*We did not pose him like this...he was laying comfortably in his Auntie's arms!
Happy Friday!
~E
Friday, July 30, 2010
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I need to dedicate an entire post to thank everyone - our families and friends - for EVERYTHING they have done for us in the last 9 months, and now that the little munchkin is finally here. I always knew we had the most incredible family and circle of friends, and this just proves it that much more...
First, I have to thank my amazing husband for taking care of me while I was a pregnant, ever-expanding, puking, whining mess of a wife. I don't think I mentioned that during my pregnancy, we completed a huge remodel in Strazz-Land that he worked his butt off to finish in a short window of time - he did the majority of the work himself, in between working, running his own business, and taking care of me. But I especially have to thank him for being the best "birth partner" (I guess that's what the husbands are called these days) EVER. He was by my side every step of the way during labor and delivery, and has taken wonderful care of me since - actually allowing me to sleep and recover. He is an amazing husband and Daddy - as I knew he would be - and we love him SOOOOOO much. Bentley, Hurley, and I are so lucky to have him!
I lalso have to thank our incredible parents. My Mum spent countless hours helping me do chores and projects around the house for the last few months during my nesting madness. Auntie Diane spent an entire day helping me pick up, clean, and put the finishing touches on Chris' office (she even bleached the sink in the basement bathroom/laundry room...it was GROSS). Our Moms also threw us an amazing shower back in May, it was beautiful and perfect.
My Dad has helped with plenty of projects around this place, too. He helped (and when I say "helped," he did most of it...) paint the guest room and Bentley's room, hang stuff - shelves, pictures, mirrors, and do plenty of other odds & ends on the to-do list. It was a huge help to both Chris and I - with Dad's help we slowly crossed things off Chris' "Honey Do" list.
Since Bentley's birth, our parents have been nothing short of amazing. Of course they were waiting anxiously at the hospital, along with Chris' brothers, for the munchkin to make his grand entrance into the world. Auntie Diane and Papa Joe stocked us up on groceries while we were in the hospital. Mum has been helping me with errands, grocery shopping, dinners/meals, you name it. Mum and Dad came with Bentley and I to a few Drs. appointments while Chris has been at work, since I am having a slow recovery. Auntie Diane and Papa Joe babysat Bentley so I could take our four-legged son to the vet to get his staples removed. Every time they are here, our parents help around the house - whether it is preparing meals, emptying the dishwasher, folding Bentley's laundry, or picking up (those bottles build up fast!).
Our brothers & sister (technically Chris' brothers and our sister-in-law, but I consider them my own blood so scratch that "in-law"status) have been wonderful. They have brought us dinner and given us GREAT advice on the whole pregnancy thing, having a newborn, and the many changes to come. My HAAS (long story) has listened to MANY pregnancy questions and stories, come with me to Drs. appointments, listened to my worries, and provided recovery tips for me since she's done it all before. She ran errands for me up at Babies R Us to grab a few last minute essentials after bringing Bentley home. (And brought us Sour Patch kids, which are like GOLD around here.)
Christopher and I are very fortunate and excited to have Bentley grow up close in proximity and in age to our niece (5 months) and nephew (almost 2).
Also, a big thank you to our Aunts and Uncles, cousins, and best friends (we REALLY have THE BEST friends anyone could ask for) for all of your calls, texts, emails, well wishes, & gifts...it has been amazing. The cards and calls just keep coming. Our friends have brought flowers, food, baby gifts...it is so incredible how much love little Bentley has in his life. We are incredibly fortunate to have such wonderful, loving family and friends.
We love you Mum & Dad, Auntie Diane & Papa Joe, Joey & Kristin, Gregory, and all of our family and friends who are ALWAYS there for us, no matter what.
BIG HUGS & THANKS FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!
XOXO
~E, Christopher, Bentley, & Hurley
First, I have to thank my amazing husband for taking care of me while I was a pregnant, ever-expanding, puking, whining mess of a wife. I don't think I mentioned that during my pregnancy, we completed a huge remodel in Strazz-Land that he worked his butt off to finish in a short window of time - he did the majority of the work himself, in between working, running his own business, and taking care of me. But I especially have to thank him for being the best "birth partner" (I guess that's what the husbands are called these days) EVER. He was by my side every step of the way during labor and delivery, and has taken wonderful care of me since - actually allowing me to sleep and recover. He is an amazing husband and Daddy - as I knew he would be - and we love him SOOOOOO much. Bentley, Hurley, and I are so lucky to have him!
I lalso have to thank our incredible parents. My Mum spent countless hours helping me do chores and projects around the house for the last few months during my nesting madness. Auntie Diane spent an entire day helping me pick up, clean, and put the finishing touches on Chris' office (she even bleached the sink in the basement bathroom/laundry room...it was GROSS). Our Moms also threw us an amazing shower back in May, it was beautiful and perfect.
My Dad has helped with plenty of projects around this place, too. He helped (and when I say "helped," he did most of it...) paint the guest room and Bentley's room, hang stuff - shelves, pictures, mirrors, and do plenty of other odds & ends on the to-do list. It was a huge help to both Chris and I - with Dad's help we slowly crossed things off Chris' "Honey Do" list.
Since Bentley's birth, our parents have been nothing short of amazing. Of course they were waiting anxiously at the hospital, along with Chris' brothers, for the munchkin to make his grand entrance into the world. Auntie Diane and Papa Joe stocked us up on groceries while we were in the hospital. Mum has been helping me with errands, grocery shopping, dinners/meals, you name it. Mum and Dad came with Bentley and I to a few Drs. appointments while Chris has been at work, since I am having a slow recovery. Auntie Diane and Papa Joe babysat Bentley so I could take our four-legged son to the vet to get his staples removed. Every time they are here, our parents help around the house - whether it is preparing meals, emptying the dishwasher, folding Bentley's laundry, or picking up (those bottles build up fast!).
Our brothers & sister (technically Chris' brothers and our sister-in-law, but I consider them my own blood so scratch that "in-law"status) have been wonderful. They have brought us dinner and given us GREAT advice on the whole pregnancy thing, having a newborn, and the many changes to come. My HAAS (long story) has listened to MANY pregnancy questions and stories, come with me to Drs. appointments, listened to my worries, and provided recovery tips for me since she's done it all before. She ran errands for me up at Babies R Us to grab a few last minute essentials after bringing Bentley home. (And brought us Sour Patch kids, which are like GOLD around here.)
Christopher and I are very fortunate and excited to have Bentley grow up close in proximity and in age to our niece (5 months) and nephew (almost 2).
Also, a big thank you to our Aunts and Uncles, cousins, and best friends (we REALLY have THE BEST friends anyone could ask for) for all of your calls, texts, emails, well wishes, & gifts...it has been amazing. The cards and calls just keep coming. Our friends have brought flowers, food, baby gifts...it is so incredible how much love little Bentley has in his life. We are incredibly fortunate to have such wonderful, loving family and friends.
We love you Mum & Dad, Auntie Diane & Papa Joe, Joey & Kristin, Gregory, and all of our family and friends who are ALWAYS there for us, no matter what.
BIG HUGS & THANKS FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!
XOXO
~E, Christopher, Bentley, & Hurley
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
BABY STRAZZ
I don't think it gets much cuter than this - thanks to Jeff & Kristin for this ADORABLE onesie!
And thanks to my husband for the ADORABLE baby to put in the ADORABLE onesie! ;)
Today I would also like to say Happy Birthday to Auntie Diane! XO
Have a great day!
~E
Monday, July 26, 2010
Bentley's Birth
Some of you may want the 411, some of you don't, so I'll keep it simple without the gross details...
Monday 7/12: Feeling pretty crampy and crummy. I had a hunch that something was going down this week...
Tuesday 7/13: Not feeling great again. Mum came over to help organize the guest room closet and dresser. I wasn't feeling well so she took me to my Drs. appointment in the afternoon. At my checkup I was 1 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced. We stopped at Panera on the way home and I had a MASSIVE sweating attack and had the shakes. People kept staring - good times. Nothing a little fountain Coke can't help though! When we got home I started having Braxton Hicks, which eventually went away.
Wednesday 7/14: Feeling pretty crampy again, a little better than the last two days though.
Thursday 7/15: When Christopher woke up for work, I started to feel some odd cramps - different than the crampiness I had before. These ones definitely had a set 'start' and 'end' to them, unlike anything to date. I told Chris to keep his phone handy just in case. I kept a rough time of when they were coming, and it was about 25 minutes in between - I only had about 4 or 5 and they stopped. Still didn't feel great during the day and then at about 8:30 PM the "cramps" came back. I only had about 3 and they were about 25 minutes apart again. I fell asleep at about 10:30...
Friday 7/16: Woke up at 12:30 to these annoying "cramps" again. At this point I couldn't figure out if they were real contractions or false labor, or what was going on since I was still a couple of weeks away from my due date. Sure enough, they kept coming and I couldn't sleep. I decided to do some odds & ends around the house. Mum had steamed the curtains a couple of weeks ago, but we got the rugs cleaned and I had to tuck them up off the floor so they were a little wrinkly - what better time than 2 AM to spray the curtains with Downy Wrinkle Release? I also decided to pick up the kitchen and some other things downstairs, and run the dishwasher. Still not tired, so I hopped on the computer. I figured just in case I would send off a couple of emails (did you get the baby pool email and notice it came at 3 AM?!). I tried to lay down again and decided I would try timing the cramps - at first they were about 25 minutes apart, down to 20, to 12-14 minutues for awhile, finally down to 7-9 minutes apart. I decided around 4 AM it was time to call the Drs. office - and the nurse confirmed these were in fact CONTRACTIONS. HUH?!!! But it wasn't time to go to the hospital, so I had to wait it out awhile. By 8:30 AM when the regular office hours started, I called in again - the contractions had become 4 to 5 minutes apart. The nurse suggested I lay down for an hour, drink three big glasses of water in case I was dehydrated, and call back. Well, 45 minutes later I lost my "plug" - EWWWW, sorry, that is the ONLY gross detail I'll share, I PROMISE!!! So, I called Christopher at work and told him it was time to head to the hospital.
We had most everything packed, so I hopped in the shower and put a few last minute things in our bag. And we were off!! Stopped to get gas and the hubby got himself some beef jerky for the car ride to the hospital. Fortunately we missed rush hour and arrived at the hospital around 11 AM. Exiting the elevator on the maternity floor I asked the nice receptionists to "help me." We got checked in and headed with a nurse to an Antenatal room, where they hooked me up to 1) a monitor to track the baby's heartbeat and 2) a monitor to track my contractions. The nurse checked me and I was still only 1 cm dilated but 90% effaced. It was too soon to admit me so we were sent on our way to wander the hospital for a few hours - let me tell you, walking around anywhere while having contractions is NOT FUN. We sat in the cafeteria and I felt like the center of attention, we walked up and down some stairs, we sat on a bench in the hallway where it felt like EVERYONE was staring, and then made our way to the ER waiting area where there was a TV for the hubby to watch the British Open. I was so uncomfortable the only place I could sit was the bathroom, so I disappeared to the nearest ladies room for awhile. When we headed back upstairs around 2:30 PM, I hadn't progressed at all. So guess what?!!! We had to go home. We had a "fun" ride home (by fun I mean miserable - I cried most of the way...) in rush hour traffic on the Pike.
When we got home I tried everything they suggested - Benadryl to try and sleep, walking around, sitting on the yoga ball, but nothing helped. The only things that helped the pain were sitting on the toilet - probably sounds weird, I know - and hot showers. I must have taken 5-6 showers. Mum and Dad brought me watermelon shebert with chocolate jimmies - yes, random, but I had been dying for it for a week - and I barfed it up (this is what I craved when I was first suspicious I was pregnant, and the week before I went into labor I was dying for it again...). At least it tasted good on the way down. I alternated laying down and showering, doing anything I could to help the pain, but it wouldn't go away! By the end of the day Friday it had been a solid 24 hours of contractions - and most of the time they were 3-5 minutes apart, which didn't give me much of a break.
Saturday 7/17: I jumped in the shower again early morning but the contractions were just becoming stronger. I finally decided to call the Drs. office again and they told me to come in. WOOHOOOOO!! We grabbed our bags, got Hurley situated, and headed out around 2:30 AM. Between contractions I was desperately hoping we wouldn't be sent home again. Well, I had only progressed 2 cm - at about 3:30 AM Saturday I was 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced. The Dr. did not feel comfortable sending me home since I was progressing, but by hospital standards I could not be admitted. So, she suggested we walk around AGAIN or get a snack?!! I couldn't bear it - so she said if there were enough nurses on duty she would give me an IV of meds to take the edge off and help me relax. But after checking, it was a no-go. I LOST it and was in hysterics after 28 hours of steady contractions and no sleep or food (puked everything up except 2 pieces of toast). After realizing how upset I was over the central system at the nurses' station (since I was hooked up to monitors), they opted to keep me under observation and give me 1) an IV of meds to help me relax & take the edge off and 2) a shot (in the butt - OUCH!!!) of anti-nausea meds. I started to relax and doze off when all of the sudden...POP...my water broke! It was about 5:30AM. From there it was a mad dash to get me admitted and shipped down the hall to a labor and delivery room. I got in my wheelchair between contractions (with towels and pads underneath me since I was non-stop leaking at this point, HAHA - I just kept saying "I'm leakinggggg") and I was "that" girl yelling in the hall while they wheeled me to our room.
Lucky for me, the Dr. had called down to anesthesia so that the anesthesiologist would be only a few minutes behind us - NOT so lucky for me that she forgot to put the "official" order into the system, which means he cannot technically administer the drugs yet. After a few screams down the hall by our nurse and demands to "find that Doctor" because "do you hear this girl?!" the order was in the system and I was on my way to HAPPY LAND. Let me tell you, the epidural is GLORIOUS!! It didn't hurt and Chris even watched him do it. At that point, I swear there were butterflies & rainbows all around. It was a happy place. There was one 'window' on my left side where I could still feel contractions (very common), but my wonderful nurse Tammi had him come back to fix it - he adjusted the thred a smidge. The OB on duty checked me around 8 AM and I was 6 cm already. From then on, Labor Room #12 was a happy place. Chris watched the British Open and I dozed off FINALLY. Tammi showed me my self-medicating button which we hit several times! At 10 AM I was 8 cm and 100% effaced - so I made a couple of phone calls! The parents were on their way. Another nap & more golf...12 PM I was 10 cm and ready to push. But I didn't quite feel the urge yet so we hung out and chatted with our nurse, Tammi. She was a saint. St. Tammi of Baby Nurse-hood, I love you. She made sure I pushed the self-medicating button, and then when I started to feel crampy again she called the anesthesiologist to give me a shot of pain meds - just enough to take that last edge off. By about 1:30 PM or a little after we started pushing - very low key, unlike what you see on TV. The lights were dim, we had our tunes on, and Chris had one leg, Tammi had the other. Push...push...push...he was right there...so Tammi got the OB and a nurse for Bentley...and at 2:35 PM on Saturday, July 17th (12 days early!), Bentley Christopher was born to the tune of Dave Matthews Band, Crash. Most first-time Moms push for 1-3 hours, but since I had 30 hours of early labor little Bentley was nice to his Mommy and came very easily, with under one hour of pushing.
They put him on my chest and his eyes were wide open, arms up in the air. He didn't cry or make any noise but within a few minutes the nurses said he was fine, just very chill - like his Daddy. I couldn't believe he was only 6 lbs / 11 oz! We were expecting at least an 8 pounder. Christopher went to be with him across the room while they cleaned him up, did his APGAR, and got him all wrapped up.
From there, I went down for the count. Started dozing off and didn't feel good - I asked Tammi for some juice but it didn't help. The next thing I know they were dropping the back of my bed to get my head down, oxygen mask, monitors on my fingers, cool cloths on my head, and I was shaking out of control. My lips turned blue apparently and blood pressure dropped. I guess I hemmorhaged pretty bad and lost a lot of blood. After I felt a little better, the families came in to meet Bentley (it was like we had paparazzi in our room), and I had two large Cokes (fountain soda - yummmm) and a turkey dinner with milk - which was PERFECT because this was one of my favorite pregnancy meals & drinks.
A couple of hours after the fam left, I developed a 102+ fever, high blood pressure, and high pulse. I had to have a couple of tests done and ended up receiving IV antibiotics for the rest of our stay. My fever broke and eventually my vitals leveled off. But when my blood was checked on Sunday morning my hematocrit count was only 21 (as a result of the hemmorhage I became very anemic), which is borderline blood transfusion. Since I was so young the Dr. really didn't want to transfuse so they kept me in bed and kept a close eye on me. Before discharge on Monday my count was the same, but the OB felt comfortable releasing me with antibiotics, big doses of iron, and under the condition that I needed to take it VERY slow and have my blood checked again in a week.
And here we are! So after 30 greuling hours of wondering why in the hell anyone would go through this more than once, 10 hours of labor in a "happy place" (well, mostly in a happy place...) and a slow recovery, we have a beautiful son (and yes, I'll do it again!).
Have a great day!
~E
Monday 7/12: Feeling pretty crampy and crummy. I had a hunch that something was going down this week...
Tuesday 7/13: Not feeling great again. Mum came over to help organize the guest room closet and dresser. I wasn't feeling well so she took me to my Drs. appointment in the afternoon. At my checkup I was 1 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced. We stopped at Panera on the way home and I had a MASSIVE sweating attack and had the shakes. People kept staring - good times. Nothing a little fountain Coke can't help though! When we got home I started having Braxton Hicks, which eventually went away.
Wednesday 7/14: Feeling pretty crampy again, a little better than the last two days though.
Thursday 7/15: When Christopher woke up for work, I started to feel some odd cramps - different than the crampiness I had before. These ones definitely had a set 'start' and 'end' to them, unlike anything to date. I told Chris to keep his phone handy just in case. I kept a rough time of when they were coming, and it was about 25 minutes in between - I only had about 4 or 5 and they stopped. Still didn't feel great during the day and then at about 8:30 PM the "cramps" came back. I only had about 3 and they were about 25 minutes apart again. I fell asleep at about 10:30...
Friday 7/16: Woke up at 12:30 to these annoying "cramps" again. At this point I couldn't figure out if they were real contractions or false labor, or what was going on since I was still a couple of weeks away from my due date. Sure enough, they kept coming and I couldn't sleep. I decided to do some odds & ends around the house. Mum had steamed the curtains a couple of weeks ago, but we got the rugs cleaned and I had to tuck them up off the floor so they were a little wrinkly - what better time than 2 AM to spray the curtains with Downy Wrinkle Release? I also decided to pick up the kitchen and some other things downstairs, and run the dishwasher. Still not tired, so I hopped on the computer. I figured just in case I would send off a couple of emails (did you get the baby pool email and notice it came at 3 AM?!). I tried to lay down again and decided I would try timing the cramps - at first they were about 25 minutes apart, down to 20, to 12-14 minutues for awhile, finally down to 7-9 minutes apart. I decided around 4 AM it was time to call the Drs. office - and the nurse confirmed these were in fact CONTRACTIONS. HUH?!!! But it wasn't time to go to the hospital, so I had to wait it out awhile. By 8:30 AM when the regular office hours started, I called in again - the contractions had become 4 to 5 minutes apart. The nurse suggested I lay down for an hour, drink three big glasses of water in case I was dehydrated, and call back. Well, 45 minutes later I lost my "plug" - EWWWW, sorry, that is the ONLY gross detail I'll share, I PROMISE!!! So, I called Christopher at work and told him it was time to head to the hospital.
We had most everything packed, so I hopped in the shower and put a few last minute things in our bag. And we were off!! Stopped to get gas and the hubby got himself some beef jerky for the car ride to the hospital. Fortunately we missed rush hour and arrived at the hospital around 11 AM. Exiting the elevator on the maternity floor I asked the nice receptionists to "help me." We got checked in and headed with a nurse to an Antenatal room, where they hooked me up to 1) a monitor to track the baby's heartbeat and 2) a monitor to track my contractions. The nurse checked me and I was still only 1 cm dilated but 90% effaced. It was too soon to admit me so we were sent on our way to wander the hospital for a few hours - let me tell you, walking around anywhere while having contractions is NOT FUN. We sat in the cafeteria and I felt like the center of attention, we walked up and down some stairs, we sat on a bench in the hallway where it felt like EVERYONE was staring, and then made our way to the ER waiting area where there was a TV for the hubby to watch the British Open. I was so uncomfortable the only place I could sit was the bathroom, so I disappeared to the nearest ladies room for awhile. When we headed back upstairs around 2:30 PM, I hadn't progressed at all. So guess what?!!! We had to go home. We had a "fun" ride home (by fun I mean miserable - I cried most of the way...) in rush hour traffic on the Pike.
When we got home I tried everything they suggested - Benadryl to try and sleep, walking around, sitting on the yoga ball, but nothing helped. The only things that helped the pain were sitting on the toilet - probably sounds weird, I know - and hot showers. I must have taken 5-6 showers. Mum and Dad brought me watermelon shebert with chocolate jimmies - yes, random, but I had been dying for it for a week - and I barfed it up (this is what I craved when I was first suspicious I was pregnant, and the week before I went into labor I was dying for it again...). At least it tasted good on the way down. I alternated laying down and showering, doing anything I could to help the pain, but it wouldn't go away! By the end of the day Friday it had been a solid 24 hours of contractions - and most of the time they were 3-5 minutes apart, which didn't give me much of a break.
Saturday 7/17: I jumped in the shower again early morning but the contractions were just becoming stronger. I finally decided to call the Drs. office again and they told me to come in. WOOHOOOOO!! We grabbed our bags, got Hurley situated, and headed out around 2:30 AM. Between contractions I was desperately hoping we wouldn't be sent home again. Well, I had only progressed 2 cm - at about 3:30 AM Saturday I was 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced. The Dr. did not feel comfortable sending me home since I was progressing, but by hospital standards I could not be admitted. So, she suggested we walk around AGAIN or get a snack?!! I couldn't bear it - so she said if there were enough nurses on duty she would give me an IV of meds to take the edge off and help me relax. But after checking, it was a no-go. I LOST it and was in hysterics after 28 hours of steady contractions and no sleep or food (puked everything up except 2 pieces of toast). After realizing how upset I was over the central system at the nurses' station (since I was hooked up to monitors), they opted to keep me under observation and give me 1) an IV of meds to help me relax & take the edge off and 2) a shot (in the butt - OUCH!!!) of anti-nausea meds. I started to relax and doze off when all of the sudden...POP...my water broke! It was about 5:30AM. From there it was a mad dash to get me admitted and shipped down the hall to a labor and delivery room. I got in my wheelchair between contractions (with towels and pads underneath me since I was non-stop leaking at this point, HAHA - I just kept saying "I'm leakinggggg") and I was "that" girl yelling in the hall while they wheeled me to our room.
Lucky for me, the Dr. had called down to anesthesia so that the anesthesiologist would be only a few minutes behind us - NOT so lucky for me that she forgot to put the "official" order into the system, which means he cannot technically administer the drugs yet. After a few screams down the hall by our nurse and demands to "find that Doctor" because "do you hear this girl?!" the order was in the system and I was on my way to HAPPY LAND. Let me tell you, the epidural is GLORIOUS!! It didn't hurt and Chris even watched him do it. At that point, I swear there were butterflies & rainbows all around. It was a happy place. There was one 'window' on my left side where I could still feel contractions (very common), but my wonderful nurse Tammi had him come back to fix it - he adjusted the thred a smidge. The OB on duty checked me around 8 AM and I was 6 cm already. From then on, Labor Room #12 was a happy place. Chris watched the British Open and I dozed off FINALLY. Tammi showed me my self-medicating button which we hit several times! At 10 AM I was 8 cm and 100% effaced - so I made a couple of phone calls! The parents were on their way. Another nap & more golf...12 PM I was 10 cm and ready to push. But I didn't quite feel the urge yet so we hung out and chatted with our nurse, Tammi. She was a saint. St. Tammi of Baby Nurse-hood, I love you. She made sure I pushed the self-medicating button, and then when I started to feel crampy again she called the anesthesiologist to give me a shot of pain meds - just enough to take that last edge off. By about 1:30 PM or a little after we started pushing - very low key, unlike what you see on TV. The lights were dim, we had our tunes on, and Chris had one leg, Tammi had the other. Push...push...push...he was right there...so Tammi got the OB and a nurse for Bentley...and at 2:35 PM on Saturday, July 17th (12 days early!), Bentley Christopher was born to the tune of Dave Matthews Band, Crash. Most first-time Moms push for 1-3 hours, but since I had 30 hours of early labor little Bentley was nice to his Mommy and came very easily, with under one hour of pushing.
They put him on my chest and his eyes were wide open, arms up in the air. He didn't cry or make any noise but within a few minutes the nurses said he was fine, just very chill - like his Daddy. I couldn't believe he was only 6 lbs / 11 oz! We were expecting at least an 8 pounder. Christopher went to be with him across the room while they cleaned him up, did his APGAR, and got him all wrapped up.
From there, I went down for the count. Started dozing off and didn't feel good - I asked Tammi for some juice but it didn't help. The next thing I know they were dropping the back of my bed to get my head down, oxygen mask, monitors on my fingers, cool cloths on my head, and I was shaking out of control. My lips turned blue apparently and blood pressure dropped. I guess I hemmorhaged pretty bad and lost a lot of blood. After I felt a little better, the families came in to meet Bentley (it was like we had paparazzi in our room), and I had two large Cokes (fountain soda - yummmm) and a turkey dinner with milk - which was PERFECT because this was one of my favorite pregnancy meals & drinks.
A couple of hours after the fam left, I developed a 102+ fever, high blood pressure, and high pulse. I had to have a couple of tests done and ended up receiving IV antibiotics for the rest of our stay. My fever broke and eventually my vitals leveled off. But when my blood was checked on Sunday morning my hematocrit count was only 21 (as a result of the hemmorhage I became very anemic), which is borderline blood transfusion. Since I was so young the Dr. really didn't want to transfuse so they kept me in bed and kept a close eye on me. Before discharge on Monday my count was the same, but the OB felt comfortable releasing me with antibiotics, big doses of iron, and under the condition that I needed to take it VERY slow and have my blood checked again in a week.
And here we are! So after 30 greuling hours of wondering why in the hell anyone would go through this more than once, 10 hours of labor in a "happy place" (well, mostly in a happy place...) and a slow recovery, we have a beautiful son (and yes, I'll do it again!).
Have a great day!
~E
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Our Handsome Man!
In addition to the ones I've already posted, here are a few of my absolute FAVORITE Baby Bentley pics so far...in his first week home...
All wrapped up on his first day home.
Holding Mommy's finger with one hand, on the "phone" with the other.
Bentley's thinking pose.
On the "phone" again! Hello, Daddy? Are you there?
First thumb suck ~ like his Mama!
Sleeping with his mouth wide open ~ like his Daddy!
Gorgeous!
After his first sponge bath.
Nice faux hawk!
Look at that hair!
Just can't get enough of him!
Have a great day!
~E
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Happy Anniversary, M&D!
Again, another reason I may get shot...but today is my Mum & Dad's Anniversary. And I'm going to get REALLY crazy here and tell you they've been married for 39 YEARS! 39 FREAKIN' YEARS, people?!! And then they had me - their most prized accomplishment yet. NOTTTTT. ;)
Although I would LOVE to share an original wedding pic, I won't. But...it's hanging on my gallery wall and would be so EASY. Nope, I can't. You would find me buried in a ditch somewhere. (We really aren't violent people, HAHA! I'm just teasing!)
A GRANDCHILD!
I know, we are very thoughtful like that. It took a lot of thought & planning.
*Mum will like this pic, so I posted it for her viewing pleasure. Pretty Cape Cod purple hydrangea.*
Happy Anniversary, M&D ~ here's to many more!
XOXO
~E, Christopher, Bentley, & Hurley
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
INDRODUCING...
BABY BENTLEY!
Bentley Christopher Strazzulla
July 17, 2010
2:35 PM
6 Lbs 11 Oz / 21 Inches
We are very much in love with Mr. Bentley and so thankful for a healthy son. Thanks so much for all of your calls, texts, emails and well wishes. Slowly but surely we will catch up with you all!
More to come...
~E
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
PROJECT = Earring Holder
For a LONG time now, I've needed a place to organize my jewelry - especially my earrings. They had taken over an entire LARGE shelf in our bathroom cabinet - the cabinet had 'thrown up' an assortment of earrings, bracelets, necklaces, etc. - and this stuff was slowly but surely creeping into Christopher's space (he doesn't have much to begin with).
Then the light bulb went on (it doesn't happen often, and being married to an electrician it should happen A LOT more)...I needed an earring display/holder. Checked out Etsy, found a cute one at Urban Outfitters, but I couldn't bring myself to buy one.
So I made one...
I have LOTS of frames lying around, so I grabbed a large one that I had broken the glass on so I couldn't use it anyways. A quick sanding, a coat of primer, a few coats of one of my FAV turquoise paints again and TA DA - step #1 complete. Now step #2 - what the heck do you hang the earrings on (you know, the important part)?? Well, my friend has a chicken coop and I asked her if I could use some chicken coop wire. She was kind enough to snip some extra for me. My handyman cut it to size and attached it inside the back of the frame (in some clever way that he deserves a pat on the back for). AND LOOK!
Then the light bulb went on (it doesn't happen often, and being married to an electrician it should happen A LOT more)...I needed an earring display/holder. Checked out Etsy, found a cute one at Urban Outfitters, but I couldn't bring myself to buy one.
So I made one...
I have LOTS of frames lying around, so I grabbed a large one that I had broken the glass on so I couldn't use it anyways. A quick sanding, a coat of primer, a few coats of one of my FAV turquoise paints again and TA DA - step #1 complete. Now step #2 - what the heck do you hang the earrings on (you know, the important part)?? Well, my friend has a chicken coop and I asked her if I could use some chicken coop wire. She was kind enough to snip some extra for me. My handyman cut it to size and attached it inside the back of the frame (in some clever way that he deserves a pat on the back for). AND LOOK!
Cute, easy, and now my hubby can have some space in the bathroom cabinet back! (I'll just take over more space in the closet instead...HEHE...evil laugh). (Oh, and not even $1 spent on supplies!)
Do you have any fun ideas for jewelry holders?
~E
Do you have any fun ideas for jewelry holders?
~E
Monday, July 19, 2010
Happy Birthday, Dad!
Today is my Dad's birthday. He may kill me for posting this. If you don't hear from me for a few days, well, this is why. ;) (OR, I am in labor early...)
Happy Birthday, Dad! Like every year, he will say that he's old, he doesn't want to celebrate...blah blah blah...SHENANIGANS! I have the best Dad in the world! He's YOUNG, fun, a little crazy (in a good way!), an insanely hard worker, loves me no matter what (REALLY, no matter what!), loves Chris like his own son, and will be the greatest Grandad (or whatever name he decides...) in the world. He's already a fantastic Grandad to his grand-pup, Hurley.
If I could control mother nature, I would have this kid today so that he could share your birthday. (And selfishly, so that I could stop sweating and being uncomfortable...hehe.)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Have a frosty cold beer for me?
XOXO
~E, Christopher, Baby Strazz, & Hurley
Happy Birthday, Dad! Like every year, he will say that he's old, he doesn't want to celebrate...blah blah blah...SHENANIGANS! I have the best Dad in the world! He's YOUNG, fun, a little crazy (in a good way!), an insanely hard worker, loves me no matter what (REALLY, no matter what!), loves Chris like his own son, and will be the greatest Grandad (or whatever name he decides...) in the world. He's already a fantastic Grandad to his grand-pup, Hurley.
If I could control mother nature, I would have this kid today so that he could share your birthday. (And selfishly, so that I could stop sweating and being uncomfortable...hehe.)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Have a frosty cold beer for me?
XOXO
~E, Christopher, Baby Strazz, & Hurley
Saturday, July 17, 2010
BLUE Hydrangea in Strazz-Land!
I'm going to be a REAL housewife geek here for a minute. Bear with me. I LOVE flowers, and I like to garden. Our house has so many flower beds (developed before our time here) it's tough to keep up with, but we try - for the most part, unsuccessfully. For the last couple of years, we've tried to pick a single bed and focus on it. First was the side garden - which I made into my perennial bed, then was the front of the house - we tore out HUGE bushes and put in hydrangea, third was a garden in the middle of the back yard - which has blueberry bushes, and I like to add seeded annuals. This year for obvious reasons I haven't been able to weed & keep up - it shows! The beds looked great in May, not so much anymore.
I have one saving grace this year - my hydrangea are BLUE! Hydrangea are one of my MOST favorite flowers. For my wedding shower, my Mum worked with the florist to get the most gorgeous blue hydrangea, I think they were flown in from Holland. I've never seen anything like them! Every time we go to the Cape, I drool over my mother-in-law's hydrangea bushes, and all of the beautiful blooms on the way to the beach. Most are a deep blue. And if not blue, they are a beautiful deep purple color. No matter what I've done to mine the past couple of years, they are light periwinkle colored. The soil, I know...blah blah blah...but I.WANT.BLUE. (That was me throwing a hydrangea tantrum).
Go figure - I put nothing on them this year and they are the deepest blue they've ever been. Not big blooms, but blueeeeeeee ones. I LOVE them!
Go figure - I put nothing on them this year and they are the deepest blue they've ever been. Not big blooms, but blueeeeeeee ones. I LOVE them!
I welcome any hydrangea tips out there! Send 'em my way!
Have a great day!
Have a great day!
~E
Friday, July 16, 2010
Where am I? What day is it?
Today I'll tell you about a little thing called "baby brain." Hopefully it will bring you a Friday laugh at my expense! Let me tell you, baby brain is a VERY real phenomenon. Just ask my husband. Here are just a few of the most IDIOTIC things I've done over the last 9 months, in no special order:
1. I pulled up to Dunkin Donuts and tried to pay with my license instead of debit card. The nice lady at the window told me she wishes she could take my license for payment but couldn't.
1. I pulled up to Dunkin Donuts and tried to pay with my license instead of debit card. The nice lady at the window told me she wishes she could take my license for payment but couldn't.
2. I bought a new bedskirt for our master bedroom. After putting it on, I couldn't figure out why the damn thing was so short - it barely covered the MATTRESS...well, Mum came over later that day to help with some things and realized that dumbo preggers was putting it on top of the mattress instead of underneath it. DUHHH.
3. I've now been to 38 weeks worth of Drs. appointments at the same office/location - yet most visits I've gotten lost and gone the complete wrong direction on the highway. I was really proud of myself when for the first time in months I went the right direction/exit on the highway - until I proceeded about 4-5 exits past the hospital exit I was supposed to take, then went to the wrong floor as well. I would say by week 32 maybe, I finally got it down.
4. This is a good one...how about the night I ran out of gas - at 9PM on one of the coldest nights of the year. I had to call Christopher to bring me gas (fortunately I was only about 5-6 miles from home). While waiting I wolfed down leftover Bertuccis pizza in my car with a cop stopped behind me - police flood light and all - to make sure I was OK. Now you're talking to someone who, until my new car a few years ago with its electronic gas reader thing - that gauge that tells you how many miles you have left, NEVER let my gas get below 1/4 tank. Ugh.
5. While being a good housewife and paying all of the bills - or so I thought - I inadvertently paid several hundred dollars towards our gym membership instead of our credit card. While paying the bills online, I put the dollar amount into the wrong online "biller" because the gym biller was directly above the credit card biller. Then the next month when our credit card balance was high Chris realized something was wrong. It took a call to the nice lady at the bank to figure it out (she laughed at me). Ummm YA something was wrong, I paid off our gym membership for years! (Don't worry, we are getting a credit from the gym for the full amount. They thought it was funny, too.)
REALLY?!?! What a flake I've been! This does not include the number of times I've forgotten what day it is, what my birthday is, account numbers, or asked Chris the same question 10 times because I kept forgetting I already asked him.
I bet this doesn't even scrape the surface either - but I can't remember anything else! BECAUSE OF BABY BRAIN!
Enjoy the weekend!
~E
Thursday, July 15, 2010
My BABY DADDY
I need to give a SHOUT OUT to my Christopher, my hubby, my BABY DADDY. He always takes good care of me but the last 9 months - let me tell you, this kid has been an ALL STAR. Even through a completely nuts-o pregnancy meltdown, he holds himself together and has been able to laugh it off (and believe me, it's been comical). My partner-in-crime has put up with my:
1. Mood swings
2. Meltdowns
3. Cravings - He ALWAYS knows to promptly feed me.
4. Growing body parts - Enough said.
5. Extreme nesting
6. Odd & random projects around the house (like hanging things!)
7. Incessant calling during the day for no apparent reason
8. BARFING - The poor kid has been driving while I'm barfing into a bag in the passenger's seat.
9. Messiness - I'm usually pretty neat but not in months 2-7 1/2. I leave a tornado of stuff behind me wherever I go.
10. Excessive body temperature - I am HOT, and I take up the entire bed with my belly & body pillow. And he hasn't moved to the guest room yet.
If you ask him, I'm sure he will come up with another 10 things. If I could illustrate the last 9 months for him - it would be this...
You get the idea. No need to pick on the fatty pregnant lady too much here!
This kid is the love of my life and my best friend. He is the best BABY DADDY anyone could ask for. He's been such a trooper and I love him so much for it. I'm a pretty lucky gal. ;)
So, thanks to my Christopher. ILY. It will be you until the end with me...ALWAYS.
~E
1. Mood swings
2. Meltdowns
3. Cravings - He ALWAYS knows to promptly feed me.
4. Growing body parts - Enough said.
5. Extreme nesting
6. Odd & random projects around the house (like hanging things!)
7. Incessant calling during the day for no apparent reason
8. BARFING - The poor kid has been driving while I'm barfing into a bag in the passenger's seat.
9. Messiness - I'm usually pretty neat but not in months 2-7 1/2. I leave a tornado of stuff behind me wherever I go.
10. Excessive body temperature - I am HOT, and I take up the entire bed with my belly & body pillow. And he hasn't moved to the guest room yet.
If you ask him, I'm sure he will come up with another 10 things. If I could illustrate the last 9 months for him - it would be this...
You get the idea. No need to pick on the fatty pregnant lady too much here!
This kid is the love of my life and my best friend. He is the best BABY DADDY anyone could ask for. He's been such a trooper and I love him so much for it. I'm a pretty lucky gal. ;)
So, thanks to my Christopher. ILY. It will be you until the end with me...ALWAYS.
~E
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Vegas, Baby
The title of this post says it all...VEGAS....BABY...
This time last year we were sitting at the pool at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas with our wonderful friends Jeff & Kristin (SHOUT OUT!). IT.WAS.FANTASTIC. Great company, great weather, great food & drinks, GREAT times! Fast forward 1 year...
I am hot, swollen, the size of a house...and Christopher and I will soon be parents. Vegas = completely irresponsible. Parents = the ultimate responsibility. (PANIC!)
Let me illustrate for you.
You get the idea, right?! What a difference a year makes!
And last year at this time our friends got "pretend" hitched...but this year marks a REAL engagement...YAY! We are sooo happy for you...ily.
In my last remarks here, I will say R.I.P. Misty. ;)
Have a great day!
~E
This time last year we were sitting at the pool at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas with our wonderful friends Jeff & Kristin (SHOUT OUT!). IT.WAS.FANTASTIC. Great company, great weather, great food & drinks, GREAT times! Fast forward 1 year...
I am hot, swollen, the size of a house...and Christopher and I will soon be parents. Vegas = completely irresponsible. Parents = the ultimate responsibility. (PANIC!)
Let me illustrate for you.
LAST YEAR
THIS YEAR
(Here I think you are witnessing us wondering where the heck this "thing" came from...at 7 months along?!?!)
You get the idea, right?! What a difference a year makes!
And last year at this time our friends got "pretend" hitched...but this year marks a REAL engagement...YAY! We are sooo happy for you...ily.
In my last remarks here, I will say R.I.P. Misty. ;)
Have a great day!
~E
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
More EXCITEMENT in Blog-Land!
Another one of the fabulous blogs I follow is called Spearmint Baby. The author and her husband started a blog after having their daughter a couple of years ago, and they just welcomed a son as well. Topics range from pregnancy information to products for baby/Mom to nursery pictures and inspiration. I sent in the pictures of Bob's nursery and...we made the cut! Bob's pad is a FEATURED NURSERY! WOOHOO! CHECK IT OUT HERE!
Thanks to Shari & Spearmint Baby!
~E
Thanks to Shari & Spearmint Baby!
~E
Nursery "Treasures"
As a follow up to yesterday's nursery reveal, I wanted to share some (what I consider to be...) little treasures in the room. I love family tradition, old family photos, heirlooms and items that have been passed down, and especially thoughtful things from family & friends. Call me sentimental! It warms my chubby little (actually, its probably big & swollen) pregnant heart.
This is one of my FAV pics of Christopher & I (and trust me, I have A LOT), hanging outside the nursery door. Last summer we went to Las Vegas with friends and renewed our vows at THE Little White Wedding Chapel. Yup, I'm a geek like that. And our son should be proud of his crazy Mama & Daddy!
When Chris and his brothers were little, his parents would read them short stories from Aesop's Fables. For Christmas this year, we each got our own copy.
This little guy was Christopher's when he was just a wee-boy.
A couple of baby pics of the soon-to-be-parents (still a scary thought, I really think we should have been screened for this!!!).
My Nana knitted this for my Mum & Dad before I was born. I love having different items from our grandparents. This will be traveling to the hospital with us.
These teddies are from our grandmothers. The reddish one on the left was handmade by Chris' Dama. The one on the right - his name is "Bunky" - was one of my favorite teddies growing up, given to me by my Gram.
If you looked at the nursery pics, I bet you were wondering what the H-E-double-hockey-stix that wood/boat "thing" is hanging in the corner? My Dad made it (I think with my Gram maybe...) back in the day (come on, you can't tell it's from the 70's?!). It's a ship made of wood & copper. I think it was stuffed in the basement somewhere at their house. My Mum can't stand it. I can't give it up though. Think what you will but for now, it's staying!
I have some incredibly sweet clients as well. This baby blanket was handmade - in my favorite colors!! And these adorable hangers traveled all the way here from Australia.
And last but CERTAINLY not least - this guy!!! The MOST handsome, loveable, cuddly, adorable big brother Baby Strazz could ever imagine! OH, UNCLE HURLEY, you make my heart melt.
Thanks so much to our parents, families, and friends for all of your amazing gifts! I PROMISE I am working on thank you notes, I'm just very SLOW. ;)
Have a great day!
~E
This is one of my FAV pics of Christopher & I (and trust me, I have A LOT), hanging outside the nursery door. Last summer we went to Las Vegas with friends and renewed our vows at THE Little White Wedding Chapel. Yup, I'm a geek like that. And our son should be proud of his crazy Mama & Daddy!
This little guy was Christopher's when he was just a wee-boy.
A couple of baby pics of the soon-to-be-parents (still a scary thought, I really think we should have been screened for this!!!).
My Nana knitted this for my Mum & Dad before I was born. I love having different items from our grandparents. This will be traveling to the hospital with us.
These teddies are from our grandmothers. The reddish one on the left was handmade by Chris' Dama. The one on the right - his name is "Bunky" - was one of my favorite teddies growing up, given to me by my Gram.
To add to the gang, we have a little blue guy from my Mum & Dad (grandparent names TBD!) and a white teddy from DeDe & Dup (Chris' Mom & Dad).
If you looked at the nursery pics, I bet you were wondering what the H-E-double-hockey-stix that wood/boat "thing" is hanging in the corner? My Dad made it (I think with my Gram maybe...) back in the day (come on, you can't tell it's from the 70's?!). It's a ship made of wood & copper. I think it was stuffed in the basement somewhere at their house. My Mum can't stand it. I can't give it up though. Think what you will but for now, it's staying!
I have some incredibly sweet clients as well. This baby blanket was handmade - in my favorite colors!! And these adorable hangers traveled all the way here from Australia.
And last but CERTAINLY not least - this guy!!! The MOST handsome, loveable, cuddly, adorable big brother Baby Strazz could ever imagine! OH, UNCLE HURLEY, you make my heart melt.
Thanks so much to our parents, families, and friends for all of your amazing gifts! I PROMISE I am working on thank you notes, I'm just very SLOW. ;)
Have a great day!
~E
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