Olive's First Week

Even though we wanted kids close in age, I had my moments of doubting whether two in diapers was really the best idea.  I was pretty sure Hannah was not going to take kindly to a baby and I would go crazy from lack of sleep.  But (so far) having a newborn and a toddler is much easier than I thought it would be.  Mostly because Olive is an easy baby.  She is a super nurser and sleeper.  Amazingly she sleeps right through Hannah's excited yells.  And Hannah has been taking it all in stride, probably because she is used to be being around babies at daycare.  She mostly ignores Olive and does her own thing, but every so often goes over to her, talks baby talk, and pats her head.

Thank you for all of the emails, cards, visits, and meals, from family and friends.  We really appreciate you celebrating Olive's birth with us!  Here are a few pictures from Olive's first week.  

Merry-Go-Round

Olive Elizabeth

Olive Elizabeth Kerr
7 lbs.
19 inches long

born April 14 at 1:48 pm

Olive's birth story is very different from Hannah's.  After waiting 40 weeks and 2 days, it was time for Olive to come out.  I scheduled the induction on the 14th because I liked the date (4-14-11).  Here's my last pregnant picture taken that morning:

We got to the hospital at 6:30am and my doctor broke my water around 7:15.  They started me a very low dose of pitocin to start contractions.  They were scared if they gave me too much I would go into labor quickly because of my previous history. :)  I started feeling contractions, but they didn't bother me at all.  So we basically sat around all morning watching tv and movies.  Steve took lots of pictures of me in my fabulous hospital gown.

Gradually they increased the pitocin and the contractions got more painful.  I started the day not sure if I wanted an epidural or not.  I figured I'd done natural childbirth once, I could do it again.  But I was curious to know what the epidural felt like and how different it would be.  Although my doctor and the nurses thought I would have the baby before noon, 12:00 came and went and I was still pregnant.  The contractions started to get very painful and I was squeezing Steve's hand through them.  After about an hour of pain I decided I had served my time and I was ready for an epidural!  I didn't feel like I was making much progress and I was very anxious to have this baby!  So I got the shot and they told me the next contraction would be shorter.  It wasn't.  They asked if the next one was less painful.  It wasn't.  They said to give it 10 minutes.  I did and they felt exactly the same.  They said there was one explanation for that....I had dilated from a 5 to a 9 in those 10 minutes and the drugs couldn't keep up.  Nice.  So they gave me another dose and finally my left side went numb.  However everything felt the same on my right side.  Nice.  By this time I was a 10 and the doctor was ready to deliver.  I finally started to feel the contractions lessen right before it was time to push.  It wasn't pain-free, but it was a night and day difference from natural childbirth.  I didn't even feel like it was really happening since it seemed so easy in comparison.  After about 10 minutes of pushing she was out.  Olive was facing up instead of down, so she got her face bruised by pushing against my pelvic bone.  The marks are supposed to gradually fade.  The epidural had made me really tired, but as soon as she was born I became more alert and of course started crying.  With Hannah I was too stunned by the pain to really enjoy the moment.  I was also shaking uncontrollably with her because of all of the natural childbirth hormones.  It was neat to have a different birth experience this time and really be able to enjoy it.  Although the worst thing about the epidural was it took about 4 hours to move my left leg!

We named her Olive for my maternal grandmother- Olive Arlene Brown.  She passed away a few years ago and it makes me sad that my Olive will never know her namesake.  I hope my Olive will inherit her great-grandmother's creativity and playfulness.  Grandma liked writing poetry, designing Barbie dresses for her daughters, and playing games with her grandkids.  She really liked Steve and was very excited for our wedding.  I know she would have loved to see us start a family.

Elizabeth doesn't have special meaning to us.  We just thought it went really well with Olive.  I also like that it is more of a traditional name, just in case she doesn't like the uniqueness of Olive.

Baby Predictions

Steve:

7 lbs. 8 oz.

18.5 inches

black hair

blue/grey eyes

cries a lot (baby/Megan)

epidural (Megan)

born at 1:00pm

Megan:

7 lbs. 11 oz.

20 inches

medium brown hair

blue eyes

born at 11:14am

Hannah:

Anyone else want to predict?

Deanna Rose

It was a beautiful weekend in KC.  Saturday we went to Deanna Rose Farmstead.  Hannah was very excited to see the animals.  She said the cows and horses were her favorites.  She was also exited to be wearing her sunglasses and didn't want to take them off.  And I was excited that her hair is finally long enough for a real ponytail. :)

This was the first time we got in the pgymy goat area.  Hannah was not happy that they come right up to you looking for food.  She needed her Dada for protection.

She tried pedaling a tractor for the first time.  She needed some help.

Hannah's two goals in life right now are to ride a school bus and ride a horse.  She mentions them to me almost daily.  You have to be 3 to ride the ponies at Deanna Rose, so this is as close as she got.

Have you had that baby yet?

No, I have not.  However, I have started maternity leave.  I actually started a week early.  Here's the story:

Last Monday I had mild contractions starting at 4:00am.  They felt exactly like they did with Hannah (when I didn't know they were contractions).  So we took Hannah to Pat's and Steve took off of work.  We cleaned up around the house and packed some more things for the hospital.  The contractions got worse around noon to the point that I was up pacing with them because I couldn't sit down.  We were ready to call my doctor...then they stopped.  I had already called in to work to start my long-term sub and everyone (including me) thought I was going to have a baby that day.  I spent the rest of the afternoon being depressed.  We told Hannah she would meet her baby sister, so she was confused when I still had a belly that night.  But after about 5 minutes she forgot about it and everything was back to normal.

Once my sub already started I thought it would be weird if I went back the next day.  Especially since I didn't know if the contractions would start back up I would have to leave again.  I didn't think going back and forth with the sub was a very good plan.  Steve and I decided I should just start maternity leave early, but I wasn't happy about it.  Partly because I think it is my responsibility to work as long as I can for the kids and partly because I didn't want to be sitting at home waiting for this baby to arrive.  I go stir-crazy pretty easily.

So of course I went the whole week without any more contractions and I really could have gone to work.  Bah.  After feeling sorry for myself for a day, I got to work doing all kinds of random things.  I ran errands, checked out books from the library, sorted boxes of my stuff in the basement, scraped paint off of our bedroom window that had been there for years, and watched way too many episodes of The Wire (Wendy said I should watch it and I get addicted to things very easily...I'm already on season 2).  Hannah was grateful that I went threw the boxes of my old stuff because I found some toys and stuffed animals for her.  So the week wasn't a total waste.

I also went back to school on Wednesday afternoon because my students threw me a baby shower.  It was very sweet.  They all ran up to me and hugged me like they hadn't seen me in months, but really it was just a few days. :)

Now I'm convinced this baby is never going to exit on her own accord, so I'm taking matters into my own hands.  I'm going to be induced on the 14th.  One way or the other I will have a baby this week!   I'm a little nervous about being induced since it is so different from Hannah's birth.  But this waiting around during a baby-less maternity leave is driving me crazy.  I feel much better now that there is an end in sight.

Hannah Two Year Photos

And here's the one year pictures to compare.

Friday Afternoon at the Park

Week 38

Well, I'm actually 38.5 weeks but who's counting?  Oh yeah.  Me.  I had Hannah at 37.5 weeks, so now I'm the most pregnant I've ever been.  And I feel pretty good.  I actually felt really good until I hit 38 weeks.  Then I started to feel a little pregnant...swelling in my feet, tired at the end of the day, out of breath doing some things, etc.  But none of it has been too bad.  This has actually been a really easy pregnancy (except for those first few weeks!) and it has flown by.  Baby #2 continues to be very active and even occasionally kicks me in my ribs.  She's so big that when she moves around it feels like my internal organs are rearranging themselves.  It doesn't hurt, but it feels very strange.

My official due date is April 12, but my doctor doesn't think I'll make it that long.  My official last day of work is April 8, but now I'm doubtful that I'll be able to do that either.  I have all my sub plans ready to go for Monday just in case.  It felt pretty weird walking out of work today with everything set up as if I'm not coming back.  But who knows?  Maybe I'll make it another week.

Science Night

Hannah met her buddy Ollie at Science Night.  They mostly played in the kindergarten kitchen, but they were both very interested in animals, too.  Hannah's favorite was the tarantula.  Her fearlessness never ceases to amaze me.  Steve and I didn't want to have anything to do with the spider, but I did hold her arms down because we were afraid she was going to fling the tarantula across the room.

A very serious Hannah in front of the 2nd grade rainforest.