Kate's First Outing

We went to the pediatrician yesterday (all three of us), but our first normal errand-running outing was today as Kate and I went back to the hospital to meet with the lactation consultant, Kristi (who is absolutely awesome, by the way) and then to Target and the post office.

Wow, is it tough going places with a baby! First, her carrier is heavy--I can't imagine lugging it around when she weighs 15 pounds, rather than 7! Getting her strapped into the carrier and unstrapped from the carrier...getting the carrier latched onto the car seat base and unlatched from the car seat base...getting the baby into the sling (in which I carried her around Target--very sweet) and out of the sling...plus giving her a diaper change in the car (since Kristi advised we avoid the germ-ridden Koala Bear Care stations in public restrooms... As my college psych professor used to say, "things always take longer than they do."

It's all part of our "new normal," and I wouldn't change a thing.

It's Hard to be a Baby

[That last post, with Kate's video debut, was post 128 on this blog--how appropriate!]

Matt is also posting baby-related things on his blog, matthewlkelley.blogspot.com, if they are theologically related (and sometimes otherwise).

I'll write a more extensive update soon, but in these few moments that I am able to sit down with a cup of coffee, I am trying to read through dozens of e-mails and my GoogleReader queue before my computer gets so engorged I can't get anything out of it (sorry, it's just an apt metaphor for my fourth day postpartum). A lot of blogs I've added to my reader in the last few months have been blogs by new mommies (or experienced mommies) sharing their experiences and thoughts. One--by a friend of a sister of a friend--included this awesome poem that she wrote herself. You can read their story yourself here, but I've also copied the poem here, because it's so darn cute.

it’s hard to be a baby

it’s hard to be a baby
every single day
so many decisions
before me to be made
should i stare at the light or fall asleep
spit up on my mommy, or just on daddy
chew on the binky, my fingers, or both
lay on my tummy or roll over , okey-doke
cry or cry when i get sad
wait, that’s not a decision
now i’m mad
the only thing i know how to say is my cry
what if it’s interpreted wrong
and they don’t know why
all these decisions yet i can’t even choose
what i will wear for my clothes or my shoes

it’s hard to be a baby
something’s happening with my teeth
will it last forever or just this week
most of the time it’s just mommy and me
i love her and my favorite she’ll be
i go where she goes
i see what she sees
she’s always playing with my hands and my feets
i have no control
of my emotions or movements
when i make my sounds
people make commotions

it’s hard to be a baby
when others take care of me
it’s hard to be a baby
with no responsibility
wa wa wa, i get so sad
squeals of delight, and now i’m glad
it’s hard to be a baby
but a baby i am
it’s hard to be a baby
please understand


-by Mommy (Kirsten in Menlo Park, CA)

Greetings from the Kelley Family!

Hey everyone. Here's a quick video message we recorded after bringing Kate home. Thanks for everyone who posted comments on Facebook and MySpace, sent emails, flowers, cards, visited the hospital, and brought (and are still bringing) food!

We are overwhelmed by all the love and support we've received. Thank you all so much!

Introducing Kate!

Katharine Barry Kelley was born at 2:07 pm Central Standard Time on January 28, 2009. She weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces, and is 20.5 inches long.

Jessica received an epidural around 9 am, and was pain-free and quite content from there on out, even during delivery.

Everyone is safe, healthy, and very happy that everything went well. We’ll be in the hospital for the next day or two, so enjoy these photos from today. More pics and info to come!

It's Almost Time!!!

As of 12:30 this afternoon, everything is going very well. Jessica is almost fully dilated, and the doctor pierced the amniotic sac about an hour ago. She'll start pushing sometime within the next two hours or so, and Katharine Barry Kelley will be with us sometime this afternoon!

8:30 am

Well, we've made it through a somewhat difficult night. Jessica's contractions were coming less than 2 minutes apart and were becoming very painful, when the nurse came in and said that they were going to send us home! Apparently her dilation wasn't progressing quickly enough. I (Matt) said we wanted to talk to a doctor before we went home, at which point they agreed to let us stay for another couple hours before they decided whether to officially admit us or send us home.

Thankfully, Jessica had dilated another centimeter the next time they checked, so we got to stay. That was really good, because it started snowing like crazy!

As of 8:30am Jessica is contracting regularly, and she will get her epidural very soon. That way she'll be able to get some sleep. More updates to come!

Jessica exercising her brain with sudoku even while she's in labor!

Jessica's hand after they got her hooked up

That's the little machine that goes BING! It's the most expensive machine in the whole hospital! Aren't you lucky! (BING!) That sound means your baby is still alive!

In 2, 3... Out 2, 3

This is the breathing pattern Matt is having me do... now that I am IN LABOR! Hooray! We are very excited!

After more than 48 hours of nearly painless contractions, the discomfort increased around 4pm yesterday (Tuesday, Jan. 27) and after a dinner of Applebee's nachos (with extra jalepenos, as we were trying to "smoke her out") we consulted the books about whether my 5-7 minute contraction intervals warranted a trip to the hospital yet. We consulted the doctor on call around 10pm and he was remarkably unhelpful, basically saying I should/could wait til they're 3-5 minutes apart, but that it couldn't hurt to come in and be monitored for a while. Really not wanting to check in for a false alarm, I decided to go to bed (11:30-ish) and wait it out.

I had some trouble falling asleep, and around 12:30 or 1 had heartburn-induced vomiting from the nachos. The pain was getting worse, and I started watching the clock again after that. Around 1:45, I called Matt in (who was out in the family room, completely unable to sleep from the anticipation) and told him they were five minutes apart and getting pretty painful, so we decided it was time!

Even between the time of that decision and getting ourselves out the door around 2:05, the contractions were coming a lot more frequently--every 2-3 minutes. We checked in via the ER, and got our room rather quickly. Our nurse, Stephanie, tells me I am 90% effaced and 3 centimeters dilated. My contractions are coming every 1-2 minutes and are getting increasingly painful--largely in my lower back, which is really, really no fun. She's going to check me again in a half hour or so, and hopefully I can get my epidural sometime soon after that! 

Matt is proving to be an awesome coach so far, and we're gearing up for the most important day of our lives! Pray for a smooth delivery and a healthy baby! We'll report back in the morning!


Jessica holding Charlotte during the 24 hours before we went to the hospital

Ever the faithful Gen-Yer, Jessica writing a blog post about her experience of being in labor!

A close-up of Jessica. Does any other woman look this pretty during labor?