This might officially be the first chance I've had to update our blog since Sadie was born. Life is so full of the same old, same old, every single day. Therefore there is not one free moment. Newborns are high maintenance and if I'm not holding, feeding or changing Sadie then I'm trying to spend individual time with our other three darlings. It is quite a juggling act. I do love it but I feel somewhat
frustrated with my ability to get anything done. Sadie is 7 weeks old. She is growing, I keep telling her to slow down. I really want to cherish this baby stage. She has started to smile and gets all excited and squirmy. It melts my heart.
Our family is doing well. Tom is a programming fool. He computer programs alot. Samantha is off track so she is home being a big helper. The kids all play together nicely, fight, then play again. They have been amazing at making up games to keep themselves entertained. Today we ventured out to a circus a company was putting on in South Jordan. It was fun and so good to get out of the house. My energy level still wavers so I usually opt to stay home and go out grocery shopping and stuff in the evening when Tom is home. But that means the kids don't get out as much. We really need spring and a new place to live. We have been relatively healthy, that is a blessing. I have been reading the Sarah
Palin book Going Rogue. My dad gave me his copy to read. I am enjoying the book and making good progress. I'm at the part where she just found out she is pregnant and that her baby boy has downs
syndrome. It is very touching. I love how she expresses all of her fears and is totally honest about having a Downs baby. I do read more since Tom is using the computer in the evening.
Sadie's Birth StorySince I'm here I will recap not-so-briefly the wonderful delivery of Sadie Rose. It was so awesome and perfect. My goal was to deliver her without medication. When I was about 20 weeks along I had this grand idea that I wanted to experience natural child birth. I told my younger sister, who is a dula in Seattle, and she booked a flight to Utah the next day. This was months before I was due. She recommended a few books to read and I talked to everyone I knew who had delivered naturally. I was really excited.
My sis, Shannon, flew in on Dec 17th. I love having sisters and wish all 5 of us lived closer to each other. Saturday, the 19th, I started having contractions every so often. Sunday morning I woke up from very strong contractions and was hoping they would continue. Tom took the children to church. I stayed home and contractions faded in and out. Shannon was with me to offer suggestions of how to relax and breathe through contractions. She also gave me glass after glass of water. She said being hydrated is very important. Finally at 5 pm that day contractions were regular and I was in labor. Tom was a huge support. I found that I definitely liked standing up through contractions. When a contraction came Tom and I would stand face to face and I would put my hands on his shoulders and lean on him through the contraction. He was literally my support.
To have the kids home while I was laboring was fine. They really didn't know I was in pain because when I felt a contraction I would leave the room, with Tom close behind, and breathe through the contractions then come back into the room. The kids went to bed at 8pm. Then at 8:30 pm I said lets go to the hospital. Carolyn, a lady in our ward came over to stay with the kids. We got in the car for the 10 minute drive and I had the worst, most painful contractions, and of course I was sitting down. I blurted out sounds of pain. Both Tom and Shannon tried to massage my leg and neck to ease the pain. I immediately said "don't touch me". Labor is funny that way.
We got to the hospital and I was walking with full focus trying to get to labor and delivery before another contraction hit. I was moaning in pain. On the second floor I was met by a nurse with a wheelchair. But I could not stop nor did I want to sit down. We checked in. They showed me to the delivery room. Tom and I were in the bathroom trying to get me in my hospital gown and I felt another super strong contraction coming on. I went to embrace Tom and suddenly my water broke. I couldn't believe it. I blurted out, "what am I suppose to do? Get a nurse...I want to push." The nurse told me not to push. They still needed to check my cervix. Tom and the nurse helped me to the bed. I flopped down on the bed. I felt very stiff and afraid to move. I didn't know what the heck was going on. The nurse checked my cervix and I was fully dialated and the baby was right there. They told me not to push yet because my doctor wasn't there. I felt very frantic. I was breathing all crazy. Then Shannon says in a firm voice "Suzanne look me in the eyes. Now breath like this" The more controlled breathing helped me through a few more contractions. Then my wonderful doctor arrived. She is so awesome.
My doctor gave me permission to start pushing. I pushed a little trying to get it figured out and then a few more pushes and Sadie was born!!!! They laid her on my chest. She was gorgeous! Perfect. Lovely. I was completely worn out. I didn't have any strength to hold her so after about a minute of poor Sadie screaming because she was cold I told the nurse they could take her. I was SOOOO happy! I was so happy she had arrived safely and was healthy. She had dark hair, she was beautiful. I was so happy I DID IT!! I had conquered my fears. And it wasn't as traumatic as I thought. Tom and Shannon and the nurses all said I did great. I felt like it was frantic but Tom said it wasn't as crazy as I imagined it to be. He was very impressed. I tore a little, one stich worth. My doc numbed me up for that with a shot. The whole thing went so fast the nurses didn't have time to put an IV in me. From the time we left the house to the time she was delivered was less than 45 minutes! This was my 4th baby mind you.
My hat goes off to all those who deliver naturally with their 1st baby. That is guts. After my doctor stitched me up I WALKED to the bathroom to pee, I WALKED to the wheel chair to be wheeled to postpardom. I think that is one of the big reasons I didn't want an epidural was I didn't like the time it took to wear off. The most painful part was having the nurses push on my tummy to make sure there were no clots. It was magical. For two weeks after the birth I kept reliving it in my mind. It was such a precious moment. I loved it!!
Spring is coming!
Spring is coming!
