welcome home

Cora comes home and her first few weeks can be summed up pretty easily....she sleeps, she eats, she cries, she poops...I nurse, I eat, I cry, and I don't sleep much. Pretty glamourous, I know. My Mom and Dad were there for the first week, and it was great to have their help and good company. My bed was made every morning for a week straight...I think that's a record for me, thanks Mom. Once my parents left, Kathy stepped in and helped me get some much needed rest during the day. Josh and I were/are really lucky to have such great help. During this stage we had a lot of fun just looking at and holding Cora while she slept in our arms all the time. I think overall we adjusted pretty well, I'm glad I'm not as hormonal anymore...so is Josh :).

we had fun taking lots of pictures of this sleeping cutie

aunt hannie

grammy and pop

this was after our first night at home...phew, we made it

Cora's first bath from Grandma, she didn't like it so much

Great Grandma P

Aunt Lois loves Cora

Uncle Dan got a squeeze in too

she found her thumb a few times in her first weeks

cute baby, cute dad

Grandma

Jane would say, 'hold Cora please' and hold her hands out

hard to say goodbye

ahhh...

Auntie Tina, Katherine and Rachel

so cozy in Grammy's arms

cora mae

On the eve of June 12th, we packed our bags for a family trip to Stony Brook University Hospital. I hardly slept that night...with all the nerves and excitement to meet our baby girl the next morning. At 7:30am Josh dropped me off at the front of the hospital. I anxiously approached the labor and delivery unit. There was a little bell at the desk and I rang it..."hello, one ticket for a c-section please". The hospital was nice and quiet that morning...I guess all the residents' had graduation, so only attending Dr.s were in the hospital :). After being admitted, we went to pre-op to have an ultrasound to double check if she was still breech. Of course she was, so they gave me this nasty drink to guzzle and we headed for the operating room. It was freezing in the operating room and they immediately asked me to sit up on the table and lean over for the epidural. I was shaking uncontrollably I was so nervous, but before I knew it they asked me to lay down quickly before I didn't have any feeling in my legs. All I felt was a tiny pinch when they were numbing the area, but I didn't even know the epidural was completed. I was so happy that I didn't feel the epidural at all! I quickly felt my lower body going numb, and before I knew it, the Dr. was tugging away at my stomach. Josh was allowed in the operating room at this point, and within just a few minutes of him being in the room, at 9:07am, baby girl jumped out. It's hard to describe the overwhelming feeling when you first hear your baby cry. I have never felt so much love, concern,  and excitement all at once. Looking at Josh, and looking at our baby, I knew he was feeling the exact same emotions as me, that was a pretty cool experience. They quickly brought her to me for a few minutes so I could hold her (although it was a little tricky because my arms felt so heavy from the epidural). Dad then took baby girl to recovery while the stitched my insides back up. I wasn't even in the operating room 45 minutes, and we were all back in recovery together. Cora was doing pretty good at this point, but she soon started breathing very quickly so they took her to the nursery to be observed. She spent a long day in the nursery. Kathy and Rich came to see us as soon as they were allowed to at 2pm, but unfortunately they couldn't hold her, only look at her through the nursery window. It was nice to have them their for support, because we were a little nervous at this point. Finally around 7pm her breathing was regular enough that she could be without constant monitoring. We were so happy to have her in the room with us! Our time at the hospital was really special. It was so reassuring to be able to spend time with our new baby, and know that if we needed anything the nurses and Dr.s were just a buzz away. It was kind of like staying in a hotel, we ordered delicious meals, and were waited on regularly. I woke up the next morning, on my birthday, and was in a lot of pain. It had been 24 hours, so the epidural had worn off and I didn't have any pain medication. So I quickly ordered some pain meds and asked that the catheter and IV be unhooked. I was then able to take a shower. Once I was medicated, unhooked, showered, and cuddled in the  bed with baby girl skin to skin...oh man, I think that was the closest I have felt to heaven. I was soo happy. My mom and dad were supposed to come in town that weekend, but they surprised me at the hospital for my birthday. They came in with Lauren, Crew and Jane...singing happy birthday baby girl and Katie. It was so fun to have them there and introduce everyone to baby girl. At this point she was still baby girl...were were testing a few names out. Anyway, June 14th, 2012 was my best birthday to date!! On day three we decided Cora Mae would fit our little peanut. Cora Mae was my Great Grandmother, who passed away when I was 8. I am so happy we chose this name, it fits her perfect, and I hope that she will take pride in the fact that she was named after such an amazingly strong woman. Here are some pictures of our trip to the hospital...

the first time I saw her

her legs were stuck like this the first couple days

5lbs 15oz, 19in long

I want my mommy!

all those emotions

daddy's girl

in recovery

our little family

just staring

she slept ALOT her first few weeks

couldn't be happier

surprise from grandma

the man, the myth, the legend...grandpa

birthday party in room 207

all packed up and ready to see the world!

pregnancy

I had a really smooth pregnancy with Cora. I felt a little off the first trimester, but overall I didn't have a lot to complain about...but Josh will tell you, I still complained plenty :). I was running up until about 7 months, and thats when Cora told me I had to stop. At 36 weeks we found out she was breech...Dr. ordered some crazy antics to attempt to get her to turn, including being upside down 3x a day for 10 min., seeing a chiropractor, and an acupuncturist. The acupuncturist was the craziest, following the treatment called Moxibustion, Josh had to burn incense close to my pinky toes for 30 minutes a night. I think I knew deep down none of these techniques would work, I felt Cora jammed in my belly so tight, her head was in the exact same position since I was able to feel her, and it never did move. I was glad that I tried everything I could to get her to flip, and finally accepted the fact that I would have a c-section. I scheduled the c-section for June 13th, because the two Dr.'s I had seen most frequently were both in the hospital that day. One of the Dr.'s actually delivered the acupuncturist baby by cesarean 27 years ago, so I had a lot of confidence in the Dr.'s and their ability to get Cora out safe and sound. Here are some pics of my belly growing...

14 weeks

20 weeks                          

24 weeks

30 weeks

39 weeks...babamm

the best two years

I can't believe that Josh could have served a second mission in the time that it has been since I last blogged. We have been very busy the past few years, and after welcoming our newest addition, baby Cora, I made a resolution that I will update the blog more regularly. Life is flying by, and I don't want to forget all the 'little things'. SO, here are a few pictures to sum up the past couple years...

June 2010 - we purchased this gem of a house

lots of labor & love - one year later

some more love, then labor - one year later