I'm still here!

I think my mind completely blocked out how HARD the first few weeks after having a baby can be. Take the exhaustion, the trying to figure out what this little person wants, the insane after pregnancy hormones, the recovery... it can be overwhelming. Things are definitely getting better everyday. I'm a little less tired. I'm a little less stressed.

This pregnancy and recovery has been 10 times harder than it was with Noah. It's easy for me to say that Emily has pretty much ruined my body... seriously. After SEVERAL trips to the doctor thinking I had a stubborn won't go away no matter how many antibiotics you give me UTI   I found out that during her delivery she actually crushed my urethra (that's where your pee comes out of...if you didn't know) I didn't even know that could happen! So now I feel like I have to pee all of the time. It's extremely annoying. My doctor said it should improve on it's on in a few weeks but if it doesn't I'll have to see a specialist. Apparently there are surgical options to repair this. Fun fun fun I tell you. I've been much more emotional this time around too. I think I'm finally done crying for no reason. Although when I look in the mirror and see the stretch marks all over my boobs I tear up a little... I told my sister the other day that I got a healthy adorable baby girl but I paid for it with my body lol.

At this moment Emily is happily napping in her pack and play we keep downstairs. Yesterday during a fit of crying I downloaded a womb app that plays, of course, womb sounds. I was instantly shocked by how much her crying time was shortened. Normally she wakes up, eats, cries for a while, goes to sleep, repeat... Thank you app!

Noah is SO in love with his little sister. We all are. It's funny that it's normal to stare at a baby and laugh when they poop and it would be VERY odd to do that to an adult. She is a hold me all the time baby. I'm searching for a good carrier. I purchased one yesterday and hated it. I'll be returning it today and getting a different one. My couch shall be my prison no longer! lol I love holding her...I'd just like to also be able to get a few things done around here.

She is growing too fast for me already. Her cheeks are so chunky and kissable. She makes the funniest faces. She is so snuggly and cute.  AND now she's waking up =)

Hopefully I'll find time to sit at this computer again soon! =)

Emily's Story (aka The time we almost didn't make it to the hospital!)

They say second babies are born faster than first babies. Well in my case that's extremely true. Tuesday October 1st I started having contractions around 2am. They weren't very regular and not too painful so I kept going back to sleep thinking, "Fantastic I'm in false labor again and this will be another night with no sleep." Around 4am I noticed they were every 10 minutes but still not that bad as far as pain goes. I got up and started getting Noah's stuff ready to take next door just in case this was really it. Finally around 5 they went from tolerable to excruciating and I knew I needed to wake Joey up.

Joey woke up and got Noah ready. My contractions were still about 8 minutes apart and the hospital told me not to bother coming in until they were 3-5 minutes apart so I tried to relax as much as possible....that's pretty impossible! Noah was very sweet. Every time I had to sit down and catch my breath he would pat my back and say things like, "It's okay mommy. You just have to get used to it. It's like when you get in a hot tub and you have to get used to the hottness." Lol Unfortunately this was nothing like getting into a hot tub.

The hospital is only about 10 minutes from our house. I told Joey we really needed to just go. I just wanted to get there! My contractions were 6 minutes apart when we left. During that quick minute drive they became 2 minutes apart. We walked...slowly...into the ER to check in. They got me upstairs pretty much right away.

The first things I said to the nurse were:
I don't want an epidural. (I have a huge fear of needles!!!)
Do I really need an IV (Needles again!!!)
I really think I'm about to have this baby!

The nurse left to get my IV kit. I wasn't happy about that. As soon as she got back she checked me and said I was already 9 centimeters!!!! She said, "Well it looks like you won't be needing that epidural. As soon as your water breaks it's going to be time to have that baby BUT don't push because the doctor isn't here yet..."

They never even got my IV in. They didn't want to try to put it in during a contraction. I was having them back to back so...no time to get it in. Not even 5 minutes later my water broke. Still no doctor...
I was instructed not to push. Um? Being told not to push when your body is clearly trying to get the baby out is like having someone tell you to stop breathing. It's hard!!!!

Finally! The doctor got there. My midwife wasn't on call that day but she was on her way as well. I was SO glad to see the doctor rush into the room. I don't cuss very often. I just don't. However in this situation I did. A teensy bit. Then I apologized after every cuss word lol. I told Joey repeatedly I AM NEVER DOING THIS S*** AGAIN!!!

4 pushes and Emily was here. 7lbs. 5oz. 18 inches long
We got to the hospital at 6:30.
She was born at 7:10.
I really think if we waited to leave the house any longer She might have been born in the parking lot.

We got really lucky and only had to spend one night in the hospital. Emily is amazing. I love her so much. She's tiny and cute. Noah adores her. He wants to hold her all the time. He gets very upset when he can't. She only cries when she's hungry or if you change her diaper. She's a pretty easy baby so far.

Her birth was so unexpected. It happened so fast. I really expected to be there laboring for at least a few hours. When the nurse told us I was already a 9 me and Joey just looked at each other like you're kidding right?!?

So I got everything I wanted. No induction. No epidural. No IV. Cute healthy baby.

Please excuse all typos...I'm tired lol.