Sylvia's 1st month

Sweetie baby, how we love you!

Looks like we may have another thumb-sucker!

Beautiful girl!

Now we are FOUR!

Thank you Gram, for staying to help us for 3 weeks!!

Annah tried hard to convince her..."Gram, you need to stay!"

Sweet Sylvia

Trying for a new normal

We've been told in the past that people don't usually get gifts for a second baby, except maybe if the baby is the opposite sex of the first child.   Well, we would definitely have to say that is not true in our case.  We are amazed by the generosity and thoughtfulness of our family and friends once more!   Sylvia (and Annah!) have received so many nice presents in the past month, we can't believe it!  Just yesterday, three more packages came!  People have called, written, e-mailed, and stopped by every day since Sylvia was born.  People from our church brought us incredible  dinners for the first 7 days after we came home from the hospital.  We are overwhelmed by how loved we feel, and we are so grateful to you all!  Thank you for thinking of us and showing us how much you care!   Words can't even express how much we appreciate it.
     
My Mom was finally able to leave this morning.   She was here almost 23 days!  That is a long time to be away from home!   She did so much to help us while she was here, and we miss her already.  Annah is going to go through some serious "Gram withdrawal" in the next few days.  Thank you, Mom, for being here for us.   We love you!

Though I'm no longer pregnant, I feel there are still things I want to record that are related to my pregnancy.  (Like, did I ever mention that Jeremy says I snore when I'm pregnant?!)  Maybe I will turn this into a "mommy journal" from here on out.  Hmm...
     
Anyway, I am continuing to feel better each day.  It feels like my episiotomy is mostly healed, and the hemorrhoids are mostly gone--thank the Lord!!   So, my pain is minimal now, except for my tailbone hurting.  I think that started because I was trying not to sit on the other things, and I sat right on the end of my tailbone for too many days!  *sigh*  I still have a little bleeding, but it seems like it will stop completely in the next couple days.  I hope!
     
I am so thankful to my mom for coming to stay with us for so long.  She did everything around the house and with Annah, and I did pretty much nothing for the past 3 weeks, especially at the beginning.  I felt like a bum for not taking care of my own family, but the fact that she did allowed me to recover pretty completely already.  I owe her something big, but I don't even know how to thank her for everything. I hope someday I can be half the mother and wife that she is. 
     
Well, now that Mom has been gone about 2 hours, I am happy to say that I'm not going crazy yet.  I've even managed to get a shower, and do my hair and makeup.  I am feeling pretty good these days, so I am actually anxious to start learning how to be a mother of two.  I'm sure Jeremy is ready for me to start being a real wife again too.  Here goes...

Spoiled

We've officially been spoiled.  My mom is still here.  She tried to leave, but we wouldn't let her!  Actually, she did try to leave last Friday, but a few miles down the road some warning lights came on in her car.   She took her car to the dealer in town, and they said it needs a new alternator.   Since her car is leased, only a genuine GM part can be put in it.  Of course, there weren't any in the  area, so one had to be ordered straight from Detroit.   She was told it would be here by today.  

Yesterday the dealer called and said that part was lost on its way here, so they found one near Chicago.  There's a chance they'll get it today and be able to finish installing it, but it looks like Gram will be here at least until tomorrow.  We love having her here, and she's been here 3 weeks now.  We know she's anxious to get home though.  Hopefully she's not too sick of us, and she will still want to come back and visit us sometime!
     

Yesterday was Jeremy's 5-year anniversary with SF!   He has also scheduled his last C.L.U. exam!  We may be going to Hawaii yet!  Our hotel reservations are made anyway! ;)
     

I am continuing to recover well.  I have more energy every day, and the pain is getting better too.  I'm worried about how I'm going to be able to manage everything once Mom leaves though!
     

Annah's potty training is going a little better the past couple days.  If we set a timer, she knows she has to go when it goes off.  She's kind of like Pavlov's dogs though, in that sometimes when it goes off, she just goes right where she's standing and doesn't always make it to the potty chair!
     

Sylvia is doing beautifully.  Sometimes she has a little cranky time just before bedtime, but it doesn't usually last long.  Last night she only woke up at 1:30 and 5:30 to eat. And, she slept in the cradle (instead of our bed) until 5:30 too.  Over the weekend, Sylvia started to smile in response to sounds and faces.  She's also making some cooing sounds now.  And, she can see well enough to watch the mobile when she's in her crib too.  She's changing so quickly!

2 weeks old

     Sylvia had her 2 week well-baby visit today.  Mom and I took the girls, and even with her help, we were still 20 minutes late.   I forgot that there are TWO  kids now, and I need to allow twice as long  for everything! ;)   Anyhow, Sylvia's appointment went very well.  She weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces--a whole pound more than her birth weight already!  Guess that good ol' breastmilk really is "liquid gold"!  She measured 21 1/2 inches long too.  
     

Mom picked out a pretty cream color of paint and she and I started painting Sylvia's room yesterday. It's looking really nice so far!

     

There is another new addition to the McEowen family... Welcome to Travis and Erin's new puppy--Tiller!  We're looking forward to meeting him--or at least seeing pictures soon! 

Mystery gift

     Someone was very kind to give us the Evenflo Angel Comfort Bath from our Target Registry for Sylvia.  It came by UPS today.  But, there was no information included as to who sent it.  If you sent this very nice gift, could you please send us an e-mail so we know who to thank?  Thank you!

     

Sylvia is doing very well.  She's sleeping a few hours at a time in the night now, and a lot during the day too.  Annah's potty training is backsliding, but we're still working on it.  I am starting to feel better, but still taking it easy.  Jeremy is still at home and helping out a lot.  My mom is keeping up with Annah, the laundry, the dishes, getting groceries, and is also making warm-window shades for Jeremy's and my bedroom.  She is a definitely life-saver this week!

     

People from our church have been bringing us dinner every night.   We feel so loved and we appreciate it so much!  Man, there are some good cooks at our church!

Hmmm, Annah looks a little like her Daddy, huh?

We LOVE having Gram here!!

Pain, Adjustments, and Joy

I'm thankful that each day I am feeling a little better.  On Sunday night, the pain was so bad that I pretty much cried myself to sleep until the pain medicine kicked in.  Not only does my episiotomy hurt and sometimes burn, but my "little problem" that started a month or so ago (okay, it's hemorrhoids...it's there on the Internet forever and for all to see) is about 100 times worse now after delivery.  Before it was just one little one, and the pain was so bad.  Now it is many and was quite unbearable for a few days.  It is slowly starting to get better, though I'm sure I have a long way to go.

    

Today we are getting a little closer to getting on track with the nursing thing.  I have so much milk, I have been constantly engorged. But the past few days have been hard.  My milk actually started coming in while I was still in the hospital.  So the past few days, I have had so much milk that Sylvia couldn't keep up.  She actually gagged a few times because it was coming out faster than she could swallow!  By night time, I was so engorged and in pain that I had to pump.  I was afraid I was going to get mastitis or some kind of infection.  I pumped  about 10 ounces after feeding Sylvia!  Hopefully, we're getting it figured out now.

     

Sylvia is a very good baby so far.  (Not that there is such a thing as a bad baby!)  She sleeps most of the time--day and night, but is very alert when she is awake.  She seems to see better than I would think a newborn could, and her neck is very strong too.  She doesn't cry much, except a little bit when she needs something or is bothered by something.  We are in awe by how much she looks like Annah did when she was a baby.  Yet, at the same time, she looks different.  It will be interesting to see how much they look alike as they grow.

Jeremy took Annah on a date to Rising Stars Academy, where they could just play and play!

Sylvia's Arrival Story

Last Tuesday (March 4), as I wrote, I was feeling pretty icky all day.  Mom arrived just before supper time.  I made broccoli & cauliflower soup and ate 2 bowls full.  All day long, I had lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, and they continued into the evening and night.  

I woke up somewhere in the 12 o'clock hour because I heard the rain and sleet coming down and sticking to the windows.  I could tell it was getting treacherous outside.  Around 12:45 I half woke up and went to the bathroom.  The contractions were feeling a little different then, but I assumed they were still Braxton Hicks--just maybe combined with some gas pain from all the broccoli & cauliflower soup, even though I had taken several TUMS just after I ate.  I went back to bed and tried to sleep some more.  I got up again about an hour later (still trying to stay asleep) and went to the bathroom again.  The contractions were pretty uncomfortable, but I still didn't think it was labor.  I tried hard to get back to sleep.  At about 2:45, I forced myself to wake up.  I went to the bathroom again, and thought that maybe the contractions were real.  Even after moving around they didn't stop, as Braxton Hicks should.  So, I started timing them.  They were five minutes apart!  

     

I woke Jeremy up and told him I thought I was having real contractions.  He asked if he should start loading the car.  I told him to wait a few minutes for a couple more contractions.  They kept coming, so he got up and packed the car.  I got some more things around and kept going to the bathroom about every few minutes.  The contractions continued to get stronger and more painful.   I really was in labor!      

     

Jeremy woke my mom up and told her we were heading to the hospital.  I went in and picked Annah up.  I told her that Daddy and I were going to the hospital because the baby was coming and would be born very soon.  She didn't wake up at all, but I held her for a few minutes and cried.  I didn't want to put her down, but I didn't want to wake her up either.  I gave her lots of kisses and headed downstairs.  I could hear Jeremy actually chipping the sheet of ice off the car.  It took him probably almost half an hour.   It was a mess outside. 

     

By the time we were ready to leave, my contractions were BIG and less than 5 minutes apart.  Mom had gotten up and we were talking in the kitchen.   Just as we were leaving (at about 4:00 a.m.) she called Dad to let him know I was in labor and heading to the hospital.  The roads were horrendous!  It was pretty scary, but Jeremy is an excellent driver, thank goodness.  And, there wasn't much traffic.  We did have to pass a truck on Rt. 9 that was going incredibly slow.   I told Jeremy that they were probably going to call the cops on us, but hey, we were having a baby!  My contractions were coming so closely and intensely that I really was afraid we weren't going to make it to the hospital.  We got there around 4:30 a.m. though.  

     

We drove up to the Emergency entrance and Jeremy helped me inside and into a wheel chair.  The security guard let us in and a lady took my info and called up to Obstetrics.  Jeremy went back out and  moved the car into 2 hour parking.  He came back with our bags just as the nurse showed up to get me.  

     

When we to Obstetrics, I asked if the room with the tub was available, and they said it wasn't.  Actually, all the labor & delivery rooms were full except one!  The one we got was very big, and I didn't mind not being able to have the tub.  We met our nurse, Jennifer, and she gave me the lovely hospital gown and asked me to do a urine sample.  I had gone so many times at home, I could only get a few drops though.  But, I did start bleeding then.  My water still hadn't broken though.

     

I got in bed, and Jennifer started doing my paperwork, asking me all kinds of questions about my pregnancy and previous pregnancy & delivery.  She didn't bother to check to see how far I was dilated, but I was still having really big contractions.  After a while of lying in bed though, they started to space out a little bit.  But, it took her probably at least 45 minutes to an hour to get all my information!  Agh!  

     

While the nurse was getting my info, Jeremy called his Dad and told him we were in labor and at the hospital.  He said his dad seemed very emotional and started to cry as he hung up.  Jeremy then called and left a message for my dad to let him know we'd made it to the hospital safely despite the ice on the roads.  

     

On the way to the hospital, I had asked Jeremy if he would be upset with or disappointed in my if I decided to have an epidural.  He said he wouldn't be, but I knew he really did not want me to have one.   He had expressed his worry about the risks involved with messing around with anything in the spinal area, and said he would never let anyone near his spine with a needle, unless it was absolutely necessary.  I knew he felt strongly against it.   But, I was so exhausted already and I wanted to be alert and a part of everything going on while I was in labor.  Plus, my doctor had strongly recommended I have an epidural because of my tailbone and cervix position.  She said both put me at high risk for needing an emergency C-section.  And, she said having an epidural would help relax and thin the cervix, plus help me to have an easier labor.  I had talked to a lot of people who have had both completely natural births and with epidural, and all of them had given me multiple reasons it was better with an epidural.  So, I had pretty much decided on the way to the hospital that I was going to go ahead and have one.

     

So, after the hour-long information collecting process, the nurse finally decided to do a vaginal exam!  She was shocked to discover I was already more than 7 centimeters dilated and almost fully effaced!  I wasn't; I could have told her that!  I knew the contractions I'd been having for the past 2 hours were the big ones!  So, she asked if I still wanted the epidural.  I told her yes, and asked her how long it would be.  She said they had to get my IV going and run a full liter of fluids through me before the epidural could be administered.  (At that time, I was really wishing they had hooked the IV up when I got there!)  But, she did it right away, and called the anesthesiologist.  He came in soon, and started making his preparations.  

     

I had to sit on the side of the bed with my feet hanging down, my back arched over, and my head down.  The nurse stood on my right, and Jeremy on my left holding my hand.  The anesthesiologist sat in a chair behind the bed where I couldn't see him or his big scary needles and other equipment.  Jeremy said he saw the needle (and it was HUGE), but he didn't watch the actual process.  The doctor told him at one point that he might not want to watch, but he wasn't watching anyway.   

     

I knew I needed to hold very still.  I also knew that my contractions were so close together that I was bound to have one while he was putting the epidural in.  And, I did.  I remember the doctor telling me I would just feel al little stick, which I assumed was the needle going in.  And, then he said I would just feel pressure, which I did.  I don't even know what all he was doing or putting in my back, which I think is a good thing.  The administering of the epidural itself didn't hurt, but the having the contraction and knowing I couldn't move was very difficult.   But I kept my head down, my eyes closed, and squeezed the heck out of Jeremy's hand.  He was a very good coach all the way to the hospital and through all the contractions.  He kept reminding me to relax and breathe slowly, and gave lots of encouragement.  

     

When the contraction during the epidural was over, Jeremy let go of my hand, so I looked up.  Just as I looked up, I saw him backing up into a red plastic haz-mat trash can.  He hit his head on it, then fell to the floor, and was out cold!  It took me a few seconds to realize that he had passed out; he went so fast none of us saw it coming or could do anything to stop him.  Since I'd had my eyes closed, I didn't notice him looking unusual.  I was scared, and started to cry a little.  A nurse (or maybe two?) heard the crash of the trash can from down the hall and came running in, and Jennifer stepped over to help him too.  They got the smelling salts out, and he came to in less than a minute.  But, when they asked Jeremy questions, he didn't answer, and he kept closing his eyes.  I asked if he was going to be okay, and they assured me he would.  The anesthesiologist seemed really concerned because he saw how he went down and thought he might have really hurt his head or neck.  He told the nurses not to move him until they were sure his neck was okay.   I was really scared because Jeremy wasn't talking or moving.  After a few minutes, he sort of started responding to their questions, and he told them his neck was fine but he thought the back of his head might be bleeding.  At one point, while he was still lying on the floor, he put one ankle up on his knee and started shaking his foot.  Then, I knew he was okay.  When they were sure he was okay to move, they got him into a wheel chair.  

     

Once I saw his face, I could tell he was just mad at himself then, and that's why he wasn't talking.  He didn't look good though.  The nurses wheeled him down to the Emergency Room, where they checked him out.  They thought he should have a CAT scan, but when the doctor saw and talked to him, he said he was coherent and didn't need one, although he did have a minor concussion.  Thankfully, he hit that trash can, because if he had just hit the floor full force, he would have been really hurt.  Anyway, he walked back up to the delivery room, and came in looking really green. 

     

I felt terrible, and like it was all my fault.  I knew he didn't want me to have the epidural, and that he was really worried about it, but I did it anyway.  He said he was just so worried standing there thinking about all that could go wrong if I moved while that needle was going in, or if the doctor made a mistake, how I could be paralyzed.  And, then when I had the contraction during, he was watching the monitor and it looked like it was the biggest contraction I'd ever had.  All of his worries just kind of surged in on him at once, and that's what made him pass out.

     

Thankfully, Jeremy is a strong person, and he really wanted to be there for me during the rest of the labor and delivery.  After looking at him though, I thought he was going to have to sit in a chair for the rest of the experience.   But, once things got going again, he popped right up and supported me and watched it all happen.

     

While Jeremy was down in the E.R., I told the nurse I felt like I had to go to the bathroom.  She tried putting in a catheter, but had trouble getting it to stay in.  During the time all this was going on, Jennifer's shift was up, and a new nurse, Megan, came on.  She helped get the catheter in quickly.

     

After a while, Dr. W came in and examined me, and broke my water.   She said she had another lady to deliver (1st baby) down the hall, so she would be back and forth.  She said she figured I would deliver first, but she went back to check on the other.  (She ended up delivering first, though it wasn't long before I did too.)  I could feel the baby moving down quickly, with each contraction.  I knew it was getting closer!

     

The epidural actually kicked in really quick, and a few contractions after I got it, they weren't hurting anymore.  So, I was able to relax and sit and talk with Jeremy while we waited.  After a bit, Megan checked me again and said I still had a little "lip" of my cervix that was not effaced, but I was fully dilated.  Dr. W came back soon and noticed the same.  She asked if I had been feeling my contractions.  I hadn't really been tryingto feel them, since that was kind of the point of having the epidural, but I told her I had been feeling them a little.  (The nice thing about the kind of epidural I had was that I actually did feel everything--except the pain.  I could feel my limbs, though they were numb, and the contractions, though they didn't hurt.)  Dr. W continued to examine me kind of "roughly"--I think to try and bring on another contraction.  That she did--a big one!  She had turned away, and I told her I was definitely feeling that one.  She looked at the monitor and said, "I bet you are!"  Then she told me to grab my legs up and PUSH!  I was surprised, because I didn't think it was time to yet.

     

I pushed 4 or more times during that contraction, and the baby moved down into position.  I felt like it was time to keep pushing, but Dr. W stood up and said she would be right back!  She said she had to go make a note about the other delivery she had just done.  I couldn't believe she was walking out of the room!  I thought it was time to get going, and it was.  Before she left, Dr. told me to reach down and she helped me put my hand on baby's head.  She had put up a big mirror too, so I could see.  (It was quite a sight, for sure.  I never thought I'd want to see all that, but it was also really amazing to watch it all happen.)   When Dr. left, Megan could tell I was surprised she left, and she assured me she'd be right back.  I asked her if she thought I was going to have to push for a long time, but she told me no, the baby was going to be born in a few minutes!  I was amazed.

     

Dr. W came back in a couple minutes, and we waited for another contraction.  Jeremy held my right leg and told me what a good job I was doing as I pushed through the rest of the contractions.  I think there were probably about 5 or so more, and I pushed 3 to 6 times (for counts of 8 to 10 each push) during each contraction.  When the baby's head came out, Dr. W said that it had to be a girl because it was such a beautiful face.  (I was still just sure it was a boy though.)  Then, when she came all the way out, and Dr. W said, "It is a girl!" I couldn't believe it!  Jeremy said, "It's a girl!" and I said, "It's a girl?!  It's a girl?!"  I was so shocked and excited!   Jeremy and I both really wanted a girl, and we were absolutely thrilled!

     

I couldn't believe how quickly the actual delivery went, and how little I had to push.  It was so wonderful to be really able to relax and pay attention to what was happening, not to be overcome with incredibly intense pain, and to be alert enough to be amazed when I heard baby's  first cry and my beautiful Sylvia was laid on my tummy where I got to see all of her for the first time!

     

My two labors and deliveries were quite different, and I am happy with how they both went.  I wouldn't do either one differently if I had to do them again.  Both were beautiful and memorable in their own different ways, just like our girls are.

     

Soon after Sylvia was born, the nurse and tech took her under the warmer and did all the things to assess how she was...APGAR, measurements, etcetera.   Jeremy went over and watched a lot of it.  Sylvia cried the entire time.   (Annah, on the other hand didn't make a peep when she was born!)  I remember Dr. W delivering the placenta, though it was so quick I didn't really see it--just a lot of blood.  I did see her stitching up the episiotomy; it seemed like a lot of stitches.  She told me it was smaller than my first, because she could see the scar and it looked like it went all the way to the rectum.  I remember Dr. R telling me that my first was a tiny cut with only one stitch, so I don't know what Dr. W was seeing.   Jeremy said he saw both of them being done, and this second was is definitely bigger.  Judging by the pain, I would have to agree.  While she was stitching me up, the nurse was on the phone telling an anesthesiologist that Dr. W would be there in a couple minutes to do a hysterectomy.  She came to the side of my bed and apologized for having to "run out" so quickly, but she congratulated me, told me Sylvia was just beautiful, and said that I did a great job.  She said she'd check in on me before I went home.

   

I called my mom (11 minutes after Sylvia was born) to tell her the good news, and then we started calling everyone else.  After a while, they wrapped Sylvia up, and Jeremy was able to hold her.  Soon, she was given her first bath.  Jeremy took pictures and video, and Mary (the tech) put a pink bow in her hair when she was all done.  Jeremy carried her over to me, and I nursed her for the first time.  She caught on right away, just like Annah had.  

     

I shivered and shook through my whole labor, and it took me a couple hours afterward to finally stop.  I continued to get 3 bags of fluids through my IV, plus Pitocin.  All of the postpartum rooms were full, so we ended up staying in the delivery room until almost 1:00 p.m.  After Sylvia finished nursing, I ate lunch, and then Mary helped me up to go to the bathroom.  Most of the epidural had worn off, but I was still a little numb.  I made it to the bathroom okay though, despite the fact that when I stood up what looked like it must have been half the blood in my body gushed out of me!  It was a little unnerving.  I got to change gowns then, and my bedding was changed too.

     

Soon after we moved to the postpartum room, we had our first visitor--Julie, whose Kayla was born exactly two weeks before.  She took some pictures of us and sent them to church for them to be put up that night.  We had lots of visitors while we were in the hospital; it seemed almost constantly during visiting hours.  (That was a big change from almost no one visiting us in the hospital in Ohio when Annah was born.)  Rob (who works at the hospital) even visited us while we were still in the delivery room!  Pastor Todd and Kayla visited that afternoon too.   Jeremy went home and brought Mom & Annah in around 5:30 or so, and Carlene visited the first evening too.

     

During my whole pregnancy, one of the things I most looked forward to were the first moments when Annah would meet the baby.  I absolutely couldn't wait to see her reaction.  I had the video camera ready when they got there, and Jeremy carried Annah over to Sylvia's bassinet.  He had told her she had to be very quiet in the hospital.  She looked at Sylvia, and when Jeremy asked her who that was, she said, "Sylvia Claire" barely loud enough to hear.  I got both Annah and Sylvia on my lap, and Annah gave Syliva a kiss.  It was so gentle and sweet.

     

When Mom & Annah came in the next day, Annah wanted to hold Sylvia.  She was so sweet with her.  At one point, Sylvia sneezed, and without any prompting Annah said, "Bless you Sylvia!"  Later, Sylvia was crying a little, and Annah  said, "My sister is crying!"  She climbed up on a chair and looked over her bassinet and told her, "You okay Sylvia; God is looking over you."  I was so touched and amazed.  Later, she told me she wanted to sing to Sylvia.  Mom was holding her at the time, and Annah just walked over to her, stood looking at her, and sang, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."  By the time she finished I had tears streaming down my cheeks.  I know there will be lots of sister fights and hurt between the two of them in the future, but seeing Annah's first reaction to Sylvia was of love made me so happy.

     

The second day in the hospital, Steve B., Kim K., Pastor Scott, and Tanya all visited.  Jeremy stayed overnight on the hard pull-out chair next to me, and neither of us slept very well.  My pain was so bad, I couldn't find a comfortable position any way I laid.  I did feel better after showering, and the nurse and I decided I better switch to Tylenol with Codeine, since the Motrin wasn't quite strong enough.  That made me a little tired and dizzy, but helped the pain.  I took 2 before bed and slept  better the second night.

     

On Friday, Jeremy got up to go to the Men's Prayer Breakfast and then went to work out with Pastor Scott.  Just as I was getting ready to take a shower, Julie came by and we talked for about an hour.  By the time Jeremy got back, I got showered and packed and we finished all the discharge instructions and process, it was after 1:00 when we left.  Annah was napping when we got home, but was excited to see us all when she woke up.

     

Dad arrived later that night, and Travis and Erin too, though they stayed in town and came over the next morning.  People from church started bringing us dinner that night, and every night for the whole week.  We really feel so blessed, so grateful, and so loved!

     

Helpers

     We're working on adjusting... Jeremy and my Mom are running the house.  I'm having a lot of pain, so I'm not good for much these days.  

Gram is working with Annah on potty training, and it is going very well!   She goes on the potty about 1/2 the time already!  Grandmas can work miracles! :)  

Baby Sylvia is doing great.  She's nursing well, and sleeping about 2 hours at a time in the night.  It is such a joy to have two beautiful little girls now!  Hard to believe we're a family of FOUR though! :)

I'm still having a lot of pain, and am very tired and sore.   So, I'm not ready to type up the whole birth story yet.  But, I didn't mention that I did not have to be induced.  I started contractions in the middle of the night on Tuesday.  I am very thankful it happened that way.   There is so much more to tell, but I just can't sit long enough to type it out yet.   I will do it soon though, before I forget details.

     

I'm so thankful my mom is here taking care of me, Annah, the house, and helping with Sylvia.  Jeremy has not gone back to work yet either, so I have lots of help.  Thank goodness!  They are too good to me.

More baby friends

Our BIG congratulations to:
Wes & Kim on the birth of their first baby, a girl, Hayley Brooke, born on March 3!
&
Niki & Russ on the birth of their first baby, a girl, Jenna Nichole, born on March 4!
We celebrate with you!!!

Sylvia's home!

Annah, at home on Sylvia's birth-day, waiting for her little sister to arrive!

Annah wanted to make a cake for Sylvia's birthday.
She and Gram licked the beaters.

Sylvia Claire

Well, I'm not pregnant anymore!  Our beautiful baby girl is here!  

Sylvia Claire Lopshire

 was born on 

Wednesday, March 5, 2003

at: 7:41 AM

Weight: 8 lbs., 7 oz.

Height: 20 in.

 I will try to type up the whole birth story soon and post it here.   I'm still extremely tired and sore, so it may be a little while. :)  I couldn't be happier though!

We praise the Lord for such a beautiful gift, and so many blessings for our family!   Thank you to all of our family and friends who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers!   Keep watching for many more pictures and updated information soon!

Induction Scheduled

Annah is a happy girl, playing in the den today.

I feel pretty icky and blechy today.  I forgot I was going to have to get up early today, and I stayed up until 11:00 last night.  So, even though I slept okay, I woke up tired.  I had several BH contractions just on my way to the doctor's office this morning.

     

My appointment with the doctor turned out kind of how I expected, but was hoping it wouldn't.  I was so glad Jeremy was there with me.  He didn't really need to be, but it made me feel better having him there, and it allowed us to discuss things together.

     

After my exam, Dr. W asked if I still did not want to be induced.   I told her, "If you think it's okay."  She said she couldn't tell me she thinks it's okay.  She said after 38 weeks, nothing good happens, and she feels it is better to induce at that point as long as the cervix is inducible.  She talked for a while about several reasons she felt very strongly that we should go ahead with an induction as soon as possible.  

     

She asked if I had to have forceps or anything for Annah, and I told her no.  She said my tailbone is tipped way down, and that would greatly increase my chances of having a C-section if the baby is too big.  And, I know my cervix is tipped really far back, which adds to that same problem.  These two things really concern me, because I really do not want to have a C-section!  

     

Dr. W said that Jeremy and I should talk while we waited for me to be put on the monitor and decide what we wanted to do about being induced or not.   We discussed it and decided that we would schedule an induction for Thursday or Friday.  

     

I was hooked up to the monitor (for non-stress testing) for about 20 minutes.  The baby's heartrate was between 120's and low 140's except for when it moved--then it was in the 160's.  They said things looked fine, and that I could go home.  We told the nurse that we decided to go ahead and schedule the induction, so she did it for us.  Dr. W said she thinks we're smart for doing so.

     

So, if we don't go in on our own beforehand, we're scheduled to go to the hospital just after midnight on Wednesday (actually Thursday) to be induced.  I guess that means Baby L will be born on March 6.  It's very strange knowing that...although I feel icky enough, I think I could labor on my own before then.