I've been meaning to update but then keep thinking-everyone who reads my blog is probably my friend on Facebook anyways! So, I may or may not keep up with my blog.
BUT, I at least wanted to blog about our newest addition, Carter William!! He is the sweetest most beautiful and wonderful baby! We are so in love with him!! Ella just adores her little brother. She asks to hold and kiss him all day long. Her most said phrase each day is "he is SO CUTE!".
This picture makes me laugh...this is Ella wearing her ladybug Halloween costume from last year. Backwards.
Carter was born on May 19th. He was technically considered a preemie since he was only 36 weeks 2 days. Quite the surprise to us!! I had a routine dr.'s appointment on May 18th and was surprised to find out I was 3-4 cm dilated already. In hindsight, I probably should have just tried to take it easy from the point. But I didn't. I went to Hobby Lobby to get the rest of my nursery decorations. Then I went out to lunch with Ella and my mom, went home and got Ella to bed and then started having lots of nausea. I took a little nap and woke up feeling worse, plus having mild contractions. Finally around 3pm I called my dr. She said to come in and get checked again. Rusty rushed home from work and I got in to the dr. around 4pm. She checked me and I had dilated to 6 cm! Total deja vu since that is what happened with Ella as well (just not quite as quickly!). The NP told me to go to the hospital to get monitored. Rusty and I got to the hospital around 6pm and by 8pm they decided to admit me! I wasn't contracting a ton but they figured if I was already 6 cm, I wouldn't go much longer anyways and they didn't really want to send me home being that dilated.
I got my epidural pretty quickly (yay!), the dr. broke my water (thankfully my dr. was on call that night!) and by about 3:45am I was ready to push. My whole labor really went very well. I had gotten an anti-nausea medicine that really knocked me out so I was able to sleep quite a bit before it was time to push. Carter came at 4:31am! This labor was definitely different than Ella's. It was hard work for sure, but a little easier than the first time around. We were So thankful that Carter was healthy! I was really beating myself up that he was being born so early-just feeling like maybe I could have done something to have stayed pregnant longer. It did take awhile to get him warmed up and regulate his temperature but other than that, there were no real problems. He stayed 1 night in the NICU because of his high jaundice level but Ella had the same problem and she was only born a week early.
We went home on a Sunday morning! It was so relaxed and a great homecoming. Rusty was able to take a full week off so we really had a chance to bond as a family of 4. Carter just fits right in! He's such a content little guy. He definitely will let me know when he's hungry or needs a diaper change but other than that, he's content just being held or sitting in his swing.
He is a big fan of bath time. Maybe that isn't evident with this picture! It was the only G rated bath pic I had :) Ella was really excited to help me give him a bath the first time but since then seems fine to let me take care of that job. We did have a slight heart attack moment when she was "helping" me give him a bath-she tried to clean him with a steel wool brush. Luckily I caught her in time!
Ella has been doing great with Carter. I really haven't seen any jealousy towards him at all which is SUCH an answer to prayer. She does get a little impatient with me if she wants me to help her with something while I'm nursing him and she has to wait. But other than that, she seems to have really adjusted to having him around!
I am enjoying this newborn phase so much more this time around. He is so cuddly and loves to just nurse and be held. I am looking forward to him getting a little bigger so I can start
going out more with him and Ella together. Right now I feel a little confined to the house, but I know that will get better!
