So the blog turned pink! Neat little magic trick, eh? :)
Trevva Lindsay Ricks
Born Tuesday, February 7th, at 6:34 pm
9 lbs 8 oz, 21 inches long
The delivery was unusually "normal" for me! No asthma attacks, no turning white and almost passing out, no frantic activity trying to address all kinds of different problems...and the epidural even worked this time, which was a pleasant "first" for me!! Because Jake was 10 lbs 10 ounces and I was induced a week and a half early with him, my doctor really wanted to watch the weight of this one and induce me before she got that big--for her sake and mine--or do a C-section. So, at 37 weeks I had an ultra sound to estimate the weight (they estimated 8 lbs 15 oz), and do an amniocentesis. Basically they draw a teeny bit of amniotic fluid out of you with a huge needle and they can assess from that fluid whether the baby's lungs are mature or not. Once they were able to confirm the lung maturation, we moved forward with the plan to induce the next day! It's funny to set a date and time to go have a baby--like it's a hair appointment or something. :) But I am so glad I got to deliver normally, that she was smaller than Jake, that my tear was way smaller, and that I'm not pregnant anymore!!!!!
Another thing I was really glad about with this delivery is that Trevva got to be in our room for awhile, before she had to be admitted to the NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit). After Jake was born, I barely even got a good look at him and then they whisked him off to the NICU to help raise and stabilize his low blood sugar. I remember that first night in the hospital, before I was physically able to go down and visit him, just sobbing because I was hurting and recovering and I hadn't even really gotten to be with my baby. Kyle went down in the middle of the night and took a video of him laying there, attached to all the leads and wires and i.v. and everything and that helped a little, but that was not my favorite.
This time around was really different. The moment she was born, instead of immediately snatching her away and checking her vitals and cleaning her up, the doctor just set her on my chest and I got to hold her for about 20 minutes. It was perfect. I got to just revel in her newness and perfectness and in the euphoria of having accomplished such an amazing thing. She wasn't crying at all (I think because nobody was poking or prodding or rubbing her!), just peacefully resting on me. I was really grateful for that. :)
After a little while they did weigh her and check her vitals--and her blood sugar, which of course was low. (Babies makes insulin to match glucose levels of their mother, and so when they're born they're producing just a little bit too much insulin...it takes a few days to balance things out).
They tried a few different times to raise her blood sugar by feeding her formula, and they let her stay with us for several hours. During that time Kyle got to hold her, my mom got to hold her, and my sister got to hold her. It was quiet, nobody was rushing around in a fire drill, and it was a refreshing change of pace for us!
This time around was really different. The moment she was born, instead of immediately snatching her away and checking her vitals and cleaning her up, the doctor just set her on my chest and I got to hold her for about 20 minutes. It was perfect. I got to just revel in her newness and perfectness and in the euphoria of having accomplished such an amazing thing. She wasn't crying at all (I think because nobody was poking or prodding or rubbing her!), just peacefully resting on me. I was really grateful for that. :)
After a little while they did weigh her and check her vitals--and her blood sugar, which of course was low. (Babies makes insulin to match glucose levels of their mother, and so when they're born they're producing just a little bit too much insulin...it takes a few days to balance things out).
They tried a few different times to raise her blood sugar by feeding her formula, and they let her stay with us for several hours. During that time Kyle got to hold her, my mom got to hold her, and my sister got to hold her. It was quiet, nobody was rushing around in a fire drill, and it was a refreshing change of pace for us!
At about 2:00 in the morning, her blood sugar was still below 40 and so they had to admit her to the NICU. I was prepared for this to happen, and overjoyed that we had gotten to spend several hours with her before she had to go, and by that time I was ready to zonk out for the night so it worked out. There were so many aspects of the whole thing that were a lot less scary this time, just because we've done it before. So they hooked her up to an i.v. of Dextrose (sugar), and every time she had a post-feeding blood sugar of 60 or higher, they would lower the percentage of sugar in the drip, until eventually they weaned her off of it and she could go home. Instead of being really stressed that her taking formula would sabotage my plan to breastfeed, (again, having done this before helped a lot!) I took advantage of being able to get sleep and pumped when it was convenient. They gave her anything I was able to pump, so my couple of teaspoons of colostrum were not wasted. :)
So I came home Thursday afternoon--without a baby. Trevva stayed in the NICU. That was probably the hardest part. Seeing the empty bassinet and the empty infant seat and the unworn clothes...and looking down at my belly and still looking 6 months pregnant...and being tired and sore...and not knowing how much longer she would have to be there... That was sad.
But, it turned out that we were able to go pick her up the next day and hold her without all the wires and bring her home!!
"Getting born is a lot of work! I'm exhausted!"
Yay!! She's home!!!
The boys weren't allowed in the NICU because of their colds, so they were dying to meet her. They both agreed that it was worth the wait!
When this picture was taken (which was actually a week or so after she came home) Jake said: "It's too bad she can't say anything."
I love that.
And, even though this is totally off the subject, here's another cute thing Jake said the other day. In the last few weeks, we have deviated a bit from green smoothies and been more in survival mode, eating really healthy foods, like tater tots. Ha. When Kyle walked in the door for dinner a few days ago, Jake said, "We saved some teeter totters for you, Dad!"
Ethan adores Trevva. Which is also quite a nice change since he was 2 years old when Jake was born and couldn't have cared less about him. He loves to hold her, and every once in awhile I even pump a bottle and let him feed her. The day we dressed her in this outfit, Ethan saw that it was purple and said, "Mom, where do you keep the bows?" I told him which drawer and he ran off, then came running back with a purple bow, which he quickly (and skillfully!) placed on her little head. Wow, who knew my 7 year-old son knew how to accessorize?!
In the first few days Trevva came home, Ethan was holding her on his lap, mesmerized. He was stroking her little fingers and just taking it all in. He looked over at me and said,
"Don't you think it was worth it, Mom? Being pregnant, and how hard you worked?"
I said, "Yes, Ethan I do. It was worth it for you, it was worth it for Jake, and it was worth it for Trevva."
Then, with his eyes fixed on his baby sister he said, "I mean, you brought a new person into the world!"
Well, those are the moments. The ones you treasure up forever and pull out on a day when you wonder why you bother living. :)
So, life is good. Even with middle of the night feedings, I still don't feel half as tired as I did through the whole pregnancy, so I am getting excited about springtime and nice weather and easing back into real life over the next few weeks. I love having a little girl! And the third time really has been the charm for me. So much less stress, because I know what I'm doing this time. So much more ability to relax and enjoy this little person. And so fun to have a little family to enjoy her with! ANNNNND, so fun to have a baby that doesn't spit up!!! Holy smokes! I don't have to change my clothes and hers 100 times a day!!
This is my sister Allison, playing sorry with the kiddos!As you can see, Trevva was yellow. :) It was so awesome to have Allie here to be part of everything and help with the boys!
My mom got these pink ties for the boys to wear to church to announce Trevva's arrival. :)
We're so glad she's here!!
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