3 weeks old: aunts, an uncle, a cousin, and a swing

We have had many visitors in Eloise's first three weeks of life, which truly makes us feel so loved and supported. I feel very fortunate to have such wonderful and caring friends and family in our lives. I'm highlighting some family visitors in this post.

Last weekend Evan's sister and Eloise's aunt Emily came down from Seattle. In addition to holding her for two hours straight she also brought a bunch of food for us to be able to grab and eat easily. What a lifesaver! And so yummy, too. A few days later and we've gobbled it all up. Aunt Emily also babysat Eloise for a bit so Evan and I could have a mini-date by ourselves and we got ice cream from Salt & Straw, the best ice cream in town. We both got our favorite: sea salt with caramel ribbon in a waffle cone. 

Evan, Aunt Emily, and Eloise

Yesterday my brother's family and Eloise's uncle Jay, aunt Leslie, and 14-year-old cousin Heath flew in from Illinois for a visit. They brought her some cute girly outfits and an awesome swing that she loves. Uncle Jay was the first one to hold her and she studied his face very carefully. I wondered if she saw a resemblance to her mommy. But then later she did the same thing to Aunt Leslie. Eloise cried in all of the adults' arms so Heath passed on holding her. After a bit we walked to Fifteenth Avenue Hophouse for dinner. They are very family-friendly and it was our second time going with Eloise. Evan carried Eloise in the Baby Bjorn front carrier this time instead of the stroller and she slept the whole time. He ate and drank beer over her with her strapped to him the entire time and was careful not to spill on her head. It's always stressful for me when we leave the house with her because we're still getting used to doing all the things we do at home in public: changing diapers, soothing her when she cries, and especially breastfeeding without flashing a boob or leaking milk everywhere. I know it will just take repetition and practice to get more comfortable. When we got home from dinner, we finally got Heath to hold her and she didn't cry at all! It was his very first time holding a baby and I can't wait to tell that to Eloise later in her life. How very special! 

Heath and Eloise

Jay, Leslie, and Heath are combining this trip with a family vacation over a week and a half and are now off to do some exploring of the Pacific Northwest for a few days. My mom, Grandma Zuber, will be flying in from Arizona on Tuesday so we'll all spend some time together again once she arrives. In the meantime, Grandma Harris will be coming up from Salem for her fourth visit with Eloise this weekend. It sure warms my heart to see Eloise so loved.

And finally, a video of Eloise breaking in her new swing:

2 weeks old: pediatrician & tummy time

Eloise is two weeks old today and this blog is turning into a photo journal of her first year. The photo above was taken when she was 8 days old. Here are a couple more of my favorites from that day:

I love the hilarious combination of the angel wings with her expression:

Eloise had her two week appointment with the pediatrician this week. He said she is healthy and perfect. But we already knew she was perfect. She gained 1/2 lb from birth weighing in at 7 lbs 4 oz, which puts her in the 33rd percentile for weight. She grew an inch since birth at 20.5" putting her at the 67th percentile for height. And, her head circumference grew 1/4" at 13.75" putting her in the 47th percentile for that measurement. She's doing a great job with nursing and growing! 

We also started doing daily tummy time this week to help her strengthen her neck muscles and avoid a flattened head from being on her back too much. We put her on her belly for as long as she'll take it, or until she's really not doing anything. Sometimes she seems perfectly content to be face down. Other times she'll get her legs going and grunt. And other times she'll figure out how to turn her head to one side and just put it down. Here's a video from yesterday:

https://vimeo.com/70579452

40 weeks: Eloise is here!!

Eloise decided to make her entrance into the world at 1:07 am on the Fourth of July, 2013! She weighed 6 lbs 11 oz and was 19.5" in length at birth. 

Contractions began about 7:00 AM on July 2nd and progressed throughout the day. I labored from home while Evan was at work using Hypnobirthing techniques I'd been studying. I knew I had a prenatal appointment scheduled for 4:15 PM, and I'd had a couple other episodes in the last couple weeks where contractions had started and fizzled out, so I didn't alert anyone to the contractions until the afternoon. I think it was around 1:00 PM when I called Evan and our doula, Carrie. By 3:00 my contractions had been about 5 minutes apart lasting a minute each for a couple hours, the guideline to head to labor and delivery, so I called to see if I should go to my appointment or head straight to L and D. I was advised to keep my appointment, so we loaded up the car with the hospital bag just in case and went to the appointment. By the time we arrived contractions were about 4 minutes apart and when I was checked I was dilated to 5 cm and in active labor. Our doula met us at labor and delivery about an hour later after we were settled into a room. The 33 hours between admission and delivering Eloise are a blur, but I labored with the support of Evan and the doula getting through each intensifying contraction one by one. My goal was a natural birth and we did things like breathing, relaxation, visualization, counter pressure, body positions, and the birthing tub. By noon the next day I was dilated to 9 cm, the very end of the transition phase of labor, pushing begins at 10 cm. Unfortunately that's where my labor stalled. Over the next 9-10 hours we tried several strategies including more body positions such as lunges, hands and knees, and swaying with Evan through contractions, breaking my amniotic sack, etc. Each time the midwife came back to check my progress we felt defeated to learn I was still stuck at 9 cm despite all the efforts. My labor was going "off the grid" long and once the amniotic sack is broken risk of infection becomes an issue. Additionally, my temperature was indeed running a little high during labor. Our next step was Pitocin, a medication designed to induce or speed up labor. Disappointing, but in the end all that was really important was a healthy baby Eloise. Around 10:00 PM I received an epidural prior to the administration of Pitocin. Due to my scoliosis (curvature of the spine), the anesthesiologist had two unsuccessful attempts at placing the line and called in a second anesthesiologist who eventually successfully placed the line. Pain relief was almost immediate and I was able to sleep an hour or so while the Pitocin was being administered. What a difference that made, I woke up to feeling like Eloise was about to come out and I had plenty of energy to push. After about an hour of pushing, out she came! Eloise was placed immediately on me skin-to-skin and I'll never forget the image of her little alert eyes and wiggling body coming into my arms as she wailed a beautiful wail! Magnificent is a word that comes to mind! 

We were left alone in the room for about an hour to soak it all in and revel in the presence of our baby, Eloise, who was finally with us. After the usual protocol of weighing and bathing, etc, we were all wheeled upstairs to our postpartum room where we spent the remainder of our stay. We felt very supported and cared for by all of the staff at the hospital. I ended up with a first degree tear requiring a few stitches and bled out about 2-3 times as much as I should have immediately following delivery which left me very anemic and requiring a little closer monitoring. Additionally, with all of the spinal punctures from trying to place the epidural line, I have been leaking spinal fluid which is not that dangerous but does cause an intense headache similar to a migraine. The pressure of the spinal fluid being off makes my brain sag down which causes pain. I have been on narcotic pain medication for the headache and hope to resolve the leak without further intervention. Caffeine, staying horizontal, and hydrating are all things we're trying first. Eloise has been breastfeeding like a pro and she barely lost any weight in the first two days! We got home Saturday around 4:00 PM and have been enjoying our time together, mostly just staring at Eloise. It's all about feeding, pooping, and sleeping. All of which are absolutely thrilling for us at this point! Our hearts are overflowing.

Five seconds after Eloise entered the world:

Getting weighed:

First bath:

Going home from the hospital:

39 weeks: the final countdown

Eloise is fully developed and will make her entrance any day now. Her hair is growing, her nails have probably grown past her fingertips, she's gaining weight, and her brain is adding neural connections.... just as would happen if she were on the outside. She's been head down for many weeks now and it's pretty easy to identify body parts pushing out of my belly. She feels huge.

I continue to have daily contractions but they don't progress. At our prenatal appointment last week we learned my cervix hadn't progressed since the week before but it is still dilated to 2cm and 80% effaced. Due to high Inhibin A levels, my OB wants to induce sometime between now and 40 weeks, so in the next week or so. I'm really on the fence about this because, as I'm sure is true for most women, I'd like to go into labor on my own. She offered to do a membrane sweep at my prenatal appointment tomorrow, which is the least risky and most natural form of induction. The procedure involves sweeping a finger around the inside of my cervix to separate the amniotic membrane from the uterus. She said with my "favorable cervix" there is a 50% chance I would go into labor in the next three days. If that doesn't work or I decide not to do it, she wants me to make an appointment for induction with Pitocin. I'm doing my best to avoid Pitocin due to the side effects and increased risk of c-section. If only I knew if/when I'd go into labor naturally, that would make the decision so easy! I've decided to wait until I'm in the exam room tomorrow and listen to my intuition in the moment. Evan said he supports whatever decision I make, however, he too prefers a natural birth.

I had a non-stress test and amniotic fluid check today. Eloise is less active these days but her heart rate is still good. Amniotic fluid is a little lower but still within the healthy range. An exciting experience at today's appointment was getting to see her practice breathing on the ultrasound! I saw her little ribs expanding and contracting as though she were breathing. The nurse said that's a good sign and earns her two points on her biophysical profile. That's my girl!

We're in the middle of a heat wave in Portland and it has been in the 90s. We don't have central air so Saturday we decided to head to the neighborhood Park and Rec pool for a while. Cool water + buoyancy = pure bliss. Each time I've gotten in a pool I feel Eloise moving and I imagine she's practicing her kicks in there. I also enjoyed a refreshing cherry slushy on the pool deck. It was a good day.

I'll end this post by sharing a photo of my point of view at the pool. I swear I'm wearing bikini bottoms but it's been a while since I've been able to see down there.