Moving Day

 

The first picture in our new apartment.

Unbothered

Thank you for spitting up on half of my CoD shirt and being completely unbothered.

Morning Feeding

You slept for almost 4.5 hours before drinking 3 oz. and going back to sleep. Thank goodness I set up the Baby Brezza.

A Good Day

Turtle,

Today was a good day. Papa grabbed the Baby Brezza from Target and that was an absolute game changer. You were very happy with the results. You slept soundly on your playmat from Auntie Kiki between each feeding. You love the purple triangle with the little beads in it. You drank 24.5 oz. of formula and had 7 diaper changes (5 wet, 1 dirty, 1 wet/dirty).

I started bullet journaling and packed a little more. It was a physically and mentally good day for both of us today.

No PeePee TeePee

I was planning on being productive today, but you had other plans.

This morning, you were sleeping on my chest and I felt something warm. I figured one of us peed. 😂 Turns out, it was you. Your diaper had come loose again and you had leaked onto me. While I was changing your diaper, you decided you weren't done and continued to pee. Luckily we're getting rid of my bed because i had to pull the sheet off.

Currently, you are at 12 oz. consumed today and 5 diaper changes (4 wet, 1 dirty). You're sleeping again, but you're due for another feeding. I may have to wake you up.

Thank You, 🐢

 

Jasper Rhys, my turtle, thank you so much for giving me a reason to smile on this day. You managed to mend a part of me that I didn't think anything could mend. You won't ever know how absolutely in love I am with you and I'm already in awe of you.

Thank you, Turtle, for making me a mom.💙🐢

Your Birth Timeline

April 13, 2023

7 P.M : Dinner @ Freddy's

8 P.M : Checked in @ St. John's, got into room right away

Night nurse = Claire (amazing)

IV sucks

Cervix check - still 1-2cm

9:30-9:45 : Cervidil inserted, dry insertion (uncomfy)

Bloodwork done - tape is way too strong.

 

April 14, 2023

By 3 A.M, have been checked about four times because he moved and the band needed to be repositioned. Papa is still sleeping soundly. He'll need all the sleep he can get because he'll have to deal with me, Jasper and the sisters in a few hours. 🤣 I'm exhausted and hungry, but restless. Played some games on my phone and put Jasper's Playlist on.

5:30 A.M : Felt first contraction

6 A.M : Asked Claire if she could tell if I'd been contracting at all. She said that I've clearly been contracting all morning and that my body has definitely been doing some work. They'll be checking my cervix at 9:30ish. Back to the true crime docs. And Kari's awake and jumping in the shower. Tyler is still zonked out on the couch.

8 A.M : Maddie and Britt take over. I let them know that I feel like the Cervidil is falling out. Every movement J makes gives me lightning. Tyler is awake. 😁

9 A.M : Dr. Z takes the Cervidil out. Nothing has changed. Discusses the Cook Balloon insertion. Balloons are inserted. Not at all pleasant experience. Found out that Dr. Z had ordered an epidural for me at 7:30 A.M, but it had never been administered.

 11 A.M : Got my epidural and started on Pitocin. There's still a 50/50 chance of C-Section because of his placement and my progress.

12:30 P.M : Steve gets to the hospital

1 P.M : Pitocin is upped

2 P.M : Balloon comes out with little effort. (Hilarious moment) Nurses break my water. Still only 3cm.

3 P.M : Contractions are adequate and consistent, but no real chances have been made. Tyler is nervous. He's trying to hide it, but he is.

4 P.M : Nurses start getting me in different positions. On my side with the peanut ball, sitting upright with my knees bound together. Trying to use gravity to get J to move down on his own. I got a couple Popsicles because I haven't eaten since Freddy's. Nurses are hoping he'll be here before their shift ends at 7.

They had raised my bed up and tied my knees together, hoping it would open my cervix open a bit. It was just a few of the positions they put me in.

5:30 P.M : 4.5cm, will be getting checked again in a few hours. So tired and feeling very disheartened.

7 P.M : Dr. J and Chloe 🥰 No cervix change, but nothing to be concerned about. Tyler and I are both exhausted. Now they're saying we may be looking at tomorrow. The sisters and Steve are leaving for the night. Hopefully, Tyler and I can get some rest. We made it through the entire scale of the Pitocin and Dr. Z has them start back over at 6.

11 P.M : Feeling the contractions. Chloe is a Rockstar and makes sure I'm feeling okay. We've had to boost my epidural three times.

 

April 15, 2023

1 A.M : Mark (anesthesiologist) re-works my epidural because it's starting to wear off. I nearly vomit into vomit sleeve.

3:30 A.M : I am fully passed out when I wake up to Chloe asking me if I'd heard. Dr. J was sitting on my bed, clearly had just examined my cervix, which was now fully dilated and fully effaced. They start to prop the bed up and I stop them so I can vomit into my vomit sleeve.

3:45 A.M : I start pushing with Dr. J and Chloe. I can't feel anything so, Dr. J asks Mark if they can turn the epidural down. They coach me through it, allowing me to listen to my contractions and time my pushes on my own. Tyler is right there with me, holding up my very numb left leg.

4 A.M : Kari is back. Dr. Z gets there and talks to us about the idea of forceps being used to aid in getting J out. He's still stuck behind my pelvic bone, but he's facing downwards and is right there. We continue to push with Dr. J and Chloe. Kari starts face-timing with V. Dr. Z comes back and has me push a few times before getting the forceps ready. A whole crew of people come in that we've never seen before. V gets there at some point.

5:19 A.M : Jasper Rhys Lusk is born. 8 lbs. 15 oz. 21.5 inches long.

 

The first time I held you. They'd taken you away and cleaned you up while I got stitched up. You were already fully alert and trying to look around with your big blue eyes.

Auntie Kiki held you first...

...So she could introduce you to Papa. You were the first baby he'd ever held and I knew he was nervous, but he was so happy to finally meet you. He just kept staring at you and you just stared right back.