Our little Taylor is now almost two weeks old and these past incredibly fast weeks have been unbelieveably memorable. She is the most beautiful little creature I have ever laid eyes on and she changes so much every minute of every day! I want to keep a permanent camera on her so I can capture every little expression she has and every little noise she makes and keep it recorded forever. As much as I am excited to see her grow up, I just love this tiny little being just as she is...
She has already put on about half a kilo in weight since our departure from the hospital. She had her first check up on Wednesday and she weighed in at 4.0 kgs. She didn't really want to cooperate for her length, but they approximated that she's now at 53 cm. In less than two weeks, our little girl has already gained half a kilo and grown a centimeter! She's such a good eater...the baby books say that there are five different types of eating styles in infants, and our little Tay definitely fits into the "Barracuda" category...she eats ferociously until she's content and then drifts off to sleep at the nipple. She has recently started spitting up, though, and I think it's because she's hitting a growth spurt and so she feels hungrier than her stomach is able to handle, so she overeats...and then spits up. I had my first spit-up bath this morning...it was truly a warm, wet, and lovely experience. :)
It's funny the things that as a new mom you get really excited about...for instance, the baby's first bowel movement at home. I was getting so worried because she hadn't had a bowel movement for a day and a half since she had been home, so I thought maybe she wasn't getting enough to eat...but then, when she actually had the grand first dirty diaper, I cheered and almost cried. Also, although I became quite sore after initially starting breastfeeding, it meant everything to me to make sure she got enough to eat, and to see her eating so eagerly made me so happy...it's probably one of the most satisfying feelings about being a mom.
Little Tay is definitely become a little human being already. I know many of you may think that a newborn is really just a lump for the first six months of their life until they start interacting, but watching her so closely, she is already interacting! Her eyes have now begun to follow slow-moving objects, she focuses on your face when you are close, she laughs and smiles when she is content, and she communicates her needs with her little wimpers, cries, and even simple coos that call for your attention. She dreams when she sleeps - she smiles and crinkles her face, and sometimes even tries to suck or chew while she's sound asleep. She's already so expressive!
There's just so much more to write and say, but I've got to go tend to my little angel...:)
Love,
Rosa and Jeff
Friday, March 21, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
The WONDERFUL Arrival!!!
Our baby has finally arrived!!! Little Shingil Taylor Ryals is here in this world - in our lives! We just couldn't be happier!
Let me tell the story of the arrival as I remember it...here goes...
As you all know, my "due date" was the 3rd of March (although I posted on the 2nd because it was the 3rd here in Korea). The date came and went with little progress, although I had been having a few cramps here and there and more frequent "false" contractions. My mom arrived the next day, and again, with no change. The doctor had told us on the 3rd when we went in for our "last" visit prior to delivery that if I hadn't gone into labor on my own before the following Monday (the 10th), he recommended starting induction. Jeff nor I had any objections to this because we didn't want the little one to get too big...
Well, the week passed with no further progress, although my mom and I walked around everywhere trying to kick-start the process. As the 10th slowly approached, my anticipation grew and grew and the night before the induction, I was so nervous and excited I could hardly sleep...but I knew I needed to because I had a hard day's work ahead of me! :)
On the morning of the 10th, Jeff drove my mom and me to the hospital at 7:30 and we checked in to the birth facility by 8am. I went in alone to get prepped and then Jeff and Mom came into the labor room around 9am. They began the Pictocin drip around 9:30 and we proceeded to wait...and wait...the upped the dosage twice before I started feeling anything - the contractions started coming in mildly about every three minutes and then down to every two minutes as they got stronger, and I was no longer able to talk or laugh through them as Jeff made funny faces and tried talking Taylor out of me. Once the contractions were coming on every minute and a half, that's when the pain was most excruciating, but honestly, I don't remember much of how painful it was because I was more exhausted from trying to push her into my pelvis. The doc said that the baby's head was just a bit larger than expected so even though I was completely dialated, she wasn't able to get fully into position because of the size of her cranium...he even said we might go to a C-section to Jeff...
All I recall is thinking how extremely tired I was from pushing so much and for so long (I had absolutely no concept of time during this whole ordeal once the real contractions started happening) - and even the thought that maybe I just simply didn't have the strength to push her out of me on my own crossed my mind. Apparently I shared that feeling with the rest of the room by begging the nurses and Jeff to just let them put me out and cutting the baby out of me. I just simply couldn't push anymore, or so I thought...
The doc must have seen that I was making "some" progress, though, because then he mercifully recommended we break amniotic sac to speed up the process and maybe help Taylor move down easier...after which, the contractions came on even stronger and closer together.
Bless the nurses who then came in and helped me push...I do remember begging them not to leave me...and I remember Jeff standing there by my side always ready to take my hand whenever I reached for him. I don't recall the pain of the baby pushing more into my pelvis, but all I recall is how tired I was - I had reached muscle failure and they were telling me to push just one more time...I simply didn't have the strength!
Then, suddenly, the nurses said let's push once more and we'll move you to the delivery room to have the baby! You're ready! I couldn't believe it!!! They rolled me into a room next door where they put me in a different contraption of a chair that was SO much easier to push from when they told me to push. All I remember from then on is that it really sucked when they cut me (the area is NOT numb when the cut is made simply because the head is crowning), and then shortly there after, feeling her head come out of me...and then the rest of her! I have a vague memory of looking up and seeing Jeff by my head all dressed for surgery...and I remember the extreme relief and immediate excitement that came over me after I heard the first little cry from my little one...and tears...
I think that's enough for details from the whole experience. I don't know if it's in the correct chronological order, but this is how I remember it. Jeff probably has a more orderly version of the day...
Shingil Taylor Ryals was born into this world at 7:28 pm on the 10th of March.
She weighed in at 3.77 kgs (8.3 lbs) and was 52 cm (20.5 in) long.
I still can't believe how every second I look at her, how beautiful she is.
I am recovering ok...my feet and ankles are extremely swollen now, but I'm hoping that will pass soon. I strained so hard during labor that I looked like I went a few rounds with Mike Tyson and lost...to include some burst blood vessels in my eyes. I feel surprisingly better than I thought I would...:)
I'll post some pictures as soon as I can...you have to see our beautiful little girl...:)
Love,
Rosa and Jeff
Let me tell the story of the arrival as I remember it...here goes...
As you all know, my "due date" was the 3rd of March (although I posted on the 2nd because it was the 3rd here in Korea). The date came and went with little progress, although I had been having a few cramps here and there and more frequent "false" contractions. My mom arrived the next day, and again, with no change. The doctor had told us on the 3rd when we went in for our "last" visit prior to delivery that if I hadn't gone into labor on my own before the following Monday (the 10th), he recommended starting induction. Jeff nor I had any objections to this because we didn't want the little one to get too big...
Well, the week passed with no further progress, although my mom and I walked around everywhere trying to kick-start the process. As the 10th slowly approached, my anticipation grew and grew and the night before the induction, I was so nervous and excited I could hardly sleep...but I knew I needed to because I had a hard day's work ahead of me! :)
On the morning of the 10th, Jeff drove my mom and me to the hospital at 7:30 and we checked in to the birth facility by 8am. I went in alone to get prepped and then Jeff and Mom came into the labor room around 9am. They began the Pictocin drip around 9:30 and we proceeded to wait...and wait...the upped the dosage twice before I started feeling anything - the contractions started coming in mildly about every three minutes and then down to every two minutes as they got stronger, and I was no longer able to talk or laugh through them as Jeff made funny faces and tried talking Taylor out of me. Once the contractions were coming on every minute and a half, that's when the pain was most excruciating, but honestly, I don't remember much of how painful it was because I was more exhausted from trying to push her into my pelvis. The doc said that the baby's head was just a bit larger than expected so even though I was completely dialated, she wasn't able to get fully into position because of the size of her cranium...he even said we might go to a C-section to Jeff...
All I recall is thinking how extremely tired I was from pushing so much and for so long (I had absolutely no concept of time during this whole ordeal once the real contractions started happening) - and even the thought that maybe I just simply didn't have the strength to push her out of me on my own crossed my mind. Apparently I shared that feeling with the rest of the room by begging the nurses and Jeff to just let them put me out and cutting the baby out of me. I just simply couldn't push anymore, or so I thought...
The doc must have seen that I was making "some" progress, though, because then he mercifully recommended we break amniotic sac to speed up the process and maybe help Taylor move down easier...after which, the contractions came on even stronger and closer together.
Bless the nurses who then came in and helped me push...I do remember begging them not to leave me...and I remember Jeff standing there by my side always ready to take my hand whenever I reached for him. I don't recall the pain of the baby pushing more into my pelvis, but all I recall is how tired I was - I had reached muscle failure and they were telling me to push just one more time...I simply didn't have the strength!
Then, suddenly, the nurses said let's push once more and we'll move you to the delivery room to have the baby! You're ready! I couldn't believe it!!! They rolled me into a room next door where they put me in a different contraption of a chair that was SO much easier to push from when they told me to push. All I remember from then on is that it really sucked when they cut me (the area is NOT numb when the cut is made simply because the head is crowning), and then shortly there after, feeling her head come out of me...and then the rest of her! I have a vague memory of looking up and seeing Jeff by my head all dressed for surgery...and I remember the extreme relief and immediate excitement that came over me after I heard the first little cry from my little one...and tears...
I think that's enough for details from the whole experience. I don't know if it's in the correct chronological order, but this is how I remember it. Jeff probably has a more orderly version of the day...
Shingil Taylor Ryals was born into this world at 7:28 pm on the 10th of March.
She weighed in at 3.77 kgs (8.3 lbs) and was 52 cm (20.5 in) long.
I still can't believe how every second I look at her, how beautiful she is.
I am recovering ok...my feet and ankles are extremely swollen now, but I'm hoping that will pass soon. I strained so hard during labor that I looked like I went a few rounds with Mike Tyson and lost...to include some burst blood vessels in my eyes. I feel surprisingly better than I thought I would...:)
I'll post some pictures as soon as I can...you have to see our beautiful little girl...:)
Love,
Rosa and Jeff
Monday, March 3, 2008
The due date...
The date has finally arrived...the due date. But, still, no Taylor.
We know we've kept everyone wondering if we've had the baby yet, and we're sorry to keep you in suspense, but I think those of you who are out there who are mothers understand that these last couple weeks are probably the longest weeks of your lives as you wait in eager anticipation for the little bundle of joy to arrive. With the continuously mounting anticipation comes a sort of withdrawal into your own immediate families without much desire to share anything with the rest of the world until the baby has finally arrived.
Thus, the lack of motivation to write and share anything the last few weeks...
Anyhow, I figure, today's the due date, so I probably ought to write something, so here goes.
The last two weeks have been quite uneventful for the most part. I haven't had any serious false alarms. I am having fairly regular "false" contractions that have no pain associated with them at all. I'm having about four an hour and have continued having them throughout the day for about the last week. The baby is continuing to move lower into my pelvis, but not so much that I have to run to the bathroom every 15 minutes. My hands are beginning to swell a little bit more than usual, but that's really only when I wake up in the morning - they go back to fairly normal after I'm up and about doing things. I've had a little minor cramping, but nothing significant enough to think I'm about to go into labor. In my boredom of sitting around the house, I've taken up knitting - I'm currently working on a baby blanket for Taylor, and Jeff's doing a fantastic job of supplying me with lots of yarn every time he's out shopping...:)
The latest measurements of little Taylor (last Monday) show that she's approximately 3.3kgs (7.2 lbs!), but they say one never really knows until the little one is born...but she's growing like a bean sprout in there! I have my last official doctor's appointment today (week 40!), but of course that means all they are doing now is making sure that Taylor isn't getting stressed out in her ever-shrinking home. :) She continues to be very active in there, but now the movements are much slower and directed, pushing in one direction, and then pushing in the other direction...trying to make just a little more room - without much luck.
Umma arrives tomorrow evening, so it'll be good to have her here with me as I wait some more. Maybe Taylor was just waiting for her Halmuni to get here before she came out so I'd have someone to rush to the hospital with me in case Jeff's at work. We're hoping Taylor decides to come no later than Wednesday, though...:) We'll see.
We'll hear from the doc today about how she's doing and how long he wants to wait before considering induction. He already talked to me about the possibility of inducing because she was growing so well. I think the longest he wants to wait is 10 days past my due date. I'm not opposed to induction, but I don't think I want to rush it either. I'd rather let her decide when she wants to come out...:) But we'll see...maybe she's just too comfortable in there...
Anyhow, that's what's going on with everything thus far. Still no Taylor, but I assure you that you will be hearing about it someway, somehow - as soon as it is possible for us to get on the internet to make the announcement that our little joy has joined us!
Until then, with love,
Rosa and Jeff
We know we've kept everyone wondering if we've had the baby yet, and we're sorry to keep you in suspense, but I think those of you who are out there who are mothers understand that these last couple weeks are probably the longest weeks of your lives as you wait in eager anticipation for the little bundle of joy to arrive. With the continuously mounting anticipation comes a sort of withdrawal into your own immediate families without much desire to share anything with the rest of the world until the baby has finally arrived.
Thus, the lack of motivation to write and share anything the last few weeks...
Anyhow, I figure, today's the due date, so I probably ought to write something, so here goes.
The last two weeks have been quite uneventful for the most part. I haven't had any serious false alarms. I am having fairly regular "false" contractions that have no pain associated with them at all. I'm having about four an hour and have continued having them throughout the day for about the last week. The baby is continuing to move lower into my pelvis, but not so much that I have to run to the bathroom every 15 minutes. My hands are beginning to swell a little bit more than usual, but that's really only when I wake up in the morning - they go back to fairly normal after I'm up and about doing things. I've had a little minor cramping, but nothing significant enough to think I'm about to go into labor. In my boredom of sitting around the house, I've taken up knitting - I'm currently working on a baby blanket for Taylor, and Jeff's doing a fantastic job of supplying me with lots of yarn every time he's out shopping...:)
The latest measurements of little Taylor (last Monday) show that she's approximately 3.3kgs (7.2 lbs!), but they say one never really knows until the little one is born...but she's growing like a bean sprout in there! I have my last official doctor's appointment today (week 40!), but of course that means all they are doing now is making sure that Taylor isn't getting stressed out in her ever-shrinking home. :) She continues to be very active in there, but now the movements are much slower and directed, pushing in one direction, and then pushing in the other direction...trying to make just a little more room - without much luck.
Umma arrives tomorrow evening, so it'll be good to have her here with me as I wait some more. Maybe Taylor was just waiting for her Halmuni to get here before she came out so I'd have someone to rush to the hospital with me in case Jeff's at work. We're hoping Taylor decides to come no later than Wednesday, though...:) We'll see.
We'll hear from the doc today about how she's doing and how long he wants to wait before considering induction. He already talked to me about the possibility of inducing because she was growing so well. I think the longest he wants to wait is 10 days past my due date. I'm not opposed to induction, but I don't think I want to rush it either. I'd rather let her decide when she wants to come out...:) But we'll see...maybe she's just too comfortable in there...
Anyhow, that's what's going on with everything thus far. Still no Taylor, but I assure you that you will be hearing about it someway, somehow - as soon as it is possible for us to get on the internet to make the announcement that our little joy has joined us!
Until then, with love,
Rosa and Jeff
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)