Our Life: March 2013

Mila has been such a blessing in our home and we have enjoyed every minute with her. I feel like nothing anyone says to you can prepare to you for a baby and it is to hard to explain how you can love some one so much in a different way than the way you love your family and friends. To be honest the first couple weeks of Mila's life is a blur to me but I do remember the best parts! Hormones are such a crazy thing. She had so many visitors and she has so many people in her life who love her and we have been blessed by them in so many ways!

Here are a few things about Mila's first month:

~ Even though she came early, she was ready to be here! She caught on to things quickly and is so perfect.

~ She was so skinny and had long skinny legs, arms, hands and feet.

~ She loves her daddy. Whenever she hears his voice she stops what she is doing and tries to look for him.

~ She could roll over to her side from day one. She would kick her leg over the other one and lay on her side.

~ She already tried her hardest to hold her head up so she could look around with her big pretty eyes. Did I mention she has long, pretty eyelashes to go with her pretty eyes?

~ She can grunt like no other. She hates waking up. She will grunt and grunt for an hour just to wake herself up.

~ Did pretty good at sleeping. Even though we had to learn what sleep deprivation was, she woke up every 3 hours at night on the dot.

Here are a few pics from Mila's first month:

This is the first smile I got on camera!

Since Bo works from home, Mila likes to hang out with him. And of course! Laying on Mom's boppy is the best way to hang out!

We attempted to take a few of our own pictures of Mila in her nursery but we couldn't get the lighting right so the first pic below is the only one that really turned out and our favorite. The rest we got done by a photographer and we are pretty happy with the way they turned out!

I am a little embarrassed to be writing this post after the last post, I thought for sure our little girlie wouldn't arrive til possibly after her due date. I guess that is how babies are, they come when they want right?!
So here is Mila's birth story. The day before Mila was born was Super Bowl Sunday. That morning I had been feeling a little nauseous but nothing too bad and by the afternoon I felt fine. Fine enough in fact to scarf down nachos and candy during the game. So after that, I never thought much of feeling sick. The next morning, Bo woke up early and started working (he works from home). Around 7 I was laying in bed and I felt some cramping but to be honest I didn't really think much of it and kinda just thought maybe I needed to go to the bathroom (tmi, sorry). But it would stop and come back but it only happened about 3 times. A few minutes later I felt a pop but still didn't think much of it, I just thought it was a nice big jab from the baby. But! Soon after I felt some leaking. I jumped out of bed, ran to the living room and told Bo that I was leaking a little more than I thought I should be. Confused I ran to the bathroom and I heard a gush and for sure my water had broke!

Bo and I didn't really believe what was happening so I had to call my mom and sister just to make sure that was in fact what was happening. They both told me to get to the hospital. I jumped in the shower and contractions started immediately but nothing that I couldn't handle. When I got out of the shower, Bo and I were frantically running around trying to pack.... Side story... My mom was actually coming out the next day and we were going to go shopping and I was going to pack my bag for the hospital that week. I had all these plans for the week. My mom and I were going to finish the nursery, I was going to pack and I was going to clean our whole apartment. Someone decided to come a little early so none of that happened. But, back to the story, I definitely suggest packing for the hospital super early cause you never know when your little one will come and trying to pack while having contractions and trying to let the fact that your baby is coming that day sink in is not fun.

After getting all packed and informing Bo's family we jumped in the car and headed to the hospital. I wasn't really even sure where to even go once we got there. I wasn't so prepared I guess you could say. Because my water broke, the nurses didn't even put me in a regular room to get checked in, they put me straight in my delivery room. After getting settled in it was about 8:30 or so. The nurse checked me and I was dilated to a 3 and 100% effaced. We were all pretty shocked still considering I never even had any signs or pre-labor pains.

Soon after, my mom showed up! She must have been going 100 mph the whole way to the hospital cause I swear she made it in record timing! After getting my IV, the nurse was checking my vitals and we found out I was preeclamptic, which meant I had high blood pressure which could cause seizures and such. It was so strange because I didn't have high blood pressure my whole pregnancy. My doctor unfortunately was not on call so the on call doctor had the nurses start me on magnesium to help with my blood pressure. Magnesium is a wicked, wicked drug!!! I feel for anyone who has to have it or has had it and never want to have it ever again. The second they put it in my IV, I felt like I was on fire. My back, neck arms and especially hands were burning. It made me super groggy and I felt like I wasn't all there. Magnesium is also a muscle relaxer so my contractions stopped since your uterus is a muscle so I had to be started on pitocin. I never wanted to have pitocin, but what can ya do? Then to top it off, I had an appointment the next day for my 36 week and I was supposed to get my strep test, because I didn't get it, I had to have an antibiotic. Let's just say, I went from thinking I could handle labor to becoming a wimp and just wishing I didn't have to have magnesium.

My contractions still weren't terrible at this point and poor Bo was trying to get his schedule figured out, cause if you remember from my last post, he was supposed to be going out of town. He had to cancel his flight and hotel and figure out work and school. Let's just say we got lucky cause Mila came the day before he was supposed to leave!

A little while later, I don't remember what time since I was a little out of it, the nurse checked me again and I was at a 5. I was pretty happy to learn I was progressing. After the pitocin set in and the nurse kept upping the dose and from the magnesium, I gave in, I didn't have the energy so I got an epidural. Not what I was hoping for but hey, the rest of my labor wasn't going how I'd hoped either and I was never set on a birth plan. But! I did make it half way through my labor without and epidural! And can I say that Bo was the best coach and support during my contractions. He helped me manage my pain and take pain away by pushing on my knees while I was sitting. I don't think I would have made it through it without him.

After the epidural set in, I tried to get some rest. Bo's mom, sister and my dad had arrived and the rest of the family was on their way. I want to say around 6:30 my epidural started wearing off so the nurse checked me again and I was at a 9.5! We couldn't believe it! Bo ran out to tell the family and I still just couldn't believe it. She was coming soon and I was going to be a mom! Not long after, I was at a 10 and started pushing. I pushed for maybe 15 minutes and luckily my doctor was able to make it! He checked me and the nurses got everything ready! I pushed for maybe another 15 minutes and she was here! I don't remember much after that. I remember pushing and having her on my chest and holding her (which was one of the best moments of my life)! But after that not much. Bo and I had our time alone with her and then she was ready to meet the family. From what everyone says, she was so happy to meet everyone and wide eyed!

Bo went down to the nursery with Mila, a nurse came in and moved me to a new room and my family went to get us some dinner. At this point I started throwing up and could barley hold my head up. Once we got to the new room I got some blood work done. My family came back with dinner and Bo and Mila came back from the nursery. While waiting for the blood results, all I wanted to do was cry! Because of the magnesium, I felt like I couldn't enjoy anything. Everything was a blur. I wanted to just hold Mila and enjoy her. I wanted to enjoy every moment but I just felt so out of it. When the results came back, we found out that I had been overdosed and had to be given a drug to counteract the magnesium. We weren't too happy but the second they took it out of my IV I felt like new person. I got my second wind and all I wanted to do the rest of the night was hold Mila and snuggle her and stare at her.

Even though my labor didn't go as hoped, I couldn't be happier and feel more blessed. Mila was born healthy even though she was early and she is perfect in every way! Bo and I always talk about how blessed we are. I love my little family!