Another one...

I'm feeling a little uninspired about coming up with my own blog posts...so I copied another one of those little survey things. This one is about having babies...I'll use E for Ella and H for Hailey...

Child/Children's Age?
E: 3 years
H: 21 months

Name?
Ella Grace
Hailey Jane

Birthday?
E: 4/13/05
H: 10/5/06

Time of birth?
E: 5:30 am (I think)
H: 1:30 pm (I think)

How long did labor last?
E: 12 hours exactly from the start of the induction to the delivery
H: 12 hours from the time of early labor to the time of delivery...only about 4 hours of really active labor though

Who was in the room when baby was born?
E: Grant, Wendy, Dr. Dunlop, my nurse Heather, baby's nurse Lola
H: Grant, Wendy, Dr. Ortolano, my nurse Trish, baby's nurse Kim
(I only remember the nurse's names b/c I work with them!)

How long did you push?
E: 25 minutes (not too bad for a first baby)
H: 5 minutes (she basically fell out!)

Weight?
E: 7 lbs 9oz
H: 7lbs 3 oz

Length?
E: 19 inches
H: 20 inches

ANY HAIR?
E: lots of dark hair...which really through me for a loop b/c I was expecting blond or red
H: again...lots of dark hair

Who does baby look like?
E: Like dad from the start
H: They handed her to me and I said out loud "She doesn't look like anybody"...now I think she looks more like me

Have you lost it all?
E: lost all of it right away
H: lost all of it right away...then gained it all back :(

Was baby early or late?
E: Induced one week early due to gestational diabetes
H: Was supposed to be induced one week early because of the diabetes again, but decided to come on her one a week and a half early...I wasn't too sad about that!

Who drove you home from the hospital?
Grant

How many baby showers did you have?
Two for each...one with friends and family and one with my coworkers!

When did baby start sleeping through the night?
E: I think around 7-8 months
H: 11 almost 12 months

Did you breastfeed?
E: 11 months until I got prego again with H and just couldn't keep up with it
H: She still hasn't totally given it up at 21 months...I think we're close though

Who keeps your baby the most?
I do!!! Until a few months ago they were always in the care of either Grant or I (or a family member here and there) Now they go to daycare 2 days a week.

How did you pick the name?
We had a really hard time picking names. A little while before I had Ella my mom was telling me about some aunts she had named Ella and Sophie...I really liked them both. We went into the delivery with the names Ella and Kaylin. In the end I let Grant decide. Grant wanted to name her Grace, but I liked it more for a middle name.
For Hailey we went into the delivery each with 3 names picked out. Mine were Ava, Molly, and Alyssa...Grants were Hailey, Alexis, and I can't remember his third. Again, I let Grant make the final decision. Jane is her middle name and we just both liked the way it sounded with Hailey. Neither of them were named until they were like half a day old!

How did you know when it was time to go to hospital?
E: I went in two times with false labor. I had a ton of contractions but no change. Finally I went in for a scheduled induction.
H: I went in one night with really bad back pain thinking I had another kidney stone. They were just about to send me home and decided to check me again and I had gone from a 2 to a 4 in one hour. So it wasn't a kidney stone it was labor :) A little while after that my water broke on it's one. Then it all stalled and I was stuck at 4. A tiny bit of pitocin and I was on my way to delivery in just a couple of hours!

Did you go home or somewhere else when you left the hospital?
I think we went to the store to fill my prescriptions and get some food, then came right home!

Anyone spend the night with you first night home?
Nope...just me and Grant!

Did you cry the first time you held your baby?
E: No, but I couldn't stop smiling!
H: Bawled my eyes out...I think I was just so relieved it was over! It was not a great pregnancy!

Who cut the cord?
E: Grant...and blood squirted all over him!
H: Grant again, this time he did it better!

Where was the baby born?
Kadlec Medical Center

Did you video tape the birth?
E: We started video taping right after the birth
H: We had the camera all set up from behind (so you couldn't see the actual birth but could get the picture) Well, Dr. Ortolano came in and raised the bed way up b/c he is very tall, and nobody thought to move the camera, so you can hear everything going on, but can't see much!

Are you happy with how things turned out?
Absolutely. I had really crappy pregnancy's..but awesome deliveries.

Do you want to have another?
Yes, probably one more...not sure when though...

And sometimes what you do really does matter...

The other day at work a former tiny preemie came in on her 16th birthday to bring us Cinnamon rolls and just to visit. Her Grandmother came with her and wrote to us one of the most beautiful letters I have ever read! I wasn't a nurse when she was born...nor even thinking of being a nurse...but her Grandmother's letter really struck a cord with me. Made me feel like even when I am so exhausted at the end of a 12 hour shift..my back and feet aching...that what I am doing is making such a huge difference in the lives of so many other people. It is not just about the baby, or the mom...it is about the entire unit of people that are a part of that little miracle's life! The line in the letter that struck me the most was this "Babies don't thrive on skills alone. You all bring such tenderness and devotion to each one."
I think sometimes we get wrapped up in the nursing skills we need to preform, along with the charting, the stocking, etc...which are important...don't get me wrong. However; I think we sometimes forget to give ourselves credit for the wonderful human touch we give as well. That Grandmother was right...if we just relied on skill alone, those babies would not grow and thrive like they do.
So, I just wanted to take a second to give all of the amazing nurses I know credit for what they do without even knowing they are doing it. It is what makes us who we are...and what an awesome group to be a part of!

Another distraction

Just another thing to keep me away from what I should be doing, like say, cleaning my house!!

50 ODD Things about you! If you opened this, FILL IT OUT! Learn 50
things about your friends, and let them learn 50 things about you!

1) Do you like blue cheese?
kind of...on a salad
2) Have you ever smoked heroin?
no, never even seen it, never wanted to see it...when I found out that celebrity Tatum O'Neil was arrested for buying crack cocaine I had to Google it b/c I had no idea what it was
3) Do you own a gun?
not even a plastic one for the kids
4) What flavor do you add to your drink at sonic?
I have just discovered sonic...I like a cherry lemonade
5) Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Sometimes...I don't like being weighed
6) What do you think of hot dogs?
Not a big fan..every now and then I'll get a crazy craving for one and then I remember why I don't like them
7) Favorite Christmas song?
Silent night
8) What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
I used to be a regular latte drinker but haven't had much of a taste for it lately
9) Can you do push ups?
I really haven't tried in a while
10) Can you do a pull up
again, don't know when the last time I tried was!!
11) What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
I love jewelry, I don't know if I could come up with a favorite. Probably my most recent fav is the green beaded necklace my SIL made for me last Christmas. I like making jewelry also.
12) Favorite hobby?
Lately I'd have to say swimming with the kids
13) Ever been in a car wreck?
a small one
14) Do you have A.D.D.?
no
15) What's one trait that you love about yourself?
my ability to listen
16) Middle name?
Marie, after my Grandma Myrna...who is still kicking
17) Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
I need to clean up
I need to do dishes
I need to do laundry
(Not the greatest thoughts!)
18) Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
Lunch at the hospital
A Pepsi
My pass into the "biggest looser" contest at work
19) Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
iced tea, Pepsi, water
20) Current worry
Worried about Grant leaving to Houston for 2 weeks at the end of the month
21) Current hate right now?
my weight
22)Can you speak any different languages?
a little Spanish
23) How did you bring in the New Year?
I don't know if I was even awake? Probably in bed by 10
24) Where would you like to go?
Hawaii or New York
25) Name three people who will complete this?
that is anyone's guess, maybe Wendy will do it on her blog
26) Do you own slippers?
yeah..don't wear them very often though, every now and then
27) What shirt are you wearing?
pinkish peach v-neck with a white cami under
28) Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
not sure I ever have
29) Can you whistle?
Yes
30) Favorite color?
pink or red
31) Would you be a pirate?
I don't think I have it in me
32) What songs do you sing in the shower?
I don't sing in the shower, just focus and get it done!
33) Favorite girl's name?
Ella and Hailey I also love the name Leah, but Grant wouldn't let me name Hailey that
34) Favorite boy's name?
Jackson
35) What's in your pocket?
nothing
36) Last thing that made you laugh?
Watching Hailey and Nolan run in the sprinklers naked with their little round bubble butts!
37) Best bed sheets as a child?
i don't think i had special ones, but my mom never put a top sheet on our beds
38) Worst injury you've ever had?
whatever I did to my back when I was pregnant with Hailey. I think it really sealed the deal when I fell down the garage steps while 8 months pregnant. It hurt then and has never really gotten better...
39) Do you love where you live?
I do...we have a nice neighborhood...lots of kids and nice neighbors
40) How many TVs do you have in your house/apartment?
3
41) Who is your loudest friend?
I can't think of who...maybe Denise at work!
42) How many dogs do you have?
none...not really a pet person
43) Does someone love you?
of course
44) Favorite childhood memory?
meeting up with all my family at the river every weekend to barbecue and boat on the river, and playing with my little sis
45) What are you currently reading?
People magazine
46) What is your favorite candy?
Hersey with almond
47) something you've learned recently?
That I really CAN push through the hard times
48) What song do you want played at your funeral?
Elton John's Candle in the Wind
49) What were you doing 12 AM last night?
Passed out...I took a sleeping pill
50) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
Can I please go back to bed!!!