Thursday, October 21, 2010
Camden's New Toy
After majoring in Sociology in college, and learning a great deal about gender roles and gender issues in society, I vowed I would never force gender stereotypes on my children. I thought I would be anti-blue/pink in dressing my children, but I have to admit, I love finding cute little boy clothes for my boys and it's nearly impossible to avoid the color blue! I've softened my opinion in that area, but I still really want to be conscious about not placing my boys in certain activities based solely on their gender rather than what their interests are. If Camden wants to take gymnastics or dance or something like that, I'm hoping that we would encourage him in whatever direction his passion takes him. We try to buy toys and books that aren't too gendered as well (although Camden is super into trucks and legos - how did that happen? I don't know!). Although Camden seems to be all-boy, we gave him a present recently that he is just in love with! We gave him his new doll stroller earlier this week as a present for being such a great big brother to Micah, and he has been pushing around his little green monkey in it all week! We love that Camden is nurturing, caring and gentle with Micah and although these aren't typically thought of as "boyish" qualities, they are certainly qualities we want our children (male or female) to have. All I can say, is Camden is going to make some woman very happy some day and is going to be an amazing father.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
A Family of Four
We are finally starting to get into a bit of a routine! After feeling cooped up for the first week after Micah's birth, I was ready to get outside last weekend. I felt like I was missing fall - and it has been a beautiful one this year. I had REALLY wanted to go to Gordon's Homecoming last Saturday, but being 9 days postpartum, sick with mastitis and husbandless as he had to work it just wasn't practical. But it was SUCH a beautiful day and I just had to get out. I convinced my Dad to come with me and the boys and we went to a neighboring prep school to watch Scott's soccer game. It felt great to breath in the fresh air, but recovering from birth is not easy and I was pretty tired after our outing. Here are a few pictures from my first adventure out...
On Sunday, Scott and I wanted to enjoy the perfect fall day. We brought Camden and Micah to one of our favorite places - Beech Hill Farm. Camden loved looking at the cows, goats, peacocks, pigs and donkeys and of course we ALL loved the delicious huge servings of ice cream!
I've been LOVING my moby wrap! Micah falls sound asleep within minutes everytime he snuggles up in there!
Camden playing baseball with his buddy, Jordan...
We're loving life, although I'm ready for my body to return to normal! Still recovering and can't wait for the day when I can go out on a nice long walk without pain!
On another note, today was Scott's Birthday! There may be another post dedicated to that in a couple days! But for now, Happy Birthday hubby! I LOVE YOU!!!!!
On another note, today was Scott's Birthday! There may be another post dedicated to that in a couple days! But for now, Happy Birthday hubby! I LOVE YOU!!!!!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Micah's Birth Story
Camden is napping and Micah is passed out on my chest (which is absolutely my favorite thing in the entire world), so I thought I'd sit down and attempt to write down Micah's birth story before too much time passes.
Micah Gray (my middle name is Katherine after my great-grandmother and her maiden name was Gray) entered the world at 10:30am on Thursday September 30, 2010. He was 8lbs 8 oz and 20.5 inches long. Although we had been hoping he would join our family earlier, he decided to wait six days after his due date (just like his big brother!) before making his grand entrance. On Monday 9/27 we went to the hospital feeling major contractions and thinking this was the real thing. Of course, as soon as we arrived and got hooked up to the monitors, my contractions stopped and labor ultimately stalled. We had been so excited on the 45 minute drive (between the painful contractions), thinking that would be the day we'd get to meet Micah, so it was a bit discouraging to be sent home not knowing when labor would start up again. Living in a tight-knit community like the private school we work at made it even more difficult to go overdue. You see the same people every day, eat meals together, live together...and although everyone had the best intentions, I got so sick of hearing "You're still pregnant?!?", "Get that baby out!" - these comments started about a week before my duedate, so you can imagine how ready I was by the time Micah actually arrived.
Going to bed on Wednesday night I wasn't really feeling anything different, but I couldn't sleep at all and started feeling more and more contractions as it got later into the night. By 3:00am I woke Scott up and we decided we should probably start writing down the frequency of my contractions and at that point they were already 4-5 minutes apart consistently. My back was taking the brunt of the pain (just as I had back labor with Camden) and I got so fearful that I would experience the same type of pain again with this labor. We got up, took showers and made sure we were all organized for our stay at the hospital and called our midwife. We called my mom around 4:30 to have her come over to stay with Camden and we couldn't get through to her! My poor mom had had her phone attached to her side for the previous two weeks waiting for a call from us, and on this one night she had left it out in the house rather than on her bedside table! Looking back on it, it's kind of funny, but she felt SO horrible. Scott ended up driving down to their house, sneaking in and waking her up! Luckily they live about 30 seconds away so it wasn't a big deal at all. While he was gone I worked through a couple contractions on my own and snuck in to give my boy a kiss. I had been dreading that moment for so long. I've been so emotional about how Camden would fare through this transition, feeling like I was losing my baby, like I was cheating on him, but he has been amazing through it all and continues to impress us everyday with how he's handling everything.
We arrived at the hospital around 6:00 and I had to immediately be hooked up to monitors to watch my contractions and Micah's heartrate and an IV (I was strep B positive this pregnancy which means I needed two doses of penicillin before Micah was born to protect him from getting Strep). I had been four centimeters heading into labor (!!) - (I had been zero with Camden and it had taken me about 10 hours to get to 4 so this was a huge encouragement to me) and the first time I was checked around 7:15 I was already 7 cms! THAT was great news! My sister and Scott were both with me throughout the entire process and there is NO way I could have survived without both of them there. One of them pushed on my back with their entire bodyweight through each contraction (I had bruises on my spine after labor!) while the other one got in my face, held my hands and helped me breath. I wasn't hooked up to the IV the entire time (just for two quick doses of medicine) so I was able to completely move around and try various positions. Childbirth is just the most painful thing in the entire world and the fact that I had back pain through it all again was horrible, but we survived and after about 40 minutes of pushing (only 12 minutes of actually pushing once I was 10 cm), some tearing and an episiotomy (ouch!) Micah came into the world. Scott and I actually caught him and brought him up onto my chest which was just incredible. He was crying SO loudly for a long time and was lifting his head up off my chest and looking around. He was so alert, so strong, and figured out how to nurse right away!
We had fun introducing Camden to his baby brother later that afternoon and had a relatively peaceful night in the hospital before heading home the following afternoon. The transition has gone better than expected so far. Micah is a trooper. He nurses like a champ and sleeps much better than Camden did (which isn't saying much, but we feel spoiled by how well he's doing!). He seems to be so laid back and we just can't believe he's OURS! Camden has had his moments, but overall he has been adjusting really well. He LOVES Micah so much and smothers him with kisses. It's so different having a toddler and a newborn - this time around I can't just lie on the couch all day holding my sleeping baby and recovering from birth...instead, it's constantly going back and forth between the two - trying to meet both of their needs and still take care of my own fragile body. It's been a challenge, but we're all surviving. Scott went back to work on Monday, but has been amazing about coming home between classes to help and just doing so much to maintain order and normalcy for us during this crazy time! Our families have been an awesome support as well - helping with Camden, buying groceries, and providing support when we want it, but not smothering us.
Although I experienced the same incredible pain of back labor again despite Micah being in the right position (it's just my lot in life I guess...no normal stomach contractions for me...grrr), I just have so much to be grateful for this time around. No medical intervention was needed this time. I didn't have to push for five hours. We LOVED our midwife and felt like we were in really good hands. I'm recovering much quicker than last time. Micah is healthy, beautiful and happy. He has already gained a pound from the weight he dropped to in the hospital and now weighs 9lbs 4.5oz (our pediatrician says they usually say it takes a breastfed baby 2 weeks to get back up to birthweight and in 8 days Micah was already 12 oz OVER his birthweight! He's a champ!)
Watching football with his boys...
We are loving life as a family of four and are so thankful for all the support and love we've received over this last week (meals delivered to our door from various friends on campus all week! THANK YOU!) We can't wait to see what the future holds for us!
Micah Gray (my middle name is Katherine after my great-grandmother and her maiden name was Gray) entered the world at 10:30am on Thursday September 30, 2010. He was 8lbs 8 oz and 20.5 inches long. Although we had been hoping he would join our family earlier, he decided to wait six days after his due date (just like his big brother!) before making his grand entrance. On Monday 9/27 we went to the hospital feeling major contractions and thinking this was the real thing. Of course, as soon as we arrived and got hooked up to the monitors, my contractions stopped and labor ultimately stalled. We had been so excited on the 45 minute drive (between the painful contractions), thinking that would be the day we'd get to meet Micah, so it was a bit discouraging to be sent home not knowing when labor would start up again. Living in a tight-knit community like the private school we work at made it even more difficult to go overdue. You see the same people every day, eat meals together, live together...and although everyone had the best intentions, I got so sick of hearing "You're still pregnant?!?", "Get that baby out!" - these comments started about a week before my duedate, so you can imagine how ready I was by the time Micah actually arrived.
Going to bed on Wednesday night I wasn't really feeling anything different, but I couldn't sleep at all and started feeling more and more contractions as it got later into the night. By 3:00am I woke Scott up and we decided we should probably start writing down the frequency of my contractions and at that point they were already 4-5 minutes apart consistently. My back was taking the brunt of the pain (just as I had back labor with Camden) and I got so fearful that I would experience the same type of pain again with this labor. We got up, took showers and made sure we were all organized for our stay at the hospital and called our midwife. We called my mom around 4:30 to have her come over to stay with Camden and we couldn't get through to her! My poor mom had had her phone attached to her side for the previous two weeks waiting for a call from us, and on this one night she had left it out in the house rather than on her bedside table! Looking back on it, it's kind of funny, but she felt SO horrible. Scott ended up driving down to their house, sneaking in and waking her up! Luckily they live about 30 seconds away so it wasn't a big deal at all. While he was gone I worked through a couple contractions on my own and snuck in to give my boy a kiss. I had been dreading that moment for so long. I've been so emotional about how Camden would fare through this transition, feeling like I was losing my baby, like I was cheating on him, but he has been amazing through it all and continues to impress us everyday with how he's handling everything. 
We arrived at the hospital around 6:00 and I had to immediately be hooked up to monitors to watch my contractions and Micah's heartrate and an IV (I was strep B positive this pregnancy which means I needed two doses of penicillin before Micah was born to protect him from getting Strep). I had been four centimeters heading into labor (!!) - (I had been zero with Camden and it had taken me about 10 hours to get to 4 so this was a huge encouragement to me) and the first time I was checked around 7:15 I was already 7 cms! THAT was great news! My sister and Scott were both with me throughout the entire process and there is NO way I could have survived without both of them there. One of them pushed on my back with their entire bodyweight through each contraction (I had bruises on my spine after labor!) while the other one got in my face, held my hands and helped me breath. I wasn't hooked up to the IV the entire time (just for two quick doses of medicine) so I was able to completely move around and try various positions. Childbirth is just the most painful thing in the entire world and the fact that I had back pain through it all again was horrible, but we survived and after about 40 minutes of pushing (only 12 minutes of actually pushing once I was 10 cm), some tearing and an episiotomy (ouch!) Micah came into the world. Scott and I actually caught him and brought him up onto my chest which was just incredible. He was crying SO loudly for a long time and was lifting his head up off my chest and looking around. He was so alert, so strong, and figured out how to nurse right away! 
Although I experienced the same incredible pain of back labor again despite Micah being in the right position (it's just my lot in life I guess...no normal stomach contractions for me...grrr), I just have so much to be grateful for this time around. No medical intervention was needed this time. I didn't have to push for five hours. We LOVED our midwife and felt like we were in really good hands. I'm recovering much quicker than last time. Micah is healthy, beautiful and happy. He has already gained a pound from the weight he dropped to in the hospital and now weighs 9lbs 4.5oz (our pediatrician says they usually say it takes a breastfed baby 2 weeks to get back up to birthweight and in 8 days Micah was already 12 oz OVER his birthweight! He's a champ!)
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We are loving life as a family of four and are so thankful for all the support and love we've received over this last week (meals delivered to our door from various friends on campus all week! THANK YOU!) We can't wait to see what the future holds for us!
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