RICHLAND, WASH. -- Sweet, little Paige had her one month appointment this week. Firstly, has it only been a month? I feel like she's been around for so much longer. Secondly, she appears to take after her big sister in the big baby department. She's gained almost a pound a week. Amazing. To commemorate this achievement, here are a bunch of photos from this past month, along with Paige's birth story. Which isn't that exciting, but a story nonetheless.
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| My first glimpse at the little peanut. All the nurses kept commenting how beautiful she was. |
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| The cutest dad. |
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| Just a day or so old here. |
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| Marin meeting Paige for the first time. She was so excited to see the baby as if she were reunited with an old friend. |
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| She kept pointing and saying, "Look, look, baby!" |
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| Paige's first visitors! Isaac's mom and niece came to help with Marin. It was heaven having them here! |
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My parents were kind enough to come and help the week Isaac went back to work. My mom stayed a week and my dad came at the end and thoroughly entertained Marin. She couldn't get enough of them both. |
Eating: Lots of milk; with steroids in it apparently.
Sleeping: She's been sleeping a solid 4-5 hour stretch the last few nights from about 11pm to 4am (I wish she'd zonk out earlier, but I'll take it). She'll sleep again for 2-3 hours and then be awake for a bit before going back to sleep for another hour or two. She's usually wide awake mid-morning and zonks back out again from about 1pm to 4:30 or 5pm. This works out tremendously, because Marin takes a nap at 1... so I get some peace and quiet for a bit. Heaven!
Wearing: 3 month clothes. Wears some newborn things, but they're getting a big snug these days
Interesting tidbits:
- Gives the sweetest smiles (started doing this around the three week mark)
- Poops all the time (I know this is TMI)
- Coos loudly when she eats
- Likes to squawk when she's on the ground kicking
Paige's Story
Sweet little Paige was scheduled to be delivered via induction on Thursday, August 27. I was praying and hoping she'd just come on her own so I could bypass the painful, annoying and long induction process. It turns out going into labor on your own is still painful and just as annoying. Now I know.
Early Sunday morning (I'm talking like 3 am here), I found myself awake, as usual (my pregnancy insomnia was ridiculous) and got up to check on Marin. Meanwhile, I felt some funny cramping pains. They didn't go away, and by morning I knew they were definitely contractions. I told Isaac as soon as he woke up that I was having contractions. He was excited, but I don't think he was entirely sure I was legitimately in labor. Nonetheless, he called his parents to alert them. His mom said they were probably Braxton-Hicks.
As the day wore on, the contractions obviously got stronger and closer together. I went to church that morning, but by third hour was ready to call it a day. We came home and Isaac had to get ready to go to work. He was on call that night from about 2 to 10 pm. When he left to go to work, he promised to call to check in frequently. I cried when he left. Those pesky contractions were getting painful and it scared me that I had to go it alone with Marin while I was hunched over in pain every few minutes! He called about every hour or so and had me start timing my contractions. By 5 pm they were so painful and coming every 4 minutes or so. I remember attempting to make Marin some dinner (I sure wasn't hungry) and I kept having to stop and grab the counter so I could keel over in pain until a nasty contraction passed. I didn't know what to do with Marin to keep her entertained and occupied, so I let her watch little kid videos on YouTube (Elmo, Super Simple Songs, Minnie Mouse, etc.). I was so frustrated trying to take care of her and doing in inadequate job that I broke down and cried while I was attempting to make dinner. These contractions were awful and I was so frustrated! Thankfully, Isaac called around this time and decided it was best if he called in backup at work so he could come home. He finally got home around 6:30 p.m. We had Marin in bed by 7pm. I was trying to sing songs with her before we laid her down and she broke out in tears when I had a nasty contraction... I don't hide pain well apparently. And whenever she sees me sad, she cries.
By this time, we had convinced Isaac's mother (who was on stand-by for us) that I was legitimately in labor and she better start heading over from Portland. We called our sweet home teacher's family and they sent one of their teenaged daughters over to stay at our house until Isaac's mom (and 9 year old niece, who she brought along for entertainment for Marin) got there.
When we got to the hospital around 7:30, the sweet nurse hooked me up to check my contractions and all that fun stuff. I was dilated to a 4. I couldn't believe I was only at a 4 after all that pain the entire day! She said I needed to dilate to a 5 within the next hour or they'd likely send me home. I pleaded with her to let me stay and when she saw me curling my toes in pain she was kind-hearted enough to admit me right then and there. Soon thereafter, I got the blessed relief of an epidural. God bless the person who was inspired enough to come up with this miracle drug. The nurse anesthetist happened to be from Utah too. He immediately made me feel better.
By 11:30 pm, I was fully dilated and ready to go. My water hadn't broken yet, but was bulging like a balloon (they said), so they popped it and off we went. The sweet little girl made her big debut at 12:04 am late Sunday night/early Monday morning. She weighed 8 pounds 4 ounces and was 21 inches long. All the nurses kept commenting on what a beautiful baby she was. She came out a chubby little thing, but she sure is darling.
Since we delivered at the hospital where Isaac works, it was nice he could run down to the physicians lounge that night and get us sandwiches, juice and snacks.
The irony behind this day was August 23 was the ten year anniversary of my Grandma's death. She was the one we happened to name Paige after... Virginia. I hope this little girl will know how much this lady meant to me in my life. The name also has dual meaning for Isaac and I since it's the state where our relationship began. Mostly though, its after my Grandma. No doubt she smiled down on us that day.
Paige has been an angel of a baby. The entire time I was pregnant, I never worried about her and if she'd be healthy or if my labor would go well. I only worried about how Marin would react to a new addition to our family. I'd heard such horror stories about how some kids react. The morning after Paige was born, I was nervous for Isaac and his mom to bring Marin to the hospital to meet her. But the moment Marin walked through that door, she saw me sitting there and was so excited to see me. I don't think she knew she'd find me through that door. She ran to me and I picked her up and held her and showed her Paige laying in the bassinet next to me. Marin got the biggest smile on her face and completely lit up saying, "Baby, baby, baby!" and pointed and smiled the biggest grin. It was the sweetest thing and I was immediately relieved that she was so excited to see this little baby, who she seemed to already know and remember. I get emotional thinking about this sweet moment. She wanted to hold her the whole time she was there.
While we were at the hospital, several people from our ward stopped by, our home teacher and his wife and our bishop and his hilarious wife. One of Isaac's kind coworkers even came up with flowers. These two darling old men stopped by too. They said they come to the hospital every week to visit members of the church who are there. Its nice to have such a supportive community.
Since we've been home, Isaac's mom stayed several days. She was such a lifesaver. She made dinner every night and kept Marin happy. She brought along Issac's cute 9 year old niece, Makenzie who Marin followed around like a puppy dog. Isaac happened to time it right, and had two weeks off in a row. His first being the day Paige was born. It couldn't have been timed better for that reason. The second week he had off, he was the biggest help. He took Marin to the park, wore her out every day and did every chore around the house. The week he went back to work, my mom came. She made me freezer meals and helped do random things around the house, all the while keeping Marin entertained with fun activities. My dad came that weekend and Marin had the time of her life with him out hunting for bugs and playing games. When they all left, I cried. It is so nice to have such a wonderful family (on both sides) who are loving, thoughtful and dependable and will do anything for you. Oh how I love them all!
Paige is such a mellow baby. She sleeps much of the day away and so far seems very good natured and sweet. I had a feeling she would be this way. She gives the sweetest smiles when I pick her up after a nap. It makes me melt.
Transitioning to life with two kids has been pretty uneventful. I was nervous to be alone with both of them the first week I was on my own. Marin has mostly been sweet and kind to Paige. She likes to smother her with kisses. But she has obviously been adjusting to these changes too. She likes to throw extra tantrums and whine to me. But other than that, she's been a trooper. We even braved story time at the library this week together. I thought it would be months before I dared take them both. Other than a tantrum at the end, things went smoothly.
These two little girls have completely changed my world. And I love it so much.
