After everyone left the room and Brittlynn went off to the nursery, it was time to get down to business. There are two things I really, really want right after giving birth. 1. OJ. Random, I know. But even the Bradley Method says to make sure you ask for orange juice after giving birth. I promise, it’s the BEST oj you’ll ever taste! and 2. Peanut butter crackers. Zach made them for me last time and they were AMAZING so I totally knew I’d want them again.
Well the oj took forever to get to me as they were out of it in the place where they keep drinks for patients. Lucky for me, Elizabeth rocks and went and found some somewhere. I mentioned in the birth story that I was very dehydrated and because of that the peanut butter crackers weren’t even able to go down. Boo. I did save them though and ate them at 3:00 in the morning one of the first nights we were home. Still equally delicious. Another issue was my motrin. They give you a motrin right after you give birth to help with the after birth pains. I’m not sure what the issue was but it took a super long time to get to me. So I was hurting pretty badly.
Actually the entire time that the family was meeting Brittlynn I was hurting and I felt like I was bleeding so much. I was kinda scared about it because I don’t remember that much blood and I’ve heard about new moms losing too much. I enjoyed every precious second of having everyone there with me but I was also a little eager for them to leave so Elizabeth could check me out. Thankfully I was fine! She had to do a lot of massaging on my stomach…and the nurses did it several more times that night. A heads up on that: it hurts. Like equal to contractions! BUT I tried to remember that it helps my stomach get back to normal size so it’s worth it 😉
Right away I had to get up to try to go to the bathroom. If I could go, then I could get the IV out. I walked, with help, to the bathroom but couldn’t go. I knew I wouldn’t be able too…I could feel how dehydrated I was and actually told Elizabeth that I needed to keep the IV. I think it being in the spot it was and getting shut off every time I bent my arm caused the problem. Me and my lame veins!
Elizabeth and I
(Can I just say I did NOT do any more freshening up?!? Natural childbirth does a body good…)
Once we got settled in the postpartum room I tried to upload the picture of Britt and I so I could announce it to everyone in the online world…and it took FOREVER. I couldn’t get my tablet working and after like 45 min realized it was because I didn’t turn on the wifi. Good one Em…
Everyone came to visit in the postpartum room and we spent pretty much the whole time trying to figure out the plans for Kye. Mom was originally going to keep him the night after I gave birth but she had gotten up at 2am that morning and driven 6 hours total…so she was almost as worn out as I was haha! We ended up deciding that Zach would stay with me in the hospital and Kye would go with Mrs Charlotte for the night then Mom would get him after school the next day. Jordan was sweet enough to spend the night at our house so the dogs would be looked after. It all worked out great!!!
We had bought Kye a present and planned to give it to him in the delivery room before introducing him to Brittlynn, but he’d been so excited we didn’t need it! So we gave it to him in the postpartum room.
Have you been to Hallmark? Jingle is this adorable stuffed dog that is interactive!!! You can read a story about him and he barks at certain spots in the book. He’s ADORABLE and it’s super neat (and actually kinda creepy to me…)
Casey and Jordan!
The family all cleared out around 7:15. It worked out well for Kye’s bedtime. Mr. Rusty told me the next day that he got to bed pretty late because he came up with allllll kinds of excuses not to go to sleep. He was probably just too amped up from all the excitement!
Soon after the family left Crissy and Ashley arrived! I was hoping that both of them would get to be part of the big announcement in the delivery room but Ashley has a young baby and Crissy has a house full so I wasn’t surprised that they couldn’t make it but it was SO sweet of them to rush up there the first chance they got!!! They are both SUCH sweet, true friends and I’m thankful for them!!!
Big Daddy and Little Mama came up too which was sweet and Zach took them (and Ashley) down to the nursery to see Brittlynn since they still hadn’t brought her into us yet.
Crissy stayed back with me and we talked and visited. She’s due in February with a little girl and I’m THRILLED. I was already excited for her but now that we have a girl too it’s even more exciting. I’ve been reading up on second children and one of the big things is that so often second children get stuck playing with all the older childs friends. You already made a bunch of friends with kids the same age as your first one so you don’t make the effort to make friends with kids the age of your second. I’m SO thankful because Kye LOVES Crissy’s kids (and Crissy!) and now Britt will have Olive to play with too. It’s really perfect and I can’t wait to start having play dates 🙂 Between the two of us we’ll have SIX kids running around!!!
Had to show off her new boots 😉
The theme of my hospital stay seemed to be people asking me about being related to Crissy. A nurse came in at one point during my stay who is related to Seth and asked me if I was Crissy’s sister. She didn’t even know that Crissy and I were friends! Isn’t that funny?!?! Multiple people asked me if we were sisters and then later they even said “I still can’t believe you and Crissy aren’t related.” I guess we must have been twins in another life or something…even Facebook always tags me as Crissy and Crissy as me 😉
Ashley’s son, Preston, is about 6 months older than Britt…future boyfriend? 😉
Zach’s sisters have both been AMAZING throughout my pregnancy and after Britt was born. Courtney insisted on running to get us dinner and, duh, I asked for Zaxbys (which btw sounds DELICIOUS right now…maybe I could leave Brittlynn sleeping and run up there…Just kidding just kidding!). I’m SO glad she brought it because the hospital food that night was not so amazing.
Zaxby’s time!
Glad I got a pic of us together 🙂
Everyone left by about 9ish and it worked out nicely that Brittlynn got into the room in time to see Crissy and Ashley before they had to go. Originally we planned to have the baby in the room with us but they PROMISED to bring her to me for feedings and I put mittens on her so she wouldn’t get scratched. We felt okay with her going and were glad for the time just the two of us.
Ready for some sexy hospital alone time hahaha…
A few last night night hugs!
First diaper change!
Here’s a video of it 😉
That night was pretty amazing. We talked a lot about Jordan and how
great he was, how beautiful Brittlynn was, and my delivery. I was
worried Zach wasn’t as proud of me as last time since I did have moments
where I lost it, but he said overall I did better so that was good. I
also think HE did so much more this time and I’m thankful I had him to
lean on through it all 😉
The most amazing part of the
night to me was how in-sync Brittlynn and I were. I would wake up and
have to pee (once I got liquids in me…I got MEGA hydrated quickly and
was non-stop having to go). So I’d call the nurse to help me then I’d
call down to the nursery to see if she needed to eat. Every single time
they said she had just woken up and they were about to bring her to me!
Isn’t that awesome?!?! I just naturally knew her needs!
I
was in some pretty mega pain for the first couple of days. Last time
around my arms were jello…this time my inner thighs were very sore. I
think it’s from the position I was in for pushing. Teresa had me spread
eagle as far as I could go…maybe even a little further than I
could go 😉 I had to have help each time to walk to the bathroom and
they had to check my pee anyway b/c I had several small clots through
the night (very normal b/c you’re laying down so much).
Brittlynn started off a great
nurser from birth. She rocked it in the delivery room and through the
entire first night she had nice long, full feedings. It wasn’t hurting
me (a mild pain at the start each time she latched, but that’s normal)
and I only had Zach check to make sure she had a good latch a couple of
times. It really is like riding a bike…it all came naturally and
easily. SO much better than my first time around with nursing!!!
I only got about 3 broken hours of sleep that night (which became the norm
for me for the first couple of weeks anyways…) but I wanted to go
ahead and get a shower and such before visiting hours started the next
morning. Zach helped me to the bathroom and the shower felt awesome.
I only stayed in the hospital for 24 hours with Kye so I didn’t even
bother with a shower (gross, I know) but this time I was SO glad I took
one. I was in there for awhile and started to feel like I was going to
puke. I felt light headed and told Zach he might want to come in there
because I thought I might faint. I’ve never fainted before but I
just felt so strange. He came and helped stable me and told me to try to
get out of the tub. I had to lift my leg over it and when I did I hit
my womanhood on the side of the tub. Very painful when you’ve got a lot
of healing going on.
I don’t remember what happened
next but I woke up on the floor. When I woke up I felt SO rested and
great but then I realized I was on the floor and saw Zach looking at me
and a nurse looking at me and it scared the crap out of me. I was scared
something was wrong with me and I was scared that Zach was scared.
Thankfully they told me I was fine. I guess I fainted when trying to get
my second leg out of the shower and Zach caught me. SO glad he was
there or I would have hit the hard bathroom floor which wouldn’t be
good. I was straight up wet and naked laying there with three nurses
helping me. They were all SO sweet (one of them lives in my neighborhood
and is friends with my friend Devan! Small world…luckily I don’t get
embarrassed about being naked huh?) and helped me get up but as soon as I
stood I felt like I’d faint again. I did catch a glimpse in the mirror
and I looked like death. They got me to the bed then messed with clothes and such.
Nothing
was wrong with me, they said it actually happens a decent bit because I
had been laying down for so long that standing up in the hot shower
like that just caused me to faint. It was a scary experience and I hope
not to have it ever happen again! I told Zach it was probably God
reminding me to take it EASY. I tend to go go go and my body needed rest. I was already planning to stay 48 hours in the hospital, but after fainting they told me I’d have to stay anyway.
I’m
thankful Brittlynn wasn’t in the room yet with us when it happened!
They brought her in soon after and I was able to nurse her and give Zach
lots of quality time with her 🙂 I had gotten in the shower at 6 and with the whole fainting thing I wasn’t actually dressed and ready for the day until 11…super annoying! I had to do most of my getting ready from the bed! Bryan, our preacher, came to visit during that time and he saw me looking rrrrrough. Nothing I could really do though! We had a nice visit with him and I love that we prayed together before he left. He prayed in the delivery room when Kye was born and it’s so special that both of our children got prayed over early in life!
Mr. John Klimko also came to visit! He’s famous in our house because he does the announcements every Sunday morning when services start. Kye knows when Mr. John starts talking that means he can start eating his lunch…so he loves Mr. John!
He and Mrs. Liz got Brittlynn her very first Bible!
A tradition that I LOVE is that our moms go shopping together for clothes for the new baby after it is born. Since we don’t know the sex, we don’t have any clothes for our poor child! Kye had school that morning so Mom and Mrs Charlotte ran around town buying up every sweet little girl thing in sight! They ran by the hospital on their way to get Kye from school to show us everything and give us the outfit that Brittlynn would wear home.
Mr. Rusty had to beat them there 😉
The shopping queens!
Mom insisted that the child needed a bow in that hair 😉
Pebbles!
Mom and Mrs. Charlotte hooked Britt UP with cute clothes! They had a BLAST shopping together and I really love that tradition. No matter what baby #3 is we’ll already have clothes for each sex but I’m sure they will still go out and buy some new goodies for their newest grand baby. It’s great because I don’t have to worry about running out and buying sleepers and such – they stocked us for awhile!!!
Part 2 of the hospital stay is next 🙂
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Great story!! I do love how the parents go out and have a little bonding over shopping for the little one… great tradition! That is wild about you fainting!! I can see how it could happen, but I bet it was freaky when it did! And I'm loving your hospital gown… WAY better than those yucky ones they give you in the hospital… did you order it from etsy? And they didn't have a problem with you wearing a "non-hospital" one? Awesome!
@0562e080e504631cbcc2fc2559bd72a0 SO freaky when I fainted!!! for real!!!! a friend bought me the hospital gown and here is who made it: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Francie-Beth-Boutique/189512102930 I LOVED it and the hospital was totally okay with it 🙂
I can't believe I didn't know about you fainting?! Holy moly! That is scary, thank goodness Zach was there to catch you! And yes, Preston will be lucky to have Britt has a girlfriend;) He loves to look at her picture, so maybe he is already smitten;)
haha, I thought it was sooo funny whenever Little Mama came into the room and introduced herself to me, like we had never met b4, haha, and you said, "Don't worry, she changes her look a lot, that's why you didn't recognize her!" lol, do I really change my look a lot, silly 🙂
Also I love the three of us wearing pink in the picture together, even though I was the only one in the world who didn't know you had a girl! I really did wear my pink cardigan just in case though!:) I am super proud of myself for waiting for you to tell me the good news:)
She is just beautiful! Love your pictures of everything…. makes me wish I had someone who could have taken pictures of our two kiddos being born. I'm the picture-taker at our house and I was certainly not going to be doing any of that during birth!