Taleah Scout Swier

Oh there's so much to catch up on!!  Taleah is already a month and I'm so behind on these updates.  My apologies.  I can't believe how time just molds together and goes by so quickly.  You don't realize how time does fly until you have a kid, it's craziness if you ask me.

So lets start from the beginning...  

Friday, December 19th at 6:01 AM I have my very first contraction.  WOOHOO, is this for real?  Yes it is.  Daniel was getting ready for work and I was feeling the early stages of labor.  We had our rental tub and decided we should fill it up since it took awhile to heat up.  I started writing down the times and how long a contraction was lasting and long story somewhat short, my longest break was 19 minutes.  IN EARLY STAGE of labor.  EARLY.  

My mom came over around 10 AM and was keeping track of the contractions.  I was using the exercise ball to rest on but it wasn't too helpful.  The water was barely luke warm so I just hung out on the couch and was moving around in the living room.  It was pretty interesting, I was real focused on each contraction, just concentrating throughout everything.  Daniel came home from work early because I told him the contractions hadn't stopped.

We called our midwife just to let her know what was going on, we're having contractions, they are lasting this long, they are this far apart.  So later in the afternoon, I'm tired, I haven't eaten anything because once I put a nutri-grain bar or a blackberry in my mouth I'd get a contraction and spit the food out because it was interrupting my focus.  I was drinking water and some Gatorade here and there.  I had gotten into the tub which is where I stayed for about 90% of the labor.  Daniel was telling me I was probably dilated to 3 and I kept telling him I didn't want to hear any numbers, because if our midwife came and told me I hadn't dilated at all I was going to the hospital.  =)

 

One of our midwives, Joanna, comes over and to my surprise I'm 5 centimeters dilated; this is at about 5 in the afternoon.  Praise God there was progress because I was starting to lose hope in myself and this home birthing experience.  My friend Sarah and Nicole came over for prayer and support.  I am so thankful they came because I really needed their encouragement.  Daniel did a really good job, but to be honest, I did not want to hear a male voice.  It just didn't calm me down or sound as soothing as the female voices in the room.  Our midwife Wendi arrived at about 7PM and while I was in the tub at this time, I was fully dilated and finally my water had broke which felt soooo great.  The midwives were getting the birth certificate ready, asking Daniel if he wanted to get ready to catch the baby, we were all excited at this point.

7 hours later of pushing and trying every position we could think of, birthing stool, toilet, bed, couch, hands and knees, squatting, standing, leaning, back in the tub, this baby was not coming out.  I was EXHAUSTED.  The Lord really gave me all my strength, because I have no clue how I did that for so long, but I did.  The midwives gave me a catheter but because I was so swollen they were unable to release my bladder as much as they would have liked.  They thought that since I was unable to pee maybe my bladder was blocking the baby's head from coming out.  We decided I need to have an IV because I was dehydrated and the midwives were unable to equip me with that, we needed to go to the hospital.  There at the hospital we would try the epidural for an hour and see if that would help.

After everyone was ready to leave we left the apartment (by this time it's 1:00AM on Saturday, December 20th) me moaning like a rhino the whole time, had contractions as we were walking down the stairs from our apt.  We had warned the connecting neighbors a week before that we were having a home birth and to not be alarmed if they heard unusual noises coming from apt #2026 =)  We get into the car and race to the hospital, while I'm in the back seat about to rip off the head rest on the passenger seat in front of me.  The hospital knew we were coming and there was a wheel chair guy waiting for me.  I get out of the car into the chair and boom boom boom I'm having major contraction on top of contraction for the next hour.

We get into the room, I'm getting hooked up, my friends, mom, Daniel and midwives are telling the nurses what's been going on, they are talking amongst themselves and I'm just closing my eyes, now about to rip off the bed frame.  We agreed to the epidural, but to my dismay I have to wait for two IV bags first before I can get the drugs.  This seems like eternal hell at this point because I had given up, I just wanted the drugs, I just wanted the contractions to stop.  Where was my 20 minute break I was suppose to have so I could rest?  Don't forget, my longest break was 19 minutes and that was at the beginning.  On average I had about 5-8 minute breaks.  The Doctor on duty comes in and says I need a C-section.  I told him 'no offense doc, but that's not on my agenda'.  He went to call the on-call doctor, but comes back during my second IV bag and tells me she, the doc, says she would say the same thing and that there's no point in her coming in.  

This is when the baby's heart rate dropped for the first time in 18 hours pretty dramatically. They throw on an oxygen mask over my face and here is when I wanted to freak out but knew I couldn't.  The baby was NOT coming out.  Now we're looking at an emergency C-section and by this time I'm thinking, sweet just do whatever you need to do.  Poor Daniel is not wanting to hear any of it.  Here we are at home, the midwives asking him if he's ready to catch the baby, now we're at the hospital and they are telling us C-section... that transition for him was not a happy one.  

I get transported into the surgery room, having contractions through all this, they ask me to move from this bed to the table and I have to straddle the table and then lean forward so that my spine sticks out so the anesthesiologist can stick a needle in my spine.... while you're having contractions.  Yeah Good Luck!  So I straddle the table, lean forward, feel a contraction coming on as he's telling me 'try to hold still', I tell him to hold on, I grab the nurse next to me, tell her sorry, as I put my arm around her neck and push down on her shoulders and moan really loud into her ear.  She's telling me 'you're doing a great job' knowing another one is coming, I stick my spine out tell him to hurry and boom.  RELIEF.  It was amazing.  I wanted to give everyone high fives.  I lay down, I'm smiling, I tell the doctor that I was sorry and no hard feelings (this is the guy I said no offense doc, but it's not on my agenda and here we are face to face and he's going to cut me open).  

Daniel comes in, poor guy is so sad, and I'm all smiles.  I'm telling the anesthesiologist thanks for only poking me once, asking him how long he went to school for, telling the doctor to walk me through the procedure, asking if I can watch in a mirror-which they didn't have.  They started the surgery, ask Daniel if he wants to see, he says no, they pull the baby out, I hear the cry and the anesthesiologist tells us it's a GIRL!!  I couldn't believe it.  I thought it was a boy the whole time, even after the 3 dreams I had about the baby being a girl.  I was so excited though.  Daniel went over and watch them clean her up and the nurse brought her over to me and I quickly told Daniel she looked just like him.  She is so beautiful, cute little chubby cheeks, BIG kissy lips, her eyes were open, little round head, she was perfect.  Still is.  She was born 7 lbs. 15 oz. 21 inches long

After all that Daniel went with the baby to wherever they went, I had to go to the recover area. The nurses there were AMAZING.  The Lord really comforted us with the staff, they were unbelievably great.  I can't compliment them enough.  I got transported to our room, we were the second family to be in this room since they remodeled it.  It was a room just for us, bathroom, flat screen tv.  Felt like a hotel.  

Daniel and the baby came in the room a little later.  I couldn't wait to hold her.  She is just so precious, I couldn't stop kissing her face all over.  She makes the cutest faces and sleeps with her arms up by her face.  She has big hands and feet like her daddy.  We're thinking we'll have a tall daughter and probably have a short son =)  

The next few days at the hospital molded together.  We had guests come, my friend Jenna from work was the first one to come.  Friends from church came, my sister and brother in law and their friend Erin, my grandfather stopped by.  It was cool.  I couldn't wait to show her off.  I wanted to sleep but at the same time I was excited and wanted people to come visit.  We got bored at times just hanging out.  Daniel got to go home a few times, feed the cats, take a shower and naps in our bed.  He was sleeping on this little chair couch which I couldn't imagine being too comfortable.  I watched the food network channel and held the baby all day  =)  Breast feeding was great from the beginning, plus being on pain meds I couldn't tell if it hurt or not. Having a catheter was AMAZING.  I loved that thing.  When I told the nurses I didn't want them to take it out, they gave me a really strange look and said 'that's the first'.  It was great, I never knew when I was peeing or had to get up to pee.  How could you not like it?  Unfortunately we had to say our good-byes and they took it out.  I was up pretty quickly and was slowly walking around the halls.  I didn't want to be confined to the bed any longer than I needed.  That weekend the hospital had a Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause taking pictures with the newborns, since we couldn't leave and get pictures at the mall, so we have a picture of Taleah with Santa.  It was really sweet.

Daniel and I were talking about what to name our baby.  We knew we liked the name Taleah, which means Heavenly Dew, but we weren't sure how we wanted to spell it.  We started with Talea, but too many were pronouncing it Tal-E-Uh, but we pronounced it Tuh-Lee-Uh.  We tried Taliah, Taleeah, but chose Taleah figuring Leah you would say Lee-Uh and add the Ta.... confusing I know.  For the middle name we weren't sure if we should use a family name or have a fun name??  My sister mentioned Scout, from To Kill A Mockingbird, which I loved that book/movie.  We talked about it till we HAD to fill out the birth certificate application.  So now we have our awesome baby girl, Taleah Scout Swier.

Leaving the hospital was bitter sweet, but I was super sad.  Having my hormones all over the place, I balled my eyes out when the nurse wheeled me to the car and gave me a hug bye.  I would no longer have a call button at home.  I miss the nurses still, they were so nice and helpful.  I enjoyed them hanging out in our room and just having small talk.  We went to In-N-Out and I had a Dr. Pepper for the first time in 11 months.  It didn't quench my thirst and wasn't at all what I had hoped for.  I cried about that.  We got home, it was now another thing I needed to get accustom to.  It was good to see the cats, but now I'm ready to strangle them.

The first two weeks after bing home were pretty hard.  I didn't realize how major the surgery was.  Being on the pain meds, I felt I could do a lot more than I probably should have been doing.  Daniel's parents came over for a week and helped out a ton.  It was really nice having them here.  Taleah is their first grandchild so it was really special.  

So here we are towards the end of January and Taleah is AMAZING.  The Lord has spoiled us with such a content, easy going baby girl.  I'm almost afraid to have another one.  Only kidding.  I can't wait to have another baby.  

We go to bed around 10PM and Taleah will get up around 2/3 AM and 5/6 AM then we're up at 8:30 AM.  She's staying up more during the day and is very alert.  She's trying to use her voice a lot more and is able to follow moving objects with her eyes.  She constantly has the hiccups, even when she was in the womb she had the hiccups a lot.  

Daniel and I are amazed that after she was born how we just knew how to be parents.  Like we had been parents forever.  Daniel is so great with her, he loves holding her and talking to her about video games and Formula 1 racing.  He tells her she'll be the first female F1 driver  =)  We also sing worship songs together while Daniel plays the guitar.  

I promise I'll try to keep up with this blogging.  I look at my friends blogs about their families and I'm so jealous, I wish I was that good.... I'll try 

Here I am in the hospital with baby Taleah On our way to Auntie Julie's house on Christmas morning Here is Taleah with her Uncle NIck at their house for Christmas

T laying on me

These are my wonderful midwives Joanna and Wendi

Here is Daddy with baby T Here is Taleah on her 1 month day, birthday......?

I'm so cute =)

Taleah throwing one of many gang signs ;)

Her cute little toes

sleepy.....