Katharine's visitors!

Katharine's had more visitors in her first month of life than we've had in the whole last year! :) And it's been so nice to see everyone and have them meet her. Daniel's brother and his family came up the first weekend after Katharine was born. It was so nice to have Henry and Katharine's four cousins up and they were so cute with them. Henry pretty much was in heaven with all of them to play with too! Thanks for coming to visit Mike and Kari!

Then my mom came to visit when Katharine was two weeks old. She stayed for four days and it was so helpful to have an extra set of hands around to play with Henry, hold Katharine and crochet cute flowers for headbands and hats for Katharine! :) I'll post a product of said crocheting very soon. :) We loved having you here Mom!

And then the following week my sister's came up! They came for three days and did a lot of entertaining Henry! I felt like for all the playing they did with him that I owed them a babysitting fee! So very helpful and he's still talking about going to Teddy Bear Park with them, playing with Playdough and going for a walk and not being able to find the park. :) Thanks for visiting guys and working your hinnies off playing with them -- and for painting my toenails! :)

And tonight my mom and dad are both flying in to visit! I can't wait to see them and see what my dad thinks of Katharine. I'm sure he'll fall in love -- we all have. Then my niece, Olivia, visits the next week! Braving the flight all by herself. Hard to believe she's old enough to take a trip by herself to come see me -- where did 13 years go? I'm sure I'll feel the same about Henry and Katharine. And then Daniel's parents come back up to celebrate Halloween in true O'Hara fashion with us all dressing up! I won't tell you what we will be I'll just give you a hint: "All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust." Do you know? :) More clues soon!

Katharine's birth story

Finally a time when everyone except me is sleeping in the house. :) Perfect time to write about Katharine's birth. I had worked Labor Day weekend a 4 day stretch of 12 hour shifts. For months now I've been trying to get a day or at least a couple hours off here and there on my long work stretches, but that weekend I  didn't cause I thought if anything will bring on labor it would be working. But the each day came and went and still no water breaking and no intense contractions. On Tuesday morning I came home from work and went straight to bed exhausted. I was 39 2/7 weeks and I had my weekly midwife appointment at 2:20pm that day so I knew I should try getting some sleep. At about 1pm, I woke with a pretty intense contraction. I got up and went to the bathroom, thinking it was just that my bladder was full because for months that has brought on contractions that go away after going to the bathroom. So I went back to bed thinking nothing of it. Then I woke with another strong contraction at 1:15pm. Then again at 1:30 and then I knew that this was it. I heard Daniel and Henry just coming home and met them downstairs. I told Daniel that I thought this was it. He didn't believe me but by the next contraction I was convinced. They were coming every 8 to 10 minutes and felt different than before. Daniel mobilized the troops, calling Matt and Ember, our friends who so kindly came to watch Henry. Matt quickly left work and was at our house by 2pm. The other half of the troops were Daniel's parents who left Waukon, Iowa (about a 3 hour drive) to come stay the night with Henry. As Daniel was preparing all of this, I went upstairs to read Henry books and lay him down for his nap. I had a couple sets of contractions during his bedtime routine and had to sway side to side during one of them. Henry asked "Why are you dancing mommy?" :) I explained to him that I thought the baby was coming. I called to talk to my midwife and she said to skip the appointment and just come in to the Birth Center. I was sure that the baby would come that night, but I thought I had at least 6 hours or so ahead of me because my water hadn't even broke. Wondering if I was heading to the hospital too early, I decided, with how quickly Henry came, I just wanted to be safe and get there.

We got to Hudson Hospital (about a mile from our house) around 3:30pm. They hooked me up to monitors and watched how Katharine's heartbeat responded to several sets of contractions. After taking vitals, they let me get up and walk around a bit. I started walking the halls around 4pm I think and it definitely got the contractions going. I was having a lot of back labor where I felt the contractions mostly in my back. In the hallway I had a pretty intense contraction and they were coming faster together. That's when I knew I was progressing. We went back to the room and Liz Barry-Jensen, my midwife, came in to check me -- 6cm she said. That was a relief because I felt pretty intense contractions and didn't know how much longer I could endure them. Liz said she had to go pump and then she'd come right back. She and I both thought we were still hours away from delivering. I then started having more intense contractions and mumbled to Daniel that I thought I'd have her soon. The nurse, Kristen, heard this and asked me what I meant. I told her I was starting to feel like pushing. She called Liz back to the room and just as Liz was arriving a contraction started. I had no idea that at the beginning of the contraction that it would be the one I would push her out, but as it built I gave one big push, not even consciously, but just as a reflex like sneezing, and could feel her head come out. I don't even think Liz had her gloves on yet. Then the contraction ended, but her head was out so I gave another push and out came her shoulders. Crazy fast and so glad Liz got back in time!

Daniel and I were so excited to finally meet our GIRL! She came out and looked so much like me with her dark hair and dark skin, which was so different than when I first laid eyes on Henry's blond hair and fair skin. But just like Henry, Daniel and I both felt like we could stare at her forever and it still wouldn't be enough. :) I just wanted to keep soaking up her tiny features and beautiful face. Daniel and I were both in love.

Within minutes Daniel's parents arrived and then went to the house to get Henry. Matt escorted them to the hospital because of all the construction and brought us a pizza -- what a guy! Daniel's parents stayed for a bit with Henry and then took him home for the night and watched him while Daniel, Katharine and I stayed in the hospital -- what wonderful grandparents! We were discharged the next day around dinner time.

Henry fell in love with her right away, but it took a good while to settle in with the change (we're still settling). We had multiple daily timeouts and lots of tears -- his and mine. But every day he adjusts to the new family more and more. Less timeouts and less tears from both of us. :)

Thanks Kenny and Shirley for helping us out so much and watching Henry!

The new normal bedtime routine now :)

That post only took about a month to finish, but it was a long one in my defense. It might take you just as long to read. :) More soon on my mom and sister's visits and on how amazing Katharine is!  

One month old Katharine

Hard to believe that a whole month has flown by already. A whole month and no time to update the blog with even her birth story. I started that post three weeks ago and have added to it three times now, but it still isn't finished. Trying to have lots of family time doesn't leave a lot of time for updating blogs. :) So more very soon, but for now I'll leave with these two pictures. One of a quickly growing Katharine (8 pounds 15 ounces according to a kitchen scale I put her on at Ember's house today); the other a very happy Henry while having some "just mommy" time at the park.  More on how things are going soon, but I can say it has gotten better than the last post. There are still some rough days. And really really good days like today too that make the rough days tolerable. :)