Well depending on how you consider *one month old* Kyra will be one month old tomorrow....as tomorrow is the first of January and the little duette was born on December first....OR this past tuesday (2 days ago) she was a month old because she was exactly 4 weeks old at that point. I suppose it doesn't really matter. She's pretty much a month old.
She is in her little frog outfit here. She has only been able to wear it when we were in the hospital because it has short sleeves and no legs. But its such a cute little outfit....it is pretty much too small for her, it will barely button at the bottom. She is so long......But I put it on her anyways so I could get pictures. What a cute little froggie bottom! and she's sorta holding herself up!!! She made a cooing noise on purpose yesterday it was cute. She's sleeping now after having *plenty* for breakfast apparently!
Having some breast milk supply issues.....less than three weeks after the C-section I had to go in to have my gallbladder taken out....I went in through the ER, but it wasn't life threatening by any means. It just hurt like no bodies business....If you've had gallstones or kidney stones then you know what I'm talking about....if not....well your lucky!!! Anyways, so then on Monday (basically a week later) I give me and Dew food poisoning. WTF!!! I made a chicken stirfry and got one of those prepackaged salads that you assemble at home. It was some *oriental* flavored salad...orange something dressing. It tasted really good, but I think that is what made us sick. I bought the chicken and the salad that day. The chicken didn't smell bad, and I definitely cooked it fully. But within 12 hours of eating it, me and dew were so violently ill it was disgusting. I've never vomited so hard. Within 24 hours we were back to normal other than being a bit dehydrated and having a headache....which pretty much go hand in hand. We didn't have fevers, and I've had both flu shots because of being prego, so I know it wasn't the flu.....but the no fever says it's not the flu either....Its been a crazy month thats for sure!
Hopefully the new year will bring some better luck! They say bad things happen in threes.....so we shall see.
Today we made a surprise trip to visit my Dad. He lives about 3 1/2-4 hours from here, so to visit we need to plan in advance. She is 25 days old today, and he was pretty thrilled that we came to visit. Here are a few photos that I took :)
The little Duette is now 16 days old. We went to our first motherhood group get together today. And on Tuesday we went to a breast feeding group. It was nice to interact with someother people! I was finally able to leave the house these last couple of days and it has been wonderful! Wednesday we went to a Cabelian get together at Jeanne's house. It was great! So many of my favorite people were there. I met her horses for the first time too :). After the Cabela get together we went to the Christmas thing at the City of Portland. Everyone was thrilled to meet Kyra. Dick was soooo funny. He was in absolute heaven being able to hold her. It was precious :). All of the gals were ooowing and awwing of course! Anyways here are some 16 day pictures.
It was 20 1/2 hours before they decided to do a C-section, then about 1 1/2 hours to get ready for that.
I *thought* I broke my water about 4:30pm on Sunday, but nothing else came out again so I figured it probably wasn’t my water, just discharge. Then when I got out of bed Mon morning at 9:30 a lot more came out (cat was in the way and got wet!). So then I sat and watched TV. for about 45 minutes until I had 3 contractions. Called the doctor’s office and got to the hospital at about 10:30.
I tested negative for my water breaking, but I was still having contractions and they were getting harder. They hooked me up to the baby heart rate monitor and my contraction monitor. The baby heart rate monitor was working just fine, but the contraction monitor wasn’t picking up my contractions at all. But they were getting really strong, but were not super regular. They were basically skipping between 8 to 15 minutes apart. On the monitor it was showing up a tiny little blurps. They tested my cervix right when I came in and it was barely dilated enough to fit Nurse Amy’s pinky finger, which was exactly how it was at the Doctor’s office the Monday before, and about 50% effaced. So about 3 hours and 3 checks later it was still at barely a centimeter and 50% effaced. I however, KNEW I was in labor, the contractions were getting stronger and longer, even though they were still around 8-15 minutes apart, but because they weren’t showing up on the monitor as more than little blurps they didn’t think I was in *real* labor. They had checked my fluid levels at about noon, so they got a reaffirmation that my water hadn’t broke.
I had scheduled a doctor’s appointment for 4:30 Monday to go over stress and water level tests anyway, so we went to Target to walk around for an hour and a half. Getting to Target I had a HUGE contraction it was so bad I had trouble breathing through it. After that, the contractions started coming pretty normally at 5 minute intervals and lasting for about 50 seconds each. Dew was a very good contraction counter.
At 4 pm, we had clearance to go to my Doctor’s Appointment early.We got there at 4:08, and they saw me at 4:15. When Dr. Dries checked my progress I was 80% effaced, and had 3 centimeters. Of course I had already *known* that I was in labor! So back to the hospital we went.At 5pm, we checked again and I was fully effaced with just less than 5 centimeters. So, Doctor Manning broke my water at 5:30. By 6 pm I needed the epidural because the pain was getting unbearable. We didn’t realize it yet, but she was facing the wrong way and causing severe back labor pains. The epidural was WONDERFUL J Made things a whole lot better. Till about 7pm the epidural worked without me feeling any of the contractions. At 7pm Dr. Manning checked my progress again with the help of the new nurse who was also named Amy. As before there was still no progress. Her head hadn’t dropped at all, although he could feel it. The contractions at this point were getting hard enough again that even with the epidural I had to breathe through them. He decided to start me on Pitocin to get things started. At 11:30 we checked the progress again. As before there was no real progress at all, so the Pitocin level was increased quite a bit.
This was the moment I realized she wasn’t coming till the next day which was super exciting because my dad was born on December 1st as well. He was super excited, and somehow managed to get through the phone into the delivery room….go figure.They still couldn’t see what was up with my contractions. They knew I was having them, but the machine still couldn’t accurately monitor them. So at this time they inserted a contraction monitor that was inside my cervix and resting between the baby and the uterine wall.This time they could see exactly how hard and close my contractions had been. At 1:30 am Dr. Manning checked my progress again. She still hadn’t dropped into my pelvis and he was starting to get worried that she would not fit. So he increased the Pitocin again, and this time when he checked my progress at 3am I had progressed to just about 7cm dilated. So he figured that by 5 or 6 am I would be ready to push. I managed to take a nap until Dr. Manning came back at 5pm to check my progress. Yet again I hadn’t progress past the 7 cm and she still hadn’t dropped.
During the whole process her heart rate was great, so they weren’t overly worried about it being such a long labor. Although I was getting REALLY tired by that point, for obvious reasons! So at 5am we decided it wouldn’t matter how long we waited, she wasn’t going to fit through my cervix.So they prepped me and we went off to get a C-Section.
I had developed quite a bit of nausea and an intense head ache by this point that I could not get rid of. They discontinued the Pitocin at 5am and within a few minutes my headache went away, and most of my nausea. Of course for the C-Section they did a spinal block for my boobs down. It was the weirdest sensation with the tugging and pulling and such. They were a few seconds from taking her out when I started to feel the cut being tugged on, and the pain was starting to seep through the spinal block. Then she was out and crying. They pain was steadily getting worse. So I told Dew I am starting to feel it. He said the pressure? And I said no the Pain. They had handed him Kyra and ushered him out of the room quickly and knocked me out for the rest of the operation.
When I woke up I could feel every ounce of the pain. It was excruciating. I couldn’t help but sob hysterically. It was the worst pain I had ever felt. Apparently they couldn’t give me pain meds till I woke up because they had used so much meds with the epidural, spinal block, and anti nausea meds that they needed to know verbally how high the pain was, and adjust the dosage to my needs.Finally they got me into my new bed, and started giving me doses of morphine, once every 35 seconds or so until the pain was at a barely level of say 3 of 10.
It was horrible. I am still hooked up to the morphine, so I can’t breast feed yet. The morphine drip has been dosing me every 30 minutes. And I have a trigger I can hit to get it as frequently as 10 minutes apart. I’ve had to use it less and less which is good.
So, to make a very long story short, my little Duette, Kyra Hayden DuEst was born at 6:33 am on December 1, 2009. She weighed 7lbs 5 ounce and was 20 ½ inches long.
So wednesday will mark week 33 of this pregnancy of mine. Kyra will be around 4lbs and will be the equivalent of a pineapple, or so the pregnancy calender says. All is good. So far I've only gained 11lbs....so considering I'm at the 7th month mark that isn't too bad. Although if I keep on track with 1 1/2 -2lbs of gain every week, I wont be within that 15lb range that I am supposed to be shooting for. Oh well. I know I'm not eating a huge amount of food, and I am still eating plenty of fruit and veggies....although the meat department could be doing better.
Work is still a little up in the air about whether or not I'll have a job after November 21st.......I think I've decided to have the 20th be my last day so that I can have a few days off before my due date on the 25th., and with any luck I'll have a job after the baby comes :).
Things seem to be at a standstill right now. Not sure what is going to happen with everything. Sorta a wait and see game right now. I still need stuff for the bebe, but I'm waiting for the shower....whenever that will be. With 7 weeks left till my due date, I'm freaking a little about not having it yet. Mom wanted to make it a surprise. Although I'm thinking she had it scheduled for the 24th....because she got sorta weird when I told her that my lamaze class was on that day...and she said something about thinking it was on the 19th. All I know is that no one has tried to get me to go to anything with them in the near future...
I'll find out eventually that for sure.
Dogs have been driving me crazy. Just being obnoxious, causing a lot of stress. They all seemed to go through a bout of giardia... So I treated them with some panacur and they are doing much better. I found a place that sells the generic version....the chemical compound Fenbendiazole.....and after a three day treatment they are all back to their wonderful non-diarrhea state. Thats one thing I absolutely HATE about living in Portland.
I hate so many things about living in Portland. Not to mention our crazy neighbor lady. I swear if I have to tell her one more time that I'm having a girl, and due the day before thanksgiving I'm going to scream! Not to mention her dislike of us and our dogs, the scrubbing of the outside of her house with BLEACH, using scissors to cut the lawn at the border of the curb so that its even, and her pestering my husband about him being a smoker........is it really her business? argh!
Today was my first full day back at the City of Portland. I'm not sure how long I'll be there...but it will be for a few weeks anyways! Better than nothing. I miss working with the Portland crew. Its been a little over a year since I was laid off. One of the other girls got bumped by a person from another division, and shortly thereafter another transferred out to another department, which gave room for the bumpee to come back.....and the bumper has gone out on leave because she can't handle the fast pace of the office or something like that.
Everyone seems really excited to have me back, and in many ways it feels like I've never left. Some of the things I had set up at my desk are still there, and I'm sitting in my old seat. So anyways, first day was a good one. No big obnoxious people, and I got all my mail done. Taxes are coming up in a little under two weeks, and with it being the beginning of the month right now its a bit busy, just they way I like it. I like to constantly have something to do.
Update on the munchkin....week 28, she's flipping around like crazy, the girls from westbrook gave me a bunch of baby stuff for her yesterday which is fun :). I have another doctor's appt on tuesday for yet another weigh in, etc. Everything seems to be going really well. Last appointment I gained 9lbs.....I am hoping I don't gain nearly so much this time around. I don't want to be a blimp! I already feel huge ha! People are finally starting to realize that I'm pregnant. Its funny how many people I see on a daily basis that dont realize just because I'm sitting at a desk. Last week the muchkin was *about the size of a head of cauliflower* ha! Now she is supposed to be about the weight of a chinese cabbage...why the vegetable analysis?
Today was time for another doctors appointment. I'm not sure which week I'm at now...but I think its around 27? Anyways, its the first appointment that I've been to that I've gained weight! I've ether stayed the same or lost weight up until now. I gained 9lbs in the last four weeks! AND my belly has grown from 23 inches to 33 inches! Craziness. *Right on track* is what the Doctor said, and of course he mentioned that he wants me to try and stay within 15-20lbs of gain. We shall see how that goes. I still am not eating really that much, and still having trouble eating a lot of different foods. Currently its mostly Cereal and Fruit....although some veggies are good too.
Anyways. It was very shocking to me, to have gained so much so quickly! But I suppose thats what is suppose to happen to an extent.
This afternoon after the appointment I went to Target and got a no skid/no tip dog dish for Reacon (one of my ball pythons), as his old bowl is really quite to small for him. He can't really get in and soak without dumping all his water out on the bedding. I hope he likes it. Then I went and got Dew sandwich meats and peanut butter for work. Of course it started raining right when I left to go on errands, but when I was finally leaving South Portland to come home, I saw a rainbow. Which was fun, the first one this year. Then it went away as I was getting on 295. Then after I got out from Shaw's picking up the Peanut Butter, there was another one :). So 2 Rainbows in one afternoon.
It was a pretty decent day. I rented a movie... 27 dresses... it was cute, definitely a chick flick.....I got the rest of the snakies clean, and the pups had a good afternoon romping around the livingroom as I was watching the movie.
But for now I need to call Dew, and head to bed.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Above: Just says it all :)
This? Very interesting...why you would need a drive thru campsite......Not sure but it makes for an interesting topic.
You can't have a camp site without a fire pit :). This was the fire my Mother and I were sitting at when we were *talking* too loudly.
Pathway to the beach, the long way really, but it was a pretty short hike through the woods, taking about 15 minutes to reach the beach vs about an 8 minute walk by the road. With large stones and wooden pathways to walk on as the ground was really quit wet.
One of the intriguing points of my little camping trips was the fact that there were mushrooms EVERYWHERE. All sorts of mushrooms. I took a few photos of the ones I thought had the best color, or the neatest location. Yellows, reds, oranges, etc. There were even some black ones, but they were relatively ugly, and din't offer any good reason to photograph them.
I love the little toadstools :) Its like Mario Bros.
On friday night, my stepfather Darrell had a wonderful idea.....Lets go Moose watching in true tourest style! Ha! So we went driving down Route 16 looking for moose at dusk. We drove quite a few miles out, then as we were driving home when it was just nearly dark, the moose started to come out of the woods. We saw a total of 3, before going home, and I did manage to get some photos, although VERY dark, you *can* see the two moose :) one just to the right of the telephone pole, and the other alittle to the left of the halfway point between the telephone pole and the left side of the photo. Of course there was a little bit of drama, when Darrell was backing up so that I could get a better shot with the guy's behind us high beam lights on. He drove into a really large hole on the side of the road, but luckily its a big Toytoa Tacoma, so he drove out of it really quite easily....It could have been bad ha!
More photos from Rangley State Park: Above and Below Photos lakeside, as the sun was going down.
Photo Above: dead tree reaching into the rocky shore. Photo Below: Sunset over Rangley lake, driving down Route 4 on our way to Route 16 for Moose watching.
I am a dressage enthusiast. I love jumping. Dabbled in eventing. I like to read anything that has to do with training of equines or canines. I am interested in having my own farm. I love to cook. I love eating my food on coordinated plates, and I love wine with my dinner. I love my plants. I love my Basenjis. I love Standardbreds. I am happy in my own busy little world with my husband Dew and my daughter Kyra.
