Welcome, Sophie!

We are so excited to have welcomed Sophia Grace Sketeris to the world on December 21 at 1:29am! Our little girl was born perfectly healthy and gazing directly into our eyes. She weighed 8lbs 7.6oz and measured 20.5 inches.

Labor & Delivery
After putting Mia down for a nap on Saturday afternoon, Jeff and I settled in to watch Elf. About half way through the movie, I started having pretty mild contractions. I'd been laying on my side watching tv, and after the movie I decided to stay on my side in the hopes that the contractions would "stick". Every time I'd had any contractions in the last few weeks (and I'd had a lot!) they would stop if I changed what I was doing. So I moved to bed and stayed on my side for a couple of hours. Around five pm, Jeff came to check on me and I was still contracting, and they were coming about every three to five minutes. Jeff called the doula to tell her that we might be calling her later in the night to come over, and she told us not to get too excited unless the contractions stuck around after moving around and changing positions. She promised me that I would eventually go into labor but suggested that for now I get up and try to ignore them.

So...Jeff came into our room and announced that we were all going to Costco. This was not exactly what I wanted to do, but it was probably one of the best things we did all night. By the time we got to Costco (only a 10- or 15-minute drive from our house), Jeff was starting to wonder whether we should continue our little trip or turn around and go back. Not only was I still contracting, but they were last about 45 seconds and coming about every three minutes. I decided we should go ahead because, if nothing else, walking around the store would kill some time. ;o)

Jeff pushed Mia in the cart, and every three minutes I stopped him so I could lean face-first into his back and breath through a contraction. We finished a very short shopping trip and went back home. Around 7pm we called our doula back to tell her where we were at and ask her to start heading our way. She was out in Balboa and told us to expect her by 9pm. We then called my mom and my sister and asked them to head over, too. After Heather got here, she took Mia to stay w/ her husband for the night and then came back.

Around 9pm, Jeff, my mom, my sister, and our doula (Yvonne) were all helping me to relax through each contraction and to resist fighting them. Around 9:30 or so, Yvonne suggested that Jeff and I go for a walk down the street to look at Christmas lights. The contractions definitely became more intense, but my bigger problem became walking in general. Sophie had been sitting on a nerve that runs down the front of my left leg for weeks, and now my leg basically gave out on me during each contraction. So Jeff helped me get home so I could sit down on the birth ball some more.

At this point Jeff decided to call the OB on call and let her know that we were in labor and would be heading to the hospital later that night. When Jeff told her that I was contracting for just over a minute and that they were coming every 2 1/2 or 3 1/2 minutes, she told us we should get to the hospital now. I shook my head and told Jeff to tell her I wasn't ready yet. They were long and close together, but since I'd done this before I knew they weren't nearly intense enough yet to suggest I was close to delivering, and I really didn't want to spend any more time at the hospital than I had to. Our OB got a little testy at this point and warned us if we stayed home beyond this point, we were risking having the baby at home or in the car, as well as the possibility that the doctor simply wouldn't make it to the hospital in time to deliver. We were comfortable w/ that "risk" b/c we all knew I really wasn't close yet.

The birth ball was a God-send during the rest of my labor. Sitting on the ball was the only position I found tolerable during each contraction. The funny thing (to me, anyway) was that between each contraction I was in absolutely zero pain. This was such a stark contrast to my labor w/ Mia b/c of the back pain I'd had w/ her, that even this late in my labor I was worried it might not be the real thing and would just stop suddenly. Well, that didn't happen.

As the contractions got more intense, I took a warm shower to help ease the pain, and that was a big help. Shortly after getting out of the shower, Yvonne kept reminding me that I really needed to relax through the contractions and that I couldn't fight them. I realized that I couldn't do that anymore b/c I could actually feel Sophie moving down each time I did. I think I realized I was getting close and that I needed to get to the hospital. So we all packed up and caravanned over to Arcadia Methodist around midnight.

Since it was the middle of the night, we went in through the ER. They brought out a wheelchair to wheel me up to Labor & Delivery, but I had to hop out twice to sit on my ball to get through two sets of contractions before I made it to my room. When I finally got settled in, they put a PICC line (sort of like an IV tube, but not attached to anything) in my arm and check my dilatation. I held my breath and prayed that it was a really high number (and not, say, a two...). I think we all almost cheered when the nurse declared that I was "8 almost 9" centimeters dilated. I've almost never been more relieved.

Yvonne let me rest in bed through a few more contractions before insisting that I get back up and sit on the ball to finish dilating. One of the nurses looked at me said Yvonne was right and that I should get back up. So I sat on the ball and leaned on the bed through several more contractions. My water finally broke while I was on the ball, and a little after that they checked me and told me I was fully dilated and asked if I felt like pushing. I seriously could not believe we were already at this point!

The best part of the whole story is that it only took 4 contractions over 10 minutes to push her out! (Such a contrast to the 2 1/2 hours it took to get Mia out!!) She was born at 1:29am, just 1 1/2 hours after we got to the hospital. (So much better than 13 1/2 hours.) We had asked them to delay all the routine newborn procedures for a while, and we all were amazed at how alert Sophie was immediately. She was lying on my chest and stared directly into my eyes and was just looking me over and over. She nursed for a bit and we took turns holding her before the nurses finally took her to assess her and finish the newborn procedures.

The First Couple of Days
It was about 4am before the three of us finally all made it upstairs to settle into the maternity ward for the night. Jeff slept on the pull-out bed, and Sophie mostly nursed throughout the night. Early in the morning, Jeff went out to get us some coffee and to bring Mia in to meet her little sister.

Mia absolutely understood who Sophie was from the second we introduced them. She no longer pointed to my belly when we asked where Sophie was; instead she pointed to the bassinet and said, "She's right der!" We helped her hold Sophie for a bit, and listened to her sing the ABC song to her about 5 or 6 times. That was about the cutest thing I've ever seen. :o) We also had to restrain her a bit as it was clear that she didn't really get that Sophie was a fragile human being and not just a really cool doll.

We learned late that morning that Sophie was Coombs positive, just like Mia had been. This means that my and Sophie's blood types were incompatible, putting her at risk for becoming jaundiced immediately. This is was happened with Mia, and she had to spend her first 48 hours in a phototherapy bed to bring down her bilirubin levels before she could be discharged. Luckily, they watched her blood levels over the next 24 hours, and they never reached a level of concern, so ours was only a mild reaction. In fact, they discharged us early (at our request) as long as we promised to return to the pediatrician's office the next day for a follow-up.

So yesterday around noon, we all took Sophie in for her follow-up, and she got another clean bill of health. :o) She had already regained an ounce of weight, which didn't surprise me at all since she's been nursing like a two-week-old since birth! We don't have to take her back in to the doctor until next week.

Unfortunately, however, Jeff found himself right back at the pediatrician's office only fours later. Mia woke up very early from her nap that afternoon wailing. Neither one of us could calm her down, which is really unlike Mia. When we finally got her tell us (through tears and hiccups) what was wrong, she said, "I need boo-boo pack in my ear." The pediatrician diagnosed her w/ an ear infection and prescribed a 10-day course of antibiotics. Woo hoo... The first time we've *ever* had to take Mia in for a sick visit is two days after giving birth. What timing. ;o)

Today, on the other hand, has been a great day for everybody. Sophie slept in a four-hour block and a two-and-a-half-hour block last night, so I actually got some pretty decent sleep. (Julie, if you're reading this, please don't hate us...) Then we all got dressed to head out to the park around 10am, which is right when our Stroller Strides class ends. Mia got to run around the playground w/ Jeff and some of her friends, and I got to visit with some of my friends and introduce them to Sophie. Then the four of us went out to breakfast at The Peach, which was delicious (as always). Now we're all home and getting ready to set out some cookies & milk for Santa this evening. My mom, Pat, grandma, sister, and brother-in-law are all coming over to celebrate Christmas with us tomorrow. Merry Christmas!!