I haven't written a real post in a long time, but I want to remember the details, all of them that I can from T's birth. It may be our last birth and just like with the boys I want to savor all the moments and be able to look back on her birth day. Today, she is a week old. A week already! How is that possible? I need time to slow down immediately. We've been home since she was 3 days old and today she's 7 days old. In the time home, its been an easier adjustment than when we brought E home. RCWJr believes its because T is a girl, I believe its because T went to formula/bottles almost immediately and our pediatrician offered up its because she's the 3rd little and God had mercy on us! My parents have been here taking care of the boys, but they're old enough to barge into the bedroom to find 'Baby Tatum' or in E's language, 'Baby Tamor' and mommy so I haven't been quite as recluse and isolated as during E's coming home. RCWJr went back to work on Tuesday after taking off to be in the hospital with us and being home for 3/4 of the day on Monday soaking in life with 3 littles, 3 furbabies, 2 cats and a tank of fish. We are truly a little domesticated circus around here!
(I started this as just T's birth story, the story of her birth day, but it quickly changed into a story of the couple days leading up to her birth and the days after. She didn't have quite the standard hospital stay after being born and I wanted to remember and document all of it. So the writing below is from Tuesday, June 30 - Sunday, July 5).
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We knew W3's scheduled c-section date for weeks. We knew the countdown to July 2 was on, but RCWJr and I both truly believed W3 would be here before then due to my history of preeclampsia. We were both surprised to make it to our final OB appointment on Tuesday, June 30 at 37 weeks, 6 days. The appointment was picture perfect. W3 passed the BPP scan with flying colors scoring 8/8 in a few minutes. W3 even cooperated for 3D face pictures, the only ones we got of the whole pregnancy and W3 is C's twin from his 37 week ultrasound pictures. The heartbeat was up high at 168,and made me think W3 is a girl since the heartbeat had been 145-148 for all the rest of June and our weekly appointments and scans. My vitals were perfect and Dr. N reassured me there was no reason to go any sooner than our July 2 scheduled c-section. I took a moment to have all the feelings about this being my last OB appointment with W3, captured an image with my phone of the boys in their usual Tuesday morning spot - snacking on Veggie Straws in the double stroller watching Paw Patrol or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the iPad hanging off the side of the counter in the exam room, after they'd enjoy 'bear treats' or Teddy Grahams in the ultrasound room while they alternated between watching their cartoons or look at 'Baby Tatum on the tip-e-vee.' Once we left the OB's office we headed off to a playdate at Robison Park with my Meetup mom group to hear a local author read her newly published children's book, Duncan the Story Dragon and play on the playground and swings. Then it was home for our routine of lunch and nap. Then this momma began to start the cleaning and trying to nest, even though that instinct evaded me this pregnancy until about the last possible moment! I even made lasagna for dinner, RCWJr's favorite. Once we all ate dinner together, we headed outside to the driveway for RCWJr to install the new bench seat in the Tahoe and install W3's bucket seat. Nothing like waiting until the last possible moment for most things, poor third child. RCWJr had just purchased a used bench seat the night before after driving east of Lexington to pick it up. Once all 3 little carseats were installed, we put the boys in and took a short drive around the neighborhood to break in everyone's 'new' seats. Then it was bed for the boys and bed for me too.
Wednesday, July 1 was our last day as a family of 4. I had been having some emotions about it, per usual. I knew I didn't want to just sit at home all day and think about W3's arrival. RCWJr left later than usual for work and we found our boys had outsmarted us - we started taking the light bulb out of their lamp to keep their room dark and we found them this morning with their light turned on. C explained he found the white thing in the drawer and turned it around and around and turned on the switch. They're too smart for us and we're in trouble with a third one coming! Once the boys were up and ready, we headed off to a playdate with our Meetup group. We went to Creekside playground to make July 4th shirts, which was so silly since I knew the boys wouldn't wear them this year, but we needed an outing. We made shirts and then played with our friends on the playground until it was so hot and humid I couldn't stand being outside anymore, not to mention Creekside had 5 bus loads of 'big' kids from different camps roaming the playground and splash park. We took the long way home up the 'big steep hill' and over the 'big white bridge' and saw a deer eating lunch ('No, momma he isn't eating lunch he's eating grass' ~ thanks for clarifying C). We got home and had an early lunch while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, of course. Then we did an random afternoon bath. They needed it and I didn't want to waste family time together at night. While C took his bleach bath, I recorded E saying his new favorite saying, "Arrr Shiver Me Timbers" which took me forever and some translation from C to know exactly what he was saying. Thanks to Jake and the Neverland Pirates and a pirate episode of Paw Patrol for that one! Once C was out of his bleach bath, I managed at 38 weeks pregnant to sit on the floor and get both boys soaped up and scrubbed down in our shower. It was the first bath I'd given in months, but we did it! Then it was lotion and fresh clothes and putting E down for nap. Then C asked to watch a Sheriff Callie (can you tell we love Disney Jr around here?!) and bribed him to make a video in which he declared wholeheartedly, "Baby Tatum is a boy baby" "The girl baby turned into a boy baby" "He will wear a blue hat and eat blue cake". Then C went down for nap and I started cleaning and folding laundry. RCWJr called randomly and said he was driving back to the office, it was a nice afternoon surprise call. But it was even nicer when I realized he was home and at the front door - thanks to an alert from Sonny! He had worked early mornings and had the hours so he was home for the day by 3pm. Which was awesome!! We got to hang out before the boys woke up from nap around 4pm. Then it was family time. Exactly what I'd been craving all day before we grew our family by 1 the next day. We did my 38 week belly picture and set up our last family of 4 (plus the pups and a cat) picture on the sofa. Then at RCWJr's insistence we headed out to the pool. I'll be honest, I wasn't totally on board with an afternoon in the pool, but it was just what we all needed. The water was great and it was the perfect family activity for the 4 of us. C and E splashed and played. C helped clean the pool of all the buggies with RCWJr. I got to lounge in my float and watch my boys while taking in the moment of us 4 and daydreaming of what would come the next day with W3. By 6:30pm, it was getting chilly so we headed inside to dry off and in perfect timing my parents arrived with Red Robin take out for dinner. The boys were excited to see grandma and grandpa and we all survived dinner together. After a later than usual bedtime start, we got in pjs, read books, took one last family selfie on RCWJr's phone and one last picture of a preggo momma holding her boys, then sang their lullaby song to the boys and said goodnight. Then I went into crazy nesting mode: explaining the boys schedule to my mom, fixing their lunch for Thursday, laying out outfits for the boys to wear to the hospital, packing a hospital bag and straightening up as best I could. Finally around 10:30pm, RCWJr and I fell onto the sofa to watch Big Brother and I ate some ice cream before we headed to bed. Where I barely slept with excitement and nerves until my alarm went off at 4:15 am on Thursday, July 2 - W3's birthday!
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My alarm went off and I got up and headed to the shower. I took way too long and when I got out it was already 4:45am. RCWJr was still waking up in bed and we needed to leave at 5am! I quickly put on my makeup for the day, dried my hair slightly and got dressed. RCWJr got up and ready much faster than I ever could. I realized the boys may need different shorts so I snuck in their room to grab shorts and give C and E one last kiss on their sleeping cheeks before we left the house a couple minutes after 5am. RCWJr stopped at McDonald's to grab a large coffee and McGriddle sandwich and we were off to the hospital, running a bit late for our 5:30am arrival and hitting almost every red light on the way. I was sure this was foreshadowing of a bad day as I was very anxious about the very soon c-section. I was much more aware this time around it was a surgery. I was nervous about the IV, being shaved around my incision site, getting the spinal and very anxious about getting nauseous from the spinal anesthesia. This running late and red light fiasco wasn't helping my nerves. We got to the hospital and I told RCWJr that during a preregistration phone call earlier in the week they'd told me to go to the West Entrance and go to Suite 108. As we drove in, I commented to RCWJr that I thought we needed to go to Labor and Delivery, where we had parked when we had E. He said lets go where they told you, so we did. We parked and I waddled inside, we found Suite 108 and told a nurse our last name. She couldn't find me quickly, so I said it was for a 7:30am c-section with Dr. N. She looked at me and said they didn't handle c-sections. Of course not. I told them we came to them based on what was told to us during preregistration and she apologized. She said we could walk over to L&D, but it was probably better to drive. By this point it was after 5:30am and my OCDness for being on time was in overdrive combined with pre-surgery anxiety. We got back to the Excursion, left the parking deck and headed to L&D where we parked when we had E. Like I had suggested moments before. (Told you so, babe.) We parked and headed in the front door and up the elevator to floor 3 L&D. We were able to check in quickly and were taken to the triage room. I peed first, and then it all went so fast. Perhaps because we arrived around 6am, not 5:30am. Luckily, no one seemed frazzled by our late arrival, perhaps because we were the first surgery of the day and no one else was in triage. I took one last bump picture and then got into the oh so glamorous hospital gown. A nurse and a student nurse came in to hook me up to all the monitors. They struggled a bit to get the heart rate monitor set on W3 around my belly, but finally got it. W3 was all over the place - and truly seemed in tune with me. If was laughing with RCWJr whether happy or nervous laughter, the heartbeat rocketed to 180s, when I was resting and calm the heartbeat stayed around the 150s. Another nurse came in, she actually helped get the monitor set for W3 by laying me back in the bed, then while one nurse was asking questions for my medical history, the other nurse put in the IV. Step one of my anxiety - she was awesome and while I didn't watch her doing it, I barely felt a thing. It was great and I thanked her so much for the painfree IV.
The room emptied out and it was just RCWJr and I for a bit. We chatted and hung out. A second OB came in to introduce herself and say she was there to help Dr. N. Someone came in to introduce herself as a doctor/nurse who would be there for W3. A nurse came in to register us and get our $1,000 deposit payment. The anesthesiologist came in to introduce himself and I spoke up about my concerns about getting sick based on my experiences with C and E. He said it was probably due to a blood pressure drop and he'd be mindful. I wasn't very content with his reaction to my concerns and worried I'd be throwing up while laying on the OR table, or like with the boys very ill. But before I could fret too much, a new nurse came in with the 7am shift change. Once she came in it was go time. She put my socks on my feet and calf compression sleeves on my legs. She gave RCWJr an extra large size jumpsuit to wear (that he could actually fit into unlike the one he squeezed into for E's delivery). Then Dr. N came in to say hello and that she'd be seeing us shortly! The nurse popped back in and told us we may be a bit delayed because there was a 26 week twin birth happening. I was worried about how delayed we could be, but there was no need. Not sure what happened, but the nurse came back in and shaved my incision - worry #2. I told her with E the nurse cut me and it hurt so bad, but this time she was great. No cuts and no pain. Worry #2 gone - woo hoo! All that was left was getting through the spinal and possible nausea. All of a sudden, the nurse was unplugging all the cords and helping me wrap a sheet around my backside and we were walking down the hallway to the OR. RCWJr snapped a final picture of me in all my glory and then he hung out in the hallway while I walked into the OR.
I remember describing how sterile it was with E and I took it all in again, but tried not to focus too much on the tools and what was going on. When I got in the OR I climbed up on the table and the radio was already on. With E, it had been silent, but Alan, the anesthesiologist was ready to go and the radio was on. I'm assuming he picked the station, but I don't know why I thought that. It was on the local pop Top 40 station - not what we listen to anymore. I tried listening to the songs, but when it was rap and pop singers I was lost. I think at one point Lorde played with The Royals, but I could've imagined another song sounded like that one that I knew!
Alan started my spinal pretty quickly once we were in the OR. The nurse stood in front of me to help me roll my shoulders forward and round my back. Alan explained in brief details what he was doing - cleaning the area, it would be cold, then a sharp bee sting of the numbing shot (and yes, it was very stingy) then I shouldn't feel anything except pressure and to let him know if the pressure went too far to the right or to the left. I don't know what happened, but at some point after the pressure started, but before it was over, Alan asked the nurse to help him and she left the front of me to open something for him and help him, then she was back and the pressure of the spinal was back. I don't know what happened, but I was left a very large round blue and purple bruise at the spinal injection site that made every single new nurse who gave me an assessment comment and made RCWJr do a double take - it never hurt, but that was new from this c-section. Maybe the nurse stepping around and a break in pressure caused the bruise, who knows?! The spinal was in place and they had me quickly lay down on the table because the spinal would take effect so fast. It didn't feel fast to me, but maybe it was. I felt like I could feel my legs for a long time and was actually worried I wasn't going to be numb fast enough! They put my arms out and hooked up my blood pressure cuff and other monitors. Alan was awesome and watched my blood pressure and VERY much to my surprise I never got sick. It was awesome and I was oh so happy that all my fears had been just that over heightened paranoias that were unfounded! Alan started clamping my stomach to make sure I was numb and I couldn't feel anything, which was odd because I would've sworn I could still feeling tingles in my feet and legs. But once that was done they put up the sheet to drape in front of me and Alan went to get RCWJr. They said things would start in 3 minutes.
I was so happy to see RCWJr because with E, it felt like they got him in the room at the last possible moment. Once RCWJr was in the room by my side I told him to watch because I thought things would go fast. I was wrong! We hit the OR by 7:35am, but W3 wasn't born until 8:11am. With E, we hit the OR around 1:30pm and he was born at 1:41pm. RCWJr had time for me tell him to listen to the radio to hear what song W3 was born to (he can't recall either since it was pop songs - we're old, sorry W3). Dr. N and her assistant OB, a male doctor different from the one who introduced herself to me in the triage, started to work. It felt like it took forever. The male doctor asked for a step stool. There was A LOT of pulling and tugging. It was a very different experience than the boys! The doctors were commenting on how big the baby was and how the baby didn't want to come out. RCWJr will say he thought the doctor was going to climb on top of me like a horse to get leverage to get W3 out. Much more pulling and tugging and wondering what the heck was going on and then W3 was out! At 8:11am! They had decided RCWJr would announce the gender and he said, "Oh my gosh, its a girl!!" I was in disbelief! I don't know what I said, if anything. RCWJr was over the moon seeing W3 was a girl though! He was so happy and proud! The nurse brought a very large covered in white film baby over sitting up in her hands to show me our little big girl and its probably best she gave me a good look to see it was in fact a girl! I was definitely surprised! I had told myself W3 would be a girl, but in my heart I really thought we only made boys with all our fertility struggles. They weighted T and announced 10 pounds 15 ounces which made the whole OR comment and laugh! And again I was in shock over having such a chunky babe. RCWJr left my side to take pictures.
By 8:20 am the nurse had swaddled her up, put a little pink bow hat on her head and brought her over to me where I looked at sweet T still in disbelief I had a daughter. I kissed her cheek and felt her sweet chubby cheek against mine and then RCWJr held his little girl. Dr. N was telling me there was no need to tie my tubes - my scar tissue was fine and while my uterus wall was a bit thin it could've just been from this one pregnancy so we were given the green light to have a 4th c-section and left the door open for a W4. They stitched me up, unhooked the monitors and then the always fun ride of moving from the OR table to the recovery bed happened. That part isn't painful, but I always feel like I'm going fall and feel bad for being so big! But I was successfully put on the bed and T was placed on my chest for me to finally hold.
By 8:52am we were in the recovery room snuggling our sweet girl. It was also in recovery that I stopped being in shock and disbelief over T being a girl and began falling madly in love with her! Just like with E, we didn't do much in recovery besides stare at T and each other and this new little person we had created and been blessed with. God is oh so good! We did finally decide on her middle name in recovery - the options were Catherine or Caroline, ultimately we both felt she was Tatum Caroline. I didn't have many side effects, my face was a bit itchy, but not in one place like with E where just my nose itched and it wasn't bad. I wasn't cold like with C and I never felt sick. The nurse came in and checked my blood pressure and temperature and left us to bond and fawn over T. Eventually we tried nursing a little bit and T seemed to latch, but was being a lazy eater. Then we were told we could go to our post partum room. They snuggled T on my chest and we were off down the halls and on the elevator all the while random passersby offered their congratulations. It was during this ride that I did finally feel some nausea. It was pretty bad by the time we reached our post partum room.
We landed in room 380 and I was feeling ill. RCWJr was trying to get our photographer Sarah in the room, but she was stuck in the waiting area and nurses began moving fast. A nurse took T to do her assessment. Our L&D nurse, post partum nurse and my darling husband helped move me from the recovery bed to the post partum bed. At least I knew RCWJr could lift me and I didn't worry as much about that bed move! Per RCWJr's pictures at 10:03am the nurse was checking out T and another nurse was checking out me. I was asking for anti-nausea meds because I was feeling rough - hot and oh so sick. Sarah still wasn't in the room and so RCWJr was taking pictures of the nurse doing T's official feet stamps and getting them on our little canvas. By 10:15am, RCWJr was cutting T's cord shorter and the nurse was nice enough to take pictures for us. Around this time, Sarah was able to get into our room. She started snapping pictures, but none of T's first bath. Apparently rules changed and she wouldn't have a bath until her sugars were tested and stable. They said research had shown the bath calmed the baby and they wanted the baby awake and eating and active in the first few hours of birth and not calm and sleeping, which makes sense, but no cute professional bath pictures with T like we had with C and E. Before the boys could come in they tested T's sugar level which was expected due to her size - the boys both had sugar levels tested at their respective almost 9 pound weights. T's came back at 45 which is the threshold line. They want sugars over 45. This meant we'd be checking her sugars via heel prick for 2 more feedings to see if her levels went up. After they checked her levels, they asked if I was ready to nurse. I said yes, but it wasn't going well. T would latch, but fall off. Much like what happened in recovery. I knew the boys were waiting to meet T in the waiting room with my parents and I was worried T wasn't getting any food from nursing. Another nurse came in and tried to help me nurse again. Sarah was taking pictures. RCWJr was standing by being supportive feeding me ice chips because I felt so hot and sick. Finally, it seemed like we were stopping the nursing frenzy and we'd finally get the boys in the room. But then T started rooting from skin to skin on my chest and the nurse pushed me to nurse again. And I lost it. I was hot. I was nauseous. I was frustrated by all the forced nursing. And I lost it and started bawling. I was so upset and felt so pressured by the nurses to breastfeed and feeling like a failure that T wasn't latching and staying on and worried I wasn't providing for her. In hindsight I should've known - I was not committed to nursing the third time around.
After my breakdown, the nurses left and I had a moment to compose myself and RCWJr went to get the boys. Sarah took pictures of the boys meeting T, which went over so well! C wasn't upset at all that T was a girl, even though we all kinda had hoped for a great viral video of an upset big brother! Then my parents came in to meet their new granddaughter. We took family pictures and Sarah left a little before noon. Before the boys left for lunch, we took the announcement picture of me holding the boys in my lap and them holding T wearing their Big Brother and Little Sister stickers. We also let C hold T as he was so in love with 'his baby'. E watched and hung out on the sidelines. Then the boys left for lunch and naps and we had a quiet room with just RCWJr, T and me.
We did have nurses coming in and out. RCWJr grabbed lunch in the cafeteria. I tried nursing what seemed like all afternoon with not much ease. And we kept having sugar levels tested and they only continued to be a roller coaster. By 5pm, the levels had dropped into the 30's and I was done. I felt like such a failure to T. I knew I wasn't producing enough for her and it was causing her sugars to stay low. I was done. Done trying and done nursing. I was ready for my sweet girl to get the nutrients she needed and for her to have good sugar levels. I told the nurse I wanted formula. They didn't give in right away, but after checking with our pediatrician they agreed it was best for T. So we started supplementing and T enjoyed her first bottle right away. The nurses continued to tell me to nurse, they brought in a pump, but I was done. RCWJr agreed and we made a semi-final decision that we were going to be formula bottle feeders from here on out to get T the food she needed and get her sugar levels up. I felt such relief.
In a twist, the boys took super long naps on T's birthday! Of course. We wanted them to come back up to the hospital, but they didn't arrive until around 7pm. They brought us dinner - take out from El Nopal (nom nom nom) and brought pink and blue cupcakes from Gigi's to celebrate T's birthday. I didn't do Big Brother gifts, but all along I knew we'd have cupcakes to celebrate T's birth day since C was adamant about T have pink cake for a girl or blue cake for a boy and he and E would have blue cake since they're boys. The boys sang Happy Birthday to T and we all ate gender appropriate cupcakes to celebrate T! The boys held and snuggled on T for a bit more and then left around 7:45pm to head home for the night.
RCWJr and I dug into our Mexican dinner and watched Big Brother in our room. Through it all every 2 hours we tried feeding T and testing her sugars. When the new nurse started around 7pm, she told me later that night she'd be removing my catheter and getting me up and walking. At 8:30ish, she got me out of bed and took me to the bathroom and removed the catheter. I was worried this would hurt too - so sidenote if there is a 4th c-section - it didn't hurt at all! She told me to take a deep breathe and breath out and during my exhale she pulled it out and no pain whatsoever. Then she told me I needed to pee on my own within the next 3 hours or she'd have to put the catheter back in. That was not happening so I was drinking water to make sure I went! And I did around 10ish - thank goodness. I was relieved to be up and walking and going to the bathroom on my own. All about 12 hours post birth - not too shabby.
Now that I was up and about, it was time to focus on T and her sugars. They were still a roller coaster, with nothing getting higher than the 50s. A nurse said since she was being bottle fed they could take her to the nursery for overnight. We both agreed! They took T late Thursday night to the nursery and we were excited to get some sleep. RCWJr slept soundly on the sofa bed and nurses came in out and checking on me and my vitals. Around 2am, a doctor came in to tell me that T wasn't doing ok. Her sugars were not stabilizing despite getting formula and after her last 2 hour feeding she was jittery from her sugars being so low. They had called our pediatrician Dr. B and it was agreed T should go up to the 4th floor NICU to get on an IV of sugar water and stabilize her sugars. The doctor said she was just letting me know, that they'd take good care of T and we should come up the 4th floor around 6-7am the next morning to feed T. I thanked her and went back to sleep. RCWJr slept through that and at some point earlier the next morning when we were both awake I told him what had happened.
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We woke up after 6am, but headed up the NICU. We learned we had to check out of our floor and made our way up to the NICU where we had to sign in and RCWJr had to have his temperature taken to get into the NICU and we were let through big automatic locked doors and found a hand washing station and then went in to find our girl. She was in Green 32. It was bright and shiny and not a sad depressing place. But it was still the NICU with babies in incubators and mommas holding littles and babies - our baby hooked up to an IV.
I don't know if it was because it was 2am after giving birth via c-section or I'm just naive, but I didn't fully comprehend what was happening when I was told T was going to the NICU. For some reason, I thought she was just going to be up there for a couple hours. That she'd be on a IV and then in the morning come back to our room.
Once we got up to her, a nurse came over and explained that she could be in NICU for 2 to 5 days. That I may be discharged without her! She talked about Ronald McDonald House rooms for parents. She talked about her IV and weaning her off of it and what if the IV didn't stablize her sugars. It was all a bit surreal. For any parents who had have NICU babies, I admire your strength. T was only in the NICU for about 37 hours from 2am Friday morning until 3pm Saturday afternoon, but it was overwhelming and scary. It wasn't a place I ever imagined we'd be, nor a place I ever want to go back to. Many hugs and blessings for parents who have babes in the NICU for extended stays, my heart goes out to you.
The jest of T's NICU stay was this: her sugar levels were low. The NICU nurse guesses that due to her size perhaps I had a touch of gestational diabetes even though I passed my 1 hour glucose test (I only passed by 2 points with 128 - if I'd gotten 130 I would've needed the 3 hour test). Because of T's size at almost 11 pounds coming out of me and being sustained by my sugars and insulin (which if my carb and sweet cravings were any indication were pretty high combined with my PCOS issues) she just wasn't able to stabilize on her own. They hooked her up to an IV of sugar water to raise her insulin levels in her liver. The hope was once her insulin levels were up via the IV and she was taking regular 3 hour feedings her sugar levels would stabilize. Once we had 3 readings well over 45, the NICU pediatrician would set parameters to begin weaning her off the IV. For example, if her sugar level was over 50 they could drop the IV by 1; if her sugar level was over 60 they could drop the IV by 2 and so on. Once she was weaned off the IV completely, she'd need to be monitored in the NICU for 24 hours before being discharged. If for some reason she was in NICU for 5 days without her sugar levels stabilizing they would start to look for other reasons she was having issues. The pediatrician and nurses all were very reassuring that they fully believed her issues were due to her size and nothing more serious though.
So Friday morning by 8am we were with T in the NICU. We were able to snuggle her and hold her despite her being hooked up the IV and oxygen, heart and who knows what else monitors. The nurse had planned on bathing her - her first! - but instead we opted to try her hearing test. I was anxious to know she passed this after last September a friend's little girl did not and it turned out to be CMV. T passed the right side, but not her left. She failed by a tiny bit and the technician assured us it was probably from fluid in her ear from a c-section birth or ambient noise in the NICU and her not being soundly asleep. Once the hearing test was done, it was 9am and time for her feeding. RCWJr fed her. I was hesitant around all the wires and cords - it was overwhelming for me to see T hooked up to everything and I was anxious I would hurt her or break something. RCWJr was much better and before she even left the NICU he knew how to pick her up from her bassinet, unhook the proper wires and put everything back together again. He is such an amazing husband and father. When I falter, he steps in. He's the rock of our family and I'm so blessed by him, as are C, E and T. I was worried about leaving her in the NICU, not bonding and just our little newborn being left alone in her bassinet not being loved on, but RCWJr stepped up. He made sure that when I needed my post partum care he was upstairs with T. He made sure she was being fed by us for every feeding except overnight on Friday night/Saturday morning when the nurses encouraged us to both sleep and let them tend to T, but he was upstairs with her bright and early at 6am Saturday morning for that first morning feeding. I can't give RCWJr enough praise for his strength and love and taking care of his girls. He was there for me and for T at every moment of our stay in the hospital.
After we fed her, we went down to see the nurses for me. I was told I needed to shower that day and remove the large bandage from my incision. That was my only must do item for Friday. We headed down for RCWJr to grab some lunch since he missed breakfast and we met up with a friend then headed back to the NICU by 11:45am for T's first bath and 12 feeding. We captured her bath with a couple pictures and let our friend hold her and snuggle on her. It was nice having her with us and chatting with her while RCWJr fed T her lunch. Once T was sleeping we headed back downstairs to say goodbye to our friend and for me to finally take a shower. I stayed downstairs showering and being checked out by the nurses while RCWJr did T's 3pm feeding. After I was checked out, I headed back to the NICU and snuggled on T and stayed for her 6pm feeding. The boys and my parents came to visit for dinner - the boys weren't allowed in the NICU (C could have gone as he is 3, but we didn't want them to). C kept asking about Baby Tatum and we just told him she was with doctors. Luckily he was too little to ask too many questions and hanging out in mommy's hospital bed watching Lightening McQueen on the TV was a special treat! My parents visited T in the NICU while we hung out with the boys in our room. They left and we went back up for her 9pm feeding. Her sugars had been doing great and parameters had been set and it seemed as if she'd be able to start weaning off the IV overnight! Woo hoo!!
After we said goodnight to T, we came downstairs and went to bed ourselves. The empty feeling of being in a post partum room without your baby is sad and depressing. It felt so purposeless being there without her. Again, I don't know how some parents do it when their littles are in critical care in the NICU for extended stays. We slept Friday night and RCWJr headed up bright and early at 6am for her first morning feeding. She'd been successfully weaning off the IV overnight and was doing great! He came back down after feeding her to tell me the good news and then after some breakfast we both went up to see T and hang out. After her 9am feeding she was totally off the IV!!! While our stay was very quick and uneventful and ultimately easy in the NICU; it didn't feel like that in the moment. It felt like days. Looking back and telling friends and family about what was going on, I can't believe it was just a mere 37 hours. It felt like so much longer we were without our girl.
The NICU pediatrician said she felt comfortable after a couple high sugar level readings to let T finish her 24 hour monitor back with us in post partum care! We were so excited to get her back!! The pediatrician said all they'd be doing was checking her sugar levels and they could do that outside of the NICU. She had a successful noon feeding by my mom and dad (we hung out and had lunch with the boys in our room) and when RCWJr went up for her 3pm feeding (by this point I was on a pretty steady dose of 2 percocets every 4 hours for the abdominal pain of the rough c-section delivery and taking the percocets made me extremely tired - as in passing out within 30-45 minutes of taking them) he came back relatively quickly to announce T was on her way to our room!
Within ten minutes we heard a knock and there in her pink blanket in a regular post partum bassinet bucket was our girl. It was pure joy having her back with us again! We dressed her up in a cute elephant onesie from our friend, put a pink bow on her head and sent pictures to family and friends announcing we had our NICU grad back with us! We had to check her sugar levels 3 times before that was done and she passed with levels in the high 60s each time. The boys came back up to see us Saturday night and were so excited to see Baby Tatum back in the room and to hold and cuddle her! It was so sweet to see them so happy to see her again! They hung out for a bit and we took a sibling July 4 picture in their coordinating outfits - because of course I had to! First sibling holiday! Then the boys went to dinner with my parents. My parents brought us back takeout from Longhorn's for our dinner which we ate while watching a movie with T by our side. Exactly how your post partum hospital stay should be! After her 9pm feeding, RCWJr went to sleep and I happily took overnight duties for the 12am and 3am feeding while RCWJr woke up for her 6am one.
Sunday morning was a whirlwind. T had to have her left ear retested - she passed! We had to have our Bella Baby newborn pictures taken and coordinated when the boys were with us too. T had to see the on call pediatrician to be discharged. I had to see the on call OB to be discharged. We had to fill out paperwork. And have my parents drop the boys off at the hospital so we could leave as a family of 5 (which wasn't very well documented because we broke our DSLR mere moments before leaving while trying to get the boys to behave). And finally around 2:00pm on Sunday we were walking out of Norton Suburban with our sweet boys and precious little girl to head home as a family of 5.
It was a crazy few days that seemed to go on longer than just a usual 24 hours, but the end result of having little Miss T with us is priceless. We are so blessed to have her. To have her healthy. To be able to go home all together. And that is T's birth story and then some to have all the moments written down, most of my feelings shared and to look back on for years to come and share with our sweet girl one day.
****
This was written on July 9, one week after T's birthday. While she slept and fed next to me on our bed as I listened to the boys playing in the living room with my parents and going in and out the front door to play outside. I didn't reread and edit for typos. Maybe one day, but for now I'm going to feed T and snuggle this precious one week old.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Welcome to the World TCW!!!!
We
are so excited to introduce our little girl!!!! Tatum Caroline - my middle name and RCWJr's paternal grandmother's middle name. She entered the world at 8:11 am Thursday, July 2, 2015 weighing in at 10 pounds, 15 ounces and 20.5 inches long.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
So, we're pregnant with W3. Now take a guess on boy or girl!
Hey, its me! I haven't posted in FOREVER! But I couldn't not do this fun post for W3. Yup, I haven't announced, shared, or mentioned the fact that we're having a baby on this blog (or updated with E's 23 and 24 month updates - oops!)! But, W3 is due in July so in just a few short weeks. We stayed Team Green, so enjoy the post and make a guess on if we'll have 3 boys or 2 boys and a girl by early July!
Just like with the boys, we've set up a website where you can enter your guess on sex, birthday, weight and length and you can even let us know who made the guess. And if you guess correctly on everything, you'll get major bragging rights from us!
Here is the link to the site: http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyW3-2015 - I had issues when posting this so in case there are problems and it takes you to main page, just type BabyW3-2015 into the search box on the upper left of the screen to find our page. Sorry! Or try clicking the box below, it seems to be working - at the moment!
And here is some background info to help you make your educated guesses!
We'll start with a personal history:
I was born on December 20, weighing in at 8 lbs, 12 oz and measuring 21 inches long. *Updated from info from my mom: I was due on December 13 and didn't want to come out. When she went for her weekly appointment on December 20, the doctor induced her.*
RCW was born on September 3, weighing in at 9 lbs and measuring 21 inches long. *Updated from info from RCW's mom: RCW was overdue and if his mom didn't have him by her next scheduled appointment, they were going to induce, but he arrived before induction was necessary. Albeit, still later than his due date.*
C was born on February 15, 2012 at 38 weeks. He weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 20 inches long. His due date was February 29, 2012, but we had to induce 2 weeks early due to preeclampsia. From the induction, there was a placenta abruption which lead to an emergency c-section as C's heartrate was not stable and declining.
E was born on March 28, 2013 at 38 weeks. He weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 19.5 inches long. His due date was April 11, 2013, but we had to go 2 weeks early due to high blood pressure, protein in my urine and other signs of preeclampsia. He was a scheduled c-section for 1:30pm on March 28, 2013.
Baby W3's official due date is July 15, 2015. However, we will have a scheduled c-section around early July hopefully in the morning. Due to my preeclampsia history, it hasn't been scheduled yet.
RCW believes Baby W3 is a girl, just like he thought with C and E. I have no idea - I truly will not be surprised to find out its a boy or a girl! When I vote online I'll probably choose girl though. C is adamant the baby is a girl ('it's a gurl baby') and will wear a pink hat and we'll have pink cake for her birth day. E hasn't joined in the guessing game and usually just mimics C's answers.
Now for the Old Wive's Tales:
1. Carrying High or Low - High is a girl, Low is a boy. - Baby W3 is low! - BOY (same as C&E)
2. Heartbeat - 140+ is a girl, under 140 is a boy. - Baby W3 has consistently been fairly high. Here are the numbers and dates: January 7 - 158 bpm, February 6 - 160s bpm, February 27 -168 bpm, March 27 - 150s bpm, April 28 - 160s bpm, May 15 - 153 bpm. That is an average bpm of 158 which would indicate... GIRL (same as C&E) (side note: C and E's average bpm was 154 when I did this in January 2012 and February 2013)
3. Sweet or Salty - Sweet cravings mean its a girl, salty ones lean towards boy. - I have been all about some sweets! Lots of sugar and then a lot more! Chocolate, anything chocolate, even just chocolate chips, is my chosen poison. It is actually pretty out of control! When I don't want sweets, I want carbs. Salty is not in my vocab right now! GIRL (same as C&E)
4. Mayan Legends - Legend has it that the Mayans determined a baby's sex by looking at the mother's age at conception and the year of conception. If both are even or odd, it's a girl. If one's even and one's odd, it's a boy. - My age at conception was 31 and the year of conception was 2014, so odd and even means BOY (same as C&E)
5. Key Test - This is one for a friend to try, place a key in front of your preggo friend and ask her to pick it up. If she grabs it by the narrow part, she's in for sugar and spice and all that. If she picks it up by the round part, it's snips and snails. - I placed our house key on the table. Left it and later walked by to pick it up. Just like with C&E, I picked it up by the big round part. I'm pretty sure a lot of these are habits that have nothing to do with being pregnant with a boy or girl or not! BOY (same as C&E)
6. Pimples - They say baby girls steal their mom's beauty, so if you're breaking out its a girl, if you're clear of zits its a boy. - My face hasn't really been breaking out, I rarely use concealer or wear makeup lately. I get the occasional zit, but nothing out of the norm. With C I had breakouts on my neck, shoulders and back and with E I did have face breakouts! BOY (same as C & different from E)
7. Wedding Ring Test - Pop off your wedding ring and tie it to a string. Hang it over your belly. If it swings in a circle, a little guy's in your future. If it goes back and forth, you've got a girl. - Just like the last 2 times, I put my wedding band on a piece of yarn and hung it over my belly. My ring started swinging in a circle! BOY (same as C&E)
8. Morning Sickness - If you had horrible morning sickness in the first trimester, or still do its a girl. If you didn't deal with nausea, its a boy. - I had some nausea, nothing like some mommas experience and for that I'm grateful. I also believe 100% it was a side effect of the progesterone suppositories I used for most of the first trimester. Once I stopped using them, the nausea went away. So no, I don't think I experienced real baby related morning sickness. BOY (same as C&E)
9. Mathematical formula - Age of the mother when she got pregnant + her month of birth + month of conception = if result is odd it is a boy if it is even it is a girl. - My age at conception 31 + my birth month of December 12 + conception month of October 10 = 53. 53 is odd so BOY (different from both C&E)
10. The Gypsy’s Formula- Age of the mother + the month in which she got pregnant. If result is even it is a boy, if it is odd, girl. - I'm assuming age of mother is like all others and means age at conception so 31 + month of conception being October 10 = 41. 41 is odd so
GIRL (different from C&E)
11. The Oil Test - Pour a few drops of oil on the top part of the belly. If oil drips quickly it is a boy. If it drips slowly, it is a girl. - Just like with the boys it seems fast or slow is subjective. With C, I said it dripped really quickly. With E, I said it slowly rolled down and I even tried it 4 different times! With W3, as it was rolling I felt like it was rolling slow. So we'll go with gut. GIRL (different from C & same as E)
12. Nature’s language - It is believed that nature communicates with humans through forms. In this case, if the mother’s womb is round, it is a girl. If it is pointed, it is a boy. - Just like with the boys, I'm still not really sure what this means! My belly is super round and I don't notice any pointedness so we'll assume GIRL (same as C&E)
13. Sleep Position - Pay attention to which way you lay down in bed tonight. If you prefer sleeping on your left side, you'll have a boy. Right side, girl. - With C I gravitated to sleeping on my right side, with E I preferred to sleep on my left. This time I feel like I rotate ALL night long, but my preference is to sleep on my left side. BOY (different from C & same as E)
14. Soft or Dry Hands - If your hands are dry during pregnancy, you are having a boy; soft - expect a girl. - My hands are dry, but I have dry skin normally. However, my wedding rings are totally irritating and drying out my left ring finger so we'll go with dry hands. They certainly aren't soft. BOY (different from C & same as E)
15. Food Cravings - Your favorite pregnancy foods may tell you what sex the baby is. If you're craving citrus while pregnant, you're having a girl. - I've never experienced a true got to have it now craving in any pregnancy, but I have enjoyed a glass of orange juice each morning and prefer that to milk or water with breakfast. So we'll say yes, I have wanted some citrus during this pregnancy. GIRL (different from C&E)
16. Graceful or Clumsy - If you feel as though you're gliding through the day, you'll have a girl. Stumbling? It's a boy. - Ha, I'm never graceful, but yes, I find myself dropping things and tripping more often than not. Seriously, the boys are great at helping mommy pick up things these past months! BOY (different from C&E)
17. Face Weight Gain - If your face gets fuller, it means you're having a girl. - I have gained more weight this pregnancy than the other 2 and I do feel like my face is puffy (and I hate it). Is it because I'm having a girl or because I'm pregnant for the first time in the summer heat and drinking water like its going out of style!? I don't know for sure, but yes I have a fuller face this time around. GIRL (different from C&E)
18. Mood Changes - If you're experiencing pregnant mood-swings, expect a baby girl to arrive soon. Oh my goodness, so many emotions. So many tears. Feel bad for Rick, I've been an emotional mess, more so than my usual self. So yea, GIRL (same as C&E)
19. Baby Weight - If you're carrying baby in front, its a boy. Is the baby weight spaced all around your middle, like your hips and rear? It's a girl. - Even though I'm weighing more this pregnancy, I feel like I'm carrying it balanced all over my body and in my belly. I don't feel like my hips and rear are overly larger so we'll stick with carrying the baby in the front. BOY (same as C&E)
20. Model Your Hands - "Show me your hands" Have someone ask to see your hands. Note the position of your palms. If you hold your hands palms up, it's a girl. Down? It's a boy. - Nothing has changed in a little over a year, I still show my hands palms up! GIRL (same as C&E)
21. Toddler Advice - Get baby advice from a nephew or friend's little boy. Notice how much interest he shows in your belly. If a toddler boy shows interested in your belly, you'll have a girl. If he ignores you, its a boy. - C is slightly obsessed with my belly and swears W3 is a 'baby gurl'. He randomly without my asking kisses my belly, pats my belly, hugs me and talks about the baby. E follows his lead, but not to the same extent. So we'll say C's right and GIRL (different from C&E)
22. Stress Test - Think back to when you conceived your baby. Which parent was less stressed? A child tends to be of the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at the time of conception. - Since we weren't really trying, neither of us was stressed. It was October and gearing up for holiday season. Rick was looking at 2 different new jobs and interviewing and worried with things at work (he ended up staying put and getting a nice raise after our mid-October conception) so I'll say due to his work load, I was the less stressed, so GIRL (same as C & different from E)
23. Dream Meanings - Are you having any dreams about baby? Are they predominately about a baby girl or baby boy? If you dream about having a girl while pregnant, you will wind up having a boy and vice versa. - I had some dreams early on about the baby, but not recently. But those early dreams were all about a baby girl. So that means BOY (different from C & same as E)
24. Breast Size - Using a mirror, or your husband, judge if your breasts are the same size or if one is larger than the other. If your right breast is larger than the left while pregnant, you having a girl. If the left is larger, it's a boy. - This is verbatim the answer I wrote for C&E...Ok, some TMI but my right boob is bigger than my left all the time, pregnant or not. Thus, not sure how that applies here. But since right is bigger while pregnant (sadly, the left while growing hasn't caught up!) we'll put down GIRL (same as C&E)
25. Location in uterus at early ultrasound - It has to be around an 8 week ultrasound. If transvaginal baby on the right - boy, left - girl. If abdominal baby on the right - girl, left - boy. - So with W3, I had a scan at 8 weeks, 5 days. As close as I could get to 8 weeks. It was transvaginal ultrasound at the RE's. Babe seems to be more on the right of my uterus which is left in the picture. Looking at what I did with C and E, following pattern of location within uterus, W3 is on the right so BOY (same as C & different from E)
26. Daddy Weight Gain - If the baby’s father puts on weight during pregnancy - it's a boy. - RCW has gained weight this pregnancy, just like he did with C & E. I think its just because I'm eating more and eating more junk with my carbs and sweets cravings. So for this method it means, BOY (different from C & same as E)
27. The Pendant - Swing a pure gold pendant over the pregnant belly. If it swings back and forth, it’s a girl. If it swings around, it's a boy. - Using my gold cross I used with C & E, I held it over my belly. It immediately went back and forth and wouldn't go in a circle at all. GIRL (same as C&E)
28. Beach ball or Watermelon? - If your belly resembles a beach ball, it's a boy; if your belly is more of a watermelon shape, it's a girl. - I think my belly is a beach ball, its round and in the front. It isn't ovalish like a watermelon. BOY (different from C & same as E)
29. Hairy Legs - If the hair on your legs is growing faster than before you were pregnant, it's a boy. If it isn't growing quicker, it's a girl. - I don't think its growing faster, I'm shaving more because its a summer pregnancy and not winter one, but it doesn't seem to be growing faster. GIRL (same as C&E)
30. North or South Pillow - If you sleep in a bed with your pillow to the south, you'll have a girl. If your pillow points north, you'll have a boy. - We haven't rearranged furniture so its the same as it was with C & E, technically our bed is on the east end of the house, but I sleep on the north side of the bed so we'll go with north. BOY (same as C&E)
31. Cold Feet - If your feet are colder now that you're pregnant, it's a boy. If they aren't, it's a girl. - I'm usually on fire I'm so hot, but my feet stay cool. Currently sitting at the kitchen table typing this my feet feel like ice blocks (which I said about E too). BOY (different from C & same as E)
32. Heel of Bread - If you prefer the heel of a loaf of bread, you're having a boy. If not, it's a girl. - I can't stand the heel of bread, ever. I really don't know how people eat it! Although RCW eats it so I usually don't toss it. GIRL (same as C&E)
33. Is Grandma Gray? - If the maternal grandma has gray hair, it'll be a boy. If she doesn't have any gray hair (natural or dyed), it'll be a girl. - My mom is gray as gray can be and seems to always have roots even though she dyes her hair. Sadly this has been passed on to me; I have more gray hair now than I did with C & E! BOY (same as C&E)
34. Chest Development - If your chest has been increasing dramatically since becoming pregnant, it'll be a girl. If not, expect a boy. - Verbatim response from E; My boobs have acted the exact same this pregnancy, they've grown a little bit, but nothing crazy! I don't know if anyone besides me or RCW would even notice the slight increase. BOY (same as C&E)
35. What Color is your Pee? - If your urine is a dull yellow color, it's a girl. If you have bright yellow pee, expect a boy. - RCW argues this is a silly one because it depends on how long you go between potty breaks and how hydrated you are...when I'm not drinking a lot of water and pee, its bright. When I drink a ton, thus pee a ton, its dull. I'll go with the bright since that's based on normal pee instead of extra hydrated pee. BOY (different from C & same as E)
36. Growing Nose - Has your nose spread during the pregnancy? If so, that points to a boy. If your nose hasn't changed, it's a girl. - I've seen this happen to mommas to be and luckily despite gaining weight and having a puffy face, my nose hasn't spread. Thank goodness for me! GIRL (same as C&E)
37. Orange Juice - Are you craving OJ? If so, it's a girl. If you have no desire for it, it's a boy. - Oh same as my citrus answer, yes I like to have a glass of OJ with breakfast each morning. We've bought more OJ in bulk from Sam's Club this pregnancy than ever before! GIRL (different from C&E)
38. Headaches? - If you are getting headaches while pregnant, it's a boy. If not, it's a girl. - Oh man, so many headaches. It's been brutal at time with the measly regular strength Tylenol to attempt to help it. So yes, headaches - waking up with them and ending the day with them. BOY (different from C & same as E)
39. Chinese Gender Prediction Chart - According to legend, the Chinese birth gender chart is based on statistics taken from women inside the Forbidden City during the Ching Dynasty. Around 700 years ago, a Chinese scientist discovered the birth gender chart buried in a royal tomb. The original gender chart is now kept in the Institute of Science of Peking. Supposedly, it’s 99 percent accurate! However, there are 2 charts when Googling online. Here are the charts with links and my results. Chart 1 = GIRL (same as C&E) and Chart 2 = GIRL (different from C & same as E)
40. Baby Psychic, Cheri22 - One of the big reasons I've thought boy all along was because of our psychic reading from back in April 2011. Cheri22 predicted a boy. She was right with my friend, Brandi over at Our Journey, who had a girl in December 2011. But she got it wrong with Kate over at Elefantitas Alegres, she told Kate, boy, but Kate had a little girl in February 2012. Cheri22 told me we'd have a boy and then a girl. BUT she told me the boy corresponded to July and the girl corresponded to September. September didn't play a role with W3, but it's due in July. However, we still don't have the girl Cheri22 predicted so we'll stick with a girl...GIRL (different from C & same as E)
41. Baking Soda Test - My longtime blog/IG friend, KJPugs told me about this one and we both tried it one random Saturday night. RCW argued this was about hydration and ph balance of urine too. But it was simple to do: Put a tablespoon or two of baking soda in a glass. Then add some of your urine to the baking soda. If the combination fizzes, like a soft drink that has been shaken up, then you are having a boy. On the other hand if there is no reaction at all from the baking soda and urine, you're having a girl. When I did this, it fizzed immediately and for a while. So BOY (didn't try with C&E) However, I should note, KJ's fizzed too so boy, but her ultrasounds have confirmed she's have a second sweet little girl. So reliability...eh?!
42. Skull Theory - Again, KJPugs introduced this theory to me for W3 (mostly because she was trying to figure out her #2's sex before their early ultrasound!) Skull theory looks to the shape of the fetal skull. Supposedly, boys have larger, blockier foreheads, while girls' heads are rounder. However, research has said this is only for entertainment and not a reliable method to determine sex. So picture proof - W3 has a rounded head like C, more E doesn't fit the mould so you can argue skull theory would say GIRL (didn't try with C&E) even though C's was rounded and he's a boy. Entertainment!
To keep score - out of 43 possible old wives tales and myths here is the tally.
BOY - 22 - 51.2%
GIRL - 21 - 48.8%
And what does all of this mean?! Not much really, except I do believe my pregnancies have been pretty similar. Now, take a second and go make your educated guess on what you think Baby W3 is! Just like with C and E, your name and answer will end up in Baby W3's baby book!
We can't wait to see what everyone thinks!! Seriously, click this link: http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyW3-2015, right now and make a guess. Again, if the link doesn't work, from the main page, just type BabyW3-2015 into the search box on the upper left of the screen to find our page.
Just like with the boys, we've set up a website where you can enter your guess on sex, birthday, weight and length and you can even let us know who made the guess. And if you guess correctly on everything, you'll get major bragging rights from us!
Here is the link to the site: http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyW3-2015 - I had issues when posting this so in case there are problems and it takes you to main page, just type BabyW3-2015 into the search box on the upper left of the screen to find our page. Sorry! Or try clicking the box below, it seems to be working - at the moment!
And here is some background info to help you make your educated guesses!
We'll start with a personal history:
I was born on December 20, weighing in at 8 lbs, 12 oz and measuring 21 inches long. *Updated from info from my mom: I was due on December 13 and didn't want to come out. When she went for her weekly appointment on December 20, the doctor induced her.*
RCW was born on September 3, weighing in at 9 lbs and measuring 21 inches long. *Updated from info from RCW's mom: RCW was overdue and if his mom didn't have him by her next scheduled appointment, they were going to induce, but he arrived before induction was necessary. Albeit, still later than his due date.*
C was born on February 15, 2012 at 38 weeks. He weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 20 inches long. His due date was February 29, 2012, but we had to induce 2 weeks early due to preeclampsia. From the induction, there was a placenta abruption which lead to an emergency c-section as C's heartrate was not stable and declining.
E was born on March 28, 2013 at 38 weeks. He weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 19.5 inches long. His due date was April 11, 2013, but we had to go 2 weeks early due to high blood pressure, protein in my urine and other signs of preeclampsia. He was a scheduled c-section for 1:30pm on March 28, 2013.
Baby W3's official due date is July 15, 2015. However, we will have a scheduled c-section around early July hopefully in the morning. Due to my preeclampsia history, it hasn't been scheduled yet.
RCW believes Baby W3 is a girl, just like he thought with C and E. I have no idea - I truly will not be surprised to find out its a boy or a girl! When I vote online I'll probably choose girl though. C is adamant the baby is a girl ('it's a gurl baby') and will wear a pink hat and we'll have pink cake for her birth day. E hasn't joined in the guessing game and usually just mimics C's answers.
Now for the Old Wive's Tales:
1. Carrying High or Low - High is a girl, Low is a boy. - Baby W3 is low! - BOY (same as C&E)
2. Heartbeat - 140+ is a girl, under 140 is a boy. - Baby W3 has consistently been fairly high. Here are the numbers and dates: January 7 - 158 bpm, February 6 - 160s bpm, February 27 -168 bpm, March 27 - 150s bpm, April 28 - 160s bpm, May 15 - 153 bpm. That is an average bpm of 158 which would indicate... GIRL (same as C&E) (side note: C and E's average bpm was 154 when I did this in January 2012 and February 2013)
3. Sweet or Salty - Sweet cravings mean its a girl, salty ones lean towards boy. - I have been all about some sweets! Lots of sugar and then a lot more! Chocolate, anything chocolate, even just chocolate chips, is my chosen poison. It is actually pretty out of control! When I don't want sweets, I want carbs. Salty is not in my vocab right now! GIRL (same as C&E)
4. Mayan Legends - Legend has it that the Mayans determined a baby's sex by looking at the mother's age at conception and the year of conception. If both are even or odd, it's a girl. If one's even and one's odd, it's a boy. - My age at conception was 31 and the year of conception was 2014, so odd and even means BOY (same as C&E)
5. Key Test - This is one for a friend to try, place a key in front of your preggo friend and ask her to pick it up. If she grabs it by the narrow part, she's in for sugar and spice and all that. If she picks it up by the round part, it's snips and snails. - I placed our house key on the table. Left it and later walked by to pick it up. Just like with C&E, I picked it up by the big round part. I'm pretty sure a lot of these are habits that have nothing to do with being pregnant with a boy or girl or not! BOY (same as C&E)
6. Pimples - They say baby girls steal their mom's beauty, so if you're breaking out its a girl, if you're clear of zits its a boy. - My face hasn't really been breaking out, I rarely use concealer or wear makeup lately. I get the occasional zit, but nothing out of the norm. With C I had breakouts on my neck, shoulders and back and with E I did have face breakouts! BOY (same as C & different from E)
7. Wedding Ring Test - Pop off your wedding ring and tie it to a string. Hang it over your belly. If it swings in a circle, a little guy's in your future. If it goes back and forth, you've got a girl. - Just like the last 2 times, I put my wedding band on a piece of yarn and hung it over my belly. My ring started swinging in a circle! BOY (same as C&E)
8. Morning Sickness - If you had horrible morning sickness in the first trimester, or still do its a girl. If you didn't deal with nausea, its a boy. - I had some nausea, nothing like some mommas experience and for that I'm grateful. I also believe 100% it was a side effect of the progesterone suppositories I used for most of the first trimester. Once I stopped using them, the nausea went away. So no, I don't think I experienced real baby related morning sickness. BOY (same as C&E)
9. Mathematical formula - Age of the mother when she got pregnant + her month of birth + month of conception = if result is odd it is a boy if it is even it is a girl. - My age at conception 31 + my birth month of December 12 + conception month of October 10 = 53. 53 is odd so BOY (different from both C&E)
10. The Gypsy’s Formula- Age of the mother + the month in which she got pregnant. If result is even it is a boy, if it is odd, girl. - I'm assuming age of mother is like all others and means age at conception so 31 + month of conception being October 10 = 41. 41 is odd so
GIRL (different from C&E)
11. The Oil Test - Pour a few drops of oil on the top part of the belly. If oil drips quickly it is a boy. If it drips slowly, it is a girl. - Just like with the boys it seems fast or slow is subjective. With C, I said it dripped really quickly. With E, I said it slowly rolled down and I even tried it 4 different times! With W3, as it was rolling I felt like it was rolling slow. So we'll go with gut. GIRL (different from C & same as E)
12. Nature’s language - It is believed that nature communicates with humans through forms. In this case, if the mother’s womb is round, it is a girl. If it is pointed, it is a boy. - Just like with the boys, I'm still not really sure what this means! My belly is super round and I don't notice any pointedness so we'll assume GIRL (same as C&E)
13. Sleep Position - Pay attention to which way you lay down in bed tonight. If you prefer sleeping on your left side, you'll have a boy. Right side, girl. - With C I gravitated to sleeping on my right side, with E I preferred to sleep on my left. This time I feel like I rotate ALL night long, but my preference is to sleep on my left side. BOY (different from C & same as E)
14. Soft or Dry Hands - If your hands are dry during pregnancy, you are having a boy; soft - expect a girl. - My hands are dry, but I have dry skin normally. However, my wedding rings are totally irritating and drying out my left ring finger so we'll go with dry hands. They certainly aren't soft. BOY (different from C & same as E)
15. Food Cravings - Your favorite pregnancy foods may tell you what sex the baby is. If you're craving citrus while pregnant, you're having a girl. - I've never experienced a true got to have it now craving in any pregnancy, but I have enjoyed a glass of orange juice each morning and prefer that to milk or water with breakfast. So we'll say yes, I have wanted some citrus during this pregnancy. GIRL (different from C&E)
16. Graceful or Clumsy - If you feel as though you're gliding through the day, you'll have a girl. Stumbling? It's a boy. - Ha, I'm never graceful, but yes, I find myself dropping things and tripping more often than not. Seriously, the boys are great at helping mommy pick up things these past months! BOY (different from C&E)
17. Face Weight Gain - If your face gets fuller, it means you're having a girl. - I have gained more weight this pregnancy than the other 2 and I do feel like my face is puffy (and I hate it). Is it because I'm having a girl or because I'm pregnant for the first time in the summer heat and drinking water like its going out of style!? I don't know for sure, but yes I have a fuller face this time around. GIRL (different from C&E)
18. Mood Changes - If you're experiencing pregnant mood-swings, expect a baby girl to arrive soon. Oh my goodness, so many emotions. So many tears. Feel bad for Rick, I've been an emotional mess, more so than my usual self. So yea, GIRL (same as C&E)
19. Baby Weight - If you're carrying baby in front, its a boy. Is the baby weight spaced all around your middle, like your hips and rear? It's a girl. - Even though I'm weighing more this pregnancy, I feel like I'm carrying it balanced all over my body and in my belly. I don't feel like my hips and rear are overly larger so we'll stick with carrying the baby in the front. BOY (same as C&E)
20. Model Your Hands - "Show me your hands" Have someone ask to see your hands. Note the position of your palms. If you hold your hands palms up, it's a girl. Down? It's a boy. - Nothing has changed in a little over a year, I still show my hands palms up! GIRL (same as C&E)
21. Toddler Advice - Get baby advice from a nephew or friend's little boy. Notice how much interest he shows in your belly. If a toddler boy shows interested in your belly, you'll have a girl. If he ignores you, its a boy. - C is slightly obsessed with my belly and swears W3 is a 'baby gurl'. He randomly without my asking kisses my belly, pats my belly, hugs me and talks about the baby. E follows his lead, but not to the same extent. So we'll say C's right and GIRL (different from C&E)
22. Stress Test - Think back to when you conceived your baby. Which parent was less stressed? A child tends to be of the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at the time of conception. - Since we weren't really trying, neither of us was stressed. It was October and gearing up for holiday season. Rick was looking at 2 different new jobs and interviewing and worried with things at work (he ended up staying put and getting a nice raise after our mid-October conception) so I'll say due to his work load, I was the less stressed, so GIRL (same as C & different from E)
23. Dream Meanings - Are you having any dreams about baby? Are they predominately about a baby girl or baby boy? If you dream about having a girl while pregnant, you will wind up having a boy and vice versa. - I had some dreams early on about the baby, but not recently. But those early dreams were all about a baby girl. So that means BOY (different from C & same as E)
24. Breast Size - Using a mirror, or your husband, judge if your breasts are the same size or if one is larger than the other. If your right breast is larger than the left while pregnant, you having a girl. If the left is larger, it's a boy. - This is verbatim the answer I wrote for C&E...Ok, some TMI but my right boob is bigger than my left all the time, pregnant or not. Thus, not sure how that applies here. But since right is bigger while pregnant (sadly, the left while growing hasn't caught up!) we'll put down GIRL (same as C&E)
25. Location in uterus at early ultrasound - It has to be around an 8 week ultrasound. If transvaginal baby on the right - boy, left - girl. If abdominal baby on the right - girl, left - boy. - So with W3, I had a scan at 8 weeks, 5 days. As close as I could get to 8 weeks. It was transvaginal ultrasound at the RE's. Babe seems to be more on the right of my uterus which is left in the picture. Looking at what I did with C and E, following pattern of location within uterus, W3 is on the right so BOY (same as C & different from E)
26. Daddy Weight Gain - If the baby’s father puts on weight during pregnancy - it's a boy. - RCW has gained weight this pregnancy, just like he did with C & E. I think its just because I'm eating more and eating more junk with my carbs and sweets cravings. So for this method it means, BOY (different from C & same as E)
27. The Pendant - Swing a pure gold pendant over the pregnant belly. If it swings back and forth, it’s a girl. If it swings around, it's a boy. - Using my gold cross I used with C & E, I held it over my belly. It immediately went back and forth and wouldn't go in a circle at all. GIRL (same as C&E)
28. Beach ball or Watermelon? - If your belly resembles a beach ball, it's a boy; if your belly is more of a watermelon shape, it's a girl. - I think my belly is a beach ball, its round and in the front. It isn't ovalish like a watermelon. BOY (different from C & same as E)
29. Hairy Legs - If the hair on your legs is growing faster than before you were pregnant, it's a boy. If it isn't growing quicker, it's a girl. - I don't think its growing faster, I'm shaving more because its a summer pregnancy and not winter one, but it doesn't seem to be growing faster. GIRL (same as C&E)
30. North or South Pillow - If you sleep in a bed with your pillow to the south, you'll have a girl. If your pillow points north, you'll have a boy. - We haven't rearranged furniture so its the same as it was with C & E, technically our bed is on the east end of the house, but I sleep on the north side of the bed so we'll go with north. BOY (same as C&E)
31. Cold Feet - If your feet are colder now that you're pregnant, it's a boy. If they aren't, it's a girl. - I'm usually on fire I'm so hot, but my feet stay cool. Currently sitting at the kitchen table typing this my feet feel like ice blocks (which I said about E too). BOY (different from C & same as E)
32. Heel of Bread - If you prefer the heel of a loaf of bread, you're having a boy. If not, it's a girl. - I can't stand the heel of bread, ever. I really don't know how people eat it! Although RCW eats it so I usually don't toss it. GIRL (same as C&E)
33. Is Grandma Gray? - If the maternal grandma has gray hair, it'll be a boy. If she doesn't have any gray hair (natural or dyed), it'll be a girl. - My mom is gray as gray can be and seems to always have roots even though she dyes her hair. Sadly this has been passed on to me; I have more gray hair now than I did with C & E! BOY (same as C&E)
34. Chest Development - If your chest has been increasing dramatically since becoming pregnant, it'll be a girl. If not, expect a boy. - Verbatim response from E; My boobs have acted the exact same this pregnancy, they've grown a little bit, but nothing crazy! I don't know if anyone besides me or RCW would even notice the slight increase. BOY (same as C&E)
35. What Color is your Pee? - If your urine is a dull yellow color, it's a girl. If you have bright yellow pee, expect a boy. - RCW argues this is a silly one because it depends on how long you go between potty breaks and how hydrated you are...when I'm not drinking a lot of water and pee, its bright. When I drink a ton, thus pee a ton, its dull. I'll go with the bright since that's based on normal pee instead of extra hydrated pee. BOY (different from C & same as E)
36. Growing Nose - Has your nose spread during the pregnancy? If so, that points to a boy. If your nose hasn't changed, it's a girl. - I've seen this happen to mommas to be and luckily despite gaining weight and having a puffy face, my nose hasn't spread. Thank goodness for me! GIRL (same as C&E)
37. Orange Juice - Are you craving OJ? If so, it's a girl. If you have no desire for it, it's a boy. - Oh same as my citrus answer, yes I like to have a glass of OJ with breakfast each morning. We've bought more OJ in bulk from Sam's Club this pregnancy than ever before! GIRL (different from C&E)
38. Headaches? - If you are getting headaches while pregnant, it's a boy. If not, it's a girl. - Oh man, so many headaches. It's been brutal at time with the measly regular strength Tylenol to attempt to help it. So yes, headaches - waking up with them and ending the day with them. BOY (different from C & same as E)
39. Chinese Gender Prediction Chart - According to legend, the Chinese birth gender chart is based on statistics taken from women inside the Forbidden City during the Ching Dynasty. Around 700 years ago, a Chinese scientist discovered the birth gender chart buried in a royal tomb. The original gender chart is now kept in the Institute of Science of Peking. Supposedly, it’s 99 percent accurate! However, there are 2 charts when Googling online. Here are the charts with links and my results. Chart 1 = GIRL (same as C&E) and Chart 2 = GIRL (different from C & same as E)
40. Baby Psychic, Cheri22 - One of the big reasons I've thought boy all along was because of our psychic reading from back in April 2011. Cheri22 predicted a boy. She was right with my friend, Brandi over at Our Journey, who had a girl in December 2011. But she got it wrong with Kate over at Elefantitas Alegres, she told Kate, boy, but Kate had a little girl in February 2012. Cheri22 told me we'd have a boy and then a girl. BUT she told me the boy corresponded to July and the girl corresponded to September. September didn't play a role with W3, but it's due in July. However, we still don't have the girl Cheri22 predicted so we'll stick with a girl...GIRL (different from C & same as E)
41. Baking Soda Test - My longtime blog/IG friend, KJPugs told me about this one and we both tried it one random Saturday night. RCW argued this was about hydration and ph balance of urine too. But it was simple to do: Put a tablespoon or two of baking soda in a glass. Then add some of your urine to the baking soda. If the combination fizzes, like a soft drink that has been shaken up, then you are having a boy. On the other hand if there is no reaction at all from the baking soda and urine, you're having a girl. When I did this, it fizzed immediately and for a while. So BOY (didn't try with C&E) However, I should note, KJ's fizzed too so boy, but her ultrasounds have confirmed she's have a second sweet little girl. So reliability...eh?!
42. Skull Theory - Again, KJPugs introduced this theory to me for W3 (mostly because she was trying to figure out her #2's sex before their early ultrasound!) Skull theory looks to the shape of the fetal skull. Supposedly, boys have larger, blockier foreheads, while girls' heads are rounder. However, research has said this is only for entertainment and not a reliable method to determine sex. So picture proof - W3 has a rounded head like C, more E doesn't fit the mould so you can argue skull theory would say GIRL (didn't try with C&E) even though C's was rounded and he's a boy. Entertainment!
To keep score - out of 43 possible old wives tales and myths here is the tally.
BOY - 22 - 51.2%
GIRL - 21 - 48.8%
And what does all of this mean?! Not much really, except I do believe my pregnancies have been pretty similar. Now, take a second and go make your educated guess on what you think Baby W3 is! Just like with C and E, your name and answer will end up in Baby W3's baby book!
We can't wait to see what everyone thinks!! Seriously, click this link: http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyW3-2015, right now and make a guess. Again, if the link doesn't work, from the main page, just type BabyW3-2015 into the search box on the upper left of the screen to find our page.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
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Tuesday, October 28, 2014
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