Friday, October 16, 2009

Introducing....


Chase Alan Jenkins


This is actually a picture of Abby, but I just wanted to show the similar brother and sister picture











Going home from the hospital outfit that daddy bought for him



Chase Alan Jenkins was born on Oct. 13 at 4:38 PM. Weighing in at 9 pounds 4 ounces and 19 inches long! On Friday the 9th I had a regular Dr. appointment in which they noticed that my blood pressure was slightly high. They sent me up to labor and delivery to monitor the baby and my blood pressure. They sent me home after my blood pressure had come back down and told me to return the next morning for more monitoring. I was sent home again after the monitoring in the morning but later that day a Dr. called and told me that I had too high of protein levels in my urine and that they were diagnosing me with mild preeclampsia. They told me to come into the OB clinic on Tuesday for more monitoring and to discuss a time to be induced sometime during the week. So that weekend I got some more last minute things ready and anxiously anticipated what day they would schedule me to be induced. On Monday I took Abby to the park to feed the ducks and then that night took her to a pumpkin patch. I wasn't sure when I was going to have the baby that week so just in case I wanted to spend some fun quality time with her before baby brother came. Luckily Monday night Phillip told me that I should pack my hospital bag just in case. I didn't think that there was any way I would be induced after my appointment on Tuesday but I am glad I actually listened to him. Tuesday morning I left for my appointment and Phillip dropped Abby off at our friends house and went to school. At my appointment the Dr. came in and said "well since you are 38 weeks and have mild preeclampsia we are just going to go ahead and induce you. I will call up to labor and delivery right now and make sure they are ready for you." I was in complete shock. I was not thinking that I was going to be having the baby that day, I thought for sure I would have a few more days to get things all ready. So I called my friend Nicole who had Abby and said that I would not be coming home for awhile because they were sending me up to be induced. I talked to Phillip and let him know that I was going up to be induced and to see if he could leave school early. He had carpooled that day so he had to have a friend take him to the hospital. They started the potocin around maybe noonish and soon after broke my water. Phillip kept telling the nurses that once I get to about a 5 I dialate very quickly to a 10. It took awhile to get to a 6 but within 45 minutes I was complete and pushing. I had the epidural but for some reason at the end and when it was time to push I could actually feel the contractions again and I could feel a lot more pain then I did with Abby. Luckily with Chase I only had to push for about 15 minutes. With Abby I pushed for an hour and a half. I couldn't believe how big he was, and for technically being almost two weeks early! Phillip and I had been struggling the entire pregnancy with figuring out a name for this little guy. We could never agree on anything and I kept saying that I needed to see him before I could settle on a name. Once he was born I still could not quite figure out what I wanted. We had a couple names that we had in mind but nothing was sounding good. Then finally that night after talking about it again we decided to name him Chase, which is my maiden name. I think Chase is a really cute boy name anyway, but I really like that it is also my family name. Then of course Alan is Phillip's middle name, so I think it is very fitting. It took me a little bit to be comfortable with the whole name, but now I really like it. Anyway, sorry such a long post, I just wanted to write about his birth a little before I forget things. We stayed in the hospital for that night and went home around 7 the very next day. It was a very quick stay. It is still an adjustment being home with two kids but I am still running off adrenaline so the wave of extreme exhaustion hasn't hit me quite yet, but I am sure it will soon. Abby has been in love with her new baby brother. She always asks for him and is always trying to give him toys, cover him with her blanket, give him his binkie, anything she can do to help. She is such a good big sister.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Count Down Has Begun

This whole pregnancy has been pretty easy. Not too many complaints (although Phillip would love to disagree with that statement). I have not been counting the weeks as closely as I did with Abby because I have a toddler to chase around and keep me busy, so the time has really gone by very quickly. For most of the pregnancy I have been telling this little guy to take his time in there because with everything going on and with Abby going through some rough stages, I was not even close to being ready to add another one. Well, things have now changed. I am now to the point where sleep is hard to come by since I am so uncomfortable, bending over, getting up from sitting down, going grocery shopping and getting completely out of breath, all the lovely discomforts of pregnancy are here, and I am now saying "ok little guy, any day now." On Monday I will be 37 weeks, so...let the count down begin!