Natalie - Month Five.

(yeah, this one is a little late...)

Little bits,

You've hit 5 months! I really love this stage - it's wonderful. You've learned to roll over (just tummy to back), and still look a little frightened each time. It's not a regular thing though. You're also learning to sit up! I can't wait for that.

You were baptized this month. We had it at St. Elizabeth's, where we're parishoners (albeit bad ones). Kevin and Katie are your godparents, and we had all of the family out to celebrate. It was a great time! 

You've been to 6 weddings this year, and you've been great at all of them. Our nights out have become shorter, due to your bedtime being around 7:30 pm, but that's fine with us. You sit quietly each time through the ceremony, and dance away with us throughout the night!

Your first plane ride happened this month, and you couldn't have been more perfect. You rode in the Tula, and fell asleep during take off and landing - both flights! I couldn't believe it. I had toys and a bottle ready to go, but none of it was necessary. You continue to amaze me with your easy going nature baby girl.

Your favorite toy right now is the saucer. Grandma Byrne got it for you, and you love it. You also really dig the bumbo that Grandma Sue got - you can sit and watch while I cook dinner or prep bottles for you.

You've discovered so much this month. You've started blowing bubbles regularly and making other noises with your mouth. You can give high fives too! You've been playing with your hands and discovering those as well. And if we lay you down? Your feet are in the air (or your mouth)!

Over the next month we're going to one more wedding, the 4th of July, and starting you on solid foods! It'll be a big month for sure!

Love you lots baby girl,

Mama

Natalie - Month Four

Age: 4 months 

Weight: 12 lb, 1 oz

Height: 24 inches

Clothes: 3-6 months 

Natalie,

You are 4 months old girl! You are a giggling, happy, hilarious baby. Most of the time anyway. 

You love when we play with your legs, from "run piggies" to "toes to the nose". You giggle like crazy when we lift you in the air, when we dance with you, and when we bounce you on our laps. Your smile is infectious and huge. You talk like crazy to us, and include some screams as well. Because, well, you must be heard. 

You recognize your grandmas on FaceTime too. You know the sound of the camera ringing, and look straight towards it, waiting for one of them to answer. 

Bedtime is strict, set by you of course. If you miss bedtime by more than a half hour, and if it's not in your bed, it's awful to get you down. Like, screaming bloody murder. Hopefully we can get you to be more flexible, because it makes game night hard (or impossible). We've actually had to leave because you wouldn't calm down. And when you get mad, you scream until your face is as red as a tomato. And tears! Oh baby girl you cry real tears now. I think we'll see plenty more as your stubborn Irish personality developes. ;)

Over the next month we have tons of weddings to go to and your first plane ride! 

Lots of love, 

Mama

Natalie - Month One.

Age: 1 month
Weight: 8 lb, 1 oz
Height: 21 inches
Clothing size: BARELY fitting in newborns. Legs fit in 0-3 months, but arms and belly are still huge!
Nicknames: Little Bits, Talie, Snuggleupagus

Dear Natalie,

How much you've changed in the first month! You went from being a sleepy newborn to an alert little baby. It amazes me. I see you changing everyday. 

You do not like to be cold. You will scream and holler until we bundle you up, and will not sleep unless you have a blanket over you. It makes me nervous, because you love to have things covering your face! I'm so thankful A+A blankets are breathable, because you prefer to be sleeping under a tent it seems. And while you don't like to be cold, you also don't like to be swaddled. If I swaddle you up, you holler (or cry) until you wiggle your arms free - apparently you sleep best with your arms straight above your head. It's hilarious, because there have several times where I look over and you're sleeping exactly like your daddy (with arms straight up, over your face, or your face buried under blankets). You also talk and coo in your sleep. I'm pretty excited to get to move you to your room so I can get a good night's sleep again, but we're going to hold off until you're 2 months old. You generally fall asleep around 9 or 10, and then give us 5 or 6 good hours before you wake up at 3 am. After that, you're generally on a 3 hour cycle, with the exception of a good awake stretch around 5 or 6 pm. And most of the time, you spend 15-30 minutes awake before you cry out for us. We definitely can't complain. 

Speaking of, you are all him. You sleep like him, you make faces like him, and you seem to be getting the same mannerisms. And your newborn photo looks exactly like Aunt Katie's. 

You do have my long fingers, toes, and legs though! You're still mostly in newborn sizes. Your legs are soooo long, and some of the sleepers don't fit you anymore - but if I put you in a 0-3 month your little arms get lost! You've discovered your thumb, which I'm trying to head off. You're ticklish, and you give funny funny faces when we mess with your feet. Bath time is not a favorite, but the cuddles afterward are totally okay. 

You are a cuddle monster. You love love love to be held and kept close - I've been carrying you in the Moby wrap, and while half the time is spent head banging as you work on your neck control, you're okay with being held. On the occasions in the middle of the night when you decide you need to be wide awake (yet not crying - so frustrating when I just want to sleep!), you're perfectly content to cosleep inbetween us, even just lying there wide awake. Unless of course you have hiccups. Which you get 3-4 times a day. It's so pathetic to see your face when you get them. 

Breastfeeding is still challenging, but we're working on it. It's hard, because I know it frustrates you and it is so much easier to just bottle feed you. Barb (our LC) keeps reminding me that I need to push you to nurse, but after a half hour I generally give up and cuddle you. We try to nurse every other feeding now - but when you were born you didn't latch for almost an entire day. Apparently your quick birth meant you swallowed a lot of amniotic fluid, so instead of nursing, you spent your first 24 hours trying to puke it out. You also have my very tiny mouth (sorry girl, braces are in your future), which means that it's getting easier as you get bigger. Or maybe I'll be an exclusivly pumping mama. That's cool too. 

We've had a busy month too! You've met your grandparents, your aunts Katie and Shanon, and my godmother Michelle. You've been to game nights, out to the Plaza on a gorgeous day, on several walks (when it's above freezing!), to the T-Rex Cafe, and even to a trivia night at a bar! But you're so calm that we take you right along. Next month we'll be going back to St. Peters, where you'll meet the rest of the family! 

My heart just melts around you. When you grab my hand or shirt collar with your hand, when you are content to just stare up at me, or when you make faces and smile. I love the way that right before you fall asleep, you peep up at me and smile contently. When your daddy holds you, and the way you look for him when he talks. I have a love for you that is immeasurable. I'm so excited to see you grow and change and develop your little personality - actually, it'll probably be pretty big knowing your dad and I.  :) 

Love you to pieces, 

Mama.

Natalie's Birth Story

Tuesday morning, I woke up at 3:30 am, like normal, to pee. I always pee sometime between 3-5, so it wasn't really unusual. Just your normal pregnancy wake up.

When I got back to bed, the sciatic nerve pain was awful. I spent the next hour trying to stretch my glutes, doing yoga, cradle posing, rocking on my hands and knees, and even having Sean massage my butt. Idk what finally worked, but I was able to fall back asleep around 4. 20 minutes later, a mild contraction woke me up. That was strange. I'd been having contractions for weeks, but never ones that wake me up. I fell back asleep after a 40 second wave, and 20 minutes later, woke up with another. 

I started timing them at this point. They were still 20 minutes apart, and no longer than 40 seconds, but they were regular. Very regular. Sean's alarm went off at 6:15 am, and I told him what was going on. At this point, my contractions weren't that strong. I mean, I was having them in bed, with Sean sleeping next to me. He woke up and got dressed for work, knowing that he might not make it in. 

I piddled around the house, folding laundry and doing dishes, while Sean cleaned up the guest bedroom. I also packed the rest of my bag, realizing that this was probably the start of real labor.

Around 9 am my contractions were about 5 minutes apart, so I called the doc. They had me head into triage. Sean even packed a deck of cards thinking we were still at the beginning of things! 

By the time we got there at 9:30, my contractions were definitely uncomfortable. I was able to easily get through them holding Sean's hand and breathing, but they were closer to 3 minutes apart. They sent me to triage, where the nurse looked like she just knew she was sending me home. She hooked me up to a contraction, blood pressure, and heart beat monitor. After taking some stats, she went to check how dilated I was. She looked at me - and said "there's no way - it feels like you're at a 7 or 8!" She actually had another nurse double check! The second nurse, Amy, took one feel and then went to get a room ready. Not so fast triage nurse! HAH!

My contractions still weren't very painful. Hell, I even called my mom to tell her I was in labor and she didn't know I was having contractions (even though I had one on the phone with her). I got back to the room and they put me on the wireless monitor and hooked me up with an IV. The IV was awful, but it's hospital policy that I have to have one. *grumble* My monitors were wireless, but I had to be monitored hooked in for 20 minutes of every hour. Which doesn't really matter when you're only in the room an hour before you start pushing. Funny how that works (or doesn't?). By the time we got in the room and everything, my contractions were finally picking up. I labored entirely standing up - having Sean push my hips in and sway with me was the most helpful by FAR.

The doctor came in around 11 am and I was fully dilated, but my water hadn't broken yet. She broke it, sent my contractions into overdrive, and by 11:15 I was pushing. No joke. Pushing was mentally hard. And physically, but not in the way I expected it. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to push. I mean, that's a set of muscles that you don't use every day, and especially not in that way. I ended up with a squat bar and people holding my legs. I was almost crying because I was so frustrated that my body and mind couldn't figure it out. But at the same time, it's not like I've done this before. But apparently I was able to get it (thank god for the nurses, doctor, and Sean coaching me like nobody's business), and little Miss Natalie Patricia was born at 12:23 pm! She was 7 lbs, 2 oz and 20.5 inches long.

Things I'll do different next time though?
1. Bring my bag in when we got into triage. We figured we would have time for Sean to go grab it. We were wrong. I didn't have my hospital bag until close to 5 pm!
2. Make sure I have snacks WITH me. Not in my bag. I was stitched by 3 pm, but I had missed lunch hour so I had to wait until 5 for food. And I missed lunch. I had a headache and was cranky by the end.
3. Pack a newborn sized outfit. Even if I don't think I'll need it. - Sean's mom had to go buy clothes for little miss to go home in!
4. Keep exercising through my pregnancy. My arms and back were much sorer than anything else the next day because of how I pushed.

Things I'm glad I did/packed:
1. I mostly labored at home. I was able to get a good breakfast in, buy a gatorade on the way there (which was AMAZING), and clean the house a bit for our guests.
2. Packed my own toilet paper. I got this advice the week before I went in, and threw the roll in my bag at the last minute. It was a great decision.