Guest blogging on being a working mother at E, Myself & I

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A Time for Transition

So I am 11 weeks into my 12 week maternity leave....you do the math.   Am I ready?  Yes and no.   Yes I do miss being tied to the global economic engine and having a reason to read the Wall Street Journal every day and yes I enjoy having my paycheck for our family!  On the flip side I am enjoying managing my household at a calmer more even pace, letting things go until tomorrow knowing there is time to accomplish an errand or task the next day and going to the grocery for 3 small trips a week vs 1 huge stockup trip each week. I have also cherished my time with Baby E getting to hug and kiss on her as much each day as I want....but lets face it, babies sleep a lot so I guess I am not needed with her every hour of every day.  

I have been down this road before and I know we will figure it out so here's to not worrying about tomorrow until it comes.

In the spirit of living for today I will share some of the joyous weekend we enjoyed here in SW Virginia. It's apple season, so we attempted to go apple picking.  Apparently it hasn't been a good year here for apples.  All these beautiful looking fruits have tiny little holes all over them.  Despite scouring many trees we physically picked only 4 good apples.  We filled our bags instead with "pre-picked" apples from a bin to make a pie, apple crisp and cooked apples. This kids really enjoyed the cooking, I was pleasantly suprised at their interest and attention span for the baking.  

We took the van off-road....this disturbed the kids.  Apparently they spend too much time on pavement!

Beautiful C in beautiful Botetourt County. She wanted to have her picnic in the car where it was more comfortable....oh boy!

I can't remember what he was doing but this is pretty funny....and typical B behavior.

We also enjoyed lots of backyard time this weekend, Ed and I got a partial date night Friday night(Baby E was in tow) and we enjoyed some good times with our neighbors this evening.  I am going to try and keep my mind in a spirit of Thanksgiving this week; thankful for what the time I have been given and thankful for the opportunity to live my life as a working mother of 3!  I'll try to keep you posted on how it goes....no promises :)  Now to work on my goal of being in bed by 10pm.....

A Summer Like None Other

For the working mothers out there I strongly recommend having a baby in the summer.  Maternity leave in July, August, September is much more fun than Oct, Dec, Jan and Feb.  I feel like I have been given a glimpse into a life that I don't typically experience.  

Although most weeks I have had the "big kids" in childcare of some form, the past week we have been 3 kids under 5 vs. mommy 1 on 1.  I was really enjoying myself the first 3 days but I seem to be running out of steam for breaking up fights and entertaining this crew with an infant in tow.  This long weekend and a slightly injured hubby has me looking forward to the official start of our school year and Baby E and I having some time just to ourselves again tomorrow.  

That being said, I have gotten to have a number of experiences with and without my kiddos I wouldn't have otherwise or would have packed into a quick Saturday along with grocery shopping, laundry, and other errands.  I have made memories with them that they will likely forget but I will cherish.

Pools, parks, rivers and bikes have been our favorites along with a super fun visit from our West Coast cousins.  We have taken so many trips to the pool that the kids are sick of it and prefer the library!!!! Some of our experiences aren't elaborate they are just moments in our home watching B and C be themselves making forts, pretending we are driving a fire engine, talking endlessly about birthday parties, backyard camping, holding B's hands as he settles for his nap, planning(perhaps not executing) more elaborate dinners than we typically enjoy, hanging out in the bathroom with B(I think we have finally nailed the potty use), watching the kids shriek with joy when their sister holds their finger and taking time to fix C's hair each morning.

  

I am not forgetting the precious moments I am having with Baby E; at 2 months she is smiling and cooing at us now which we all delight in.  It is just that these moments with the "big kids" are not ones I typically get to enjoy in such frequency and I am soaking up watching them enjoy and explore their outdoor world.  I have about 4 weeks before heading back to the rat race; I think I'll be emotionally ready when it comes but either way I am extremely grateful for more things than I can list here; healthy children, a roof over my head, a beautiful city to enjoy, this time with my children,  a wonderful husband, and the grace of God that will forgive me in what my earthly mind will see as my personal shortcomings in the months ahead. 

Happy Labor Day! 

Fun with the Lolos

 

If you didn't know Lolo and Lola is Tagalong(language spoken in the Philippines) for Grandmother and Grandfather.  We have enjoyed having our Lolos here with us in VA for about 3 weeks to play with the kids and welcome Baby E into the world.

We didn't leave the house much as an entire family but the "big kids" took a lot of trips to McDonalds and Chik-Fil-A after morning camps and spent a lot of time in their play lands.  The kids also enjoyed being spoiled with candy and gifts while Ed and I were spoiled with wonderful home cooked meals every evening. Here are some pics of our fun times.

Getting their Cracker Barrel fix!

Getting their hourly candy fix!

A trip to the top of Mill Mountain to visit the star...a must do for any Roanoke tourist

Trying Halo Halo made with our new ice shaver

Shaving ice with Lolo

 This past Saturday we went to a cool event called "Touch a Truck" at Green Hill Park.  You could climb in around on on a number of pieces of heavy equipment.  The highlight is "firemans foam" modeled by B below.  It was a big fenced in area packed full of foam bubbles.  B loved it, C did not !  The kids had a blast climbing in the hospital trauma helicopter, getting a firemans hat, climbing in the fire truck, and trying out a school bus.
 

My kid is in here somewhere!!

This helicopter was taking off and landing just above us when Baby E was being born.  It felt like we were in  a Bourne movie when we would see the helicopter drop off the top of the hospital from our window.

If there's a pink firehat to be found C will find it !!

A Table for Five

So we are getting used to life as a family of five; it is doable but right now the adults outnumber the children by 1 so we'll see how things go once our wonderful in-law help has departed!

 After leaving the hospital on July 2nd we tried going to our house that was still without power and enduring day 3 of 100 degree temperatures. We quickly realized it wasn't good for baby E to be there without any temperature control.  It was really a blessing that my parents had already gotten a reservation at an extended stay hotel in town in anticipation of E's birth.  So after a brief homecoming and introduction to her home, Ed packed up our pack n play and he, Evelyn and I headed to the hotel to wait out the restoration of power by Appalachian Power(a very unimpressive display of service may I add).  At this point I was an emotional wreck and really didn't want my family to be separated at the time we were supposed to be celebrating, but so it goes sometimes.  Despite the tears, E and I  were able to rest and heal and Ed was able to continue working from the hotel.

B telling Abbie that he has a baby sister

July 4th is typically a big blowout holiday on our street so we came back over to our house to check on the status of the festivities to learn that everything had been cancelled due to the lack of power.  Our entire street was still out and most people had abandoned their homes for ones with power wherever that may be.  Just as I had settled into the rocker in E's nursery for the first time to feed her I heard a hum and the power had been restored!!!  We had been told that Roanoke wouldn't be completely restored until Saturday so I was thrilled we could move back home and start our lives together as a family of five!

Surviving the heat on July 4

Trying to stay cool with Great-Mamaw Counts

This isn't a headlock....its love!

So on July 4th we had our second homecoming; this time to a much cooler house and to C's disappointment watched fireworks on TV vs the on-street display.

All in all the experience is a good memory now and something we will never forget.  I am certain my parents will not; they were champs to suffer through 5 nights in a house without power babysitting a 4 yr old and 2 yr old while scavenging daily for ice and entertainment.

As you can see the kids are having a great time with the grandparents; here are a few shots of the fun and culinary delights we are enjoying!!

Fishing with my grand-dads....C chose school over fishing.  Not a shocker for those that know her!

Enjoying crab caught by Lolo!

Miss E is a good baby, she sleeps and eats well especially at night!  We have been fighting a low level of jaundice for the past 3 weeks which doesn't require photo therapy but we are alternating breast milk with formula to see if we can get her bilirubin level to drop, we pray this takes care of it and prevents our weekly Dr trip and blood test!

Out with the lights in with a life: Part II

Birth Story Part II

Disclaimer: Lack of pictures below to prevent my own embarrassment as well as yours :)

The drama of the prior nights storms was evident as we drove to triage on Saturday morning.  There were trees down(most had been cleared out of the roadways), mobile service was spotty, no stoplights were working....not even blinking yellow or red, and leaves and limbs were all over the 2 mile drive to the hospital.      I was elated to find that my preferred doc, Andrea Cobb, was on call and I think that gave me some sense that today would be the day.

Once admitted we were lead to our room which had an incredible view of the valley from the 13th(yes, you read that right) floor.  I settled onto a birthing ball and started texting friends in excitation but in relative comfort breathing through the contractions.  After about 2 hours Dr Cobb checked me again and despite things getting more intense I wasn't progressing very quickly only 1'' dilation in 2 hrs.  Knowing I shouldn't have any pitocin and wanting to get on with things we agreed she should break my water.  To quote my nurse(who actually is a trained midwife and was awesome!): "you aren't going to feel quite as comfortable now".  Boy was that an understatement!  As soon as I stood back up I had 3-4 contractions back to back that were in a different ballpark vs where I had been prior.  After about 15 minutes of that I had progressed to 7cm but couldn't use any breathing techniques to handle the pain; I called for the epidural.

Now I am not sure what side of the hospital the anithesiologist (for my Roanoke friends it wasn't one I knew) was on or if my internal clock was broken but it felt like it took him 30 mins to show up while I was writhing in pain. At the time I was disappointed with myself for not hanging in there naturally.  My midwife said it could be over in 15 mins or 4 hours so I assumed some relief was needed if it was the latter of those two options.  Honestly friends that was the best choice I made; I went into the final part of labor rested, calm, and able to enjoy birth.  Initially I was concerned about the epidural slowing down my labor and needing pitocin to get it going again which would have increased my risk for the uterine rupture...and thus a C-section.  In hindsight you have to make the right choice for you in the moment; being closed minded about how your body will react to birth is a setup for disappointment.

The epidural and IV narcotic allowed me to rest in relative comfort for about 2 hours while my body finished its job.  Dr Cobb and Tammy came in and declared me ready to have a baby at 4pm.  I was honestly shocked....really that quickly we were ready to have our little girl here??  Everyone suited up (Ed included), i pushed about 4 times and she was here.  Ed got to help Dr Cobb deliver her; he is hoping she is a Daddys girl due to his participation in her birth.

This was seconds after her birth laying on my belly; precious moments!

It really was a beautiful experience and I am so glad I was able to experience birth in this way.  It really wasn't that hard, but I can't imagine going any further than I did without the aid of drugs!  Kuddos go to Dr. Cobb and nurse Tammy.  At no point did they pressure me to do anything I did not want to do.  No one offered me drugs they only informed me of my choice while I was still sane enough to understand my choices, no one gave me a timeline for when I needed to have labor complete and they were as delighted as I was were were successful at the VBAC.

God is perfect in his timing; he knew the right moment for Evelyn to enter the world and he made sure the right staff was there to support me in a beautiful way.  I couldn't be happier friends.

On with the rest of life.....we are being discharged in minutes and I don't think we have power still.  Luckily my parents already had a extended stay hotel reserved so if things seem to rough at home with and infant and no power we have an out!  I really want my family to be all together at this exciting time but we'll roll with the punches on this one....I'll take the beautiful birth above instead :)

Out with the lights and in with a life: Part I

Wow, what a post this is.  Honestly it is a novel but I am not a writer so I will spare you!  But I will try and share the craziness that has occured in our lives in the past 2 weeks.  I'll break it into 2 else I may never get it completed.

Let me start with the vital and most imporant piece.   On Saturday June 30th we welcomed into our family Evelyn Pearl Gloria at 4:30 pm.  She weighed 7 lbs 7 oz and is 20 in long.  Praise God, she and mom are both healthy and E is beautiful(go ahead accuse me of bias!!).  She looks very similar to her sister C when she was born. The pictures don't all show the hearty amount of black hair Miss E is sporting but it's there!

Some significant aspects of her arrival: 

1) June 30 is a shared birthday in the Gloria clan: Ed's brother Alex's birthday, Ed's paternal grandfather's birthday and a paternal Aunt's birthday; 4 generations of Gloria's sharing 1 birthday.  It is also my Aunt Ruth's birthday.  Pretty cool eh? 
2) Evelyn's middle name is shared with her Great Nanny, Nancy Pearl Moore pictured below. 

Evelyn Pearl(in utero) with Nancy Pearl in June '12

Our first family photo we are 5 now!!

C has been so excited to have a baby sister.  Every night she has been kissing and hugging her baby sister goodnight in my belly.  She and B I am told sang Evelyn happy birthday at top volume yesterday upon hearing the news. 

This is all joy, we didn't have to tell her to smile!



 As for big brother we have all been skeptical as to his reaction.  Thus far he likes the baby and likes to describe what the baby is doing: crying, sleeping, eating etc.....  All in all I think he will intend to be gentle with his sister but there is no properly harnessing the energy of a 2 1/2 yr old boy sometimes!! 

 The Birth Story Part I

My delivery history involved 2 cesearians for breech babies but with both of these events (seperate dramatic stories unto themselves) my body did go into labor making me a good(not excellent due to 2 C-sections vs only 1) candidate for VBAC(Vaginal Birth After Ceasearian).  I really did not want to deal with the healing time, risk of major abdominal surgery, and lack of mobility post birth that a C-section results in.  I also just wanted to experience birth....the typical way.  I was honestly a little scared of this just because it was the unknown....

Due to my history I was not able to have any interventions(aka pitocin) to speed up labor, make it consistent, etc.  I also had to report to the hospital to be put on monitors once labor had begun(vs labor as long as possible at home) to ensure my utereus was holding together.  All in all I thought I was in labor 3 times; luckily we only went to the hospital for 2 of those three incidents. I got very familiar with how to check in through the ER; even the transport guy recognized me this past time :)

So this past Friday 6/29 I had been experiencing contractions, intense yet irregular overall, for almost 24 hours and we had almost gone to the hospital the prior night yet the progress had slowed so I "slept on it".  After consulting the nurse Friday morning we reported to Triage to ensure baby was fine and to see if I was in labor.  After 4 hours of monitoring, 1 hr of hall walking and only 1 cm progression from Dr's visit the day prior we were released from Triage.  The waiting game continued.  The hardest part was not knowing if I would be having a baby in days or in hours....it is really difficult to plan life around such an unknown. 

Sooo Friday night my parents took the kids to the Salem Red Sox game and Ed and I stayed home and rented a movie.   Our lights started flickering around 10pm,  we thought we were pulling too much power because Friday had been a 100degree day so we started going around turning off AC units, fans, and computers when we noticed the wind whipping outside like never before.  Ed pulled up the radar right when the power went out but we saw enough to know it was time to head to the basement(we actually have a seperate canning cellar in our basement we can use as a storm shelter). My 83 year old paternal grandmother has been staying with us along with my parents since the false labor the prior week and she had already gone to bed upstairs for the night.   As Ed found the flashlights I went upstairs to get "mammaw" and with the aid of her cane, my 9 mo pregnant body and Ed lighting the way we found our way to the basement cellar to wait out the storm sitting on buckets and coolers.  Meanwhile my parents at the baseball game had been evacuated to the underground tunnel at Lewis-Gale Field to wait out the storm with 2 very frightened kiddos.

The storm passed very quickly but it was super intense; it is reported this storm packed record winds in excess of any hurricanes reported in VA. Needless to say we didn't get power back and almost 50% of the state is still without power 3 nights later including most of Roanoke and surrounding areas. We were all re-united safely but lacking AC or fans making for a hot difficult to sleep night especially for this pregnant mama.

I slept on the couch downstairs just becasue it was cooler than our 2nd floor bedroom; but I think the uncomfortable situation made my contractions regulate and strengthen.  Saturday morning after breakfast around 9:30 we headed back to the hospital and were admitted meaning we weren't leaving without a baby!