Victoria received an epidural about 45 minutes ago and is relaxing now. We both are sitting here with the lights off, sun shining through the opened blinds, and music playing on Pandora.
Very relaxing and a big change from 1 hour ago. She was having some severe contractions thus the request for the epidural. She didn’t have the problems she had during Connor’s delivery with getting the epidural. Her blood pressure is great now and Jacob’s heart rate in a steady 135-145. Again that is something different from Connor’s labor. He had decels quite a bit and Victoria’s blood pressure was sky high (she had to be put on anti-seizure medicine that time).
Connor is doing fine with Grandma…Mimi and Papa will be heading up here this evening…and we all are waiting on Jacob (probably tonight or early tomorrow morning).
Listen to him “knock” on Mommy’s tummy and watch her tummy move a little bit. It was amazing…he did this for about 5 minutes today. I guess that was his way of saying…I am coming!
On Sunday around 1am (Aug 15, 2010), Victoria’s water broke. We didn’t realize it at the time, so we went back to bed. She got up about every 30-45 mins after saying she had to urinate. Later that morning we looked online to see if possibly it was from her water breaking. So many opinions online, so we called the doctor after consulting with Mimi (and Aunt Sandy). He suggested we head to the hospital to have them check it out.
So nearly 11 hours after it broke, we wandered into the hospital. (After taking showers and getting Connor packed and off with Grandma.)
Victoria was having regular contractions of about 30-45 seconds spread out by 3-4 minutes for about 5 hours on Sunday. Then around 8pm they stopped. This was soon after she got her dinner…so maybe Jacob was just hungry.
The night was uneventful except for her going to the bathroom every 2 hours. The sleeping arrangements were not ideal, but again this is a hospital.
Victoria had pancakes and eggs for breakfast (her last meal until Jacob is delivered). The doctor came in around 11am today and told us since Victoria is at 35 weeks, it is best to start labor to minimize the risk of infection. Usually they say if the mother’s water breaks that they should deliver within 24 hours. But we found out that is not always the case, so mother’s can go weeks after their water breaks.
At 12pm they started pitocin and put Victoria on antibiotics due to limit the risk of infection.
Victoria’s blood pressure has been great and she seems to look and feel better than when she had Connor.
We are expecting Jacob sometime tonight or early tomorrow…
I finished Connor’s swingset this weekend. I put together his rockwall and with a little help was able to attach it to his swingset. This evening was the first time he had an opportunity to climb on it and quickly got the hang of it.
He did fall once, but that was because “the monster” was chasing him up it. Ok…maybe not the smartest idea. I will let him get a little skilled at it before we play “the monster is gonna get you”.
We’ve started potty training Connor…or I should say he has started potty training himself. Over the past couple of weeks he has started to show an interest and has been dry when waking up from naps and after going to bed. So for the last week, he has been wearing “big boy pants” (underwear) around the house. He has been doing pretty good. He definitely lets US know that he doesn’t want US telling him when we HE has to go potty.
Mommy or Daddy: “Connor, do you have to go potty?”
Connor: “No.”
Mommy or Daddy: “Connor, I think you need to go potty.”
Connor: “Not yet.”
Mommy or Daddy: “Ok.”
About 5 minutes later…
Connor: [Pauses for a second and then starts to run towards the bathroom.] “I have to go potty.”
Mommy or Daddy: “Great…let’s go.”
He goes and tells us: “Look, I go potty.”
We give him a lot of praise, kisses, and hugs…then we empty it into the “big potty”. Connor flushes it and then we wash our hands.
So far, so good. A couple of accidents but he is really taking to it.
Over the past week or so, Victoria has said that she has felt Jacob being quite active. Said it feels like a snake slithering inside of her belly. We noticed for the past 3-4 weeks we have felt his something hard (presumably his head) on her right side up near the rib cage. A few days ago we started to feel something long and semi-hard which I guessed it was his back and that his head was down. The doctor confirmed that yesterday.
So much like Connor, Jacob has moved into the head down position around the 32 week mark. This post indicates Connor moved around this same time.
Everything else is going great and Mommy is taking naps when Connor lets her.
Connor is getting prepared for his new brother as we have been reading him “I’m a Big Brother” to him each night before bed. He especially likes the part of “it is time to change the baby’s diaper”.
Here is an email sent from Grandma to Uncle Danny (I was CCed) explaining to him how Daddy and Connor’s most recent visit to Grandma’s house went.
Enjoy.
Danny,
Connor was so cute yesterday. He and Donnie came over for dinner and he comes strutting in like it is his house.
They were no sooner in the house (still in the hallway) and Connor starts saying that “Daddy needs to go home”. Donnie and I were laughing. So finally we convince him it is OK for Daddy to stay and play for awhile. So eventually it is dinner time and we are all at the table. Donnie was trying to have a conversation with me and Connor was getting annoyed with Donnie talking to me. He points to Donnie and says, “no, Daddy” several times. He wasn’t very happy. He then decides to get my attention back by leaning over toward me and saying, “Hi, Grandma” and giving me his cute smile with his head tilted. He then directs my attention to his toe and then the rest of them just trying to keep my attention and prevent me from talking to Donnie. When I start talking to Donnie again, he wants my hand so he can lay his head on it and pat my hand. He was so funny! He did not want me to share my attention with anyone but him.
Victoria and I had a date night tonight, so Connor spent the night at Grandma’s house.
When Connor and I pulled up at Grandma’s house, she came outside to meet us (him) like normal. As I finally brought the car to a stop, Connor starts clapping his hands in the back seat and saying, “I’M SO EXCITED! I’M SO EXCITED!” (Yeah, yeah…I know. Your Grandma is here to “take you away”.)
So we go through the normal routine of Connor showing Grandma all of his boo-boo’s and explains how he got them. Sometimes I think he does this just so he can “tell on his parents”. Of course Grandma just eats it up and loves it — laughing the entire time.
After bringing in all of his clothes and “luggage”, Grandma turns to Connor and says, “Are you ready to play with play-doh?”
Connor says, “Yes.”
Grandma turns to me and says, “Are you leaving?”
I shake my head yes and say, “I am going to put my shoes on.”
Off to the front door I go, to gather my shoes, and get ready for my exit. (Now I hadn’t even given my son a proper good bye yet.)
From the other room Connor says, “Daddy wait…give me a kiss.”
(Yes, he still loves me and doesn’t want me to leave.)
He comes running in gives me a kiss, turns around and starts running back into the kitchen and says, “Bye.”
(What?!!?!?!? Someone please tell me what happened????)
Grandma starts laughing and I say, “Bye…I won’t let the door slam on me when I leave.”
I finish putting my shoes on and go back into the kitchen. Grandma says (trying to make me feel better), “Let’s walk Daddy to the door and say good-bye.”
Connor says, “Ok” and off to the front door the three of us went.
He gave me another kiss and big hug and says, “Bye”.
Then he starts to grab the door and position himself so that he can shut it as soon as I leave.
I open the screen door and start exiting and next thing I know, the house door is almost shut and Connor says, “Bye”. (Door shut.)
I start laughing and I can hear a faint laugh coming from Grandma inside the house. (She just loves moments like this.)
Boy, we have come a long way from the 9 month old that did not want to be out of our sight.
Sleep well Connor and I will see you in the morning (and I am sure you will pitch a fit when I pick you up).
Love,
Daddy
