Sep 28, 2012

Newborn hospital photos

I wish she didn't have little scratches on her face from the bracelets they had on her, but still she's beautiful!


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JON
Georgia
September 21, 2012

Then click on Amanda J.

Password: 498304401614972
First 4 letters of Mom's Last Name: Jone 

Sep 26, 2012

Sleep?! What sleep..

Ok I take back ever complaining of sleep being an issue while pregnant. Now that Persephone is here...I had no idea what exhaustion was before hand.

We were released from the hospital yesterday thank goodness. After almost 24hrs under the blue light her bili level went from 20 to 12.6 and they felt good enough to let us go. We have a follow up appointment today with pediatrician. Basically jaundice is caused when a baby isn't eating/peeing/pooping enough. In order to rid their body of bilirubin they need to do these three things. Luckily it alllll picked up while we were at the hospital. Like 4 blow out diapers and she had consistent pee every 2hrs.

I used one of their Medela Symphony pumps to give her my milk. We are still having latching issues so for now I'm giving her breast milk via bottle which I'm totally ok with. I know she's getting all the good stuff from my milk and now Hardy's able to feed her too.

To this day, my biggest "complaint" if I should even word it that way is that I'm not sleeping every time she sleeps. At night I totally do, but during the day it's been hard to convince myself....then I end up really tired a ill :(

So far she's been waking up between 1.5-2hrs to eat and has been eating consistently 1-1.5oz at each feeding.

I'm not sure how women do this with multiple kids! For me the one is a workout on its own, but I sure do live her!

Sep 25, 2012

Photos

Some of you may have already seen these via Facebook and Instagram, but I had to share them again :)

I realize I don't have any of myself with her so I'll need to get some!

Sep 24, 2012

Hospital stay

This post is random points of our stay in the hospital...

I've heard mixed reviews on Northeast Georgia Medical Center, but I'll have to say I had a pleasant stay.  All of my nurses were kind and informative and were always asking if I needed anything.  The food was also pretty darn good.  I could get used to being catered to :)

Since I had her at 3:52am, I got into my actual room around 6:45am (just in time for breakfast, oh yea).  I napped for maybe an entire 45mins...woopity doo.  I have attempted breastfeeding every day and some days are better than others.  But it has NOT been easy.  I can without a doubt see why so many women throw in the towel after a day or two (if that).  Between trying to keep her awake so she would latch on again....or her just not being totally into it, then me getting frustrated and it just not working.

I've given up on breastfeeding, but my pumping is going so well, I'm happy to know I can still give her the goods even if it's via bottle instead of boob.

She was born at 7lbs 3oz, by Saturday morning she was 6lbs 15oz.  She started off pooping awesome, but on Saturday it had slowed down.  Sunday morning she was 6lbs 10oz and her bilirubin level was high, so they sent us home with a bilibelt/blanket.  Which was a PAIN IN THE BUTT.  It was a relatively hard (yet flexible) piece of plastic that tapes around her waist and it has to be warn at all times except to feed or change diaper.  Needless to say it was a rough night.

This morning at 10:30am she had a doctors appointment to follow up with her bili level and it was a 20.  The pediatrician was concerned since she's still dropping weight and the number continues to increase, it was obvious she needs to be treated by the hospital.  Sooooo we headed back to the hospital this morning around 11:30 and got her in a room and put under the blue light and she's been under it ever since.  The  nurse was kind enough to bring me a pump, so I've been feeding her straight up boob juice since 12pm and I feel like I accomplished something finally :)

I'm hoping we'll be able to go home tomorrow sometime and that this jaundice thing can be in our past.  I just want to cuddle with her sweet face and while she's under the light, obviously we can't do that...

Birth Story!

As I'm writing this I remember I have my "38 Weeks!" post pending in my outbox, no need to make that post now, right??

Rewinding and repeating a little. I had an appt Tuesday 9/18 and during that visit the doctor checked me for the first time. He said I was already 4cm and we would probably see baby any day (mentioned it would be a week tops). They measured my belly and it was 38cm which is what it has been the last three weeks.

He told me to go on as I have been and he'll see me the following Tuesday if not before.

That night I had a ton of cramping, so much so it was uncomfortable to do just about anything, sitting, standing or laying. By Wednesday morning though that sensation was gone. Wednesday and Thursday I continued to feel pressure down below when I stood up. I assumed maybe after the exam she dropped. By Thursday at work the pressure had increased and I kept getting the urge to go #2, but every time I went to the bathroom nothing would happen. I knew I wasn't constipated because I had actually gone to the bathroom. I hadn't been feeling any additional pain with the Braxton Hicks and wondered if the "you gotta poop" sensations were real contractions.

I decided to call the nurse and ask her just to be safe. She told me if I was in the area to swing in and they would check me out. So I left work quietly thinking I would return right after. Not that I don't want people to know what's going on, but I didn't want 20 questions without actually knowing what was happening. Soooo I get to the docs office and to my excitement (joking here) he says he'll need to "check" me again to see if he can see anything different. When he did, he said I was 5cm dilated and asked if I was in labor...I kind of laughed and said, "You tell me, that's why I'm here". Unfortunately my BP was up when I signed in (158/100) so after that and the exam he sent me to the hospital.

I called Hardy and headed on over to Northeast Georgia. I also texted work to let my boss know I wouldn't be returning. Last week when I went in just for BP monitoring they put me in a small exam room, but this time they actually put me in a delivery room and I got a little freaked out. Hardy headed on over about 4:15 and the nurse went ahead and connected my IV. They said the doctor would be by in a couple hours to break my water. I kept asking "Are you sure we're having a baby??" and the nurses kept saying "If he said you were 5cm he's not letting you go home."

I texted my mom first to give her a head start since she's 3hrs away and we settled into our room. At about 7:30 the doctor finally came in and checked me again (don't know if it had to do with me being raised up on a hospital bed or the way he made me sprawl out like a damn frog, but that huuuurrrtttt like hell no joke), by that time I was 7cm and he broke my water. He kept asking what my pain scale was and I told him all I had felt up to that point were severe period cramps, but they were tolerable. I'm not saying I'm superwoman, because there was definitely pain.....to come.  The doctor and nurse both said I had done pretty good to get to 7cm without pain.  Because I was already 7cm he said if I wanted an epidural I needed to decide now before it was too late.

All along I've said I wanted to try it naturally if possible.  And if it had continued semi-pain free I would have.  Call me a wuss if you want, but knowing labor was going to be worse than just checking for dilation - I decided to take the epidural!  I'm so glad I did too, because within about 10mins those contractions were fierce!  I had no idea it could change so quickly.  In fact, the epidural was a breeze compared to the contractions I was feeling.  I was nervous about the needle and all the horror stories I've heard about epidural, but I'm thankful to say the injection itself was no big deal.

My doctor said he was going to let me progress and come back in a couple of hours to see how things look at that point.  At 9pm or so my evening nurse came in and checked me, I made it to 9.5cm, but there was a piece of my cervix that was kind of blocking progress.  She told me to get some rest and let things progress a little further.  At this time I kept feeling this crazy sharp pain in my right hip, all I could describe it as was like someone stabbing me every time I had a contraction.  We tried upping my epidural a tad and I rotated onto my right side to see if it would help the epidural flow that way.  It did eventually, but at 1am when the nurse came back and I started pushing the crap got worse.  I used that pain as my focal point when I pushed because that was the only time I felt relief. 

I pushed for 2 hours before Persephone made her first appearance into the world, but I really have to say my nurse was amazing.  She was so positive and encouraging, I couldn't have asked for a better experience I don't think.  Even with the hip pain, she was sweet.  Aside from the hip issues, I really couldn't feel a thing from my belly button down until probably 15mins prior to her actual birth.  It was definitely a strange feeling, the pressure of a baby coming out of you.  I was so happy to see her and hear that cry!  Apparently I did rip a litle, but thankfully because of the epidural I didn't feel it actually happening (however it definitely has reared it's ugly head healing these last few days).

Ultimately I had a smooth delivery and aside from the pain alternating in my hips post epidural, I do not feel traumatized what so ever.  It's amazing to be able to hold this sweet little girl who was once in my belly.

Sep 21, 2012

Little girl

She's stolen my heart....

Birth story to come soon!

Introducing...

Persephone Layne Jones
Born 9/21/12 at 3:52am
7lbs 3oz, 20" long

Sep 18, 2012

Say WHAT?!?

Had an appointment today, took FOREVER because there's only 1 doctor in the practice now.

I have one complaint, that no one warned me just HOW uncomfortable being "checked" is. Wow wow wow...yea no fun.

Then the doc asks "This is your first pregnancy right?" and I replied as best I could without coming off the table to kick his butt "Yes".

He then said "Wow you're already 4cm. I would be surprised if you make it another week."

SAY WHAT?!?

Sep 17, 2012

Yum a dum dum

This morning we stopped at Dunkin' Donuts on the way to work and I got a Pumpkin Iced Latte....uhhh wow! Bad for you or not it was awesomely delicious!

Then when I got to work a friend of mine told me they're building a Steak
N' Shake in Oakwood (to open Spring 2013)!!!

Yay yay yay!

Ok now that your mouths are watering have a great night ;)

Sep 16, 2012

Countdown to Baby!

With only 20 days left until my estimated due date (October 6, 2012)...I figured it would be a good time to start a baby pool!

You can visit THIS link to submit your hunches!!

Will she come early?
Will she come on time?
Will she come late?
How much will she weigh?
How long will she be?

I'm interested to see your guesses!!
 

Sep 15, 2012

Happy Birthday Hardy!

Today my husband turns 30! Hard to believe I've known him for 12 of those years, but I wouldn't change any of it for the world :)

Here are some photos from over the years together.

Sep 14, 2012

37 Weeks! Full term :)

Pregnancy Highlights
 
 
How far along? 37 Weeks, for those still learning this is considered "full-term"
so she make her grand appearance at any time!
 
Size of the baby? A 6.5lb, 20" long, Watermelon!
 

Maternity clothes? All.the.time.
 
Stretch marks? No new ones
 
Weight gained: I lost 2lbs, so total weight gain is 8lbs now
 
Sleep: We're doing alright
 
Best moment this/last week: As my previous post stated, I had a trip to the hospital on Tuesday because my blood pressure was up when I went in for my doctor visit.  Every thing checked out fine (thankfully).  I was happy to hear her heartbeat continuously for those 2hrs though, usually I only hear it for a few seconds at the doctors office so I was enjoying it.  It was also interesting to see the contractions on screen, I found clarity knowing what I have been feeling from time to time are actually Braxton Hicks and not some other strange pain.  I don't know if it was the stress from the hospital visit or what, but I had SO MANY of those practice contractions Tuesday after leaving the hospital it wasn't even funny.
 
Movement: This is the most active she's ever been.
 
Food cravings: Nah
 
Gender/Names: GIRL! Persephone Layne Jones!
 
Labor Signs: Lots and LOTS of Braxton Hicks
 
Belly Button in or out? Still in
 
Wedding rings on or off? Still wearing my wedding band
 
What I miss: Nothing.
 
What I am looking forward to: Meeting this little girl finally...hard to believe she's been cooking for 9mos - where does the time go?!?
 
Weekly Wisdom: During my recent trip to Target (Thank you all for your suggestions, my bag is now packed!!) I decided it was probably time to buy a nursing bra.  I haven't had to buy any new bras this entire pregnancy, but really all that proves is the bras I do have are just REALLY warn out.  I wasn't sure what size I should get because my boobs haven't blown up yet, so I went with the size of my current bras and well...that just didn't work out.  If I thought I had uneven boobs before, I was mistaken, because they're extremely uneven now.  For whatever reason my right one is about a cup size smaller than my left, so I'll be going back to swap for a bigger size and hope that works through the duration!

Sep 11, 2012

Hello hospital!

In honor of keeping it real on the blog here's how my day ended...

I had a doctors appt at 3:45, felt perfectly fine. When the nurse checked my BP though it was 160/100!! I looked at her and said "Wouldn't I be laid out on the floor right now if that were true!?". And she agreed it was a nervous reading. Anyway we proceeded to the exam room and the doc listened to her heart beat and measured my belly (142bpm and measuring 38cm).

He said he wanted to send me to the hospital for monitoring just to make sure all is well with baby. So then I started freaking out of course!

I called Hardy to let him know where I was headed and that I would keep him posted. I headed to L&D and checked in. It was apparent they were having an insane day, but my nurse was so so sweet and made me feel comfortable.

I was put in a room and they hooked a monitor up for Persephone's heartbeat and another for contractions. They also hooked up the BP cuff. They took a urine sample and drew blood and we waited....

I also had a clicker to push every time I felt her move. One thing that kept me laughing in all of this is when she moved hard enough you could hear it on the heart monitor, as a result I would laugh and the monitor would get really loud.

I was surprised to see the contractions on screen. I knew I had been feeling them, but it was like I was more in tune with my body because I was at the hospital watching them. I took it as a lesson though, at least I'm
100% positive of what they feel like!

My BP improved the longer I sat there, in fact at one time it was 112/68. Her heartbeat was perfect and her movements were great too. Blood work was all normal and there wasn't any protein in my urine (if there was it could point to preeclampsia)...so they sent me home.

The interesting thing is, I swear I've felt more practice contractions today especially since the hospital visit than any other day before now. Luckily I have an app that I can keep track of them with. Doctor did suggest I cut back on work, he didn't "order" bed rest, but just said it might be best...so I need to find out if Aflac pays on preterm labor...if they do, maybe I should take off sooner than planned.

::sigh::

Sep 10, 2012

Final preparations

My head can't quite grasp what's to come in the next days/weeks/months/years.  To describe it as overwhelming feels like an understatement.  But people have been doing this for years, right....so why sweat it?
 
I got all of Persephone's clothes, burp cloths, socks, blankets...etc washed this weekend.  I was also able to wash the cloth parts of the swing and bouncer we were given.  I probably could have just wiped them down or hand washed them, but it was much easier to just toss it all in the washing machine and let them get beat around for a few minutes.  For her we're all set...we have diapers/wipes/clothes/bath supplies/bassinet/pack n' play all ready to go.  The last thing I need are crib sheets, ha ha, thank goodness those are easy to pick up.
 
I obviously need to pack my hospital bag as well.  I've read a list of items you should bring, but thought I would ask my fellow bloggers:
 
-What were your essential must-have's when you went into the hospital?
-Were there any items no one ever suggested, but you definitely needed?  (even embarassing ones)
-Any items you brought that weren't necessary?
-What type of clothing did you bring for yourself for post-delivery?
 
I'm all ears!  Or in this case eyes....
 

Sep 7, 2012

36 Weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights
 
 
How far along? 36 Weeks! I've made it 9 months and have entered "the home stretch".
 
Size of the baby? A 6+lb, 20" long, crenshaw melon
 

 
Maternity clothes? Nothing but...
 
Stretch marks? No new ones
 
Weight gained: 10lbs
 
Sleep: It's gotten better, but it could be the Benadryl ha ha
 
Best moment this/last week: We REALLY loaded up with some goods at my baby shower last Saturday.  Without a doubt, she will be one of the cleanest babies in Hall County - we got sooooo much bath stuff.  We also got a ton of clothes, all of which were adorable, but with my moms advice, I've kept the tags on most of it just incase she doesn't fit into every thing.
 
Movement: I can tell she's running out of room. I still feel her very frequently, but it's more like rolls -vs- blunt punches/kicks.
 
Food cravings: Water, ice water.
 
Gender/Names: GIRL! Persephone Layne Jones!
 
Labor Signs: Still an occasional Braxton Hicks.  I'm still monitoring my BP twice a day at work and it's always within "normal" range, until I go to the doctor and my anxiety cranks up and they always get a high reading.  He wasn't too concerned with it this week after I showed him the log I've been keeping.  I'm officially 4 weeks away from my due date and the "weekly" visits have begun.  I had my first "crying spell" this weekend, Saturday night I guess I was just overwhelmed with every thing and realizing soon there will be another human being in our house...I had to let out a few sniffles.
 
Belly Button in or out?
Still in
 
Wedding rings on or off? Still wearing my wedding band
 
What I miss:
Nothing.
 
What I am looking forward to: Keeping the house clean (until she gets here of course lol).  We did a pretty deep clean pre-baby shower thinking some family would have stopped by to look at her nursery, but no one did.  Oh well, they're missing out and I'll turn it into a positive that it was good motivation to tidy things up a bit.

Sep 4, 2012

Nursery additions

This weekend my parents came back for my baby shower and my stepdad was sweet enough to hang the tree decal on the nursery wall that was empty. It looks so good.

My plan is to hang small frames with character photos and Disney quotes. Only a few...so she'll have her own family tree so to speak.

The red rocking chair was actually my Dad's when he was little. He and my stepmom re-painted it to fit Persephone's room.

My Nana also made a quilt for her crib. Hardy's Granny also made a quilt so this child will surely have enough blankets!!