Grace's Blessing Day

Just this past Sunday we had Grace's Blessing at church, it was beautiful and so nice to have my parents there especially.  Gran and Grandad came with Aunt Alex, Rob and Tammy and their kids made the trip out from Raymond, aswell as Barb and Ben with Rachel and Emma.  It was really nice considering how late notice it was.  My Dad was only going to be here that one Sunday (he had to fly home today:() so I'm glad we could make it happen! 

Children's Hospital

Just after Grace turned 2 weeks, on Saturday night we decided we needed to bring her to the Children's Hospital.  We brought her to the Okotoks Urgent Care on Friday because her breathing was so bad, her poor little nose is always so blocked up.  It was causing her to really work to breath and she just was having a really hard time breastfeeding for long periods at a time AND ofcorse not able to sleep esp. at night.  We decided to try one more night and use some saline drops to try and break things up, but by Saturday morning it was the same, so later that day we asked Dr. Grandad what we should do and we all decided it wouldn't hurt to bring her in to the Children's.  They were great there, we only had to wait 10 minutes to get admitted!  The Dr.s concluded that it is more than likely that her nasal passage is very narrow right now, which can be very common, and that it will just take time for it to grow and open enough that she wont get so blocked up back there.  Her oxygen levels weren't horribly low and her breaths weren't anything for the Dr to be worrying about (just scary for the parents I guess).  They gave us a stronger saline solution and off to home we went.  We were so grateful it wasn't anything too serious.  Now magically after over a week of being blocked up solid she is starting to clear up:)  I think she is having a growth spurt right now, she eats every 2 1/2 to 3 hours on the dot, so I guess that means her little nasal cavity is growing too:)  Thank goodness.  I am hopeful to be getting some more sleep soon!  I know this stage wont last long so I am being as patient as can be, knowing that SOON she will let Mommy sleep for at least 4 to 6 hours in a row at night time:P

2 weeks old!

Well Grace is 2 weeks old today...she has already gained a pound from her birth weight and is now 9lbs6oz!  She dropped down to 8lbs a few days after birth so she really has gained ALOT in a short time.  I feel like I am always breastfeeding!  The past week has been really tough with the lack of sleep, its alot different with baby #2 because I cant nap when Grace naps due to an energetic 2 1/2 year old.  Luckily Parks does still have one nap for about an hour, but its really tricky to get Grace to sleep at the same time...but that's all the complaints I have.  It is so helpful to have my parents here now.  They arrived on Tuesday and my mom will be staying until the end of the month:)  phewf.  Unfortunately poor little Grace has a bit of a cold that Parks and I gave her, so she has a really stuffy nose especially at night time, I hate when babies have stuffy noses...its so sad.  So that is the main reason she isn't able to sleep more than 3-4 hours in a row, at the most, at night time.  Breastfeeding helps clear her, so that makes me feel better...as for me my incision is still sore, I cant really go for long walks (which I am dieing to do!)  but overall the recovery has been alot better than my first time.  I also have a bladder infection that I got from the birth, so that sucks too cuz now I am on antibiotics for a week.  Luckily the side effects are only affecting me and not Grace.  What an experience this whole thing is, it is such a blessing to get to have your own children,  I am so unbelievably thankful for Grace and Parks in my life.

 Getting some sun to help the little bit of jaundice that she had and letting the breeze flow with her diaper off:)

Grace's first time going to church on Sunday...this was the only outfit that fit her little newborn self:)

Grace is 1 week old!

We are so full of love for our two beautiful children, they are truly gifts from God...we cant stop taking pictures of every moment:) Matt has been off work since Grace has been born and goes back on Tuesday...I'm so grateful that he was able to be home, ofcorse to help me, but mostly that we could be together for this very important time in our family.  It is so heart warming to watch how much Parks loves his baby sister.  I didn't think I could possibly love Parks anymore than I did before Grace arrived, but I do.  He is such a loving little boy and truly cant get enough of his family.  Towards the end of these pictures you will see the ones with Grace and Parks in Parks' bed reading "Goodnight Thumper"...This was lastnight, and wow the Spirit was so strongly felt.  Parks (to our surprise) read the whole book to Matt and Grace...he has heard it so many times i guess that he has memorized each page word for word!  It was the cutest thing hearing him read with his little voice.  It brought tears to our eyes:)

                                    Here she is wearing my sweater from when I was a baby:)

Baby Grace is HERE!

Grace Carol Hill was born Friday May 28th at 6:12am at the Rockyview Hospital in Calgary, Alberta.  She weighed in at 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 20 inches long.
I've been wanting to write this blog asap before I forget the whole experience...it'll be nice to look back on later in life.  I really wish I was blogging when Parks was born...anyways here we go!
So on Thursday May 27th (we got a dump of snow/rain...horrible driving weather!) I woke up and ate a pineapple:) and actually felt like working out??? so I turned on my FitMama Salsa DVD and worked out with Parks...Parks was so unbelievably funny doing the moves with me, so Matt decided to videotape us...which is now fun because I have video of me on the last day that I was pregnant with Grace:) anyways.  My braxtin contractions had been getting soooo strong over the past week or so.  At my 38 week doctor appointment, which was the Tuesday before,  I found out I was almost 3cm dilated!  After having my membranes stripped the next morning my mucous plug came out! WOOHOO (haha maybe too much info but this is my journal afterall:)) so that was Wednesday.  Meanwhile I had been taking Red Raspberry leaf capsules for the past week...maybe that was a help too who knows! So Wednesday night I thought for sure I was going into labour cuz Matt was working that night and I was having contraction like pains..just not regularly.  Thursday was go day! Pineapple, working out (having not worked out in a very long time)...bouncing on my exercise ball LOTS and than we went to an indoor walking track here in Okotoks.  Matt, Parks and I walked for about 1/2 hour...I was getting some good contractions at this point every 15-20minutes.  The more I walked the closer they would keep getting.  So after that we came home around 5pm and I had a little rest, but couldn't sleep through the contractions...AND this was the one day that I decided I didn't need a nap!?!? ofcourse! so I'm tired but super excited!  We arranged Matt's dad to come over around 9pm with my contractions already 5 minutes apart!  Parks was asleep for the night...thank goodness.  The driving was soooo BAD with the snow storm that it took a bit longer to get to the hospital than I would have liked, but nevertheless my water had not broken yet so we were ok.
I was admitted in really fast and got checked...5cm and i think fully effaced.  When we got into our labour room, the nurses informed me that I had to have an iv put in in case I had to have another c-section...and also I had to have the baby heart monitors strapped on the whole time.  That really sucked cuz my Dr. never told me this!  So they made me lie on the stupid bed for what seemed to be FOREVER while 3 nurses attempted to put my iv in...I'm not happy at this point and in ALOT of pain.  My goal was to stay out of the bed and upright throughout this 'natural' child birth.  So finally they checked me again...now 7cm and freaking out with how to deal with the pain...AND I was given a deadline for the epidural if I wanted it...so now I'm freaking out about whether to get it.  I had such a strong feeling that I needed it, so I opted for it AND oh boy am I ever glad!  I laboured for 13 hours and was exhausted...I pushed for 2 hours and abit...luckily I kept the epidural at a very low dose, so I was able to push on my hands and knees, alternating sides and ofcorse my back with the birthing bar.  My nurse was excellent and she was sooo sure with my good pushes that baby was going to fit under my pubic bone....than we find out the Grace isn't facing the right way!?  and she is still banging into my pubic bone...just like her big brother did! The Dr came in and tried to turn her with her hands, but this little girl was NOT budging.  I waiting as long as I could...almost falling asleep in between contractions, throwing up because of WICKED strong heartburn and I was STARVING/THIRSTY.  The Dr. finally came back and advised us that forceps would be needed at this point...but she warned us that if she gets the head passed my pubic bone there is still a good chance that her shoulders will be the next thing stuck, so she wanted to bring me into the surgery room to perform the forceps in case it ended in an emergency c-sec.  At this point I am sooo glad to have the epidural and not be dealing with all these decisions in pain.  Matt and I talked it over and decided that the risk of the forceps was too high for Grace and that opting for a c-sec would be the smartest choice.  so that is what we did.  Grace came out screaming and healthy as can be.  Recovery was good, even though I was numb as can be, I was able to breastfeed her right away in the recovery room...even though the nurses were trying to push her towards formula.  When I was able to go to my post opt room, I was soo tired and ready for some sleep, unfortunately the paired me in a room with a baby that screamed its head off for the whole  morning! Luckily they went home that afternoon and I had the room to myself for the rest of my stay:)  I wasn't able to pick up Grace let alone change her, and waiting for a nurse to come would take soo long sometimes.  I would just have to sit there and watch my poor baby crying.  That was the hardest part, I hate having to depend on people.  We are so grateful though to those that were able to help out, it was greatly appreciated!  After 2 days and 1 night post opt I was ready to leave, the nurse told us that we needed to stay 1 more night because Grace wasn't latching super great, but was definitely getting enough in.  so I told the nurse I was leaving no matter what they said.  She didn't argue with me, just got me to sign a legal release form...and at 9pm we were on our way home!  Which was so awesome cuz Matt could now help me with Grace at night:)  My husband is absolutely amazing, he has taken a week off of work with no pay and says he is working harder staying at home than when he is at work!:)  Each day is getting better with my pain and issues:)  My Mom and Dad are flying out next Tuesday and we are soooo excited!!!!
Life is perfect with our little family of 4.