…he can hold on to objects that his sisters place in his arms:
…he can charm us with his gummy smiles:
…and he can sleep through the night:
Ha! Yeah right. Remember a few posts back when I said Spencer was only waking up once in the night? Those days are long gone. Spencer seems to think he needs to revert back to newborn behavior and wake up every two to three hours at night now. Grrr.
Three months also means my post-pregnancy-hair-shedding ordeal has begun!
Our drains and vacuum will never be the same again.
The doctor was very impressed with Spencer’s strength and that he can already support his weight in a standing position. Spencer was pronounced the picture of perfect health.
Then, literally the moment I came home and took him out of his car seat he started sneezing and coughing and snotting everywhere. UGH!
In happier news, Spencer is sleeping better at night, only waking up once or twice. Hallelujah!
When Spencer is awake at the time I’m going to shower in the morning, I often bring him in the bathroom with me. I think he likes the warmth of the bathroom and the sound of the shower running. Plus, his being with me ensures he doesn’t get smothered by a big sister in my absence.
That explains why Spencer is in the bathroom.
Caroline loves seeing Spencer in the morning and touching him and cooing at him.
That explains why she is sitting beside him, holding his hand, getting ready to read him a book.
I witnessed this cute scene unfold as I was getting ready.
That explains why I got the camera and took a picture.
Spencer usually doesn’t stay as happy as he is in this photo for long, but this morning he was content just to be in his bouncer next to his sister.
That explains why I left him and Caroline in the bathroom while I got Brooke dressed and did her hair.
What I can’t explain is why Caroline thought it would be a good idea to close the bathroom door. And lock it.
I also can’t explain why we don’t have a single key in our house which opens the bathroom door.
If you have the kind of doorknob that has a small hole on the outside where the key goes, there are several things around the house that you can use to try to pick the lock including, but not limited to
*an unwound paperclip
*a toothpick
*the ink casing of a pen
*a lollipop stick
*a straightened-out hanger
*the end of a princess wand
However, none of these items will do you any good once you realize that the doorknob can’t be opened by just poking something straight into it; you have to turn the mechanism as well.
This requires hunting down a tool box, finding the right size screwdriver, and removing the doorknob. The whole ordeal will last about thirty minutes.
And that explains the two gray hairs I just found on my head.
I’m a sucker for birth stories. I could read them all day. Does anyone else out there share my same fascination? If so, this post is for you. If not, come back later.
I know Dallas provided commentary as my labor was progressing, but I thought I better write out what I remember, especially because I’m in serious danger of forgetting everything that happened.
My doctor suggested I get induced a week before I was officially due. I’ve never wanted to be induced before, but this time around I was willing to entertain the idea. There was something appealing about being able to plan for the girls to be at my parents’ house at the right time.
The magical date was March 15th. The Ides of March. Beware.
Dallas and I took the girls up to my parents’ house the night before and we all slept up there. Dallas and I woke up early and headed to the hospital at about 6:30 a.m. I didn’t get much sleep that night. I was feeling nervous about the following day.
We arrived at the hospital at about 7:30. The nurses hooked me up to the monitors and IVs while Dallas and I anticipated the arrival of our little one.
The nurse came in every thirty minutes to increase the amount of pitocin I was receiving. Before long, I was receiving the highest amount of pitocin they would give me…and I was feeling nothing. The contractions didn’t hurt at all. The nurse would periodically check me and I was making very little progress. The hours ticked by with nothing to show for it.
My doctor came to check up on me at about 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon. He broke my water. Aha! That finally got things moving along. Shortly after he broke my water I asked for the epidural. Once that was in place, I tried to get some sleep, but I couldn’t. Dallas and I were bored out of our minds.
FINALLY I hit five centimeters. After that, I could tell I was progressing faster. At 6:00 p.m., my nurse’s shift ended and I got a new nurse. This nurse checked me and told me that I was nearing ten centimeters.
At some point, I was lying in the bed trying to doze when all of a sudden I heard the swishswishswish of Spencer’s heartbeat slow so it sounded more like swish. . . .swish. . . .swish. I jerked awake and looked at the monitor. I could tell I was having a contraction. Spencer’s heart rate had been around 120 beats per minute. Now it had slowed to about 50 beats.
I told Dallas I was sure the cord was wrapped around Spencer’s neck. Right after I said that, the nurse came in. She grabbed an oxygen mask and said that I should wear it to make sure the baby was receiving enough oxygen. Then she started busying herself by getting the room ready for delivery. She acted so sure that I was going to deliver soon. I wasn’t feeling the urge to push at all, so I was less certain.
With each contraction, I could hear Spencer’s heart rate slow. My nurse checked me and said I was almost at a ten and she was sure that the next contraction would make me a ten and then I’d start pushing. I still didn’t even feel the urge, but I could tell Spencer needed to come out.
My doctor arrived and told me to start pushing. So I did. Again, each contraction slowed Spencer’s heart rate. I was getting really nervous. I could tell the nurse and my doctor were paying close attention to the monitor and were anxious to get Spencer out, though I know they were trying not to worry me.
After what seemed like ages (though it was only minutes), I was able to push Spencer enough that the doctor could help him out as well. Sure enough, the cord was wrapped securely around his neck. It seems like it took a while for Spencer to cry, but it probably didn’t. I was just really worried that Spencer was suffering from lack of oxygen and that something was wrong.
Finally Spencer started screaming and acting like a perfect little newborn. He was born at 6:43 p.m. The nurse saw the time and said, “Quick! Order dinner! They’re going to stop serving dinner at 7:00!” Boy was I glad for her quick thinking; I was famished! I told Dallas my order and he called it in.
Dallas and I spent more time cuddling and admiring Spencer. Then my dinner came. I passed Spencer off to Dallas and sat up to eat. All of a sudden I felt like I was going to throw up. At first I willed myself to keep my composure, but after a moment, I could tell I was fighting a losing battle. I threw up. After that I felt fine and devoured my dinner. Strange.
I enjoyed the rest of the hospital stay taking it easy and getting to know Spencer. He’s a sweet little guy and we love cuddling him and staring at his face. We’re grateful for his safe arrival.
