just an update

So Monday I took Hadley in for an unexpected, kinda last minute, doctor's appointment. Ever since she was born her right eye has been kinda swollen and irritated, and I'd began seeing a fair amount of clear, teary discharge from it, along with some 'goo'... My thoughts - a clogged tear duct that was beginning to get infected.


[She got a sticker for being SUCH a good girl. Can you believe those little pouty lips?!? Watch out Daddy/pocketbook ;)]

I felt so bad for her because half the time she didn't even bother opening that eye because it was so swollen. So anyway, we saw the PNP, she agreed with my 'Nurse Mommy' diagnosis and sent us off with a script for some ointment.



You know it's bad when the pharmacy tech rings you up and says "Ewww wow. Do you have insurance?" Why yes I do but she's a newborn so her paperwork hasn't gone through yet... I took that picture of the 1.5" tube and sent it to James saying "Our latest $90 purchase..." Haha! He really appreciated that ;) There's something to be said for it though, because after just one dose her eye is looking tons better.

I also had the PNP cauterize her umbilical site since it was oozing a little too much for my liking. Looks like it won't be hanging around for long anyway though... And as for Hadley's weight - a whopping 7lb 13.5oz! So in a week she went gone up 9oz from her hospital discharge weight, and surpassed her birth weight!

But what can I say, she's a MILK JUNKIE. I've actually been having to cut her off after 15 to 20 minutes because she'll keep going until she makes herself sick. (After which, she's hungry again!) And as for me - well just call me the Milk Maid...


[No this is not a plug for Jimmy Dean. Although I do love those sandwiches.]

I've been pumping in between every feed ever since my milk came in and in one week I've been able to store over 150 oz! James has dubbed me Michelle Duggar... (So I've forgotten - is breastmilk socially gross to discuss?? Being a NICU nurse, it's all table talk to me!) But the perks are twofold : We get a nice little reserve of milk, and I'm officially just 6lbs shy of my prepregnancy weight! (Thank you, Hadley.) Oh bring on fall, my Sevens are calling my name...

In the meantime I've also started my post pregnancy ab exercises. Looking forward to jumping in to some Zumba or Cardio Dance in a week or so when I have the official "clear" to do high impact activity. I truly LOVE being pregnant, but it's also so rewarding to get back in to normal activities/clothes afterwards...


[Knox introducing Hadley to the wonders of the Backyardigans. He loves her so very much! He calls her his 'friend'...]

Poor James has been pulling 16 hour days downtown ever since last week. He is so exhausted! Monday night he didn't get home until 2am :( But he did manage to sneak out at 5 yesterday, and meet us here just in time to take Knox to his Meet the Teachers night at school. I totally packed my camera and didn't get one picture :( We were only there for about 30 minutes though.

We are so happy that Knox has his same two teachers from last year. They are such sweet hearts and LOVE Knox. In fact, they are just 2 of the many teachers up there that adore him. All we heard all night was how missed he was, how much he'd grown, etc. The head administrator, Ms. Marla, made a huge fuss over him and went on and on about how she still had his little Valentine to her hanging in her office, and how she's been looking at it all summer, just missing him.

Needless to say, Mr. Popularity was handing out hugs and kisses at every corner... I feel so blessed to have him in a program where I know his caretakers are not only responsible and attentive, but genuinely LOVE him.

They all got a kick out of meeting Miss Hadley too. I'd been taking Knox up there for Music in Motion all summer (kind of like a Gymboree or KinderMusic program) so they've been watching the belly grow and been kept up to date on the whole pregnancy. In fact, the last week we were up there the Curriculum Coordinator told me that I better have her before the 1st so she could start MDO next year... My thoughts exactly! :)


[Sleeping Beauty slept SEVEN hours the other night. And that's with me having to WAKE her up to feed.]

In fact - Knox and Hadley may end up being just a year apart in school. Knox has a late May birthday so I'm sure we'll start him a year later, as they recommend for boys. Mainly for maturity reasons, but Daddy has ulterior motives... A one up in high school sports. (Rolling my eyes...) And then if I feel Hadley is ready, I'm sure I'll go ahead and start her the following year. Even though she'll have a VERY late birthday I think it'd be torture to be the oldest girl in a class full of immature kids. So I guess we'll just wait and see what she's ready for, but I kind of like the idea of them being so close and having the same group of friends. They can keep an eye on each other for me ;)

So anyway - James parents are still in town. They have Knox at the Zoo today. I think Hadley and I may get out soon and do a little (dare-I-say) BOW shopping. Along with groceries, but that's not as fun...

Still looking forward to my Dad's weekend visit, and then starting back our little Fall schedule next week. Knox has his first day of MDO Tuesday and I have a MOPS Steering Committee meeting that night, with our kick-off being the following Monday. (YEAH!) I'm also starting a new women's bible study this fall through Bible Study Fellowship, Intl. We'll be studying Isaiah on Wednesday mornings. (I need a little Jesus in my mid-week.) It's free and childcare is provided. Count me in!

Haha - I jump on any weekday activity that's in the first half of the day. Not only do I just enjoy getting out, but Knox loves any kind of social group and he ALWAYS takes a great nap afterwards. So between MOPS, MDO, and BSF... We hope to stay busy this fall!

hadley meets target

So yesterday James' parents took Knox out to run some errands and left Hadley and I at home to "rest"... Well it didn't take long for the quiet to get to me and go stir crazy, so I decided it was time for Hadley's first real outing... A mommy-daughter shopping trip! (The first of MANY...)

So we got pretty - or at least she did...

...And we headed out to Target. It's the closest thing to us and since it was Sunday, none of the other stores would be opening until noon.

First of all - I forgot how nerve wracking it is driving with a newborn! I think I went 5 under the whole way.

Ok, so the hat's a little big, but I couldn't resist! She's such a little trooper ;)

Our little shopping trip was a great success! (Translation : She slept the entire time.) We mosied around for about an hour and a half, not really in the market for anything. Just enjoying being OUT!

And since it WAS our first shopping trip, I just had to treat her to some fun things...

Dress and sweater for the fall (Look closely, I wish the sweater came in my size!), onsies, a skirt, leggins, a tutu swim suit and white cover-up for next year (Clearance!), bows, and a new play gym. She is such a STRONG one, so I think she'll be able to get some good use out it now. The other day at her newborn pics we placed her on her belly and I swear she about pushed up and crawled across the floor! We were all like HOLD STILL, you're suppossed to be a newborn for crying out loud... So anyway, when I saw Fisher Price's new Luv U Zoo gym, I was so sold. It's SO cute!

I also found some play clothes and PJs for Knox and a few nursing-friendly shirts and cardigans for myself.

These are some shots I got afterwards...

SO pretty!

And this makes me laugh. Does she look like she's had enough of the hat, or what?!?

I haven't been able to get many pictures of Knox these past few days because his MiMi and PawPaw have been keeping him busy busy! He's too cool for Mommy... ;) In fact, they took him out again for errands today. Seems like it'd be a good break for me, but I actually kind of miss the little toot. I'm not used to all this quiet!

But my goal for today : Master the Moby!

I ordered the Moby wrap and I'm beginning to think they should send a little Moby instructor along with it. Although I really appreciate the fact that in the step-by-step picture tutorial, everyone is smiling and just making it look sooo simple. Ugh! I've made 2 or 3 attempts with it with no success. James and my Mom got a good laugh out of it though. But seriously, I have a month to perfect it because I'm counting on it being my saving grace when I fly to Memphis with the two (ALONE) in about a month. Not to mention I think it'd be great for when I have them both at the grocery store or where ever...

I think I may be tieing it too tight??? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

happy birthday, hadley! (cont.)

Wow - has it really been a week since we brought Hadley home?! Seems like it has flown by, but at the same time it seems like SO much has happened since. Miss Hadley Carter has truly become a part of our family that I now can't imagine living without. I thank God that He knew just who to send us to complete our little family of four. She fits right in!


[Tried to capture a few "home-made" newborn shots the other day. Once I get to editing them I think I'll have a few frame-worthy ones.]

And despite all of my worries and concerns - Knox has done GREAT with this new transition!


[Welcoming her home last Sunday. He LOVES holding her!]

He loves 'his Hahd-leee'. He loves helping me take care of her, and when she's crying he says "Shhh, Hahd-leee, it's Ok." It is truly the sweetest thing as a mother to witness... My babies love each other!



And yes, I do believe Hadley loves him back. I swear she recognizes Knox's voice from when she was cooking inside, and she just listens to him so intently. And what's more - his rowdiness and NOISE have no effect on her whatsoever. She's already tough enough to handle him!



I caught him doing the cutest thing with her the other night... My brother has always played the 'playful punching' game with him ever since he was tiny. You know - Nick would grab his arm and have him "punch" him in the nose, and then put on a big show about how bad it hurt, etc... Well - Knox started this with Hadley! He grabs her arm and 'punches' himself, and then it's 'Ouchie, ouchie, ouchie! Owwww... Nose HURT, Hadley!' Followed by hysterical laughter. I couldn't believe he actually remembered this and was sweet enough to think it'd be entertaining for her too, but now it's his favorite game to play with her! Ohh he has such a sweet heart!!! This is one of those things I NEED to catch on video...

[Why is it that he seems to be loving HER toys (Ok - they're his old ones) better than the hundreds of dollars worth of things in his playroom??? Heck I should have never even bothered putting them in storage...]

So like I said - so far there has been NO negative reaction by Knox towards Hadley. If anything I'm just picking up on a little more attention-craving from him, which breaks my heart :( A few fits (ironically, LESS than normal), but mainly it's a whole lot of Carry-me's, throwing things down on purpose just to say I'm sorry, Mommy, and spontaneous hugs and I-love-you's. (Typically he is SUCH the one to play hard to get while I beg for a kiss!) 

[Is it just me, or is she not just PERFECT?!?]

 It's been fun to watch James make this 'transition' too because he's never been around baby girls. He was the youngest of 2, has 3 nephews, and then of course Knox. All through my pregnancy he'd roll his eyes everytime I'd obsess over a bow, dress, doll, etc. I'd tell him Just wait, you'll understand... I was right ;) He now thinks it's all just as cute as I do, and I think Hadley has already got him budgeting for her pony. (Excuse me - she actually prefers a horse...) And she can't even talk yet! Scary...



As I mentioned previously - my Mom came in town from Tennessee the night before I was induced. And WOW - that was such a blessing! First of all - if there's anytime a girl needs her mom, it's childbirth. Second-of-all, I have NO idea what we would have done with Knox if she hadn't made it. She completely took over his care while she was here (which he LOVED), and it was nice to not have to worry about him. She was also just a huge help to have around... She cleaned and cooked up a storm - dinner every night plus a stocked freezer! We'll be eating good for a while... She also brought the quilt she made to match Hadley's bedding. It looks AWESOME!



Her birthday was the 25th, so we celebrated the night before with dinner. Which, OK, SHE made, but I did manage to put together the sides, a cake, and run out with James to pick her up a fancy panini grill. Which - by the way - was my first time to leave Hadley. I had a minor panic attack, thinking 'Oh my gosh, we've never been this far apart...' but we both survived ;)


['Washing the hospital off' our first night home.]


[After-bath cuteness.]

Mom left the next morning and we both cried. I wish she could have stayed longer. When I had Knox, he and I were still living in Tennesse, 5 minutes away from my parents, so he was surrounded by family ALL the time. They were such a huge part of his first 9 months. I'm gonna miss that for Hadley :(



Hadley's first trip out was to the doctor's on Tuesday. She got perfect report all around. Bilirubin levels were insignificant and her weight was 7lbs 8oz. She was 7lbs 11oz at birth and 7lbs 4oz when we were discharged home, so I'm sure (if we haven't already) we will have met and passed birthwight by her 2 week appointment.


[I can't figure out if she's gonna be a pacie baby or not. Sometimes she'll go to town on it, but if she's the least bit hungry it only makes her mad. That, and I have TONS of cute girlie pacies, but this stinkin green one from the hospital is the only one she'll take. She doesn't even like the pink Soothies I have. So we'll see. Knox took his for about a month and then was over it. I'm thinking she may be the same way.]

Her quick 'weight-recovery' doesn't suprise me though because if one thing is sure, baby girl doesn't miss a meal! She's nursed like a champ from the very beginning, and I love nursing her in return. Such a special mommy-baby time! And gosh, let's just say we have NO problems in the production area here. On top of her feedings, I'm also storing 15-18oz per day. We've got quite the little milk bank going on in the freezer, and the way things are going, we may be needing a deep freeze very soon. Ha!


[This sweater blanket has been around the block. I picked it up for Knox when he was born and it quickly became a favorite. It's lighter, but still weighted enough to be cozy. Perfect for summer babies... I pulled it out for Hadley, and once again - a favorite! It even made an appearance in our newborn pics, just as it did with Knox. Lord help us if anything happens to that blankie... We have another one in green, but it's just not the same ;)]

She is also a VERY good sleeper! She's been going 5 (and now sometimes even 6!) hour stretches at night ever since we brought her home. (Mommy REALLY appreciates this, Hadley!) There have been a few nights she's woken up and fed after her first 5hr stretch, and then wanted to stay up and party for an hour. But I really can't complain because once I get her back down she's good for another long stretch. I just need to start trying to keep her up a little bit before that bedtime feeding.


[She got "the stretch" honest from her brother. She even reminds me a whole lot of him in this picture!]

As of now, her little schedule is feed around 10 or 11pm (and of course she's sleeping before then too), sleep til 4 or 5am, and then she's out again until 9 or 10! Love this girl :)


[Stretching again!]

Since my mom left and James had to head downtown for work, Thursday was my first day at home alone with both babies. It went off without a hitch! They were both so good. (Again, I'm blown away by the fact that Knox's behavior/schedule seems to be better NOW than it was a month ago.) I guess my next step will be venturing out with both of them. I'll probably wait another week on that though since technically I'm still not suppossed to do any heavy lifting (ahem - Knox).



Friday I had two of my MOPS girlfriends over for a playdate. They both have 2 year old boys, one has a baby girl 2 weeks ahead of Hadley, and the other is pregnant with her second. Makes for a great playdate! Plus it's just nice to have a little 'gossip' time during the day ;) And of course, the boys always play hard so Knox napped like a dream.


[Friday, on her 1 week birthday.]

James' parents drove in from Tennessee on Friday afternoon. They now have 5 grandchildren and Hadley is the first girl out of all of them, so they are eating up all the pink, frilly goodness. And Knox is just in grandparent HEAVEN! He's been having a ball with them. (Can we say, SPOILED???) And they took James to Sam's and completely stocked our pantry, fridge, and freezer. I swear I don't know what I'm gonna do when I actually have to start planning/coordinating meals again...


[Why is it that the smallest 'blank' bloomers you can buy (0-6mo) are still HUGE on newborns??? I'm loving her monogram though.]

James starts a trial this upcoming week, so he's been doing LOTS of prep for that, and will be busy-busy all the way through Friday. Knox has his "Meet the Teachers" night at MDO on Tuesday - which he's getting his same teachers from last year, so there won't be a whole lot of 'meeting' to it. But we are BOTH oh so ready for school to start back up. He loves his little social time :)


[Mom, I'm sooo OVER IT!]

And then next weekend my Dad, stepmom, sister, and step-brothers are all coming in for a long-weekend stay. We're looking forward to their visit and I'm so thankful most of our family will have been able to meet Hadley within her first two weeks! James had to head downtown again today for last-minute trial prep, so we're missing church today. But his parents took Knox out for some errands, so I decided to get Hadley OUT out for the first time. We had our first mommy-daughter shopping trip and it was a great success. I know Knox is THRILLED I have a new shopping buddy! I'll do a little post on it later :)

photo op fail

So I DO plan on updating on how our first week home with Hadley has been, but in the meantime I thought I'd just share a few pics. If you'd even call them that...

See - today we had our newborn pictures taken and I told James that since we'd all be dressed up that I'd like to get some pictures with my babies beforehand. The only pictures I have with Hadley are a few right after birth, and I can't remember the last one I had with Knox. I'm always the one with the camera. It takes me actually asking James to take a picture for him to do it. He had the nerve to try to argue this with me - that HE has less pictures... RIIIIIGGGGHHHHTT!

So anyway, I thought you'd get a good laugh at what we ended up with...












[Seriously???]





Ha! Honestly - that's the best we got... I figured if I posted them anyway at least my children would have some sort of proof that I did in fact exist when they were little.

Crossing my fingers our photographer had better luck. Originally we weren't planning on doing newborn pics, but I broke down when Hadley was 5 days old at the thought of her already being a week old :( She's already 'growing up' too fast for my liking and I'm clinging like crazy to this whole 'newborn phase'... So I hit up a few photographers and found one that would work for us on such a short notice and not charge us an arm and a leg.

I really liked her, and although the babes were in rare form, she promises she was able to get some precious shots. I'm interested to see because Knox decided to have a two year old moment, and Hadley acted as if I hadn't JUST fed her 30 minutes before. I swear she's probably rooting in half her pictures... Ha! Oh well, if I end up with only a handful of good ones it will still be worth it to me. I've never for one second regretted having Knox's done. Those first couple of weeks are so precious and short-lived. I still obsess over them!

Anyway - like I said, our first week with the little missy has gone quite smoothly and I'll elaborate more on it soon. Of course we have TONS more pictures! (Of which, I'm sure none of them I will make an apperance in. Ha!)

happy birthday, hadley!

I'll do my best to tell Hadley's birthday story with pictures as much as I can. Because that's all anyone really cares about anyway ;)

I went to my 'almost-39-week' appointment last Wednesday and upon informing Dr. D that I was "tired, swollen, sore, and ready to have a baby" - he said "Well how bout Friday???"

Ummmm... YES! Haha.

From there on there was A LOT of hyper-drive nesting going on... Making phone calls, setting up sitters, scrubbing, post-it notes and To-Do lists, and - yes - SEWING.



I finished Hadley's crib bumpers at MIDNIGHT before my induction. (After which I made a run to Kroger. Crazy...) I never in a million years thought I'd actually have these done in time, but I got my butt in gear and they're just perfect! Getting those on and cleaning her room good - it feels like she has a 'real nursery' now, even if there is a lot left to do. We also set aside some special Knox-time Wednesday and Thursday. We did a lot of one-on-one playing and took him out for a Big Brother dinner at Johnny Carino's where he got his favorite - PIZZA! We typically never do desserts but we let him pick one that night and he chose the Italian Chocolate Indulgence Cake and ice cream. It was HUGE! I think James and I probably had a quarter of it each, while Knox cleared off half on his own. He'd take a bite with his spoon and then see mine and open his mouth like a little birdie saying I'm waiting... Hilarious! James got some cute pictures on his phone, so I may try to add those later...
Got up early Friday morning, showered and got pretty (I delivered among MANY co-workers. It was the least I could do.) and arrived at the hospital at 6am to get the party started.


[39 weeks - Before we left for the hospital. Can we say BACK PAIN?!]

Not gonna lie - my first 3 hours there were pretty rough. I was INCREDIBLY anxious. (a) Because I was starving. NPO since midnight, and this is the girl whose blood sugar bottoms out if I don't eat every 3 hours. And (b) I'm a nurse. I'm incapable of being a patient.

I spent the entire time obsessing over the monitors and rearranging them on my belly. Needless to say - it didn't take long for the L&D girls to hide the monitor and get a hold of the anesthesiologist to get my epidural in just so they could keep me STILL! Bless them, but they were such good sports. We're all the same when it comes to having to be on THAT side of the bed...


[About 8 hours in to labor. This is my I'm tired, swollen (probably on my third bag of fluids here), and HUNGRY look. I think that was rainbow pop number 4. I told Dr. D we needed to get things rolling because I was NOT gonna be a happy girl if I missed my dinner tray. Ha!]

Along with the 85 other cords, tubes, etc. being attached to me - the epidural was definiteley the most nerve wracking experience out of the entire day. It was when I had Knox too. Not a fan of needles. Especially ones after my spine! BUT... After getting all of that taken care of and a few silent 'CALM ME' moments with God - I felt much more relaxed.


[Knox came to visit while we waited...]

A relatively non-complicated labor, other the fact that for the first 5-6 hours I was just hanging out at 4cm without progress. Basically the monitor was saying my contractions were out the roof, so they weren't upping my pitocin, but when they placed an internal monitor for a more accurate reading, they saw that they were actually just baby contractions so I wasn't progressing. (This same thing happened with Knox's induction.) So UP went the pitocin!!! And then there was about 2 hours that my epidural wasn't really working, but luckily it was taken care of in the knick of time.



Miss Hadley entered the world at 5:49pm on Friday August 20th. It took a grand THREE pushes, all within the same contraction, beating my 8 minute pushing record with Knox by nearly 5 minutes. (How the heck will I beat that the next go round???) So yeah, she was LOW and READY! I actually had a laughing attack in between pushes. Not sure why. Hormones??? I just remember being ridiculously happy to find out she had hair.  And thinking I can't believe I'm having a baby right now and I don't feel a thing. To each his own, but those au naturale Birth Plan women are CRAZY... Yeah, seriously, that's what I was thinking and it was hilarious to me at the time! And on that same (but different) note - when Dr. D had asked me Wednesday if I had a 'Birthing Plan' I told him "Yeah, the plan is I get my pitocin and epidural and you do whatever it takes to get my baby out safely." He said "Ahhh a Cadillac Birth. I like it ;)"

Anyway - She came out crying and pink and my first thought when they placed her on my belly was This child is GORGEOUS! But is she mine?? Haha! I couldn't pick out anyone of our features in her, she had hair, and she was HEAVY.



7lbs 11oz and 19.5 inches. A far cry from the 6lb baby we were all expecting! I thought for sure since my belly felt smaller this time around she'd weigh less than Knox (7lb 6oz). And Dr. D had estimated 6.5lb and I think he was a little disappointed; he said - 'Well where was SHE hiding???



My "Labor Team" - Mom and James, my fabulous nurse, Monica (I'd actually never met her at work before, but we ended up spending half the time gossiping and such. She was awesome!), and of course Dr. D...



He's SUCH a goofball, but I wouldn't trust anyone else to bring my baby in to the world! I told him when I come back for my check-up this pic better be front and center on his board ;)



Right after her bath. We wasted NO time getting a bow on that girl. (Of course - me being the the thermoregulation-conscious NICU nurse - I stiched a ribbon loop on this hat instead of a bow band.) I have to laugh at  how CHUNKY she looks here! But she was hanging out so low for so long I knew most of it was probably swelling, and sure enough within the 48 hours she looked completely different. (Except she still has cheeks to DIE FOR!) When we went home, her weight had dropped to 7lb 4 oz and I'm willing to bet 80% of that was just extra fluid she had lost.


[Our first mommy-daughter picture. I look rough. She's gorgeous ;) I'm sure that will be the story of my life from here on out!]


[Daddy and Hadley's first picture. He's so proud, and she's already got him WRAPPED!]



So what exactly does Miss Hadley look like? Because pictures just don't do it justice... Now that her swelling has gone down (I'll post more recent pictures in Part II) I can see a little more of a resemblence between her and Knox as newborns. Both had/have perfectly shaped round little heads and chubby cheeks. They have the same button nose and beautiful pouty lips as well. (SO kissable!) The eyes I think are where they differ. Her's are also big, but somehow just look different in shape...


[Her first outfit. It even looks way cuter than I thought it would!]

She's got THE most adorable little dimple in her left cheek. None of the rest of us have one, and we're all obsessed with trying to make her smile just so we can see it :) ...Obviously, she has HAIR! (Knox was BALD as can be his first 15 months.) And although it looks dark at first sight, with the way the light hits it at times, I think we may see it lighten up in the months to come. Her eyes - well, right now they are the standard dark blue/grey newborn color. Daddy has brown eyes, mine are blue/green, and Knox's are crystal blue, so I guess we'll see what they decide to do in time :)

I just know she's gorgeous... Call me a biased mommy, but I'm 2 for 2!



Although she weighed more than Knox at birth, and WAY more than what I was expecting - she is still a little more petite than he was. She's about and inch shorter and her head is smaller than his was. Not smaller in a bad way, she's perfectly proprtional, she just carries her brains in a more girlie package than her brother ;)


[Don't y'all just know I'm loving playing dress-up with my new babydoll?!?]

I think she may end up with my 'Indian-blood' complexion. She's literally had little-to-no jaundice and she's still holding a darker tone. The general concensus among my co-workers was that she looks like me, and I think our families are as flabbergasted as I am as to just who she takes after. I need to try to dig up mine and James' newborn pictures to figure it out...



My mom brought Knox up to visit a few hours after she was born and he was SOOOO cute and inquisitive! I was actually suprised at how much he actually understood. When we introduced Hadley, he was just like Oh yeah - Hadley. So she's here now! I wish we'd been able to get our "first family photo" in the hospital but Knox really only had 2 brief visits before we were sent home.



Anyway - neither of us got much sleep our first night. I had my post-delivery adrenaline rush, so I was pretty much wired all night. And Hadley - well she came out nursing like a champ. Problem was - she was nursing too well and was not to happy about having to wait for my milk to come in. She just couldn't get satisfied :(



She was little Miss Popular though among the nurses. (Are you suprised? She's ADORABLE!) When it came time for me to send her out and take advantage of some sleep time, there was nearly a knock-down-drag-out over where she would go - the nursery or the NICU to be 'babysat' by my co-workers. In the end she went to the NICU and from what I hear she was held and loved on the entire time.


[Hearing screen.]

Actually - we both got the Princess Treatment throughout our entire stay. I was kind of iffy about the idea of delivering ON the unit I worked on, but it ended up being a huge PLUS. We got the best nurses (although ALL the ones on our Women's Services are pretty awesome) and I think they were all happy to be assigned to us because they knew I knew the routine and was pretty low-maintenance. It made for LOTS of visitors throughout the night and day though!


[Snoozing with Daddy.]

Our second night was a MUCH more restful one. We all conked out after watching a little pre-season football (COME ON, FALL!), and at one point throughout the night it took my nurse 5 minutes to wake me up for vitals. I woke with my bed straight up, the lights on, and she and James mildly freaking out. Ha! Hadley slept like a log too. I found that she got my love for snoozing to Jeremy Camp so I let my JC Playlist run throughout the entire night. Worked like a charm and still is! I'm now in the market for an iHome for our bedroom :)


[Ready to ROLL!]

Our pediatrician and on-call OB cleared us for discharge Sunday morning and we headed home to join Knox and NaNa. Mom had a big lasagna lunch prepared and I soon found out she had been cooking up a storm. She made double batches of everything and then some. James thought he'd died and gone to heaven with the way we've been eating this past week. YUMM! Between her cooking and my overproduction of milk, I think we'll be hitting up Sears Outlet for a deep freeze very soon.



My recovery has been awesome this time around. Actually - I didn't think I had it bad with Knox. I just had a little more (ahem) "trauma" with his delivery so that complicated things a bit. But by the time we were discharged I swear things were almost back to 'normal' again, besides being a little bit sore and some cramping with nursing. Just the normal postpartum process has been SO much quicker this time around. My nurses were suprised when palpating my fundus (sorry, I don't know the non-nursing word for it) at how tight and low it already was. Again I heard - I can't believe there was just and 7lb 11oz baby in there! This was a VERY welcome suprise for me because I'd been fully prepared (although dreading) the whole after birth 'stuff'...


[LOVING his Red that sissy gave him.]

I haven't had to take any pain medication since the hospital and even my belly has gona WAY done since delivery. I still have a little pooch, but my skin has tightened up again, and until I'm cleared to do my exercises I'm thrilled with that! It always amazes that things could ever go back to normal after 9 months of pregnancy. I always think - Yeah there's no turning back from this, but the human body never ceases to amaze me!


[Counting her toes...]

So Hadley's birth = 100% POSITIVE experience. Surpasses anything I could have hoped for. She is as healthy as can be and like I said - I'm feeling GREAT!

So I think this is enough for one post. I'll put a Part II together on what we've been doing since we got home. Yes - with LOTS more pictures, and hopefully I'll be able to hook up the Flip soon because we've gotten a lot of great video since she arrived. A little bit of everything :)

As for today - my mom left this morning (we both cried) and James is going to be downtown for work all day so it's officially my first day home alone with both babes. Not really nervous. It just gets difficult at times because Knox doesn't understand why I can't lift him. Or why he can't sit on my lap while I'm nursing Hadley... Wish me luck!