Time Flies When You Are Having FUN!

Wow, where has a week gone?? Just a week ago, I was sitting in the hospital laboring all day. And to think that tomorrow our little one will be a week old!! Where does all the time go!? Our hours go by as if they were minutes and it takes absolutely forever to get anything done. :-) Just wanted to drop by and leave a quick note to let everyone know that Alexander, Mommy & Daddy are adjusting well to being home. Eric had to go back to work on Tuesday so that was tough but my mom has stayed with me during the day to help out with things. It is so nice to see the glowing in Eric's face when he gets home and gets to hold his son.

Our 1st doctors appt went well on Monday. He is back up to 8lbs--with all the food he has eaten the past few days he is probably up to 9! At the hosptial, he had slight facial jaundice but that has resolved and his bilirubin levels were fine on Monday when they checked. Working in the CED, you see children poked all the time and it is one of those things you just get used to, but let me tell you, when it is your own child getting poked--it is a whole new feeling.

We are slowly but surely trying to get our routine down. Alexander is starting to stay awake more during the day and each night is different. We have had a good night where we wake every 3 hours to feed and then go right back to sleep, we have had a night where it took a few hours to get back to sleep after feeding and then there was last pm where no matter what I did, he didn't go to sleep until after 4:30am. He is such a hungry, growing boy. I am still attempting breast feeding with a lot of pumping as well. We are supplementing Enfamil for some feedings when he "just isn't satisfied" and until I can get enough milk going to supply the entire day. Trust me, that's a lot of milk! :-)
Here are some pictures that I promised. Enjoy!

Daddy & alexander w/mohawk

Alexander posing by Dad's Cell phone

Just a few hours old

Already sucking the pacifier at 2 days old!!

I love my carseat
Packed up and ready to go home!

1st Doctor's appt

Alexander Paul Currie is here!

Alexander is here and we could not be more excited! We are very proud parents of the sweetest, most loving baby boy! Where are the pics??? I am going to start sounding like kate from John & Kate plus 8---"I hate this camera!" Actually it is not the camera this time, it is my scanner. And Eric is taking a much deserved nap and I can't find the cord to download our pics from the hospital!! I will send them tomorrow....promise!! (What a bad mommy already! :-(

Here is the quick version of our birth story--

My water broke on it's own, Wednesday am about 4am. We were at Wake Med by 5am. My water was meconium stained so they started Pitocin at 8am. I had an epidural by 12:30pm and we labored all day. We were accompanied by many members of our family and that helped pass the time. Unfortunately we spent the entire day only progressing to 4 cm so at 10pm Dr. Smith said we must go to option 2...a C-section. Alexander Paul entered this world on Thursday, July 24th at 1:02am. Weighing 8 lb, 2 oz. 20.5 inches long.

We are finally home, after a very long hospital stay. I have to say, staying at WakeMed did not necessarily make me the proudest employee--MOST of the nurses were phenomenal but of course I was stuck in the "sardine" room after recovery to spend 4 days recouperating and I have never seen such a small room!! It was hard enough trying to get around, but when you are in a room that is all of 100 SF....I am wondering if my experience was more on the "bad" side since they knew I worked there! hahaha

Baby is healthy and mommy is recovering...slowly. Pain meds are miracle workers! I really can get around as long as they are working--once they wear off, I feel like I can't take another step! Daddy has been the most wonderful, helpful person I could ever imagine or ask for. He has been there every minute doing things for me left and right whether he has had 2 hours or 2 minutes of sleep! We want to say Thank you to everyone that stopped by and for all the calls and emails.

Alexander is adjusting to being home just fine! He is a hungry, growing boy keeping us on our toes feeding him very often! I wanted to exclusively breastfeed, but my milk is not in quite yet and he needed more volume so we are supplementing but I am still putting him to the breast as well as pumping so he will get the best of both worlds.

I will check back in tomorrow after our 1st appt at the pediatrician's office!! With pics....

Just some pictures to post...

I know I have said many times I would post some pictures and I am just now figuring out how to get these pictures off the new camera onto the computer. I am NOT camera/computer illiterate but there must be an easier way! :-)

Here I am...overdue...but still smiling!

Here are a few pictures of the baby nusery. We LOVE the bold/bright colors and just hope he does as well!

We have a date...

Today's 40 week check up came with much disappointment for me. I was for sure with all the contracting and cramping that I had been having that I would have dilated more, but "not much has changed" was the answer I got from the doctor. So, we have a scheduled induction for Thursday, the 24th. What they are planning on doing is going in on that pm and inserting a foley catheter right in the cervix to help dilate the cervix (since mine seems to be stubborn!) and leave it there overnight with the hopes it does its job and gets things going. The next AM they will do more if needed and finish the induction. So, looks like our baby boy may just have a birthday of July 25th! Some ask why we didn't schedule it sooner but there was actually no other real options, they don't induce over weekends and the other nights were booked already with other ladies coming in for PM inductions.

The doctor also said to go ahead and mentally prepare myself that a c-section is not far out of arms reach either. He says Alexander seems to be a pretty big baby at this point (who isn't at 40 weeks!!) and with everything not progressing as it should thus far--for that to always be something to think about in the back of my head. I have never been one for or against a section and I am totally a logical thinker when it comes to something "needing" to be done, so this is not too big of a deal to me. I just want him here and healthy!

On top of all this, the doctor I really wanted is on vacation, and the other is booked to the 9s next week. As many of you know I have said along the way, "the doctor that is on the day I deliver will be one I either don't really care for or don't really know" and sure enough--it is one that I have only seen once and just didn't care for his personality. But as many have told me...when it comes down to it...they all know how to do their job and at that point I am not going to care as long as he catches the baby!

So, until then--prayers please that Alexander cooperates and we have him arrive on his own before Thursday pm. Going to try hard to keep busy this week to protect my sanity as well!

He will take after his Daddy!

At no point during this pregnancy did I think Baby Alexander would NOT take after his Daddy but as we wait for his arrival, I surely wish he didn't. As most of you know, Eric is late to just about everything. Alexander is due on Friday, so technically he is not late, yet, but I just have this strange suspicion that he is going to wait as long as possible to come out of there! I know we will talk on Friday about inducing but I really didn't want to go that route--hopefully he will come by then!

Without being able to pick up hours at work (for once we are staffed!!) this week, I am starting to go stir crazy! I don't want to go drive around pointlessly--gas is too expensive, everything is ready for the baby to arrive so sitting at home is hard with nothing really to do. Shopping is out of the question--why...to buy more stuff that we really don't need right now.

I have realized in the past 2 weeks or so why I enjoyed going to school. As hard as it was to work and go to school, it kept me occupied with something to do constantly. It has been such a long time that I have had NOTHING to do, it is hard to make that adjustment. I am sure as soon as I get used to this "nothing to do" Alexander will arrive and I won't know what hit me. Bring it on, son!

It is so funny, we can't call anyone...friends or parents--We'll say "hey" and their next words are "are you in labor?' My Golly, no, just wanted to chit chat. Trust me, you will know when I am in labor. :-)

Until next time--

Madame Zaritska's Baby Birth Prediction

"Madame Zaritska, our resident clairvoyant, wants to help you prepare for the arrival of your child. Here she does her best to predict certain aspects of your labor and birth experience.
What she senses for you:
--The day you deliver, outside will be rainy. Your baby will arrive in the early evening.
After a labor lasting approximately 4 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 8 pounds, 3 ounces, and will be 18-1/2 inches long. This child will have green eyes and a little patch of brown hair."

I love reading these labor horoscopes! The day he arrives will be Rainy out?? Well could today be the day?? It is miserably dreary and rainy out today. :-( However, EC has big plans tonight to hang out with the "men" and coming early evening would not be good timing! hahaha

Yep, Alexander and I are still hanging out in our close quarters. Both of us are doing well. One of us growing a little more inpatient than the other, but I will get over it. He will come when he is ready. Our last appt on Wednesday went very well. Docs seem to think we will deliver this week, since his due date is Friday, however, if Alexander decides this week is not good for him, they will induce by the 25th as they don't like holding babies past 41 weeks. We have another appt on our due date, Friday.

Our furniture arrived!!! The nursery looks fabulous and I will even get to send pics once our new camera is all charged!! Many of you probably know the frustrations we have had with our old digital camera--to the point where EC's phone can take better pics than our old camera. Well, last night Mr. & Mrs. Currie gave Alexander a present--a brand new digital camera that Mommy and Daddy get to enjoy until he is big enough to operate on his own. :-)

More later--