First, I must preface this post by saying if you are about to embark upon reading it, I hope you have some time - it is LONG!
It's amazing to me that Sydney is one week old! We've been home since Sunday afternoon, and it feels so good to be home, yet it was so nice to have everything taken care of while at the hospital!
Here is Sydney still in my belly just hours before she was born, this is in the hospital lobby on the way to Boven Birth Center...
After we arrived at the hospital early last Thursday morning, I was hooked to monitors for both me and Sydney, the Dr and anesthesiologist both came in to say hi and make sure I knew what was going to go on and then we just kind of sat around and waited until 9:00, when I walked down to the OR.
This time around, it was much more relaxed and slower paced than my delivery with Owen, where everything just happened so fast! That put me so much more at ease! Plus my nurse was awesome and made me feel really comfortable. I got up on the table and they started my spinal, that was probably one of the most uncomfortable parts; trying to curl forward and stay that way while they completed everything, all the while having contractions and being curled over a huge baby! :) Once the spinal was done, my legs started kinda feeling warm and started to lose feeling pretty quickly so they had me swing my legs up on the bed and lay down. Once I did, the anesthesiologist gave me some oxygen and my nurse prepped my belly with iodine. The anesthesiologist soon came and tested the feeling that I had. It was so weird, I could feel some 'prickling' up above my belly button, but then felt NOTHING below that point. Crazy! Soon Scott came in and the Doctors started working to get little Sydney out. We decided last minute to bring the video camera in with us and are so glad that we did! It seemed like it took a lot longer to get Sydney out than it did with Owen, but I think thats because I was pretty much panicking with Owen and with Sydney I was more relaxed.
I could feel some pressure and some weird sensations in my upper belly while Scott and I and the anesthesiologist talked. Scott was recording everything. Soon, they were about to start pulling her out and they let Scott stand up and record Sydney being born! Her head was so big Dr P couldn't fit her hand in without making my incision larger so they ended up doing suction to get her out. And I heard her cry right away. It was so awesome that we got it all on tape (I had to watch it a day or so after she was born). They held her up for me to see right after she was born and then took her away to the other side of the room to do her APGAR tests (she scored 9 on both!) and clean her up.
Scott was able to go with her and recorded everything there too! Then they wrapped her up and brought her over for me to snuggle and kiss!
Then they took her off to the nursery and Scott went along, as they finished up my surgery. They wheeled me back to my room shortly and Scott and Sydney came in soon thereafter (probably around 9:40 or so). Its amazing how quick everything happened!
I was able to start nursing her right away (I didn't have any of the shaking that I did with Owen after coming off of the anesthesia). She latched right on and has been a pro ever since!
Sydney is such a beautiful little girl, she looks a lot like her brother! Yet her features are more dainty and girly. She has quite a bit of dark fuzzy hair...
and long fingers...
cute little piggy toes...
so sweet...
she even found her thumb a few times...
She is quite a bit smaller than Owen was too, even though they were only 11 oz different in weight. Owen was NEVER able to fit into newborn size diapers, where on Sydney, newborn diapers are big! She is very laid back like Owen too, doesn't cry much, in fact, the second day in the hospital, we had only heard her cry when she was born and just a couple VERY short instances when she was hungry or cold. Hoping she stays as laid back as her big bro!
We feel so blessed to be a happy and healthy family of FOUR! (we have yet to capture a pic of all four of us together though!) All of my fears about not being able to love another little one as much as Owen are completely gone, she just fits right into my heart perfectly! I was also worried how Owen would react, but he has really done pretty well, he has adjusted really well. At first though, he wasn't too interested in Sydney...Here he is at their first meeting (this is after the trauma of being in a hospital, which freaked him out because I think he thought it was time for his shots or something, and after riding in the elevator, which he did NOT care for at ALL)...
Notice the blurry picture up top? He wouldn't really stay still long enough to let us get a pic and yeah, below that, the first attempts at a family photo, which he was not interested in...
However, he warmed up a little the second time visiting, he even sat on papas lap with Sydney (though he was more interested in his Mickey phone from Grandpa & Grandma). But he was willing to go close to her on his own and give her a big hug and kiss! :)
We didn't have many visitors other than family at the hospital this time around and it was nice just to take the time to relax!
Here Sydney is with Gran...
And Grandpa & Grandma...
and here is mama playing dressup and putting her in her camo booties...
Before we knew it it was time to go home! Scott got Sydney ready in her carseat...she looked so tiny in there!
She loved her car ride home, she fell right asleep as soon as the car started moving (definitely a lot like her brother on that one!)
When we pulled in the driveway, there were balloons and welcome signs waiting for us (courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa - thank you!)
Owen came and greeted us at the door and knelt down to check Sydney out...(click image to enlarge) and he even sat down and cuddled with mom and Sydney!
Owen is also not jealous when Scott or I hold Sydney, which is a relief, but he gets upset when she cries, he says 'baby cry' in a concerned tone. He is definitely warming up now that she has been home! Monday when Scott was leaving to take him to daycare Owen even asked where baby was and Tuesday night he had to go peek in on her in her crib to say good night! so cute and i can't wait to see how their little relationship grows! He's gonna be such a good big brother!
Yesterday, he decided he wanted her to sit on his lap ('A seat' is what he said)...it was so precious (again, you can click on any of these collages or pictures to enlarge them)
When he was done, he said ok and tried to pick her up - but then about five minutes later, he wanted her back...he sat there and contemplated her, then imitated her with her tongue sticking out, it was adorable!
He even let Gran sit with her and play blocks yesterday!
Once at home, things went good sleep-wise too. Night one, Sydney spent most of the night in bed with me, she didn't want to sleep alone! But she would sleep for three hour stretches, which was great.
Night two - we decided to buy an infant positioner to keep her more secure and that seemed to do the trick, that and putting her down semi asleep, she slept from 10-midnight and then from 3-6 and 630-8 in her crib! She was up and down from midnight - 3, but I'd say we had a pretty successful night!
She is eating great and is doing great otherwise as well, at the hospital she went down to 7 lbs 8 oz and then the day before we left, she had gained 2 oz, the nurses said they rarely ever see babies gain anything back before they leave the hospital so that was great news! She had her first dr appt on Tuesday and is up to 7 lbs 12 oz! grow baby grow! :)
She loves cuddling with papa!
She is still generally a very content baby, doesn't fuss much at all and even when she's hungry she really doesn't cry a whole lot!
She loves to pull faces
She got to meet her friend Megan this week, who came to visit from Wisconsin!(yes, us mommies have the same outfits on, no we had no idea that we each had these clothes, let alone that we would wear them on the same day! :)
She also met her Great Grandma VI this week! Great Grandma's first name is Charlotte, and is who we named Sydney Charlotte after! :)
Sydney has been up to so much this first week at home, she had her first bath at home on 3/15.
She wasn't so sure what she was in for....
and once she found out, she was not too happy!!
She even got dressed up for St Patrick's day in honor of her Irish roots....here she is sportin her shamrock outfit!
I can't neglect my little boy, so here is a quick update: Owen is getting so big and changing so much! I am not sure if he is really changing that much or if it is because I am so used to little Sydney? I think its a little of both! He is continuing to develop such a little personality! He is talking non stop and repeats practically everything we say! His newest thing saying 'uh uh' or 'uh huh' instead of yes or no. Another cute thing he says is when he's talking about the horns on his bull he says "horn"...."s" - the s is really delayed its so cute! He is so sweet and caring too!He is gonna be quite the good helper to mama with Sydney! He is gonna be quite the good helper to mama with Sydney! And he is a great big brother! Tonight he had to lean over Sydney's bouncy seat and kiss her like five times! It seems like I was away from him forever, between getting some extra help the last week or so of my pregnancy to being away at the hospital and in somewhat of a baby haze since I've been home - I missed that little boy!
Here he is standing on the footstool (which he carried all the way from Sydney's room and which weighs EIGHT lbs, crazy boy!)...
and here he is with Sydney's paci...
Owen also got to read a book with Great Grandma and Baby Bear...
All in all its been a great first week with miss Sydney! We can't believe she's here, yet it we can't imagine life without her, she has just fit so well into our lives! We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family who have made the transition so easy for us, between watching Owen, to bringing meals, to bringing special little gifts for both Sydney and Owen (to make him feel important), it has just been so nice, thank you to everyone!!
And for one (actually two) last photo, here Sydney is with Owen's Froggy Buddy, we couldn't resist doing a one week shot of her for size comparison....
and this was just too cute not to post! check out the little bows on her socks! :) so girly and I love it!!
