Falls Asleep Anywhere!

Sleepy Boy

Jackson's first bath

Because Jackson was under the UV lights at the hospital 24hrs a day, he didn't get to have a bath until we got home. He was not a fan! But he did like being all wrapped up snuggly in a towel.

Babies are fascinating

We're Home!

Lily: I'm making sure he's not having bad dreams mommy

Lily Meets Her Little Brother

Jason brought the girls in to see me today and to meet Jack. Emily was like Lily when she was born, totally indifferent. But Lily wanted to hold him and kiss him. She's so excited to have a baby brother.

Newest Jersey Shore Cast Member - GTL baby!

Jackson has Jaundice, which is very common for baby boys his size. What's not common is it presenting itself within the first 24 hours. Most baby's don't show signs of it until about 72 hours. So Dr. MacArthur has Jack under UV lights and laying on a UV blanket for the next 24 hours straight. I can only take him out to feed him and change him and the he has to go right back under. It's awful, I can't hold my new baby, how are we supposed to bond?

Update: 24 hours turned into 72 hours and we were stuck at the hospital from Friday until Monday.

Introducing Jackson Alexander Goetz

Jackson Alexander Goetz
Born: Friday, September 24th, 2010
Time: 10:01am
Weight: 8lbs 15.8oz
Length: 51cm (20.07")

The room I delivered in at the good ol' Walkerton Birthing Centre

seconds after birth, nurses are trying to cool me down

Jackson lounging under the heat lights

not a fan of the hat

the nurses kept laughing cause he was so relaxed under that light they thought he looked like he was on vacation at the beach

Daddy holding his son for the first time

me holding Jackson after they cleaned him up and measured him

you'd think HE just delivered a baby

exhausted from his trip

our first evening together, he was so alert

After our false start the week before I had doubted that I would know when I was in "real" labour again. But when I was woken up by a sharp contraction at 4am on the 24th I knew it was time. Emily and I have a crazy connection and when I sat up in bed she did too and cried out for me. I timed my contractions and they were 13 minutes apart, so I knew there was no need to panic or wake up Jason. I went in to check on Emily and she was just wide awake. So Emily and I headed downstairs and we cuddled on the couch (as best as you can cuddle a toddler with an enormous belly in the way!) and we watched some cartoons. I kept track of the contractions, which were coming faster and more intense. By 6am they were 7 minutes apart and quite painful. So I went upstairs and woke up Jason and called our friend Laurie to come over.

Heading to the hospital in the daylight was weird for us. Both the girls were midnight trips to the hospital. When we got there I was the only patient. They escorted me to my room, which was sweltering! It was an unseasonably warm day (mid twenties) and the hospital is under construction so the workmen had turned off the A/C. The room was easily 30˚. They had a fan going and offered to get me more but I was too distratced by the pain to notice I was sweating to death!

I got into a cool bath while I waited for Dr. MacArthur to arrive. When he came he checked me and I was at 7cm and then he gave us the bad news, Jackson still hadn't rotated, he was facing my belly instead of my back. Not the best way to deliver. He was still not fully engaged so there was a chance he'd turn. Dr. MacArthur said I'd probably still be awhile and that he was needed in surgery but if I did happen to fully dilate and I was ready to deliver before he was done, his wife, also an OB, would deliver. So the nurses had me lay on my side which apparently can help a baby turn, and I waited. Jason did a great job trying to distract me. We used the time to try to pick a name, we had always liked Jackson but over the past couple of months we started to wonder if maybe it had gotten too popular.

I had to pee so the nurses helped me up and from there things got a little crazy. When I stood up I had a contraction and it felt like his head was right between my legs, so they checked and it was my membranes bulging. Dr. MacArthur (my Dr.'s wife) decided to break my water and get the show on the road as I deliver without an epidural and things were getting intense. So back onto the table I got and she broke my water. Then I stood beside the bed working through contractions by swaying, trying to convince the little man to turn around (I was told laying on my back was not a good idea, he would never turn that way). After only a few minutes I couldn't stand anymore, the pain was too strong so they had me lay on my side. I started pushing on my side, not fun. Now, normally you only push with the contractions and rest in between, but when he crowned and still was facing the wrong way it hurt SO BAD that I just wanted him out! So I kept pushing even though they were telling me to stop. I couldn't stop! They rolled me to my back and let me do my thing and after only a couple of pushes (in which he turned like a corkscrew) out came our little man.

He was my biggest baby and my hardest labour, by far. But he was worth the morning sickness, back aches, heartburn, sore legs, false labour, no drugs and painful delivery. We have a son, and he's beautiful and healthy and all ours.

GOOD LORD!

'Nuff said.

38 weeks... STILL pregnant

Got my hair done today to perk myself up. Thought he'd be here by now!

Baking with my Girls

We made some muffins today as per Lily's request. They really got right in there!

False Alarm

Last night we headed to the hospital to have a baby. This morning we came home and I was still pregnant.

I was having contractions after dinner but they were irregular and not too painful. So I was ignoring them. Then they started to get closer together... really close together. They went from 13 minutes apart to 2 minutes apart in about 20 minutes. They still weren't hurting me but I figured with the hospital being 30 minutes away I'd better not foll around. So we called Laurie and headed to the hospital. By the time we got there my contractions had slowed back down to about 10 minutes apart. They checked me and I was about 3-4cm dilated, not enough to be admitted but with my history and how far away we lived they decided to keep me in. We tried everything to get labour going again, walking, stairs, exercise ball, warm bath.... nothing. They thought about breaking my water but Jason and I decided that if he wasn't ready to come out yet we weren't going to force him.

So home we came. It was frustrating and embarrassing (seriously, this is my third kid, you'd think I'd know when I was in labour by now!) and I felt stupid. But they're sure I'll be back soon, like tonight. We'll see.

Lily's First Day of Juniour Kindergarten

waiting for the bus

I love how Emily is looking up at Lily

there's the bus mommy!

there she goes

the backpack was a little heavy and those steps are pretty big for such a little girl

waiting at the bus stop to pick up Lily after school

Lily had a rough day so Emily and mommy baked her a big chocolate chip cookie that said "1st day of JK"

it was a big hit

Lily didn't have the greatest first day of school. She had a big meltdown early in the morning from all the change and not knowing the routine. The rest of the day went a bit better, but she still resisted a lot of what they tried to get her to do. I'm sure she'll adjust the way she did at preschool over time, but for now I've resigned myself to receiving a lot of phone calls from the principal and her teacher.

Diva!

Morning cartoons in mommy and daddy's bed

37 weeks

Head is down, dilated 1 cm... are you waiting for an engraved invitation baby boy?

The Nursery - Part 2

Handmade custom bedding... nothing too good for Daddy's boy

we're going to put his name above his bed... once we pick it!

nursing/diaper central

I'm assuming this little collection will just keep growing and growing and growing...

this one's for you grandpa!