Crew's First Week

Other than Crew partying all night for the first 3 days, life with a 2.5 year old and a newborn has been relatively smooth this week! Crew now sleeps for stretches at night - even a nice five hours once - and is nursing well. Can't expect much more from him! Danny has his moments of meltdowns that we know are attributed to jealousy and general uneasiness, but really he's doing pretty well considering. That said, here are some pics from Crew's first week. My dad, Beth and Mac and Dan and Marisol are all in town this weekend to help us ring in his second week. Pics to come!

Crew's penguin from Danny (Nana helped him pick it out)

1st Doctor's Appointment

And Crew Makes Four!

Friday, October 24, 2014 at 4:06am, we welcomed Crew Hale O'Connor to the world. He weighted 8 lbs even and measured 20 3/4 inches. My heart actually hurts with love for my family of four!

Rewind to the final weeks of pregnancy (since I stunk at keeping up with happenings on the blog). At my 37 week appointment I was 3cm and 90% effaced, which doctor said meant that my cervix was favorable for delivery. No matter what they tell you about cervix favorability not being an indication of when labor will happen, this news inevitably gets you excited that baby will be here sooner than later! I had also been having some pretty uncomfortable Braxton-Hicks contractions. Because Danny's delivery was so tough, the doctor offered an elective induction for my 39th week and while very tempting, I remained on the fence about whether I wanted to do it when I went to my 38 week appointment with Dr. Josephs on Thursday, October 23rd.

Also on Thursday, October 23rd Nana had Danny so Jimmy and I could go out to dinner for a belated celebration of our five year anniversary on September 19th. I was at home trying to finish up some work and the contractions I had been experienced for weeks moved to my back and I started pacing - without even knowing it - like a crazy person. I didn't start timing things right away, but I knew that there was a rhythm and had a feeling this was it. When Jimmy got home, we talked and considered canceling dinner plans in case it was the "real thing" but I don't like missing meals, especially when I'm 38 weeks pregnant, so we opted to go for it!

While at Freddie's in Kure Beach, I downloaded a contraction counter app, stuffed my face with eggplant parmesan, gripped the bottom of my seat every 7 minutes and spontaneously broke into tears a couple times. Got home and took a hot shower and decided we might as well head to the hospital since my cervix favorability did indicate that things would move fast when labor got started.

Got to triage about 9pm and the doctor on call was the same doctor I had seen earlier that day. I was still 90% effaced, but had progressed to 5cm. Still I wasn't in hard, hard labor yet, so doctor offered to break my water with the suggestion that I get the epidural I knew I would ultimately want before vs. after. By midnight I was numb and my water had been broken, so all we had to do was wait.

Funny story, the doctor said casually as he left the room after my breaking my water, "I deliver all my babies at 4am". I watched t.v. and the monitors and at 3:45am I finally felt the pressure and urge to push. My nurse checked and I was beyond ready - like don't move or sneeze ready - so after 3 pushes (total of five minutes), Crew was born at 4:06am. Tears ensued and Crew immediately gave us that classic newborn cry - strong and loud as ever and the most comforting sound in the world!

At about 7:30am we were moved to our postpartum, mother and baby room, where we were later greeted by Aunt Ali (drove a couple hours just to see Crew for a bit before catching a flight to Boston), Nana and Danny. We took naps in the afternoon and stayed the night at the hospital, but were discharged on our orders by the next day, Saturday, at noon.

To be continued...

Picking out our Pumpkins

It wouldn't be fall and almost Halloween without a trip to the pumpkin patch. We got a daddy, mommy and Danny sized pumpkin. Carved pics to come!

October Beach Time

You gotta love October beach weather! Especially when it means that Jimmy takes Danny to the beach for the morning so mommy can get some work done. Danny, of course, loves every second of QT with his daddy. He has so much more energy than me!

Insta-Lately

Playing with baby brother's Sophie the Giraffe

Surfing with no pants!

Playing in Phoenix's toy boat - made by his daddy!

Lunch date with mommy. Tourists in our own town!

I'm an Auntie...again!

Congrats to Kelly, Spencer and Connor on the arrival of Shane Wesley on October 8th! Happy to report that everyone is doing great! Such a pretty mama and handsome boy!

School Daze

I've been a major slacker on the blogging front, but it's not because there is nothing going on that's for sure! We've been busy, busy, busy! Jimmy has had work trips, I'm juggling a couple clients, Danny is in school and we're preparing for the arrival of baby brother. Lucky for us all, the preschool thing is now going great! No more tears, though his teachers do tell me that he sure loves his mama. I guess he talks about me a lot when he's there. Warms my heart! He's also soaking up everything he's learning and repeating them at home - songs, blessings, stories and yoga moves. Talks about all of his friends and all their daily doings. Here are screenshots of his first school pictures! Such a goober. Hard copies coming for you doting grandparents!