Welcome, Springtime!
08
March
Courtney

We are so excited that it finally is feeling like springtime around here!  We’ve been going on walks in the park, taking excursions out with the baby, and just enjoying the sunshine after what has felt like an endless winter.  We planted flowers and herbs on our back deck and finally ordered some patio furniture, the first steps to enjoying our outdoor space.  We had plans to take a trip to the zoo this weekend, but when we arrived there we quickly realized we would have to parallel park the truck about a half mile away from the zoo to actually get a space, in a not-so-nice area of town, so that brilliant idea was quickly nixed.  Instead, we went to our old standby location, the Georgia Aquarium.  Sure, it’s not a place where you can enjoy the sunshine, but we always have a good time when we go, so we figured we might as well not call the entire day a loss.  So Riley got to experience the aquarium for the first time, and though he slept through most of it, he did wake up enough to see a few fish and he seemed to like it.

He’s growing and changing constantly, smiling a little more and getting a little more head control every day.  He focuses on objects for longer periods of time and is meeting all the milestones for the first month (which is not a whole lot, granted).  Here are some new pictures of the little guy, rounding out the third week of his life.

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Riley’s Second Week
03
March
Courtney

Time is already flying by and we’re watching him change every day.  He learns new things every day – he’s working on grabbing things and finding his mouth.  He took his pacifier out today and put it back in by himself, something I never would have thought would get me so excited, but it did.  He’s making more faces and noises every day.  He’s hungrier than ever, but getting easier to read. As you’ll see in the pictures, he’s a big fan of his pacifier and keeping his hands up by his face, something he’s still used to from being in the womb when he constantly hid his face from us during ultrasounds.  He just had his first bath, since his umbilical stump just fell off, so we have a few pictures from that.  But he’s hungry now, so just enjoy the pictures and I’ll have to comment more later.

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Riley’s First Photoshoot
22
February
Courtney
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11 Days and Counting
22
February
Courtney

I honestly thought I’d be posting so much more about Riley in his first few days and weeks.  It seems like everyone I know has thousands of baby pictures from their child’s (especially first child’s) first few weeks.  Unfortunately, I think we’ve been slacking in that department.  I’m always the photographer in the family, but because I’m “Mommy” now, instead of just the designated family photographer, I’m having a hard time remembering to keep the camera on me, or finding the time to take a picture between all the feedings and diaper changes.  Then, when I try to take a picture, it seems to come out badly and the pictures don’t show all the faces he makes, his smiles and frowns, the cute outfits, and his personality.  Granted, he doesn’t do much more than eat, sleep, and soil his diaper, but there’s still a personality there and I’m just not capturing it right. So far, he likes music, but thinks Pachelbel’s Canon is lame, while Claire de Lune and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star are pretty awesome.    He loooooooooves breast milk but is okay with his occasional formula supplements.  He hates getting cold during diaper changes and baths.  Swinging in his swing upstairs is a great way to put him to sleep, as is being all swaddled up tightly.  He liked his pediatrician, Dr. G, but did not like getting weighed (back to the being cold and naked thing).  He likes mirrors and having me read to him.  Watching curling on TV with Daddy is also way up on the list of things he likes to do, though hockey is an okay sport, too.

The first ten days have been amazing.  Being a parent is wonderful and I literally couldn’t love my baby more.  Andy and I also have agreed that it’s changed our own relationship as well – for the better.  When we look at the angel baby we created, that’s a part of both of us, together, I find that it’s easy to appreciate my husband that much more – something I never would have thought possible.  He also appreciates all the pain, swelling, aching, and ultimately, surgery, I went through to bring Riley into the world.  It’s been a beautiful thing.

We’re finding that it’s now getting a little easier to decipher his cries, grunts, and squirms, though occasionally he does have us scratching our heads trying to figure out what he wants.  For an 11 day old baby, he’s doing remarkably well with a feeding schedule, rooting around for food every 2-3 hours, and he actually sleeps at night, often only waking us 2-3 times each night.

Andy had an incredibly lucky break with his ob/gyn rotation – his physician was on vacation for the first week, so he was able to stay home with me and the baby for the first ten days, spending time on busy work to make up for lost time.  That has proven to be one of the biggest blessings for us.  Today has been my first day alone with the baby and it’s going really well.  Having my parents here helped a lot – there was always someone to hold the baby, watch him if I needed to shower, help feed him or change him, and help with the housework like laundry, dishes, and cooking.  But now we’re on our own and if today is any indication, I think we’ll be just fine.  I got eight hours of sleep (not all in a row of course, but total), made the bed, washed my face and brushed my teeth, ate breakfast, did some yoga, fed and changed the baby (multiple times of course), put away the dishes, made haircut appointments, and watched a little bit of TV – all before noon.  Andy’s on his way home now, so it looks like a nice dinner and a shower are also on the agenda for tonight!  All in all, a winner of a day.  I know all days won’t be like this one – in fact, I’m totally waiting for the other shoe to drop and things like food and personal hygiene to fall by the wayside – but for now I’m just going to be grateful for today.

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Riley’s First Week
18
February
Courtney

I really can’t believe it’s been a week since Riley was born.  The time has absolutely flown by.  Already he’s growing and changing and it almost breaks my heart because I know how fast time is going to fly by.  He’s becoming more aware of his environment, examining the paintings on the walls, looking around, and starting the first steps toward smiling.  We’ve made our first excursions out with him, taking him to Babies R Us and Target and then to his first pediatrician visit.  He’s already almost back up to his birth weight and has grown 3/4 of an inch.  He’s in the 97th percentile for height, 50th for weight, and 20th for head circumference (I guess he got his Mom’s head).  He’s been an angel so far and was very alert and very good at the pediatrician’s office, despite being cold and having to lay there in just his diaper.  Sleeping has been okay, he’s pretty good about sleeping between feedings, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t tired.  I’m looking forward to the time when I don’t have to get up a few times in the middle of the night, but at the same time, the bonding is amazing.  In any event, life is wonderful with the baby and we couldn’t be happier.

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The Birth
13
February
Courtney

While I don’t want to overshare my own birth story, bringing Riley into the world was a truly magical experience, though one far removed from what we anticipated.  As we discussed in a previous post, we scheduled an elective induction at 39.5 weeks because we suspected he was quite large and because of difficult work scenarios.  Some people would think this callous, but for us, it was a logical plan and no less valid of a way to bring him into the world with love. 

Wednesday night we went into the hospital for Cervidil, a medication that ripens the cervix.  The night passed without incident, with Andy and I each getting a few hours of sleep.  I started pretty strong contractions around 5am and woke Andy up at that point to keep me company while I breathed through them.  At 7 am, they started the Pitocin to induce contractions.  I was about 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced at that point. 

I continued contractions, just breathing in and out and relaxing until about 11am, at which point the pain got to be too much to bear and I took the epidural.  I have to say, that epidural was magical.  It was a beautiful thing – being myself, knowing I was in pain, but not feeling it.  It was much easier waiting through the day with the epidural in.  I tried to rest and relax a bit, while Andy played computer games and kept me company.  After a few cervical exams throughout the day, my OB determined that I was just not progressing at all.  I had only made it to 3-4 cm dilated and about 75% effaced in about 10 hours had not moved beyond that.  At that point, we began discussing the dreaded c-section.  Ominous music plays.

Once my OB, who I have to say I really genuinely like and respect, told me that I had to have the c-section, I asked all the questions that immediately jumped to mind (since I had skipped those sections of most of the pregnancy books).  I was worried about recovery time, losing weight and getting my stomach muscles back, pain management and breastfeeding, the anesthesia and it’s effect on the baby, and anything else I could think of.  He answered all my questions well and I was confident that this was best for my body and for the baby.  I did not want to be stubborn and demand to continue a non-progressive labor when it was clear that it was not in Riley’s or my best interest.  Once they got the all clear, there was no time for nervousness.  I was scheduled for surgery 20 minutes later and then things moved quickly.  Anesthesia came in and started turning up my dosage (it was miraculous), nurses took blood, removed my fetal monitors, and Andy packed up the labor room.  We moved to the surgery room where my version of the story becomes a little more vague. 

It started out with me in the room with the surgical team; Andy had to dress in his gown and prep outside the room at first.  I was transfered to a new bed and the blue drape was placed on my chest.  After that, all I saw was the drape and the lights overhead.  And thank goodness for that.  I don’t know what happened next, though Andy does.  I asked him not to give me the play by play and our banter kept the anesthesiologist laughing.  I was aware of everything, except pain, just some pressure.  Within 20 minutes, everything was over, I heard the most beautiful cry in the world, and Andy was telling me just how perfect Riley looked.  They cleaned me up while they cleaned Riley up (Andy went with the baby) and I was able to join them both in the recovery room within a few minutes of his birth.  That’s a pretty impressive feat considering a c-section is MAJOR surgery.  Riley was wide awake and responsive, already reaching for his mouth and ready to try to nurse as soon as I came in the room. 

Recovery has been far easier than I imagined it would be, though my incision is still painful.  I am taking very minimal pain medication, nursing frequently, and am able to move around.  As of last night, I can shower, walk around, and pretty much do as I please, as long as it’s not lifting anything heavy. 

While this wasn’t the birth we anticipated, it is the one we had.  Some women report feeling like failures at having to have a c-section and that couldn’t be farther from the truth for me.  I asked my ob after the fact if there was anything that could have been done to make labor progress better (starting earlier, waiting longer, etc.) and he said no.  There was no way that we could have avoided having a c-section – Riley was apparently turned the wrong way (“sunny side up” according to the docs), and his head was too big for my pelvis.  Anyone who saw me in those final weeks though, could have guessed that.  Nevertheless, I am no less content with my birth experience than I would have been if it had gone according to plan.  I have a beautiful, healthy son who I love more than I could have imagined and that’s all that matters to us.

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Riley’s First Whole Day
12
February
Andy

Here are some pictures from Riley’s first full day! Riley had a fun and busy day, and meanwhile the rest of the city of Atlanta was locked down in several inches of snow that started falling shortly after noon.

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Riley James Herda, Born 2-11-2010
11
February
Andy

Riley James Herda was born today at 5:09 pm EST at 8 lbs 5 oz and 21 inches.  He and mommy are both happy and healthy and resting comfortably.  We will update with more information later.  Here are the first sets of photos taken in the first hours of Riley’s life.

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Pregnancy Update: The Final Days
08
February
Courtney

I’m now 39.5 weeks pregnant and we’ve scheduled our induction. Finally, we have a timeline for getting this baby out! We’ll go into the hospital Wednesday night for the first stage of induction (administering Cervidil) and then the doctor will administer Pitocin the next morning to stimulate contractions. We’re hoping that everything progresses quickly, safely, and smoothly, so we can have Riley in our arms by Thursday evening.

There are a number of reasons we opted to go with induction. First, Andy starts a new rotation next Monday; not showing up to a rotation can cause you to forfeit that rotation, which wouldn’t be beneficial for his graduation timeline. If I happened to go into labor on that first day, there’s a risk that he would have to miss some or all of the birth, which is not a risk I am willing to take. Second, his current attending is understanding of the pregnancy situation, having three kids himself. Who’s to say that the next physician will be so understanding? Also, I’m incredibly uncomfortable. All women in their ninth month are uncomfortable, but Riley is very large (especially on my frame) and putting a lot of pressure on my joints, causing a lot of pain for me. He’s sitting on my veins and causing a significant amount of swelling from my feet to my knees, which is also quite painful (and gross looking). I’m far too heavy for my own good and I really need this weight removed from me. It’s difficult to sleep through the night and getting up to go to the restroom is very difficult, as well. All in all, I don’t think I could last much longer if induction weren’t a possibility. Nevertheless, I’m still healthy as can be with a low blood pressure, low blood sugar levels, a high degree of activity (lots of daily walks), and the ability to still work. Riley is doing great, he just wants to keep waiting in the womb and Andy and I can’t permit that any longer.

While the induction eliminates some of the “magic” of the event happening naturally, we have to be smart about what’s best for me, for Andy, and for Riley, as well as for our bank accounts and graduation. Hopefully, we can have pictures put up before the end of the week!

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Chateau Elan
02
February
Courtney

Andy and I took our last romantic vacation together (for what will be a long, long time I’m sure) a few weeks ago.  It wasn’t exactly a vacation though, as we only stayed away one night and only went about 40 minutes away, but it was still an enjoyable escape.  We went to Chateau Elan, a winery and resort roughly 45 minutes outside Atlanta.  We had a wonderful, relaxed time while we were there and the trip was completely worth it, even though it was so short.

We drove up on a Saturday afternoon, arriving just past lunch time.  First, we went to the resistance pool for some laps and swimming.  It must be noted that this pool was like bath water – it had to be 90 degrees.  It was very comfortable to swim around in it and know that no one would be butting in and telling me I wasn’t allowed to be in the water, as so often happens when you’re pregnant.  It’s like people feel like they can tell you what to do when you’re pregnant, like you’re incapable of making your own educated decisions… but I digress.  After a little time in the pool, we went over to their spa facility, which is one of the things they are most known for.  I had an appointment for a manicure and pedicure and Andy just wanted to take advantage of all the amenities they had to offer.  They had their own gym facility, another resistance pool, jacuzzi, saunas, steam rooms, steam showers, TVs (with football on in the men’s locker room and some chick flick on in the women’s locker room), and an afternoon tea service.  I enjoyed my treatment and dangled my legs in the jacuzzi, but had to skip out on the other amenities because of doctor’s orders (no overheating for the preggo).  In total though, we spent about three and a half hours at the spa and reentered the world very relaxed… and very clean.

From there we changed and went to dinner, eating at one of the restaurants they had on the property, called Versailles (do you detect their attempt at a French theme in Georgia?).  With the package we had with the hotel, we both were able to order appetizers, entrees, and desserts (and not have to worry about costs of individual items).  We started with a caesar salad and a lentil soup.  Then, Andy had lamb wellington and I had a filet mignon with bearnaise sauce and roasted veggies.  It was pretty good, though they added tarragon or something to my vegetables and it tasted off… like they were trying too hard to be French and got tangled up in the seasonings along the way.  But it was still quite good.  Dessert was excellent with creme brulee and a warm chocolate cake.  After such a “busy” day we went back to our room to relax, and I have to say, the room was lovely.  The bed was a little too high for me, but if I weren’t 9 months pregnant, I’m sure I would have liked it.  They stuck to their French theme, using a lot of gold and aqua colors, with great linens and draperies.  The furniture was excellent and I had read that they had recently remodeled (it seems to have been a success for them).  The bathroom was great with a big tub and a separate standing shower and lots of marble and tile.  It was a very comfortable room.

The next morning we had breakfast at their buffet (also included in our package) and it was excellent.  I have to say it was one of the better breakfast buffets I’ve had (assuming you aren’t including a really high end brunch like at the Wynn or Top of the Mark).  There were lots of things Andy and I liked to eat and there was no line at the omelet station (big surprise).  We lingered over our brunch, which was surprisingly uncrowded, despite going on a Sunday at 9:00.  After spending a bit more time in the room, we checked out and headed home (not wanting to miss the football games).  All in all, it was a great weekend for us, despite only being about 24 hours of vacationing.  We ate well, slept well, swam around, and relaxed – something we won’t immediately have time for in the near future.  We’d like to plan a trip back there this summer as they had a huge outdoor pool and beautiful walking trails, not to mention the entire winery, which we were unable to visit due to cold, rainy weather, but it is definitely a vacation low-key enough to bring a baby along.  Chateau Elan hasn’t seen the last of us!

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