Hannah's Birth Story

We arrived at the hospital at 6am and were told they were very full so we wouldn't be able to go to our room until after surgery. I was hooked up to the IV, given fluids and a space suit looking heating blanket to keep my body warm, apparently it helps healing and recovery from the surgery. Amma had come over to our house early to be there to get the big girls up and bring them to meet us at the hospital. A few minutes before I walked to the OR Hailey, Jailynn, Amma and Papa visited us in the triage room. I got to hug and kiss my big girls before I had to go in.

I walked into the operating room, climbed up on the table and got my spinal placed. I laid down on the table for what felt like forever while they draped, and counted and went over the surgery amongst the doctors and nurses. Finally, Husband came in and sat next to me. What felt like forever later Hannah Alynn Santopadre was born at 8:47am, but I didn't hear a cry. A few seconds went by and I heard a bark like cry. Everyone assured me that she looked great. Husband went over to the table where they were working on her and kept yelling to me that she looked so good. Finally I said "why isn't she crying? She's not ok!" The nurse explained that she was having a little trouble breathing but not to worry. Several minutes went by and she was still only making a barking cry, and no one had brought her to me yet. More doctors and nurses came in and they told me that she was having some trouble breathing were taking her to work on her some more. They held her up to show her to me as they wheeled her out of the room. Husband came over to see what I wanted him to do and I yelled "go with her!" So out they all went, I was alone, cut open and strapped down to the table.

Since I was advised this should be my last pregnancy I knew I was having my tubes taken out and my surgeon said he would try to "clean me up and make my incision nice and neat". Which meant it took about twice as long to get me sewn up that with my previous two surgeries. I kept telling my anesthesiologist I felt nauseous, finally he told me that he thought I was just having a bit of a panic attack and he said something he could give me, if I was comfortable with it, that could calm me down a little. I said yes! So moments after he pumped me full of Propofol I was in a good place, no longer worried. Finally, I was cleaned and bandaged and wheeled out into recovery. As they were wheeling me out, Husband and my parents were walking by, having just visited Hannah, back to the waiting room. I yelled "I'm good, he gave me Propofol. I like Propofol!" Which none of them could understand. Two by two everyone in our family came to visit me in recovery. At some point I asked the nurses how worried I should be about Hannah, one of them said "I haven't heard anyone talk about moving her to a different hospital, so I wouldn't be worried, this happens all the time with c section babies". This helped ease my nerves a bit too.

Finally, after nearly three hours, they brought me my sweet Hannah and laid her on my chest. She was not interested in nursing like my other two, she just wanted to lay on me. Almost immediately after they brought her to me we were wheeled into our room. I was allowed to eat and drink right away this time, which was different from the past. Everyone came to visit. My big girls came in and opened their new Cinderella dresses that Hannah had brought them. Then they went home to have dinner and go to bed with Amma.

Our first night in the hospital started with some sort of black ooze coming up from the shower drain after we flushed the toilet. So we switched rooms and all of the hospital staff was very attentive to ensure the rest of our stay went more smoothly. Husband stayed with us the first night, then he went home to stay with the big girls the second night. That way we knew at least one of us would be well rested and that the big girls would be in their normal routine. Amma came to stay with me and Hannah in the hospital. The nurses asked when I wanted to go home, I said ASAP! So they rushed my discharge and we were all home by 9am on Sunday. Hailey and Jailynn could not have been better big sisters from the get go. They loved Hannah instantly and were always eager to help.

7 Months

How far along: 7 months.
Total weight loss/gain: 12 lbs total.
Stretch marks: Not yet.
Sleep: Ugh, between waking up to pee a million times, my aching back and Hailey's new found night stalking tendencies, mama needs more sleep! 

Best moment this week: We finally got the baby's room semi cleaned out and ready. The girls love to go play in there now. I love watching my two big girls be BFF's I can't wait to see how #3 mixes in.
Miss anything: Sleep, being comfortable.
Movement: This girl is a mover, more than both my big girls combined. It feels like she's doing laps in my belly.
Food cravings: No real cravings, aside from ice cream, which I always crave pregnant or not.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing specific.
Symptoms: Tired, sore back, pain when baby moves.
Have you started to show: Yes.
Gender: Girl!!!
Belly button in or out: Flat.
Happy or moody most of the time: Mama's always happy.
Looking forward to:  Meeting this sweet girl! 

Family Pictures 2018

We got family pictures taken! Maeghan McGraw Photography is AMAZING! Best family pictures we've ever taken. I can't even pick just a few favorites because they were all just that good!

It's a...

Another GIRL!!! We are so excited to expand our little Santopadre Sister Squad!

How far along? 17 weeks.
Total weight gain/loss: Up 2lbs.
Maternity clothes? Loving them!
Stretch marks? No.
Sleep: Both girls sleep has been off since my bedrest situation, I'm so tired. 
Have you told family and friends? Yep, the girls are so excited and keep asking "mama you got a baby in yo tummy?"
Miss Anything? Energy and not feeling awful All. The. Time.
Movement: I can feel a little fish swimming around sometimes. 
Food cravings: Everything sweet and sugary. All other food is disgusting at this point.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Better question is what doesn't make me sick. 
Have you started to show yet: Yep!
Gender prediction: I knew it was a girl from the get go this time!
Belly Button in or out? In.
Happy or Moody most of the time: I don't think I've been moody, J may say otherwise, but I don't feel it.
Looking forward to: Our next appointment!

Round 3!

Surprise! Sweet Baby Santopadre #3 is due in March 2019! We tried for a little while for this baby, so it definitely was not a surprise to us. I had always envisioned telling Johnathon we were pregnant in such a creative way, you know, like all the ways you see all over the internet. With Hailey, it took such a long time that when we finally got a positive test I needed him to know ASAP! With Jailynn, it happened so fast, I couldn't keep it a secret either. This time was my chance! So of course the instant I saw the second line I ran downstairs, shoved the pee stick in his face without saying anything other than "BOOM!" 🙈 I'm going to chalk it up as a good thing that I can't keep anything from my husband.

We were so excited to be pregnant, but something didn't feel right for me. I felt really crampy all the time and something just felt off. I got a few blood tests done that showed I was definitely pregnant and everything was progressing normally. I still felt like something wasn't right. I was scheduled for my first ultrasound on a Friday, on that Wednesday my cramping was so bad I called to see if I could come in that day instead. We went in and saw a different OB (big mistake), she did my exam and said everything looked fine, then she started the ultrasound and wouldn't let us look at it until she "was done with her measurements" which was weird, then she said everything looked fine and showed us the monitor but wouldn't let us hear the heartbeat or tell us the rate, weird again. She assured us everything looked fine and cramping was normal. So off we went, and I continued to be in almost constant pain. Weeks went by and then Sunday, September 16 I came home from the grocery store and laid down because something was not right. I laid in bed and slept the rest of the morning, I told everyone that if this pain didn't go away we needed to go to the ER. A little while later I started bleeding, not a little bit either. We rushed to the ER where we waited, got an ultrasound, waited some more and finally the doctor came in and told us that I had a placental abruption, 75% of my uterus was filled with blood and it was very likely that the baby was not going to make it. So we went home and sat with that for a few days, I was put on modified bedrest. A few days later we went back to the doctor (different doctor, still not my OB), who made my outcome seem slightly less bleak, but not by much. I continued on with bedrest for two more weeks, didn't have any more bleeding and my cramping went almost completely away. We finally went to see my OB and found out the blood was completely gone and baby was still growing on pace! To say we've been stressed the last few weeks would be the understatement of the year. So, baby #3, if you're looking back on this blog one day, know that you were oh so prayed for and loved. That my lack of posting about you in the beginning in no way reflects a lack of interest but instead an intense fear I didn't know existed. We can't wait to meet you, but please take it easy on me for the duration of this pregnancy, k? 

Hailey's 3rd Birthday

My sweet Hailey Madison, who made me a mama, turned 3! She is the most sensitive, caring, thoughtful, imaginative, sweet girl in the entire world. She loves her people hard and we love her even harder! Happy birthday, sweet girl.

Hailey's 1st Day of Preschool

Today was Hailey's first day of preschool! I wouldn't say it was a smashing success.. She screamed for mama and begged me not to go. When I went back for pickup the teacher said she cried and clung to teachers but it wasn't bad enough to call me to come get her early. I don't know if my heart can handle doing this again on Thursday. We did get a few cute pictures before at least.