Birth Certificate and Passports...No foreign travel for now!

In the hospital, we filled out a form for Lillian's birth certificate...the hospital is kind enough to submit all the paperwork for you. However, the kicker is that we have to wait 9 weeks, from the time of her birth to even order one, despite what it says on the Clerk of Court's webpage. Then there is the 3-4 weeks of waiting after we order the birth certificate.

Luckily, when the information is submitted for the birth certificate, the SS Administration is also notified, and Lillian will be mailed a card. But who knows how long that will take.

But all that has to occur, before we can even apply for her passport, which will take another 4-6 weeks. It's amazing to think that I cannot leave the country with my child because the government is so slow at handling paperwork.

Lillian's first week, and our first days as parents of two

I thought I knew what I needed to know when Lillian arrived in this world, with a slight cry. After all, a baby is a baby, correct? How wrong was I.

Lily is a beautiful baby girl, even with 2 bent ears from being lodged under my pelvic bone. She has 10 fingers and 10 toes, has yellow seedy diapers, and hardly any hair. And besides the obvious difference of she having girl parts and Charlie having boy parts, they are like 2 separate creatures.

And she sleeps, and sleeps, and sleeps. She latches onto my breast easily. She cries, but not hysterically. I feel as if she is my first, and everything I learned and did with Charlie needs to be thrown out the window, and I have to start all over again from scratch.



Don't get me wrong. I am loving every second (well, almost every second) of being a parent to two, and having a precious bundle of little girl. However, I am overly emotional at feeling completely out of my comfort zone with this new baby.



Jason is an amazing father, and in fact, was called "super dad" by all the nurses at the hospital. He took over with Lily especially those first 12-18 hours when I couldn't get out of bed, and still had the IV bag attached. He is always willing to jump in (or out of bed) to get Lily, change a diaper, rock her to sleep, or run around with Charlie. I feel so blessed to have him for a husband, and a equal partner in raising, caring for, and playing with our children.


Sleeping with Daddy

It is moments like these, when I see despite how tired he is, he still gets up to soothe a crying Lily, or rearrange Charlie in his bed at 3am, that I know all will be well, and together we will figure out this 2-kid deal, with minor bumps in the road.



Playground time ("Clean off. It's wet!") and Taking the big steps!



Papa and Gran Gran reading Charlie a bedtime story...or Charlie reading it to them!

Lillian (1 week old)

Lillian's Birth Story

We awoke today much like any other, with Charlie, shortly after 7:00 AM, presenting a book from his shelf and requesting one of his favorite television programs. It was January 18^th, 2010, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the day designated for the scheduled C-section of our first daughter.

I reminded Jason that he needed to get out of bed, and we sent Charlie down to his grandmother for some breakfast. I ate none, as the procedure mandated an empty stomach. Jason ate a light breakfast, and we packed the car in a light drizzle. We said our goodbyes to Charlie, reminding him that we loved him and that we would see him later, and we embarked for the hospital, a short 15-minute drive on this holiday morning. We arrived at the hospital and I was admitted into the Labor and Delivery unit without incident. I was assigned a pre-operating room, and I promptly disrobed in favor of the requisite, and always fashionable, drafty hospital gown. Unlike my previous visit for Charlie’s birth, the gown was buttoned such that it was nearly impossible to err when dawning it; I wish I could say the same for my previous attempt two years ago, which resulted in my head in a sleeve and the pocket perfectly misaligned.

We awaited the preparation of the Operating Room in the comfort of a birthing room. I naturally needed to sign a tome’s worth of consent forms, which I’m sure limited the hospital’s liability to all but the most egregious of errors. I had an IV inserted at this point, an experience I did not relish nor wish to repeat in the near future. The anesthesiologist stopped by to inform me of the details and risks associated with the spinal block that would inaugurate the procedure of the C-section. Once he was satisfied with my understanding he departed to leave me with the nurses for the final portions of my preparation. Jason felt strange at how nonchalant this portion of the hospital visit was, there was not much for us to do but wait.

Once the OR was prepared, I walked on my own to the OR, while Jason waited outside in his fake scrubs. The nurse and I were the first to the OR, but promptly joined by Dr. Z and her assistant. Then the anesthesiologist came in to insert the spinal. It was quite amazing that when he said “you will feel burning in a few seconds” I really did! He was very kind and any time during the procedure that I said I felt nauseous, he immediately inserted something into my IV, and I stopped feeling nauseous within a minute. Dr. Z stood right with me while the spinal was inserted, and talked about her son, amongst other things. Within minutes of the spinal being inserted, my bum started tingling, and my legs were lifted on the table. A drape was put up, and a catheter was inserted.

In the meantime, Jason waited outside of the OR, all the while examining the freshly autoclaved medical tools. They were all named and residing in their own special bins. He found one called Army-Navy. Our pediatrician, Dr. Gach, arrived and informed Jason he would be in attendance for the birth. Jason was pleased to have him, and naturally questioned Dr. Gach about the Army-Navy tool, inquiring about its purpose and etymology. As near as he could tell, the Army-Navy is a type of spreading tool with no discernable reason for its name.

I believe at that point Dr. Gach, the pediatrician who heads up the Livermore-Pleasanton Pediatrics Group, came in. I was surprised to see him, and when I asked why he was there, he said, “well, you asked for someone to come, and so here I am.” I didn’t remember doing so, but I was happy that he was there. Once the spinal block was functioning and I was sufficiently numb, then Jason was allowed to enter the OR and the procedure was started. The room was full of people, with Dr. Cahn always present and hovering near my head, administering intravenously whatever chemical was needed at the time.

Lillian was born at 11:41 AM, about 30 minutes after I first entered the OR. Jason peered over the drape across my chest to offer, “She’s huge.” She was whisked 4 feet away to a nursery station where Dr. Gach and a nurse examined her, confirming she was a healthy baby. Jason walked over to take pictures and to cut the umbilical cord. Jason was instructed by Dr. Gach, and slowly cut through the thick, tough cord. With the quick click of the camera, the nurse documented the only medical procedure for which Jason is remotely qualified. The portion of the umbilical cord that was still attached to the placenta was used to harvest cord blood, which we had previously arranged to be stored with the Cord Blood Registry.

With Lillian thoroughly disconnected from Mom, Jason was escorted with Lillian into the nursery. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 4.2 oz. and was measured to be 18 ½” long. She scored well on her APGARs, although she was slightly purple in complexion.

All of the post delivery portion, I remember quite well. The nurses and Dr. Z chatted with each other, and I do remember Dr. Gach at one point saying that I had very little fat accumulated during my pregnancy with Lily. I was stitched up, staples inserted, and Dr. Z spent some time cleaning the iodine off my abdomen. I was rolled onto a new gurney, and rolled off into the recovery room. I ended up being in recovery for about 4 hours, since there were no postpartum rooms available.

Jason came in the room a bit later, and without Lillian. Eventually the nurses brought her to me, and I was able to nurse her. She latched on quickly, and she had very little problems throughout our hospital stay. I was moved into a pediatric room, since there were still no rooms available, and it was a semi-private room, but with no one in it at the time. So Jason received free meals while occupied that room.

Around 4:30pm or 5pm, Momma and Charlie came by the hospital, and visited us. Charlie did nothing but cling to Jason the entire time. He eventually approached me to take a cracker from me, but appeared to me scared of me, as I was still in my hospital gown. I guess I looked strange and frightening to him. I did cry at his obvious fear of me.

I was determined to have my catheter out that day, and I was almost successful. My 7pm-11pm nurse came in around 8:30pm, and she assisted me out of the bed, where I walked across the room, and into the hallway. However, I was not allowed to have the leg cuffs removed or the catheter taken out because I needed to walk 3 separate times. At 10:30pm, I asked to walk again, and she said that the next shift nurse would assist me. The next nurse did not come in until 1am, but I was determined, and so I walked to the bathroom without assistance, and she removed the catheter while I was in there. She also said she could remove the leg cuffs as well. I was able to change gowns, and I felt so much better. Like a new woman! And in the morning, our nurse from the day before, Suzanne was back, and I was able to shower and put on my own pajamas. My IV bag was also removed, though the IV needle had to remain in until 11am, 24 hours from when it was first inserted. However, I was ecstatic about my own clothes and a shower!

Our stay in the hospital was uneventful, for the most part. The only thing that occurred of significance was that on Tuesday night, Lillian was weighed in at 6 lb, 9 oz, and Wednesday night, she was reweighed in at 5lb, 15 oz. They wanted to give her formula, but I was adamant that she be reweighed again, because Jason and I did not believe she could have lost that much weight. She was weighed again, and this time, came in at 6lb, 9oz again, and therefore they did not (according to their regulations) need to give her formula. I was ready to fight on this one, so I was glad for this new reading.

Other than that, Lillian and I were released from the hospital on Thursday, January 21, 2010, and I was ready to go before 9am. The nurses, and Dr. Z, were surprised at my eagerness to leave, though they should not have been, since I had been eager to get out of bed, walk, wear my own clothes, and be as independent as possible. At 10:30am, we were in the Jason’s truck, and on our way home, ready to start our new life, as a family of four!

Completey and Utterly: Everything

In slightly more than 12 hours, I will be in surgery, about to deliver a baby girl. I honestly waver between fear, elation, anxiousness, and excitement. And probably about a million other emotions.

And everything feels extreme and intense. But I do know that once I hold her in my arms, all I will feel is love.

In Defense of...

With only a few days until Baby Girl arrives, I have once again, well actually twice today, been confronted with the topic of a baby shower.

Or in my case, a lack thereof. Yes, with this little one, I never had a baby shower. I only had one with Charlie, unlike some people who end up having 2 or 3, or even more.

Don't get me wrong--I have no problem with multiple showers, or showers for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc., kid. It just was not in the cards for me.

I do have a problem with the huge intake of breath from those who I tell that I did not have a shower, and this look as if I have suddenly become a leper right before their very eyes. I want to ask, "What would you like me to do about it? Throw myself a shower?"

Talk about Emily Post rolling over in her grave. In fact, although I would enjoy a gathering of friends and family, and who can honestly say that they don't like presents, I did not need much at all for this baby. The things I needed were things to decorate the room with, and some baby clothes. I had burp clothes, a swing, a carrier, slings, a crib, a rocker, etc. Everything was gender neutral for Charlie, so I was good to go for this one. I am cloth diapering, so I didn't need diapers. Wipes I already buy for Charlie, so nope. A couple of pacis, and a few new receiving blankets, and I am ready for this baby.

Honestly, between this topic, and my C-section, I swear like I am constantly defending myself regarding this pregnancy. Lord help me when people find out that I fully vaccinate, let my baby CIO, cloth diaper, AND refuse to give baby food. It will only get worse! :)

He's not a baby anymore.

Pointing out Donkey in Shrek while eating popcorn...in his big boy chair.

New Ride...for the babies

As my friend Kim said, buying baby gear is more than extremely frustrating and overwhelming. With baby #2, you assume you know everything, right? After all, buy some new receiving blankets, onesies, some diapers, resuse the old carseat, bleach the old burp clothes, buy some new bedding. But then, the stroller decision comes in. Yes, I can reuse the crib, because Charlie has moved onto the a new twin bed, and yes, I can reuse the Graco stroller, but then, what would I do with Charlie??

Yes, I still have another child. The dingbat in me thinks everything is fine, until I realize I cannot go to the mall unless I have Baby 2 in a sling, and Charlie in the stroller. (And for anyone who thinks that the mall, zoo, etc. would be fine with Charlie walking, I will give you to him for one day with no stroller in Disneyland. And laugh at your pain at the end of it.) Of course, the sling would work occasionally, but not all the time.

So, double stroller it is. To me, a double stroller is sort of like a mini-van. I loathe them. So I was determined to have something cool, AND something that would fit all my needs. Which were that I could run with it, easily open and close it, have it take up not much more room that my current jogger, and that I could attach the infant carrier to it. This of course is important, because I don't want to wait until month 6 or so, to start running. And Baby 2 will need to be in her carrier at least for the first 3 months, but probably closer to 5.

And then the researching began. My friend Audrey went with the Phil and Ted option, so I researched that one. It was unequivocally overruled by Jay, because after he went and tested it, he said we would be constantly kicking the bottom kiddo. I also looked into a BOB and Bumbleride, and really liked the Bumbleride Indie Twin. But again, I wanted to see it in action, and have Jason look at it. So off we went to Alameda (Tot Tank) to check it out. There we also found the City Elite double by Baby Jogger. Luckily the BOB, Phil and Ted, Bumbleride, and some Maclarens were there. So, we were able to play with them all. Actually, Jay did most of the playing. Once I saw how smooth the ride (or in my case, push) was on the Bumbleride and City Elite, I was sold.

As a side note, I do have to give a big shout out to Tot Tank employees for being so generous with their time and answering tons of questions. THANK YOU!

We went home with more things to look up, but in the end, I chose the Bumbleride because it was cheaper once you added in the things that came standard with it that I wanted (rain cover and infant seat adapter), that I would have had to pay for with the Baby Jogger/City Elite or BOB.

It came in last week, and Jason built in yesterday, and I cannot wait to use it later on it. And hurray for Ebay and saving several 100 bucks!

A Room Complete...and just in time?

Little one's room is now done. Just waiting on the quilt to come from Pottery Barn.

But here are some pictures. Owls, trees, and flowers are the "theme" so to speak. I love all the green, but wanted to add in bursts of pink to make it girly. Think Elphaba meets Glalinda :)

8x10 alphabet cards with each letter depicting a flower that begins with that letter. The baby's initials...I think :)

Wall applique tree. No painting this time around.

Chair recovered by a wonderful mom in my Livermore Mom's Group :) Thanks Julie!

See the cloth diapers? Am I crazy? Who knows, but I am going to try!

Charlie would like everyone to know that his artwork is on the wall over the changing table! "It's mine. It's baby's."

Beautiful wooden peg rack from Etsy seller MapleShadeKids. I added the basket and the ribbon.

Earthquake

Yesterday we experienced a 4.1 earthquake, about 20-30 miles away from the epicenter. When it happened, Charlie looked up from his toys, and at me, and then said, "Clyde running." It did have a similar vibration to our cat running up and down the hall. I was very amused.

Plasma Car...Best Toy Ever

Ok, maybe not for infants, or even beginning walkers.

The age touted on this toy is 3 and up, but the first time Charlie was on it, he was under two. Sure, he could not manipulate it as intended but he used it as a push car with his feet, and still does.

There are no batteries on this puppy--no music, lights, special compartments, or anything fancy. Just four wheels, handlebars, and a seat for feet and butt.

It actually moves pretty fast, I think the manufacturer says something like 2.5 meters/second. Which is fast enough for a kiddo, indoors. And it can handle a weight of up to 22olb, so Jay and I can both use...but not together. Of course, you run the risk of Charlie becoming slightly disturbed at someone touching "his" things. And "my" or "mine" will be heard repeatedly. (Think the seagulls from "Nemo.")

One other side note, that the manufacturer does recommend that it not be used on laminate or wood flooring....Uh, who has gym flooring in their home, or for that matter has access to a gym that is going to let a child bring in their own ride-on toy? Seems a bit lame personally. Needless to say, it is used all over our house, which is full of laminate.

But other than that, it is completely fabulous because:

1) It completely occupies Charlie's day, besides short intervals of time with his Cars cars.
2) It is relatively quiet.
3) I don't hear short bursts of annoying kid music.
4) And for $50 bucks (double what we paid for his Fisher Price ride on for Christmas last year, which he used every day since then--definitely worth the $25), it's a great price for something I think he will use for years!

Coincidence, or not??

How ironic (or is it?) that on the day Charlie goes in for his 2 year well visit at the pediatrician's office, he throws about 10 tantrums. We witnessed 4 in the doctor's office itself, and that was at 4pm. That doesn't count the 5 this morning, or the 2 between waking up from his nap and leaving for the doctor's. It has been quite the day...

37 Week Belly Pics

Ok, this might be it. I am not sure I can keep taking pics of myself, but here is me at 37 weeks, taken this weekend.

Uncomfortable is where I am. But normal for the last 4 weeks, so I don't complain too much!

Happy 2nd Birthday Charlie!

On Sunday we celebrated Charlie's 2nd birthday. It was small, no party or anything fancy, since it was just the three of us. We plan on throwing a small party for Charlie and the baby in March, when my parents are out.

But Charlie did awake to balloons and getting to find the plasma car, which he has called, and continues to call, a "train," since were in the baby store looking for strollers weeks ago. As soon as he found it hidden behind the couch, he immediately cried out "train" and began removing Jason's shoes in order to get behind the couch to get on it. Jay solved the problem by just picking it up and giving it to him. He has inseparable from his train since then! Thank you Hannah and Matthew!





After a birthday breakfast of homemade biscuits and sausage, and of course, fruity cheerios and chocolate milk, we moved to the den, and Charlie opened his presents. Nothing beat the cars toppers that were on candy tubes from Gran-Gran, or the plasma car, though he did practice beating the baseball for awhile outside later in the afternoon.












I appreciate everyone that has sent Charlie money, and it all will be deposited into his savings account for now. He has greatly enjoyed all of his toys, especially anything that is vehicle related :)



Charlie's birthday dinner consisted of mac and cheese, chicken fingers (made especially by daddy), french fries and dip (ketchup), and carrots. He seemed to like it all. And then of course, the cupcake took the day. At first intrigued and slightly concerned about the candles and fire, he let Jay blow out the candles, and then picked off each "cookie" (reese's candy spelling out a two), before finally digging in. I think Charlie had a great day, and we are so amazed at his growth, in all ways, over the past 2 years. It is hard to believe he is getting so big!