Week 40

Week 40 (August 22)

just popping in to say HEY!

Funny how things change, just like that!

The Big Arrival!

Well, I had a post in my drafts for week 39, which I started last Tuesday. Funny enough, life got in the way and I never got to finish the post and actually didn't have a reason to. Our second little pumpkin decided it was TIME TO GO in the very early hours of Wednesday August 13, giving us a story that I'm not sure will ever get old.

Before we get to that.... IT'S A GIRL!  (hehe, most of you already know that anyway!) but I had to make the grand announcement, just like I did with her big sister!

Allison Leigh - "Allie", born at 4:50am on August 13, 2014.
Weighed in at 7 lb, 7 oz and 19.5 inches long.   (Anna was 7 lb, 6oz and also 19.5in!)

So back to the crazy story surrounding Allie's arrival.  (Long tale ahead... shocker!)

My last day of work was Friday the 8th. All weekend we did "chores" and I got to go to the beach for a while Sunday which was awesome (my maternity suit no longer fit and I had to wear a bikini... with tank over it for everyone else's sake!) Monday Anna and I had a day together - we went to the park, played, watched movies and enjoyed being together. I was feeling "weird" - just not 100% anymore and I was chalking it up to doing too much (cleaning, laundry, general activity). My back hurt, I was having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions and I just felt 'off'. When I put Anna to bed that night, I tried to savor every moment thinking it could be our last 1 on 1 night together.. ever. But, spoiler alert! It wasn't. We all woke up Tuesday and went on our merry ways. I should also note that Doug started his new job in the city on Monday morning so that added to the "stress" of feeling weird and being home alone, but I was staying busy. Anna went to Miss Sandy, Doug to the city and I went on to run about 100 errands before noon. 

I sent this pic to Lisa from the mall joking, "do these mirrors make my stomach look big?" 

I had this "panic" (being sarcastic) about not having a baby book for 2.0 yet and so on Tuesday I went to Buy Buy Baby and got one. I joked that night about "Well, we can have the baby now, I got a baby book!" (I was concerned with not getting the footprints in the hospital like we did with Anna)

The rest of Tuesday was uneventful. I napped, I watched Dirty Dancing, I did some baby laundry. I felt "weirder". I went to Stop and Shop on my way to get Anna to grab a couple things for dinner and while I was there I felt a gush of something but chalked it up to "the end of pregnancy is weird" because it never continued or felt like "WOAH this is my water breaking!"  I went home, made dinner, hung out, put Anna to bed. Also I should note, it was not a picturesque "last moment" either - she didn't want bedtime routine to end and fought me and then screamed and cried when I left. I jumped in the shower to not feel bad about hearing her cry. (it lasts 1 minute before she says screw it and lays down)

About 1:45am I woke up to pee and when I got back in bed I was still awake, just laying there. About 2:15 I felt something that felt like maybe, possibly a contraction. My back had been killing me for a couple days so it all felt related to that. But they continued. After a while of timing them, I couldn't deny this anymore and knew I had to wake up Doug. His response "Are you kidding me?" NOPE. So my only thought then was two-fold - 1. Who was going to come watch Anna and 2. I did not have my bag ready to go AT ALL.  After throwing some crap together I said "I want my mommy!" and he called his parents to come to the house, so my mom could go to the hospital. I called my doctor and he said to head on over, this was about 4am.  Doug's parents arrived at 4:15 and at this point I was ready to leave Anna home alone while they made their way over. I was concerned I suddenly had waited too long. (Literally in the span of 20 minutes)

We jumped in the car, I called my mom at 4:20 and told her I was going to die and the 2 minute car ride to the hospital felt like an eternity. By the time we got into the hospital and I was in a wheelchair going upstairs, I was sure I was going to die. I couldn't breathe, my legs were tingling and I couldn't control it. Doug was parking the car and I felt so scared I wanted to cry. They wanted me to get undressed and put on a gown and I couldn't stand or move my legs or body. By the time they got me into the bed it was 4:30 and I was wailing. Literally... screaming. Doug is telling me to calm down and it'll be okay. The nurse is telling me I need to breathe (just like on TV - hee hee hee hooooo) but all I could do was scream through each contraction, which were coming every 30 seconds it felt like.  The nurse was tough but she was getting me through it. She was putting in my IV and trying to take blood while telling me to "hold still". HILARIOUS lady. I could barely focus but somehow I sat still while she did that.  The bracelet for the blood draw said "4:40 am"

Meanwhile in the middle of this, the anesthesiologist came in and is trying to ask all these questions about my medical history and Doug is trying to answer while I am trying to break Doug's hand. If I could have spoken I would have said "You are wasting your time go back to bed" but all I did was scream. I keep yelling how scared I am and by now I am sweating like crazy. The nurse tells me to wait for my doctor but I told her nope, I am pushing now, the end. And push I did. A couple times and BOOM... a baby. Right there on the bed. The nurses were scrambling about preparing for this birth happening right before their eyes, without a doctor and in all the chaos, no one said "It's a GIRL!", the nurse only said "4:50am" and at this point I am so happy it's over that I just kind of lay there for a minute before asking Doug - "So??" And we realize no one has said anything. He says "A girl...." a little forlornly but nonetheless happy she was okay. She was crying but wasn't intense about it and I kept asking is she okay, is she okay followed by "SISTERS! SISTERS DOUG!"  I couldn't get over the fact that they get to be sisters. I loved it and still do.

the only picture from the whole 20 minute experience!
I yelled "Wait! A picture!"

Under 100 warm blankets as I couldn't stop shaking!
Little pink hat is Allie

Since Allie was born so quickly, she had some goop in her lungs that they had to do an extra good job suctioning out before I could hold her. She was fine and right next to me on the warming table but it still felt weird. After about 5 or 10 minutes my doctor arrived and did his thing.. and he didn't even seem embarrassed that he missed it! He told us he fell back to sleep after my call!! And then got stuck at the train in Red Bank. I don't know if it would have mattered to be honest, it's not like he was 2 minutes behind - it was at least 10. 

I got to hold her for a while and come down from that crazy ride I was just on before my parents came inside to meet her. Shortly after, they whisked Allie away for measuring and testing, etc. in the nursery and Doug was gone with her. HOURS were going by - they needed her body temp to come up on its own before they could bathe her and then it needed to come back up after bath before I could have her back. They took her at 6:20 and I didn't see her again till 9! It was awful. 10 minutes of pushing, have a baby, take her away... it messes with you! Almost like nothing even happened. Thankfully Doug was excellent at being our advocate and kept checking on her and making sure the nurses knew we were anxious to have her back. By the time she returned she was PASSED OUT. Birthing is hard business. 

finally coming back to us!

As for me, I felt great. I couldn't believe what had happened. I was so terrified about giving birth without drugs and it turned out to be such a blessing. I felt good, I looked good (so everyone said), I felt much more calm. All told, it was about 3 hours from beginning of contractions to baby in our arms. How is that even possible?

After we had moved to our hospital room and got settled, we were ready to see Anna. By now it was about 11am and I knew we had to see her before her nap or else it wouldn't be until 5pm, which would make the day very long (especially for me, being that I'd been up since 1:45am) Also different this time around, I was able to get up and use the bathroom within an hour of having the baby - on my own 2 legs and really without help. We wanted our first interaction with Anna and Allie to be a quiet one, so it was just the 4 of us in the hospital room. We had Allie in the bassinet and Anna came running in to see me, jumped immediately into my bed and got under the covers saying she was so happy to see me. After a couple of minutes of snuggling, she noticed the baby and I thought it was time to introduce them. She was SO excited and happy to see her, hug her and kiss her - she automatically went into big sister mode. It was amazing and somehow didn't make me cry (no idea!)  We all snuggled, hung out, and enjoyed the time together before Doug's parents came in to take Anna to the park and then back home for a nap. Thankfully she didn't put up a huge fight when it came time to leave and I didn't even cry (again, not sure)  I was so glad to have that time together and the moment far exceeded all my expectations. 

Me and my BIG girl

sisters, meeting for the first time

DePerry, party of 4
aka "Doug and the girls"
aka Lord help us

The rest of the time in the hospital was pretty relaxing, to be honest. Doug and I got to spend some quiet time together, watch bad TV, snuggle with a new baby, be taken care of by (mostly) nice nurses, rest and eat delicious food (MIKE'S SUBS! Also, hilarious side note, when I went into labor one of the first things I said to Doug was "It's Wednesday"... "So?".... "I can have Mike's later!!" - they are closed Mondays and that was the day Anna was born!)  My doctor told me I could go home on Thursday but we wisely decided on more night in the hospital was a good idea. I was starting to feel like a prisoner, unable to do much of anything and not able to get outside when it was absolutely gorgeous, but it was only 2 days - really not the end of the world. Anna spent 2 nights with my parents and one day at Miss Sandy's - my mom stayed home from work Friday and once we were settled in with Allie, she brought Anna home. That reunion was a little teary as Anna had woken up super early and was over-ready for a nap, but after that she was just fine. 

Me and the most delicious sub of all time

Doug, his beer and blow-up mattress... in the hospital. 

Me and my new little lady

"I'm the big sister now!"

Since then we have been trying to find our new normal. Doug is off from work until Sept 2, which is absolutely amazing. His new company gives 8 weeks of paternity leave, but you have to take it in a minimum of 2 week increments. I love this policy. He obviously can't take 8 weeks right now, nor does he need to - but the 2 weeks for easing on into life with 2 kids is a GOD SEND and I am so happy to have him around. Anna is going to daycare on her normal schedule, which is really good for her too. She loves playing with her friends and needs that normalcy to help keep things a little bit status quo. As for me and Allie? We are learning to breastfeed together, we rest and relax, she does a lot of sleeping, I have been organizing and doing laundry and crossing things off my to-do list. Oh and eating a lot. I am SO HUNGRY, all the time. 

Because I am super paranoid about things, I won't say much about her temperament or sleeping habits as of yet. It's only been 9 days, after all. Can you believe that today was my due date?? (Well I think it turns out my doctor was going with Aug 20 all along, but what does it matter at this point)

Sister love

All day, every day

wearing an Anna hand-me-down and looking SO cute

"I hold baby Allie now?? OKAY!"

crushing love, better than anger!

So that's where we are today. One day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time.  But this time around I know "the days are long but the years are short" and to really savor each day, as Allie will never be 9 days old again, Anna will never be 2.75 years old again, these days will all be just a memory soon enough.  AH, there you are tears.

If you stuck around to read my whole diatribe, good for you! 

Here's a hilarious chubby baby close-up as a prize

That chubby baby is up to 7lbs, 9 oz at her one week check-up - gaining back past her birth weight! (She left the hospital at 6lb, 15 oz). We're doing it baby, keep up the good work!  We think she looks like Anna but still a little bit TBD. She has her eyes closed a lot at this point, but when they are open they are blue-gray and busy taking in everything she can. 

More to come :)

Weeks 37 and 38

Week 37 (August 1)

Remaining work wardrobe has a lot of black

Well, here we are in the home stretch huh? Something about 37 weeks sounds so...close. Whereas 36 weeks was just another number. Funny how my brain works (shutup Doug).  This week has been sort of a rough one. Doug has been gone to California Sunday night to Saturday early morning, Anna has been sick... which then got Doug sick, then  I got sick. Making this pregnancy even MORE fun at this stage. I started off this pregnancy with a super cold that turned sinus infection and now I'll end with a minor cold. It's supremely frustrating that you can't really do much to battle a cold when pregnant, but with good reason I suppose (baby health and all that...) I just always rely on Zicam to help kick a cold to the curb before it gets full-blown and that is not an 'approved' pregnancy cold remedy. Things I can do:  whine, feel crappy, use the Neti-pot (which is hard when you are super stuffy.. doesn't help), take Tylenol (HA... bring on the Advil PLEEEASE), take Robitussin if I need to - which at this point, I don't, and that's about it.  SO, I persevere. All I know is that I don't want to be sick for my birthday!

Status Updates:
Feeling HUGE. I think my belly grew 2 sizes this week.
Nursery:  ehh, a little closer to being 'done'... at least enough that I feel less stressed. Carpet down and looks & feels perfect. Moulding painted and ready to be nailed in.. whenever Doug returns to NJ. Furniture ready to be put together, maybe next week?
Anna:  talks about "baby brother or sister come soon!" but still is really clueless as to the whole 'actual baby coming home' thing. This will be an adventure, for sure.
Work:  As of 8/1 I have only 4 more days of work. How on Earth did we get to this point already??? Definitely does not feel real. I have barely 'trained' the woman replacing me and have no idea what to expect from her once I'm gone. I guess it'll be what it'll be... no one else seems to care.
My bod: CRAZY sciatica pains this week! Insane shooting nerve sensations down my legs and butt. This kid is definitely strong and hurts in there!! A foot or knee or elbow poking out of my right side pretty frequently, makes my belly shape all out of whack!
Doctor appointment update: everything is going well. Blood pressure still low/steady, baby's heartrate at 148bpm + bonus hiccups during exam which was funny, I am Group B Strep NEGATIVE yahoooo (just means no antibiotics before and after birth, which I had to do last time since it was positive), oh and I am 2cm dilated and 80% effaced.  HA. The doctor is a funny guy - says "Well, it'll be sooner rather than later! Maybe this weekend, I'm on-call, I would love to see you!"....... I said YOU BITE YOUR TONGUE!
Next appointment on August 8... also my last day of work for 2014!

As we're getting closer - make your prediction if you haven't yet!!  I promise the closest guess will get a special prize:
Baby D 2.0



Week 38 (August 8)

Last work bathroom shot

Had to make it a good one!

So here we are, with my last work post for this pregnancy. When I think of my "work life" coming to an end for a while, I certainly have mixed feelings. While it will be nice to have a little time to myself before the baby comes, I can't believe it's HERE already. This time around has been a little less "stressful", I guess. The woman replacing me already worked here and is smart and capable... and so it feels like between her and Ken, no one is really concerned with her doing my actual job. She's still doing tons of work for other people and is very independent - doesn't pro-actively seek any help with anything, so I am concerned. BUT it is no longer my issue, and they will have to work through any bumps together from here on out. After tying up loose ends all week, I've done what I can. I guess the rest will just be trial and error, I suppose. At least this time I don't necessarily feel like everything will be destroyed when I come back (HAHAHA famous last words, right?)

I am BIG. My right hand is more numb every day (some days worse than others). I have to sleep mostly sitting upright as it feels the most comfortable for my belly and heartburn. I am now in a pillow fortress like I was much earlier on last time, so sleeping without Doug has actually been okay so I don't feel like I'm taking over the whole bed. It won't be much longer but it's still hard for both of us to get comfortable now.

I get plenty of Braxton-Hicks contractions (all for practice) and while they are annoying, that's pretty much all they are. I can tell I have one because suddenly it'll feel a little hard to take a deep breath and then when I feel my belly it is surely hard as a rock.

Doctors Appointment Update:  Nothing new to report. Quick and easy visit. Blood pressure good, heart rate good and steady, still at 2cm.
Next Appointment:  August 15

I have been checking off little things for the new DePerry. Had Doug digging out baby stuff whose location I was unaware of. The curtains are hemmed and hung (and perfect!). Have added more things to my hospital bag (toiletries, pacifiers for baby) but should definitely make a list of things left to add. That helped my nerves AND helped when we were throwing stuff in before leaving for the hospital last time. It's like packing for a trip and you don't know when you're leaving. How can you put in your face lotion if you'll still need it for 2 weeks? But what if you need to leave tomorrow??

OH and I finally found a chair that'll work perfectly and wasn't $1000. It glides, reclines and has a footrest. To top it off, I love the design! The baby will likely beat it here (I ordered it from zulily, which is notorious for the worlds slowest shipping, so we'll see!)  Actually, as of today it is scheduled to be delivered MONDAY! Yay!

beautiful, lovely, perfect new chair. I hope it's comfy!!

Baby countdown...... 14 days!
Bring on the maternity leave!!


38 weeks with Anna

The Month of August

In the next 30 days....

I will celebrate my 32nd birthday
Doug will travel to Las Vegas for a whole week, again.
I'll get my hair done for the last time before birth (a necessity ;)
I will have my last day of work for 2014
We will celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday
I will FINISH the baby's room and finally feel marginally prepared
Doug will start commuting back into the city for his new job
I will have this baby and the mystery of "boy or girl" will be solved!
I will eat an enormous super sub from Mike's and will not share 1 single bite with anyone
Anna will become a big sister (let the real fun begin)
We will be a family of 4 (weird)
We will stop sleeping like normal humans
We will learn to survive, all over again
We will get to see Auntie Christina when she makes a spectacular visit home!
We will celebrate 6 years of marriage (where does the time go? ;)
I will take an alarming amount of Advil, just because I can
We will enjoy the end of summer.... and the beginning of a new chapter in our lives!


HERE'S TO AUGUST.... you crazy, ridiculous month!

OH, and NO MORE BELLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!