New Beginnings...

This Monday was Izzy's last day atthe Goddard School. We pulled her out so I could spend time with her while I'm home for 3 months and then to stay home with our nanny and Delaney for a year. Cost savings, big time. We have every intention of putting both girls back there in January of 2011, as we've seen how much Izzy thrives there and loves it (as do we). picking her up on Monday was very emotional for me, as it was bitter-sweet to see her leave her friends and teachers she loves. I was crying and so were her teachers. Was a tough day.

Peeking in on her playing and then a tearful goodbye
However, Tuesday presented Izzy's first day of pre-school and our emotions took a turn to a happier place! Izzy loves wearing her "gackpack" and even fell over backwards when we put it on her. There wasn't even a lot inside...just a change of clothes and diapers/wipes. But she had to get used to the new center of balance the "gackpack" presented :)
Ready for school
Dropping her off was quite different from what we're accustomed to at Goddard, where Izzy would run into her classroom without looking back. This pre-school was the first time for most of these kids to be away from their parents. Which meant it was a BIG day for them; dressed up in their Sunday best and clinging to their parents' legs. Izzy walked right into her classroom and started playing. Said goodbye to me and that was it. She was alone in her classroom while the other kids hestitantly waited in the hallway. It was quite the change. When we picked her up, she had LOTS to tell us. She kept on babbling about her day (in her own language, untranslatable), so we knew she had a good time. Phew.
Now, if you'd like to know what Delaney is up to...
Sleeping and more sleeping...
Seems as if we have quite the sleeper on our hands. We try (to no avail) to keep her awake after feedings during the day. She has other plans. The last two nights she has only woken twice, only to go right back to sleep. So far, I'm well rested. But this could all be a fluke. We're holding our breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. But hoping she'll be just as easy of a baby as Izzy was.


We had a weight check yesterday at the Pediatrician's and she is already back up to her birth weight (!!!), which means she is feeding very well.


And Izzy's life hasn't really changed much with Delaney's arrival home. Izzy is quite unfazed by it all. However, when it comes to diaper changing time, Izzy is a huge helper. She will get the diaper, wipes and changing pad for me AND throw away the dirty diaper for me. She's already a great big sister!!!!

Coming home...

So tiny!
The hospital makes every baby a Birthday cake

On our way out

Excited to see her new baby sister at home!
Checking her out
This pose didn't last long...Izzy stood up right away!
Izzy was more interested in rocking in "Yaney's" car seat
Baby Laney brought Izzy a Little People house...something she plays with at her grandparents for hours on end. She loves it...wakes up and wants to play with her "house." Izzy is also curious when I'm nursing...she'll bring her baby over with either a bottle to give her or pull up her shirt to feed her. How quickly they learn!

Our first night at home was mostly sleepless. I have a feeling they'll be like this for a while, until Laney figures out her days and nights. Or until we figure out what soothes her back to sleep. Wish us luck!

Time at the hospital

This time around, recovering at the hospital was a VERY different experience; we had far fewer visitors, we had one VERY fun visitor (Izzy Lou), and we sent Delaney to the nursery both nights for the ENTIRE nights. Got two full nights' sleep. Was incredible. Loved the time there. The entire nursing staff is incredible. And so is the cable...we watched almost every movie available :)

My girlfriend, Molly, took some amazing shots of us at the hospital. There are almost 100...so if you'd like to see all of them, check out our Family Picture Site on the right. She is a great friend and an amazing photographer. We heart Molly. Check these out:

A smooch for Mommy
So excited
Lovey

Izzy wanted to try on Laney's hat

Izzy loving on her new sister

Toes!

Izzy's excited face over meeting her new sis

Some goofing off with daddy

She's the big sister

Meeting

Grandpa Bob & Grandma Laura

My very best friend...Aunt Jaime (or as Izzy says, Gi Gi)

My other best friend, Aunt Kimmy (or as Izzy says, Ki Ki)
Grandma Anna and Grandpa Keel
Ricky, Christopher & Katie visited us
Lori Lou holding Laney Lou
And finally, Molly. Thanks for taking some amazing pics!

Laboring at the hospital...

By 9:00pm I finally called the doctor and she said she'd meet me at the hospital. Phew. Kim stayed at home with a sleeping Izzy until my bestie Jaime came to the rescue to pick girl up for an overnight. Soon Kim joined us at the hospital. I was admitted at 9:30 and was dilated to a 3. They set me up on some Nubane pain drip and let me continue to labor. An hour later I was at 4cm. They started the Pitocin drip. I wasn't dilating very quickly and they wouldn't break my water, as Delaney's head was still very high. There was a risk if they broke my water that the umbilical cord would come through the cervix before the baby...which has a very technical term and is very dangerous. Kim, Mike and I watched about 4 movies over the course of 9:30pm until about 8:30am. Waiting. Around 7am, when the doctors switched their on-call duties, the next doctor on call decided it was time to break my water. I swear, within 30 minutes I went from a 6cm to a 10cm and the baby was crowning. She came SO fast once my water was broken that the nurse had to quickly pull my doctor out of a surgery! I believe I pushed around 5 times and Delaney was born!

This was taken right when they told me we were ready to push. I was a crying mess...just so emotional that it was about to happen so quickly after waiting ALL NIGHT!
Strong set of lungs

So sweet

I couldn't stop crying

Yeah!!! We did it!

Laboring at home

My labor started at home on Tuesday evening. I was awake the entire night timing my contractions. I finally fell asleep from 4-6 am, only to awaken to NO contractions. I went into the doctor's office that morning (with the car packed with our hospital bags) to see if I had dilated any from the day prior, to no avail. I called work and told them I was officially on maternity leave, as I didn't want to go into the office and labor there. Yuck.

So I waited. The contractions came back early afternoon and I immediately called my sister. She was on her way down to Indy, as we knew it was just a matter of time. Once she got into town we had to keep busy to keep my mind off of my painful contractions. So we played dress-up with Izzy, read books on the potty, and once Izzy was down, we walked all the cul-de-sacs in my neighborhood while I labored. It was HOT and muggy. But I needed to get this show on the road. I kept laboring and recording my contractions.

Izzy showing off her reading skills on the potty

Introducing Delaney June McCulloch

Delaney June McCulloch

August 27th, 2009

8:39 a.m.

6 lbs. 11 oz.

20 1/2 inches

I am the luckiest...

I've been having regular contractions now for 7 hours (it's 2am now and they started around 7 pm). I laid in bed for over an hour listening to my husband breathe in his sleep, all the while recording every contraction by the light of my cell phone. They are pretty consistently 5 minutes apart; however, they are not lasting more than 45 seconds. The general rule of thumb is to call the doctor once the contractions are 5 min. apart, lasting 1 minute, for an entire hour. So I wait. And labor. Alone in the dark.

I remember when I was going through this exact same labor with Izzy; I was up all night on the computer reading other peoples' blogs and then blogging myself. Hard to believe that was only 2 years ago (give or take 5 weeks). Seems like Izzy has been part of our lives for a lot longer than that. My, how quickly we forget the newborn stage and all the stages in between. I will soon be reminded, as my world will once again be changed for the best.

Anyone who knows me well knows that Mike and I were 100% sold on the fact that we were only going to have 1 child, Izzy. Doctors told us it was nearly impossible for us to conceive on our own and we were NOT going down the fertility road again. We were perfectly happy with our little Izzy girl being our only. We had come to terms with it and in fact, were quite overjoyed to simply have the most perfect little girl to call our own.

We just went on a whim to see if we could conceive on our own...and wouldn't you know it, it worked on our first attempt (using Chlomid prescribed by my OBGYN, not by the fertility specialist)!

I cried in disbelief at the pregnancy test.

I cried in anger at the fertility doctor that said this medicine would never work for someone with my condition (PCOS).

I cried in joy that Izzy was going to have a sibling.

I cried in elation that my body worked.

I cried because I never thought I'd be able to experience the miracle of childbirth again.

And here I am. Again. Laboring another daughter. A sister to Izzy. And words cannot express my emotions. I am the luckiest. Which brings me to one of my most favorite songs by Ben Folds, titled "The Luckiest":

I don't get many things right the first time

In fact, I am told that a lot

Now I know all the wrong turns,

the stumbles and falls

Brought me here

And where was I before the day

That I first saw your lovely face?

Now I see it everyday

And I know

That I am

I am

I am

The luckiest

**I'll keep you all posted on my labor & delivery!!**