(this one was obviously pre-Evangeline, an attempt to get one of me pregnant, I suppose)
A more successful attempt of my mother's to sneak a few pictures of pregnant me
Showing posts with label Pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pregnancy. Show all posts
7.03.2013
Grandpa and Grandma's Summer 2013 Visit
Let's be honest; the highlight of the visit from Grandpa and Grandma in June and July was the birth of Evangeline. It can't get bigger than that for a Vienna visit! Still, I have hundreds (I am not kidding) of photos from the days before her birth and then many days after which simply must be shared. Here begins a grouping of posts of photos from their visit. So many memories were made...
6.24.2013
The story of her birth
Birth details to follow; don't read if you don't like this kind of thing. ;) (This blog post was actually written out in December 2015.)
My dad arrived in Vienna on June 19th. I remember riding home from the airport in the taxi with him, and the taxi driver asked when my baby was due. "Tomorrow," I replied. What a shock for him!
Earlier that day, I met with my doctor. All looked well, and she was quite certain labor would begin very soon, as my cervix was already at 3cm and soft and malleable. I just smiled skeptically. We'd heard that for almost a month before Nathanael had to be induced! She spoke with my mid-wife and scheduled a fetal heart monitor for the evening of June 20th, mentioning that she thought my body might be ready to respond if the mid-wife agreed to attempt a few homeopathic methods to activate labor.
That afternoon, Gregory and Nathanael and I walked half an hour to his Kindergarten Summer Sports Festival. It was a rediculously sweltering hot day. I was miserable, but I enjoyed watching Nathanael participate in activities with his Kindergarten friends. The pre-labor contractions were as active as ever in the heat and activity, but I didn't think much of it.
The next day, June 20th, was Evangeline's due date. Gregory and I picked up some groceries, stocking up the home, just in case we didn't come back right away from the appointment in the evening. We made sure we had everything packed, and we tried to survive the heat. The apartment's internal temperature reached 85 degrees! Ugh! And Gregory's allergies were acting up big-time.
We said goodbye to Nathanael and Grandpa and Grandma at 5:00pm, letting Nathanael know that if we didn't come home, Evangeline would have been born! We arrived at the hospital (Goldenes Kreuz) at 6:00pm and were set up with the fetal heart monitor.
At 7:00pm, my mid-wife, Elisabeth, inserted some gel onto my cervix and massaged it a bit. She told me that if it were to successfully stimulate labor, we would know within 30 minutes, likely beginning with mild cramping and then contractions at regular intervals. She was right, of course! At 8pm, after just that, I asked her how likely she thought it was that Evangeline would be born that evening, and she responded that she'd already completely the check-in procedures for us! We would be meeting our daughter that evening!
They moved me into a Labor and Delivery room then; they let me choose which room I liked best, so I chose the violet room. At 8:45, I received an enima, and while going through that torturous experience, I threw up while bawling from the pain. My midwife was so pleased, explaining that throwing up was a kind of emotional release, showing that my mind and body were ready to have this baby. She checked my cervix and found it to be at 7cm.
The next hour of events happened quite quickly. My water broke, but I had no idea as it was simply a gentle trickle. I was having a lot of back labor due to Eva's positioning, so the mid-wife had me lie somewhat inverted on my knees with most of my weight on my shoulders in order to move Eva's chin down to be resting more deeply in the birth canal. After this, the intensity of the contractions increased significantly, and speaking through them was difficult. I asked my mid-wife when transition would begin and when she would suggest I get an epidural. She was a little surprised by my question and informed me that she could probably count the remaining contractions on one hand! (She was exactly right!) She said she'd speak with my doctor when she arrived.
At that point, I went through three extremely intense contractions. The doctor arrived after the second. I couldn't relax between them as they were so intense, so my doctor suggested I try pushing on the next one. I pushed through one contraction, and Evangeline's head came half-way out! I pushed through a second contraction, and she was born! 10:49pm. And no tearing! Praise God! (And thanks to the amazing Epino device the mid-wife had me use the month prior to prepare my body for delivery.)
I pushed through two more contractions a few minutes later to deliver the placenta. That part was a bit more painful than I expected or liked. The placenta was huge; both my doctor and mid-wife were amazed! Haha! Then my mid-wife pushed out a couple blood clots by pressing with her fist on my uterus/mid-section, and it hurt so much that I grabbed her hand to stop her and yelled, "Ow!" I imagine that was quite humerous to her. (Evangeline was in my arms at this point!)
Evangeline was in great health. She nursed for about 10 minutes within the first hour. As opposed to Nathanael just after birth, Eva opened her mouth widely and nursed easily from the beginning on. Interestingly, she was never cleaned off from birth; they simply allowed everything to remain on her skin and soak in to keep it from drying out. Gregory and I were a bit surprised by that; we kept thinking they would take her away to take all the measurements and wipe her off! I didn't mind keeping her with us the entire time though.
I am so thankful for my wonderful doctor and mid-wife and for my husband who held my hand through it all. Each one of them played a crucial role during the delivery, and I couldn't imagine it having gone more splendidly!
My dad arrived in Vienna on June 19th. I remember riding home from the airport in the taxi with him, and the taxi driver asked when my baby was due. "Tomorrow," I replied. What a shock for him!
Earlier that day, I met with my doctor. All looked well, and she was quite certain labor would begin very soon, as my cervix was already at 3cm and soft and malleable. I just smiled skeptically. We'd heard that for almost a month before Nathanael had to be induced! She spoke with my mid-wife and scheduled a fetal heart monitor for the evening of June 20th, mentioning that she thought my body might be ready to respond if the mid-wife agreed to attempt a few homeopathic methods to activate labor.
That afternoon, Gregory and Nathanael and I walked half an hour to his Kindergarten Summer Sports Festival. It was a rediculously sweltering hot day. I was miserable, but I enjoyed watching Nathanael participate in activities with his Kindergarten friends. The pre-labor contractions were as active as ever in the heat and activity, but I didn't think much of it.
The next day, June 20th, was Evangeline's due date. Gregory and I picked up some groceries, stocking up the home, just in case we didn't come back right away from the appointment in the evening. We made sure we had everything packed, and we tried to survive the heat. The apartment's internal temperature reached 85 degrees! Ugh! And Gregory's allergies were acting up big-time.
We said goodbye to Nathanael and Grandpa and Grandma at 5:00pm, letting Nathanael know that if we didn't come home, Evangeline would have been born! We arrived at the hospital (Goldenes Kreuz) at 6:00pm and were set up with the fetal heart monitor.
At 7:00pm, my mid-wife, Elisabeth, inserted some gel onto my cervix and massaged it a bit. She told me that if it were to successfully stimulate labor, we would know within 30 minutes, likely beginning with mild cramping and then contractions at regular intervals. She was right, of course! At 8pm, after just that, I asked her how likely she thought it was that Evangeline would be born that evening, and she responded that she'd already completely the check-in procedures for us! We would be meeting our daughter that evening!
They moved me into a Labor and Delivery room then; they let me choose which room I liked best, so I chose the violet room. At 8:45, I received an enima, and while going through that torturous experience, I threw up while bawling from the pain. My midwife was so pleased, explaining that throwing up was a kind of emotional release, showing that my mind and body were ready to have this baby. She checked my cervix and found it to be at 7cm.
The next hour of events happened quite quickly. My water broke, but I had no idea as it was simply a gentle trickle. I was having a lot of back labor due to Eva's positioning, so the mid-wife had me lie somewhat inverted on my knees with most of my weight on my shoulders in order to move Eva's chin down to be resting more deeply in the birth canal. After this, the intensity of the contractions increased significantly, and speaking through them was difficult. I asked my mid-wife when transition would begin and when she would suggest I get an epidural. She was a little surprised by my question and informed me that she could probably count the remaining contractions on one hand! (She was exactly right!) She said she'd speak with my doctor when she arrived.
At that point, I went through three extremely intense contractions. The doctor arrived after the second. I couldn't relax between them as they were so intense, so my doctor suggested I try pushing on the next one. I pushed through one contraction, and Evangeline's head came half-way out! I pushed through a second contraction, and she was born! 10:49pm. And no tearing! Praise God! (And thanks to the amazing Epino device the mid-wife had me use the month prior to prepare my body for delivery.)
I pushed through two more contractions a few minutes later to deliver the placenta. That part was a bit more painful than I expected or liked. The placenta was huge; both my doctor and mid-wife were amazed! Haha! Then my mid-wife pushed out a couple blood clots by pressing with her fist on my uterus/mid-section, and it hurt so much that I grabbed her hand to stop her and yelled, "Ow!" I imagine that was quite humerous to her. (Evangeline was in my arms at this point!)
Evangeline was in great health. She nursed for about 10 minutes within the first hour. As opposed to Nathanael just after birth, Eva opened her mouth widely and nursed easily from the beginning on. Interestingly, she was never cleaned off from birth; they simply allowed everything to remain on her skin and soak in to keep it from drying out. Gregory and I were a bit surprised by that; we kept thinking they would take her away to take all the measurements and wipe her off! I didn't mind keeping her with us the entire time though.
I am so thankful for my wonderful doctor and mid-wife and for my husband who held my hand through it all. Each one of them played a crucial role during the delivery, and I couldn't imagine it having gone more splendidly!
6.11.2013
And we wait
Today is Tuesday, June 11th. Little Evangeline is due in nine days, and I can hardly wait to meet her. For so long, we were simply praying that she'd not be born before my mom arrived, four days ago. Now Mom is here, adjusted and oriented. Ready. We visited the hospital today, confirmed that Evangeline's still doing marvelously well and met with the billing department to figure out how to pay these crazy medical bills until we can be reimbursed by our insurance. Check. I finished a few administrative things that I wanted to attend to before birth. Done. Gregory's getting his hospital bag packed as I write. And so we wait. We're praying she'll come this week. Tonight would be fine with me!
4.21.2013
A Surprise Baby Shower
I thought we were simply going to be babysitting our friends' kids for a few hours on Saturday morning. But when we arrived, a house full of loving women from our church greeted us to surprise me with a double baby shower! I was overwhelmed by the love and support and friendship, immensely grateful to these women who are becoming friends and family to us. I had slept horribly the night prior, so my German was a complete mess, but they were so patient and accepting of me, including all my fumbles in speaking and understanding. Here are a few pictures that tell the story of the time together.
3.20.2013
Women's Retreat in Italy
Gregory blessed me in March by making it possible for me to attend a Women's Retreat through our organization. I was gone five days, flew to Rome, took the train to a lake a couple hours away, and spent the entire time gaining physical and spiritual refreshment and rest. Oh, and the food was absolutely amazing. And I didn't have to make it or clean it up! Nathanael and Gregory held down the fort back in Vienna. I'm so thankful for this gift!
The timing was a gift from God, as it allowed me a few days to think about, pray about, and prepare myself for the coming changes with the end of pregnancy and welcoming another child into our family. Through the unique, reflective format of the retreat, God led me through addressing a handful of fears and anxieties that will likely continue to surface with the upcoming stresses and changes, especially my limitations in them. And He gave me a sentence prayer to "breathe" to remind me of who I am in Him and His promise to carry me through: I rest in Your embrace, free to be Yours, Elohim, my Everything. This prayer is packed full of meaning for me, from Scripture and experiences that have been impressionable over decades. I am excited to have this tool to use to claim Truth and center my heart and mind on Christ.
The timing was a gift from God, as it allowed me a few days to think about, pray about, and prepare myself for the coming changes with the end of pregnancy and welcoming another child into our family. Through the unique, reflective format of the retreat, God led me through addressing a handful of fears and anxieties that will likely continue to surface with the upcoming stresses and changes, especially my limitations in them. And He gave me a sentence prayer to "breathe" to remind me of who I am in Him and His promise to carry me through: I rest in Your embrace, free to be Yours, Elohim, my Everything. This prayer is packed full of meaning for me, from Scripture and experiences that have been impressionable over decades. I am excited to have this tool to use to claim Truth and center my heart and mind on Christ.
3.05.2013
What to say after over six months of silence
Gregory is out having drinks with a friend. I should be going to bed; rather, I should be asleep right now. But instead my heart and mind want to blog. So here goes. It's been over half a year. So much has happened. It is impossible to "catch up" this blog, but I can still share my heart.
The last time I posted here, we'd just moved into our apartment in Vienna, and life was looking as if it might settle a bit. And about a month later, it did. For about three weeks, before morning sickness hit hard. :) God has indeed blessed us with a lasting pregnancy, and we are immensely thankful and hopeful in Him to bring this little girl into our arms in June. October, November, and December of 2012 were some of my most difficult months, simply trying to make it through each day, exhausted and overwhelmed by all of the discomforts and difficulties of a trying first trimester while taking care of Nathanael and attempting to not lose all of the German I'd learned. Still in the midst of that, God upheld us by His right hand, carried us faithfully through, and brought us into a new season. We had a wonderful visit from family over the holidays which carried us through the last couple weeks of sickness.
January and February were months of intense growth for me as I dove into full-time German classes again. I absolutely loved how much progress I was making, especially after three months of barely surviving, but it was difficult to see so many things at home falling by the wayside because I simply had no time nor energy to give outside of German class and homework.
And here we are at the beginning of March. The sun has been shining now for a few days, the snow has melted, and I feel the awakening of Spring with all of the new life and growth it brings. Nathanael and I went out yesterday afternoon and walked around aimlessly for a couple hours, stopping at three different playgrounds along the way. It was wonderful. I myself also feel freed by this new season, freed to simply enjoy being mom to my son, freed to take time to accomplish some necessary tasks at home, freed to pursue growth in German in some more personal areas of interest, and freed to allow my mind and heart to walk around aimlessly, to think and dream and be. Evidence: I'm actually writing a blog post. That has to be a good sign.
I know that one more month of full-time German classes awaits me in April. I know that the discomforts of pregnancy are going to only intensify in the next few months. I know that having an infant and becoming a family of four are going to be more difficult than I can imagine. But right now, I am choosing to savor these few days of thriving instead of simply surviving. And I'm looking back on God's abundant faithfulness and provision through the storms with a heart full of gratitude and joy.
The last time I posted here, we'd just moved into our apartment in Vienna, and life was looking as if it might settle a bit. And about a month later, it did. For about three weeks, before morning sickness hit hard. :) God has indeed blessed us with a lasting pregnancy, and we are immensely thankful and hopeful in Him to bring this little girl into our arms in June. October, November, and December of 2012 were some of my most difficult months, simply trying to make it through each day, exhausted and overwhelmed by all of the discomforts and difficulties of a trying first trimester while taking care of Nathanael and attempting to not lose all of the German I'd learned. Still in the midst of that, God upheld us by His right hand, carried us faithfully through, and brought us into a new season. We had a wonderful visit from family over the holidays which carried us through the last couple weeks of sickness.
January and February were months of intense growth for me as I dove into full-time German classes again. I absolutely loved how much progress I was making, especially after three months of barely surviving, but it was difficult to see so many things at home falling by the wayside because I simply had no time nor energy to give outside of German class and homework.
And here we are at the beginning of March. The sun has been shining now for a few days, the snow has melted, and I feel the awakening of Spring with all of the new life and growth it brings. Nathanael and I went out yesterday afternoon and walked around aimlessly for a couple hours, stopping at three different playgrounds along the way. It was wonderful. I myself also feel freed by this new season, freed to simply enjoy being mom to my son, freed to take time to accomplish some necessary tasks at home, freed to pursue growth in German in some more personal areas of interest, and freed to allow my mind and heart to walk around aimlessly, to think and dream and be. Evidence: I'm actually writing a blog post. That has to be a good sign.
I know that one more month of full-time German classes awaits me in April. I know that the discomforts of pregnancy are going to only intensify in the next few months. I know that having an infant and becoming a family of four are going to be more difficult than I can imagine. But right now, I am choosing to savor these few days of thriving instead of simply surviving. And I'm looking back on God's abundant faithfulness and provision through the storms with a heart full of gratitude and joy.
12.08.2012
Autumn 2012
Autumn 2012 flew by. As soon as we were settled into our home, Gregory and I both continued in language school. And then October brought us our big news: a June baby! With lots of illness for me during the first trimester, we simply survived each month, especially late October through early January. Here are a few pictures from September through Christmas.
We discovered the local water park!
Nathanael's first chocolate chip cookies!
Saturday morning pancakes!
A Simit date with Mom after a stop at the local market
Cuddling with his animals
Fun in the sand on a chilly autumn day
Mom made a big mistake on his haircut, accidentally had the guard on its lowest setting!
Helping make dinner, showing Dad that he gets to wash the brocolli
Lunch and books on the balcony (with Mr. Bear, of course)
A BK date with Mom
Our news (which we made known around December 8th)!
Probably his last sandbox fun for the season
A family hike near the Lainzer Tiergarten
Winter has arrived.
Winter colds
Nathanael earned an ice cream cone for good behavior!
Our church small group, minus one
We decorated the American way, right after Thanksgiving! (We also hosted some Austrian/German friends for a big Thanksgiving dinner, but sadly, we forgot to take pictures.)
9.16.2010
Nathanael's Birth - the long version (Part 2)
To read the first half of Nathanael's birth story, go here.
The delivery. At 3pm, after all of the normal medical questions were answered, my IV was placed. The nurses changed, and we were given the amazing Nurse Deb - God's awesome provision for us.
If you had asked me what type of nurse I thought would be best for me, I probably would have said a woman who would be calm and reassuring and full of helpful suggestions. Well, God knew better than me what I needed. Nurse Deb was boisterous and hilarious, full of jokes and stories and laughter. She was extremely experienced and knowledgeable and helped answer every question and more. And she and Greg engaged in playful banter back and forth for hours! I was completely entertained by the two of them which was a great distraction from the discomfort and waiting. She told me a few times when Greg was out of the room how much she liked him and how entertaining he was. haha
At 4pm, I was still sitting at 4-5cm dilated, 80% effaced, and Nathanael's head was at a -1 position. Per our requests, they began the pitocin drip (to get things going), and I received my epidural at 4:10pm (so that I wouldn't necessarily feel the intensity of pain associated with getting things going). A comment about getting the epidural: I had been somewhat nervous about holding still. To help calm me and keep me still, Greg was instructed to hold me so while I faced him on my side. But just as the anesthesiologist was doing the procedure, Greg and Nurse Deb were joking about something, and I was struggling not to laugh! I could have killed them both at that moment! (Thankfully, I was laughing though.) Of course, the epidural was fine, no issues at all.
At 5:45pm, Dr. McCrary ruptured the membranes (broke the "water"). The epidural was much better than I expected. I was still able to feel a lot, was completely aware of what was going on, and I had quite a bit of mobility. I definitely found myself hitting that button from time to time to increase the amount of medication though. ;)
By 7:30pm, I had reached 9cm dilation, was 90% effaced, and Nathanael's position was still -1. After another couple hours (full of chats with Nurse Deb and lots of HG TV - fun for a gal who doesn't have TV) and no progress, Dr. McCrary suggested that I try to get some rest and he would come and check on the progress in another hour or so. If I didn't progress, we would have to consider a c section. Nurse Deb turned off the lights and left us alone. Greg tried to sleep in the chair but ended up just lying on the hard floor (which completely cracked up Nurse Deb when she came in a couple times). I don't think I slept any, but it was quite relaxing to try.
When Dr. McCrary checked again, we were ready to get rolling. At 11:10pm, I began pushing. Nurse Deb and Dr. McCrary were amazing in guiding and directing me and giving me tips on making each push more effective. Using a mirror helped as well. Greg was hilarious, so intrigued by everything and taking pictures of teeny tiny bits of progress. (More than once, I had to ask him to focus on holding my leg instead of taking pictures! Nurse Deb continued to be entertained.)
Halfway through pushing, sadly Nurse Deb had to leave. She wanted to stay to meet Nathanael but had a ride waiting for her. :( (She came by to meet him the next day though.) Amazingly, the nurse given to us next was a friend of our pastor! She and her husband had moved to Boston from Dallas a couple years ago. We were amazed with how God allowed us to have two Christians assisting us in the delivery of our son - our doctor and our nurse.
After about 45 minutes of exhaustive pushing and a couple needed clips to give him space to progress (read, "ouch!"), Nathanael was delivered at 11:57pm. His apgar scores were a strong 8 & 9. He was absolutely amazing... Nothing could have prepared us for how amazing it would be to hold our son in our arms...
Labor and delivery were complete, and it really was an incredible experience for me, even easy if I may dare say. If I didn't have to go through the recovery process, I'd have been ready to do it again in a heartbeat.
Recovery. I had no idea that what I was experiencing for the first few weeks was abnormal. I thought that every mom who had to have an episiotomy experienced such excruciating pain for weeks. Apparently, that is NOT the case, as I learned when I called my doctor after five weeks with concern over what I thought might have been an infection. I went in that day, and he informed me that it appeared that I was allergic to the material the sutures were made of! Who would have known?! A couple weeks later, after my body didn't show any more progress recovering on its own from the horrible sutures, I had to be cauterized. Wow; now that was what I call pain. (This is when you say, "Ooooh, Kim, how awful!")
Since I'm writing this almost five months after Nathanael's birth, I have honestly forgotten how intensely awful those first two months were. I remember shedding many tears in the bathroom and constantly thinking, "HOW DO WOMEN DO THIS MORE THAN ONCE?!?!" But fortunately, the recovery is normally not that bad, and Nathanael was such a textbook baby. I had it really really easy for the labor and delivery. I guess I had it coming to have a painful delivery. ;)
And that's Nathanael's birth story.
The delivery. At 3pm, after all of the normal medical questions were answered, my IV was placed. The nurses changed, and we were given the amazing Nurse Deb - God's awesome provision for us.
If you had asked me what type of nurse I thought would be best for me, I probably would have said a woman who would be calm and reassuring and full of helpful suggestions. Well, God knew better than me what I needed. Nurse Deb was boisterous and hilarious, full of jokes and stories and laughter. She was extremely experienced and knowledgeable and helped answer every question and more. And she and Greg engaged in playful banter back and forth for hours! I was completely entertained by the two of them which was a great distraction from the discomfort and waiting. She told me a few times when Greg was out of the room how much she liked him and how entertaining he was. haha
At 4pm, I was still sitting at 4-5cm dilated, 80% effaced, and Nathanael's head was at a -1 position. Per our requests, they began the pitocin drip (to get things going), and I received my epidural at 4:10pm (so that I wouldn't necessarily feel the intensity of pain associated with getting things going). A comment about getting the epidural: I had been somewhat nervous about holding still. To help calm me and keep me still, Greg was instructed to hold me so while I faced him on my side. But just as the anesthesiologist was doing the procedure, Greg and Nurse Deb were joking about something, and I was struggling not to laugh! I could have killed them both at that moment! (Thankfully, I was laughing though.) Of course, the epidural was fine, no issues at all.
At 5:45pm, Dr. McCrary ruptured the membranes (broke the "water"). The epidural was much better than I expected. I was still able to feel a lot, was completely aware of what was going on, and I had quite a bit of mobility. I definitely found myself hitting that button from time to time to increase the amount of medication though. ;)
By 7:30pm, I had reached 9cm dilation, was 90% effaced, and Nathanael's position was still -1. After another couple hours (full of chats with Nurse Deb and lots of HG TV - fun for a gal who doesn't have TV) and no progress, Dr. McCrary suggested that I try to get some rest and he would come and check on the progress in another hour or so. If I didn't progress, we would have to consider a c section. Nurse Deb turned off the lights and left us alone. Greg tried to sleep in the chair but ended up just lying on the hard floor (which completely cracked up Nurse Deb when she came in a couple times). I don't think I slept any, but it was quite relaxing to try.
When Dr. McCrary checked again, we were ready to get rolling. At 11:10pm, I began pushing. Nurse Deb and Dr. McCrary were amazing in guiding and directing me and giving me tips on making each push more effective. Using a mirror helped as well. Greg was hilarious, so intrigued by everything and taking pictures of teeny tiny bits of progress. (More than once, I had to ask him to focus on holding my leg instead of taking pictures! Nurse Deb continued to be entertained.)
Halfway through pushing, sadly Nurse Deb had to leave. She wanted to stay to meet Nathanael but had a ride waiting for her. :( (She came by to meet him the next day though.) Amazingly, the nurse given to us next was a friend of our pastor! She and her husband had moved to Boston from Dallas a couple years ago. We were amazed with how God allowed us to have two Christians assisting us in the delivery of our son - our doctor and our nurse.
After about 45 minutes of exhaustive pushing and a couple needed clips to give him space to progress (read, "ouch!"), Nathanael was delivered at 11:57pm. His apgar scores were a strong 8 & 9. He was absolutely amazing... Nothing could have prepared us for how amazing it would be to hold our son in our arms...
Labor and delivery were complete, and it really was an incredible experience for me, even easy if I may dare say. If I didn't have to go through the recovery process, I'd have been ready to do it again in a heartbeat.
Recovery. I had no idea that what I was experiencing for the first few weeks was abnormal. I thought that every mom who had to have an episiotomy experienced such excruciating pain for weeks. Apparently, that is NOT the case, as I learned when I called my doctor after five weeks with concern over what I thought might have been an infection. I went in that day, and he informed me that it appeared that I was allergic to the material the sutures were made of! Who would have known?! A couple weeks later, after my body didn't show any more progress recovering on its own from the horrible sutures, I had to be cauterized. Wow; now that was what I call pain. (This is when you say, "Ooooh, Kim, how awful!")
Since I'm writing this almost five months after Nathanael's birth, I have honestly forgotten how intensely awful those first two months were. I remember shedding many tears in the bathroom and constantly thinking, "HOW DO WOMEN DO THIS MORE THAN ONCE?!?!" But fortunately, the recovery is normally not that bad, and Nathanael was such a textbook baby. I had it really really easy for the labor and delivery. I guess I had it coming to have a painful delivery. ;)
And that's Nathanael's birth story.
6.13.2010
Nathanael's Birth - the long version (Part 1)
As I was walking back from the grocery store and coffee shop this morning, I realized that I barely remember being pregnant. It has only been seven weeks; yet it feels as if those nine (plus) months were years ago... Thus I am ready to share about the transition from pregnancy to motherhood.
This is the story of Nathanael's birth.
He was due April 13th. He arrived (just barely) on April 22nd, Earth Day.
First, our doctor. We had an amazing doctor, Dr. Phil McCrary. He was recommended by MANY friends, and we could not have imagined a better fit for our first pregnancy and birth. He has years and years of experience (35?) and exudes calm and confidence. And most importantly, he is a man of great faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. What a testimony he is to Christ; every doctor's office we have visited and ever nurse with whom we have spoken speaks highly of this man.
Second, the last month. About midway through the pregnancy, I had a dream in which I was at a monthly appointment, and another doctor who was with Dr. McCrary and me in the room said, "Well, it looks like you'll deliver at 37 weeks." I looked at Dr. McCrary, and he smiled and knodded. I was ecstatic! When I awoke from the dream, I decided that I would try my hardest to be ready for our little boy at 37 weeks. I didn't really expect him to come that early, but I wanted to have all the necessary preparations out of the way so that Greg and I would be able to rest for however many days we would need to wait past 37 weeks. I'm so thankful that I did that, but I never could have imagined how long those last four and a half weeks would be!
At just past 38 weeks, I was 3-4cm dilated and told not to delay coming to the hospital when contractions began. The excitement began! On April 5th (almost 39 weeks), the contractions I had been having regularly for a couple weeks become more intense, and we began timing them. By nighttime, they were 5-6 minutes apart and lasting about a minute. After discussion with the doctor, we decided to head to the hospital and get things going -- due to my progression, my decision to have an epidural, and Dr. McCrary's schedule (he was going to be out of town for a few days). The plan was to get checked in and then help them along a little with some pitocin, get my epidural, and then meet the little guy! At the hospital, they determined I was 4-5cm dilated and 80% effaced. To give you perspective if you haven't walked through this crazy thing called pregnancy, many women do not reach 4-5cm dilation until they've been through hours and hours of intense, painful contractions. And often (though there are exceptions -- like me) once a woman reaches 4-5cm, she moves into active labor quite soon after which means that delivery is imminent. Interestingly though, the dilation of the cervix only tells us what has happened; it does not really give us any idea of what is going to happen.
The delays. So at 12:30am on April 6th, the nurses told me to walk for an hour so that they could see some progress. (Note: at this point, Greg and I had already walked about 5 miles in the afternoon and another hour or so in the evening; walking laps on the L&D floor for an hour was not our idea of exciting.) The result -- no change. Due to a really busy floor, they scheduled a 7:30am induction, and we were sent home at 2:30am to try and get some rest before the big event.
At 6am, the hospital called; they were too full to induce me at 7:30am. Go back to sleep and come in at 11am for the induction. At 10:30am, I called the hospital; they were too full to induce me. The head nurse said to talk to my doctor -- I would not be induced today. I spoke to Dr. McCrary at 12:30pm -- usually Mr. Calm, he was actually frustrated with the nurses as they were being extremely difficult about scheduling an induction again. He wasn't sure what the problem was but said that for now we'd just have to wait it out and see what happens. Greg and I struggled with the situation, though we tried to cling to our trust that God had the day chosen for Nathanael's birth and would not let the hospital's busy-ness upset that.
Two days later, the doctor tried to schedule us again -- no go. He had us "on call" for a couple days while he kept trying to get us scheduled, but it never worked out as the floor was always too full. He was out of town for a few days; nothing happened.
The due date - April 13 - came and went.
April 15 -- I had my regular weekly appointment with Dr. McCrary, and he scheduled (again) an induction - this time for Thursday, April 22nd. (Of course, by that point, Greg and I had zero confidence that it would actually happen and not be canceled like the previous times.) We were also scheduled for two non-stress tests and an ultrasound before the 22nd to make sure everything seemed to be okay since I was past the due date. All the tests were fine, and we got to see our little guy one last time in the womb.
April 22 -- The hospital called at 5am -- too full, go back to sleep. Come in at 1:30pm. We were so discouraged, thinking that we were going to get another call around noon telling us to forget about it. But this time, it was real. We made it to the hospital, and they checked us in to a labor room right away. It was completely surreal to actually carry our bags into the room and get settled for the big event.
The delivery. Part 2 coming soon.
This is the story of Nathanael's birth.
He was due April 13th. He arrived (just barely) on April 22nd, Earth Day.
First, our doctor. We had an amazing doctor, Dr. Phil McCrary. He was recommended by MANY friends, and we could not have imagined a better fit for our first pregnancy and birth. He has years and years of experience (35?) and exudes calm and confidence. And most importantly, he is a man of great faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. What a testimony he is to Christ; every doctor's office we have visited and ever nurse with whom we have spoken speaks highly of this man.
Second, the last month. About midway through the pregnancy, I had a dream in which I was at a monthly appointment, and another doctor who was with Dr. McCrary and me in the room said, "Well, it looks like you'll deliver at 37 weeks." I looked at Dr. McCrary, and he smiled and knodded. I was ecstatic! When I awoke from the dream, I decided that I would try my hardest to be ready for our little boy at 37 weeks. I didn't really expect him to come that early, but I wanted to have all the necessary preparations out of the way so that Greg and I would be able to rest for however many days we would need to wait past 37 weeks. I'm so thankful that I did that, but I never could have imagined how long those last four and a half weeks would be!
At just past 38 weeks, I was 3-4cm dilated and told not to delay coming to the hospital when contractions began. The excitement began! On April 5th (almost 39 weeks), the contractions I had been having regularly for a couple weeks become more intense, and we began timing them. By nighttime, they were 5-6 minutes apart and lasting about a minute. After discussion with the doctor, we decided to head to the hospital and get things going -- due to my progression, my decision to have an epidural, and Dr. McCrary's schedule (he was going to be out of town for a few days). The plan was to get checked in and then help them along a little with some pitocin, get my epidural, and then meet the little guy! At the hospital, they determined I was 4-5cm dilated and 80% effaced. To give you perspective if you haven't walked through this crazy thing called pregnancy, many women do not reach 4-5cm dilation until they've been through hours and hours of intense, painful contractions. And often (though there are exceptions -- like me) once a woman reaches 4-5cm, she moves into active labor quite soon after which means that delivery is imminent. Interestingly though, the dilation of the cervix only tells us what has happened; it does not really give us any idea of what is going to happen.
The delays. So at 12:30am on April 6th, the nurses told me to walk for an hour so that they could see some progress. (Note: at this point, Greg and I had already walked about 5 miles in the afternoon and another hour or so in the evening; walking laps on the L&D floor for an hour was not our idea of exciting.) The result -- no change. Due to a really busy floor, they scheduled a 7:30am induction, and we were sent home at 2:30am to try and get some rest before the big event.
At 6am, the hospital called; they were too full to induce me at 7:30am. Go back to sleep and come in at 11am for the induction. At 10:30am, I called the hospital; they were too full to induce me. The head nurse said to talk to my doctor -- I would not be induced today. I spoke to Dr. McCrary at 12:30pm -- usually Mr. Calm, he was actually frustrated with the nurses as they were being extremely difficult about scheduling an induction again. He wasn't sure what the problem was but said that for now we'd just have to wait it out and see what happens. Greg and I struggled with the situation, though we tried to cling to our trust that God had the day chosen for Nathanael's birth and would not let the hospital's busy-ness upset that.
Two days later, the doctor tried to schedule us again -- no go. He had us "on call" for a couple days while he kept trying to get us scheduled, but it never worked out as the floor was always too full. He was out of town for a few days; nothing happened.
The due date - April 13 - came and went.
April 15 -- I had my regular weekly appointment with Dr. McCrary, and he scheduled (again) an induction - this time for Thursday, April 22nd. (Of course, by that point, Greg and I had zero confidence that it would actually happen and not be canceled like the previous times.) We were also scheduled for two non-stress tests and an ultrasound before the 22nd to make sure everything seemed to be okay since I was past the due date. All the tests were fine, and we got to see our little guy one last time in the womb.
April 22 -- The hospital called at 5am -- too full, go back to sleep. Come in at 1:30pm. We were so discouraged, thinking that we were going to get another call around noon telling us to forget about it. But this time, it was real. We made it to the hospital, and they checked us in to a labor room right away. It was completely surreal to actually carry our bags into the room and get settled for the big event.
The delivery. Part 2 coming soon.
4.20.2010
Nathanael looking a little too comfy
This is really difficult to see, but here's a picture from today of Nathanael's squished little face. You're looking at his face in the right half of the picture. Can you see his lips and nose in the middle and his eye sockets and forehead to the right?
And a somewhat clearer picture or his lips and nose
Everything else was really difficult to make out since he's SO BIG! He sure looked comfortable in there. He was moving his lips a ton -- so adorable! The tech said he's measuring in at 8lbs 4oz, but she said that can be a pound off EITHER WAY!We want to see more of him!!! We're hopeful that Thursday will be the big day, if he doesn't come on his own before then!
4.19.2010
41 Weeks
I promise you this picture will be the last pregnancy picture you get to see of me! There's no way he's staying in there another month!
Thankful Sunday
We may be inducing labor this coming Thursday (key word: MAY), so instead of waiting until Thursday to post this, I wanted to write it today.
In the midst of waiting on Nathanael to be born, I am thankful for (in no particular order)...
In the midst of waiting on Nathanael to be born, I am thankful for (in no particular order)...
- The amazing support we've received from family and friends. Among my favorites: you moms who have written to empathize with the emotions of passing that "due date". I know I am not alone, sisters! Thanks for the sweet words and heartfelt prayers. Tuesday is 41 weeks for us, and it really is a testament of God's generosity to bring us so far with this pregnancy!
- An active and seemingly healthy little boy. We had our first non-stress test this morning, and the nurse said he is doing beautifully. His heartbeat is strong and reacting as it should be at this point. We have another test and an ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday, and we're expecting to hear/see the same.
- An unexpected transitional period from work. As we all thought Nathanael was going to come during that first full week of April, my maternity leave began the 5th. It has been wonderful to rest and have time to give attention to so many things that I never dreamed I'd be able to do -- such as reading some parenting books and devotional books, cleaning out my personal email, catching up on our finances/bills, spending more time praying, and...
- Hours and hours of just being with Greg! What an unexpected gift!
- Flexibility from so many people! My family has been prepared to visit for the past two weeks, and they're STILL waiting to request those vacation days and buy those plane tickets! Their "hosts" are still wondering when they'll have house guests for a few days. The church has been gracious in allowing Greg to take a few Sundays off. Many of you have made yourselves available to distract Greg and me over the past couple weeks. We are deeply thankful!
- Time to choose to slow down and try to begin letting go of expectations I have of myself that need to be dropped as a new mom. I know this will be so difficult for me, but I really want to give myself the freedom to be able to just be a wife and mommy for the first couple weeks.
- Our gracious God who has sustained me through the ups and downs of the last two weeks and whose Presence is truly my life's treasure.
4.09.2010
Days with Greg
Since my maternity leave began this Monday, I have been privileged to spend an entire week at home with Greg. It definitely has not been a "normal" week for either of us, though I'm not sure if one of those will exist for a while. But it has been especially fun for me to be at home when Greg's studying because he shares his excitement with me over various Biblical discoveries - some obscure linguistic significance or a profound theological truth or just an observation that leaves him wondering about something. I love hearing theses fresh musings from his mind and heart! And I also love being home when he's making the "set list" for Sunday, praying and playing through different portions of music to find the right combination of lyrical congruence, complementary keys, and stylistic variations. I love watching and listening to him work. I'm not so sure he loves having me home while he works though; I think I tend to be more of a distraction than a helper, especially since I'm a little (or shall we say, big) ticking time bomb to him. We've had many friends tell us to treasure these last few days together as just the two of us, and Greg and I truly have been able to do that. We are thankful for the sweet closeness God has given us in the last trimester.
(an old picture from November when we still had Ayse)
(on his 29th bday in January)
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