Aubrey's Story

Aubrey_newborn

Aubrey has had paragraphs dedicated to her here and there for the past nine months, but now it's her turn for the spotlight!

Friday 3/26/10

I woke up around 6:30am having mild contractions. I went downstairs to lay on the couch and they went away after about an hour. No more for the rest of the morning. Around 1:30pm I laid down for a nap, only to be woken up at 2:30pm by a very strong contraction. But, no more after that until after 4pm. Finally, around 6pm they started to have a little bit of a pattern, but were still 10-20 minutes apart. Kyle took Aidan up to Grandpa and Grandma Finn's house, just in case this was "it". Of course, the contractions stopped and I was thinking that there would be no baby on Saturday.

I ate a light supper, watched some tv, and then the contractions started again around 8pm. This time they were only 6 minutes apart, but not terribly strong or very long. Kyle asked when he should call the hospital, and I was very nonchalant about the whole thing. Here I was, thinking I wouldn't have the baby before 8am on Saturday morning. How quickly things changed.

I called my mom and sister around 9pm to let them know I was is in labor. Contractions were still 6 minutes apart and only lasted 30 seconds. After making the calls I went back downstairs to lay on the couch, and BOOM, a strong contraction that lasted forever, my water broke, and I was having painful contractions every 2 minutes. How in the world did that happen so fast?!?!

I told Kyle I wanted to go to the hospital (only thinking...please, let it not be too late for an epidural!). He was two steps ahead of me. My bag was already downstairs and he had started to load the car.

We made it to the hospital in good time. They took me in through the ambulance bay and up to labor and delivery on a gurney. Yes, a little dramatic! Turns out I was only dilated to 6cm, so I still had time for an epidural. I think I requested it before I had even taken off my shoes. :)

Within an hour I had the epidural, and then realized we didn't bring the camera. Oh No! I sent Kyle home to get it, thinking it would still be awhile before things got going. WRONG. The nurse checked me right after he left and I was dilated to a 10 and the head was right there. The doctor wasn't even there yet! The nurse told me not to push, which was very hard because the epidural that I so desperately wanted did not fully work. Yes, it took the edge off, but nothing like it should have. I shouldn't have felt anything, instead I was still in a lot of pain and trying not to push.

Kyle made it back in record time, the doctor arrived, and away we went. Seven pushes later, Aubrey Mae Finn was born at 11:36 pm, about 2 hours after checking into the hospital. Whew, that was a fast one. Much easier than Aidan's birth. More updates to come on life at home with a newborn and a toddler...

Whoopin' It Up

Aidan and I are taking full advantage of my time off before baby arrives. We spent two and a half hours at the zoo on Monday and two hours at the MN Children's Museum today. It was so gorgeous on Monday that we did the full zoo, not just the indoor exhibits like the last couple of times. The monkeys were, of course, the favorite attraction. Aidan now likes to run around instead of sitting in the stroller the whole time. He's a good workout for this pregnant lady.

Today we hit up the Children's Museum, which we've never been to before. Wow, talk about sensory overload. I was so exhausted and brain dead after two hours that I needed to leave, and even Aidan was saying "all done". He loved the area with all the water tables, and the bubbles were especially fun for him. He also enjoyed a conveyor belt that you have to crank with big foam blocks on it. There were a lot of elementary kids there on field trips. I was a little nervous that he was going to get run over, but he didn't seem to mind. They ignored him and he just stared at them. He didn't get knocked down once, so I'd say it was a success.

Climbing/Driving the truck

Blowing gigantic bubbles (with a little help from mommy)

Did You Hear That?

Around 2:30pm today, did you perhaps hear the heavenly choir signing HALLELUJAH? I did. That was the time that I officially walked out of school, knowing that I was done until next school year. Man, what a great feeling!

The staff had a little breakfast for me this morning, the kids threw me a little party this afternoon...it was a great day. No news at the doctor's office. Still just dilated to 1cm, but I'm a-okay with that. I've got a hair appointment tomorrow and want to get a pedicure on Monday. I'm going to enjoy my time with Aidan and Kyle before massive sleep-deprivation sets in.

Compare and Contrast

Now that my due date is only a week and a half away, I've been thinking about how this pregnancy has been different from Aidan's.

Similarities
For the majority of both pregnancies, I felt great
Both went by super-fast
My feet were swollen by the end

Differences
I was horrendously sick the first 14 weeks with this baby
I couldn't sleep through the night after January with Aidan, this time I don't wake up until around 4am
I have only gained 24 lbs (with Aidan I gained 35 lbs)
I'm still wearing my rings...with Aidan I couldn't after January
I couldn't wait to have Aidan, this time I praying I don't go before my due date
I have been having painful contractions that, according to the nurse on Friday, are doing nothing. (Boo to false labor!)

I have had 2 very easy pregnancies, in retrospect, and feel very blessed. (although I could have done without the morning sickness with this one) We still have not agreed on a name, although I have one that I like the best. This is my last week at school and I'm praying it goes smoothly. My sub is coming in on Wed, Thurs, and Fri to get to know the kids. They are VERY anxious (not in a good way) and I foresee some rude little kids toward the end of the week. If all goes according to my plan, I will have all of my paperwork finished this week, time for a pedicure and hair trim early next week, then a baby by the end of next week. Don't worry, I know I have no say in this whole thing. :)

Poop

Why are kids so obsessed with poop? Half the words Aidan says I can't understand, or I can understand, but no one else can. Not the case with "poop". Ever since Aidan pooped in the bathtub he chants "No more poop" at some point during his bath. When I change his diaper he looks at me and asks "No more poop?" "All done poop." Seriously, we've been working on please and thank you for months now, which still just sound like "Peeeee" and thank you is only sounds in the rhythm of thank you. But, poop, well, no doubt about what he's saying with that word. I guess I should be thankful that he now realizes we don't poop in the bathtub, only in the potty or his diaper.

Baby #2 update:
I had my 37 week check-up on Friday and all looks fine. I'm about 1 cm dilated and they still think this baby will come around March 24. The nurse practitioner did a quick ultrasound to make sure the baby was head down. She is. This wasn't the exciting ultrasound where you get to see your baby and ooh and ahh. This was a little more of a freak show that may end up giving me nightmares about what my baby will look like. She's so squished in there, and the ultrasound was so low-tech, that all I could see were blackened eye sockets and her teeth. Yes, her teeth, in their gums. She looked like a skeleton that would pop out of a closet in a scary movie. Not really how you want to picture your unborn child.