Happy Birthday!

What an eventful day yesterday was for us!  Needless to say, right from the start, the day didn't go as planned...

We arrived at the hospital bright and early yesterday prepared for the c-section.  We had to be there at 8 for a 10:00 c.  I was so nervous!  I had hardly slept the night before.  They got me ready and prepped for surgey and did an ultrasound to be sure the baby was still breech.  I'll be darned if this crazy child wasn't head down!  I was at the doctor on Monday and she was (at least by feel, I didn't have an u/s) head down!  I never felt any giant moves, but I did feel what felt like her scaling the wall of my uterus one night.  Maybe that was when she moved?  We'll never know!

They gave us the option of going home or staying and being induced.  I was dialated to 2-3 and 50% effaced yesterday making me a good candidate for induction (or so I was told).  The idea of induction freaked me out.  I've heard stories about how painful it can be, how you go from 0-100 really quickly, and how many times people who are induced will have c-sections anyway. 

One of the reasons they encouraged me to get induced was because the baby was an "unstable lie" meaning she could have flipped at any point during the previous 4 days and she could easily turn breech again if we waited until I went into labor.  At some point, I think you have to put behind you what you hear and decide what is best for you and the situation at hand.  I was not willing to take the chance of going home, going into labor in a week, only to find out she's breech and end up with a c anyway. 

They started pitocin around 10:30ish.  They started out slowly and kept adding a little more every hour.  The doctor broke my water around 3:10ish (I know, all these -ish times) and told me that was when she would say was the beginning of labor.  My contractions immediately got stronger.  By about 3:50, or so, I was ready for an epidural.  It took the anestethiologist what felt like forevr to get there.  My OB nurse had to call her again because I was sure she she had forgotten about me.  By 4:30, the epidural was in place, but it still takes about 15-20 minutes for it to take effect.  I was in so much pain, I could hardly stand it.  I finally told the nurse I thought I had to push.  She checked me, and sure enough, the baby's head was literally RIGHT THERE!

The nurse made a mad dash for everyone to get into the room.  The doctor who broke my water was so certain I was not going to have the baby before her shift ended at 5, that she went home.  So, essentially, there was no doctor there from my office when I had the baby.  A senior resident delivered her and a doctor from another practice was there in place of my doctor.

I started pushing right away and literally, out popped the baby!  It took about 2.5 pushes and I can tell you it was officially THE WORST PAIN I HAVE EVER FELT!  Really, the pushing wasn't that painful, the contractions right before the baby was born hurt like no other pain I have ever felt.

It all happened so quickly, but it was just as miraculous the second time as the first.  Truly amazing.

Baby Schultz:

September 22, 2011
4:48 pm
6 lbs, 11oz
19 inches long

She really is living up to her nickname of Busy! 

After 24 hours, she's still doing really well.

Look at that dark hair!  She's a hairy little monster!  Can't wait to get to know this little bundle of joy even better! 

Kirk brought Lincoln up to the hospital this afternoon to meet the baby.  We weren't entirely sure what to expect from him.  He was a little hesitant at first, but warmed up to her by the time they left.

I can't wait for our two little kiddos to become the best of friends!

I will keep posting pictures and updating the blog as much as our new life with 2 little ones allows.  I know we're in for a whole new reality.  I just hope that reality allows me time to keep you all updated every now and then!

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers.  We really appreciate everything!

September 22nd, 2011

Yes!  The c-section has been scheduled for next Thursday, September 22nd.  It's taken a few days, but I've come to grips with having the c-section and am feeling much comfortable about it all.  At this point I'm trying to avoid anything that may make go into labor!  I was at the grocery last night and all I could think about was walking too much and having the baby in the frozen food aisle!  The doctor last week told me they have had people come in with legs hanging out of them: I don't want to be one of those people!!

I've been concerned over the last week that people think I'm one of those annoying anti-Cesarean people.  I'm not!  I really enjoyed the whole labor process.  I wish I could find the words to describe it.  I don't consider anyone less of a mother who has had a c; that's just ridiculous.  I did a lot of research over the last week and found there are some people who actually think anyone who has had a c can't understand what it's like to be a mother.  Such crap.

Something interesting I've noticed over the last week is people's reactions when I tell them I'll be having a c.  Most of the time, if they've had children, the normal reaction is "awwww" followed by a sad face and "is there any chance she could flip?".  Kirk said he even noticed when he told someone at work and she said "awwww".  If it's someone who hasn't had children, they tell me "that's so close"!  I love that "glass half full" attitude!

I'm not going to lie: coming to terms with having a c has been hard for me.  I've been talking to a couple friends who have had c-sections and they've given me the lowdown so I know what to expect.  I feel like for everyone who tells me it was a piece of cake, there's someone else to tell me how horrible it was for them.  I know there will be a lot of pain and I know there are risks, but I don't have a choice.  I have to do this for our little girl.  (I will never understand how anyone can request a c.  Seems weird to me!)  I know how I feel matters and I understand that, but her safety is most important.  If that means having a c, then forget about me: let's do it!

I was at the doctor again today, and while the baby is still breech (in the exact same position as last week), she still hasn't settled.  Maybe there is hope after all!  I had kind of given up on trying to get her to flip seeing as I'm so pregnant and the baby is good size at this point, but I'm totally going to be back at it!  I have another appointment on Monday and we have to be at the hospital bright and early on Thursday.

Should the baby flip before my c (and after my doctor's appointment Monday), they will induce me (not my favorite idea either).  So, one way or the other, (unless I get her to flip before Monday) there will be a baby born next Thursday.

My last day of work is Wednesday.  Kirk was supposed to work through Thursday, but will now be giving up that shift.  I plan to take off through mid-December and Kirk will be off for 3 weeks.

Just wanted to give you all an update.  Thanks again for checking in.  If by some small miracle she does a flip, I'll let ya know!  :)

Updates

I can't believe Lincoln turned 2 a couple of weeks ago!  Oh my goodness, the time has flown.  Someone once told me the days go by slowly, but the years fly by.  I never realized how true this was until we had Lincoln.

With his 2 year birthday came his 2 Year Well Child Check.  I know you'll be surprised, but Lincoln is still small.

His measurements were:

Height: 33 3/4 inches (30th percentile)
Weight: 24 lbs 4 ounces (8th percentile)

The joke that he's long and lanky like his parents continues!  The Nurse Practitioner didn't have any concerns.  I don't think we'll have to go back for another year.  Crazy!!

In other news, my due date is less than 3 weeks away.  YIKES!  Now that I'm this far along, I'm making weekly visits to the doctor.  At my appointment last week, the baby still had not settled into my pelvis, so I was scheduled for an ultrasound before this week's appointment in order to check the baby's position.

I was sad to find out Busy is breech.  Not just a little breech, (for the record, I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as "a little breech") but complete breech and I will most likely have to have a c-section.  I have nothing against c-sections, don't get me wrong, but I'm so bummed.  I loved labor.  Yes: loved it and this could be a.) because I have forgotten how horrible it is, or b:) I really did love it.  Love may be going a little far, but I really, truly enjoyed the whole labor process and had high hopes of going drug-free this time around.

The doctor I saw at my appointment was the doctor who delivered Lincoln.  Bless her heart when I started bawling and blubbering like an idiot about how upset I was and how badly I wanted to have the baby (can't believe I'm using this word even though it's what it is...) vaginally.  She felt terrible being the bearer of bad news and after talking to her about external version (the doctor manually turning the baby) Kirk and I have decided to go on with the c-section, unless I can turn her myself...

...which I am trying to do!!  It's a good thing Kirk had to work the night of my appointment because I was looking online and doing anything and everything the internet told me to do.  I was pretty much doing headstands in the living room.  Today I tried putting frozen veggies on the baby's head to try and get her to turn away from the cold.  Unfortunately, I don't think I'm having any luck yet.

The best thing about a c-section is that it's planned (don't have a date yet, but I'm thinking the 22nd or the 23rd) and we'll be able to get ourselves prepared and know what to expect as far as Lincoln's day goes.  I am, however, finding it so strange that we will know our baby's birth date before it happens.  So strange.

Anyway, the bottom line is that the baby is healthy.  If that means a c-section, then it's a c-section.  Truly, I'm second fiddle here...she's the boss!  I'm telling you, I've nicknamed her Busy for a reason.  I have a feeling this is just the beginning of her being a feisty, busy little thing.

We will continue to keep everyone updated and will most definitely be posting pictures when the baby is born!

The Second Half of Summer - in Pictures

Holy cow...it's Labor Day!  This summer has totally flown by!  Can't believe how quickly the summer went. It really was a fantastic summer.  I'm pretty sure I say to Kirk on a daily basis how much fun Lincoln is right now.  He was fun last summer, don't get me wrong, but he's so interactive now.  I'm loving this age.

Not that I have to tell you, but it was a hot summer.  With a 55 degree Labor Day to top it off!!  I can't tell you how many times people would comment to me about it being hot and how horrible it must be to be pregnant.  I have to tell you, though, it was the hottest July on record, people, and you were miserable, too, right?  Believe me, I'd have been miserable whether or not I had been pregnant.

I thought I'd just give you all a quick highlight of the second half of our summer.  I got lazy and quit blogging. Sorry about that!

We took a trip to Potter Park Zoo.  Lincoln is anti-stroller right now which makes things really difficult for us. He had a good time, though, and Kirk loves that he can carry him on his shoulders now without worrying about him toppling over.  (I swear it's a great little zoo and they DO, in fact, have animals there!)

We spent a day with my family at my Grandpa's for his 85th birthday.  85th!  What a guy!  The kids were treated with root beer floats.  This is not a regular treat for Lincoln (or my nieces and nephew, I'm pretty sure)!  The kids were in heaven.

Kirk and I took Lincoln blueberry picking.  He loved it!  Well, he loved it for about 5 minutes.  He could not stop eating the blueberries!

We're all about the Howell events, you know!  We made the trip "uptown" for Melon Fest.  Lincoln enjoyed his first taste of melon ice cream (sorry...there's something wrong with our camera.  All the pictures have this weird haze to them.)  I love Melon Fest because there are a lot of kid activities.  From bounce houses to pony rides.  It was a great time.  Any Parks and Rec fans?  Lincoln was lucky enough to ride Lil Sebastian, or at least a dead ringer for Lil Sebastian. So fun!

And his haircut!  His second haircut....he was so antsy.  I would like her to have taken more off the back, but he was a wiggle worm.  I like it because it's still a little long, but we'll go back soon and have her take a little more off.  Baby steps!

Lincoln loves water!  Water in all forms.  We took him to the splash pad at Kensington.   He just kept running from place to place all over the splash pad.  It was hard to keep up with him!

We also brought him to an airplane show.  It wasn't an air show, but there were airplanes set up all over the runway at the Pontiac Airport.  It was free and it was really fun for all of us.  You could wait in line and actually sit in some of the planes, but Lincoln is just too small.

Over the course of the summer, Lincoln has developed a new love; a love for sunglasses.

It's been a wonderful summer.  We've made so many memories!  As our lives change and we begin a new chapter in our lives, I know we will always look back fondly on this summer and all the fun we've had.

Sorry about the lag in updating!  Hope you all have enjoyed your summer as much as we have.

Crunch Time

We're having a baby.  Have you heard?

I know I haven't talked about our new addition much on the blog and I think that's some of my mommy guilt.  I have never felt guilty with Lincoln before.  I've always dropped him off at day care and known he was well taken care of.  Whenever we've left him at home with someone, I've always felt the same way.  This time, though, I'm struggling with dividing my time between him and the new baby.  I never want Lincoln to feel like I've forgotten about him or that he's being replaced.  I want him to always know how special he is.

I was talking to a friend from work today and she reminded me what a fantastic gift we are giving Lincoln by giving him a sibling.  I love my brother and sister.  They are the people I turn to the most when I need someone's advice, help, guidance.  They were my partners in crime growing up.  They know me better than just about anyone else.  They make me laugh like no one else.  Sure, we had our moments (let's be honest: we still do) but without them, I'd feel incomplete. 

This is the gift our parents gave to us, and this is the gift we're giving to Lincoln.

There's no way else for me to say this: we're TOTALLY NOT ready for Busy!  It's bad news.  My office that will be her room, is still my office.  I cleaned out the closet a couple months ago, but other than that, it's still full of all my work stuff.  The color is going to stay the same.  We may put on a second coat of paint, but that's it.  Thanks to Joelee and Jason for the crib and the 2 totes FULL of clothes and shoes.  I know it'll fall into place and all work out, but I'm still stressed.  I've been told by more than one person that babies don't need that much.  And, truthfully, Lincoln slept in his car seat his first couple nights of life, but it's so stressful thinking about everything we need to do before she's born!

We're working on names, but for those of you who are dying to know her name, we're not telling you.  Quite frankly, she probably won't have a name until the moment she's born.  If the first time around is any indication, she probably won't have a name until the day we leave the hospital.  Only 10-ish more weeks of waiting!

I'm planning on going back to work once Busy is born.  My plan is to work until she's born and take 12 weeks off.  I have to say, to anyone who thinks otherwise, maternity leave is not a vacation. Sure you're at home with the baby, but you're also up at night with the baby, comforting the baby when she cries and cries and cries...I remember the first time Joelee came to visit us after Lincoln was born.  I remember sitting on the couch while she was holding him and seriously feeling deliriously tired.  I'll never forget that feeling.  Having a newborn, ladies and gentlemen, is not a vacation.

As far as everything else with the pregnancy, it's all going well.  I have some back pain, but not like the first time around.  I was nauseous for the first 20 or so weeks, but I'm thankful I could take medication to make the nausea go away.  I don't have gestational diabetes, but my iron is low.  Lincoln is starting to have a hard time getting on my lap.  :(  I'm trying to keep it normal for him, but it's getting harder.

The next 10 weeks will fly by!  I CANNOT wait to meet our little sweetie!!

Last Days of Vacation

It's always sad to leave vacation and go home, but there is something to be said for being home and in your own bed.  So looking forward to going to sleep tonight!

Our last couple days were spent close to the cottage.  Pietro and his boys hung out yesterday in the morning.  We decided to go to the beach.  It was the perfect beach day!  The boys had fun rock hunting and playing in the sand.  Kirk and Lincoln decided to fly a kite.  It took a little bit to get the kite off the ground, but once he did, it was high flying! 

We were so sad to leave this morning, but ready to come home.  I had to take a picture of Kirk's favorite place in Grand Marais: the brewery.  I know; I'm not surprised either!  We stopped in there yesterday to get a couple of t-shirts and a growler refill and the ladies knew Kirk.  It looks like a hole in the wall, but the food is great and per Kirk, the beer is excellent.

On our way home, we stopped along Route 2 and took a dip in Lake Michigan.  The lake was warmer than Superior, obviously, which  made me happy!  Lincoln was running to me sitting on the beach and then running to Kirk in the water.

Once he was tired of playing in the water, he played in the sand, I know: shocker.



So, here we are, back at home until our next vacation.  Who knows when that will be!  We spent a lot of time talking about next year seeing as there will be 2 little munchkins.  We may be skipping the UP next year and sticking closer to home.

We were surprised to see our kale, basil and cilantro so big!  Even the tomatoes sprouted while we were gone!  Thanks to my friend Susie who watered our plants for us while we were gone.  It doesn't sound like it rained (except Monday) so I'm sure they would have died without her help.

Thanks again for following us on our vacation.  The reality of a baby joining our family in a mere 11 weeks is starting to sink in...

Vacation Days 4, 5 and 6

Sorry about the lapse in updating.  I haven't been up early enough the last few days to make it "into town" to update the blog.  I can tell you we've had 3 fun and relaxing days!

Tuesday we went back to Munising for the day.  We made stops between here and there to break the trip up.  Our first trip was to the Log Slide.  It was also Lincoln's first trip in the baby carrier hiker backpack.  We weren't sure how he'd feel about it, but he loved being up high and seeing the world from a different point of view. 

It was just a short hike, but there were dunes he would not have been able to climb on his own.  Kirk and I have both been to the log slide before, but it is such a cool view of the dunes and the lake.  It's always one of my favorite stops.

My biggest goal heading to Munising was going to the farmer's market.  We were there at 4:00 when it started and it was chaos!  People love their farmer's market around here, apparently.  We got some bread and jam.  I really wanted fresh produce, but that was a no-go; unless I wanted rhubarb or radishes.  I love Munising.  I've always thought if we ever moved to the UP, it's where I'd want to live.  It's a beautiful setting.

After traveling all over town Monday and Tuesday, we felt like we owed it to Lincoln to keep the car time to a minimum.  In the morning, we tried geocaching around Grand Marais.  I've been totally excited to try geocaching.  I know Lincoln's still young to do this type of treasure hunting, but Kirk and I still wanted to try.  Well, we failed!  Geocaching-5 Us - 0!    We both just wanted to find 1!  That's it...just one!!!  Oh well. 

Kirk searched for this one.  The clue was "Welcome to Grand Marais".  We found nothing.

I can't remember the clue to this one.  All I remember is neither of us found it.

There's another we tried to find and the title is "E-Z-1".  Nope, we didn't find that one either!  One was on someone's property and another one is somewhere at the boat dock.  We've been back to look for the boat dock one twice and still can't find it!  I'm determined to find one!

Wednesday afternoon we went to this great little beach we found about a half hour away.  It is my favorite beach we've been to up here, ever.  The views were great, the sand was nice, the water was clear.  The only problem was that it was a little cold Wednesday (although I did somehow manage to burn sitting on the deck at the cottage earlier in the day).  There was rock hunting, playing in the sand and you guessed it: more rock stacking.  This time courtesy of Kirk.  He's getting good!



Yesterday we went on another hike in the morning to the Grand Sable Dunes.  Last time we did this hike was about 4 years ago (I think?  Maybe 3?) and I swear it was easier then!  Darn pregnancy!  It was another nice day out and the views were great once we got to the top.  Kirk and Lincoln hiked out a little bit further than I. 

Kirk's friend Pietro brought his two sons, Tristan and Jonas, over yesterday.  The boys played on the deck with trucks (literally a bucket of trucks) and then we went hiking.  This time we went hiking to the Grand Sable Lighthouse.  I must admit: I bailed after about 1.25 miles.  I knew I had to walk back.  The idea of walking another quarter mile there making it a 1.5 mile hike back was daunting.  We stopped at a great beach along the way before the boys went on their way.

Kirk and Pietro have been to the lighthouse before.  The last time they were there it was closed.  Aaaand, maybe it's just not meant to be since this happened to them again!  It looks like it's a cool lighthouse (if that's your thing, I suppose!) from the outside.

Pietro and his boys set up their trailer in the driveway.  I think we're going to hang out around here today for a few hours before they leave.  Not sure how long they'll stay today, but it has been nice having company.

We leave for home tomorrow.  Sad day, but we have had a great week!  The weather has been so nice.  It was a little chilly for a couple days, but from what I hear it's going to heat up this weekend!  There have been weather advisories since Wednesday letting people know the heat index is going to be 95-105.  The worst part about that is no one has a/c here.  At least we have a/c at home.  Our first couple days here were so hot!  I'm glad we were here this week and not next.  At least at home I can be pregnant and in a/c. 

Thanks again for checking in on us and our little vacay.  It's been so fun!