Hospital Stay with Aubrey

So in love already, and just a few hours old!

I have to say, we took FAR less pictures this time around in the hospital!  That being said, we got some good ones, and really I'd rather have 10 great pictures than 100 semi-decent ones.  

This was day 3...oh my we look SO exhausted!! We were!

We had some really great nurses throughout our stay, and a couple great Nursing Assistants as well. This makes SUCH a big difference!

Overall, the experience this time around was much better than with Bella in terms of pain control and recovery (which I will cover in a separate post), and I had 2 great nurses to thank for that!  

2 days old and so wide-eyed!

Oh my, can't get enough of those puckered lips! Just like she always did in the US pics!

Mimi, Pops, Tia, Uncle G and Nick & Christine Lefler all came to visit Aubrey (and us) in the hospital, and while we had a few other friends ask to visit, it was just so busy with people (OBs, pediatricians, lactation consultants, nursing assistants, nursing managers, financial people, photographer, anesthesiologists, etc etc etc!) constantly in and out of the room that we wanted to get some rest! *Ha, does rest even happen in the hospital with a newborn!?!?*

*Side note- Mimi, I need the pictures from your camera...b/c I don't have any of you guys with my phone!*

Besties, constantly dressing alike without even planning it!

Mimi made Aubrey a little bonnet just like Bella and Dani that she will be able to use as a handkerchief on her wedding day! So sweet!

 

We had the c-section on a Monday, and got discharged home Thursday afternoon.  I was definitely ready to get home by Thursday, although it wasn't like I would have raced out of there a day earlier had they given me the option.  They actually said they would normally discharge me on Friday, but if I really wanted to go Thursday, that would be fine. Umm, yes please!

Aubrey wore the same going home outfit that Isabella wore, which was the same one that I wore also! I love that we all have the same outfit to go home from the hospital in...and maybe one day if my girls have girls, they can do the same : )

And, finally we got to take her home! Yay! We were so excited to be heading home, where out already limited night-time sleep wouldn't be interrupted by nurses needing to "check on" something. But more than that, we were ready to start our life as a family of 4!

SO tiny in her little carseat!

I LOVE this picture...such tiny little baby hands clinging to her daddy!

One proud Daddy!

YAY! We're busting out of here!

Thank you Mimi for decorating the board, our front door and house for Aubrey's arrival!

 

Aubrey Lynn's Birthday!

***Warning: Super long post with a TON of pictures!***

For months and months, I had been planning on and dreaming of having a natural VBAC. I say "dreaming of" lightly because I am well aware that labor is painful, exhausting and difficult.  But, I was determined to do it naturally as both my mom and sister did, and do whatever I could to avoid a repeat c-section.  I read several books, researched it online, watched YouTube natural birth videos (some of which I wish I could un-watch!), hired a doula, and talked to as many people I knew who had done natural deliveries as I could.  I walked a ton, took my evening primrose oil, did birthing ball exercises, and followed along with birthing meditations. As prepared as one can be for an experience like that, not having gone through it before, I was!

And then came the news that we would have to have a c-section, again.  As I stated before, I was extremely disappointed, and certainly not looking forward to the month of recovery ahead.

But while it wasn't the delivery that I had been planning on or preparing for, Aubrey's birth was without complication and as much drama as last time so it made for an overall better experience.

She was healthy from the get-go, not quite as small as Bella when she was born (although Isabella was born 1.5 weeks earlier), and we were able to take her home from the hospital with us which was our primary prayer.

But before I get into taking her home, let's go over her birthday!

We headed to Northside Forsyth Hospital in Cumming, GA at 4:10 am, for a 4:30 am arrival.  Wow, was that early! We filled out the paperwork and were checked in, and then brought back to the pre-op area by a nurse (BTW, why do we even fill out all that pre-registration paperwork, b/c the admitting paperwork is identical!?!)
 . 

I got in the gown, laid on the stretcher (no bed in this hospital, because the pre-op area wasn't a room, it was more like a holding area), was hooked up to fetal monitors, and given my IV.  Aubrey looked great the entire time that she was being monitored.

And this is what Jonny does when he's waiting : )

Our C-Section start time was supposed to be 6:30 am, but the doctor was running late.  Actually, she thought that I had cancelled the c-section because of miscommunication between her and the on-call midwife over the weekend. I had called and asked to get a second opinion on whether a section was absolutely necessary on Monday, and while I expressed that I did not want to have it, and would rather monitor her daily or every other day and see if I went into labor on my own over the next week, with the recommendation of 1 other physician and 2 midwives, I agreed to keep the c-section date as is. Anyways, somehow the OB thought I cancelled, hence her still being at home when they called at 6:30 to figure out where she was!

Either way, I had an epidural placed in the pre-op area (which was different than last time b/c they did a spinal block in the OR), and then felt like I couldn't stay awake or think clearly.  

SO not a flattering picture I know, but this goes to show you what a weak sauce I am when it comes to narcotics. One dose of fentanyl through my epidural and I was toast!

 

 

 Once my OB, Dr Long arrived, it was go-time! I was still feeling super groggy and out of it, but they wheeled me into the OR, got me set up on the table and before I knew it, Aubrey Lynn was crying!!

**We had the BEST anesthesiologist ever! She was so great in taking care of me, and then offered to take pictures for Jon so he could just "enjoy watching his baby being born!" 

She came out screaming and feisty...just as I suspected based on her activity in my belly!

 She was born at 7:38 am, weighing 5 lb 13 oz, 19.5 in long.  

 

Her APGARS were 8 and 9, and the nurses took her to the warming bed to check her out. Unfortunately they didn't allow for skin to skin in the OR like I did with Bella, but the time that it took for them to close me up and wheel us both over to post-op area felt like 45 seconds. In reality it was probably 30 minutes, but it just flew by!

I felt like death in Bella's c-section. This time I was just extremely tired and couldn't keep my eyes open! They did have to put oxygen on me about halfway through b/c my sats were dipping, but probably b/c I was so sedated and not taking great breaths.

 Once I was all closed up, we were wheeled into the Post-Op area where we would spend the next 2 hours.  I was able to breastfeed within 1 hour of Aubrey being born, and she latched on right away! That girl came out ready to eat!

She was given her bath and Vitamin K (we declined the erythromycin eye gtts), and we did skin to skin for the remainder of our time there to keep her warm (she had a slight bit of temperature instability once we were out of the OR).

 

I LOVE doing skin to skin, but I told Jon to watch us closely b/c I was SO exhausted and loopy from the medications!

So happy Birthday Aubrey Lynn! In the few hours that we knew you at this point, you were already SO loved! 

Isabella 18 Month Update!

A year and a half seems like a long time until you have a kid, and then it just zips by in the blink of an eye! I can't believe how incredibly fast this last year and a half went, and how much this one little person has drastically changed our lives for the better!  

Happy 18 Months Isabella Rae!

Oh I wish I could bottle this sweet laugh!!

18 Month Highlights:

-We celebrated Dani Leigh turning 1 on your 17 Month Birthday! I love that you girls were born on the same day of the month!

Even though it was Dani's birthday, Mimi got you a present too : )

-We celebrated Thanksgiving at our house with Mimi, Pops, Tia, Uncle G and Dani. It was a fun and relaxing day staying in our jammies with good food, lots of sunshine and playing on our swingset!

-We went to the park a couple times this month because the weather was just gorgeous! You know are big enough to climb around the small park, and love going down the slide! 

-We savored the last couple of weekends as a family of 3 by staying in our jammies extra long, sneaking in morning snuggles while listening to music, and having breakfast in bed. 

-We went to the hospital on November 30th to have your baby sister, and you stayed with Mimi and Pops from Sunday night until Friday afternoon.  This meant you got to play with Dani all week. I think being around another little one was really good prep for you. 

-The biggest highlight of the month was bringing home your baby sister, Aubrey Lynn, and starting our life as a family of 4!  You weren't too sure what to think of her at first, but immediately wanted to give her head kisses. Ever since then, you ask about 50 times a day to give kisses.  When she cries, you cry, although you have gotten more and more used to this lately...and you are great at helping Mama sing when we are in the car and she is freaking out!

Sleeping: We got back on a more regular schedule which was nice this month.  You go to bed around 6:30 on most nights, and sleep about 12 hours, although we can leave you in the crib content until about 7:30 most mornings! SO nice! After Aubrey was born and we weren't sleeping, you'd sometimes go to bed a bit later (around 7), wake up a bit later, and we could leave you in the crib til about 8am. Either way, the moral of the story is you are such a content kid just relaxing in your bed.

We still are doing 2 naps most days (with the exception of some Saturdays, and every Sunday) and you seem to love your sleep. You go down around 9:30 or 10 am and sleep for about 1.5 hours, then go back down around 2 or 2:30 and sleep an hour or little bit longer. 

With bringing home Aubrey came some changes in schedule and you tended to go down slightly later for your morning nap, which meant you just had "quiet time" in the afternoon rather than truly napping, but you still were happy and content throughout the day.

Eating: You are so finicky when it comes to eating certain things; some days you love chicken or meat, and other days you want absolutely nothing to do with them and spit them out with this look of hatred for them!  Same goes for some veggies...I just never know if it's going to be a day where you will gobble up your green beans or squash, or one that I am picking them up off your bib as you spit it out!

Sure fire favorites are your oatmeal with fruit every morning, and you loved your PB sandwiches on Ezekiel bread until the last week when you started boycotting them, greek yogurt, cheese, puffs as a snack, bananas, grapes, pears, and squeezies!

Isabella Loves:

-Heartbeat Bear & Choncho stuffed animal

-Reading Books: Favorites this month are Pig-A-Boo, I Love You Through and Through, Spanish First Words, Christmas Lights, Pajama Time, Nursery Rhymes, Where is Baby's Belly Button, and Toes, Ears & Nose.

-Being outside and taking walks (although you love actually walking by yourself now more than being in the stroller)

-Eating our food!  
-Bathtime
-Going to the park, especially sliding
-Looking at the Christmas tree (she say's "Ohhhhh" every time we turn it on!)
-Listening to music and dancing
-Singing in the car (as soon as we end a song, you are signing "More, More!")
-Picking our your own shoes (and you LOVE wearing them!), and bows!  
-Dancing! Girlie you are always shaking those hips!! 

Isabella Hates:

-Being on grass or areas with leaves barefoot

-Getting her hands dirty
-Hearing Aubrey cry hard

18 Month Stats:

Weight: 23 lbs (about 20th percentile)

Height: 31.5 in (50th percentile)

Teeth: 7 total, 4 on top and now 3 on bottom

Isabella's Firsts this Month:

-You have now added the following words to your existing vocabulary (which included Mama, Dada, Baba, Uh-oh, "Ca" for car, and Hi): Ball, "Ca-kee" (coffee).

-You are consistently following 2 step commands, which doesn't cease to amaze me!

-You point to a lot more body parts now (eyes, ears, nose, fingers, hands, toes, belly button, heart) when we ask where they are. 

-You added a few more animal noises this month: duck, chick, and cat. 
 

This Month in Pictures:

You race to the fridge every time you hear us opening it!

 

Like a bull in a china shop pushing our cart at the fabric store!

 

The only picture that we took on Thanksgiving...terrible I know, but it was all we got!

You LOVED cuddling with the bump, and you always made sure to lift my shirt every time!

Park Fun!

Such a big girl climbing up and down things on your own!

First family of 4 picture...at the park! Gotta take advantage of 73 degree, sunny December days!

While you love giving kisses on your own will, you are still not sure what to think of her overall, especially when she gets close!