Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Surviving the first few nights... days and weeks.




Landon's officially 2 weeks!! Yes we survived 2 weeks. I have no idea how people don't kill themselves or each other after just a few days, more so, how on earth do people go on to have 2...3..4 kids.

Now, I have a really good baby. I mean REALLY good baby. He doesn't really cry, he's pretty laid back. and he's pretty relaxed, yet the first few days after we were discharged from the hospital... I had an overwhelming feeling.

I assume its because he was 4 weeks early... and I didn't have much ready for him.

So here is my recipe for surviving the first few nights..

1. have a support system... which should include spouse, parents, cousins, aunts, friend.. neighbor.. just anyone that can come to make sure you don't blow your brains out. We didn't have anything set up for Landon in our room, so after we arrived home- My parents came over and put together our pack n play, moved some furniture around, helped us set up bottles, cook dinner for us, My parents were MY rock on our first night. Also, make sure if you're particular about how things are done, show your husband MONTHS & MONTHS (if not years) in advanced how to do stuff. My husband has been doing laundry and dishes for years so he naturally picked up how to clean, sterilize and prep bottles and the breast pump items. its VERY HELPFUL!

2. learn how to swaddle... swaddle that baby until its tight... first night with Landon, I was sOOOooOOo overwhelmed and tired that no matter how I swaddled him, he kept getting out... not to mention, We went through 20 different swaddle blankets to get him to sleep. he was a houdini when it came to getting out of the swaddle and he was the king to peeing all over us. Daddy's, please focus on changing diapers. We went through 1 pack of diapers the first night lol. Diaper fast & furious until you master that shit!

3. Be prepared to be thrown a curve ball and take plenty of notes and PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to what the nurses say!!! About 8 hours before we were discharged, we were informed that Landon wasn't getting any breast milk yet. our feeding plan went out the window when they made my husband a list of items to purchase before my discharge. we got a quick lesson on how to use our breast pump, which bottles to buy, which formula to buy, how to clean the pump items, how to clean bottles etc... I mean, I was so deliriously tired I feel blessed that my husband caught on quick. My poor husband's job was to do EVERYTHING and my job was to just breast feed him for 15 minutes on both sides, feed him 1 ounce of formula, pump for 15 minutes on both sides. talk about 1 hour of my life down the drain every 2 hours. Luckily after the second night home, My milk supply came in and he started to reject formula! woohoo!

4. try not to kill one another.. and embrace help. Our in-laws arrived a day after we came home from the hospital. they basically took over laundry, dishes, and went around fixing up the house and making it more handy for us. My Father in-law is a handy man. he really checked every inch of our house to help us move faster.. example: Installing a door stop in our garage so we can keep the door propped when we need too. My mother cooked meals for me EVERYDAY. which was super helpful. and my sister came by everyday the first week to help us function and mainly to hold her nephew while I napped.

5. get plenty of sleep... and NAP when baby NAPS. I've been hearing this statement for months. and its so TRUE. mid afternoon naps are very helpful because it helps me wake up in the middle of the night to feed my baby. without an afternoon nap, I start to function like a zombie. I get emotional, moody, want to stab people... etc.


So here is the fun part. Items that you will need (Maybe)...



we used our Medela Breast Pump from day 2 until our lactation consultant told me I could stop pumping. We received extra compartments for our pump at the hospital and it was very helpful! You can also rent one at the hospital and it cost $80 a month.. but after 3 months, you can already own the little portable pump!



Since we had to supplement 1oz of formula with every feeding, we opted for these Breastflow bottles. They're easier to clean than dr.Browns and they're "Slow flow" nipples so they work great to transition him from breast to bottle and back to breast. Also, when I started to actually pump milk, the medela bottles were also slow flow. Luckily, he is such an easy going guy, Bottles changes don't really bother him!



The Belly Bandit.. pretty amazing. between breast feeding and this little sucker, My belly went from Bulging to minimal in about 2 weeks! I still have some work to do, but I'll take all the help I can get! You want to get it true to size (from pre-birth). I got a small at first I couldn't close it, but then I realized, if I had someone to help me strap it in, it fit nicely. Now it closes all the way!



These are A MUST have if you're breast feeding... because before you know it, you've got 2 giant WATERMARKS on your tank top. before I got a chance to purchase these, I had to change my top 5-6 times a day. lol.



I love our Pack'n Play! Its the S1 by Safety 1st Satellite Premier Playard - Pegasus. It has a little night light and storage space. We opted for the pack'n play over a basinet.



Lastly, these swaddle blankets from aiden and anais are pretty awesome. We also have a more affordable version from summer infant. It functions just the same. Since we have dogs, we use it to lay out on the couch and stuff before we lay the baby down. it keeps him fur free, even though our pups are hypo-allergenic and they don't shed. it gives my parents peace of mind.


BTW- I love being a mommy!! he is my everything and now that he's here, I can't imagine life without him!


Friday, June 22, 2012

Landon's Birth Story



On Saturday, June 9th- My husband and I attended our Breast Feeding class. About 30 minutes in, the Hubster started to turn green. We figured, of all the things he ate, it must have been the milk he had that morning before class.

Regardless, I was determined to finish my breast feeding class, while he puked his brains out in the parking lot of the Medical center. After class, we drove home and I went to visit my cousin for her birthday. (BTW, I can't believe I drove... but I figured, I had 4 more weeks until Landon's arrival.) I left my hubby at home because if he had some sort of virus I didn't want to catch it.

Later that day, I returned home and took a nap in the guest room. During this nap, I had a very vivid dream that I was at my McDonalds ordering dinner when my water broke. I woke up, laughing- then Facebooked my dream.. and went on with my life.

Around 7:30PM, I checked on the sick hubby and offered to run to McDonalds for some chicken nuggets. (I can't believe this will also be the last meal before I give birth!).

So later that night, around 3:15 am... while sleeping in the guest room, I felt a little pop. I remember waking up and thinking, "Maybe I can hold it until the morning"... but then I decided, I might as well Pee now before I pee my pants. So I get up and noticed a little blood. I waddled into the Master bedroom and calmly said, I think my water broke. As I quickly waddled to the toilet.. where water gushed out for what seem to be FOREVER.

"How do you know your water broke" said the sickly husband...
"I've never peed this much in 1 sitting and it's still COMING!"...

so while I called the OBGYN, he googled "water breaking".

both the OB & the internet confirmed that my water broke.

The OB on call suggested I come into the hospital "RIGHT AWAY" to get things checked out.

Me: "Am I going in for just a check up or am I going in for a while?"

Doc: "You should pack your hospital bag, you will be in here until you have the baby. And hurry, be here in 30 minutes"

so what happens next? well, My hubby went from SICK to Labor mode in less than 10 seconds. He grabbed our bag, and started packing his stuff, about 4 days worth of clothes for himself, shampoo, body wash, our toothbrushes.. etc. He was done packing in about 3 seconds.

I on the other hand, stood in my closet weeping because I had imagined this moment differently. I felt so unprepared and I kept crying, "I'm NOT ready" as water dripped down my legs. After a few minutes, the Hub started holding clothes up and said, "do you want to pack this dress? how about this dress? this dress is pretty.. etc

and I just kept crying.

so after about 10 minutes, I stopped crying and started packing... what did I pack??

1- Black Dress
1- set of Sweats & matching hoodie.. steelers to be exact.
4- pairs of underwear
2- going home outfits for Landon.
toothbrush
moisturizer
eyeliner
eyeshadow
foundation
powder
laptop
cell phone
charger
laptop
charger


and that's it.

so we headed to the hospital. On the way, we managed to call my in-laws to prep them to buy a flight to CA... the only statement we got from my FIL was "you're kidding me". We texted my brother but didn't tell my parents because we didn't want them to worry. They live 5 minutes away from the hospital.


Once we arrived, We were immediately checked in through the ER. Since we were pre-registered, they quickly wheeled me up to Labor & Delivery where they gave us a private room, hooked us up to monitors and the testing started...

within minutes, we confirmed that my water had broken and I was having contractions. I didn't even feel the contractions, they were already 3-4 minutes apart! According to the board, my pain level scale was a happy face. lol. After about an hour, we decided to stop the Labor because I hadn't reached 37 weeks and we wanted Landon to bake a little longer.

that was that. they turned off the lights and sent us to bed.

Around 5AM, we were moved to a private birthing suite where we would stay until the baby was born. Our Goal of the day, "No baby". during that morning, we called my folks to let us know that we were in for the long run.

We met with a specialist and she confirmed that Landon should stay for awhile... a while didn't last long because around 9PM sunday night, I started to have contractions.. big time. the pain level scale started to look a little sad... At 2Am, my contractions got extremely close, they must have been watching us or monitoring us because the nurse came in and said she had a treat for me. She asked me if I was ready to fly on cloud 9. lol. they gave me a little IV drug to help with all the pain and that's when my frown turned upside down and I started to hallucinate. I kept waking up my husband to talk...

"Babe. Hey babe. Are you sleeping?" clearly, he was because he was snoring... a louder, "babe. baby babbeeeee!!! babe. I have to tell you something." he wakes from his slumber... "spiderman and batman aren't friends. they don't like each other." giggle giggle.. serious laughter... about 10 minutes later.. "babe babe BABE!!! did you know mickey mouse only has 4 fingers?? so weird!!!" after the third wake up of me giggling, he stopped waking up. lol. About 5 AM, while still loopy, I texted my sister to bring my fake eyelashes and make up to help beautify me through labor. lol.




around 7AM, my OB showed up and said we were ready to have the baby. He started the labor with a little pitocin to help me dilate and my Labor Nurse came in and we came up with a little birth plan. Super easy, Epidural? YES. ok, lets get started. Since we missed our birthing class, it didn't take her too long to realize I had no idea what I'm doing... a quick lesson of holding my legs, and the technique of actually pushing... we were ready.

Somehow, my mother arrived and ended up camping out- she didn't eat, she didn't sleep, she was there the minute they said, "go time- until Landon Arrived". she was not part of my birth plan but man, am i glad she was there!! Once little Man made his debut, my husband's attention was on Landon and my mom was there to hold my hand while the OB finished his job.

from this point on... it took 6 hours to push the baby out. 6 HOURS... total time of labor from the minute my water broke: 39 hours.


What did I learn? I will never see my OB until the very last push when the baby actually was ready to arrive. He will come in, pull out my baby, collect the cord blood banking, finish up, congratulate us and then disappear like a fart in the wind.




As soon as Landon arrived, the NICU department came into assess his vitals. immediately, they said, "he's looks like a full term baby, he can stay with mom." and off they went, wheeling away their machines!

So there we have it, Landon James Thien Scaife was born on June 11, 2012- weighing 7lbs 5oz, measuring 18.5", healthy, happy and just beautiful!



And we all lived happily ever after!


Thursday, June 21, 2012

Maternity Shoot

Well who would've thought That I would give birth so soon after my Maternity Shoot! I'm currently working on my birth story... it's a pretty good one, but I couldn't resist sharing my maternity photos... They were posted on FB today and I have to admit- I love them all.

Enjoy!

check her out on FB:


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Love-is-photography/203519436349241





















Monday, June 18, 2012

Thursday, June 7, 2012

36 Weeks... Just call me a Cling-on...



How far along? 36 weeks... this little bun in my oven enjoys baking...

Total weight gain/loss: 31 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Still in Regular sized Maxi Dresses. I tried putting on my Red Maternity Jeans and I look like the freakin Kool-Aid Man... also, my husband had to help me into it and out of it lol.

Stretch marks? none on my belly... and here I'll attach a little photo below.

Sleep: YES. up twice a night everyday this past week. It's getting difficult flipping from side to side.. and around 5AM.. when I wake up to pee, I crawl into bed on my husbands side and make him cuddle me. I think I'm driving him nuts. lol.

Best moment this week: Took an infant CPR class with my husband and mom. It feels good that she's excited enough to participate and prepare for the baby. she was taking it so seriously too!

Miss Anything? I miss a great cocktail.. (Newport sunset to be specific), I miss sushi... i miss not having to craving sweets... Before I got pregnant, I didn't care for chocolates, cookies, ice cream.. now I want them for every meal...

Movement: Yes.. he's starting to slow down with movement. Still gets his hiccups 1-2 times a day.. and I have the sprouts lite app.. where I started tracking his movement & possible contractions.

Food cravings: I can eat 1 baby watermelon a day, banana pancakes, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches on whole wheat, kale or spinach with turkey sandwich (must have mustard, cheese & avocados). I've been wanting KFC with rice.. but haven't actually ordered it.. but I've thought about it for almost 3 days straight.

Anything making you queasy or sick: milk.. but I'm drinking 2 cups a day. uck.

Have you started to show yet: obviously.

Gender: a handsome little man

Labor Signs: no, but I have Sharp pains where the sun don't shine.. and it hurts.

Belly Button in or out? Still in... I officially can't see my belly button anymore, but when I look in the mirror, it's still in.

Wedding rings on or off? still on. need to cut it off ASAP.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm very happy, but lately, I've been super clingy with my hubby. yesterday I cried because I didn't want to be alone at home (he was planning on watching the hockey game with his friend) and because he didn't give me enough time to prep for this, I burst into tears... am I crazy? no.. because his mom told him that at this stage its normal that I'm this emotional. lol. oops.

Looking forward to: our Breast Feeding class on Saturday & our Doctors appointment on Wednesday where He'll do a full ultrasound and let me know if Landon might make an early debut.



Lets see. so here is a photo full belly... lol we were laying out the other day and my hubby took this photo. the swimsuit is from Banana Republic!



oOOooh the best gift showed up in the mail this week! My cousin Linda sent Landon the cutest winter coat! It'll fit perfectly in time for Xmas! I literally can't wait to put him in it!!



She also sent us this CD collection! We immediately loaded 1/2 into my car and 1/2 into my husbands. I can't wait to get a CD player and play it when he arrives!



Last week my company threw me a little baby shower! it was super sweet of them to go through all the trouble! we had some yummy sandwiches and they had the cutest little sign up and gifted us the most adorable little outfits for Landon. I love my job!! everyone is soOOoo kind and relaxed there! I'm so lucky to work for them!



Friday, June 1, 2012

Too Big and Ready to POP... My End of the Month Re-Cap

So, Basically, I'm 89% completely dependent on my husband. I'm not ashamed to ask him for his help- that's why I married him right?

His current role is now:

Husband
caretaker
food runner/ delivery boy
underwear and pants putter on-er... lol
lotion latherer
pick upper person if I drop anything on the floor...
shopping bag carrier
purse carrier
helper in & out of bed person...
lets not forget, weekly photographer (he's available if anyone else needs an amazing belly photographer)...

I'm actually exhausted for him- by just listing these... for some reason, when I get into my car for work, I'm completely normal and functioning and anytime before and after I press that garage door button... I am 100% glued to him.. at the hips.

Anyone else have a husband who suffers from ALL this non-sense? I'm sure he's counting the days where this baby pops out.. but He understands he's has at least 2 months post baby to cater to me as well. He should've taken my Mothers offer... (to send me to her house (3 minutes away) for a month.)

So.. Let's do some catching up.

a few weeks ago, we decided to venture out and try a local hiking spot. it's 4 miles from our house.. and another 4 miles of off roading to get to the hike... a little scary.. but our goal was to get there and hike up to see a waterfall.

Mission failed for a few reasons.. first, by the time we got there and parked, i was exhausted. about 1/4 mile in, I had to PEE really bad... then we had to cross all these streams where it was pretty slippery so we started to get nervous... about 1/2 mile in, I got SUPER HUNGRY... lol. then We ran into these elderly ladies and they suggested we turn around. lol. But here are some photos.


Swimming lessons for Maddox has gone VERY WELL! He loves being in the pool. Especially if I'm in it. He'll sit on the steps for awhile and then jump onto my husbands lap. they float lazily together..


Over Memorial Day weekend, we took a drive down to LaJolla, CA to walk around, shop, eat and relax.
It was a beautiful weekend too!


Lastly, Puppy Training...

So we've got them pretty well trained. my next step is possibly leash/stroller training. But here are photos of them...

No puppies on the stairs while I go up and down... they have to wait until its clear.


No puppies in the Kitchen or Breakfast nook when we're eating.. I did this because when Landon starts throwing food on the floor, I don't want them running in, gobbling it up and getting tummy aches. This works very well, anytime they step foot in the Kitchen, we say "NO. OUT." and point our fingers, they will 98% of the time listen... unless we have guest.

...

NO Puppies in the Nursery... same rule applies as the kitchen and it works very well. lol. a little pitiful at times, Leiah doesn't even bother, but maddox hates it.




That's Pretty much it for the last half of May. I can't believe its already over and my last month of pregnancy begins.

xoxo

Anna