One Week

Well, Cathleya is one week old tomorrow. She's already gained at least a pound, which they say is unusual because they usually loose weight before they start gaining again. We're starting to pick up on her cues and figuring out which cry is a poopy cry and which is a hunger cry. I'm sure we still have a long way to go still.

Feedings are interesting. I didn't really know what to expect but I figured breastfeeding is the best thing for her... even if it takes a toll on mommy sometimes. Learning process I hear. Overall she's doing pretty good. Sheesh, a pound in a week... must be doing something right.

If anyone wants to keep track, or just for my historical value, I think the day we got back from the hospital I was -8lbs from birth weight. Today I'm like -18lbs. No, I'm not dieting or anything, although there is a lack of selection in our fridge at the moment. This once upon a time dense belly is now a slouching bowl full of jelly. Its weird that one day it was there, the next its gone. Breastfeeding is supposed to help contract the uterus back to pre-baby size. Slowly but surely. I was told to massage it now and then throughout the day. Its so squishy. Makes you wonder, one day this baby was squishing all the organs to one side or the other, now its just all blah and hanging out.

The name... Some people, well, most people ask where we came up with the name Cathleya. If you Google images of Cattleya, you'll get some of these.

But since she could be seriously teased as a kid with the spelling of her name containing 'cattle', we altered it a bit. Chris knew a girl with the name Cathleya years and years ago. So, the pronunciation may get a little confusing at first, its still pretty... or we think so and that's all that matters. =)

So I guess last post I said I'd talk about my Labor Day. I'll try to be brief. Here's a little timeline from memory, so give or take an hour or two.

10/3

• 6pm-ish - I decide to start counting contractions cuz they seem fairly regular. Maybe 10 minutes apart.
• 10pm - Maybe we'll go to the hospital to get checked. Worst that could happen is they send us home.
• 11:30pm - 2cm-3cm dilated. 7-8 minutes apart Go home and wait it out.

10/4

• 2:30am - 4cm-5cm 3-4 mins. Get admitted.
• 3:30am - Finally someone gets the IV in properly. The first attempt left a 2"x3" bruise on my arm.
• 4:45am - 7cm-8cm ...epidural? Yes, Please!!!!
• 6:30am - 8-9cm
• 9:00am - 9cm Pitosin to IV to increase contraction frequency to try to get to 10cm.
• 10am or 11am - Still 9cm. "You know this button gives you an extra shot of epidural, right?" Now I do. Somehow I got 2 shots and more pitosin.
• 12pm - Still 9cm. "Wanna try to push to see what happens? The uterine wall is very thin already. We can help it along to 10cm." Tried pushing, apparently not feeling enough, epidural down, pitosin up. Try again later.
• 1pm - 9cm w/o uterine wall. Feeling more now. Start to push.
• 2:04pm - Cathelya born.