One Month...

Dear Olivia,

Today, you are one month old. Just like that.

A month ago, we were anxiously awaiting your arrival. I was starting to feel like I might be pregnant forever, but you had perfect timing and came just in time for us to have you home for Christmas.

You have a pretty laid back personality so far. I guess maybe you have to as the third child, but I can't believe how you sleep you through all the noise your brothers create. And the fact that you are content sleeping without being held is absolute craziness to me. Both of your brothers had to be held constantly. You do love to be held (and we love to hold you), but you like to sleep by yourself quite often.

You sleep pretty well at night. Usually three hour stretches, and a couple of times, we've seen four hours. During the day, you still sleep a lot, but we're seeing more wake times and getting closer to a schedule.

You're starting to smile real smiles and make eye contact. It's so much fun experiencing these milestones with you. Each new development is exciting and feels like a miracle.

It's been a pretty busy month. You had your first Christmas and celebrated a few family birthdays. We've had a few outings because we have to keep your brothers busy. We've also been to the doctor a few times - well checks for you and Leland, and a couple visits about your umbilical cord. I thought it was infected, but it turned out you had an umbilical granuloma and we had to have your belly button cauterized twice. Thankfully, that did the trick and now your belly button is all healed.

I'm hoping this is still the case years from now when you read this, but you hit the jackpot in the big brother department. Leland loves to hold you, stare at you, and just be near you at all times. And Alden is always concerned about you. When you cry, he comes running. When we visited the doctor for your belly button, he cried during your procedure and was so worried about you. They both get so excited to see you each morning and miss you when they're at school and daycare. They also both say how much they love you over and over again. You sure are loved!

I have never been big on nicknames or shortened names, but sometimes Olivia just seems so long (four syllables is kind of a lot) and I've found myself naturally calling you Livvy, Liv, and sometimes Livvy Jo. Your brothers mostly call you Baby Sister. Leland sometimes calls you Livvy, but Alden insists that is not your name and won't call you that.

You've only been here a month, but I can't remember what life was like before you joined our family. You bring so much joy to our lives. I love to see how much your Daddy and brothers adore you. You're something special, Livvy, and I'm thankful that I get to be your mama.

I love you beyond words, sweet baby girl.

Love, Mom

Olivia's Birth Story

Our Wee 3 made her grand appearance on December 22. As with the boys, I wanted to document her birth story for my own memory. So...here goes...

For weeks, I prepared myself for our baby girl to join us *that* day. I always had Leland's lunch packed the night before in case someone else had to take him to school. I had the boys' clothes/pajamas laid out. I left school each Friday with lesson plans fully prepped for the next week. I left each day prepared for someone else to take over the next day. I was absolutely certain, based on previous pregnancies and the way I was feeling, that I wouldn't make it to Christmas break. 

Then, December 22 came. The last day of school before break. I worked all day - kindergarten pajama day and classroom Christmas party. At the end of the day I thought "Holy cow! I made it! And now I'm officially on Christmas break/maternity leave."

That night after dinner, Dave and I drove the boys around downtown to look at Christmas lights. We got home after bed time. The boys had fallen asleep in the truck and went straight to bed when we got home. Dave and I had a conversation in the truck about our "ideal" birth. I told him I would prefer for my water to break first, because in my experience, that meant a little longer labor than if contractions started first (I was worried about making it to the hospital in time). And I was hoping it would happen the next day (Friday).

I went to bed between 9:00 and 9:30 and was just falling asleep when I felt that telltale warm trickle. My water broke. With Leland and this pregnancy, my water breaking wasn't a huge gush of fluid - just a trickle every few minutes. 

I got up and said to Dave, "Guess who's water broke? Call your mom."

I wasn't having contractions at that point so we decided to have his mom come to our house rather than wake the boys and have her meet us at the hospital. Dave also decided to hop in the shower. He was in and out in less than five minutes and by then, my contractions had started and were only 2 minutes apart. His mom was almost to our house, but I knew we needed to leave (because triage takes forever...or it seems that way when you're in labor). 

We waited as long as we could, but then my contractions were even closer together - a minute and a half apart - and we had to go. We both felt uneasy, but our kids were sleeping, our doors were locked, and Dave's mom would be there any second. We left and passed his mom in the neighborhood. 

We got to the hospital ER and they wheeled me to triage while Dave parked. On my way through the ER waiting room, I saw three people I knew...weird. 

In triage, the nurse told me they needed to check with the doctor to see if I was really in labor and if they would admit me yet. I don't think I said anything out loud, but in my head, I said "I'm not going home, crazy lady."

The doctor came in and before checking me said, "Oh, she's not going home." I mean, for real. Fluid ruptured, contractions close together, 39.5 weeks along, third baby...the baby's coming. 

She checked me and I was dilated to 6.5. Then Dave came in and I was moved to my room. When we first got to my room, I told Dave I wanted a few pictures of me laboring. He snapped a couple and then they checked me again and I was 8.5cm dilated. And that's when things got REAL, so no more pictures until after she was born. 

I wanted an epidural so bad, but I knew there wouldn't be time. It takes like 45 minutes to get fluid first and then they give you the meds. The nurses told me we could try it anyway, so I agreed. It didn't work. I don't think I got all (or much at all) of the fluid so maybe that's why it didn't work, but I felt zero relief. Which ended up ok because then it was time to push which is pretty much the best ever when you're in labor. You finally have somewhere to focus that pain and energy, and you know your baby is coming SOON. For me, pushing is a huge relief. 

I knew this baby was going to be bigger than my boys, but once pushing started, I REALLY knew. With both boys, I pushed their heads out in 1-2 contractions. Olivia took a few more and I remember crying in between contractions because her head was only halfway out and I thought I would die waiting for the next contraction. 

But I didn't die. Her head finally came out and the rest was easy. She was born at 11:32, just two hours after my water broke. So much for my theory about a longer labor. 

Olivia was my biggest baby by far. At 8 lbs 15 oz, she was 2.5 lbs bigger than Alden was at birth and 3.5 lbs bigger than Leland. Despite the size difference, I didn't tear this time. Crazy. 

They laid her on me immediately. She was still a little blue (they are when they first come out) and she wasn't crying. I asked if she was okay. Dr. Novak said yes, and then Olivia let out a cry. And she didn't stop crying for, like, ever. 

Nursing comforted her and then we snuggled skin to skin for quite a while. The nurses said I needed to eat and they got me a PBJ. I ate while Olivia was weighed and measured, and then I got up to shower, which is when Dave finally got to hold her. 

After my shower, I wanted to brush my teeth. While I was doing so, I suddenly felt nauseous and threw up. I'm still not sure why, but I felt better immediately after and didn't any more issues with nausea afterward. 

After that, we just snuggled for hours. Let me tell you, after having a baby that you don't get to snuggle right away (Leland was whisked off to the NICU pretty shortly after he was born), those moments of holding your newborn without any schedule, without anyone else around are pure bliss. Eventually, we gave Olivia her first bath and tried to get some rest. 

Friday, we spent most of the day snuggling our littlest love and Dave went home to relieve his mom of babysitting duties so she could go to work. Olivia had an echo cardiogram (ultrasound of her heart) to check on some concerns from her prenatal ultrasounds. The results were back after a couple of hours and all looked good. Praise God!

Dave brought the boys up to the hospital to visit after naps and they were absolutely smitten with her. 

Olivia had to have her blood sugar checked after each feeding because of her size. She had to have three readings in a row above 45. It took a long time to get three in a row - she kept getting two, but then the third would be low - but she finally got three in a row and we were cleared to go home Saturday morning (Christmas Eve).

So far, the transition from two kids to three has been pretty easy. Olivia is an easy-going baby and a great sleeper so far. We've had our stressful moments, but I think that's mostly from two boys who desperately need to get OUT of the house, which is hard to do with a newborn in the winter. But overall, things are going well. 

The boys are in love with her. Leland loves to hold her for long periods of time and will sit and just look at her. Alden likes to hold her too, but not for quite as long. They both come running anytime she cries and Alden is very concerned/freaked out about her cord. 

Olivia is the perfect addition to our family and has already brought our hearts so much joy.