In A Heartbeat

I feel like I blinked and here we are, 6 months later, wow! Iris temperament DID in fact change haha, she is another fiery little girl just like her big sister. In fact they remind me so much of each other it's scary. She is a heftier looking girl to me then her sister was BUT they weigh almost exactly the same at the same age..weird. Anyways life has been CRAZY which is why I havent been on here, Instagram is just so much quicker and easier. If your on Instagram follow me I have the same user name.

Evangeline just turned 4.....how is that even possible? She has adapted to having a big sister very well. We had a hard time with her at first, she adored her sister but was acting out alot, lots of random tears and tantrums and was peeing her pants all the time. Seems to have mostly tapered off now and she ADORES her little sister, whom she calls Jellybean (Iris Jean Jellybean).

So happy, so busy but so fulfilled and so excited to watch Iris grow and change. Doing things so differently this time, it's nice the second time around cause I am so much calmer overall and much more confident in my choices and what I am doing. So in love. Trying to enjoy every moment with her since she is our last baby. Dave really hoped we would have another boy someday but logically he is with me on the 2 is more then enough and we are so blessed front. I gave away all my maternity clothes and as Iris is outgrowing stuff Dave is SO HAPPY to be getting rid of baby stuff and not putting it back in storage for the next one haha.
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Today is her third day of life, so far she is a very even tempered calm little girl. She is soothed instantly from full on screaming to content when momma holds her..unless she is hungry. She nurses like a champ, seems to have a great latch and also seems to be using the colostrum well (4 big big meconium poops in 24 hours) and I am waiting to hear back on her jaundice bloodwork but she is not very yellow. Exactly like her sister before her she likes to cluster feed at night every hour on the hour then crash out for a long sleep. Last night she ate on and off from 11pm-3am hourly and I was exhausted but then she slept on my chest 3am-8am so I still ended up with 7-8 hours sleep total and one 5 hour chunk. I know her temperament could/will continue to change but for now she is a very easy baby who cries very little.

Had a Cervidil put in last night and that resulted in regular mostly painless contractions all night long every two minutes. Went into hospital this am at 3cm and so they decided to try breaking my waters and see if that alone did the job. It, things went fast and Iris was born 4 hours later. I had an epidural at 6cm but went from 6-10 so fast Epidural hardly took effect and I felt it all. Oh the pushing, oh it hurt, first time I experience the ring of fire..oh boys but four contractions later she was born pink and screaming. I had a second degree despite an awesome doctors attempt to prevent tearing, he took it slow and did perennial massage but the pre-existing scar tissue from episiotomy with Evan tore..all in all though I can't complain, just had a pee and it hardly hurt. She is 7lbs 5oz and 20 3/4 long. So perfectly dainty but so different then her sister. This hospital
Is awesome and let her nurse 2.5 hours before doing her vitals :) she nursed like a champ.

Was supposed to go in for Cervadil application tonight, instead I went in, got a biophysical and was told she was doing spectacular and because there were two emergency inductions happening in the morning, I could come back tomorrow night for the application. I want to say "Oh I just pray she comes on her own between now and then, I am 40 weeks 3 days" but I am so tiered of saying that day after day. My cervix has not changed since Wednesday, 2cm and 50%...I started loosing my mucus plug this morning so I was praying that when I got checked tonight I would be more dilated but nope...Anyways, good news is Dr. said I am
In a very favorable position for a fast and easy induction...so here's hoping.

So that's that!! She should be here, in my arms where she belongs by Sunday evening at the latest.

Due date is today, baby is so close, but still in there. She has dropped, I have so much pressure, nausea, diareah, lots of contractions but no active labor. At Dr. now for a final checkup and NST then we decide what next (I.e when do we move ahead with induction) back later with more news.

Update: I am at 2cm dilated and 50% effaced, NST and Biophysical were beautiful, she is thriving, in fact, had I not been a stillbirth mama they would see no reason to induce yet...but since I am...induction is booked for Saturday morning. I will be 40 weeks 3 days and that gives her two more days to make her way out. I go in Friday night at 4pm for my first prostaglandin application then go home for the night. If labor starts just from that I go back in, if not Saturday morning I head back to start with actual induction.

Today's low belly pic

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Still no baby. I will premise this by saying I know I am lucky that my babies like to stay put and grow big and healthy, as I have friends who were not so lucky and spent lots
Of time on bed rest begging baby to stay put awhile. That being said....come on baby! Paaaaallllleeeessseee come out, induction will be booked in 2 days if you do not. Quit being such a tease, with all this cramping, contractions, excess bowel movements...this
Is all supposed to mean your on your way and yet somehow you are still in my belly hanging out. Soon. Cramps are worse today so I pray with the full moon around the corner she will be making her grand debut in the next two days. Otherwise. I will be back on Wednesday with induction plans.

Yup she's still in there, passed this weeks NST with flying colours again and so we wait and see...back to Dr. next Wednesday if she has not arrived and we book induction. Opted out of cervix check and sweeping of membranes, so I have no idea how things are looking down there.

38 weeks today and Dave birthday, no baby yet though :).
Had a NST and check up yesterday and everything is going awesome so were good to go back next week for our 39 week checkup. Everything else is ready, clothes and diapers washed and ready to go, crib sidecarred to our bed, maternity leave started, were ready...
Now it's just the waiting game...

I am done work tomorrow and then commences the waiting game. Pregnancy has gone so perfectly that I have been told that (so long as nothing changes) I will be ok to wait until 40 weeks before induction. OB checked my cervix yesterday ( I HATE cervix checks...they hurt me badly, and because I flinched so hard, today my entire pelvis is killing me) and said it was still high and open just a fingertip so I should be a while still...or not..cause these things generally can't be counted on right? If a cervix check is not even all that telling then why bother until active labour? For women like me who experience alot of pain from checks I don't understand why put us through that if its not even all that foretelling. Grrr. Anyways, Dave's birthday is next Thursday and then our 7 year wedding anniversary is on the 26th so somewhere in there we are about to add a daughters birthday :) so exciting.

Honestly, I am in such physical discomfort the last two days that I just want to give birth and be over with it already. I am ready to trade in constant discomfort and pain for exhaustion.

I am very impressed with this new (to me) hospitals breast feeding policy. They don't keep formula on the floor or provide binkies, they discourage the use of artificial nipples altogether and if you decide you want to formula feed, they make you sign a waver stating that it is your wish and you have been made aware you are making a less healthy choice for your baby. They even give you a chart on the difference in vitamin/mineral/antibody content of breast milk to formula. It's very cool to graphically see the difference side by side. I can't wait to have another , I honestly miss it so much. Soon. So soon.

35 weeks today :) up 20 lbs total. It's hot and I am large and uncomfortable, but seriously; I can't complain. Of the three this has been my best pregnant. I have virtually no swelling, even in a heat wave, whereas with Evan by 29 weeks I couldn't fit into any shoes but runners. I still have my wedding ring on, something I never accomplished this far in pregnancy before. I have hardly any pelvic floor/hip pain at this stage outside of when I am sleeping. I give props to my amazing Osteopath for that.

Hard to fathom that 3 weeks from now in pregnancy Evangeline was born :) I am equal parts excited to meet our new little one and afraid of how much our peaceful happy and predictable family unit will change. As the time approaches I have so many mixed emotions. Honestly after one still birth and one colic baby...I have baby anxiety. I am however SO so So excited to have a baby to nurse again :) :)

Almost there ;)