3 Weeks Old

Drew turns 3 weeks old tomorrow. I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since we've been to the hospital...it still feels like we were there just yesterday. A lot has happened and changed since our 1 week report.

We have had our first doctor's appointment and it was just a simple weight check. Drew gained 8 ounces in 7 days...PERFECT!! As of March 12th, he weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. That's 2 more ounces than his birth weight. He continues to nurse well and hopefully that continues. We have officially hit the 3 week growth spurt and he is definitely hungrier and wants to eat more often. For now, I am keeping up with him which is a great relief.

He is still sleeping through the night and only waking for 1 feeding, but we have had a few restless nights here and there. I am hoping the growth spurt will not cause him to require more at night. And I am going to do my best to hold him off. Don't need to start any bad habits already.

Drew's umbilical cord fell off our first Sunday at home...one week old. His circumcision has completely healed and he has had his first bath. He wasn't a real fan of the chilly water, but he's getting better with each one.

Grandma and Grandpa Jackson have been here for a week and have been a tremendous help and tons of fun for the girls. We can't wait for them to move up here in a couple of weeks.

Hope you enjoy all the new pics of baby Drew.

The First Week

I decided that I wanted to keep Drew's blog going through his first year because so much of him will grow and change over the course of the year that I thought it warranted his own blog...still. I didn't want our family blog to turn in to the story of Drew with a few excerpts about the rest of us here and there. So, for now, most of his fun doings and updates will be here.

The first week at home has been fabulous. Drew is an absolutely wonderful addition to our family and I am so glad we had him...oops or not. I truly feel like our family is now complete and I am happy we had this chance for a third, a boy. Because I know now I would have regretted not having a third down the road.

Even at one week old, he's eating great and sleeping as well as can be expected. Nursing is going fantastic which is a wonderful surprise because it was what I was most worried about. I know boys tend to be hungrier and need more, more often. But so far, we have done well and Drew is thriving. He had his first doctor appointment on the 5th and had gained 2 oz. in 2 days. When we left the hospital he had dropped to 7 lbs. 4 oz. which is completely normal. But, by the first appointment 2 days later he was back up to 7 lbs. 6 oz. We have an appointment on the 12th to check his weight gain and then we'll be off and running.

His sleeping patterns have fallen right in line with our schedule for now. He sleeps most of the day but has his longest nap between 11:30 and 3:00 and sleeps through the night, only waking for one feeding at about 3:00 and goes right back to sleep until about 8:00. I am definitely hoping this trend continues.

We've only had 2 set backs this week. The day after we got home, I threw out my back. I tweaked it somehow laying on the bed and have been sore ever since. I hadn't filled the prescription from the hospital because I never had in the past. But when this happened, I sent Bo immediately to get the prescription strength ibuprofen and the percocet. I haven't had any of the percocet because I'm afraid it will make me very tired and right now I am keeping up pretty well. The ibuprofen helps for the most part, but it is taking longer than I'd like. The other set back was a little more painful...unfortunately, I popped a stitch from Drew's birth. And while it was nothing major that needed fixed, it was still painful. Thankfully that pain has subsided and I am well on my way to recovery.

Bo goes back to work tomorrow and I am back to my full schedule. Asher during the day, dance in the afternoon with the girls and a full day of things to do around here. I'm surely going to miss all of Bo's help around the house and I know the girls will miss having their daddy here too. But, we are ready to return to normal and get back to our daily routine. Let's pray it's a smooth transition!!

Knowing It's Over

It was early Tuesday morning, March 3rd, 2009. The nurses were coming in and out to give me my doses of meds, to give Drew his doses of meds from the circumcision and to check on us periodically. I was up that morning at 3:00 AM to feed Drew before the nursing nazis came running through the door to tell me I wasn't feeding my baby enough. And, while I sat there feeding Drew I was overcome with so many thoughts and emotions. And, as I sit here and type this now, they all come flooding back. I was so excited to be holding my baby boy and I was so glad to finally not be pregnant. As much as I knew I would miss feeling him inside me, the happiness I had holding him was far better. But, as I sat there feeding him, I looked around...sad and crying. It was most certainly the last morning I would ever spend in the Women's Center as a new mom. I tried to take in all the sights and sounds...the tiles on ceiling, the pretty white snow on the ground outside, the sound of the cars going over the speed bump outside my window, the smell that was my room for 2 days. It was all coming to an end so quickly and I wasn't sure I was ready for that. I knew I wanted to take my baby home, but that meant leaving the Women's Center for the last time. It was hard to see Bo and Kelsey walk through my door that morning. I was so excited to see them, but I wasn't sure I was happy to be leaving with them. Walking out of that room meant my childbearing years were over. And that's a hard feeling to know. It's hard to accept that phase of your life is over. And, while I have a beautiful family surrounding me at home, I am sad to know it's over. I know I will be at a Women's Center again someday...most likely as a Grandma and not as a mother. So for the many, many years between now and then, I will have fond memories of my time as a new mom and I hope to make many happy memories with my family as I enjoy watching them and being with them as they grow up.

Drew's Birth Story

It was 4:00 in the afternoon on Saturday, February 28th. I had just sat down to do the calendar for Drew's first year and get it set-up for the month of March. I had decided there was no way that Baby Drew was coming in the next 8 hours, so it was safe to go ahead and do it. Little did I know that would be the start of my contractions for the last time. At 4:20 I started counting how close they were coming and they were about 20 minutes apart for a long while. The next several hours we spent preparing for a possible sleepless night. We did some laundry, gathered the last of the things we needed for the hospital, got the kids packed up and tried to remain calm. Around 7:00, we ordered Chinese food for the night and continued to watch the clock. By this point, they were coming every 5-7 minutes, but they weren't very strong or predictable. The girls were bathed and ready to head over to Uncle Stefan and Aunt Jackie's house for the night...just in case. We got to their house about 8:00 and talked for about an hour. I wanted one full hour of relax time to determine if the contractions were real or not. At 9:00 I called the doctor and she asked me a few questions. We were on our way to the hospital at 9:15. Bo's favorite part of all of our pregnancies is always the drive to the hospital. It gives him a clear path to drive "slightly" over the speed limit knowing if a cop was to see us, we'd have a great excuse. This time was no exception. We were driving to the hospital in Atlanta...the Forsyth center just seemed like a second choice when we talked about where our doctors would be. So, for 35 minutes, Bo held his own in the car and made it to the hospital safe and sound...and in good time!!

When we got in to the Labor and Delivery area, I filled out some paperwork, and continued to walk around. I was confident there was enough progress from Friday's appointment that even if I wasn't in true labor, they would let us stay. I was 38 weeks and 4 days, so there was no reason to postpone this any longer. However, we waited to call anyone until we had seen a doctor and we were sure we were staying. The admissions nurse finally called us back and we headed to room A3. Ironically enough it was the same room we had Ally in almost 6 years ago...which was very cool for our last baby. When we were there for her, it was A2, but they had to change the room numbers around to allow for some expansion and so we ended up in the same room with a different number. After we got in the room and dropped everything in the corner, the nurse came in and I got to put on the oh-so-fun hospital gown. And then it was the moment of truth...had I really progressed far enough for them to keep me??? The nurse put the monitors on my belly...one for me and one for the baby's heart rate. She checked to see if I had dilated any more since Friday and I was a full 2-3 centimeters and about 80% effaced. Not much change, but change nonetheless...so we were there to stay. The nurse tried to get my IV started, but the vein she chose was small. She left it in my hand, but made sure I understood that she had a full bag of saline to get through before they would give me an epidural. And,because the fluid wasn't dripping as fast as she would have liked, I was under strict orders to error on the side of caution and let her know the second I thought the contractions were getting to be too much. So, the contractions continued, until about 3:00 in the morning. And then all of the sudden they stopped...just like they did with Kelsey. So, we waited and tried to get some sleep until Dr. Taylor's arrival at 6:00. At 5:15, Dr. Taylor called and gave my nurse the go ahead to start me on pitocin. She was in the building delivering another baby and decided to get our show on the road.

Then...the fun began. At 5:30, our nurse Pam started the pitocin and she specifically said that it would probably take an hour for this to take effect. She no sooner left the room and I started having contractions...one on top of the other. 8 in a row to be exact. And then it hit me...remember the saline IV??? Do I really want to call her back in this room immediately and beg for her to start the drip so I knew I was safe?? Just as I was about to reach for the call button...at the risk of feeling a little stupid and wimpy, she came rushing in the door with 2 other nurses. Pam began moving me all over the place and moving the baby monitor all over my stomach. Another nurse put an oxygen mask on me immediately and a third nurse came in with a large syringe of terbuterline (anti-contraction meds) that she shoved in my IV as she told me this will make my heart feel like it was racing. All of this in a matter of a minute because the baby's heart rate had dropped significantly from all the contractions in a row. It was like being in the ocean and getting pounded by waves and him not being able to get up for air or recover between the contractions. And the third nurse was not lying...my heart was racing in a matter of seconds. Pounding so hard, I felt like I was running a marathon. And then the shakes started. Not just a little "brrr...I'm cold" shakes. These were full on, might as well have been getting hit with a cattle prod shakes. I couldn't stop them. It was better with slow, deep breaths, but still there. A minute later the doctor came running in to check me. I was at 3 cm and then 4 cm while she was checking me. They urged for the anesthesiologist to come as quickly as he could because I was dilating before her eyes. The doctor broke my water, which was clear and warm...all good signs. She quickly attached a small probe to Drew's head so they could monitor his heart rate internally from there on out. His heart rate was back up to the 130-140 range in not time and everyone was happy. Except for me and Bo. Bo was stressed and had no idea what was happening. The speed in which they do everything is amazing. I was at least comforted in the fact that I had read enough pregnancy literature and knew what was happening and that they had it under control, but I had no way to convey that to my husband amidst all the noise, commotion and my endless SHAKING!!!! The nice part about the internal monitor is that there was a constant sound on the monitor of his heart beat instead of guessing with that useless belly monitor that they use. But...that was also the biggest downfall as well. Because with each contraction I would watch the screen and listen to his heart to make sure it wasn't decelling after contractions. Eventually, the anesthesiologist got there with my epidural and I was calming down from the shot of terbuterline. All good signs. I tried to relax even more, but with the heart monitor in my ear, it was hard not to listen for irregularities. At one point I started to relax and the minute I did, the heart rate dropped again...very slightly, but the nurses came in again and I knew they were coming. By this time I had had my epidural long enough that they gave me a shot of ephedrine to bring up my heart rate. Apparently epidurals can cause your blood pressure to drop and they think that was the cause of this latest bout of slow heart rates for Baby Drew. Turns out they were right. After that shot, my blood pressure went up and Baby Drew had no other signs of heart decels...THANK GOD!!

At 10:00 the nurse came in to check if I had made any progress. She checked me and I was at 6-7 cm and fully effaced. She was surprised at how "stretchy" I was. And I remember what that meant from Kelsey. Because not 5 minutes later I was feeling lots of pressure and I remember going from 7 to 10 cm with Kelsey in 5 minutes. The doctor came in to check me and, sure enough, I was at 9 and almost a full 10. It wouldn't be long now. The nurses and techs started to come in the room to get everything ready...they dropped the bed, prepped the baby table and we were well on our way to having a baby. At 10:40 I started a "practice push". I looked at the Doctor and said "I don't think I'm pushing very hard" and she said "You're not". So, with the next contraction I tried again and we were making progress...there's that word again...progress. With 2 more pushes, Drew was here. But, they were hardly like anything I experienced with Ally or Kelsey. I could have sneezed with those 2 and they were here. With Drew, I pushed harder and longer than I ever did before and I swear I was purple by the end of each one. The internal heart probe had come off of his head shortly before we started pushing, so there was no record of his heart beat toward the end of the delivery. With the last couple of hours being as scary as they were she wanted me to push through everything and get this baby out because he was too low in the birth canal to monitor his heart rate with the external monitor anymore.

The second Drew came out, he was placed on my belly and Bo got to cut the cord. The nurses left him there with me while they did his Apgar tests which were an 8 and a 9. They had me rub his little back to keep him stimulated and crying. And I was so glad to have all of this. I didn't get to do any of this with either of the girls, so it was very cool to experience this with our last little baby. And the first thing I noticed was how heavy he was...solid through and through. I couldn't wait for them to weigh him so I knew how big he was. After a short while they took our baby boy to get all his stats and get him cleaned up and ready for the nursery staff to do their assessments. They sang Happy Birthday to him and made it official...he was here at 10:47 AM, weighing 7 lbs. 12 oz. and was 20.25 inches long.

Baby Drew was finally here and we were so happy to be holding our precious baby boy.

Welcome to the World

Introducing Andrew Lee Jackson, born Sunday, March 1,2009 at 10:47 AM, weighing 7 lbs. 12 oz. and measuring 20.25 inches long. Happy Birthday Little Guy!!