The Kid Popping Out(Or Not)

So, in a previous post, I had mentioned that Trent popped out. And then I took it back and said that he didn't "pop" out. That it was a very long story for a different post. This is that post! There will be nothing gross, so don't be scared. More of a trip down memory lane for me.

Let me start at the beginning of June...

So, I went in for my 9-month appointment, which started my weeklies. I saw my doctor's NP because she was out of the country. Anyway, she checked me and said I was at a 1 and that she could feel Trent's head. Weird and awesome at the same time! My mom had gone with me since Chris had to work, and I was so glad to have her there. It was a little strange that she was there when Janet was checking me, but whatever. After my appointment, we went to Panera for breakfast. Yum! We talked about my grandpa, who was not doing well at all. A few years ago, he'd had quadruple bypass surgery, with great success. The past year or so, he'd been declining, and the hospice people had been called in. Not sure if you know what that means, but to us, it meant he didn't have much longer to be in this world. :(

The next week, after much discussion with Chris, I told my OB that I did not, under any circumstances, want to be induced. I'd just heard too many horror stories that resulted in cesareans. Not that I was opposed to that, I just wanted to do things as naturally as possible. That was a Wednesday.

Enter, the next Tuesday, when my mom called me at work(she really tries never to do this, because she just never knows when we'll be busy). She told me that Grandpa was REALLY bad, but that the hospice nurse told my grandma that he should make it to the end of the next week. My mom also told me that after he died, they would wait to go to Indiana so that they could spend extra time with the family. Since my due date was still 2 weeks away, and we all know first babies take their time, it seemed like everything would be fine. Well, the more I started thinking about it, the more I really felt God tugging at my heart. I asked Chris if, after we prayed about it, and I still felt the same way, would he be opposed to inducing? He said it was completely up to me. My thoughts here were that we could induce, and then since my grandpa would make it to the next weekend, my parents could meet Trent and then head out of town. Right then and there, I prayed for some sign to let me know it was alright to induce. I have to tell you that I did not get the sign right then. But I did call my mom and tell her we would induce if it meant they could leave sooner.

The next day was my 37 week appointment. Imagine my doctor's surprise when I told her I did, in fact, was to be induced! She was confused at first, but completely understood when I told her the situation. She wanted to check me to see where I was, and then gave the OK. We set up the induction date for June 24th.

Once I told people what we were doing, we got a lot of flack for it. Why not let the baby come naturally? Why do that to yourself? Why pump yourself full of synthetic hormones? I was a little miffed, but I knew that my doctor would not have OK'd the induction if she didn't think everything would be fine. I must also say that at my 36 week appointment, she told me that I may want to take back some of the newborn things we received because this baby was going to be big!

A couple of days later, my sister and her family were at our house painting the kitchen, when my mom called. She sounded very sad, and she said that my grandpa had passed away. What? I thought he was supposed to make it till the next weekend! She also told me that he'd said that he was going to leave this world so Trent could come in. Whoa, there's my sign! I must say here that my gramps was a Christian, and the closest person I know to being like Jesus. Never once did I ever hear him say a cross word about anyone. He always looked for the best in everyone, and often, that's what he got. He was a sweet, sweet man. Chris and I talked, and we decided to keep the induction date. I told my parents to go to Indiana, that Trent would be here when they got back. That is the hardest decision I've ever had to make, telling my family to go. But I knew that I would have the support of Chris, my sister, and Chris's family.

At my 38 week appointment, we got everything set up to come to the hospital on a Tuesday night to start Cervadil(something that thins out the cervix). They would start the Pitocin on Wednesday morning, the 24th.

Fast forward to Tuesday afternoon: Chris and I were getting everything packed, and then it hit us that this would be our last time in our house, just us. Never again would we not be parents. Never again would we be making decisions for just us. It was all very overwhelming. I was so antsy and excited though! We went to eat my "Last Supper" at Lemongrass Asian Bistro, my favorite Asian restaurant. Yum!!! Then we left like 2 hours before we even had to be at the hospital. We took the long way, and got there at 4, a full hour early. We headed to Barnes and Noble, where both of us looked at our watches continually for the next 45 minutes.

Finally, we got there and checked in. I had the Cervadil in all night and it was removed early Wednesday morning. Thirty minutes after the Pitocin was started, my contractions began. Yowzer! I made it through 2 1/2 hours of pretty hard contractions before I got my Epidural. Then I felt nothing. Wonderful drugs! When my doctor broke my water, she found Meconium in my amniotic fluid, meaning that Trent had pooped inside of me. If we'd waited until I'd gone into labor, Trent would have been a very sick little boy since he would have aspirated the meconium. Another sign!!! We had many visitors throughout the day, including Chris's parents, his brother and his family, and then his sister and her family. My sister was there also.

Around 5 pm, I started pushing. And I can say that I watch too much TV, because I honestly thought I would have 3 big pushes, and Trent would be in my arms. Yeah, not so much... Once I finally got the "pushing" down, we were good. I pushed till about 7:30, and Trent Rayner Mata made his entrance into our world at 7:32pm on June 24th. That morning, they'd buried my grandpa. So he really did leave this world so my sweet baby could come in.

You'd think We'd Learn By Now...

So, last Sunday, we ran out of the RTF Isomil we give to Trent. And being the broke parents that we are, figured we'd just try him on the powder Isomil we can a crap-ton of... And he was fine for a few days. And then he was fussy and running fever. Well, heck, we thought he was just teething or had a slight infection. That was Wednesday. We alternated Motrin and Tylenol, and the kid was good as new. Then Thursday (Thanksgiving), we had similar problems, only the fever was very low-grade. More Tylenol, and he was good. Then, that night, he lost his mind while we were visiting Chris's parents, he lost it again. Teething rings and Tylenol for him then. Friday was much of the same, with fussiness, unwillingness to eat, etc. Then Saturday, OhEmGee!!! It was bad, and to make matter worse, I was by myself all day since Chris had to work. It was so crappy at one point, I was strongly considering taking back what I'd said about wanting another baby! Oh yeah, totally forgot to mention the fact that all during this, he is spitting up like he's in a spit-up competition and the prize is college tuition to UT-Austin. He does have reflux, but give me a break...

Then, a lightbulb went off in my head: It's the freaking formula!!!! So, I packed up Trent and my niece, Kallie, who I was watching while her parents were on a date, and booked it straight to Walgreens and bought 2 big containers of the RTF stuff. SO glad I did that! Within the first hour, he was back to his normal, drooly, silly self. Thank the Lord!!!! Never again will we subject Trent (and ourselves) to that ridiculous-ness. We have learned our lesson!!!

In other news, Chris's mom wants to watch Trent one day a week. This means, I can work on Mondays now! Yea, more hours for Mommy and less for Daddy to have to work(hopefully). Also, Granny will get to see Trent more than just the one day a week we can get over to see her and Papa.

I will post about Thanksgiving another time. Got to finish laundry and sweep the floor.

Blessings!

Everything's Changin'

I was thinking this morning of all of the things that have changed in my life since Trent was born.

1. Shower time. I cannot believe how fast I can shower now. I can do it in 5 minutes! With the door open and the heater off. I leave Trent in the swing while I'm in the shower, and I can see him. But I leave the heater off so I can hear him, too. I LOVE Sunday mornings because that means Chris is home, and I can have a warm, closed-door shower with the heater on. And I can shave without the hair growing back almost immediately because of goosebumps.

2. Sleep. Obviously, this was a total nightmare in the beginning. You know, where you think you may never sleep again? Or never again in increments longer than 2 hours? Well, that was our life in the first 6 weeks Trent was here. Oh Em Gee! The poor kid had formula problems for 6 weeks. Bad news, because once the gas had left the building, it was usually time for another feeding. But, heck, you have to feed them. Thank the Lord for soy formula. It smells to high Heaven, but it sure does the trick.

3. Money. Back before he was here, We would spend whatever on whatever. It didn't matter the price. If we wanted it, we got it. Now, we have daycare, formula, diapers, rice cereal, clothes, etc to pay for. And the baby comes first. Can I tell you that I am a coupon queen now? If there is a coupon, this momma knows about it. I used to cut them and then by the time I got to the store, I had forgotten them. Nope, not anymore. I make a list and note if I have a coupon for the item. I saved over $15 last week at Target with coupons. I know it's a pain to the people behind me, but I don't care.

4. Time. Well, I knew he would "change my life." But oh my gosh, I didn't know it would be as drastic as it had been. Before he was here, I would just go on my merry way, living day to day. Didn't matter if I didn't get the laundry done over the weekend because I could just finish it the next weekend. It didn't matter whether we ran out of something, because I could just wait till the next time I went to the store to get it. And I could spend my evenings watching TV and reading magazines. Not anymore. I make sure I get the next day's formula made the night before, the dishwasher run, Trent's bag packed, and the coffee maker ready to go. Now I make sure to get the laundry done over the weekend so I can have ample time to spend with Trent on the weekday nights. I make sure we're home around bath time(or at least pack bath and bed items if we're not going to be home) so he can get to sleep on time. Planning is key.

I would not change a thing though. I've said it many times, and I'll say it again. I have memories of what life was like before Trent, but I cannot imagine my life without him. Thank the Lord, He saw fit to give us this angel. Words cannot express my love for this sweet, sweet baby.

Work, Work, Work!

So, I started back to work almost full-time last week. Somehow, in my feeble attempt to be a SAHM(stay at home mother), I thought we could make it with me working only 20 hours per week. Ummm, yeah, that lasted about 4 months before I got my head on straight after I got it yanked out of my rear. Anyhow, last week, I worked 33 hours! *GASP* I know! Craziness all around! No, really, I haven't worked that much since before Trent was born. I mean, heck, I worked 40 hours a week up until 2 weeks before the kid popped out. Just kidding, he didn't "pop" out. I actually worked really hard at delivering that 8 pound, 14 ounce kid. Youch! That is another very long story for another day.

I literally thought I would be able to go back to working just like I had. Not even! It's strange what pregnancy will do to your body. I have worked at Sonic for over 4 years now, and very rarely did my feet ever hurt. Now they hurt every single ding-dang day! It started when I was about 5 months pregnant, and it hasn't stopped yet. Weird. Even on the days I don't work. Anyway, I have really been feeling the effects of working this past week. It's really making me feel like I'm less than I used to be, as far as endurance and stamina go. I used to work 13-hour shifts and be tired. Now, I think I'm dying if I work a normal 8-hour shift. I'm sure some of it has to do with the fact that I'm away from Trent. I'm also constantly thinking of the things I need to do when I get home. Play with Trent. Feed Chris, Trent and myself. Bathe and put Trent to sleep. Get some one-on-one time with Chris(someday we'll have time for one another again, right?). It seems like the list is never- ending.

I now see why mothers are stressed out a lot. There is a ton that goes into making sure everything runs smoothly at home and work. The good news here is that I have my husband to lighten the load, God to lift my spirit and take my burdens, family that loves us and will do anything to help, friends to listen to my woes and my son to remind me why I do what I do!

Blessings,
Korree

Poor, Teething Baby Boy

This will be short, but I just had to say my baby is teething! So sad! Most of the time, he is fine, but nighttime is the worst time. Although, I will admit the homeopathic teething tablets from Walgreens are a God-send. Love them! Here's to hoping Trent has a better day today.

P.S. Someday I will figure out how to put pictures on this blog...

Have a beautiful day!

Korree

Cranky Baby=No Fun

So, Trent has been super cranky lately. Maybe he's teething, maybe it's because I ran out of the ready-to-feed formula, so I decided to use the powder(which we have SO much of!). Maybe that upset his tummy. Maybe he's gassy. Maybe not. Who knows? I do know, however, that he was not happy at all today with the babysitter. Normally he loves Brittany. But not today. Apparently, he cried almost the entire time she was here with him. She tried everything, and nothing was keeping him happy. He wouldn't eat, he wouldn't sleep. Well, I take that back. When he did fall asleep, it was never for more than 20 minutes. So that made for an even crankier baby. Needless to say, fun times abounded tonight at our house. Or not...

I finally gave him a bath around 6:30. Which of course he loved. And then we played. He loved that, too. Then it was time for him to eat. That wasn't fun. For either of us. He wouldn't eat it warm, he wouldn't eat it cold. Maybe he would've eaten it with mold? Sorry, Dr. Seuss moment. After none of that was working, I took him into his room and read to him. Snuggle Puppy and Goodnight Moon were on the agenda. He did great for both of those. Then, when I started reading Mr. Doodle Had a Poodle, he wigged. Normally, he's all about that book, but not tonight. So I rocked and rocked and sang and sang. And rocked some more. And then he fell asleep. By this time, it was 7:30, almost an hour and a half before him normal bedtime. And I was totally okay with it. He may be waking up sooner than he normally does, but for now, I have some peace and quiet.

Fun and Busy Weekend!

We had a wonderfully busy weekend! It was so very nice. We saw friends and family. Friday night, we went up to my parents' house. They live in Edmond, and that is about half an hour from our house, so when we go up there, we're there for awhile, at least 3 hours. We got up there around 6:30 and ate a yummy dinner that Mom had prepared. And then there was pumpkin cake for dessert. Yum! Trent was living it up, as everyone was paying attention to my little man. He was really hamming it up. Sweet little baby! He loves his Mimi and Granddaddy, and they adore him!

Saturday, Chris didn't have to open the drive-in, so we got to spend the morning together. It was so nice. We ate breakfast and played peek-a-boo. Chris had to work that afternoon, so Trent and Mommy played and ate lunch. Around 4, we went over to Granny and Papa's to say hi to everybody before Trick or Treat time came. Kyleigh was Princess Jasmine, Dawson was a gangster, Miriel was a kitty-kat, and Lily was her mouse. Too cute! Hopefully, Aunt Lindsay will post some pictures I can steal and post on here. Ha!

Later that evening, we went to John and Lisa's to hand out candy and eat a yummy dinner. We had chicken and steak fajitas and mojitos. Yummy! Owen and Trent had a great time checking each other out. I think Daddy got some pics, but we'll have to post those later. It was pretty darn cute.

Then on Sunday, we went to church and had lunch at a great place in Norman called Slim Chicken's. That was amazing! Then we helped move some furniture and other items into an apartment for homeless women. It was our first extra-curricular activity with church members at Cornerstone. We had a very nice time helping out and meeting new people. I really cannot wait to become more involved there. I miss being a part of a church community. It really lifts the spirit and renews the soul to see the same people every week, and to know that they believe what you do. Praise the Lord, we found a place we both love!

Blessings,

Korree