Dancey Lucy

We are having so much fun with this little sweetheart in our home. She is so much easier to care for than Sam was at this age. She is good at nursing and sleeping, and isn't colicky like Sam was. Here she is, dancing and kicking away in her cute Mary Jane socks:

"The Beetles" and Muppet Show Beatles

Sam and I just discovered a compilation of clips in which Muppets sing Beatles songs. My favorites are the ones where "The Beetles" perform on Sesame Street, since I like the puns of "Letter B" ("Let it Be") and "Hey Food" ("Hey Jude"). I also like the "She Loves You" rendition performed by insects in a corn field:

Lucy Marie's Birth Story

She's here! Our baby arrived a few days ago. She was 19" long and weighed 7 lbs and 14 oz. We named her Lucy Marie. We were thinking of a few other names, including Elizabeth and Hannah Catherine (or perhaps spelled Hannah Kathryn), but we felt like Lucy was the perfect fit for this sweet little girl. Her middle name is the same as my mom's middle name, and I'm glad that we've given her a connection with my mother. She has a cute little round head and, for now, light brown hair. I think she has the same shape of lips as me. When I was born, my mom wrote in her journal that my two lips were of equal fulness, and I think that is a good way to describe Lucy's thin lips. They are thinner and more delicate than the lips Sam had at birth.

The day I went into labor, I woke up around 5:00 am with a light pink "bloody show," which indicated that something new and different was happening with my body. I had a few indications that things were happening before that point for a few weeks (loss of mucous plug, a tight uterine feeling when I walked or moved), but this bloody show was new. This trend continued throughout the morning, so I felt like something was going to happen soon.

Sam went to a friend's house to play that morning, so I went to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute items, in case I really did go into labor. Sam came home after lunchtime, and at that point my contractions were about 40 minutes apart. Sam and I passed the time by reading - and finishing - The Scarecrow of Oz together. We also made spirographs with a new kit that he got from friends for his birthday. Whenever I had a contraction, I would run off to the bathroom or go around the corner, so Sam wouldn't be concerned by seeing me in pain or uncomfortable.

Around 4:00 pm, I sent J a text to let him know that the contractions were 30 minutes apart. He decided to come home just after that point, and I'm glad that he did because things started to kick into a higher gear. The contractions started to be about six or seven minutes apart by the time he got home. In the meantime, Sam and I packed a bag so that he could have a sleepover at my in-laws' home. I was proud of Sammy - he was really proactive and went around picking out the things that he needed for the sleepover. I even worried after the fact that he had forgotten to pack his stuffed animal Spot (and we sent an emergency text to my in-laws), but it turned out that Sam already had packed another stuffed dog (Fluffy) to bring to the sleepover instead.

J and my father-in-law arrived at our house at about the same time. Sam left with my father-in-law, and J and I stayed home to eat some dinner. I wanted to labor at home as much as possible, so we stayed at home for another hour or so. I remember trying to grade a few submissions for an online class that I am teaching, and I remember joking after a contraction that I "just needed to write something about Bernini" before we could really make final preparations and go.

The last few contractions that we had at home started to get rather intense, so I asked J to press on my hips (a natural pain relief technique we learned on a YouTube video). It was amazing how much relief that technique provided. We ended up using that technique over and over throughout the next two hours or so. We left our home for the hospital around 7:45 pm.

When we got to the hospital around 8:00 pm, we found that the triage nurses did not have an open room in order to evaluate whether I actually was in labor. They asked us to wait in the lobby of the hospital Birth Center, and we ended up waiting there for about thirty minutes! My contractions were about three minutes apart at this point, and it was really awkward to labor in the lobby with other people milling about and sitting on the nearby chairs. We stood in a corner of the lobby, and I silently would lean over a chair when each contraction came. J would push on my hips to try and relieve some pain. He also would lean forward so that his forehead would touch my back, because I felt like it was comforting to feel his presence that way.

After thirty minutes, a triage nurse came out and apologized, saying that they still didn't have a room available to check me. She said, though, "We can tell that you are obviously in active labor, so we are just going to admit you into a hospital room right now." We waited a few more minutes for a nurse to come escort us to our room. As soon as we walked into the door, a big contraction came and I dropped down onto all fours (in the "cat pose" for yoga) to breathe through a contraction. After it was over, the nurse said, "You're welcome to labor in that position, but it would be much more comfortable if you did that on the bed." She tilted the upper half of the bed up at an angle, so that I could kneel down, facing the mattress, and rest with my forearms on the upper angle of the bed.

Our nurse was awesome and let me have the natural birth experience that I wanted. She had some good birth tips, too. She encouraged J to keep pushing on my hips, but to pulse his application of pressure with second-long intervals. While he did that, she encouraged me to sway my body back and forth, which I think helped to encourage the baby to descend (especially since I was at an angle, and gravity could help move the baby down). I said that I wanted to be as mobile as possible, so she didn't get me hooked up to an IV or anything. She even ran water in the tub for me, but my water broke before she even finished filling the tub. I also appreciated her direction and suggestions for breathing and pushing.

J was such an awesome birth partner. His application of pressure to my hips was the most helpful thing by far, but he also applied a cold compress to my head, which provided some relief and another form of sensory distraction for me. He was also great in encouraging me helping hold my legs still when the time came to push.

My water broke after we were in our hospital room for about thirty minutes, and then the baby was born about forty-five minutes after that! She was born at 9:52 pm, about two hours after we left our house for the hospital.

I feel like this whole experience has been so different from my experience with Sam. On one hand, my legs never shook uncontrollably. After all, I was able to stand in the lobby and labor for thirty minutes while on my feet! I actually could feel what my body was doing this time, too: I could feel the contractions, I could feel the urge to push, and I felt the pressure on my tailbone right before I felt my water burst. I felt like I had a better idea of how to push and where to direct my pushes too, especially near the end of the labor. I felt like I was in control of the experience, although my body also did some involuntary pushing before it actually was the time to push. I tried not to push, because my cervix was not quite ready, but I couldn't stop myself.

It was this involuntary pushing, actually, which changed the final part of the labor experience for me. After Lucy came out, the nurses put her on my stomach right away and cleaned her off while she lay on top of me. (I really appreciated this chance to touch her and snuggle her, especially since Sam was whisked away from me and I hardly got to see him or hold him.) In the meantime, the doctor started to stitch up an average-sized tear that occurred in the labor. I didn't stop bleeding, however, which made her realize that I not only tore outside, but I must have torn internally in my cervix as well. In order to stitch up this tear, the doctor said that I would need to have an epidural so that she could go further inside and fix the problem. SO, after all of the work of going through a natural childbirth, I ended up needing spinal anesthesia as well!

In retrospect, though, I still feel like I got the natural birth experience that I wanted. And, in truth, in some ways I didn't mind having an epidural after the fact in order to relax after the labor experience! The anesthesia also wasn't as strong as the epidural that I received for Sam's labor (I think that this time around they called it a "spinal block"?), so it only lasted for a few hours.

The small stint in surgery went well. My cervix tore only about a centimeter, so the doctor only needed to make two stitches. She says that the cervix is so vascular that it will quickly heal and be as good as new. My arms started to shake during the end of the surgery, but they calmed down soon after I was brought back into the room with Sam and Lucy.

Lucy is so sweet and little. I have been recovering well and I feel good. Just like with the labor experience, I feel like this whole newborn experience has been totally different than the one I had with Sam. Perhaps the change is because I'm more comfortable with my role as a mother. I had a hard time accepting motherhood when Sam was born. I also feel happy and content right now. As of yet, I haven't really had any "baby blues" or postpartum depression, like I did with Sam. Nursing is going well and I feel like I understood what I need to do in order to build up a good milk supply, which didn't happen with Sam. I also feel like I am less stressed out this time around. Lucy is easy to care for, which may be reflective of my own acquired knowledge of parenting. Or, perhaps she is an angel baby. I like to think so.

Below are some favorite pictures from the hospital and Lucy's first days at home. Sam has been a very cute big brother. He wanted to stay with us in the hospital room for hours and hours the next day. Even though he was bored in such a small room for so long, he didn't want to leave his baby sister. He loves to give her kisses on the forehead and talk about how cute she is.

Bonding with Lucy as she holds onto my finger

This was taken the first moment Sam saw his baby sister. I love that Sam has his hands clasped in such an adoring, excited way.

Sam wanted to get wrapped up "like a burrito" to be like Lucy

So far, Lucy has been called a few little nicknames. I like to call her "snuggle bug" or "lady bug." She has little bug decorations in her room and on some of her blankets, so I think it seems to fit. Sam and my in-laws gave her a little floral decoration in a pink Volkswagon Beetle (a "slug bug" or "love bug") when they came to the hospital. We'll see if this nickname ends up sticking.

It has been nice to spend these past few days at home relaxing, recuperating, and adjusting to this new change in our family. My in-laws have been really helpful with watching Sam, grocery shopping, meals, and caring for Lucy so J and I can nap. Sam has had some other day camp activities this week with some friends from his kindergarten class, which I think has been good for him. I especially want to make sure that this transition is easy on Sam and that he has a fun summer.

The New Nursery

 Our nursery has been ready for almost three weeks now. I'm glad that I pushed ahead and got things ready early, because I don't have much energy to put together furniture or organize living spaces right now. It's been fun to put this nursery together; we weren't able to have a coordinated nursery space when Sam was a baby, because of our living situation and circumstances back then.

I especially love the floral rug and the series of bug prints that we got from the Land of Nod for this room. We picked orange for an accent color, which I think is very cheerful. Although we do have a little bit of pink in the flowers and storage bins, I'm hoping that pink will never be a major accent color in this bedroom. I don't like how pink is such a pre-selected and promoted color for little baby girls and toddlers these days. If anything, I think it is ironic, since in the early 20th century pink used to be the color associated with boys, not girls.

J and I spent a few hours mulling over which crib bedding to get. We both wanted orange to be an accent color for the bedding, but we couldn't find anything that we both liked. We ended up getting solid light orange fitted sheets from Carousel Designs, and then the Georgia Nursery Bedding bumper and Lara Eyelet Crib Skirt from Pottery Barn Kids. The quilt draped over the side of the bed was made by one of my friends from work, who happened to pick colors that fit well with our bedding color scheme.

Spy Party!

A little over a week ago, we threw a spy-themed birthday party for Sam. During recess at school, Sam sometimes pretends to be a spy with a few of his classmates, so he was very interested in having these school friends (as well as a few neighborhood friends) over for his spy party. He's been thinking about this party for a long time, and even wrote up a specific guest list that he kept referencing in the weeks leading up to the party. Each time we received an RSVP about the party, he would make little marks on this master guest list.

I originally hoped to have an additional party or celebration with Sam's thirteen (!) second cousins that live in the area, but I realized as Sam's birthday approached that I needed to keep things as simple as possible this year (especially with my earlier false labor scare). In truth, I was worried that I would go into labor before we even threw this spy party. My in-laws came to help out, which was wonderful. Although I still did more than I probably should have, it was really great for us to have their added help.

J designed an awesome invitation for this party. One parent said that they almost threw away the invitation when it came in the mail, because they were disturbed that there was government-related document addressed to their six-year-old son:

The kids did a few spy-themed activities. We took their fingerprints (to document their identity as spy agents) right after they arrived. J also set up a laser maze out of red string, which the kids enjoyed. We also played "laser limbo" and helped the kids make some "walkie-talkies" out of disposable cups and string. The kids also got to decode a scrambled message (written with invisible ink) with "Confidential 5-in-1" spy pens (one of the party favors) which was fun.

Here the kids are playing "Spy, spy, bad guy!" (i.e. "Duck, duck, goose!") while my in-laws worked to set up the table for lunch. Sam wanted to have everyone eat cheese pizza, grapes, and apple juice.

 

Sam with his BFF from school, L. I found these cute glasses with attached mustaches at Target, which we handed to kids soon after they arrived at the party. It was cute to see several of them wearing the glasses for a good portion of the activities.

Sam and his friends had a fantastic time, which made me really happy. I'm glad that he was able to have such a fun celebration, which was especially made possible because of the efforts of his dad (J came up with all of the ideas for activities) and grandparents.

Sam the Six-Year-Old Spy!

 

This is the first year, since Sam was three, that his birthday present hasn't revolved directly around a full costume. We gave him knight costume at age three, a Captain America costume at age four, and an Optimus Prime costume at age five. A few months ago he said that he wanted a Darth Vader costume for his birthday this year, but that request fell into oblivion and hasn't been mentioned for weeks and weeks. Sam is, though, still interested in dressing up, as evidenced by all of the spy gear that he received from us and other family members. He woke up around 5:20 this morning, eager to open his presents - although I made him go back to bed until it was 6:00 am. He's especially excited about the night vision goggles, the spy watch, and the walkie-talkies. I'm excited about the "Encyclopedia Brown" book, which I think Sam and I will enjoy reading together. He already has read several Nate the Great books, and I think he's ready to be introduced to a similar series.

When Sam gets home from school today, I'm going to show him this video clip that my sisters V and L sent to Sam. Does anyone else remember this from the "Square One TV" show? I really loved this show; I distinctly remember this segment and used to sing the song, although I haven't thought about it for years. I've had the song stuck in my head all day, though, ever since I got this email with the clip from my sisters:

Last night I was a little nervous that I wasn't even going to be able to celebrate with Sam this morning. In the evening started to have strongish contractions - they weren't terribly painful, but they definitely were stronger and tighter than the Braxton Hicks contractions I've felt for several weeks. I was nervous enough that I put all of Sam's wrapped presents by the front door, along with several sticky notes about Sam's birthday requests and school schedule, in case we needed to pass those things along to my in-laws in the middle of the night. Luckily, though, the contractions slowed down after a few hours, and I haven't felt too uncomfortable today so far. Wouldn't it have been unusual if Sam and his little sibling ended up with the same birth date?

UPDATE: Here are two more pictures from Sam's birthday itself. I'm glad he had such a happy day. In the first photo, he is opening a present from my dad (which arrived in the mail while he was at school). The second is a photo from Sam's birthday dinner at his favorite restaurant, Panera. We each chose a pastry as a celebratory treat, but I ended up eating Sam's because he decided he wanted my cherry pastry more than the chocolate chip "muffie" that he chose.

Triumph!

I'm feeling triumphant right now, having finished teaching my last class for the school year. Before I got pregnant, I was worried that I might have trouble keeping up with my work if I was sick or had any health problems. But today I can say that I taught for a whole academic year while pregnant, without canceling class once. Yay! I was tempted to cancel class a few times, even when I was driving to work during my first trimester and felt nauseated, but my adrenaline always kicked in and helped me to get through each class session.

And now, I'm done. I don't have to worry about throwing up from morning sickness in front of my class, or being able to stand on my feet for 1.5 hours, or, as of late, worrying that my water might break in the middle of lecture. Phew!

Really, all in all, these past nine months have been really great for me. I've been able to be a little bit more indulgent and do things "for me," since Sam has been in kindergarten. I've had time to work during the day and spent time with J in the evenings - a luxury which has been rare over the past several years, since I usually would watch Sam during the day (if I wasn't in the classroom) and working at night. I've also had time to sing in two university choirs and start a training program to be a docent at a local art museum. And, you know, grow a baby on the side.

It's been rejuvenating for me to do a lot of the extra activities, particularly singing. I realize that I won't be able to be so selfish and indulgent with my time for the next few years, particularly with a new baby in the house. But I hope to look back on this period of free time during the day with fondness. And I know that this indulgent phase will likely happen again one day, once Baby #2 starts kindergarten! And, hopefully, I'll be able to keep up with some of these activities in the meantime. I plan to keep up with the docent program, and I hope to continue with choir (even if I'm not as involved as I was over this past year).