And Then There Were Four

It's been a long time blog people (or person and family members who read this). I've been working on a summer project, and she is here! Sweet Eva Jane joined our family at 2:01 p.m. on Monday, July 20. Since I'll want to remember this story in some way or another, I am sharing the day of Eva's birth.

I've heard from 'them' that each pregnancy and birth is different. However, being my stubborn self, I didn't believe them as most things I have found in parenting are different for each individual. When I went to 40 weeks without any sign of labor, I was starting to think that things would go the same route as they did with Levi- induction.

I don't have any kind of a problem with medically-necessary inductions. I praise modern medicine for saving mothers and babies, when in the past going overdue would have adverse outcomes. I decided to schedule an induction date for 10 days past due- if my body wasn't going to go into labor, then I would get the little one out by an means necessary. I still held out hope that I just gestate my humans a bit longer but really had to defend my decisions to family members and co-workers. Why did I think I should wait? Because I have all the cool components of being a woman- and women make babies, and birth them. It's science.

Oh, and while we're at it, let me tell you about how to induce labor...there is no correlation between twirling on your tippy toes, walking hills, spicy food, hanging upside down, dancing on a full moon, or anything else. How do I know? I tried several experiments and nothing worked to get the baby out until it was actually time. All those old wives were drunk.

I was in good spirits for the most part, but at 40 weeks and 5 days, I was finally agitated. The constant texts, check-ins, reminders, questions, and all the other interactions that truly came out of concern were like nails on a chalkboard to a very pregnant, grumpy, painful me. This pregnancy, just three years later than my first was much harder on me than the last one. I had been under chiropractic care for extreme hip and pelvic pain from 30 weeks on and just felt more tired. I remember one incident when Levi went running from our private street and I had to chase him at about 36 weeks, resulting in sitting on ice packs for the rest of the evening, because ouch. Also, first pregnancies are made of magic and rainbows and unicorns. You can rest when you want to, sleep when you need to, and you have no worldly idea of what is to come.

Anyways, that day I was pretty much done. I asked Mike to take Levi to the two family events that I was bowing out of that day and I stayed home, ate Popsicles, and worked on my business expenses. I even joked with my boss that now that my expenses were done, I could go into labor. That night  I went to bed like I always did, with 12 pillows for my aching skeleton and belly and hopes of falling asleep long enough to catch a REM cycle before my bladder inevitably woke me up.

At 2:37 am, I was woken by a pain in my stomach, also known as a contraction. I thought nothing of it and went back to sleep. Exactly one hour later, I was hit with another slow cramp and went to the bathroom to do bathroom stuff, because that's just what it felt like. I decided that I would stay up and see if anything happened.  I stayed in bed and over the next half hour the contractions were coming about 8-9 minutes apart. Each time one hit, I would get into child's pose and wait it out while breathing deeply like I had learned in my prenatal class and basically all the years of yoga that I took. Once the contraction was over, I would rest and close my eyes. From then on, I went downstairs and wanted to see if things picked up if I moved around a bit. And yes they did. They went to 4 minute and 5 minute apart each time I got around to walk. Honestly, it scared the crap out of me because while I was ready physically, I couldn't believe it mentally.

I was now about an hour into this game at 3:50 am and decided that if it was going to be a long day, I needed to rest. I stayed on the couch and basically slept as much as I could, and when I did this, my contractions slowed down to 10 minutes apart. At one point, I heard Levi crying and I went to his room and stayed in his bed with him, getting hit with the waves closer to 15 minutes apart and just resting and sleeping in between them until about 7:40 when I heard Mike wake up for the day. I calmly told him that something might be happening and that he should probably take Levi to my mom's daycare for the day. I also sent my boss a text message telling her that we were having some excitement and that I likely wouldn't be coming to work that day.

Since I got up again, contractions sped up to about 4 minutes apart once again and I decided I should take a shower, put some makeup on, and perhaps throw some toiletries into the bag I started packing 3 weeks ago. I also ate two plain waffles for energy. This is also the part I regret- I should have had like 10 waffles, a cupcake, and maybe a shot. When Mike came home from dropping off Levi, I decided to call my OB- actually, he made me call them. They told me to go ahead and come in when I was ready, so I did what anyone else would do- I labored while finishing the movie we started watching the night before (Mud- it's a good one if you are looking for a movie rec). We finally got in the car at a little before 11:00 and drove the 2 minutes it took to get to the hospital.

I walked out of the car and promptly had a contraction while we waited to get signed in at the security desk. The guard asked if I was OK and I nodded and smiled at him. They reminded us where to go and we went to the labor wing. I was greeted but the calmest, sweetest nurse who started checking me into my suite. I was a bit surprised that they were planning on keeping me without doing a full check, but since I was already almost a week late, I earned a one way ticket to labor and delivery. I signed a crap ton of paperwork and laid down for torture while I was monitored. This whole time, on a scale of one to someone-is-ripping-off-my-limbs, I was at maybe a 6 or 7, partially because I was still getting breaks between contractions and forcing myself to completely relax. This was nothing like the hell of my induction contractions brought on by Pitocin. I was also fine if I was moving or in child's pose, so I did not enjoy being monitored in the bed. After 20 minutes, she finally checked me and I was at 6 cm. I could not believe it, but was grateful that I made it this far, free of pain relief and all on my own without any interventions.

The plan now was to labor with a wireless monitor (there is another name for this, but I forgot some of my words) so that I could move around. Since it was around 11:20 am and we were staying, we let our parents know and the nurse anticipated it would be a few more hours, maybe around 5:00 or so. I walked around the room, listened to music (hip hop and then some calmer yoga music because I thought the hip hop swears were somewhat unsavory for welcoming a child into the world), and I zoned out. We had considered hiring a doula, even interviewed two lovely young ladies, but in the end I knew myself and I don't like listening to people. Mike was there of course, but I preferred to be on my own and zone out, rather than anything else.

During this whole time, by OB was still not there- I had the same on-call doctor as last time with Levi. She had some kind of a lunch meeting and was running late. After a couple of hours, I was really in pain. My contractions were coming quicker and I felt the most intense pain in my legs and hips and I was completely over it. I couldn't wait for her to get there because I was ready to ask for an epidural, or vodka shot- whichever was available sooner. I still didn't have any IV fluids and knew that I would need at least a half hour before I could get anything. I didn't really voice any of this and felt a little silly since my nurse kept saying how calmly and peacefully I was handling labor.

The doctor finally came in at about 1:30, and this is where things get a little fuzzy. They had me get back into the bed to be monitored so I had to take a break from pacing, sitting in a rocking chair, hanging out in the bathroom (so nobody would bother me), and folding myself over the bed and chair. I was D.O.N.E. done.

She checked me and I was ready to go- complete and ready to push. I was shocked. And I still didn't have an epidural or a vodka shot. She broke my water and there was a little bit of meconium in it- this means that the baby had pooped in utero- it is usually nothing, but they called in the NICU team to be present for the birth so that the baby could be checked just in case.

The doctor specifically asked me if I needed to push and I told her that I would like to labor down for a few minutes. In my last rodeo, I pushed on and off for four hours and I was not going to do that. So she left the room to complete some paperwork from her last birth. As soon as she left, or a minute later, I felt my body pushing. This is kind of where I blacked out. I told the nurse that I needed to push NOW and she started calling the doctor back into the room. I'm usually a delicate flower and calm and collected, but with a giant baby emerging from my body, I was no longer quiet.

I don't know how long it took for her to get there- Mike told me it took a couple of minutes, but I could not control my body. The baby was coming now. The doctor finally ran in and started scrambling for her gloves. She got one on and I think got the second one on just as the baby came out on the second push. They told me to look down and I politely declined, but she was here! At some point, the NICU doctor yelled "Holy hell that was fast- get this girl a good push present!"

They checked Eva out quickly and made sure that she was OK- luckily she was fine and I got her for skin to skin just a few minutes later after the cleared her airways. She was perfect and I got to snuggle her while they worked on me. Ironically, I had to have fluids and two bags of Pitocin after labor to help my body stop bleeding, but I felt so much better this time. I got to nurse the baby and bond before family started coming in and this is just how we did it with Levi.

 

Eva is now 2 months old and we are all adjusting. She is such a sweet baby and the part of our family I never knew was missing. If I ever get to it, I'll do some more posts on pregnancy and some family updates but for now we are all bonding and getting used to each other. A belated (second baby) welcome to the world, Eva!

Health Hero

In honor of Health Literacy Month, I'm writing a post on my Health Hero. Health has a different meaning to almost every person. If you look at 100 Instagram accounts, healthy can be defined as thin, muscular, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, yogi, or Crossfitter. For me, the meaning of health has evolved from a not so healthy perspective in my late teens and early 20s (fat free crazes and being as skinny as possible), to a much different meaning these days. 

I would like to introduce you to my Health Hero. His name is Levi and he stands at about 36 inches tall and weighs in at about 30 pounds. This little man has taught me more in his last two years about health than I have learned in the last -ahem- 30 years.

Here are the things my health hero has taught me:

1. Strength training is important- those muscles are about so much more than aesthetics- they get you where you want to be, help you pick up heavy objects, and can direct people to the beach, if needed.

 

2. Food is nourishment and there is nothing like sitting down, relaxing, and enjoying a meal together. My little man has taught me that food literally sustains life- you need proper nutrition and calories to have energy and get the most out of your day. Of course treats are important too, but you feel your best when you eat well.

3. An important part of health is lowering stress levels. We all thrive when we are around friends, pets, and loved ones. For my health hero, we're still considered cool enough to be in his presence, so we spend as much time as we can going on adventures and enjoying each other's company.

4. Exercise is a huge part of my health hero's life. We run, jump, do yoga, and pushups together. For kids, exercise is play time, and not a chore like it is for a lot of adults, so we enjoy playing together. He's much better conditioned than I am (notice the vein on my forehead from doing pushups). 

5. A healthy environment is so much more than just inside the home, and for my health hero, nature is a huge part of his health. He is always asking to go to the beach, to play in the dirt, and to go outside. He has taught me how fun it is to crunch in the leaves (if Fall ever gets here), play in the sand, and dig in the dirt (so much dirt)!

Most importantly, my health hero has taught me that it is my responsibility to take care of my own health. I intend to be around for a very long time to watch my little health hero grow up and then run screaming to travel the world once my health hero can sustain himself. Well at least a girl can always dream!

I was contacted by Andrea of Oscar Health to write this post and it was a great opportunity to get back into blogging. Please note I didn't get compensation or sponsorship for this post. At Oscar Health, they provide health insurance to those living in New York and New Jersey and offer many features that help members be proactive about their health. If you're on the East Coast, check them out if you have any interest.

Hope you're all doing well and I'll check in soon!

The Post I Haven't Written - Losing the Baby Weight

I wrote this post and erased it a few times, both in my head and on the blog.  Not that I really had time to write a lot (little people are needy), but I just couldn't find the words.  I think I was just mostly disappointed.  A little disappointed that it was taking too long, and disappointed that I wasn't able to put my full effort into taking care of myself. 

Something happens when you have a baby- it's a bit consuming and for me, it was all consuming.  When before, I could work out 7 days a week, I was now left with 3-4 days tops, if I could get out of the house with a little guy who needed to eat every 2 hours and I was his food source.  Between a very stressful job, my commute, and adjusting to life as a new mom, weight loss was not my top priority.

Slowly but surely, Levi became a bit older and finally stopped eating in such short intervals and I was able to get away a bit more.  I really hit my stride with workouts at about 8 months after the baby and really only did one yoga/pilates class a week, one Zumba class, and 2 sessions by myself combining cardio and strength training. I also walked the dog with the stroller at least 5 times a week, sometimes twice, and we always had family hikes.

Now looking back on the pictures, it's not a big deal and I know a lot of my feelings were influenced by a lot of outside pressure. My body grew and nourished a baby for 2 years and I'm really proud of myself.  My next mini goal is getting to a healthier and stronger me by my 30th birthday (just a short 6 months away).  As always, I'm open to any questions.

Here is my story in pictures:

Almost 42 weeks pregnant (that means really, really late), and up 35 healthy pounds

Home from the hospital, down 23 lbs by the time I came home. The baby was 8 pounds of the weight I gained 

About 3 months post-baby. Weight stood still with 12 more pounds to lose. I had to go to a wedding and felt pretty icky, but found a dress to hid the bump remnants, kinda.

About 7 months post-baby. I was down 5 pounds and had 7 more to go

9 months after baby- down another 2 pounds, with 5 more to go

About 10.5 months later, almost at goal weight, but a lot of toning to do.

My last official belly shot, about 1 year after baby- back to starting weight.

13 months after baby on the left, and 15 months on the right

9 and 10 Month Letter to Levi

Dear Levi,

Mama is a slacker and couldn't get her act together, but here is your 9 and 10 month letter.  You, my friend, are an awesome little guy. I've been around a lot of babies and kids and you just top the list. 

We took you on vacation with grandma Elena and grandpa Stan in March and you were such a good little boy! You loved splashing in the pool, eating the local food (lots of yogurt, fruit, bread and cheese), and made lots of friends with the restaurant staff my yelling 'mamaaaa' with your little baby Spanish accent.

You even started crawling for the first time in the big king size bed we shared on the trip! You are moving more and more now and started pulling yourself up last week and love to stand and bang on the coffee table with papa, or look out at us from your baby jail.  You do baby situps whenever we try to change your diaper and you are a man on a mission. You want to go, go, go and don't sit still very much these days.

You love your toys- you have a stuffed monkey and you love your puppy. Their tails are your favorite part and you usually give them a hug as soon as you see them and them proceed to bite their nose and tails for good measure.  You also love taking baths, walks, and seeing all your friends and big cousin at Baba and Deda's house.

You and your papa are great friends!  Papa loves walking with you in the carrier and reads to you in Russian all the time.  He also hangs out with you while I hit the gym and you boys have your man time without me being in the way. 

Food has now become one of your favorite things. I keep trying to expand your menu with more greens and fruits and you seem to take after your big brother Chino and love carbs and cheese. Some of your favorite foods are yogurt, cheese, banana, waffles, pancakes, grandma's chicken soup and cottage cheese, applesauce, pears, cucumbers. You will try almost anything, but will often spit it out as soon as it hits your lips.  It's a good thing you have your brother Chino to help clean up.  I am still providing your milk for you, and while it's a struggle, we are still going strong with nursing and I'm pumping as much as I can.

 

You are wearing some 9 month and mostly 12 month clothing.  At your 9 month appointment, you weighed 22 lb 10 oz (80th percentile) and were 28.25 in tall (50%). Your head circumference is in the 70th percentile (18.5 in).  You are now sporting almost 5 teeth, 3 of which started sprouting once you turned 10 months and have been working their way through your gums for a couple of weeks now.

2 month and 10 month comparison

My favorite thing about you is your smile!  We joke around and say that you have a little elephant or dolphin smile because it is so wide and genuine.  You will giggle more often now and it is the cutest sound, next to your babbling.  You are quite vocal and say 'mama, baba, dada, papa' and other babbling sounds.  You are a very happy baby and I get stopped while we are out in public with you so people can look at you and tell me how cute you are :)

You are getting so close to your first birthday, my sweet little bear! I just can't believe it!  You are my little sidekick when I am home and I love spending time with you. Sometimes I can't believe you are all mine (OK, I share you with your papa) and that we have this beautiful little family.  I cherish every moment with you and nothing makes me happier than seeing you grow and discover things, even though I get a little sad that you are getting so big. 

I love you more than I can describe in words and then some more on top of that.

Love,

Mama

A Letter to Levi- 8 Months

Dear Levi,

You are now 8 months old!  You are such a cool little man!  You are killing us with your beautiful smile adorned with two bottom teeth and dimples.  Your hair is getting longer and you even have some super messy hairdos these days. I still can't believe I have a blonde haired, blue eyed baby.

You are wearing 9 month and 12 month clothing and weighed 21.5 lbs about 3 weeks ago.  You are also about Chino's height these days- however tall that may be :) Everywhere we go people say you are a big kid, and you are! I love that you are such a big boy.

You gave us a big scare last month when you got really sick for the first time.  You have such a wonderful attitude and you tried your best to still play and smile although you weren't feeling well.

You are learning more and more tricks.  You know who we are and started reaching your arms out for us to pick you up- it melts our hearts.  You also learned how to clap and break into spontaneous applause throughout the day- while playing, on a walk, or even while having your diaper changed.  And why not?  Life is pretty amazing, right?  You love playing with your toys and get excited when you see your favorites.

You are getting to be so strong!  You sit like a champ, roll over whenever you have a chance, and can pull yourself to standing with barely any support from us but our fingers for you to hold.  Crawling isn't really your thing yet, but you have plenty of time for that.

Just like mama, you are a fan of food.  We had a rough start with purees at first and you much preferred finger foods, but we found a few purees that you enjoy and you are now eating two of them at daycare with Baba Tania.  You sometimes cry when they are gone.  You are still drinking milk at school and at home and have had formula supplemented 3 times in the last 8 months with the rest being mama's milk. Your favorite foods are yogurt, the different kinds of fancy puffs, any fruit you can get your hands on, french toast or pancakes, and your sweet potato and cranberry butternut squash purees. You also steal any food that mama or papa are eating, but that's a given. You are very good at feeding yourself and will sit in the high chair in the evenings eating your snack while we eat.  Your brother Chino loves that you eat now because he hangs out by the high chair waiting for his snacks to drop!

You babble, squeal, and spit all the time.  You blow raspberries and say 'mama', 'baba', 'dada', and a few other sounds. You sing yourself to sleep and seem to really enjoy music.  You love going to daycare and seeing your friends and especially love seeing your baba and deda every day.

You are such a sweet, happy little boy!  You have really bonded with your papa over the last month and you boys really enjoy each other's company.  He reads you books, picks you up and swings you really high, and practices wrestling with you.  It makes me so happy to see you play together!

You're my little sweetie pie and we have so much fun together, or at least I like to think we do.  I make you laugh (more than anyone else. neener neener neener) and you have the sweetest laugh I have ever heard! You grab my face and snuggle against me when you are falling asleep and I wish I could bottle that up and take it with me everywhere I go. I refuse to believe you are growing up, but you are and you get better each day.

 

On your 8 month birthday I did this comparison- crazy, right?  You are so much cuter on the outside, although equally heavy. And mama sure had more time to do her hair before you got here but it's worth every moment spent with you. 

Happy 8 months, my sweet boy!

Love,
Mama

6 Months!

So, it's almost time for a 7 month update, but here is Levi's 6 month stats and update:

Stats:

Levi was 19.75 lbs and 26.5 inches tall at his 6 month appointment. He is still holding strong at 90th percentile for weight and around 75th percentile for height. He has reached all his 6 month milestones and mama and papa are just so proud and thankful for our healthy boy.
 

 

Favorite Things to Do:

Levi is such a happy little boy! He loves playing peek-a-boo, jumping in his jumperoo, grabbing our faces, playing with all his grandparents, and squealing. He has a delightful high pitched squeal!

Highlights:

Levi rolled over on December 1 and did it again a few days after! He gets the most excited look on his face when it happens! Levi also celebrated his first holiday season with us!

Eating and Sleeping:

Levi started solids after his 6 month appointment! He is a fan of real food more than baby mush. We keep trying, but so far he has hated carrot puree and yelled at me when I gave him oatmeal. Levi prefers my bread, small pieces of boiled baked potato, veggie soup, and even rice.  He is still drinking lots of milk and lets me know when he is hungry!  

I have been doing some more research on feeding the little man and found these sites very interesting (family members- feel free to read these):

 

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/here/solidsmonths6-8_800.pdf

http://www.babycenter.com/0_baby-food-revolution-new-rules-for-feeding-your-baby_10320504.bc

 

Nicknames:

Little bear, Levchik, dino baby

 

Every month I say it is my favorite month. It's because life gets better and better with our sweet little boy by our side.

Four Months

We had our 4 month appointment a week early and little man is growing and growing!  Life is crazy as usual and we are still working on getting the hang of things!  Here is our 4 month update:

                   

Stats: Levi is 17 lb 1 oz (80%) , 24.75 inchess tall (50%), and his head is also in the 50th percentile. What can I say, my son is built like a Greek god. He is wearing 6-9 month clothing and 9 month clothing and has the chunkiest thighs ever.

Favorite Things to Do: Levi is a happy little guy and loves smiling at us. He thinks mama and papa are pretty funny and smiles any time we smile back at him. He has a grunt of a laugh when we pretend to scare him by saying 'boo' and will sometimes chuckle.  He is still a big fan of his skip hop playmat and loves his girlfriend Sophia the Giraffe.  He still loves taking walks with us and loves looking around at the world. Now that he is at daycare with grandma Tania, he loves looking around and playing with the older kids.

Highlights: Levi started daycare at Grandma's house (my mom). He is adjusting beautifully and seems to love it there. Mama is getting used to being away from Levi and I may or may not have had a meltdown.  For now, I need to be working and I'm glad he has a safe place to stay all day.

Eating and Sleeping: Levi has made big strides in the eating and sleeping department. He takes a bottle at daycare with no problem.  This was my greatest worry and fear going into daycare and I'm so glad he eats like a champ.  I now have the great joy of pumping at work, which I hate with a passion, but I'm determined to continue to breastfeed for as long as I can.  Levi also moved to his bed about 2 weeks before he turned 4 months and has done well.  I am a little jumpy with the baby monitor, but he does a great job.  I will not mess with the sleeping gods, but sleep has been going fairly well for us.

Nicknames: Boo boo, honey, Levchik, Mishka

Our sweet, sweet boy- we love you so much! Every month I say 'this is my favorite age' and I think it's because you make life better and better.  Thank you for making me stop and enjoy each moment with you and for providing laughs every single day.

One Month

One of the parenting cliches I always heard besides 'sleep now, you'll never sleep again' is how fast time goes by.  The first month was a blur, but absolutely amazing. I still can't believe I'm somebody's mom, but I'm loving it.  We have learned so much about being parents and while I have had my cranky, sleep deprived moments, I am loving every bit of this little guy.

Of course I'm late, but that's nothing new!

Levi is one month!

Stats:
He had his appointment and he is a chunker- 11 lb 5 oz and 21 3/4 inches tall. This puts him at the 65th percentile for weight and 50th percentile for height.

Favorite Things to Do:
Going on walks with the family, being carried in the Ergo, snuggling with mama and papa, kicking his legs like crazy, and eating!

Highlights:
Levi had his bris ceremony and it was a very important day for him and us. I cried the whole time but I'm glad we were able to do this for our little man.

His grandma came to stay with us for a week and we all got to bond together.

Levi's other grandparents came over to visit and play with him.

Levi met his great grandpa and grandpa in Russia via Skype.

We started our mama and baby group and he's been out on several play dates so far.

Eating and Sleeping:
Levi is a champion eater and is on breast milk exclusively. I was so worried about not being able to feed him, but I can, and he's packing on the pounds.  In his first month, Levi was waking up to eat every 2 hours or less but in week 5 gave us a couple of nights of 4 and even 5 hours! We are going to start transitioning to the crib soon and that should be interesting.

Nicknames:
The Dictator, Buddha, and a word in Russian that means little chubby man ;)

Little man, we love you so much! even though you party all night, mama's hair looks crazy, and a shower is a luxury, you make life so sweet.