One week ago

Just last week Brian and I headed off to the hospital to have our little guy. Little Xander is doing great. His jaundice is all gone and he is just cute as can be. He has been nursing almost around the clock and it is really hard to keep up with him. He slept great the first couple of nights, but the last 2 nights he has been up for a couple of hours during the middle of the night. I hope this isn't a trend. I am still hoping he will be a good sleeper. He really likes to be swaddled and loves his bippy, that is when he isn't hungry and trying to nurse off anything that comes near him. He really doesn't like diaper changes though and has a fit every time we change him. He eats so much too, we are changing him all the time. He has already outgrown his newborn clothes, not in width, but in length. He is swimming in the 0-3 month sizes, but the newborn clothes are just way too short for my tall skinny boy.

I am really enjoying this time with Xander. It is so different the 2nd time around. I am not nervous and wondering what I should be doing, so it so much easier to just enjoy this time. I am also so happy not to be pregnant anymore. I haven't felt nauseous one bit since I delivered him and aside from swollen feet and a little soreness I am feeling great. I almost feel like my old self again. I can move around and just feel so much better. Yay!!!

Aisling is loving being a big sister. She always wants to kiss Baby Alex and loves to give him his bippy and tickle his toes. Daddy took her to Disneyland today for a treat. It is so quiet here today with just Xander and I.

So here are some pictures from Xander's first week. There are more on the photo bucket site too.


I love my Bippy!!!

Daddy and Xander before leaving the hospital.

Cute face.....

What a week I have had.

Xander's first bath.

It's good being a week old.

Xander is here!!!!!

Alexander Ryan Kesinger
Born May 24th at 1:48 am
9 lbs 6 ounces
21 1/2 inches long

He is finally here and it cute and sweet as can be. We had a pretty crazy day before his birth. We were supposed to be at the hospital at 8:00 am, but just as we were getting into the car to head to UCLA they called and told us not to come in yet, they were full. So we were to call back at 1 to see if we could still induce on Friday. We were pretty bummed and weren't sure when we were going to be able to get the show on the road. Grammy was already here so we decided to take our minds off the waiting by going to breakfast and to the movies to see Indianna Jones. After the movie, we called in and were told to come into the hospital around 2pm. So off we went and by about 4:30 pm we started the induction process.

There weren't any labor rooms available, there were lots of babies being born this weekend so we were in this tiny little observation room. The induction worked really well and I was off and contracting really quick and pretty intensely and without pitocin. By about 11pm (I am not sure of the exact timing of the events) I was really having to work hard to get through the contractions so Susan checked me and I was at 5 cm. An hour later I was still at 5cm and pretty discouraged. My water had broken slightly and it was really getting painful. I had horrendous contractions that were going all the way down my legs to my knees. Plus sitting down or laying down was unbearable, and by this point I had had very little sleep and was so tired. Plus I was horrible nauseaous since I hadn't eaten in a very long time. They gave me something to help with the nausea since I was beginning to have to survive contractions every 2 minutes and nausea in between the contractions.

I was seriuosly thinking of getting the epidural at this point, but we decided to give it one more hour. They had moved us into a larger observation room, there were still no labor and delivery rooms available and they had given the one Susan was saving for me to another woman who had just arrived who the nurses thought would deliver before me. So we decided to try taking a shower, which helped a lot with Ais. So they walked me all the way down to the post partum maternity ward to the shower the farthest it could possibly be away from labor and delivery and I spent about 20 mintues in the shower. I was still in agony as the contracdtions had even gotten worse, so the nurse came to check and I told her I was done, bring on the epidural, little did I know I would never get one, since I was probably at 9 cm at this point. Heck if I knew how far I really was I would have never asked for one.

So I start walking back to labor and delivery and just make it into the hallway of delivery when I feel like I am going to throw up. Luckily there was a trash can in the hallway and I managed to throw up into it for a few minutes until I could regain control and head back to my observation room. So I make it back in there, the nurse tells me the epidural is on the way and all of the sudden I just have to go to the bathroom. So the nurse helps me in and I sit down and all of the sudden I can feel the baby's head crowning and I just have to push. I start freaking out and am basically finishing transition which is the worst part of labor. I start screaming as transition is just the worst feeling ever, like you are falling off a cliff and losing all control of everything. The nurse was awesome and calmed me down and stopped me from pushing and luckily from giving birth to Alex in the toilet.

While I am in the bathroom, the epidural arrives and Susan and Brian send the epidural away. Susan gets me back to the bed checks me and she can see the baby's head. I had gone from 5 cm to fully dialated in an hour. No one was prepared for this and neither was the room we were in. We were still in an observation room that was not ready to deliver a baby. So the alarms start sounding, nurses come running from all directions and they have to keep me from pushing until they get all the stuff they need. ( half of these events I was told by Brian after the fact, since I was pretty much in my own world being shocked that I was ready to push). Anyway, they were finally ready and after 2 pushes a lot of screaming (yes, it really really hurts) Xander was here and on my chest. It was such a whirlwind, and so amazing to have my perfect little boy on my chest. He was so handsome, I was in love again.

So that is how the birth went down. It was crazy how fast everything happened at the end. It was really hard and intense, but I am so happy I made it through without the epidural and I am so glad I had Susan there to deliver my 2nd child. Brian was wonderful and supportive and really got me through the hard labor. He even got to cut the cord when they were cleaning up the baby. Aunt Joan, my Mom and Brian's Dad were there for his birth too which was pretty special.

Xander is doing wonderfully too. He is really tall and skinny, even though he eats non stop. I had to supplement with a bit of formula until my milk came in since his jaundice levels were high and I just couldn't keep up with his demand. Now that my milk is in, he is eating breastmilk only like a champ and has hardly lost any weight. He is very mellow and hardly ever cries unless he is hungry or getting a diaper changed. He really hates the diaper change. He is sleeping really well too. Hopefully he will continue sleeping well, I sure hope we have a sleeper this time around. He is a bippy maniac already too and just loves to suck and be swaddled as well.

Aisling is doing great as a big sister too. She loves Baby Alex as she calls him and likes to tickle his feet and is always saying he is so cute. She gets pretty upset when he cries, but I am sure she will get used to that really quick. She has been having fun with Grammy too as she has been here helping us with this transition.

I am feeling really good too. The recovery has been so much better this time around. I am still sore and my feet look like elephant stumps, but overall I am doing really well. I got to come home on Sunday which was awesome, they almost didn't let us come home because of his jaundice, but they agreed to it as long as we supplemented. So after a few days home I feel good and happy and we are all bonding and adjusting well.

Anyway, I got to go take care of my new son. Here are some picture to tide you all over until I can post more.

One more day

Well today was my last day as a mother of one. Aisling and I had a really nice time, we went swimming, even though it was a little bit cooler out today, it was still nice and she had a good time schwimming in the awa as she says. She blew bubbles and got really brave and floated along just holding on to my hands. We've had a good day and I will miss all the one on one time we have, but I know she will love her little brother and will gain so much more from having a sibling.

It will be hard to leave her tomorrow and head off to have baby Xander. I haven't been away from her over night ever, but she will be in good hands with Grammy and Daddy. And I am very excited to finally be meeting our little guy. I have been so busy taking care of Ais and this has been such a hard pregnancy it is hard to believe it is finally time. Heck you think 38 weeks of morning sickness would be enough to make realize the time has come, but I guess you are never really ready, yet I feel like I have had to wait forever too. Such a paradox.

Anyway, tomorrow I will have my family complete and will have my little guy in my arms. I am really trying to savor this last day as I know this is my last pregnancy and my last few moments of having only one child.

Ais giving baby Xander a hug

One last swim for Ais as an only child.

Friday is the Big Day

It looks like Friday will be Xander's birthday. I had a midwife appointment today and decided to be induced. (some nature girl I am , he he he) I fought it to the bitter end with Aisling, but I just can't take being pregnant anymore, nor do I want to go through testing at the hospital every other day next week to make sure the baby is still doing good. Plus my favorite midwife will be there on Friday so I am going for it. I am so relieved to know that I will not be pregnant after Friday. So here we go..... another induction... why don't my kids like to come out???

Aisling keeps telling baby Xander to come out and play and hugged the baby tons today it was so cute. Tomorrow will be my last day as a mother of one. I hope Ais does well with the transition. Soon there will be a baby Xander in the house. :)

Still Pregnant

So here I find myself again, past my due date and very ready to have this kid. I think it is even harder this time around since this pregnancy has been really tough and having Aisling to take care of adds a new dimension of complexity to it. I have had tons of big contractions on and off for weeks now, but they still keep petering out. It is so hot outside and I am so uncomfortable I just can't bring myself to take Ais out on my own. Poor thing must be so bored being home all the time. I have a midwife appointment on Wednesday and if this kid isn't here by then, I may ask if they will consider inducing next week. The thought of even going to next week is so horrible to me. Come on Alex!!! Come out and play!!!!!!

Mother's day 39 weeks pregnant

Yep, still pregnant, still nauseous, very tired and very uncomfortable, but at least he is still heads down. I hope he is coming soon. I have been having contractions on and off for a couple of weeks now, but nothing consistent. So we are just sitting and waiting. I have an appointment tomorrow with the midwives.

I have been going a bit stir-crazy being around the house so I took Ais in to a lot event at work on Friday. Ais got to see a Small World Doll up close. She was star struck and just loved it. She still wants to look at the picture all the time. There was also Lucky the Dinosaur there. She liked him from afar, but got a bit nervous up close. He was pretty big.

Saturday we celebrated Mother's Day with my Mom and took Ais out for lunch and walked through an open house event at the firehouse. Aisling loves Firetrucks and was really excited to see so many big engines.

On Sunday, we celebrated with Brian's family when his Mom, Dad, Nana, and brother came to visit. It was a nice mellow day and Ais got some good play time in with the family.

Here are some pics.

Small World doll. Ais and her are almost the same size.

Ais admiring Lucky from a safe distance.

Grandma and Ais at the firehouse.

Ais shows off her stuff from the firehouse.

Nana, Aisling and Grammy on Mother's day.

Friday Date Night at the hospital

Brian and I spent a few hours in labor and delivery last Friday night. I had been having contractions and cramping for most the day on Friday and my midwife had instructed me that any twinges or contractions and we should come in to the hospital since little Xander was breech. So we called Grammy and she made the trek up here in rush hour traffic to watch the little Miss Aisling. Our friend Doug came over first to watch Ais so we could start our trek to the hospital until Grammy could get to our house. I had about 3 contractions while hooked up and they stopped all together. The good news is though is that Xander is heads down again and very low. Susan thought that maybe him turning and settling in caused the contractions and stuff. And she is hoping that since he is so low, that he won't be able to turn around again. I get checked out tomorrow and if he is still in good positIon the version/induction is off for Wednesday and we are back to the good old fashioned waiting game.