Life with Avery

Day 5 with Avery and things are finally starting to resemble some normalacy versus chaos. Our first night home was very frustrating and we were up most of the night. I think I slept maybe 3 hours and that was from 8-11am when Nathan took her so I could sleep. Friday morning about 1am, my milk came in...what an adventure in weirdness! The funny thing was Avery was acting so hungry all the time and at first she just wasn't satisfied. Then my milk came in and she wanted nothing to do with me. She would try to latch on, then scream the most high pitched scream EVER, and fight me all along the way. I cried A LOT that night.

When I woke up, I called the La Leche League and the advisor told me to pump out my milk and then feed her little bits of it on a spoon. Tried it and it worked wonders! She was a little more satisfied and a little less frustrated before she started eating. By midnight last night, she was latching the best she ever has and was eating for 40-50 minutes. The little girl has quite the appetite! It has been very challenging trying to pick up on all her hunger cues and feed her before it gets to that frustrating point for both of us. Because the feedings were more successful, so was the sleep. We slept 2 hours, up 2 hours, etc, for most of the night. It was so much better.

I am feeling better every day, but still having some pain from the tearing during delivery. I think that I kind of had a re-tear last night of a little bit because I have been slightly more uncomfortable and have had some extra bleeding, but it should improve in the next little while. Fortunately, I don't really need pain medicine anymore, but I do still take my antiinflammatories. It's hard sitting and laying on my back all the time, but Avery comes first!

Avery has had lots of family visitors the last few days. She is so happy to meet everyone. She had a wonderful visit this afternoon with both sets of grandparents. We will be making our first outing on Monday for her 1 week weight check.

Well, that's all the time for updating that I have...Avery is starting to wake up and I hear those little lips smacking. :)

Welcome our little miracle... Avery Elizabeth Seago

Monday, October 5th, we welcomed our little girl, Avery Elizabeth Seago! She was born at 5:30pm, weighed 7lb 7oz, and was 20 1/2 inches long. Here's what we've been up to the last few days... In labor and exhausted already! We were at the hospital about 6:20am, and labor picked up about 9am. At 1pm, the doctor came in and broke my water and it was downhill from there! Within 20 minutes, I was having contractions 2 minutes apart and a lot more painful. By 3:30, I needed my epidural because my contractions were coming one on top of the other with very little break and I was still only about 4 cm dilated. After my epidural, within 10 minutes, I was feeling much better. It was a wonderful decision to have one! I was absolutely petrified having it and cried all the way through it, but thank goodness for it! I dilated quickly to 6cm, and by 4:30 I started feeling a lot of pelvic pressure. Sure enough, I had dilated to 10cm already and was just about ready to push. I could barely control my left leg, which made for some funny moments ( I could still move my legs with the epidural). I pushed about 40 minutes off and on, and then she was here! I had some tearing, but didn't know it (yet) and I got to hear the sweetest little cry on the whole earth.

Little miss Avery was born! She was very happy and alert for several hours and was a super pro at nursing. She loved meeting her grandmas and grandpas and her Uncle Jared. Nathan and I both started crying at this beautiful little miracle. I can't believe she is here!

My little stretcher! No wonder I felt her stretching all the time in the belly..she loves it! She was happy to get out of that cramped space. Look at all her black hair and blue eyes!

Mommy and daddy are so excited for their new little one. This picture was probably 30 minutes after giving birth. I was feeling pretty great!

Mommy and daddy get to take Avery home! A new family of three. (Man, we were exhausted!)

Avery is home and won't let mommy get any sleep! We were up from 12a-6a. She wanted to nurse constantly, but mommy doesn't have the good milk in yet. She gets very frustrated sometimes and has this super, high-pitched scream that she does that just breaks mommy's heart.

She has daddy wrapped around her little finger already. As we speak, they are napping together. Praise the Lord for Nathan, he took her about 8:30 this morning and let me sleep for 3 hours. He is so willing and helpful. He is a wonderful daddy and he loves his little girl.

We are expecting some more family over in a few minutes, but Avery wanted everyone to know she is here and can't wait to meet everyone soon.

39 week pictures

Our last picture as a duo.

Hopefully!!!

39 week belly picture!

39 weeks...almost done

So I guess the fact of the matter is that no matter when she comes now, it is almost over. I am so ready now and each day seems to just drag. The only thing I can honestly say that I will miss about pregnancy is her moving in my tummy. The rest of it, I'm so over it! I'm ready to meet my little one.

Here are some of my final insights and thoughts about pregnancy. Hopefully this will be my last pregnancy post!

5 Things I Couldn't have Lived Without During Pregnancy:
- TUMS, TUMS and more TUMS
- My Snoogle pillow
- Grilled cheese
- Under belly maternity pants
- Lemon lime Gatorade

5 Things I am Scared about with Labor:
- Pain
- Needles, especially the epidural
- Bleeding
- Possibly tearing or having an episiotomy
- Lack of modesty

5 Things I Absolutely Cannot Wait For:
- Seeing her little face
- Hearing her cry for the first time
- Giving her a name (finally!)
- The relief of no longer anticipating labor or whether I will get a late night wake-up
- Getting to share her with family

5 Things I am Thankful for:
- My husband, who has been wonderful throughout the whole process. I'm excited for him too.
- My parents, who have helped me mentally and physically along the way.
- A healthy pregnancy, and thus far, a healthy baby.
- Minimal, but normal, weight gain.
- A talented OB that I trust.

I am going to try to post some pictures later tonight. Thanks for all the prayers and well-wishes...hopefully she'll be here soon!

Slipping into the realm of miserable

So I am 38 weeks and 3 days pregnant... at least 3 days past when I thought I might possibly no longer be pregnant. I can finally say that I am starting to be miserable...not necessarily from being "huge" or anything, but just the waiting factor. We were so pumped up that we would probably be having the baby this past weekend, and nope, no baby yet. We are hanging out, jumping at every little contraction or sign that might mean possible labor. Unfortunately, in my reading, it is possible to continue to efface and not dilate, as it is that you can do both without any serious contractions.

Last night, I started having contractions 8 minutes apart, but unfortunately after sleeping through the night, they are gone. I've been trying to clean the house up from the company we've had over the weekend and hoping that by vacuuming or doing some laundry, it might encourage her along. Nathan's parents came up last Thursday, but they headed back this morning since baby girl hasn't decided to make her entrance yet. There are still loose ends in Mississippi to tend to, and hopefully when they come back, she will be on her way.

It's hard not to sit around and feel discouraged by this whole situation, especially as I am now no longer working and having quite as much to keep my mind off of the concrete pillow still attached to my abdomen. The weather is also quite a bit cooler, which is super nice because I am usually pretty warm, but not as nice because I don't really have any maternity clothes for cooler weather and my closed toed shoes no longer fit. Every single pair of closed toed shoes do not fit...hopefully my feet will go back to their normal shape after pregnancy, although I've heard they may not...

I have another doctor appointment scheduled for Thursday. I would not be surprised to hear her say that she will induce me (as that was kind of the original plan, but I convinced her to try to let me go naturally) if the baby hasn't arrived yet. Sitting at 3cm dilated and 75% effaced and her full patient load (not to mention delivering me at a different hospital) might change some things. I have no idea what to expect at this moment.

So, that's my 38 week update. Keep us in your prayers that things will happen soon and that we will all stay healthy and sane in the process. Have a great rest of the week.

New update

So Wednesday morning I woke up about 5am having contractions about 7 minutes apart. I called the doctor's office and they had me come in to get checked. I had progressed to 3cm and 75% effaced. I went back to the doctor Thursday and my cervix hadn't changed any more, but I was still having some moderate contractions. I think they have lessened up some since then, but I do continue to have some contractions. The doctor said that I am in kind of a "latent early labor" and it is just a matter of a few hours or days before I would go into active labor. She said that she is pretty sure that I won't be pregnant by my appointment next Thursday. Sounds hopeful!

They want me to watch out for my water to break, but said that the baby's head is really bearing down on my cervix so I probably wouldn't notice a huge "gush" if it does break. With the baby's head where it is and me still having contractions, it could be any time. I'm hoping she will just hold out maybe one more day (at least) until my parents are back in town. Nathan's parents got here yesterday evening and are anxiously awaiting any changes.

The doctor told me to go ahead and "tie up loose ends" at work, so I went in yesterday and chatted with the therapist covering my leave and finished up some paperwork. I guess I am officially done working until after my maternity leave is up.

I feel so much pressure now that some of this has started...like I should go into labor just to make it all real. I don't think that they thought I was in false labor because I had too many symptoms consistent with real labor, but that I was just in that early latent labor. I am kind of struggling with being patient for all this to happen, and still trying to rest so things don't happen prematurely. I am so excited and nervous that I can hardly stand it! I really can't wait to see her little face and touch her fingers and toes. Should be any day now!

Full term!

I am 37 weeks pregnant today and considered full term! The baby should be able to come any time now with the expectation to "thrive." What a milestone for us mentally... to know that unless something really out of the ordinary happened that we should be meeting our little girl any time!
The nursery is finally finished! She will stay in the bassinet in our room for a little while, but she now officially has a home/room to come home to! I feel so much more relaxed knowing that I don't just have a ton of stuff left to do! Her laundry is done, diaper bag packed, and everything put away in its place.
This is my 37 week belly picture. You can definitely tell she is dropping. Some people even think I've lost some weight because my belly is starting to be shaped differently as she moves down.
This is catch up... 36 week belly picture.
Aunt Jill and Bryce came over yesterday and helped me clean house. We got all the bathrooms cleaned, the floors mopped, the stairs vacuumed, kitchen cleaned, and strollers put together. We even had time for some down time and visiting, which was a wonderful mental break! Aunt Jennifer is coming next week and hopefully we will be able to vacuum/spot clean the carpet and wash the windows. I am going to try to get my car cleaned and set up the car seat this week. I need to try to finish my thank you notes from last week's shower this week too. The fridge and freezer are stocked and ready! I am almost ready! My bag is packed... let me get a few more things done this week and let my parents get back safely, and I'm ready for her to make her entrance!