The newest addition

So it's been a while again. I just thought Alex's post was so nice that I wanted to keep it on top of this blog forever. ;)

Today a friend asked with this blog was sill active. I noticed that our new baby is already 7 months old and she was never seen at this blog. It's about time for a new post and this one is going to be all about the newest addition to our family. So let's go back to the very beginning.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy of baby #2 was great. I just love being pregnant. I don't love all the heart burns and pelvic pressure which were both a lot worse this time around. But it's just so incredibly amazing growing a little human inside yourself. I enjoy every little bit of the "cooking" process. Feeling the baby move is one of most amazing feelings. I also love having a basketball belly. We didn't feel the need to have a doctor appointment every month. I had an appointment during the first weeks after we found out about the pregnancy and while we were in Brazil we had an ultrasound to find out the sex at 16 weeks. We didn't get back to regular appointments until I was 30 weeks along. The hospital staff didn't like that at all and I had to prove them that I wasn't a high risk pregnancy so I could be kept being seen by the midwives. It was fun to compare this pregnancy with the first one.

Leah didn't quite get the idea of having a baby growing in my belly, but she was always very sweet with it. She would hug and kiss and talk to her baby sister. We would always talk about the baby and also got some books about new babies. Towards the end of the pregnancy, Leah started including the baby in her drawings and also when talking about our family. It cracked me up when she noticed that it wasn't  just the three of us anymore. 

22 weeks

28 weeks

32 weeks

35 weeks

37 weeks

39 weeks

I love this picture of how I used to see Leah when she would hug my legs, then look up at me while asking for something. 

Leah was born a week earlier than my due date. We weren't expecting that, so we really didn't get a chance to go through the "just waiting" phase. But baby #2 did let us experience that this time around. I thought that picking up a toddler and running around with her would help labor start sooner. With this in mind and the previous experience helped me to be ready and "just waiting" by the time I was full term. We actually made it to 40 weeks, it was a sweet wait, wondering when the baby would come, waking up every morning thinking "today can be the day", watching my body close for any sign of labor. Alex would get home and ask if I was feeling something before saying anything else.

The Birth

It was the day after my due date. I droped Alex off at City Hall early in the morning and headed back home when I noticed I had lost my plug. Finally a sign of labor that we had already been waiting for so long now, I was so excited! It was how everything started with Leah, so I knew that the baby would be here within a day or so. I wanted to tell Alex but he was spending the day with a police officer (he's now studying criminal justice in school). It was a day he was looking forward to and I wanted him to enjoy it and not be worried about me. So I kept all my excitement to myself. I did tell Leah that her baby sister was coming but she had heard that many times in the last days so she didn't think it was any different. I don't even know when I started having contractions, but they were more noticeable around noon. I had an appointment that afternoon which had no point in me going to if I was in labor, but I just didn't want to stay at home. They checked my blood pressure and the baby's heart beat. Everything was ok. When I told my midwife I was having contractions she asked if  I wanted to check my dilatation and I said no, because I would probably be checking in the hospital pretty soon anyways. I left the hospital and went to get Alex. I had two contractions on our way home, it's probably not a very good idea to be driving while in labor. Alex was excited telling me all about his day, I just listened to him and didn't tell him I was in labor until we got home. I went to finish mine and Leah's bag to go to her grandparents house. It was late afternoon and the contractions started to progress and get strong really fast. We started to count the intervals, they were 5 minutes apart. Soon enough I wasn't able to move during the contractions anymore. Grandpa came to get Leah and we got in the hospital around 6pm. I was dilated to 6 and 100% effaced.

Even though I was still able to handle the contractions I decided not to wait for it get any stronger and go straight for the epidural. Because I was strep B positive and was far in active labor, they hurried to get my IV placed. Within 30 minutes I was on antibiotics and had the anesthesia in. The rushed, busy room got very quiet after a little bit and soon it was just Alex and me waiting for our baby girl to work her way down. Alex put on a movie to watch but all I could do was watch the clock, wondering how much longer it would take, and what time she would be here. Heart burn was killing me so I took some medicine with a very strong taste that was supposed to help. I don't know if it was the medicine or just the labor that made me feel nauseous. We rang for the nurse to come get us a bowl or something, Alex was trying to help look, but I couldn't hold it anymore, I don't think the nurse heard me, but I said something like "It's coming!".  Alex was quick enough to grab the water pitcher and put that in front of me for me to throw up in... Around midnight the nurse came in to check on me and suddenly I felt nauseous again, I threw up a second time and my water broke from the force of me heaving. Because of the anesthesia I didn't feel all the water, but I felt something pop. Sure enough, when we moved the blankets, all the bed sheets were soaking wet. They checked me, I was dilated to 10 and ready to go. I gave one push and she was already crowing, both Alex and the midwife talked about all the hair she had while the nurse asked me to wait while she was getting some equipment ready. I asked for a mirror and was able to watch everything. I pushed again and her head came out. One more push and she was out completely. The anesthesia worked like a charm, didn't feel any pain, but felt her being born. It was amazing! She came straight to my arms and I was showered with love. Alex cut the umbilical cord and I got to hold her for over 2 hours before they took her to be cleaned, measured, etc. It was such a precious bonding time that meant a lot to me. 

Kylie Maria Kendrick chose a fun date, and a fun time to be born. 03/13/13 @ 00:07 am. Our special agent weighted 7 lb 10 oz and measured 20 1/2 inches. She was so pretty and everybody kept talking about all of that dark hair. 

In the morning Leah came to see us. I didn't want her first impression being of me holding the baby, so Nana came to hold Kylie and we met Leah in the hall and explained to her that Kylie had arrived, and that she was a big sister now! We went all together to meet the baby. Leah loved her baby sister from the very first moment. She was so sweet, wanted to hug and kiss the baby all the time. 

And then there was 4!