This kid has his family wrapped around his week-old finger. Which finger is a lot more mobile now that he's not tethered to a glo belt. His first outing: Bob Evans for dinner last night. He did really well!
Sunday, July 25
Tuesday, July 20
AB vs. O
Well, crap.
Turns out the reason the twins ended up under bili lights wasn't just 'cause they were preemies. They were also the product of incompatible parents. HAha! Okay- so even though Zach and I get along fine, our blood doesn't mix so well. Kael tested Coombs positive. He's got hemolytic anemia, which basically means my body fought against his, and now he's got antibodies against himself, courtesy Mom.
"Why, Mom? Why?"
Which means.... the WALLABY!
And also.... SUPPLEMENTING WITH FORMULA!!!! Grr.
Oh well. On the spectrum of crap you can go through with having kids, I've always been at the easy end, so I'm not complaining. And it gives family a rare (hopefully rare, anyway) chance to help feed baby. :)
Ya' like Anya's shirt? Ahhh, the irony.
Turns out the reason the twins ended up under bili lights wasn't just 'cause they were preemies. They were also the product of incompatible parents. HAha! Okay- so even though Zach and I get along fine, our blood doesn't mix so well. Kael tested Coombs positive. He's got hemolytic anemia, which basically means my body fought against his, and now he's got antibodies against himself, courtesy Mom.
"Why, Mom? Why?"Which means.... the WALLABY!
And also.... SUPPLEMENTING WITH FORMULA!!!! Grr.Oh well. On the spectrum of crap you can go through with having kids, I've always been at the easy end, so I'm not complaining. And it gives family a rare (hopefully rare, anyway) chance to help feed baby. :)
Ya' like Anya's shirt? Ahhh, the irony.
Sunday, July 18
What a difference a day makes
And experience. Experience makes a difference. I had mega trouble breastfeeding with Mia and the twins. I let the hospital nursery take them so I could sleep, but never got them back in time for feedings and didn't build my milk supply quickly enough to avoid having to supplement, which slowed building a milk supply further. I spent so many hours pumping and fiddling with SNS tubes and going to lactation specialists...
This time I brought the pump to the hospital and did some precautionary pumping after feedings. It worked! I can't believe what a difference it makes not having to rely on a can of formula, a bunch of bottles, and that freaking pump every three hours. We got up three times last night, and all I needed was a baby and me. Ta da! I got almost eight hours of sleep last night! I can't believe it. I know not every night will be this good. But I also know I've never seen a newborn night like it before, and I'm grateful and sure there will be more. What a relief!
This time I brought the pump to the hospital and did some precautionary pumping after feedings. It worked! I can't believe what a difference it makes not having to rely on a can of formula, a bunch of bottles, and that freaking pump every three hours. We got up three times last night, and all I needed was a baby and me. Ta da! I got almost eight hours of sleep last night! I can't believe it. I know not every night will be this good. But I also know I've never seen a newborn night like it before, and I'm grateful and sure there will be more. What a relief!
Saturday, July 17
He's here!
Kael Dean Van Wagoner was born on July 15th at 4:34 in the afternoon. We were originally scheduled to be induced Monday, but I chickened out, citing the fact that my mother-in-law wouldn't be in town until the next day. Really, I was just not keen on the idea that I couldn't eat breakfast because of the C-section risk. But at my next appointment my doctor asked if I'd like to reschedule for Thursday. For some reason I said yes. (Probably had something to do with the waddle/limp I'd acquired, and that I was 5 centimeters all week...)
At 3:30 Thursday morning, I hadn't slept more than an hour when the hospital called to postpone my 5:30 am induction. "Go back to sleep! We'll call you when it's time to come- sometime after 7." At 9:00 I called to ask if I could eat some breakfast.
"Sure! Eat a light breakfast, and be here around 10." Uh- okay.
I was super nervous on the way to the hospital. Still wasn't convinced I made the right decision.
We broke my water around noon, and an hour later I got an epidural. We were planning on starting pitocin at 3, but contractions kicked in on their own. About an hour into labor my blood pressure dropped a few times (reaction to the epidural)and I started to faint, (awful feeling!!!) but they gave me something that got me back to good each time. Then it was baby's turn. Every other contraction brought a drop in his heart rate, and I kept turning to help it back up. At one point it stayed down really low for four minutes, the first two of which were spent with me asking why I needed an oxygen mask, and trying to decipher the weird look on my nurse and Zach's faces, the last two were spent trying to ignore the look on the faces of the ten people that ran into the room, then rolling onto my hands and knees, and then crying when all I could think was "This is what I get for being impatient and forcing my kid out of the womb." Zach said later that the few times he saw that happen on his OBGYN rotation, a crash C-section followed. They gave me a shot to stop contractions, and we waited an hour for them to come back, all the while wondering if the same drop would happen again.
It didn't.
Zach got to deliver. After five minutes of pushing, 8 pounds and five ounces of Kael came out into the world. They unwrapped his cord twice from around his arm, his leg, and his neck, and then exclaimed at the figure-eight knot tied in the middle of it. He gave a good cry and I experienced more relief at seeing him placed on my chest than I'd ever felt.
Zach helped me feel better about our decision to induce. Had he been left to grow in that mess another few days, there would have been even less room for that cord to go. And the heart rate drops that we monitored so closely and remedied with turning might have gone unnoticed had I labored in the car on the way to the hospital. I know a lot of people have been praying for me and this baby for a long time- even Mia would mention us in her unassisted prayers, which always left me feeling gently impressed. I know those efforts were noticed.
Here's Kael in the fouth Grandma Gale edition of Van Wagoner baby quilts.
Grandma Coralee is here helping with the girls and housework.
I'm having better luck with nursing this time around.
Baby is getting used to us, and we're getting used to him.
Anya and Bree were both claiming him as "my baby, Anya." "No- that's MY baby, Bree." "No that's MOMmy's baby, Anya." And Bree keeps demanding that I put baby in this or that chair and give him this or that toy or food. We've got some precious video of them with Kael during his first moments home- I'll post a little later.
Mia is extremely helpful and I'm trying to figure out a way to reward that sweet girl appropriately for the amazing attitude she has about the needs of her family.
We're doing good! Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes and prayers!
At 3:30 Thursday morning, I hadn't slept more than an hour when the hospital called to postpone my 5:30 am induction. "Go back to sleep! We'll call you when it's time to come- sometime after 7." At 9:00 I called to ask if I could eat some breakfast.
"Sure! Eat a light breakfast, and be here around 10." Uh- okay.
I was super nervous on the way to the hospital. Still wasn't convinced I made the right decision.
We broke my water around noon, and an hour later I got an epidural. We were planning on starting pitocin at 3, but contractions kicked in on their own. About an hour into labor my blood pressure dropped a few times (reaction to the epidural)and I started to faint, (awful feeling!!!) but they gave me something that got me back to good each time. Then it was baby's turn. Every other contraction brought a drop in his heart rate, and I kept turning to help it back up. At one point it stayed down really low for four minutes, the first two of which were spent with me asking why I needed an oxygen mask, and trying to decipher the weird look on my nurse and Zach's faces, the last two were spent trying to ignore the look on the faces of the ten people that ran into the room, then rolling onto my hands and knees, and then crying when all I could think was "This is what I get for being impatient and forcing my kid out of the womb." Zach said later that the few times he saw that happen on his OBGYN rotation, a crash C-section followed. They gave me a shot to stop contractions, and we waited an hour for them to come back, all the while wondering if the same drop would happen again.
It didn't.
Zach got to deliver. After five minutes of pushing, 8 pounds and five ounces of Kael came out into the world. They unwrapped his cord twice from around his arm, his leg, and his neck, and then exclaimed at the figure-eight knot tied in the middle of it. He gave a good cry and I experienced more relief at seeing him placed on my chest than I'd ever felt.
Zach helped me feel better about our decision to induce. Had he been left to grow in that mess another few days, there would have been even less room for that cord to go. And the heart rate drops that we monitored so closely and remedied with turning might have gone unnoticed had I labored in the car on the way to the hospital. I know a lot of people have been praying for me and this baby for a long time- even Mia would mention us in her unassisted prayers, which always left me feeling gently impressed. I know those efforts were noticed.
Here's Kael in the fouth Grandma Gale edition of Van Wagoner baby quilts. Grandma Coralee is here helping with the girls and housework.
I'm having better luck with nursing this time around.
Baby is getting used to us, and we're getting used to him.
Anya and Bree were both claiming him as "my baby, Anya." "No- that's MY baby, Bree." "No that's MOMmy's baby, Anya." And Bree keeps demanding that I put baby in this or that chair and give him this or that toy or food. We've got some precious video of them with Kael during his first moments home- I'll post a little later.
Mia is extremely helpful and I'm trying to figure out a way to reward that sweet girl appropriately for the amazing attitude she has about the needs of her family.
We're doing good! Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes and prayers!
Thursday, July 15
Git 'er done
Warning: motherhood post.
So I'm sitting here in labor and delivery waiting to go into labor. We figured since I've been at a five for over a week I might as well get induced and avoid a freaky rush to the hospital. So far we've just broken water and nothing is happening. :b
BUT no matter what- today's the day.
So I'm sitting here in labor and delivery waiting to go into labor. We figured since I've been at a five for over a week I might as well get induced and avoid a freaky rush to the hospital. So far we've just broken water and nothing is happening. :b
BUT no matter what- today's the day.
Saturday, July 10
Vacation Bible School
On the 3rd we went to the twins' first real firework show at the church where we meet with a bunch of Gahanna moms regularly. The gal who heads up our group goes to the church, and invited us all to the show. While we waited for dusk, the girls had a fun time getting their faces painted and bouncing in a bounce house, while I played Connect 4 with some young women. Zach spent the whole time following the girls from the bounce house, to the coolers, to the bathroom, to the various cookie-covered tables, and back to the bounce house. 
Mia sporting her new fake smile...
While we were there, a super nice lady introduced herself and invited us to sign up for Vacation Bible School. They had a cute ad posted, and I'd been invited by our meet-up group, but didn't know how welcome a bunch of Mormon kids would be at a Methodist version of youth conference. This lady was so persistent and encouraging, I asked how much it cost. "It's free!"
Sold!
So my girls have spent every evening the last week rocking out and learning about Joseph in Egypt, ancient Egyptian culture, and the One True God! It was really well produced- I think it is nationwide for the church, so their lessons and music were really professional and cute. Zach dropped them off in the main hall and spent the time studying for boards in the designated "quiet room" in the back. After an opening excerise of sorts, they got to go to stations throughout the building that were set up with different crafts and games.
Every night they came home and showed me their Egyptian crafts, and I asked them if they had fun, what they learned. Mia's eyes lit up one night when she actually remembered the lesson of the day: "I know! God is all around us!" Amen sister! I asked if she knew how God pulls that off. She had no idea. I reminded her about the Holy Ghost. "Oh- yeaaah!" So- okay, the band didn't do a lot of singing about the still, small voice. But it was a really fun activity, and they came home quite entertained. If they start clapping during the hymns in sacrament meeting tomorrow... well- blame me. :)
Mia sporting her new fake smile...
While we were there, a super nice lady introduced herself and invited us to sign up for Vacation Bible School. They had a cute ad posted, and I'd been invited by our meet-up group, but didn't know how welcome a bunch of Mormon kids would be at a Methodist version of youth conference. This lady was so persistent and encouraging, I asked how much it cost. "It's free!"
Sold!
So my girls have spent every evening the last week rocking out and learning about Joseph in Egypt, ancient Egyptian culture, and the One True God! It was really well produced- I think it is nationwide for the church, so their lessons and music were really professional and cute. Zach dropped them off in the main hall and spent the time studying for boards in the designated "quiet room" in the back. After an opening excerise of sorts, they got to go to stations throughout the building that were set up with different crafts and games.
Every night they came home and showed me their Egyptian crafts, and I asked them if they had fun, what they learned. Mia's eyes lit up one night when she actually remembered the lesson of the day: "I know! God is all around us!" Amen sister! I asked if she knew how God pulls that off. She had no idea. I reminded her about the Holy Ghost. "Oh- yeaaah!" So- okay, the band didn't do a lot of singing about the still, small voice. But it was a really fun activity, and they came home quite entertained. If they start clapping during the hymns in sacrament meeting tomorrow... well- blame me. :) 
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