From one to two

Look at this beautiful girl!

8 days old

Calder loves to try on her headbands.  At least one of my kids likes them, right? :)

I can't believe our little Adelaide is already over 3 weeks old! The transition from one to two has gone fairly smoothly.  Adelaide came bearing gifts for Calder - he got a little golf set  - and that went over really well with him.  He loves it! And will play with his golf set every day.  Score!

He is quite the little golfer, despite being a lefty using right-handed clubs.

My mom came out and spent a week with us right after Adelaide was born.  It was so nice having her here!

Making cookies with Grandma

It was so nice to see her!

The week after my mom left, Craig and I were both sick. We were like two zombies trying to figure out how to take care of two kids.  It was a little crazy!  But last week, we were both feeling much better, and it was a much, much better week.  I feel like I am getting the hang of things.

Calder is doing pretty well with Adelaide.  I was worried when my Mom left that he would not do well without the extra attention, but he has done great.  He even asked me once when another baby was going to come to our house.  I'm not sure if it was because he wanted another one, or was just preparing himself for the possibility.  But either way little man, we aren't bring another baby home for a long, long, time. :)

Two kids!  Crazy! :)

 I will overhear Calder telling Adelaide stories about things he does, like how cool it was when he jumped on the tramp and did a somersault, etc.

When we drive somewhere (like the store) and we arrive, Calder will always say "Are you ready to go, baby Adeda?" (He can say Adelaide, but he usually just says Adeda.)

He is the cutest older brother.  It has been so fun seeing him with her these last few weeks.

 In an effort to save our furniture (couch, beds, etc.) we decided to pull the trigger and get a trampoline for Calder.  It has been the best thing ever! That has helped me with the transition to managing 2 kids, because he probably spends close to an hour outside jumping every day! (not all at once, but still it helps!)

He is getting very creative with the games he plays on his tramp.

Today I walked into the living room, and Calder was very quick to explain that he was just giving Adelaide a few dinosaurs to play with.  I love it. :)

Her Story

I found out a few things at the end of my pregnancy that could potentially be complications during delivery.  I tested positive for Group B Strep, which meant I needed to have antibiotics given to me during labor so that the baby would be protected from a potential infection.  I also found out my blood platelet count was low.  Not low enough that they were concerned about anything, but my doctor did say if they dropped below 100, they wouldn't be able to give an epidural for fear that my blood wouldn't clot.

My due date was Aug. 7th, and basing everything I knew about labor from Calder's  birth, I expected her to come fairly early.  Calder came 8 days early, so I was thinking it would be similar for Adelaide.  But, no. 8 days early came and went, 5 days early came and went. We were all feeling so anxious!  I was having several contractions a day (Braxton Hicks) that didn't hurt, but were getting me nowhere.  My mom was scheduled to fly in on the 7th, and I was beginning to worry that this little girl wouldn't be here when my mom arrived!  There were several nights when contractions woke me up, and so I would time them, and wait to see if they increased in intensity, but they would just stop.  Bummer.  It was always so disappointing!  But I knew the timing was in the Lord's hands, and she would come when she was ready.

Sure enough. Aug. 6th, I woke up at about 2:10 in the morning with contractions.  There wasn't really a need to time these ones or wait for them to intensify, because they were coming super frequently and were intense already!  But I did wait a little, just to be sure it wasn't a false alarm.  2:30 we started getting everything together, grabbed Calder, and were on the road by 3:00 AM.   We had talked Calder through the whole process, but I was still nervous how he would do when we woke him up and dropped him off at a friends house.  He actually did really well, which was such a relief!

On the drive over to the hospital, the contractions were coming every 2 to 3 minutes.  I was telling Craig that I was definitely ready for that epidural when we got to the hospital! We arrived at the hospital and were checked in around 3:20 AM.

They took my blood to check platelet levels, and checked me. I was already dilated to a 7 1/2!  They got the IV in to start the antibiotics for the Group B Strep.  Craig asked what the timeline was for the epidural, and the nurses glanced at each other and said "well, we've got the order in..."  At that point, I knew I was probably not going to get one. My labor was progressing too quickly.  But I kept hoping.

I heard them say my platelet levels were 97. They had dropped.  At that point, I was terrified because I knew the epidural wasn't an option.  Having a baby natural was not on my bucket list.

I was just praying my little heart out. The nurse was really good at helping me to breathe through the contractions.

The doctor came in really quickly, and I was surprised when she put on her gloves and asked if I was ready to push.  I didn't feel the urge yet, so I said no. And then the urge came!  I was ready to push!

I pushed once, not really knowing how ready or close she was.  But then a chorus of "There she is!" and "She's coming" rang out and I was so surprised! I had no idea that she was that close, but I was ready to do what it took to get her out! One contraction, and 2 or 3 more pushes and our sweet little Adelaide was born at 4:25 AM.  7 lbs, 7 oz and 19 3/4 in long.  Just an hour after we got to the hospital. I do have to say, it was probably more a feeling of relief than anything when I held her for the first time.

Healthy little girl!

Adelaide Esther Maughan

I did tear, (TMI, maybe) so aside from being tender where that happened, recovery has been really smooth.  I was amazed at how good I felt (again, relatively) so quickly after she was born.

View from the hospital room.  Isn't it gorgeous?!

They were only able to get one dose of the antibiotics in me before she was born, which wasn't as much as they wanted.  But she is healthy!  And so far has been unaffected by Group B Strep.

Calder's first time meeting his baby sister.  We all adore her!

 Just like always, timing ended up being perfect. We were released from the hospital on Wednesday, and were able to pick up my mom that night.

Going home!

She is such a sweet little girl!  We feel so blessed and are so grateful that she is part of our family!

First new family picture!