Home Finally!

I guess I had never really thought about the nitty gritty of birth, but its way more complicated than I thought. What I expected was: go into labor, pop the baby out, stay one night at hospital, bring baby home, resume normal/new normal life. That is not quite the case haha. I'll continue the story from last post (mainy because I have pictures haha)

Paige was off oxygen by her 24hr birthday!! She was doing great! And yes, this picture was taken within five minutes of her 24hr birthday! =>
This is Paige's little set-up. Her "room" (which was just separated by curtains when I nursed her) was the NICU 3. On her IV stand they would add the antibiotic machine every 7 hours, so that was one more thing going into our little baby, but I guess it was a good thing. When she was sleeping the nurses would swadle her up good and make a little tent for her, so it seemed like she was in the dark.
She had so many identification tags on her, which I am very grateful for! I was so nervous that they would get babies switched up or something! She had a hospital band on each ankle, tags in her bed, and this "bar code" on her thigh. It was a little joke we had with the nurses that when that bar code gets taken off we could not return her anymore. haha
On thurseday Paige was healthy enough to get her diaper changed by Mom and Dad. I did it earlier that morning. This is Jared's first ever diaper to change! He did wonderfully! Especially with all the wires and cords he had to watch out for! He is a natural! =>

I was discharged Thursday afternoon, without Paige. That was one fo the most horrible feelings I have had. I hated leaving my baby at the hospital! It was not the way things were supposed to go! But it worked out. Jared and I stayed at the hospital to feed Paige and play with her while she was awake. When she would sleep we went home and slept. We only live 5mins away from the hospital, so when Paige would wake up the nurses would call us and we would be over there to feed her and play with her again. And that cycle repeated itself all night. So it wasn't all that bad, we still got to be with her, and I like to think she never even knew we were gone. =>

Friday morning, while we were there feeding her, the doctor gave us great news! He said if she gets three good feedings within the next 12hrs we could take her home!! There was never more pressure on this little baby to eat well than there was then. haha Finally in the late afternoon she finished her third feeding and we were given the green light to take her home!!!! We had previously packed her hospital bag with clothes and blankets to take her home in, so we were prepared! But I could not decide on which outfit to bring her home in, so I had to bring a few options =>
Before we could leave there was a long process of things. The nurses had to go thru "training" wiht us to make sure we knew how to care for a baby, they had to do last tests on her (like weight), and they had to remove everything.
I know its not the most pleasant of pictures, but we just had to record it. This was the thing that troubled Jared and I (and my Mom) the most. We HATED seeing Paige with this IV in her hand! I wanted to cry every time I saw it! I felt so bad for her! But it was finally out! (and Paige very much disliked the process of taking it out). But it was a HUGE relief when that came out. It was when it really hit me that she was coming home with us and leaving the hospital!
This was one of the many nurses who took such good care of our little girl! We are so thankful to all of them!! They were all amazing!
Paige had just had the last thing taken off of her....the bar code. That was the worst thing to come off! It had to have hurt so bad, and Paige let us know just how much it did hurt! But after it was all over I was able to calm her down, and luckily she doesn't have to do that again.
After the traumatic experience of taking all the hospital stuff off of her Paige went right to sleep. It was perfect timing too because it was time to put her in the car seat. After we took this picture we learned that the baby can not be burrito wrapped when in the car seat but that the buckes had to be directly on the baby and the blanket around the buckles. When knew? haha So we had to change that.
We are really doing it! Walking out of the NICU!!! The first time for Paige to leave there since her birth! It was a big step in her little life!
And now walking out of the hospital!! I was so excited at this point no wonder the pictures are blurry haha. But I could hardly believe that my little girl was coming home with me! And that I would not have to come back to the hospital in 4 hours to feed her! I could just feed her at our apartment! It was an amazing feeling!
Paige's first car ride! Oh how peaceful! (can you tell I am a new Mom with all the pictures? haha)
She made it from the hospital to our building!! Yay!!!! She is really coming home!!

Here they come! Here they come!!! Oh it felt so good to see her in our apartment! I know I was out of the hospital without her for only one day, but that was a really hard day! I never thoguth I would want to have a baby wake me up but I would prefer my baby waking me up to feed her instead of a phone call to come to the hospital to feed my baby. We are all so grateful to have her home!
Our happy little family!
Soon after we got home it was diaper time haha. Jared had the honor of changing the first diaper at home, and his second ever! Let me tell you, this little girl does NOT enjoy having her diaper changed haha. And she still has not gotten used to it. DIaper changing is definately an adventure every time. =>

After we brought Paige home and we got settled and went to sleep I started feeling a little nauseous. It wasn't until Jared and I woke up to feed Paige at 2:00am that I started to feel overwhelmingly sick. By the morning there was no possible way I could do anything but sleep, throw up and feed the baby. Jared took my temperature and it was 100.8, not a good thing especially so soon after giving birth. So he called my doctor to see what I should do and the doctor said to take me to the emergency room. Luckily I had pumped 4 bottles and frozen them already, so Paige would be taken care of. I fed Paige one more time and then left her in the care of my Mom and Jared took me to the ER. We were there for 6 hours! They did all kinds of blood work tests, urine tests, ultra sounds, exc. The worst fear was that some placenta was left over and causing an interuterine infection. Nothing was found. After 6 hours of lying in an uncomfortable hospital bed, witht he most painful IV I have ever had, they sent us home with medicine for the pain and nausea and said just to keep a close eye on me, and to follow up with my OB doctor on Monday. I was supposed to continue breastfeeding Paige, but not to breathe on her or be around her more than feeding time.

That was just great. As soon as I get my baby home I get sick and have to be kept away from her. That was not fun news. But luckily I have the best helpers here. Jared and my Mom just adore that little one and are AMAZING at taking car of her!
Last night Paige and my Mom chilled on the bean bag while we watched a couple minutes of a chick flick.
Jared and Paige were chillin on the bean bag this morning. This baby loves just being with people. It is the cutest thing! As long as she is in the room and can see people she is happy and content.
I went and took a shower this afternoon and when I got out this is what I found.
Takign care of a baby really makes you tired! Thank you so much my amazing helpers! I can not even imagine doing any of this without you two!

Meet Our Baby!

This is Paige Arlene Miller, our baby!!!!She was born on May 11 at 1:12pm. Weighing 7lbs 12oz, and 19.5 inches long.

I had a 16 hour labor, 10 of which were spent at the hospital, and 5 of those were with an epidural. (THE BEST invention EVER!!!!)

I will explain the things in Paige's cheeks and hands later on, in the recounting our 'baby bringing' adventure. But I am going to explain everything that happened, more for my memory (because I print this out for a journal every year) so read at your own risk. haha

The Process of Getting this Little Beauty into this World:

Monday May 10 was my second due date, and it started out like any other day.... still no baby. I had a doctors appt and was 3cm dilated but showed no signs of labor. The doctor stripped my membranes (for like the fifty billionth time) and it actually hurt really bad, so I was hopeful this time it would do something. It did not do anything immediate, or even soon to follow. That night my Jenny and Johnny (my aunt and uncle) came over for dinner with their three ADORABLE kids! It was a blast to have them there! Soon after they left I began feeling some contractions. Nothing major, and it reminded me a lot of the night before. (The night before I had steady hard contractions for about 30 mins and then they stopped and never came back) So I didn't think much of it.

By the time Jared got home, around 10:30pm, the contractions still had not stopped (They started around 9) and were getting pretty uncomfortable. We waited a little while longer and then we started timing them. They were a steady 3-7 mins apart and 45-90 second long. Still, we did not believe it was real labor, especially since the fake-out the night before. So kept chilling around the house and timing the contractions. Around 1:00am I decided we should try to go to bed and get some sleep, or at least rest and attempt to sleep. Jared fell asleep around 1:30am, but my contractions were FAR too painful to go to sleep. Occasionally I would dose off between them and be jolted to reality by the very unpleasant happening. Those ones, being so unexpected were always the worst ones.

At 3:00am I had finally had enough. I truly did not think the contractions could get any more painful, and I was feeling nauseous. So I woke Jared up and we went to the hospital.

When we got to the hospital they admitted us into an examining room. Their policy is to check the mom to see what she is dilated to, wait and hour, and then check her again. If she had changed a centimeter then she is in active labor and they will fully admit her into the hospital. If she did not change at least one centimeter they would send her home. When they checked me for the first time at 4:00am (we got to the hospital at 3:30, then all the hospital nitty gritty took about 30 mins) and I was still at 3cm. I just about cried. I was hurting so bad for quite a few hours now and I had not changed at all from the earlier doctor appt! When they came back an hour later I was at 5cm! I changed 2 in an hour! Wahoo! So we got to go to our delivery room! Yay!

The anesthesiologist was supposed to come in soon after I got into my room to give me and epidural, but there was an emergency C-section that he was called to. I ended up having to wait almost 2 hours to get an epidural. I seriously did not know my body could produce SOOOOOO much pain! There were times when I truly thought I was going to die. I have NEVER been so in pain in my entire life! And there is no other way to describe it. I was in IMMENSE pain with every contraction! The doctor came in and checked me, I was at 8cm. He wanted to put an inter uterine device in me to monitor how intense my contractions were and how much each one was changing me. To do that he had to break my water. Let me tell you, it was a horrible idea haha. As soon as he broke my water, my contractions intensified even more! How was that possible, I dont know, but they did. They hurt so bad my body would shake with every one and tears would roll down my face. But the doctor was not done inflicting pain yet. He laid my bed flat to almost the point of my head being upsidown and he stuck that inter uterine contraction measurer in me. He stuck it in well so it wouldn't fall out, but let me tell you, it KILLED!! And he did it during a contraction (not on purpose, just because they were coming every 2 mins) So already dying from this pain that is unknown to anyone but those in labor, (tears falling down my face, body shaking, etc) the anesthesiologist came to give me my epidural.

I was honestly so nervous for my epidural this whole time I was pregnant. I HATE needles, and ever since the baby class Jared and I took (they passed around the epidural tools) I have been scarred stiff. But I was in no condition to turn an epidural down. I can't even tell you what really happened or what people said to me because I was so involved in trying to live thru the pain of the contractions I could not pay attention to anything out.

But let me tell you, EPIDURALS ARE AMAZING!!!! It was a night and day difference! After I got the epidural put in I had one or two more unbelievably painful contractions and then my nurse asked "how was that contraction" and I had no clue I was having a contraction! IT WAS AMAZING!!!! After the epidural I could still move my legs but they just felt heavy and numb (like i sat cross legged too long, but not the sharp pain of that numbing), but I could not feel the contractions. Like not at all! Jared would look at the monitor and say something like "your having another huge contraction" and I could not feel a thing!

And after having the epidural I was able to enjoy the experience. We (because Jared was as much caught up in the pain of my contractions as I was) were able to become excited and rejoice in the experience. I even slept! For the first time in four days I slept for more than 30 mins straight! I slept for TWO HOURS!! It was AMAZING!!!!

So after the epidural and the wonderful nap the nurse came in and checked me (at 10:00am) and I was at 10cm and ready to go. When she found that I was 10cm, then went right into "ok now you're going to push, do ......(this and this and this)...... and (this) is going to happen, etc". I was getting so overwhelmed with all the information and trying to understand how to push. Jared chimed in. Earlier that day my Mom missed her flight to Utah (dumb airport people) and she got on a flight that would land in Salt Lake at 10:25am. So Jared asked the nurse if we could wait for my Mom to be there (he told the nurse her plane was landing etc.) and the nurse was totally fine with it! That nurse was so understanding and nice! So I was chilling in my room, 10cm dilated, completely comfortable, and waiting for my Mom to get there. My Mom lands, rents a car, and makes it to the hospital around 11:40/12:00-ish. The nurse comes in, has me push once, then another lady was having a super rapid delivery so the nurse left and helped that lady. The nurse came back at 12:30pm, I started pushing with every contraction (which had now spaced out to 3-5 minutes apart). The doctor came in at 12:45-ish and Paige was out at 1:12pm. Jared cut the cord! That was cool! And I was so thankful my Mom was able to make it! And that I was able to enjoy the experience and have one of the amazing, wonderful, religious experience! And I loved that!

After Paige was born she didn't really cry, and she was super white. They let me hold her for a minute or two and then they took her down to the nursery (Jared went with her).
When they went down to the nursery they discovered her lungs were not fully inflating, which is why she was so pale and could not cry. They had to put a tube clear down her body! Jared said the tube was a little longer than 8 inches and they put the whole thing down her nose! That could not have been fun!
While Jared was down in the nursery with Paige (floor 2) I was getting all finished up upstairs in on the delivery floor (floor 3). When they wheeled me down to the maternity floor I was able to stop by the nursery and see Paige. By that time they had taken out the tube, her off the oxygen, and disconnected her IV and were getting her to cry to 'exercise' her lungs. She looked a lot more pink, which was a really good thing! She could not come to the room with me then, they still had to monitor her for a while so I went to the room and Jared still stayed with her.
While I was in the room, and before Paige and Jared came I had my first visitors! (Besides Mom and Kalyn because they were there the whole birthing process haha) Nikki and Jenny and their kids came by to meet the new adition to the family! I LOVE that they came by! It was so fun to see them!
After visiting for a little while the STAR of the show came in! Paige was breathing well and ready to see the fam!
I think Bella was my favorite to see with Paige. She always got so excited when she heard that the baby's name was Paige because that is Bella's middle name. It was the cutest thing to see!
Since Paige had a little bit of a rough start the grown-ups decided it would be best if the kids just looked at her and didn't touch her. Just to be on the germ-free safe side.
After a while the nurse came in and said it was time for me to try feeding Paige, and that was the cue to end visiting time. haha I LOVE that you guys all came! Thanks again!

The first feeding went amazing! Paige got the hang of nursing right away, and I had great nurses who helped me! It was such a surreal feeling to be feeding my baby that I had just given birth to less than 5 hours before. Such a crazy but wonderful thing!

Almost immediately after the feeding another nurse came in saying that she had to take the baby to "Level 2 Nursery". Neither Jared nor I knew what that meant, and when I started feeding my Mom and Kalyn left to go get some food. So we sat there for at least 20 minutes asking so many questions to this nurse trying to figue out what was going on. Well for one, we found out "Level 2 Nursery" was another name for the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). That was not a pleasant thing to find out.

Paige needed to go to the NICU because one of the blood tests they took on her came out very poorly. I will try to explain it the best I can. They testes Paige's blood to see how many mature white blood cells she has compared to the immature white blood cells. This would be able to tell the doctor how healthy she is. The test does that because of this concept: if the baby is healthy they will have very few, if not no, immature white blood cells because their body does not need to make anymore because the mature ones are doing the job just fine and not fighting anything because theyre is nothing to fight. The doctors admit babies to the NICU for a 48hr regimine of antibiotics when their immature white blood cells to mature white blood cells ratio is 0.3 or higher. Paige's was 0.72, which is more than double what they normally would have admited a baby for, and considerably higher than any baby they have ever had at this hospital.

So they took Paige to the NICU and hooked her up to many different monitors and such. She had oxygen, heart rate monitor, oxygen intake monitor, movement monitor, and IV with 2 different things (IV fluid to keep her blood surgar at a stable level, and one for antibiotics). I hated seeing her with all these wires and tubes hooked up to her!
This picture was taken later, but it shows the IV in her hand. She got taken off the oxygen for a while yesterday but then her intake went too low so they put her back on. But today she has been off the oxygen and breathing on her own since early this morning and she is doing marvelously!! (The first two pictures on this blog were taken today an hour after she was taken off oxygen. The nurses left the little oxygen-holder-bandaids on just in case Paige needed it again) The nurses also re-tested her white blood cell ratio and it was at a 0.3 this morning which is GREAT! She had dropped so much, which means the antibiotics are really helping! Tho she is still in the bad range and still needs to be in the NICU, its not AS bad as it was.
I have been going in and breast feeding her every four hours and she is still doing marvelously with it! And she is just as cute as can be! Jared and I love playing with her when she is awake! She is so fun and alert and just loves observing everything! We just can't get enough of her and love her to death!

So that is basically the happenings within the last couple days. Paige is really progressing and getting better, but we will not know when/if she can come home until tomorrow. The doctors still do not know the cause of all the immature white blood cells and have been doing tests, cultures, x-rays, ect to find out. The best case scenario is that Paige can come home with us tomorrow when I am discharged, but she could stay for another week, another two weeks, or even more. But whatever she needs to get better is fine with us (although we would really like it if she came home tomorrow => )

We love our Paige Arlene Miller!

Due Date #1 = No Baby

Today was my first official due date..... no baby. I know there is no real science behind labor or even predicting it for that fact, but it is quite a let down to be looking forward to a specific day and then have NOTHING happen! My doctors have been saying I will have this baby soon, one even predicted as early as April 26th.................... its still not here! My doctors appointments have now gone from once a week to twice a week, and they strip my membranes every time. I am surprised I still have membranes to strip haha. But still no baby. Jared was rooting for this baby to be born on his birthday (May 4) no dice. I wanted May 6th, no dice. My first due date (I have 3) is on the 7th, no dice. Maybe our little one will listen to my Dad and be born on his birthday (May 8). I guess we will find out tomorrow.
As for now, I am STILL pregnant and experiencing all the oh so pleasant and comfortable things that go along with being almost 10 months pregnant. (That's right, I said TEN. Do the math: 40 weeks divided by 4 weeks a month, TEN!!!!!!) Hopefully this baby will come soon. If not on my Dad's birthday we have the second due date which is May 10, or even the third which is May 12. I went to the doctors on Thurs to get my membranes stripped and I was still 2cm and 90%, so hopefully when I go back on Monday I will have at least a little change, or preferably a baby. haha (And lets desperately hope I have this baby before my induction date:May 19)

Jared's Birthday and Cake!

Tuesday was Jared's 24th birthday! Happy Birthday Jared!! He is not the biggest fan of celebrating his birthday so I am slowly increasing my celebrations (last year no present and all homemade decorations. This year some presents and cake. Next year, who knows => ) This year I made no such promise to not spend any money on his birthday, honestly I think Jared just forgot his birthday was coming up or he would have asked me to not spend money haha. So I decided I was going to make him a sweet birthday cake! I had this great vision in my mind of a two layered masterpiece.

I was really excited when I made the two cakes and they turned out right!! Trust me, that was an accomplishment in and of itself! Then it was an even bigger accomplishment when I got them out of the pan and staked on top of eachother! Wahoo I was on a roll! Then I trimmed the edges to make the cakes even, and thats when it all started crumbling, literally. I had bought two cans of frosting but with all the crumbling it was clear that it was not working. So Kalyn (she was over playing with me) went to WalMart and got three more cans of frosting, and good thing she did! It turns out if you glob the frosting on the side and then spread a thick mass of it, the cake doesnt crumble. So this cake is probably more frosting than actual cake, but hey, thats the good part anyways =>
The finished cake product! I did the ENTIRE cake by myself! Yay me! Kalyn was here to watch me and laugh at me, but she never touched the cake! I love watching those cake shows, the ones where they make the AMAZING cakes, and I think thats what inspired this. But let me tell you, it is so much harder than they make it look! I have much more awe and appretiation for their cake decorating talent now haha.
When Jared got home we had a mini party all ready for him! (me and Kalyn) We sang the most beautiful rendition of Happy Birthday and he blew out his candles in one try! => This is a momentous year for Jared because it is the last year only one box of candles will suffice for his birthday. In the stores the most they come in is boxes of 24. Next year, TWO boxes are going to be needed, what an oldie haha.
He is anxiously waiting to eat this cake... haha
And he doesn't trust me with a big knife haha.....
Yes the picture is blurry (blame the photographer) but this is an action shot of Jared eating the first bite of birthday cake! He is officially 24!!! (as a side note, yes I am still pregnant even tho you probably cant tell from the picture hahahaha! jk)
With all the people (ok 3 of us) we hardly made a dent in the cake! But it was yummy! And Jared enjoyed his little birthday party! He is beginning to see the light on birthday celebrations! haha As for next year, I am definately buying a cake! There is a reason people get paid to do this and I don't. And never again (ok I probably will cave eventually but not today) am I ever doing anything with sprinkles! They are a MESS!!
And it wouldn't be a true Jared birthday without his annual birthday picture. =>

Happy Birthday Handsome! I love you!!