Just REdiscovered Arie's Birth Story.....

I would probably write this soooooooooooo differently now, but here is the birth story I wrote back when I had Arie almost three years ago!! So funny to think of her as a newborn now, let alone her BIRTH!!!!

Birth details


Type of delivery: Vaginal (with pain relief)

Duration of labor: 36+ hours

Weight @ birth: 8 pounds 3 ounces

Length @ birth: 19 3/4 inches

Arrie Rikku Glass`s Birthstory

My water broke sometime before 12:30 AM on November 23 (I woke up soaked in it thinking I had wet myself!!). I wanted to labor as much as possible naturally, so I took a quick shower and stayed home in bed until my contractions picked up enough that I was feeling them every 3-5 minutes. We got ready and ate breakfast and headed out to the hospital at about 6AM. When we got to the hospital, I was confined to the bed because the baby was not in the birth canal yet and with my water being broken, there is a higher risk for the cord to wrap around her neck. After about 8 hours of irregular, but strong contractions, my doctor (and yes-we were lucky enough to have our doctor who we love deliver us!!) decided to put me on pitocin and increase it steadily to try and help me get into active labor. I had wanted to do a natural childbirth, but at the 17 hour mark, I was having contractions one on top of another at a very high strength without any progress due to the pitocin (I came into the hospital at 2 cm dilated and at the 17 hour mark, I was only a little more than 3 cm dilated!!). At 20 hours I opted for an epidural as the contractions were strong enough and close enough together to cause me to vomit continuously. I feel asleep for about two hours after the epidural kicked in and when I was checked out at the 24 hour mark I had progressed to 7cm!! It was my first real progress throughout the labor. However, to get me to the 7cm my doctor had to put me on double the maximum amount of pitocin usually administered and when I was checked at the 30 hour mark and found to be at 9 cm, my first epidural wore off. Because of the increased amount of pitocin, contractions were over double their normal strength and "coupled" which meant that there was no rest time between the contractions. I vomited again continuously while waiting 40 minutes for the doc to come in with my second round of epidural. Again, after getting the epidural administered, I fell asleep for about two hours. When my doctor next came to check on me it was about 10:30 AM on November 24. She asked me if I was ready to push, but I told her I was too tired and she convinced me to try anyway. I pushed for just over 17 minutes and gave birth to my perfect little girl!! She weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces and had a full head of hair on her way out. I was torn, but only slightly and at that point, I could care less. I held and nursed my baby and then fell asleep while they made sure she was okay (it is unusual to have your water broken for over 30 hours and not get an infection but we were lucky!). Even with the difficult birth, I would do it all again after meeting Arie-not anytime soon, but man she makes it worth all the pain!!!!

 

My Sweet Garry :)

I have been a terrible blogger.....maybe a year of just little ones after work and no school will make me (slightly) better?? I doubt it, but one can dream!! :)

I wanted to report (almost a MONTH LATE!! I know....I should just throw the towel in now!!) that Caleb and Sarah had their beautiful baby boy!!!! Ryvers Calloway West.....weighing in at a healthy 8 pounds 4 ounces and 22 inches long!! Nice big boy just the way we like 'em!!

Now I do have to admit that were you to have been in the room with Sarah during delivery you would not only be AMAZED by how she did for a first time mom, but also become quite convinced that natural labor is not only possible but peaceful and controlled. She was like a video advertisement for natural labor. MY "natural" labor with Idina was NOTHING like this and I cried and complained the whole time!! Were I to have made it through naturally with Keats, I can ASSURE you that I would have done the same again!! But Sarah was so quiet, so controlled. With each contraction, she moaned a little or "talked" a little, but was so peaceful and calm, you would have thought it was her eighth time around!!

I was so blessed to have been in the room with her for even the few short hours I was. It was such an amazing part of life to be involved with, I truly could not love her or her baby boy any more if I tried!! Watching everyone in the room just silently put their hands on her with each contraction honestly made my eyes water. Even in getting to edit her labor pictures later, I only felt more connection to my beautiful, strong sister and her handsome new man. I wish I could share those pictures with you, but they are forever a private reminder to our family of Ryvers's amazing birth!!

Seriously, ladies, if you are thinking about a natural birth and are having any doubts, please contact her!! She will set your minds at ease. Granted-a natural birth is not for everyone and for some of us (myself included) despite our best efforts, a natural birth is just not in the cards. However, I can say after witnessing my little Garry's entrance into the world that it can be a calm, beautiful, bonding experience that you will remember for the rest of your life!!

I am so proud of my sister in getting to deliver exactly the way she had hoped for and so very much in love with both her, her amazing husband (who could not have been more perfect throughout the birthing process) and her newest hunk!! I cannot wait for more Westies to love and watch grow in the coming years!!

Decisions Decisions

So....I am wavering back and forth (have been for the past 5 weeks since it was mentioned) about getting induced or not on August 31....That is 5 days before my due date and actually later than I had either of the girls. I just can't decide what to do. This has been such a difficult pregnancy for me both physically and emotionally and the past 5 days I am running on about 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours of sleep a night between bathroom breaks, uncomfortably of a huge belly, a teething infant and a restless toddler. I am starting to wonder how I am going to make it another 7 weeks, not to mention the insane number of Rx's they have me on, not being able to eat (I haven't even gained an ounce in over 4 weeks....and that was after losing almost 8 pounds....I'm starting to get nervous he's stopped growing!! But he feels bigger??), throwing up constantly either from M/S or contractions and just a general feeling of longing to be "normal" again.

It's a hard decision to make for a number of reasons, not the least being that people have VERY strong opinions of "natural" versus "non-natural" that they are only too willing to express even without provocation and I'll be having this baby side-by-side with Noah's two sisters, both of whom I'm sure will have huge, perfect babies medication free.....

Noah REALLY wants me to get the induction. We are both in LOVE with our OB, she is absolutely amazing and was soooooooooooo incredible for Arie's birth. She supports all decisions I make and is a very cautious practitioner. She just puts me at ease like very few people have this time around. She would not do the induction unless I was effaced/dilated, there was an amnio done for his lungs/growth scan done for his size (if that was a concern) and my Bishop score was incredible. It would just be such a comfort to know she would be there and I could wear my own clothes and walk around with my water broken and not need an IV and just everything else.....Plus Kara would be able to come down and be in the room when I had him which would be so so amazing.

So....here I am asking for opinions (good or bad, for or against). I am weighing my options currently.

Thus far here is my pro's/con's list as I see it (I know others might have things to add to either side).

Pro's

1. My family would be able to plan more accordingly for the birth and not have to waste tons of money flying down so would possibly be able to stay longer
2. Kara would be able to be in the delivery room with us as Keats arrived
3. Child care would be easier to figure out
4. Dr. Walker would 100% be there to support me in my delivery
5. I would be able to have all of the comforts I want for birth, my own clothes, no IV unless needed, walking around even after my water is broken, choice of birthing positions (including squatting if wanted), I get to cut the cord, Noah or I could catch the baby if we want, etc
6. Dr. Walker knows all of the "issues" we've had leading into this pregnancy (and there have been a lot) so I wouldn't have to be describing all of my worries (not feeling Keats move, etc) to a dr I've never met
7. I have already been induced twice so I know what to expect and trust Dr. Walker enough not to fear c-section with her
8. If I go into labor earlier than the planned induction, at least my last few weeks will be less stressful
9. I can plan for my job more accordingly (in terms of when paychecks will stop, when they will start, and figuring out lesson plans to match CC guides)
10. I will be able to plan better for KTIP (yuck....when will school be done??)
11. This is Noah's PREFERENCE
12. I will be more at ease
13. I will have an actual end in sight.....seirously....I truly feel like I have been pregnant FOREVER.....I know that is selfish, but unless you have been pregnant as frequently as me, please try not to judge too harshly :/

Con's

1. It would make using a doula pretty much out of the question. I have gone back and forth on this. I LOOOOOOVE Lorna (the woman we are planning on using) but I will have only met her twice by the delivery and that makes me feel kind of exposed. Plus, I would really rather have my sisters there (Kara and Ashley) than someone I don't really know, but Noah would really REALLY like to have a doula there.....so while I am torn on this one, it is going in to con's list for me because Noah is my support and I want him to feel supported in this process.
2. Induction does increase the risk of c-section, although again, this is a torn con because I've had two inductions (and Arie's induction really shouldn't have worked considering I was not effaced at all and barely 1 cm dilated when my water broke!!) and both went fine....but still it's a risk and I'm scared to death of surgery....never had one before-really don't want to start with a major one
3. I'm afraid of the pain it causes when you have to get pitocin (although Dr. Walker said that would be her last resort, she thinks stripping my membranes will be enough to get labor going as that is what started Arie's labor)
4. As lame as it is, I don't want to have to deal with the judgements and people's opinions
5. I get nervous that I will blame myself forever if something goes wrong

okay............so even if no one responds, at least I'm starting to think it through!! We have a growth scan at 34 weeks and a BPP that day as well, so I think depending on those results, I will begin my discussion with Dr. Walker. She feels safer being there just with all of my issues, but we'll have to wait and see what my heart says in the long run......Thanks for listening to my rambling....What a way to come back after like a month of not posting!! :) Sorry about that!! Keats, at least you will know you were loved and thought about STRONGLY long before you arrived!!

Hi Ho Hi Ho....It's Off To Work We Go

Back to work today for summer school session. I honestly cannot complain. I just got a week off PAID and now I am back to work for only 5 hour days and will be getting paid my hourly rate for that on top of my summer pay. It will definitely be helpful with Noah not getting paid this summer (funny how that worked out JCPS....) and me needing hours to "qualify" for maternity leave, not to mention needing to save for maternity leave!! Yikes....well, thinking about it in those terms I am very grateful to be back to work!!

I do NOT like that Donna will not be here with me this summer, but oh well, I'm sure I'll be able to manage on my own :) and I do NOT like that I will have to miss out on Arie and Idina and Bude fun!! It has been an amazing time just being a family-no school, no work, no doctor's appointments. I am going to miss that calmness. I think this will definitely help the time before Keats pass by more quickly though. I have 82 days left as of today (that is if I make it to my due date) and 92 days left if I make it to the date I would like to give birth on!!

I am really feeling just huge and swollen and gross this pregnancy which makes wanting to do anything or even get dressed some days hard, but I know that this will all be over soon. How nice it will be to FINALLY be able to be a normal person again!! I feel like since I moved to Kentucky I have just been growing or giving birth!! Almost 4 years now.....geeze....I am soooooooo in longing of a run right now too. In fact, I might try to run tonight when I get home if I have the energy. I probably won't, we all know that, but I might try. Just for my emotional stability!! I also got this DVD with Jillian what-ever-her-name is from the Biggest Loser and I reallllllly need to start doing that more regularly because it KICKS MY BUTT!! Even Noah thought it was challenging (not nearly as much as I did) so we know it is not just my out of shape preggo body that can't handle it!!!!

Okay........it has been so long since I posted, I don't even know where to catch up and I really have to finish my lunch break and get back to getting ready for these kids tomorrow.....so I'll leave off with a few things Arie has said these past few months (how terrible am I that I have TWO blogs and haven't written in them in months??!!) that I want to be able to remember for her later in life!!

Arie (while praying before going to bed): Dear God, Thank you for Baby Keats in Mama's belly and Baby Ryver's in Sarah's belly and Baby Happy in my belly and the Baby With a Houche in Ali's belly....Thank you for Mama and Papa and Idina....Thank you for Sarah and Beard and Asa and Ashley and Ali and David and Austin and Lily.....Thank you for Nana and Kara and Pedro and the motorcycles....Thank you for GiGi and Grandpa Bobby.....Thank you for Sadie and Fiona and Connick....Thank you for me when I am funny and I make people laugh.....Ummmmm Thank you for Mama and Papa......And thank you for me when I am funny. Amen.

I pulled out a pair of purple shoes my mom had sent down for Arie (with a ton of other stuff) and when Arie saw them her response was: OHHHHHHH Thank you Mama!! (hugging me and patting my back) Thank you SO MUCH!! I love my purple shoes!! My Nana sent these to me. Oh thank you Mama, I am so pretty like Belle now!!

Arie (every time she gets in trouble lately): I not be bad. I am good, you do know that.

(Loud crashing noise in our bedroom coming from my side of the bed) Me: Arie, what are you doing?
Arie (poking her head around the end of my bed): Nothing....just breaking stuff.
Me: Well, please stop breaking stuff and come out here.
Arie: Okay Mama!!

There are so many more, but that's all I can document today. On the Idina front, she is just becoming a CHILD. It is so weird. She will be 1 in just 8 1/2 weeks!! Yikes!! She is literally the sweetest, calmest child ever but I love love love that she still has that spunky, fun spirit that Arie has. It is kind of a perfect match. Where Arie is stubborn and willful and argumentative (Sorry for imparting that on you baby girl!!), Idina has more of Noah's laid-back, go with the flow personality while retaining Arie and Noah's love for laughter and jokes and general merriment. I have never met a 10 month old that has as many inside jokes as this little goober does!! She truly is just such a blessing to us. We have decided (to avoid all that middle child syndrome stuff) that Arie will be our first born, Keats will be our first boy and Idina will be our baby!! :) Neither of us can imagine if she started to feel neglected because of Keats's arrival. The nice thing about her personality is I doubt she truly would, she just loves being a part of anything and doesn't require a ton of attention personally, but still-she is just too amazing and perfect to even risk that.

So weird we will have a little boy here sometime in the next few months!! I am overwhelmed and not nearly prepared but so very excited to meet him!! Alright....back to the daily gruel.......

PS-I have been crafting A LOT this past week out of work so I will post on my Dirty Diaper Distractions soon!!!! If anyone is interested-lots of baby stuff being made :)

Blue Night....

Rough day and night today....Rough couple of days honestly. It's annoying. I hate complaining, but Noah always gets frustrated with me because I'll go through this whole thing where I'm not gonna complain, I'm not gonna complain, I'm not gonna complain.....and then I break. Tonight is one of those breaking points.



I know there are a lot of factors. The girls haven't been sleeping through the night. Really haven't been sleeping at night at all. About 4 hours total since Sunday night.... For the next 4 weeks I have at least 30 pages due per week for different assignments plus my weekly observed lesson plans which always average about 15 pages and at least 10 hours of planning in addition to the pure anxiety that comes from being observed by a woman who has literally told me she doesn't think I should graduate because of where I work.... My mom left on Monday and I miss her so so much!! As well as my sister and my friends. I really wish I could make it home more than once a year. I hate that Obs and Miss Leigh and Heaton and Dee and Jack don't even really know my kids.... Noah and I got into a fight last night and although it was not even nearly a bad fight, I think that was truly it for me. I just feel so drained and lonely and overwhelmed. I want to give up. I wish quiting school and my job and life for a week was an option!!

It just feels tonight like it's been one thing after another for months and months....since September really. First I had that terrible infection with the IUD that was painful and miserable and emotional, and then getting that removed which led to even more pain and emotional feelings, then my Nana passing away, then the miscarriage, then Christmas which I always just barely suffer through thinking about Dad and Lee, then this pregnancy (which I'm not complaining about-I am so grateful now, but at the time, I just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. I mean, Idina was 4 months. My body even now hasn't even begun to heal completely....), then everything with the bleeding with this pregnancy which now I know is okay for the baby but still ever since I started bleeding I just feel SO drained. Not like preggo exhausted but like sick and malnurished, just drained. Plus it is miserable and old-ladyish to have to wear a HUGE pad everyday. And be 20 pounds overweight knowing I am about to gain and additional 30-40......

I really am just at a point tonight where I want to give up on all friendships, school, work, just everything. BUUUUUUUUUUUT I know in my rational mind that this is all a result of sleep deprivation and school-driven anxiety.....still that doesn't help my heart feel any more healed or full, it just lays there in my chest feeling heavy and lonely and sad and this is the number ONE reason why I HATE being pregnant ALL THE TIME!!!! I HATE NOT BEING ABLE TO TELL MY HEART WHAT TO FEEL!! When I know it's not true, I like being able to move on, not dwell on things...........

And truly I know I am beyond blessed. I have two beautiful girls, a wonderful, fun, handsome husband, best friends within my family (both natural and married), a job that I adore, pets that make my heart happy, an added blessing in my belly from God that I never thought I'd experience. I know there is so much to be grateful for.....which makes nights like tonight were I feel completely alone and sad such an annoyance to me.

Anyway, it has been over a month since I have last posted (for mainly the reasons listed above) and there was a funny story I wanted to share from today. I picked Arie up from Angie's house this afternoon after work (Karen was sick so we had to find a stand-in and Angie is always so willing!!) and she was just STARVING!! It was almost 4 and I knew Noah wouldn't be home for close to 2 hours and it was a 20 minute drive home and I knew Idina would need to eat when we got there and the pets would need to be fed and put out, etc. so I asked Arie if she wanted a cheeseburger. OF COURSE her answer was YES!!!!

We stopped in at Wendy's and got her a cheeseburger on the way home. Arie always pulls the buns off her burger and eats just the cheese and burger. And today she pointed at her burger and said "It's chicken!!" And I replied, "No sweet heart, that's not chicken, that's hamburger."
ARIE: (pointing again) It's chicken!!!!
ME: No sweet pea, that's cow.
(silence in the backseat for about 3 seconds)
ARIE: (quietly) ....It's....chicken??
ME: No, it's coooow.
(silence again, this time long enough that I look back at her through the rear view mirror. Her bottom lip is pouted out and her eyes are watering as she looks at the cheeseburger.)
ARIE: My cheese burger is a cow??
ME: (quietly, realizing I had made a mistake) Yes....
ARIE: Like a moooo cow??
ME: Yes....

Arie just played with her burger the rest of the way home and didn't eat anymore....I think I may have made our daughter a vegetarian today!! :/

spring time give-away :)

i know i need to actually do a legit post here as i haven't been on in over a month, but to give a quick heads up, my friend is doing a spring time give-away that is to die for!! :) if you have a little girl or are anticipating the birth of one, check out her give away at

http://storyofourlives7.blogspot.com/2010/02/spring-is-in-air-giveaway.html

trust me-it's worth the 2 seconds it takes to check it out!!!! good luck!! (Although i hope to win!!)

For my girls....

i wrote this originally as a ventfest for all of the things i have been feeling this past week and month. honestly, i am in a dark, sad place currently and i need to snap out of it. but in writing it, i realized, i have very little to be sad or overwhelmed by. i am SO BLESSED to have the husband and best friend that i do in noah and as lonely and homesick as i often feel here, i am absolutely in LOVE with my family.....so i deleted all of that complaining crap. i hate complainers anyway (i generally avoid it at all costs) and decided to just write to my baby girls instead. much more therapeutic, i feel and i don't have to be annoyed with myself for complaining this way!! :)

anyway, i started this whole thing as a memory keeper for arie (and now idina) and keep it all journaled for them off the computer as well so just as a quick note to my girls. no matter how much i complain and how many times i wish this all would have happened just a little later, please know i love you both SO MUCH. i would not trade in one sleepless night, one empty bank account, one week of fevers and vomit for a trip with your papa, a night out with friends or a homework assignment completed with tears. you are both truly the most wonderful gifts i could ever have asked for. arie-we joke often that you are the best thing we never could have wanted, and truly chica you are. you are the funniest, sweetest little girl. i know this is your papa in you, but you go back and forth from SCREAMING at the top of your lungs with joy to sitting in my lap with your head on my should for almost an hour, not because you are tired or sick but because you know how to love me. someone described you at church (i don't know the person's name) as being magnetic and that was the first time anyone had ever described you in a way that TRULY fit your personality. people have called you personable, and charismatic, and friendly, and sweet but magnetic is the most accurate description of you. people are just drawn to you, whether they know you or not. i thought for sure when we passed the infant stage people would no longer stop us in the grocery store to comment on your beauty or your smile or ask for a kiss. but they still do. you were SO unexpected and unplanned, i truly feel like God gave you that personality to bless us. you were the easiest thing in my life to love. iddy-you are the happiest, kindest creature ever created. truly!! i joke often to people that you're like that because i was on zoloft for postpartum and you got it through the milk, but that is not why. you just have this calm, kind nature. you are so eager to smile and laugh. i can play games with you that i have never been able to play with a baby your age. you already "talk" to us in intonations we almost feel we can understand. you LOVE your big sister and your papa SO MUCH and you love animals. you will giggle whenever sadie or fiona or connick come near. you are a lover and a cuddler and we've only known you for 5 months. i cannot imagine what more we will learn about you in the months and years to come. you two are the most amazing blessings i could ever have asked for. thank you for all of the memories so far and for the many more yet to be made.

i love you both with all of my heart.