Life with Kiera...

We are loving every minute!  Overall she is a very happy baby, although we have determined that she went through her 3 week growth spurt this week and had a day when she was just not herself and was fussy all day.  It definitely made me wonder how parents of a colicky baby survive!  She also has a tough time settling down to go to sleep at night but we are working on it! 

A few of her favorite things:
1) falling asleep on my chest after a good meal
2) rocking in her lambie swing
3) bath time, except for the hair washing part
4) sucking on her pacifier
5) stretching out her limbs during the day (since she is swaddled at night)
6) going for walks in the stroller
7) being burped by daddy

We tried out the bottle last Saturday (with pumped breast milk) and a couple times since then and it was a success!  She took it perfectly and is going back and forth from breast to bottle like a champ.  Now daddy can feed her occasionally and we can leave her with Joel's parents when we're ready!  Speaking of leaving her... the Lady Antebellum/Tim McGraw concert is tomorrow night and I am still trying to decide if I'm ready to leave her for a few hours.  As long as she stays in good spirits between now and then I think I am going to try to catch part of the show and I know the Kelly's would love nothing more than to come over and hang out with her while we're gone.  : ) 

I can't believe she will be a month old already next week! We have her one month check up on Wednesday and are looking forward to seeing how much she has grown. She is finally starting to be able to wear some of her 0-3 months clothes, although only a couple sleepers at this point, everything else is still way too big. We are out of newborn diapers and moving onto size 1... what a milestone! : ) We go through SO many diapers! I swear half the time I change her she either poops or pees mid-change or instantly after the new diaper is on. She has been quite a trooper and allowed us to enjoy trips to the Fish Market and the Hotel del Coronado last weekend.

Kiera's first 2 weeks!

Yikes, sorry for the delayed posting!  My how time flies...  I can't believe it has been two weeks already!  Kiera is doing great and Joel and I are just trying to figure her out (and enjoying every minute!)!  : )  We had a dr appt last Wednesday and she had already gained back her birth weight.  She likes to spend her time eating, hanging out in the lambie chair or swing, rocking, being patted on your shoulder, and just looking around.  She also really likes taking baths now; she didn't like the sponge bath so much but loves it now that we started putting her into the tub and just keeping her belly button dry (her cord did fall off but there's still some crusty remnants we need to keep dry).  Grandma Jean was here for the first week to help out and it was so great!  We loved having her here to help with Kiera and she cooked lots of yummy meals for us too!  It was hard when she had to go back home, but we had to get back to reality sometime!  We have had lots of visits from Grandma Barb and Grandpa Peter.  They are really enjoying having a granddaughter so close by. 

She is on a pretty solid 3 hour schedule with some longer stretches at night.  On average I am getting about 4-5 hours of sleep at night and will take a nap during the day if I am really exhausted, although I have had a lot more energy than I thought I would.  I used to be an 8-9 hour a night sleeper!  Since Joel is working and we haven't introduced the bottle yet (with pumped milk) I am doing all of the feedings at this point.  If we want to get out of the house, we generally have a two hour window after she eats to fit in anything we want to do before she needs to eat again.  We have enjoyed outings to lunch, dinner, the mall, and running errands.  We have also taken lots of walks in the stroller; it's nice to get out of the house even if it's only for a short time.  We got the bassinet attachment for the City Select since the carseat adapter is still backordered, and we are so glad we did (we didn't plan to get it initially).  Now that we have it I just think about how much more comfortable she is in the bassinet rather than having to strap her into the carseat anytime we take the stroller out since she isn't supposed to use the seat until ~6 months. 

She is generally great most of the day, but in the evening she gets a little fussy and getting her to go to bed at night is the hardest!  I read Baby Wise and the Secrets of the Baby Whisperer and I completely agree with their ideas... basically that the order of activity should be Eat, Activity, then Sleep, so the baby doesn't get dependent on being fed (among other things) to fall asleep.  But it can be much easier said than done!  During the day she does pretty well with this but we weren't really sure how to get her to fall asleep at night without feeding her, rocking her, etc.  And if we did rock her to sleep she would usually wake up when we put her in the crib.  She is just so small we wanted to do whatever would make her happy!  So we are trying a new, earlier bedtime routine.  We had been staying up until her 10ish feeding to do actually put her down in the crib, but since it takes so long to get her to sleep after that, we are starting the process at the 7-8ish feeding instead.  We are also going to try our letting her have a pacifier to get to sleep for now... something I really didn't plan to do!  But it seems like a better alternative than rocking her (since she can still fall asleep independently this way using the pacifier) or letting her cry and lots of people I have talked to said they did this and their kids just eventually stopped needing it so hopefully that will be the case.  If any moms have advice on getting her to sleep at night, I'm all ears!

Happy Mother's Day!

Kiera Jean Kelly decided to join us two days early in time for Mother's Day... what an amazing gift!  : )  She arrived at 10:58am on 5/9/2010 and was 7 lb 7 oz and 19.5 inches long.  She is absolutely perfect and we are enjoying every minute! 

I lost my mucous plug on Saturday morning, which can mean that labor will start that day, or even in the next couple of weeks... we have learned that everyone's pregnancy and labor is very different!  I started having real contractions (as opposed to the painless Braxton Hicks contractions I've been having for months) at 11:27 on Saturday night, after going to bed at 11:00 and getting all of 27 minutes of sleep.  I tried to sleep through them but they continued to get a little closer together and more intense as the night went on.  Around 1:30 I decided I should probably get the rest of my things packed for the hospital as the contractions were extremely painful and about 6-7 minutes apart, sometimes a little longer, and they tell you to go to the hospital when they are 5 minutes apart and last a minute long for an hour.  Around 2:30 I told Joel we needed to go to the hospital so he should pack a bag.  Joel is generally a little slow moving so he was attempting to pick up the house and do dishes in the meantime!  I let him take a shower (which I regretted during the contractions!) and we finally headed out just before 4am.  In the car the contractions were horrible and coming 4 minutes apart. 

When we arrived at the hospital they checked me in and said I was 3-4 cm dilated.  I let them know I would like an epidural asap (best decision EVER for me) and I got one about 20-30 minutes later.  The process of getting the epidural was very painful for me, but it was well worth it!!  Once I got the epidural I did not feel another ounce of pain throughout the labor or delivery!  I got numb and it was very strange not really being able to move my legs, but I felt so good I decided to try to sleep for a couple hours.  I never fell asleep, probably because the whole thing was too exciting, but I rested for a few hours, and when they came back to check on me I was 8 cm dilated.  She said I would be at 10 cm in the next couple hours and could then start pushing.  My water broke at 6:30am and the nurse said there appeared to be a little bit of meconium (the baby's first bowel movement) in the fluid.  This meant that there would be an additional nurse and respiratory specialist in the delivery room to suction the baby's nose/mouth right away.  If she inhaled any of the meconium there is a risk of pneumonia, which would mean a couple days in the NICU getting antibiotics.  Apparently it is fairly common for full term babies to have meconium in the fluid so the doctor was not concerned. 

I started to feel a little pressure (but no pain) and a little bit like I needed to have a bowel movement, which the nurse said means it's time to push as the babies head is moving through your pelvis.  She checked me again and said I was 10 cm.  I was so surprised that I went from 3-4cm to 10cm in about 5 hours!  I had just envisioned labor lasting so much longer.  I started pushing around 10:30am and it was just Joel and the nurse and I.  It was much more intimate and calm than I had anticipated!  We actually used a mirror at the end of the bed for the beginning of pushing which was really cool so that I could see what was happening and see the baby's head crowning.  Things were progressing quickly and shortly thereafter the doctor and two additional nurses joined us.  The pushing stage was also really easy for me and the nurse and doctor kept saying how amazingly fast it was going.  After about 30 minutes of pushing, Kiera arrived!  The doctor actually had me pull the baby out once her head and shoulders were out (just like in the recent episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians!)!  It was so crazy!  I delivered the placenta and the doctor stitched me up as I tore a little (also did not feel that!).  In the meantime they took a look at Kiera and she was doing great!  There was actually a knot in her umbilical cord, but thankfully it was not tight enough to have caused any problems for her.  She was so active in the womb, no wonder she had a knot!

More pictures to come soon! 

Week 39... almost there! : )

I can't believe it is week 39!  And I feel like the belly is giant!!  We just came from the doctor and she said that I am 75% effaced and 1-2 cm dilated.  She said that the effacement is more important than the dilation and that she is happy with that progress.  If I were not effaced (the cervix was not thinning) at this point a C-section could be more likely.  So, we are just WAITING for something to happen!  It is so hard!  I am definitely trying to enjoy the last of our time as a couple before the craziness begins though.  We went out to a wonderful steak dinner last weekend and I have been having lunch with a few friends and doing lots of reading and walking.  I have been doing lots of organizing too... the nesting instinct they talk about is definitely real! 

I was having contractions last night for about 2 hours or so that were pretty regular and about 7 minutes apart so I thought maybe something was happening, but I didn't really have any pain and they eventually slowed down so still just Braxton Hicks I guess (but at least the uterus is practicing!).  I am sure that when I am actually going into labor it will not feel good and I will know it!  The doctor said that she doesn't want me to go past 41 weeks so we will certainly have a baby by May 18th!  I go in for my 40 week appointment on my due date (the 11th) if I haven't gone into labor by then and the doctor said we will schedule an inducement at that point.  She is on call at the hospital on the 12th (although all the doctors there would be fine to deliver me) we are thinking we will try to schedule it for the 12th if it gets to that point.  She said I would go to the hospital the night before so they could put something (I can't remember what it's called, sorry!) inside me that softens the cervix for 12 hours.  Then they would start the pitocin the next morning which would start the contractions.  She said from there I would most likely deliver by late afternoon and if I haven't delivered later that evening a c-section may be in order.  It feels good to know that there is an end in sight and what to expect at least.  And very exciting that we will definitely meet the baby soon! 

Week 39 update from Babycenter.com:
Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

Week 38

Lots of people have warned me about the last few weeks of pregnancy so I am just waiting to start feeling really horrible, but it's just not happening (and I'm not complaining about that!)!  : )  I am having lots of contractions and they seem to be stronger than before but I guess they are still just practice (Braxton Hicks) contractions since they don't hurt at all, they can just be a little uncomfortable at times.  The baby is acting a little crazy though... last night I almost called the doctor in the middle of the night because she was going nuts in there.  She was moving all over the place for over 2 hours and it felt like she was scraping her heels against my insides and it hurt!  I did ask the doctor once about her crazy activity level and she said that it's never a concern that she moves too much, only if she is not moving enough, so I decided to spare the doctor a phone call at 1am. 

We had our 38 week appointment this morning, and unfortunately not much to report!  She measured my belly at 37 cm this week and had measured me at 36 the two prior weeks, so the baby is growing a bit, but she said in terms of effacement and dilation it was pretty much the same as last week (50% and 1cm).  We were hoping for a little more progress, but I guess that's ok!  She reminded us that everyone is different in terms of how much progress they make before they actually go into labor, some women don't dilate past 1 cm until they go into labor.  We are just anxious for the baby to arrive at this point, and I am also afraid of how big she could be if she stays in there too long.  : )  It is just so hard not knowing when she will come and sitting around thinking about how I could go into labor at any time! 

I used a gift certificate I had from work for a Mother to Be Massage on Monday.... it was so nice!  They had a special pillow to lay on with an opening for the baby belly, it was strange to be on my stomach at first since I haven't been able to do that in many months.  It was really relaxing and I enjoyed the pool/spa area outside for awhile afterward, but I didn't actually swim (didn't really want to bare the giant belly) and I didn't bring any sunscreen so I didn't want to stay too long.  But it was a great way to relax and be pampered before the baby arrives.  I can't say I would have done it without the gift certificate as it is pretty expensive, but it was fabulous anyway! 

I finished reading the Babywise book this week (by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam), it is a super quick and easy read and I thought it was a great book!  It has been recommended to me by many friends who have used it and it just seems to make so much sense!  I am hoping to follow it and have a baby that has healthy sleep habits and is able to sleep through the night (eventually) and fall asleep on her own, but we will see!  In the very early days/weeks they just recommend that you always try to make the baby take a full feeding to avoid the baby getting into the habit of snacking and eating a small amount very frequently which seems to make a lot of sense.  Then they are supposed to fall into a schedule of feeding every 2.5-3 hours, and the next most important thing you can do is make sure the order of their routine is feed, wake, sleep.  This avoids the common problem of a baby requiring a feeding to go to sleep, and also helps the baby to fall asleep on their own.  You are also to avoid always rocking the baby to sleep and sleeping with the baby in your bed for the same reason.  Anyway, to each their own on what philosophy you follow, but our plan is to  follow the Babywise program.  I will keep you posted on how it works out.  : )  Now onto the next baby books! 

Week 38 update from Babycenter.com:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.  Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Week 37

We just had our 37 week appointment and the doctor said the baby is now fully engaged (her head has dropped below the pelvic bone and she is no longer floating)!  She said I am 50% effaced and one centimeter dilated which is a great sign.  It's hard to say at this point though how quickly things will progress from here as everyone is different.  But we were excited about her progress!  She is still moving around a lot, which is kind of surprising considering how squished she must be in there at this point, but the doctor said the movement is a good thing so we are entertained watching my belly bounce all around.  I am still feeling good... sleeping is a little harder these days and I am definitely having to pee more, but I can't complain too much! I just keep waiting to start feeling terrible as I've heard it's pretty normal towards the home stretch, but so far so good. 

Not working is pretty much the best thing ever!  : )  I have to admit now that I have run most of the errands I am getting a little bored, but it is still so nice to be off and able to relax, exercise, read baby books, and get all of the last minute things done.  We got the crib and dresser all set up in our room and while it's not as ideal as having enough space to have a separate nursery, it's really not too bad!  We LOVE the sweet lambie bedding, however I think we are going to have to remove the adorable bumper for awhile as it can be a SIDS risk. 

Between gifts and my shopping (dangerous to not be working!) her dresser is pretty much full already!  I got the cutest swimsuit for her (not sure if it's realistic that she will use it late this summer or not, but I coudn't resist) and a cute cotton dress with a hoodie in case it's chilly to wear home from the hospital. 

Week 37 update from whattoexpect.com:
Congratulations! You've got what is officially considered a full-term baby, even with three weeks to go. That doesn't mean he's finished growing — in fact, he's still packing on about a half pound a week (at this age, the average fetus weighs about 6.5 pounds). That makes it a little crowded in your uterus, so he’s probably not kicking as much, though he’s probably stretching, rolling a bit, and wiggling (all of which you’ll be able to feel!). Right now, your little superstar is busy rehearsing for his big debut, inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid (to get the lungs ready for that first breath), sucking his thumb (to prepare for that first suckle of milk), blinking, and turning from side to side.

Baby Shower!

We had the baby shower last weekend and it was fabulous!  It was so nice to see everyone and get together to celebrate the baby!  : )  Thank you to everyone who made it and to everyone who sent the wonderful gifts... the baby has a GREAT start to her wardrobe and necessities! 

Joel, my mom, and Joel's mom were wonderful!  THANK YOU!  Joel was up half the night on Thursday and Friday night helping to get things ready and he carved the most adorable baby carriage watermelon which held the fruit salad.  : )  My mom and Joel's mom planned a few fun games, delicious food and cupcakes, and an adorable diaper cake!  They were great hostesses!  Although we STILL have not committed to a name for sure, as part of one of the games we had the guests vote on the baby's name, and Kiera was the big winner! 

Enjoy the photos!