Month 1

I’m back!  Wow…4 weeks already?! I think time flies faster when you have two little ones underfoot.

 

So where to start?  I guess with the birth right. Lol  Aiden decided to be fashionably late which was torture because you expect babies to arrive on their due date.  Every day after wass filled with anxiety.  You don’t want to stray too far from home. You don’t want your water to break at the grocery store.  You spend you days answering texts about whether you “feel” anything.  Your family is on stand-by…and your 3 year old stops believing there is actually a baby in there.  FINALLY on Friday Jun 19^th, I started to feel mild contractions.  I notified the troops and it was decided that my Mom and Sister would come that afternoon to arrange care for Bryce.  I called Labour & Delivery who suggested I come in to be assessed.  I think I was only about 2 cm’s and my contractions were only about 5 mins apart. They suggested I walk around and be reassessed later….which I did.  After 2 hours and no progress, I decided to go home.  All was not lost because we had a pizza and PJ party and a restful sleep.  I did begin to feel contractions again in the wee hours of Saturday morning.  I went out for a walk around the block to try to get things going, and eventually went back to the hospital to be assessed again.  Still only at 3cm’s and was told to do some more walking.  At this point I was feeling pretty defeated…obviously forgetting that Dr. Daisy said my LEEP procedure would probably prolong the dilation stage. I didn’t want to go home again because I figured I wouldn’t make it back.  I thought I would wait too long for fear of being turned away again, that I would end up delivering at home.  So more walking for me.  Aiden’s Dad joined me for company and we ended up down in Little Italy as the Ferrari Festival was on.  There I was, doubled over and contracting every few mins, surrounded by a million dollars in cars. Surprisingly, no one offered me a ride. Well by 4pm, I had finally dilated to 4 cm’s and was considered to be in “active” labour, therefore was admitted.  A short time later, my Mom joined me and the fun started.   

This time, as with last, I opted for a drug free delivery.  But I tried something new, and laboured standing up and sitting on an exercise ball.  I think it actually made the contractions a little less painful although they were still excruciating.  There were time I leaned over the bed and just whimpered in the pillow.  But comparing those contractions to the ones I had while in bed being examined, I’d say a little better because I could move/sway/rock with them. Dr. Daisy examined me at one point and said that Aiden was not in an optimum delivery position.  Not face up like Bryce, but sort of sideways.  I was gearing myself up for another long pushing stage.  She also broke my water to gets things moving and said she thought there might be a little meconium present.  Therefore a couple extra people were put on standby and the pediatrician was called.  By about 8 pm, (4 hours into labour) Dr. Daisy came to assess me again.  She said I was at about 8cm.  I wanted to cry because I knew that I still had to “transition” to 10cm which is the most painful stage.  It’s at that point that the contraction intensify and are stacked on top of each other.  Well about 10 mins later, my body took over and started to push with each contraction.  I was NOT in control of the show anymore.  (I also felt him turn with another huge gush of amniotic fluid.  Getting into proper position I guess.)  They called Dr. Daisy back and barely got me into the bed.  I was checked and apparently “he was right there”.  About 3-4 contractions later, or about 15 mins…out he came.  Born at 8:25pm and weighing 10lbs 13oz.  It was funny because his birth was SO much easier than Bryce.  With Bryce, I kinda had to force the pushing with each contraction but with Aiden, he was in charge.  I remember the nurses trying to coach me and say “o.k.,,,head to chest…here comes a contraction…ok, you’re already pushing” lol.  I was definitely just along for the ride.  Surprisingly not very painful for an almost 11 pounder!  Mom said she was a little worried because Dr. Daisy was pulling pretty hard to get the shoulders out, but still a much easier delivery in the end.  AND he came out crying and pinked up right away.  His initial APGAR was 9…and no one ever really gets a 10!  Because of the meconium though, they did cut the cord and whisk him away for a short time but returned him quickly so we could have skin to skin time and nurse.  He latched on right away, and I would soon discover that it was his favourite place to be.  ;) 

Our transition into a family of 4 hasn’t been nearly as scary as I imagined.  Aiden is a pretty easy going baby.  Just keep him fed and all is well.  Poor baby bird will latch on to just about anything.  Shoulders, chins, the dog, his stroller canopy.  Basically anything that brushes against his mouth.   I did really want to exclusively breastfeed and did so many things to ensure my success.  (24 pills/day, encapsulating placenta, lactation cookies, dark ale, renting a hospital grade pump) but neither of us were happy with that arrangement.  Between each 45 min feed, I was expected to pump to increase my supply.  8-12 feeds with 8-12 pumps.  It really was a FULL TIME job and not working.  My milk did come in so something must have worked and Aiden was steadily gaining weight….but as time went on he began to get frustrated at the breast.  Probably not getting enough, fast enough, so I started supplementing with formula.  The way he would attack the bottle (and subsequently always choke himself) you’d think he was starving.   I try not to beat myself up because he is STILL getting breastmilk…just not exclusively.  His weight only decreased to 10lbs 6oz then went back up to 11lbs 2oz at 2weeks and was a whopping 12lbs 11oz at 4 weeks.  He weighs more than my friends 4 month old...and is already into some 6 month old sleepers.  ;)

Bryce has been a GREAT big brother.  He has handled sharing my attention really well and doesn’t seem to be jealous of his new baby brother.  There has been some regression in terms of behaviour but that’s to be expected and I have heard of horror stories involving older siblings actually hurting new babies.  Bryce only ever handles Aiden with the gentlest of touches…and often talks about what he and Aiden are going to do when Aiden gets bigger.  His little sidekick....Adorable!

So I got myself a cuddler!  Aiden will NOT sleep (at least not for very long) without being in someones arms.  Thank God for the sling.  The moment you place him down…even if you thought he was sound asleep…he’ll wake and give you a stink eye.  Even at night, he’ll only cat nap unless he’s allowed to “co-sleep” which frightens me to death.  Not only because Bryce is ALSO now in my bed (a whole separate issue) , but it’s too soft and too high to be a safe sleeping spot for a little one.  SO, most times I sneak down the hall to sleep with Aiden on stripped down mattress on the floor in the nursery.  That way he sleeps longer, and when he does wake, is happy to nurse laying down.  Inevitably though, the dog usually finds and joins us…then Bryce a short time later.  It really is comical the way we all play "musical beds" ever night!!

I’ll try not to spend most of my time on Aiden’s blog comparing him to Bryce but take a look at the photos.  I think I better label their baby photos well so as not to mix them up!! (Bryce on left, Aiden on right)

 I think I’ll leave it here for now even though I could probably go on forever! See you back here in a month!!