Very quick update

We are home, and we are busy! Nate and Lucy were both very sick beginning Thursday night (the day Levi was born). Lucy is on the tail end now, but Nate is still in the midst of a killer bug. May be the stomach flu. Levi and I came home yesterday (should have been 11:00 a.m. but ended up being 7:00 p.m.!). His bilirubin levels were a bit high, so we have him under the blue blanket lights--they make him look like a glow worm. :) He stays in the lights all the time except for feeding, when 30 minutes are allowed. Good thing he is a sleepy, great baby, because he hasn't really fussed much at all. My mom and I took him back in to the hospital this morning to have his blood drawn for the test again, and we still have him in the lights. He goes in to the doctor again tomorrow. That's all for now!

Levi's birth story

On Tuesday night, we were up quite a few times with Lucy, who was sick. I think something about getting up and down very quickly multiple times overnight did something, and I woke on Wednesday morning wondering if I had had a leak. I spent all day Wednesday feeling uneasy, wondering if I was imagining things or just feeling weird or something. Once I finally called the phone nurse that evening, she recommended I come in to be checked. I waited until Jon got home, and we made it to the hospital at 11:00 p.m. They checked my fluid and confirmed it was indeed amniotic, so they admitted me at 1:30 a.m. I wasn't completely mentally prepared for this, as I was 35 weeks along and planning for at least a couple more weeks of pregnancy! I hadn't even brought anything (like a camera) other than my purse with me along to the hospital. Oh well!

I was having contractions pretty regularly, and they started to progress a little bit, but not much. The doctor wanted to start me on pytocin, but I asked instead that they let me labor for a while, then check me and also break my water the rest of the way; the doc agreed. I asked my nurse several times through the night when I could get up out of bed, since I knew that would help the contractions progress, but she kept saying no. I could tell she was a new nurse, and knowing my history of quick labor with Lucy, she didn't want anything bad to happen (I guess). So I spent a few hours in the bed, watching my contractions being monitored on the computer screen.

At 5:00 a.m., when my contractions had gotten quite a bit stronger, the doctor checked me, and I was at a disappointing (to me) 1.5 cm. She broke my water, which I was sure would really jump start things, considering my labor with Lucy (water breaks = baby born!). But instead, my contractions stopped! I guess when she broke my water, my blood pressure went way down. (Incidentally, this is the only time I slept all night; I took a nap for about 20 minutes--my blood pressure must have been really low.) They put me on some oxygen, and I agreed to have some pytocin, which they started around 7:00. This is when they finally let me get up out of bed.

I spent the morning laboring, visiting with Neil, Casey, and Bennett, and walking around the room. Contractions were getting much stronger, but I could still talk through them.

Around 11:30, I was pretty uncomfortable, and the nurse checked me: 4 cm. Hmm. Contractions were no fun at this point. I'm not Superwoman, so I asked for an epidural. During the hour-and-a-half wait for the epidural, my contractions kept getting worse and worse. Casey came again and visited with me (while Jon rested on the window seat), but our conversation had to stop every 2-3 minutes while I focused and breathed through a contraction.

The anesthesiologist arrived. He started explaining the risks and benefits of the epidural while I ignored him through a contraction. Mid-sentence, he asked in good humor, "Do you even care what I'm saying right now?" "No," I moaned. He gave me the epidural, which took a little while so I had to remain completely still during several very strong contractions. Ahhh, relief!

Within 2 minutes, my doctor came in and checked me. "She's complete!" she exclaimed. Yes, I had made it to 10 cm before even getting the epidural. The baby was at +1 station, which meant he was low and pretty ready to come out. Dr. Raffo had to do a scheduled c-section right then, so I waited (happily, since the epidural had kicked in). My nurse turned off the epidural, so no new medicine was coming in, but I was still numb. Just a few minutes later, though, even through the numbness, I thought I might feel the urge to push. I told the nurse; she checked me and declared the baby was at +3 station (VERY ready to come out). I held tight (quite literally) while we waited for Dr. Raffo. The baby's heart rate was starting to dip really low during each contraction, and I had to really try not to push, so the nurse called for a different doctor to deliver immediately. Just then, Dr. Raffo arrived.

I pushed through two contractions, able to feel a little bit through the epidural medicine, and Levi was born! They had told me earlier that I might not get to hold the baby right away since he was premature and may need to be taken immediately to the isolette for the neonatologist to check him out, but Levi cried out on his own right away, so I got to hold him for a moment. His APGARS were 8 and 9--he was teeny tiny but healthy! His hair seemed blonde when he was first born, but it looks brown today. He doesn't look much like either Nate or Lucy, especially his little mouth and chin. I am so glad he's here!



Nate and Lucy came to meet their brother a few hours after he was born. Nate was SO excited to get to hold him. He held him long enough for Jon to snap one picture, and then he enthusiastically said, "Here you go!" and lovingly but quickly handed him right back to me.



Jon said that Lucy kept saying "Wee-vi, Wee-vi!" in the car all the way to the hospital. When she saw him, she didn't know quite what to think, and she isn't a big fan of someone holding him instead of her. She warmed up to him a little bit, though, especially while Colleen was holding him.

Introducing...

Introducing

Levi Paul Varela
Born November 13 at 1:53 p.m.
5 pounds, 3 ounces
18.5 inches long

Healthy and precious!

Our sweet boy decided to come a little early! We are all doing great; I'll post more information soon.

Poor girl

Lucy has a stomach bug, the poor thing. So that has been my day yesterday and today. Jon took Nate to school this morning, and I'm here with Lucy. She has eaten a few crackers and kept some liquids down this morning, so that's good. One of the worst things is not letting your little one have anything to eat or drink when they're begging for it (she kept asking for a drink last night but couldn't keep anything down)! They just don't understand.

Nate has been a sweet helper, fetching Lucy's blanket or pacifier or whatever I needed. Jon said Nate prayed for Lucy this morning too. :)

The picture of her standing below is funny--she was standing like that just holding the cracker for a long time. She had begged for something to eat, got it, and then realized she didn't feel like eating.

Fun for all

My good friend Jenny and her husband, Drew, offered to take Nate and Lucy for the day today for some fun. They picked them up this morning and whisked them off to a fun park. They also went to a bookstore, then In-n-Out for lunch, and then Target to pick out a new toy! Wow--I think our kids have some new favorite people in the world. Nate cried when they left. :)

While they were away, I got through a few boxes of baby boy clothes and arranged them into the new (used) dresser I picked up yesterday. (It's now in Lucy's closet.) And then I went and got my hair done--something I haven't done in months and it just feels so nice! Jon spent the morning working on some Bible studies he is writing for a 2-day Mexico trip he is taking next weekend to help train some pastors down there. Then he and I met for lunch at Taco Bell (I know--so romantic, but it sounded good to me!) before coming home to be here when everyone got home. Nate and Lucy are down for naps now, and I'm relaxed!

GrosgrainStore.com grand opening & gift card giveaway

GrosgrainStore.com Grand Opening & Giftcard Giveaway!!!!!!!!

This crafty mom opened her own store this week (grosgrainstore.com) and has some cute stuff! :)

Lucy today

Girl clothes are just so cute sometimes, so I wanted to get a few pictures of Lucy in a new dress.

Quick update

The house is a crumby mess (meaning there are crumbs everywhere in addition to the laundry, random toys, shoes, grocery bags, more), but I wanted to check in. Nate has today off from school, so we went to Chick-fil-A and Trader Joe's, where the kids behaved well (always makes for a better outing). Funny side note about that: often, when Nate does a great job of listening, I make an effort to praise him specifically for what he has done. For example, today when we got to the car after Chick-fil-A, I said, "Nate, when Mama said, 'One more minute to play,' and then, 'OK, it's time to go--please get your shoes,' did you obey?" He answered, "Yes!" and was so proud of himself. I do that a lot. Once recently, after school, he did the entire conversation by himself. He said, "In school today, when Miss Meg said put away the toys, did you obey? Yes!!!"

Oh, and one other Nate thing I don't want to forget (I was reminded of this from one of Ricci's posts): he thinks McDonald's is called Old McDonald's. (And I'm sure he thinks the song is about the restaurant.)

Tomorrow we're driving up to Ventura for the day to visit with Nate and Louise and their three girls, who are in the states on furlough.

Several people have mentioned in the past few days that it looks like I've "dropped." I have my next appointment on Monday, so we'll see what the doctor says. I'm not quite 34 weeks, so I don't want anything moving along yet, but ask me again in 3 weeks! :)

Pictures

Lucy so proud about eating with a fork:


Nate riding his bike in the garage:


Me last week at 8 months (32 weeks):


And Lucy just looking cute:

Grosgrain mini store opening November 6... and a giveaway

GROSGRAIN MINI STORE OPENING NOVEMBER 6 AND BIG PREVIEW GIVEAWAY

My sister

Today is my sister Lucy's 22nd birthday! Happy birthday, Luce! Here are some of my favorite memories and thoughts about Lucy Clark McCann (with a contribution by Greg below)...

• I remember playing with Greg one day and Mama stopping us, saying she had something important to tell us. She stood in the doorway to the living room and said that we were going to have a new baby. I vaguely remember thinking, "Uh, OK. You made us stop playing for that?" (I'm sure my excitement grew when Lucy actually arrived.)
• I don't remember too much about Lucy's baby years (except what I'm reminded of by watching home videos), but Mama tells me that she would let me "play" with infant Lucy in my room by myself. I was 6. I think I mostly just talked to her and showed her things while she was on the floor.
• Lucy and I shared a room when we lived in Lake Forest (from when she was 2 to 6 and when I was 8 to 12). These were some extremely cute years for Lucy. I remember her dressing up a lot and speaking to anyone and everyone who would listen. Anyway, sharing a room was fun.
• One of little Lucy's favorite things to do was dress up in one of my old tap dance costumes and dance (move for move) to the home video of my dance recital. Mama says she would rewind the video--sometimes to well before the dance recital part--and Lucy would stand completely still in the first pose of the dance (one hand on hip, one hand in the air), waiting for it to come on.
• Lucy began horseback riding when we lived in Massachusetts (I think she was about... 9 or 10?). I remember being proud of her for doing her own thing and getting better and better at it. She continued riding after we moved to CA, and I would often pick her up at the barn in San Juan after she worked and rode.
• During the summer when I was about 17 and Lucy was 11, she and I would go to Lake Mission Viejo together. We'd swim around and "lay out" and just have a nice time. I never felt like I was doing a favor or babysitting or something; I was just hanging out with my sis.
• Apparently, Lucy's voice and my voice are very similar, especially on the phone. When Jon and I were dating and he called our house, he very often mistakenly said, "Hey babe" to Lucy if she answered. I think it got to the point where she would respond, "Hey babe" back to him. I realized how extremely similar our voices are when I heard a lengthy recording of myself talking (back when I recorded Nate's IEP meeting with the school). It was eerie--I couldn't believe not only how similar our actual voices are, but also how our inflections and word pronunciations are the same too.
• A phrase that describes Lucy well is that she always just does her own thing. She doesn't care much for trends or what everyone else is doing. When it comes to clothing, if she likes it, she wears it (although that penchant for jackets must be costly).
• Some other great Lucy qualities: she is very "go with the flow," she can be silly, she is smart, she is a hard worker, and she has strong values.
• I'm so excited about the woman of God Lucy has become. There is a reason we chose to name our daughter Lucy, and it wasn't just because we liked the sound of the name!

Here are Greg's thoughts (get a tissue ready):

When I think about Lucy, my favorite thing to think about is what kind of a person she has turned out to be. When our family lived in California, as Lucy wrote for my birthday, Lucy was known as little McCann. She was my little sister. Since we moved to Virginia and Lucy went to high school here, Lucy naturally knows more people and families in town than I do. Our roles completely reversed--I became Lucy's older brother. We have been here close to 6 years and still to this day I get introduced or meet someone and they know me through Lucy. I am always so proud to be known as her older brother. Lucy has grown up to be the sweetest, kindest, and outright most amazing woman I have ever known. When Lucy tells you something, you know she means every word from the bottom of her heart. Every time I think about Lucy, I smile because I still think of her as "Little Lucy," but in reality she has completely grown up into an amazing person. Lucy is everything anybody would want out of a friend, sister, daughter, and for some lucky guy, a wife! I love you Lucy! I can't wait to see you in a week! Happy Birthday!!!

Keeping busy

I've been sewing some more, and Ricci inspired me to start on some craft-y Christmas gifts. I ordered this cute Robert Kaufman fabric (it's brown corduroy) to make a wintery dress for Lucy... We'll see how that goes! I also ordered some fun boy fabric to try to make a skirt for the bassinet I have.

I've finally created a list of all the things I should do before this baby arrives, including freezing a few meals, making that bassinet skirt, getting out all the littlest baby/boy clothes, and finding a small dresser to go in Lucy's closet (I've already found a few good options on Craigslist).

OK, I'm off to do some more nap-time sewing!

Lucy today

Smart son

I figure it's OK to brag on my own blog, right? Here is Nate reading. This doesn't even do justice to the amazing things he can do already with letters and words.

More sewing

I realize all the clothing items I've made recently are very summery, including this project. I'm easing into this clothing-making thing by doing beginner stuff--no sleeves! I'm hoping to do a cooler-weather dress with sleeves soon, once I can find a cute jersey/cotton stretch knit.

Anyway, here is my first piece of clothing made using a pattern. It's a reversible pinafore, and I love how it turned out. It should fit Lucy in the spring/summer as a top, especially since it has two buttons on each shoulder for adjustability. I love the fabrics!

A fun day

We took the kids out for a fun-filled day yesterday, including an open house at the fire station, lunch at In-n-Out, and then the pumpkin patch. The fire station was not planned, but we saw the signs when we drove by to the bank, so we stopped there. Nate got to meet "fireman Mark," who showed him the fire truck and around the station. He got to sit in the truck and hold the captain's hat. We read the words on the hat--"Captain" and "O'Hare." Later, when we got in the car, we were talking about all the things we had seen. Nate loved that he had gotten to sit in a fire truck, and we also talked about the hat. Jon asked Nate what the hat said on it. Nate thought for a minute and said, "Ummmm.... Old Head!"



(The shirt he is wearing was a coincidence!)

Next we went to In-n-Out, always a highlight for our family and especially for Nate. Lucy now eats an entire cheeseburger on her own--with everything on it. She's a piglet for sure.

Last we headed over to the pumpkin patch at the mall. I didn't get too many wonderful pictures (the first one is the only picture of both Nate and Lucy together), but I did catch some funny shots, including Nate before the train ride started (all smiles), Nate after it started (not a happy camper), and Nate after he decided he was OK. :)

Bath fun

Artwork and teeth

Here is some of Nate's work from September and October:







And some fun pictures of Lucy (you can really see all of her new teeth in some of them):