Yesterday was one of those days. AJU5 and AJU6 took a bath just before 9am. When AJU6 got out, he was ready for a nap (totally normal). I pulled out a dress and undies for AJU5 so we wouldn't wake him when she got dressed (they share a room). Well, the dress I picked wasn't "good enough" for AJU5. So, I either had to deal with her screaming (which would probably wake AJU6) or let her pick out a different dress from their closet. I thought there was a chance we could get in and out without waking AJU6, but it didn't work. Then he refused to go back to sleep. He stayed in bed for an hour total, but he only slept for 15-30 minutes. We had to go to AJU7's check-up, all four of us, and I knew it might be an adventure.
Getting to the doctor's office was easy. There weren't any real fights there. The waiting room time (only a couple of minutes) went easy too. The walk from the waiting room to the back had only one fit - because I was carrying AJU6's sippy cup and not him. But that was an easy fix. The weighing, measuring, and waiting in the exam room went okay. AJU6 didn't like when the door closed, but he was content with a book before too long. Then the doctor came in. First, she complimented us on AJU7's name, which always gets brownie points. Then came the big things I like about her.
AJU6 quickly insisted on being held. So, the doctor helped me put AJU7 on the table and did everything there (normally we just do it with the baby in my lap). I loved that she was so flexible with us. She wrapped AJU7 up afterwards for me so she would stay warm while I nursed her (she was waking up and was hungry but not upset). Then, when I nursed AJU7, AJU6 had a FIT! He wanted to go home. He was crying, pushing on me to stand up, and in general throwing a huge tantrum. The doctor came back in and asked if she could take the two older ones to get their stickers while I finished up with AJU7. It worked perfectly. They had Thomas the Tank Engine stickers, which both kids love. AJU5 picked Percy, and AJU6 picked Thomas. Add that AJU5 let AJU6 hold hers, and they were "happy" through the rest of the time we were there.
For AJU7's next appointment, we are trying afternoon. Hopefully that will avoid the lack of nap tantrum. But, of course AJU6 could change his schedule between now and then too...
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The Name Game
So, naming AJU7 was not easy. The week before she was born, my husband posted two polls on Facebook about boy names. We thought we had a short list of good girl names, so we weren't worried about them. The boy names were down to a short list, and we had a girl. Picking her name took over 24 hours...
First we went back over our list. We looked up the "stats" on the Social Security webpage as well as meaning and Biblical history (since all of the AJ names are Biblical). Our front-runner girl names quickly were losing favor. It turns out that one is actually a lot more common as a boy name. The person is male in the Bible, but it still sounds like a girl name. Friends on FB that were commenting on my husband's statuses actually included it on their lists for a girl, but we just couldn't do it. Then another name we liked has a very common male version. The spellings are different, but the pronunciations are the same. So, again it was off the list. Another name my husband said he didn't like all along, and then he decided he liked it. y this point, I didn't like it because it had been off the table for so long. After about 8 hours, we didn't have a good name. We thought one might work, but we were going to sleep on it. My husband went home to spend a little time with the kids before bed (since AJU5 was very sad I wasn't coming home). Before we both went to sleep, that name was off the table basically.
The next morning we texted about names. That let him spend some more time with the kids (who were needing some daddy time for sure based on their behavior) but still think about things. He got to the hospital, and we went to work. We knew we technically had 10 days, but we would have had to go back to the hospital once we had a name. It was easier to get it done before we left. And we finally picked one out. One he had texted in the morning was sticking with me for a first name. Then, I "made" him pick the middle name. We had three middle names we liked, and it was more of picking the one that sounded the best. He got to run down to the birth records department while we waited on the nurse to get back (she had a new admit to deal with before we could finish the discharge) so we could get the proof of birth for insurance.
Her name isn't 100% Biblical, but the "root" is Biblical at least. Girl names just aren't that common in the Bible, and so many of them are "weird" or have bad meanings (and not-so-great stories). AJU6's name doesn't have a good meaning, but at least the person he is named after has a great story. And that story explains the meaning. AJU5's name has good meaning and a pretty good story. AJU7 has a good meaning, but the reference is normally just in genealogies/lists. But, it was the best we could do...
First we went back over our list. We looked up the "stats" on the Social Security webpage as well as meaning and Biblical history (since all of the AJ names are Biblical). Our front-runner girl names quickly were losing favor. It turns out that one is actually a lot more common as a boy name. The person is male in the Bible, but it still sounds like a girl name. Friends on FB that were commenting on my husband's statuses actually included it on their lists for a girl, but we just couldn't do it. Then another name we liked has a very common male version. The spellings are different, but the pronunciations are the same. So, again it was off the list. Another name my husband said he didn't like all along, and then he decided he liked it. y this point, I didn't like it because it had been off the table for so long. After about 8 hours, we didn't have a good name. We thought one might work, but we were going to sleep on it. My husband went home to spend a little time with the kids before bed (since AJU5 was very sad I wasn't coming home). Before we both went to sleep, that name was off the table basically.
The next morning we texted about names. That let him spend some more time with the kids (who were needing some daddy time for sure based on their behavior) but still think about things. He got to the hospital, and we went to work. We knew we technically had 10 days, but we would have had to go back to the hospital once we had a name. It was easier to get it done before we left. And we finally picked one out. One he had texted in the morning was sticking with me for a first name. Then, I "made" him pick the middle name. We had three middle names we liked, and it was more of picking the one that sounded the best. He got to run down to the birth records department while we waited on the nurse to get back (she had a new admit to deal with before we could finish the discharge) so we could get the proof of birth for insurance.
Her name isn't 100% Biblical, but the "root" is Biblical at least. Girl names just aren't that common in the Bible, and so many of them are "weird" or have bad meanings (and not-so-great stories). AJU6's name doesn't have a good meaning, but at least the person he is named after has a great story. And that story explains the meaning. AJU5's name has good meaning and a pretty good story. AJU7 has a good meaning, but the reference is normally just in genealogies/lists. But, it was the best we could do...
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The Past 5 Days (and 9 Months)
As most of you who read this already know, we welcomed AJU7 into the family last week. At first my husband wanted to keep the pregnancy quiet at work - just because he wanted the surprise factor I think. Then it got to the point where it just felt weird announcing it to the "world" on facebook and here, although I had told MANY people. This is part of the reason there had been so few posts the last 9 months - there wasn't much to talk about not involving being pregnant/I was too tired to post much.
So, now for the birth story. Let me just say in so many ways it was perfect.
We thought the baby would come by the due date, as AJU5 was 4 days early, and AJU6 was 2 days early. But, it wasn't to be. This one came one day late. We had decided to "force" the baby out the day she decided to come on her own, and I guess knowing her eviction date was what she needed.
At 4 am, I woke up in pain. She was on a nerve, and it HURT. It wasn't contractions - just a constant pain until she moved. This happened again at 5am. Most likely she had dropped some in the night, which is probably a good thing. So, at 5am, I took a shower, hoping that would move her to a better position. While in the shower, I thought I might have had a contraction. So, I took a bath. By the end of the bath, I knew I was in labor. So, at 6am, I texted my husband since he was on his way into work (he left shortly after I got in the shower). Well, he didn't get the text since he was already in the office and his computer hadn't synced yet. So, 30 minutes later I called him and "ordered" him home. I also called the doctor at this point because the contractions were real and fairly regular. The kids where watching TV, and my MIL had just gotten up (and was taking a quick shower).
Around 7 my husband got home and he finished packing up snacks and water, and we left. His mum was pushing us out the door although the two of us weren't so impatient. I just wanted to get to the car BETWEEN contractions. I had gotten "stuck" on the stairs mid-contraction, and I didn't want to repeat that for sure - OUCH. We got to the hospital before 7;30, and we figured out how to get into registration after a minute or two. They have "secured" both the labor and delivery unit and the post-partum unit in the last 20 months, so the doors were "locked". You had to go around the corner to get into registration, but luckily we finally saw the sign which said that. After going over all the registration stuff (since I didn't pre-register again), we walked to triage. Since I had already called the doctor, they lead us to the room. I of course had to change and pee in a cup, and then they hooked me up to the monitors and took my vital signs. Then the nurse came in and repeated the vital signs.
Eventually the midwife on duty (for my OB practice) came in an checked me. I was definitely having strong contractions at the point and was being a little vocal. The midwife was really nice and actually complimented me on how I was handling everything. She checked me, and I was 7 cm. She asked about pain meds, and I said if it lasts much longer I would like the epidural (because boy were they starting to hurt). She said they would move me to the real room and get things going as quickly as possible, but there weren't any guarantees there would be time. A few minutes later I was starting to have to say more during the contractions and have my husband rub my back at the worst of each one. And a few minutes after that I felt pressure. I told him to go get the nurse (he asked if I was sure), and just as he got into the hall, the nurse was coming in. They believed me, and rushed me to the L&D room. By the time they wheeled me into the room, they could see the head (but I had missed that conversation). I made it onto the real bed, pushed a couple of times (I had been pushing some along the way because, well, my body said I had to), and she was born. The midwife barely made it into the room before I moved beds, and she placed the little girl on my stomach so I could see what she was (just like the other two we didn't know the gender). AJU7 got to lay on my stomach for 30 minutes or more - they didn't move her until she had nursed already and everything was calm in the room.
From start to finish, labor was at most 3.5 hours (I am not 100% sure on the first contraction's time). I was able to deliver for the second time without drugs. There was no fetal distress or any of that craziness - something I had been praying about. I only had a VERY small tear and didn't need any stitches. The midwife that delivered her was great. She was very complimentary and joked with us afterwards. The rest of the medical staff welcomed us to have 5 more babies there (something that WILL NOT HAPPEN). Oh, and the hospital now does "room service" instead of set meal times, so I got breakfast in the L&D room (cereal and yogurt)!
Now, the only things that would have made it better:
1. My OB there (but I knew it wasn't that likely since she is only at the hospital 12 hours a week normally).
2. In the L&D room a few more minutes so I would have been more aware that they baby was coming out (but I am not sure how much of a good thing that would be).
3. No blood clots after birth. Having them work to get them all out was painful.
So, it was a great labor and delivery, especially compared to the craziness of the other two. We think we are done now, but of course God could have other plans...
My MIL left on Sunday, and my parents arrived about 2 hours later. They left this morning, and now we are working on getting the bigger kids adjusted to the new normal. AJU5 is being difficult and talking back at times, but we think a lack of sleep/over stimulation might be more behind it than the new baby. AJU6 is very clingy to either my husband or I. This is going to be the biggest challenge I think, especially since he can't say what he is feeling like his big sister can. Luckily my husband has a flexible work schedule for the rest of the week...
So, now for the birth story. Let me just say in so many ways it was perfect.
We thought the baby would come by the due date, as AJU5 was 4 days early, and AJU6 was 2 days early. But, it wasn't to be. This one came one day late. We had decided to "force" the baby out the day she decided to come on her own, and I guess knowing her eviction date was what she needed.
At 4 am, I woke up in pain. She was on a nerve, and it HURT. It wasn't contractions - just a constant pain until she moved. This happened again at 5am. Most likely she had dropped some in the night, which is probably a good thing. So, at 5am, I took a shower, hoping that would move her to a better position. While in the shower, I thought I might have had a contraction. So, I took a bath. By the end of the bath, I knew I was in labor. So, at 6am, I texted my husband since he was on his way into work (he left shortly after I got in the shower). Well, he didn't get the text since he was already in the office and his computer hadn't synced yet. So, 30 minutes later I called him and "ordered" him home. I also called the doctor at this point because the contractions were real and fairly regular. The kids where watching TV, and my MIL had just gotten up (and was taking a quick shower).
Around 7 my husband got home and he finished packing up snacks and water, and we left. His mum was pushing us out the door although the two of us weren't so impatient. I just wanted to get to the car BETWEEN contractions. I had gotten "stuck" on the stairs mid-contraction, and I didn't want to repeat that for sure - OUCH. We got to the hospital before 7;30, and we figured out how to get into registration after a minute or two. They have "secured" both the labor and delivery unit and the post-partum unit in the last 20 months, so the doors were "locked". You had to go around the corner to get into registration, but luckily we finally saw the sign which said that. After going over all the registration stuff (since I didn't pre-register again), we walked to triage. Since I had already called the doctor, they lead us to the room. I of course had to change and pee in a cup, and then they hooked me up to the monitors and took my vital signs. Then the nurse came in and repeated the vital signs.
Eventually the midwife on duty (for my OB practice) came in an checked me. I was definitely having strong contractions at the point and was being a little vocal. The midwife was really nice and actually complimented me on how I was handling everything. She checked me, and I was 7 cm. She asked about pain meds, and I said if it lasts much longer I would like the epidural (because boy were they starting to hurt). She said they would move me to the real room and get things going as quickly as possible, but there weren't any guarantees there would be time. A few minutes later I was starting to have to say more during the contractions and have my husband rub my back at the worst of each one. And a few minutes after that I felt pressure. I told him to go get the nurse (he asked if I was sure), and just as he got into the hall, the nurse was coming in. They believed me, and rushed me to the L&D room. By the time they wheeled me into the room, they could see the head (but I had missed that conversation). I made it onto the real bed, pushed a couple of times (I had been pushing some along the way because, well, my body said I had to), and she was born. The midwife barely made it into the room before I moved beds, and she placed the little girl on my stomach so I could see what she was (just like the other two we didn't know the gender). AJU7 got to lay on my stomach for 30 minutes or more - they didn't move her until she had nursed already and everything was calm in the room.
From start to finish, labor was at most 3.5 hours (I am not 100% sure on the first contraction's time). I was able to deliver for the second time without drugs. There was no fetal distress or any of that craziness - something I had been praying about. I only had a VERY small tear and didn't need any stitches. The midwife that delivered her was great. She was very complimentary and joked with us afterwards. The rest of the medical staff welcomed us to have 5 more babies there (something that WILL NOT HAPPEN). Oh, and the hospital now does "room service" instead of set meal times, so I got breakfast in the L&D room (cereal and yogurt)!
Now, the only things that would have made it better:
1. My OB there (but I knew it wasn't that likely since she is only at the hospital 12 hours a week normally).
2. In the L&D room a few more minutes so I would have been more aware that they baby was coming out (but I am not sure how much of a good thing that would be).
3. No blood clots after birth. Having them work to get them all out was painful.
So, it was a great labor and delivery, especially compared to the craziness of the other two. We think we are done now, but of course God could have other plans...
My MIL left on Sunday, and my parents arrived about 2 hours later. They left this morning, and now we are working on getting the bigger kids adjusted to the new normal. AJU5 is being difficult and talking back at times, but we think a lack of sleep/over stimulation might be more behind it than the new baby. AJU6 is very clingy to either my husband or I. This is going to be the biggest challenge I think, especially since he can't say what he is feeling like his big sister can. Luckily my husband has a flexible work schedule for the rest of the week...
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