Caleb's Birth Story {Part II}

If you didn't get to read the first part of Caleb's birth story, you can read that here.

Around 8:00am on Thursday, May 16, I had really begun to feel like the labor process was starting. I had been having contractions throughout the evening, but many of them had passed without my notice. Not anymore. The contractions were coming faster, and were stronger. Despite this, I was still only around 2cm dilated. 

Around 9:00am, my midwife, Jeri, arrived. She was on call for deliveries that day - she rotates delivery call shifts with the two OB doctors in the practice B and I had chosen - and let me know that she would be delivering baby Caleb. Both of the doctors would also be available in the event that more complex medical procedures were needed during the birth. She had me get up and walk around, use the restroom (which are both things that doctors don't typically allow after Pitocin drips have been administered, but which I was so thankful for after laying in a bed all night), got me settled for a short time in the rocking chair in our room in order to give my lower back a break, and had ginger ale ordered for me. A beverage had never tasted so good. While she was there, Jeri explained that she was going to go ahead and break my water to keep the contractions coming and encourage the labor process. Although the water breaking didn't hurt, the intensity of the contractions immediately became stronger and started coming faster. It wasn't long before I was asking about the epidural.

Around 10:30am, the anesthesiologist arrived to administer my epidural. Though I'd heard horror stories about epidurals and was a little afraid, mine was done smoothly and took immediate effect. Pain relief had never been so sweet. I was able to weather the contractions for the next couple of hours with no notice before I began to feel them again. At that point, Jeri ordered a dose of Demerol to help manage the pain, and checked me again. I had dilated to about 4cm at this point. By 2pm, the pain medication had begun to wear off once again, and I started feeling a lot of pressure along with contractions. Jeri warned me that at this point in the labor process, she would not advise any further pain medication because of the effects it could have on the baby during the birth. The nurse checked my progress once again, and to everyone's surprise, announced that I was 'complete.' I had gone from 4 cm dilated to complete and ready to push in about an hour. Baby Caleb was ready to go.

Around 3:00pm, I began to feel the need to push, and after about 20 minutes, Caleb Monroe arrived. B was by my side the entire time, encouraging me, rubbing my shoulder, kissing my forehead and crying with me when his son arrived. He videoed Caleb's arrival (focusing on my face and the baby after the arrival - no 'money' shots allowed), and a nurse in the delivery room was able to get some precious shots on our camera as Caleb made his debut. These pictures and the video are precious to me, though I remember each moment vividly. 

Welcome to the world, baby Caleb

The new family of three

Sweet little boy

I remember the first glimpse I got of my son as he arrived, and how all I could think about was how beautiful he was. He was laid on my chest, umbilical cord and all, immediately after the birth. It felt like someone had taken my heart and laid it right there on my abdomen. I was in sheer awe of him, and him of me - the pictures show his little face just staring up at me, his little brow puckered and lips pursed as he tried to figure out what was going on. His warm little body and tiny fingers and toes were so, so precious to me. His tiny cry brought a lump to my throat. After 9 months of carrying this child, hoping and praying for his safe arrival, the sweet relief of seeing his handsome face was almost more than I could bear.

Sleeping with Dad on the pull-out in our room

We ended up staying in the hospital for 2 nights after Caleb's birth. Our little man had still not urinated by the time the doctors came around the morning after his birth. Not wanting to proceed with his circumcision before Caleb had accomplished that milestone, our OB recommended that we stay another day. Our stay at the hospital was a lot more pleasant than I could have ever imagined it would be. The room was comfortable and set up so that we were able to keep Caleb with us the entire time, everyone was so friendly, and it was a relief to know that we would be taken care of and have all of our needs met for an additional 24 hour period. Becoming a parent for the first time is overwhelming in itself, so having the additional help of the nursing and lactation staff at the hospital was much appreciated.

Caleb's 'Going Home' outfit - a classic Feltman Brothers bubble that his daddy wore 26 years ago on his own trip home from the hospital

Caleb and his Daddy

Caleb and Mommy

On Saturday, May 18, we brought Caleb home from the hospital. And have been loving on him ever since. It has been an amazing feeling knowing that the nursery in which we put so much love, effort and time is now being inhabited by its much-anticipated little occupant, the baby equipment we chose so carefully is now being used, and a tiny little man is now such a HUGE part of our little life. There are times in which I look at my son's face and feel an overwhelming sense of, "This is forever." Our family of two has been forever changed to a family of three. And, while this is a big change, it is one that I would do over and over.

A Week of Caleb

I've been a Momma for a week now. A deliriously happy, sleep deprived, love-soaked seven days. It's hard for me to believe that my precious little Caleb is already a week old. The other night, I was sitting on the couch with B next to me and Caleb on my lap, all curled up like a tiny baby shrimp. I was staring down at him - which I could do for hours upon hours - trying to memorize every teeny feature on his adorable face, when suddenly, I burst into tears. B looked over at me and said, "Baby, are you crying? Why are you crying?" And all I could do was howl, "Because he'll be 12 tomorrow. He's growing up SO fast." All B could do was shake his head, chuckle and attempt to soothe me with a "Honey, he's just 4 days old. He won't grow up that fast. It's ok." I could tell that he was totally bewildered, but to me, every day that passes brings my little man farther and farther from the squishy, helpless little newborn that was laid on my chest. And that already makes me sad. Cue the mommy tears.

I thought I'd share a little of what the past week has been like with my handsome little man. A "Week of Caleb" if you will...

First Car Ride: Caleb had his first trip in his car seat on the way home from the hospital. He looked so tiny, I couldn't stand it. He's ridden in the car seat several times since then, and has done great every time. And by great, I mean slept through every second of it. Apparently the car is just not that exciting right now.

C's coming home outfit

Coming home from the hospital

First Night in His Bassinet: Caleb sleeps in the bassinet that his daddy slept in as a baby. I push it right up next to my side of the bed, and then sleep as close to the edge as possible so that I can keep an eye on him throughout the night.

First Trip to the Pediatrician: Caleb had his first doctor visit on Monday, May 20. He did not like being undressed for his check-up, but otherwise, he handled the visit very well. His weight is holding steady at 6 pounds, 13 ounces (which is about what he was when we left the hospital on Saturday), and is hopefully on the upward trend. We are hoping he will hit his birth weight of 7 pounds, 4 ounces within the next week or so. Everything else looks great with him, and B and I continue to be so thankful that he is healthy.

Sleeping: Caleb sleeps like a champ. He naps throughout the day on a fairly consistent basis and would sleep most of the night if we let him. I actually hate to wake him up in the night for feedings, as he always looks so peaceful. It makes him grumpy to be woken up (which I totally understand), but I can't let him go all night without eating or being changed.

Eating: My little man is a big eater. We have had no trouble whatsoever with the nursing process. He latched on right away and was eating every two hours in the hospital. My body has not been able to keep up with that schedule, so our pediatrician recommended feeding him every 3 hours. And Caleb is ready and raring to go every third hour. Watching his little mouth work and holding him against me has been the most precious bonding experience I could have ever imagined, despite how painful it can be on Mommy's body (more about that in a later post).

Likes: Caleb loves skin-to-skin time with Mommy and Daddy, cuddling, sitting up on the couch in the Boppy pillow, nursing, having his hair brushed, listening to music (Jack Johnson's lullabies seem to be his favorite for now), hanging out in the napper on his Pack 'N Play, having his back and tummy rubbed, Soothies pacifiers, flinging his hands and arms in the air,  gesturing with his hands and making funny faces.

Enjoying some skin-to-skin time at the hospital

Dislikes: Being woken up to nurse in the night, bath time, diaper changes, being completely swaddled (he likes to have his arms free to move around, but likes to have his legs and tummy wrapped up tight), and having his circumcision and umbilical cord areas cleaned.

We are already getting teeny glimpses into the cute little personality our little man will have, and are so excited to watch him grow and see what he becomes. He is such a sweet, sweet baby and is so precious to B and I. He makes the funniest faces - his little eyebrows dip down when he frowns, his forehead wrinkles when he's thinking (or pooping), a little dimple pops up in his left cheek when he smiles in his sleep, and he likes to peep at us out of one eye when he's sleepy. He's also very expressive with his hands. When he's tired and half asleep, you can catch him flinging his arms straight up into the air every so often. They go up, and then they come right back down - almost as if he's surprised. He's constantly trying to get his hands up to his little face - which we saw on his ultrasounds way back at 16 weeks - and suck on his fingers. He holds his own paci in his mouth with his right hand, and likes to hold on to me while nursing. Sometimes I make myself laugh thinking of funny things he could be saying with his hand gestures. This morning, he had one hand out like a little conductor, so I pretended we were at the orchestra and he was leading. I had myself giggling like crazy imagining it.

Our lives have completely changed in the last 7 days, but there truly could be no greater joy than that we are experiencing right now with our newborn son. The last week with baby Caleb has been wonderful and we are looking forward to all that is to come.

Part II of Caleb's Birth Story to come tomorrow!

Caleb's Birth Story {Part I}

In my last post before Caleb's arrival, I updated you all on the possibility of a diagnosis called Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy, or ICP. I had been admitted to the hospital on Tuesday, May 14 for a day of labwork, ultrasounds and monitoring - of both me and the baby - and then released pending some blood work that had to be sent off for testing. I was told not to expect the results of these tests until 10am Thursday.

On Wednesday, May 15, I headed to work as normal. Around 2:30pm, I received a call from Stacy, the nurse in my OB's office. She informed me that my blood work had come back early. They had rushed the results based on the information my blood had given them - I was diagnosed with ICP at 37 weeks, 1 day. My pregnancy immediately became one of the rare 1% diagnosed with this condition. And my doctors wanted to take no chances. With my life or the life of baby Caleb. Stacy informed me that they would be inducing me. That night.

I remember sitting in my car, shaking from head to toe as this news was relayed to me over the phone. I was returning from a late lunch, and hadn't gone back into the office yet. I immediately tried to reach B, but he was in surgery and not able to answer his cell phone. So, I headed into the office and informed my co-workers of what had happened. They wished me well as I packed up my things and headed out. My induction was scheduled for 11:00pm, so instead of heading directly home, I ran a few last minute errands. When I finally got ahold of B, I was in Target, picking up a few newborn clothing items to have at home for little Caleb. We had virtually no clothing small enough for a baby smaller than 8 pounds, so I figured it couldn't hurt to pick up a few things before his arrival. I also stopped by Macy's in a last ditch effort to find some pajamas to wear in the hospital after the birth. It paid off - I was able to find a button up gown and some navy blue striped pajama pants. Nothing like leaving things until the last minute, eh?

B and I met at the house around dinner time. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be eating or drinking anything, so I had a light breakfast-for-dinner (cereal) and kept my beverages limited to water. We rested up, finished packing last minute items in our hospital bags and at about 8pm, I hopped in the shower. I wasn't sure when I would get to shower again, so I was glad for the opportunity to get one right before leaving for the hospital. B's mom arrived at around 10. She had come to watch the dog and cat for us while we were in the hospital. She helped us get our things together, and videoed us as we headed out.

We arrived at the hospital right at 11:00pm. All inductions at the hospital where I gave birth are scheduled for late evening. I'm not sure why that is, but I can't say I minded. I knew that I would be lying in a bed for hours, and I would much rather do that at night than in the middle of the day. B and I headed for OB Assessment, where we completed our paperwork. We were then whisked to our labor and delivery room in the Family Birth Center - we were in the St. John Suite. The room was calm and peaceful, with hardwood floors, a private bathroom, and a sleeper couch. The only hint that anything would be happening in that room was the presence of the medical equipment on the wall behind the bed, the stirrups folded up under the bed, and the warmer where baby Caleb would be placed after birth for cleaning, weighing and measuring. 

Soon after arriving, getting our things sorted out, changing into the gaping hospital gown and climbing into the bed, Sherri - our nurse for the evening - arrived to get the process started. She was sweet as can be, and explained everything that was happening. The first step in the induction process for me was a medicine called Cytotec, which was given to me around midnight to help prepare my body for birth and get the contraction process started. After a few hours had gone by, I was given Pitocin to strengthen the contractions and help initiate the labor process. After a relatively quiet night with very little pain and discomfort, around 8am, I started to really feel like things were progressing...

Stay tuned for Part II 

(The arrival of our sweet son!)

Caleb Monroe

B and I are thrilled to announce that our son, Caleb Monroe arrived Thursday, May 16th at 3:18 in the afternoon.

He weighed in at 7.4 pounds and was 19 and 3/4 inches long at birth.

Caleb is the sweetest little baby man. He hardly cries, sleeps like a champ and loves cuddling. B and I couldn't be more in love, and are so thankful that our son arrived safe and sound, in perfect condition. He is so, so precious to us and I can't wait to share more of his birth story with you. Thank you all for your prayers and positive thoughts over the past week. 

37 Weeks! {An Update and a 'Bump'date}

Thank you all for your sweet comments and prayers yesterday. Not long after publishing yesterday's post, B and I were summoned to our OB's office, where we were told that we were being admitted to the hospital for a day of monitoring the baby and me. My liver functioning levels were showing up abnormal in the blood work (the labs indicated that they were at twice the normal levels), and the doctor was concerned about the effect that it might be having on the baby. They wanted to take some additional labs, put me on a fetal monitor for the day and get some updated ultrasounds. We were also told that, depending upon the recommendation from the high risk obstetrician at the hospital, there was a 75% chance that I would be getting induced...that night. Needless to say, B and I were both a little shocked. We grabbed our hospital bags, made a few phone calls, headed to labor and delivery and tried to wrap our minds around the fact that that we might be meeting our son that very day.

After a long day spent lying in a hospital bed, getting pricked and prodded every so often, we finally met with the high risk doctor. She informed us that we would have to wait for 2-3 days to get the blood work back on my bile acid levels - until then, we would not have a definitive diagnosis of hepatic cholestasis. As I mentioned yesterday, this condition is extremely rare, and the blood work had to be sent all the way to the Mayo Clinic for processing. Despite the fact that my liver functioning levels were abnormal, the doctor said that she felt that Caleb was in no danger - the ultrasounds came back perfect and the fetal monitors were showing that he was happy and content in Mommy's tummy - and that those levels alone were not a good enough reason for her to want to induce at this point. It was her recommendation that we be sent home for the rest of the evening, and await any further decisions pending the results of the blood work. Around 7pm last night, we packed up our stuff, trudged out of the hospital and headed home, with a quick stop by Chickfila for my first meal in almost 24 hours - they hadn't allowed me to eat or drink anything while we were there in the event that an induction was ordered. I was starving.

We are now playing the 'waiting game.' While I am extremely relieved to hear that our son is doing okay, I also feel like I am stuck in a stressful game of limbo, just waiting for tomorrow morning, when we will have a definitive diagnosis (or be told that there is nothing to worry about). Until then, I have been told to do 'kick counts' every few hours to help monitor baby Caleb's movements and be sure that everything remains normal. And that's what's been going on in our house over the last 24 hours or so.

In happier news, here's the 'bump'date for this week: 

37 Weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:   37 weeks, 1 day! Caleb is officially full-term. Meaning, if he does have to make an early appearance, he should be just fine. 

Baby's Size:   According to our ultrasounds Friday and yesterday, Caleb is on the smaller side of average right now. He is weighing in at a little over 6 pounds. I was a bit surprised when they told me this, as I was just sure they were going to tell me that he is a big boy. Right now, he is predicted to be about 7.5 pounds at birth - if he makes it to 40 weeks. I still think he will catch up and be at least an 8 pounder (based on a family history of big babies), but I guess we'll see. Here's one of the most recent shots of our sweet little nugget.

Close-up of his face. His little nose and closed eyes are in profile toward the right, and his little hand is fisted over his mouth in the middle - he was sucking his thumb in the picture prior to this one.

Total Weight Gain:   As of yesterday, there is no weight gain to report since my last visit. I am still holding steady at a 26-27 pound total gain. 

Maternity Clothes?   Oh, yes. All of my work clothes are maternity, aside from a few dresses and cardigans I still manage to fit into. I am still wearing pre-preggo tee-shirts and yoga/pajama pants around the house in the evenings and on the weekends. 

Best Moment(s) This Week:  Getting to see our little man on ultrasound. We weren't sure if we would get a 36 week ultrasound, so I was thrilled with the opportunity to see our little man for the first time since our 20 week appointment. We will have weekly updates from now on, so I am also looking forward to those. Hearing his little heart just beating away every week is the best feeling in the world. Love. Him. So. Much.

Gender:   Baby boy! Caleb Monroe. And, oh, we can't wait to meet him!

Movement:  Little man moves around fairly consistently - he seems to be a on pretty set schedule as far as 'sleeping' time and 'awake' time, so I can usually predict when I will start to feel him rolling and stretching in my tummy and when he'll stay pretty quiet. Maybe this schedule will translate to life outside the womb. Hey, a Mama can wish, right?

Food Cravings:   Fruit, fruit and more fruit - this week it's grapefruit, pears and kiwis. Same ol' salt and vinegar potato chips that have been favorites throughout the pregnancy. Frozen drinks. Chickfila Ice Dreams. Waffle fries.

Food Aversions:   Certain spaghetti sauces - namely, the one my husband chose for our dinner on Sunday evening. I was fine eating it, but while he was cooking, I started feeling extremely nauseous. Weird.

What I Miss:  Still really missing my former energy levels.

Sleep?   Eh. Still tossing and turning a lot. Lately, since the itching symptoms started, I've been waking up almost every night right at 2:00am. And wanting to scratch myself silly. So, that's not been fun. But, Caleb is healthy, so I am just trying to let that wonderful fact hold me over for whatever happens over the next couple of weeks.

What I'm Looking Forward To:   Taking some time to rest and relax over the next couple of days/weeks/however long I have left before our little guy arrives. B and I have been 'go, go, go' for several weeks now, which has left me feeling like I can never catch up or get anything accomplished. I finally packed my hospital bag last weekend (which we ended up needing yesterday), and am trying to get prepared for whenever little man decides to make his appearance.

We Interrupt This Post to Bring You...{A Caleb Update}

I'd finally done what I'd promised to do for a couple of weeks now - uploaded the maternity photos from our 34 week shoot, edited them to my liking, and chosen the ones I wanted to share. And I was so excited to post them today...

Until we got a little 'breaking' news update from our OB yesterday.

You see, last week, I started having some strange symptoms. On Wednesday night, I developed an itching sensation on the palms of my hands and soles of my feet. And by itching, friends, I mean itching. Like, want to run my hands up and down a post covered in sharp nails and drag my feet across razors kind of itching. It would not be soothed. I was finally able to fall asleep, but awoke to the same symptoms on Thursday morning. It seemed to subside throughout the day, so I didn't think much of it. But Thursday night rolled around, and, lo and behold, the itching returned with a vengeance. My husband finally noticed the agony I was in and rubbed my feet for me, which brought some sweet relief for a short time. While doing that, he also happened to mention that these unusual itching symptoms can be symbolic of hepatic cholestasis - a liver problem that can be triggered in late pregnancy. Excuse me? Say what?

Of course, I googled the heck out of the condition on Friday morning at work, and found out some pretty shocking things. Such as the high risk of stillbirth. Which results in most babies of mothers with this diagnosis being taken right at 37 weeks gestation. You can bet I brought this information up at my appointment later that afternoon. My midwife and the doctor didn't seem to think too much of my symptoms - apparently cholestasis is very rare (like .001% of pregnancies). They gave me some itch relief remedies and requested that I call on Monday should the itch worsen. 

And it did. In fact, Sunday night I was up for several hours in complete itch-ified agony. Monday morning, I called the OB. They had me come in immediately for a non-stress test on baby Caleb and a full panel of blood work on me. And this is where things got interesting. While relaxing in the reclining chair in the little non-stress test room, listening to the reassuring sound of my son's little heartbeat and waiting to push the button on the remote every time I felt him move, my doctor poked his head in and said, "I'd like to do a bile acids test on you tomorrow morning first thing. We will get the results back stat and depending on those results, we may be inducing you later this week."

This week???

So, I hate to put off a regularly scheduled post again, but my mind will be a little preoccupied today until we get the call letting us know if everything looks fine and normal. Or if everything doesn't look quite fine and normal and are told that we will be meeting our son this week. Your thoughts and prayers throughout the day today would be much appreciated. Of course, we want whatever is best for our son to happen, but would sure be thankful for another couple of weeks in which to prepare for his arrival...One thing's for sure: I'll be keeping you updated!

Our Last Busy Weekend

Good Morning, pretties! Happy Monday!

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend. B and I had our last busy weekend for the foreseeable future. Starting now, with just three weeks to go until Caleb's due date, we are officially in 'baby countdown' mode, and will not be making any more weekend trips or venturing too far from home. An attempt to attend B's mom's graduation last week ended up a total failure when we got there and had to leave because I started having some painful Braxton Hicks contractions in the car. Worst hour long car ride ever, let me assure you.

On Friday, B was on OB call for the night, so I spent the evening having a 'girls night' with S (whose husband was also on OB call that night). We munched on some Chickfila and then spent some time running around, even visiting Walmart to pick up some last minute items for my hospital bag. We ended up back at my house, chatting and watching our favorite reality shows, before she headed home around 11 to check on her pups and I crawled into bed and crashed. 

On Saturday, B and I lazed around the house - he is always pretty tired after a night on call - until it was time to head to Atlanta for my sister, Jenna's, graduation dinner. She has completed her nursing program, and is officially a Registered Nurse now. We are so proud of her, and couldn't wait to get together to celebrate. We got ready, hopped in the car and then prayed our way there, just hoping that I could avoid having any Braxton Hicks for this particular car ride. We managed to get there with only one or two contractions - none nearly as severe as the ones I'd had earlier in the week - but were still late, due to a monsoon that began as we hit the city.  Despite the weather, we still had a great time. Several family members and sweet friends of my sister showed up to celebrate, and we all noshed on some yummy Mexican food and fun drinks - even I got to join in the fun with a virgin strawberry daiquiri of my own. There were several cameras flashing throughout the night, so I didn't take too many pictures, but I did manage to get the following shots from the night:

The precious graduation cake

In the striped bag? A new Pandora charm for her bracelet from B and I.
In the big white box? A new MK bag from my parents.

Jen's boyfriend, Chris, Jenna, and her friend, Abby

Momma and Daddy

My sweet (exhausted) husband and I (and my big, rain-ruined hair)

While there to celebrate my sister, we also went ahead and wished my Momma a "Happy Mother's Day" since we knew that we would not be seeing her on the actual day. She opened her gift, and proceeded to burst into tears. The gift was simple this year, but meaningful. I printed up several pictures and had them framed. One of them was a baby shower favorite of hers that I chose a simple black frame for, thinking she could display it at home or on her desk at work. The second frame was a flowered and bejeweled one with two picture openings in it. In one opening I put the following picture:

I love that sweet, candid shot of my Momma and I, taken when I was about 6 months old. It's a picture that I found in my baby book, and one that I assumed she hadn't seen in quite a while. And I was right! Between tears, she asked incredulously, "Where did you get this?" In the second opening of the frame, I put a note to 'Mimi' from baby Caleb that said, "Thought we could take a picture like this after I arrive. I love you!" Needless to say, the gift was a hit. So glad to have given my sweet mother something that she liked this year. I felt a little bit of pressure to come up with something meaningful since this is such a special time in all of our lives.

Speaking of Mother's Day, I woke up to my first Mother's Day yesterday. It sure felt weird to be partaking in the celebration instead of just planning for it this year. Despite the fact that Caleb is not quite here yet, B went ahead and did a card and a small gift from him and our son. So sweet. I have been wanting both of these books for forever!

*As a funny little side note, my precious husband ordered these books through our Barnes & Noble online account, completely forgetting that the account is linked to my email address. So I knew that something was coming to me from that store, I just wasn't sure what. He's too funny.

He also made me cinnamon toast for breakfast, which was so yummy - he has a certain way of making it, just like my daddy does, that makes the cinnamon and sugar perfectly bubbly and the toast perfectly crunchy. Yum. I could eat it all day long. We spent the rest of the day hanging out around the house. And this girl even managed to get her hospital bag (almost) totally packed. Which was a daunting accomplishment for me. With no looming tasks or events on the horizon now, we are literally just biding the days until our little one decides to make his appearance. I will have some more updates to come this week - including a maternity photo shoot reveal and and news from our last OB appointment - so be sure to stay tuned.