherapy, distraction by watching my favorite Christmas movie (Christmas Vacation), and massages from my husband. The contractions came on strong. They were frequent and intense at that point being at 30 of Pitocin. I was stuck at a 4 for it seems like forever. I am not even sure what time of the day it was at that point but I am guessing maybe 9 or 10 pm. Finally I broke down and asked about the epidural. I stuck through it as long as I could and I just felt exhausted. I ended up with an epidural about 30 minutes after I asked for one and immediately felt relief. It was the best thing since sliced bread and worth every penny. I would highly recommend it! :) after the epidural I dilated to an 8. I think some relaxation did my body some good. Soon I was able to start pushing after 20 hours of labor. At that point I thought the end was in sight. My nurses were all so great and I went though 6 of them with all the changing shifts. I pushed for 2.5 hours and Kennedy did not want to come out. It turns out I do not have a pelvis shape that will allow me to have a natural birth. At that point my OB said we have to have a c-section. I was relieved. Finally at 5:57 am on October 30th Kennedy was born weighing 7-11 and 20.75 inches long with a full head of hair! Recovery was rough with some vomiting and nausea and a whole lot of shaking.  After I was loaded up with about 25 different meds ( not really but it felt like it) we were taken to the mother baby floor where we finally were allowed some rest. Not so much. There were so many people in and out of our room we didn't really get any peace and quiet for the rest of our stay. As a nurse I know this is necessary and just part of having a baby, but my husband was annoyed. :) We ended up staying Monday night in L and D and Tuesday and Wednesday night in the mother baby floor and my doctor let us go home on November 1st. We are so in love with our little girl! That crazy experience was all worth it. Lucky for me I had my husband and mother to take care of me while I took care of Kennedy. They were both such a big help by doing housework, making meals, taking me and Kennedy to appointments and keeping me on my medications. It took a few weeks before I could sleep in my own bed due to my incision I had to sleep halfway sitting up. It took several weeks to
heal and was pretty painful at times. If and when we have another baby our doctor said we will have a scheduled c-section. I am ok with that:) I hope this does not scare anyone who is pregnant now or wanting to be. Everyone is different and has different experiences. Just keep an open mind because it definitely does not always go as you plan. :)

Boy...or girl??

The wait is finally over!!! 

Yay!  It's a girl!  Justin and I were both expecting a boy! 

Thank you to Karen Mcqueary for capturing the moment for us! 

We are so excited!  

Baby Gear: Help!!!

Ok, so I need some advice from all of the mother's out there.  I am losing sleep over baby gear. I know it is silly.  I lay awake and think about all of the things we need and which products are the best and safest.  I know that is crazy, especially since I am only 14 weeks and still have a long way to go.  I like to plan and be organized so I want to get things picked out now so that I can enjoy pregnancy later on and not be as stressed.  So if you have any helpful information on any of these items please let me know!  There are just sooooo many options out there! 

Cribs:  Every time I look online at cribs I end up with a headache.  There are so many options it makes my head hurt!  Do you get a regular crib or do you go with a crib that converts all the way to a full size bed?  I have a few in mind that I like, but I can't seem to pull the trigger.  I like the babyletto brand because they seem to be simple and modern. 

Strollers:  As most of you know I am a runner and plan to start running again after having the baby as soon as my doctor will let me.  Do I need to just get a nice jogging stroller and go with a cheaper regular stroller for everyday use?  I like the BOB strollers that I have seen online, but still want to go play with one in person.  Should I get just a snap and go frame that will work with the car seat?

Car seat:  This one kind of goes with the stroller issue.  I like the Chicco brand for this item, but has anyone used one and had problems with it?

Bassinett:  We plan to use a bassinett in our room until we move the baby to their crib.  I don't plan to spend a lot of money on this one because we will not be using it for very long.  Anyone have any suggestions on this?

Rocker/Glider: I like the chair's that look more like a recliner.  Babies R Us has a few that we like for this item. 

I think those are my biggest worries so far.  I am sure that I will have more once we find out the gender! 

Hello second trimester

I can't believe how fast time is flying by already!  When I found out that I was pregnant at about 5 weeks I imagined time would go by so slowly.  This was by far the hardest secret I have ever had to keep!  You are so excited about it, that you just want to go and tell everyone, but you are still so early and considered "in the danger zone" that you also want to keep it to yourself.  I was impressed how long I was able to keep it a secret considering I am a terrible liar.  Of course I had to tell some people to get it out of my system. :-)  I am just so glad it is out in the open now and I can freely talk about it.

I have been lucky and have had very few days of sickness during the first trimester.  The worst part for me was how tired I felt all the time.  I also had to end up going to night shift for my job and that did not help the issue.  Luckily I have been able to go back to days and am feeling much more energized. 

There are so many things that you can and cannot eat when you are pregnant.  The worst for me has hands down been the caffeine.  I can admit that I was a caffeine junky before I was pregnant.  The first thing I would reach for when I wanted something to drink would be a soda, and I drank those throughout the day.  I also love Starbucks, iced tea, and all other beverages which you can no longer drink while you are pregnant.  When I found out I was pregnant I stopped drinking caffeine cold turkey, which was also not a great idea.  I experienced headaches, jitteriness, and my hands were very shaky.  I felt like I was going through withdrawals like some of my detoxers that I used to care for on 700 East.  Seriously!  It was crazy!  I feel great now and have come up with many substitutes for my thirst quenching.  Here are a few things I like:  Water :-) (Great with lemon and a lime)
                                                                   Perrier (plain or they have lemon and lime flavors)
                                                                   Diet Root beer
                                                                   Caffeine free Diet Coke
                                                                   Sprite Zero
                                                                   I also like to add Mio to my water to give it some flavor
                                                                   Fresca

Hopefully those will be helpful for those of you that are considering/trying to have a baby.

I am looking forward to the next 6 months and even more excited to find out if we will be expecting a boy or a girl sometime in early June. 

These are the things baby Wolfe has acquired so far thanks to my Mom and a few things I have picked up here and there.  :-)

                                                                

Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012.

Happy New Year everyone!  2011 has been a fun and busy year for Justin and I.  We have experienced a ton of fun with family and friends!  In no particular order here are some highlights: The biggest highlights of 2011 would have to be our first year anniversary as a married couple.  We have had a fantastic first year and look forward to many years to come!  Another highlight would have to be our basement remodel.  It took us most of 2011 to complete, but we are finally able to enjoy all of our hardwork.  We love projects so I am excited to see what our next one will be. Another highlight of 2011 would have to be running and completing my first Marathon.  It was hard work and dedication and a lot of getting up early in the morning for long runs when I really just wanted to sleep.  It was so worth it in the end!  We also went on our first long road trip as husband and wife to New Orleans.  I also had my first skiing experience in Denver Colorado and realized that I am not a natural.  :-)These last few months have included a promotion for my husband and a job change for myself.  We are looking forward to the many things that 2012 will bring! 

Chris and Heather Mullis's wedding (for my mom)

Happy New Year at Flame!

Almost time!

First kiss of the new Year!  Happy 2012!

Happy. Holidays

Good morning everyone! I couldn't sleep with so much on my mind about work and the holidays so I figured I could blog!  I am pretty proud of my holiday decorations this year.  Many people think that I am crazy that I already have out all of my Christmas decorations.  The holidays come sooner and sooner every year and the time flies by faster and faster.  We are already at the week of Thanksgiving!  Crazy! What is even crazier is that it is suppose to be 65 on Thanksgiving day!  This year I have to work the night before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving night, and Black Friday night.  I was worried about our Thanksgiving meal this year since I will be working and sleeping, but I have it all figured out!  Shout out to the new Hyvee in Springfield MO for their pre-made Thanksgiving meals!  I will be picking up our meal tomorrow that includes Turkey breast, rolls, gravy, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and cherry pie all made up and ready to go!  All I have to do is reheat it!  After all that work we will be heading to Kansas to hang out with Justin's family for a few days and then right back to Springfield and back to 3 more days of work!  I am going to need some serious caffeine in the next several days!  Here are pictures of my two trees this year.  Yes, I said two.  We doubled our square footage with the new finished basement so that means double the trees.  (And I had one from when I lived in an apartment by myself) Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Upstairs tree

Candy tree

Basement Saga.

Well after almost a year of work the basement is finally done!  Just a little reminder of what the basement looked like before:

Before...

Several months ago I volunteered our basement for a wedding shower for our good friends Heather Bazan and Chris Mullis.  I had no idea how close we would be cutting it at the time.  Thanks to great family and friends we were able to make it happen.  We were working right up until our guests started arriving but we did it! 

I love our new floors and rug!

Bathroom # 3

Both of our old couches came in handy until we get the ones we really want.

Our first night hanging out in our new basement just the two of us! 

We still have plenty to do to make it the way we want it but the main things are done!  Now we are moving on to decorating!  It is amazing the time and money and energy we have put into this place!  It was definitely worth it!