Iron (wo)Man DOWN!

No. I don't typically refer to myself as 'iron woman'..or even in 3rd person, for that matter, but it seemed appropriate for this occasion. Now. I'm well aware of the beating my body just took having my beautiful baby boy via c-section number two, but I'm not sure I remember recovery taking so long? I knew the first week or so I had to take it super easy, and having my parents come to visit and help me out made that more than possible.. In fact, I started feeling better by the end of the week and started walking a bit. The weather here is ridiculously perfect right now..and all I really want to do is go for a run..but I know that's out of the question..but I did not get the memo that walking is out, too. As usual, I have to learn things the hard way. I started walking last Friday..a mile..which was just up and back from Mason's school and I thought it was a very conservative start. I felt fine..so I kept it up.. (I'm sure you can see where this is going). I walked again (with Miles, of coarse) on Saturday..and Sunday.. Again, all what I considered to be short, slow walks and I honestly felt great. But. Then this week, I feel like I've been beat up all over again. I even went to the doc to get checked out on Monday because I had some strange swelling above my incision site and was in quite a bit of pain..more than I had been in probably since coming home from the hospital. Well, the NP came to check me out and said the incision and everything looks great.. No infection or fluid needing to get out.. So she asked if I had been doing much activity. Well. I thought I had been quite the perfect little patient and I said I was really taking it easy and have only been on a couple short walks..you know.. Just a mile.. She just kinda side-eyed me like 'what'. She said 'oh, that's too far.. You just had major surgery 9 days ago!?' Now, I know this could sound like I was trying to push things and get back to 'exercising' too soon, but this really wasn't the case. I honestly thought I was taking it easy, following directions, and was just trying to get both Miles and I outside for a bit. But I guess it was too much too soon and I was ordered to take it even easier than I already was?! I literally do not know how I can be any less active than I have been, but the rest of this week, I've been in my pj's on the couch other than for doc appts. I'm actually still in quite a bit of pain, which is starting to bug me. But I'm giving it time. Maybe I'll get outside just to walk down the street a bit sometime this weekend..but not a mile?! Heaven forbid. Who would have thought a mile could ever be too far? Well. Message received and I'm doing my best not to set myself back in this healing process. So. That's about it for what's going on here. Matt has had this week off from work and has been doing lots of 'special things' with Mason. Last night they went to the women's basketball game with the neighbors..according to Mason it was "so awesome" and informed me that "you get snacks" at basketball games.. No kiddin? Lovely. He wasn't wound up or anything last night.. But I'm glad he's getting to have fun and spend time with his dad. So things are pretty good around here.. Will be better when my guts heal enough to let me get around a bit more.. But the only control I have over that is to be patient.. So that's just what I'll do!

Wow!

I'm not sure where to start..which is why I've held off on writing for a few days. As you can see, I couldn't even come up with a clever title..but 'wow' seems to sum up my feelings about the past few days.. So, last Friday, my little baby boy, Miles, decided to throw a wrench in my plans and he popped my water (no idea what makes one's water break or if the baby has anything to do with it, but it felt like he jabbed a hole in it with his hand, so that's what I'm sticking with..science be damned)?! I knew, obviously, that being 38 (or 39 wks, depending on who's count you went by..my crappy estimation, or the U/S..) wks pregnant, I 'could' go into labor at any moment, but I really, really didn't think I would (as evidenced by my putting last minute prep things off til..well, the last minute, of coarse!). And I'm sure it's totally normal for a gal to run (a lovely full moon..or as Mason insists on calling it..an 'earth moon'..run pushing Mason in the stroller), swim, and get in a crossfit style strength workout, which included pull-ups..all on the day she's going to start labor? Again, had I known I was going to have my baby that night, I mighta cooled it a bit on the workouts..maybe organized and gotten my sh*t together.. But I didn't know! And I felt fine during all that activity. No contractions. Even the lethargy that had hit me earlier in the week (not sure if I mentioned it..to anyone, really, except the gal in the pool lane next to me who asked how I was feeling, but I was just exhausted that day, despite not really doing anything hard..just a slow swim after a little bit of a strength workout..the effort just was not matching up with how tired I felt! So I did take it easy that day, but felt normal again the days after) wasn't really an issue, so I just went about my workout, doing my usual stuff. I had a doc appt that day, too.. He didn't even check for any signs of labor starting because there was not really any indications..contractions, or whatever. So again, went about my day as usual. Then, around 8pm, we were sitting at the kitchen table trying to let Mason finish his dinner before heading to bed, when I felt a strong jab from baby (not totally unusual) followed by a 'pop'. It quite literally felt like a water balloon popping and it didn't take much for me to figure out what was going on. After waiting a bit to see if it was 'real', I made it official and told Matt what was going on. We also explained to Mason that this meant Miles was on his way and he was SO excited, exclaiming 'isn't it so cool that he wants to come see me early?!' yes, son..that is cool..but..I'm not quite ready!! So anyway, Matt and Mason ran around the house like wild animals..Matt getting things packed and ready, as he thought we needed to fly out the door immediately.. Mason was also packing a bag so he could go stay with Matt's cousin, Karen, and her husband EJ and their two kids AJ and Amelia..he wanted to come with us, but luckily he had their house to look forward to because he really likes going to see them. So I slowly tried to gather my things..mostly concerned with how not to be a disgusting, drippy mess.. I think I did pretty well.. I talked to the on-call doc because I wasn't sure how much of a rush we needed to be in. I wasn't having contractions, so I didn't think we needed to be in a hurry.. But. Once that water breaks, you're on the clock to get things going, so I packed, we got Mason off to go to Karen's, chatted with the neighbors for a few (they have a son Masons age, so we see a lot of them and they have been excited about the baby coming.. They happened to come home to see Matt and Mason outside excitedly exchanging car seats and such, so they came by to wish us well), packed up the car and headed off to the hospital.. Only to realize half way there that we forgot the baby clothes?! Doh! Duh..who does that.. So we turned around, got those things..and THEN we were on our way. It was probably close to 11pm by the time we got to the hospital..how's that for moving slow! But we got checked in, they confirmed what I already knew..which was that my water had ruptured.. We had planned on a repeat c-section, which I had scheduled earlier that day for 9/10!, based on how things went when I had Mason. My doc really didn't give me much of a reason to believe that the outcome would be any different this time. Not that he was against me trying for natural, but just that based on past results, it was very likely that I'd end up with the same outcome. So. Knowing that, we decided to just stick with the plan, and we got prepped for our early c-section. We had to wait in line for the OR to be ready for us, but I think I went back around quarter to 1am? It took a little longer than last time..not being in a rush as they were last time, but all in all, it went smooth and easy and I felt good through the whole thing. Finally, after much tugging and prodding, I heard them say 'out' and there he was! At 1:34am on 9/1/12. My second perfect little boy. They had the warming table/station thing right next to me, so I could see him. Matt held my hand through the whole thing. It's quite an odd feeling to be laying there, excited..scared..nervous.. You can feel everything, but not in a painful way. But Matt helped me stay calm, and once Miles was safely out and doing well, it's all so worth everything..the months of discomfort.. None of that matters anymore. After Miles was cleaned up, coming in at a whopping 6# 15oz and 19.5 in, Matt finally got to hold him and I could move my arm enough to touch him.. Poor little guy was hungry! But they still had some 'putting back together' to do with me, so I couldn't hold him or feed him just yet. It felt like a long time before we got back to our little room for recovery, but Miles took right to his business of eating..and all was well. He nursed like a little champ for over an hr, and then we were moved on up to post-partum. I don't think I set him down at all that first night..just snuggled, which he is great at, and fed him. And that's pretty much what we've been up to since then! We managed to talk the docs into letting us go home Sunday night, which I guess was a little quick..especially for a c/s mom, but I was ready. To me, once I was feeling more normal, could walk, wasn't hooked up to any IV's and such, it's just uncomfortable to stay any longer. I can manage my pain at home, so that's what I wanted to do. I swear I wasn't obnoxious about it, but you'd think I asked the craziest thing, when I said I wanted to get home..if possible. But the only one that really seemed to drag her feet on my release at all was an OB that I had never met.. But I guess the fact that I was a repeat c/s and the nurses all vouched for me being able to get around just fine.. Anyway, it seemed like we would never get out of there, but finally, around 8:30 Sunday night, it all came together and we were free! Our first night at home was pretty good. It was great to be home with Mason. Miles did well with his sleeping, eating about every hr and a half, which was fine. I stayed in bed, so Matt had to do more of the up and down work, bringing Miles to me to be fed, but he had Monday off for the labor day holiday and I was pretty sore, so it's just what needed to happen that night. My mom came in for the week and has helped keep Mason entertained while Miles and I relax. I'm starting to heal, but it still is a doozy of a surgery to recover from. As long as I stay on top of my pain meds (which I'm already weening myself down from).. And my food! Man. It's happened twice now that I /we lay down for a nap probably around 11 and next thing I know, I'm waking up around 1 and am dizzy, sweaty, light-headed..feed me! Guess I know how Miles feels.. So I frantically get some nourishment in..meanwhile Miles needs to be fed..always a fun time! And it goes as quickly as it came on, but I really need to be better about preventing it. I guess when you aren't moving near as much as usual, you don't feel as hungry..until it's too late! But other than that, we really are just taking it easy so far this week. I keep toying with the idea of a short walk, but it hasn't happened yet.. Yesterday because it was rainy..we'll see what happens today, but spoiler alert..I'm still in my pj's. Matt has been super busy with his new job (same company and title, but covering airports instead of his usual city stores) and has been working super long hours, but he is taking next week off to be home with us (much debate went on as to how to re-adjust our time off/visitor/helper time and it just worked best to let him get a week in with his new position and then take a week off, so luckily my family and Matt's parents were able to adjust, too) and I'm looking forward to that. For now, though, it's a whole lot of sitting on the couch (can't go up and down the stairs too much this week), feeding, changing, and a little play time with our new little guy. Mason has been very sweet and patient..largely because he's been kept busy by my mom, but he's been very excited to be a big brother. I love it when he tries to comfort Miles when he's waiting to be fed, he says "don't worry, Miles, your big brother is here" while he strokes his head. It's very sweet and protective. He also got to get a 'birthday cake' on Miles' behalf while he was at Karens and when he blew out the candle, he said Miles' wish would be "to be with me for ever and ever". So far so good on the sibling front! I'm sure there won't be any issues at all going forward.. But whatever it is, I'm looking forward to it and feel insanely blessed to have our little family all here, safe and sound.. It's truly wonderful.