Welcome to The Chaos Chronicles!! This site serves to update everyone on the latest happenings in in the lives of the Cox Clan! Bailey is 9, Nolan is 5, Bennett is itty bitty and Jason and I are too old to list our ages for all to see. We love our growing family and feel blessed to live this amazing life!
Family Picture
Monday, August 5, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
The First 90 Days
Isn't it funny how 3 months sounds like a long time, but 90 days sounds like no time at all? Either way you look at it, little Bennett is growing up. He's getting adjusted to this new world and we are getting adjusted to having him in it! He is a delightful baby (Where is some wood so I can knock on it?) and we are enjoying every second! I have now gone back to work but can honestly say that this maternity leave was the best time of my life. Jason was home, too, because he didn't take any summer courses and we did our best to make the most of each day. Of course, the first few weeks were spent learning all about Bennett and establishing a bond, we then hit the road and spent the latter part of the time traveling and making memories. It was AHHHMAZING!
Given that I now have 3 kids, I don't have much time to write. However, I thought I'd document some of the more noteworthy things about our boy and post some pictures.
-He looks just like Nolan did at his age. Jason reminded me of the importance of labeling printed pictures or 10 years from now we run the risk of not being able to tell which baby is the subject of the picture.
-At 2 months, he weighed 11 pounds, 3 ounces and was 23.5 inches long. That's 21% and 67%, respectively. Nolan had dropped to 10% by 4 months, but we're pretty sure our chunk-a-munk-a is going to track a bit bigger. August 20th is his next appointment, and I can't wait to see how big he's gotten.
-Not coincidentally, he is a good eater. Right now, he's taking 6 ounces 5 times a day. He's definitely established a schedule for eating and sleeping and is pretty consistent.
-He is also a very good sleeper. He typically goes to bed around 9:15 or 9:30 p.m. and wakes between 6:45 and 7:30 a.m. A few times he has slept until 8:30! Of course, a few times he's also gotten up at 4:45 a.m. but it's been awhile since he's done that. Regardless, I can't complain too much. Even when he was consistently getting up between 4 and 5 a.m., he would always go back to sleep for a few hours after eating. During the day, he'll usually take a couple of cat naps in the a.m. (20-30 minutes), go down for a long nap in the afternoon (2.5-4.5 hours) and then take another cat nap in the evening. If he doesn't sleep well, he gets overtired and has a hard time falling asleep. When he's fighting sleep and I'm trying to comfort him, those strong legs that kicked me so hard in my belly get their workout and sometimes I get hurt in the process!
-He's wearing 3 months and 3-6 months clothes. I unpacked lots of Nolan's old 6 months clothes and I suspect I'll be putting Bennett in them shortly. It's been kind of nice that Bennett is a bit bigger than Nolan was because, even though they were born in different seasons, I've been able to use much of Nolan's wardrobe.
-Likes: Being held (duh), rocking (I'd say duh here too, but neither of my others were soothed by rocking), having his head rubbed, being held upright, the hairdryer (I'll tell that story shortly), being swaddled (not looking forward to him rolling over as the swaddling days will be over), being out and about shopping or in the car, the name song, playing "Who's that baby in the mirror?", and "talking" to us.
-Dislikes: Getting his diaper or clothes changed, the wind, the sun (he pretty much just keeps his eyes shut outside), and TUMMY TIME. I can't think of too many other things that get him riled up. He's pretty easy going.
-We're not too sure whether he likes or dislikes his pacifier. He takes it when he's desperate to fall asleep, but usually doesn't want or need it other times. However, we found out that he certainly doesn't take just any pacifier and is partial to the one we received in the hospital. He won't even wrap his mouth around other ones.
-About a week after he came home, I began to notice a bad smell. I kept thinking he had pooped, but that was not the case. I realized it was his umbilical cord, so we were concerned about infection. While these days doctors don't encourage the use of alcohol to clean it (some study said that it falls off more quickly if you just leave it alone), I began cleaning it to stifle the smell. It wasn't red or swollen, but it was a little oozy. The doctor said infection is very rare and that it should fall off soon. It took FOREVER (or forever when all you can smell is the rotting flesh of your infant's disgusting umbilical cord) and we took to a regimen of cleaning and then drying with the hair dryer (now you know how we discovered he likes it!) to speed up the process. It finally fell off, oozed for a few more days, and then was normal and absent of the smell.
-Shortly after he arrived, the doctor noticed Bennett had the same asymmetrical dimple at the top of his booty crack that Nolan did. Also like Nolan, this required an ultrasound to rule out a tethered spinal cord. And, yet again like Nolan, the ultrasound showed no tethering. All was fine.
-He's gone on several car trips already and did just fine. Actually, he did more than fine as we were amazed at how well he tolerated the extended amount of time in the car, sleeping in different places, and being around lots of new people. Bennett's been to Dallas twice, San Antonio, and Houston. He's already a seasoned traveler!
-He smiled at 5 weeks, started cooing/"talking" at 10 weeks, discovered his own hands at 11 weeks and giggled at 12 weeks. Right now, the giggles are few and far between, but I suspect we'll hear them more over the next couple of weeks. As for the discovery of his hands, and a few times his feet, we crack up because he'll home in on one hand and, as it gets closer to his face, his eyes will cross. It's funny and creepy all at the same time! Right now, he's working on holding his head up when on his tummy. He's doing better, but he's not yet close to pushing up high enough to roll over. Nolan rolled at 11 weeks, so Bennett better get to it!!
Here are a few pics, in chronological order:
Given that I now have 3 kids, I don't have much time to write. However, I thought I'd document some of the more noteworthy things about our boy and post some pictures.
-He looks just like Nolan did at his age. Jason reminded me of the importance of labeling printed pictures or 10 years from now we run the risk of not being able to tell which baby is the subject of the picture.
-At 2 months, he weighed 11 pounds, 3 ounces and was 23.5 inches long. That's 21% and 67%, respectively. Nolan had dropped to 10% by 4 months, but we're pretty sure our chunk-a-munk-a is going to track a bit bigger. August 20th is his next appointment, and I can't wait to see how big he's gotten.
-Not coincidentally, he is a good eater. Right now, he's taking 6 ounces 5 times a day. He's definitely established a schedule for eating and sleeping and is pretty consistent.
-He is also a very good sleeper. He typically goes to bed around 9:15 or 9:30 p.m. and wakes between 6:45 and 7:30 a.m. A few times he has slept until 8:30! Of course, a few times he's also gotten up at 4:45 a.m. but it's been awhile since he's done that. Regardless, I can't complain too much. Even when he was consistently getting up between 4 and 5 a.m., he would always go back to sleep for a few hours after eating. During the day, he'll usually take a couple of cat naps in the a.m. (20-30 minutes), go down for a long nap in the afternoon (2.5-4.5 hours) and then take another cat nap in the evening. If he doesn't sleep well, he gets overtired and has a hard time falling asleep. When he's fighting sleep and I'm trying to comfort him, those strong legs that kicked me so hard in my belly get their workout and sometimes I get hurt in the process!
-He's wearing 3 months and 3-6 months clothes. I unpacked lots of Nolan's old 6 months clothes and I suspect I'll be putting Bennett in them shortly. It's been kind of nice that Bennett is a bit bigger than Nolan was because, even though they were born in different seasons, I've been able to use much of Nolan's wardrobe.
-Likes: Being held (duh), rocking (I'd say duh here too, but neither of my others were soothed by rocking), having his head rubbed, being held upright, the hairdryer (I'll tell that story shortly), being swaddled (not looking forward to him rolling over as the swaddling days will be over), being out and about shopping or in the car, the name song, playing "Who's that baby in the mirror?", and "talking" to us.
-Dislikes: Getting his diaper or clothes changed, the wind, the sun (he pretty much just keeps his eyes shut outside), and TUMMY TIME. I can't think of too many other things that get him riled up. He's pretty easy going.
-We're not too sure whether he likes or dislikes his pacifier. He takes it when he's desperate to fall asleep, but usually doesn't want or need it other times. However, we found out that he certainly doesn't take just any pacifier and is partial to the one we received in the hospital. He won't even wrap his mouth around other ones.
-About a week after he came home, I began to notice a bad smell. I kept thinking he had pooped, but that was not the case. I realized it was his umbilical cord, so we were concerned about infection. While these days doctors don't encourage the use of alcohol to clean it (some study said that it falls off more quickly if you just leave it alone), I began cleaning it to stifle the smell. It wasn't red or swollen, but it was a little oozy. The doctor said infection is very rare and that it should fall off soon. It took FOREVER (or forever when all you can smell is the rotting flesh of your infant's disgusting umbilical cord) and we took to a regimen of cleaning and then drying with the hair dryer (now you know how we discovered he likes it!) to speed up the process. It finally fell off, oozed for a few more days, and then was normal and absent of the smell.
-Shortly after he arrived, the doctor noticed Bennett had the same asymmetrical dimple at the top of his booty crack that Nolan did. Also like Nolan, this required an ultrasound to rule out a tethered spinal cord. And, yet again like Nolan, the ultrasound showed no tethering. All was fine.
-He's gone on several car trips already and did just fine. Actually, he did more than fine as we were amazed at how well he tolerated the extended amount of time in the car, sleeping in different places, and being around lots of new people. Bennett's been to Dallas twice, San Antonio, and Houston. He's already a seasoned traveler!
-He smiled at 5 weeks, started cooing/"talking" at 10 weeks, discovered his own hands at 11 weeks and giggled at 12 weeks. Right now, the giggles are few and far between, but I suspect we'll hear them more over the next couple of weeks. As for the discovery of his hands, and a few times his feet, we crack up because he'll home in on one hand and, as it gets closer to his face, his eyes will cross. It's funny and creepy all at the same time! Right now, he's working on holding his head up when on his tummy. He's doing better, but he's not yet close to pushing up high enough to roll over. Nolan rolled at 11 weeks, so Bennett better get to it!!
Here are a few pics, in chronological order:
Approx. 4 weeks
5 weeks
6 weeks (The stress of tummy time led him to suck on his thumb!)
7 weeks
8 weeks
8 weeks
8 weeks: First time in the pool (in Houston)
9 weeks
10 weeks
10 weeks (Playing "Who's that baby in the mirror?")
11 weeks
12 weeks
3 months
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
The Rest of The Story
Because I want to remember every detail of Bennett's birth long after other memories take the place of what is currently front and center in my brain, this post is dedicated to the details of April 20, 2013. Read at your own risk!
But first, let's go back a little bit....
My due date was April 14th. This is what's on the paperwork, but I do remember my very first ultrasound predicting my due date as the 18th. Thus, I always knew there was a small margin of flexibility in the actual date. Further, both Bailey and Nolan were late, so that variable added more uncertainty about when to expect our baby. On top of all that, my doctor indicated the growth of my uterus early on as ahead of where it "should be" but then closer to my due date I was measuring smaller than average. Again, all this made me relatively unsure of whether the baby would come early, on time, or late. He chose late. :-)
As if we could control this situation, we had all these wishes about when would be the ideal time for the baby to be born. Some of these were based on Jason's school schedule and planned exams, another was based on Bailey's state testing at school. She had a lot of anxiety about missing school during testing, but certainly didn't want to miss her brother's birth. I felt really great throughout my pregnancy, so I was happy to let the baby stay put as long as was necessary in order to get through some of these difficult and anxious moments for others in my family. Again, I say this like I could have controlled it! But, in a way I felt like I could will him to stay put far more than I could will him to come out!!
Like I said, I felt great. That is, I felt great until the last few days. Physically, nothing dramatic changed, but I found myself going downhill emotionally. After my due date came and went on Sunday, the following days showing up at work to everyone's well-intentioned, "You're STILL here?!" comments started to weigh on me. I realized it was not a big deal and the baby wouldn't stay inside me forever, but by Thursday I felt a significant shift. I was depressed and overly emotional. I had planned to work up until the delivery, but in the middle of the night Thursday night I decided that I deserved to stay home Friday. In fact, I then decided that Friday would be a day of fun/house projects that would have nothing to do with the baby. And, frankly, it was just what the doctor ordered. I did laundry, shampooed my carpets, gave the dog a bath and a haircut, took Nolan to lunch and out shopping for a bit, and then played outside with both kids when Bailey got out of school.
As someone wise once said, "a watched pot never boils." As soon as I stopped obsessing over when the baby would arrive, guess what? The baby arrived. On Friday night, Jason and I stayed up kind of late watching t.v., and went to bed right before midnight. I had been sleeping on the couch for the better part of the last month as my once-glorious bed had become quite uncomfortable. At 1:00 a.m. I awoke from a dream in which I was having a very painful contraction. In my dream, I told myself that I better wake up because this wasn't really a dream. Ha! Yep, I was having a contraction.
Per my plan that anticipated labor being similar to labor with Nolan, where I timed contractions at home until they were 8 minutes apart and then went to the hospital about 5 hours into the process, I immediately got my phone and prepared to chart my contractions on a cool app I downloaded. I sat on the couch, poised and ready to wait 15? 20? minutes for the next one. And then I had another one less than 3 minutes later. This surprised me, but I thought it was probably just an irregularity and until the contractions became regular, it was likely just false labor. Then I had another one 2 1/2 minutes later.....and they continued coming less than 3 minutes apart. I also had an incredible feeling of pressure, which panicked me a bit. I also passed some blood, which had never happened to me before. I didn't THINK I would be having a home birth, but how did I know? Needless to say, I woke Jason and told him I was scared and didn't know how to handle this new situation. We debated for a minute about what to do, particularly in regard to the kids. Eventually, we decided we would just go and if necessary Jeanne and Phil could take them back home. We each called our parents and alerted them that it was "go time."
Upon arriving at the hospital, the nurse took us to what I affectionately refer to as the "holding tank" for monitoring. They checked me and said I was dilated to a 4. I expected that to be sufficient proof that I was, indeed, going to have a baby, but they said they were going to monitor me for an hour to see if I progressed. Progressed to what?? Were they going to send me home having contractions every 2 minutes and dilated to a 4? I'm pretty sure I got an epidural with Nolan when I was at a 5, so this perplexed me. In any case, our parents arrived and I suffered through pounding contractions for an hour. At that point, I was at a 5 and they called the on-call doctor to determine whether they should admit me. Again, really?
When they finally took me to a permanent room, I was really struggling. Everyone there said they had no idea that I was in as much pain as I was and I guess that's a good thing. I had a nurse who kept telling me how great I was doing, and I somehow kept myself from telling her to shut up. :-) I asked for a barf bag as I thought for a bit that I was going to throw up. The nurses assured me that they would immediately call for the anesthesiologist and it wouldn't be long before I could have an epidural. I'm sure it wasn't that long, but it seemed to take forever. I remembered contractions being painful, and increasingly so, but I'm pretty sure I hadn't previously experienced the downward pressure that I was experiencing. With each contraction, I felt that my bottom half would simply explode. I was starting to feel out of control when the anesthesiologist arrived to give me hope. :-) Then the epidural took almost 45 minutes, as the doctor had trouble threading the catheter into my back due to some scar tissue from my previous epidurals. Ugh. I've always feared the epidural (but feared the alternative even MORE) but I told my mother that I didn't care if he cut a hole in my back in order to squirt the medicine in if he would just get it done!
And then it WAS done and I started to feel some relief. Unlike my other two, I still had a lot of sensation (including the pressure feeling with each contraction) but not much actual pain. I wasn't complaining. This is when I began to enjoy the experience with the kids, my parents, Jason's parents, etc. They checked me and I was at a 7. Jason and others went to get breakfast (think it was around 6:30?) and I just relaxed. When they returned, I got a popsicle, which I gladly ate because I had still been feeling like I might get sick, I'm sure from the medicine.
Then we started wondering if they were ever going to come check me again. The nurses were preoccupied with trying to get hold of my doctor and determine whether she would be here for the delivery or if they needed to contact the on-call doctor. I didn't really care. My doctor has yet to deliver one of my children, so this was not a shock to me when they came back and said it would likely be the on-call doctor. At some point, I told the nurse that I thought my water had broken. She looked and said she didn't think so but would check me in a bit. A long bit. Finally, another nurse came in and asked if my water had broken. I told her I thought so earlier, but the nurse didn't think so, but that I continued to feel fluid. She then checked me and said, "Oh, yeah it's gone and you're completely dilated." I wonder how long that had been the case.
Then, things started moving in fast-motion. The nurses came in and started bringing supplies and getting my bed ready. A moment of comic relief came when the nurses started bickering over how to operate this new bed that they had just received. Each had a different opinion about how to adjust the leg stirrups. I sat there patiently, but feeling more anxious by the second. Where was the doctor?
Somewhere in there, we decided to let Bailey watch the delivery from up behind my head. Jeanne and my mom also stayed, and I think they both really enjoyed that experience. As we were waiting, one nurse suggested I push one time to get the baby ready for when the doctor got there. I remember thinking I didn't think that was a good idea, but I complied because I'm a rules follower. When I did, she immediately told me to stop. The doctor came in and quickly assessed the situation. She then told the nurses she didn't like how I was positioned, so there was more discussion about the newfangled bed. Jason quietly said, "The baby is coming." He saw the head, and yet the doc was still repositioning me. Then Jason got a little louder, "The baby is really coming!" I wasn't pushing or anything, but was instead watching the doctor struggle to get her gloves on in time to catch the baby. It was pretty funny, if it hadn't been a little scary to think that things were happening so quickly!
And then he was born. Jason didn't get to cut the cord this time, as the cord was wrapped around Bennett's neck, which required a little more doctor's care/intervention than usual. That was a momentary concern, which was resolved without problem and then Bennett was whisked over to the evaluation area and his nurses worked him over and then weighed and measured him. I got a big kick out of watching the kids say their first hellos to their baby brother. I also got a kick out of the fact that Bennett weighed 7.11. Bailey was 7.13, Nolan was 7.12, and now I had one that was another stair step down from there. So funny!
So there you have it....the rest of the story. The simple version is this: hard labor, super easy delivery. I honestly don't know how people do it without an epidural. Of course, just like with other things, I think expectations are key. Had I planned on not getting one, perhaps I would have been more mentally prepared to endure the labor. And, now that it's all behind me, it wasn't that bad and completely worth it. I'm glad I had three very different experiences to remember and reflect upon. I loved them all just like I love each of those crazy kiddos!
K
But first, let's go back a little bit....
My due date was April 14th. This is what's on the paperwork, but I do remember my very first ultrasound predicting my due date as the 18th. Thus, I always knew there was a small margin of flexibility in the actual date. Further, both Bailey and Nolan were late, so that variable added more uncertainty about when to expect our baby. On top of all that, my doctor indicated the growth of my uterus early on as ahead of where it "should be" but then closer to my due date I was measuring smaller than average. Again, all this made me relatively unsure of whether the baby would come early, on time, or late. He chose late. :-)
As if we could control this situation, we had all these wishes about when would be the ideal time for the baby to be born. Some of these were based on Jason's school schedule and planned exams, another was based on Bailey's state testing at school. She had a lot of anxiety about missing school during testing, but certainly didn't want to miss her brother's birth. I felt really great throughout my pregnancy, so I was happy to let the baby stay put as long as was necessary in order to get through some of these difficult and anxious moments for others in my family. Again, I say this like I could have controlled it! But, in a way I felt like I could will him to stay put far more than I could will him to come out!!
Like I said, I felt great. That is, I felt great until the last few days. Physically, nothing dramatic changed, but I found myself going downhill emotionally. After my due date came and went on Sunday, the following days showing up at work to everyone's well-intentioned, "You're STILL here?!" comments started to weigh on me. I realized it was not a big deal and the baby wouldn't stay inside me forever, but by Thursday I felt a significant shift. I was depressed and overly emotional. I had planned to work up until the delivery, but in the middle of the night Thursday night I decided that I deserved to stay home Friday. In fact, I then decided that Friday would be a day of fun/house projects that would have nothing to do with the baby. And, frankly, it was just what the doctor ordered. I did laundry, shampooed my carpets, gave the dog a bath and a haircut, took Nolan to lunch and out shopping for a bit, and then played outside with both kids when Bailey got out of school.
As someone wise once said, "a watched pot never boils." As soon as I stopped obsessing over when the baby would arrive, guess what? The baby arrived. On Friday night, Jason and I stayed up kind of late watching t.v., and went to bed right before midnight. I had been sleeping on the couch for the better part of the last month as my once-glorious bed had become quite uncomfortable. At 1:00 a.m. I awoke from a dream in which I was having a very painful contraction. In my dream, I told myself that I better wake up because this wasn't really a dream. Ha! Yep, I was having a contraction.
Per my plan that anticipated labor being similar to labor with Nolan, where I timed contractions at home until they were 8 minutes apart and then went to the hospital about 5 hours into the process, I immediately got my phone and prepared to chart my contractions on a cool app I downloaded. I sat on the couch, poised and ready to wait 15? 20? minutes for the next one. And then I had another one less than 3 minutes later. This surprised me, but I thought it was probably just an irregularity and until the contractions became regular, it was likely just false labor. Then I had another one 2 1/2 minutes later.....and they continued coming less than 3 minutes apart. I also had an incredible feeling of pressure, which panicked me a bit. I also passed some blood, which had never happened to me before. I didn't THINK I would be having a home birth, but how did I know? Needless to say, I woke Jason and told him I was scared and didn't know how to handle this new situation. We debated for a minute about what to do, particularly in regard to the kids. Eventually, we decided we would just go and if necessary Jeanne and Phil could take them back home. We each called our parents and alerted them that it was "go time."
Upon arriving at the hospital, the nurse took us to what I affectionately refer to as the "holding tank" for monitoring. They checked me and said I was dilated to a 4. I expected that to be sufficient proof that I was, indeed, going to have a baby, but they said they were going to monitor me for an hour to see if I progressed. Progressed to what?? Were they going to send me home having contractions every 2 minutes and dilated to a 4? I'm pretty sure I got an epidural with Nolan when I was at a 5, so this perplexed me. In any case, our parents arrived and I suffered through pounding contractions for an hour. At that point, I was at a 5 and they called the on-call doctor to determine whether they should admit me. Again, really?
When they finally took me to a permanent room, I was really struggling. Everyone there said they had no idea that I was in as much pain as I was and I guess that's a good thing. I had a nurse who kept telling me how great I was doing, and I somehow kept myself from telling her to shut up. :-) I asked for a barf bag as I thought for a bit that I was going to throw up. The nurses assured me that they would immediately call for the anesthesiologist and it wouldn't be long before I could have an epidural. I'm sure it wasn't that long, but it seemed to take forever. I remembered contractions being painful, and increasingly so, but I'm pretty sure I hadn't previously experienced the downward pressure that I was experiencing. With each contraction, I felt that my bottom half would simply explode. I was starting to feel out of control when the anesthesiologist arrived to give me hope. :-) Then the epidural took almost 45 minutes, as the doctor had trouble threading the catheter into my back due to some scar tissue from my previous epidurals. Ugh. I've always feared the epidural (but feared the alternative even MORE) but I told my mother that I didn't care if he cut a hole in my back in order to squirt the medicine in if he would just get it done!
And then it WAS done and I started to feel some relief. Unlike my other two, I still had a lot of sensation (including the pressure feeling with each contraction) but not much actual pain. I wasn't complaining. This is when I began to enjoy the experience with the kids, my parents, Jason's parents, etc. They checked me and I was at a 7. Jason and others went to get breakfast (think it was around 6:30?) and I just relaxed. When they returned, I got a popsicle, which I gladly ate because I had still been feeling like I might get sick, I'm sure from the medicine.
Then we started wondering if they were ever going to come check me again. The nurses were preoccupied with trying to get hold of my doctor and determine whether she would be here for the delivery or if they needed to contact the on-call doctor. I didn't really care. My doctor has yet to deliver one of my children, so this was not a shock to me when they came back and said it would likely be the on-call doctor. At some point, I told the nurse that I thought my water had broken. She looked and said she didn't think so but would check me in a bit. A long bit. Finally, another nurse came in and asked if my water had broken. I told her I thought so earlier, but the nurse didn't think so, but that I continued to feel fluid. She then checked me and said, "Oh, yeah it's gone and you're completely dilated." I wonder how long that had been the case.
Then, things started moving in fast-motion. The nurses came in and started bringing supplies and getting my bed ready. A moment of comic relief came when the nurses started bickering over how to operate this new bed that they had just received. Each had a different opinion about how to adjust the leg stirrups. I sat there patiently, but feeling more anxious by the second. Where was the doctor?
Somewhere in there, we decided to let Bailey watch the delivery from up behind my head. Jeanne and my mom also stayed, and I think they both really enjoyed that experience. As we were waiting, one nurse suggested I push one time to get the baby ready for when the doctor got there. I remember thinking I didn't think that was a good idea, but I complied because I'm a rules follower. When I did, she immediately told me to stop. The doctor came in and quickly assessed the situation. She then told the nurses she didn't like how I was positioned, so there was more discussion about the newfangled bed. Jason quietly said, "The baby is coming." He saw the head, and yet the doc was still repositioning me. Then Jason got a little louder, "The baby is really coming!" I wasn't pushing or anything, but was instead watching the doctor struggle to get her gloves on in time to catch the baby. It was pretty funny, if it hadn't been a little scary to think that things were happening so quickly!
And then he was born. Jason didn't get to cut the cord this time, as the cord was wrapped around Bennett's neck, which required a little more doctor's care/intervention than usual. That was a momentary concern, which was resolved without problem and then Bennett was whisked over to the evaluation area and his nurses worked him over and then weighed and measured him. I got a big kick out of watching the kids say their first hellos to their baby brother. I also got a kick out of the fact that Bennett weighed 7.11. Bailey was 7.13, Nolan was 7.12, and now I had one that was another stair step down from there. So funny!
So there you have it....the rest of the story. The simple version is this: hard labor, super easy delivery. I honestly don't know how people do it without an epidural. Of course, just like with other things, I think expectations are key. Had I planned on not getting one, perhaps I would have been more mentally prepared to endure the labor. And, now that it's all behind me, it wasn't that bad and completely worth it. I'm glad I had three very different experiences to remember and reflect upon. I loved them all just like I love each of those crazy kiddos!
K
Friday, April 26, 2013
Welcome Bennett Warner Cox!
He's here! Little Bennett decided to arrive a little late - 6 days, in fact. Now that he's here, though, none of that waiting matters. We are over the moon for our little guy and will be posting about all his developments.
This post is picture-heavy, but hopefully gives you a sense of our experience. I did leave out the pictures of the hard labor and before I got an epidural. I figure no one cares to see pictures of a woman in pain. :-)
Here's when we first got to the hospital, but hadn't yet been admitted.
The kids got settled in for a long night. They were awesome, despite being pulled out of bed at 2:00 a.m.
And then it was almost time. Bailey chose to stay in the room for the birth! Jeanne and my mom also watched, which was a special experience.
And then he was here.
He is a loved little boy.
One of my favorite pictures ever, as this was completely spontaneous. I'm talking to the baby and the kids are posing (that's Nolan's Spiderman btw).
And then it was time to go home.
And now we begin our life with this new "little blessed one." His name and its meaning is fitting, as he is blessed and so are we!
This post is picture-heavy, but hopefully gives you a sense of our experience. I did leave out the pictures of the hard labor and before I got an epidural. I figure no one cares to see pictures of a woman in pain. :-)
Here's when we first got to the hospital, but hadn't yet been admitted.
The kids got settled in for a long night. They were awesome, despite being pulled out of bed at 2:00 a.m.
We all got popsicles. Well, I got a popsicle, as that's all I could eat. Everyone else had McDonald's and still managed to charm the nurses into a popsicle.
And then it was almost time. Bailey chose to stay in the room for the birth! Jeanne and my mom also watched, which was a special experience.
And then he was here.
He is a loved little boy.
One of my favorite pictures ever, as this was completely spontaneous. I'm talking to the baby and the kids are posing (that's Nolan's Spiderman btw).
And then it was time to go home.
And now we begin our life with this new "little blessed one." His name and its meaning is fitting, as he is blessed and so are we!
Friday, April 19, 2013
By a Thread....
Today is 40 weeks, 5 days. My ability to wait patiently is diminishing as I type. I didn't go to work today as I think the constant barrage of well-intentioned people saying, "You're STILL here?" was just weighing on me too much. Instead, today I shampooed my carpets, did some laundry, picked Nolan up from school and took him to lunch and for a bit of shopping, and am now in line to get Bailey from school.
The sense of normalcy has been comforting. That said, pray this baby makes his move SOON!
The sense of normalcy has been comforting. That said, pray this baby makes his move SOON!
Monday, April 15, 2013
Holding On
I particularly enjoy the part of my pregnancies when people ask when I'm due and I get to say, "Yesterday" or "Last week." It always throws people for a loop, especially if I'm at the gym or at work or someplace the average person doesn't expect a 40+ week pregnant woman to be hanging out.
Alas, this is my reality.
And, frankly, that's okay. Today has been a hard one, with the news of Officer Chad Peery's death and the explosions at the Boston Marathon. Tragedies have an uncanny way of putting life and our problems into perspective.
So, we wait on our little guy and remain thankful for a healthy pregnancy and the joy he has brought us already.
In other news, Nolan FINALLY went to the doctor for his 5-year appointment. I couldn't take him until now because a few years ago, I didn't schedule his appointment until April so now we're perpetually on that schedule even though his birthday is in December. Anywhoo....
Nolan is a healthy guy who is now in the 56th percentile for height and 67th for weight! I couldn't believe it. But take a look at these legs and perhaps you'll see what the numbers see. He was anticipating his shots in this pic, so he doesn't appear to be loving life. :-)
Until the next update.....
K
Alas, this is my reality.
And, frankly, that's okay. Today has been a hard one, with the news of Officer Chad Peery's death and the explosions at the Boston Marathon. Tragedies have an uncanny way of putting life and our problems into perspective.
So, we wait on our little guy and remain thankful for a healthy pregnancy and the joy he has brought us already.
In other news, Nolan FINALLY went to the doctor for his 5-year appointment. I couldn't take him until now because a few years ago, I didn't schedule his appointment until April so now we're perpetually on that schedule even though his birthday is in December. Anywhoo....
Nolan is a healthy guy who is now in the 56th percentile for height and 67th for weight! I couldn't believe it. But take a look at these legs and perhaps you'll see what the numbers see. He was anticipating his shots in this pic, so he doesn't appear to be loving life. :-)
Until the next update.....
K
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Close, But No Cigar
Today, I'm 39 weeks, 3 days pregnant. It looks
like #3 is going to follow the pattern of the first two and cook to well
done.
This is really okay by me, as I still feel pretty great (for the most part). However, "tired of being pregnant" and "want to meet him" are definitely converging in ways that make time stand still. :-)
I've managed to stay fairly sane throughout my pregnancy and only recently had my first (and hopefully last) emotional breakdown. Two other women in my department were pregnant, with one due at the end of April and the other due at the beginning of May. Lo and behold, both of them delivered last week. While I am certainly happy for them and did my fair share of praying for the babies to be healthy despite their early arrivals (they are), the fact that this was not how things were "supposed to" go put me over the edge for a quick minute. I got asked about 72 times, "Weren't you supposed to go first?" Why yes, yes I was.
Jason did not at all understand why this elicited such a strong emotional response. He knows I don't particularly want to deliver early, for all kinds of reasons including his remaining school tests that are likely to make our early days with an infant a little more difficult. As I explained to him, it's not that I want to deliver early, I just want everyone else to deliver on time! It seems like every single person I know (exaggeration alert) gets to skip those final days where their stomachs are simply stretched beyond belief. Of course, I do have to acknowledge that the flip side for them is that neither was likely as prepared as they would have liked, which carries different challenges. Thus, I got over my moment and have moved on to a more productive and healthy attitude. :-)
So now we continue to wait for the little boy who will change us - hopefully in only good ways - forever. Everyone and everything is ready....see ya when we see ya, little guy.
This is really okay by me, as I still feel pretty great (for the most part). However, "tired of being pregnant" and "want to meet him" are definitely converging in ways that make time stand still. :-)
I've managed to stay fairly sane throughout my pregnancy and only recently had my first (and hopefully last) emotional breakdown. Two other women in my department were pregnant, with one due at the end of April and the other due at the beginning of May. Lo and behold, both of them delivered last week. While I am certainly happy for them and did my fair share of praying for the babies to be healthy despite their early arrivals (they are), the fact that this was not how things were "supposed to" go put me over the edge for a quick minute. I got asked about 72 times, "Weren't you supposed to go first?" Why yes, yes I was.
Jason did not at all understand why this elicited such a strong emotional response. He knows I don't particularly want to deliver early, for all kinds of reasons including his remaining school tests that are likely to make our early days with an infant a little more difficult. As I explained to him, it's not that I want to deliver early, I just want everyone else to deliver on time! It seems like every single person I know (exaggeration alert) gets to skip those final days where their stomachs are simply stretched beyond belief. Of course, I do have to acknowledge that the flip side for them is that neither was likely as prepared as they would have liked, which carries different challenges. Thus, I got over my moment and have moved on to a more productive and healthy attitude. :-)
So now we continue to wait for the little boy who will change us - hopefully in only good ways - forever. Everyone and everything is ready....see ya when we see ya, little guy.
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