Something Saturdays (5/9/20)

Well hi there everyone. Sorry it's been awhile since we've really chatted. How are all of you doing with all the craziness of the world now thanks to COVID-19? Thanks to being in newborn phase it honestly wasn't a huge change of living for us first but now that life is starting to get more manageable I'm definitely missing being able to go places (and poor James just wants to go to the museum or zoo so so bad). It's also hard not being able to have the grandparents come over, they miss James and Rose and are worried she won't know them :( But we're all currently safe and healthy and functioning which is more than so many people, so we're doing ok. 

And we're settling in to life! We have our routines, Michael's been working from home since his paternity leave ended, which has been nice. James has learned to love his sister (although he could stand to be a touch gentler lol) and Rose is the light of all of our lives. And tomorrow is my 1st Mother's Day as a mama of 2! It'll be low key obviously but I'm looking forward to it. 

Recent Posts

Rose's Birth Story

Rose-2 Months!

Rose's Newborn Photos

Rose-1 Month!

Movies/TV Talk (assume there'll be spoilers)
Babies (Netflix documentary series)-I love it. It's SO fascinating and ya know...cute babies.

Instagram Lately 

Rose's Birth Story

It's taken me awhile to share it but I am so excited to talk about Rose's birth story. It is honestly so different from my first labor and birth experience (which you can read about here) and I am so happy with how it went. To the point where I couldn't sleep that first night after she was born, I was just happily reflecting on how it had all gone and I had to write up my experience. I have no regrets, it went practically perfectly. So I'm so happy to share it with all of you!

(Disclaimer-there's legit labor and birthing talk here. If you're uncomfortable with that kind of stuff I'd probably skip this lol). 

For about a week or so before I went into labor I'd been feeling like it was going to happen any minute (we'd been pretty sure most of my pregnancy that I'd go a little early). I was starting to feel more and more uncomfortable and at an appointment with my midwife a couple weeks prior I'd been told I was already a couple inches dilated and 80% effaced. So every day that came and went with no labor was starting to be frustrating, just waiting around wondering when it would start.

Then I woke up Thursday, February 20, 2020 and while I was getting James breakfast I started noticing that I may be having some mild contractions. I, luckily, had an appointment that Michael and James were coming to so I figured I'd find out more information when we were there. At the appointment I had borderline high blood pressure and this was the 2nd week in a row so when my midwife came in she said they would have to induce me. But, after she checked me, she said I was already in active labor (4-5 cm dilated and 90% effaced) so she just approved them to break my waters and told us we could go home, get everything sorted out, then head to the hospital. So we went home, called Michael's mom to come stay with James, and got everything together (while also giving our sweet boy lots of kisses and I tried not to cry about the fact that these were our last moments with him as an only child).

We got to the hospital around 11am, checked in, and got put into our birthing room (I requested one of the ones with birthing tubs and oh my lord it was epic-ly large). We met out nurse, Lauren, who was so sweet and right from the get-go so conscientious about checking in with me about my preferences and needs and just really supportive in general. She also added some mood lighting to my tub and picked pink because we were having a girl-which we found super adorable and hilarious. My blood pressure was good, my contractions were there but not bad AT ALL (like period cramps). We met with my midwife that was on call that day, whom I hadn't met before. Her name was Laura and she was absolutely incredible. She sat and chatted with us for awhile and got to know us and our situation. She was totally cool with my request to avoid breaking my water and said she'd just wait until my next dose of penicillin (Group B Strep, super fun) to check me and then worse case scenario maybe she'd just strip my membranes if I needed it. She also totally encouraged me snacking on the sly (hospital policy=no eating during labor but I brought snacks to eat secretly and she actually lightly suggested it and I was like "I brought stuff!" Ha! Considering I couldn't even drink water when in labor with James it was so different).

So yeah...then Michael and I watched a little Netflix on his phone, chatted with some people, and I felt weirdly ok for the next few hours. Around 5ish Laura came in and checked me and I was pretty much the same as I'd been at my appointment that morning so she stripped my membranes (she said they were paper thin) and Michael and I went for a little walk around the hallways. Around 5:30pm my water broke in the hallway and things got real. Contractions got much worse. After about an hour I asked if Laura would come check me again to see if I'd progressed enough for me to try laboring in the tub and I was 7-8cm so they started filling that puppy up. The tub felt so great but oh man the contractions hurt (still so much better than back labor-what I had with James-but intense in a different way since I was in transition which was the part I'd had an epidural during with him so it was all just very different and definitely not fun). One thing that was the same as my last labor was my need for poor Michael to provide counter pressure on my back. He was the best. And Laura stayed there and supported me the entire time, she spoke soothingly to me and reminded me all those contractions were moving Rose down, and to just push whenever I felt like I needed to. When I felt the need to push they started getting prepared but then it became clear I wasn't leaving the water (there was no way I was going to be able to climb out of there and I had no desire to leave the delightful water). I had some primal yells come out of me that frankly I never expected and it was all super intense but at the same time I had some nice breaks between the contractions. After a couple pushes Rose's head was like halfway out but then I just had a long rest with no contractions. It was actually nice but super weird to just have her head halfway out. Everyone kept talking about how much hair she had and I could feel it and see it floating in the water (!!!) Then, after a few more pushes, her head was out. I had some trouble with the rest of her so they had me stand and put a foot on a seat of the tub and then one good push and I saw her come out, looking around wildly(so technically she was fully born just over the water, not in it). I immediately recognized she had Michael's eyes. Pushing took about 20-30 minutes and Rose Selene was born at 7:59pm. They placed her on me and she and I just cuddled in the water for awhile (she was screaming pretty intensely the entire time...in retrospect I suspect she was chilly) before they eventually cut the cord and we moved to the bed for all the afterbirth, etc.  And I got to nurse and stare at my brand new baby girl.

She weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. and was 19.5 inches long-frankly much more of a chunk than I anticipated! A head full of hair that is still the 1st thing everyone comments on (followed by her cheeks, and then how much she resembles her brother). She took to breastfeeding brilliantly and is the perfect addition to our family. We all absolutely adore her.

This birth experience was amazing. I felt heard and supported and empowered and everyone kept saying how amazing it was to watch.  I’m so grateful for how different it was than how it went last time and how fantastic every single person was. Michael was applying counter pressure to my back the whole time, the nurses I had were so incredibly sweet, and there aren’t words for what a positive force Laura was for me in this labor. And I did it...I got to have an entirely natural labor where almost everything went the way I wanted and hoped. I’m so happy and so relieved and it really was redemptive.

And our hearts are so full. ❤️

Rose-2 Months!

Date: April 20, 2020

Height: 23 inches (as of her appointment today)

Weight: 12 lbs. 14 oz. (^as of today)

Sleeping Pattern: We've gotten on a good schedule (eats every 2-3 hours and is awake for about 50 minutes before naps) and the little lady has started giving me some super good night sleep! The night of her 2 month birthday she slept 9 hours (8pm-5am) and it was glorious. I usually just sing to her while I get her in her sleepsack, then we just sit until she starts to doze off and then I put her in her crib. Naps are hit or miss, she frequently wakes up and needs soothed and put back down, but then for bedtime (which I nurse before putting her down) she sleeps really well. I'll get into more specifics in the schedule, but overall she's a good little sleeper.

Eating Habits: Still a really good eater! During the day she eats every 2-3 hours still. She enjoys eating but isn't nearly as intense about it as James, haha. She's taken 3 bottles so far and has done well with those too (and doesn't even care if I'm near her so that's good).

Development & Firsts: As mentioned above, Rose had her first bottle. She's also rolled over from her front to her back 5 times so far (WHAT?) and frequently scoots herself forward during tummy time too. She is crazy strong. Really holds herself up well, and she's so alert and attentive now. First walk in the stroller (going outside helps combat going stir crazy during this quarantine business). First Easter (very low key, due to aforementioned quarantine). She is starting to show interest in toys, she loves the things that hang above the activity gym. And...I don't know she mostly just chills and smiles at us when we look at her. Not much going on developmentally to report on-oh except that she may have started teething? She's gotten quite drooly and gets fussy sometimes and chews on her hand or your finger like craaazy. Which-ugh. SO early.

Mischief: Still not big on the mischief, aside from getting her little hand out of her sleepsack to suck on lol. Or getting her hands in the way when nursing.

Cuteness: SHE IS SO CUTE. Her tiny button nose and pretty little lips. Her big old chubby cheeks (which might have a dimple in the right one but they're so chubby it's super faint lol). Her big pretty eyes of a yet to be determined color. ALL OF HER HAIR! Her chunky baby thighs and belly and delicate little fingers and toes. *sigh* She's also ticklish and is so close to laughing. I can feel it. She'll do what we call a "proto-laugh" which for her sounds like a little hiccup (James' sounded like a loud inhale lol). Rose is just so sweet and happy, honestly. She is rarely cranky and even when she is she is obviously trying her best to be calm. She's such a good sport while that crazy brother of her gets all in her face and climbs all over her she just stares at him and somehow still lights up when she sees him and gives him smiles. There is nothing like the feeling when she locks eyes on you and immediately bursts into so many HAPPY happy sweet grins. Her eyes immediately crinkle and a giant smile takes over her face-sometimes her little shoulders and hands will even come up for maximum glee. It's irresistibly adorable. And then she starts talking and cooing, especially if you give her kisses, which makes the cute smiles somehow even cuter. She's started doing this thing where I'll hold her by my head and she just starts aggressively giving me kisses and grinning and loudly exclaiming between kisses (I translate that she's saying "more! more!" when she goes "GAH! GAHHHHH!") Somehow this baby also likes tummy time (I mean...until she gets fed up about how long it's been since she was held/cuddled/kissed). She'll just sit there, pushing herself up, looking around, totally content and then she'll straight up smile! I'm so pleasantly surprised (James despised tummy time). When she's on her back on the gym she gets so excited to see the elephant and lion that hang above her and she gets very playful as she swats at them and swings her head around with a smirking open mouth. She still acts like "Oh what a treat!" when she gets to eat and has recently decided she quite likes being naked so is now pretty darn pleased about diaper changes. I also think she enjoys it when I dress her up in outfits (which she usually wears for like 5 minutes so I can take pictures and then she's back in a sleeper *sigh*) because she'll just smile and act so excited as I put the clothes on her-and she never does that for sleepers. I'm pretty stoked about it. She's so pure and wonderful and made of cute.

Nicknames: Rosie, Cozy Rosie, Rosie Posy, Baby Rose, Baby girl, Lady, Ladybug, Fuzzy Head, Chunk/Chunk-a-munk, "Little Chub/Chubby" (James calls her that), Sweetling, Sweetie-girl, Cutie-girl, Honey girl, Honey bun, Little miss, Missy, Ma'am, Sweetness, Love, combinations of all of the above...

Talking: She's a little baby chatterbox already. Rose loves to just stare at you and smile and coo, especially if you kiss her. It's like *kiss* "Goooo" *kiss* "Ah goo gahhhh" *kiss* "Ooooohahhhhh *gurgle*"

Favorites: Mommy, daddy, and big brother. Smiling and being smiled at/attention in general. Kisses! Being held and snuggled. Eating. Sleeping. Tummy time and the activity gym. Flowers, particularly the painting of them above the couch. Being dressed up (seriously, she smiles as I'm putting outfits on her...it's so weird and cute.)

Dislikes:  Being left alone or away from mommy for too long and coldness. Being overly sleepy. And...that's like it.

Concerns: Just worrying that she may be teething and then the COVID-19 general worry but I feel like that's unlikely so....yeah mostly not much to be concerned about!

A Day in the Life: Rose usually wakes up around 6:30, give or take a half hour. Depending on the time, I may go get James before nursing Rose, or I'll wait until after. We play for a tiny bit, change her diaper and then she has a nap after about 45-50 minutes of being awake. The morning nap is usually the longest one and she typically sleeps until about 9:30-10am. Feed her, play, diaper change, down for nap. Then she wakes between 12 and 12:30 (generally right after I've put James down for his nap) feed, play (without crazy brother distracting me!), diaper change, down for nap again. Then wake up around 2:30, I get James from his nap, feed Rose, play, diaper change, nap again. Wake and eat at 4:30 then play, diaper change, and one more nap. Around 6:30 she's up and eating then we play until about 7:30ish (James is in the midst of his bedtime routine at this point) and it's Rose's bedtime. I nurse her to sleep and then lay her down in her crib (usually falls asleep around 8ish). Since she's currently sleeping in the cradle in our room at night time and Michael stays up later than I do, he'll bring her to our room either if she wakes up or when he's going to bed and then I feed her whenever she wakes up in the night.