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Friday, July 6, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
The Weekend Declan Made Things Interesting
I started a draft of this blog on Saturday afternoon but got too tired to finish it. Originally it was entitled "The Weekend Declan Tried To Make Things Interesting," and it started off with this disclaimer: "Before anyone panics, I'm not writing this from a hospital, nor am I typing with a baby in my lap."
Well, as eloquently written as this was, neither statement holds true anymore, so I pretty much had to scrap that whole thing.
If you're looking for a sure fire way to make sure something happens at the most inconvenient time possible, publicly declare that it won't happen on a social media. I dare you.
I think Declan took his "groundation" as a personal challenge-- a way to show me how this mother-baby relationship was really going to work.
Matt left for Pennsylvania on Friday morning and I spent the evening hanging out with my wonderful sisters-in-law. My plan was to go home that night, but a bout of crazy weather and a power outage at our house secured my placement on Rachel's futon that night.
Around 2 AM I noticed how incredibly uncomfortable I was-- even by the typical, "I'm eight and a half months pregnant and feel approximately 2,000 pounds" standard. Around 4 AM it dawned on me that this discomfort could, in fact, be the beginning of labor. I started counting my "Braxton-Hicks contractions" and realized that they were coming at regular seven minute intervals. By 5 AM I was on the phone with Matt trying not to freak out.
After talking with the folks down at Lewis Gale Hospital, we decided there was no need for Matt to hit the road until the contractions were five minutes apart. I spent the afternoon contemplating my sanity; was I possibly imagining the whole thing? If Matt abandoned his best man duties and rushed home, would he miss his best friend's wedding for nothing?
That afternoon, after seeing a slow in the contractions, I decided to go to the hospital in Radford just to get checked out. That way I'd have something more definite to base my decision on. Well, the nurse there told me my contractions weren't regular or close together, and that I hadn't progressed at all. All signs pointed to false labor. I called Matt and told him not to even bother driving home that night.
And then the freight train started its trek through my birth canal. Pain like I'd never felt hit me in a slow wave, first twice an hour, than every twenty minutes. At that point I knew this thing was happening, but I had no idea how quickly it would occur.
I, very naively, decided I'd have Matt leave early the next morning. That would give me time to go to church, hang out a bit, and leisurely make my way to the hospital when he arrived home. Hah. Right.
Within an hour contractions had gone from every 13 minutes to every 7 minutes. The pain was so bad that I called the hospital to inform them that, despite the fact I was not five minutes apart yet, I'd be coming in now and to prepare a bed.
My sister-in-law and her husband/make shift labor coach extraordinaire graciously jumped out of bed, hopped in the car, and drove me forty minutes to the hospital. By the time I checked in, contractions were closer to four minutes apart than five and I literally cannot find words that accurately describe the pain I was in.
After talking to myself and yelling like a crazy woman for who knows how long while they asked me registration questions, I finally met my second favorite new person of the night-- the anesthesiologist. I was in so much pain that my entire body was shaking, so he had a heck of a time getting the needle in, but eventually he did.
Pure bliss. That's the only way to describe an epidural. You don't get a medal for laboring without pain medication, but you should. I would gladly forfeit the medal any day, but still.
Shortly after the epidural was administered Matt arrived (he couldn't have timed that better!) and things really started to pick up. At that point I was 6 cm dilated and they broke my water. An hour and a half later I was pushing.
Everything happened so quickly that I had to call the nurse in to frantically tell her "he's coming-- I feel it!" to which she, after a cursory check, replied "OH! You're right!"
It's sort of a blur after that. (Which is good, because Matt probably wouldn't have been getting another child if it was still vivid.) I remember being told to hold my legs and start "bearing down." I remember thinking that I was utterly incapable of pushing a baby out of myself, and literally wondering how they were getting to get my son out, because it wasn't happening the way they thought. I turned to Matt at one point and said "you don't understand; this is literally not possible." (It was, as it turns out.)
As laughable as it sounds, the thing that changed my mind about being able to push was the fact that I was incredibly thirsty. All I wanted was for the pain to stop and a drink water. My reasoning said that if I could just get through the pushing I could have some water.
I started pushing around 3:10ish and Declan James Dunham was born at 3:33 AM.
And then I got my drink of water, which made it all worth it.
Just kidding. Just like I can't find words to describe the sort of pain I experienced, I cannot find words that sum up the sort of joy I was filled with upon hearing him cry. It was so surreal. I've only been able to hold my son close for a day now, but I already can't picture life without him. Not for a second.
He's in the nursery right now so that Matt and I can finally get some sleep, but I know I won't shut my eyes soundly without him here. Not completely, anyway. (I'm entirely willing to practice; child birth is exhausting.) He's the most beautiful little thing I've ever seen, and unless you've experienced parenthood before, I can't really express what a blessing from God he is.
Take my word for it, though-- he is.
Well, as eloquently written as this was, neither statement holds true anymore, so I pretty much had to scrap that whole thing.
If you're looking for a sure fire way to make sure something happens at the most inconvenient time possible, publicly declare that it won't happen on a social media. I dare you.
I think Declan took his "groundation" as a personal challenge-- a way to show me how this mother-baby relationship was really going to work.
Matt left for Pennsylvania on Friday morning and I spent the evening hanging out with my wonderful sisters-in-law. My plan was to go home that night, but a bout of crazy weather and a power outage at our house secured my placement on Rachel's futon that night.
Around 2 AM I noticed how incredibly uncomfortable I was-- even by the typical, "I'm eight and a half months pregnant and feel approximately 2,000 pounds" standard. Around 4 AM it dawned on me that this discomfort could, in fact, be the beginning of labor. I started counting my "Braxton-Hicks contractions" and realized that they were coming at regular seven minute intervals. By 5 AM I was on the phone with Matt trying not to freak out.
After talking with the folks down at Lewis Gale Hospital, we decided there was no need for Matt to hit the road until the contractions were five minutes apart. I spent the afternoon contemplating my sanity; was I possibly imagining the whole thing? If Matt abandoned his best man duties and rushed home, would he miss his best friend's wedding for nothing?
That afternoon, after seeing a slow in the contractions, I decided to go to the hospital in Radford just to get checked out. That way I'd have something more definite to base my decision on. Well, the nurse there told me my contractions weren't regular or close together, and that I hadn't progressed at all. All signs pointed to false labor. I called Matt and told him not to even bother driving home that night.
And then the freight train started its trek through my birth canal. Pain like I'd never felt hit me in a slow wave, first twice an hour, than every twenty minutes. At that point I knew this thing was happening, but I had no idea how quickly it would occur.
I, very naively, decided I'd have Matt leave early the next morning. That would give me time to go to church, hang out a bit, and leisurely make my way to the hospital when he arrived home. Hah. Right.
Within an hour contractions had gone from every 13 minutes to every 7 minutes. The pain was so bad that I called the hospital to inform them that, despite the fact I was not five minutes apart yet, I'd be coming in now and to prepare a bed.
My sister-in-law and her husband/make shift labor coach extraordinaire graciously jumped out of bed, hopped in the car, and drove me forty minutes to the hospital. By the time I checked in, contractions were closer to four minutes apart than five and I literally cannot find words that accurately describe the pain I was in.
After talking to myself and yelling like a crazy woman for who knows how long while they asked me registration questions, I finally met my second favorite new person of the night-- the anesthesiologist. I was in so much pain that my entire body was shaking, so he had a heck of a time getting the needle in, but eventually he did.
Pure bliss. That's the only way to describe an epidural. You don't get a medal for laboring without pain medication, but you should. I would gladly forfeit the medal any day, but still.
Shortly after the epidural was administered Matt arrived (he couldn't have timed that better!) and things really started to pick up. At that point I was 6 cm dilated and they broke my water. An hour and a half later I was pushing.
Everything happened so quickly that I had to call the nurse in to frantically tell her "he's coming-- I feel it!" to which she, after a cursory check, replied "OH! You're right!"
It's sort of a blur after that. (Which is good, because Matt probably wouldn't have been getting another child if it was still vivid.) I remember being told to hold my legs and start "bearing down." I remember thinking that I was utterly incapable of pushing a baby out of myself, and literally wondering how they were getting to get my son out, because it wasn't happening the way they thought. I turned to Matt at one point and said "you don't understand; this is literally not possible." (It was, as it turns out.)
As laughable as it sounds, the thing that changed my mind about being able to push was the fact that I was incredibly thirsty. All I wanted was for the pain to stop and a drink water. My reasoning said that if I could just get through the pushing I could have some water.
I started pushing around 3:10ish and Declan James Dunham was born at 3:33 AM.
And then I got my drink of water, which made it all worth it.
Just kidding. Just like I can't find words to describe the sort of pain I experienced, I cannot find words that sum up the sort of joy I was filled with upon hearing him cry. It was so surreal. I've only been able to hold my son close for a day now, but I already can't picture life without him. Not for a second.
He's in the nursery right now so that Matt and I can finally get some sleep, but I know I won't shut my eyes soundly without him here. Not completely, anyway. (I'm entirely willing to practice; child birth is exhausting.) He's the most beautiful little thing I've ever seen, and unless you've experienced parenthood before, I can't really express what a blessing from God he is.
Take my word for it, though-- he is.
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| 6 ilbs 5 oz! Welcome to the world baby Declan! |
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| A very happy mother! |
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| A very proud papa |
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| Big yawn! |
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| Feeding time |
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| A very happy family! |
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| Brandon came to visit! |
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| Aunt Rachel taking her turn. Thanks Rachel for all your help! |
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| Grandma! |
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| Aunt Brittany |
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| Aunt Rebecca |
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| Declan hanging with his cousin Hailey, Aunt Rebecca, and Uncle Matt |
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| Just before Declan's first Mets game. Sadly, they lost on his birthday... |
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| Time to rest! |
Friday, June 29, 2012
Declan Is Grounded
Well, today is day one of Declan's first groundation. It happened earlier than we expected it would, and it wasn't for anything terribly exciting, but we have officially grounded Declan for the first time. He's not allowed to leave his room all weekend... and by his room, I of course mean my stomach.
Our good friends and the soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Lester are tying the knot this weekend. I am entirely overjoyed about this, and for them I hope the weekend seems to last forever-- what a special one it will be for them. For me, however, I hope it flies by.
I wasn't too thrilled about staying behind. In fact, for a long time my plan was to drive up to Pennsylvania with Matt. If worst came to worst and I had to deliver, I'd rather do so with doctors I didn't know than a husband I didn't know.
It was really only the thought of pushing my seemingly large baby out in the middle of Amish country with only the medical assistance of a burly woman named Martha Yoder that shook me from my delusion that I'd be able to attend the wedding this weekend. No drugs = no deal as far as I'm concerned. (I've been stupid enough to watch TLC's "It's A Baby Story" for the past nine months. I know how these kiddie pool ordeals work.)
So here I am, sitting in my brand spanking new glider with my feet propped up and a fan pointed at my face. I'm surrounded by a sea of boxes that have yet to be organized, but I'm both too tired and too nervous to do anything about them at the moment; Declan doesn't need any prompting to make a jail break. The question, however, is how long I will be able to resist the temptation to just go nuts on the place.... and how long I'll be able to resist the urge to hop in the car and drive to Pennsylvania. Just kidding about that last one, folks.
On a more serious note, everything with Declan looks great. I met with the doctor yesterday and she says I'm continuing to progress nicely. Actually, her exact words were that I have a beautiful birth canal, but that just seems like bragging. I am 2 cm dilated, 70% effaced, and was instructed to have a bag packed at this point. (By a quick glance around my living room, I still have about ten bags packed, so that's not an issue.)
Labor is still a very gray area of medicine; everyone is different, and there is thus very little point in attempting to predict when it will happen. I have no idea when it will start and neither do the doctors.
You know when it won't happen, though? This weekend. Because Declan is grounded. :)
Our good friends and the soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Lester are tying the knot this weekend. I am entirely overjoyed about this, and for them I hope the weekend seems to last forever-- what a special one it will be for them. For me, however, I hope it flies by.
I wasn't too thrilled about staying behind. In fact, for a long time my plan was to drive up to Pennsylvania with Matt. If worst came to worst and I had to deliver, I'd rather do so with doctors I didn't know than a husband I didn't know.
It was really only the thought of pushing my seemingly large baby out in the middle of Amish country with only the medical assistance of a burly woman named Martha Yoder that shook me from my delusion that I'd be able to attend the wedding this weekend. No drugs = no deal as far as I'm concerned. (I've been stupid enough to watch TLC's "It's A Baby Story" for the past nine months. I know how these kiddie pool ordeals work.)
So here I am, sitting in my brand spanking new glider with my feet propped up and a fan pointed at my face. I'm surrounded by a sea of boxes that have yet to be organized, but I'm both too tired and too nervous to do anything about them at the moment; Declan doesn't need any prompting to make a jail break. The question, however, is how long I will be able to resist the temptation to just go nuts on the place.... and how long I'll be able to resist the urge to hop in the car and drive to Pennsylvania. Just kidding about that last one, folks.
On a more serious note, everything with Declan looks great. I met with the doctor yesterday and she says I'm continuing to progress nicely. Actually, her exact words were that I have a beautiful birth canal, but that just seems like bragging. I am 2 cm dilated, 70% effaced, and was instructed to have a bag packed at this point. (By a quick glance around my living room, I still have about ten bags packed, so that's not an issue.)
Labor is still a very gray area of medicine; everyone is different, and there is thus very little point in attempting to predict when it will happen. I have no idea when it will start and neither do the doctors.
You know when it won't happen, though? This weekend. Because Declan is grounded. :)
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Our New Home!
Greetings from Christiansburg! Val and I are excited to finally be in our new place. We are still in the process of organizing and transporting some last things from Roanoke, but we feel much more settled. For those of you who don't know, Val and I prayed a lot about moving back to Christiansburg after being in Roanoke for a year. With our baby boy on the way, we thought it would be neat to live down the road from my sisters and Declan's cousins Lucas and Hailey. Val found this place on Craig's List and it is perfect! It is so nice to have the extra space and the front and side porches don't hurt either! We have spent the first week grilling out almost every night. God has blessed us so much and we can't wait to see what He has planned for us here.
Here are some pictures of the rest of the house. We hope you are able to spend a night in our guest room at some point!
We have an open door policy so we expect visitors! It's nice to be able to offer a room with a bed instead of a couch for guests :)
As for a few other updates, Val has her next appointment tomorrow with the doctor. Hopefully everything remains on track! I am currently praying about job opportunities for the fall. I interviewed with Montgomery County Schools and should hear back by the end of the week. I am currently teaching summer school at Salem Alternative until the end of July. God has blessed me with so many opportunities in the education field. We can't wait to be parents and see what God has in store for our son. Thank you for all your prayers and generous gifts. We hope to see you soon!
We probably had the most fun getting Declan's room together. We decided on a nautical theme with different shades of blue. We still have a few finishing touches to put on it but it is coming along well. It is hard to believe our little boy will be sleeping in this room in a short time! Here are some pictures of the nursery.
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| We have been blessed with so many baby gifts. Thank you! |
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| Starry Night |
Here are some pictures of the rest of the house. We hope you are able to spend a night in our guest room at some point!
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| Living Room |
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| Other side of living room |
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| Master Bedroom |
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| Guest Room |
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| Deck |
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| Office |
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| Dining Room |
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| Kitchen |
Henry is still getting used to the house and is seemingly terrified of the great outdoors. We are trying to convert him into an indoor/outdoor cat, but it may take some time!
Here are some pictures of us working on the house and enjoying some company.
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| Playing Trump with David, Dan, and Tim for Tim's Bachelor Party |
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| Rachel, Craig, and baby Lucas |
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| So good to see Phil and Donny |
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| Two very cute individuals |
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| Our neighbors from Roanoke, Rase and Lianne |
I leave you with an assortment of pictures of family. God bless!
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| Hailey Grace :) |
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| He's crawling all over the place now! |
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| Dad and Hailey |
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| 32 weeks |
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| 36 weeks for both of us :) |
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