6 Weeks

6 Weeks old!

Amelia is growing like a weed! On Friday we had a check up at the doctor's office and found out she already weighs 9 pounds 15 ounces! Up over two pounds from her birth weight, unbelievable! We also found out at the doctor that Amelia has a touch of thrush and possibly reflux...no fun but we are taking care of it and it could be an explanation to the crazy sleep schedule we were having. No newborn sleeps perfectly but we were in a bit of a tailspin there for a few days. We are doing MUCH better now...even got a 5 hour stretch on Christmas Eve night! Amelia must have wanted Santa to bring her lots of presents or something! Ha! Hopefully it continues!

As I said in my last post the Wagner's are in town to celebrate Christmas. Aunt Abby arrived on Friday and we did our usual Wagner Christmas tradition of presents and appetizers on Christmas Eve night. Everyone had a great time and we all received some incredible gifts. Grandma and Grandpa Wagner gave Amelia her first savings bond! Its never to early to start saving for college!  On Christmas day my mom came over and we did our presents and had an incredible meal and played monopoly! Eric complained as usual (he hates monopoly because it takes 100 years to play...) but we had a great time! :) Amelia got an AWESOME activity gym that we can't wait to use for lots of tummy time from Grandma Fessler!

Aunt Abby let Amelia open her baptism gift a little early. Its a beautiful print from Etsy that will go perfectly on her picture wall. Its an incredible quote and the perfect gift.

(yes that is me in the reflection...a master photographer I am not...and the bear on the right is Morferd...Eric's childhood bear the Wagner's brought for Amelia )

5 Weeks

5 weeks old already!

Time is flying, I cannot believe Amelia is already 5 weeks old. Thursday is another special day... it's Grandma Fessler's birthday! Happy Birthday Mom! 

Well we had a HUGE milestone this week...mommy and daddy had their first night out without Amelia. Grandma Fessler babysat and we went out to eat for my birthday at Two Samuels (yum!) and even met up with Kelly and Jay for a few drinks at our favorite pre baby bar Main St Pub. I didn't go too crazy but I did have my first shot in about a year! Jay FORCED me to take a Jager Bomb...it was not as good as I remember it, LOL!

On Saturday we went to Hudson Harvey's 3rd birthday party at Pump it up. Although Amelia is WAY too young to get anything out of a place like that we thought it was awesome and is absolutely something we will consider for future birthdays. Great job Kelly and Jay on a wonderful party and Happy Birthday Hudson!

The Sleep battles.... Things actually got worse before they got better, we had a few ROUGH days and nights and I really thought I was going to lose it. But then things got better! Don't get me wrong, it could still be better, LOL, but progress is progress! The last few nights she has slept a little longer and has pretty much gone right back to bed after waking up to eat. I'm still exhausted and I really need to work on napping during the day but I will take what I can get!

Amelia is more awake and more alert every day. She also seems like she could roll over at any moment. I know all parents think their child is advanced but it seems like her neck is so strong and she will be doing things before we know it!

On Thursday Grandma and Grandpa Wagner got in town for Christmas! They brought yummy treats, loads of presents and lots of love! They say Amelia has grown so much and although I know its true its hard to see how much when you see her everyday.

4 weeks/1 month

(counting a baby's age is confusing...just like pregnancy, LOL!)

Amelia turned 4 weeks on Thursday (my 29th birthday!) and 1 month on Saturday!

We had a big milestone this week, Amelia had her first bottle on Friday December 9th! We wanted to start giving her one bottle a day so she will take the bottle when she goes to daycare at my mom's when I go back to work. (sadface) Daddy gave her the bottle and she took it like a champ! If only she would take the paci then we would be set! It kind of funny because I NEVER thought I would be upset that my child would not take a pacifier but when they are too little to self sooth themselves it would be really nice to have the option of a pacifier! I have heard that some kids will take it when they get a little older so we will keep trying for now.

Unfortunately we are still having sleep issues. Amelia doesn't seem to want to nap during the day and is sleeping for super short stints during the night which is really tough on me! Eric helps as much as he can but his 5 AM wake up call comes pretty early! I thought maybe this wasn't going to be a problem for us because she had gotten up to about 5.5 hours straight but then things just went downhill. I'm lucky if I get a 3 hour chunk of sleep at this point! Another problem we are having is that she doesn't always want to go right back to sleep after she wakes up and eats...and she HATES the swaddle so she fights to get out of it. We are going to keep swaddling because I know it helps her sleep longer when she isn't startling herself with her flailing arms! Wish us luck for better sleep.

On a good note I am absolutely sure she knows my voice! One morning when she was fussy and waking up but her eyes weren't open yet I started talking to her and you could just tell she knew it was me and it comforted her! It absolutely MELTED my heart! I love that little girl more than I could ever imagine...even if she never lets me sleep!

Eric stayed home on my birthday to hang out with me and Amelia. We went to our FAVORITE breakfast/lunch spot Mon Amie. Its a newer restaurant in Spartanburg that specializes in Crepes! It is incredible. We did a little shopping afterwards and Amelia was a a trouper and pretty much slept the whole time! She does so well whenever we run errands and it ensures she gets a good nap in for the day!

We finally got Amelia's name up above her crib! We have had it forever but we didn't want to put it up before the birth since we weren't sharing the name and then we just got a little busy after she was born! With this up the nursery is essentially complete! I still have some pics to add in to the wall collage and there are a few other things I will add to the room over time but I am really happy with how it turned out! Right now we are basically only using it to store her clothes and for the occasional rock in her beautiful chair but its nice to know its ready for her when she needs it! Speaking of clothes...as much as I do not want her to grow up too fast I will be so happy when she fits into all of her 0-3 clothes because I am getting tired of rotating the small collection of newborn outfits!

(kind of hard to see in the pic but the wall is green, her name is in white and the A is in purple)

One more pic of my sweet girl for good measure...

What I read...to prepare for Baby!

Although I am fully aware that you can read a million books and do all the research in the world and never truly be "prepared" it certainly can't hurt to be educated. I didn't really get into reading books about pregnancy because I heard that most books were not too helpful and mostly scared woman! Ugh! I have however really delved into books on labor and delivery and on baby care in general. Here are a few and what I think of them so far!

Pregnancy:

1. The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy

This is a really cute book that takes a humorous approach to pregnancy. I don't know how much I actually learned from this book but it made me smile and I'm sure I gleaned a few tips!

Labor and Delivery:

1. Husband-Coached Childbirth (Fifth Edition): The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth

This book was pretty much a giant advertisement for The Bradley Method for Natural Childbirth. Its main message was this: Take a Bradley Class. That being said, the middle portion of the book was actually kind of helpful, LOL. This book is intended for Husbands (or partners) to read to learn how to help prepare mom for labor and how to assist with the labor when the time comes. I read it because I knew if I made Eric read it and it was crap he would 1)never read another book I asked him to and 2)never let me forget it...and I didn't want either of those things to happen. Plus I figured I could get some tips since we are in no way planning on taking a Bradley Method Class. I have decided to only ask Eric to read the middle portion which includes exercises for before and during labor that Husband can assist with to make labor easier for mom and other tips along those lines. This book was worth the read but bear in mind that it is written by Robert Bradley... of the Bradley Method, so that's what its about!

2. The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence

This book is not what I expected to say the least! I would say it is far more informational than instructional. When you hear the word Lamaze I think you automatically think of the "hee hee" "hoo hoo" breathing to help a momma get through labor. Well this book didn't give any instructions, really just information. That is not to say I don't think its a helpful book its just not really a guide to a Lamaze birth...whatever that means. I do think it really educated me on various things such as the effects of pitocin. (I'm really hoping I don't have to be induced) There is just so much out there we don't know...I think before I got pregnant I just assumed I would do what everyone else does...pitocin, epidural, whatever! Although those things might happen...at least I will be able to make educated decisions when or if the time comes. I would recommend this book just because it is full of info but look to other books for actual methods for help during labor and delivery. 

3. Your Best Birth: Know All Your Options, Discover the Natural Choices, and Take Back the Birth Experience

This book is a follow up to the documentary "The Business of Being Born." I watched this doc before I even got pregnant and it really opened my eyes and made me realize I knew NOTHING about my birth options and the risks and rewards of all the decisions you could potentially make during labor. As I expected, a large part of this book seems to be a plea for the use of midwives, doulas and birthing centers. That aside, there is some useful information when it comes to medical interventions and how to advocate for the birth you want. I'm not overly impressed with this book. I would say pass on this one. 

4. The Birth Partner - Revised 3rd Edition: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, and All Other Labor Companions

I really enjoyed this book. I found it super informative and helpful. It is actually written for dads and doulas but I thought it would be helpful for me as well and it was. It gives a TON of information but also plenty of tips on managing labor. I plan to re-read the labor pain management chapter when we get a little closer...now I just have to get Eric to read it! I would recommend this book!

Baby Care:

1. On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep

There are so many strong emotional responses associated with this book. I had some friends tell me to steer clear as this book is the devil and others tell me it seriously changed their life and they thank god for it! I figured it would be worth the read but I went in with an open mind. Babywise essentially advocates for the Parent directed/scheduled feeding, as opposed to child directed feeding. Its like scheduling but still following baby hunger and sleep cues. I hope to implement some of the strategies in this book but I don't plan to follow it completely. 

2. Baby 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice For Your Baby's First Year (Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year)

I decided not to read this book cover to cover to use is it as a go to if I have a specific question (which I already have...several times!). So far I have found its answers helpful. 

3. The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer (2006)

This book gives a lot of GREAT information of babies and sleep and fussiness. I found it to be very informative and enlightening. The second half of this book discusses strategies for calming a fussy baby and for helping baby to sleep longer. (YAY!) So far we have used some of the methods in the book with success but it is still a work in progress. We also bought the DVD but have yet to watch it, hope to do that this weekend and then really start using the techniques. 

That's it for now...there are more Baby Care books that I think look interesting but I can't decide if it is worth the money...any suggestions?

3 Weeks Old

Amelia is 3 weeks old today!

Time is flying and although I am really looking forward to the days when a smile is on purpose and we can actually play and read books I really don't want this time together to go by so fast! (especially since I have to go back to work eventually...boo!)

Things have really changed in the last week. Amelia is awake and alert A LOT more, in fact, some days instead of trying to keep her awake like we were in the first week we have a hard time getting her to nap during the day! She has also really found her voice and is crying A LOT more as well. I have done a lot of reading that 2-3 weeks can be a difficult time as babies typically go through a growth spurt and therefore want to eat SO MUCH MORE and cry a lot more. Most of my blogger friends seemed to feel like 3-4 weeks was a lot better so we are really looking forward to that. We have had quite a few rough nights, waking up every 2 hours (not totally uncommon at 2 weeks old) but then not going right back to sleep after a feeding. Sometimes we are up for 2 hours at a time in the middle of the night which is really hard on me. Amelia also has a really bad habit of dirtying her diaper right after I change her while she is eating...which means I have to change her again and use a wipe...which wakes her right up! I think we need to invest in a wipe warmer to make this work a little easier at night! We have had a great night here and there, she even slept for a 5 hour 20 minute stretch one night!

Although this week has been a little harder than the last two it is also INCREDIBLE to see her big (blue? hazel? brown?) eyes open and aware! She is smiling so much more (even if its not on purpose) and is super cuddly. She is also crazy strong! She can really hold her neck up and enjoys small spurts of tummy time!

This week my mom and I took Amelia out for her first shopping trip for 4 whole hours out of the house! She did great. She definitely got a little fussy after being in the infant seat for a long period of time, I took her out and held her for awhile in Target and then fed her in the car :) and that seemed to help!

We had a few visitors this week and some wonderful friends brought us dinner Sunday night. Thanks Zare family! Morgan Zare was just born a few short months ago but looks so much bigger and older than Amelia. Its crazy to think when they grow up they will seem the exact same age but right now they look worlds apart! I CANNOT believe my tiny baby will be so much bigger before we know it.

We put our first real Christmas tree up this year. I made Eric promise me that if we had to spend Christmas in South Carolina I at least needed a real tree! Two extra special ornaments will grace our tree this year from Grandma Fessler and Grandma and Grandpa Wagner!

Elle is doing really well with Amelia. We can tell she is a little jealous but she is very sweet to Amelia and hasn't been too crazy or acted out in any way. She does seem to think the Boppy is hers!

One more pic...because she is so stinkin cute! I would love to know what she is thinking here...probably why are you taking my picture again Mommy! :)

2 Weeks Old

Two weeks already, I can hardly believe it!

We celebrated Thanksgiving on the Friday after this year due to Eric's sister's flight schedule. I don't think Amelia knew what was going on but everyone enjoyed seeing her and spending the holiday with her. In fact, this was the first Thanksgiving in years that Fesslers and Wagners were at the same table. It was so nice to spend the holiday with family members from both sides! All we were missing was my dad and brother, wish they could have been here too!

On Saturday Amelia had her newborn photo shoot. IT WAS SO INCREDIBLY FUN. I seriously could do that everyday, I wish it was my job! Amelia looked so beautiful and did so well!!! (read...she didn't poo or pee on anything or anyone, LOL) I cannot wait to see how they turn out. Grandma Wagner joined us for the shoot, don't worry Grandma Fessler, you can come to the 3 month shoot! :)

Saturday night was the Wagner's last night so we went out to dinner...first time since Amelia's birth. She did great and slept the whole time and mommy got to enjoy her favorite seasonal local beer! We also took a whole lot of family photos! Abby left Monday after cooking us some yummy new vegan dishes....OMG Mama Peas Dough Balls are incredible...I'm still nibbling the leftover dough! (No eggs so its safe to eat raw in large quantities...but dangerous for my waistline!)

Tuesday marked Mommy and Amelia's first day home by ourselves. It was tough, time seemed to fly by but not in a good way. I didn't really get anything done but feeding Amelia, playing with Amelia (as much as one can play with a two week old) and getting Amelia to sleep. I tried to nap when she slept and was semi successful! We also had a few visitors over the next few days. Two of my very pregnant friends Amy and Allison each stopped by to meet Amelia. Amelia can't wait to meet her new friends, hurry up Baby Birch and Baby Pingley!


How am I doing? Great! My belly has gone WAY down and I'm feeling better every day. Still exhausted...more from lack of sleep at this point than labor!

1 Week Old

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Amelia is 1 week old today! 

Friday night daddy was so tired that he fell asleep during a very exciting Iowa State football game. We ended up beating OK State, the number two team in the nation! This was a huge win for Iowa State, not just because we beat number two but we also became bowl eligible! Amelia wore her new Iowa State hat as a good luck charm! I guess it worked!

We came home from the hospital on Saturday afternoon. We were so happy to be back in our own home and our own bed! We pretty much spent the afternoon resting as we didn't get a whole lot of sleep the night before. (Daddy got a little more than mommy)

Elle meeting Amelia went really well. She pretty much just sniffed her and moved on. :) She doesn't seem to be bothered if Amelia cries and will lay with her if she is being held by me or Eric...I'm sure more out of jealousy but still!

We cannot get over how incredible this little girl is! She is so strong and already holding her neck up. She has a killer grip as well. She is already rolling around and will be rolling over before we know it! She is sleeping a lot during the day and the nights have been a little good and a little bad. We seem to be on an every other night schedule. One night she will sleep for 3-4 hours between feedings giving mommy plenty of good sleep...the next she will hardly sleep all night leaving mommy very cranky in the morning. We have been using the Summer Infant Swaddle Me and it works pretty well. She doesn't particularly enjoy the act of swaddling but once she is all bundled up she seems very content.  She is currently sleeping in a bassinet next to the bed. We have learned that daddy can sleep through all crying, which is good for when he goes back to work but annoys mommy to no end! Even though the crying doesn't wake daddy up he has been very helpful in handling late night diaper changes and burping.

On Monday we took Amelia on her first walk. We didn't make it too far because I was still pretty sore but Amelia did great!

On Tuesday Grandma and Grandpa Wagner arrived from Iowa and met Baby Amelia for the first time. 

On Wednesday we took Amelia to her first doctor's appointment since leaving the hospital.  Amelia is already growing like a champ! She weighed in at 7 pounds 11.5 ounces. The doctor said it is a two week milestone to pass birth weight, our little girl is so advanced! She measured 20.5 inches. Although this is almost an inch more than when she was measured at the hospital the nurse said she may have still been scrunched up from birth when they first measured her. Either way we were very proud of her growth! She goes back next week and then doesn't go back until the dreaded 2 month appointment where she will start her shots. I have a feeling mommy will have a harder time with that than Amelia...

On Thursday Aunt Abby arrived from Chicago. She was very excited to meet Amelia. Since Abby didn't arrive until Thursday (Thanksgiving) afternoon we decided to celebrate the holiday on Friday this year. I'm a little bummed to be missing out of Black Friday shopping but I guess she's worth it. :)

How am I doing? Surprisingly well, I'm still sore and very tired but I'm really happy with my recovery and with my weight loss. At Amelia's one week check up I was already down about 14-15 pounds! It is crazy how much my belly has gone down since we left the hospital! Here is me at 39 weeks 3 days and me 1 week after delivery...big difference! (I'm not going to post pics of me every week, maybe again at one month if I'm happy with it! :) )

Amelia's Birth Story

As I alluded to in a few posts during my pregnancy I wanted to attempt a natural childbirth. I am not against drugs but I wanted to avoid a C Section if at all possible and from what I had read medical interventions are a slippery slope and getting pitocin and breaking water and getting an epidural can increase the risk of a C Section. That being said in the last few weeks of pregnancy (once I became "full term" and it was safe for baby to be born) I started doing things to encourage myself to go into labor. They say you can't make yourself go into labor until your body is ready but there are things you can do to get your body ready for labor to make the whole process go a little smoother. I ate eggplant Parmesan, ate pineapple, ate spicy food, drank "pregnancy tea" courtesy of my doula every night, took evening primrose oil supplements, bounced on the birth ball (yoga ball), took long walks every day and some other things I wont mention on the blog....

My due date was 11/20/11 and on 11/16/11 things got started! We went to bed around 10:30 PM and around 10:45 PM I started feeling what I thought might be contractions. I tried to go to sleep, I knew I would need the rest if this was real labor! I slept off and on for about two hours waking to slight contractions. (No pain yet) I decided to wake Eric up around 12:45 AM and we started timing. We timed 6-10 contractions and decided this was the real deal! I got up and took a shower. (I was really really excited I got to do this because who knew when I would get to again!) The contractions were a little more debilitating at this time but still really manageable. They slowed a bit while I was in the shower but got right back to normal when I got out. I remember having to stop drying my hair and squat down each time a contraction hit. It wasn't terribly painful but I just couldn't stand up! (This should have been a red flag....a sign of things to come...) Eric showered and we both called our parents to tell them the good news! We also called our doula Angie. My mom came to pick up Elle and take her to her house and Angie arrived around 3:30AM.

Around 4:00 AM my contractions were coming faster and faster, only about a minute and a half apart. My contractions were most manageable on the birthing ball and Angie suggested that Eric should put pressure on my lower back during the contractions to relieve some pain. LIFESAVER! I ate a PB toast and a banana and drank a Gatorade and we decided it was time to go to the hospital. We left for the hospital and I had several contractions in the car despite the fact that it was 4:00AM and we live very close to the hospital. Contractions in the car were awful. I found that sitting up straight was my most painful laboring position.

We arrived at the hospital at 4:15 AM. Eric and I went right to triage and I was hooked up to the Electronic Fetal Monitor and checked. I was dilated to 3...almost 4 and 50% effaced. This was not good news....I had really hoped that laboring at home for several hours meant I would at least be dilated to a 4 or 5 considering I was at a 3 at my 39 week check up. The nurses said we could go home or walk around the hospital to see if I would dilate more. I was NOT getting back in that car so we decided to take a walk! I was pretty unhappy with the demeanor of the triage nurses, they just were not very comforting or helpful. Dr. Hardin was on call at this point.

We walked the halls of the hospital carrying the birthing ball. Each time a contraction would hit I would sit on the birthing ball and Eric would get behind me and put pressure on my lower back. The time between contractions varied once I got to the hospital but the intensity was steadily increasing. We went back to triage at 7:20 AM. Nurses change shift at 7 and we were blessed with new triage nurses that were kind and understanding and very helpful! I was checked again and dilated to a full 4 CM. The nurses told me I could be admitted but it would be better to wait until 8 when Dr. Brown came on call because she was very understanding of natural birth wishes. Although I was ready to be admitted I was very happy to hear that Dr. Brown was coming on as she was the doctor I had hoped would deliver our baby. We decided to take another walk! My mom arrived at the hospital at this time and joined us on our walk. Same story as before...my contractions were on top of each other as I walked around. I would sit on the ball and hold Angie or my mom's hands and Eric would press into my lower back.

Around 9 AM a nurse from triage came to find me to tell me that Dr. Brown was in triage and would like to check me herself. I was dilated to a 5!  Progress! Dr. Brown admitted me and I went to my room and changed into my special hospital gown courtesy of my crafty momma! My contractions were getting stronger and stronger, mostly 1-1.5 minutes apart but some right on top of each other.

Around 11 AM I was feeling some pressure below so they decided to check me again. Dilated to a 6! Things were moving! My cervix wasn't quite 100% thinned but everyone was very happy with my progress. The contractions started getting pretty bad at this point. I again tried several positions but nothing worked. I would try standing holding on to Eric or leaning over the bed and the contraction would literally bring me to my knees. The ONLY way I could handle a contraction would be to sit on the birthing ball and push into the end of the bed while Eric pressed his palms and eventually full hands into my low back as hard as he could. Around 11:45 Angie suggested I try the shower. We sat the ball in the shower and Eric got in behind me. I used the sprayer on my belly while he put pressure on my back during the contractions. It felt a lot better than being out of the shower but still hurt like h**l!

Around 1 PM I started feeling the urge to push so they called Dr. Brown in to check me. I was still dilated to a 6. No progress whatsoever in the last 2 hours. I was heartbroken. Dr. Brown suggested we rupture the membranes (break the water) to get things moving along. She also suggested I consider an epidural as ROM can make contractions much harder and mine were already pretty strong. At this point the contractions were so bad I would literally cry during every contraction and I was so exhausted I would fall asleep for the 30 seconds to a minute between each contraction. Eric was exhausted and his hands were in pain from pushing with all his strength into my back and would lean on my back during the breaks and sleep as well. I sent everyone but Eric out of the room to discuss the interventions. Although I had hoped we wouldn't have to do it we decided to let Dr. Brown rupture the membranes but we also decided that we would do it without the epidural. Eric was my rock in these moments. I was so tired and in so much pain that I could hardly think and he just reminded me of our hopes for this birth and this baby and told me he supported me whichever way we went but that he had faith that I could do this.

At 2:05PM Dr. Brown broke my water. It was interesting....not painful but strange! Surprisingly my contractions right after the ROM were considerably easier than before as it felt like some of the pressure had been relieved. That didn't last for too long though and before I knew it the contractions were back to extreme pain and intensity.

Around 4 PM I was feeling a lot of pressure and Dr. Brown thought maybe it was time to push! She checked me again and that was not the case...I was still dilated to a 6...no progress whatsoever. When she told me I was still only a 6 I lost it, I immediately started crying big rolling tears. I was exhausted and I felt like my willpower went out the window when she gave me that news. Dr. Brown said we needed to get labor going and suggested pitocin. She also again suggested an Epidural as Pitocin is known  to make contractions stronger and more painful. Angie also suggests we consider the epidural. She said she was worried that if I didn't get some rest that even if I did dilate I wouldn't have the energy to push the baby out. Again I sent everyone but Eric out of the room so we could talk. After many tears we decided it was time to get the epidural. Our biggest goal was a safe vaginal delivery and at that point we felt the epidural would give us the best shot at that. It wasn't what we had hoped for but it was where we were at.

At 4:30 PM I got the epidural and immediately fell asleep! I woke up around 6 PM and was checked. 9 CM dilated! My body obviously needed to rest and relax, during each contraction I was so tense from the pain that I wasn't making any progress! We also learned at this time that Amelia was posterior (front facing...sunny side up!) and I was experiencing back labor which is why my contractions were so painful and why the only relief I could get was from Eric pushing into my back. Dr. Brown attempted to physically turn Amelia inside of me and succeeded but my stubborn little girl proceeded to turn herself right back around!

Around 7:30 I was checked for the last time. I was fully dilated and it was time to push! I pushed with the nurses for awhile and tried several positions. Although I had the epidural and I wasn't in pain anymore the pushing was HARD WORK. I would feel pressure when  a contraction was coming and push for about 30 seconds and would feel completely winded each time! I was also having really bad acid reflux at this point and had to have a Zantac drip to stop it. It was so bad that I was throwing up between pushes. Yuck.

I had been pushing for about an hour when Amelia started having decels (decelerations). Basically the heart rate is supposed to drop during a contraction but her heart rate was dropping right after the contractions. Dr. Brown wasn't too worried but said that that could only go on for so long so we needed to get this baby out! I was watching the pushing in a mirror and could see the baby's head descend and then move back during each push and the news of the decels was apparently exactly what I needed to muster the strength to push this baby out!

At 9:07 PM on 11/17/11 my sweet baby girl was born! They placed her immediately on my chest while Dr. Brown milked the cord. Eric cut the cord and Amelia stayed on my chest for a good hour! After a bit we attempted breastfeeding and she latched right on! It was a LONG day...around 22 hours and it didn't go as planned at all but at that point it didn't matter. Amelia was here and she was healthy and beautiful and the light of the our lives! We are so blessed!

Welcome Baby Girl!

Please forgive the lack of posts... I've been a little busy. :)

Welcome to the world Amelia Kathryn Wagner! 

Born November 17, 2011 at 9:07 PM. 

7 pounds 10 ounces

19 and 3/4 inches

38 Weeks

Edited to add: I wrote this last week and for some reason didn't post it! Pregnancy brain I guess! Expect a 39 week post in a day or so...unless I go into labor... :)
How the baby is growing:

This week Baby Girl W weighs about 6.8 pounds measures over 19.5 inches long, like a leek! The other websites I get updates from have given up and said she is the size of a Watermelon for the last couple weeks and I think they are right! She is obviously growing like crazy! My weight gain has been pretty consistent over the second and third trimester (didn't gain a pound until week 14 due to sickness) at about a pound a week, then all of sudden two weeks ago I gained 4 pounds in 2 weeks, then the next week I lost a pound...who knows! I think it also depends on what time of day they weigh me as the 4 pound "gain: was weighed right after lunch... I'm still at a healthy and normal gain so its fine its just crazy!

How I am changing:

Well I'm getting bigger that's for sure! My belly actually catches me off guard when I see it reflected in a mirror. I am seriously wondering how much I will grow...what with 11 days until my due date!

37 Weeks

38 Weeks



I have been feeling pretty good compared to a couple weeks ago. Heartburn and general uncomfortableness (is that a word...) are my main issues. The heartburn is the worst at night when I lay down, I'm trying to sleep with more pillows to prop me up but it doesn't really help. The tums, papaya enzymes and zantac do help a bit. I have started to experience the wonderful world of swelling. It really hasn't been an issue for me throughout the pregnancy but I am noticing it more an more, especially if I am on my feet for any period of time.

Fun stuff:

The nursery is done. I don't know if I'm going to take any more pics right now as its not much different but I might...we shall see. 

My mom dressed me up as a Jack O Lantern for Halloween, I thought it was pretty cute!

We set up AKW's baptism and attended an infant CPR class. Although it was a short (as in we didn't get certified or anything) class I felt like I learned a lot. I would like to actually get certified at some point though.

All the baby clothes for 0-3 months are washed and ready to go, including all the burp clothes, socks, hats and blankets. It occurred to me that I have absolutely zero newborn size clothes. I don't think this will be an issue because newborn size only goes up to 7 or 8 pounds but if by some miracle she is born small I'm going shopping! LOL 

Big Day!

Tomorrow is a mini milestone...not only is tomorrow November 1st, a day that I can officially say (at least I hope so...LOL) that I will get to meet my baby girl this month, it is also the day that I move into the teens in terms of days left. Tomorrow I am 37 weeks and 2 days pregnant...which means I have 19 days until my due date. I know she may not come right on her due date but its still pretty cool to think I have less than three weeks!

I'm having a little dilemma when it comes to maternity leave. I fully intend to take 12 weeks of time off from when she is born. Originally my plan was to work right up until I went into labor, whenever that may be. Then I decided if she didn't come by my due date that I would start my maternity leave that week regardless. Its Thanksgiving week so I would already have a few days off anyways. Then a few weeks ago I started getting really sick again, like different sick than what I was feeling in the first trimester. I was dizzy and lightheaded all the time, throwing up and the Zofran wasn't helping. It was really wearing on my mentally to think I could potentially be sick like that for another 7 or 8 weeks so Eric and I decided that I would officially start my maternity leave the week before my due date. We figured having a specific day in mind when I get to quit working as apposed to some arbitrary day I go into labor would help me mentally get through those rough times. Well here we are about a month later and although I am really tired, my feet get swollen every time I'm on them for any extended period of time and my heartburn is raging but....I'm not sick. Don't get me wrong, I could do without the heartburn and lack of sleep but its livable and again...I'm not sick. Now I think maybe I should just bight the bullet and keep working. I have friends that have done it both ways. A good friend had to start her leave two weeks before her due date as it is her companie's policy, she said she really enjoyed the time to just relax and prepare for labor. However she works for a private company that offers paid and unpaid maternity leave so she had a lot more time to work with. Another friend worked until the day she went into to labor and said it was no big deal. I mean sure, she didn't want to be there those last couple weeks but it meant more time with baby (that would be paid!). I think I'm going to play it by ear and see how I feel in the next two weeks and if I'm fine maybe Ill at least work another half week.

What do you think? Go ahead and start my leave, even if it means another unpaid week on the end or suck it up and work until my due date????

36 Weeks

How the Baby is growing:

This week Baby Girl W weighs almost 6 pounds, like a crenshaw melon (whatever that is...) and measures more than 18 and 1/2 inches long!



I sort of think she may be even bigger than 6 pounds, especially due to my crazy weight gain at my last doc apt (nothing to worry about but more than I usually put on between appointments). I asked the doctor her prediction for birth weight and she said she thought right around 8 pounds. That may sound large to you people but considering I was 10 pounds 11 ounces( you read that right, almost 11 pounds...but I was 4 weeks and 1 day late) and Eric was 8 pounds 7 ounces ...an 8 pound baby sounds just fine to me!!!

How I am changing:

My belly is still growing! :) And by the looks of it I have dropped! When you compare pics from the last few weeks you can see where my belly used to be rounded starting right below the breasts but now it is more sloped like a teardrop.

I have been feeling much better than I was a few weeks ago! (Thank the lord) I am really starting to feel the exhaustion though. I find that on Tuesdays (when I have court and I am on my feet all day) I apparently use of my energy for the week. I come home ready to crash and I don't seem to recover until the weekend! Doesn't make for the most productive employee but I'm doing my best!

I am still feeling the dreaded heartburn and although I'm not really having "morning sickness" I did get sick in the middle of the night and I think heartburn is to blame. Last night I tried sleeping with an extra pillow so I would be more elevated, I think it helped with the heartburn but it wasn't too comfortable considering I am supposed to sleep on my side. Tonight I will have to try something different.

Fun Stuff:

This week we decided to hire a doula to assist during labor. If you don't know what a doula is she is essentially a labor coach. Someone with experience with labor that can help you achieve the labor experience you want. I'm really excited!

We also decided on our Pediatrician this week. We were able to meet with a doctor at Pediatric Associates and we really liked her!

We did a little more work on the last minute nursery touches this past weekend as well. No picture updates just yet but as soon as we are officially done I will post pics, I promise! It is looking so good and coming together just like a pictured it!

My friend Lindsay's due date is this Friday! Think good thoughts for her as this is her first child! Love you Lindsay Sue! You can do it!