Sunday, September 30, 2007

Our Little Angel


StJohns Picture
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.
Here is a picture of our little angel!

We're home!

They released Elizabeth and me this morning around 11am. Her pictures are up on the web nursery page for the hospital now. They are adorable.

We're very excited to be home! Max is adjusting - he just growled a little at her when we came in the door and pretty much just wants to see me now. I'm very glad to be home and actually be a parent. So far the hospital has continued the trend of weaning me off pain relievers before I should be. For those of you that don't know the back story, they gave me an epidural for the c-section on Wednesday night around 9:30/10:00 pm. On Thursday morning they woke me up between 7:30 and 8:00 am to, as they put it, rip it out. Around 10 am I asked a nurse why they would do that and if I am going to get any other medicine to help with the pain. The nurse told me that they shouldn't have done that and it should have been in for a few more days. It turns out that they mixed me up with the woman that had previously been in that room. In any case, I hadn't really been in pain yet but I was afraid of what was yet to come. The very helpful nurse said she would order me something that would slowly drip a constant pain relief and then I could have the ability to have a shot of extra pain medicine whenever I needed it. Two hours later they brought me this device that was to make me so happy. About an hour later (5 hours after they took out my epidural that was supposed to be in for 2 days), I complained I was in a little pain and it seems to be getting a little bit more and more uncomfortable. The nurse checked it out and it turns out the device was not working. About an hour later they finally got it to work and shortly after that I was getting some pain relief. I figured after all of this I would be home free and there really wasn't anything else that could be worse. Well, after getting home and dropping the prescription for the pain relievers at Walgreens, Jim returned back to pick up the prescription only to discover it wasn't filled due to it not being filled out properly. I went nearly 4 hours w/o any pain medicine after being incredibly active today. So needless to say, this was by far the most painful day since the surgery. It still wasn't too bad...but I am glad that I should get some relief soon! In any case, we are getting in the swing of things. So far we have had 2 bottles and 3 diaper changes. We'll eventually get into a routine but for now, Jim and I just keep looking at the pack 'n play in awe at our beautiful sleeping baby. =)

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Elizabeth Ann is here!

Just wanted to let everyone know that Elizabeth Ann was born Wednesday (9/26) night at 10:34 PM CST via c-section. Miss Libby (as I like to call her) was 7 lbs 1 oz and 20 inches long. She is very petite and seems to be a great combo of her Mommy and Daddy. Baby is doing great and we are at St. Johns until Sunday afternoon when we get to go home.

This was an 'unexpected' surprise to have her this early due to my high blood pressure but we did just fine! It was kind of nice to be sitting in a waiting room for our doctor's appointment at 4:00 and then less than 7 hours later having our little girl in our arms. But enough of all of the details, pictures and more pictures will be put up online on our flickr site so please feel free to check there often. For now, here is a link to just pictures of her as well as my personal favorite.



Monday, September 24, 2007

Blood Pressure Update

Unfortunately my blood pressure has been going a bit crazy recently. On Friday we had a little scare where I thought we might have to go into the hospital but it ended up calming down by the end of the day. Over the weekend it was a little high but nothing to be concerned about. I thought we were in the clear until this morning when I woke up and it was the highest it had been in a month. I was so disappointed but didn't give up. Instead of calling the doctor right away like I did on Friday, I decided to just monitor it myself for a few hours and if it remained high call in. It went down after a few hours. This has been a roller coaster but we'll see what happens on the next Doctor's appointment on Wednesday. Just need to make it 12 more days until the big due date.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Week 37 Doctor Update

Well, this kid has no desire of coming out. Unfortunately I can't bribe her to come out...no matter how much I tell how nice it is out here and how so many people want to meet her, she just won't stay put. We did have regular contractions every 30 minutes all day. By all day, I mean they started Tuesday evening around 7pm and lasted until 7pm until Wednesday. I was so tired last night I was surprised I even made it past 9pm. But alas, my insomnia kicked in. The past few nights I may get around 4 hours of sleep tops. I'm really relying on naps to make me a nice person. =) So if I am snippy with anyone (sorry Jim, I love you), I apologize in advance. I am trying not to. =)

The good news on the baby is her heart beat is perfect. She is super strong and stills kicks me continuously (which is why I know she likes it a bit too much in there!). The doctor was surprised because they are supposed to not be as active now. Ah, my little spaz. =)

The other good news is my blood pressure was finally decent at the doctor's office. It was 121/88. While the bottom # is a bit higher than we want, the top # was steadily over 150 for months. So we're making progress. =)

Alrighty - so unless a miracle happens, it'll be a bit before Elizabeth comes into the world. =) Lets see what happens!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

More Funny Costumes

Even though we have our costume for Elizabeth already, I can't stop looking at how funny and cute some of the costumes are for kids:

Monday, September 17, 2007

Max vs the Mail

My cat, Max, has a problem. Well, he has many but the one that I am going to describe involves a daily problem with the mail. For those of you that have not been to my house, we have a mail slot through the front door. Monday through Saturday (when we are lucky) our mail is shoved through the slot onto our floor. Max, who is afraid of everything, gets very excited by this routine and is very sad on Sunday when it doesn't happen. You might be thinking - Holly, if the mail is shoved through this slot it would surely hit Max in the head. Yup - you are right and he LOVES it. I will catch this on video and post it here at some point in time...but given that this morning he got hit in the head 2 times this morning by 3 rounds of mail, I just had to post it on our family site. Stay tuned for the video in the future =)

We've Made It!

Well, the baby is very happy in her current home! We've made it though! She is 100% full term which relieves Jim and myself a great deal. We're now at 37 weeks with 3 weeks to go to the due date! We'll learn more at our weekly appointment with the doctor on Wednesday but just the relief of not having to worry about a premie is such a relief. So the countdown is officially on. =)

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Writing/Thinking Out Loud

I've had a lot more time to think about things (and watch TV =) ) since being told not to go back to work. I have started watching Boston Legal on Netflix and am up to Season 2. One of the episodes was this silly one where 2 couples (One Catholic and one Wiccan) were working together to stop a principal from dressing up as a witch for Halloween. They each had their own very different reasons as to why they didn't want the principal to do this tradition but the lawyer Shirley Schmidt (played by Candice Bergen) stated this poem that really moved me. I watched it several days ago and mentioned it to Jim last night. He was sweet enough to find it online along with the history and I wanted to post it here.
In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up."

Here is the history...I just thought it was really moving.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Week 36: Doctor Appointment Update

So this was my 1st appointment after not going to work for a week. I had high expectations because I knew that my blood pressure had been going down from taking it at home. I also wanted confirmation of the progress of the baby and if we were any closer to meeting her. We got mixed reviews. =)

  • Blood pressure was still high at the office even though it was near normal at home.
  • Baby has officially dropped so she is ready =)
  • I am not dilating yet. This was the disappointing part of the appointment.
  • Heartbeat and baby is doing simply fantastic. =)
So, I am going to think happy, good thoughts for the next week and hope for progress. =) More to come next Wednesday!

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Amazing

This is so...amazing.

Week 35 Review

Well, this week started really well considering we welcomed Zoe last week and it was a long weekend for Labor Day. Jim and I were able to clean the house and just get some relaxation into the schedule. It was a good weekend that continued throughout the week. I had the pleasure of having 2 of my team mates from work travel to St. Louis. The plan is to have a couple of folks each week travel to St. Louis to sit with the testers and get to know folks. Selfishly, I love it because I get to meet folks on my team I wouldn't normally be able to. =) In any case, it was a fun week cause I got to meet them. And then came Thursday when I had my doctor's appointment. That's when I was told I couldn't go back to work anymore. While this should make me happy cause I get some time off from work and get myself healthy for the baby...it was still hard to take. Since that time, I am taking it easy and taking my blood pressure twice a day. I am truly amazed how quickly it is dropping to an almost normal amount. So, this is apparently exactly what the doctor ordered (so to speak). Now, if I can just get the pain in my side to go away...I would be a happy camper. =)

Some other good news for the week. My cousin Kelly and her husband John welcomed their baby girl into this world yesterday at 12:48 pm weighing 7 lbs, 15 oz and was 21 inches long. Congrats guys! I can't wait to meet Taylor Rae!

So far everyone has delivered their baby 1-2 weeks early. Lets see if we keep up that pattern with Elizabeth!

Thursday, September 6, 2007

All good things must end...

So today was my 1st weekly doctor's appointment. I'd like to say it went well...but, sadly, it did not go as planned. I am sad to say that I am not able to go back to work until after the baby is born. I plan to use this opportunity to rest up and get ready for Elizabeth's arrival.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Costume Dilema

So Jim and I are trying to figure out what to dress Elizabeth up as for her first Halloween. I found this and laughed so hard I almost fell off the couch. By the way, this is not her costume...we still haven't decided.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Thoughts/Feelings

For the last 35 weeks...oh, what am I saying, for the last year, all I have thought about since I found out I could have a 'home grown' baby is obsess about this future baby. Well, now that it is only weeks away from becoming a reality, I am starting to...well, freak out a bit. It isn't that I don't think Jim and I will be good parents. I know we'll do fine and love this child so much. Of course we'll do some things right and some things wrong but we have a wonderful support network of people to help us along. It is more the idea of us being responsible for such a little person and making her world as safe and wonderful as possible. This concept excites and worries me. I'm very excited to see Miss Elizabeth for the first time...to hug and kiss her for the first time just makes me teary eyed (even now). I just want her life to be as wonderful as it possibly can be...any parents wants that. But these are the things that are going through my mind. How can we accomplish that and give this tiny baby everything? It is a journey I am really looking forward to even though I know we will struggle sometimes.

So, to that, I say to everyone - thank you in advance for your support.

To my wonderful husband, I say - thank you for sharing this experience with me and I cannot wait to see what we have made together. I love you!

To my daughter, I cannot wait to meet you! You have already given me one of the best experiences of my life and you are a true gift from God!

Lamaze: Finale

We had our last Lamaze class on Tues night. I got caught up on the things we missed last week: Epidural, C-section, and induction. Here are the things we talked about:
  • Epidural
    • One thing I learned through the video is that it is never too late to have an epidural. I found that really interesting and it contradicts everything I have ever heard.
    • These scare me only they use a HUGE needle and stick it in your spine. I found out from my sister a day later it really isn't that bad and it is just a light prick of a needle where they numb you first and then you can't feel the big needle.
  • C-Section
    • I had the pleasure of watching a video on this. I don't really have anything to add on this...just it looks super painful since they move so much around to get the baby out.
  • Induction
    • A lot of people like inductions because you can basically 'choose when to have the baby' but the slides showed there are complications. Basically, it can cause the contractions to be harder/more intense and your body may not be 100% ready for the process since it isn't by choice that it is going through the delivery process.
  • Crying Babies
    • There are 7 different types of cries...I unfortunately cannot name all of them. However, the video basically said we need to step back and just learn what happens when our baby cries. It can be from boredom, too much stimulation, etc. There are numerous reasons and it doesn't always mean they are in pain.
  • Postpartum
    • Apparently we will miss being pregnant. =) In all seriousness, we talked about how we will miss feeling the baby move and how we won't necessarily take care of ourselves once the baby is born because we will fixate on the baby. The leader of the class just wanted to make sure we take care of ourselves and sleep.
  • What to bring to the hospital
    • One suggestion is to have 2 bags: one for labor and one for after delivery.
      • Labor Bag - This bag will just have overnight essentials. It is just a smaller bag to keep with you that has a lot of stress relievers to make labor 'more relaxing'. (cause, you know - that is possible)
      • After Delivery Bag - This bag has things to keep you in stock with everything you will need during your stay at the hospital. It includes things like tooth brush, tooth paste, shower stuff, night gowns, cameras, video camera, batteries, etc.
So, to summarize how I felt about the lamaze class - I don't know if I recommend it. We took the 6 week Lamaze/Infant Care Class. I highly recommend the Infant Care part of the class but as far as the Lamaze part...the book they provided was enough info for me. I didn't need someone repeating what was written down.

Week 34

So, this was a very eventful week...filled by lots of excitement.
  • Tuesday:
    • Lamaze (see previous post)
  • Wed:
    • Zoe Elizabeth's Birthday!
      • My sister went into labor on Tuesday evening and after about 14 hours had Zoe Elizabeth at 9:22 am cst. I was not aware she was in the hospital until about 6am on Wed so that I could get some sleep that night. Once I heard about Erin being in the hospital, nothing could keep me away and I rushed to finish working and got to the hospital by 8:30 am. After a long evening of ups and downs, Zoe entered the world absolutely perfect. My parents had gotten to the hospital around 10am about the same time we could go back to see Erin, Adam, and the baby. Everyone is doing great and the family is at home now.
      • I had my last every 2 week appointment. Everything went well and I made my first weekly appointment for next Thursday at 9:45 am. The baby's heart rate was great and my blood pressure was holding steady. It is still high but as long as it doesn't go any higher I am good for now.
      • Also, I have had the 'pleasure' of getting sick in the evenings where I get indigestion starting at 7:30pm and then it goes away around 9:00. It gives me long enough to go to sleep and wake me up about 11:00pm sick as a dog and then keeps me up until 2am. This has happened continuously since Wed night.
  • Friday
    • I have noticed constant pains in my stomach when walking around. They aren't contractions (although I am getting those more frequently now). I finally could not stand it after being exhausted from the lack of sleep the previous 2 nights. I worked from home on Friday hoping that will help. To avoid the pain of getting up and down, I would literally wheel myself around in a chair. It worked for awhile but eventually I had to walk to the restroom and about fell down from the shock of discomfort (some would say pain). I called the doctor immediately cause I wasn't alarmed I was going into labor because I knew they weren't contractions...but I also didn't know what they were and wanted to get rid of whatever this was. The nurse told me she believes that my baby is getting too big for my body to handle and I was directed to stay off my feet as much as possible and buy a maternity belt for support. So, I can't wait for my appointment next Thursda