Andrew's arrival details

I'm finally getting on here to give you details. So if you don't want details of how Andrew came, you can probably stop reading now.

I had an induction scheduled for Friday morning at 8 AM. When we got to the hospital I was already having contractions. I'm going to guess they were some where between 10 & 15 minutes apart. The L&D nurse figured I had been having them all night but they weren't enough to keep me awake. I didn't tell her that I really didn't sleep and didn't remember them coming until we were on the way to the hospital. And even then, I had contractions before that were as close if not closer but they didn't last.

By the time I got back to a room and changed it was after 8:30. They made Eric wait in the waiting room until I was ready. My doctor came in around 8:45 and broke my water. And all the things I heard, even though one of the doctors in the practice said they weren't really true, happened. I wasn't allowed out of the bed once they broke my water. I know I got up a few times with Kathryn to use the restroom and just walk around the room a little. But not here. Something about the umbilical cord getting in the way... or something. I didn't quite understand.

They started the drip at 9. Almost immediately the contractions went from all over contractions to contractions that were all concentrated like menstrual cramps. Oh they were so much worse. The worse part was that I couldn't really tell what was happening. With Kathryn I could feel her head starting to descend. This time the contractions were concentrated in such a spot that I had no idea where Andrew was.

I guess it was a little after 10 and my contractions were getting really close. Like so close there was one that lasted for a few minutes with only a little time in between for me to catch my breath. I had a student nurse that was helping out my L&D nurse. She was rubbing my leg trying to get me to calm down (I was good and kept my mouth shut... I should have told her to stop. Eric almost said something to her knowing that I hate to be touched when I'm in pain and especially if I am already hot & sweaty. But I was afraid I was going to bite her head off if I did open my mouth.) She told me that since I was only around 3 cm dilated when they broke my water and they had only upped my drip twice, that I probably had a few more hours to go. I had already told Eric that Andrew would make his appearance before lunch.

I'm not sure if the student nurse called the L&D nurse or if the L&D nurse saw my contractions on the monitors, but she came in not long after that. She could tell my contractions were really close and asked if she could check me. Please!! oh please check me and tell me that I'm not going to be going for much longer!!! I was at 9 cm. She called for the doctor and to get the baby station ready asap. So after an hour on the drip I was fully effaced and dilated. Yeah that student nurse wasn't really sure what was going on. But that's okay :)

The contractions were getting closer and more intense. And we kept waiting on the doctor... and waiting. I was beginning to think she wasn't going to make it. Dr. Gordon finally got there and the L&D nurse said "I just let her smell the pitocin and she's ready." I think that was around 10:15ish. They got me situated and Dr. G said you can go ahead and push. My problem was that because of where the contractions where I really didn't feel like I was pushing. I didn't think I was doing anything. I was wrong. Andrew made his appearance at 10:31.

The labor & pushing happened so fast that Dr. G wasn't able to do the episiotomy. So Andrew tore me pretty good on his way out. Not to give too much detail but he tore me in two directions. I think the cutting with Kathryn was much easier. But I pushed for twice as long with her so there was a little bit more time.

I'm recovering well. Still have a little discomfort, but it has only been a week. I can't remember how long the stitches bothered me with Kathryn, but I know that I have a lot more this time around. I am tired. Little Andrew seems to be restless at night. Even if he is "asleep" he is tossing and making noises that keep me awake. Partly because I'm still a little concerned about his gaging sounds from the extra fluid. He seems to gag a lot so the nervous mother in me stays awake with him at night. I'm not sure if it has to do with him lying flat in the pack-in-play or not. A lot of the day he's either being held or in the swing so he isn't completely flat. I may get out the sleep positioner we used with Kathryn to see if that helps. Plus at night he seems to want to eat more often.

For example, he's been soundly asleep since before 7 and it is now 9:20 and I haven't heard a peep out of him. (Yes I have checked on him at least three or four times in that time period.) Last night he made noises and whimpered from a little before 11 PM to around 3 AM. He got back up right as Eric's alarm was going off... and then about 15-20 minutes later Kathryn was standing at the side of my bed saying "Hi Mommy". It was 6:30. I'm looking forward to nap time this afternoon.

He's Here!

For those of you who haven't already heard by phone, email, or Facebook (is there anyone?), we welcomed Andrew William Waugh to our family yesterday at 10:31 AM.

He weighed 8lb-2oz, a little lighter than Kathryn was, but was just as long at 21".  At first glance, he had a striking resemblance to his sister, but the older he gets and the closer we look, he definitely has some distinctive features of his own.  For pics of Kathryn, see here.

Here's one of the first pictures of Andrew after he was cleaned up a bit.

We think Jenn might have been in labor overnight, so the labor at the hospital was very quick, especially when they started the Pitocin.  Jenn had him naturally again (no epidural or pain meds until after he was born).

He's got all 10 fingers and 10 toes, and as far as we can tell, doesn't have any other missing or extra parts.  The nurses were concerned because he never really started wailing.  They did deep suction on him, and got out a lot of fluid, but he continued to grunt and gag a bit.  After several nurses and a couple doctors looked him over, they decided it must just be residual fluid because his birth was so quick.  His color, oxygen levels, heart rate, and breathing sounds were all good, so they decided to let him work it out in the regular nursery (not the NICU) and just continue to monitor him.  He's had a couple episodes of gaggy spitup, but seems to be doing really well otherwise.  He had his circumcision this morning, so he's been really sleepy and out of it today.  Of course, after a short night with lots of interruptions, Mommy and Daddy are a bit sleepy and out of it too.

Unfortunately, Kathryn isn't going to get to see Andrew until he comes home.  Due to the flu scare, the hospital isn't allowing anyone under 18 to visit, not even siblings.  Jenn is planning to go out to the waiting room to see Kathryn later today.

Jenn is tired, but seems to be recovering well.  We expect to be discharged sometime tomorrow.  We (that is, Jenn) will update more later.

that "i" word again

Yep, the docs said it again with baby #2. If baby boy doesn't make his appearance on his own, I've been scheduled for an induction on Friday morning, assuming there are beds available. This hospital is always full. I'm to call them an hour before my time to make sure there is an available bed. So you may not get any other update until then. Unless Kathryn does something cute between now & then.... which is highly possible :)

videos

Here are a few videos of Kathryn's talking lately.

This first one is especially for Granddad...

This one is for Grandma...

This one is for Nana...

and this one is for Daddy...

Most of the time she actually starts with the "t".

And on occasion she will just spell her entire name, but not if she is prompted.

She's so cute.

snow!

We had snow... wasn't very much. But it was enough to let Kathryn play it in for a few minutes. It didn't last long. According to the news we got 4 inches, but I'm not sure that we actually got that much.

From February

Kathryn & Daddy out in the snow as it came down Friday night.

From February

Kathryn walking in the snow.

From February

Adding a final touch to the snow man that Grandma built.

From February

Helping Daddy roll up another snowman.

By 1:00 on Saturday the snow from the grass was all but gone. Sunday morning the snowmen were still there. Eric's was standing when we left for church but had toppled over by the time we got home. I went to Walmart this morning and there is one lonely snowball left in the front yard. But Kathryn had fun playing in the snow and keeps asking to go back outside and play in it.

39+5 and counting

I had another doc appointment this morning. I hated that it was the morning because Tuesday morning is MOPS morning and supposedly the only appointment they had was for 10 this morning for the whole week. I find that hard to believe, but oh well.

Still around 3 cm. Measuring fine. Heartbeat sounds fine. It actually sounded a little faint to me but she said that the speaker on the unit she had usually sounds faint. Okay, she's the doctor. She also did something to "help the process along". My Delaware docs tried that with Kathryn to no luck. We'll see if it has any affect on this little guy.

I made an appointment for next week. If he doesn't make his appearance by then they will talk induction. Or at least that is what I'm guessing since she said something along the lines of making him come. I'd rather do an induction than c-section.

Anyway, I hope to not have to update everyone until he is here. So to keep you occupied and happy here are a couple of pictures of Kathryn. The second one is when I asked her to smile.

From February

From February

OHHHHH and I completely forgot! Kathryn now counts to 15 and can spell the last part of her name. If you ask her how to spell her name you either get a blank stare or "HRYN... Kathryn!". She is such my little smart cookie. ummm.... cookies. I think I'll bake!

39 week check

I went to the doctor today. They called it my 39 week check up, even though that isn't until tomorrow and they've been picky about that one extra day before. Nothing has changed from last week. I'm still somewhere between 2 & 3 cm. I'm measuring, belly wise, where I should be and his heart beat sounds good. I think she said it was in the 120s. I did gain two pounds since last week :( but it was an afternoon appointment and I just had lunch. So maybe it wasn't that much really.

I saw a different doctor this week, Dr. M, than last week, Dr. G. There are actually three doctors in this practice, Dr. D, Dr. M, & Dr. G (I almost did MGD then realized it sounded like a beer in my head). Dr. G was all excited that I was a "good 2 cm". She didn't think I would make it until today. She was wrong. Dr. M said that since I got "stuck" with Kathryn that I very well could be "stuck" again and that I may make it until next week, but probably not too long after if I did. Only because this is number 2 and things go faster.

I was curious (thanks to Mom) about his size. I've heard that number 2 (or more) can be bigger and that boys tend to run bigger also. Hmmm... he's number 2 and a boy and Kathryn was 8-6. I'm figuring at least 9 or 9 1/2. So I asked if she could feel him and give me a ball park. Not that his size is going to matter really, but it would be nice to have an idea. She said she would guess that right now he's in the high 7s, maybe low-low 8s. And yes, I know that they gain up to 1/2 pound per week at the end. So he may right about the same size she was or maybe even a bit smaller. We'll see when he decides to show himself. The doc did ask if I felt smaller this time around. And I do. At least now I do. I haven't gained as much as I did with Kathryn. Okay so start to end there is only about a three pound difference, but I lost 7 pounds in one weekend with Kathryn when I had that stomach bug. So I like to think I would have had those extra 7 and say that I'm 10 less right now :)

The bag is packed for me, Eric & unnamed baby boy. I packed a bag yesterday of clothes and diapers for Kathryn to go to a friend's house. We'll still have a couple of things to grab, like the camera and laptop, at the last minute. But I still need those now. At least my fear of the doc telling me I was 6 cm and in labor already didn't happen. Now we just wait and hope my water doesn't break while I'm out & about and all over my new shoes.