One Week Old!

I'm a little late posting this, we've been very busy!

Miss Annalise has been thriving in her first week.  She apparently likes being home.

She's already passed her birth weight at 6 pounds, 2 ounces and generally very content (ask us if we mean this at 2am.)  Annalise went on her first outing on day 4 to go see her pediatrician.  Since she was doing well and we were having oddly warm December weather, her doctor gave her the okay to go out on errands and walks as long as she wasn't going to have anyone in her face spreading their germs.  So right after the appointment we went for a walk and some shopping, never too young for shopping.  We've been out shopping a few times since then.

Also in her first week, she's been getting to know her four legged brothers.  Both Wally and Fenway are very curious of the new addition but they have been very calm around her.

Fenway likes to keep watch and gets very concerned when she starts to cry.

She had her first bath which went very well.

And she even helped us decorate the Christmas tree.

She absolutely loves looking at the Christmas tree when it's lit up.

All in all, we've had a pretty amazing first week.  Her sleeping schedule hasn't been so bad.  We've had a few nights when she likes to stay up until the wee hours of the morning.  But now that the doctor gave the go ahead to let her sleep as long as she will at night, we do occasionally get 5 to 6 hour stretches which I think is pretty great!  She's eating well and is very engaged when she's awake.  High contrast things are her favorite to look at, in particular, a black and white video on the iPad and our shower curtain!

Mom's doing well too, I think thanks in big part to Annalise's petite birth weight.  Recovery is going well, I enjoy getting out and walking around and our town home stairs have not been an issue.  I'm incredibly thirsty and hungry most of the time, probably because of how often Miss Annalise likes to eat.  And I'm only 6 pounds over my pre pregnancy weight which isn't so bad.

The Veale household is a very happy one at the moment.

Birth Story!

 Miss Annalise made her appearance at 1:02 am on November 30th, weighing in at 5 pounds 15 ounces, and measuring 17.5 inches long.  She is absolutely perfect.  Here's the story on how she decided to grace us with her presence.

I woke up at 5am on Thursday the 29th, just a typical work day.  But as I was getting ready for work I noticed I was getting slight cramps that were coming and going rather frequently.  I wondered if they were early contractions as I had heard they could feel this way, so while it did give me a flicker of hope that she'd be here soon, I didn't get too excited because I had heard those types of contractions can last for weeks.  Once I was just sitting at my desk I noticed them more and more.  I began keeping a log of how long they lasted and how often they were coming.  They were lasting about 30 seconds each and were 7 to 10 minutes apart all morning.  Come lunch time they started getting stronger, were lasting a minute each, and were about 5 minutes apart.  I got anxious since some doctors say to call the hospital when they get to that frequency.  But I could still hide the fact that I was having them and could talk and walk through them so I figured they weren't real.  I decided to head home from work early, around 2:30 pm, just in case since the contractions were still coming every 5 minutes.   I laid down in bed because I had been told that real contractions won't subside when you rest but Braxton Hicks will.  These didn't stop.  I decided that they must be real contractions, even if they weren't so bad.  They had gotten to be four minutes apart for an hour which is when my doctor said to call.  But since they weren't so bad I decided I had time to take a shower and get myself put together.  By the time I got out of the shower they were 2 to 3 minutes apart so I called the doctor and we left for the hospital a little before 7pm.

Dan and my mom were with me.  The drive wasn't bad at all, the contractions were still mild.  Once we got to the hospital I wouldn't let Dan drop me off at the front but insisted on having him park in the lot across the street and I made the walk with him.  I was so nervous that I would just be told that I was having Braxton Hicks contractions, that I hadn't progressed at all, and to go home, so I was really taking my time getting up there.  When we got there I signed lots of paperwork then got hooked up to two different monitors.  One to monitor my contractions and one to monitor baby.  As soon as I was hooked up and got what I though was a contraction I looked at the nurse and asked if that was really a contraction or if I was just overreacting (since they still were mild cramp feelings) and she assured me that they were indeed contractions.  The doctor stopped in to check my progress and I was so happy to hear that I was already at 5 cm!  I had only been at 2 at my exam the day before.  So with that progress and my contractions coming right on top of each other, they admitted me and got me to a delivery room.  The nurse told me that I was handling the contractions so well that she was confident I'd be able to have a natural childbirth.  I was feeling fine, walking and talking through my contractions.  Then at about 9 pm the contractions changed from mild cramps to full on pain that made my whole body shake.  After just three of those types of contractions I was begging for an epidural.  Unfortunately the anesthesiologist was busy in an emergency so I waited over an hour for that epidural.  Looking back at that hour, I don't remember much, but I do remember repeatedly telling Dan that I didn't want to do this anymore and that I just wanted to go home, for some reason I just really wanted to be in my own bed, as if that would have made it better.  The epidural finally arrived, I didn't feel the needle at all, and within minutes I was completely pain free.  From that point on, I was thinking "wow, this childbirth thing is a piece of cake."  I felt completely fine, no pain at all.

By 11:30 pm I was at 10 cm but Annalise was facing sideways which makes delivery much more difficult.  I commented that she's been facing sideways the entire time I've been able to feel her which made the nurse nervous.  She said if the baby had been facing sideways all the time that she probably wouldn't turn before we needed to push.  They'd let me push for 4 hours before sending me for a c-section.  But she had me lay on my side for an hour to see if we could get Annalise to turn.  Thankfully she did!  I started pushing around 12:45 am on the 30th and she was in my arms at 1:02 am!  All in all I think I had a pretty easy labor and delivery (Dan and my mom will disagree since they saw me during that hour I wanted the epi, but that's all behind me now.)

I will never forget that moment they put her on my chest.  Yes, she was all purple and covered in goo, but she was my purple goo covered angel.  I can't even describe the love and happiness that came over me in that moment.  And the love has grown every second I've spent with her.

After they cleaned her up they put her back in my arms for a little bit.  But they were concerned about her being so small at her age so they brought her up to the nursery and Dan went with her.  I felt lost during that time, my mom and brother had already gone, and all I wanted to do was hold my baby.  Dan quickly came back, he didn't want to watch them pricking her and while I was a little nervous that neither one of us was there with her, I was glad to have him there with me.  From there, I got wheeled up to a recovery room and they brought Annalise back to us soon after.  All of her tests came back just fine, she's just a peanut.  We are all doing wonderfully and are just so very happy.

I can't believe she's already a week old, the time has flown by but at the same time I feel like I've loved her forever.  I'll post again soon with her one week update!

40 week update!

Yesterday marked 40 weeks and Baby Girl's due date!  She's approximately the size of a jack fruit now (whatever that is) at 18 to 20 inches and 6 to 9 lbs. 

She's fully developed and not much has changed since last week, except that she's put on more weight!  Her heart rate was strong at 146 yesterday and she's very content and cozy in there.  Which is smart on her part since it's pretty cold out this week and of course our heat decided to stop working yesterday and no one has come to fix it yet.  While I slept much more comfortably with no heat in 20 degree weather, I would have been way too nervous to keep a newborn there and we probably would have found a hotel for the night.

If baby girl does not decide to come on her own this week or weekend we will get to see her briefly on Monday for an ultrasound to make sure she really is happy in there.  I'll also be sent for a non-stress test to check on her as well.  If both of those go well and she still doesn't want to come, I have been scheduled for an induction on Wednesday.  I have a feeling I will be at that appointment on Wednesday morning...

I was in such a cheery mood to be walking around on my due date with no signs of baby coming that I bought muffins for my house full of people.

But being 40 weeks pregnant was the perfect ammunition needed to convince Hubby that we should get our Christmas tree.  We put the lights on last night so we literally ended our due date on a bright note!  And it's actually pretty fun to answer "When are you due?" with "Today."  The reactions I get are pretty amusing.

I really can't complain too much, I still have this pregnancy thing pretty easy.  I only get really frustrated when I get stuck.  I sleep between two mounds of pillows to keep me on my side.  But sometimes when I'm trying to switch sides I get stuck on my back between the two piles and feel an awful lot like an overturned turtle.  I've needed to ask for help getting up a few times too, I hate needing help to do something so simple so that's when I get the most frustrated.

How far along? 40 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Up 22 lbs overall

Maternity clothes?  I’ve given up on the dresses and just rotate through my 3 pairs of work pants and 2 pairs of jeans because I’d much rather sit like a guy with my legs spread than with my knees together.  

Stretch marks? Nope!  Grateful for this.

Sleep:  I got a few good nights of sleep this week, only waking up once, while family was in town.  But as soon as they went home I went back to waking up a lot.  The past two nights were every hour!

Best moment this week:  Spending Thanksgiving with family!  I'm so thankful to be bringing Baby Girl into a family that loves her so much already.  She is definitely blessed with amazing grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

Miss Anything?  Being comfortable.

Movement:  Not as much now, she’s definitely cramped.  I generally have to put my hand on my belly and feel around to tell if she’s moving.

   

Food cravings:  Nothing in particular.

Anything making you queasy or sick: All the same things…the sweet potatoes, bananas, and crab are the worst.

Belly Button in or out? Neither but it’s really looking like it wants to pop out, I’m wondering if that’s what she’s waiting for…if it needs to pop out like a turkey timer to say she’s done!

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Happy or Moody most of the time: MOODY but only if you aren’t being super nice to me :-P

Labor signs?  A little crampy...maybe early contractions?  

Looking forward to:  Not having to answer the phone with "no baby yet."

 

Ready.

"As you reach week 40 of your pregnancy, you may feel as though you’ve been pregnant forever, and would like to give birth to this baby today. It’s normal to be excited, nervous, and irritable all at once."

 

This is it exactly.  I know her due date hasn't arrived yet (eeeekkk, it's tomorrow!) and that a due date is only an estimate of when she might make her appearance, but I'm just so ready.  I AM excited, nervous, and irritable.  Maybe I should capitalize IRRITABLE....
 
1.  I'm ready to hold my baby.  I want to hold her in my arms so badly, I think I may not share her at the very beginning.  

2.  I'm ready to see her!  I know newborns come out all covered in guts (yes that's the technical term) and typically have a cone shaped head from making her way out (which is normal, the bones in her skull are not fused yet for just that reason) but I know I will think she's the most beautiful creature on the Earth the very moment I see her.

3.  I'm ready to play with her.  Yes I know it will be awhile before she's really engaged by toys or books, but I'm so excited to spend hours trying to get her to laugh or smile.

4. I am ready to learn her personality.  Yet another thing that will take awhile to develop, but I want to know if she'll be quiet and serious or loud and crazy or anything in between. 

5.  I'm ready to not worry about what's going on in my belly!  I know this will be replaced with even greater worry that I'm doing everything right and that she's healthy, but right now I can't even see her to see how she's doing.

6.  I'm ready to not have feet in my ribs.  This rib pain is really getting to me.  I've even been woken up at night because of the pain.

7.  I'm ready to be able to sleep on my back or stomach, I really hate sleeping on my side.

8.  I'm ready for these hormones to calm down, I feel like I want to fight anyone who gets in my way or disagrees with me.  Hubby has been a trooper these past few weeks.  I feel like I spend more time whining to him or ordering him around than anything else.  I don't mean to, but pregnancy has stolen my filter!  He is amazing and hasn't snapped on me yet!  

9.  I'm ready to know the date that my life will change forever.  I hate not knowing if she's going to come today or in a week or anytime in between.

10.  I'm ready to go on maternity leave.  I am really worrying all the people in my office who think I'm going to give birth in my cubicle and that they'll have to help.  Or that they'll have to drive me to the hospital and I'll give birth in their car.  (Yes, both are sentiments that have been shared with me.)  I get comments and questions all day long, which is to be expected, if I were on the other end I'd be asking the questions too, but it is getting old.

Bottom line, I'm just so ready to be a mom and to not be pregnant anymore.

 

Round troubles.

The newest hassle I've discovered this weekend: round tables.  A round belly cannot comfortably sit at a round table without being way too far from the table.  I had to move my seat twice at restaurants this weekend!  Okay Baby Girl, you can come anytime now!!

I did so much walking this weekend that I'm shocked I haven't gotten any labor signs yet.  I know people that have mild contractions for weeks before real labor starts, not me, I haven't had a single one.  I've danced around my house, played tourist in DC with the family, and walked around the biggest mall in the area (got a little Christmas shopping done, woo hoo!)  My feet hurt (but aren't swollen so that's good) and my hips hurt, but NO labor signs.  In all fairness her due date isn't for two more days so I can't fault her too much for not coming till then.  But I have a feeling I have a stubborn little one on my hands!  

39 Week Update!

No baby yet!  I'm a little late on the 39 week update. I've been a busy pregnant lady hoping it would put me into labor, but not yet.

At 39 weeks pregnant, Baby Girl is the size of a watermelon, eeeeekkkk.  She's probably somewhere between 6 to 9 pounds and 19 to 21 inches long.

She's developing more layers of fat to help her regulate her body temperature outside of the womb.  Other than that, she's just chilling in there.  She's obviously very cramped in there, I keep trying to tell her how much more space there is out here, but I guess I haven't been so convincing yet.

Not much different is going on with me this week either.  I'm still walking, dancing, and bouncing on the exercise ball in an effort to get her to join us on the outside!  My next doctor's appointment is on Wednesday, which is also my due date.  The doctor told me that if I'm still pregnant and make it to my appointment that they will schedule an induction date for the following week.  I really don't want to be induced because I've heard it makes for a longer more painful labor, but I also don't want to be pregnant forever so we'll see!

How far along? 39 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Up 20 lbs overall

Maternity clothes?  Even maternity clothes are uncomfortable now.  I want to wear pajamas all of the time.  A few of my maternity shirts are too small now.

Stretch marks? Nope! 

Sleep:  So very tired.

Best moment this week:  Family coming into town!! :-)

Miss Anything?  Being comfortable.

Movement:  Much less this week, she's cramped.

Food cravings:  Ginger Ale.  

Anything making you queasy or sick: The same things as usual.

Belly Button in or out? Neither but it’s really looking like it wants to pop out!

Wedding rings on or off? On which I am really glad about! 

Happy or Moody most of the time: MOODY :-/

Labor signs?  Unfortunately not. 

Looking forward to:  Holding baby girl!

Nesting!

Pregnancy nesting: A powerful urge felt by pregnant women to prepare their home for baby by cleaning and decorating. 

This pregnancy symptom was one that had eluded me, until now, at 39 weeks.  Yes, I wanted to decorate and finish the nursery, but it wasn't so much a powerful urge, just something that needed to be done before Baby came, and I love decorating.  But today I did not want to go to work, not because I wanted to just stay in bed or go shopping (most common reasons I don't want to go to work) but because I want to clean my house!

The past week I have been so impatient for Baby Girl to get here.  But today my thoughts are "I can't go into labor yet, my house is a mess!"  I cannot wait to get home from work today to pick up!  I'm not about to start scrubbing things but I don't want any clutter.  I have a massive to do list growing in my head.  I'm even obsessing about the fact that I left the ironing board out this morning. 

On the plus side they do say that nesting is one of the final stages of labor so maybe the end is near and she won't hang out in there till Valentine's Day!