Baby Bliss....

Let me start by saying that I've been thinking about all of you so much...especially those still dealing with trying to have a baby. My heart aches for you and I never want you to forget that. I pray and hope that your dreams come true.

Since I am so busy I'm going to stick to bullet points.

My C section was terrifying. I am so grateful that everything went well and that BB is healthy. Words can't describe the relief I felt the moment I heard her cry. Then to hear that she was perfectly healthy was more that I could stand...the tears flowed! She's 6 pounds, 6 ounces 19 1/2 inches longs and tiny! She actually dropped to 5 lbs 13 oz on Friday night. More details to come.

This baby is amazing. She is so beautiful and I can hardly stand to put her down. My friends and family have been wonderful and I couldn't ask for anything more. My mother has been here since Tuesday to take care of AB and the house. Once again, amazing. AB is doing great. He loves his sister and is so helpful. He seems so much bigger now seeing how BB is so small! Having her makes me love him even more. It's such a strange and wonderful thing.

H has been frantic. He is so loving with BB and it melts my heart to see him love on her and talk to her. He is doing a great job but he is so scared he will hurt her. The nurse even told him that short of dropping her, he won't hurt her. It's not like her head will pop off! I love that he loves her so much.

Breastfeeding isn't going so well. BB latched on and was doing great for about 24 hours. Then she latched and wouldn't suck. She's been such a sleepy baby that we have to fight to wake her up. The nurse checked her blood sugar and it was below normal. They immediately gave her formula and did a blood serum test. Her poor heel was stuck so many times. Her breathing was getting a little labored as well and she couldn't keep her temperature up. They finally took her to the nursery for a few hours to make sure she was ok. Long story short, she is fine but we are having to supplement with formula. I offer her the breast for about 10 minutes at each feeding, and she will suck, but not enough. I've been pumping and getting about 1/2 ounce each time I pump (since last night). It's not much but I feel better giving it to her. We will see the pediatrician tomorrow morning. BB is looking a little yellow today so we'll have to see about that. She's been taking a bottle and hopefully is getting enough to eat. She's not eating very much.

We finally made it home late yesterday. It was nice to get home! I have to force myself not to do too much. If I'm up and about too much my incision starts burning like fire! Overall, I'm doing great.

So, I can't think of too much else to write now. Brain is mush. I'll leave you with some photos and update more later. Let me know if you have specific questions! Thanks for your support and sweet comments. I really appreciate it!!

A+

Hubby H again, just found out BB's blood type. She is A+ just like daddy. Yeah!

BB has arrived!!!

This is hubby H providing a quick update on Mama and BB. Leah's C-Section went well and BB was born into this world feet first weighing 6 lbs 6 oz and 19 inches long. She is perfect in every way. Leah feels very relieved and is now able to relax a little.

Breech Baby!! WHAT?!

You read that right. We went in for an ultrasound this morning and as soon as the wand touched my belly the tech said, 'This is a breech baby!'. What? She has been head down in the right position since at least 32 weeks! She decides now to get in the wrong position? Joy to the world! So, there goes my scheduled induction! I was sent down to my doctor's office and we decided to do a c-section at 7 am tomorrow! I had not even wrapped my brain around an induction and now we are dealing with a c-section!

BB had been moving like a maniac for about 2-3 days. She's normally not a huge mover. I never thought that she would be turning herself around! She's been pretty still for the past 2 days so I guess she's pretty well cramped in there. She is doing fine on ultrasound and we actually got to see her practicing her breathing motions. Her bottom is down and her head and feet are at the top of by belly. I guess this explains the breathing difficulties and stomach pain I've been feeling! To think...for the last few days when I thought I was poking her in the butt, I've really been poking her in the head! Poor BB!

More to come tomorrow!!! Holy Cow!!

Here we go!!!

I can't even believe how last week flew by. I mean, it was Sunday, I blinked my eyes, and it was Sunday again. We've been soooo busy! I have no idea what to expect when BB makes her grand entrance into the world. All I know is that I will never sleep again! Everyone is telling me to get my sleep now, but of course when you are almost 10 months pregnant that is not such an easy task. It's all good though. I'm ready for this girl to get here. Yes I still panic most of the day and it doesn't help that her movements have slowed down over the past couple of days. Of course she is so smooshed that she doesn't have much choice! I got back for another growth scan tomorrow so we will see how big she is. Then to the hospital tomorrow night. GULP! I'll update you guys when she gets here!

AB is doing great. We met with our social worker on Friday and it was actually a nice visit. I told her how good he has been and she warned me not to be fooled by the honeymoon phase. I totally get that he's on his best behavior now. I've even seen a few protests from him. Nothing big but just enough for me to be able to put my foot down and let him know that I'm not afraid of being the mom. It's actually good thing that this is happening.

This whole process has been so.....interesting/strange/awesome. I've mentioned before that there has not been some magical moment of falling in love as a family. It's not a bad thing and I'm not complaining about it. I just want to let people know the reality of it. I'm guessing that it's very different with a little baby for obvious reasons. The decision we made to adopt was not based on emotions at all. It was based solely on commitment to a child and our commitment to each other as a couple wanting to be a family. I mentioned this to our social worker and she was all, "Can you come tell our prospective families that?". She said that so many people expect the bonding to happen immediately and for everything to be just perfect from the moment they meet their child. That's not reality! Having AB has been awesome! He's a great kid and as cute as can be. We are bonding and he is letting his guard down more every day. He's been giving us big wet kisses on the cheek and it's just precious! He's letting us love on him more too. But he's scared to death! Can you imagine going through everything that he's been through? I imagine that it will take about a year (or at least until his adoption is finalized in 6 months) for us to all find our groove. And that's ok! Our family dynamic is about to change in a huge way with BB coming. None of quite know what to expect but we will figure it out...just like any family does. I already love this little guy and I'm very glad that he is mine!

School starts tomorrow so we have lots to accomplish today. We see the counselor again today and then meet the teachers tonight. I'm navigating new territory, that's for sure! It's been fun!

I'll post as I can over the next few days. Please send prayers our way for a healthy baby and easy delivery!

38 Weeks

All is well. I had an ultrasound yesterday and fluid looks good, baby is showing breathing movements, and I was told she is a happy baby. Great news to hear! I went to the OB today for my last weekly visit. I can't even believe it. I have made no progress in 2 weeks...still around 1 cm and baby is still pretty high up. My NP encouraged me to walk a lot this week. Considering I'm on my couch as much as possible that should be a challenge! The more I'm up the more tight and uncomfortable the belly gets. It's the strangest thing. It doesn't hurt really, it's just as tight as a drum. The only other time I'm uncomfortable is when I'm in bed trying to roll over. It's quite the production! I guess my pelvis is shifting because it's really sore....but only when I'm lying down. Pregnancy is weird, huh? Wonderfully weird!

AB is doing great. He is just the sweetest boy! Very thoughtful and helpful. He won't let me pick up anything and even wants to carry my purse for me. I told him that I hope he is always this sweet to me and to those around me. He promised he would be and we shook on it! He just needs encouragement. The other night I asked him to do something...maybe put laundry away or something little, and he said, "I just need you to encourage me to do it!". I said, "OK, it won't take long and it will be easy.....yadda yadda yadda." It was just sweet. We saw the counselor on Monday and it was nice to know that we have someone to help us navigate the waters. I've really bonded with AB and he has been very loving and precious. H is trying to spend as much one on one time with him as he can too. Of course, he works so much that it's hard. I think they are going to do something this weekend..maybe go to Sea World or something...before the baby comes. It's been a precious journey so far and I can't wait to see what the future holds!

I'll keep you posted as things progress. My life getting crazier by the moment but I couldn't be happier! I'm finally a mom!

Feeding Ducks with Dad