Gemma Jenay!

Warning: Labor story

Friday night I had random contractions all night (I say random but don’t really know because I kept failing at timing them) and I felt like I didn’t sleep at all. So Saturday morning I asked my gramma if she wanted to go to IHOP with me because I had been craving it for weeks and I wanted to get it before I went to the hospital! She thought I was joking since it was so random and it was snowing and really cold outside. So I asked mom and she said sure and that everyone was getting ready and they’d come over when they were done. When they got here my contractions were not regular still, but they were 10-11 minutes apart so I figured we still had time for some breakfast/lunch (but breakfast food!) We loaded up and went to the restaurant. I had some biscuits and gravy like always and it was exactly what I had been craving. Contractions 10 minutes apart all through breakfast.

Then Gymboree had a great sale going on so we had to stop there. I mean by the time it was done, we got half off of everything we bought! We bought a few things, Kaitie finally made her decisions on the outfits she wanted and we made our purchases. Contractions not so consistent but 4-7 minutes apart.Mom wanted to show Kaitie a sock monkey outfit at Crazy 8 then we decided we had time to find some gloves for Niko to go sledding with his Uncle Adam while we were at the hospital. So we went to JCPenney, ran into some friends and chatted, found some gloves and then it was time for me to get home. Contractions still about six minutes apart, but still not really consistent so we were going to load up and go to the hospital.

When we got home and I sat down my contractions went back to 10 minutes apart but they were over a minute long and super intense. So I called labor and delivery. The nurse said that she didn’t want to tell me not to come in and that I could come in and get checked out (but made it sound like I would just be sent home). Since I really didn’t want to do the waddle of shame I decided to wait a while longer.

Since it was dinner time, gramma wanted to order a pizza, they decided on DQ instead. When it got here, I was ready to go. I tried to take two bites of my blizzard and just lifting my head to bite it triggered contractions so I half yelled half whined for my mom….but nobody heard me. So I waited until they were done. Mom brought my shoes and went to the bathroom. Before she got back even my dad was saying we need to leave! Contractions were maybe two minutes apart and still a minute or so long and crazy intense. My gramma was uncomfortable…I think she was worried she would see this baby born in her living room!

We got in the car and headed to the hospital and here is where my tender mercies kick in! If you read my cousin’s blog then you’ve read most of them, but here they are. And randomly throughout so this – will indicate them.

-Dad was on his long change from work so he was able to drive us

-There was basically no traffic on the way, which means it only takes about 2 minutes to get there

-The door closest to the elevator was still open

-There was a wheelchair inside this door

-My mother loved me enough to push me in the wheelchair

On the way in I told my mom I was never having another baby (but don’t tell Nathan, he’ll use it against me!) There was a couple walking out and they heard me and I’m pretty sure they wanted to laugh, but they certainly didn’t do it in front of me!

When we got upstairs the nurses asked what they could do for us (or some such thing) and I told them I was ready for my drugs now. They asked if I had called earlier and I managed to tell them yes. They put me in my room and had me put on the beautiful robe and wanted me to pee in a cup…seriously? I was feeling lucky I made it to the hospital before she was born! I somehow managed to change (somehow was help from my mom) and pee in the cup (which I’m pretty sure just stayed where I put it, but maybe not). The nurse finally came back to check my progress, after she checked she said she thought 8 but wanted someone else to check. This nurse came in and said 9! Not what I wanted to hear when I have zero drugs in my system…I almost cried, except I didn’t have the energy. She told me if I felt like I needed to push before the drugs to let them know. Pretty sure I felt like pushing, but I wasn’t admitting it before I had any pain meds in me! Um, and I’m surprised my mom’s hand is okay. I was concentrating on squeezing her hand and breathing. Sorry mom, but thank you so so much!( I also frightened my sister who is due in December with her first, she wanted to be blissfully unaware of what labor was like. Sorry Kaitie, I wanted to be unaware too…I like drugs )

-Another lady was in labor so the on call doctor was at the hospital already

Meanwhile I’m being stabbed all over my arms while they try to get an IV in for my penicillin. They stuck me 8 times and dug around once in each arm. Finally the anesthesiologist was able to get one in and she did that then gave me a shot of the good stuff, we didn’t have time for a real epidural. Oh and they poked me so many times to try to get blood for lab work that the doctor just canceled it.

-I couldn’t feel any poking because I was so concentrated on contraction pain control and then I had a couple of sweet bruises

-The anesthesiologist must live close to the hospital because she was there quick and I got my drugs before I had to push

So when it was time to push the hair could already be seen and she was more than ready to get out. She had a bowel movement before she came so she was supposed to stop with just her head out to be cleaned and suctioned so that she didn’t breath any of it. And out came her hand, the doctor shook her hand and said hello and let her make the rest of her entrance We were there less than 1.5 hours when she was born.

This was my first chance to hold her.

We tried to facetime Nathan after I got my drugs, but he was not available. I had facebook messaged him that morning to tell him about the irregular contractions, but thank goodness my dad has his technology figured out. He messaged him to tell him we were in the hospital. Also, another soldier’s wife was having their baby so Nathan decided to check for news. He ended up calling an hour after she was born.

- I’m so thankful for the wonderful technology we have to communicate now! (even if I complain about it not working well, I’m still thankful).

I loved this labor and delivery, even if it was super scary to not have drugs. I felt great after and I even walked to change rooms and showered the next morning. Even mom said I looked good right after and the whole time we were there. We had to stay for almost 48 hours because I didn’t get enough of the antibiotic before she was born so they had to keep and eye on her.

-Gemma has shown no signs of being affected by the GBS even though she was born after I only had one dose of antibiotics

The next day my awesome mother-in-law, Carmella brought my mom and I breakfast burritos from the club and she cuddled on Gemma while we chatted. Then my family came up with Niko and he was able to meet his sister. He loves her so much and I didn’t think I could love him more, but seeing his love for her makes me love him even more. Does that make sense?

We came home Monday evening and Niko was SO excited for his sister to be home, he ran towards us saying Gemma over and over. Here she is in her going home outfit. (Her shirt says “I’m the pink in my Daddy’s world of camo”)

-I have an awesome family that was more than willing to help with my tornado while we were at the hospital (and help me at home all the time!) Thank you everyone so much, I don’t know that I could do it without you!

Lots and lots of baby holding going on around here! And in a few weeks we’ll have another baby to hold!!!

 

PS My brain is scattered so if something doesn’t make sense or anything please ask me to clarify

PPS I have so many pictures…this would be incredibly long if I shared all of the ones I like.

Halloween

Halloween day I think all we did was go trick or treating. Actually my pregnant sister and I had our mom paint our bellies so we could take a picture (and that’s all it was for, just like the last Halloween I was pregnant). It’s fun to do, but I wouldn’t want to go out in public, plus it’s a little chilly in Montana by the end of October to be walking around with a belly hanging out. Niko was a pirate and said Argh! when asked. So cute! Adam was a ninja and Kaitie and I had mom paint eyeballs on our tummies so we could make a face.

          

It only took two answered doors for Niko to figure out that trick or treating is awesome and then he tried to skip the sidewalk and run through yards. Smart boy, but it doesn’t work well in our neighborhood because so few houses have their lights on.

 

 

Then I (read that as my mom) made my belly into Humpty Dumpty for trick or treating.

Carving pumpkins

The day after we had our corn maize adventure we carved our pumpkins. Kaitie and Adam came over with their carving tools and some newspaper to cover the counter and we got started.

We all had sharp tools trying to cut through our huge, thick pumpkins. I promise Niko only had a scooper and a little plastic poker! He was pretty excited at first though. And of course he kept saying “goats, pumpkins” and we had to remind him of this when he tried to take a bit out of the top of the pumpkin (and not just once, why does my kid have to learn everything multiple times?)

I think he enjoyed pulling the guts out. Of course only for a limited time then he let mommy finish the fun stuff.

 

I don’t know what was happening here, but he looks excited (the kid doesn’t smile from excitement, is that weird?) When he got bored of pulling out guts and such I stripped him and gave him some permanent markers to color on his pumpkin. He told everyone about it for quite a while so I’m assuming he loved the pumpkin activities.

Corn Maize!

I wanted Niko to have a fun time picking out a pumpkin, so I took him to the corn maize. We bribed Kaitie and Adam to go with us….Kaitie was Niko’s photographer and Adam did the fun things with him (since I was 9 months pregnant and not so comfortable anymore).

We let Niko see and do all the fun things while it was light out. There were pig races, which he thought was hilarious. They had goats, cows and sheep to look at and pet….Niko now says goats eat pumpkins whenever we see a pumpkin

Niko watching the pig races…I love that some adults look just as excited about it as the kids. I thought it was quite hilarious!

 

Haha, it took a while for Niko to understand what we were doing sticking our faces in a piece of wood. He was walking away and I stayed and showed him and then he thought it was funny and would go back and do it again.

In this game you have to step over the colors in a certain order until you can get to the exit. This one was broken, but Kaitie kept trying! Haha and Niko would walk around in it for a bit then out the end and exclaim “I did it”

I don’t really know what this is….Niko liked it as long as Adam was on it and holding his hand. I didn’t dare even try it at 9 months pregnant.

I’m pretty sure the slide was his favorite…we had to convince him to leave and he was smiling every time. It scared me some….because of older children who did not know how to behave! I’m sure every mom (and dad) who reads this will know what I’m talking about.

And of course he  wanted to ride all the train things and do the hay ride. But the cows made of barrels were definitely his favorite.

                                                                                                                   They had a chain link maze that had some red and green changing lights and Niko was amazed and wanted to just stand and watch the lights.  Then he would try to walk and watch them and stumble around. 

He also played play in the corn kernel box, he mostly just liked the trucks .

Then we did the regular corn maize. When we came out at the halfway point Niko did not want to go back in! But once we did he just settled in(since Adam was carrying him) and we finished it quickly.  After we were all finished we decided to just get our pumpkins at Albertson’s. Niko picked out his own cute little pumpkin!  The first one had a squishy side so we were able to talk him into a better one with a long stem. He also insisted on riding in the cart with them even though there was not really enough room.

Waterton!

The week before my sister and brother-in-law started school for the semester we took a trip to Waterton Lakes in Alberta Canada. My mother-in-law has a cottage there and she let us stay there for our little vacation. This place is beautiful! There is a waterfall almost right behind the cottage and the downtown are is about three blocks away. It feels so secluded but is still right in town!

To sum up our trip, we went hiking a lot and took the boat tour around the lakes and drove down to the Glacier part of the park and drove the Going to the Sun road. Niko learned to say hike (and the men brought him out almost every morning and I got to sleep more=that alone made the vacation for me). He also learned what a boat was and thought it was really fun. The Going to the Sun Road= terrified me a bit!

Now some highlight pictures!

I let Niko sit forward for the long ride so he could watch movies in grandma’s fancy magic car with movie player

Niko starting his first hike Red Rock Canyon

And playing in the creek in the canyon with grandpa and Trevor, he liked throwing the rocks…such a boy

 

 

Checking out the neighborhood deer!

So grateful for the help with Niko while hiking!!! I forgot the backpack carrier and was having enough trouble hiking with the baby I had to carry and I was a little slow chasing my toddler!

There was construction on the Going to the Sun Road so we were able to take pictures, but I didn’t trust Niko out of his car seat so we took one of him waiting in the car. This is also where I fought a wall of rocks and lost.

LOVE this face!

In Glacier at some fancy hotel on the lake

Everyone except Kaitie (our photographer) at the Prince of Wales Hotel

Just cute with the Lakes and mountains behind

And our boat tour:

We were able to see this guy swimming across the lake! The guide said it’s very rare for them to swim across the lake so he must have been chased by a predator. It was very cool and Niko really enjoyed it.

I’m almost done I promise! Niko was a really great trooper, he ran/walked (and had to be slowed down since he almost fell off an edge once, my mom was like a ninja and caught him!) a lot of the trails (a lot for a 20 month old anyway) and he even climbed up hills and crouched under trees.

I have so many awesome pictures because my sister was there and is far better about keeping the camera out than I am (but I blame having a toddler)! But I will end with Niko’s first s’more experience. We roasted marshmallows over the grill(because of all the fire danger this year) and then ate them at the fun picnic table in front of the cottage.

Okay I lied, I’ll end with a good group shot