Back to life

Phew it has been a long week. We came home on Friday, but had a doctor’s appointment first thing in the morning. We used the past 2 days to just be together as a family (dog and cat included). It was really nice, and much needed. In the hospital we were just getting stressed by amount of people that would come in at once.....ALWAYS at once. We would go hours not see a soul. Then all of a sudden 5 people were in the room all asking questions, Daniel would cry...all 5 people would fuss.
Belle and Tess have been adjusting fine. Tess was actually more upset that her litter box needed to be changed. Belle still wants to kiss and nose Daniel, but she has calmed down a lot and she checks on us when we are feeding at night.

Pictures....Chad set up a website, but he didn't remember my log in and password for the blog so it didn't get posted here. So for the first set of pictures go to: http://www.msu.edu/~kubikcha/Daniel/

We have many more (of course) but for now I will share his birth story for those who don't know it.
He was originally due on March 4. However a few months ago they saw he was breech. I had a fibroid tumor next to his head. Because of the fibroid and being my first pregnancy they didn't want to try and reposition him and had me schedule a C-Section. That was scheduled for February 27th. I had the choice of Friday the 24th or Monday the 27th. I figured well Chad starts his new job on the 21st so......lets go for the next week. Last weekend (18th and 19th). We took a load of stuff to Port Huron to store. Our house is going to be listed on March 1st so Chad spent a week trying to "unclutter" the house. We looked around the area to get a better idea of where we might want to live. I didn't do to much of the lifting myself, but all the running around did make me tired. We took it easy on Sunday, and proceeded to finish up some things in the nursery. On Monday I still was feeling generally tired and sore, so I worked from home. I also needed to finish up some work things before I left on leave. It was just less distracting to do that at home. By the end of the day I was feeling much better and Chad had the nursery all complete (well except for the crib), and the office was getting its attention in the "unclutter" department. So for Tuesday I had planned on going in to work, Chad had planned on driving an hour away to start a new job. However Daniel planned to make his debut.
When we went through birthing classes the instructor mentioned that we should talk with our mothers about their labor experience, because mothers and daughters tend to have similar ones. Of course this was no guarantee....but anyways. My mom told me her water NEVER broke on all three of us. I was aware that I still could go into labor before the scheduled C-section. However I was going in a week early, I was feeling fine, I should be ok. I was a little nervous about Chad starting a new job 1 hour away 2 weeks before the baby was due....but....what could we do. So at 4:30 in the morning and Chad's first day of work (the day I was going to go into work and finish up a LOT of stuff).....my water broke. I woke up to change positions, and felt funny....a little wetness....but.....oh geez
"Chad....get up we have to go to the hospital....my water just broke"
"What.....are you joking.....uh.....yeah it looks like it did"
Chad then very calmly got us packed up (yeah hadn't done that yet), helped get me dressed, and called the hospital. He did do this very calmly....but we were both still nervous. The hospital we delivered at is about 20 minutes away (on average). Luckily it was by then 4:45 and there was no traffic. So pretty smooth drive.
After getting to the hospital everything is kind of a blur. I remember there being a resident who looked really sleepy who checked me out and confirmed that we still needed a C-Section. I remember watching news clips about closing the zoo and still being upset by it. Actually Monday night I was yelling at the TV because of the Detroit City Council decision. We were joking that's why I went into labor, I was mad about the zoo. Anyways at the time it seemed like a long time to get into the operating room. However looking back it went by quick. I had a great surgical nurse with me who was really good at keeping me informed at what was going on. I didn't like doing the spinal tap, Chad came in and I felt much better. I was asked if I wanted to see the baby I said yes, so the pulled a mirror over. Then I freaked and couldn't look until the pulled him out. Then he finally came out and he cried and I felt so much better. They asked for a name, and we gave it to them. I tried to explain to the nurse why we named him Daniel John. That it is our fathers first names, and we both have always liked the name Daniel, and how my dad died a few years ago... but it was hard to explain when I started to talk because of thinking of my dad, and how I miss him. And thinking of Chad's dad and how it is going to be so nice to have him around.
After that it is another blur. When you are numbed from the chest down, you don’t' feel any pain, but you do feel touching, and moving. The pressure at one point was horrible, not painful, but it made me so uncomfortable and sick. I got sick, but couldn't move to much so I had to move my head to the side and Chad had to hold a container while the nurse suctioned.
I think it was after that I finally got to see my baby boy. I remember being wheeled back into the room holding Daniel. Then.....the next 6 hours were horrible because I could hold him every once in a while but I still couldn't move, I had to lay down, I couldn't feel my legs and feet. I and Daniel were checked for the next hour. I kept trying to make my legs move, because someone said I could sit up once my legs were moving. My left leg and foot got feeling back before my right. In the afternoon I was able to sit up and hold him, but I still was hooked up to an IV and hadn't gotten out of bed. I finally had the IV removed the next day and that was such a relief because I could hold him better without tubes getting in the way.
The hospital was great however, it just seemed like we would get staff and visitors all at the same time. This is also when they would bring in meals. By the time the staff stopped probing us and left they would come to get the food that I hadn't had a chance to touch. I was so happy to go home on Saturday, however we had to wait for another billirubin test to come back, since Daniel looked a little jaundice. Once we got home, Tess looked completely different to me. Her fur was all puffed up, and didn't feel as soft. However she took on look at Daniel and didn't seem bothered. In fact within an hour or two she licked his toes and head butted him. She was just happy we were home and strangers weren't in her house. Then Chad's parents brought Belle home and she looked completely different too! I was worried that it was me, I was seeing them different...but then Chad noticed her waist was larger (he usually can get his hands around it). She pigged out at Grandma and Grandpa's on Sunny's food. Her fur was messed up from wrestling with Sunny. She has adjusted well, she still gets a little rough around me (with the c-section she has to be careful). However she seems to like her baby brother.

He's here

My water broke at 4:30 this morning, Daniel John was born at 8:31 am, 8lbs 4oz, 20.75 in long. More detailss to come.

Perceptions are funny

Its funny what people say to you when you are pregnant. Everyone seems to have different take on what has "changed" about you. Now granted people who know you well will be able to judge. But sometimes I think people are just grasping at something to say. For instance my hair and nails have always grown at a crazy rate. In elementary I was teased because my nails were so long. I would cut them, but they would quickly grow back. Also every fall in high school I was on the swim team. After a few weeks of practice I would have dried out hair that was impossible to put all up into a swim cap. So I would cut it to shoulder length. By the early summer my hair would already be to my mid-back.
Anyways people tell me "Wow since you've been pregnant your hair/nails have grown so much". I try to explain that, no you probably just didn't notice before....but no one really believes me.
So this weekend I got my hair cut. It was to my mid-back and now it is just below the shoulders. No one here at work has noticed except this morning. One of my managers said it looked cute (she did notice the cut). Then another coworker who I haven't seen since last week said
"Man you hair is growing like a weed"

She hasn't seen me since before my hair was cut. I just checked.....and yep hair is still just below the shoulders:-)

soon there will be a real baby and.....

I hate days like this. I have much to do both here at work and at home. However none of it is appealing right now and I just have that "But I'm BORED" feeling. No celebrity pictures this week either:-( We talked to our realtor last night and we will probably get the house listed sometime next week. Chad is going to take next week off (read: quit crazy stripper office) and start packing. The funny thing is, if he would have organized the garage while he was laid off it would make things easier on him now....I put it on his list in the fall. Boys! We are trying not to get stressed about all the work and changes ahead of us but sometimes stress is good...it gets you motivated. I have doctor appointments weekly now. I have been meeting with just one of the doctors and I really like him. He is detailed in his answers to questions. Not that I would mind the other doctors. I generally don't feel comfortable around doctors but the ones at this office I have always felt comfortable around. I think that is a OB thing...if its something different they are taught....can't they teach that same manner to other doctors? Our shower is this weekend. It should be fun and nice to take a moment to spend just on the baby, which is something we don't do enough:-)


Well my 2 furbabies are in for some adjustment as well. I keep asking Belle what is she going to do when she isn't the baby anymore? I realize that she has no clue what I am saying, but her facial expression are fun anyways. However I think she might be more upset by a move. She is a mommy to baby bunnies afterall;-)





Also she always has the cat to snuggle with. With the cat its a toss up by what she will be more upset about. A crying infant and no place to hide in her own home.....or....having to move out of her house and go for an hour car ride to a place she has never been before. Well they are good buddies now, so they can comfort each other. Hopefully they will be willing to let a baby into their "circle of trust":-)

Just hanging in there

Nothing new to really report. I have a doctors appointment this afternoon, so I will be leaving early. Making it my last day of Superbowl madness. I have been doing so much walking lately and its all catching up with me. I hope to rest this weekend. I did talk to my boss about my leave and it seems like I should be able to work from home the last week up to my due date. A coworker has figured out a way to get connected from home and he is going to help me out with that. I will also be able to work out some kind of schedule for afterwards. We will figure that out towards the end of my leave. He also knows about us moving. So do several coworkers. Its nice to get that out. Well we are going to go for another NFL adventure.