TBT: When James Met Reese in 2012

I didn't know how James (17 months old at the time) would respond to meeting Reese for the first time.  But I never, ever thought it would go like this:

One Week Ago

Mark made his dramatic entry into the world one week ago today.

And what a day it was!

Over the next few days, I'll be piecing together Mark's birth story.  In the mean time, I'll tell you about the here and now.

We are:

Tired.  *shocker* Mark is doing well eating every 1-3 hours during the day and 3-4 hours at night.  Scott has been taking the first portion of the night shift.  After we get the older two in bed between 7-730pm, I feed Mark and then head to bed myself.  I cat nap until the next feeding time.  Scott stays up with him and keeps him happy until it's time to wake me up around 11pm or 12am (depending on what time Mark ate last).  Then Scott goes to bed and I take over.  Thankfully, James and Reese are sleeping decently these days and not requiring anything in the overnight hours.

Grateful:  There's not a lot of glamour involved at this stage of the game.  My body feels like it's been through the ringer for sure.  HOWEVER, I have a thousand things for which to be grateful.  I didn't have to have a c-section.  Breastfeeding is going okay.  (doing a combo of breast and bottle currently) My milk supply is...ABUNDANT.  Mark seems to be pretty laid back most of the time.  James and Reese LOVE him.  Scott is off work right now and so incredibly helpful.  Our church family is feeding us regularly.  Those are just a few things, but there are many more.

Adjusting:  As anyone might have guessed, I think this transition has been hardest on Reese.  She love love loves Mark, but is easily frustrated by how little she can do with and for him.  She wants to touch him all the time, hug him, kiss him, etc.  And I want her to leave the sleeping baby ALONE.  I know she's missing my involvement in her day, too.  Scott has been handling more of her day to day needs than I have.  She prefers me.  (James prefers Scott, so it's all fair...)  Overall I think she's doing well, but when her frustration level is on the rise, her behavior can send Scott and I over the edge pretty quick-like.  Pray for patience...for all of us. James doesn't seem to bothered by the whole situation.  He checks on the baby frequently, but doesn't share Reese's exasperation about how much he sleeps or how frequently he eats.

What's different this time:  When James was born, the first week was a complete and total BLUR.  I don't think I slept much at all.  I felt overwhelmed.  When Reese was born, I was a little more prepared for how it would be, but it was still overwhelming.  This go-round I would say the first week has been about as good as it could possibly be.  My recovery is going decently.  Mark seems to be doing pretty well.  My expectations have been pretty spot on with our reality.  I reserve the right to change my mind about this in another week or two when Scott is back at work and the kids are back in school, but so far the transition to "party of five" has gone well.

• a related post from 3 weeks after James was born
• another one from after Reese was born

Reese Meets Mark

This is pure Reese awesomeness.  Enjoy!

He's Here

Mark Steven Davidson 

9 lbs 5 oz

22 inches long

38.5 cm head

Born 12/14/16 at 1530

Pictures coming soon!

An Induction Production

Good morning!

I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, BA's social media correspondant and hype man, Brooke. We're at the hospital and waiting on the newest young'un to arrive. I'll be updating throughout the day, mostly as instructed but taking liberty to infuse my own brand of humor and style. That's whatcha get when you hand over your password!

Without further ado, BA's first update:

0815: IV started on 4th attempt (a mere glimpse of the pain that's to come). Waiting on the doc to get pitosin ordered so we can get this party started.

It should be known that for the past week, I've been telling BA that if this child requires being induced, he shall be named Aden Michelle, after my ornery dog. Henceforth, I may alternately refer to him as such.

For those that want numbers:
4cm 70% and -3... whatever that means.
Also, the water has broken! 💦

EPIDURAL IS COMING! HUZZAH!!

---

0824 : Scott has found a game called Goat Simulator in the App Store, so (1) he will be entertained all day and (2) the iPhone is TOTALLY worth it.

0839: I've learned that pitosin makes the uterus contract, that Aden Michelle might not like it (so maybe pray he starts to enjoy this process so he doesn't come out all mad and stuff), and that being present for someone else's delivery is helpful in reinforcing that I do not see pregnancy in my future. Ever. Sorry mom.

0845: Goal: baby delivery before lunch. We don't like to skip meals around here. That Bojangles isn't gonna last forever.

0852: The anesthesiologist came by to talk about the epidural. (1) he is a Clemson fan so that's not encouraging but (2) he brings drugs that are good... I'm so torn! BA seems not to care about the Clemson thing, so I guess that's all that matters. Also, there's this thing in the restroom called "the hat". I guess the mom is supposed to pee in it, which is super weird. But then I figured it'd be kinda cool to know how much pee I pee, so I peed in it too. BA said it's cool as long as my pee didn't touch her pee. So also, I'm mostly full of hooey but I bring the comic relief so deal with it.

0901: for you kids keeping score, the pitosin is at 4. Also, BA is at a 6 on the pain scale. Something like this emoji: 😟

0907: nurse just arrived with alka seltzer and Zantac, neither of which are necessary. She also did not bring the vodka cranberry we requested. Rude.

~pause in updates until they become relevant to the general population~

1047: BA has asked for an epidural, for which she is so patiently waiting. Pain is measurably worse and pitosin is still set at 6.

1108: pain scale 😪 Epidural is on the way, hallelujah.

1143: Epidural is done. (yayyyyyyyy...) Deep breaths, childbirth is SO not for wimps.

1225: We're at 10cm! Holy schnikes! Room is being set up for delivery! It's go time!! Davidson, party of  five (almost).

1444: No news to give. Everything's ok here.

1600: Sweet baby boy is here!!! He came into the world with a strong set of pipes and is resting on mama's chest. BA is doing great and is already smitten, as is Scott. Stats to come soon, but Team Davidson doing great!

T plus 6, The Buck Stops Here

HOUSTON WE ARE GO FOR LAUNCH.

I REPEAT, GO FOR LAUNCH.

I called the labor and delivery unit to verify my scheduled induction is still a go and they said YES.

I'm to be there at 6 am.

O.O

Send caffeine.

And all your healthy baby/healthy momma labor and delivery thoughts and prayers.

Stayed tuned!

T plus 5

It has been an...interesting 24 hours.

The highlights:  

• I'm still pregnant.  Scheduled to be induced tomorrow morning, which will likely be the case since this in-no-hurry-baby-boy doesn't want to come out!
• Last night we had the pleasure of taking James to the ER.  He's had a cold/cough/congestion for about a week now, but his cough got much, much worse.  When he went to bed he could hardly catch his breath from coughing every other second.  He gagged/coughed/threw up a couple of times from coughing fits.  My nerves were shot.  I needed sleep.  He needed sleep. EVERYone needed sleep. We tried taking him outside in the cold air, a few albuterol puffs, Vick's vapor rub on his chest, a hot, steamy shower, and propping him up in his bed. Nothing seemed to make a difference.  We called a few urgent cares about 8:45pm, but nobody was open past 9 pm.  So we headed to the ER.  Man, that place was PACKED.  James' vitals were all good (O2 sats, temp, etc).  They did a chest X-ray to rule out pneumonia.  It was clear.  His ears and sinuses looked good. No infection there.  So they sent us home with a cough medicine and honey recommendation.  We were home around midnight.  Wrestled James to get the cough medicine in him and put him back to bed.  After some minimal coughing, he fell asleep and stayed asleep for about 7 hours.  Today he is in good spirits, coughing here and there and overall seems okay. And we're looking forward to having a baby tomorrow!  And feeling really grateful we didn't have a baby last night after our ER visit!

                          

T plus 4

My doctor appointment went well this morning!

They did a biophysical profile on the baby.  He scored 8/8, so that was encouraging.

Even more encouraging was the fact that I'm now TWO PLUS centimeters dilated!  Woohoo!!  80% effaced. -1 station.

YAY! I'M NOT ZERO CENTIMETERS!!

None of that means today is the day, of course, but at least it means we're going in the right direction!

They've got me scheduled for a Wednesday induction if I don't go into labor beforehand.

I feel...encouraged.  My doula/best friend Amy is on her way here as I write this.  Sometime in the next 48ish hours, we will have a baby.

I just walked two miles briskly, up and down a lot of hills, to see if it would help things along.  I don't know if it helped or just made my legs feel like jelly...  (I wouldn't recommend beginning a workout routine for the first time at 40+4 weeks pregnant...)

Thanks for hanging in there with me!

SOON.

T plus 3

I'm still here.  I'm still pregnant.  No real indications that this baby is going anywhere.  The above picture is actually from yesterday (40 weeks + 2 days), but I wore the exact same outfit today, so let's just call it a wash...

My only indicator of impending labor is that I got inspired to bake.

I did have a slightly improved attitude today, so that's awesome.

My next OB appointment is in the morning.  If they tell me zero centimeters AGAIN, pray for me...

T plus 2

Daily update:

Still pregnant. Lots of contractions. Lots of false hope.  I've pumped twice today in an attempt to induce labor.  I walked 1.5 miles.

No baby.

*sigh*

T plus 1

Yesterday came and went. No baby.


Dangitall.


Today I'm working through my disappointment about that fact and hoping against hope that TODAY is the day.


I spent about an hour and a half timing contractions last night that woke me up and were more notable than what I've been experiencing.  But, they eventually fizzled out, so I went back to bed.


Overall I feel fine.  I mean, I'm totally done being pregnant, but in the grand scheme of life, I'm doing fine. 


I promise to keep this blog updated as much as humanly possible with my progress or lack thereof.


Labor prayers welcome!


ps.--I've pumped twice in an attempt to initiate labor...  And so we wait...

Due Date

Well, here we are. December 8, 2016.  My projected due date.

COME OUT, BABY.

40 weeks

Thanksgiving 2016

Since I was 38 weeks pregnant on Thanksgiving Day this year, we decided to stay local and not travel for the holiday.  We definitely missed seeing Scott's family and spending time with them, but the non-travel idea was awesome.  Low stress!

We hosted Thanksgiving dinner with my parents and some friends from church.

Scott made his first ever turkey.  It was phenomenal.  WELL DONE CHEF SCOTT.

His success was no doubt due to the intense oversight committee present.

Yummmmm.

Once friends arrived, the playing commenced. We had a nice spread of ages represented: 8, 6, 5, 4, and 2.

Fun, fun times.

More oversight on the carving of the bird.

The food spread.

The kid table. Note the kids ate on the easy-to-clean-tile floor.

The adults braved eating on the carpet.

My double layer pumpkin pie.

Scott's blackberry cobbler.

All in all we had a grand time.  May your first time holiday-hosting ventures go as well as this one did!

Holiday Card Review

I've never before been offered the opportunity to receive a product for free and review it on my blog.

UNTIL NOW.

I tell you what...I've made the bloggy world big leagues now! (please note sarcasm)

Cardsdirect.com asked me to review some of their holiday card selection.  I was thrilled at the idea. 1) Because I love sending and receiving holiday cards.  2) How did these people even FIND my 12-follower blog?!

The card I loved the best is the one on the far left in the picture above.  It has a stethoscope on it.  I'm a nurse.  That card spoke to me.

• The cards are pretty!
• There are a variety of sizes available, in case you're including a photo in your holiday card.
• I found these cards to be excellent quality as far as the type of paper on which they are printed.  These are good, solid cards.  None of that flimsy cheap-o stuff. 
• The selection seems varied enough for the "Merry Christmas" types as well as the "Happy Holidays" and "Season's Greetings" folks.
• The online ordering process seemed easy enough to use and the cards came quickly once I ordered them.
• If you prefer ordering personalized photo cards or calendars, these products are available as well.

If you're so inclined, go check out cardsdirect.com for all your holiday gift card needs!

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.*

39+4

Today I had my weekly OB appointment. I'm 39+4 weeks along.

Blood pressure: 113/77
Weight: 187.2 (been about the same for almost 4 weeks!)
Baby Heart rate: 140's
Fundal Height: forgot to ask
Centimeters dilated: ZERO

*sigh*

Since my 36 week check-up they have been checking my cervix.  Each time I've haven't been dilated at all.

On the one hand, this information is a little bit discouraging.  There would at least be the ILLUSION of progress towards labor if I was dilated a little bit.  On the other hand, zero centimeters means nothing.  Things can change quickly.  Some women walk around dilated 2-3 centimeters for a few weeks.  Others (maybe me?) can not be dilated at all and progress quickly.

So.  The moral of the story is...we continue to wait and see...

I was very grateful they scheduled me for induction on December 14th (40+6) if I don't go into labor on my own before then. The light at the end of the tunnel: December 14th.  They don't like to schedule inductions before 41+0 if one's cervix isn't "favorable".  Favorable in this case meaning dilated at ALL.

This is a lot of talk about my cervix, isn't it?  Wow.

I'm uncomfortable as ever, sleep is elusive, my attitude struggles...COME ON BABY!!

Getting Close

37, 38, 39 weeks (left-right)

One week to go until 40 weeks!

Pregnancy #4

I'm currently twenty-four weeks along in this pregnancy with Baby Davidson #3. In case you missed it, it's a BOY! In case you're confused because this is Baby Davidson #3, but my fourth pregnancy, I placed my first child for adoption when she was born.  I talk about that a lot here, here (tears!), and here.

Pregnancy symptoms I'm experiencing this go-round:

-Nasal stuffiness. I do not even know why some things happen in pregnancy the way they do. What has nasal stuffiness got to do with being pregnant?!  Who knows.  But I've got it.  The only time it's an issue is at night.  I can't really breathe through my nose very well, so I breathe through my mouth.  And, apparently, sometimes snore.  SO SEXY.  And I wake up with a ridiculously dry mouth.

-Round ligament pain. I don't know how I've escaped this one in my previous pregnancies, but this is the first time I've felt such. Thanks to the interwebs:

Round ligament pain is a sharp pain or jabbing feeling often felt in the lower belly or groin area on one or both sides. It is one of the most common complaints during pregnancy and is considered a normal part of pregnancy. It is most often felt during the second trimester.

YES.  ALL OF THIS.

-Nausea. In the first trimester, I had the stoopid tired phase coupled with mild-moderate nausea. In my previous experiences, I had moderate-severe nausea.  I threw up multiple times per day, lost weight, hardly ate anything.  The nausea from those days did not respond to meds, keeping something on my stomach, certain foods, etc.  This time, however, it really and truly helped to keep a little something on my stomach at all times.  If I started to get hungry, that's when I would throw up. So I ate. Frequently.  I'm sure you noted the world supply of Ritz crackers taking a hit during my first trimester. I gained 20 lbs by thirteen weeks. WOW.  I've never gained weight in the first trimester before!  First time for everything, I guess! Since the beginning of the second trimester, I haven't had any nausea.  Very, very grateful for that.

-Sweating. So much sweating.  Granted, it is South Carolina in the summertime, but I'm usually a cold natured person.  Except when pregnant.

-A few of the symptoms I've experienced I won't elaborate on (ew), I'll just leave links here and here and here that you can check out if you'd like.

Of note, I've had little to no heartburn at all.  That is amazing to me! That particular symptom is something I've experienced a whole lot of in previous pregnancies.  It's notably lacking this go-round and I'm loving it!  I'm speculating that I don't have any heartburn because all my inside girl parts are threatening to fall out of my outside girl parts (#fourthpregnancy), so there's really NOT a lot of pressure on my stomach to cause acid reflux and heartburn.

Thankfully my weight gain has slowed tremendously from the 20 lbs in the first trimester.  I could probably get it to slow even more if I could drop the daily Dr. Pepper and multiple-times-a-week ice cream habit.  But it's so hot out! (go ahead! Call DSS because I'm drinking SODA while pregnant!!)

24+4 weeks, super dark picture, sorry

Mental-health-wise, I haven't noticed any depression or high level anxiety.  Both of which I've experienced postpartum and will be on the look out for. I will say, as a NICU nurse, being 23-24 weeks pregnant makes me a little bit nervous.  At this point in gestation you still have a choice as a parent whether you want them to perform life-saving measures for your baby. That's such a difficult decision, I don't want to have to make it!

I've been grateful for some second-trimester energy and motivation to work on things around the house.  Organizing files and papers and keeping up *slightly* more with routine cleaning and laundry. Good stuff.

First Day of Kindergarten

Let me tell you about our first day of drop-off at Kindergarten.

I feel like these pictures tell the story well.

1) The outfit.  James REFUSED to wear what I picked out for him today. He insisted on wearing this outfit so that people would know he's the big brother and not a little kid. Sure.

2) The blanket.  This blanket is his beloved. Don't even think about him sleeping without it.  He needed the blanket-comfort for the 5 minute ride to school. (The blanket stayed in the car, btw, it did NOT go into school.)

3) The forced smile, reddened eyes.  All summer long James was excited about kindergarten.  He talked about it almost every day. He couldn't wait to go. Now, the day of, and he most definitely did NOT want to go anymore.  The idea was nice, but the reality?  No bueno.

He was tearful most of the way to school.

"I don't wanna go."

"I miss memaw."

"I don't want to go without you guys (mom and dad)."

Due to all his summer excitement and anticipation of this day, I figured he would be fine (no tears) and I would be a mess (lots of tears) at drop-off.  The fact that he cried all the way there made it way, way, way harder for me.  I held it together as we parked and walked in together.  The parking lot was nuts, for the record. The closer we got to his classroom, the more composed James became and the harder time maintaining composure I had.  He went right in the classroom, found his seat with the teachers help and sat down.  His kind teacher invited me in, but I didn't go in the room.  In every piece of pre-kindergarten communication from the school they stressed the need for QUICK GOODBYES on the first day.  Don't linger, they said. So. I didn't.  I paused for a moment to see if he would look back so I could wave, but he didn't. I hurried away and fought (unsuccessfully) tears as I walked out of the building.  I had passed other moms on the way in that looked like I felt, a blubbery mess.

It is HARD to take your first born to school!  And leave them there ALL DAY.  For the first time, today, I've suddenly become a fan of homeschooling... (Lest I alienate the homeschooling community: I'm fine with other people homeschooling, just never considered it for my children.)

Stay tuned for the afternoon report from James about how the day went!

AFTERNOON UPDATE:

After a quite sizable car pool line, I picked up James after school.  His teacher put him in the car and said he had a great day.  She said he did fine, no tears, up until recess when he had a little emotional moment. She said it was brief and he was fine after that.

James was all smiles as he got in the car.  He reported more of the same, that he had a good day and that he only cried a little bit. And that it was too hot outside at recess. And that the teacher was "happy at him." (translation: nice to him?? happy WITH him??) And he ate some of his lunch, but not all of it.  And he didn't sleep at rest time.

I feel...relieved. He sounds like he had a good day and that going back tomorrow won't be the worst that's ever happened to him. For now, I'm glad he's home!

Kid Questions

James is 5 years old.  Reese is 3.  The questions they ask on a daily basis are comical, inquisitive and thought provoking.

"Why don't houses have bones?"

"Do ants kiss?"

related:  "Why did God make ants mean?"

"Are my teeth shiny?"

"Why is there a baby in your belly?"

"Why is your hair sharp?" (on my legs...maybe a few days after not shaving...)

My mom was recently explaining to James about how his green bean plant (pictured with Reese above and James below) will produce flowers and then green beans.  He said "I hope it grows a green apple!"

Baby #3 News!

We found out today what we're having!  Baby Davidson #3 is a BOY! We're thrilled.  Scott was about 50/50 on what he was hoping for.  I was about 52/48 leaning towards boy. James was hoping for a brother. When we showed Reese the ultrasound pictures, she asked if it was Nestle (our cat).  We'll work on our species identification skills with her later...

Truth be told, I was ridiculously nervous about this ultrasound appointment.  As a NICU nurse, I can think of a thousand bizarre, unlikely, although possible abnormalities for my baby to have.  The ultrasound tech was kind and gracious and talked me through each piece and part as she did the anatomy scan.

Hallelujah and Praise the Lord, he looks completely healthy!

Shaking his tiny, ineffectual fists at the world.

Waving hello!

We look forward to meeting the newest Davidson in December!

Summer Fun

Suburban Jungle Cat is Suburban

Riverbanks Zoo with Reese

Today Reese and I went to Riverbanks Zoo.  Usually in January/February each year they do free Fridays for Richland County residents.  Woohoo!  I like free.  It was a little chilly (45ish)  but manageable.  Reese could hardly contain her excitement over all the "an-mulls!"

We hadn't seen the new river otters exhibit.  They are lots of fun to watch!

The "fuhmingos" are one of Reese's faves.

Pretty certain this crocodile wanted to CHEW HER.

This giraffe was offended at my cheap-ness.  I wouldn't pay the $1-$2 for her to feed him.  Reese was also offended.

The absolute best part of our zoo visit was at this exhibit.  Notice the puff adder snake wishing so badly that he could have a turtle snack. I was standing there reading the information posted about this creepy snake.  I guess it was mostly under my breath, but I was sort of reading out loud.  Reese was flitting all around the room looking at various creatures.  She bounced over to me, heard me mumble-reading and said "Oh, you pray wiss him?" and scurried on her way so as not to interrupt.  I just about died laughing.  

NO I'M NOT PRAYING WITH OR FOR THIS SNAKE.  

I've not yet reached the level in my spiritual walk where I'd be inclined to do such a thing.  Actually, I hope I never do.

Oh Reese, never a dull moment...

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Read here for another Reese-zoo-adventure from January of 2015.