Monday, December 28, 2009

Christmas





The kids were anxiously awaiting Christmas. They couldnt wait to get their hands on the gifts under the tree! Nana Carolyn made all their Christmas jammies this year- the kids all looked super cute!
We video taped their faces as they walked out of their bedroom. After 4 or 5 gifts they were done opening and just wanted to play. Their favorite gift was a dirt devil vacuumn. Who knew I had such little cleaners :)

We also had family photos taken the day prior by Susan Stevenson. The photos were taken just before naptime and was complete chaos. Suprisingly we still got a few nice shots. Here is a link to our photos- http://susanstevenson.com/Journal/2009/HarperChristmas2009/
Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!!!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Finally- my labor story.

Kennedy Marie was born 12/4 (41w1d) at 5:10am. She was 22" & 8#13oz -- all natural!

I had posted about my 41 week appointment, shortly after I came home and posted I began having contractions 10 minutes apart but thought nothing of it until I started having "show" around 7pm. None the less I still tried to go to bed around 9pm (thinking it was just from the doc checking me earlier that day) and was waking every 10 minutes on the dot. My husband was convinced we were going to have a baby that night-I didn't think so.
Finally around 12:30am I was pacing the house and contractions were every 6 minutes and becoming intense. We called our friend Melanie who came over and slept at the house (so she could take the twins home with her in the morning). We got to the hospital around 2am and I was already 7cm.

I got in the labor tub and stayed for 1.5 hours or so. I stood up to go pee and I started puking (transition!) by 4am it was time to push and I was exhausted. I was breathing through the contractions because I didn't want to push.

The pain was intense, and my doc/husband kept telling me its the only way the baby can come out! Finally I did it, I got her out! I was nervous, after her head come out I was afraid her shoulders were stuck. I kept telling my doctor to "get it out, get it out" and she kept telling me " you have to keep pushing".
When she finally arrived the doctor announced by saying "She's here!". We both still cant believe shes a girl. She looks nothing like us or our other 2. Thank-goodness we both witnessed it or we wouldn't think she was ours. She is beautiful with all her dark hair :)

We went home Friday afternoon (14 hours later!). I felt fine and the baby was well so no need to stay (plus I missed the twins)! Before we left they discovered Kennedy has a soft cleft palate (only)-- way back in the back of her mouth where her uvula should be, she has a small hole.

We saw the plastic surgeon here in town and he doesn't like to do the repair until she is one. We are going for a second opinion at Seattle Children's Hospital next month when we visit Curtis' parents. They usually do soft cleft repairs between 9-12 months of age. Of course I'm hoping for an earlier repair.

This has been very hard for me. As a LLL leader and a breastfeeding mom, I was really looking forward to the experience of nursing a singleton and right now we cant nurse at all! I'm pumping around the clock, bottle feeding, washing all the bottles/pump parts etc and then there's the twins- this isn't what I had envisioned and is super hard but we're trying to make the best of it. I thought we'd co-sleep/nurse, I could sling her and sit down with the toddlers etc. I didn't think Id be up for all hours of the night trying to pump/feed etc. I thought we would just get in the car and go- but unless I can get everyone ready, out of the house and back home again in less than 3 hours (so I can pump) we aren't going anywhere!

I'm having a hard time establishing a routine and transitioning to life with 3 and a pump. Hence the reason its taken me so long to update! I'm sure it will all be OK- I just need to adjust.

Thanks for all your kind thoughts, you all have been great!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Welcom Kennedy Marie Lima Harper!

Brand new to the world on 12/4/09 at 5:10am! Weighing in at 8#13oz & 22" long!
First picture with Dad!
Meeting Everett & Macey for the 1st time at Melanies House

Hanging out on the couch

She is a jolly little thing!

We're still working on a schedule of sorts and we are both sleep deprived already so more to come (such as the birth story & how things are going) when things settle down!

My 41 week appointment

Written on 03 December 2009 - 05:07 PM
For those of you keeping up on me, I had my 41 week appointment today.I am almost 5cm dilated and 80% effaced. The doctor said she is on call tonight so if I start having contractions (they don't even need to be 5 minutes apart) and I wanted to come in, I could and she would be happy to break my water and we will have a baby!We did an NST (non-stress test) and everything looks good. I scheduled an appointment for Monday but she doesn't think I will make it till then. If I do, we will do an ultrasound on Monday to check the amniotic fluid etc. She said if I made it to 42 weeks (which again is highly unlikely) at that point we would discuss an induction date. Im moving right along. Slow & Steady!