Little Mommy

Alyssa loves taking care of the little kids, and she always looks out for John. This morning, Alyssa came in my room and woke me up while I was still in snooze-button mode. I got up and made her some toast and chocolate milk, and then I got in the shower. A few minutes later, who should appear in the bathroom doorway but Alyssa...AND John. John sleeps in a toddler bed now, but he doesn't know how to open doors yet, so obviously Alyssa had gone in to get him up all by herself. They were happy, so I finished my shower. By the time I got out, John had a sippy cup of water (Alyssa must have retrieved it from his bedroom for him) and some crackers which Alyssa had gotten from the package on the kitchen counter. It was so sweet, and Alyssa and John were both so proud of themselves for their accomplishments.

Pardon our dust

Finally...here begins the process of transferring our old webpage over here. Not sure what will happen to the dates of all this stuff, but I'll do my best to bring things over in order. Once I get done with that, I'll fill you all in on the latest happenings with the kids...

The fun continues....

Potty training is all but complete now. I'm amazed at how quickly Alyssa caught on. I feel like we really didn't have to "train" her much. She just didn't like getting those underpants wet (and she refused to wear a diaper), so after about 2 days, she figured it out herself. She has the pee thing totally under control now.

But poop...that's another story. It's agonizing! We think she's holding it in which is making her constipated and making it difficult to go. So when it's time to go in the potty, she asks to go, but when we get to the bathroom, she starts crying hysterically and won't sit down. So I tell her that if she doesn't sit down and try, she has to put on a diaper. So she does one of two things...

1) She sits down for a couple minutes, screaming and standing up every time she feels like she's going to start going, then finally when I agree that she can have her big girl pants back, she goes back to playing for about 90 seconds, then starts crying and says she is pooping and needs to go sit on the potty. Thus starts the cycle all over again. This can happen up to 15 times in a 45 minute period, until either the urge to go passes or she ends up going on the floor or in her underpants. It's torture. Or...

2) When she asks to go but then cries and refuses to sit down, I literally WRESTLE a diaper/pull-up onto her while being beaten and kicked. This literally takes about 5 minutes, because she is frantically pulling and tearing at it the whole time, and I'm usually in tears by the end. Then I have to restrain her for a couple more minutes as she tries to rip the diaper/pull-up off and screams and writhes violently. I have seriously considered duct tape before, but I'd have to have 8 arms to get her taped up. She's strong and quick! Once she has accepted that the diaper is on for good, sometimes she will eventually poop in the diaper.

We are totally at our wits end over this. We cannot keep spending hours at a time going back and forth to the bathroom with a screaming child. We are losing our minds!!! She absolutely refuses to go back to diapers, and she's big enough that there's not much we can do to keep them on her if she doesn't want them, so that's not really an option. If any of you reading this have been down this road before, PLEASE share your advice!!!

Adventures in Potty Training

I thought Alyssa would be 12 by the time she decided to start potty training. She has been deathly afraid of sitting on the potty chair for months. But what self-respecting 2-year-old girl could resist the allure of brand new, flashy, brightly-colored Dora underpants with little ruffles at the waistband? So the day after Meijer's big Fruit of the Loom sale, off we went into the frightening but very exciting world pf potty training.



For Alyssa, wearing "big girl pants" is her sole motivation. The rule is that if she doesn't sit on the potty, then she has to wear a diaper. And it has worked beautifully! In less than 2 weeks, she is now accident-free most days and even keeps her diaper dry at naps more often than not! We're still not totally on top of the poop issue, and we haven't been brave enough to let her wear the big girl pants out in public yet, but we're well on our way! She even asked to go potty at Outback Steakhouse with no prompting at all last week.



As I'm sure he will do many times in his life, John is trying to follow in big sister's footsteps. John immediately took an interest in the potty chair too, and he has gone in it several times, though he is clearly not ready for actual potty training. But he demands to use the potty all the time, and he SCREAMS if I deny him this special privilege. This has led to much violence between the kids, as we only have one potty chair, and when you add in the fact that Jacob (one of my bonus kids) is also recently potty trained, there is often lots of conflict over whose turn it is, and I often feel like I spend half the day in the bathroom. So I let Alyssa pick out another potty online. She insisted on a pink potty for her, and she agreed that John and Jacob could have the blue potty that we already had. The pink potty arrived this week, and the kids couldn't be happier! These pictures of Alyssa and Jacob from this morning are just too cute for words!!!

Our new family blog

Hi everyone! We'll use this blog to keep our family and friends posted on our latest family news. I'm in the process of transferring our info. over from our old website, because the kids are getting too old to keep that one. :) So please bear with me while I get everything up and running!

-Erika (& Jeff, Alyssa, and John)

Can I just take a shower?

This morning, I made the mistake of trying to take a shower while Alyssa was drifting off to sleep in her bassinet. I should have known it wouldn't work. She hates to lay anywhere except her swing or bouncy seat (or someone's arms, of course). She started crying, and by the time I could get out of the shower and get to her, there was a big tear rolling down her cheek. Poor Alyssa! Thankfully, she had tired herself out so much that all I had to do was pick her up and walk with her for a minute or two, and she was sleeping like a rock.

Our big brown cat, Lucinda, is totally in love with Alyssa. She came up and licked her on the head while she was eating this morning. It was very sweet. But then later she tried to kiss her right on the mouth (searching for milk perhaps?), and that was just too gross...I had to launch Lucinda off the bed. Poor Lucinda!

New adventures

Alyssa has been sleeping well the last few nights. Mommy even managed to get an astounding 7 1/2 hours of sleep herself Thursday night! (They weren't consecutive hours, but it's still really impressive!)

Alyssa got to see her first IU basketball game with the Cooks tonight. Despite Alyssa'a best cheering in her new IU outfit, they lost. But thankfully, it's the last IU game she'll ever see that is coached by Mike Davis. ;)

She also got to meet her cousins Elliot and Anthony tonight. Elliot seemed to think she was okay, but he refused to trade in his little brother for her.

Mommy and Daddy went on their first date since Alyssa'a arrival (lunch at Red Lobster) while Alyssa stayed with Nana and Pop Scheck for a couple hours. She slept the whole time except for while she was getting her diaper changed.

In Love

Alyssa is doing well and growing every day! She has had a couple of fussy nights, but we're hopeful that she'll sleep well tonight, because we have finally been able to keep her awake for a few hours this evening.

It seems like Alyssa changes so much every day. It's fun to look at her face each morning in the daylight and see how she has changed overnight. I'm totally in awe of this beautiful little girl that God has created.

Reflux

We got a great report from Dr. Beach today. Alyssa now weighs 7lb 6 1/2 oz, which is awesome. She is still having some reflux problems (which she demonstrated by spitting up all over herself and Mommy as we were getting her undressed to weigh her), and the doctor could hear the reflux happening with the stethescope, but at least Alyssa is happier and gaining weight now. We might try a different kind of medicine if she continues to have problems.

Alyssa seems to get more beautiful every day! She is becoming more alert and spending more time looking around. She is always very fussy between about midnight and 1:00am, but other than that, she is sleeping fairly well.She still loves her bouncy seat, and she likes to hear the running water sound that her bassinet makes. (She sometimes wakes up just because the sound has stopped.) She also likes to have the TV in our bedroom on all night. She cries if we turn it off. (We hope she doesn't keep that habit up when she's old enough to actually watch the TV!) And if she naps in her own room, we actually have to leave the light on for her so she can sleep. I guess she has had enough of being in the dark after nine months all cooped up in the womb.

Bath Time

Alyssa took a bath in her tub tonight. She loved the warm water, and it was very calming for her. I think she's going to like taking baths before bedtime.

Feeling better

Alyssa's tummy is still doing well. Dr. Beach called this morning to check on her, which I thought was really cool, and she was happy with the report. We go back to the doctor on Friday to check Alyssa's weight. Alyssa slept perfectly last night. We're settling into a pretty good routine for eating and sleeping. She usually wakes up like clockwork every four hours or so. She's starting to become a lot more alert, so we're getting to see her beautiful eyes open more. She seems happy and content, and when she does cry, it's not the "I'm in pain" screaming anymore. She's such a good baby! We set her carset in the pack n play bassinet last night and put her in it to sleep so that her head would be elevated. She really seems to like it. I have a feeling that the transition to sleeping in the bed later on might be a challenge, but for now we just want to know that she's sleeping comfortably. (Besides, we're hoping that this might train her that she's supposed to go to sleep whenever she's in her carseat!)

Alyssa seems to enjoy nursing now, and she nurses for a while before each bottle. It makes feedings a lot longer (and quite a bit more painful for Mom), but it seems to be helping to keep her tummy moving along so she doesn't get tummy aches as much, and she's getting some good healthy antibodies. She is a little piglet! She will nurse for 20-30 minutes and then drink as much as 3 ounces of formula, and she often thinks she wants more than that! That's more than most babies her age drink, but as long as it's not causing her tummy problems or coming back up, it's okay with us-especially since she has been losing weight. Hopefully she will have beefed up a bit by Friday.

We have loved and cherished Alyssa from the moment we knew about her, but we're really getting to enjoy spending time with her now that she is on the outside and she and Mommy are both feeling healthy. We think she's the best! God has given us such a special blessing!

Unplugged

Alyssa is officially "unplugged"...her umbilical cord stump fell off today. Now she can take real baths in her tub! :)

Miracle drug!

WOW, we have definitely found the reason for Alyssa's all-night crying and tummy trouble! After taking the acid-reducing medicine, Alyssa slept all night except for feedings! Mommy and Daddy were amazed and SO thankful! Alyssa always looks beautiful to us, but she's all the more beautiful when I have had more than 20 minutes of sleep during the night. :)

6 long nights!

After six nights of literally all-night crying (Alyssa and sometimes Mommy) and tummy problems, we took Alyssa back to the doctor today. As we suspected, the doctor said it sounds like she has reflux. She prescribed some medicine to try and said if it doesn't work, Alyssa will need to have an Upper GI barium x-ray on Monday. We're really hoping the medicine works! Alyssa has been spending a lot of time in her bouncy seat since it sits her upright and helps keep the acid down in her tummy. We hope that tonight will be more comfortable for all three of us!

Alyssa's weight is down to 6lb 14oz. It isn't a big concern since most babies don't regain their birth weight until 2 weeks of age, but it is a bit puzzling since she actually weighed more than birth weight on Monday. She'll have her weight checked again next week just to be sure it's headed in the right direction.

Speaking of weight...when I lose two more pounds, I'll be back to pre-pregnancy weight! I have lost 13 pounds in the last 4 days alone. (I think most of it was water in my feet!)

She's here!!!!!

It's hard to believe that Alyssa is 5 days old now! The last week has gone so quickly!

Here is the story of how things went in the delivery room...

The process of getting Alyssa here was quite an adventure. I started pitocin at 5:00a.m. on Thursday, the doctor broke my water at 9:00, and by around 11:30, I was only 3 centimeters but already ready for my epidural. The epidural was AWESOME at first. (I considered running away with Mike, the epidural man!) A few hours later, though, it became really spotty, and I think I was feeling pretty much everything in my lower right side. Bless his heart, Mike kept coming in and pumping more meds into me, but it only seemed to work in one of my legs.

I made slow progress at first, and my contraction pattern was not ideal for most of the day. The contractions weren't quite strong enough, and they were happening one on top of another without letting up in between. Given the contraction pattern, slow dilation, and what we thought was a large baby, the doctor and nurses really didn't think I'd be able to give birth vaginally. The doctor said we would give it a try, but I could tell that he expected to be performing surgery in a few hours.

At 4:00, the doctor came to check me, and since I had only been 5-6 cm a few minutes earlier, I expected that he might be making the decision for a c-section. But no...I was suddenly completely dilated and ready to go! So the doctor left, and I started pushing at 4:10.

It soon became apparent that Alyssa was stuck behind my pelvic bone. She just kept bumping her head into it when I pushed. We were told in childbirth class that the pushing stage can last "up to 2 hours" with a first baby. So as I noticed that two hours were almost up and I was getting really tired, I was ready to give up. Finally, the nurse called the doctor and he came back around 6:15. (Note that I've been pushing for over two hours now with a less-than-perfect epidural.) Again, I expected that I would be on my way to the OR, but the doctor wasn't giving up yet. Over the next hour, he tried all sorts of medievil torture techniques to get Alyssa past my pelvic bone. (I don't think my right hip will ever stay in the socket again!) Finally, he was able to get the vacuum attached and pull her past it. After another few minutes, out she came at 7:10. Everyone was amazed that I didn't end up with a c-section. The nurses in the nurses station all cheered when they heard the news. My nurse said she had had the meds pulled and ready for a c-section.

Alyssa came out at sort of an angle, and her left hand came out beside her head, which could have been part of the reason that she was stuck for so long. She had a conehead and lots of bruising that made her head sore, but it is much better now. She has been healthy and strong from the moment she was born. Throughout labor, her heart rate did just what it was supposed to do. She's really a trooper!

She is absolutely beautiful! She looks JUST like her daddy's baby pictures. She was much smaller than everyone thought she was, which is a good thing considering the way labor went.

We came home from the hospital Saturday night, and we are getting settled in at home. Alyssa has been REALLY gassy at night and has cried all night long two of the three nights. She sleeps beautifully during the day, though! She didn't sleep more than 5-10 minutes at a time last night, but went to sleep at 5:30am and is still asleep now at 11:45! When her days and nights get straightened out, maybe she will be able to sleep this long at night! We saw the pediatrician yesterday. She is up to 7lb3oz now, which is really soon to be up past birth weight. The doctor said she looks perfect!

STILL waiting...

Alyssa seems to be very comfortable right where she is. (I'm actually having fewer and fewer contractions every day.) I, on the other hand, am anything but comfortable! My blood pressure continues to be a concern (though not an emergency). My hands are SO swollen that it hurts to bend my fingers, and I'm having bad headaches (a combination of blood pressure and sinuses, I think). I can't wait for Alyssa to make her big entrance! Jeff is very eager to meet his daughter face to face too.

We see the doctor tomorrow afternoon. I suspect that he will induce me before this week is over as long as insurance will cover it (and that shouldn't be a problem considering the blood pressure issue). It's definitely time to get this process over with so we can bring our baby home!

Bad news, Good news

Here is today's doctor appointment update...

Bad news: barely any progress in my cervix since Tuesday

Good news: The doctor stripped my membranes again, so we're hoping that there will be more progress by next time.

Bad news: After months of contractions, I didn't have a single one during my NST!

Good news: Alyssa's NST results were just fine, so she is not showing any negative effects from my blood pressure

Bad news: My blood pressure still isn't all that great, especially when I get up and move around.

Good news: It goes down when I lie down and rest.

Bad news: So the doctor tells me I pretty much need to stay lying down and do nothing.

Good news: Because of my blood pressure, the doctor will hopefully be able to induce me next week if I haven't gone into labor before then, so...

Great news: Alyssa will be here very soon!!!

Still waiting...

We're still here and still waiting to meet Alyssa face to face. I was in a LOT of pain Tuesday night after having my membranes stripped, but it didn't quite start labor. We see the doctor again tomorrow. He'll check my blood pressure and cervix, and we'll have the NST to check on Alyssa. I had the highest blood pressure I have ever had earlier this afternoon, but it went down once I laid down on my left side for a few minutes. The nurse at the doctors office said that it shows how important it is to rest and stay "closer to bedrest". I'm SO glad that we didn't have this issue earlier on in the pregnancy, because I would be totally nuts if I had to lie around the house alone all day for weeks or months! Thankfully, my mom and stepmom have come out to visit me and take me out to lunch the last couple of days, so I haven't been bored yet.

Hopefully tomorrow's appointment will bring good news that Alyssa is healthy...and ready to come out! :)

Not moving so quickly.

Here is our update after our appointment today...

I haven't made too much progress since last week. I'm 1 1/2 cm dilated and more than 70% effaced. The doctor did say my cervix is much softer this week though, which is good. He stripped my membranes (which was not painful at all like I have heard it usually is) but he said he doubts that we'll be at the hospital tonight or anything. The ultrasound looked good. Alyssa looks healthy, and she is not nearly as large as what she was predicted to be at this point. She is measuring 6 pounds 14 ounces, which is a perfect size. I definitely like the idea of having a 7-8 pound baby instead of an 8-9 pound baby!!!

The big news of the day is that my blood pressure is creeping up. It was 130/92, which isn't shockingly bad, but it is high enough that the doctor took me off work. He said don't be surprised if he induces me in the next week or two because of my blood pressure. We are scheduled for appointments every few days from here on out. At each visit, we will have an NST (non-stress test) where they monitor Alyssa's heart rate, her movement, and my contractions for 30 minutes or so to make sure that my blood pressure isn't causing problems for her. Then the doctor will check me out, strip my membranes, and decide whether it's time to induce. Though the high blood pressure isn't good news, we are happy that Alyssa looks healthy and that she will be born soon!

Almost there!

Tomorrow could be a big day! We have an ultrasound and then we see the doctor. He's going to strip my membranes, which could very well start labor in the next day or two. If it doesn't work tomorrow, he will repeat it twice a week until it does work, so we're going to have Alyssa on the outside very soon!!!

I changed the due date on the website to the 27th since it looks very likely that Alyssa will be born before the end of the month...maybe even this week!