The Lanfranchi's: 2012

Monday, February 20, 2012

Happy One Month, Eli!!!

Happy One Month, Eli! I weighed you at one month and you were 8lbs. 6oz! You're growing! You are eating every 2-3 hours and you eat between 3-4 ounces. You eat your last meal around 9:30pm-10:00pm every night and I put you down to rest! You wake up every night between 2:00am-3:00am for a feeding and then you sleep until 5:00am or 6:00am.

You love to lay on your Baby Enstine Under the Sea toy and look at yourself in the mirror that's attached to it.

We have figured out what your cries mean...you only have 2 specific ones, really. One hungry cry and one "I'm wet, change my diaper," cry.

Your brother, Luca (the dog) loves you. He's the first one up at your every move! If you cry, he's up first to see if you're ok. If you are laying on your boppy pillow he likes to lay next to you.

You also love your wubbanub, it's a pacifier. You always like to soothe yourself with that and then you hold on to it for dear life when it comes out of your mouth so no one will take it from you.

We have also put you in your Bumbo chair to see if you like it. I know it's a little early for that chair but we wanted to see if you could sit up by yourself in it since you're starting to use your neck muscles a little bit.

You also like for us to make silly faces at you! You have started to smile a little bit at those silly faces and you have started to make silly little noises too!

We love you, Eli! Happy One Month!!!!

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Day You Were Born!

Friday morning finally arrived!!! It was around 7am and time for a shift change with the nurses! My night nurse was awesome so I had high hopes for the day nurse! She was amazing!!!! Around 7:30, I was hooked up to the pitocin and the contractions started coming slowly. The new nurse came in around 8:00am and pumped up the power of the pitocin so my contractions would start coming faster and stronger! She also checked my cervix to see how much I was dilated and I was only at 2 cm. She said the Doctor would be in a little later to break my water and after that things should speed up a little bit. Around 8:30am Dr. Powers came in and broke my water, that was a little uncomfortable and a MESS!!! Some time went on and my contractions were getting a little stronger and I was starting to be in a little pain. Nurse "P" came in and said she could give me something for pain until time for the epidural but it would make me really tired. I told her I wasn't interested, that I didn't want to be too tired when it was time to push so I would just breath through the pain and wait for the epidural. Another hour went by and she noticed as she pumped up the power of the poticin that I wasn't getting any time in between contractions to catch a breath so she turned it down a little bit and checked me. At this time I was dilated at 4cm. She said I could have the epidural now if I wanted it. Of course, I wanted it! Turns out I almost waited too long, I was just about to the point of no return, where I couldn't get an epidural!

Once the Anesthesiologist was called he came in to work his magic!!! Well, he finds out Paul is a PA student at EVMS and since Chesapeake Regional is a teaching hospital, he decided that it would be the perfect time to quiz Paul on the spine and proper places to stick epidurals! At one point he told Paul that if he didn't answer the next question correctly I wasn't getting the epidural! I finally asked him to stop educating my husband and do his job and give me the drugs!!!!!!! So, he finished and I was in a happy place! I could feel no pain!

By this time it was around 12:00pm and I was relaxing in my bed. Nurse "P" came in to put the catheter in (this was one of those things about pregnancy no one told me!!!). She said that once it was time for me to push she would be able to take it out! At this time she checked me and I was right at 6cm dilated! I asked the crazy question, "How many centimeters dilated would I need to be before it was time to have this baby?" Of course I got the crazy look and was told 10 cm! She told me to get some rest and she would be back in a little while to check on me. So I went to sleep and Paul was watching the news. About 15 minutes later it was about 12:30pm at this point, Nurse "P" came quickly back in the room and said that there was a huge drop in the baby's heart rate and that she called Dr. Powers to come back to the hospital so he could take a look. He told her to make sure there was an OR ready just in case he needed to do a C-section. At this point I told her that I was able to feel my left leg that the epidural wasn't as strong anymore and I could feel the catheter and I also had the urge to use the bathroom! So, she said, let me check you! I was at 8cm!!! Only 2 more and I'd be ready is all I kept saying! So she left and said she'd be back when Dr. Powers came back to the hospital from his office! Literally, 10 minutes passed and she was back in the room and said baby's heart rate dropped really low again and she was hoping Dr. Powers was on the way. Paul just happened to look out the window and saw Dr. Powers walking into the building. So once again, I told her I could feel my right leg this time so she pumped up the epidural and that I could feel the catheter and I still had the urge to use the bathroom. So she checked me and said, no wonder you feel all this, it's time to push! Dr. Powers came in the room and checked everything out and said that he would let me push and for Nurse "P" to come get him when it was time for him to catch the baby! Paul and Nurse "P" were the best coaches ever when it was time to push! I started pushing around 1:00pm and we had a baby at 2:36pm!!!! Dr. Powers came in and caught the baby, and gave me some stitches and I was ready to hold little Eli! He was 6lbs. 10oz and 20 inches long!

Taking a break in between contractions to take a picture!

Just waiting for Eli!!

He's here! 6lbs. 10oz.

Hanging out under the light, not even a minute old!!!

Proud Daddy!!!

Meeting Mama for the first time!!!

Just the 3 of us!!!

Dr. Powers (the Dr. that delieverd) and Eli!!!

The Week Before You Were Born!

I started keeping a journal the week before you were born, Eli. I know I should have kept the journal all along but I never found the time to sit down and blog or write anything down!

So, here goes! The Monday before you arrived (January 9, 2012) I went to work. I worked right up until you were born! I had a really good pregnancy and was not having any complications, so I worked until a few days before you were born! So, that Monday, I worked all day. I already had in my mind that you were going to be stubborn and come after the due date because I wasn't having any signs of labor at all! No strong contractions and none of the other signs of labor that I read about were present. Then Tuesday came, (January 10, 2012), I got up and got ready for work like normal. But, I wasn't feeling like my usual self. But I went on and got ready and ate breakfast and packed my lunch. I was cramping and having some mild contractions, but as the Dr. would say, "nothing to get excited about!" I walked up to my car in the garage and got in and drove down the ramp in the garage and turned around and drove right back up to my parking spot. I called my boss and told her that I wasn't feeling good and that I was having some contractions. I told her it could be something going on, or it could be nothing! So I stayed home and monitored everything. I had a Doctor appointment that next day so I just laid around on Tuesday!! Wednesday, I went to work and worked until I had to leave for my Doctor's appointment. I told the girls at work that I would call and let them know what was going on after I got done!

So, off to the Dr. we go! I came home first and got Paul! Once we got there, I did my usual, went to to bathroom so they could get a urine sample. Once I did that it was time for my vitals to be checked. First the weight (lovely), then the blood pressure, which was a little high (146/98). After my vitals were checked, Paul and I went in to be seen by the Doctor! Dr. Linder came in the room and the first thing he said was, "Have we scheduled you yet?" I shook my head, "No!" He said that he was going to check me and then get me scheduled to have a baby! He said the reason he wanted to go on and get me scheduled was because of my blood pressure. He said he didn't like women to go to far past their due date with high blood pressure. Now keep this in mind, my due date was January 14 (that Saturday) and I have had NO problems at all with my blood pressure this whole entire pregnancy! He said while he was checking my cervix to see how much I was dilated that either a woman is able to be induced or not. After he checked me, he said at this point I was unable to be induced but there was medicine that could help me along. I just had to start the process the day before I would have the baby. So I got dressed and he asked me when I wanted to have the baby. I said, "ASAP!!!" Then reality started settling in and Paul and I looked at each other and said, "This is really happening, no turning back!!!" Dr. Linder went out of the room and said that he would have his nurse call the hospital to get me scheduled. He wanted me to originally go in that night, which would have meant that we would be having a baby on Thursday. Lucky for me there were no rooms on the L & D floor so I wasn't going to be able to go in until Thursday and have a baby on Friday! So it was settled, we were to check in on Thursday (January 12, 2012) and my water would be broken on Friday morning (January 13, 2012) and hopefully a baby would be born that day!

So I called work to let them know I would be induced and wouldn't be returning to work until after I had the baby! Paul and I went home and scrambled and made a few phone calls to let everyone know what was going on. Then we got everything put together and packed up and in the car.

On Thursday, Paul and I ran some last minute errands and made sure we had everything together for the hospital! I had to check in at 7:00pm so we left Norfolk and headed to Chesapeake Regional Hospital to let the fun begin!

Upon check-in, I had to change into the lovely hospital gown (I'm very modest so I wasn't looking forward to this gown with nothing on underneath at all) and get preped with some IV's. Once I got situated in the room, the nurse had to start the process of ripening my cervix. A pill had to be inserted behind my cervix every 4 hours until 7:00am the following morning. So every 4 hours she came in and insertec the pill and I was good to go. Now, I had not much sleep because for 2 of the 4 hours I had to lay flat with no movement so the pill could run its course and ripen my cervix so I my water could be broken the next morning....

Alot of stuff!

Alot has happened since my last post in August! I had a baby! My last post I was a couple of months pregnant and we were going to be finding out the sex of the baby not too long after that post. Well we found out it was a boy!! Below are just some belly pictures!