Our Weekend

We had a good weekend. Let's be honest, when Gary is home, it's a billion times easier! The days were long this past week when I had the three kids, the rain was out in full force (no trampoline time) and I was unable to drive (can't drive for 2 weeks post C-section). This week will be MUCH better. I already took all three kids to the park today and it felt so good!

I feel so good physically. I just can't lift anything heavier than 10lbs (or vacuum) and I'm trying to be really, really good with this. I can walk really well though and have been going out each day.

Koen is starting to be a bit more work. One day he just stuck beside me all day talking and talking and talking. So exhausting. He likes to make a mess. He likes to sneak food. He likes to bug Kai. Maybe that's just what 3 year olds are like. Right before Nya was born he started peeing his pants. Crazy that after a year he decided to start doing that. Well, we started giving him m+m's for going on the toilet again and haven't had an accident since Nya has been home. We have since phased out the m+m's. Phew. He loves his baby sister. He'll just look at her and say, `She's so beautiful!'. Kai says he wants more babies in our house so he's loving it too.

Kai got to participate in the school's ball hockey tournament this weekend and he was in heaven. He was the youngest but I'm glad they let him in. He also scored once which he was pretty pumped about. I love seeing/hearing about something that he loves so much. He gets to go to soccer camp at our church this summer too which he is sooooo looking forward to.

{Next year we'll put a team together with his buddies and get Gary to coach or something.}

Nya is still a pretty easy baby! She is easily calmed and only cries when she has to poop. Unfortunately, she poops a lot. Like, 3 times in 1.5 hours this morning. My favourite part is that when I feed her at night (usually takes about 15 minutes), I can change her and put her right back down to sleep. So nice. I hope this never changes!! She is generally up every 2-4 hours in the night but as long as she goes back to sleep, I don't mind. I took her for a walk in the bjorn today and she loved it, she fell asleep right away. If she is up for more than an hour at a time she gets too overstimulated and can't sleep. Then, I just feed her a bit more and generally that calms her down enough.

{An outtake from photos...Kai would love to be able to breastfeed Nya and is frequently lifting up his shirt around her.}

Yesterday we went to church and to Costco and it felt so good to be normal! It seems like we suddenly have so many kids when we are out:) So far, this adjustment has been (dare I say it?), pretty easy. Nya wore her first dress to church and I said to Gary, `Don't you think her outfit is so cute?!' and he replied, `Uh, no?'. He's going to have to learn a better response to that one.

Saturday we took some newborn photos. It was mostly Gary and I taking turns with Nya. So, so tiring but I really don't want to miss a moment:) Looking forward to finishing editing them but here's a few.

{Look, Gary being soft and sweet:) He does have that side, folks!}

My blood pressure has come down so thank you for your prayers! Now, just to get my thyroid tested this week to make sure it is behaving so far.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Love, Louise

Nya's Birth

I want to write this out before I forget it in a haze of newborn-ness. There are some photos of surgery, fallopian tubes and all that jazz...be warned! It's just mostly about the C-section with some photos:)

On May 22nd, we had a booked C-section for the birth of our little girl. Her due date was May 28th and that was the closest date I could get to it. We were scheduled to be at the hospital at 6:15am. I had so many different emotions as the date approached. I just wanted her out so that I knew she was safe in my arms. I wanted her to stay in me so that she could grow as much as she could. I wanted to stay pregnant because she is our last biological child. I wanted her to be on the outside because the Braxton Hicks contractions were very, very strong for the last two months and very uncomfortable.

That morning, at 5am, the rest of my mucus plug came out and to me it sort of signified that she likely would have been born soon. We had brought the boys to Gary's parents house the night before and so it was easy getting to the hospital on time.

We arrived at 6am and the nurse got me into a gown, got my IV in and prepped me for surgery. I was quite emotional and I don't know if I was having contractions or just really nervous but I made a LOT of trips to that bathroom.

The surgery this time was a little different as we could actually walk to the OR on the maternity ward. If you are having a C-section, there is definitely a benefit to having it on the ward. Baby was able to stay in the operating room for a good 20 minutes after she was born and I could watch her being checked over, hold her, be with Gary etc.

Compression stockings were also new this time. One of the worst things about a C-section is being attached to so many tubes for 24 hours (IV, catheter, compression thingys).

Gary got suited up and we walked down the hall to `the room'.

I talked to the OB, Dr. A (who actually did Kai and Koen's sections as well). I like her a lot as she is very informative, understanding and efficient. We went over any last minute questions I had and I also talked with the anesthetist. I was in the OR at about 7:45am.

The second I walked into the room, I started crying. I tried to pull myself together but I was overwhelmed. Soon I would meet the daughter I had waited for. Soon she would be coming out by C-section. Could I have pushed her out? Would she be okay? Would I?

As soon as I was frozen (which happened so, so quickly), they got to work. I think because everything happened so quickly, I didn't have time to mentally prepare for each step. Gary came and sat beside me and rubbed my forehead. I was overwhelmed. I also was feeling nauseated which has happened each time I've had a C-section. I let the anesthetist know and he took care of that with medications.

Suddenly she was out! Gary got a bunch of pictures but I'll spare you the bloody ones:) We were allowed to photograph as much as we wanted which I appreciated. All the doctors and nurses were pretty fascinated by the amount of Whartons' Jelly on her umbilical cord (the white part). It was also wrapped around her neck.

She screamed and screamed which I took as a good sign. I could see her the whole time which was awesome. I was shaking a lot so they got me some warm blankets and the adrenaline had my teeth chattering like crazy. I was overwhelmed with happiness. As soon as I saw her, I realized she was small. Like, way smaller than the boys. I turned to the midwife and said, `I could've gotten her out'. I let myself grieve that for a few minutes and then celebrated the fact that I would have a smaller baby that would just stay little and cute longer:) I have since talked to the OB and midwives and am totally okay with her birth. She does have a bigger head (37cm) so it could've been tricky for me. We did the best we could with all the information that we had.

I was having my fallopian tubes removed. Not just cut, removed. The reason they do that is to decrease the chance of ovarian cancer. So, to do this, they actually had to take my uterus out of my body once the uterus was sutured. I had asked before hand to see the fallopian tubes because I had never seen ones in a human before:) The removed the end closest to the ovaries and pretty much 2/3's of it. The picture below shows her dangling one of my fallopian tubes above my head. I got to see both:) It kind of looked like a fat worm.

Having my uterus put back in my body was painful. It felt like someone punching me in a giant bruise. The anesthetist pumped me full of fentanol when I complained of pain and immediately I thought I would pass out. I went to la la land and I think I told him that I loved him. I think the way I coped with the surgery was just letting everyone know how I was feeling the whole time and needing to know what was going on.

Nya Greta Chapman was born at 8:30am. She was just 7lb 14oz (my boys were both about 9.5-10lbs each!) and 21.5" long. By 9:30am I was in recovery and Gary was holding Nya in our room, skin to skin. I was back up to the room at 10:30am and after a quick wipe down by the nurses, I got to feed my baby!!

Both of the boys had low blood sugar levels when they were born but she was totally fine. So nice to be able to feed her before she got a bottle of formula. So nice that she didn't need her heel pricked over and over and over.

At 1pm, the boys came to meet their baby sister. I was still feeling nauseated and actually vomited that afternoon. Yuck. I lay in bed the whole day with the automated compression leggings on which were new this time. Sort of feels like an itchy, sweaty, non stop massage on your legs.

The boys were hesitant to touch her but were excited that baby sister was here! Koen was adamant that her name was Carla (from Cars 2). He still is:)

I sort of can't believe that I am the mother of 3! The first night I did not sleep well (probably just 3 hours) because I was on a high and also, she had a lot of mucus that she kept gagging on. We finally put her on her side and that helped to get it out.

Nya continued to feed and sleep well, so awesome!

I was exhausted from the surgery and just rested and rested. That night they got me up for my first walk to the bathroom. The second day was the worst but still not as bad as my previous sections. We were able to get discharged early and head home after 48 hours. I feel pretty good now (just dealing with the usual engorgement issues) but am glad I won't have another C-section again. Surgery of any kind just sucks.

I am very much in love with baby Nya. She is a sweet mix of Kai, Koen and herself:) She has really long fingers, a lovely long tongue, and a cute little cry. Her head is so, so soft and kissable. Nothing in the world feels better than having a newborn sleeping on your chest. I've missed it so much.

Last night, we slept quite well at home as I was just up every three hours to feed her and she would go back to sleep. She is sleeping in a bassinet in our room and I'm sleeping in a recliner in our room (for now). Gary is being superdad and taking care of everything. I think he's a little excited to have a little princess in his life:)

Also to those who were wondering...her original name for the whole pregnancy was going to be Mckinley. However, a week before, we changed it to Nya. I love it and as soon as we saw her, we knew she was Nya.

So, that's how we met our little Nya. Time to go snuggle her some more:)

Love,

Louise

PS Thank you to all those who prayed for our health (and particularly respiratory wise). I just had one good cough in the OR and we were both all good!

This Time Tomorrow...

...I should have my little girl in my arms. Pretty excited to say the least:) I am extremely exhausted and haven't left the couch much today. We did take the boys to The Olive Garden for lunch (Kai's choice as he likes it for the bread sticks) as a last family outing. Gary has been running around like crazy getting everything done this weekend so I think we are ready!

We are dropping off the boys at gramma and grandpa's in about an hour. I remember I was so sad to leave Kai when Koen was born. I'm not sad to leave them this time (as they are so much older), I'm just sad that Koen won't be my baby anymore. I mean, he's almost 3.5 but I still consider him my baby:)

I can't believe how fast this has gone and I'm sad in a sense that I will never be pregnant again. Thankful. So incredibly thankful for everything.

Not sure what kind of internet access we will have at the hospital but I plan to update either the blog or facebook tomorrow evening.

Have a wonderful evening. I'm hoping I can get one more good sleep in as we have to be at the hospital super, duper early!!!

Love, Louise

PS If you are wanting something specific to pray for...please pray that baby has no respiratory problems as the chance is much higher with a C-section and also that my cough is 100% gone by tomorrow. Thank you friends!!

**Added after: saying goodnight to Koen was pretty emotional for me and Gary too. My baby, I love him. Love my Kai Bear too but he's always been my big boy.**

Thanks Team!

Wow team, thanks for all the love!! I have to say that through blogging and facebook, I have realized that I have a lot of really cool and supportive people in my life:) Thank you!

This will be brief as I have a long list of household chores to get to in the next couple of hours...

1. So I've been reading on VBA2C's and was all ready to go until I met with the OB I would use at Surrey Memorial Hospital. He refused to take me because I've had 2 C-sections. I do understand his point because they no longer have an anesthesiologist on call on the labour/delivery ward at all times anymore and if there is an emergency, you have only 20-30 minutes to get baby out via C-section. The reason I was surprised is because based on the books I've read, it just seemed like such a realistic option. My success rate with a VBA2C and having a 9+lb baby would be about 66%+ which was totally high enough in my opinion to try. I meet with my midwives tomorrow and I'll see what they say. I believe I still have the option of meeting with OB's at the Women's Hospital in Vancouver but even then I have a low chance of them accepting me. I'm not sure if I want it THAT badly as I sort of felt really defeated after the appointment on Monday. He is quite convinced that I truly do have CPD (cephalopelvic disproportion aka head too big for my pelvis). Obviously, the safety of the baby and myself is #1 and there is definitely a higher maternal risk if I end up with another emergency C-section. Also, with two previous babies in the 9.5-10lb range, without gestational diabetes, it does make things a bit more difficult. I just really, really, really despise the C-section recovery. Especially the first 2 weeks.

2. Kai loves watching sports. He likes to record who scores in hockey and is downstairs as soon as he is allowed (6:30am) to watch sports highlights. He had his last skating lesson today and he ended up not passing. He was pretty upset. I thought he met all the criteria but he is still doing too much `running' rather than skating around. I was a bit disappointed with the teacher because she didn't work on it with him once. I understand there are 4 other people in the class but I wouldn't mind if she took a minute or two to focus on him individually. So, Kai's dream of being a goalie for the Canucks is maybe getting a dose of reality:)

3. This is usually the toughest week of the year as Gary has basketball games (8-10pm), Winter Campout and a Staff Retreat. This means doing it all on my own and missing certain activities (like aquafit) and having to get babysitters for certain appointments etc. I'm thankful the boys are older so this year it's not so tough:)

Okay, off to laundry, bathrooms, and dishes:)

Have a wonderful week and again, thanks for the baby love!

Love, Louise

C-section pictures

Just warning you....some of you may not want to look:) Once the head was out, Gary was allowed to take pictures. I just thought they were kinda cool. To anyone who thinks that a C-section is the easy way out...it is not. Also, recovering from a planned C-section is WAY better than going through labour and ending with an emergency one!

















(I def. felt how wide his shoulder/abdomen were during this part!)




















(It's a boy!! Then they wrapped him up and laid him on me for a few minutes))





(crying...)

Koen Jacob Daniel Chapman

*warning: one graphic picture half way down!!*

Koen (dutch spelling of Cohen which seems to have confused a lot of people? Means brave/daring...I just like the sound of it)

Jacob (my dad's name)

Daniel (Gary's dad's name)

9lbs 7oz, 20 inches, 10:30am, January 2nd

January 2nd, we went in for our scheduled C-section.

We were bumped a bit as it was the first day after a holiday but finally at 9am, they started wheeling me down to the OR. I had a fabulous team in there that made sure I was super comfortable. I actually really enjoyed the surgery as I asked lots of questions and even got to see the exceptionally large placenta and cord (no pics, sorry!). Gary was able to get some shots of Koen's head and body coming out of my abdomen and he said I should post one so don't say I didn't warn you:)

(they first grabbed him out under his ear so that is why it looks all crinkly)

When they pulled him out and I heard him cry (10:30am), I totally started crying. Then, the doctor announced it was a boy! I kept crying (for happiness, don't worry!). They let me hold him for a long time and then Gary went with him upstairs to the nursery.

I started getting nauseous but the anesthesiologist quickly pumped me up on some drugs and I felt great (ish). I was in recovery for one hour. I could wiggle my toes after 30 minutes but because they had given me nausea meds, I had to wait a bit longer. Sure enough, as soon as they were wheeling me upstairs I felt super nauseous again so we had to take our time. If I took more meds, I would've had to wait another 30 minutes. By the way, vomitting with an incision like that=no fun!!!

I had guessed that if we had a boy, he would be 9 lbs 2oz, well, he was 9 lbs 7oz. When they pulled him out I felt so light! I could tell he had a huge midsection. He is a whole 2 inches shorter than Kai was but has chubbier legs:) When I got back up to the maternity ward, it was a bit stressful as his blood sugar levels were so low. They had warned us before hand that if it was low they would like to supplement with formula and I gave the okay on that. What a fiasco that first 24 hours would be. Every 2 hours or so, I would feed him for 20 minutes and then Gary would give him a bottle of formula (he drank soooooo much...a 30-40mL bottle no problem at each feed). He was not latching on to me very well because I think he was confused between the two sources of food but our nurse was quite adamant. We also have realized since then that he is slightly tongue tied. Each nurse that came in over that 24 hours had different advice and I think I got quite mad at one. If one more person tried to man handle me, I would've lost it! He pooped 6 times that first day and has continued to do well in that department:) So, first night, I got 2 hours sleep. Oh ya, before each feed, they would prick his heel to measure his blood sugar. He must've been pricked about 8 times. Finally at 5am, on the second morning, he passed the blood sugar test and we weaned him off the formula!

Kai came to visit several times. He was interested in Koen for about 30 seconds (He said `Hi baby Koen') and then went wild in the hospital room. He is not yet home and I'm kinda savouring the last few hours of quietness! Everything is kind of a blur but family visited, my milk came in like crazy (grrrr....thought engorgement wasn't supposed to happen the second time around), my cold was my largest concern as coughing was causing great pain with my incision. Last night was crazy again as I only slept 3 hours due to my cold and attempting to pump/feed/take care milk issues. He was eating every 1-2 hours. My recovery from the C-section itself is going well and I have to remind myself to take it easy as I feel too good in some ways (I say that now but 2 days ago I was in a lot of pain).

So far, Koen is much more relaxed than Kai was (woohoo!!!!!! Please let this continue!!!). He will stop crying immediately if he is held and I'm praying this will continue. I feel more emotionally stable this time around and Gary and I can't stop staring at him and announcing how cute he is! Hard to say who he looks like but I see some of Kai and myself in him. He's got the Dekens dimples...woohoo! He really hasn't opened his eyes much yet but he did take a few glances at me when feeding at night. He takes much longer to feed but I think he is still figuring it all out. Well, better rest up before our wild toddler comes home!!!

C-section...and a dress!

I just went for my pre-op meeting at the hospital. So strange to have a baby this way! The one thing that I found very interesting (and if we have a 3rd, I will be soooo pumped for) is that in February they are going to start allowing the mom to recover on the maternity ward with the baby immediately. With Kai, I was apart from him for 2 hours and it was tough (because of all the drugs I was on). This time, it should just be one hour but if I can wiggle my feet, they will let me go as early as 30 minutes. I'm gonna try to move my feet as hard as I possibly can, although, will power can only do so much. I think that is the hardest part...the initial separation. Maybe I can attach a string to my toe and pull it or something:) Gary doesn't really understand it because he gets to be with the baby. I have the first surgery of the day so it will be an early morning. I'm currently praying for good night sleeps leading up to the day and that my cold will be completely gone. Last night I slept for 4 hours straight!!! Woohoo!!

This morning, while heading to brunch with friends, I slipped on our back sidewalk walking to the garage. So scary. I ended up in the snow and did not fall down but still, all the food I had in my hand went flying (and broke dishes) and my loose ligaments did not enjoy the slip and slide. I'm so thankful I didn't hit the ground.

Finally, I went shopping and got a bridesmaid dress for my friend Maria's wedding in March! I really like it and will be able to wear it again...cute black dress that was 50% off:) I couldn't try it on obviously but I'm sure it will fit just fine!