Month 2- October!

The month of October started and ended with growth spurts... go figure. Other milestones- Madison is definitely smiling now, her neck is getting much stronger (she can almost hold her head up on her own), she can track objects, and most importantly she can fall asleep in her co-sleeper, which is a huge improvement over last month! (I was sure I was wearing a path in the bedroom carpet from walking her back and forth until she fell asleep every night.) I have also been using the Baby ESP App on my phone, which tracks when the baby eats, sleeps and poops. For the month of October, Madison nursed for the equivalent of 3 days, 14 hours and 19 minutes and had 293 diaper changes. That pretty much sums up what I've been doing for the past month.

At the beginning of the month Madison met her 2 uncles on my side of the family for the first time (Matt and Dave). Dave was nice enough to spend his fall break hanging out with us, and Matt (aka Uncle Traveling Matt) penciled us in as part of his whirlwind East Coast Tour (of course, Madison was the main attraction!). It is rare for all 3 of us to be together outside of the holidays, so I was excited to have that time with them (and thoroughly enjoyed the Hoarders marathon). I was thankful to have them there- Matt was a huge help with meals, holding the baby so I could take showers, and he even changed a few diapers! (Dave thought about changing a diaper... but decided that it wasn't worth it just to be able to tell the "I remember when I used to change your diapers..." stories.) While they were in Greenville we went to eat at a hibachi Japanese restaurant (the kind where they cook on your table), and learned that Madison can't sleep through the sound of metal spatulas banging on the table. That surprised me, since she sleeps right through the dogs barking on a regular basis.



On Sunday, October 10, Matt, Dave, Mitchell, Madison and I went downtown for Fall for Greenville. We ate a ton of really good food, and Madison enjoyed her time outside (ok- she slept through it all, but who doesn't enjoy sleeping?). Later that week we went up to Asheville to spend some time with my parents. Even though my parents' kitchen was torn apart (they are renovating), we had a great time and I got even more help with the baby. My parents and Matt also babysat Madison the following Saturday so I could drive up to Charlotte to help Mitchell move into his new "uptown" apartment (now we have the City Apartment and the Country Estate... haha).

Madison made it very easy for me to leave her for the afternoon- I had the most horrific night, so I was ready to hand her off to the closest person who would take her. It started Friday night- she was awake from 7:30pm until 11:30pm, which made me think she would be tired and sleep through the rest of the night- WRONG. She slept for about an hour, woke up for an hour, slept for an hour, woke up for an hour... all night long. When she woke up again at 7:10, after only sleeping for 20 minutes, I literally thought I was going to die. Matt knew something was wrong when he heard me yelling "Mom? Dad? Matt? SOMEBODY? Please??" On the verge of tears, I hand her over to my Dad, and what does she do? Sleeps for 4 1/2 hours straight...

Anyway, aside from that night, the Asheville visit was really nice. We spent a lot of time at my aunt's house (see the picture below of Madison wrapped in blankets- my mom was so concerned that she would freeze to death- there was a frost advisory).


We also ate some of my favorite food- Eddie Spaghetti's eggplant parm and fried green tomatoes and goat cheese grits from Tupelo Honey - YUM!

After Matt left, I decided to drive up to Charlotte to spend some time with Mitchell (after all, it wouldn't be fair for him not to experience the joy of waking up in the middle of the night to change a diaper!). His little studio apartment was definitely not made for our big dogs, but we made it work for the week. I brought one of the baby gates with me to block the dogs into the kitchen/bathroom (they mostly stayed in the closet in the bathroom- the only carpeted area where they were allowed). That left the living room/dining room/bedroom/office area (which is about the size of the nursery at home) for us. It was nice to see Mitchell at lunchtime and after work, and it was a HUGE help to have him there to split the parenting duties, but it was also annoying to have to walk the dogs several times a day. The dogs were also really scared of the elevator, and were not fans of having to use the city sidewalks as their restroom (Baxter is very modest). By the end of the week I started walking them through the cemetery instead of dealing with the busy streets.

This is a terrible picture, but being able to wear Madison was a lifesaver while I was in Charlotte (and while I'm at home too, but especially since I had to walk the dogs so many times during the day).

We had no idea that Madison would be as small as she is, so we bought very few newborn size clothes. When it started to get cold, she ended up wearing pajamas all day because we didn't have any warm clothes in her size. We finally went out and bought her some new clothes, like the cute outfit above. (It's now 2 weeks later, and she's going through a growth spurt and about to outgrow them all already... oh well!)


We went home for the weekend and bought a bouncer seat to take back to Charlotte. The swing is a huge help at home (now that she likes it), but it was too big to pack in my car. I usually wear her, but it's nice to have somewhere to put her down occasionally, and she won't stay in her co-sleeper during the day.

We took this family picture on Madison's 8-week birthday :)

Mitchell's dad and grandpa surprised us by driving down to visit us in Greenville. I took this picture because I thought it was so cool to have 4 generations of Wests together. Sadly, Mitchell's grandpa is Madison's only living great-grandparent.


I just threw this picture in here because I thought it was cute. She looks so much bigger and more active than the earlier bath pictures we have!


I made Mitchell take some pictures of me with Madison. I remember looking through old baby pictures of my brothers and me, and my mom is in very few pictures (because she was always the one taking the pictures- which I'm sure doesn't surprise anyone who knows my mom).

October 31st- Madison's first Halloween! We couldn't find any good costumes in her size, so we settled on this outfit. We didn't go trick-or-treating this year because she is so young... we'll save that for next year :)

I guess that's all for October!

Month 1 Part 2

September 14 - October 1

Week 2 started off with my mom coming to visit. She stayed for a week and was a huge help! I don't think I lifted a finger in the kitchen the whole time she was here (and I had enough food to last me for a week after she left!).

Madison went to her 2 week check-up on Wednesday, September 15. Her weight was up to 6 pounds 11 ounces and she was 20 1/2 inches long. She had been eating like crazy, so I wasn't too surprised to see that she gained 9 ounces in just 6 days (I think she also heard the doctor say she was gaining weight too slowly- she needed to prove him wrong). She's still only in the 5th percentile for weight, but she is gaining quickly.

When we got back from the doctor's office we received our shipment of gDiapers (thanks Mo!). I was really excited to get these- Madison was so small at birth that it would be months before she would fit into the one-size cloth diapers we had purchased, and the newborn diapers we had just weren't working. I couldn't believe how fast we were going through diapers (about 10 a day) and it was killing me to use disposables. The tiny g's (newborn size) work great!

Then (still Wednesday), Mitchell surprised me by coming home mid-week. It was great to see him, but unfortunately Madison chose to pull an all-nighter (obviously she didn't realize that she would have enough of those in college to last a lifetime)- I'm not sure Mitchell was all that happy with his visit. Maybe Madison wanted to spend more time with her dad?

On Friday my mom and I took Madison downtown for lunch and a walk to the Children's Gardens at Linky Stone Park. She slept through most of it, but I'm sure she will really enjoy that park when she gets a little older- it was so cute!

My mom left that afternoon, and Madison continued her feeding frenzy (which lasted for about a week). I have never seen a baby eat so much!

On Saturday (9/18) we watched the Clemson vs. Auburn game (unfortunately Clemson lost in overtime with a missed field goal 27-24). We can't wait for Madison to go to her first Clemson game at Death Valley (probably the NC State game). Too bad she's still too small for most of her Clemson clothes!

We went to Mimi's on Sunday for breakfast (first time since she was born!). Even though she was in her car seat (which she HATES with a passion- and screams bloody murder to let everyone know), she was calm all through breakfast and let us enjoy our food.

The next week was the first time I was really by myself with the baby. It was interesting to say the least. I definitely learned quickly how to do a lot of things one-handed (and the mei tai carrier was priceless). Madison did end up with some crumbs in her hair, and I may have used her to balance my plate a couple of times (nothing hot, of course!)... I had to eat, and that baby can't stand to be put down! We made it through... and it did get easier as the days went on.
I'm also thankful that I can sleep anytime anywhere- that skill is proving invaluable since Madison has decided that she prefers not to sleep for more than about 2 hours at a time. Before the baby was born I was sure that I would have all this extra time during maternity leave to do some planning for school, update my scrapbooks, organize... obviously I didn't know what I was getting myself into! It's amazing how fast the day slips by- you just don't realize how time consuming it is just to keep up with nursing, changing diapers, rocking to sleep... and somehow finding time to do things like eat and shower (not to mention laundry!). My dad has been coming down from Asheville on Tuesday nights, and both of my parents have been coming on Thursdays to bring food and to give me a break. That has been such a huge relief!

Luckily (for me, not for Mitchell), Mitchell had to work all night on Thursday (9/23), so he got the day off on Friday. It was a huge help to have him home for a 3 day weekend (and meant I was off of diaper duty!!).

The next week was more of the same... chugging through feedings, diapers, long nights, more diapers, more feedings... I did test out the breast pump (I had to go to the dentist on Monday, and wanted to make sure there was some milk available in case it took longer than expected). The pump looks like some kind of medieval torture device, but it wasn't as hard to use (or painful) as it looked. Mitchell's mom came over to babysit while I went to the dentist. Even though I found out that I had my first cavity, it was actually a nice break to get out of the house (that seems so weird to look forward to going to the dentist!). It was a big help to know that Mitchell's mom was there to take care of Madison while I was out (and she came back the next week when I had to go get the cavity filled).

On Friday (10/1) I made some cupcakes to celebrate Madison's 1 month birthday. I used a sugar free recipe so Mitchell could eat them (he said it was mean to make cupcakes for a baby who can't eat solids- but it made for a great photo-op!). Madison fell asleep before I could take the picture on Friday, so I had to do a re-take, but I figure it was still her birthday weekend.
We had a long string of visitors that weekend- Michael and Veronica on Friday; Sandra, Cindy, Dan, Amy, Taylor, Kelly and Chris on Saturday (watched the Clemson vs. Miami game... another disappointing loss 30-21); Ashley and her mom, then Don and Claudia and their kids on Sunday!

Even though it hasn't necessarily been easy, I am loving every minute (ok- maybe not EVERY minute... but most of them). It is so much fun to see her growing and changing every day. It's amazing to think that I helped to create this beautiful little girl.

The First Weeks

September 2 - 13

Ok- I'm going to try to get down as much as I can before I forget it all (it's already starting to mix together... what day is it??).

Madison was born at 10:44pm on Wednesday, September 1. We stayed in the delivery room for a couple of hours while the nurses checked the baby and me and we visited with family. Then, around 1am, we moved to the postpartum room. By that time I was STARVING, since the last thing I had eaten was a strawberry lemonade smoothie at 2pm. Unfortunately the kitchen was closed, and all they could offer me was a mini box of cereal and some graham crackers with peanut butter- dinner of champions! We were able to get a LITTLE sleep that night, but the nurse had to come check on me every hour for the first 4 hours to make sure my uterus was contracting and the bleeding was slowing down. Madison was nursing about every 3 hours. We had a lot of trouble getting her to sleep between feedings- she didn't want to be put down.

The next couple of days in the hospital are all kind of a blur. On Thursday Mitchell's mom came to see us in the early afternoon and brought beautiful flowers and balloons. We got lunch from Panera (hospital food just didn't sound very good- although their breakfast wasn't bad...). Tommy and Kim came up to visit us and gave us a TON of presents, as well as a really cool teddy bear made from recycled plastic and a bunch of balloons. Then my parents came later that day and brought eggplant parm from Eddie Spaghetti- my FAVORITE (and garlic knots- yum!!) and more flowers- our room was looking gorgeous. Aubrie, Erin and Jacob (and his daughter) came to visit that afternoon too. There certainly wasn't a lack of visitors :)

On Thursday evening the nurse weighed Madison and her weight had dropped from 6 lbs 13 oz to 5 lbs 15 oz. (To make matters worse, they had incorrectly put the birth weight in the computer as 6 lbs 15 oz.) The nurses were concerned because she had lost more than 10% of her birth weight, so they told us to supplement with formula until my milk came in. We used a curved syringe to squirt the formula into her mouth while she sucked on my finger to avoid using a bottle- I didn't want to risk confusing her and messing up the breastfeeding. Her bilirubin test also came back in the high-normal range (8.9), so they told us to check in with the pediatrician on Saturday to have her weighed and to monitor the jaundice.

On Friday we were discharged from the hospital after getting checked out by my doctor, the pediatrician, and the lactation consultant. Friday night, our first night at home, was definitely eventful. Madison was not thrilled with the idea of sleeping in her own room, and none of us ended up getting much sleep that night (except maybe Michael). Luckily Mitchell's mom stayed with us and was able to hold her between feedings to let me get some sleep (and I put Mitchell on night time diaper duty!).
We went to the doctor on Saturday morning. Madison's weight was up to 6 lbs exactly (about 1/2 oz weight gain per day). Her bilirubin level had increased some, up to 12.6, so the pediatrician told us to keep supplementing with a little formula and to take her outside to get some sun. My milk came in that morning, so we were hoping that would help her to gain more weight, and decided to wean her off the formula to help my milk supply come in right.

We had more visitors on Saturday- Cindy, Dan, Kelly, Sandra and Taylor all came over. Later that afternoon my parents stopped by too. Everyone brought a bunch of food with them, so we had tons of food for the week! Madison watched her first Clemson game (win over North Texas 35-10). We also took Madison on her first walk with the dogs- she wasn't all that fond of the stroller though... I ended up holding her for most of the walk.
I don't really remember much else from the next few days. We took lots of pictures, went back to the doctor on Monday (weight was up to 6 lbs 1 oz, bilirubin dropped to 10.6- no more jaundice), gave her her first bath, Mo came to visit on Tuesday, bought a co-sleeper (made for MUCH better sleeping), went back to the doctor again on Thursday (normal 1 week checkup- weight was up to 6 lbs 2 oz), and went to school to check on my sub on Friday. On Saturday Madison took her first trip to Costco (we got a lot of stares with her in the mei tai, but wearing her definitely made the trip easier!), then we went home to watch her second Clemson game (win over Presbyterian 58-21).
We had more visits from family on Sunday (my parents in the morning, and Mitchell's family in the afternoon). Then Madison and I said goodbye to Mitchell as he headed back to work. We checked in with Skype when he got to his apartment so he could say goodnight :)

My first night alone went pretty well... Madison nursed every 4 hours, so I got about 3 hour stretches of sleep. The only minor issue was at her 5am feeding. She must have had a big gas bubble, because she spit up her entire meal (all over the changing table, herself, her onesie, her blanket, and her swaddling blanket)... then realized she was hungry again. Overall, I got almost 8 hours of sleep (broken up into chunks, but still not bad).

The most exciting part of my day so far? Just as I take the last load of laundry out of the washing machine, Madison explodes one up her back, through her onesie and all over the carrier... awesome timing. The silver lining? That was the THIRD blowout in disposables... cloth diapers have got to fit better than this! Ah the joys of mommyhood :)

Birth Story

Wednesday, September 1, 2010
40 weeks, 0 days
5:45am - I was awoken by my water breaking in bed. I immediately called Mitchell to tell him to drive home from Charlotte. I then called Angela, our doula, to let her know that my water had broken. I asked her if I needed to call in a sub for school that day, and she said "Yes, Andrea, that would be a good idea." (DUH!) She told me to go back to sleep, and to take a walk when I woke up. I'm not very good at listening, so instead I packed up my stuff and drove to school.

6:45am - I arrived at school and was greeted in my sweats and t-shirt by the principal. He looked confused (sweats don't exactly meet the dress code), and I told him I had already called a sub and would be giving birth today. He said, "Oh, you're getting induced?" I told him that my water had broken about an hour before. He looked a little shocked and said, "I don't think you should be here... please don't go back and have this baby in your room!" I told him everything would be fine, and proceeded to make copies and write out some notes for the sub. I headed back to the house about an hour later.

8:15am - Mitchell got home from Charlotte. He was a little sick at this point- I think his nerves were shot from the early morning call. Ironically, the date we had been counting down to for 9 months was the only date we were SURE I wouldn't go into labor on.

9:00am - Angela called to check in on me. I told her that Mitchell and I had gone for a walk and I was starting to feel irregular and mild contractions. I made sure to eat some breakfast- an apple and yogurt- to keep up my energy.

11:20am - The contractions were fairly regular now, about 8 minutes apart and lasting for about 15 seconds. They were still very mild- at times it was hard to tell if I was really having a contraction, and I was having a lot of trouble figuring out when they started and stopped.

12:30pm - Mitchell and I took another walk, and the contractions were now about 5 minutes apart, lasting for about 20 seconds. They were still very mild. I had some lunch around this time since I knew they wouldn't let me eat when I got to the hospital.

2:00pm - It was too hot to keep walking outside, so Mitchell suggested going to the mall to walk around in the AC. The change of scenery definitely seemed to help, and the contractions started to get a little stronger. I took Alli's advice and got a frozen strawberry lemonade from Panera (not sure why strawberries would help, but it was delicious!).

3:00pm - We were still at the mall. The contractions were picking up- I told Angela, "There's no mistaking these contractions!" They were now about 3 minutes apart and lasting between 30-60 seconds each. Mitchell continued to time the contractions on his phone as we walked around. They were starting to get to the point where I would have to slow down to get through the contraction- still not very strong, but definitely uncomfortable.

3:40pm - The contractions were now about 2-3 minutes apart. Mitchell wanted to get to the hospital to have me checked to see what kind of progress I was making. The contractions were still not that strong, but were coming much closer together. We called Angela and told her to meet us at the hospital around 4 (which was perfect timing, since her husband was about to get off work and she wouldn't need to wait for someone to come over to watch her kids).

4:06pm - We arrived at the hospital and were taken into a triage room to check in. They said I was 2 centimeters dilated and about 90% effaced. We were a little shocked- with the contractions so close together we were sure I would be further along. At this point we told the triage nurse that I would like to attempt a natural delivery, and she put a note in the computer that I should not be offered any pain medication.

4:30pm - Angela arrived at the hospital and joined us in the triage room while we waited to be moved to our L&D room. The baby and I were being monitored, and I had to stay in the bed while they got a good first strip. The contractions were MUCH more uncomfortable while I was lying in the bed. The contractions were still about 2-3 minutes apart, and still fairly mild, though gaining in intensity. I could still talk through them easily, however I was eager to get off the monitor and be able to walk around again. Once they were done monitoring I was able to get up and walk laps around the halls of the hospital. I walked for the next hour and a half, only stopping every 20-30 minutes so the nurse could monitor me and the baby. I was pleasantly surprised how accommodating the staff was of my birth plan. I was able to get a hep lock instead of getting hooked up for IV fluids, and only needed to be monitored for about 5 minutes every half hour. I have to admit, I was VERY glad that our first nurse was almost done with her shift when we got there. She messed up when trying to place the IV the first time (a week later I still have a huge bruise on my arm), and had some unnecessary comments about other mothers who had attempted natural births and failed (way to be encouraging!).

7:00pm - I was no longer able to speak easily during contractions and needed to stop and focus inward to manage them. I would stand up and sway during each contraction to try to ease the pain. Contractions were now about 2 minutes apart and lasted 60-90 seconds.

7:15pm - There was a shift change, and I knew it was good omen that our new nurse's name was Allie. She checked my progress and said I was at about 3.5 centimeters and 90% effaced. Contractions were about 1-2 minutes apart and lasted for 90 seconds. To manage the pain I would stand up and lean over a birth ball on top of the bed while Mitchell and Angela massaged my back. It also helped to hold on to Mitchell's neck and sway my hips or squat. I also used focused breathing to make sure I stayed relaxed.

8:00pm - I started to feel a little nauseous. Contractions were growing stronger and were about 1 minute apart. I was able to get on my hands and knees on the bed and lean over the birth ball. Through contractions Mitchell and Angela would push on my hips and massage my back to provide counter-pressure and help alleviate some of the pain. Angela would also hold a towel with lavender essential oil under my nose to help calm me. The contractions were getting harder, but I was still able to relax between contractions to conserve my energy.

8:20pm - I started to feel the urge to push, but when the nurse checked me I was only at 7 centimeters.

9:00pm - I was increasingly feeling the urge to push through contractions. The nurse checked me again, and I was between 8-9 centimeters dilated. I had to breath through contractions to avoid pushing in order to prevent the incomplete cervix from swelling. I got on my knees and leaned over the back of the bed.

9:30pm - The contractions were virtually on top of each other at this point, and were so strong I was having a lot of trouble getting through each one. Mitchell was extremely supportive and he and Angela kept reminding me to take it one contraction at a time. A second nurse came in to check me, and thought she could remove the remaining lip of cervix manually to allow me to push. She allowed me to gently bear down while she pushed the remainder of the cervix past the baby's head. It took 3 contractions, but the nurse was successful.

10:00pm - I was completely dilated to 10 centimeters and began pushing. I was so happy to be able to do something to alleviate some of the pain. It took a few contractions to get the pushing right, but pretty soon I was making good progress. Mitchell said he could see the dark hair on the top of her head.

10:44pm - Baby Madison's head and body were born in one swift final push. (The nurses told me to slow down and let her help with the stretching- I thought they were insane.) I had just a small amount of tearing, so the doctor gave me a few stitches, waited for the cord to stop pulsating, and then clamped it for Mitchell to cut. The nurses dried the baby off and weighed her- 6 lbs 13 ounces and 19.5 inches long! When they handed her back to me I was able to nurse immediately- she had very little trouble latching on, and nursed for about 15 minutes. Shortly after Mitchell went out to the lobby to invite our family to come in and meet Madison. They of course agreed that she is the most beautiful baby ever :)

39 Weeks

August 26 - September 1

How far along: 39 weeks

Total weight gain: Tapped out at 35 lbs.

Maternity clothes: Yep- wearing the same couple pairs of pants over and over and over...

Sleep: Lots of middle of the night bathroom visits...

Best moment this week: Knowing that I will be done with school for 3 months. I'm so excited to get to spend all that time with my little girl!

Gender: Girl

Labor signs: Baby definitely dropped, lots of BH contractions on Saturday, but then they slowed back down

Belly button: Out

Cravings: Not really

What I miss: My energy. I am back to being super tired (my Freshman Success class isn't helping with that)

Stretch marks: Boo- last week of pregnancy and I got a bunch of stretch marks around my belly button. I guess when she dropped she stretched it just a little too much :(

What I am looking forward to this week: Meeting Madison- duh

38 Weeks

August 19 - 25

How far along: 38 weeks

Total weight gain: Around 34 lbs.

Maternity clothes: Starting to run low on options that are work-appropriate. The kids are just going to have to accept the fact that I will wear the same clothes over and over- haha.

Sleep: Not too bad- trying to get as much as I can in preparation for the big event (and all the lost sleep that will surely follow)!

Best moment this week: Finishing my first week of school, and knowing that I have so little left before maternity leave!

Gender: Girl

Labor signs: Still feeling a couple random BH contractions... not much else

Belly button: Out

Cravings: Nothing in particular

What I miss: Being able to bend over easily... things I used to take for granted, like being able to easily tie my shoes and paint my toenails, are now SO difficult

Stretch marks: Same

What I am looking forward to this week: The final countdown to the due date- so exciting!

37 Weeks

August 12 - 18

How far along: 37 weeks

Total weight gain: Around 33 or 34 lbs.

Maternity clothes: Starting to get tight... hopefully they'll hold out for a couple more weeks!

Sleep: Staying busy at school is actually helping me to sleep better- I'm so exhausted when I get home!

Best moment this week: Madison is full term! We also finally joined a church, so Mitchell and I are officially members of Westminster Presbyterian. Now we can get Madison baptized- always a good thing :)

Gender: Girl

Labor signs: Couple of contractions here and there... Doctor says there's still no progress, but her position is good

Belly button: I'm starting to worry about what my belly button will look like AFTER the baby is born- yikes!

Cravings: Not really, but I got some REALLY good strawberry smoothie ice pops- yum! I've also been cooking like crazy, so there's plenty of food.

What I miss: Shirts that cover my whole stomach. All of my shirts- maternity or not- are getting so short! It makes me so paranoid.

Stretch marks: Same

What I am looking forward to this week: Back to school! The first few days are so exciting- especially meeting all the new students. I love the early days when they are on their best behavior- if only that would last!