Obsessed. (Dedicated to Kelli & Tricia)

For almost 2 weeks we were blessed to have the Rencher Paparazzi stay with us. They came with strict instructions to take as many pictures of Rachel Ann as possible. I think they did a pretty good job. 

WARNING: This post contains A LOT of pictures.

Per my instructions, here is a DETAILED account of what we did throughout the week. Enjoy, Kelli & Tricia.

Friday, November 15, 2012:  

12:47pm - Grandma Rencher arrived.

(we actually didn't take many pictures that day because the Paparazzi equipment didn't arrive until Saturday)

Saturday, November 16, 2012

12:15pm - Aunt Alli Arrived

2:06pm - Rachel ate and worked on a good burp.

3:44pm - Diaper Change

 3:51pm, - More time with Alli

4:10 pm

4:25pm - get ready to go to the Disney Parade downtown

4:40pm - Headed to the car

 5:47 pm - Arrive on Michigan Ave

5:56 pm

5:57 pm

 6:04 pm

6:15pm - face lift

Sunday, November 17, 2012\

This post will be continued...

I was just informed that I have used up the maximum photo storage limit and can no longer upload photos. I didn't realize that I had a limit, but if you want to see more pictures from the Paparazzi Visit, you can go to my family's Smugmug account.

I will continue this post once I figure out how to get around this storage situation. In the mean time, you can see how Aunt Alli stole my son's heart:

Rachel Ann

PREPARING & WAITING

Anyone who has been pregnant knows that those last few weeks are LONG. It kind of feels like torture. Every contraction makes you wonder if this is it. Is it time? Am I finally going to be able to sleep on my stomach again and not waddle everywhere I go? Is it time to finally meet this little person who has taken over my body and my heart?

Well my last few weeks of this pregnancy were no different. Fortunately, I had my mother there for the final few days to help pass the time. She was an absolute angel!

I hate to admit it, but since this was our third baby, I kind of slacked on the "nesting" phase of the pregnancy. I hadn't done anything to the nursery. I figured that I had all the clothing ready because this girl is almost exactly 2 years behind Lydia and the clothes would all be in the right season. My mother kicked that nesting instinct into gear (more accurately, she did the nesting for me). 

First, she brought the bedding that she made. And she made everything - bumper pads, quilt, sheets, skirt, wall hangings swaddling blanket... I still need to put the decals on the wall and put some pictures in the frames, so I'll do a final nursery post once it is all done, but here is the bedding:

There were a few things that my mom found around the house that needed improving. The drawer in the kitchen was broken when we moved in. We have just kind of gotten used to it. My mother wasn't about to get used to it and she helped put some fire under Mitch to fix it. Then she noticed that the wonderful dining chairs that Sara gave us had been decorated by Ben and Lydia's meals. She felt the need to reupholster them  with a material that was more kid-friendly. 

BEFORE:

DURING:

AFTER:

Hooray for Mamma Jo! She was like a slave the entire time she was here - laundry everyday, cooking, cleaning, watching the kids and even pulling night duty with Lydia when she was up sick in the night.

After the projects, we did the waiting. I tried to have an activity for the kids and my mom each day to pass the time. They went to the children's museum:

 Carved pumpkins

 
Went Trick or Treating:

 Visited the Aquarium 

THE DELIVERY:
(Disclaimer: this part is long, boring, and full of detail - you've been warned)

After a few false alarms through the week, I decided to try and sleep through some pretty intense contractions that came on Friday night around 11pm (during a game of hearts). After having contractions most of the night that I definitely could not sleep through, I thought it might be a good idea to go in. We checked in at around 5am and at around 6, the contractions had pretty much stopped. I had not dilated any more since my appointment earlier in the week. The mid-wife who checked me in told me that they would continue to watch me until the doctor came in at 7, but it was likely I would be sent home. I was so discouraged. Mitch thought that since this was a false alarm, he would sleep until they released me. Turns out he can sleep through just about anything.

Since it was Saturday, my doctor was not working, so Dr White came in right at 7. She checked me, looked over the monitor and told me that even though my contractions had slowed down and become less intense, she was quite concerned about the baby's heart rate. It was dipping quite a bit even with the small contractions and she wasn't going to take any risks. Within a few minutes after she had gone over the baby's monitor, she broke my water and started me on Petocin to get things moving. 

Things definitely started moving. Within about 15 minutes, I started having the most intense contractions about every 2 minutes. The doctor had asked me if I wanted an epidural when she broke my water and I had given her a definitive "yes", so I assumed that meant they would just send the anesthesiologist right in. You know what they say about assuming things... 

At about 9, Mitch woke up to me trying to breath through some contractions. After watching me go through about 4 contractions, he went looking for the anesthesiologist. I am not tough. I don't know how women survive child birth without the epidural. I really don't. 
The "drug" doctor made her appearance around 10 and decided to start me on her own form of torture. With my first 2 kids, I didn't even feel the epidural being put in. It felt like having a shot in the back. Nothing painful at all. This experience was quite the opposite. It felt more like I was being electrocuted on one side of my body. I honestly don't remember the details - everything at that point kind of becomes fuzzy, but I think the anesthesiologist and I were kind of in a screaming match. She kept screaming for me to hold still and relax. She would say this right when a contraction was at its peak and the shocking pain of the epidural being put in was making muscles involuntarily contract. I remember trying to stay calm, but telling her (in a very loud and strained voice) that I was trying. Poor Mitch told me he lost a few armpit hairs and might have come away with some bruising from my fingers digging into his sides.

Finally, the epidural was in and I started to feel the left side of my body go numb... but not the right side. The anesthesiologist told me to wait for about a half hour and see if it just took a while for the drug to make it to my right side. 
After the epidural was done, they checked me and I was dilated 7 cm. The pain on my right side wasn't bad enough to have the epidural re-inserted. Baby's heart rate was still dipping quite a bit with each contraction, so they had me lay exclusively on my left side.
At around 11:30, I told Mitch he better take this window to get something to eat before the pushing began. I thought since I was only dilated 7 cm that he would have plenty of time. Again, the assuming made me an @$$. About 2 minutes after Mitch left the room, Dr White came in and said I was ready to start pushing. 
I started to frantically call Mitch and text him. He came running in a few minutes later still chewing his pizza. We started the pushing, but I wasn't feeling that urge to push like I had felt in my other 2 deliveries, so I guess my pushing wasn't too effective. 

After about 30 minutes, Dr White decided to have me let things rest and descend. They put me back on my side and I laid there for about 30 minutes before I started to feel some really intense pressure with each contraction and the urge to push became so overwhelming. I started to get feeling back in my legs - the epidural was wearing off. The nurse told me that since the baby's heart rate was still dipping, I would need to deliver on my side. They propped my right leg up and even though Dr White wasn't ready, I just started to push. About 4 pushes later, Rachel was out. I couldn't see her, but Mitch told me the cord was wrapped tightly around her neck and a couple of times around her body. Dr White had planned on having Mitch cut the cord, but once she saw Rachel's condition, she immediately clamped the cord and cut as close to her neck as possible because it was tangled so tightly.

Finally, Rachel let out a cry and they handed her to me. She looked so much like Benjamin when he was born. I cannot begin to describe the surge of emotions that came over me as I held her. I was sobbing uncontrollably. She was absolutely perfect. She weighed 6 lbs 14 oz and measured 20 inches long (at her pediatric check-up, we learned that she was actually 19.5 inches).

It was very different to deliver a baby away from most of our family. There wasn't a crowd waiting at the hospital door and nobody arrived with 3 extra cameras to take pictures of every angle of the baby. So here are some photos that we did take, but they are few and lacking the the quality that our previous children were captured in. 

 (Dr White)

Benjamin has not let this baby out of his arms. He literally holds her for HOURS. I thought that Lydia would be the one obsessed with the baby, but Benjamin has been so protective and possessive. He tells everyone it is "his" baby.

We are totally in love with baby Rachel Ann. Her temperament is delightful and you just feel like you are in heaven when she is in your arms. What a beautiful angel she is!

Pumpkin Farm

October is my favorite month of the year. (I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that my birthday kicks off such a fabulous month). The weather is fantastic - still warm enough to enjoy the outdoors, but cool enough that the utility bills are at their lowest. The fall leaves are always stunning and there are so many fun autumn activities to enjoy.

My DARLING friend, Christina, invited the kids and I to join her family at Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm.

Meet Christina & Brandt: 

They might not look like your typical Chicago citizens, but trust me, they are delightful!

 Brandt was our photographer/childcare specialist/stroller liaison.

And this is their daughter Jane. Jane doesn't know it yet (neither do Christina or Brandt) but she is going to marry Benjamin...and it will be bliss!

And this is Wendy. I'm pretty sure Mitch hopes that I give birth to Wendy's twin. It was love at first sight with him. He saw those rolls and those chubby cheeks and just wanted to take her home.

Christina & Brandt were so good to hang out with the 3.8889 of us. We aren't always an easy bunch to be around, but we love to have fun! And this outing was FUN!

Happy October!