Updated 1 of 7 - Baby #7

Let's see if I can knock out these 7 updates in a semi-timely manner... 

So about six weeks ago I was very pregnant with baby number 7. Lee was still very much - and still is - in the throws of an insanely busy pool season. My doctor was on call on the 27th so that was the day I signed up to get induced. (I've been induce the last five times so I figured induction was inevitable - and I found out my doctor was on vacation the following week - so I would have rolled the dice with on call drs so whatever) 

We did the normal leave super early for the hospital - C and J both happened to wake up right before we left. C probably because she knew Jibbe was coming and J probably because he knew I was really sad to dethrone my sweet, cuddly baby boy. 

All the normal hospital things - questions, IV, pitocin. I was pretty on the fence about an epidural. I'd never had one but after C's birth I think there might be some PTSD from the whole thing. I talked to the nurse about it and she was really helpful and not pressuring either way. We got to walk the halls with the the IV and did so for about 2.5 hours. I made my final decision about the epidural and got it before lunch anticipating that this birth would be similar to Js - who was born before noon. 

Well that didn't happen. My doctor came in at lunch and I was still only 1-2 cm which meant all our walking/pacing/making circles in the halls was basically for nought. He asked why I got the epidural (so early) and I told him I was tired (and tired of being in L&D) and I just wanted this whole thing (labor) to be done. 

Insert all the laughs. 

Now for my thoughts on the epidural. I think everyone talks about the stick being terrible and then it being dreamy after. Well for me the stick was not terrible ( the antibiotics they gave me every four hours through my IV burned waaaaaaay more terribly than the epidural). Then the numbing sensation came but not complete. I kept on asking the nurses if I should feel this way or that way and I kept reminding them that despite this being #7 this was epidural #1. 

By mid afternoon I was beginning to question if the epidural was really working because I was still feeling more of the contraction discomfort - not bad but still noticeable and I thought some women sleep after getting epidurals? So the kept asking the nurse if this was normal or not and finally she decided to page the nurse anesthetist who did the epidural and she put some thing thru the line and there was immediate comfort/relief for about 20-30 minutes. Then the contraction pain started again. 

At that point I was convinced I was never having the baby and I'd end up with a c-section - because this labor was going longer than any others and I JUST WANTED IT OVER. 

So the anesthesiologist came to check the epidural because I think my L&D nurse was getting the point that she thought it wasn't working. He said he thought the location and everything was fine but decided since I was already sitting up he'd do a second one. At that point I was worried about the needle and not being still enough if a contraction happened. So the timing of epidural #2 was great as was the actual epidural. I don't know if it was the placement of it - I assume it was - or if they also upped the flow of medicine - but it was fantastic. The anesthesiologist stayed more than a few minutes to make sure I was good to go. 

Then all was well. At some point in the late 4 pm hour I told my nurse I thought the baby was coming and my doctor was in for evening rounds and confirmed that yes I was ready and then everyone left - I swear everyone left for at least 5 minutes. It was so weird. So not like previous births when I tell them it's time, everyone jumps into action. I guess that's the difference between an epidural and non-epidural birth. 

Obviously everyone came back and after a few pushes 

Hannah Helen 

Hannah was born. We weren't surprised that it was a girl. A was really gunning for a boy but the big girls switched from team boy to team girl at the beach when they found out that there was a girl cousin on the way (baby cousin decided to make an early appearance so she could all the prayers) 

One of the more striking things about the whole hospital experience was the anesthesiologist came back - right as H was being weighed and evaluated - just to see if the epidural was working. It was so refreshing to know he cared enough to came back - and I bet if the epidural wasn't working he would have fixed it. 

Hello exhaustion

We FaceTimed all the siblings since the visitor policy at the hospital was different because of COVID and I will say we'd probably FaceTime again if there is a next time - it was so much easier, especially for the grandparent who did NOT have to load everyone up and drive and traipse through the hospital for a 10 minute visit. 

Lee went out and got dinner and we celebrated with chicken sandwiches and milkshakes. I got settled into the mother-baby room and my nurse said something about being here two nights and I said, no I'm leaving tomorrow and she said well you were strep positive so you'll have to stay two nights. All the eyerolls because I got more antibiotics than ever - I was getting out of dodge. The rest of the night pretty uneventful night expect at 2:30 when the nursery nurse came and told me H's glucose level were low and we might need to talk about supplemental feeding... Insert all the me trying to be as polite as possible with it being 2:30 AM and just having a baby. Then there was a discourse about since I had gestational diabetes... blah blah blah. Which I reminded the nurse I didn't but then she told me that since I refused the 3 hr glucose test then I was being treated as if I had gestation diabetes - me eating all my words because that's exactly what I told my doctor 2 months before - just treat me like I have it. But I did not know that baby's glucose levels would be monitored after birth. Guess who would be take the 3 hr glucose test because that'd be way easier than getting into with the nurse at 2:30 in the morning. 

The next day was a long day at the hospital because she was born so late in the day. We finally got the nod to leave right in time for a massive rain storm that Papa courageously ran through to get the truck. He was soaked for ride home. 

Everyone was excited to meet baby sister. J has been the most interested in her and looks for her when she cries and definitely pays the most attention to her. C kept asking if we were going to keep her / how long was H staying. 

Just Because - Grateful

#7 coming late July

Linking up with Rosie

Introducing Baby Boy Number Two

It seems fitting this post is being written almost one week to the hour that this new baby came into this world... so here goes.

The back story on all the events leading up to the birthday are too insane to include in this post so we'll just pretend that everything was perfectly normal and calm. I was scheduled to be induced on Thursday because my due date was the previous Sunday and there wasn't anything happening and I was not trying to be pregnant in October. Why? Well one thing is we already have an October baby and clearly one of our family goals is to hit a birthday every month so that would have really messed us up.

So Thursday it was, I was up and down much of the nights before the induction so when the clock stuck 4 and Lee's alarm went off I was pretty much ready to hit the road. I think we ended up leaving at 4:30 and got checked in everything by 5:15. They remodeled the L&D wing so it was neat remembering what things looked like before.

Then the big waiting game of getting the IV going and stuff set in. I think I commented to Lee on at least one occasion... How in the world did we get back here... again? As I looked over at the empty baby warming table. That is so surreal to me, knowing we won't be leaving the room without someone occupying that little bed.

Anyhow, after the shift change and a visit from the doctor - who promised he wouldn't miss it this time - we were off to the races with pitocin. Last time I think I was on the second highest dose before C was born. I was hopeful this time because I got to the hospital and I was 3 and definitely having some mild contractions so maybe the combo of early labor plus pitocin would get things going without being too crazy.

The L&D nurse was great. First things I told her were - I wanted to walk around and that the last time the nurse delivered the baby. So she got me hooked into the WiFi monitors - Hello 21st century!!!!!!!! - and I could walk and be on pitocin at the same time. Imagine that. Imagine not having that the last 3 times - it was no fun.

I think at some point after 8 I finally got motivated enough to start pacing the hallways. I was pretty exhausted from the nights and days before but I really wanted to take advantage of the freedom while I could. Lee and I chit chatted about stuff. The nurse and I ended up getting into an extensive conversation about soccer - which was a fabulous distraction from the contractions.

Then at some point something happened which had never happened before... my water broke. That was strange. At that point the nurse asked me to just stay on the L&D hallway because ain't nobody trying to have a baby in the hallway of recovery - or in L&D too but you know.

Eventually the contractions got strong enough where I wanted to get in bed. The nurse said I was about a 5 so I had gone from 3 to 5 in 3 hours... perfect. : (

Well not long after being in bed, Lee could probably comment more on the timing of everything, I called for the Stayidol or however you spell it - the narcotic that makes you kinda sleepy and care less. That was at 11:29.

Well a few contractions after that, I was like send for the epidural. Which in the moment and in hindsight I still can't believe I actually spoke those words. I think Lee was just as surprised as I was that I was asking for one but I knew if I had hours more to go then something was going to have to give. The nurse came back and I was like... how long does it take for them to get here?

Someone said, go ahead and call the doctor (the OB) to which someone else replied, he's coming up the stairs. The OB and the anesthesiologist came into the room about the same time and the doctor checked me was like.... nope, she's having this baby.

At which point there was this overarching sense of relief and peace - which was certainly a prayer answered. There was hustle and bustle getting the bed ready and the nurses in place but not the chaotic scene that played out at Cs birth.

A few pushes (which seemed to take forever) a head, two shoulders, two knees and ten toes later - an 8 lb 21 inch long baby was plopped on my chest at 11:47. Lee announced it was a boy and I was basically in shock because I was certain this baby was a girl. Plus I had just gotten a dose of Stayidol (which lasts for 2-3 hours!) so it registered but I was still very much out of sorts.

I'm not one of the immediately bond with freshly plopped baby in the first place - sorry kids, I love you I promise - but y'all that baby just did a whole lot of hurting so call me crazy but it is not my initial reaction.

The room cleared out and we did skin to skin and all that fun stuff. Lee went to get Chik Fil A and cookout milkshakes except those crazy people gave him chocolate chip instead of Mint Oreo - which was rectified the next day as that was my lunch request. The nurse checked him again and we had this funny dialogue that went something like this:

Nurse - Do you want to trying feeding him?
Me - Do you want me to?
Nurse - Well you don't have to, it is up to you?
Me - I mean, I will if you want me to
Nurse - It is your decision
Me - I don't know. I can't make decisions right now (because of the Stayidol) - just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it.
Nurse - (hands me the baby)

Yes I normally keep some number of hairbands on my wrist. No they don't help me remember how many kids I have... just have a few girls with long hair and you'll understand!

That Stayidol took forever to wear off and had I known baby was coming in 15 minutes, I surely would have not gotten it or at least halved the dose.

I was wheeled out of L&D and passed through the threshold I was said, I am so glad to be outta there. To which it was discovered my room wasn't ready so back to L&D while that was fixed. By that time grandparents were reigning in the big brother and sisters  who were eagerly and I'm sure impatiently waiting to meet their new sibling.

The gang paraded in and was introduced to little brother Joseph Jeremiah

Came through for A on one of his two requests. Baby boy but no twins... 

I think they liked him : )

Lee left shortly after. It was a quiet evening with a visit (and dinner) from a great friend. J went back and forth to the nursery - which I LOVE being able to turn off the lights and try and sleep. I didn't love that you there was no nursery window so when I did wake up I couldn't see what he was doing when I made my circles around recovery. I've always walked alot in recovery - I makes me feel normal after so much not-normal just happening.

He looks enormous in this picture but I promise he's not

The pediatrician caught me in the hallway in the morning and announced he may not discharge J until Saturday since I was GBS positive (I have been every time - and I've been discharged about 24 hours after birth and I got the full dose of medicine) - that was a MAJOR bummer. Though we did agree to waiting until the afternoon and scheduling a follow up with his pediatrician. Eventually about 4:30 we got the green light and a fast pass outta there.

Home to the loud, crazy, loving chaos at the house.

Happily not pregnant and happily not at the hospital.

Here's to you baby J!

7 Quick Takes - Food, Holding Hands, Orange

Linking up with Kelly ... surviving of school 

---1---

We are definitely in between season and our laundry proves it

`

School uniforms and bathing suits. After this weekend a lot of the bathing suits will be packed away until next year. E will still be swimming in the fall and winter and R will likely start in the winter. M is in that strange stage of being capable of swimming by herself but getting vertical to take a breathe so she'll likely get more swim lessons with A once soccer is over.

---2---

I love these moment.... 

Walking over to the park during E's swim practice, they were just chatting it up. I think M really misses R during the day now that school is back in session

He may get on her nerves like crazy but she's a great big sis. 

---3---

Friday night Lee took me out to dinner for my birthday. It was really nice. We went to a local brewery before and played corn hole - which we never do. Then we went to a restaurant we hadn't been to in well over a year (because the service wasn't great). I'm glad we went back. 

Saturday evening we went to liturgy- we've been trying to get on a good church routine but it hasn't happened. Here are our options

Ukrainian liturgy - Saturday nights

Ruthenian liturgy - Sunday mornings

Roman/Latin rite Mass - block off the whole weekend because Lee serves at all the masses (and he's going to fuss at me about my rite notation but whatever : ) 

Anyways we were planning on making it a 3 week cycle at the beginning of the summer but that hasn't happened. It was time to hit the Saturday night DL. After church we went to Jason's Deli for dinner. If you have never been, it is great. Great salad bar and the best part... free soft serve ice cream. When we rolled in, it was a bit busier than usual so I wheeled A and C in their highchairs to the back room area where there was another family or two. I hit the salad bar and when I came back this mom was distributing napkins and packs of graham crackers (those are free too) around our table. I thanked her and looked over my shoulder and lo and behold another mom of five - hers were a bit older than ours. As they were leaving she said "You are doing a great job" to which I replied, "Thanks so are you!". Then she said, "Moms of five unite". Funny things happen when we go out to eat. 

So this meant that Sunday morning we were home - which was strange, but nice, but strange. I went on a run while Lee cooked. Cooking is definitely his love language - or at least one of them. 

He asked me what I wanted him to cook for my (family) birthday dinner and I was on the fence. When I finally made up my mind and knew we'd be home for breakfast Sunday I raised the bar even higher by asking for my FAVORITE egg bake. 

PEOPLE

It is amazing and it is paleo - not like I care - but its got a ton of veggies in it and zero cheese. So after my run, we had a peaceful kid free breakfast because they turn their noses up at it which works out really well for moi. 

And if that wasn't enough he moved onto making homemade lasagna with two sauces and homemade noodles. 

IT 

WAS 

INSANE

Then we had carrot cake a la Grammy for dessert - which was AMAZING. 

Basically I gained a million pounds over my birthday weekend but it was worth it. 

---4---

C rested while we ate breakfast because she is a wreck sometimes which meant that she was up while A was resting...

Except A's door does not close all the way so we had to block the hallway off so C wouldn't interrupt. She crawled up on the blockers like a champ but was so frustrated she could not get down!

---5---

This should be R's last year of tee ball... 

Her coach (who is a good friend) wants the team to embrace orange. So instead of fighting it any longer, I decided to roll with it and got R some orange socks and she wanted to wear an orange hair tie. We are all waiting with baited breathe to see what color scheme we've got going on for this season (R's wearing last year's jersey to practice)

In other R news, she got her first blooming flower at school. Which is funny because the night before she specifically said - NO ONE IS EVER GOING TO GET A FLOWER - she was in a bit of a tired after school funk. Her teacher awards blooming flowers to the kids if they learn something new or do something great. 

---6---

Our schedule on Tuesdays is interesting and was supposed to work really well. 

E and R have AHG and E goes to swim practice so R and I got some time together and some time to read and stuff

Then after swim practice we eat dinner together and work on homework before AHG. It is perfect. Lee or I stays home with the others and all is well.

And that was the plan until this week...

Crazy tee ball games are going to be on Tuesdays - and they were supposed to be on Tuesday or Thursdays - so I knew there would be SOME AHG overlap but I didn't think it would be EVERY WEEK. So now I need to rework my game plan and pray for rainy Tuesdays

---7---

With bigger-ish kids in the house it is easy to forget what littler kids should be/ like to do.

Like take baths and sit and read bedtime stories for ever and ever. Sometimes I catch myself thinking would would NEVER have given E or R a shower or we would have read them ten stories and not just one or two. It take a bit of extra work letting the littles be little but when we can, it is definitely worth it. 

7QTs - Pools, Boots, VBS

Linking up with Kelly ... let's back up and catch up

---1---

I've been trying to hit the pool with the kids on Fridays because it gets us out of the house and C is mostly good there.

Someone found this really squishy wang thing in the lost and found and we promptly dipped it in the pool and C when to town. 

For some reason it feels as if summer days are waning but I have to keep telling myself we still have some time left. 

---2---

I went to San Antonio for a few days for work which was still very workish but it was a break from parenting

Thanks to Lee and my parents and Jibbe and others who held down the fort. It is so funny to me at these meetings people would ask me 'who is keeping your kids?'.... Their dad? My husband? (Grammy and Grandpa Joe had the baby) but still people, dads are parents just as much as moms are parents - dads are fully capable -trust me. Do you think that the guys were asked (nearly as much or even at all) who was watching their kids while they were at this conference? Me thinks not. 

---3---

A is so cute... 

Cowboy boots and a diaper and potty training him is, well, going... He goes sometimes and sometimes he doesn't. Just the other day at the pool we were getting dried off and he shouted... I PEEEEEED... right there on the concrete. So much for drying off!

---4---

The girls had VBS the week I went to San Antonio

They had a really great time and are still singing songs. So thankful for the volunteers who made it possible. 

---5---

Swim meet news...

M still proudly doing pup

My forever snacker

I'm quite sure she totally could have swam down the pool by herself but I don't think she really wanted to. She's done it 3 times for me but gets quite vertical when taking a breathe. 

---6---

R did her normal back, breast, free routine... 

She did great but didn't breath one breathe the first half lap of breaststroke... so that was funny : )

She's in it for the fun times and the snacks and doesn't really mind too much about her times or ribbons like her bookend sisters do. 

---7---

E still has her eye on a conference medal...

Which is going to be tough for her but she thinks she's got a fighting chance. So we'll be cheering her on til the end!

7QTs - Swim, Cake, Swim

Linking up with Kelly ... and I'm smashing 2 week together so as to not skip

---1---

Last weeks swim meet....

M has the best take off swim pics ever

This is E on her IM turn

She actually likes doing breaststroke... If we could just get her stroke count higher I think she'd be really great

Getting ready for free

I think the bag might be as big or as heavy as she is...

---2---

2.1...

Once a week we have breakfast for dinner. It is easy. I don't have to think about it (unless you count getting bread out of the freezer) and it is easy. Last week I cooked 6 eggs for the kids including C. This week I cooked seven because C really liked her last week. That's a lot of eggs. 

2.2

R and her bff and M and her bff and me and other family and friends went to go see E in the musical she had been at camp for. Friday night I took the bigger kids and Saturday night Lee and I escaped (barely - you crazy, crazy, crazy pool season) for dinner and the show. It was cute. It is funny. It was well-done and at one point I laughed so hard I cried. 

Newspaper lady and everyone else in Madagascar Jr... well done. 

Well done!

---3---

The girls were playing upstairs before rest so...

A and I raided the leftover birthday cake!

Partners in crime : ) #cakemonsters

This is C's birthday cake... More on that parteeee later

---4---

I adore our neighbors...

There was a girls vs boys soccer game about to begin and I think the girls were deciding on their uniform colors and team name while the boys were warming up. #priorities The game ended up stopping at the first half as the boys waited for their start recruit to counter my entry into the game. The boys median age was over 8 and the girls median age was 5.5 so they needed a little boost. 

Someone recently asked me if we wanted to move (rather than do changes to our house) to which my answer is Nope. Nope. Nope. 

---5---

In other news... 

R had this loose tooth that was looking kind of weirdish so I convinced her to pull it out on the spot... and she did because that's how she rolls. The tooth fairy surprised everyone and came extra early. I guess that's what happens when you put your tooth under your pillow extra early :  )

---6---

We messed around outside the other day which involved

C's first time in the sand box and her getting ready to go to the beach!

---7---

Catching up on yesterday's swim meet in which I gave the portrait setting on the new phone a whirl...

M swam pup squad (again - even though she doesn't want to) and I videoed that for her so no pics. I really need to charge up the camera and put the big lens on it and see what I can get.

R swam backstroke and breaststroke for the first time! I think she surprised herself with backstroke. She got out of the water and said, How did I stay on my back the whole time? 

E switched things up but of course had to swim backstroke because it is her fav. Nothing like a little dose of humility to get you mad and get you motivated. I guess we'll see just how motivated she is. 

R won freestyle for the 6 and unders! It is was a nail biter but she did it. I can't wait for her to pick up her blue ribbon :  )

C was happy the swim meet was over in just over an hour. I think I was drenched in sweat (from toting her around) for a hour after the meet. Sometimes I think I hear her saying go-go-go when there's a race going on.