Thursday, August 16, 2007
Life With Baby
Well, we have been home for a few days now and things are going just fine! Nathaniel is a textbook baby-easy to breastfeed, only cries when necessary and absolutely delightful 21 out of the 24 hours of the day. Between 2:30AM and 5:00AM, he turns into a devil child who wants to be fed 4 times, not burp, not sleep and wants to be entertained. Luckily he crashes very hard after this and we get caught up on our sleep. Iain has been absolutely wonderful and I don't think I would have got through those wee hours without some tears of my own without him. We have kept him awake for over an hour and a half so far this evening with the hope this will help get him on a more likable schedule.
Here are a few more pictures of him-I think the one of him grinning is adorable.
Here are a few more pictures of him-I think the one of him grinning is adorable.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Technical Difficulties
the number you have reached has been disconnected.
la numero ca... blah blah blah...
grrr for all of you that have tried to reach us today, you have no doubt found out that our phone is disconnected! Perfect timing.... This is Iain writing this entry as Kelly is busy with the wee one.
The nurse came in around supper time today and told me that my mother was on the phone. Thinking something was really wrong I raced for the phone. She had tried calling my house, disconnected, cell phone, turned off, phone in Kelly's room, not hooked up. The army has been frantically trying to get ahold of me today and ended up calling her in Ontario. It wasn't actually a matter of national security or anything slightly important but it at least gave me the heads up that the "tentatively" booked switch to another phone company had taken place. Or part of it at least. Kelly had talked to a person from Rogers about switching to them for phone service, but had said that she needed to talk to me about it. "Fine", said the man from Rogers and he said that he would book a "tentative" appointment and call back to finalized the deal and confirm that we actually wanted Rogers home phone. I figured it would be best to just wait until Kelly was out of hospital and I got a chance to see how I can get the soccer package. Unfortunately the man from Rogers didn't phone back or email us or anything but also didn't cancel our order. So today Rogers phoned Aliant and told them to disconnect us, sent over a man to hook up our unwanted Rogers phone.... and found that I wasn't home! So he left without hooking us up and now we have no phone. Anyway after 2 hours on hold with both companies and of course with both companies blaming each other for the cock up things will hopefully be back to normal tomorrow... or the next day... or the next week... or whenever they feel like sorting it.
In other news Kelly is doing great, a little tired but great. Nathaniel is really starting to get the hang of this screaming thing, especially when he is hungry which seems to me to be every 10 minutes.
Thank you for all the cards, flowers, presents, congratulations, comments and well wishes we have received they are most appreciated.
Till next time,
Iain.
P.S. here's a shot of our nephew Karson with Nathaniel.
la numero ca... blah blah blah...
grrr for all of you that have tried to reach us today, you have no doubt found out that our phone is disconnected! Perfect timing.... This is Iain writing this entry as Kelly is busy with the wee one.
The nurse came in around supper time today and told me that my mother was on the phone. Thinking something was really wrong I raced for the phone. She had tried calling my house, disconnected, cell phone, turned off, phone in Kelly's room, not hooked up. The army has been frantically trying to get ahold of me today and ended up calling her in Ontario. It wasn't actually a matter of national security or anything slightly important but it at least gave me the heads up that the "tentatively" booked switch to another phone company had taken place. Or part of it at least. Kelly had talked to a person from Rogers about switching to them for phone service, but had said that she needed to talk to me about it. "Fine", said the man from Rogers and he said that he would book a "tentative" appointment and call back to finalized the deal and confirm that we actually wanted Rogers home phone. I figured it would be best to just wait until Kelly was out of hospital and I got a chance to see how I can get the soccer package. Unfortunately the man from Rogers didn't phone back or email us or anything but also didn't cancel our order. So today Rogers phoned Aliant and told them to disconnect us, sent over a man to hook up our unwanted Rogers phone.... and found that I wasn't home! So he left without hooking us up and now we have no phone. Anyway after 2 hours on hold with both companies and of course with both companies blaming each other for the cock up things will hopefully be back to normal tomorrow... or the next day... or the next week... or whenever they feel like sorting it.
In other news Kelly is doing great, a little tired but great. Nathaniel is really starting to get the hang of this screaming thing, especially when he is hungry which seems to me to be every 10 minutes.
Thank you for all the cards, flowers, presents, congratulations, comments and well wishes we have received they are most appreciated.
Till next time,
Iain.
P.S. here's a shot of our nephew Karson with Nathaniel.
More Pics
We have the laptop resting on the window sill at the hospital-the wireless signal is very weak so here are a couple of more.
Introducing Our New Little Man
Iain and I are pleased to report that Nathaniel William Aitken is here...finally! Here are his stats: he was born at 12:17PM on Saturday, August 17th which was coincidentally Iain's birthday, so needless to say he was thrilled. He was delivered via C-section, thank God, since he weighed a whopping 11 pounds (yes, eleven, not a typo) and is 22 inches long. He is perfectly healthy, is doing a fabulous job at breastfeeding and Iain and I can't believe he is ours!!
I had a rough lead up to the C-section. They spent 2 hours trying to get a spinal block or an epidural to work with little luck-only halkf of me would freeze. My gut was so huge, I couldn't arch my back properly so they could insert the needle in the right place. My back looks like some heroin addict's arm. That was a pleasant experience. So, my alternatives were to wait a few more days and see if labour would progress on it's own ( I was a whooping 1cm dilated that morning) or to have a general anesthesia (be put out cold). I wasn't thrilled about either option and I was pretty sure that if I waited, the baby would be too big and I would be right back in the same position I was in then, with perhaps a baby in distress. I was pretty nervous about going under and disappointed that I wouldn't see the baby immediately, but Iain was able to do all of that. He said the way they were wailing on my body to get Nathaniel out, I wouldn't have wanted to remember that anyway. Even the anesthetist was banging away on me.
Anyway, I was pretty sore Saturday, not too bad yesterday and really good today. We are going home tomorrow and I hope my milk comes in soon to feed the little piglet-he is ready for more than colostrum.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Update Number Four
I said I didn't want to write update number four, but at least there is light at the end of the tunnel with this one. When Iain and I returned to the hospital this afternoon for the fifth installment of cervix thinner, I was ready for a better solution. We are both tired and a bit mentally drained from the anticipation and the disappointment. When the doctor came in, he checked me out and there was no progress. He gave me one more dose of the stuff and said that he had me booked in for a C-section tomorrow morning.
I am now ten days overdue, nothing is progressing, the baby is not where it is supposed to be and I am tired, so I am okay with the C-section. Plus I am not exactly saddened by the thought of not experiencing labour-my hoo hoo has had enough fun in the last few days as it is.
So, I have to be at the DECH at 8AM and as long as there are not any emergencies, I should have my baby by lunch!
Keep posted for the pics and hope that I am not the 1:100 000 who gets paralyzed from the spinal block ( a little paranoid pregnancy humour for you).
I am now ten days overdue, nothing is progressing, the baby is not where it is supposed to be and I am tired, so I am okay with the C-section. Plus I am not exactly saddened by the thought of not experiencing labour-my hoo hoo has had enough fun in the last few days as it is.
So, I have to be at the DECH at 8AM and as long as there are not any emergencies, I should have my baby by lunch!
Keep posted for the pics and hope that I am not the 1:100 000 who gets paralyzed from the spinal block ( a little paranoid pregnancy humour for you).
Update Number Three
If you can believe it, still no baby! Here is a quick update on the events of the last 2 days. Yesterday, I couldn't get in to Labour and Delivery until 1:30 because there were so many babies being born-obviously some people's children are anxious to meet their parents unlike my donkey who just wants to float around. All that morning I had contractions about 4-6 minutes apart and about 45 seconds long. I thought for sure things were on their way. Obviously not.
As soon as I got to the hospital and got all strapped in, everything stopped. My cervix had not thinned enough to start the Pitocin and all contractions ceased. They gave me some more jelly hoping to get the ball rolling. So, they kept me there until supper time, where I got to enjoy an oh so delicious egg salad sandwich and bowl of tomato soup, and told me to come back at 9PM.
At 9PM we headed back to the hospital-at this point we don't even bother with the pretense of lugging my bag up with us. My cervix was checked, still not thin enough, but the doctor was very hopeful that by the morning it would be. We headed home again. When I go to get in the car, I am so sore I think I am going to puke. My cervix has stuff in it that basically eats away at it and I have been prodded and swept so many times, it's sickening. I know it will be worse after I have the baby, but at least I will have a baby and not just a sore hole. Let's just say the drive to Lincoln seemed like eternity and every single bump was felt. Iain was wonderful, patient and very helpful. I love him (try not to puke over the grade 7 sentimentality, but he has been fantastic)!
I was so tired, sore and shaky that I passed out and had the best sleep I have had in months. So this morning, we headed back to the hospital at 8:30AM for another round. My cervix had still not thinned enough (what is it made out of, an old leather ball glove?!). This time I was given a tablet (and NOT orally) instead of the jelly. I stayed there and slept for a bit while they monitored me and now I am home again until 2:45PM, when I go back for potentially my 5th dose.
I am now 10 days overdue and Iain's birthday is tomorrow so it looks like he stands a chance of getting his birthday baby after all. If you had told me that on the 1st, I would have started crying.
Let's hope there is no update number 4, just pics of a wrinkled little newborn!
As soon as I got to the hospital and got all strapped in, everything stopped. My cervix had not thinned enough to start the Pitocin and all contractions ceased. They gave me some more jelly hoping to get the ball rolling. So, they kept me there until supper time, where I got to enjoy an oh so delicious egg salad sandwich and bowl of tomato soup, and told me to come back at 9PM.
At 9PM we headed back to the hospital-at this point we don't even bother with the pretense of lugging my bag up with us. My cervix was checked, still not thin enough, but the doctor was very hopeful that by the morning it would be. We headed home again. When I go to get in the car, I am so sore I think I am going to puke. My cervix has stuff in it that basically eats away at it and I have been prodded and swept so many times, it's sickening. I know it will be worse after I have the baby, but at least I will have a baby and not just a sore hole. Let's just say the drive to Lincoln seemed like eternity and every single bump was felt. Iain was wonderful, patient and very helpful. I love him (try not to puke over the grade 7 sentimentality, but he has been fantastic)!
I was so tired, sore and shaky that I passed out and had the best sleep I have had in months. So this morning, we headed back to the hospital at 8:30AM for another round. My cervix had still not thinned enough (what is it made out of, an old leather ball glove?!). This time I was given a tablet (and NOT orally) instead of the jelly. I stayed there and slept for a bit while they monitored me and now I am home again until 2:45PM, when I go back for potentially my 5th dose.
I am now 10 days overdue and Iain's birthday is tomorrow so it looks like he stands a chance of getting his birthday baby after all. If you had told me that on the 1st, I would have started crying.
Let's hope there is no update number 4, just pics of a wrinkled little newborn!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Update Number Two
We went to the DECH at 6:30PM and I was set up with the fetal heart rate monitor and the one that measures your contractions for about 45 minutes. The doctor then came in and inserted the jelly. Almost immediately I could feel cramping that was not overly pleasant. I stayed for about another 1/2 hour to make sure everything was okay, which it was, then we headed home.
My back is quite sore and I feel like I am 13 with horrible rag cramps but I am glad I got to come home and hopefully get some sleep in my own bed. If the contractions get close together or my water breaks, then I have to head back. Other than that I am on a diet of Tylenol and warm baths to get through a night of "miseries" as the nurse said.
I am to call the hospital tomorrow at 7:30AM and as long as everything is calm there, I am heading in to get the Pitocin and will hopefully have our baby tomorrow. This may be my last blog as a pregnant woman, which as happy as that makes me, there is also a twinge of sadness. I will miss my bump but we are both quite excited to meet the bump in person so what ever pain lies ahead in the next day or so, there is at least a light at the end of the tunnel.
I feel pretty crappy right now so I think I will have a bowl of soup and hit the hay.
Keep tuned for some pics!!
My back is quite sore and I feel like I am 13 with horrible rag cramps but I am glad I got to come home and hopefully get some sleep in my own bed. If the contractions get close together or my water breaks, then I have to head back. Other than that I am on a diet of Tylenol and warm baths to get through a night of "miseries" as the nurse said.
I am to call the hospital tomorrow at 7:30AM and as long as everything is calm there, I am heading in to get the Pitocin and will hopefully have our baby tomorrow. This may be my last blog as a pregnant woman, which as happy as that makes me, there is also a twinge of sadness. I will miss my bump but we are both quite excited to meet the bump in person so what ever pain lies ahead in the next day or so, there is at least a light at the end of the tunnel.
I feel pretty crappy right now so I think I will have a bowl of soup and hit the hay.
Keep tuned for some pics!!
Update
Okay, I just got back from the doctor and here is the news. At 5PM tonight, I call Labour and Delivery and as long as half of Fredericton hasn't gone into labour, I am going in to have the jelly that softens my cervix and may even start contractions (cross your fingers for me). The doctor said to bring my bag but to most likely expect to go home for the night. My cervix has softened somewhat but not enough and the doctor said basically they need to be able to touch the top of the baby's head before they give me the Pitocin to actually start the contractions.
Most likely I will return to the hospital in the morning and if everything is soft enough, they will start the Pitocin which brings on the contractions. If it is not soft enough, then another dose of jelly to soften me up.
The doctor also talked to Iain and I about the possibility of having a C-Section due to the size of the baby. He said he wanted to try a vaginal birth but to be prepared due to the size-I just hope they don't make me go forever until I am exhausted then give me a C-Section.
Anyway, that is the news and if (more than likely, when) I come home tonight I will update if there is any progress.
Think of the three of us and keep your fingers crossed.
Hmmm...this is suddenly becoming a lot more real. Yikes!!
Most likely I will return to the hospital in the morning and if everything is soft enough, they will start the Pitocin which brings on the contractions. If it is not soft enough, then another dose of jelly to soften me up.
The doctor also talked to Iain and I about the possibility of having a C-Section due to the size of the baby. He said he wanted to try a vaginal birth but to be prepared due to the size-I just hope they don't make me go forever until I am exhausted then give me a C-Section.
Anyway, that is the news and if (more than likely, when) I come home tonight I will update if there is any progress.
Think of the three of us and keep your fingers crossed.
Hmmm...this is suddenly becoming a lot more real. Yikes!!
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