First Week As A Party of Four

I could be wrong, but I feel like this will be my view most mornings for the foreseeable future. I'm not mad about it.

Jace has been pretty indifferent towards the baby. It's not a bad or negative thing, he's just not super interested. But there have been occasional tender moments here and there, and I was able to catch this one on camera. Jace and I were watching a movie this morning while I nursed Luke. I just happened to look down and see Jace very softly holding the baby's foot. I think we will be okay. ;)

Successful infiltration of  a Boys' Club

Well, Week 1 is in the books, ladies and gentleman! My mom left yesterday in the late morning, and the boys and I embarked on our first family outing together (to Costco, of course). It went surprisingly well! It just took a bit longer to get out the door, and then out of the parking lot, since I had to nurse and change Mr. Cool-Hand Luke before we drove anywhere. But I consider any trip to Costco a success, because it's amazing and I love it there. Also, Jace ate an entire piece of food court pizza all by himself, minus a couple of bites. Good job, buddy! You're a true Plessman/Christensen. Now I just need Costco to start carrying the peaches and nectarines...come on, spring and summer!

I think it was great for Jace to have my mom here all week. Mimi was so helpful. She kept JJ occupied and happy, and was able to take him outside a lot to help him burn off some of that toddler steam. I think it helped having someone here this first week to shower him with lots of one-on-one attention after we brought Luke home. Mimi did all of that and more...after she got better, that is. Yup, both Colt and my mom caught the same bug I had during labor and that JJ had last week. They got sick the same day, and I felt so bad. Also, I was a little intimidated about handling the two kiddos by myself for the rest of the day, but both boys were so great. I think Heavenly Father was watching out for us, whispering instructions to Jace and Luke pertaining to angelic behavior while this virus ripped through every person in the house. Luckily, after about 12 hours everyone was feeling much better. My mom and Colt spent the next morning scrubbing everything with bleach and doing load after load of laundry while I rested and hung out with the baby, like a lazy bum. We are pretty sure it was the norovirus; at least one other family at church has it currently (unfortunately, it's the family of the lady who was supposed to take Luke's newborn photos), and the nurse I spoke with from the pediatrician's office told me it's been going around. We were so scared Luke was going to get it too, and he still could, so we are watching him and keeping our fingers crossed that breast-feeding will work it's powerful magic and keep him healthy.

A little Jace update: He continues to acquire more and more words everyday, producing 2-3 word utterances like it's nobody's business! However,I don't always understand him right away and some interpretation work is required. For instance, he was walking around the living room asking everyone for "a shanny wok? A shanny wok?" I was racking my brain trying to figure out what he was trying to communicate..."A shiny rock? Where did he pick that up?" Eventually, it dawned on me: we have been going on family walks almost every night after dinner for the last few weeks. He was asking for a family walk...my heart melted. I love him and our family walks, and I'm excited to get back to them ASAP. My mom also sang him the "Boom Chicka Boom" song while she was here, and now he walks around saying "Chicka Boom, Chicka Boom." He loves Buzz ("Buss!") Lightyear and Piglet's Big Movie with his whole heart (and still loves Lightning McQueen ("Keen!") from Cars). As I noted above, Jace hasn't shown much in the baby. He hasn't asked to hold him or snuggle him, but he does say "Baby?" when he sees him in the morning, and occasionally he'll walk over and touch Luke's head or toes and say "Awww!" He also likes to point to Luke's eyes, nose, ears, and head while labeling each one: "Baby eyes, baby nose, baby head..." I think we will be alright. It will be so great to watch them become little friends, but for now, everyone is still adjusting. And that's great! We have a few weeks yet to find our rhythym as a family. 
JJ is also the king of mysterious bumps, bruises, and scratches. They're all over his legs, and his daddy couldn't be more pleased. Haha! He's a boy through and through. Jace is still pretty picky, but his favorite foods are the funniest things. He loves traditional "kid food," like treats and pizza (obviously), yogurt and applesauce, toast, etc...but he also LOVES straight up tomato sauce (eats it like soup), and he consumes salsa with a spoon, with or without chips. Such a funny little bunny. Addtionally, whenever he does something exasperating or silly I have always said "Oh, honey!" I've never noticed how often I say it, but it must be pretty regularly, because now JJ says it as well, about himself and when addressing me or my mom. He likes to point out "workers" and any train tracks that we come across, and he has started to say "chop chop!" when it's time to go upstairs for bed, and "scooch!" when he wants me to move over on the couch...come to think of it, he can be a bit bossy. I have to remind him who the head honcho is (and I don't always scooch when he asks, I'm not that patient). He is so much fun. This is the age of highs and lows, I think. He can try my patience in a way that scares me one minute, and have me belly laughing and so glad he's mine the next. His personality is so exuberant and so joyful (most of the time), and I love him so much.

Sidenote: Jace looks so big and feels incredibly heavy ever since we brought Luke home. He barely fits in my lap, and I have no idea how I was able to carry him while pregnant. It's true what they say: when you bring home a newborn, your toddler's butt suddenly looks ginormous and you find yourself wondering "Why the heck am I still wiping this huge hiney?!"

Luke has been such a sweet little addition to our family. I look at him and can't comprehend how new he still is-he was inside my belly just a week ago! And yet it seems like he's always been here. He's so beautiful, you guys. I'm probably a little biased, but it's also the truth. We love his dark, dark blue eyes, his soft blond hair that seems to get lighter every day (I'm wondering/hoping for a little tow-head), his wrinkly little feet and hands, and the soft peach fuzz on his back.  He is starting to fill out and he doesn't feel quite so fragile. I don't know if he will be quite the chunky monkey that his brother was, but he's definitely more squeezeable these days. ;)

I have to admit, I am scared for C to go back to work. Sometimes, when both the kids are crying, or JJ throws a tantrum while I'm nursing, or the baby is fussy and I can't get him to stop and I've been up all night, I realize I'm going to have to deal with it all by myself during the day. I hope I can handle it...and not just handle it, but handle it with patience and love. It's so easy for me to stress out, and those flashes of frustration rise up so suddenly. I just need to remember to pray for help, and accept this is just the season of life we are in right now. Tantrums, whiny voices, all-nighters...it just comes with the territory! We will experience some curveballs and hard moments for sure-like just now, JJ woke up early from his nap, just as I finally got Lukey to sleep, and then immediately a picture randomly fell off the wall and woke up the baby. What the?! Haha! But that's just life, right? I can't force circumstances to be what I think they should be. I need to accept circumstances for what they are, ask God for guidance and direction, worry less, and find the joy that transcends any and every experience, positive or negative. Because having a toddler and a newborn is filled with positives and negatives, but also, always, transcendent joy.

 I need to remind myself that it's ok for the next little while if things are a somewhat chaotic and sleepless, if chores and errands don't get done, and if we have the TV on all day...I'm learning how to care for two children at once (at times on very little sleep), and all of us are still adjusting to the new family dynamic. And that's ok! It won't always be like this, and the dishes will get done eventually. ;) Things will constantly evolve and change. And in the meantime, there is so much joy to be found right now, no matter how hard it is or how tired I might be. There's a newborn to snuggle and hold in the middle of the night, there's "shanny woks" to take with my chatty toddler, chubby cheeks to kiss and stories to read. How blessed am I to have these guys? It's my goal this time around to savor the sweet moments and focus less on the hard ones.

I know if I maintain eternal perspective, am forgiving of others and myself, and when I ask for help, I can have joy in every moment, and the tough stuff will help me stretch, grow, and improve as a wife and mother. I'm so happy I get to be a wife and a mom, especially to these particular guys. I can't wait to get to know little Cool-Hand better and better, spend time with my husband and kiddos, see my boys interact...there's so much to look forward to, and so much to enjoy right now. 

Welcoming Luke Stanford Plessman

Luke Stanford Plessman

March 18th, 2017, 2:07 am

7 lbs 7.8 oz

20.5 inches

It was a wild, crazy week at our house last week, and I look back it now and just have to laugh. In all my speculations about how our second little boy's big arrival would unfold, I never thought it would happen quite how it did. It's going to take some telling, so bear with me as I record for posterity what was probably the craziest, most intense, awful, and yet absolutely most wonderful weekends of my life.

At my 40 week appointment, I was dilated to a 1 and 80% effaced. We tentatively schedued the induction for Sunday, March 20th (8 days past my due date). I was hopeful I would go into labor on my own (isn't everyone?), but I also accepted that it was going to happen however it was going to happen, and there wasn't much I could do to change it! Worrying certainly wasn't going to help. ;)  So I just told myself to trust that God knew exactly how it should be, and that however it went down would be for the best. 

My mom got into town on Monday night, two days after my due date. Tuesday morning, when we woke up, Jace had thrown up everywhere-his bedding, jammies, crib, and the carpet were covered in vomit. Poor baby. We put him in the tub and cleaned up, and he seemed pretty normal for the rest of the day, other than a decreased appetite. No fever, and he had lots of energy and spent the day playing with his toys and hanging out with me and Mimi. When bedtime rolled around, we got him completely ready for bed and decided he was probably ok to have a cup of milk, since he asked for it and hadn't shown any signs of being ill all day. He was sitting calmly on daddy's lap, snug as a bug, when without warning he heaved EVERYWHERE. We cleaned him (and Colt) up again, put him down, and the next day he was a little more fatigued, had a low-grade fever, and spent the day watching movies and taking it easy. However, he didn't throw up again, and by Thursday he was good as new! But Colt had been battling a cold all week, and my mom felt like she was fighting off a bug as well...I was a little nervous that I would have a newborn to take care of and three people to nurse back to health. My little post-partum army was falling apart before the partum was even post!

I was scheduled for a non-stress test on Thursday. They also performed a bio-physical ultrasound, and we got an amazing picture of baby's face. It was so clear, and it made me very excited to get this little guy here so I could meet him and kiss his cute cheeks. All the testing went really well, except they were unable to catch baby "practice-breathing." That's not uncommon, and all the nurses were surprised when the on-call doctor wanted me to come back again the next day, Friday, to do another non-stress test (I'm told this particular doctor is very cautious). I had my OBGYN appointment the next day as well, but luckily they were able to schedule the test right before my appointment next door, so I wouldn't have to come back twice. 

Colt decided to stay home Friday to get some extra rest and try to shake his cold before baby got here, so he was able to take me to my appointments while my mom stayed home with JJ. I didn't feel right all morning-I had no appetite, some nausea that came and went, and a couple other little things that made me wonder if today was the day, but I didn't want to get my hopes up too much, since JJ had a stomach bug earlier in the week. The non-stress test went well, baby was healthy and extremely content-no signs of imminent arrival from this guy! At the OBGYN appointment right after, 2:30 pm, they checked the baby on ultrasound and then looked to see if I had progressed since last week. I was a little under 90% effaced, but still just 1 cm dilated. I mentioned that I had been having some flu-like symptoms, and my doctor said they could potentially be a sign of labor, but that it might also just be JJ's stomach bug. My induction was officially scheduled for 6:00 pm on Sunday and he wished us luck! Colt and I got back in the car to head home, and by then I was starting to feel worse and worse. The light symptoms from this morning were getting worse, and I wasn't sure I would be able to make it home without getting sick. 

Sure enough, as we turned onto the back road ten minutes from our house, I rolled down the window and vomited several times all over the back door of the Corolla. Colt pulled over and I proceeded to have three more episodes before I was ready to continue on home. I felt some relief, but after going upstairs to take a bath and change clothes, I was ready to start all over again. I spent the afternoon literally heaving anything and everything I'd ingested that day right back up again. Even a sip of water was enough to send me running for the bathroom. In just a couple of hours, I had nothing left and was vomiting stomach acid. I honestly do not remember the last time I was that sick. Poor Colt, who had taken the day off to rest and recoup himself, spent the afternoon holding back my hair and rubbing my back while my mom took care of JJ. The worst part was that I now knew my earlier symptoms weren't labor, they were the flu. I was pretty disappointed, but even more nervous that this stomach bug would weaken me so much that I wouldn't be able to be induced on Sunday-I knew my body wouldn't be able to handle labor, especially an induced labor, when it was so depleted. And to top it all off, the Braxton Hicks that I'd been having all week were getting more frequent and and uncomfortable due to how dehydrated I'd become. I was so miserable. I crawled into bed and Colt turned on Father of the Bride, Part II for me. 

During the movie, we decided to see how frequently my Braxton Hicks were coming, just in case it meant I needed to go to the hospital for fluids. Between 5:30 and 8:00 pm, I had over 15 Braxton Hicks contractions that were really uncomfortable, though they were irregularly spaced. Colt thought it would be a good idea to call Labor and Delivery to check-in and see what they had to say, even though I didn't want to bother them with something dumb like Braxton Hicks. The nurse on the phone told Colt that a flu-bug will definitely cause Braxton Hicks to come more frequently and to become more intense, and to continue to watch them and try to drink some water. That conversation was around 7:00 pm. By 7:30 pm, I couldn't sit still or lay down through the contractions, and although I could talk through them, it was effortful. Standing up made them more bearable, but I had to bend over when they came. At this point, I was in tears. I couldn't believe how badly I was handling these Braxton Hicks, and I felt like such a wimp. With Jace, contractions hurt for sure, but I never cried. This time, I wasn't even in labor, and the pain was already putting me under the table. If I couldn't even handle a few stupid Braxton Hicks, how on earth was I going to survive actual labor when I was induced on Sunday?! 

I was a mess and sobbed to Colton that there was no way I was going to be able to deliver a baby on Sunday if I couldn't even manage to get through these dumb false contractions. I was sure I knew the difference between the two, because I had experienced both BH and true labor with JJ. Jace's labor started with period-like cramps that got increasingly more painful and regularly spaced. They were clearly different from the irregular tightening of my belly, which is what I had been experiencing all day (actually, all week) this time around. I knew they just hurt more now because I was so tired and dehydrated from the flu.  I decided to take a shower because my back was sore and I knew that moving around and changing positions can sometimes help alleviate BH, so I hopped in and was washing my hair when Colt came in, saw me crying and doubled over in pain, and told me he thought we should go to the hospital. I told him I didn't want to. The hospital is 40 minutes away, and I KNEW I was not in labor. These were Braxton Hicks, no question, and I didn't think I could handle a 40 minute ride there in so much discomfort, just to be told to go home again and face another painful ride home. He called Labor and Delivery anyways, and when he described what I was feeling, they suggested I come in to be checked because it sounded like it could be labor. I knew it wasn't, and part of me really didn't want to go...but part of me really did, because I figured they could at least give me some anti-nausea medicine and an IV so I felt better. 

My mom came upstairs to check in and see what the plan was, watched us as we scrambled around grabbing last minute items to pack up for the hospital, and followed us downstairs to the front porch. I doubled over with another contraction, and she put her hand on my back. Later, she told me at the point she was positive I was in labor, because my back was rock hard. I got in the car and she pulled Colt aside and told him to make sure I breathed through these contractions, because that's what they were, and to let her know when we got checked in at the hospital. We brought a big bowl with us in case I threw up on the way there, but luckily, the vomiting seemed to have been put on hold. I still felt vaguely nauseated, but the pain of the "Braxton Hicks" seemed to negate the need to throw up (plus my stomach was completely empty). I think my body just realized it had to pick: labor or the flu, but I couldn't do both! Thank goodness, it chose labor. ;) We left our house a little after 8:00 pm. Colt held my hand, sped whenever possible, and (carefully) ran a couple red lights all while reminding me to breathe whenever the contractions started. It was awful, but breathing was definitely more effective than crying, and the mindset that this really might be labor and not just my body's reaction to the flu was helpful in dealing with the pain as we made the trip to the hospital.

We got to the Pavilion at about 9:00 pm and I hobbled into the elevator clutching Colt's arm like an old lady. It must have been obvious that I was in a lot of pain because the security guards didn't say anything other than "We will let them know you're on your way up!" Another contraction hit as soon as we stepped into Triage and I couldn't walk. As soon as it passed, I leaned over onto the front desk and started to cry again. I was so nervous they were going to turn me away because I wasn't really in labor. Part of me knew that I was, but part of me was still afraid it wasn't real, and that all the throwing up earlier had just intensified what was actually false labor. The nurse we spoke with on the phone approached and asked the front desk lady if she could take me back right away. She told me not to worry, that it looked like I was definitely in labor. She took me back to check my progress, and I was at a 3. That made me feel better-I was afraid I would still be at a 1 like I was 6 hours earlier! Then she said something that struck fear into my flu-ish, panicky heart: she told me they don't admit until patients are at least a 4. I looked at her in absolute horror and begged her to please not send me home, the drive is 40 minutes, I can't go home...She told me that she would check me in just a few minutes, that she would make some calls, and make sure I got to stay since it was obvious I was so miserable, not just with contractions but with being so ill earlier as well. She was monitoring my contractions and told me she would get me some medicine to take the edge off the pain, as well as some anti-nausea medicine to give me some relief. I was managing some very small sips of water, but my lips and my mouth were chalk-dry. I was incredibly thirsty, but too scared to drink much at risk of throwing it all up again. 

I don't remember the exact order of how it all happened, but she did check me again and I was at a 3.5. Not quite enough to be admitted, but she made it happen and I was given anti-nausea medicine and some pain relief, which made everything SO much better. The medicine and knowledge that I was in labor and being admitted gave me a much needed physical and mental boost. Suddenly, I was able to breathe through the (still very painful) contractions, talk to Colton in between, and drink a little more water, even after the pain meds wore off. The on-call doctor came in to introduce herself and explain that because the baby had a few little drops in his heartbeat, likely due to how crummy I'd felt prior to starting labor, she wanted him to get here sooner rather than later. They were going to watch my natural labor progression, and in a few hours if I wasn't going as fast as she would like to see, they'd give me some Pitocin to speed things along and make sure he was out quickly. Sounded great to me! I didn't think I could handle a long labor anyways, since I hadn't eaten anything since 2:00 pm and barely had anything to drink. 

I was wheeled into my Labor and Delivery room at 10:30 pm, put on an IV of fluids in an attempt to re-hydrate me, and my epidural was in by 11:15 pm. The doctor came to check progress and I was at a 5, so she felt fine about holding off on the Pitocin and waiting until 3:00 am before checking again. With my pain managed and the anti-nausea medication doing it's blessed work, I started to relax and get excited about delivering my sweet boy.  Colt and I chatted with our lovely nurse, Kristin, then tried to get some sleep before I was ready to push. I'd heard and was hoping that my labor would be shorter the second time around, but I didn't want to assume it would be that way, just in case. We turned the lights off and shut our eyes, but just like last time, I didn't get much sleep.  At 1:25 am, I was half asleep and praying that everything would go smoothly, that baby and I would be safe and healthy, when all of a sudden...POP! I heard it, felt it, and saw it. The monitors on my belly jumped, the machines started beeping, and I felt the rush of liquid indicating that my water had broken. We called the nurse right away, who came in and confirmed that's exactly what happened. The doctor broke my water last time, so this was a whole new experience, and kind of a weird one that I wasn't expecting (even though they did tell me during my check that it was definitely a possibility, because they looked ready to go). Because I told her I could feel a little pressure and could tell when I was having a contraction, my nurse decided to check me early, at 1:50 am, even though the plan was to wait until 3:00 am. She checked, smiled at me, and asked if I wanted to try a "practice push," because I was ready to go! I was super happy but also surprised we were at that point already. I looked at Colt and asked him if he was ready. He was! My practice push was apparently too successful, because the nurse quickly told me to stop and not to push anymore, this baby was going to come out in 1 or 2 pushes and they needed the doctor in there first! She called Dr. Allwine, who was clearly shocked and excited I had progressed so quickly (I could hear her through the phone). The doctor arrived at 2:00 am, and we were ready to go!

Dr. Allwine told me to wait for a strong contraction, and to push when I felt the urge. I let them know when I was ready and as I started pushing, the Dr. quickly told me to slow down and try shorter, lighter pushes, because baby was coming out too quickly! And that's how, at 2:07 am, within one contraction and in under two minutes, my little Luke Stanford Plessman entered the world. Safe, healthy, and looking so tiny. They put him on my chest and he cried his little heart out...the heart that I'd just seen on an ultrasound 12 hours earlier. He was (and is) so perfectly beautiful. I noticed how fuzzy his little back, neck, and arms were, his long fingernails, his perfectly round and tiny head, and the adorable excess of wrinkles that (I'm hoping) will soon fill up with lots of baby chub. We knew right away his name wasn't Isaac, and both Colt and I still loved Luke. We took about 20 minutes, asking each other back and forth: "What do you think? Is he a Luke? Do you still like it? Does he look like a Luke?" He did. His middle name was always Stanford, ever since we found out he was a boy. It's my Grandpa Christensen's first name, though he always went by Dee. I've felt throughout the entire pregnancy that we always knew this one's name. There wasn't a lot of debate about it, although we both had other names we liked and considered...but Luke Stanford has always felt like his name. I think he and Grandpa were buddies up there. 

From first painful contraction to baby out, my labor was about 8.5 hours (Jace was 27 hours, 1.5 hrs  of pushing by comparison). It was such a blessing, because I really don't know if I would have held up well under a lengthy labor this time around. 

We aren't sure if the flu jump-started my labor, or if labor would have happened that day regardless of whether or not I was sick, or if it was never really the flu at all, but the start of labor...it's not important, I guess, but here is something kind of neat: My sister-in-law, Kristy, was due at the end of March. However, she was scheduled to be induced March 16th, because her baby was on track to be too big for her to deliver. But the 16th came and her induction had to be postponed because labor and delivery was too busy. The next day, St. Patrick's Day, her labor was again postponed...and I went into labor that afternoon/evening. I had Luke at 2:00 am, and Kristy was induced a few hours later in the wee hours of the morning, and had her baby, Corbin, that very afternoon! So Luke has a little cousin birthday-twinner. We joked about this happening but never thought it actually would. And if I hadn't gotten the flu, my labor might have started later or I may have had to be induced, and our little guys wouldn't have come down on the same cloud. Maybe they needed each other for moral support. 

I love my little Luke. He is so sweet and beautiful, I already can't imagine our family without him. He looks so much like JJ's newborn pictures, but with slight, almost deliberate, differences here and there. He also looks very much like his handsome daddy. His name means "Light giving," and he has brought the sweetest light into our home.

 I'm so grateful for all my boys. I can't believe I have two kids, two amazing little boys. I feel more blessed than I can say. I'm so happy, and so tired, and SO HAPPY (and did I mention, so tired?). Heavenly Father has given me so much, and I hope I can live up to the trust he's put in me and love and raise and these boys like the precious gifts that they are.