One Week Old!

I woke up today and could not breathe! MAJOR SINUS INFECTION! I had to go to the ENT and get on steroids. I can’t feed Grayson for 4 hours after taking them. So, I have to feed him, pump, take the pills, and give him the expressed milk in between. I hope these steroids help! I’m so tired though. Grayson is 1 week old today!!!!! I’m off the pain pills too! But, I am able to get out of bed on my own. Yay me! I lost 13 pounds so far.

Day Six

Today, we had Grayson’s first ped check up. He has gained back 4.5 oz since we left the hospital. He’s only has 3 oz to go to be back up to birth weight. We go back on Thursday for another checkup. He is still eating well. I was able to feed him without the nipple shells today! Maybe I won’t have to wear them! I’m so engorged!!!! It hurts! I had my first nurse in public today. It was so easy with the hooter hider! Chris took me to the mall and I got some nursing bras WITH SUPPORT and some nursing tops. Big accomplishment for me: I shaved my own legs today! Woo Hoo!

Day five

I am feeling a little better. I wish I could do more on my own, but it will come with time. I still feel very lumpy! I can’t wait to see how much weight I am left with. Still on pain meds, but Grayson is eating like a champ! He is going in 2-3 hour increments. He is starting to cluster feed though, which scares me. My friend did that and ended up with a breast infection from her body making too much milk thinking she was nursing triplets. So, we introduced the pacifier tonight! He did much better with feedings! He just wanted to suck, that’s all. I’m getting around and moving OK. Still need help getting out of bed and showering the bottom half of me though.

Day four

Still sore! I am really swollen too. My ankles are so puffy and my toes look like sausages! My older kids come home today! I miss them so much! Chris has been taking care of the house and doing wonderful! I am so lucky to have him.

Day Three

Today, we get to go home! Yay! Grayson lost 8 oz at the hospital, but he is not jaundiced at all! We have our first checkup on Thursday. My milk came in today!

Day two

Walked the halls today. It feels better to sit in the chair. I am so tired, but I don’t want to climb in bed and take a nap, or I may not get out of bed! Grayson is still eating well. He spent the night in the nursery and only came in for feedings. They were monitoring his blood sugar levels closely, and requested that he stay in the nursery with them. I need some sleep anyways. We had to supplement 1 oz of formula after a feeding, but other than that, he is doing great!

The Diagnosis

The hospital pediatrician came in today to visit with me. My Dad was there with me because Chris had to take the kids to a birthday party. She told me that she thinks Grayson has Craniosynostosis. Say what? I've never heard of that. When she described to me what it was, I explained to her that his head was shaped like that because of the way he was trying to come out of my pelvis the day before. She said "I hope I'm wrong, but please go get a 2nd opinion". She told me the only way to correct it was to have surgery. A very invasive surgery. She explained to me how the surgery will happen and what it will correct. She said they will probably want to do it between months 4-6 of his life. So, I am thinking between Halloween and Christmas. But, I am going to get a 2nd opinion. She refers me to someone at Texas Childrens Hospital. I asked her about the helmets that little kids can wear. Could that correct it since it's a mis shapen head? She tells me that the helmets are for children who's head is still soft, and not fused like Grayson's. I plan to go home and google some information about it and see what I can find out.

Grayson's first full day of life

Saturday, June 21,2008 ~Day one~

I can’t believe how it all ended. I’m sore! Grayson is beautiful! I’m drugged up on pain meds! I can’t do anything by myself. Chris has to help me do everything! I can’t get out of bed, can’t wipe, can’t take a shower….I feel totally handicapped. Grayson is latching on good though. I am using breast shells to help draw out the nipple. Can’t wait for the milk to come in.

BIRTH DAY! Grayson Alexander has arrived

Woke up at 3:30am, had some crampiness, thought I had to poop. Had one little piece come out. Cramps subsided, went back to bed.

5:45am- woke up again, cramping, and thought I had to poop again. I had another tiny piece come out, and when I wiped there was blood on the TP. I called for Chris to come in and as I was talking to him trying to figure out why I was bleeding, we noticed that I was having contractions about 4 minutes apart. Painful contractions, that hurt and I couldn’t talk through. We called the Dr and he said to come on in.

7:00am- We arrived at the hospital to be checked and monitored. I was still contracting every 3-4 minutes. They cheked me and I was dilated to 4cm.

7:45am- We were admitted to the hospital and checked into our room. My nurse was rude, and blew my vein on my left hand. I told her my right hand was better, but she didn’t listen to me. Stupid Bitch! (luckily she had somewhere else to be, so I got a new nurse...a very nice nurse)

8:40am- Checked me and I was dilated to 6cm with a bulging bag of water. I am extremely happy because I am doing it this fast on my own! I ordered my epidural. I hoped they got there in time. I'm pretty miserable!


8:50am- Got my epidural, and now, I am feeling great!!!!


9:45am- they came and put in my catheter. I couldn’t feel a thing, but it burns when I feel like I have to pee.

11:00am- Dr Norton came in and broke my water. I was still at 6cm, but contracting regularly. I thought maybe my epidural was going to stall labor, but it didn’t. YAY me!

11:30am- Nurse checked me again and I was 7cm now. I’m making progress again! Yay me!

NOON- I am at 9cm and feeling the urge to push. Lots of pressure in my bottom.

12:10pm- I had my nurse to check me again, because I felt even more pressure. I’m still at 9cm with a little bit of anterior lip left.

12:40pm- still no change. Lots of pressure in my bottom, and my body won’t dilate the rest of the way. I talked to my nurse about pitocin. I don’t want it, but if it helps me get through that last centimeter, I will take it. I feel like I’m ready to push, but I can’t push yet.

2:00pm- Dr Norton came running in along with 3 nurses. Grayson’s heartbeat was down to 50, then back to 200, then down to 50, then back to 180. What is happeneing? My BP was 81/45….really low! We think he is stuck for some reason, but not sure why. Maybe a cord wrapped around his neck? They checked me and I was still 9cm with the lip left. They start flipping me side to side in hopes of helping him to descend. (flipping is VERY hard to do when you are numb from the waist down!)Dr Norton mentions a C-Section. I feel OK with it, if it means he will be here and be OK, but it's definitely not something I am eager about or even wanting to think about.

2:20pm- My anesthesiologist came in and topped off my epidural and gave me some stronger stuff in case we had to go back to the OR. They are still flipping me side to side.

2:30pm- Nurse came in and shaved me down below. I’m pretty sure the C-section is immenint at this point. Damn!

2:35- Dr Norton checks me again and he is still high, won’t descend, and I’m 9-9.5cm with an anterior lip still present. She said those God awful words “let’s go have a C-section!”


2:45pm- I was wheeled into the OR for an emergency C-section. I was disappointed that I would not be having the delivery I had hoped for, but I was proud of myself for going as far as I did on my own, and as quickly as I did. My labor was basically 8 hours (would have been shorter if he hadn’t gotten stuck) and I went into labor on my own.

3:01pm- Grayson Alexander was born weighing 7lbs 15 oz and was 20 inches long. He was crooked in my uterus and his head was trying to come out with the back of his head first, instead of the top.


4:00pm- I am finally in recovery. I had a small tear in my uterus that had to be repaired, and then she had a plastic surgeon close me up so I wouldn’t have a big scar. He used this Dermabond stuff that glues your skin together instead of stitches. So, all of my stitches on the inside are dissolvable, and then I am glued together on the outside.

5:00pm- I was out of recovery and wheeled back into my room where Chris and Melissa were waiting for me. I finally got to see Grayson about 6pm. He is beautiful! I am soo Happy. There are no words to describe my emotions.

Any day now.....

I just got back from getting my hair cut. I am feeling some contractions tonight. Timing them, but they are not too regular or painful. My colon is emptying out too. Didn’t think I had that much poo in me….

Gross....

Lost the plug today in the shower. Pretty gross. Never lost it in my last 2 pregnancies, so I wasn't sure what it looked like.

Finally, a productive visit....

I went to the Dr today, I'M FINALLY MAKING FORWARD PROGRESSION! YAY ME!!! Last Tuesday I was closed and tight... and high...I thought the baby had dropped last Thursday....I was right. He's at a -3 station, and I'm dilated to 2cm!! I'm also 50% effaced! I asked her about all these menstrual type cramps I'm having, since my tummy doesn't get hard with every one, and she said "that's pre-labor" and she said I'm in the "any day now" category! She's on call this weekend through Sunday, and then she leaves the country for a week on vacation. These cramps won't let up.... they are like lower menstrual cramps, non stop....but no stomach hardening... and then I have sharp shooting pains in my vajay-jay too...Man, it would be great if these turned productive today!

Kay, my backup babysitter is out of town this weekend. I called a couple people and they are all going out of town too....so I'm not sure what we will do with Brayden while I'm in labor. (Kaylee's gonna be in there with us, as is my mom, who will take her out if she needs to leave or gets freaked out) Murphy's law says it's gonna happen this weekend, since I don't have a babysitter.....ironically, mom is also supposed to be watching Kay's kids this weekend while they are out of town...

I really think he's gonna wait until after I get my hair cut on Thursday and then come on Friday. That's my guess. I have this "intuition" and so far in life, I have NEVER been wrong. I'ts kinda freaky in a way.

I would be OK with next week too, except that my Doctor is in France for the week and I REALLY wanted her to deliver Grayson...

Did I drop?

I think the baby dropped today. We’ll find out at my next appt. He feels lower and I am having lots of pain in my "hoo-ha" too.

Ugh, another disappointing Dr Visit

Another Dr visit….she said I’m completely closed! Is Grayson ever going to come out?

36 weeks, 2 days

So, another Dr visit today. They showed I lost 2 lbs, which is good, considering last visit, I had gained 6! So, my total at the office is 33 lbs, 41 at home. Group B was negative, so I don’t have to have antibiotics at delivery. She checked me again and said I was still high and closed. I asked her how that was possible since I was 1 cm last week. She said I was a fingertip, but that counts as closed. I’m confused! How can I be making backwards progression? So, now I can't help but think he will be late like the other 2 kids. I may end up with a July 4th baby afterall. GGGRRRRRR, this is frustrating. I have decided that I am going to walk on the treadmill as much as possible now to help get things going. I quit the gym 3 weeks ago because of my chest cold, and since I have such horrible crotch pain, I haven’t made it a point to return. I need to get my butt in gear on that for weight reasons, and to help the labor progress. So, starting tonight, I am going to try and do at least an hour on the treadmill, even if it’s at a slower pace. I’ll check back in when I have more news.