Thursday, May 30, 2013

My {LONG} Labor Story.

Saturday, May 18th, started out like most of my Saturdays have started out since becoming pregnant. 4am and a trip to the bathroom. When I returned to bed, I quickly fell back asleep, but was awakened by painful contractions. These weren't just the braxton hicks I've experienced pretty much the whole pregnancy. These were the painful kind that wrapped around your back and made you cringe a little bit. And so it had started.

I laid in bed for the next 2 hours roughly timing the contractions I was having. They were every 10 minutes a part, and for a moment, I got a little excited that maybe this was the real thing. When Drew came to wake me up, I nonchalantly mentioned that I thought I might be in labor. His eyes got big and he decided it would be best if he took both boys with him to work so that I could rest and get a few things done around the house without little friends coming behind me to "help." The boys all left, and I scurried around the house, all the while my contractions picked up in intensity and came closer together. I was absolutely 80% positive I was in labor. As with my other two, it took my best friend Stephanie urging me to get prepared. Drew came home, we skipped Brayden's t-ball game (bless his heart, he was already ready too... nothing like making you have momma guilt more than a disappointed little boy in his baseball uniform!) and...... the contractions stopped.

It was like the great bummer of 2013 for me. I decided I needed a good distraction and some walking, so we headed to the local trails to burn off some energy. After hiking for about 45 minutes (and can I just say that I got some good stares and smiles my way as I waddled behind my little bike riding buddies), the contractions came back, but were not consistent and not nearly as strong. I came home and took a nap, completely defeated and trying to remind myself that I would not be pregnant forever.

That afternoon I headed to Walmart, because we needed groceries since I wasn't having a baby and we needed to eat. While shopping I noticed that I was having more contractions, so I hurried home and told Drew that I was having stronger contractions. He looked at me and said "I'm positive we're going to the hospital later," and then proceeded to do yard work. And this is where the story gets interesting....

I laid down to time my contractions, and they puttered out. Literally would only come about every 10-12 minutes. Every time I would stand up though, they would come HARD and STRONG and start coming every 4-5 minutes (which is faster than the 5-7 minutes the doctors tell us to come to the hospital for). I'd lay down, they'd putter out. I'd stand up, I'd be in excruciating pain. I was so confused. Thankfully my best friend Stephanie told me to call the on-call doctor, and I listened to her advice. After explaining my entire day to the doctor, and also mentioning my fear of this being my third child, us living 30 minutes away from the hospital, and my urgent desire to have an epidural, the doctor decided it would be best that I head to the hospital. So I waddled outside to tell Drew, who by this point is covered in grass and dirt. He kicks it into gear and jumps in the shower, and I try to dress and ready my two preschoolers while dealing with 5 minutes contractions. That was a lot of fun. Our sweet neighbors watched the kids for us since my family was out of town, and we headed to the hospital.

Before we ever got onto the interstate, my contractions picked up to every 2.5 minutes. I was cringing with pain (I'd never had contractions that close together and not been at the hospital under an epidural), and realized at this point that I was going to have back labor with Tyler (I had had back labor with Brayden, and let me just be the first to say that back labor is the B*%$H of childbirth. Screw water boarding. If we could somehow figure out how to make a person experience back labor, we'd be able to crack all terrorists that are in custody). Drew kicked up our four cylinder car into over drive, put on the emergency lights, and drove like Ricky Bobby to the hospital. Here I was all this time worried about getting to the hospital on time, and Drew cut a 30 minute drive down to 10 minutes. God bless the poor people who shared the interstate with us that day.

When we arrived at the hospital I was 4cm dilated but still only 60% effaced. I was adament that I wanted an epidural as soon as possible, so the nurse checked with the doctor about what to do. That took roughly 30 minutes. The doctor wanted to monitor my contractions a bit more before admitting me. By this time I was having to squeeze Drew's hand, breath through contractions and almost hold onto the bed. An hour into our triage hold, my contractions were now coming every 3 minutes even if I was laying down and I had dilated to a 5 by that point. So at 7:30pm on May 18th, they decided to admit me.

In walks a little nurse to "ask me some questions before admitting you." After her typing on her little wheelable computer, I, through gritted teeth and a somewhat abrasive attitude, asked her when it would be that I was going to get an epidural. Because, you know, I was at a 5 (the farthest I had ever been without an epidural), having contractions every 2-3 minutes, and progressing far faster than my other two children. She typed a few more things on her little computer, wheeled the thing back out to the triage center and then proceeded to tell the other nurses outside my triage room that I was refusing to answer questions. This was a definite WTF moment for me. I had never refused to answer questions. I only (albeit abrasively) asked when I might be getting my epidural. Basically, just get me my freakin' pain meds and I will answer any question that you have all day long. It took about 5 more minutes for someone to come and wheel me back to my room. Drew mentioned something about being nice to my nurses, but I'm pretty sure that at that point I was not really worried so much about social graces and more worried about my uterus not feeling like it was going to explode out of my hooha.

We got settled into our room, and my sweet L&D nurse walked in to set me up on IVs and such. Then she grimmaced as she told me that it was probably going to be 2 more hours before I was able to get an epidural. I cried yall. Like, cried tears and told Drew I wasn't sure I could do it. I'm pretty sure in my mind I wanted my mom at this point too. My L&D nurse mentioned the word Stadol. I had had stadol during my labor with Brayden. While it's not really something that I loved, at this point I was pretty miserable and could barely make it through contractions without tears and simultaneously coming dangerously close to breaking Drew's hands, so I took the IV pain meds. I then answered the questions that they hadn't asked me in triage, and signed my life away on papers while I tried to figure out which of the two lines I was seeing was the one I was supposed to sign. The next two hours were spent trying to remember how my Lemaze class 4 years ago taught me how to breath in contractions, Drew pressing on my back for the back labor, and me praying to Jesus that the epidural would come before I pushed the watermelon out of my bottom.

When 9:45 came and the anesthesiologist walked in, I thought about throwing my hands up and doing a mildly pentecostal dance.... you know, if I had been able to do so when I was 8 FREAKIN' CENTIMETERS DILATED. Oh yes, you read that right. By 9:45, BEFORE my epidural, I was 8 centimeters dilated. Can I just take this moment to say, that the people who have told me, either through words or written language, that a natural labor is the best experience.... those people either have the highest pain tolerance on God's green earth, or they have access to the BEST drugs known to man. Or perhaps it's a combination of the two. Either way, I know that I was not blessed with either of those things, so the sight of someone with a large needle for my spine was basically like winning the Mega Jackpot lottery. It's twisted, I know. And the story only gets better.

Once the epidural took, I laid down expecting sweet relief. And while I got sweet relief on the left side of my body, the right side of my body was still feeling the full effects of full-on, active labor. It was awesome, only it wasn't. The sweet anesthesiologist spent the next hour trying to get things right and give me relief. We tried laying on my right side. We tried two different medicines. We tried upping the dosage. Heck, we even tried TAKING THE EPIDURAL OUT AND REDOING THE WHOLE DANG PROCEDURE. It took nearly an hour for everything to finally numb out, and by the time it did I couldn't even move my toes (I've always had a little bit of control over my legs with my epis). I wasn't complaining though, because I couldn't feel my contractions. And for the next hour, I got a bit of relief. I kept saying "Praise Jesus that I got the epidural finally! I'm so grateful!" And Drew responded with "Linds I think we're ALL happy that you got it... especially my hands!" After the epidural had taken fully, the doctor broke my water and I was able to rest.

Around 11:15 I noticed that it was getting hard for me to breath. The nurse had told me to make sure to tell her if this happens because it means that the epidural was getting too high. When I started talking to Drew, I felt like I was slurring my words, so we called the nurse. We agreed that the epidural was taking a bit too high for comfort, so we had to turn it off. By this point I was 9cm dilated, so I was almost there, and the nurse thought that it probably wouldn't wear off before Tyler was born. Thankfully, she was right... kind of.

Around 11:50 I called my mom to let her know what was going on. During our conversation she mentioned that my breathing had changed, and I admitted to her that my contractions were REALLY picking up and I was starting to feel them again. And I was starting to feel pressure. After a few more minutes of us talking, my mom mentioned that I probably should have the nurse check me. At midnight the nurse checked me, I was complete and ready to go. And I was back to having to breath through contractions. My epidural had done wonders for the feeling for my legs, but not so much other parts of my body, which meant that I was going to feel the very end of labor. I cried to Drew, because really, there's nothing pleasant about the end of labor, other than the sweet baby that comes as a result. Thankfully for me it took 2 pushes through 1 contractions to get to see Tyler. He came out screaming and perfect and then I was crying because I got to see my third born son and he was beautiful. Drew kept saying how amazing it was that I delivered so quickly. I like to think of it as Gods grace on me since my labor with Tyler was my quickest, but also hardest in the pain department.
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he was not a happy camper to be out of momma's belly.
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tiny little toes
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sweet little fingers
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just chillin' for the nurses
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Only .4 oz smaller than Brayden was when he was born.

Because Tyler came so quickly and spent so little time in the birth canal, he had quite a bit of nasty in his lungs and throat, so they had to work on him a bit longer than normal. Other than that he tested out great from the start.

I have to say that my labor with Ty was most definitely my most intense. I'm still not really sure why it took so long for everything to get moving at the hospital; they weren't that busy, and with my other two I was getting an epidural within an hour of getting there. The questions that I will probably never have answers to. I did love the OB who delivered Tyler. She was great, as was the nursing staff at our hospital. Bless their hearts, they were so patient with me during the time before I got that epi. And even though it didn't take completely, I want to kiss the feet of the person who invented the epidural. I'm almost positive I would have been one of those women who died during the Pioneer years if I had to go through childbirth without meds.
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I'd say he's worth it all though. Definitely worth it.
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(oh. and just because Tyler is my third baby doesn't mean that there was an absence of that feeling that says "why are they letting me leave the hospital with this little human? I am SO not cut out for this job!" Yep. Still felt it, even with it being my third.)

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Holding Baby Tyler.

We've laid low the past 10 days (please hold me now... my baby is already 10 days old!!!) and stayed close to the house. One of the most common questions I get about 39281 times a day is "can I hold baby Tywee?" So we do a lot of this throughout the day.
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silly faces with brothers are a must, apparently.
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I'm not sure a baby could be more loved.
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I love that Tyler is so loved by his big brothers. Aside from a few two year old tantrums and acting out (which I am not sure is brought on by age development or by baby jealously), both boys have readily accepted Tyler.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

The Matches.

By now we all know that my first born son tends to be a bit creative in his orneriness. This past week has been no exception as we adjust to being a family with three kids.

Last Friday was a beautiful day, so my mom and I decided to pack up the kids and head to the park. The boys were actually pretty good, had great attitudes while we were there and when we left, which is not something to be taken for granted these days. When we got home, however, both boys took a pill of crazy that left mom and I feeling a bit frazzled to say the least. It went a little something like this...

I had to feed Tyler, so I went to the nursery to feed him while mom headed outside to play with the boys. About 5 minutes into my feeding, I heard my mom talking sternly to both boys, and both boys crying. Not a good combination, as this most always means that something has gone awry and discipline (and wailing and gnashing of teeth) is about to ensue. Both boys were placed in time out. From the sound of it, that didn't go well, as my mom went from boy to boy trying to get them to sit still. Finally she decided to just address Connor and send Brayden to the playroom to "play quietly." She addressed Connor and headed to address Brayden. And Brayden was no where to be found.

Now, mind you, before we set further into this story, I should say that at this point only about 10 minutes has passed during the total event. This means that only about 2 minutes had passed between the time B was sent to "play quietly" and the time my mom went to look for him. Upon not finding Brayden in the playroom I heard my mom say "oh no." Any parent of a preschooler knows that the words "oh no" combined with "quiet playing" are key words for preschool disaster. Unfortunately this time was no different.

My mom happened upon Brayden in my bathroom. In my defense (and my moms), our room is almost always locked so that this sort of thing doesn't happen. I just happened to forget to lock it that morning, luckily (or unluckily, however you decide to look at it) for Brayden.

The next few moments were spent with me finishing up nursing Tyler, all the while hearing my mom get onto Brayden for something that sounded horrendous (I figured he had gotten in the vaseline, or perhaps the lotion). And then I was told of what had happened.

Brayden had gotten into the matches.

Not only had he gotten into the matches, he somehow figured out how to light said matches. And he lit not one, not two, but three matches.

There were singe marks on his shirt.

A few days out and we're all able to laugh about what transpired. But in the moment, we were all a bit (a) scared at how the scenario could have played out very differently, either for Brayden, for our home, or for both, and (b) frustrated because we knew that he knows better than to even step foot in our room without having an adult with him.

The best part of the story is that once things calmed down and we were able to explain to Brayden the dangers of the matches and playing with fire, he looked at me in all seriousness and said "but mom, God saved those guys in the fire" (referring to the Veggie Tales version of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednigo). Oh the mind of a four year old. See also: I can't allow my kid to watch anything anymore. 

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Big Brothers, Meet Baby Brother.

The boys had been looking forward to the day they would meet baby Tyler. In fact, when I went into labor and we told Brayden it was time for me to go to the hospital and have Tyler, he threw his hands up in the air and let out a loud "YESSS!" haha! If only I could have greeted labor so excitedly ;)

My Uncle and his family brought the boys up to the hospital on Sunday afternoon after naps (a BIG thanks to my cousin, Hannah, who took all of these pictures. I'm so grateful she captured these moments for us!). Brayden was SO excited. Connor kind of acted like Tyler wasn't there, which apparently is common with kids his age and a new sibling (he did request to hold him right before they left).
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so proud in their big brother shirts
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Uncle Paul pinning the boys with their big brother pins from the hospital.
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the boys had picked out a Build a Bear the week before for Tyler. Brayden was so excited to give it to him, but then was so confused when Tyler didn't grab it :)
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Brayden's facial expressions were the best.
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melt. my. heart.
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Connor likes to say "I hold and pet baby Tyler."
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and of course, Tyler had to get some love from the rest of the family too. I love this picture of Tyler with his Great Uncle Paul (and his namesake!).

I'm so appreciative of all of the comments, emails and messages over the past week congratulating us on Tyler. A lot of you have asked how we are holding up... we are doing well, relatively speaking. There are some crazy moments, but all things considered we're doing great. It should be noted that we have an extra set of helping hands this week with my mom, which makes all the difference in the world. I may be singing a different song when her plane takes off next weekend :)

Friday, May 24, 2013

Pre-K3 Graduation.

Last week Brayden's little MDO program had a graduation ceremony for the 3 and 4 year olds. Brayden had been SO excited about it leading up to the program, so I was sure that we'd get a good show.
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Then the program started, and it went down hill pretty fast.
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At first I thought perhaps his OCD nature was coming out in regards to the duct tape markers on the stage (they had names on them).
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After some consoling from Ms. Jenny (whom we have loved!), I finally found out that perhaps it was just a moment of stage fright. Thankfully about halfway through the performances he loosened up a bit.
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At the end of the ceremony one of his teachers handed out a certificate of completion (the 4 year olds got diplomas and came in in little graduation hats and gowns-- it was adorable!).
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Brayden, we are so proud of all that you have learned this year. You continue to amaze us with how quickly you pick things up, and make us so proud when you come home to show us something new you've learned. We love you so much and look forward to many more milestones with you sweet boy!

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Newborn Goodness.

My brain has officially conformed to the consistency of mush. At least that's what I am telling myself since every time I sit down to type out my labor story (which is incredibly long, even though it was my shortest labor by far) I stare blankly at the screen. Having consistent nights of less than 5 total hours of sleep will do that to a brain... or so I've heard. I promise one day soon I'll have things on here other than my squishy cute newborn baby... but for now, we'll all have to deal (although I'm pretty sure no one's complaining...).
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he rocks a double chin well I'd say.
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My friend Laura makes custom crocheted hats, and made this one especially for Tyler. You can find her on Facebook HERE if you're interested. Thank you, Laura, for the hat! We love it!

I have plenty more pictures, but not a lot of time to sift through and edit, as you can well imagine. I'm working on getting to the pics when I get a moment here and there, and hopefully soon I can blog about my labor story, which is quite the story if I do say so myself! 

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Introducing Mr. Tyler Paul.

If you follow me on facebook and twitter, then you probably already know that we welcomed baby Tyler into the world early this morning. He weighs 6lbs 15oz and is 19.5in long. He. Is. Perfect.
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We're all a little tired, but that's too be expected after a day of laboring and a late night/early morning delivery.
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But I wouldn't have it any other way. I feel so incredibly blessed and grateful for this sweet little life that God has entrusted us with.

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We're hoping to be discharged from the hospital sometime tomorrow. Once we get settled in at home I'll have more pictures and stories on Tyler's grand entrance into the world. For now, you can just be like me and stare at him all day long ;)

Friday, May 17, 2013

Last Day of Preschool

(Technically the boys still have 1 day of school left, but since we're in a ready and waiting mode for baby Tyler's arrival, I figured I'd take pictures on their second to last day of school just to be safe). 

When we moved last year, one of the things I was semi-concerned about was the preschool the boys would attend for MDO. We were too far away from the school they had attended for 2 years, but most of the pre-K MDO programs that were close to us were astronomically expensive. I was so thankful to get a recommendation from a blog friend of mine. That recommendation has turned out to be one of the biggest blessings over this past school year. It's so crazy to me how much the boys have changed over the past year... especially Connor! Here we come summer... ready or not!
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(Totally unintentional that Connor is wearing the same shirt... ha!)
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