2 Weeks

Today, Lydia is two weeks old!  Wow! 

She had her 2 week check-up, and everything looks great.  She's growing like a weed, and plumping up nicely.  She was 20 7/8 inches long (60th percentile), 8 lbs 10 1/2 oz (55th percentile), and her head circumference was 37.8 cm (85th percentile).  She's right where she needs to be and then some.

It's been an adventure getting used to having a baby around 24/7.  I love her tons, but there are hard times as well.  I had a case of the "baby blues" last week.  I pretty much just felt overwhelmed and sore.  I really needed to get out of the house.  My main problem was that I wanted to show her off, but couldn't because most of my family members are either sick or busy.  For a couple days, I didn't even get Lydia or myself ready at all, because there was no reason to.  So, that made me feel frumpy and grumpy. 

Thank goodness for my wonderful mother and wonderful hubby!  Thursday, my mom came and took Lydia and me out to lunch and for a short shopping trip afterward.  It was so much fun to get out of the house and spend time with my mom.  She was a lifesaver that day!  Every day since, Lance has been very nice and taken me for drives and little errands.  It feels good to have a reason to try to look nice.

It's also been hard to get used to the sleep schedule.  Lydia has a hard time getting to sleep the initial time I would like to go to bed.  Sometimes she stays up an extra 1-2 hours.  But she gives me about 3 hour stretches during the night, so she's not too bad.  I just need to remember to nap during the day when she naps.  I've also been trying to read while I nurse, so that I don't get bored or fall asleep with her in my arms.  I've had a little dry spell lately with reading, so it's been fun getting back into it.

Lydia really is a very good baby.  She mostly cries when she is hungry.  Sometimes it seems like I can't feed that girl enough, but most of the time, it's about every 2-4 hours, so not too bad.  She sleeps most of the rest of the time, with just a few hours of awake time each day.  She's absolutely adorable during that time with bright eyes and silly facial expressions.

Super cute outfit from my sister.  Her diaper leaked all over it just after I took her picture, so Lance was the only one that saw her in it.  But at least I got the picture taken first!

I love this outfit!  The jeggings and sneakers make her look so big!

Exhausted Mommy

She loves to cuddle.  :)

Another super cute outfit.  She's spoiled.  :)

Well, there's the update.  It's been an amazing adventure getting used to being a family of three.  I love watching her grow!

1 Week Old

It's hard to believe that Lydia is already one week old.  Didn't I just have her yesterday?  Perhaps it seems that way because I haven't had a good night's sleep since then.  Or perhaps it's because I've had way too much fun cuddling this beautiful baby girl.  Either way, happy one week birthday, little Lydi-bug!

 

So, how has it been being a mom for a week?  Well, all I can say is, WOW!  There have been so many ups and downs. 

The day after we brought her home was really hard.  She wouldn't stop crying, and we didn't know why.  We had an appointment with the pediatrician the next day, so we toughed it out until then. 

The problem was that my milk hadn't come in yet, and she was starving, even if I had just barely fed her.  Poor kid!  I felt like a horrible mother, but honestly, there was nothing I could do. 

That night, just a few hours before the appointment, it came in, so we were able to get a few hours of sleep right before.  She had lost one ounce shy of an entire pound since birth.  No wonder she was so sad. 

Right after the appointment, we started feeding her more often and she slept much longer.  She has been an angel ever since. 

The pediatrician had us come in the next day to weigh her, and she had gained four ounces.  That was a HUGE relief! 

She is now back on track for normal development.  She even lets me sleep in 3-4 hour stretches during the night.  She is a really good baby, and maybe I'm biased, but she's also the most beautiful baby as well. 

I knew I'd be overwhelmed with love by being a mother, but there really is no way to describe it.  It's amazing.  I also see how much Lance loves her, and it makes me love him even more.  He is so sweet with her.  It melts my heart when he kisses her cheek or talks to her in his sweet voice.

 

It's been a little hard to adjust to all the changes around here, but being a family is the best thing ever.  We love our little Lydi-bug.

The Stork Gave Us a Visit!!

We welcomed our tiny dancer into the world on Monday, October 8, 2012 at 3:11 pm!!

 

Lydia Michelle Welling

She is absolutely perfect!  We love her soooooo much!

I started contractions at 12:30 am on Monday.  I woke Lance up at 1:15 am to help me time them, since they seemed severe and regular.  At about 2:15 am, I got everything ready to go, including myself, and we got to the hospital around 3:00 am.

As I got checked, my contractions seemed less severe.  I was afraid they would send me home, but I was dilated to a 4, so they kept me there and admitted me for labor.  I was sort of freaking out out with both excitement and nervousness.  It was happening that day!!!

They asked me right away if I wanted an epidural, but I decided to tough it out for a couple more hours, since the contractions weren't too bad.  I finally decided to get it around 8:00 am.  It was HEAVEN!!!  Seriously, I hadn't felt that good in 9 months.

Apparently, I had really hard, close contractions for hours, but the pushing didn't begin until about 2:00 pm.  I was exhausted!  They don't call it labor for nothing.  Finally, at 3:11 pm, she came out!  She whimpered about three times, and then was quiet.  They tried and tried to get her to cry, but she just didn't want to.  She was oddly content.  Don't worry.  She's a very good crier now.  Believe me.  :)

She was 8 lbs, 2 oz, 20 inches long, and absolutely perfect!  We named her Lydia Michelle Welling.  She's pretty much the cutest baby ever. 

 

Our labor and delivery nurses with Lydia.  They were the best!!

 Family photo right after the birth and clean-up.

 24 hours after she arrived, I had to change her dirty diaper.  Happy one day old celebration, Lydia!

I love her so much!

Ready to go home!

Getting fussy because I'm changing her.

We are such lucky parents to have her!

Wacky Welling Song

Well, no news yet, but I wanted to share a silly song I made up words to a year or two ago, when we were exploring our options with infertility/adoption.  I wanted a child so badly, and sometimes my mind does crazy things when I get a song stuck in my head.  It's pretty silly, so bear with me for a second.  The tune is to the birthday song that they sing in restaurants all the time.

A wacky Welling welcome,

From both of us to you.

We're glad you'll be our family,

And now we'll scream, woo-hoo!

A wacky Welling welcome,

We love you through and through.

We can't wait 'til you come out,

So we can party too.

Hey!

Welcome to our family Tiny Dancer!  It's time for you to come out now!  Please come soon!

October Awareness

October is a lucky month. It has two awareness causes!  And these two are very dear to my heart.

The first one is Breast Cancer.  I have an aunt and a cousin who have had breast cancer.  They are survivors, and have fought a great battle.  So, as awareness, I want to remind all the ladies out there to do there monthly self-checks, and also to have a doctor check once a year.  Also, if you're over 40, I think it is?  Get a mammogram!

 

Cute little reminder I found on Pinterest.

The second one is Down's Syndrome Awareness.  I don't have anyone in my family who has Down's, but I've met many people who do have Down's.  They are such wonderful, sweet, loving people.  Each of these people I have met have made a significant impact in my life, and have a permanent place in my heart.  So, as my challenge to you, whenever you come across a Down's Syndrome person (or any other type of mentally disabled person), get to know that person and be his/her friend.  I promise it will be a friendship that you won't regret.

I LOVE this picture and quote that I saw on Pinterest.

October rocks!  I hope you see lots of pink and can make a new friend!

Almost . . . Not Quite . . . Still Waiting . . .

Here's the 39 week update. 

I had my appointment today.  VERY long wait.  My doctor got stuck in surgery.  I don't mind too much.  I understand how this type of thing can be unpredictable.  Honestly, my delivery could deter my doctor from his regular appointments as well, so I don't get upset. 

However, I did give Lance a scare.  He tried calling while I was there, and with no answer for a while, he decided to come home a little early to check on me.  He brought his work-from-home equipment, though, just in case, which he utilized well for the end of the day.  I was a little surprised when I saw his car when I got home.  He's a wonderful husband for worrying so much about me.  I think I'll keep him.  :)

So, wondering the stats?  I'm still dilated to a 1, but have progressed to 80% effaced.  It's a little improvement from last week.  The doctor said that my fluid level is a little low.  It's not the minimum, but he wants me to come in on Monday of next week to make sure things are okay, because if it gets too low, then the baby needs to come ASAP.  He told me to drink LOTS of fluids.  I may take up temporary residence in the bathroom for a while...

Other than that, everything looks fine.  Tiny Dancer was measuring to be about 7 1/2 lbs again.  This is the time when her growth slows.  He said that she was still practicing her breathing, so that means that she probably won't come in the next couple of days.  She'll stop her practicing before delivery.  That's okay, but I was hoping she'd come, like now.  He also said that she is VERY low.  Yeah, no kidding!  I've pretty much got the waddle down perfect because if I don't waddle, it's extremely uncomfortable with her head right there.  I physically can't sit with my legs together.  Yeah, church is an adventure.  I had to go home early this week because I was in pain due to the low position of the baby.  Don't judge!  It HURT!

Are you wondering about my contractions?  Well, I've had quite a few this past week.  There have been times when I've wondered if that was it, but they weren't consistent, and tapered off after 30-45 minutes.  Those times are a little disappointing, because I get so excited for nothing.  I know I should be enjoying these last days of pregnancy, but I'm in constant suspense, and all I want is to hold my baby in my arms rather than in my belly.  Don't worry.  I am still doing the minimum amount of housework possible for my sanity.  I still make dinner and occasionally do dishes, of course.

I have finally experienced the awkwardness that comes with being pregnant.  Yesterday, I went to the post office and two grocery stores.  At every place, someone talked to me about my pregnancy.  At the post office, a lady talked to me for almost five minutes!  She even offered to give me clothes.  I politely declined, since I don't really know her.  She was very sweet, but it was a little awkward.  At the first grocery store, the cashier just asked me my due date and how I was feeling.  It was kind of surreal to say that it's NEXT WEEK.  That was fine.  Not awkward at all.  Then, at the second grocery store, an older lady came up to me and said, "I just wanted to wish you luck with your baby."  And she patted my belly.  Okay, the pat was a little awkward, but I didn't mind.  I also get lots of smiles from people.  You know, the "ah, you're going to have a baby soon," smile.  Yeah, I'm ready to pop, and it shows.

I entered a photo contest this last Saturday.  It is about October, and the winner gets a free photo shoot.  My picture isn't getting very many votes.  The contest ends on the 12th, so if you're friends with me on Facebook, please vote for my picture!  Instructions and links are on my FB page.  I was being very brave and took some shots of my belly.  Here are the pictures I took.  I only entered one, of course, but here are some of the others that I didn't erase because they turned out somewhat decent.

Pose 1.  I didn't choose this one because you can see the cabinets in the background.

Pose 2.  I chose this one because of its simplicity.

Pose 3.  I didn't choose this one because you can tell I'm the one taking the picture, and you can't really see my bump very well.

Pose 4.  I didn't choose this one because you can tell I'm the one taking the picture, and the bottom of my foot is disgusting.  It's always like that (the joy of dancing barefoot consistently for a few years).

Vote for me, please!!  And pray for me that this delivery will be SOON!  I'm hoping this week.  If not, I'll live, but I really just want it to be now.  :)

Happy October!!

It's October!  I've been waiting for this month all year!

All but one of the nieces on my side of the family have birthdays in October.  When we found out our baby would be due this month, we thought it might be a girl, just so it would follow suit.  Actually, I was a little skeptical about it being a girl, because that would be a little too predictable.  But it turned out it is a girl, so that will make 5 of my parents' granddaughters born in October.  My dad's birthday is also in October.  So, I'd like to post now about these birthdays so that I don't get behind, and you can see the wonderful people who will share a birthday month with my baby girl.

Ashlyn and Merrin.  Ashlyn has the glasses.  Her birthday is today, the 1st.  Merrin's birthday is the 26th.  They're both turning 13.  Crazy teenagers... They're also the best of friends.

Audrey's birthday is on the 8th.  She'll be 15.

Katie, the one with the glasses, will be turning 7 on the 18th.

 This is my dad.  His birthday is on the 15th.  I won't tell you how old he is.  I'll just let you know he's the grandpa of soon to be 11 amazing kids.



Happy birthday to these peeps!  And Happy October to everyone!