Eeeek! I'm kind of sucking at keeping up with this! But that's not anything new...
Rex is doing great with his PT. I'm definitely seeing improvement! I guess our biggest update is that he's pretty much walking! I picked him up from Ms. Anna's on Friday, February 3 and she showed me that she taught him to hold on to his shirt to make him think he's holding onto something. Since he felt that "security" he did great with taking multiple steps on his own! By that Sunday, he was going a good 6 feet or so by himself! Corey and I work with him together every night. On that note, I have to mention how much I love doing that together. Rex gets so excited walking between Mommy and Daddy and I just LOVE watching Rex and Corey together. Rex sure does love his Daddy! They have always had such an amazing bond, from day one. Typically when I lay Rex down for bed, he gives Daddy a kiss goodnight, I take him to his crib where he kisses Mommy goodnight, then when he lays down, I turn on the light-up mobile, cover him up and he goes to bed. Over the last week though, when he goes to give Daddy kisses, he doesn't want to come back with me, he wants to stay with Daddy. Absolutely melted our hearts!! It was so so sweet! So now it's a nightly thing for Rex and Daddy to hang together just before he goes to bed. That is definitely their snuggle time and I love watching it!
Back to walking...he's getting better and better! Now, he holds on to his shirt with his right hand and holds his left arm up in the air when he walks. There's a picture of me when I was a baby doing the same thing! I'm going to have to dig up the picture and take one of Rex to put side by side. He's also doing better with pulling up on his own. He does it great on a toy basket we have in the living room. I put a bunch of my old textbooks in there to weigh it down so that he's able to pull up on it. He's also getting braver with walking from the furniture to someone without holding on to something. And he's finally getting better about sitting down on his own. Most of what he struggles with is not that he's not able to do it but that he's been afraid to do it. Now that he's got those tubes in his ears and his balance and spatial awareness is getting better, I can definitely see his confidence growing.
Our next big challenge is going from laying down to sitting up. His Physical Therapist showed us this last week how to get him to do it. He struggles with it but I can see the progress he's making with that. As long as we're making progress, that's all I care about! She also taught us how to work with him on standing up from sitting down. That will probably take a bit longer. One thing that I've discovered is hard about this is that we're kind of having to take steps back because Rex skipped the transitions between the larger milestones, i.e transitioning from laying to sitting down and transitioning from sitting to standing up. Those are things I take a lot of blame for because if he fussed, I typically knew he wanted to change positions so I would do it for him. So all of you new momma's out there: don't cave into those poor little whimpers! Make em work for it!! Lesson learned for this mommy.
Everything else is great :) Can't believe we only have two more six-weeks left of school! Let the count down to Spring Break begin!! Ashley and I will be the Cheer sponsors at school next year and I'm really excited about it! We'll be getting everything rolling with that in the next few weeks so I have a busy couple of weeks up ahead.
Corey and I are stronger than ever! We marked 3 years of being together last Monday. I can't believe it's only been 3 years...seems like a lot longer, probably because we've done so much in those 3 years. Another lesson learned over the last month is this: fighting is sometimes one of the best things for a relationship...as long as you really listen to each other. Shocker! :) I've come to believe that when you fight, it presents opportunity to get to know each other better and work out those "kinks". I pray that Corey and I continue to grow and learn together through every happy moment as well as every not-so-happy moment. I'm very lucky to have him!
Lent starts this week...I hope to get better about going to church every week to give Thanks to Him for all we are blessed with. Not sure yet what I plan to give up...gotta think about that one!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Progress already!!
I'm a couple of days late in updating but I'm kind of glad I waited a few days...I have more to update!
Last Monday, Rex had tubes put in his ears. I am still amazed at how fast the procedure was! We went in at 8:00, they actually took him back around 8:50 and the doctor was out to let us know it all went well by 9:10! When he said it would be a 10-15 minute procedure, he wasn't kidding! (And boy, do they make a hell of a lot of money in those 10-15 minutes!) The toughest part was definitely when he was coming out of the anesthesia. He was just very out of it. Sort of drunk-like. We stayed in the recovery room until 9:45 then went home. Every time he burped, his little ears would pop and my poor baby would scream in pain because it hurt. We got home, snuggled and he fell asleep again after a bit. When he woke up a little before noon, he was completely back to normal! He never had any other side effects or anything. Easy peasy! We even went to Brandon and Ashley's that night for taco night!
Thursday he had his first therapy session here at our house. My mom picked him up early from Ms. Anna's to be here by 3:30 when the therapist (Angela) was coming. I ran out of work when the bell rang so I wouldn't miss too much of his first session. She gave us 3 things to focus on: 1) when we sit and read or play together, to have him sit on the edge of my knee with his knees at a 90 degree angle rather than leaning on me to build his balance better. 2) place him in the kneeling position while looking into his toy basket. 3) encourage him to round the corners on the coffee table by moving his foot over then lightly pushing his hip to shift the weight and move the other foot over.
It's only been 3 days since we started and he has already mastered the kneeling thing! The first time she put him in the position, he HATED it! Cried a river of tears breaking my moms heart! She's such a softie! After a couple of minutes though, he settled down though. When she showed us that, she mentioned that later we would build up to him picking one foot up then the other to stand up. By Saturday morning he was doing that on his own! Corey and I said "Wow!! These people really know what they're doing!" I so wish I would've learned some of these things earlier on. As soon as I position him on his knees, he's picking his foot up to stand up. YAY!! And no more crying! Hopefully as we do this more, he'll get better at getting onto his knees then to standing.
He balances pretty well when we sit him on the edge of a knee. I'll put the laptop out in front of him and play Elmo songs so he wants to sit there for a little bit and so that he doesn't have my arms to grab on to (as they would be if I were reading him a book). That will be a continued practice though to continue building his balance skills.
And I guess therapy on Thursday was just enough work to build his confidence to walk around the coffee table. Before therapy, he could go up and down the sides but did not like to round the corners. By Saturday night, he was going all around the table! There were even a couple of times he would go back and forth around the corner as if he was saying "see! I can do this!"
I've always known Rex is completely capable of doing all of the things he's not doing. He has the strength to do it. I believe whole heartedly that his balance has been the missing piece of the puzzle which was thrown off because of the fluid he had in his ears. He struggles most with the transitioning part of moving around. Once he gets to the position, he's good to go. It's just getting there! I have to admit, I feel responsible as well. I usually know what Rex wants to do (sit and play, stand up and walk, etc) and I would just get him to that position myself. So in his mind, he was probably saying "If momma's going to do it, I don't have to!" If there's anything I've figured out for sure, it's that he's a smart little boy so I'm sure it didn't take him long to figure that out! He's catching on to the new things quickly though so I'm feeling very optimistic about this whole process!
Like I said before, I know in a few short months, we'll look back on this as a little bump in the road. My baby's just taking his time and needs a boost!
I heard this on Modern Family the other day: What's the difference between try and triumph? A little "umph!" We're getting that extra umph!!
Last Monday, Rex had tubes put in his ears. I am still amazed at how fast the procedure was! We went in at 8:00, they actually took him back around 8:50 and the doctor was out to let us know it all went well by 9:10! When he said it would be a 10-15 minute procedure, he wasn't kidding! (And boy, do they make a hell of a lot of money in those 10-15 minutes!) The toughest part was definitely when he was coming out of the anesthesia. He was just very out of it. Sort of drunk-like. We stayed in the recovery room until 9:45 then went home. Every time he burped, his little ears would pop and my poor baby would scream in pain because it hurt. We got home, snuggled and he fell asleep again after a bit. When he woke up a little before noon, he was completely back to normal! He never had any other side effects or anything. Easy peasy! We even went to Brandon and Ashley's that night for taco night!
Thursday he had his first therapy session here at our house. My mom picked him up early from Ms. Anna's to be here by 3:30 when the therapist (Angela) was coming. I ran out of work when the bell rang so I wouldn't miss too much of his first session. She gave us 3 things to focus on: 1) when we sit and read or play together, to have him sit on the edge of my knee with his knees at a 90 degree angle rather than leaning on me to build his balance better. 2) place him in the kneeling position while looking into his toy basket. 3) encourage him to round the corners on the coffee table by moving his foot over then lightly pushing his hip to shift the weight and move the other foot over.
It's only been 3 days since we started and he has already mastered the kneeling thing! The first time she put him in the position, he HATED it! Cried a river of tears breaking my moms heart! She's such a softie! After a couple of minutes though, he settled down though. When she showed us that, she mentioned that later we would build up to him picking one foot up then the other to stand up. By Saturday morning he was doing that on his own! Corey and I said "Wow!! These people really know what they're doing!" I so wish I would've learned some of these things earlier on. As soon as I position him on his knees, he's picking his foot up to stand up. YAY!! And no more crying! Hopefully as we do this more, he'll get better at getting onto his knees then to standing.
He balances pretty well when we sit him on the edge of a knee. I'll put the laptop out in front of him and play Elmo songs so he wants to sit there for a little bit and so that he doesn't have my arms to grab on to (as they would be if I were reading him a book). That will be a continued practice though to continue building his balance skills.
And I guess therapy on Thursday was just enough work to build his confidence to walk around the coffee table. Before therapy, he could go up and down the sides but did not like to round the corners. By Saturday night, he was going all around the table! There were even a couple of times he would go back and forth around the corner as if he was saying "see! I can do this!"
I've always known Rex is completely capable of doing all of the things he's not doing. He has the strength to do it. I believe whole heartedly that his balance has been the missing piece of the puzzle which was thrown off because of the fluid he had in his ears. He struggles most with the transitioning part of moving around. Once he gets to the position, he's good to go. It's just getting there! I have to admit, I feel responsible as well. I usually know what Rex wants to do (sit and play, stand up and walk, etc) and I would just get him to that position myself. So in his mind, he was probably saying "If momma's going to do it, I don't have to!" If there's anything I've figured out for sure, it's that he's a smart little boy so I'm sure it didn't take him long to figure that out! He's catching on to the new things quickly though so I'm feeling very optimistic about this whole process!
Like I said before, I know in a few short months, we'll look back on this as a little bump in the road. My baby's just taking his time and needs a boost!
I heard this on Modern Family the other day: What's the difference between try and triumph? A little "umph!" We're getting that extra umph!!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The link between ears and gross motor development
I'm not very good at getting-to-the-point in a story. Corey always teases me because I never leave out an unnecessary detail that leads to the point of a story! But I will try to get-to-the-point:
Rex has a gross motor development delay.
I remember when I was getting ready to be home last summer, I was excited because I would get to be home when Rex would start crawling so I wouldn't miss it. He didn't start sitting up well on his own til around 7 months (July 2010). Then the end of July came, no crawling... no biggie...he was only 7 months. Then August rolled around...still no crawling...and it was time for me to go back to work. In the mean time, everyone is asking/saying "Oh! I bet he's crawling all over the place!" I would get a little sad every time someone would ask me if he was crawling yet because I had to say "Nope, not yet." But! I also completely understand because I would probably ask the same thing, even now. I went back to work and he still wasn't crawling. September rolled around and so did October. Still no crawling. At one point for a little while, he would scoot backwards on his belly. But still no crawling and no pulling up. Then I realized that he also wasn't pulling up and was not able to go from laying down to sitting up. There were times he would get on his knees from his belly but he never lifted his head up at the same time he was on his knees. Obviously, I began to worry. I didn't know if I was being an over-worried mommy or if something could really be wrong. I would mention it to his doctor when we would go in and he insisted Rex was fine and that I needed to sort of push him more to do things on his own. I kept giving myself (and Rex, I guess) new "goal dates..." I would think "By Halloween he'll be crawling!" That didn't happen so then I would shoot for Thanksgiving. That didn't happen so I just "knew" he would be all over the place by his birthday. But still, no crawling, no pulling up and no sitting from laying down. I was worried before but now, I was really worried.
In the mean time, Rex kept getting ear infections, which I know is very typical in little ones. His pedi referred us to an ENT who we went to see in December, just before his birthday. He decided it was best for him to get tubes because his hearing was beginning to be effected and there was fluid in his ears. We set the surgery for January 23. Over the month of December, Rex got more mobile...Rex style! He army crawls when he's on his belly and scoots on his butt when he's sitting down. Still no crawling, no pulling up on his own and not moving from laying to sitting. At Rex's one year check up, I mentioned everything that I was observing. What caught Dr. Azim's attention was the fact that he did not go from laying to sitting, so he referred us to ECI (Early Childhood Intervention Services). Finally! Some answers! I was so anxious to get them out here to assess Rex to see just what was going on. ECI is one of those things that you don't want to encounter but when you need them, you're so happy they're there!
Three ladies came to the house yesterday to evaluate Rex. They did a series of assessments that I am so interested in, by the way, because early childhood special education was my primary focus in college. The watched him do all kinds of things and asked me lots of questions. Just as I thought, they confirmed my concern that there is in fact a gross development delay. They also confirmed my thoughts that in every other area, he's doing great! In fact, he is above his age level in most areas. Woohoo! Go Rex! It's just that gross motor development that he's having a hard time with. So, starting next week, he will be working with a physical therapist here at the house so we can work on getting him "up-to-par." At this point, he has a 33% delay meaning he is at about an 8 month level in gross motor development. I asked the occupational therapist what her thoughts were as to why he had a delay. She was aware of his constant ear infections and she attributed a lot of it to the fact that there's fluid in his ears. She explained that there are receptors in your ears that make you aware of your surroundings and motions. It seems like those receptors are being impaired by the infections and fluids which could be a big part of Rex's delay.
Bottom line: I'm writing all of this because I don't want to forget it. I really want to document his progress so that I can look back on it to see how far we go and the amount of time it took. I know that within a few months, we probably will not even notice he had a "delay." I'm trying not to set anymore "goal-dates." As a mom, it's hard not to be hard on myself about it. I'm sure I'm not the only mom (especially new mom) who takes blame anytime anything is "wrong" with their baby. I would start to wonder what I did wrong? What could I have done better or different? It's been especially hard for me because of the fact that I've worked around and been around kids so much that I know what he should and should not be doing. I'm anxious to see how things change after he gets the tubes in on Monday.
I will keep updating with his progress-for myself and for anyone who's interested in reading! I can't wait to see how this goes! Like I said before, ECI is one of those things you don't necessarily want but you sure love when you need them and they're there!
Stay Tuned for updates!
Monday, December 26, 2011
One!
Wowzers, I have a one year old! I have a one year old! Do I really have a one year old?? Crazyness! This last year has gone by so quick. Yesterday (Christmas Day), I spent the whole day thinking back to Christmas Day 2010 when I went into labor. I don't think I ever documented it so, I want to write as much of it here as I remember before I really forget. And by all means, please do not feel the need to read this whole thing! I'm sure it will be lengthy!
I remember Corey and I had my bag in the car for a couple of days just in case I went into labor, especially since we would be out and about so much for Christmas. That morning, I don't remember feeling any different. My plug had already come out so I knew it would be any day but I certainly did not think it would be that day! Btw, sorry if this is TMI for some of you :) I don't remember what the schedule of house visits was supposed to be that day except that we had breakfast at Corey's Dads and then were going to head to Corey's moms. Beyond that, I have no idea what the plan was! We were having breakfast at Corey's dads. I was feeling fine. A little crampy but nothing worse than menstrual cramps. I did start to notice though, that they were starting to happen in a rhythm, a few minutes apart each time. The whole time, I was sitting on the couch watching TV. I got up to go to the restroom and as I stood up, there was a bit of an extra trickle that I couldn't control! I sat back down, thinking it was more of my plug because it was just a little trickle. So I walked out of the restroom and Corey was on the computer with his dad. I very casually mentioned to him what happened and he remembered right away from our childbirth classes that a lot of times when a woman's water breaks, it starts as a trickle. I, on the other hand, don't remember anything! So he immediately got nervous, had to smoke a cigarette and called his mom to tell her. I, on the other hand, was very calm, and decided I was going to just sit down and see if I still felt those cramps. I sat for about another 30 minutes and then it was time to go to Rhonda's to visit for Christmas. We were saying our goodbye's (fortunately in the TILED kitchen!) and as I went in to hug Jerry (Corey's dad), I felt the much bigger gush that was completely uncontrollable! Weirdest feeling ever!!!! At that moment I said "Whoa! Uh-oh! Ok, this is definitely my water breaking!" I was definitely in shock! I'm not even sure what Corey or everyone else was thinking! I just couldn't believe that my water actually broke in the middle of Jerry's kitchen! So corey ran down to the car to get the bag so I could change out of my now wet clothes then we headed to the hospital. All the while, I still felt fine! It was nothing like the movies where everyone goes insane and you're in awful pain the minute you realize you're in labor! I think I was more calm than everyone else! I called my mom and very calmly asked what she was doing, she said she was making potatoes and asked what I was doing. So I told her my water broke and that I was on my way to the hospital! She said "WHAT?!?!" and pretty much immediately headed up to the hospital herself.
As we were getting to the hospital, Corey said he would drop me off at the emergency entrance. I insisted that I was fine and could walk from the garage. Mind you, it was a verrrry long walk. So against Corey's better judgement, we did. As soon as I got out of the car, the uncontrollable gush of water continued! I was so embarassed!! It's seriously like peeing 20 gallons and not having any control! So then I kind of panicked! What in the world was I going to do leaking with every step with super wet pants! Fortunately there was a wheel chair as soon as we got to the elevator. So Corey wheeled me up to Labor and delivery and we told the nurse my water broke. So she pulled me in and said, well we just have to make sure it did in fact break. I showed her my pants and how wet they were and mentioned that I did not pee in my pants! And she said "Oh ok! Your water definitely broke!" So they got me all set up and into a room. My mom arrived then Corey's mom and family. Corey and I had decided that when the baby was born, he and both of our mothers would be in there to see Rex come out. I think that is a very special moment to share with both mothers. But before the actual pushing time, I was totally open to any and all visitors! And boy did we have a bunch! During the intense labor, my best friends Jenny and Ashley, Corey's sister Blair and our moms were there. My TEAM!!! What would I have done without my team!!?? Ashley even rushed home from her mom's in Georgetown on Christmas day to be there!
Labor started off easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!! It was great! Hardly any pain! The worse pain at that point was the giant IV they put in my hand. Fortunately I had a super nice and gently nurse who took very good care of me. I got the epidural around 3:30 just in time before the contractions got more intense.Then we waited...and waited...and waited!! Hours went by and nothing was happening. I was moving verrrrrrry slowly. And it was getting later! We had hoped that since I went into labor Christmas day that Rex would go ahead and come that day not only to make it extra special but also so that I wouldn't be in labor over a two day period! I remember around 10:30 PM, Aunt Pam, Uncle (Paul) Buddy, Lacey and maybe Casey (I don't remember!), were in my room visiting me when I started to feel a twinge of pain on my left side. My right side was super numb though. I remember thinking it was just getting more intense and that this was normal. But it kept getting worse and worse. Before I knew it, the pain was pretty intense but only on the left. They tried everything, I got a cocktail mix of drugs, that didn't help. Finally I ended up getting a second epidural and it still didn't help! And the pain was intense! But only on one side! And remember, I had been in labor since noon and been awake since the morning and it was getting very late and I was still progressing slowly. So, I was in horrible pain on one side and I was exhausted from being in labor and being up so long. My team of girls stuck by me the whole time. ALLLLL NIGHT!!! I owe them so much, even now! How they managed to stay awake is beyond me! I honestly don't remember much once it got to be super late into the night. I just remember being exhausted and hurting. I remember some people coming in and out of the room but I was so uncomfortable that I didn't really pay attention. I also remember the room being very dark and very quiet.
Finally around 6 AM it was time to push! YES FINALLY!! I was still so exhausted but I was so excited to finally be pushing! At this point, my team of girls had been so amazing and so devoted, I hated asking them to leave and miss the birth. So I asked Corey if they could stay and he said yes. I think he was so mentally and physically exhausted himself, he welcomed all help! And to think, when we first talked about it, he wanted it to be just me and him! HA!! That went out the window REAL quick! Little did I know I would push for nearly 2 hours!!! Did you read that?? TWO HOURS OF PUSHING!!!! I don't remember what I felt during the pushing phase, but I do remember being so tired that I would try to sleep in between contractions! My team was AMAZING! They took turns holding my leg, holding my hands and literally screamed and counted every time I pushed! I bet if there was anyone in the hall, they must have been thinking I was deaf or something! Little man apparently was the only one not hearing! If I remember correctly he was face up, making it more difficult and I was also a little on the small side. They tried vacuuming but it did not work. Eventually, Rex went into distress and we had to do an emergency C-section. I was so extremely exhausted that hearing the words c-section was an absolute relief! I just wanted it to be over! They took us back, me first then Corey. I later found out that my team of girls just sobbed when they took me away!! In the room as they were prepping me, I remember I was FREEZING cold laying on the bed. And I was shaking uncontrollably I'm guessing from being cold and from all of the medication I had been given. It seemed like it took forever but I think that whole process actually went pretty quickly.
Finally, my baby boy arrived at 7:59 AM on Sunday, December 26, 2010. They showed him to me over the curtain then I literally knocked out!!! I was out like a light! My work was done! They tried waking me to take a picture with Corey and Rex but I was not having it! I stayed asleep! When I was in recovery, I was still knocked out. Everyone got to hold my baby before me, which still makes me a little sad but I also wouldn't have it any other way. He got so much love the second he came out. I finally woke up around 11 AM, I think! My mom was there, Corey was asleep. And that's when I held my baby for the first time! It was so surreal. I was holding MY baby boy! This little person was inside me just a few hours before and had been living in me for 9 months and he was finally here! Little stinker cried the first time I held him and I couldn't do much to soothe him because I was fresh out of surgery. My mom calmed him down then I held him again and he was just fine. My favorite moments by far were holding him skin on skin. Those were special Mommy and Rex moments that only he and I have. I will cherish them forever. He was a little jaundiced so he had to be in the baby tanning bed for a day or two. Looking back, that was my first sign that he would be such a calm, easy going baby. He just hung out in there and never really cried. And that's exactly who he is still. My calm, easygoing baby. We stayed in the hospital a few days and were discharged on December 29.
The last year has been pure joy. The best moments for me are those little moments between me and him that no one else catches. The moments when he gives momma kisses after I eskimo kiss him and the moments when we lay in bed in the mornings on the weekend. Rex sleeps in his crib but sometimes wakes up around 5:30 or 6 so I'll get him and put him in bed with me. He wakes up around 8 each morning and wakes up happy and talking, just like me. I absolutely love watching Corey be a Daddy. What an amazing Daddy he has become and will continue to be. and Rex sure does love his Daddy! Lately, he has started talking with his hands a lot and his facial expressions are starting to show more. I can't wait to see more and more of his personality coming out. I know the real fun is just beginning.
If you made it through this looooooooong entry, I applaud you and also thank you for reading my special story! Looking back, I'm so thankful that I got to experience my water breaking because I likely will never have that experience again. Any future babies will be delivered via scheduled c-section since Rex was a c-section. I wouldn't trade my experience for the world. It is me and Rex's special story and he was my special present on Christmas 2010.
Happy Birthday Rex Adrian! Mommy and Daddy love you more than words can say!
I remember Corey and I had my bag in the car for a couple of days just in case I went into labor, especially since we would be out and about so much for Christmas. That morning, I don't remember feeling any different. My plug had already come out so I knew it would be any day but I certainly did not think it would be that day! Btw, sorry if this is TMI for some of you :) I don't remember what the schedule of house visits was supposed to be that day except that we had breakfast at Corey's Dads and then were going to head to Corey's moms. Beyond that, I have no idea what the plan was! We were having breakfast at Corey's dads. I was feeling fine. A little crampy but nothing worse than menstrual cramps. I did start to notice though, that they were starting to happen in a rhythm, a few minutes apart each time. The whole time, I was sitting on the couch watching TV. I got up to go to the restroom and as I stood up, there was a bit of an extra trickle that I couldn't control! I sat back down, thinking it was more of my plug because it was just a little trickle. So I walked out of the restroom and Corey was on the computer with his dad. I very casually mentioned to him what happened and he remembered right away from our childbirth classes that a lot of times when a woman's water breaks, it starts as a trickle. I, on the other hand, don't remember anything! So he immediately got nervous, had to smoke a cigarette and called his mom to tell her. I, on the other hand, was very calm, and decided I was going to just sit down and see if I still felt those cramps. I sat for about another 30 minutes and then it was time to go to Rhonda's to visit for Christmas. We were saying our goodbye's (fortunately in the TILED kitchen!) and as I went in to hug Jerry (Corey's dad), I felt the much bigger gush that was completely uncontrollable! Weirdest feeling ever!!!! At that moment I said "Whoa! Uh-oh! Ok, this is definitely my water breaking!" I was definitely in shock! I'm not even sure what Corey or everyone else was thinking! I just couldn't believe that my water actually broke in the middle of Jerry's kitchen! So corey ran down to the car to get the bag so I could change out of my now wet clothes then we headed to the hospital. All the while, I still felt fine! It was nothing like the movies where everyone goes insane and you're in awful pain the minute you realize you're in labor! I think I was more calm than everyone else! I called my mom and very calmly asked what she was doing, she said she was making potatoes and asked what I was doing. So I told her my water broke and that I was on my way to the hospital! She said "WHAT?!?!" and pretty much immediately headed up to the hospital herself.
As we were getting to the hospital, Corey said he would drop me off at the emergency entrance. I insisted that I was fine and could walk from the garage. Mind you, it was a verrrry long walk. So against Corey's better judgement, we did. As soon as I got out of the car, the uncontrollable gush of water continued! I was so embarassed!! It's seriously like peeing 20 gallons and not having any control! So then I kind of panicked! What in the world was I going to do leaking with every step with super wet pants! Fortunately there was a wheel chair as soon as we got to the elevator. So Corey wheeled me up to Labor and delivery and we told the nurse my water broke. So she pulled me in and said, well we just have to make sure it did in fact break. I showed her my pants and how wet they were and mentioned that I did not pee in my pants! And she said "Oh ok! Your water definitely broke!" So they got me all set up and into a room. My mom arrived then Corey's mom and family. Corey and I had decided that when the baby was born, he and both of our mothers would be in there to see Rex come out. I think that is a very special moment to share with both mothers. But before the actual pushing time, I was totally open to any and all visitors! And boy did we have a bunch! During the intense labor, my best friends Jenny and Ashley, Corey's sister Blair and our moms were there. My TEAM!!! What would I have done without my team!!?? Ashley even rushed home from her mom's in Georgetown on Christmas day to be there!
Labor started off easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!! It was great! Hardly any pain! The worse pain at that point was the giant IV they put in my hand. Fortunately I had a super nice and gently nurse who took very good care of me. I got the epidural around 3:30 just in time before the contractions got more intense.Then we waited...and waited...and waited!! Hours went by and nothing was happening. I was moving verrrrrrry slowly. And it was getting later! We had hoped that since I went into labor Christmas day that Rex would go ahead and come that day not only to make it extra special but also so that I wouldn't be in labor over a two day period! I remember around 10:30 PM, Aunt Pam, Uncle (Paul) Buddy, Lacey and maybe Casey (I don't remember!), were in my room visiting me when I started to feel a twinge of pain on my left side. My right side was super numb though. I remember thinking it was just getting more intense and that this was normal. But it kept getting worse and worse. Before I knew it, the pain was pretty intense but only on the left. They tried everything, I got a cocktail mix of drugs, that didn't help. Finally I ended up getting a second epidural and it still didn't help! And the pain was intense! But only on one side! And remember, I had been in labor since noon and been awake since the morning and it was getting very late and I was still progressing slowly. So, I was in horrible pain on one side and I was exhausted from being in labor and being up so long. My team of girls stuck by me the whole time. ALLLLL NIGHT!!! I owe them so much, even now! How they managed to stay awake is beyond me! I honestly don't remember much once it got to be super late into the night. I just remember being exhausted and hurting. I remember some people coming in and out of the room but I was so uncomfortable that I didn't really pay attention. I also remember the room being very dark and very quiet.
Finally around 6 AM it was time to push! YES FINALLY!! I was still so exhausted but I was so excited to finally be pushing! At this point, my team of girls had been so amazing and so devoted, I hated asking them to leave and miss the birth. So I asked Corey if they could stay and he said yes. I think he was so mentally and physically exhausted himself, he welcomed all help! And to think, when we first talked about it, he wanted it to be just me and him! HA!! That went out the window REAL quick! Little did I know I would push for nearly 2 hours!!! Did you read that?? TWO HOURS OF PUSHING!!!! I don't remember what I felt during the pushing phase, but I do remember being so tired that I would try to sleep in between contractions! My team was AMAZING! They took turns holding my leg, holding my hands and literally screamed and counted every time I pushed! I bet if there was anyone in the hall, they must have been thinking I was deaf or something! Little man apparently was the only one not hearing! If I remember correctly he was face up, making it more difficult and I was also a little on the small side. They tried vacuuming but it did not work. Eventually, Rex went into distress and we had to do an emergency C-section. I was so extremely exhausted that hearing the words c-section was an absolute relief! I just wanted it to be over! They took us back, me first then Corey. I later found out that my team of girls just sobbed when they took me away!! In the room as they were prepping me, I remember I was FREEZING cold laying on the bed. And I was shaking uncontrollably I'm guessing from being cold and from all of the medication I had been given. It seemed like it took forever but I think that whole process actually went pretty quickly.
Finally, my baby boy arrived at 7:59 AM on Sunday, December 26, 2010. They showed him to me over the curtain then I literally knocked out!!! I was out like a light! My work was done! They tried waking me to take a picture with Corey and Rex but I was not having it! I stayed asleep! When I was in recovery, I was still knocked out. Everyone got to hold my baby before me, which still makes me a little sad but I also wouldn't have it any other way. He got so much love the second he came out. I finally woke up around 11 AM, I think! My mom was there, Corey was asleep. And that's when I held my baby for the first time! It was so surreal. I was holding MY baby boy! This little person was inside me just a few hours before and had been living in me for 9 months and he was finally here! Little stinker cried the first time I held him and I couldn't do much to soothe him because I was fresh out of surgery. My mom calmed him down then I held him again and he was just fine. My favorite moments by far were holding him skin on skin. Those were special Mommy and Rex moments that only he and I have. I will cherish them forever. He was a little jaundiced so he had to be in the baby tanning bed for a day or two. Looking back, that was my first sign that he would be such a calm, easy going baby. He just hung out in there and never really cried. And that's exactly who he is still. My calm, easygoing baby. We stayed in the hospital a few days and were discharged on December 29.
The last year has been pure joy. The best moments for me are those little moments between me and him that no one else catches. The moments when he gives momma kisses after I eskimo kiss him and the moments when we lay in bed in the mornings on the weekend. Rex sleeps in his crib but sometimes wakes up around 5:30 or 6 so I'll get him and put him in bed with me. He wakes up around 8 each morning and wakes up happy and talking, just like me. I absolutely love watching Corey be a Daddy. What an amazing Daddy he has become and will continue to be. and Rex sure does love his Daddy! Lately, he has started talking with his hands a lot and his facial expressions are starting to show more. I can't wait to see more and more of his personality coming out. I know the real fun is just beginning.
If you made it through this looooooooong entry, I applaud you and also thank you for reading my special story! Looking back, I'm so thankful that I got to experience my water breaking because I likely will never have that experience again. Any future babies will be delivered via scheduled c-section since Rex was a c-section. I wouldn't trade my experience for the world. It is me and Rex's special story and he was my special present on Christmas 2010.
Happy Birthday Rex Adrian! Mommy and Daddy love you more than words can say!
Monday, November 28, 2011
T-minus one month to 1 year!
Rex is 11 months old. No way, 11 months?? As in one month to a year?? I can't believe my baby is 11 months old! Insane!! How time flies! I was thinking today about our Christmas last year and how it all played out with me going into labor. It brought smiles to my face!
Lots and lots has gone on since I last posted. First and foremost, my sweet husband is working down in Corpus. It has definitely been a challenge but has also shown me some strengths as a mom and as a woman. Before he left, I thought for sure I would want to go stay with my mom or have someone come stay with me because I've always been such a chicken. What I've discovered instead is that there is no place I love being more than my own home. This is where I am comfortable and more importantly this is where Rex is comfortable. It's amazing how a baby knows his home. He is definitely at his happiest at home. Corey being away has also made me appreciate him more and really realize just how much I love him. We started Skype-ing every night recently and I got super excited and giddy getting to see his face. That was one of those moments I was reminded of how lucky I am to be married to my best friend!
Rex has grown so much! He's not gaining much weight but he's definitely growing in length. We went to the doctor today to do a follow up after his nasty ear infection last week. He weighs 18 pounds, 13 ounces and is back to being his happy self after a rough week last week. Thank God!
He still is not crawling so I asked the doctor about it today because I'm realllllly worried about it. He told me to have him on the floor as much as possible, even if he gets mad and frustrated. Needless to say, this is tough because I hate to see my baby cry. But tonight I toughed it out and let him get frustrated. It definitely will be a work in progress but I'm hoping it will happen soon.
Between being in elevators at the airport and doctor over the last week, I've discovered Rex does not like elevators at all! When he sees the door shuts, he begins to whimper a little then when it moves, he holds on tight to either me or the stroller. Today I tried facing him to the back so he wouldn't see the door close and that seemed to help so I wondering if he just doesn't like confined spaces. Interesting!
I'm amazed at how much more and more I fall in love with this boy! Last week we had a Mommy and Rex moment that still melts my heart! We locked eyes then put our heads together and he, by himself without me asking, leaned in and gave Momma a kiss! So so sweet!! And today he gave me 4 kisses all on his own! I can't wait to continue to share these Momma and Rex moments!
Wow...I just looked at how much I wrote and I'm sorry if I've bored you! More next time...I'll save your eyes this time :)
Lots and lots has gone on since I last posted. First and foremost, my sweet husband is working down in Corpus. It has definitely been a challenge but has also shown me some strengths as a mom and as a woman. Before he left, I thought for sure I would want to go stay with my mom or have someone come stay with me because I've always been such a chicken. What I've discovered instead is that there is no place I love being more than my own home. This is where I am comfortable and more importantly this is where Rex is comfortable. It's amazing how a baby knows his home. He is definitely at his happiest at home. Corey being away has also made me appreciate him more and really realize just how much I love him. We started Skype-ing every night recently and I got super excited and giddy getting to see his face. That was one of those moments I was reminded of how lucky I am to be married to my best friend!
Rex has grown so much! He's not gaining much weight but he's definitely growing in length. We went to the doctor today to do a follow up after his nasty ear infection last week. He weighs 18 pounds, 13 ounces and is back to being his happy self after a rough week last week. Thank God!
He still is not crawling so I asked the doctor about it today because I'm realllllly worried about it. He told me to have him on the floor as much as possible, even if he gets mad and frustrated. Needless to say, this is tough because I hate to see my baby cry. But tonight I toughed it out and let him get frustrated. It definitely will be a work in progress but I'm hoping it will happen soon.
Between being in elevators at the airport and doctor over the last week, I've discovered Rex does not like elevators at all! When he sees the door shuts, he begins to whimper a little then when it moves, he holds on tight to either me or the stroller. Today I tried facing him to the back so he wouldn't see the door close and that seemed to help so I wondering if he just doesn't like confined spaces. Interesting!
I'm amazed at how much more and more I fall in love with this boy! Last week we had a Mommy and Rex moment that still melts my heart! We locked eyes then put our heads together and he, by himself without me asking, leaned in and gave Momma a kiss! So so sweet!! And today he gave me 4 kisses all on his own! I can't wait to continue to share these Momma and Rex moments!
Wow...I just looked at how much I wrote and I'm sorry if I've bored you! More next time...I'll save your eyes this time :)
Monday, October 17, 2011
Besitos!
There literally are no words to describe the feeling of being a parent. That is becoming more and more apparent to me as Rex grows. Of course I loved him the second he was born but as he gets bigger and his little personality develops more and more, my love grows too! I'm not a super mushy person but, my goodness, sometimes I seriously want to shout out how much I love this boy and my husband. I'm truly truly blessed!
Getting him out of bed is simply the best part about the morning! He always has a smile on his face and starts kicking when he sees me. This morning when I picked him up, it was like he hugged me on purpose! He held on for a bit then pushed away like a big boy giving momma a morning hug. Ah! Pure love!
His new thing that he's mastered is "besitos" which means "kisses" in Spanish. One of my other favorite parts of my day is when I pick him up from Ms. Anna's. He gets super excited and when I picked him up today, I asked him for "besitos" and he gave me 2! The second one, he gave on his own! I love it! Sometimes it's a closed mouth kiss and sometimes it's a sloppy wet one! Daddy finally got one out of him today too! And I love hearing Corey say "besitos" to Rex!
Work is good, I think I'm getting a hold of things a little better. I don't know that I'll ever have everything down pat but I think that's pretty normal. I guess you can't be good at everything...something's gotta give, right?
Getting him out of bed is simply the best part about the morning! He always has a smile on his face and starts kicking when he sees me. This morning when I picked him up, it was like he hugged me on purpose! He held on for a bit then pushed away like a big boy giving momma a morning hug. Ah! Pure love!
His new thing that he's mastered is "besitos" which means "kisses" in Spanish. One of my other favorite parts of my day is when I pick him up from Ms. Anna's. He gets super excited and when I picked him up today, I asked him for "besitos" and he gave me 2! The second one, he gave on his own! I love it! Sometimes it's a closed mouth kiss and sometimes it's a sloppy wet one! Daddy finally got one out of him today too! And I love hearing Corey say "besitos" to Rex!
Work is good, I think I'm getting a hold of things a little better. I don't know that I'll ever have everything down pat but I think that's pretty normal. I guess you can't be good at everything...something's gotta give, right?
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
9 and a half months
I was going to start this entry by saying that I'm sucking at keeping up with this. Then I went back and read my last blog and I started it with the same statement and also mentioned that I would shoot for a post a week. And that was a month ago! Sooo....maybe once a month?? haha! I did read a reminder of why I'm doing this though. Last time I wrote of a special moment I had with Rex and about how I hoped I would never forget it. Well...I'm embarrassed to say I did! I have the absolute WORST memory! It's horrible. So, thank God for blogs that enable me to remember these special moments!
My baby is 9 and a half months old! Crazy when I think about the fact that that's about how long I was pregnant with him! He is growing and growing all the time, it seems
His little canine teeth up top are cutting through. Ms. Anna says she's going to call him Draculito! I'm thinking we'll make him a little vampire for Halloween to go along with his little vampire teeth!
He's pretty much in 9 month clothes but still wears 6 month stuff here and there. I bought giant containers this week to store all of his old clothes that don't fit him anymore. There are a ton! I don't want to get rid of them though just in case we have another little boy. I went on a discount shopping spree the other day and bought pretty much all of his winter clothes at a consignment sale for $100! I was very proud of myself!
He's not crawling yet :( I know he will do it on his own time though. He has started scooting himself backwards and will roll all over but no crawling. I've tried everything but he typically just rolls over to his back rather than staying on his belly and trying to crawl. I know he'll do it when he's ready. I just have to be patient and enjoy the peace, I guess!
He's gotten really good at waving and is giving "five." Corey and I love it! He's even started giving momma kisses. Those are my most favorite moments. I can tell he knows and loves his momma and there's no feeling like that in the world. It's just on a different level having that connection with your child. What a blessing!
Corey will be leaving for Corpus soon for a job down there working seven days a week, 12 hours a day, meaning he will not come home until the job is done. It's supposed to last a month and a half or so. So I'm going to get a taste of the single mom life. Me and Rex are going to miss him so much. He was supposed to leave this last weekend but they moved it to next weekend so at least we got another week with him before he leaves! Him leaving stinks but it's our life and and we're blessed to both have good jobs and be able to provide for our family.
Halloween is coming up! We're having a kid's halloween party on the 29th. All are welcome! Message me if you'd like to come! I'm so so excited about it!
Ok, I think I've done enough blabbering...maybe another post will come sooner than later!
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