Maddox didn't have an appointment yesterday but Jackson and Bennett did so I took the opportunity to put him on the scale. He's 3 1/2 months and weighs 13 lbs and 8 oz.
And of course I forgot to blog (shocker) with his stats at his last well visit on April 23rd but he was 10 lbs 3 oz.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Maddox's stats
Maddox had his first well visit this morning. A little delayed since our new pediatrician was out of town last week and didn't have any appointments earlier this week.
2 weeks and 2 days old
8 lbs 4 oz (born 7 lbs 3 oz, left the hospital on 03/14/14 at 6 lbs 13 oz)
20.5" (the nurse actually did the best job I've seen in measuring him so I'm going with this one being accurate and not the one in the hospital)
2 weeks and 2 days old
8 lbs 4 oz (born 7 lbs 3 oz, left the hospital on 03/14/14 at 6 lbs 13 oz)
20.5" (the nurse actually did the best job I've seen in measuring him so I'm going with this one being accurate and not the one in the hospital)
Maddox's Birth Story
As I mentioned in my previous post about my pregnancy, I had started having contractions and early signs of labor a few weeks before my due date. I was put on medicine and tried to take it easy as much as possible when you live out of town and have two very active boys to take care of too! The weeks passed and some days were better than others but each Monday brought some relief as we were getting closer and closer to full term and my scheduled c section date of Wednesday, March 12th. On Monday, March 10th, I was 39 weeks and my mom arrived in town. After Bennett and Lila both decided to come before their scheduled c section dates, she wasn't taking any chances by coming the night before this time ;)
We enjoyed lunch with my mom and hung out the rest of the day since the boys were on spring break that week. The rest of the day was uneventful for me besides a few contractions here and there. We all went to sleep that night looking forward to another day of fun with Nana before our newest addition arrived...or so we thought. At 4 am I woke up in PAIN! It was bad. It took me a few seconds to realize it was a contraction but not long after that I had another and another and they were all just as painful. I started timing the contractions and they were 5-6 minutes apart already. I tried to go back to sleep but couldn't because they were too painful. After an hour or so, they got even closer together and finally at 6 am I woke Nick up and told him he should go ahead and get ready because I was pretty sure it was baby time. I woke my mom up and tried to tell her no big deal but we were going to the hospital. She, of course, jumped out of bed in true mom fashion haha. Then the "fun" began...
We arrived at the hospital shortly after 7 am and were taken to an observation room and hooked up to the monitors. My contractions were anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes apart and pretty strong. Nick was watching the monitor and said they were in the 100 range...whatever that meant. After about an hour, the nurse came in and checked me. I was still just around 2 cm but she said she didn't want to really force it since my doctor wasn't responding to her page. Another half an hour to an hour went by and she came back in saying Dr. Purdy had called back but was sick and wouldn't be able to come in that day. She said he told her to give me more Procardia (the meds I had been on for weeks to stop the contactions) and watch me and then send me home and he would see me tomorrow morning for the scheduled c section. She left the room and I looked at Nick and thankfully saw the same look on his face that no doubt was on mine. SEND.ME.HOME?! What?!??? We talked about it and agreed we weren't comfortable with that and weren't sure why sending me home was the right thing to do. In the meantime, I texted a friend of mine who was also one of the nurses at Dr. Purdy's office asking her who the on call OB was that day. She responded and also asked if I was okay and what was going on. I explained the situation and her immediate response was "Don't leave the hospital. Seriously." Well, that was enough reassurance for me. We were staying put one way or another.
The nurse returned and I asked her what the plan was. She said the medicine seemed to have lessened the intensity and frequency (they were in the 50-60 range and only 5-6 minutes apart now) so I could go home and come back if they "felt" much worse. I told her I was not comfortable going home and risking a VBAC at home after two c sections and if there was another option with the on call doctor. She said she would send the on call doctor in to see me once she arrived to do her rounds. After she left, I received another text from the nurse/friend that said she spoke to the on call doctor who also agreed (woohoo!) that I should NOT go home and said she would section me that day. Katie (nurse/friend) told me to just stay put, she wasn't sure what time but it was definitely baby day. What a relief?!
Of course as all of this was going on, I was still in the observation room in labor, i.e. pain!!! They moved me to an actual room and started an IV after a failed attempt in my right arm which is still bruised two plus weeks later. The nurse advised my c section was set for 2 pm and Dr. Purdy decided he was going to come and the on call doctor would just assist him. Nick and I were extremely confused. Was he sick or just didn't want to work that day? And if he was sick, why was he coming in to perform a c section and spread his germs? Luckily we found out he had a hypertensive crisis the day before but his meds were adjusted and he was better now but to be on the safe side, Dr. Bender-Ralph would assist in the OR.
At about 1 pm I started to get extremely uncomfortable and not just from the contractions. The room they moved me to was hot and even though Nick adjusted the thermostat, it wasn't cooling off fast enough. I also had the leg compression machines hooked up which only added to the heat. And of course the foley catheter was put in before any pain meds which added to my discomfort. I'm not sure of the exact time but sometime before 2 pm when they took me back to the OR, I started freaking out! I was MAD!!! I was so hot, sweaty, uncomfortable, and in pain that I was over it and getting really pissed that no one was moving faster to get me back to the OR and at least give me the spinal! I am not sure what I said to Nick but he just let me freak out and agreed with me and tried to fan me with the tiniest piece of paper the nurse gave me that was so helpful (note sarcasm!). I didn't understand why I had to sit there for so long just waiting and laboring.
After what seemed like a lifetime, they finally wheeled me back to the OR. The team was AWESOME! Once I actually got back to the OR, everything went smoothly. During my last c section, this was when I had an anxiety attack and lost it but this one was very different. The CRNA and the anesthesiologist were ah-mazing! From the second I met them, they were both so attentive and calmed my fears. They made sure to work around my contractions instead of during them and I hardly felt a thing! Right before and during the surgery, they talked to me about everything that was going on and everything that had nothing to do with the surgery. They really helped ease my anxiety about the c section and make me feel comfortable. A few minutes passed and then Nick was by my side again and we were ready to start! I do remember "feeling" more during this c section than the other two. I felt a lot of jostling around and pressure but of course no pain. It also seemed like it took longer to get to the baby. I remember asking a couple times what they were doing because I felt like they had been in there for quite some time already. Then finally I heard Dr. Purdy say the head was out and that I would feel one more major pressure push and then release and he was out. And SCREAMING!!! Oh boy, did he have a set of lungs on him! At 2:39 pm we welcomed our third son, Maddox Thomas Kelly into the world. The doctors moved the curtain up so I could see him all fresh and new covered in gunk, something I had requested a couple weeks prior. I also wanted to attempt a little skin to skin right away but that didn't happen. Of course as soon as I saw him, the floodgates opened and I was in love. They took him to the side of the room and wrapped him up as quickly as possible while he screamed his baby head out. Then they brought him back over to me and put his face right next to mine and let me give him a kiss and touch his head and he quieted down for those few seconds. It was one of the best moments of my life. Of course after that he left with Nick to go to the nursery and I had to stay in the OR while they closed me up. We were waiting to hear his stats and had to call the nursery to find out. He was 7 pounds 3 ounces (our biggest son!) and 18.5" long (supposedly...see next post re: first pedi visit).
On their way to the nursery they stopped by the nursery to introduce Maddox to his big brothers and Nana who were anxiously awaiting the news of his arrival and the big reveal of his name!
Thankfully, they were done in the nursery and I had no complications post surgery so we were all back in the room about an hour later and I was able to nurse. Maddox latched on right away! I couldn't believe it but was so thrilled and relieved. Once I finished nursing, Maddox got a bath and all cleaned up right there in the room with us while his dad and brothers watched. We all just hung out for a couple hours before Nick took the boys to dinner and back home for the night.
We enjoyed lunch with my mom and hung out the rest of the day since the boys were on spring break that week. The rest of the day was uneventful for me besides a few contractions here and there. We all went to sleep that night looking forward to another day of fun with Nana before our newest addition arrived...or so we thought. At 4 am I woke up in PAIN! It was bad. It took me a few seconds to realize it was a contraction but not long after that I had another and another and they were all just as painful. I started timing the contractions and they were 5-6 minutes apart already. I tried to go back to sleep but couldn't because they were too painful. After an hour or so, they got even closer together and finally at 6 am I woke Nick up and told him he should go ahead and get ready because I was pretty sure it was baby time. I woke my mom up and tried to tell her no big deal but we were going to the hospital. She, of course, jumped out of bed in true mom fashion haha. Then the "fun" began...
We arrived at the hospital shortly after 7 am and were taken to an observation room and hooked up to the monitors. My contractions were anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes apart and pretty strong. Nick was watching the monitor and said they were in the 100 range...whatever that meant. After about an hour, the nurse came in and checked me. I was still just around 2 cm but she said she didn't want to really force it since my doctor wasn't responding to her page. Another half an hour to an hour went by and she came back in saying Dr. Purdy had called back but was sick and wouldn't be able to come in that day. She said he told her to give me more Procardia (the meds I had been on for weeks to stop the contactions) and watch me and then send me home and he would see me tomorrow morning for the scheduled c section. She left the room and I looked at Nick and thankfully saw the same look on his face that no doubt was on mine. SEND.ME.HOME?! What?!??? We talked about it and agreed we weren't comfortable with that and weren't sure why sending me home was the right thing to do. In the meantime, I texted a friend of mine who was also one of the nurses at Dr. Purdy's office asking her who the on call OB was that day. She responded and also asked if I was okay and what was going on. I explained the situation and her immediate response was "Don't leave the hospital. Seriously." Well, that was enough reassurance for me. We were staying put one way or another.
The nurse returned and I asked her what the plan was. She said the medicine seemed to have lessened the intensity and frequency (they were in the 50-60 range and only 5-6 minutes apart now) so I could go home and come back if they "felt" much worse. I told her I was not comfortable going home and risking a VBAC at home after two c sections and if there was another option with the on call doctor. She said she would send the on call doctor in to see me once she arrived to do her rounds. After she left, I received another text from the nurse/friend that said she spoke to the on call doctor who also agreed (woohoo!) that I should NOT go home and said she would section me that day. Katie (nurse/friend) told me to just stay put, she wasn't sure what time but it was definitely baby day. What a relief?!
Of course as all of this was going on, I was still in the observation room in labor, i.e. pain!!! They moved me to an actual room and started an IV after a failed attempt in my right arm which is still bruised two plus weeks later. The nurse advised my c section was set for 2 pm and Dr. Purdy decided he was going to come and the on call doctor would just assist him. Nick and I were extremely confused. Was he sick or just didn't want to work that day? And if he was sick, why was he coming in to perform a c section and spread his germs? Luckily we found out he had a hypertensive crisis the day before but his meds were adjusted and he was better now but to be on the safe side, Dr. Bender-Ralph would assist in the OR.
At about 1 pm I started to get extremely uncomfortable and not just from the contractions. The room they moved me to was hot and even though Nick adjusted the thermostat, it wasn't cooling off fast enough. I also had the leg compression machines hooked up which only added to the heat. And of course the foley catheter was put in before any pain meds which added to my discomfort. I'm not sure of the exact time but sometime before 2 pm when they took me back to the OR, I started freaking out! I was MAD!!! I was so hot, sweaty, uncomfortable, and in pain that I was over it and getting really pissed that no one was moving faster to get me back to the OR and at least give me the spinal! I am not sure what I said to Nick but he just let me freak out and agreed with me and tried to fan me with the tiniest piece of paper the nurse gave me that was so helpful (note sarcasm!). I didn't understand why I had to sit there for so long just waiting and laboring.
After what seemed like a lifetime, they finally wheeled me back to the OR. The team was AWESOME! Once I actually got back to the OR, everything went smoothly. During my last c section, this was when I had an anxiety attack and lost it but this one was very different. The CRNA and the anesthesiologist were ah-mazing! From the second I met them, they were both so attentive and calmed my fears. They made sure to work around my contractions instead of during them and I hardly felt a thing! Right before and during the surgery, they talked to me about everything that was going on and everything that had nothing to do with the surgery. They really helped ease my anxiety about the c section and make me feel comfortable. A few minutes passed and then Nick was by my side again and we were ready to start! I do remember "feeling" more during this c section than the other two. I felt a lot of jostling around and pressure but of course no pain. It also seemed like it took longer to get to the baby. I remember asking a couple times what they were doing because I felt like they had been in there for quite some time already. Then finally I heard Dr. Purdy say the head was out and that I would feel one more major pressure push and then release and he was out. And SCREAMING!!! Oh boy, did he have a set of lungs on him! At 2:39 pm we welcomed our third son, Maddox Thomas Kelly into the world. The doctors moved the curtain up so I could see him all fresh and new covered in gunk, something I had requested a couple weeks prior. I also wanted to attempt a little skin to skin right away but that didn't happen. Of course as soon as I saw him, the floodgates opened and I was in love. They took him to the side of the room and wrapped him up as quickly as possible while he screamed his baby head out. Then they brought him back over to me and put his face right next to mine and let me give him a kiss and touch his head and he quieted down for those few seconds. It was one of the best moments of my life. Of course after that he left with Nick to go to the nursery and I had to stay in the OR while they closed me up. We were waiting to hear his stats and had to call the nursery to find out. He was 7 pounds 3 ounces (our biggest son!) and 18.5" long (supposedly...see next post re: first pedi visit).
On their way to the nursery they stopped by the nursery to introduce Maddox to his big brothers and Nana who were anxiously awaiting the news of his arrival and the big reveal of his name!
Thankfully, they were done in the nursery and I had no complications post surgery so we were all back in the room about an hour later and I was able to nurse. Maddox latched on right away! I couldn't believe it but was so thrilled and relieved. Once I finished nursing, Maddox got a bath and all cleaned up right there in the room with us while his dad and brothers watched. We all just hung out for a couple hours before Nick took the boys to dinner and back home for the night.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
My last pregnancy...bittersweet
I meant to write this post weeks ago right as I was at the end of my pregnancy and really over it. But time got away from me and things got a little crazy and here I am two weeks after Maddox was born so I'll do my best to remember. I'm thinking I'm not that far from it so it should still be pretty accurate.
Last month I came across a post being shared on fb (http://sarahbessey.com/learning-live-ache/) about the "ache" and I think she's right. Even in the middle/end of my most difficult pregnancy (compared to my other two, I know others have it much worse), I could relate. I knew that some day I will miss it. So what better way to make part of the ache go away other than writing about the things I WON'T miss?!
My first pregnancy was probably the easiest. I was tired and had heartburn towards the very end but other than that, it was a very uneventful pregnancy with regards to pregnancy symptoms. And when you don't have any other kids to worry about, you can take naps, relax, and generally take it easy. My second pregnancy was pretty similar. I had some nausea but nothing too bad. The heartburn was way worse but again manageable. This last pregnancy was different from the beginning! I was always nauseated and spent quite a bit of time in the bathroom waiting to get sick and actually got sick a few times. Again I know this could have been much worse but for me it was bad. The heartburn was ridiculous. Insanely ridiculous. It started at 16 weeks! I remember thinking that was way earlier than the other two times but I tried to stick it out. I really try not to take meds in general and especially when I'm pregnant but in the third trimester I got to the point where I couldn't handle it anymore. The OB reassured me that the meds were safe and there was no reason to be uncomfortable and unable to eat for another month plus. With my first two pregnancies, I gave up caffeine. I know you're technically allowed some caffeine but I just gave it up and was pretty much okay. With this pregnancy I was miserable!!! I had the worst headaches and I couldn't shake them. I tried to avoid meds again but even if I took Tylenol I still couldn't get relief. So again my doc told me one cup (or actually three) of coffee was okay! I normally only drink one cup so I went back to my regular routine of one cup of coffee in the morning and that seemed to help. I was also huge! I got way bigger way faster this time too which only led to me being more uncomfortable. I was having such a hard time sleeping. It was almost painful to lay on my side and switching sides was quite an ordeal. The baby was so low for a long time that if I was up and about for awhile then I would almost feel like I would have to hold my belly up. Then the fun started around 36 weeks. I began having contractions and they wouldn't go away. The more I did or didn't do, the more regular they became. The doctor gave me some meds (yup more meds) to stop the contractions. I was on Procardia for the last few weeks. The side effects were awful. It's a blood pressure medicine so it made me feel extremely light headed and nauseated all the time. And I had to take it every 3-4 hours so I had to set an alarm at night to make sure I kept up with it which of course led to more lack of sleep.
I know everything I just wrote sounds like I'm complaining but I just want to remember it. All of it. And years from now (or maybe even months?) when I get the ache and think I had great, easy pregnancies and want to do it all over again, I can read this and remember more accurately. Of course, I would do it all again in an instant. I am so blessed to be able to carry each of my children safely until their healthy arrival at 39+ weeks. And there is still so much I love about being pregnant. I will miss that special time that only I have with my babies before they're born. I will miss feeling them kick for the first time and every time after that as the feeling gets more pronounced and then so strong that you can actually see it! I will miss feeling their hiccups. I will miss feeling their pointy body parts poking out. I will miss their other pointy body parts in my ribs. I will miss all the emotions that come along from the moment I found out I was pregnant until the moment I heard their first screams in the OR.
Last month I came across a post being shared on fb (http://sarahbessey.com/learning-live-ache/) about the "ache" and I think she's right. Even in the middle/end of my most difficult pregnancy (compared to my other two, I know others have it much worse), I could relate. I knew that some day I will miss it. So what better way to make part of the ache go away other than writing about the things I WON'T miss?!
My first pregnancy was probably the easiest. I was tired and had heartburn towards the very end but other than that, it was a very uneventful pregnancy with regards to pregnancy symptoms. And when you don't have any other kids to worry about, you can take naps, relax, and generally take it easy. My second pregnancy was pretty similar. I had some nausea but nothing too bad. The heartburn was way worse but again manageable. This last pregnancy was different from the beginning! I was always nauseated and spent quite a bit of time in the bathroom waiting to get sick and actually got sick a few times. Again I know this could have been much worse but for me it was bad. The heartburn was ridiculous. Insanely ridiculous. It started at 16 weeks! I remember thinking that was way earlier than the other two times but I tried to stick it out. I really try not to take meds in general and especially when I'm pregnant but in the third trimester I got to the point where I couldn't handle it anymore. The OB reassured me that the meds were safe and there was no reason to be uncomfortable and unable to eat for another month plus. With my first two pregnancies, I gave up caffeine. I know you're technically allowed some caffeine but I just gave it up and was pretty much okay. With this pregnancy I was miserable!!! I had the worst headaches and I couldn't shake them. I tried to avoid meds again but even if I took Tylenol I still couldn't get relief. So again my doc told me one cup (or actually three) of coffee was okay! I normally only drink one cup so I went back to my regular routine of one cup of coffee in the morning and that seemed to help. I was also huge! I got way bigger way faster this time too which only led to me being more uncomfortable. I was having such a hard time sleeping. It was almost painful to lay on my side and switching sides was quite an ordeal. The baby was so low for a long time that if I was up and about for awhile then I would almost feel like I would have to hold my belly up. Then the fun started around 36 weeks. I began having contractions and they wouldn't go away. The more I did or didn't do, the more regular they became. The doctor gave me some meds (yup more meds) to stop the contractions. I was on Procardia for the last few weeks. The side effects were awful. It's a blood pressure medicine so it made me feel extremely light headed and nauseated all the time. And I had to take it every 3-4 hours so I had to set an alarm at night to make sure I kept up with it which of course led to more lack of sleep.
I know everything I just wrote sounds like I'm complaining but I just want to remember it. All of it. And years from now (or maybe even months?) when I get the ache and think I had great, easy pregnancies and want to do it all over again, I can read this and remember more accurately. Of course, I would do it all again in an instant. I am so blessed to be able to carry each of my children safely until their healthy arrival at 39+ weeks. And there is still so much I love about being pregnant. I will miss that special time that only I have with my babies before they're born. I will miss feeling them kick for the first time and every time after that as the feeling gets more pronounced and then so strong that you can actually see it! I will miss feeling their hiccups. I will miss feeling their pointy body parts poking out. I will miss their other pointy body parts in my ribs. I will miss all the emotions that come along from the moment I found out I was pregnant until the moment I heard their first screams in the OR.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
What does Jackson want to be when he grows up?
On our way to school this morning Jackson told me he's been thinking about what he wants to be when he grows up. He said he wasn't sure yet but he had a few choices. He said either a doctor, a race car driver or a balloon man. It was very hard for me to contain my giggles! We talked about it a little bit and I explained that a balloon man doesn't really work every day all day so maybe that could just be a hobby or something he did on the side. Thankfully, he agreed!
And a little back story to the balloon man...we went to the Meridian Mardi Gras festival on Saturday and waited in line forever to get a hat made out of balloons. When we got home, Jackson started taking his apart and making different things out of it so I think he was just fascinated at how you could manipulate the balloons and use your imagination to create anything you wanted.
And a little back story to the balloon man...we went to the Meridian Mardi Gras festival on Saturday and waited in line forever to get a hat made out of balloons. When we got home, Jackson started taking his apart and making different things out of it so I think he was just fascinated at how you could manipulate the balloons and use your imagination to create anything you wanted.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
My Sweet Benny
When I pick up Bennett from preschool in the carpool line, the teachers put him in the car and he immediately comes to my side and gives me the biggest hug! It is the sweetest thing and makes my day. The only downside is that sometimes the teachers actually put him in his car seat right away even though he's reaching for me saying "hug" and then he cries until I stop the car and get out to give him a hug. I don't always give in but I just can't help since all he wants is a hug and I know one day that won't be the case.
Bennett's Potty Training Success (months late!)
We started potty training Bennett in the same way we did with Jackson, right after he turned two. Stripped him down one Saturday morning and hung out at home while giving him lots and lots to drink. He wet himself a few times and really didn't get the concept at all. So just like I did with Jackson, we didn't force it and we put him back in diapers for several weeks and just kept talking to him about the potty and even let him sit on it while getting the bath ready or waiting to brush his teeth. I would have liked to attempt it again a month later but we were heading to the beach and I knew it wasn't a good idea to try it when we would be out of our routine for a week and then home for a week and then in Atlanta for another week. I decided to wait until we were home for a longer period of time which was August.
So on August 10th, we started out the morning the same way stripping him down and giving him lots to drink. I wasn't really confident that it would work this time either but Bennett totally surprised us and he nailed it! Immediately!!! He definitely had a couple accidents that first day but the second day he only had ONE accident and by the third day, he was totally going on his own!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This Mama was shocked and of course over the moon excited after the horrible potty training experience I had with his older brother.
The only set back we had was when he started preschool a couple of weeks later. For some reason, he did fine the first week but then the second week of school, he wouldn't go at school. His teacher said she asked him and would try to take him but he refused. He had a couple accidents at school but in general he would just hold it....for four hours! He definitely has better bladder control than his big brother! Luckily he snapped out of that phase after a few weeks and went back to using the potty at school.
He also stopped wearing diapers for naps almost immediately. I kept him in them for a few weeks just to be sure but he continuously woke up dry so I figured I should stop wasting diapers. Here's hoping his next big boy step (moving to a regular bed) goes as smoothly!
So on August 10th, we started out the morning the same way stripping him down and giving him lots to drink. I wasn't really confident that it would work this time either but Bennett totally surprised us and he nailed it! Immediately!!! He definitely had a couple accidents that first day but the second day he only had ONE accident and by the third day, he was totally going on his own!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This Mama was shocked and of course over the moon excited after the horrible potty training experience I had with his older brother.
The only set back we had was when he started preschool a couple of weeks later. For some reason, he did fine the first week but then the second week of school, he wouldn't go at school. His teacher said she asked him and would try to take him but he refused. He had a couple accidents at school but in general he would just hold it....for four hours! He definitely has better bladder control than his big brother! Luckily he snapped out of that phase after a few weeks and went back to using the potty at school.
He also stopped wearing diapers for naps almost immediately. I kept him in them for a few weeks just to be sure but he continuously woke up dry so I figured I should stop wasting diapers. Here's hoping his next big boy step (moving to a regular bed) goes as smoothly!
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