Success!

I can't tell you what has been going on the past few days...I have been so sleep deprived, sometimes I don't even know what day it is. We're still trying to figure out our little guy...does he like to be swaddled? Does he like the bassinet or the crib? Does he think we're doing a good job? :) Ella slept pretty good early on. Nathan...not so much. He eats then gets fussy if he doesn't burp. He wakes up 10 minutes after I put him down. Some nights I got less than 3 hours of sleep! Makes it hard to chase around a very active 2 year old!

Nathan had his 2 week check-up and he's doing well. 8 pounds, 4.5 ounces, 21 inches. He goes back at 6 weeks.

We enjoyed taking Ella to the community Halloween Party ( see Snapfish) and going to a few houses for Trick or Treating. Ella was a cheatah and Nathan was a monkey.

Back to the title of this post...we had a very successful night last night. Seems like Nathan DOES like to be swaddled, very tightly, likes his crib over the bassinet in our room, and told me we ARE doing a good job. (Okay, made up the last one.) He slept 3 hours, then fed, slept 2 hours then fed, then slept almost 2.5-3 hours again. It was heaven! I hadn't gotten that much sleep in days! So, I think we'll be okay. :) We'll see what happens tonight...

Epidural Headache

Since I had such an easy labor and delivery, with no painful complaints to follow, I am now suffering from a headache, caused by the epidural. They can come on 1 day to 1 week following having an epidural. Mine started about 5-6 days after my epidural, and has been going on now for 6-7 days. It feels like a mild migraine, but my migraine medicine doesn't work. Lovely. I called my OB, who told me to call the Anesthesiology Department at the hospital. A nice doctor called me back and spent some time talking with me about options. Basically, I can wait it out, sometimes taking 2-3 weeks and drinking caffeinated beverages, or go in for a procedure, called an epidural blood patch. This is where they take some blood from your arm and then "re-do" the epidural, but they inject the blood into the epidural space. It works 9/10 times, but causes low back pain. The headache is caused by a "leak" from the epidural catheter. So, I'm going to wait it out, avoiding getting another epidural. I guess I'll just be hopped up on caffeine for the next few days. Maybe it will help with my severe sleep deprevation.

My parents are back from their South Dakota vacation and are staying through the weekend. I actually got to sleep in a few extra hours this morning. It was amazing!!!

On to some friends and family news:
Our friends Paul and April welcomed their son, Jackson Adam, on Oct. 22nd. He weighed in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and was 19 inches long. Just a little peanut. We're going to introduce our boys next weekend. Ella will get to play with her cousins for the day while we travel to Appleton. My cousin, Kristen and her husband Brian, welcomed their daughter, Aubry, on Oct. 23rd. She weighed in at an impressive 9 pounds, 7 ounces, and was 22 inches long. Holy cow! Now I'm just waiting to hear the news from my friend Stacey. Let's see...is there anyone else expecting a baby in the next few weeks? I'm having a hard time keeping track!

I may create a new webpage at www.totspot.com, but I have to look into it a little bit more. I'll keep you posted. More pictures to come, I promise!

We're Surviving

Today is my second day being home alone with both kids. Let me tell you, it's a really hard job! Both Ella and Nathan are sleeping right now, and I probably should be too, but instead I'm trying to get some things done. I was so proud of myself today because we actually got outside and walked to the park. Ella didn't run away or anything, and I wasn't seen sprinting down the street with a stroller. Thank God!

We've been home a little over a week now, and most moments are really great, while other moments are chaos. I'm still dealing with crazy hormones, making me super emotional. I have very little patience at times with Ella, and then I feel so guilty afterwards. I think about how I'll probably never be pregnant again, and that makes me sad. Weird, I know. Then again, I know that we only want two kids. Confusing! Nathan wakes up every 2 hours at night, on the dot it seems, so needless to say, I'm tired. He makes the cutest faces and sometimes really looks like Ella when was she was a baby. Speaking of Nathan, he just started to cry, so I'd better go. I'll update soon.

Nathan's Birth Story

I thought I would give some more details about Nathan's rapid arrival, so here it goes. Our day on Sunday, October 12th, 2008:
We arrived at the hospital at our scheduled 8:30am time. It took almost 2 hours to answer questions, give insurance information, and get hooked up to the monitors. I wondered if they took this long for someone who is in active labor? I would've flipped out! The nurse put in an IV and started Pitocin at 10:15am to get the contractions going. It took about and hour to start working, and my contractions became uncomfortable around 11:30am and were about 2-3 minutes apart, sometimes closer together. The on-call doctor came in and broke my water at 12:30pm and told me I was a good 3 cm and shortly after that my contractions became very strong and painful. I tried just breathing through them while Joe and I watched "The Butterfly Affect" on FX. Weird movie. Anyways, I asked for some pain meds at 1:30pm and my nurse gave me Nubane or Nubain through my IV. Awesome stuff! I felt drunk and happy...although it didn't really help the pain. But, I just didn't care as much! :) I was given an epidural at 1:45pm but it was only working on my right side, which didn't help much. The anesthesiologist came back in about 15 minutes later and gave me a "bolus" which increased the medication and ended up working. I was told to lay on my left side to help the medicine get to that side, and it worked. Around 2:30, my nurse checked me again and I was 5-6 cm. I continued to lay on my side and took a brief snooze since the Nubain had made me drowsy. A few minutes later I started to feel pressure, like the baby was getting lower. At 2:52 pm, just 22 minutes after I was 5-6 cm, the nurse checked me again and I was 10 cm! The baby's head was visible. Then things got crazy. My nurse put on the emergency light, called for any available nurses to assist, and called for ANY doctor on the floor. My doctor was at Target since she thought she had a while. Joe called my mom and his mom, since they were supposed to be in the delivery room for the birth. I pushed 2 times at 2:57 pm, and baby Nathan was born at 2:58 pm. Needless to say, our moms didn't make it. My doctor arrived shortly thereafter to check on me. I didn't tear at all, which thrilled me! Nathan was placed on my chest immediately and I cried of course. Our moms arrived and were disappointed that they missed the actual birth, but they were so excited to see Nathan, and to be grandmas again. Nathan's apgar scores were 8 and then 9. He weighed 8 lbs. and was 20 inches long. He passed all the tests, and his blood counts were normal. No jaundice! He was circumcised and the doctor said he didn't even cry during that. (I wonder if they tell that to all the parents?) Besides having a cold, I feel wonderful. I do not feel like I gave birth 3 days ago, that's for sure. With Ella, I was sitting on one of those "doughnut" pillows for days! I was outside playing with Ella yesterday when we got home from the hospital. It's definately an adjustment, bringing a 2nd baby home. Ella is very curious and needs to be reminded quite frequently to be gentle. Nathan is eating very well, especially since my milk came in over night. He spits up a lot, but the pediatrician said not to worry at this point. Nathan did lose weight, like most babies do. He's now 7 lbs. 8 oz. He sleeps a lot, but when he's awake, he seems very content. He just looks around with his wide eyes. I thought it would be weird having a boy, since I'm only used to having a girl, but it feels completely normal. My parents are leaving for a vacation to South Dakota tomorrow, Ella will go to daycare, and Joe is going to work for a 1/2 day, so it will be just Nathan and I in the morning, and then Joe will join us in the afternoon. We'll have a little time with just Nathan, Joe, and I before Ella gets picked up from daycare (which we are still completely thrilled with!) Joe is taking Friday off as well, so it will be the 4 of us. Ella will continue to go to daycare Tuesdays and Thursdays while I am on maternity leave. Monday will be the first day I have both kids on my own. I am a little nervous! Well, this got very wordy, but I wanted to share all the details and excitement. Please call if you'd like...I'd love to talk briefly if I'm available! :) Look for some more hospital pictures on Snapfish, taken by my dad.

We're Home!

We are home and trying to get settled. It was a roller-coaster ride that I will describe in more detail tomorrow. I came down with a cold and that's really the only thing that's bugging me right now. We have to watch Ella like a hawk, as she doesn't really understand "gentle." It's going to be a challenge. Nathan is perfect and we are so thrilled to finally have him at home. I have posted pictures on Snapfish, so look for the link in your e-mail. I will make updates on the blog as well, but most pictures will be on Snapfish from now on. Nathan has his first pediatrician appointment tomorrow. I will post more tomorrow. For now, I'm going to play with Ella and try to keep my eyes open. I will also answer phone calls in the next day or so. It's just been crazy!

Nathan Gerald Dietrich

Welcoming to the World Sweet Baby Boy

Introducing to Everyone,

Nathan Dietrich

HOUSTON...WE HAVE A BABY!!

HOLY COW! Things sure progressed fast after I spoke to Joe the first time. He talked to my husband and it sounded like there was a lot of family celebrating on the other end of the line. SO we just got the quick info to share with everyone...

Nathan Gerald Dietrich
Born: Just before 3pm (don't have an EXACT time)
Weight: 8lbs.
Length: 20 Inches

As far as we know, both baby and momma are doing well.

If I am able, I will get a photo an here if one comes through.

CONGRATLUATIONS TO MOMMY AND DADDY AND BIG SISTER ELLA!!

Won't be long NOW!

Allison's friend April here, doing what I can to keep everyone informed!
I have been unable to sign in to the blog for the past few hours, so I apologize that this is the first post. Here's my update:

8am - Joe and Allison arrive at the Woman's Pavillion at Aurora Hospital in West Allis

10am (or so) - Allison was started on Pitocin to induce her labor

12pm - (When I received Joe's phone call), he told me that Allison's contractions were about 3 minutes apart, but not too painful yet. She has not begun the epidural at this point. THey are doing what they can to make the time go by. Both the Murphy's and Dietrich's are at Joe & Al's with Ella. Mrs. Murphy & Mrs. Dietrich are eagerly waiting their call to join the excitement when Allison begins delivery.

That's the news as of noon today. I will be posting again when I hear from Joe. Won't be long now!!

No Baby Yet...(but a new addition to the family!)

We are now the proud owners of a Honda Odessy mini-van. That's right...a mini-van. And guess what? We LOVE it! We put the car-seats in (yes, plural now) and I didn't even have to bend over. There is so much storage space and it's very comfortable. It's more of a bronze color, even though it looks silver. Joe still thinks it's silver.

We will be leaving the house tomorrow morning at 8:00 for the hospital. We will be calling our friends Paul and April with any updates and April will post on the blog. It seems very surreal that our baby is going to be here tomorrow. I think we're ready. I hope we're ready!

Well, I'm going to go watch the instructional DVD on my new baby sling and see if I can figure it out. Here's one last picture of me...39 weeks! I'll try posting as often as I can, but most pictures will probably be on Snapfish for a while. Thanks for reading my blog. I hope it helped out-of-town friends and family feel closer.