First Week with Lark

The day had finally come...Lark's birthday.  Sweet Lark was born at home Sunday April 17th at 3:20 PM.  She weighed in at 7 lbs 14 oz and 21 inches long.

(The TMI birth story at the bottom)

 One of the first pictures of sweet Lark.  After she was born she was awake and alert for several hours.

 Autumn came to the hospital that night after the twins went to sleep (a young woman in my ward came over to watch them).

 Meeting Grandma Pattie.

 Autumn was so sweet with little Lark.  She even sang her a lullaby or two.

 Dad and baby girl

The next morning I woke up to this...She was not interested in sleeping at all that first 24 hours.  Evan took the night shift and finally got her to sleep.

 Before discharge. [Since Lark was born at home, we chose not to admit her since the pediatricians would likely want to keep her for 48 hours for sepsis monitoring due to Amber's unknown Group B Strep status. Well, we didn't want to stay that long so I figured since I am in charge of babies all the time who are born to mothers of unknown GBS status or GBS positive and without appropriate antibiotic coverage that I...let's just say I felt confident in keeping an eye on Lark. We got the genetic testing, hep B vaccine, Vitamin K, and hearing screen on 4/19 after her office visit (Lark wasn't even 48 hours old yet either).The only reason we stayed the night of her birth was for us to get more rest, which probably didn't really make a difference in my mind] - editor

 Babies are so un-photogenic...."I'm the little sister"

 Headed home

 Maverick and Violet meeting Lark.

 Violet affectionately refers to Lark as "SHHH".  She is very interested in Lark.  She likes to pat her, but it is more like hitting.  Maverick misses his mommy, but doesn't seem super interested in Lark.

 mini-photo shoot to introduce Lark to my social network.

 Lark and Autumn in my new awesome glider chair

Who doesn't love a baby sneeze

 Autumn was very into the car seats after the twinners were born...now it is the twinners turn to play in the car seats.  (and yes Violet's jammies are backwards.   She unzips them at night if they are zipped in the front and we find her naked in the morning)

 Grandma Pattie playing with the kiddos outside while I napped.

 Violet is very interested in "SHHHH"

 Lark has a hard time falling asleep without a pacifier or someone's finger.

 Lark's finger nails are SO long...As in the the nail curves around her finger.  When I've tried to trim them they bleed! I'm pretty sure they are fused to her finger.

 Sending some love to Daddy who was in Phoenix with his nephew who is in the ICU at the Children's hospital.

 We had another warm day..

 Violet having second breakfast with Grandma.  (Violet will get a bowl and spoon out of the drawer and bring it to me when she wants food.)

Sunday funday! 

Maverick is very into saying "cheese"

 FOUR KIDS!! Still wrapping my head around that one!

 Autumn LOVES board games.  She even skipped TV time to play with Grandpa.

AWWW baby yawn.

TMI BIRTH STORY:  scroll away ye faint of heart

Sunday April 17: I woke up at usual time 6:30 am to a contraction.  Hallelujah!! Especially since I had been up all night on the toilet with flu like symptoms. I helped feed the kids breakfast. I figured I wouldn't go to church so I helped lay out church clothes for the kids and I did the girls' hair.  Then my mom finally told me to go lay down since she realized I wasn't feeling well.  Before I laid down I told Evan to shovel the driveway (we had another snow storm).  He asked "why?" and I explained my contractions were 10 minutes apart. I went and laid down around 9, I think?  I turned my hypnobirthing on and rested.  Then I'd have a huge contraction and hang out in the bathroom.  I took a shower until the hot water ran out (which isn't very long at our house).  Then hypnobirth some more.  This went on for what felt like FOREVER.  My contractions were still 10 minutes apart but were getting stronger.  Evan came into the bedroom after shoveling the driveway.

  Some time later and a few phone calls later I realized something was going on with Evan.  Turns out my sweet nephew had a brain bleed which caused a seizure and cardiac arrest.  He had been rushed to the nearby Phoenix Children's Hospital and had brain surgery.  Needless to say we were both a bit distracted.  My contractions were getting really annoying and I knew I needed some more support, an epidural, or another hot shower (which I knew I wouldn't get at home since I had used it all up.  But I recall an endless supply of hot water at the hospital when I was there with the twins).  So I talked things over with Evan.  He is very calm and supportive in situations like these, he just kept saying thing like, "whatever you want Amber".  So I decided to lay down one more time.  I was awakened by a strong contraction so I "jumped" out of bed.  I was hanging on Evan and whining about how much it hurt.  But what makes contractions not hurt as much is pushing....so that's what I did and at 3:18 pm my water broke.  Whoops! I knew our baby girl was coming, so I warned Evan.  He ran and got some towels and next contraction our little girl was coming.  But not like Maverick who pretty much fell out of me.  Lark was for a better word a bit stuck.  Evan looks and realizes the cord is wrapped around her neck (which is not that uncommon) [no it is not uncommon but hers was a snug nuchal cord x 1].  Evan tells me I have to lay down so he can move the cord, "Lay down!!??"  I say, I am literally squatting trying to push a human out of me, but he wants me to move and lay down.  He says calmly but with concern in his voice, "Amber, Amber, She's turning blue".  I'm not sure how I'm going to move, but somehow I lean against our bed.  Evan slips the cord from around her neck, and pulls her out! [with the twins I didn't do hardly anything. lets recap... Maverick: I picked him off the floor. Violet: I caught her as she came flying out like a torpedo. With Lark, I actually was needed. And she may have been leaning on the bed but she was still upright, instead of the down-up motion for delivering the front and then back shoulder, I went back then forward]. She was a bit blue and took a few seconds to cry. [I had the bulb suction in the kitchen that I had to go get before I suctioned her mouth then nose. I got some good stuff from her mouth which resulted in a good cry] I knew in my mom heart she was fine.  Evan offered to deliver the placenta at home.  Apparently I'm ok with having a baby at home, but not a placenta.  I opted to go to the hospital. [I was not as supportive on this manner, Amber wanted to just rest a little before going to the hospital. I said no, either I get it out now (which will allow her to rest on the bed), or we leave now. No other option. Not included in this post is the pictures I took of my laid out preparation for delivery 3-4 hours before she was born. I suspected all along that this baby would be born at home.] 

This time I did not wear my "sexy robe" like I did last time.  I just had on a 3XL t-shirt and wrapped a towel around my waist for added coverage.  I began having strong contractions again once we got to the car.  Evan phoned my OB/GYN and sheepishly told him I accidentally had a baby at home again.  (Oh, the awkward positions I've put my poor husband in [figuratively and literally like delivering a baby while on one knee with my head creaked to the side while she is standing]).  We got to the Emergency Room and Evan got me a wheel chair.  This time the people at the desk didn't realize I had a baby with me and calmly tried get us to sit at the desk and check in. Umm, hello, we have a baby here.  When they did realize I was holding a baby they tried to take the baby's temperature.  UM, Really??  I yelled at them to knock it off, "I'm in pain!!"  I said and to leave us alone.  Evan gave them a piece of his mind too (moments like that I really love my husband.  When he gets all protective [the ER tech said they were doing their job...really, your colleague looked down and said "oh cute" while leaning in to see Lark. I pushed the wheelchair so she could not see her. If that is your job ("saying oh cute"), then get out of my way because I have a placenta that needs to come out. And even if you were going to "check on her" WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? get a doctor...right, get out my way).  And once again we get up to labor and delivery and the nurses try to take my attached baby from me.  This time however it was 3:40 ish in the afternoon instead of shift change time in the am with Maverick and Violet.  It was a lot calmer on the labor and delivery floor AND there were about a quarter of the nurses in the room as there was with Maverick and Violet.  Evan ended up delivering the placenta anyway since my doctor hadn't made it there yet.  Finally some relief.  

(I guess when you've almost been married 8 years, your spouse know you better than you know yourself.  He said I knew all along you were going to have the baby at home again.  This is him getting prepared.  I honestly wasn't planning on it.  Next time though we'll just plan on it.  Hey maybe I'll even eat my own placenta too!)

So there you go.  Not nearly as exciting as the twins and not nearly as easy.  However my "recovery" has been the fastest and easiest so far.  Despite the fact that a few days after Lark was born I started experiencing leg pain...which turns out is a blood clot in a superficial vein.  So not "dangerous", but nevertheless painful.  ALSO my body thinks it needs to make milk for two babies...I can't convince it to stop.  I know I shouldn't complain about too much milk, but I will anyway.  It hurts. ALL.THE.TIME.

Cute things about Lark.

She snorts when she cries

She is a very calm, peaceful baby

Was born with SUPER long fingernails

Violet and Maverick refer to Lark as "SHHHH" as in that thing in the other room sleeping

Poops a ton...(I guess that isn't "cute" but still true)

Takes a pacifier to fall asleep

Umbilical cord fell off at 3 days old (April 20)

Eyes look like a deep Navy [or...a hazy shade of winter]