Day 250

When we had Aiden, the people that did the hearing test also took his picture and sent us a free 8x10. They don't do that anymore, so we took our own picture of Rian when we were in the hospital for our hallway.

AJ

Rian

(She would not open her eyes! And we didn't realize til way later that there's a little bit of spit up behind her. This girl threw up SO much when she was a baby.)

Asher

 

Today my baby's three days old! That means he has to wear the official "three days old" jammies. Aiden wore them on his third day and Rebecca, not even knowing, also put my nephew Ryan in them on his third day! So of course, she had to put Jake in them too. I haven't done a side-by-side of all four boys yet, but here's the first three and then Asher.

 

 

 



Day 249

Today my milk came in and we successfully fed, without an insane amount of pain, from each side. So far Asher prefers my left side and only nurses for a few minutes on the right side. Doesn't feel real that we're actually doing this. He's making my dreams come true! (Not like my other kids didn't, but like I've said a million times, everything about this time has been soo different. In the very, very best way.)

I'm tired!

He makes the cutest little sounds, has the sweetest, tiniest cry and smells soo good. I can't get enough of him!

Day 248

Asher and I were both cleared and discharged by our doctors. We just needed to get his hearing test done and we'd be free! With Aiden, we were ready to leave by 9am, we just needed him to poop... which he didn't do until after 5pm. With Rian, we had to wait for the pediatrcian. They do their rotations in the morning and later when the office closes, so both times we didn't get home til evening/night. I was excited to get home during the day! 

We were ready and on our way to start our new life about 11:30. We couldn't wait to take naps!

When we picked up Rian from Steven's parents', we also picked up a  huge bin of clothes from Rebecca's boys. So many clothes! So I did a few loads of laundry, love folding itty bitty clothes again.

From the second Asher came out, Steven said he looked like Aiden. It took me a few hours to see it.

They look exactly alike when they're asleep!

Our first night home, everybody's ready for bed:

I have three kids, omg!

Day 247 (Asher's birth story Pt. 2)

In triage, the nurse checked me and I was 3cm, 80%, -1. (Earlier at my appointment I was 2cm, 60%, -2) She said she was going to call Marsha and see what she said. Marsha wanted me to walk for an hour... not possible. My pain went from okay to not okay, at all, so quick. She called her back and she said she was going to admit me, as soon as a room opened. Ugh! I couldn't wait to get a room and get my epidural.

In the meantime, I signed some paperwork electronically and they started my IV. She was able to give me some pain meds, I was unsure if I wanted anything because I took some with Aiden and it made me sooo loopy. But I was desperate. Honestly, I don't understand how (or why!) women want to do this naturally. No thank you! She gave me something different than what I had the first time and it took the edge off, but only lasted an hour.

Twenty-thirty minutes later, a room opened. She wheeled us out, we got there around 3:15am and she checked me, 6cm. That's what I was when I got my epidural with Rian and after that, things went insanely fast with her. I didn't get totally numb and knew when it was time to push and when I needed to with each contraction. This time, I was SO numb. I didn't like it, I was worried I wouldn't know when to push, but it beat being in pain. That's for sure! I called my mom around 4am and she said she'd be there after she showered (she was going to work afterwards, good thing she works at the hospital!) I tried to get some rest in the meantime, I'd been up all night so far.

An hour later, my mom and sister showed up. I'd felt some pressure by this point. Around 5:15, the nurse came in and said my contractions were going crazy and asked if I was feeling anything. I told her I was feeling some pressure and she checked me: I was complete. She got on the phone and said, "Get in here, it's time." And they started setting everything up. I started crying. I couldn't believe I was about to do this, that it was finally time to meet my mystery baby.

Excited!

Marsha came in right away, I was glad she was going to be in there while I pushed. Apparently the head was practically hanging out! Everybody kept commenting about it. She asked Steven how many pushes he thought it'd take, he said two. Everybody was talking and excited so we missed a few contractions. They were still talking when I told them I felt one and wanted to push. I pushed holding my legs, but they were so heavy so I didn't the next time. She told me I did better when I held them, so I grabbed them again for the last push.

Three pushes (two contractions) later, I peaked down and saw a little squished up face. Out the rest of the baby came and I heard Steven's voice, "It's a boy." and lots and lots of crying from me.

They laid him on my lower belly and we waited for the umbilical cord to stop pulsing before Steven cut it. Then I finally got to hold him!

Love at first sight.

Asher Jeffery

7lbs 9oz, 19 in

(I'm seriously in shock that he's so small!)

Asher: "happy, blessed" and Jeffery after my dad.

Daddy!

My placenta took forever to come out. In the meantime they weighed him and all that, then I wanted him on me skin-to-skin. We stayed like that for awhile, til they wanted to give him a bath and Steven and I were able to eat breakfast. We were exhausted, but in heaven.

Around 9:00-9:30, we were moved to another room. We were left alone for quite a bit of the day, except when the lactation consultant stopped in. She wanted me to keep him skin-to-skin only, which was perfectly fine with me. He finally latched around 1:00- ouch! But pretty amazing since it was my first latch ever, finally with my third baby.

I took a small catnap, but we had family in and out all day so it was hard. It's weird to be so tired, but it not really bother you because you're on such an amazing high. I couldn't stop starting at him, I didn't want to sleep! 

Meeting for the first time!

Love.

We're so in love with our new little guy. It doesn't matter how many times you meet your brand new baby, its truly the most amazing feeling in the world. He spent the night in my arms and we continued to work on his latch, which he seemed to be doing just fine. If I could only get past the pain!

Every single thing about this pregnancy, and now birth, have been totally opposite of my first two experiences. A non-induced baby, born on his due date! I'm so in love with him!

Welcome to the world, Asher.

Day 246 (Asher's birth story Pt 1.)

This morning I had a baby appointment. I saw the other midwife, Julie, since Marsha had a really busy schedule. I don't really care by this point anyway. Marsha introduced me to Julie last week, they alternate being on-call every two days, so I was happy I got to see her today in case she delivers me.

I haven't progressed, boo. But she swept my membranes and there was blood. I had it done for sure once with Aiden, can't remember if they did it twice, and last week. There's never been blood. She said the same thing Marsha did about Baby's size, she guesses 7 1/2 pounds. She had me make an appointment for next week, but said she was certain I wouldn't be back. I'd been told that with both the other kids too, at like 38-39 weeks. So I didn't believe her!

I spotted and cramped off and on all day. I packed a bag for the kids while we'd be in the hospital.

Around 7:00 pm, I had my first contraction. The boys were watching Top Gear, their favorite show and I was about to sit on the couch. By 7:30, I'd had three really short, but really strong contractions. That's when I started timing them. Two hours later, I'd had eight of them. They varied in strength and length, by that point I didn't think anything would be happening. I went to bed around 10pm, still having them, and that's when they started getting longer and closer together. I felt scared. I didn't know what to do! I've never gone into labor like this before. At 10:30, I paged the midwife line. Marsha told me to wait until they became 5 minutes apart, but to go in if they stared getting stronger... which they did.

At 11:30, I woke Steven up and told him that tonight was the night. I was unsure of what to do with the kids, we already knew his parents would be taking them while we were in the hospital, but I didn't know when we should take them over. He thought it'd be best if we just took them right then. I was going to stay home while he took them over, but thought I'd better go just in case we needed to get to the hospital afterwards. We went home, but only for a few minutes. My contractions were starting to hurt pretty bad by then, I thought we needed go. If I hadn't progressed enough, worse thing they'd do is send us home and we'd have to go back later.

We got to Triage at 12:40.

Waiting to see if I can be admitted.

Day 245

Waiting for baby!

 

Everything's prepared.

 

We're more than ready.

Day 244

September! Baby month is finally here. Finally?! It flew by SO fast!

We always have dinner at my parents house on Sundays. The party we went to last night was originally going to be tonight but got moved last minute, so we were home for dinner tonight. Steven made hot wings and cheesy fries- yum! So unhealthy and delicious.

Afterwards I walked around the neighborhood, so much walking!

"When I do this, that's how you know I'm Spiderman"

:)

 

Since there's no school tomorrow, the kids got to watch a movie in our room while we watched one in the living room. Aiden misses doing that on Sunday nights!