Ivor's Birth Story

He's here! He's here!

Our sweet baby boy, Ivor Rowland, was born on Sunday, February 26, 2017 at 12:47pm. He weighed 7lbs 1oz and was 21.5inches long.

 

To start this story I'll go back some.  If you read Tilly's birth story (you can read it HERE), you may recall I had a pretty fast labor and delivery with her so I was a bit scared at what to expect this time with speed.  I had mentioned my concerns to my doctor and he said as long as I was showing some dilation then he felt comfortable inducing me anytime after 39weeks.  This way I would be at the hospital, Tilly would be with my mom, and there would be no mad dash.  As I got closer, I decided to make the induction date Friday, March 3.  This was only 3 days before my due date, but I really didn't want to be induced or rush things too soon, plus a weekend day worked best with Lance taking off work.  Each week I got more and more uncomfortable and Lance swore he was going to come early.

Saturday night, February 25, Lance and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary from our first date and had a sushi date planned like we had every year.  Tilly spent the night with my mom and off we went.  We had dinner, went to Walmart (the funny thing is I went to Walmart the day before I had Tilly too! ha), and then stopped by Sonic for some milkshakes.. real fancy folks! haha  We got home and I just did not feel good at all.  That night I took a shower and as I was drying my hair I said to Lance, "There is no way I am going to make it another week!" Boy was I right.

We went to sleep about midnight after finishing up a movie and around 1:30am I woke up having some bad pains. It was random contractions every now and then and they eventually stopped after around an hour.  We finally went back to sleep at 2:30am and within 2 hours, by 4:30am, I was woken up again by awful pains.  From then on the contractions never stopped, but were so random.  It would be 6 minutes apart, and then 10 minutes apart, and then 6 minutes again.. and then nothing for 20 minutes.  It was all over the place and I didn't know what to think.. but I was in A LOT of pain.  With Tilly my water broke immediately so there was no guessing.  Around 8:00am I told him let's eat something small and head to the hospital and just see what is happening.  At this point I had been in the bed all morning laying down, and as I stood up to get ready the pain and pressure exploded. I starting crying as we were getting ready to leave and Lance was flying through the house at top speed to get everything in the car.  By the time we got to the hospital around 9:30am I was dying.  Of course they take their sweet time with everything and it took about an hour for the on call doctor to check my dilation. I was just laying there sobbing in pain and was totally like the women in the movies who scream and cry each contraction.. it was horrific, yall.  By 10:30am they finally checked me and I was indeed in active labor and was 6cm.  At this point they again very sloooowly started the process to get me the epidural.  I was moved into my delivery room by 11am and finally got the epidural by 11:30am.  Thank goodness it kicked in right away.  Unfortunately it made my blood pressure tank and I got extremely nauseas as they had to keep giving me medicine to raise it.  30 minutes later around 12pm is when I finally felt back to "normal" and the doctor came in to break my water and check me.  I was 7cm dilated and she told me to relax and expect about an hour per centimeter on dilation... Well that sure didn't happen.  The nurse finished up some stuff in our room and at 12:15pm said she was going to leave us to rest and to call her if I felt any pressure. Well... about 15minutes later I felt EXTREME pressure and called her back. Yep, it was GO time! She called the doctor back in and it was time to push.  With only 3 contractions and pushes, this little guy made a fast and furious entrance just like big sister!  Apparently my body has zero patience with birthing these babies!!! haha  From when we arrived to the hospital to when I delivered was right at 3 hours, so thank goodness we went in when we did!

Ivor is the sweetest little boy and looks JUST like Tilly did as a baby. It is crazy.  Here is a side by side of their hospital pictures.

As of now he is a sleeping machine and is pretty much never awake more than a few minutes at a time. He has been doing some nice long stretches at night and I REALLY hope he picks up big sister's sleeping habits.  He is the complete opposite on eating though.  Tilly was always a bottle baby, whether it was pumped milk or formula, and this little guy loves to be attached to mommy for all his feedings.  This is a whole new experience for me and we are taking it day by day.  So far he is gaining weight like a champ and at his doctor's appointment this morning he was back up to 7lbs 3oz.

Another big difference is changing boy diapers.. ah! What a difference. Gosh, girl diapers are SOO much easier to me.  Poor guy may or may not have peed all over his face already. Sorry buddy.

Tilly is also doing really well adjusting! She will go over and talk to him and want to touch him randomly, but for the most part she just ignores him. ha She doesn't seem phased there is someone else here and acts like he has always been in our house.  She is definitely not listening well these days, but that started way before he got here. I think we are entering those crazy 3's a bit early.  I am definitely nervous to be alone with the two of them with her behavior some days, but I know we will survive.  Since the flu is so bad here in NC, we were advised to keep him home (except for doctor checkups) until probably April and to limit visitors with anyone who may even be remotely sick to protect him.  Hopefully by the time we can get out and about, I'll be a (semi)pro at this 2 kid thing! haha!

We are just enjoying our time as a family of 4 and soaking in this last week with daddy home.   I'll be back to do his monthly updates to keep his online journal to save the same I did with Tilly!
Thanks for reading along!! :)

 

And a few I took the other day with a real camera! :)

 

 

            

 

38 Weeks - Home Stretch!!

 

A few pics from about the last week.  The last one I just snapped about 5 min ago.. hello belly!!!

Here is a super quick update as this pregnancy comes to an end! :)

 

 

How far along: 38 weeks - 9 Months

Size of baby:  Swiss Chard (I don't even know what that is! ha) (19-22in, 6.5lbs)

Sleep:  Same as it's been really.  A million potty breaks, crazy dreams, and just horrible pain from always being on my side.  If it's not my hips breaking, now it's my whole entire arm into my hand going dead. Blah!

Symptoms:  Everything! ha He is soooo smashed in there and extremely low.

Miss anything:  My body! Also being able to bend over, get out of bed, you know- normal human activity!

Movement:   He still moves quite a bit but you can tell there isn't near as much room as there was. He always likes to curl up really tight just like Tilly did, and man that hurts!

Food cravings:  I have been a on HUGE sweets kick lately.

Best moment this month/looking forward to:  Having this baby!!!! It is a weird feeling knowing I am almost done being pregnant and won't experience this again. I have given away most of Tilly's old clothes and now am starting to get the maternity clothes gone as well. It feels weird to not be in the "saving for next time" mode.. but it also feels so nice!!! haha  Now I am curious when this little guy will come.. will it be on his own or at the induction date?!?! We shall see soon enough!!

And that's a wrap on baby #2 bumpdates!! My next post will be the BIRTH STORY! Yay!!!!!  Thanks for reading along on this journey with me! :)

33 Weeks - 8 Months

 

 

How far along: 33 weeks - 8 Months

Size of baby:  Honeydew Melon (19in, 4.5lbs)

Sleep:  Whew, this is still miserable. It's basically just a long night of broken up, painful sleep spurts. Between the pain and going to the bathroom, I am a mess. Completely exhausted is my life these days.

Symptoms:  I am the most negative pregnant person if you haven't noticed! haha My body just does not enjoy it.  I am deathly ill the first half, I get a FEW ok weeks in the middle, and then from about 30 weeks on my bones break.  The hip/back pain has once again this pregnancy reached the level of 100 on a scale of 1-10.  There is no way to get comfortable while sleeping, I am constantly in pain, and everything hurts so bad ALL.THE.TIME.  I just have too compacted of a body apparently to comfortably carry a baby! ha I'm pretty sure I tell Lance multiple times a week if he thought there was even a 0.01% chance we were having another baby, he has lost his mind!!! lol  Also, I always forget to mention pregnant face as a symptom! ha Pretty much the day I find out I am pregnant my face swells up like a balloon.  Super cute!

Miss anything:  My body!

Movement:   He moves alllllllll the time, and they are definitely painful these days. He is ready to stretch out of that belly!

Food cravings:  Ice cream is really my huge must have. So healthy, I know.

Best moment this month/looking forward to:  We had a great time celebrating our shower this past Saturday with all of our NC friends and family.  Thank you so much to everyone who came to celebrate and spoil this sweet little boy.  I finished getting everything we needed yesterday and spent the day getting EVERYTHING else ready I had not done yet.  His room is all set up (not that he'll be in there for months! ha), all the baby seats and gadgets are scrubbed down and washed, everything from bottles to pacifiers are boiled and sanitized, and all clothes from newborn to 0-3mo along with all blankets, bibs, etc are washed and put away.  Curious if he'll wear newborn clothes for 4 months like big sister! haha  Now I am on the countdown for the end of this pregnancy and to welcome a healthy baby boy.  So close! ah!

Tilly - 2.5yrs old

I figured since we hit 2.5 I would do a little update on Ms. Priss and give her some attention (like she doesn't get enough already, ha!).  I have 900 things in my head I always think to write about for her, so hopefully I can get this all down without writing a novel and actually have it flow well.

I think I'll just break it down into categories and go from there!

First off a few little fun facts on where she is at. She won't go back for a doctor checkup until age 3, but from our scale at home our tiny little girl still stays steady around 22lbs.  She wears all 24mo or 2T clothes.  Some are WAY too big, but most fit her.  Pants that aren't leggings have to have the adjustable waist and tightened alllllllll the way to the smallest.. but they fit! She seems to be going through her size 5 shoes as they fit JUST right, but most of the 6's are huge on her. This girl talks up a storm.  Once her vocabulary picked up, it took off.  She speaks in full sentences now and says the funniest (and craziest!) things.  You definitely have to watch what you say for sure now because she picks up on everything!!! A favorite phrase for sure is "No, I don't want that." Sigh. She is so fast to pick up on learning new things and loves to sing her ABC's and a few other songs.  I don't remember when she learned these over the last 6+ months, but since around her birthday she has known/learned- All her colors, shapes, numbers (counting and recognizing) up to 20, ABCs (singing and recognizing) and can pick out and make the noise of a million animals.  I'm sure I am forgetting a few things, but those are the basics she knows. She also knows her name when she sees it written out and loves to sing out "Tillllllly Roooooooowland" when you ask her what her name is.

Her favorite toys are all things girly- anything and everything baby dolls, make-up, her vanity set Uncle Jason and Claire got her for Christmas, anything princess, books, and all her stuffed animal friends.  She absolutely loves dancing and will go turn on the radio in my room constantly and declare "I just need to dance, mommy".  Her favorite shows currently are Doc McStuffins, Sophia the First, Mickey Mouse (though she doesn't ask for this one often at all anymore), Angelina Ballerina on Amazon Prime, Shimmer and Shine (a new favorite find), Daniel Tiger, and Word Party (a super annoying Netflix show she LOVES).  She was on a Minion kick for awhile and watched it EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. after nap.  Luckily for me this was when I was super nauseous and gladly laid in bed while she zoned out on this movie.  This is the kid who had zero interest in TV until around age 2 and then became obsessed with her shows.  She is only allowed to watch TV in the mornings while I get ready and then we watch a bit after nap.  I have a feeling this will be bumped up greatly once baby #2 is here. #reallife.

Tilly is all things girly and all things sass.  She still goes 100mph all day long but if it's time to fix her hair or paint her toenails, she will sit right down and soak in all the pampering.  She is 100% me made over and has the facial expressions and attitude down to a T. It's fascinating to see the attitude and personality that comes out of this tiny little human.  While sometimes it's a bit much, she will never win against the momma she learned it all from, ha! She is also extremely into routine and organization like me.  I loooooove it! :)

the famous Tilly look

I can not say enough how impressed I am with how well she has done with big changes and developments.  Along with the attitude I mentioned above has meant quite a few moments in time out and I am shocked how well she has taken to this.  Our entry bench is her time out spot and she knows she has to sit there the full 2 minutes. She goes and sits and will whine a bit, but does great (for now!) with staying her full time and apologizing after.  It has worked so well too in stopping bad behavior when we tell her it's time to go to time out if she doesn't stop. 

 

 

The first big change, the potty.  Oh, the potty.  We started to introduce this around 2 years and she was NOT having it. There was no bribe great enough to make this incredibly stubborn child do something she didn't want to.   You could promise her the world and she would tell you she was not doing it. Maybe I am weird, but diapers never bothered me. Sure, they can be gross but they are SO convenient.  Maybe it's because she isn't a big drinker and only poops once a day or every other day, but we never used that many diapers a day.  I'd buy the jumbo pack of Target brand for around $18 and that would last a month.  I loved jumping in the car and driving where ever, spending an hour or so shopping, then coming home all while she peed at her own desire! haha! So honestly, I was in no rush and didn't really care she was taking her time.  Anyways the Sunday before Christmas we knew we would mostly be home all week and decided to give it a go again. Yall, from that day on she has worn underwear 100% and goes pee like a pro.  No bribes, no rewards, nothing. She just decided she wanted to and that was that. Now.. poop is a whole different story. She still 100% will tell you she is not going to poop in the potty and that's that. She will either hold it for days (so annoying) or save it until she has her night time diaper on. Maybe one day she'll decide she's ready.  For me the biggest challenge in taking a potty trained toddler out in public is not using the potty, but washing their hands. UGH! The sinks are completely un-kid friendly and it is such a pain balancing her on the sink to wash her hands. I know I should just use sanitizer but if you know me, I am a little over the top with being OCD clean and that grosses me out so bad. We wash our hands a million times a day at home and the thought of not washing them with real soap and water after a public bathroom KILLS ME! lol  A friend suggested a portable potty seat and it is AMAZING. Tilly, as we all know, is tiny and her butt is probably the size of a newborn! ha This makes it so easy to put on any size toilet for her to go. I carry this and a travel size can of Lysol and we are good to go! Thank goodness she isn't phased by using public bathrooms and has been such a champ.

LINK HERE

 

Another huge change, her new big girl bed! We have talked this up for months and finally made the switch NYE.  She was moving into a completely new room as well as a new bed.  Her old "nursery" room will be Ivor's and all that furniture stayed put.  We let her know she had to give the crib (along with her diapers, haha) to him and she was a big girl now.  I was VERY nervous about her staying in her bed but SO FAR (I know this could change any day) she has stayed in that bed for nap time (whether she naps or not) and bedtime. She has been a rockstar!!! I did organize her closet to where every toy is crammed in there and locked at sleep time, so she has zero options to play in her room! We also got a light up clock I mentioned in the Christmas post and it has worked wonders. She knows this is her wake up clock and she absolutely can not get out of the bed no matter what until it lights up.  The funny thing is, even when it lights up she just sits in the bed and says "oh wow! It's on!" haha!!! She even did great at my mom's yesterday in the little toddler bed she got her, which completely shocked me.  So, so proud of my big girl.

LINK HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again, my child is very into routine and a huge follower of doing things "how they are supposed to be" so I think this plays a HUGE roll in her adapting so well to change.  Once we have long talks and let her know exactly what is expected, she takes that very seriously. I just want to point that out because I am no super mom and she is no saint.  Every one's situation is different and I know very well we have been lucky with her on so many levels.  Please remember the time out section above, this girl has her fair share of driving me absolutely insane!! haha  But her doing so well with things also makes me terrified that my next child will be 100% different and I'll go crazy! haha We'll see soon enough!!

Speaking of baby #2, I am trying to really soak up these last few weeks with just Tilly. I have no idea what to expect with 2 kids and really I have tried not to even think about it. I can't predict how it'll be, I can't control (mostly) his sleep or personality, and there is no way to guess at all which way things will go. Knowing all this, I chose to just go with the flow and try to adapt along the way. As she gets older, we have gotten into such an easier place with just every thing we do and I know all that will change drastically in the beginning.  I have to give it time and know eventually we will get back to this place in one way or another. I also try not to think too hard about sharing my time and love with her because she is without a doubt 100% of everything I have right now.  There's no way to understand how it works with 2 kids until you are living it.. so I chose to not even think about it. I am so tired and busy now with her that honestly it's not even that hard to not think about it!! haha  I know before I had her people would always give advice and while they meant well, there is so much that wasn't true.  "Oh, you'll never be as organized.  You'll never sleep again. You won't do this or that..." This may be true for some mom's, but every kid is so different you just don't know.  The same is happening this time with the fear of pushing how it'll be with 2 kids. Yes, it'll be way harder and yes things will change.. but I refuse to get sucked into what may or may not happen.  I will still be me and just have to push even harder to keep things running how I  like it.  It may take time and more energy, but it'll all be ok.. or I'll lose my mind. One or the other! :)

And on that note if you stuck around to read allllll this, thank you! Thank you to everyone who reads and comments on my posts.  It makes me so happy to see people follow along with my simple little life and enjoy seeing updates on my family and our journey. While I may not have a huge following, I love to share our story with friends and family and have these memories to always look back on.  I'll have my 8 month update up next week.. oh my, this pregnancy is flying by!

 

 

Here are some pictures to close things out! :)