Thank You

Also, we'd like to extend a note of thanks to Mary Brown and my parents for being here (at our house) to help with Nora and Henry. You guys made life a lot easier on us and the kids. We really appreciate that.

Everett Allen Brown Is Here!

It's been awhile since I've updated this Xanga thing. The world is moving in the direction of less blogging and more Facebooking and Tweeting, and it's easy to forget the ol' blog.

I ended up being two weeks overdue with Baby Brown #3 (I even got to go to Christopher and Carrie's wedding in Indianapolis!), and in fact, I was scheduled for an induction for Monday, July 11th at 6 a.m. Willis and I prepared all weekend for the induction appointment, and when 5:10 a.m. rolled around on Monday, we received a call from the hospital. There was no room at Labor and Delivery, and they told us we would have to wait. They also told us to call them at about 8 a.m. We called at 8 a.m., and then, they told us that they would call us when there would be room.

What's interesting, however, is that at about 6 or 6:30 a.m., I noticed that I started having some contractions. I didn't think much about it because, shoot, I'd been having contractions for WEEKS with nothing real to show for it. Those contractions kept on going throughout the day, though. They lasted through the awesome storm, they lasted through the post-storm walk that we did with my parents (they came to town to watch the kids for us), and they lasted until Labor and Delivery called us at about 2 p.m. to let us know there was finally room.

We got to the hospital at about 3, I think, and we got set up in a sweet LDR room (Labor, Delivery, and Recovery, that is). I kept having contractions. At some point in the first couple of hours of being in the LDR, I took advantage of this awesome tub for a few contractions. Henry wasn't there at the time, though. Hah. (Yes. That's his bum to the left.)

Also, at some point (and Willis is better about knowing the timing of everything than I am—as usual), they checked me and determined that I was at about 2-3 cm and very soft (which has never happened before). Even in early labor, I tend to still be at one centimeter, very thick, and I take forever to make any sort of dilation or effacement (we're talking days).

So, the actual induction process was unnecessary at that point. I labored for a few hours before Dr. Ellis came in and asked if we'd like to break my water. We knew that this would be asked (because, technically, I was supposed to be induced that day), and we had decided that we'd prefer to do the breaking of the water before doing anything else. (In my previous labor, my water had to be broken before I could move on with dilation with Henry. Once it was broken, things moved a lot faster, and they needed to because I was getting to be too tired.) So, this time, I was willing to have my water broken if we knew for certain I was in active labor. I think that my water was broken at around 5:30 p.m., and prior to that, my contractions weren't terribly consistent when it came to strength and timing.

We had an incredible nurse named Judy who had been an OB nurse for 40 years. She knew fairly early on that this baby was large, and she also knew fairly early that he was hitting me in the pelvis instead of moving down where he needed to be to turn out. So, she suggested several different (and specific) positions for labor. Every time we tried what she suggested, things kept progressing.

When the time came where I was physically appearing that I should be ready to push, I still didn't quite feel like I could push yet (in my two previous labors, I had the urge to push long before I was supposed to be able to do so—like, hours). In fact, it was really frustrating that I couldn't quite get the oomph to push because I knew I needed to push. I just didn't have the power to do it (and the baby wasn't moving down on his own without the pushing). So, eventually, pitocin was suggested, and we agreed. Something had to be done quickly because I was running out of steam (and was really starting to doubt whether I could do this). (By the way, Willis never gave me a hint of thinking that I couldn't do it, and I don't think he realizes how much that helped.) 

Once the pitocin was started (it didn't take long at all), the contractions picked up the power a bit, and I was able to push. I tried a number of pushing positions, and to my dismay, none of the ones I expected would work were working properly. Luckily, Judy suggested some positions to try (I think one of them was called the Texas Roll or something crazy like that), and it was working! I got to a point where the baby was coming down, but he wouldn't go any further. Judy suspected that it was due to a full bladder, so they tried to get me to go to the bathroom. I had several hard, pushing contractions on the toilet (and really, really tried to pee) before it was determined that the baby must be blocking my urethra. (Can you believe that!?) So, Judy had me get back into bed so she could put a catheter in. As soon as the catheter was done, the baby came down and started crowning. I was absolutely shocked at how many stinking pushes it took to get the head out (he got stuck at the nose and the cheeks), and I remember kind-of freaking out that in the middle of the crowning, I suddenly had a lack of hard, pushing contractions again. I remember having to wait what seemed like forever before I could push out the rest of his head.

When I knew the head was through, I was expecting the huge relief that comes with being done with pregnancy, but that relief didn't happen. It turns out, the shoulders were stuck. (Huh!?) It took something like six pushes for me to get the shoulders out, too. All in all, though, I probably only pushed for something like 30 minutes at the very end. The entire labor lasted something like 16 hours, about which I am absolutely thrilled to pieces. Seriously. That was my shortest labor ever, and it made a world of difference.

I'm still in shock about the weight of this kid, though: 10 pounds, 7 ounces. I really did not expect that number when they weighed him (I thought, "maybe nine pounds or so," but not over ten). Yikes. His head circumference was 15 centimeters, too, but after his head came through, the shoulders were stuck as well. I'm not sure what that means, but . . . there it is.

After all that, we were absolutely ecstatic that we actually got to stay in the LDR room (they are called LDR rooms, but with our previous two kids, we got kicked out of the LDR rooms to tiny, horrible, little closets for the remainder of our stay. This is largely why we left the hospital early with Henry). It was awesome. Look. Willis even had a decent place to sleep!

The view was pretty awesome, too. It really made up for the other two times. I still didn't get much sleep, but it was definitely much easier to recover in this situation than before (and probably still easier to recover there rather than being at home with my still-adjusting monkeys).

Without further ado, I'll share some photos from our time at the hospital.

Everett Allen Brown. 10 pounds, 7 ounces. 1:20 a.m. July 12, 2011. 21.25 inches. Two weeks late.

Link to Facebook album.

We're glad to be home, and I'm absolutely thrilled to no longer be pregnant. And now, it's time to adjust. Wish us luck.

Stupid

After trying my primary physician and discovering that they have no appointments available until after Wednesday, I gave up for awhile. Then, I decided to start looking into Urgent Care options (even though I am pretty confident that La Porte doesn't actually have any). I called the office that my primary care physician is based out of, and I basically said, "Is there an urgent care over there?"

The lady was like, "No, but why?"

I explained my situation, and then she basically called around a few different departments (that's what it seemed, anyway). I now have an appointment today at 4:45 with a doctor I've never seen before (but is in the same practice as my regular physician). It's kind-of stupid how hard that was.

Sickness Update . . . Again

I'm not sure what it is about this third pregnancy, but for some reason, I just have to be sick at all points in time. I'm starting to get a bit irritated about it.

Thursday evening, after my weekly OB appointment, my ear popped, and for the next few days, it got worse. Saturday night was probably the worst, pain-wise. There was so much pressure in my ear that I couldn't get comfortable. I put heat on it. I took Tylenol. I broke into Henry's numbing ear drops (which, I'm sad to say, don't really work that well).

At about 3 or 4 a.m. on Sunday morning, my ear drum finally ruptured, and some fluid came out. My ear felt a little better at that point (not much), but I was able to fall asleep.

I had full intentions of getting up with the kids on Sunday morning so Willis could sleep in on Father's Day, but I didn't hear the kids when they woke up at 6 a.m. (I'm, like, seriously deaf in my left ear right now.)

I've been living with cotton in my ear (and, most of the time, I dip the cotton in rubbing alcohol to prevent further infection). Stuff keeps coming out. It's pretty gross.

Last night, I was pretty confident I'd be able to sleep, but between 11 p.m. and 12 a.m., I started feeling the pressure build up in my ear again. I had to run downstairs, take some Tylenol, and get a heating pad. Once I got the heat on my ear, my ear drum ruptured again, and this time, lots of fluid came out for the rest of the night.

I actually have crust outside my ear now because of all the gross fluid. This is exactly how I remember my ear infections as a kid. I haven't had one this bad since I was in elementary school. I had a whopper ear infection in college one time, but I didn't have anything rupture on me.

I called my OB who told me I needed to call my regular doctor. So, I called the ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) doctor. Henry already has an appointment set for the 29th (the day after my due date), so I called to whine and see if we could both get in, like, right away. The soonest they could get ME in was Wednesday. They have my name (and Henry's) on a list, though, so if someone cancels, they're supposed to call us.

I tried our regular, family doctor, but I ended up on hold for a few minutes. I gave up on that. I usually can't get in there for a few days when I call there, too. Besides, I have a feeling he'll just send me over to an ENT anyway. Hah. (I've played this game a few times.)

I just hope I didn't lose hearing in my left ear permanently. It's gone for now, though. It's not good.

In the meantime, it'll be alcohol cotton swabs, heat, Tylenol, and maybe stealing some of Henry's ear drops.

Sickness Update

I think maybe I had some sort of sick bug when I got sick a couple of nights ago. I'm still a bit iffy today. Nora had a fever yesterday, and she's laying pretty low today. Henry had actually thrown up earlier in the week, but we thought that was just a random, spaz-fest sort of thing. (He's randomly thrown up before with no other symptoms or issues after he, like, ran around or goofed off too hard.)

Willis mentioned that he's not feeling very well today. So . . . I think we can start assuming that what I had wasn't heat stroke or food poisoning.

Cute.

Hardcore Henry

Quick update on me: I'm still feeling iffy, but I haven't yakked today. I just attempted a grilled cheese sandwich, and I'm a little bit afraid that it was a mistake. We'll find out, I guess.

And now, for the real rant.

If you have been reading my blog since the birth of my first child, Nora, in 2008, you've probably noticed that ever since Henry arrived, there's been a lot less photos and a lot less blogging. This happens to a lot of second-borns, but their parents' excuses tend to be something generic like, "We just got too busy with two to get the camera out all the time."

It's true. When you have two kids, you do get busier. You have more stuff in your hands and on your mind, and a camera (among other things) hits the back burner.

In Henry's case, however, not only are we busier, but we're basically just trying to make sure that this kid survives to his next birthday. This kid requires constant vigilance. He requires constant supervision (which, contrary to popular belief, is pretty much impossible at all points in time—especially when the kid actively evades it). I am on constant death-watch. He makes one, gigantic mess. I clean it up. Then, I've realized that he's made another one somewhere—only with more fury.

Some days are harder than others. There has only been, like, one easy day on record. That day, Henry had a temperature. The other day, Henry may have been so flipping hot (it was 97° outside), that he got worn out harder than usual (and, by golly, I do try to wear him out daily) and actually begged to take a nap. I'm still in shock from that one.

The most fascinating thing about this kid that I have come to discover, however, isn't that he's so, um, high-maintenance. It's the fact that he seems to know when I am not on my game, and the sucker kicks the level of difficulty up several notches. He never misses an opportunity.

For example: Today. I am not feeling well. I am nine months pregnant. All I want to do is lay down and sleep. What has Henry done today? Allow me to list it out for you:

• I have pulled him out of the bathroom sink basin TWICE (and, both times, I KNEW the bathroom was closed off from him). This is new. The first time, he was so incredibly saturated with water, that he dripped all over tarnation.
• He turned my office up-side-down (toy explosion).
• He's climbed on a desk in my office (that he knows he is not allowed to climb on), grabbed some plastic battens (that go in the blackout window shades in his bedroom—also not allowed to play with those), and stuck them into the fan that is on that same desk.
• He handed me poo when I was cooking lunch. Poo. I think it was his. How he ended up with it in his hand is beyond me. Nobody ever tells you (prior to having children) that your kid will do creepy things like hand you phantom poo.
• I had to unlock the downstairs bathroom to collect him for nap time (and he had run from me into the bathroom because he knew it was nap time). By the way, the hot water was running in the sink. Yeah.
  
• He has smacked Nora an innumerable amount of times today.
• He has rammed me in the stomach an innumerable amount of times today.
  
• He climbed onto the dining room table and squirmed around (this is pretty typical, but it just burned me more today because I really shouldn't be lifting him).
• He took his plate at lunch and just whacked the living daylights out of the table with it. I had to confiscate it even though he wasn't really done eating.
  
• He threw, like, three, wooden, Melissa and Doug puzzles down the stairs (after I cleaned the up-side-down office, which was no small effort on my part).
• He absolutely has to know what every single, mundane item in life is, and he has to know RIGHT NOW! If you don't answer him right away (and, heck, even if you do), you get, "MOMMY! MOMMY! What's saaat? MOMMY!"
• He fought nap time in his usual champ-like style.
• He pretty much sucked all the remaining life out of me that I had going this morning.

So, yep. I love the little bugger, but, dang. At what point does a mother call an exorcist? I know he's probably freaking out because we just woke him up last night and took him to the ER to listen to baby brother's heart beat, but . . . little dude! Cut it out!

(And, Henry, if you are reading this one day down the road, you should be saying a little prayer of thanks that you have lived to read this thing. I know I will.)

What did Nora do today, you ask? She sucked her thumb (with penguin, of course) and hung around near me all day. She did tell me she wasn't feeling well, and I'm still trying to figure out if that's real or not. It might be.

I'm going to go lay down. My back hurts.

Schnikes

Yesterday afternoon/evening, I started feeling really awful, so I went and laid down while the kids were taking a nap. I couldn't get comfortable, and once I finally did, the kids were awake. Then, I spent the rest of the evening (before Willis got home from work, and . . . well, even after that) stuck on the couch. Somewhere around 6 or 6:30, I threw up (and pretty violently), and felt a little better for awhile. After about another hour, though, I started feeling the same again (awful), and I ended up throwing up again at about 8:45. That's when I called my OB, and I was told to go into the ER to check to see if the baby is doing okay.

Willis had just gotten the kids to sleep (finally—they really put up a fight), and he drug them back out of bed to take me to the ER. They took me up to OB where they monitored the baby for awhile. It turns out that he was doing just fine. I wasn't in labor or anything (and I knew that).

They gave me some Sierra Mist while I was there, and I sipped on that rather slowly. I wasn't feeling very well when they told me I could go home and rest, and I'm still not feeling that great. I'm kind-of in that waiting period where I'm trying to determine if the weakness I feel is still sickness or if it's just my system being totally empty. I've been able to keep my vitamins and a tiny bit of dry Fruit Loops and ginger ale down so far today, but I'm not really feeling better yet.

I don't know if it was heat stroke, some sort of bug, or food poisoning, but whatever it was/is . . . it's really pretty terrible to have while being this pregnant (37 weeks).

I hope the kids go easy on me today. At least the temperature is dropping.