Newborn

11 days after I had Sam, we had our first "photo shoot". I love to say that, like we are models or celebrities.

I used Allison Lee Photography for his pictures. I used to work work Alli and she is a mom of twin girls, and I had no idea how handy that would come in when doing a newborn session. She had such a great touch! Sam was perfect, other than pooping on her blanket.

If you are in the market for any type of pictures, Allison is fantastic and provides a service well worth your money!

These photos are now one of my most prized possessions. I know I will look back at these many years from now and wonder how my baby grew up so quickly. But for now, he is still a teeny babe that likes to cuddle with his momma. And I am enjoying every single second of it.

Maternity Pics

I took these maternity pics a few weeks before Sam made his debut. I received the pics back from the photographer the night before I went into the hospital so I haven't had the time to post them or order any.

Looking at these makes me miss being pregnant. It was such a wonderful time for me and I enjoyed it so much. And then I look over at Sam and I realize that I can miss being pregnant while giving my sweet baby a kiss.

Next up...newborn pics!

What I've Learned in a Month

Because time does not stand still, Sam turned 1 month old. I almost cried when I realized it was happening. Although a part of me is definitely excited for all the fun we have ahead of us! Smiles, laughs, and so much more!

After being a mother for 1 month, here are a few things I have learned: 

1. There is no easy way to get a baby out of your body
When I checked into the hospital, the nurse asked me my pain level. I said I was a zero. That was because I wasn't having any contractions and then I realized that I could have been in labor and that I could have been in a lot of pain. And the thought of that made me realize that either way that it happens for you, it is not easy, it is scary (especially your first time) and that getting an IV still sucks. 

2. A catheter ain't so bad
I have never had one of these and had no idea what to expect but when I realized that you don't even feel the sensation of going, it just drains your bladder for you. I had mine in for 16 hrs and was a little bummed when I realized that I was going to have to start getting out of bed to pee. 

3. Clothing Optional
Mainly for baby, not for you. Sam started spitting up around 3 weeks. After almost every feeding he would spit up 3-4 times. All over me, himself, the floor, our bed, his bed. I was changing his onesie constantly. So I decided to let him hang in his diaper for most of the morning or for a little while after each feeding.

4. Sleep
Don't you love when you are pregnant and people say "Sleep now while you can!" Oh hahaha..yeah because you can't bank sleep hours and use them when you have a baby that wakes up every 2 hours at night.

Here is what "they" say that I do agree with: sleep when the baby sleeps. I know that sometimes you can't sleep then because you need to shower, do the laundry, or many other things. But when you can sleep, turn off the tv, mute your phone and sleep with that sweet baby.

5. Water Cup
Before I had Sam, I bought a purple Tervis-type mug with a straw and it has been a lifesaver. When you have a baby attached to you, it is very hard to open a bottle of water. So run out and get yourself one or two and thank me later.

6. One sided
This relates to breastfeeding. Until Sam was 10 days old, he would latch very well on the left and would act like a crazed nutso when trying to latch on the right. That led to me to holding him in a very strange position to nurse him and when my milk came in, my left boob was almost twice the size of my right. It took about 3 days to even out and it took about a month for my milk to regulate all together.

Also, I would like to mention something I never read about/heard about until a lovely nurse gave some to me. Sugar water. It entices newborns to latch on. And it works! I used tons of it once we got home. My mom made me a batch and I kept it in a Tupperware with a dropper beside my bed. Don't be afraid to try it out if you are having some latch probs.

7: Sleeping In / Night Time 
If you are anything like me, you are a sleepy head. I always wake up tired and struggle to get out of bed. When Sam cries around 6-8 am, I am so groggy but I don't have the option of hitting snooze. There are many mornings that I will feed him and he will fall back asleep and I do the same. And I don't feel one ounce of guilt about catching some more zzz's and waking for the day around 10am.

And prepare yourself that your bed time routine is about to be non-existent. About 2 months before I had Sam, I purchased this really expensive night cream. And for the first 3 weeks of his life I maybe used it twice. And when he was about 2 weeks old, I was pacing the bedroom with him and looked at Kyle asleep in bed and started to cry. I missed going to bed with Kyle and talking about the day and watching tv. So prepare yourself that things you may not even think about will change.

8: Everything is True 
Have you heard all those stereotypical things about new motherhood?
- It's messy
- You care a lot about your baby's poop
- You and your husband will be closer than ever and yet argue over the smallest thing

Well, they are all true. I realized that very soon into this ballgame. I was covered in spit up, breast milk, and a little urine and wanted to smack Kyle around for leaving a piece of mail on the counter. You are tired, scared, happy, frazzled, etc. Just go with it.

9. Meals 
I didn't realize how life saving it would be to have meals brought to us by friends. Embrace these visitors and gladly accept their food.

10. Your Experience 
No matter how your tiny human entered the world, it was your experience. No one else's. Embrace that experience and share it with anyone that wants to hear it.

8 lbs 14 oz
21.75 in 

Welcome, Sam!

To Read Part 1 of my delivery story, click here

I woke up very early on Tuesday morning feeling nervous and excited for the day ahead. Have you ever woken up and not been able to even take a drink of water? It's brutal. My parents stayed at my house to take care of Sophie, Kyle's parents were on a plane, and my brother and his family were going to arrive at the hospital around 11:00. I felt ok, but nervous most of the morning. A nurse came in around 11 to start getting things ready and said that I might be pushed back to 2pm. Our parents and Bryan and Erin and the girls were all in the room when Dr. Butler walked in and said we were ready to go, there was no delay and we would start on time. Everyone started packing up the room (since we would be moved to another room after the baby was here) and Kyle and I were left in the room alone waiting for go time. I started to cry. I was so nervous. And excited. But so nervous! And then it was time.

I walked into the operating room. It looked like an operating room. Everyone was so nice to me. They did my spinal and then inserted my catheter, which is awkward since you are awake and can feel them moving your legs around while you are naked from waist down. Then they Kyle come in. Thank goodness because that 10 min without him was way too long. I was trying to pay attention so I could remember details, but it's so hard to stay focused in that moment. Dr. Butler pinched me to test the spinal and the show was on!

Kyle watched the entire thing. You can feel tugging and pressure and movement. It's strange. I was watching him while he stood and looked over the drape and watched our baby make his arrival into the world. From the time they inserted my spinal to his arrival, it was 19 min. Because he was breech, they had to tug a little more to get him out and when Dr. Butler said "Dad, can you see what it is?", Kyle couldn't tell because his butt was facing away from him. They lifted him up and with tears in his eyes, Kyle announced, "It's a boy!"

I started to cry. My baby boy was here and I could hear him crying. I don't know that words will ever be able to describe what I felt. Kyle went over to where Sam was and started snapping some pics. He told me that everything was ok, and then he left to go with him to get cleaned up and weighed.

They started the process of closing me up (I hate that phrase) and the nausea set in very quickly. I was so sick that I couldn't even mutter the words to tell anyone. Dr. Butler noticed my stomach was heaving and asked if I was sick. I moaned, and the anesthesiologist gave me some medicine. It helped for a minute but I continued to dry heave for the next 4 hours. I never threw up but it was not fun to fight off vomiting when you are trying to meet your baby for the first time.

The first time I held Sam was unforgettable. Kyle brought him to me and my mom and Kyle's mom were also in there with us. The nurses helped me try to nurse him while I held a wet wash cloth to my mouth.

After the grandma's left, the grandpa's came in. My dad took one look at me holding Sam and started to cry. I think my boob may have still be hanging out but I honestly can't remember. Then Bryan and Erin and the girls came in to see Sam, followed by my besties, Elaina and Sammi.

I was moved to a room around 3pm and we got settled in for the next 2 days. Our family went from 2 to 3 in a moment and it was worth every tear, smile, needle stick. It was even worth that dreaded incision.

Sam Athey Gatewood 

May 20th, 2014

12:55 pm

6lbs 2oz

19.25 in 

An Unplanned Planned Delivery

38 weeks, 3 days. Headed to my last appt!

On Monday May 19th, I went to my 38 week appt. My mom met Kyle and I there and we all went into the ultrasound room for the 4th week in a row to get a another look at how Baby G was doing. At this point, every ultrasound had gone pretty well and we felt confident that the baby was healthy and just small. And still breech! This time was no different. The baby was moving around and everything looked good. I noticed that the measurements of his head and abdomen were in the 2nd percentile.

We finished up in the ultrasound room and took our places in the exam room. In comes Dr. Butler. I could tell immediately from her tone of voice that something was up. She quickly addressed his small measurements and said she wanted to move up his delivery. At this point, I was scheduled to go in on Friday for a c-section. She asked me if I had eaten lunch today. Uh oh. That meant she wanted to take him today if possible. That wasn't an option since I ate some Fritos before the appt. (I ate Fritos before every ultrasound b/c once he moved around a ton after I did that so I decided to keep it up). She said she wanted me to go over the hospital and get checked in. My mom responded with "Today?!". Yes, today. She would do the c-section tomorrow afternoon.

I will never forget the look on Kyle's face. Panic. Shock. He kept saying "Friday" to Doctor Butler. His boss was out of town and he was scheduled to cover for him while we had the baby. On Friday. I was the least panicked person in the room. I felt kind of excited. I had already started working myself up to be super nervous about Thurs night/Friday morning so this spur of the moment change in plans was almost like going into labor.

Doctor Butler stepped out of the room to call the hospital and arrange for my arrival and delivery the next day. Kyle had to rush out to go finish up all of his work obligations. My mom and Kyle were also on their phones alerting all family of what was happening. His parents were in Pittsburgh and had less than 24 hours to get here in time for the baby's arrival. Dr. Butler came back in and told me to go home and get my bag and then go get checked in to the hospital. They would hook me up to the monitor and keep an eye on the baby. As long as everything looked ok, I would deliver him around noon on Tues.

Mom and I left in somewhat of a daze and headed to the house to get my stuff. My bag was partially packed and I just started throwing stuff together. I grabbed another (huge) tote bag and just threw anything I might need in. I had a couple of appts to cancel and once I felt like everything was in order, we headed to the hospital. We got checked in and I was hooked up to the monitor. We could see his heart rate, my heart rate and my blood pressure. It was so neat to watch his heart rate rise and fall with my movements. Around 5pm, my adrenaline wore off and I was exhausted. Kyle arrived around 6:30 with dinner and his bags. Once they determined that Baby was ok, I was given the go to eat dinner and was told to have nothing else after midnight.

All checked in!

We spent our last night together in room 219 at Hillcrest South. We watched the Thunder play basketball and drifted off to sleep thinking about our baby that was finally going to join us tomorrow...

37 Weeks- Breech Baby

Each week brings new emotions for the Gatewood's. Happiness that the baby is doing so well despite them diagnosing me with IUGR  around 35 weeks. The baby continues to show off during the ultrasounds and biophysical profiles but the doctor keeps saying she thinks the baby is small. My amniotic fluid level is at 9 which is on the lower end. Anything 5-25 is normal. She is concerned about the fluid levels and says it is normal to drop a little towards the end of pregnancy.

We were told to come in at 37 weeks prepared to have the baby. I wasn't prepared because I knew the baby would do well on the BPP once again, and it did. My mom met me at the doctor since Kyle wasn't sure he would be able to make it. Luckily he could make it so I had 2 people to help me through yet another doctor appt. Despite all of my exercises at home and chiropractor visits, the baby is still breech. I have had such high hopes that this baby will flip but it seems to be content in his/her position. Why is the baby breech? I have no idea! I have several theories on it such a cord placement, low lying placenta, heart shaped uterus but I have no idea what is causing the baby to shove their head into my ribs.

Doctor Butler started talking about a c-section on Monday and I felt the tears coming. It didn't help that I was pantless because the nurse said she would check my cervix since I am 37 weeks. Crying in a doctor's office with no pants on..pregnancy. She didn't check my cervix because she is convinced I am having a c-section. Kyle, dressed in his scrubs and scrub cap, immediately asked about the procedure, recovery and what her OR days were. I wasn't ready to hear any of it so I just let him ask while I tried to not lose it. She said Tues, May 27th would probably be the day.

The thought of a c-section is terrifying to me. It makes me feel anxious, scared and sad. But each week that I go to the doctor, there is another huge obstacle against me and I am forced to accept it a little more. That, for me, means I have to cry. I cried a lot on Monday and Tuesday. I know at some point I will get over it and accept it, but I wasn't there yet.

I have had an upset stomach since Sunday evening and it just got worse yesterday. I ran some errands after work and felt like I was going to be sick in Target. I decided it was stress and it was best to come home and relax for a little while. I was laying on our bed watching TV when Doctor Butler called. The week of Memoral Day is booked up so how did I feel about Friday, May 23rd?

Kyle was on a run (yes, you read that right..he has started working out!) so I had no one to bounce this idea off of. I could barely answer her. My only conflict that day is a hair appt. Oh and the fact that I don't want to schedule the birth of my first child via c-section!

I can't get this picture to turn, but this is how I felt. Which seems appropriate because my head was spinning 

We were planning on having Memorial Day weekend to enjoy and go to my parents and cookout and prepare. So now, with this new plan, this upcoming weekend is it for us as a family of 2. But my mom made a good point that the earlier this happens, the less time I have to obsess and worry about it. It seems inevitable at this point, so my task now is to find a way to accept it. I feel better this morning after doing some reading about c-sections and Kyle telling me that I will recover just fine. I'm healthy and in good shape so I will bounce back.

It still doesn't mean I am 100% ok with it, but maybe as each day passes, I will feel excitement over meeting our baby instead of dread about the c-section.

I read this blog and she has such a great outlook. Baby is healthy, we have tons of family to help and Kyle has been such a support to me during these last few weeks. It's time to let go of my control over this and focus on becoming a mom.

36 Weeks

Here I am! All 36 weeks of me, headed out to pour wine for the richy rich at the Philbrook Wine Experience on Saturday. I stood on my feet from 2-4 on Friday and then 6-9 on Friday night and those puppies were barking when I woke up on Saturday. I relaxed most of the day, preparing myself to be on my feet again Sat night for the dinner. But luckily I was given a chair to sit in, so the night was much more enjoyable. I poured wine for about 3 tables and one of the tables was so sweet and kept asking me about the baby and how I felt.

Getting a nice walk in even though my feet feel like they might explode

Today we went in for another biophysical profile ultrasound and appt. Baby is doing very well and once again, passed with flying colors. The BPP measures the lung movement, body movement and heart rate.

The baby was very active, probably due to the Fritos I ate while I was getting ready. The baby is still breech and then the doctor told me that she won't do an ECV on me. Bummer. She said with the small size of the baby, she doesn't want to put that stress on it which could result in am emergency c-section. I understand her reasoning, but I am still bummed that option has been taken off the table.
Best case scenario: the baby continues to pass the BPP and I can stay pregnant longer, which increases my chances of the baby flipping and me going into natural labor.
Worst case scenario: we go in next week or any subsequent appt and the baby doesn't do well on the BPP and they decide it is best for the baby to be delivered via c-section (if baby is still breech).

Basically, when I go in next week at 37 weeks, I need to be prepared to have the baby. Car seat and co-sleeper are getting completed this weekend, along with me packing a bag.

I started seeing a chiropractor in hopes that she can make some adjustments which will encourage the baby to flip. While I know that the health of the baby is most important and that a c-section is not the end of the world, I would like to do everything I can to avoid it. One of the most frustrating parts of all this is that I leave each appt still feeling anxious about the baby's position and possible scheduled c-section. I wish that I could go in each week and get a perfect report and walk out thinking I could go into labor at any time and push out a baby. There is still time to let this baby flip, so let's all keep our fingers crossed!