Baby Embree #2: July 2012

Bailey is still breathing and growing....which means we survived the 1st month!!

I am not going to lie, being a mom is tough. Week 2 was the hardest week of my life. If it wasn't for my mother, I probably would have put a stamp on Bailey's booty and stuck her in the mailbox. Crazy hormones mixed with lack of sleep is a dangerous combo. I started to understand why some mothers have done some of the crazy things they have done...of coarse, I would never hurt my child...I spent 9 months growing this little human, and I went through labor, so of coarse this stubborn momma was determined to conquer this motherhood thing.

My thoughts about the last 4 weeks:

A. Its ok to have 2nd thoughts about being a mommy....However, when you get a glimpse of your child's smile.... It makes it all worth it. Even if the 1st month's smiles are involuntary...it still melts your heart every time.

B. You will go to Target and Babies R Us a thousand times and realize what you registered for was not what you really needed!

C. You will get excited about poopy diapers.

D. You can survive on 5 hours of interrupted sleep.

E. Do not google things about your baby. My mom's best advice, "Whatever Bailey does is normal because that is Bailey's way to do it!"

F. I'm glad I married a man who can survive on very little sleep.

Everyday we learn something new, and everyday something changes. Something that worked on previous days, doesn't always work on other days, and things that didn't work on some days seem to work on other days.

As for Holmes....He is getting bigger. When we feed Bailey at night, he cries until we feed him. But he loves Bailey and is always near her.

First...there are many things people fail to tell you about labor, delivery, and the aftermath. I don't want to be the one to let the cat out of the bag and take away all the fun for anyone who plans on having a baby... I will keep this story G or PG rated.

Where to start..... O, I know.... It all began on Thursday, June 28 when it was an mere thousand degrees outside, and I decided to go running errands with my sister. First, stop was Old Time Pottery where my sister decided to go over EVERY speed bump in the parking lot which probably jump started this whole thing. I waddled around that place. Next, she was very hungry, me not so much, but we decided to go to Newk's where I binged on the chicken salad...ate every last bite, not hungry mind you, but its a good thing I ate it all because this would be my last meal... (insert the "Dun, Dun, Dun" sound).... Finally, we finished our trip by getting Bailey a 4th of July outfit because I was "planning" on getting induced on Tuesday so she would need her 4th of July outfit for the hospital (little did I know)...
Fast forward to me NOT taking a nap when I got home (dumbest decision ever), and to when Stevie gets home and I started having weird cramps. They were nothing like the braxton hicks contractions I had. Well, they got worse..nothing helped and slowly they started coming more frequently and wrapping around to my lower back. I had a feeling something wasn't right. I called my mom (twice), no answer, so I called my cousin Jen and Stevie's sister, and they suggested I called my doctor. I called and left a message. It is nothing like how contractions where suppose to feel, but I knew something was happening. Once they pains started coming every 5 minutes for almost an hour, and I could no longer talk or do anything when it happened, I told Stevie we needed to go to the hospital. Luckily, I took a shower before the pain got to bad.

I really don't remember the ride to the hospital. We got there at 9:00 pm and after a "check" I was admitted because I was already 4 cm. Luckily, I got my epidural fairly quickly and was relieved somewhat from the pain. However, I must say the epidural wasn't exactly the most pleasant experience for me,. I was really numb on the left side (ear to toe),but the right side I could feel most everything. But I knew the nurse who did my epidural which made it less scary, and he took good care of me!

If you want more details, I will share, but I don't need to tell the world!
Stevie was great. he kept my spirits lifted and coached me through it all. He officially knows more about my body than me!

Labor is kinda a blur. My cousin Jen was the first to come and check on me. She coached me while Stevie held my hand while I got my IV and bloodwork (which was my 2 biggest fears). My parents arrived next, followed by Stevie's parents. My orginal plan was to have no one except Stevie in the labor room, but everyone came by quickly to check on me. I did request my mom at times. I had an awesome nurse with me during my labor.

So, I kept making progress.... my water finally broke at 9 cm and at 3:30 I was ready to push. I pushed for 30 minutes and BOOM, she was here. Pushi9ng was the easiest part and it didn't hurt, just lots and lots of pressure in my booty! Way more to the story, but again I don't want to scare any pregnant ladies or anyone thinking about being a mommy. However, I survived!

Here is my baby girl! The first thing I noticed was her hands... they were exactly like mine but smaller! (Note" the lazy left eye...epidural caused it to almost swell completely shut!)

Welcome, Bailey Grace Embree to the world at 4:06 am, weighing 8lbs 4oz (my birth weight, too) and 2o inches!

Proud Papa!

Then, everyone left the room and I was alone for the first time in almost 40 weeks. I layed there in shock of what just happened....I must admit I was smirking a little because I was no longer pregnant!!!

Anyways, fast forward....the rest of the hospital stay is fuzzy. We didn't sleep much at all. Everyday ran together, and I was barely able to carry on a conversation...majorly sleep deprived!