Up all night--three hours straight of a fussy baby. Maybe he is a little sick, as I was sick this weekend. Maybe he is sore and uncomfortable from all the doctors have done to him. Maybe he is just--a newborn.
Then in the daytime, the girls need me to help them go through their new books and make a plan for school this year. Annie needs attention--her "phase in" of 2 hours of school a day for the first week is making her feel deprived of real school, while the other kids are doing a full day of school. So Annie is high strung. Everyone needs so much. It is hard to attend to it all on, perhaps, 5 hours of sleep?
But really, it is all a tremendous privilege. I get to care for this little, tiny guy. I get to homeschool my girls. I get to talk about school with Jake when he gets home. I get to have a house brimming with life and singing and skipping and games and cooking and discussion. We are having the time of our life.
I just have to remember that at 4 AM!
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Back to School!
We have begun school, at least in small increments. Today, we actually accomplished almost a full day! 8-9 subjects per girl!
Jake is loving Cistercian, his new school. Today he made the cross-country team and so far he gotten all of his homework completed.
What a blessing!
Jake is loving Cistercian, his new school. Today he made the cross-country team and so far he gotten all of his homework completed.
What a blessing!
Monday, August 25, 2014
Sunday, August 17, 2014
happiest week ever!
what an angel baby!!!!!
I've never had such a happy postpartum week.
praise be to God!
Saturday, August 16, 2014
one day old!
Looks just like his Daddy! But really light hair. A blond Ron. . . hmmm. . . JAKE!
Alert in the night his very first night, when everyone is quiet and the lights are low. Mom and baby have the chance to get to say "Hi and I love you!" for the first time!
Sebastian Peter Has Arrived!!
With several birth plans in place--one at a birth center, one at home, one at the hospital--and leaving it all in God's hands to direct me, I woke up on the morning of Monday, August 11th with sharp labor pains. "Time to make some cookies!" I declared. I had gotten baby cookie cutters and indented to make cookies in the shape of rocking horses and baby foot prints in early labor.
But I never was sure it was labor. The pains were sharp, and yet irregular. Sitting down made the contractions stop. It could be false labor, I thought. So I never started the cookies. I cleaned, paid bills, took a walk around the neighborhood. I prayed morning prayers. I was excited it was the feast of St. Clare of Assisi and felt so inspired by her.
Ron was with me the whole morning, more sure than I was that it was true labor, and that this would be our son's birth day. I suggested that we all go to Mass to celebrate Clare's feast day (for our daughter Clare) and in case it was labor, Mass seemed more than appropriate. I got nicely dressed, nails done, hair done, and waddled to the car. I had to stop mid-step from time to time, struck by another lightening bolt contraction. But they were still irregular.
We went home and I laid down. Contractions. Contractions. Contractions. Finally one was so strong that I said, "Time to go to the hospital!" We called our team of people, and told them we were headed to the hospital.
Why the hospital? During Mass I had prayed about it, and felt like there, I would have the most options. I could go natural, but I could also get some medicinal help for the pain. I felt like it was good to have the options. From the beginning of the pregnancy, I felt similar to marathon runners who say, "I don't have any more marathons in me." They do not regret their marathon running, but they are just pooped out. I, too, never regret my natural childbirths--I adore them! But I just intuited from the beginning that I did not have another natural childbirth in me. So I signed up with a midwife at the hospital. I'd have both options there.
We called Mom and Dad to come over to be with our kids, Mary helped me finish packing my bag, and Ron and I got in the car and drove to Baylor Dallas.
"The worst that can happen is that they can send me home if it's not real labor!" I said. Ron laughed out loud. "They may not be regular, but they are real. If they're not, they can check ME into the hospital," he said. I think he was looking for a little paint relief himself.
Here we are, taking a selfie as we walked from the car to the hospital.
Here I am right before an intense contraction; moments after this photo, I was buckling over on the curb:
I had to stop every 3-5 minutes or so with more lightening bolt contractions. I couldn't even make it to the curb, crossing the street from the parking lot. Some nurses had a wheel chair brought out to me. My first time in a wheel chair (as a patient) ever!
They brought me in, checked me, and declared, "7 centimeters!" Ron and I were overjoyed!! It had been true labor all along, since 5:15 AM. God had just spared me the intensity of the "THIS IS IT!" moment. So I was able to go through the first 7 cm. in stride (and in denial!).
I knew that in an hour or two, I would have a baby in my arms if I went naturally. But I felt such a strong desire for someone to just help me through. So I asked for an epidural. I knew it might take longer (an epidural tends to prolong labor), and I knew it would be a new and possibly strange experience for me, with risks of headaches, nerve damage, etc. that I had never had before. But I just yielded, wanting even more for this to just be calmer, smoother and easier than past labors. They started right away getting fluids in me, taking the baby's heart rate, and getting me prepped for the anesthesia.
When the anesthesiologist walked in, the ladies (midwife, doula, and nurse) declared, "Oh, the best anesthesiologist in town!" He is the chief of staff at Baylor. I was overjoyed that if I could trust anyone, I could trust him. Five minutes later, I had been anesthetized. I was already feeling much relief. I could still feel my toes--that too was such a good thing for me. So I just relaxed and enjoyed!
Then, some of the anesthesia wore off, and the pain shot back up. But I could not move, and so was rather miserable. But they administered more of the anesthesia, and then some blood pressure meds, and I was stable and relieved. I rested in silence, and did my natural childbirth relaxation visualizations, to calm me as much as possible.
The midwife broke the silence and declared, "Let's check you.' Then: "10 centimeters! You're ready to push!" I double checked and got my instructions from my team. 2 pushes later, and the baby was out and in my arms! The whole room cheered. Ron was amazing. It was such a moment of joy, I cried. I was so excited. The little baby was so ABSOLUTELY precious and words cannot express how magical of a moment it is to hold your new child in your arms for the first time. Speechless.
Thank you Lord for so many answered prayers, and for a perfect labor!!
But I never was sure it was labor. The pains were sharp, and yet irregular. Sitting down made the contractions stop. It could be false labor, I thought. So I never started the cookies. I cleaned, paid bills, took a walk around the neighborhood. I prayed morning prayers. I was excited it was the feast of St. Clare of Assisi and felt so inspired by her.
Ron was with me the whole morning, more sure than I was that it was true labor, and that this would be our son's birth day. I suggested that we all go to Mass to celebrate Clare's feast day (for our daughter Clare) and in case it was labor, Mass seemed more than appropriate. I got nicely dressed, nails done, hair done, and waddled to the car. I had to stop mid-step from time to time, struck by another lightening bolt contraction. But they were still irregular.
We went home and I laid down. Contractions. Contractions. Contractions. Finally one was so strong that I said, "Time to go to the hospital!" We called our team of people, and told them we were headed to the hospital.
Why the hospital? During Mass I had prayed about it, and felt like there, I would have the most options. I could go natural, but I could also get some medicinal help for the pain. I felt like it was good to have the options. From the beginning of the pregnancy, I felt similar to marathon runners who say, "I don't have any more marathons in me." They do not regret their marathon running, but they are just pooped out. I, too, never regret my natural childbirths--I adore them! But I just intuited from the beginning that I did not have another natural childbirth in me. So I signed up with a midwife at the hospital. I'd have both options there.
We called Mom and Dad to come over to be with our kids, Mary helped me finish packing my bag, and Ron and I got in the car and drove to Baylor Dallas.
"The worst that can happen is that they can send me home if it's not real labor!" I said. Ron laughed out loud. "They may not be regular, but they are real. If they're not, they can check ME into the hospital," he said. I think he was looking for a little paint relief himself.
Here we are, taking a selfie as we walked from the car to the hospital.
Here I am right before an intense contraction; moments after this photo, I was buckling over on the curb:
I had to stop every 3-5 minutes or so with more lightening bolt contractions. I couldn't even make it to the curb, crossing the street from the parking lot. Some nurses had a wheel chair brought out to me. My first time in a wheel chair (as a patient) ever!
They brought me in, checked me, and declared, "7 centimeters!" Ron and I were overjoyed!! It had been true labor all along, since 5:15 AM. God had just spared me the intensity of the "THIS IS IT!" moment. So I was able to go through the first 7 cm. in stride (and in denial!).
I knew that in an hour or two, I would have a baby in my arms if I went naturally. But I felt such a strong desire for someone to just help me through. So I asked for an epidural. I knew it might take longer (an epidural tends to prolong labor), and I knew it would be a new and possibly strange experience for me, with risks of headaches, nerve damage, etc. that I had never had before. But I just yielded, wanting even more for this to just be calmer, smoother and easier than past labors. They started right away getting fluids in me, taking the baby's heart rate, and getting me prepped for the anesthesia.
When the anesthesiologist walked in, the ladies (midwife, doula, and nurse) declared, "Oh, the best anesthesiologist in town!" He is the chief of staff at Baylor. I was overjoyed that if I could trust anyone, I could trust him. Five minutes later, I had been anesthetized. I was already feeling much relief. I could still feel my toes--that too was such a good thing for me. So I just relaxed and enjoyed!
Then, some of the anesthesia wore off, and the pain shot back up. But I could not move, and so was rather miserable. But they administered more of the anesthesia, and then some blood pressure meds, and I was stable and relieved. I rested in silence, and did my natural childbirth relaxation visualizations, to calm me as much as possible.
The midwife broke the silence and declared, "Let's check you.' Then: "10 centimeters! You're ready to push!" I double checked and got my instructions from my team. 2 pushes later, and the baby was out and in my arms! The whole room cheered. Ron was amazing. It was such a moment of joy, I cried. I was so excited. The little baby was so ABSOLUTELY precious and words cannot express how magical of a moment it is to hold your new child in your arms for the first time. Speechless.
Thank you Lord for so many answered prayers, and for a perfect labor!!
Monday, August 11, 2014
4 Quilts This Summer!
This summer, I was able to make 4 twin size quilts for my 4 daughters! It was so slow at the beginning, and yet the last one only took 3 days of work from start to finish. Clare and Mary both got good at using a sewing machine, and I learned so much, too. What fun!!
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Being 10 months pregnant!
A mom turns 9 months pregnant at 36 weeks (9x4=36). So in fact, the 40 weeks of pregnancy takes us to 10 months: one turns 10 months on one's due date. Goodness! I am only a few days away from being 10 months! The due date is Aug. 7th.
As they say in French, "Quelle Enorme!!" (how enormous!)
Ron says I look like a skinny girl with a watermelon under her shirt (he's just earning points regarding the skinny girl comment)
Had to get my hair done before the baby comes.
And I'm getting lots of rest--10-12 hrs. per night, seeing as how I will be lucky to get 4 hours in a row for the next 6-12 months. :(
I am also getting lots of iron and vitamins.
We made an emergency run to Red Lobster yesterday. I was about to die of hunger.
Today I loaded the kitchen with groceries, cooked two days worth of food, and got in the pool and scrubbed the tiles since their needing that was really bothering me and I know I won't be able to do that for a long time.
And I replaced all the gross, old linens in the house.
Now it's time for me to do my nails. I can't reach my toes--will have to get the girls to do them!
Little Sebastian, I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Boating Fun
We've had a great time playing out on the water in Granny and Papa Harville's boat. I was just happy that riding over waves did not induce labor! :)
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