What happened this week...
- Lily had her 6 month wellness appointment and got her shots. It just seems we can't catch a break with getting her on a schedule. Thanksgiving she was sick, then better, but then cranky because she might be teething and now she gets her shots and it throws everything off track. Well, I hope that she starts getting back on track soon and hope she doesn't get sick for Christmas!
What happened this week...
-Lily got a BAD diaper rash from being sick and having so much runny poop. :( She was miserable most of the week (similar to last week)
-She began to sit UNASSISTED! She toppled over here and there but she was sure making an effort to sit up all on her own! Yay Lily!
-Toward the end of the week she began to regain her appetite. What a hungry girl!
New developments this week...
-thanksgiving vacation!
-On Monday Lily and I galavanted around town with Madeline and had a blast! Shockingly she slept through the night! She slept like that Lionel Richie song "All Night Long" lol
-We had a turn for the worse health-wise. Ed got the stomach flu and was throwing up and had mad diarrhea and a fever on Tuesday. Then...it hit Lily. On Wednesday she had the pukes. Thursday she had super mad banana yellow out-of-the-diaper-and-onto-your-pants diarrhea and fever. Friday and Saturday were the same and on Sunday it seemed as though she was getting better...
-So it the spirit of giving, the DeLaO's were very giving of their illness. With Ed getting over his stomach bug, Lily getting sick right after him and both granny and grandpa DeLaO being exposed to Lily's bug and getting very sick as well (I told them to steer clear of her and to make sure to wash their hands after handling her), we had lots of leftovers...Thanksgiving Fail...
-Oh...and she started developing this loud and annoying shriek you'd hear in a horror movie...not digging it...
New developments this week...
-On voting day she was a pill. nothing Ed did was able to soothe her. She cried inconsolably. We called the nurse triage because we thought it was ear infection since she was tugging at her ears. We got an appt and got seen. Turns out she did not have an ear infection. The doctor did clear up some excess ear wax from her right ear. She did see that her gums were a bit swollen so she suggested teething tablets and tylenol if the tablets didn't help her pain. Also getting those mesh thingies to put a piece of frozen cantaloupe or banana so she could gnaw on it.
-Lily seems to be finally getting into some kind of schedule (think I said this in a previous blog before...déja vu?) She is going down between 7 and 8 then she's waking up at 10, 1 3 and 5 for feeds and diaper changes. at 5ish I get up and put her on the walker and take her to the bathroom while I take a shower. I sing her a few songs (the wheels on the bus, this old man and I finish off with she'll be coming around the mountain in a funny voice), then off to the living room to see grandpa (he's home by this time). That gives me time to get my hair in order. From there I do my make up while I make silly faces at her (pretty entertaining lol). At this point Ed is up and then I head out!
What happened this week...
-Daylight Saving's Time is over and although WE get an extra hour of sleep, that doesn't register to people who can't tell time...i.e. Lily. So this little runt is actually getting up at 3am and doesn't want to go back to sleep until about 6! what the deal!?!? If it's not bad enough that I'm still getting up every couple hours in the middle of the night for her feedings, now she wants to be up and play? I don't think so little one...momma has become one cranky lady this week because sleep has become close to non-existent.
-Spent Halloween with the Mctizic's. Too bad girls were too little. Bought grips of candy to hand out but no trick or treaters came to their place. watched Candyman and Nightmare on Elm Street 5. Funny thing both girls were wearing the same shirt! Priceless! Too bad I didn't get a picture of that...
What happened this week...
-Went to the pumpkin patch in Live Oak. I can't say with certainty that Lily had a blast but I know I had a great time in our first "family" outing! We walked around, got stuck in the corn maze for almost two hours (fun but a little frustrating at the same time, especially when you're pushing the stroller through the corn stalks), had some lemonade, danced a little and ate some weird potato fries...did I mention it was sunny and hot a few days before Halloween? Only in Southern Cali...lol
-We changed her formulas. She was still very gassy with Similac soy. Now it's Gerber soy. To top that off we started some solids. Ed started giving her sweet potatoes and she's eating it but it looks like she's quite constipated. I guess with the combination of formula change and the intro of solids her tummy is in a mega funk. We are giving her pear juice to counter the solid food hardening of the poop, but she still seems to be in a great deal of discomfort.
-As far as the car rides, she is still quite loud but now her cry turns into these long grunty moans and then she falls asleep.
What happened this week...
Ed had done the 2 month appt with Lily's shots. Our appt was the second day of our school year so I was unable to take it off. So I told Ed I would take the day off to take her to the doctor since he had a test for one of his classes that Monday for her 4 month wellness appointment.
-So for her 4 month appointment we had lots of concerns. I had a whole list of them. For starters her sleeping schedule...wait...what schedule? I told the doctor that this kid seems to not like to sleep more than 2 hours at a time. I also asked him what "sleep through the night" meant since I had to answer that question in the questionnaire they gave us. He said that some kids manage to "sleep through the night" and others don't. I happen to have the kid that doesn't. Other things on my list were regarding her formula, the ear tugging, having lots of gas (farts) and waking herself in the middle of the night with them, taking about 20 minutes to finish a 4 oz bottle...Looked like everything I was asking about was "normal" or "common" except for the finishing a bottle in 20 minutes. He stated that she should be finishing up a bottle in 5 minutes. So I asked if I should change her nipples to the next size up and he said yes but we had to watch her reflux since the flow would come out faster than before. I asked about teething and he said that it was too early for a tooth to be breaking through the gum so her fussiness was probably not that.
After all my concerns were addressed, it was immunization time. the nurse showed me how to hold her on the table while she poked her little thighs. Boy, was it a painful experience! Poor baby! The look of pain on her face is somehting I'm not going to forget. All I could do was hope that it would be over soon so I could hold her and comfort her. :( sad day...
What happened this week...
-Moved back to Perris. However, the weekend we moved was hot as hell (in OCTOBER!!!) so we went on a quest looking for air conditioners. Now get this, because summer season was over there were literally no stores within 50 miles of Riverside that carried them. I even expanded the radius when I was looking. We even tried online and nothing. The drastic change in temperature from a comfy 74 degrees in the apartment to a stifling 90+ inside the house was definitely not Lily's cup-o-formula...what can I say, she runs hot like her dad...lol. Finally it occurred to Ed to order one through Amazon (what a life saver!).
-Lately car rides have become quite an ordeal. She cries uncontrollably because she wants out! As soon as she gets taken out of the car seat she's perfectly okay! what a weirdo!
What happened this week...
- Lily's rolling has been getting better. She still hates tummy time.
- There has been more talking and less crying (unless she's real hungry)
- Took her to the Homecoming Carnival at Novi and she didn't fuss one bit, even with the loud music! Everyone got to see her who had been asking about her. She was a peach!
- Feet have found her mouth and she is loving it!
What happened this week...
- Lots of jibber jabber and she loves to see herself in the mirror.
- Added more songs to my daily performance. I have included the bumble bee song, and the itsy bitsy spider. She seems to favor Old McDonald though.
- We are beginning to see signs of "cracking up" when we eat her tummy. She doesn't know how to laugh so it sounds like she's coughing and squealing. Rather cute! Oh, and let's not forget the cheesy gummy smile she has every time we do it! Priceless!
What happened this week...
- More jibber jabber.
- She is beginning to respond to a few songs I sing to her. I sing the "good morning" song to her in English and Spanish everyday even though it's not morning just for fun. She is beginning to smile when I sing the first phrase. Other songs I have included in my repertoire are Old McDonald and Slippery Fish.
- Looks like she has found her feet when she's laying down getting a diaper changed. She's not putting them in her mouth just yet! Let's see when that happens!
What happened this week...
- Ok so we have some pretty new developments this week. Well to start, she turned three months this week (9/11). I am happy to inform that the sleeping has gotten slightly better. She has been sleeping in four hour chunks after her bath and bottle at night...well, sometimes two four hour chunks, other days one four hour chunk followed by a couple two hour chunks...It's progress from where we were before getting up every 1.5-2 hours for her hungry butt.
- Lily still finds her hands uber fascinating but she is not sucking on one particular finger...it's all of them...no favorite finger yet. She's still a no go on binkies. She keeps on spitting them out so it sucks because when we just fed her and she's still a bit cranky because she wants to go to sleep she won't take it to sooth herself.
- On the topic of soothing, we noticed this week that she was waking up at the two hour mark but was actually putting herself back to sleep by sucking on her hand and wiggling about in the bassinet. This is a HUGE development for her and a relief for us! It's really nice to see her slowly "grow up!"
- Lily has started to attempt to roll. It was pretty exciting to come home Monday and right when I put her on the floor she starts the swaying motion to roll on her side. She was almost successful had her arm not gotten stuck under her and she started crying lol. It's gonna be cool to see her roll on her tummy! Can't wait! We hope we could get in on video to show you guys soon!
What happened this week...
- Lily found her hands!!! And they are finger-licking good! And entertaining. She has been sucking on them bad boys quite a bit! If they were tootsie pops she definitely would have gotten to the middle!
- Lily has also been needing more than 2-3 oz per feeding. She's had a few full 4 oz bottles...is it time to upgrade to the big Dr. Brown's bottles?
What happened this week...
- Well, I went back to work. Luckily, when I'm asked the question, "are you ok about coming back to work?" my answer is "yes, yes I am." I am so happy that Ed gets to stay with her at home. I think it is a blessing. Looking back at the whole pregnancy and having her in the summer right after school got out, we could not have "planned" it better. I am grateful that at this point in time Ed can stay home and be with her. I enjoy the random updates and pictures while I'm at work, whether it's her chillin' with her daddy or the huge shit she took, it all brings a smile to my face!
- ...And she's getting cuter and cuter! What a peach!
- Oh yea, and I forgot to mention that this was my attempt at making a headband for her...
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What happened this week...
- This was Lily's first pool adventure at Marcos and Coco's house before I started the new school year. She seemed to be a little apprehensive about being in water but she didn't fuss at all so I'm assuming she had an ok time? lol It was nice daddy-daughter bonding time too!
What happened this week...
- Lily is becoming more aware of us and our faces. She responds to your funny face making lol.
- She has been getting fussier...like you can start hearing that "fake" cry out of her...
- She is still not sleeping through the night and is still waking up every two hours to feed.
- But with all of these shenanigans, it's all worthwhile when you see this...
She's so darn CUTE! lol
What happened this week...
- No more constipation for Lily! She is going poopies from one to three times a day, much better than before!She is back on Similac Soy (we had switched her to similac sensitive, which was still milk based).
- Lily is smiling a bit more, which makes us happy. We make silly faces at her and she responds with the look above followed by cool smiles.
- She's doing a little better at tummy time!
Such a big noggin'! And her hair looks all disheveled lol :)
What happened this week...
- Lily had to battle some constipation. It was pretty emotionally painful for us to say the least, not being able to do anything about her pain. We had many suggestions to aid in her constipation but they were all futile. We were told to give her water, juice, rub her belly, you know...the usual. We called the nurse triage hotline to see what we could do and all she said was to insert 1/4 of a glycerin suppository up her butt and NOT give her water as it has no nutritional value to her. Well, during a crying episode we tried the suppository thing and it didn't work...at first. She kept on spitting out the suppository from her butt, but no poop! We tried it again a couple more times and the same thing happened. It wasn't until the fourth time of putting it in that all kinds of shit came out, and it was big logs for her bootyhole! After the few logs she expelled she started machine gunning little pellets...poor thing! After that she seemed to be ok but a day went by and no poop. It wasn't til the second day after suppository insertion that she attempted to poop again and it was a success! I don't think we have been so excited about poopy diapers until this day, especially it not being hard! Yay Lily! lol
New developments this week....
- We have been trying to give her "tummy time" several times a day. She gets very angry when she can't lift her head and is kissing where she is laying. However, she is really good at using her legs for kicking while she is doing her tummy time so we decided to give her some help to see what she would do with it...
- Seems as though 2 oz of formula are not enough for this young one. We have started giving her 3oz at every feeding to tie her over til the next feeding. Like I said, Fatty Boombahlatty!
- Lily has also not wanted to take many naps throughout the day...so you'd think that she would sleep longer at night right? That'll be a negative ghostrider...max she has slept at night is 3.5 hours...once. She is usually up every two (sounds like verizon's old phone upgrade plan lol)
New developments this week...
- Has acquired the nickname "Fatty Boombahlatty" because she is at a whopping 9 pounds from her hospital discharge weight of 6lbs 13 oz!! lol ¡Que Gordita!
- Lily hadn't pooped for over a day so we got worried. Started reading online searching for what we could do to aid in her pooping. We tried a little rectal stimulation with a lubricated Q-tip and that shit came out like soft-serve! Pretty gross! But she felt SO much better, or at least we hope so! ¡Pobrecita!
- At our doctor visit she was diagnosed with GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease) and was prescribed Zantac. We also have to add some rice cereal to her formula and prop her up when she sleeps to aid in the reflux. Doctor "yelled" at us because we were feeding her too much. She should be eating about 2 oz every two hours. We were feeding her 3-4 oz roughly every two hours. He gave us a lecture on the size of her stomach...yaddah, yaddah, yaddah...
- We also sneaked in a little bit of prune juice in her bottles sporadically (actually just twice so far) to see if that would help with moving things along. It's done the trick so far! This was another suggestion we found online.
This is Lily's first prescription!!
New developments this week...
- Her belly button stump fell off
- She got a bad case of colic and gas and constipation. Thankfully Jennifer Pfeffer was kind enough to let us use her breast-flow bottles that aid with nipple confusion and with how much air she is intaking as she is drinking her bottle. Also, a big thanks to Desiree for giving us some input based on her experience with her niece. We changed her formula to Similac Soy and began to use the gas drops as well. The combination of the three has dramatically decreased her colic. I do have to say, however, that after switching her to the soy formula she has HORRIBLE gas!
So Lily's first week of life came with a case of jaundice. Unfortunately for her, I was not producing any milk the first five days of her life but she was latching on like a fiend. Needless to say we had to supplement with formula through a ridiculous syringe and tube we had to put in her mouth as she latched on to my boob...very frustrating for Ed and myself. And don't get me started on the lactation specialists...I'll probably be talking about that later...no...you know what...I'm not...that would just be a waste of time on my part. So anywho, because Lily was not getting enough nourishment she was not getting rid of the excess bilirubin in her system, causing her to develop jaundice. So, if you are wondering why she is glowing in the picture above, it is because the doctor requested that she use a bili blanket, which is a UV blanket to help her body redirect the bilirubin to her poop so she could get rid of it. By the end of the week, the jaundice was gone! Woot!
For those out there who are following this blog, I'm going to start a Picture of the Week for Lily to see how she is changing as the weeks go by. Within these posts I will write little snippets of what happened that week.
I really liked this picture Ed took at the hospital the day Lily was born. I know, I know, you really can't see her face but the picture looks so heavenly and serene... :)
I really liked this picture Ed took at the hospital the day Lily was born. I know, I know, you really can't see her face but the picture looks so heavenly and serene... :)
To preface this, I will say that a few of the things I will write are probably too graphic for some to read. However, it seems no one ever talks about the tough part of labor and recovery so for those who would like to read about my experience, read at your own risk.
So...turns out I didn't quite make it to my estimated delivery day which was set for the 14th of June. Lily decided she was ready to take her first breath of air on Monday, June 11th at 4:06 pm.
I would like to say that my labor and recovery was short and sweet but it wasn't. I mean, it is my first labor (and my last, after this experience lol knock on wood lol) so I suppose I should've known better to think this would have gone by quickly.
Well, it all began on Sunday morning (6/10), I started feeling crampy beginning at 9 in the morning, kinda like cramps when you're about to start your period (ladies, you can relate lol). They came and went at roughly 20 minute intervals (give or take). This went on pretty much the entire day, the cramps getting progressively stronger and closer together, but tolerable. In the early afternoon Ed said that he was predicting us heading to the hospital like at 10:30 that night. Little did I know that his prediction would be correct. Well, the contractions started getting closer and closer, I had my "bloody show" (gross shit by the way) and come ten-ish, Ed proceeded to get us ready to go to the hospital.
We get to Kaiser at ten til 11 and the nurse asks me to get into that gaudy robe and get ready to get checked to see how dilated I am. Turns out that I was still 3 cm dilated (no change from the check-up I had on Thursday), so they said to walk around for an hour up and down the halls to see if we could get things crackin'. An hour later (midnight), I dilated to 4 cm, so they admitted me and got the IV started. Let me just say that I HATE needles and of course, my luck, the nurse ends up hitting a valve in my vein on my arm, making the area on my arm swell, consequently having to do it AGAIN on the other arm. It was pretty painful.
So ideally, you're supposed to dilate about 1 cm every hour at least until you get to 10 cm and your cervix is 100% effaced (when it's real thin and soft ready for push time). In Claudia's world, this would be too easy and it wouldn't make for a great story, so of course, it wasn't until 4:30am when I got checked again that I was (wait for it...) 5 cm dilated. At this point they broke my water (feels like you're peeing yourself but you can't control it). At 7:30am they came around to check again and I was (wait for it again...) 6cm dilated. Come 10:30 am they came around yet again to see how I was progressing and I was at...yep 7cm dilated. Now, as you can see, the labor was progressing ever so slowly, and with them rupturing the amniotic sac, they needed to speed things up. Mind you, at this point I was tolerating the labor pains rather well, doing my breathing (didn't take the Lamaze class).
Of course, to speed things up they throw in our beloved friend pitocin to crank things up and boy did it! All of a sudden the tolerable pain became excruciating pain. I tried to keep my cool by using the birthing ball (a very big exercise ball) but to my dismay the pain was getting stronger and stronger to the point that I needed some pain meds. So, I got some stuff through my IV and it just dulled the pain and made me feel heavy and sleepy. All I remember while the meds were working was that when a contraction came I moaned a bit and then i dozed off but could hear what people were saying in the room. About an hour later, when the meds were wearing off, the midwife came in and told us that at this rate it would be another ten hours till we got to 10 cm so she suggested getting the epidural. Please remember that I HATE needles and I did see some youtube videos on getting an epidural that were pretty traumatic. I really did not want to get it but Ed executive decisioned me and the not so tolerable pain swayed me to agree to it.
So before epidural this is what I looked like (courtesy of Ed)
So, it turns out that they prepped me for the epidural procedure. I had to sit on both butt cheeks (I know, you're thinking well no shit sherlock), hug a pillow and arch my back like a cat, all while I was going through contractions. So the epidural person injected a numbing solution that felt like a bee sting (never been stung by a bee in my life, so now if I ever do, I'm assuming it feels like that felt lol) and then did the catheter thingy that would feed the numbing stuff for the epidural. However, as she was doing the procedure, she noticed that I was NOT sitting on both butt cheeks, SO... they had to start the procedure all over again, this time, making sure I was sitting on both my butt cheeks. It kinda sucked that not only did I get poked twice for the IV, but I had to get poked twice for the epidural!
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So...turns out I didn't quite make it to my estimated delivery day which was set for the 14th of June. Lily decided she was ready to take her first breath of air on Monday, June 11th at 4:06 pm.
I would like to say that my labor and recovery was short and sweet but it wasn't. I mean, it is my first labor (and my last, after this experience lol knock on wood lol) so I suppose I should've known better to think this would have gone by quickly.
Well, it all began on Sunday morning (6/10), I started feeling crampy beginning at 9 in the morning, kinda like cramps when you're about to start your period (ladies, you can relate lol). They came and went at roughly 20 minute intervals (give or take). This went on pretty much the entire day, the cramps getting progressively stronger and closer together, but tolerable. In the early afternoon Ed said that he was predicting us heading to the hospital like at 10:30 that night. Little did I know that his prediction would be correct. Well, the contractions started getting closer and closer, I had my "bloody show" (gross shit by the way) and come ten-ish, Ed proceeded to get us ready to go to the hospital.
We get to Kaiser at ten til 11 and the nurse asks me to get into that gaudy robe and get ready to get checked to see how dilated I am. Turns out that I was still 3 cm dilated (no change from the check-up I had on Thursday), so they said to walk around for an hour up and down the halls to see if we could get things crackin'. An hour later (midnight), I dilated to 4 cm, so they admitted me and got the IV started. Let me just say that I HATE needles and of course, my luck, the nurse ends up hitting a valve in my vein on my arm, making the area on my arm swell, consequently having to do it AGAIN on the other arm. It was pretty painful.
So ideally, you're supposed to dilate about 1 cm every hour at least until you get to 10 cm and your cervix is 100% effaced (when it's real thin and soft ready for push time). In Claudia's world, this would be too easy and it wouldn't make for a great story, so of course, it wasn't until 4:30am when I got checked again that I was (wait for it...) 5 cm dilated. At this point they broke my water (feels like you're peeing yourself but you can't control it). At 7:30am they came around to check again and I was (wait for it again...) 6cm dilated. Come 10:30 am they came around yet again to see how I was progressing and I was at...yep 7cm dilated. Now, as you can see, the labor was progressing ever so slowly, and with them rupturing the amniotic sac, they needed to speed things up. Mind you, at this point I was tolerating the labor pains rather well, doing my breathing (didn't take the Lamaze class).
Of course, to speed things up they throw in our beloved friend pitocin to crank things up and boy did it! All of a sudden the tolerable pain became excruciating pain. I tried to keep my cool by using the birthing ball (a very big exercise ball) but to my dismay the pain was getting stronger and stronger to the point that I needed some pain meds. So, I got some stuff through my IV and it just dulled the pain and made me feel heavy and sleepy. All I remember while the meds were working was that when a contraction came I moaned a bit and then i dozed off but could hear what people were saying in the room. About an hour later, when the meds were wearing off, the midwife came in and told us that at this rate it would be another ten hours till we got to 10 cm so she suggested getting the epidural. Please remember that I HATE needles and I did see some youtube videos on getting an epidural that were pretty traumatic. I really did not want to get it but Ed executive decisioned me and the not so tolerable pain swayed me to agree to it.
So before epidural this is what I looked like (courtesy of Ed)
So, it turns out that they prepped me for the epidural procedure. I had to sit on both butt cheeks (I know, you're thinking well no shit sherlock), hug a pillow and arch my back like a cat, all while I was going through contractions. So the epidural person injected a numbing solution that felt like a bee sting (never been stung by a bee in my life, so now if I ever do, I'm assuming it feels like that felt lol) and then did the catheter thingy that would feed the numbing stuff for the epidural. However, as she was doing the procedure, she noticed that I was NOT sitting on both butt cheeks, SO... they had to start the procedure all over again, this time, making sure I was sitting on both my butt cheeks. It kinda sucked that not only did I get poked twice for the IV, but I had to get poked twice for the epidural!
This is me after getting the epidural...
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So after they epidural it seemed as though nothing was happening...felt no pain. They increased the pitocin and things got sped up.
After that all I remember is Ed telling me to rest up, then the midwife telling me that it was time to push and then it was GO time!
All that pushing got us this!
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Lily Jean DeLaO was born at 16:06 (4:06 pm) measuring 20 inches and weighing a whopping 7 pounds 3 ounces.
After the delivery it turns out that both Lily and I had a fever which was attributed to the stress during the pushing part. Her temperature was at 102 and mine was at 101. I was even asked during labor if I had any cardiac problems. Turns out the reason they asked was because my pulse was racing at over 150 bpm so it was cause for concern. They monitored our temperatures closely and within a few hours our temperatures were back to normal. However, there was concern for Lily's temperature because they wanted to eliminate any infection she would have.
So now we were going to get transfered to the recovery room. They checked to see if I had feeling back in my legs after epidural. I did but they still felt fuzzy. They put in another catheter (I had a catheter during epidural) to empty out my bladder after Lily was out and boy was it full! she emptied out about a liter of pee! Well, they put me in a wheelchair, Lily was in a plastic bassinet thingy and Ed hauled our stuff. It took us probably about ten minutes to get to our new room and get settled in. Well, as the nurse was helping me get out of the wheelchair into the bed, a HUGE gush of liquid come out of my nether regions! Now, obviously it couldn't be my water breaking..again...since I just had the child so the other logical explanation was that it was pee. Yea. I gone pissed myself. And I did it again and again for the time I was in the hospital (til Wednesday the 13th). I was told every time that this was "normal" after a vaginal delivery and that it would get better as the days go by. Also, to accompany my bladder problem, it was very difficult to walk to the restroom which was like three feet away. My muscles around my pelvic area were shot! So in moving slower than a slug, I never quite made it to the toilet to empty my bladder. My pee happened to want to meet the floor by my bed almost every time. It got so bad to the point I asked if there was something other than the meshy undies and two sanitary napkins I was using that I could have that would hold all the urine I was expelling. So they brought some oversized blue diapers...big blues. This helped some but I still had accidents. Oh, did I mention that while in bed I really didn't get the urge to pee? Oh yea...no urge. I had to force myself to get out of bed about every two hours just because I knew if I didn't the gush would be bigger than if I waited longer.
Well, come Wednesday evening we were discharged. Lily still had her case of jaundice which was going to be treated with a bili blanket (UV contraption to help redirect the bilirubin to her poop) at home and I still had a bad case of the gushes. The nurse still reassured me it was normal and that it will get better in a few days and proceeded to give me the next appointments for both Lily and myself. We had to go to the wellness appointment the next day on Thursday (the 14th).
So, our first night home was welcomed by my sister Veronica and Armando with some hearty dinner. After eating, my sister and Mando watched Lily. That gave Ed and I time to take a shower and get settled in at home. It was a bitch getting into the tub to shower, hard to lift my legs into it. Standing was no joke either as everything was swollen to the power of 10 and felt enormously heavy down there. Our first night was pretty tough with Lily. She woke up about every two hours to eat and with me not making any milk we had to supplement with that stupid little tube that was ever so frustrating for me as well as for Ed. It seemed as though the night was not long enough because it was already time to get up and get ready for our appointments.
I called my mom and asked if she and dad could accompany us to the doctors since I was still in no position to walk well and I was still using diapers for the urine leakage and was no help to Ed. So they came over and we got everything ready to head out. We got to Kaiser, checked in and went to the waiting area for Lily's appointment. I, of course was in a wheelchair holding the car seat while being maneuvered around. While in the waiting room, there were other couples with babies who had a wellness appointment as well. What got to me was that there was no other mom in there that was in a wheelchair. It seemed as though they were perfectly ok pushing out their kid and were fully functional walking around with their little bundle of joy. So I felt like a loser because, here I was, in a wheelchair, not being able to walk, and to top things off I piss myself every time I get up – which I did, in the waiting room, as I got up to attempt to make it to the bathroom before an accident. So, I soiled myself in front of strangers, my husband (not that he hadn't seen this from me the past few days), kid, and mother. So I lost it and broke down into tears. Ed takes me to the bathroom to get cleaned up, we come back, and my accident is still in the waiting room... waiting to be cleaned up. Well, we head into Lily's appointment with the doctor; they undress her, weigh her, and check her for any change in her jaundice. Turns out that we still had to keep her on that bili blanket for a few more days (we wouldn't be able to take her off it until Sunday the 16th). Then the doctor asks if we had any questions. I bring up my accident issue and she replies by telling us that the appointment I had was not to see how I was doing, but to see how Lily's doing, and see the lactation specialist because I was having issues with my milks.
So I go to the next room to see the lactation specialist, sit in the cushiony chair and she asks how breastfeeding is going. I tell her the kid latches on, sucks like a fiend, but no milk comes out. Then she says that we need to supplement using a bigger contraption to hold more formula, but still stick a little tube in her mouth while making her latch on. Mind you, these lactation specialists brutalize your boobs like no other, man! So she "shows" me how easy it is to use this tube and hold it close to my nipple while making the kid latch on... yea... easy when there are four hands doing it all, but she was saying I should be able to do all that on my own... while holding Lily! I was upset, not to mention not emotionally unstable, but I was trying to hold it together. So the appointment was over and she scheduled another lactation appointment for the following Tuesday (19th). Meanwhile, Ed had checked me into Urgent Care per the doctor's suggestion to see if I wanted to get the bladder issue addressed. Well, I get up from her cushiony chair and of course...another accident...and the lactation specialist looks at me in disbelief. All I wanted to tell her was,"See! This is why I'm probably not making any milk! My body has bigger issues to worry about right now!" But I just walked out, head down, back to the wheelchair to get wheeled to urgent care.
In urgent care I have to get out of the wheelchair for my weight. I really hoped I didn't have an accident doing that, and luckily I didn't... Not because I was getting control over my bladder, but I had just emptied my all over the waiting room upstairs AND the lactation room! What else could be in there?! Then we went to the exam room, and one of the nurses comes in and asks me if I could go to the bathroom for a urine sample. I just about lost it again and told her that there was no way I would make it to the bathroom to pee in that cup. If she wanted a sample I would have to do it in the room. So with Ed's help, he collected drips of pee in the cup, and a few minutes later (quite a few later) the PA comes in to tell us that I have a bladder infection and this could be the reason why I cannot hold my urine or have the urge to pee. So he prescribes some antibiotics and rest and said if this still persists after a week I should schedule an appointment with OB/GYN for Tuesday (19th).
Well, with all this going on mom and dad offered us to spend a few days with them at their house while I got better. This was very helpful for us as Ed and I had extra hands caring for Lily, and I got some bedrest. As the days went by though, there was really no change in my symptoms, even after taking antibiotics, so Ed scheduled the appointment with the OB for Tuesday afternoon.
I skipped the stupid lactation appointment (they could suck my left boob), went to the OB where they made me empty my bladder then proceeded to stick a catheter into my urethra to check for any blockage that might be leaving urine in there but all was clear. The doctor comes in shortly and proceeds to tell me that what I have is severe incontinence which affects 1 in 3 women after vaginal delivery. There really isn't anything medically that could be done besides me trying to restrengthen my pelvic muscles by doing Kegel exercises (darn Kegel's). She informed us that this could last days, weeks, months or it could be something I have to live with. As far as surgery is concerned, it would be an option after a year of suffering from this. So of course, I lose it as she's telling us all of this because I'm thinking that this is gonna suck balls, especially when going back to work (yea...I'm thinking about work...), because I can't stand the idea of wearing diapers and having accidents in front of my students, that would just really suck. So, she said to do 30 kegel exercises every hour and every time I used the pot. She also said that I needed to push myself to walk more, as this would help with strengthening the pelvic muscles. She discouraged bed rest at this point.
Going back home there was at least a plan and a goal: 30 Kegels every hour, more walking around the house, less laying down. So now the 28th (Thursday) I've downgraded from diapers to sanitary napkins (the fat ones that hold more stuff), I haven't had a gushing accident for a whole week, I leak little bits at a time but I still don't have the urge to go pee. I am walking around more at home. I think I'm almost ready to take a quick walk outside the house, perhaps go to a store or something, maybe walk the dog for her pee and poo. I guess it is progress. I'm still not 100%, but I am getting better. I'm in better spirits, although I have had moments in my days when I break down and cry a bit, but I guess I can blame it on the hormones...
I do want to take a minute to add...
I don't think my recovery would have made the progress it has made without Ed. My, oh my, this man has done so much for me, not only during the pregnancy, but these last two weeks post partum. He was my nutritionist during the pregnancy, my emotional support system throughout the labor process, my coach during the delivery part, he cleaned up my accidents in the hospital and at home every time they happened during my recovery. He cooked me three meals a day while at home, made bottles for Lily, sanitized bottles and nipples, brought me the stuff to pump out breastmilk, did the dishes, changed Lily's diapers, walked her around the house when she got fussy, fed her so I could sleep some, has done the laundry, kept the house clean...I mean, there isn't anything he didn't do while I have been recovering. I'm sure he has felt overwhelmed with changes a baby brings, not to mention having to do everything at home on top of it. He has been great and I am very fortunate to have him in my life as my husband and best friend, and now as a dad to Lily. We are both lucky gals :)
Well, I hope I didn't bore you with such a long post. I'll keep you posted on my bladder progress in a few months, or at least before I start work. I hope things get better by then! Oh...and I still don't get the urge to pee...oh and pooping is a bitch!
Thanks for reading!
At this point in the pregnancy...
I feel HOT! Not like, "I'm so sexy" hot, but like temperature hot! Not to mention that will all the hotness comes the puffiness! I officially have tamale feet. It comes and goes depending on the weather it seems and what kind of shoes I wear (flip flops = puffy feet and ankles, tennis shoes = puffy ankles) I am still able to go on "hikes," although not as long as the one from last month. In the later evening it gets a bit difficult to walk without a small limp as she presses on some nerve that affects my inner thighs...not very comfortable. I'm also lounging around at home watching tv and can't seem to get comfortable on the couch, or chair or wherever...
As far as food goes...
I am favoring drumsticks! not of the chicken nature but the ice cream nature. With being hot I need something to cool me off and what better treat than a drumstick! Fudge bars have been great too! I might just go to the store and stock up on some fruity pops while I'm at it! Peachy parfaits have also been a hit this week! I've been making myself one for breakfast almost everyday but with a different fruit. I bet you won't guess which fruit it is!!!! FUJI APPLES! lol So it's peach yogurt, granola and apple pieces. Food wise I have been eating fried potato slices with sour cream...I know it sounds weird but they are so tasty!! Ed has them with hot sauce and claims they are rather tasty as well!
Other thoughts running through my head...
I am uneasy about when she's gonna be here. I HOPE that the birth plan that is in my mind will pan out. I'm trying not to think about it too much, especially two weeks away from due date but i hope all the walks I've done will pay off in the end...
I am excited about the fact that I made it through the whole school year, even the furlough days. Now it's just a waiting game at home. Cleaning and getting last minute things in order like laundry being done, house being cleaned and whatnot, not to mention all of Lily's stuff getting squared away and ready to go. Hospital bag is ready, her diaper bag is ready, car seat is ready, Ed is ready...just waiting on me I suppose lol!
At this point in the pregnancy...
I feel puffy, hungry and tired. Sleep has been an issue. Ankles have been the ones that swell up the most! If I'm wearing ankle socks and take them off, they look like a have muffin tops! It's pretty funny. I am still very hungry most of the time but the heartburn comes on pretty strong so it sucks. I've noticed I've been really tired right when I get home from work so I take a nap on the couch for about an hour and then the heartburn or acid reflux crap wakes me up. At night, lack of sleep is attributed to me needing to empty the bladder at least three times throughout the night. Sleeping on my side is taking a toll on my hips as there is more weight my midsection needs to account for. Getting a bit more irritable. Patience is running thin...thank goodness the school year is coming to an end...
As far as food goes...
I am favoring apples. Yes. Still. So sue me. Ed's fried chicken has been super delightful, not to mention his ceviche and chili! Glad we got to host some dinners at our place! It was nice to have peeps over for a change! I hope they enjoyed the food and ambiance, I know we did!
Other thoughts running through my head...
I am uneasy about my water breaking at work...how embarrassing would THAT be! "Oh snap Mrs. DeLaO! you just gone pissed yourself!"
I am excited about finishing up making the second bedroom baby friendly! We got all the big stuff set up, it's now a matter of adding the small details. Thank you to all who have been a part of Baby DeLaO's journey so far! Can't wait for you guys to meet her! Heck! I can't wait to meet her! :)
At this point in the pregnancy...
I feel HEAVY...and puffy. But not puffy everywhere. It's just on my ankles and feet. The puffiness began on baby shower day (5/5). I didn't think anything of it but then Sunday I had puffy feet. Then Monday, Tuesday...Wednesday...well heck pretty much the whole week! I iced them, Ed massaged them, I put them up, tried to be off my feet when I was home and NOTHING! Even after all that the next morning they still looked like potatoes.
As far as feeling heavy well that's a story in itself. It's all fine and dandy laying down and trying to get comfortable, but when the side I'm laying on starts hurting, changing positions gets very difficult to maneuver. I end up pulling random muscles on my abs and my back...not a happy camper with that. Heartburn is still prevalent. I'm still waking up every two hours to go pee.
As far as feeling heavy well that's a story in itself. It's all fine and dandy laying down and trying to get comfortable, but when the side I'm laying on starts hurting, changing positions gets very difficult to maneuver. I end up pulling random muscles on my abs and my back...not a happy camper with that. Heartburn is still prevalent. I'm still waking up every two hours to go pee.
As far as food goes...
I am favoring freakin' fuji apples...I know..you'd think I'd be sick of them already! But I'm not. They are so tasty! And it's better than sitting on my ass gorging on a bag of chips or hostess cupcakes. I'm still craving the occasional KitKat bar, although the last one I had that Ed bought turned out to be a dark chocolate KitKat...didn't like it much. Twix bars are still good but KitKats won this week because they were buy 2 get 1 free lol. I can't seem to say no to In-n-Out burgers and animal style fries (I know...REALLY bad)
Other thoughts running through my head...
I am uneasy about not being ready with the stuff we need. So many websites with lists about what we should have! The list seems to be endless. Some say you need this many things, then the others say well you need these things too. I mean, do we REALLY need all of the stuff they post on these baby sites? Women for many years have been doing it with no internet lists. Third world country women have been doing it with few resources. I think it's nice to have suggestions on what we should have, but it does make me feel overwhelmed about all that stuff.
I am excited about hitting the 36 week mark. It's cool to go on my babycenter app and see the ticker moving closer to the 40 week mark versus when we found out I was pregnant we were super far away. I just can't believe that even though it has been a while, it has kinda crept up quite quickly. Ed comments daily "pop her out already!"
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