Meeting PaPa for the first time!

Landon was so excited to see PaPa again!

I put her in the bouncy chair for the first time today and she enjoyed it! Well, she may have, she seems to enjoy everything. She is such a laid back, happy baby!

More pics!

Getting ready to go to the hospital and not liking it one bit!

Rileigh had to go to the hospital two days in a row for her bilirubin levels to be tested. I thought she looked a little yellow and at her first doctor app. the doctor agreed and sent us back to labor and delivery to be tested. Her result was 16.9. Our doctor admits when the level reaches 17. He said we needed to supplement our breastfeeding sessions with 2 ounces of formula. He felt she had breastfeeding jaundice since her level was high five days after birth. So we supplemented and went back to the nursery again on Tuesday. Her levels were 14 this time so the doctor felt much better. She weighed 7 lbs, 10 oz. at birth, Monday she was 7 lbs. even and yesterday she was 7 lb, .5 oz. Today at her weight check she was 7 lbs, 3.5 oz. The doctor told us we could start to cut back the formula and get her totally on breast milk. I'm really happy about this. I wanted to breastfeed Landon but had latch and supply problems so it didn't work out. Rileigh is a great latcher and while I can't pump worth a hoot, I can feed her all that she needs. She's much more effective at getting that milk than the pump is. We had a great lactation consultant at the hospital who really helped us! I'm also very happy that I have a pro-breastfeeding doctor.

More Rileigh Pictures!

Skinny little legs!

Bath time cuteness.

Rileigh hates to be naked! She much prefers clothes and being swaddled!

Meeting the siblings!

Meeting the wieners! Mac is already quite protective of her!

Meeting the big brother, Landon, for the first time! He loves her, wants to hold her, kiss her, and occasionally swat at her! Sibling love!

Sssshhhhhh, sleeping baby. It's a good thing she sleeps through pretty much everything, because it's not quiet in our house, not with Landon and two wild dachshunds who bark at anything that moves!

Last day at the hospital

I LOVE her little cheeks!

Snoozing with Daddy while waiting for the discharge papers!

Wrapped up in a blanket that was Mommy's when she was little.

Rileigh came so fast that I forgot to grab the snuzzler to keep her head upright in her carseat. We had to roll her blanket up instead! It was a warmer day so she wasn't cold without it.

More Rileigh Pictures!

With Daddy who was still in his hunting gear. He wanted to cut her cord with his buck knife!

These three are from today. She's fairly happy though she's not too keen on breastfeeding right now. She likes the pacifier and is content to be swaddled. She's eaten a few times but I hope tomorrow she will do better!

Pictures!

Rileigh's first pictures!

With Dr. Adkins and the best nurse ever, Miranda!

She's here!

So last night I had some contractions which I talked about before! At school they were pretty inconsistent, no real pattern. I had three fairly intense contractions on the way home and by the time I got home, they were coming more quickly. I decided about 7:00 ish I needed to go to the hospital. Mom called our wonderful friend and neighbor Rick who came over to watch Landon. I had called Rob and he was on his way. We left a message with Rob's dad and stepmom to please call so they could come relieve Rick and his son Zach. Then Mom and I hopped in the car.

I contracted and panted the whole way there. We arrived and the super nice ER lady wheeled me up to labor and delivery where I was immediately put in a bed. The nurse checked me and I was 10 centimeters and ready to go! My water hadn't broken and Dr. Adkins had just left. I decided to wait until he got back for him to break my water. Contractions hurt but not too bad, realized I couldn't get the epidural at this point.

Water broke and contractions got stronger, especially in my back, that was the worst part. Rileigh was sunnyside up and we needed her to turn since she was stuck on my pelvic bone! I pushed in some odd positions to get her to turn. I was begging for a c section the pain was so bad! We decided to go ahead and get the epidural, hoping that if I were able to relax she'd slip over that bone. Well, the epi did NOTHING except make my back labor amazingly intense. I had one contraction that lasted 7 minutes. I again, begged for a c section. My awesome nurse, said ok. But she was lying! I got back on my back and Dr. Adkins said to go ahead and start pushing. One push and she was over the bone and then maybe 6 sets of three pushes each and she was born. The pain was instantly gone. So, technically, I can say I went all natural, that epi didn't do a damn thing but make it worse!!!

So, details on Rileigh Melissa. She was 3 weeks early. She weighed 7 lbs, 10 oz. and was 20 inches long. I don't know her head but it's little! Her eyes are almost black, I'm hoping they turn blue like her Daddy's and Landon's. She has cried a bit but that's good as she had a lot of gunk in her mouth/throat. She nursed really well and we're now just waiting for her to be brought back to our room.

Rob almost didn't make it! If it weren't for my pelvic bone, he would have missed her birth! He was hunting 6 hours west of here. They decided to break camp early and he was only 3 hours away at his cousins when I called and said, leave now!

So, that's all for now. I forgot my camera cord but Rob will bring it tomorrow and I'll post pictures. She's beautiful!

Random Updates

So I have no new pictures to post but I can write. I'm timing contractions right now. I've been having them on and off for about a week now. Sometimes they are pretty consistent and other times not to much. I'm drinking lots and lots of water and trying not to walk much. Since I was induced with Landon I don't know what real labor contractions are like. I have a coworker who has had 7 kids and I keep asking her what she thinks. She thinks they could just be very strong Braxton Hicks contractions. I have a doctor app. on Friday that I'm trying to hold out for. I'll be 37 weeks and we'll see then if I have any dilation going on or not. Exciting to think she could be here soon but at the same time I'd really like for her to wait another two weeks!

My students and parents threw me a baby shower yesterday afternoon. It was so much fun and Rileigh received so many nice clothes, blankets, and other very cool gifts. I was going to take pictures last night but Landon wanted to hang everything up so I decided to wait until tonight after he's in bed. I bought lots of thank you cards this morning to get started on those too. I have great students and parents.

Maw Maw is here this week. Landon is enjoying her visit very much. He was up early on Monday and when we came downstairs he looked on the couch and she wasn't there. He got a very sad face and said, "Maw maw not home." I told him she was just upstairs in bed yet and when she came down he was quite happy!

Update

This is Rileigh at 34 weeks. I am now 35 weeks pregnant and ready to go! I want my body back and while I'm grateful to be pregnant and all that jazz, I'm ready for Rileigh to be born! I just need her to hang tight until my Holiday Concert on Dec. 2. Once that's over, even if my water breaks on my final bow, I'm ready! It's getting harder and harder to sleep, I wake up almost every hour and my hips hurt. I haven't slowed down yet, still doing everything but picking Landon up. The football team made the playoffs so I suppose I'm expected to have the band at the game next Friday. That's the start of my 9th month! We'll see if the band is there or not! I have a dress rehearsal and concert next Sat. for the Virginia Wind Symphony and then that's done until Jan. so that will be one less thing to do. I did take about an hour this morning and cleaned up a few flower beds, just took my time and Landon helped me put stuff in the garbage bag. I pulled a few more dead plants from the garden but it's still a massive mess! I think it might have to wait until Jan. to get cleaned out but that's ok!

Landon Joe was up at 6:30 a.m.! Lucky for me Rob got up with him while I laid in bed until about 7:45! There's no sleeping once he's up! We just had a lazy morning on the couch. We didn't get dressed until about 10:30 or so! Then we went outside, played in the sandbox, cleaned the flower beds up, and played with our newfound pet worm who Landon named Estes Joe. I hope the worm survived his ordeal being carried about in a sand bucket for a couple of hours!

Uncle Gary and Aunt Dorene are in from CA. We went to see them at great-grandad's on Tues. night. Landon and Rob went over to Roger's tonight to visit some more. I'm pooped from yesterday and the game so I stayed home. I need to go gorecery shopping tomorrow morning so I need to rest up!! I'm going to time it so Landon and I get home at the same time Rob gets home from church. I need to get a few more shirts. I have three that fit, well a couple of sweaters too but I'm so hot lately that I can't wear the sweaters. I'm thinking with 5 weeks to go, we're hitting some thrift stores! Not spending moola on something I'll wear for 5 weeks and never again! So, basically, all is well in Smithfield.