Well, this is certainly a long time coming...

Since it's been almost 5 months (5 months!!) since my last blog post, I have A LOT to write about!  We'll see if Bailey lets me write for a little while :)

First things first!  Here's a recent pic of my little cutie:

 She's such a ham... until the camera comes out.  I was lucky to get this picture!

I knew life would change once Bailey made her appearance, but oh my goodness, experiencing it was something else!  There've been highs, there've been lows, and everything in between.  The past few months have gone by incredibly fast, and I can only imagine how quickly it will go from here.  She'll be talking, walking, and driving before I know it!

I'll get back to her in a bit; I wanna talk about my delivery!

Here's what went down...

I went in for my scheduled induction on August 6th, and when I got all settled in, the nurse informed me that there was a chance that I'd be sent home if things didn't progress enough.  After three (I think it was three) rounds of Cervadil and six hours later, I still wasn't dilating so back home I went!  Honestly, I didn't feel prepared at all to have a baby that day so I was glad I was sent home!!  I know that some people would feel very discouraged but oh man, I was relieved beyond imagination lol.  My doctor had me come back two days later, and by that point I had a better idea of what to expect and I felt much more at ease.  Everything happens for a reason...

Here's a short and sweet timeline of events on the 8th:
  • 6am: arrived at hospital
  • 7am: began hourly rounds of Cervadil
  • 11:30am: doctor broke my water; started a low drip of Pitocin
  • 1:30pm: Got the epidural and upped the Pitocin - my contractions were STRONG
  • 4:27pm: Miss Bailey was here!
I had been having mild contractions pretty much from the time I had gotten to the hospital up until they broke my water, and then the real fun began.  The contractions intensified from there and I was SO ready for the epidural by the time I finally got one.  They kept telling me that the anesthesiologist was on her way, but it seemed like she was taking her sweet time lol.  I would call my contractions (the ones I could feel) the worst period cramps I've ever had.  However, once I got the epidural, I was GREAT!  The pain had gone away, and I rested until it was time to push.  When the time came, I pushed three times and she was here!!  **Warning!  Explicit language coming up soon!**  When the doctor told me she was out, I believe my exact words were, "No shit?!"  :D  I couldn't believe how easy it was!  I had expected a much longer and much more painful labor and delivery, and I was amazed that I had done it - I just had my baby girl!  All things considered, I can't complain ONE BIT about how it all went.  It was PERFECT!!  I knew good and well that there was a chance I'd end up having a cesarean, and I'm glad that I was able to have an uncomplicated natural delivery! 


Our first family picture!  And yes, I did my makeup that day lol!



Skinny Miss Bailey!  6.5 pounds and 19.5 inches long.



Mark's first night as a daddy



Wishing I was getting as much sleep as Bailey...



Going home on the 10th!



Already a daddy's girl at five days old... this is one of my favorite pictures!



After her first bath, which she hated!  She tolerates her baths these days.

Side note: OK really, I started this blog like three months ago, and since then I've taken A TON more pictures.  Do you really want to see them all?  I've been blowing up Facebook with all of them, so I'll just post a few of my favorites here.  I mean, let's be real, I can't put like 150+ pictures of Bailey on just one post!  :)  Here goes...

 
Two weeks old


 
One month



Two months



Three months


 
4 months


 
Four months - how can you resist that sweet little face?!
 

OK, one more:
 
 
Merry Christmas blog followers!

 
Just kidding!  Here's another:
 
 
4 and a half months :)


OMG, I'm such a mom.  I only know how to post stuff about my baby.  What happened to me?!  That's a whole other blog post lol...
 
It's almost 1:30 in the morning and Mark's been asleep for a couple of hours, and Bailey's asleep in her room as well.  I should probably get to bed, too, but time to myself is so rare these days.  I enjoy the solitude now, especially since my days revolve around caring for Bailey and/or Mark lol.  Don't get me wrong, I love this new role that I am in - but I sometimes miss what Mark and I had before.  Going to movies on cheap movie night, being able to leave the house without it taking 20 minutes, not having to worry about buying diapers and formula... life was much simpler back then and adjusting to parenthood has been a challenge.  
 
Sometimes I look at Bailey and think, "Is this real?  Are you really my baby?  Was I really pregnant for nine months and gave birth to you?"  I know she's my baby and I am her mother, but it TRIPS ME OUT.   Like, it really TRIPS ME OUT.  The love I have for her is so intense, though.  Her smile melts my heart when I'm having a bad day, and snuggling with her is one of the best things I've ever experienced.  Those moments make it all worthwhile.
 
Not to say we haven't had bad days... tonight (or last night, I guess I should call it) we went to a Christmas party at our friends' house, and Bailey had a rough time, to say the least.  We were there for about half an hour or 45 minutes, and she was doing fine - just hanging out and being held by Mark.  A friend had asked if she could hold her, and of course we said OK.  Bailey did fine for a few minutes, but then started to fuss, and fussing turned into unhappy crying soon thereafter.  I took her back, and tried to calm her down, but it was to no avail.  Bailey was pissed (we're talking loud high-pitched screaming), and nothing I was doing was helping.  Mark tried to calm her - didn't work.  GJ tried to calm her - didn't work.  Heather tried to calm her - didn't work.  Melissa tried to calm her - didn't work.  I knew she was tired (she's been known to fight sleep), but she wouldn't settle down enough to fall asleep.  Eventually, after at least an hour of hard crying and Melissa taking over so that Mark and I could go eat, she fell asleep for a little while and then was fine the rest of the night.  I should mention that Bailey rarely does this - maybe three or four times so far.  It's such a helpless feeling.  When she's screaming bloody murder so loud that my ears hurt and I've tried all I can think of to console her, it's like I'm at a total loss of what to do.  I thank God that she doesn't have colic.  I admire the parents who deal with that - they have a special place in my heart.
 
See?  Life's not perfect, but I take it day by day.  Tonight was hard, but we got through it.
 
Until next time!
 
It's almost 2:00!  This mama's tired. 

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