Today it dawned on my that Cameron is 4 1/2 months old! Whoa! Where did the time go?
Just as a note for y'all, the following post really is for history's sake for our family. Feel free not to read it, I just really want to document some memories.
I remember my sister telling me how much her kids love to hear details about their birthday and I remember also loving those stories about myself too, so I want to make sure I get it all down for Cameron so he has something to look back on when he is older.
Matt and I were excited beyond words when we found out I was pregnant. We had been trying and nothing was working and we were feeling a little frustrated, so the pregnancy came as somewhat of a surprise! I can safely say, that from start to finish it was not an easy pregnancy. I was very sick for the first 5 months or so and then ended up in the hospital with a crazy infection and ended up having my appendix out. During that time there were some questions about whether or not this little baby would survive for a few different reasons, but everything turned out just fine. After that things calmed down and we were able to enjoy the pregnancy more and get excited for our little miracle to arrive.
On September 16th, we were getting especially anxious for this little fellow to arrive, so we planned a picnic at Liberty Park and then we walked, and walked, and walked and walked some more. We walked until I had blisters on my feet and then walked a little more. The next day my doctor asked me to come into her office and she ended up stripping my membranes...ouch! I went over to my sister's house, not feeling well, pretty emotional and I remember thinking, "this is really it, he is coming" and I suddenly felt very overwhelmed.
Within about an hour of leaving the doctor's I was definitely in labor. I called Matt and told him to start heading home. We were so excited and couldn't really think of much to do while we waited for the contractions to get closer together. I watched tv, perused the internet and Matt packed a bag for the hospital. Finally, they were about 5 minutes apart and we headed back into to doc's to be monitored for awhile. I was definitely having contractions and dilatedto about a 5 (if I remember right) so they sent us to the hospital. We had the luxury of taking things kind of slow and even stopped at the store on the way to LDS hospital because I was dying for a caramello since I knew I couldn't eat for awhlie, and Matt needed some cold medication.
When we got to the hospital we slowly made our way up to labor and delivery. I was so nervous about everything all of a sudden! As my doctor was headed to the hospital to break my water, it broke on its own and we went ahead with the epidural. I was really nervous about that part, but it actually wasn't too bad, just a little odd feeling. The doctor came and checked me out and told us she thought the little guy would be arriving sometime that night or early the next morning, so, we waited. We called our parents and some friends and family and waited some more. We tried to sleep but just couldn't from all the excitement, nurses coming in and out, and our nerves of course.
Before we knew it I was being checked again and was told it was time to push. I pushed only for about 10 minutes before they decided to call the doctor in. From there I pushed about an hour. I remember feeling so exhausted and kind of like the whole thing was just surreal.
At 12:58 am on September 18th, Cameron arrived. As his head came out, he immediately started crying and kept going until he was all the way out. After that he didn't make a peep. They cleaned him off and handed him to me. I cried and held him, and thought, "holy cow! Look what I just did!". Cameron was a beautiful baby. His pediatrician jokingly asked if we had contacted any modeling agencies yet and the nurses loved putting his plentiful dark brown hair into a mohawk. From the moment he was born he opened his big eyes and looked around. Matt and I couldn't believe we were so blessed to have such a perfect little boy.
After finishing everything up and being wheeled away to our new room, we were both so exhausted! The nurses came in and made me get up and into the bathroom which was difficult from the epidural and also for reasons we were not yet aware of. They asked Matt if he wanted to help with giving Cam a bath and he did, but admitted later that even though he was standing up, he sort of slept through the whole thing.
That first night was long. Cameron wouldn't eat for about 9 hours, but they kept bringing him in to try. We were exhausted, Matt was sick, and I was in A LOT of pain. The next morning when I needed to get up and use the bathroom, I literally could not get out of bed. The nurses were confused, thinking maybe the epidural had lasted too long, but everyone kept saying it was still normal to feel this way. As the severe pain continued, they began wondering about other things, like a broken tail bone, nerve damage, etc. Getting out of bed took 15-20 minutes everytime and I could barely walk even with someone's help. It was finally chocked up to an inured tail bone and we went home on Sunday.
Luckily for us, my wonderful Mom came to stay with us because I was in such bad shape. The first week I spent pretty much all my time on the couch. I couldn't get on my bed because it was too high. We had to take Cameron in to the doctor's a couple time to check his bilirubin levels, and getting in and out of the car was a long and painful process. At night, my Mom listened for Cam and brought him to me to eat and then took him away when he was finished. I spent lots of time crying and wondering if this would ever get better.
When the problem persisted, we were pretty concerned so I looked into it further. It turns out I had a severe case of something called Pelvic Girdle Dysfunction, or Pubic Symphasis Disorder. It basically meant that the hormones that increase during labor to widen your hips do not reverse after labor is over. The ligaments holding together my hips were basically like jello. On top of it, my tail bone wasn't broken, but was bent backwards and my hips were turned in ridiculous directions that just weren't normal. Along with that, all of the shifting of my hips was causing severe nerve irritation down my back and legs. I could barely walk, get up and down from chairs, put my own pants on, get in the car, and the list went on and on. This continued for several weeks and I began physical therapy. I won't continue with all the details, but it was a very painful few months. I was so sad about not being able to do things with Cameron that new Moms can normally do. I couldn't cuddle with him because I absolutely couldn't lay on my side. I couldn't get down near him on the floor because of the pain and I knew I couldn't get back up if I did. It was a really rough time, and to top it off, when Cameron his about 6 weeks we found out he has a lot of tummy troubles, which made for a lot of screaming and difficult days.
Now as Cameron just recently hit 4 months, we have both had a HUGE turn around. We have started to figure out how to help Cam with his tummy troubles and my hips seem to be back in place (most of the time...they still move a lot) and my ligaments and muscles have strengthened again. I am really starting to love this motherhood thing now that I can take care of my family again. I can do mostly all the things I used to be able to (except lay on my side for a long time...bummer). Unfortunately it was strongly suggested that for any future kids, a c-section would be the way to go, but we'll deal with that when we get there. I feel so blessed to be Cameron's mom, and also so blessed to be able to stay home with him everyday. It is the hardest and most rewarding thing I have ever done. I'm so grateful to Matt who works so hard to make this possible for our family. We love our little ducky and are so grateful for the joy he brings us each day. We love watching him learn and grow, and only wish time would slow down a little bit. Sorry this is such a long post, but like I said, this is family history that is important to us. Plus, we can use it for leverage if Cameron is a naughty teenager...just kidding!
Here are Cam's stats and a few other things we want to remember:
-Birth: 6 lbs 6 oz and 19.5 in
-4 days: 6 lbs 3 oz and 20.2 in
-6 days: 6 lbs 5 oz
-2 wks: 7 lbs 6 oz and 21 in
-2 months: 11 lbs 8 oz and 23.5 in
-4 months: 14 lbs 5 oz and 26 in
He is currently in the 42nd percentile for weight and the 85th for length.
At four and a half months:
-Cam is trying sooo hard to roll over and had his first tiny success today.
-He puts absolutely everything in his mouth and he has recently found his voice and jabbers constantly, unless there is a camera around.
-He loves to grab his toes and can't wait until they will reach his mouth.
-He loves bath time but hates having his clothes changed.
-He loves when his Dad comes home and makes silly faces at him.
-He is a pretty good sleeper, but not lately...
-He loves to suck his thumb.
We love you little Ducky!
We had to get creative with sleeping arrangements for Cam in the hotels we stayed in. This one was thanks to Matt.
Arrrghhhhh!
I LOVE this picture of my guys!
Outside Carthage Jail with the statue of Joseph and Hyrum.
Matt and Cam in front of the "boats" they used to get across the Mississippi.
By the Mississippi River at the end of Parley street.
My cute Mom in the grove at Nauvoo.
Outside John Taylor's home.
Cameron meeting Mike the horse after our carriage ride.
Bored? Contemplative? Just plain ticked? I'm not sure.
In the women's garden next to the mother and son statue.
Sometimes the only thing keeping this kid happy was sucking on Matt's drawstrings.
He was exhausted for most of the trip since he couldn't get much in the way of nap time.
In front of one of the temple sun stones.
Cam thinks its pretty funny when he wears his bib on his head...what a nut...
Grandma and Grandpa trying to get Cam to sleep on the wagon ride.
Brett
Adam-ondi-Ahman. It is absolutely gorgeous!
The Church of Christ temple.
At the Independence visitor's center.
Me with Cameron at Liberty jail.
Cameron's first swimming experience. He did okay until he realized the noise of splashing scared him to death!
No smiles from this kid...
Another one of Cam's funny faces!
Outside the furniture store in the Amish town.
