We survived week ONE!

Week 1

 

Your first week was obviously a week of many firsts.  You were born on a Thursday, and we brought you home on Sunday.  Sunday was the first night you slept in the same room as your dad and I.  We were so nervous. You slept in the pack and play in a bassinet.  The second night home you were up all night long. It was a hard night.  The rest of the nights you did AMAZING! We switched you out of the pack and play and put you in a bassinet rocker next to our bed. You loved it. You wake up at 2:30 and then again at 6:30. I like that schedule and hope it will stick. HA! 

Night time feeding

You had your first bath.  Luckily, your Grandma was there to help your dad and I through it.  Now your dad and I are able to bathe you by ourselves. You hated your first bath, but LOVED your second one. I'm hoping you will be a water baby. 

When you are awake you love to watch people.  You will listen to them talk with your eyes opened wide. You seem to like bright colors best. One of the best moments is when you will stare at your dad and I. When we talk and someone is holding you, you will recognize our voices and move your head to try and find us. You especially love when your dad sings to you. 

This was a week of many firsts:

Tummy Time

Bath

KC, making sure you are nice and clean after your bath.

Meeting your sister, KC

Walk

Car Ride

Swing

Paci

Doctor's Appointment

Thumb Sucking

The first week is all about survival.  All three of us survived. Now on to week 2! 

Visitors

Liam, you have had many visitors this past week. So many people were so excited to meet you. In the hospital some of my coworkers visited you.  (Rosemary, Amy, and Kendall) Rosemary and Amy were there the night you were born.  Rosemary actually changed your first diaper.

Rosemary visiting at home with her kids, Lane and Grant.

Your Grandma, Aunt Kay, and Great Aunts Patty and Sandy were also there the first night you were born. Everyone was so excited to meet you.  They came to the hospital after all day of traveling just to meet you. 

The first time your Grandma saw you.

Your Great Aunts Patty and Sandy. 

Your Aunt Kay 

Once we got home the visitors kept coming.  So many people were excited to meet you.  You are one lucky boy!  We have some more visitors to look forward to: your Uncle Chris, Aunt Erin, cousin Becky, and Aunt Emily. We love having visitors and showing off our handsome baby boy!

The many faces of Liam

Liam has some of the best expressions ever.  He can go from looking so angry to looking so happy in 3 seconds. I could sit there and stare at him all day long.

Introducing Liam Gregory Donohue

Liam Gregory Donohue was born on August 8, 2013 at 7:24PM. He was 9 pounds 2 ounces and 22 inches long. He is the cutest baby we have ever seen, and we are absolutely in LOVE! 

Someone makes these hats and donates them to the hospital. How sweet, right?

Liam's first bath.

Measuring our LONG boy!

False Labor

On Saturday, August 3rd, Greg and I found ourselves at the hospital.  We were excited, nervous, and ready to possibly meet our baby boy.

Saturday morning I woke up to my water possibly breaking.  When I think of all the movies I've seen, I had am image of what your "water breaking" would look like.  This was not that.

I called the doctor on call and told them what I was experiencing.  She said to go about my regular day and then call her back in 4 hours to update her. Greg and I went out to the mall. All I wanted to do was walk. I felt cramping while walking and I figured the contractions would come soon after. *That never happened!*

I called the doctor back and told her I still felt like my water was slowly breaking. She said to go to Labor and Delivery just in case something was going on.  I was excited! I called the dates August 3rd or August 4th as Liam's birthday and I was bound and determined to make it happen.

We brought our hospital bags just in case and off to the hospital we went. I was given a hospital bracelet and told them I probably didn't need it because I was going to be sent home.

The next two hours were the craziest hours of our lives.

1. Nurse #1 said my water broke and I would admitted to the hospital. She did a test on a strip and said if it turned purple that means my water had broken. It turned purple immediately.

2. Nurse #1 said I was having contractions every 3 minutes.  Weird thing was I couldn't feel any of them.  She said we would start pitocin and get the contractions to become stronger.

3. Nurse #1 left and Nurse #2 came in.  She said Liam was breeched and that they probably wouldn't wait to deliver him until the next day. I would have a C-Section that night.

****At this point Greg and I were nervously laughing. We were in shock.  We would be meeting our baby boy withing hours. We thought for sure we were going home. Now we were going to be parents.

4. The doctor was called in. She did an internal exam and determined my water had not broken.

5. She did an ultrasound and determined that he was not breeched. He was head down and was a happy/healthy boy!

6. We were being discharged and going home.


WHAT???? Greg and I pretty much just stared at each other in shock. At first we were having a baby, then we were going home. It was definitely a roller coaster of emotions.


The best part of the night was being hooked up to the machines and listening to Liam's heartbeat. His heart rate is normally 150 bpm. That night it was around 135-140 bpm. As soon as Greg would talk the heart rate would go up to 155-165 bpm.  As soon I would talk it would drop to 135-140 bpm.  Greg was going to be the parent that made Liam excited and happy, and I was going to be the parent that made him feel secure and safe.  Now we just needed a baby to make our family complete.

Growing Bump

Month 1

Month 2

Month 3

Month 4

Month 5

Month 6

Month 7

Month 8

Month 9

Month 10



Week 38

Could she be any cuter?

I seriously pray every night that KC and Liam will get along.  KC will adapt to having a new family member, and Liam won't be allergic to dogs. It's pictures like these that let me know everything will be okay.

Liam is the size of: a pumpkin! Yikes! I always looked ahead on these weekly updates and the pumpkin was a really scary thought.  Just wait until week 39!



At 38 weeks our baby boy:
-could already have an inch of hair!
-is slowly shedding the white "goo" on his skin
-is making his way into my pelvis


Sleep:
Same as usual. I can't complain too much though, I AM sleeping.  I still enjoy the occasional nap during the day.


Pregnancy Symptoms:
Braxton Hicks contractions, nesting, going to the bathroom a lot, some swelling in the feet and ankles, and an itchy belly.


Movement:
He is definitely developing a sleeping pattern.  He loves to be up late at night and he gets up early in the morning.  I'll have to let him know that's not how we sleep in our house!!

Soooo many random strangers comment on how I'm carrying him.  The #1 thing I get is, "Oh you are definitely having a boy! He is straight out there." #2 is "Oh my goodness he is just resting on your right side, there is nothing on the left side." Yes my ribs and I are well aware, it's been like that for 9.5+ months.


How I'm Feeling:
Anxious, ready, excited! I'm surprisingly not scared for labor.  I'm sure once the real contractions begin I will be in a huge panic, but right now I'm calm and ready.


Best Moments of the Week:
-We celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary. While we were out to eat I was having some serious contractions. They lasted 30-60 seconds and were getting closer together.  Greg and I started timing them.  We were both really nervous thinking "uhhh...we are about to be parents!!" Unfortunately, drinking a glass of water and laying on my left side made those contractions disappear.

-We had our 38th week appointment.  We are dilated 1.5CM and still 50% effaced. The doctor brought up inducing.  This was the one word I didn't want to hear.  If he is late, I will be induced August 19th. They will let you go one week over (August 18th) but apparently doctors are too busy to induce on Sundays.



Happy August!

It feels like we have been waiting forever for this month to get here. I always said, "he will be an August baby." It just worked better for our schedule and apparently his too. I've been anxious to deliver for a few weeks now, but July was just too crazy.

 

We celebrated a birthday.

 

 

 

We celebrated an anniversary.

 

 

 

 

 

Greg took a summer class, which actually ends today! Perfect timing!

 

 

I wanted Liam to have his own month. I didn't want him to share a birthday with his dad or share an anniversary with his parents.  August is all his. 

 

Liam - get here NOW! We are super excited to meet you. I need you to get here fast so I can stop with the to-do lists.

 

 

I'm so ready for his arrival that yesterday I had a "get Liam out of me day!" I figured that was a great way to end the month of July. It was super fun, but we still have no baby.

 

 

I got a pedicure.

 

 

I took a bubble bath.

 

 

I went on a walk.

 

 

I bought a pineapple to eat - still need to do that!

 

 

And I finished the day with a spicy pasta dish.

 

 

 

I'm putting all these old wives tales to the test!

 

See you soon, Little Man!