YAY!

First night in the basinet was a great success! I'm glad Colin decided to sleep downstairs last night because she was very noisy for the first 10 minutes, she kept on moaning and lots of "talking".

Pictures to follow :)

1 Month Today!

I feel.... whole, complete, total. Words can't describe how much I love being a mom of two, the things that I use to hate to do don't seem like a chore any more (laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc) Lana is the final piece to our family puzzle that we never knew we were missing.

Up until today Lana's been very serious and VERY cranky. She would sleep, poop/pee, eat, barf/burp and fuss. Today she was quite content while she was awake and in awe over our painting in our living room, she even gave me a couple of grins when I gave her zerberts on her lips.

The begining of this week was really challenging for me. She was awake from 5pm - 11 pm and constantly wanting to nurse, I usually got about a 30-45 minute break in between nursing sessions. On the possitive side of things, she slept for 7 hours once she did fall asleep. It sounds like that's not bad of a deal, right? Not when you wake up at 4 or 5 am because you're so engorged that you're leaking through your breast pads! Thankfully I think we've gotten through it :)

Lana's not co-sleeping with us any more. She's such a noisy sleeper I'm finding that Colin (and I, but more Colin) weren't getting good sleeps because she kept grunting, groaning and fussing because she wanted to nurse herself to sleep and use me as a human pacifier. So now she sleeps in her pink chair, she hates the basinet. I'm not sure what's going to happen once she out grows that chair... I know I'm going to transition her to her crib or basinet before them. I've recently learned that she likes to lay on her side so I think I might try her again in the basinet while she's laying on her side.

Video of Lana @ 4 week 1 day

Lana's Birth Story

Monday morning I went in for my 39 week appointment where I was so happy to hear that I was 2-3 cm's dilated and Dr. Brown was able to strip my membranes. He got my hopes up saying that he probably won't see me at my next appointment but to schedule one for next week, just in case. After I booked that appointment I decided to go for a long walk to try and get some contractions going - off I went to West Ed (It was a Monday so Robbie was at the day home). I walked back and forth and got some mild contractions here and there along with some pains in my bum that shot down my leg... but nothing to call home about. Later that night I was getting some more painful contractions but nothing worth timing, I started getting extremely tired and went to bed around 9pm unfortunately the contractions fizzled out and I was left a little disappointed.

Tuesday morning Robbie and I went to Sherwood Park Mall and did a bunch of walking. He was really excited to see Santa and was gabbing his ear off while he was trying to smile for pictures with other kids. I picked up some raspberry leaf tea and primrose oil while we were there, I've read/heard that if your body's ready it can get you into labor. After a couple hours of walking and some sore feet we came home for Robbie's nap and I guzzled down my first cup of tea. I was going to take the primrose before bed (never did get the chance to take it) When Colin came home from work we had some dinner and I was noticing a little moisture in the britches (to quote Colin) after going to the washroom I noticed a big gob of jelly mucus plug, I was jumping for joy! Every time I lost more of my plug I had to change my underwear because it got soaked after changing my undies for the third time I slapped a pad on. I noticed that I was starting to leak every now and then so I called Grammie to see what she thinks, she said to go get checked out... better safe than sorry. So we called Nan to get her on her way so that she could come and watch Robbie while we were gone, after we made that call I was certain that it was my water that had broken. We were putting Robbie to bed and I got down on my knees and leaned forward to tuck him in and give him a kiss when all the sudden my pants were soaked! All the way down the leg to the sock, so I had to cut my good night's short with Robbie. I ran to the toilet and just sat there while the fluid kept leaking, my pads weren't quick enough to absorb it and it was soaking my undies... so I just sat there on the toilet until the leaking got under control. Thankfully it slowed down right around the time that Nan came (9pm). By the time we got our shoes on and I was walking out the door I got my first real contraction.

We hopped in the car and we were on our way to the hospital. I had a couple of contractions during our 20+ minute drive to the hospital but nothing serious. We drove around the hospital looking for the emergency entrance and Col and I both agreed that we should have done a trial run to figure out where to park and get our barrings straight. Thankfully we found a parking stall close to the hospital and Colin went running to the meter he told me to stay into the car but of course I didn't listen to him. I got out of the car and grabbed my hospital bag and just took it all in... I was going to meet my little girl today. It was such a perfect night, there wasn't any wind and the snow was so soft as it hit the ground... it was so serene. I remember telling Colin what a perfect night to have a baby.

We made our way into the emergency room and it was full of sick people half asleep and bundled up in blankets. We went to the Administration desk and she took my information, I turned around and there was a guy with a wheel chair ready to take me up to labor and delivery! I told the guy that it wasn't necessary, I was still in pretty good shape and didn't see the reasoning behind it but the guy insisted. So I felt like a gimp as he wheeled me through the hospital and up to the third floor where he took me into the triage room. I was greeted by Natalia, a Russian nurse, who was quite new to the hospital and country. You could tell she was a little nervous as she told me to change into the hospital gown in her broken English... it was sweet. Her mentor, Sarah, came in and elaborated a little more with what I was suppose to do. She asked me to leave a urine sample and my pad in the washroom and to put the hospital gown on. I was a little iffy about leaving my knickers off as I was still leaking fluid spontaneously so as soon as I got that gown on I ran to the bed where there was a large pad on the bed. They hooked me up to the monitors and gave me a little handheld button to push every time I felt the baby move, as Col and I were in the triage room we could hear the girls in the bathroom playing around with my pad. Sarah was explaining to Natalia that if there was amniotic fluid on the pad that it (she must have had some sort of stick) would turn blue and that it was turning blue. Colin and I both got excited after hearing that.... we were going to be having our baby within 24 hrs!! Sarah came back and said "yep, your waters did break" so she wanted to check me to see how dilated I was and gave me two options: 1) Natalia check me and then Sarah check me to confirm Natalia's numbers or 2) Sarah check me. I said I didn't mind if Natalia checked me, she did her thing and told me I was 4 cm's. Colin's face was in awe as she retracted her hand... I guess it was drenched in fluid. Sarah the followed and said I was 3 to 4 cm's and said she was going to call the Dr and see what he wanted to do. As we were waiting to find out the verdict there was another girl that got wheeled into triage and oh boy did I feel for her. She was in some serious pain and all she could do was yell, needless to say they admitted her. We could hear Sarah talking to the doctor on the phone and when we heard that he wanted to keep us we got even more excited! Sarah came back in the room and gave us the good news and said that once she got me settled into my birthing room that she wanted me to go for a 30 min walk. We made our way into room number 3 and I strapped on some of those nylon panties with a monstrous pad and off we went walking! I was quite surprised to find my contractions picking up and lasting longer, Col was super thirsty so we made our way to the waiting room to get something from the vending machine for him. It was a little frustrating seeing that there were two vending machines but nothing to create change for a $10 bill. So I told Colin to go down to the first floor and get himself something while I walked around the unit. Colin quickly ran to the elevator to get some change and I started my hike... it was like my body was waiting until Colin was gone, right after he left they started picking up and stopping me in my tracks. I remember wishing I had put my bra on, it was so chilli in the halls! A couple of nurses would walk by me on their way to their break and they'd just smile at me. Colin came back upstairs and found me half way around the unit, even though I was getting belly contractions I was getting some brutal shooting pains starting in my bum and shooting down the back of my thigh.. owies. On our way back to our unit we stooped into the empty waiting room where Colin whipped out his cell phone to call Grammie/Grampie and Nan to give them a status update and that their Grandaughter will be born sometime in the next couple of hours! My contractions were getting closer together and I just wanted Colin to get off the phone and help me out but he was chatting it up with excitement so I left the waiting room and started my trek back to my room, with several contraction stops along the way. Colin met me right outside of our birthing room and once I got into the room I got another contraction, Natalia was quick to offer me the epidural. It surprised me how fast she was willing to offer it to me, I was still walking and talking and in good spirits. I kindly declined and the hopped onto the table for the girls check me to see how much I had progressed... I was 5cm's, I've got to tell you I was hoping for at least a 6. They strapped me up to the monitors and wanted to record a contraction and they wanted to feel my belly to see where my contractions were. So I laid there waiting for a contraction and Natalia just stood there with her hand on my belly and staring at the monitor. I told her that all I had to do was sit up and I'd get one, so we raised my bed up and lone behold... I got a contraction. Sarah told me that I could go walking for another 30 minutes if I wanted and at first I thought that was a good idea, I mean I did dilate a centimetre within an hour. I told Colin I was going to pee before we went for a walk so I sat there and relieved myself and then got this HORRIBLE contraction... it was all in my hips, it was so crippling. I sat there on the toilet and was immobile all I could do was grab the walls and shake my head. After that one I got up and told Col that I don't think I should go for a walk.. I made it two steps and got another contraction right in the doorway of the washroom. My hips hurt so bad as I leaned into Colin, I think this was the first contraction where tears started. After that contraction I made my way to the bed and had just enough time to sit on the bed before I got another one, I think that was the worst position I was in during my whole pregnancy but I just couldn't move. Sarah and Natalia came in to tell me that they were going for a 3hr break and another nurse was going to be helping me... unfortunately I was contracting so I wasn't really up for a conversation with the new nurse, I don't even remember her name. Back to my contraction... I tried to relax myself and try to zone out but I was so uncomfortable, I had my hands supporting me as I leaned back and my wrists were hurting so much by supporting so much weight but, again, I couldn't move for the life of me. I was stuck sitting on that bed for several contractions, I felt so bad for Colin... I couldn't control myself, I buried my head into his chest and held onto his hands and squeezed the life out of them as I cried. All I could say was "not nice" (that's what Robbie says when he knows he's been bad). The nurse came in and suggested the shower because she could see that I was on the brink of loosing it, so I agreed and she started the shower. I got naked and got into the shower, there was a little stool with a towel on it so I sat down. It was nice to have the hot water on my belly but I wish it would have been a little bigger of a shower, it was a stand up shower with a detachable shower head. I had a couple of contractions in the shower and then called it quits... I couldn't do it anymore. I felt like I was a prisoner of the chair, I couldn't move and the water wasn't helping me one bit... my contractions were just as strong as they were before (maybe even a little bit stronger), my belly was warm but the rest of my body was freezing cold. I told Colin that I was sorry but I needed the epidural, I felt so guilty... here it was, 2:30am you could see he was tired and I kept on squeezing the crap out of his hands and making him worry. I felt like I should have just signed up for the epidural from the beginning so that he could have had gotten some sleep. The nurse had me stay in the shower while she got everything ready for the epidural and IV, she told me to stay sitting while she poked my hand with the IV. I think my contractions were so strong that I don't remember the IV hurting that much. By the time the epidural lady came my contractions were back to back, I had some how gotten myself dried off and sitting on the bed... I forgot how much I hated sitting on the damn bed. The epidural lady came in and she was super sweet, a younger gal with very minty breath (lol!). They had my feet on a chair while I sat on the bed and leaned over. She was going through all the side effects and hazards of having an epidural and I just wanted her to get this show on the road, I hated sitting on that bed and her ramblings were just prolonging it. I kept on getting more contractions, Colin asked her not to start while I was having one but it was inevitable... I think I had three while she was doing her thing, that was the hardest time the whole pregnancy. I'm not to move my back, my head, my feet... nothing. All I could do was cry and moan, I remember my nurse telling me to breath... really? you want me to breath? thanks tips (please note the sarcasm) After she was done I laid back and got another contraction, thankfully each contraction got less and less intense. I remember the nurse coming to introduce ANOTHER nurse that was taking over for this one, I think I was able to say hello and smile to this one. At 2am she checked me and I was 8cm's at this point Colin was able to get a little shut eye and I was able to handle the contractions on my own, I was still feeling them but nothing that some slow deep breaths couldn't handle. It seemed with each contractions they were slowly getting stronger to the point where I was gripping the handle bar in pain. The nurse came in after an hour and asked if I was feeling any pressure, I had been feeling a lot of hip pressure but I haven't been having any urges to push so she decided to check me to see what's going on and lone behold I was fully dilated. She said that she was going to call the doctor and get things set up. After a couple of minutes Sarah and Natalia came marching through the doors ready for action, I asked them if they had a good break and I guess the nurse called them back to help me deliver (that was nice of them to come back, I had built a relationship with them) So Sarah had me grab my knees and see what kind of progress I can do. My first push felt really different then it did with Robbie, I felt a BUNCH of rectal pressure and kind of took me by surprise so I didn't give it my all. After the third push she told me to stop because the head was right there and she wanted to wait for the doctor... that's like telling someone to stop peeing in mid stream. There I was feeling VERY uncomfortable with my hands on my knees waiting for this doctor come in to catch the baby. Finally the doctor (my regular OB wasn't on call that night) came in with an intern and got ready for me. I wasn't too impressed with that OB... I felt more like he was there to teach the intern than to help me. I had four hands "helping" me get this baby out, I remember feeling that ring of fire and the intern was stretching my skin even more and it hurt SO BAD... nothing like I had with Robbie. Colin asked me in between contractions if he could take pictures of what was going on down there, he convinced me to say yes (looking back I'm glad I agreed to it) With the next contraction her head was out and I pushed again out came little Lana. The intern held her while Colin cut the cord and I just laid there in tears, my sweet nurse (Sarah) asked the doctors if we could put the baby on mom. It felt like an eternity waiting for that warm blanket, finally they draped it over me and Lana laid down in there. She was screaming her lungs off, I remember hearing some fluid in her cry and thinking it was a little odd that they didn't suction her mouth and nose out... in the grand scheme of things I didn't care, I was holding my little girl. After a little bonding I gave her to the girls for them to do all their measurements, weighing and tagging. I laid there while the two doctors held onto the cord waiting for the placenta to detach... the OB was VERY impatient. He kept pushing down on my belly and wiggling the cord trying to get it out, I remember reading that it can take up to 30 minutes for it to detach, thankfully it came out on it's own with one little push. After the doctors left the girls gave us some time alone. Colin took that time to go call the family and share the good news with them and I was egar to nurse her as she was rooting. She latched on like a champ and nursed until Sarah and Natalia came back to check on us. Sarah was quite surprised that I already offered her the boob and that Lana was actually nursing. Colin came back and we took some pictures and then it was time for us to go into our postpartum room. I was able to take a step from the bed to the wheelchair and then Lana was given to me, Colin grabbed our bags and then off we went to our private room!

*I'll write my postpartum story later on*

It's official

She's taken to a paci! Lately she's been super fussy and demanding while she's awake so I popped one in and she seems to like it :) Hopefully this can help for bed time.