Horrible blogger!

Sorry folks...its been a while...

here is a list of what is new...
-my guess is that she is 13 pounds already!
-she has started SMILING!!!!
-she has slept thru the night for THREE nights in a row!
-she has a new cousin (8 weeks age difference!) Reagan Lyn!

90th percentile!

Rylee had her one month appointment today... it went GREAT! She is in the 90th percentile for her weight! She started out in the 25th percentile. The doc was SO pleased with that... :)

She has only gone up one inch... so she is up to 21.5... about the 50-70th percentile for that, and her head is in the 50th percentile.

Poor baby had to get a shot... that was no fun! She started wailing right after...


- EDIT -

She weighed in at 11lbs even and I totally forgot to mention that she slept from 9pm to 5:15!!!!! YAY!

A pound a week!

A pound a week is about what she has been gaining and what I have been loosing. Haha.

Last week at our class she weighed in at 9lb 3oz! And today when we went she is 10lb even! Holy moly! At the rate she is going at, she will be 52 pounds at her first birthday. On a good note, the lactation lady told me that BF fat cells are smaller then formula fat cells, so it should all even out. :)

And I have stalled my weight loss at 30 lbs. Darn! I still have about 12 to go, but I can fit into all my old clothes! All is good :).

Still growing!

Rylee and I went to our breastfeeding class on Thursday (with Nana!) and she got weighed again... and she is ---------- 8lb 3 oz!!!!!!!!!!! WOW! I thought she would tip the 8lb mark... But really... wow!

And she had a night out with Nana and Papa VT last night. Brad and I went out to dinner and a movie to celebrate his 30th b-day and sent Rylee off for the evening. It was harder then I thought! We only checked in once on her so I was impressed. Although, I kept hoping that the move was going to end soon so I could see my girl again! Never thought I would miss her that much...

And she is on a "schedule"!!! At night she starts sleeping around 9pm and gets up around 2:30... then sleeps again until 6:30! Its great... and yes, still waiting for her to change but I don't think she is going to!

Growing like a weed!

Our little girl is packing on the pounds! I had her weighed at a BF class last week Thursday and she was already up to 7lb 7oz! I will love to see where she is at now!

She is such a good baby, we are really blessed! She usually goes 3.5 hours at night, but last night was even better! She slept from 8:30 pm to 2:30 am! I ws SHOCKED when I woke up at 1:30... I checked on her and decided to let her sleep! It was awesome!

Today I have been thinking of the parts of pregnancy that I miss. I really miss feeling her move around in there. I can hardly remember what it really felt like. I also really wish (as crazy at it sounds) that I could go back and deliver her again! We had a great experience during the process, I just wish I would have taken more time to "remember" it all. I dunno...

Healthy Baby!

We left the hospital a day early on Sunday night. And Rylee did great. It has been so nice to be back at home. She feeds during the night about every 3.5 hours and for only about 15 minutes. I feel very blessed, but am waiting for it all to change :).

We took her to the doctor on Tuesday to check her jaundice (still looking very good, same as it was in the hospital so we get to wait it out) and have her well baby checkup. She was 6lb 14 oz when she was born and left the hospital at 6lb 8oz. They like to see them back to their birth weight at 2 weeks. Well, four days later (and keep in mind, she was last weighed on Sunday) she was already up to 6lb 15 oz!!!! I felt SOOOO happy!!!! The doc told me I should bottle my milk and sell it on ebay. :) haha. I felt so good about that. Its been alot of fun and work to breastfeed her... and at times painful, but seeing how well she responds brings tears to my eyes!!!

Well, thats all for now...

Rylee Jane Visser

Rylee was born on Friday, March 28th at 4:55am. She weighed 6lb 14 oz and is 20.5 inches long.

Here is the birth story (more for my record, but enjoy the journey!)

Wednesday - March 26

4pm - Brad and I show up for our final OB appointment. We waited forever! I was told that I was still a fingertip dilated and 50% effaced. The doctor asked how much I had felt her that day and I said that it was one of those days where it was hard to get her to move. She did the dopplar on her heart and said that she was going to send us down to the hospital to have a non stress test done. She said that her heart rate was going up and down. I joked with Brad that we should grab the bags. We didn't but we did get a light dinner (best idea ever!)

7:30pm - We began the NST and saw her heartrate drop during contractions. I was getting a little worried. It would go from high to low. The doctor came in and said that we would be having a ultrasound done to check on the baby.

9:00pm - Had the ultrasound. It was so amazing to see her again. She looked so beautiful. The tech said what she was doing and said that the only thing that the baby didn't do on the ultrasound was pratice breathing. The tech guessed her weight due to measurements to be 8lbs.

10pm - We went back to Triage and the nurse came in and said that the doc would be in shortly. We were told that the baby scored a 6/8 on her ultrasound and that we would be getting induced. I was in shock and starting getting all teary. The doc came in and said that while she didn't think anything was wrong, that me being so close to my due date, it just made sense to induce.

10:45 - We were brought to our L&D room. Things started to feel more real.

Thursday, March 28th.

12am - Started the induction wtih Cervadil. Its a small packet placed on the uteris to get things moving.

12:20 am - Got two Ambien - slept well until contractions woke me up around 4am.

8am - we were up and just waiting for things to get started...

12 noon - they took out the cervadil and I was sitting at 1-2 cm's and -2 station.

2pm - started the Pitocen. Contracions started, but were nothing too bad yet. Still could talk and breath. I used a birthing ball to relieve some of the back pain.

5:15 pm - The doctor came in to check me. I forget where I was (i think the same) but she looked at her fingers with the strangest look and said "Your awful leaky" and at the same moment I felt a small gush - water broke! Contractions started to get more real, but still were manageable with no drugs.

9pm - I stood up from the chair I was sitting at to go to the bathroom and when I got in there, my water BROKE - like a HUGE gush and lost my mucus plug. After that the contactions were UNREAL. My parents were in the room up until that point but I think seeing me in such pain and crying so hard was too much for them. I was literally grabbing onto the bed crying in such awful pain. Brad was staying so strong for me as I was literlly clawing at his hand. I was in such unreal pain. I was checked by the doctor and she said I was around 3-4 cm and 80%. I begged to her let me get a Epi and she agreed. I suffered thru the worst 5 contrations os my life as we waited for the doctor to come. I was crying and begging for the pain to stop.

10pm - Got my Epi. It wasn't too bad, but I did jump during the "small poke and burn" I think it was the shock. The doc was like "Whoa, Leslie, do not do that again!" I was so scared that he was going to refuse to do my epi. I closed my eyes and knew that in a few short hours I would be holding my baby girl. The epi went in and I told the doctor that he was my favorite person ever (besides brad!). The epi was truly a lifesaver. I know I could not have done it without it.

11:30pm - The baby kept getting lost on the monitors so they put a internal heart monitor on her and a internal contraction monitor in me.

Friday, March 28th

1:20 am - I was checked and was 7 cm and 100%. I had four more contractions after that and said that with each one I felt like I had to push.

1:30 am - I called the nurse and asked her to check me. She came in and said "you have no more cervix!" I started to push. I was so tired at that point that I was sleeping during contractions. I pushed for two hours. With each push I felt more and more. By the end of two hours I was so exausted I just could not do it anymore. The nurse said I was really not moving the head down past my pelvic bone. I was trying so hard, I pushed with only one leg to see if that would work. It didn't. She left for a few minutes and I just cried to Brad and told him that I didn't know how much more I could give. I was so tired, I just had no more strength. The nurse came back with the doctor and she said that I just wasn't making any progress. They also said that it could be that the baby was unable to fit thru my pelvis. She said I had two choices - I could push more, or have a c-section. I cried to Brad (and my mom who was now in the room) that I just could not do it anymore. They both said how proud of me they were and said that I did all I could. I felt defeated, but wanted to meet my girl so bad. Within minutes there was a fury of people in the room getting me all ready.

4:30 am - The c-section begins! Brad sat to my left and I moved the curtain so I could see the baby in the warmer when she came out. I kept my eyes on Brad the whole time. I could feel the whole table shaking. I kept looking at the ceeling and saying "its ok, its ok, its ok" I was so scared.

4:55 am - Finally I heard them say "come on Rylee, come on out! Oh, she is beatiful!" And I

heard her cry and saw her being brought over to the warmer. I started bawling right away. I was so amazed and releaved. Brad was able to cut the cord. All the nurses in the room were guessing her weight and one got it right 6lb 14oz. I was still crying when they brought her over. I gave her a kiss and watched Brad hold and cuddle his daughter. Priceless moments. The nurse told me that there was actually NO way that I was going to be able to push her out and that we made the right choice, I felt so good about that. And she scored a 8/9 on her APGAR.

I think around 5:30 I was in the recovery room. I was able to hold her for the first time. It was amazing. She is so beautiful. All in all, it wasn't the way we thought it was going to happen, but it was priceless all the same. We got out beautful daughter out of it who we are totally crazy in love with.

She has been doing so well since then. She has taken very nicely to breastfeeding and sleeps all the time. Whenever we pick her up from the nursery they always let her know that she never made a peep.

She always has her hands by her face, has the hiccups and takes them like a champ and loves to be held. We are more in love with her and eachother then we ever thought possible.

Bonding has been amazing as well. Just tonight when she was sent to the nursery after Brad went home, I called my mom and told her how hard it was to send her off. As I said that, they brought her back saying that she was making signs that she wanted to eat. I took her in my arms and after two sucks, she stopped and feel asleep. Almost like she knew just what she had to do to be back in my arms. I let her sleep and put her back in her basket to bring her down again, when she once again started making the signs. I was so amazed. I feel so bonded, and it felt like she was doing those things just to be close with me.

Well, the journal has only begun. You all have followed her during the pregnancy and now you can follow her during life! Enjoy!

I am miserable.

I am so ready to be done being pregnant! At my appointment yesterday I have not made any new progress. Still a fingertip/50%. Felt like the worst news ever (could have been worse, i could be the first person in history to go BACKWARDS). I am just so ready to meet her and be done. I can't sleep at night anymore. I work way to early in the morning so I wake up exhausted. And yes, I know that I will get less sleep with a newborn and yada yada, but thats going to be a different kind of lack of sleep.
I told my bosses today that my last day will be the 28th. I just can't do it anymore. I cried at work twice today cause I am having so much back pain and am just plain worn out.
I asked the doc about my back pain, and she suggested that it could mean that the baby is postierier. Yippee! I may be saying hello to a medicated birth (and not what I really want - med free) if she comes out sunny side up. I just don't think I can do back labor naturally.

Oh well. I am just praying that she comes. Please everyone, pray that she comes soon. I've really hit the wall.

Deadline - April 8th!

Sweet girl, you have until April 8th. Or the doctor will FORCE you out. Lets not see that happen.

I had my appointment yesterday. And I guess no news in good news. No more progess since last week. Oh well. Being so close to the end, I really don't even care when she comes anymore. At like, 34 weeks I was like "Get out already!!!!" Even last week I was feeling SOOO anxious that I wanted her to make the move. Now that the due date is less then 2.5 weeks away, she can totally take her time. The time is flying right now, and the doc gave me a end in sight. They will not let me go 10 days past my due date. So by April 8th, Brad and I will have our baby. YAY - less then a month - for sure!
I'm mad that all those contractions this past weekend (some painful!) did nothing! But oh well. Even last night, I timed them at 7 minutes apart for an hour, and then they slowly went to 8 mins and then 9 mins... Arg... thats frustrating!

Oh well. And my recient bout with puking can be blamed on - dun dun dun - me eating too much. No more "3 meals a day" for me... I need 6 "small meals" now. Sweet. :)

Three Cheers for Progress!!!!

YAY!

Well, the doc measured my belly and asked me if I thought the baby had dropped. I said that I did cause I feel the "waddle" coming on and I have more pressure down there. And last night I got up 3 times to pee. Anyway.. she agreed that I had dropped since my fundal height got shorter. SWEET. The she checks me and says that I am about 50% effaced and a fingertip diliated. Now, a fingertip isn't much... but its better then "closed and tight"!!!!

not again!

This is one trend that needs to end! The baby seems to like to go to labor and delivery and then be sent home. Haha. On Thurday night we were having even more contractios were not going away. For about 2 hours they got to five minutes apart, so we went in. I kinda knew it was going to be a wasted trip but wanted to know why they were still coming. The nurse hooks me up to the monitor and the baby got all moody – she just hates those things! We were watching her heartrate and her kicking around, and just like the first time we went in, she was trying to kick off the monitors. And when she realized that she couldn’t her heartrate would go up (like, from 120 to 150) Such a cute kid… Anyway… lucky for me (and my pride) my contractions WERE showing up on the screen (YAY!), but they were doing nothing to change my cervix. So we went home. At this point, they won’t stop labor and they can’t give her anything to mature her lungs this late, so I just get to wait at home until they get strong enough to where I cannot talk or walk during them. They are getting more painful, but aren’t as close together anymore. So… There you have it. Who knows when this kid will come… I still think it will be early, but now that I said that, she will come on the last possible day of April 12th after being induced. *sigh*

Just a little longer!

This lil girl needs to stay put just a little longer! Only 10 days to get her to 37 weeks. We had what I would call, a close call. I was having HORRIBLE back and stomach pains all day today and contactions too. I called the doc when I got home and they had me time the contractions. They were around 7-10 minutes apart, and I think they were mostly "real" cause my back hurt during them. Brad was so cute, he called me on his way home and asked how I was feeling and I told him the contrax were about 7-10 minutes apart (meaning sporatic, not regular) and he goes "That means your in labor right?!!?" I was like "No... not really yet... they are too irregular still." Anyway... she FOR SURE needs to stay put until the 6th, since my parents are enjoying their youth in Cancun. They need to be IN TOWN for their first grandbabies arrival... I keep telling her just to stay put until then. Lets hope she listens and won't spend her first few hours in time out! (kidding, she'll be too cute for time out!)

A newborn's conversation with God

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"
God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."
God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"
God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.''

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"
God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"
God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."
God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."
God said, "You will simply call her, 'Mom.'"

I"ve hit the wall.

Someone told my dad yesterday that I look ready to have this baby. My dad replied "Yeah, I think she hit the wall this week." Could not be closer to the truth. I am so ready to have this baby! I've gotten the point that while I still love having her in me and feeling her move, I really really just want to hold her. I feel so wretched "complaining" about being pregnant, but I can't help it! Anyway...
We had our 35(!!!!) week apointment on Friday and she is doing beautifully. The doc said that they were worried about my blood pressure at the last appointment (130/90) but didn't want to tell me... and it was back down to 110/70 this week! Yay! And when the doc looked at my belly he said that if I don't have signs of streach marks at this point, I am out of the woods for getting them and most likely won't have them with the next pregnancy! Sweet! I also had my first exam... and her head is right where it needs to be with no dialiation at this point.
We had two showers this past weekend, one with Calvary and the other with family and friends. I am so grateful for the love people have shown this little girl already! She is so spoiled!
Well, I am off to clean... wish me luck... gotta find places for everything!

33 weeks and a trip to L&D

At our lastest appointment she measured right on track. And I have one more two week appointment and then I start going everry week... yikes!

I also learned that the due date has changed to March 29th.

And me and the lil girl spent the afternoon in L&D yesterday... she was simply not moving all day. No matter what I ate or drank she just would not move. I called the doc and they had me do a hours worth of kick counts after drinking juice and she still would not move. They sent me to ER and as soon as I got hooked up, she started moving and grooving! Arg... what a crazy girl. Oh well, they assured me that I did the right thing by calling my doc and such.

I also attached my 33 week pic!

Blessed

Last night, with my husbands hand on my belly, feeling the life we created together kick his hand made me realize something... Our baby girl is very lucky. She already has a father who is wrapped around her little finger. He is so involved already, that it makes me feel so lucky, for myself and for her.

We have our regular appointment tomorrow... I am so curious to see what she is going to measure. Hopefully I won't have a contaction while she is measuring! To be on track with her last appointment (a month ago when she measured 29 weeks) she should be up to 33 tomorrow. Holy smokes! Its going to be here before we know it... and I am so thankful. I have loved being pregnant, but I am ready to meet that little soccer player in there.

Cute randomness - last night Cubby was laying with his side to my belly, and she was not really liking that, and kept kicking him. He had no clue (even tho he is "so smart") and so I kept telling him that his sister was getting annoyed with him. Too cute. I love her personality already!

How many more weeks?

I want to meet my baby! And pregnancy is starting to wear on me a little bit. I am having constant bank aches and I can't sleep very well at night anymore. And to make it worse, my job changed my hours again... 6:30-3... Arg... Alarm goes off at 5am now... But I do love what Brad says when I complain about anything job-related - "You only have how long now?" Thats why I love him... he keeps everything in perspective! But, after the baby is born I STILL won't get much sleep... but that is for a much better reason. :)

Girly has been slowing down a bit lately. She is running out of room. She does like to jab my ribs late at night. And I really love how she seems to know when I worry about her. Today, on two occassions I realized that she had not been moving for a bit. I started to worry, and about a second later, she rolled over. Thank goodness!

I just get so excited about thinking about her being born. I wonder when it will happen, and where I will go into labor. I think about what she will look like... My thought is that she will be on the smaller end, and with dark hair. Just my thought at least.

Anyway... we are down to only like, 60 days or so! And I like to think that I have only 5 to 9 weeks left. Praise the Lord!

Body Parts and Birthing Class

So... on Sunday we reached a new milestone (i swear, it came out of nowhere) - I can now feel BODY PARTS. SOOOO strange!!!! I mean, Brad and I can BOTH feel them, and it will be either (just a guess) a foot or a hand seemingly trying to escape and, get this, I can actually push is back. I have had SO MUCH FUN these past days... I will search for a arm, leg or whatever in there... gently nudge it, and wait for her to either tuck it back in or totally hit me. I love it! She must have put on that all importaint inch or ounce, cause it really came out of no where. On Sunday morning I said to Brad, "hey, feel this" and there it was. So insane!


And we start birthing classes tonight! I am already exausted, but it should be fun. We are all set with our pillows and blanket. Should be interesting!

Right on track...

Here is my belly shot... :)

I had my appointment today. She is measuring right on 29 weeks. Exactly where she needs to be. And the doc was able to tell me what position she is in. And I was way off. She is already head down and her back is to the left of my stomach. So what I feel protruding on the right side are her feet, and her hands that are tickling my bladder. And it makes total sense too. Cause I am always feeling those tickles and in the ultrasounds she was always moving her hands.

Anyway... thats about all. I am back in two weeks again. Seems like time is really flying now!

Tony Chestnut....(toe, knee, chest, nut)

I was asking Brad if he knew that song that goes "Bla bla knees and toes, knees and toes" But all he could come up with was a saying that his Grandpa would say "toe knee chest nut" I dunno... but it sounded funny...

Anyway, onto the point of the post... I think I have figured out how the girl is in there.
My guess is that she is transverse (laying sideways, not breech, not head down). I think her head is right under my right rib cage, her knees to the left of my belly button. Just my guess... There are times where she has to be moving every single part of her, cause the movements are so insane. Earlier I was feeling her head protrude.... and then a real hard tightness right by my belly button. Right now I think she is tickeling my bladder with her toes.