Busy Week

We've had quite an eventful week full of lots of "first" outings for Jack. The good news is that we've survived all of them and are all still in one piece, despite some frazzled nerves and tears (at least on my part & Jack's).

On Monday night, we went out to dinner at one of our favorite Italian restaurants, Tutto Benne. We were accompanied by Sarah Jane (Mick's sister) and my mom. Thankfully, Jack slept through the entire meal and only started to fuss when we got the check. Maybe he thought the meal should have been on the house?



Tuesday, my mom packed up to leave after having spent 5 weeks with me. To say that it was tough to see her go is a tremendous understatement. I cannot begin to put into words how wonderful it was to have her here, both for me and for Jack (and maybe even for Mick, too.). We are counting down the days (14) until we are in Michigan for our next visit and are able to introduce Jack to the rest of my family.



On Wednesday, I gave Jack a bath entirely by myself. This was a huge accomplishment for me as this has been the one task I've been most nervous about; babies are so slippery when wet! My mom gave me a good tip though to use warmer water than I had been using when she helped me with his baths. She was right: he liked the warmer water and didn't cry at all. Phew! I also took Jack into Mick's office for family day. Jack and I made it in one piece. We were both dressed and clean. These days, that's a big accomplishment for us.



Today, Jack took a long enough morning nap to allow me & Sarah Jane to go to the salon for some pampering while Mick, who was working from home, remained on standby should Jack have a meltdown.

Sarah Jane leaves tomorrow and so it will be my first day alone with Jack. I am a little anxious about how that will go but am looking forward to a three-day weekend with Mick, Jack, and Shergar -- our first time on our own as our new family.

First Unscheduled Visit to Pediatrician

What an eventful morning we had! I noticed a funny (read: disgusting) smell coming from Jack and also noticed that his belly button area was moist. His umbilical cord hadn't fallen off yet (it usually comes off between 7 and 14 days after birth) and it didn't look the way it had for the past week.

I called the pediatrician (after referring to him as "the vet"... I guess that will take some getting used to!) and was told that I should bring Jack in right away. My mom and I had to step into high gear, figuring out how to get Jack's car seat into the spare car (Mick was at the airport with our Jeep) and driving to the doctor's.

We found out a few interesting things about Jack:

• His umbilical cord is not yet infected, though we do need to start treating it with rubbing alcohol to make sure it dries back up.
• It is not neglectful for me to keep him just in a diaper because he keeps getting so hot (too hot even for a onesie). The doctor said it's very possible that he's acquired his dad's tendency to always run warm. He's also probably getting hot and clammy due to my pregnancy hormones.
• Despite my concerns that Jack isn't feeding the way I learned he should when I attended all of my breastfeeding classes, he is doing more than fine. Most babies gain 1 oz per day when they are being breastfed. Jack has gained 2 oz per day since his appointment on Monday and is now up to 9 lbs, 8 1/2 oz. What a little overachiever!

It was a big relief to us that Jack checked out well. My mom was actually much more worried than she let on to me (and boy am I glad she didn't tell me what she was thinking could be wrong with Jack; it would have sent me over the edge!). All's well that ends well.

Lots of Jack Photos!

I have finally found a bit of time to upload a bunch of pictures of Jack to our Snapfish photo album. They may be found here. Let me know if you need the room code. Enjoy!

(This photo was taken about 10 minutes after Jack finished eating. He looks pretty satisfied, huh? At this rate, he'll weigh 20 pounds by his 3-month checkup!)

All is Quiet on the Western Front

Jack is one week old today and continues to amaze all of us just by doing basic baby things. Of course, we all think he's smart ("look at how alert he his!", "he's holding his head up; he is so strong!", "he is tracking and focusing already!") and good looking.

I am growing more and more confident every day and am learning to just trust my instincts as, so far, they've been dead on. Thanks to a suggestion from my brother, Andy, I dressed Jack a bit differently last night and he slept solidly from 1:30 am until 7:15 am when I woke him up to feed him! Being rested has made such a difference to me today; I almost feel like my old self.

My emotions have remained relatively under control -- I don't think one set of tears per day is anything out of the ordinary, especially when I'm still on two different pain killers. My most embarrassing breakdown so far came on Sunday evening when I couldn't find the hospital bands that Jack, Mick, and I wore until we were discharged. I ripped apart the house, accused Mick of throwing them out, and then asked my mom to help me dig through the garbage (which was completely full) to find the wristbands. My poor mom dumped the heavy garbage can in our driveway, dug through all of the yard waste that Mick had just put in there, and struggled to pull out the 4 bags of garbage that were at the bottom of the can. Then, she patiently sorted through each of the bags of trash while I stood weeping in the driveway and insisting that the bands must have been thrown out.

After sorting through all of the indoor & outdoor trash, I started thinking about our discharge and I remembered the nurse saying that she needed to staple our bands to a hospital form that would be put in Jack's chart. As we sat down for dinner, I said to Mick "I'm so sorry, I think I made a mistake." I explained that maybe the bands didn't come home with us (despite my earlier insistence that they had) and that we should call the hospital on Monday. Mick did just that and the nurses confirmed that all hospital bands remain at the hospital. Oops.

Other than that snafu, I think things have gone very well. The grandparents -- four of whom are here right now -- think Jack is just swell. I have told my dad that he gets Jack priority when we're in MI in September as he still hasn't been able to meet the little guy. I am so thankful for all of the help I've received these last few days. Not having to think about cooking and cleaning is such a relief. Plus, having a chauffeur (I cannot drive until I am off pain meds) has been incredibly helpful.

I still haven't posted pictures to our Snapfish album but will be sure to post an update here when I do!

Oh, and in other exciting baby news, Jack had a cousin born 2 days after him: Deagan James Klimek (Andy & Sarah's son) arrived on August 15 after just three pushes! He was only one day past his due date and weighed in at 9 lbs, 10 oz and 20 inches long. Big brother Marcus is being a big help though Andy said he still doesn't have the "wash your hands before you give Deagan your finger to suck on" rule internalized. We are looking forward to introducing the babies to each other in September.

Home on the...um...Range

Jack arrived home on Saturday afternoon and has adapted well to his new surroundings. With a multitude of family in tow, he fills his time with demanding activities such as being held, sleeping, eating, looking around, being held, eating, sleeping, being held, and...every so often...looking around some more.

We've learned a lot about his patterns and behaviors; the sound of the ocean (emitting from a woolly sheep) relaxes him, rides in the car seat put him to sleep, and his arms and legs are remarkably powerful.

He got his first look at a pediatrician's office yesterday; thankfully, all checked out well and he continues to gain weight, height, color, and hair.

Otherwise, he's a little miffed that he didnt win the baby pool, but expects to mount a strong campaign for the "Number of Times Each Day Someone Will Say 'He's TOO Cute!'" pool. Not sure how he paid his entry fee though....

The Details

I have just finished reading through all of the emails we have received over the past two days and it is an understatement to say that I am overwhelmed. Thank you all for your kind wishes and congratulations; it is really special to know that so many people share in our pride and excitement over Jack's birth.

A number of you have written to me asking for birth details (I think it's safe to say that all of these questions have come from women!). I don't see myself having time to provide those details to everyone individually, so I here provide the timeline of how the labor played out. Feel free to skip this post entirely as it's nowhere near as brief or witty as Mick's posts.

Tues, 5 pm: Receive Cervidil to help prepare my body for the induction.

Wed, 7 am: Begin receiving Pitocin -- am dilated to 3 cm.

Wed, 7 am - 12 noon: Labor is endurable, played cards with Mick & my mom, contractions pick up but I still am able to manage w/out an epidural (as I wished).

Wed, 12 noon: Water is broken -- am dilated to 4 cm.

Wed, 12 noon - 4:30 pm: Labor picks up dramatically in intensity. I continue laboring with no epidural, fully due to the support I received from Mick and my mom (both of whom were fantastic and who, thankfully, were not offended when I snapped at them for rubbing my back or breathing with me). By 4:00, my midwife was sure I was in the transition stage of labor (8cm - 10 cm) because of the way I was reacting to the strength and frequency of contractions. I was kind of in a zone -- shivering/shaking, vomiting, moaning, etc. The pain was intense but I was so proud of myself that I was still without an epidural. My nurse was fantastic; she told me pre-labor that she had 3 kids, all born via Pitocin induction, and that she did not have an epidural for any of them. She was truly my inspiration throughout labor as so many people had scoffed at my goal of having an epidural-free labor with Pitocin.

4:30 pm: Midwife checks me -- she is shocked (as am I) that I have only progressed about 1/2 cm in 4 1/2 hours, particularly given the intensity of my contractions. She tells Mick & I (though I am barely aware of what she's saying b/c I am gripping the bed rails and trying not to give up) that we have 2 options because she thinks the baby's head is too big for my pelvis. We could either keep laboring for a few more hours and see if the baby progressed (which she doubted because my cervix was starting to swell, which is an indication that the baby's head won't descend through the birth canal) or we could have a c-section.

4:35 pm: Mick and I decide to do a c-section so the baby won't be stressed any more than he already has been. Mick is given scrubs, I am told that the anesthesiologists are being called for an epidural.

4:45 pm (approx): Suddenly, everyone is running around and hollering at each other (by everyone I mean the medical team) and my bed is being raced down the hall. I am zoomed into the OR and I hear the OBGYN screaming into the phone that she needs the anesthesiologists NOW because she has fetal distress with a heartbeat of 105 and if she doesn't have anesthesia in 1 minute she is going to call a code. I am alone in the OR with no sign of Mick and all I could focus on was the frenzied pace around me. No one was talking to me and telling me things would be okay. The doctors were not reserving their concern for hushed conversations with each other; they were being VERY vocal about the severity of the situation. Within about 2 minutes, I was being told to breathe deeply as there was no time for an epidural or c-section and that I was going to need a general anesthetic. I was so scared I cannot put it into words. Mick wasn't there to hold my hand - no one was. The last thought I had was that I could very well wake up without a baby. In the meantime, Mick -- in his scrubs -- and my mom were left standing in the hallway with little idea of what had happened so quickly and why Mick wasn't being invited in to the OR.

4:58 pm: Jack William Collins is born and is healthy (Apgar scores of 8 and 9 on a 10-point scale).

7:00 pm: I wake up in recovery and immediately ask if the baby is okay, followed by saying "Oh, crap! He hasn't eaten yet. He must be starving. Bring him to me so I can feed him." (I don't remember any of this -- I was very out of it and have been told I was saying some pretty funny things as I came out of the anesthesia.)

So, that's how the whole thing played out. Obviously, this was the exact opposite of what I had prepared for with the Lamaze, birth plan, and midwife. What was especially jarring about the situation was the span of time in which things moved from a "we should do something in the next few hours" situation to an absolute emergency. Fewer than 15 minutes after I was rushed out of my room, Jack was born. I was told post-delivery that the doctors used staples rather than stitches on me b/c they had no time to sterilize anything because it was such an emergency; should I get an infection, it will be easier to manage with staples than with stitches.

These last few days have been tough for me due to the way Jack was born. It was especially hard for me yesterday as I felt as if I was never going to bond with Jack. I didn't have that moment when I saw my child born, when I looked at my husband and cried as I learned we had a healthy son. Instead, I woke up and there was a baby next to me that people told me was my son. Everything I dreamed about -- delivering Jack, hearing the midwife announce whether we had a boy or girl, looking into Mick's eyes and knowing we had created this little person -- did not happen.

Fortunately, Mick has been patient with my roller-coaster emotions and I am pleased to say that I fell in love last night with Jack. I just needed a little time to feel like he really was mine.

I am about to head off to bed, but am anxiously awaiting Jack's next feeding so I can look at him with that sense of overwhelming love and awe and that I have never known before.

24

A little more than 1 day into Jack's life and he's doing very well, feeding at regular intervals and sleeping a good amount. In fact, when he's not eating, he is very content to get swaddled, lie back, and watch the world go by. So far, he's a pretty peaceful child.

Kelly is getting better and better but will stay in the hospital a few more days to rest. She's been walking around the halls and her appetite has returned. We had our Celebration Dinner last night, a specially prepared smorgasboard of overcooked beef, underseasoned broccoli, and sparkling cider (which we dumped in favor of champagne).

Overall though, the hospital staff have been fantastic and we couldn't ask for more in terms of the post-partum ward--everything is brand new and our room is massive.

Kelly will be home sometime this weekend and primed for sushi and more champagne.

Welcome to the World

After a long, long day, Jack William Collins was born at 4:58pm EDT. He weighed a whopping 9 pounds 2 ounces and measured 21 inches in length, suggesting that he’ll be an NFL star after he finishes his Economics PhD at Princeton.

Both mother and baby are doing well and safely resting for the evening. Jack has a healthy set of lungs and voracious appetite. Attached is a photo of Jack minutes after his entry into the world.

Thanks to everyone for their good wishes and messages of support.

Ready, Steady, Go!

We had our final check-in with Karen, our midwife, this morning. In routine tests, the baby's heartrate was strong, but its movement a little sluggish (like Shergar, the baby tends to sleep all morning and become active towards the late afternoon).

As a precaution, Karen recommended an additional set of tests, one of which found that the fluid surrounding the baby was at a lower level than would be ideal. It was decided that Kelly should be admitted to the labor and delivery unit today instead of tomorrow.

Mary and I spent the day with Kelly as she checked in, got hooked up to various monitors and IVs, and settled down for the night. We will return in the morning to prepare for Kelly to be induced with Pitocin. She is doing remarkably well and is in good spirits.

After many months of waiting, we should soon be parents. Tomorrow will be a climactic day.

Tired of Waiting

Well, it's now 11 days past my due date, but I'm still not officially "overdue." However, I am definitely ready to have this baby! I am really ready to meet our little one and to see whether he or she has Shergar's mouth (as Mick predicted from an early ultrasound). Also, while I've really hated to complain about the aches and pains associated with pregnancy (aside from the two rounds of PUPPPs, which really did test me), I am now at the point where I just don't think I can take many more nights of hip pain or many more days of hobbling around wherever I walk. But, as I keep reminding myself, if the baby needs a few more days before it's ready to meet all of us, that's okay. Maybe it's taking after its mum (I was 3 1/2 weeks overdue).

I had this song in my head last night as I was trying to fall asleep and it made me smile when I thought of it again today. Truer words have never been spoken!

Thanks to everyone for your support, kind words, and encouragement. Hopefully it won't be much longer!

It's a....

...beautiful day here in DC; with lower humidity and hazy skies, the weather is perfect for walking the dog, relaxing on the porch, or just hanging out with friends. But I digress...

We have decided to give ourselves more time for a natural delivery and have pushed back the date for induction to next Wednesday, the 13th.

In the meantime, we have our fingers crossed that labor will commence in the next few days.

Nesting - Everybody's Doing It

Sunday night here and I'm still VERY pregnant. No sign yet of Baby Collins' arrival. We are all just waiting and hoping that the baby decides to make an appearance before I have to be induced on Thursday morning.

My dad arrived on Tuesday night and he and my mom have been extremely busy cleaning every corner of the house, helping with fix-it projects, cooking, and running errands. Here's a picture of my dad using the carpet cleaner; my mom had just finished cleaning the upholstery on both sofas (they don't screw around when they clean!)


On Friday, I read that heavy cleaning often brings on labor. So I joined in with everyone else and cleaned both sides of all the doors in the house with Murphy's Oil Soap. It smelled good and made everything look much nicer.


(While there are no pictures of Mick & my mom, it doesn't mean they haven't been busy around the house; they're just a bit more camera shy.)

I am doing everything I can to encourage the baby to be born: walking, swimming lots of laps, drinking special tea, having acupuncture, trying not to think about it, etc. I think this is probably the first of many times as a parent that I will realize I'm not in control when it comes to my child.

We will keep everyone posted on what's happening. I'm sure a flurry of emails will go around once the baby arrives!

(Note: I think I have figured out how to link to the photos in our Snapfish album. Go to the right side of this page and click on "Photo Album" under "Collins' Links." You may need a room code to access our photos. Just email me (kellyklimek@hotmail.com) or Mick (mickjcollins@hotmail.com) and we'll send it to you. I have added the pictures from my baby shower to the albums.)