This and That

We are doing well and surviving in this new chapter of life. Derek is so sweet and I already can't imagine not having him around. I could imagine just a tad more sleep though....

When we get the camera out Brynn insists on taking a picture too. I promised her I would post one of the pictures she took. This was the best of the lot. She does really good holding the camera until she has to push the button, then she lowers the camera too far.

If you haven't heard of Lakeshore Learning Stores, they are pretty cool. It's a teacher education store in a plaza on M-59, just over the M-53 overpass (near babies-r-us and bed bath & beyond) I knew the store was there but haven't been in a store like that since I got out of the teaching field 8 years ago. I guess I've saved a lot of money that way, cuz boy was there a lot of cool stuff! Anyways, thanks to my mom visiting there when they were here for Derek's birth she told me about these arts and crafts activities they do every Saturday from 11-3 thru the end of the year. We went this past Saturday and Brynn loved it! If you have a preschooler I would totally recommend going.

Derek liked belly time, fell right asleep. Wish I could still curl up like that.

Ahh, just maxing and relaxing!

8 days old!

Hard to believe Derek is 8 days old already! Seems like just a few hours ago we welcomed him to the world. Derek is doing great so far and is as sweet as can be, but man alive can he poop! I'll say he gets that from daddy :) Nursing and poop, nursing and poop, nursing and poop - that's pretty much my existence right now. I don't think he's been quite as fussy as Brynn was when she was a baby. At his first check-up Monday he weighed 9lbs 5 ozs (he was 9lbs 3 ozs when discharged) and 21.5 in long. His cord got a little yucky because Beaumont now tells you not to clean it with alcohol but it was putrid smelling and the dr said to go ahead and clean it since that smell was bacteria! The cord fell off shortly after that appt.

Brynn is holding her own and adjusting to having to share her time with us. We are trying our best to make sure she has special attention and we have an extra dose of patience. I don't think she's necessarily been any more or less ornery than before Derek, it's just extra stress on top of having a newborn. Brynn has been really adorable around him though and having the two of them now really does create a whole new dynamic to our family. Brynn seems infinitely bigger and so much more grown up than before. I don't quite know how to explain it, but I feel like in one week she just changed into this new person.

I wish I hadn't cut the top of her head off, I just love Brynn's face and smile in this pic.

Brynn likes to snuggle on the floor next to Derek, with Derek's green blankie. She adopted the green one when I bought it and won't let it out of her sight. And yes, Derek is laying on his side. He got there all by himself and has done it a few more times! Even tried to at the dr's office.

Drunk off of milk smile...off to la-la land now :)

My fave, I LOVE his blue eyes. I hope they stay that way!

I wanted a better pic of his feet but he wouldn't cooperate.

More snuggle time with brother and sister.

Precious!

On an adventure.

Pics of Derek's Room

Derek Matthew Miller

Alrighty, I am ready to post a blog and show off some pictures of our handsome little 'big' guy! This will be the delivery post. I will post more later about updates since delivery. However, we are home and doing awesome!!!

Derek Matthew was born Wednesday, October 1, at 7:45 am at a generous 9 lbs 13ozs, 21 in long.



I'd been having contractions for over a week but everytime I thought they were at the point of needing to call the dr they would taper off. Tuesday was very similar, had consistent contractions for a few hours and then they'd stop. I tried to go to bed around 11pm but my mind was racing about the pending induction on Thurs, etc and eventually drifted off to sleep and woke up with contractions a little after 1 am. This was pretty common but for some reason I felt the need to get up, stare at the clock, and track them. They were every 5 minutes apart for an hour, but not very painful. I decided to take a shower and then see if I still had them afterwards. I did, so I called the dr at 2:30 and he said to go on in.

We got there around 3:30am and after being checked out and monitored they admitted me around 4:40am. I was dilated to a 4 and having contractions on a 5 min, 4 min, 3 min pattern, but they were still not painful. I got moved over and the dr came in around 5:45 and broke my water. Not too long after the painful contractions started in and I asked for the epidural. They came to put that in and I had a lovely embarrassing moment which I won't share here! The epidural only waved off contractions for about half an hour and then it was like I didn't even have it. I started saying HELP! PAIN! The anesthesiologist came back to increase my epidural and it didn't do a single thing. I remember seeing it was 7:08 when the nurse came to check me before the shift change and she said I was dilated to 6 and told the new nurse.

By 7:15 I was really begging for pain relief and said I was feeling pressure. The new nurse hadn't checked me herself (she thought I was still at a 6 from 10 minutes previous), but because of my delirium paged the dr to come right away. He tells her to check me and I was at a 10! He quickly comes in and talks to me and says he'll be back in 5 minutes. He leaves and my contractions were so intense and painful. The nurse was like you are fine just take deep breaths and I was like NO I CAN"T, I NEED TO PUSH! She was like don't push just deep breaths and frantically pages the dr again.

And like a scene from a movie, he runs in and sheds his white coat, throws on the scrubs, they tear away the bottom of the bed, and 4 hard core contractions later he is out! It was less than 10 minutes from when I started pushing but it felt like slow motion. I also won't give details here on how I acted like a delirious crazy woman during those agonizing 10 minutes :)

Holding Derek for the first time

Little bubba, big bubba

Big Sister Brynn - and proud of it!

Sweet Dreams

When he's sitting up I think he looks like a grumpy old man :)

Um yeah, the not so nice facial effects of using every ounce of energy to push out a baby that fast. But compared to 2 and half hours with Brynn, every broken blood vessel was well worth it!

Mom and her kiddos

Chilling with daddy

Going home!!!!

Big sister taking care of her little brother

Loves his crib already

Induction on Thursday

Well, to make sure everyone is caught up to date - I am scheduled to be induced Thursday morning, October 2! I never really thought I'd be having an October baby. I figured even if I was a few days late it would still fall in September.

My dr appt yesterday took awhile and I almost got them to send me in from there but no luck. The dr did strip my membranes - ouch! - and it has sparked much more intense contractions. But as usual it's that whole not having them every 5 minutes for an hour thing to be in 'real' labor. They also monitored me for 20 minutes checking the heartbeat and contractions. One of the dr.'s came in and said that we wasn't very perky so they might just send me in afterall. She moved the probes and had me change positions. Well, he started having a party and when the other dr came back in he was like oh, he's doing great, see you Thursday!

Well, I guess there is a slim chance that I could go into labor or my water break between now and midnight, but signs point to Thursday. Luckily I am dilated enough that I don't have to go into the hospital the night before to be 'loosened' up. I can just show up Thursday morning and get started with the Pitocen (sp?).

Thank you so much everyone for your thoughts, prayers, well wishes, offers of help, etc.!!! It so great knowing we have family and friends to count on. Please continue praying these next few days for us and for a safe and healthy delivery! Finally, almost there! I am praying the next post will be our baby announcement :)

Passing the time

Today has been a nice, breezy day. We played outside for awhile and then took Brynn (and Annie) on a wagon ride in her new wagon. Brynn was so excited and enjoyed every minute of it.

And in case you wonder what one looks like at 40 weeks plus 2 days....here you go!

You'd think if he was any lower, he'd fall right out!

Boo hoooo!!!! I thought for sure I'd be on the way to the hospital.

Well, sad news for me - no baby today (at least not yet anyways, there is a small amount of hope). I guess it's great that he's doing so well inside, but I am SO ready for him to be outside! I've been really uncomfortable all week and everytime I thought this might be it, the contractions stop. I am still only dilated to a 3, which I found a shock after all of the contractions I've been having. The dr last week didn't think I'd make it today and the dr I saw today thought maybe in the next 12-24 hours but obviously they really have no idea! I have another appt set-up for Monday. If I haven't gone into labor by that appt they will set-up when I will be induced. Thanks!

Is he going to dig a hole?

This was too funny not to share. This morning when I was carrying Brynn to the car - in an effort to actually get her there faster - when I got her into her seat I was out of breath and gave a big sigh. As I was buckling her up I said to her, "Soon Brynn! Soon! Your brother is going to come out of my belly soon!" (I hope!)

Her reply was, "Is he going to dig a hole out of your shirt?"

I laughed and said, "No, not quite like that, but he will come out of my belly." I quickly shut the door and thank goodness she didn't say anything else about it.