Wow. It has been two and a half years since my last post. I have probably lost most of my readers, but hopefully they are my Facebook friends and we have kept tabs on each other there. This post is more for my own records, so I don't forget important events before I get around to scrapbooking them.So much has happened in the past two and a half years, but I will start with the most recent and work my way back.
Ten (almost eleven) weeks ago we welcomed our fifth child! She is a joy in our home. Yes, I said SHE. We finally got our girl. Her name is Annika Ruth. She was born on Saturday, August 30, 2014 at 1:46 am. She weighed 5 lbs 4 oz and was 19.5 inches long. I had to be induced because she had Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR). I had a doctor's appointment on the 28th and I wasn't dilated or effaced, but he was concerned about her size so he sent me for an ultrasound. The ultrasound techs said she was in the 10th percentile of where she should be, and suggested inducing me because she would grow better outside than in. So, I picked up Jared from Gary's parents house, got the boys from school and went home and got things ready to have a baby. They said I could come in that night, but I told them that the next morning would be better because then I could arrange things at home for the boys.
The next morning (Friday) my parents came over to watch Jared while the older boys were at school. We didn't tell them our plans for the day. We just told them we were going on a date. We dropped them off at school and headed to the hospital (IMC). It was so strange, to be going to the hospital to have a baby, and not be in labor! They got us into a room and started the whole process, and boy did it take forever!
We arrived about 8:30 am, had the monitors hooked up about 9 and they got my IV in (after 4 or 5 tries) around 9:40. At that point I was only about 1 cm dilated and hardly effaced at all. They started me on the Cytotec medication at about 11, and we waited. Luckily we had brought things to do, like MASH DVDs, the Kindle and our smart phones. By 3:30 in the afternoon I was 60% effaced, but still only dilated to a 1+. At that point they gave me a second dose of Cytotec and we waited some more. Gary took a nap, and I tried unsuccessfully. I did get some reading done though. By 6:35 pm I was dilated to a 2. They finally gave me Pitocin around 8:40 that night, and that got things going. By 10 I was 70% effaced and dilated to a 2.5 so the doctor broke my water. They gave me the epidural about 10:30. The contractions were coming really fast at that point, so they had to turn the Pitocin off. The epidural wasn't 100% effective, but it did take the edge off. At 1:10 am I was ready to go, I started pushing at 1:45 am and Annika was born at 1:46 am on Saturday morning. She was tiny and beautiful. She was covered in vernix (a white waxy paste) and had very purple feet. And hair, lots of hair! It took her most of a day to start regulating her body temperature and blood sugar, but she did eventually. Being so small it was important that she do that before we could give her a bath.
During the day we called Mom and Dad at our house and they told the boys where we were when they got home from school. They made signs for the front door and came to visit Saturday night. They all adore Annika. There is something different about having a sister. The nurse came in to the room to give Annie her first bath, so the boys could watch. It was the first time I got to see our baby's first bath too. Gary usually goes to the nursery and helps with that. We had a few visitors while we were in the hospital. My parents came, Gary's parents came, Susan & Greg, Eric & Leia and Samantha and her boyfriend, York.
The first pediatrician that came in to check Annie said she was "A tiny version of perfect." She has the cutest pouty full lips, long slender fingers, and tiny ears. Her eyes are still a grayish-blue color and her hair is brown. She has cowlicks in her hair like her Nana, Jared and I do. It grows in a mohawk like Jared's does. She has a small umbilical hernia, but the doctor thinks it should correct itself and not need surgery.
These are a few of her first portraits, taken when she was 9 days old (I think).
