I'm a Mommy now!

My water broke during my workout Tuesday August 9, 2012 around 10:45am.  Why was this funny?  Right before the workout my trainer joked that we were "off to induce labor".  HA!  I'd originally thought I'd peed my pants, was embarrassed and excused myself for a bathroom break.  Once there, I discovered that it wasn't pee.  OMG!  I came back and told my trainer that my water broke and we were done for the day.  He seemed a bit stunned.


My husband came home and we went to the hospital.  We spent most of the next hours comfortably joking.  My water had broken, but the contractions hadn't really started yet.  We both commented that the baby was being so nice to come a month early to give mommy more time to train for her mountain climb and half marathon.  HA!


Because my water had broken and dilation was very slowly progressing, they started Pitocin around 2pm.  My labor contractions never achieved any kind of a normal pattern.  I suffered through the placement of internal monitors on the baby and on my uterus...twice for the baby.  This was before any sort of drugs.  OMG.  Probably the worst thing I've experienced, EVER.  Finally - around 7 or 8pm, after a few hours of multiple contractions without pauses in between (Nurse said it was the strangest contraction pattern she'd ever seen), and after my legs started trembled from trying to stand through these string contractions, I opted for pain relief. Best. Decision. Ever.   I still slowly progressed until the last hour of labor - when I dilated 5cm in that hour alone.  I pushed for about an hour and Avery made her appearance at 3:40am on Wednesday, August 10th.  She was 5lbs, 3oz and 18 inches long.


Because she was early and small - lots of doctors and nurses were present in the room initially, but she was finally cleared to stay in the well-baby nursery instead of the NICU.  She got several visitors in the hospital and was swimming in the newborn clothes we'd brought until some nice friends brought some preemie clothes.  

Daddy and Avery in the hospital

We came home on that Friday, August 12th - and were so happy to be home!  Both Pops and Grandma had flown in to visit and the crazy family paparazzi went crazy.  There was nothing she could do that wasn't worthy of photos.

I think I have a million photos of her in the swing.

She still has her days and nights confused.  She wants food every 2 hours at night (and takes an hour to eat - so I get maybe an hour off).  During the day - she goes about 3 hours - because I wake her up to eat.  So, I get 2 hours.  BUT - she's worth it anyway.  :)


Editors Note:  Since I originally wrote this post - the pattern has changed.  Sleep is optional for her from 10pm until 4am.  AND - it only occurs if she is being held.  Mark and I SWEAR that she KNOWS as soon as we get back into bed...and starts crying again.

Such an innocent expression after peeing on mommy after her first bath!

She has now had two baths.  Her first bath went pretty well, at first.  She screamed for the last little bucket of rinse water.  The best part to some though - was when she peed through the towel on mommy after the bath.  However, it could have been worse, she pooped in the diaper I put on her mere minutes later.  The second bath, aka Baby Torture, went well in that she was clean when it was done.  HA!  She screamed bloody murder.  I texted Mark to let him know that I'd tortured the baby for keeping him up the night before.


So far - I am ABSOLUTELY LOVING being her mom....except for the whole no sleep.  She is so tiny and so vulnerable.  I never imagined I could be this protective of anyone so quickly.  Everything she does is cute by definition...except the whole no sleep thing.

Those are runners legs!

Last Monday, she had her appointment at the Pediatrician and passed with flying colors.  She actually gained 4oz since her discharge weight of 4lbs, 13oz!  She is a champion eater.  Yesterday she was up to 5 lbs, 8 oz!!!  Doctor said we could let her sleep 4 hours during the day and 5 hours at night.  Pfft.  5 hours sleeping, at night???  HAHAHAHA.  Funniest thing I've heard all day.


Here are a few pictures of what she does NOT do at night:

Look at that little foot peeking out - she has mommy's toes!

Cassie is already guarding her.

I just took this picture to prove she does sleep!

I'm sure I will be annoying with the plethora of pictures and videos I have of her already!!!!  :D

Look at those legs!

~ Proud Mommy