Monday, January 25, 2010

an eventful week!

In anticipation of a new arrival, we bought a fancy new camera and have been playing around with it a good bit lately. I thought I would post a few photos of me and the twins in our last few days of there being just three girls in the house. Here is Hannah being Hannah. She loves to be with me and do whatever I am doing so I am introducing her to the salad spinner. They became fast friends.
Again, playing with the camera ... but I figured Cooper has not had a day in the spotlight in a while ... so, here he is!
Here are the three of us gals the day before our family of 4 became a family of 5.
Here is Meredith being silly and wanting to play in the baby's chair. Silly girl.
So, onto our biggest news. As most know, I was scheduled for a repeat C-Section on Tuesday the 26th but didn't quite make it in time. I ended up going into labor on Friday night and went to the hospital Saturday the 23rd and had the baby by C-Section that night at 7:49 PM. Needless to say, it was a very long day!! The reason for the C-Section was only because I had one with the girls and was too chicken to try for a VBAC. However, she was lodged way down in my pelvis and sideways (at incision, the first thing they saw was her ear) so the OB said I would likely have had a really hard time pushing her out anyway. I am glad I went with the planned C-Section. The hours of labor pains I had were not fun and I have lots of respect for people who do natural childbirth! Since I did go through the contractions and she was way down in the pelvis, she came into the world quite bruised and swollen. In the past few days she has just looked better and better. She is jaundiced, however, so has not been able to stay in the room with us. She has been allowed out of her "tanning bed" only for breastfeeding then back to the lights! It is hard for me to give her back but I know that the longer she is under the lights, the sooner she can go home! We are both still in the hospital at this point, but anticipate discharge tomorrow (Tuesday the 26th.) We named her Caroline Avery. She will go by Caroline. She was 7 pounds and 5 ounces and 19 inches long. So basically she looks like the girls did when they were like 3 months old =) I am feeling pretty good as long as I take my meds on time. I'm sure in a few weeks, I will be as good as new! Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers I'm sure you have been sending my way and I can't wait to have more pictures and stories to share. Here is our first meeting ...
The girls came up to see us yesterday and did fairly well. Meredith was a little freaked out and didn't really know what to think of Mommy in the hospital bed and the new little being that I just happened to be nursing when they got there. Hannah was more interested in touching her and looking at her (as you can see here) but was still a bit jealous when Mommy's lap was not hers and hers alone. She had a tough time leaving but my Mom and Dad and Alan say she is doing pretty well at home and knows that Mommy will be home when her "big boo boo" is better.
Here is our first family photo! I think I will always have quite a full lap which is actually pretty great!
As you can see here, Caroline has very dark hair. The girls didn't have much hair when they were born and what they had was a light brown. You can see what happened with theirs and I wonder if Caroline will favor me a little more and have the dark hair. Time will tell!
Here is a close-up of her dark hair ... the photo may be a little PG-13 but at least no parts are showing! I felt it was pretty safe =) She is a good breastfeeder though a little sleepy. I'm sure she will get more efficient with time! Feeding her is night and day from what it was like to feed two preemies at the same time! Now I just have to figure out how to feed her and entertain two 2.5 year olds at the same time!
peek-a-boo ... she has had some wide-eyed moments of late but she is still usually newborn sleepy. Her eyes are the same murky blue that the girls had so I suspect hazel or brown eyes for her.
She still has some bruising and swelling between her eyes and her little nose is still a little puffy but everyday it diminishes a little ... this was yesterday. I love the squishy cheeks!
This is from this morning and she is making faces at her Dad ...
... and at her Granddadddy
My parents are here helping with the girls and they and Alan have been switching off so that I always have company and the girls are always taken care of.
Here is little Miss in her tanning bed. This is where she has spent all her time since birth minus her feedings. It is a little lonely in my room without her and I am hoping she is too little and unaware to feel the same way.

2 comments:

Jen Medley said...

We are so excited for you all! Glad everyone is doing well. Wish we were closer so I could see her in person.

Rachel Oswald said...

Wow I had no idea you were so far along! Congrats! She is beautiful. I bet she seems like a breeze compared to two colicky babies!