Devin's Birth Story

I was posting to a new mommy message board when both of my kids were born...a little bit graphic, here's the story I wrote about Devin's birth a week or so after he was born:

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I was shopping at Target on October 11th when I felt a tiny little gush. When I got home and checked, it was a bit bloody. Everything I read said that if this was bloody show, labor was imminent. I called the doc, and they finally got back to me, I was told unless there was a change, I should just plan on keeping my regular appointment the following day.

At that appointment, they discovered that I was leaking amniotic fluid, and so it was off to L&D later that day.

As soon as I got to my L&D room, they started IV antibiotics (because I'm strep B positive) and just a little after that, they started the pitocin. This was around 4PM on the 12th.

I think was about 7 or 9 PM that I felt something shift, then I heard a pop, and my water started gushing out. About two minutes later, I felt a contraction. I'd been having little contractions, but I couldn't feel them until my water broke. After that little contraction, I told the nurse that I would be taking an epidural. It wasn't bad, but remembering what they felt like, I wanted to avoid the pain.

My doc came in about an hour later. He told me I would get the epidural in about an hour. The anesthesologist was in surgery. This was OK with me. I still wasn't in much pain. I just knew I wanted to avoid the pain, and that since it was going to be awhile I wanted to rest.

I was at 5 cm when I got the epidural. As soon as he was done, I went into transitional labor, told anyone would would listen that the epidural was not working, and asked if I could get up to go pee. I had maybe 6 painful contractions, a nurse came in, declared I was at 9cm, and told me the baby's head was right there, asked if I needed to push. The doc came in, checked me, and told me I was ready to push. I started pushing, he asked for a minute to prep. They had turned down the pitocin because the contractions were causing Devin's heartbeat to go too low, and as soon as the doc was ready, I stopped having contractions. I remember how nice it was to push through those contractions before, so I waited. The doc told me to push without a contraction. One push, he crowned. I asked the doctor to take him out because it was a little uncomfortable. They told me to push. He was completely out about 5 big pushes later. How nice.

The epidural kicked in just enough so the doc didn't have to use a local to stitch me up. No episiotomy was needed, but I got a 2nd degree tear. I did feel many of the stitches, but it wasn't agonizing. Devin was born about 30 minutes after I got the epidural at 11:46 pm on October 12th.

I got a touch of a spinal headache from the epidural, and I went to the ER yesterday for a blood patch. It's worked wonders. My back hurts from the 2nd epidural, but the headache is gone. Thank goodness. I had lost my ability to function.

Devin is doing well. He's a bit jaundiced, but fortunately, it's not too bad, and we got him on a bili blanket here at home. He's so skinny. At almost 4 weeks early, that's not too surprising, though. At first, I thought he looked just like his brother, but now I know he doesn't. This one looks like his Daddy!

Trevor's Gymnastics Class

Today was Trevor's last day of Gymnastics class. I didn't go because it was too hot! But, click below for pictures from another class:
Gymnastics

Fourth of July

Click below to see what we did on the Fourth:
The 4th of July

(One of the things I did was take picture of flowers :))

I don't want to go to sleep, I don't want to go to sleep, I don't, I don, I....

I was putting Devin to sleep for his nap today. Daddy had come home for lunch to help deliver my birthday present, and I started trying to get him to sleep just as Daddy started to leave to go back to work.

As he walked out the door, Devin started yelling, Dada, Dada, Dada, Dada in an effort to stay awake. He yelled for awhile, and then, he stated yelling for Trevor...Tata, Tata, Tata!

It was like anyone would do, as long as he could yell their name and stay awake.

Then, he went to sleep.

I may have learned something today. I was singing to him, the standard Bye-O, Bye-O to the tune of Silent Night. To mix it up a bit, I sang the words to Silent Night. He was nodding off until I started singing the words. I went back to Bye-O, Bye-O, and then he was able to get to sleep pretty quickly.

So, what I think I learned...words bad. Bye-O, Bye-0 good.

A whole new level

I'm not sure I'll have time to actually post these pictures on the blog, but click on the link below to explore pictures of the boys' artwork and incident reports from daycare. There's also a permanent link over to the right.

Artwork

I asked a scrap booker at work if she's kept all of her daughter's artwork from daycare, and she surprised me by saying no. She takes pictures of the artwork, and then throws it out. I'm not sure I can throw it out, but I like that I can share their artwork like this, and it is more likely we'll keep it forever electronically.

Cinnamon Rolls

I know how Mommies make their children fat.

There is nothing quite so rewarding as that moment when your little child empties his plate of your home made treat, and then brings the plate to you for more.

I used my food processor to make cinnamons rolls yesterday. They were pretty good. Not as good as the ones at Holiday Inn Express, but not bad at all (the secret is butter!). This morning, Devin came downstairs where Trevor had a plate of chopped up cinnamon roll. He ate the whole thing, then asked for more. He ate all of the second one, and then asked for more. It felt good to be a baking mommy!

It's a good thing it took all morning to make those cinnamon rolls. Not something I'm likely to do again in the near future...

And, it's also a good thing that I don't make Cheetos or chocolate bars.

My little Wine connoisseur

We were out shopping yesterday, and we went to Buffalo Grove for a little wine shopping. We had been out for awhile, and the boys had been falling asleep. So, one of us would stay in the car with one sleeping boy while the other would go into a store. Both boys were awake by the time we got to the wine store. So, Trevor said, "are we all going in?" I told him we were. He asked "why?" I told him that if Dad went in, he would just pick out oaky merlots, and not something all of would like. Then, Trevor asked, "Can I pick out a wine?"

(He picked out a 2001 Napa Valley Jigsaw Cabernet. It was on sale.)

Why?

Why?

Such an innocent little question, full of hope and wonder.

What parent would ever tire of this lovely little question?

My guess: all of them.

My favorite why question comes after Trevor asks if he can do something he wants, like go outside. It goes like this:
Trevor: Can I go outside and play?
Mom or Dad: Yes.
Trevor: Why?

We've gotten smart lately, though. We turn the tables on that kid. We ask him:
Why do you think?

This table turning is good for a couple of reasons. First, it keeps the frustration level in check. Second, half the time, Trevor already knows the "answer," and if we get it wrong, he corrects us.

Brief Ramblings on Parenthood

I have heard people say to their children, "if you don't stop crying, I'm going to give you something to cry about."

This never made any sense to me. When a kid was crying, I was pretty sure they already had something to cry about. I decided early on that the people who said such things were just mean. And, I maintained that position until about 2 weeks ago.

Trevor was crying for reasons I couldn't understand. He was wailing and making a scene. It was just at home, but it was driving me batty. I thought to myself, "why is he crying? Why won't he stop?" I think I even asked him. I know I have before. For a moment, I thought I sure would like to give him something to cry about, so at least I could understand why he was making so much noise.

I didn't offer to give him something to cry about, though. I just gave myself something to think about, instead.

Offering to give a crying kid something to cry about makes no sense to the crying kid (or innocent bystanders), but I understand now how it makes sense to a parent.

More Toilet Humor...

Devin his a naughty new habit. He puts his hands in his diapers. Now, I'm not sure why he does that, but whenever it happens, he normally changes the orientation of his penis so that it point straight up.

The nice thing about this is that when he pees, it comes right out of the diaper, and then we have to change his clothes. Today, he went through all of his extra clothes and Daddy had to leave work to buy more clothes at Target.

See, that's nice. Devin has been needing some new clothes.

False Advertising

I went grocery shopping on Monday, and I let Trevor pick out a cereal. He picked Cinnamon Life and Captain Crunch. I had just found a recipe for Baked Chicken Nuggets that called for crushed cornflakes, so I also got some store brand Cornflakes.

Yesterday, Daddy was getting the boys breakfast. Trevor wanted cereal, and Daddy gave him his options. Surprisingly, after seeing all of his choices, he chose corn flakes.

After Daddy poured the cereal, Trevor said "Hey, where's my raspberries?"

You see, the picture on the box, that hateful "Serving Suggestion," included raspberries in the picture.

After Daddy explained the concept of "Serving Suggestion" Trevor changed his request to Cap'n Crunch. Trevor explained, "I know there's crunch in my Cap'n Crunch."

Language Development...Trevor, Part 2

On the way home from work/daycare on Tuesday, Trevor said that he didn't want to go to work on Wednesday. Instead, he suggested that we go to a toy store. He followed that suggestion up with this intriguing question...

"Is that an option, Mom?"

Language Development...Trevor

The neighbors had family over for the last couple of weeks, and Trevor's little friend was not available to play outside with him.

I mentioned this to him whenever he asked.

One morning, just afater he woke up, he said, "Is Eli available to play today?"

From the Toilet Humor Category

Trevor just came clomping up the stairs. I noticed the slightest hint of urgency in his steps.

As he neared the top of the stairs, he announced:

"I'm gonna go poop and then eat my dinner."