Family Photos

Avery's Birth Story

First of all, if you don't want to read the whole story, I will just start out by showing you the fabulous ending of the story:

 Avery Jade Tilley

7 lbs 3 oz, 19.5"

Born May 1st 2012, 7:41 a.m.

We had such an awesome experience getting her here. I know that not everyone can say that so I feel really lucky. Giving birth was one of the best experiences of my life.

Because I was a week overdue and my cervix was still looking "unfavorable" for birth, my doctor scheduled an induction to start Monday night with the expectation that it would take at the very least 24 hours. He was going to start me on some drugs Monday night to make that dang cervix more favorable, and then we would start Pitocin in the morning to start giving me contractions.  I was so excited to get to the hospital that Monday night to get the ball rolling that for the first time in our relationship, I was the one who was telling the other to hurry up and that it was going to take longer to get there than we would think etc.  I was so hyper. 

We checked in and they started hooking me up to all the machines and they even numbed the place where they were going to put my IV before they stuck me which was funny.  So we started the first dose of Sidotech around 8:30. My mom came to visit for a minute to make sure she would know where to find me the next day. The doctor told us to try to go to sleep as early as possible because we would have a long day ahead of us the next day.  When they offered me an Ambien, I took it because I though labor was so far in the future.  Too bad Brad couldn't have one as well because I am quite sure that the night seemed a lot longer to him than it did to me once it was all over.  

I started having progressively stronger contractions pretty soon after the first dose of Sidatech. At around midnight they checked me and I was still only dilated to a 2, so I got another dose for my pesky unfavorable cervix.  The contractions were coming really fast by this point and were really painful. I threw up at some point. I took some drug that I don't remember the name of for the pain that was only meant to last for an hour for each dose. My pain medication preferences going into this was that I wanted to get an epidural early on in case I needed an emergency C-section. If there was something wrong with my baby I didn't want the doctors to have to waste time giving me an epidural or putting me out with general anesthesia. I am really glad that Brad convinced me to do this. The other thing I didn't want was to be on any drugs other than the epidural when she was born.  I didn't want to feel loopy or weird mentally when she arrived. Anyway, when they told me this drug was only going to last for an hour, I took it.  The next time they checked me I was a three. After throwing up again from the pain the nurse looked at me and asked me if I wanted my epidural now.  It was nice that she asked because I hadn't thought about it yet, and from the look on her face I could tell she thought I could really use it. It made me feel like less of a wuss that a nurse who sees women in labor all the time felt bad enough for me to suggest the epidural. So while I was getting it, I was in lots of pain. I think that is why the anesthesiologist let me lay oon my side for it. Brad was holding my hand and hope he doesn't get mad at me for revealing this, but he cried a little because of seeing me in that much pain from the contractions. I love him. After the procedure was done they checked me and the nurse said "Wow." I thought to myself "Ooh, maybe I am a 4 or 5 now!" But the nurse said "I think you are complete!" And then a second later said, "Actually, you are probably an 8 because you aren't complete all the way around."

So we called my mom and Brad's mom and told them to come quick! We waited about another hour or so and then I was complete.  The nurse had the doctor come break my water.  She didn't mention to him that I had a bulging sack, so when he broke it, it popped like a ballon, and the fluid went up his arm and got on his leg etc. I felt a little bad for him cause he had to go change, but it was pretty funny :)

The nurse started having us do some practice pushes with me and Brad before she called the doctor. Avery's heart rate dropped a lot and took a while to go back up every time that I pushed though, so we stopped after only a few pushes and they put me on oxygen and had me rest on my side. Obviously that scared me.  Especially when the nurse couldn't find the baby's heart rate at one point. I was wondering to myself if I was going to be able to have her vaginally.  This is the point at which I was really glad that I was ready to be cut open quickly if need be. She did not like the pushing at all apparently.  As an interesting side note, her heart rate also dropped whenever the nurse or doctor touched her head, so she didn't like that either...

We had to wait for a doctor to be available to come deliver Avery because the one that was already at the hospital was in another procedure.  This turned out to be a good thing because the contractions that I was having while waiting really helped move her down further through the birth canal.  When Dr. Thorpe came he had me push  a couple times so he could see what happened when I did.  He told me after the birth that he fully expected Avery to come out with the cord wrapped around her neck because that is what her heart rate was indicating. He decided that we could try to get her out vaginally, and that he would use foreceps to make sure she was able to get out quickly.  I pushed once while he was using the forceps and cutting me so she would fit, and then he was able to grab her head with his hand, and after one more push she was out.

That was the most amazing moment of my life pretty much.  There are a few others that have to do with Brad and I getting married that might be able to compete with that moment, but still, it was incredible. Its like the Spirit just rushed into the room so strongly the moment she came out, we all started bawling. I got a glimpse of her white little body that was all bloody and wet and she looked so amazing to me. She was crying and we were crying and it was so beautiful. 

They put her on the warming table and were doing what they do, and we couldn't take our eyes off her. I didn't stop crying with happiness for quite awhile. She was screaming her head off which was such a beautiful sound. Once the nurse put her on my chest, she calmed down instantly, which was so sweet. The whole thing was absolutely wonderful.  

And ever since, we have been living happily ever after.  Avery is literally a little angel baby. She is so perfect and it is so fun having her here!

Overdue

Because our baby hasn't been shown many signs of wanting to come out, on my official due date yesterday I gave her a small talking to about how since she is a Tilley, and therefore should be early or at least on time to everything. She didn't listen.  Clearly, parenting is already a challenge. Ha ha. 

In all our extra time while we are waiting for her to come though, we finished the nursery so that is good!

The best news though, is that Brad graduated! I am so proud of him. He did so great with finals, and it is such a relief that he is done. This is a new chapter of our lives and it is going to be fun.

This is Brad after his last test!

CECIL!!

36 Weeks Along

The past few weeks have flown by! It is crazy, but so good that time hasn't slowed down yet - I know time will slow down the closer we get to the end, but for now it is still whizzing by.  I think I have my job to thank for that, as well as lots of things to do in the evenings and on the weekends.

One of the distracting things this week was my birthday.  I am now 24 years old.  I had the best day on my actual birthday thanks to my husband.  It really was one of my favorite birthdays I have ever had because I got to spend it with him.  And he treated me so well (as usual)!  Brad is the best and really the sweetest person I know.  He surprised me by getting me a real rose gold ring for me to wear as a wedding band.  That is what I really wanted. And it is gorgeous!  I helped him pick it out, but then I thought we decided to go with something cheaper.  But he surprised me with it when I got home from work, telling me that he couldn't help himself :) Then we went to P.F Chang's for dinner which was delicious.  And if you haven't tried the Banana Spring Roll dessert, I highly recommend you do.  It comes with coconut pineapple ice cream and fruit and it was heavenly.  It also made my day great to have so many people texting and calling to wish me a happy birthday.

So we celebrated my birthday with my family this weekend at Texas Roadhouse which was really fun!  When we told them it was my birthday they asked if I wanted to sit on the saddle and I volunteered Brad to do it in my place since I was so full I could barely move :)  He was an excellent sport, especially when the waitress totally guilt-tripped him into doing it since I am pregnant.  I loved that he did it for me!

Another activity this weekend was Brad's mission reunion.  It was great to meet his mission president who came all the way over here from Australia.  I instantly liked him tons, and I understand why Brad thinks he is the greatest.  He is one of those people who really listens to you when you are talking, but when it is his turn to say something, he is going to tell you about the funniest thing that happened and laugh really hard.  It was fun hearing the stories he had about Brad.  And also to hear the good things he had to  say about him as well. 

The rest of the pictures I am going to post without commenting on.  They are mostly pregnancy pictures so they are quite self-explanatory.  And they might be as close as close as we get to a super-cute-couples-pregnancy-photo-shoot.  Super-cute is not really my forte.  My pregnancy is still going well, and the doctor says I have made slight dilation and softening progress.  So that is good.  Hopefully that means she won't come late.  I do not want her to be late!  I am going to start bouncing her out as soon as Brad graduates.  We went on a long walk before my last doctor appointment, and by the end of it I swear it was all I could do to keep her inside.  So I think that will be the key to getting here her on her due date! And I continue to have lots of Braxton Hicks, but I don't think they do much of anything except give me a stomach ache.  So I am going to bank on the long walks.

34 Weeks - Pregnancy Update

20 Weeks

34 Weeks

It is kind of amazing what can happen in 14 weeks isn't it? :) I think that was the last time that I will be able to wear that shirt it is so tight!  So if I went into labor today, they wouldn't give me any drugs to stop it according to my doctor.  My baby wouldn't have any long-term problems at this point.  Which is awesome!

It really is so much fun being pregnant.  My pregnancy has been really quite easy, and I feel so blessed for that.  It is great that I can keep working and bringing home the bacon, and that there haven't been any serious complications.

The best part about being pregnant is feeling my baby move. She is getting so strong!  I love it. Her movements are so constant, and totally distort the shape of my stomach in alien ways.  Its funny :)  Also, I don't know if I have mentioned this on my blog yet, but our little girl clearly doesn't have any hearing problems.  She startles when I turn on the vaccumm, and when I get in the shower she gets really active.  I think she can hear the water hitting my belly :) And last night during the BYU game she started kicking when Brad and I were screaming with excitement!

Pregnancy is definitely not all peachy though. I do have a lot of kind of odd symptoms.  I have pretty bad pain in the middle of my back when I sit for over an hour (I sit for 8 - 9  hours a day at work so it is kind of constant for most of my day) that comes from my mild scoliosis and one leg being longer than the other. I have started working standing up at my computer at work which makes me look a little funny and draws even more attention to the fact that I am pregnant.  People have been so nice to me though.  Seriously, I have had two different men go and get me a fan from their own desks without me asking when I am having hot flashes. And people ask me all the time how I am doing. It is really sweet.  

The other symptoms include really strong Braxton Hicks contractions that give me a stomach ache. And they are kind of frequent sometimes - as in several in an hour. One night a few weeks ago, I was having regular Braxton Hicks contractions every 7 mins for six hours even though I was laying down etc.  At one point they were every two minutes.  I was so freaked out I felt like I was having a panic attack.  Yes, I did call my doctor, and after he told me to guzzle a ton of water he said that if I couldn't sleep through them I should come in to the hospital.  I was able to fall asleep - I think the water helped.  At my doctor's appointment two days later, he decided to do a culture of my cervix to see if I was going to go into labor in the next two weeks.  It came back negative which was great obviously.  So I happily went to St. George that day for a baby shower! (More on that later).

I also had a day when I felt exactly like I have when I was on my period.  Cramps, leg aches, all of my muscles felt sore, I was moody, etc.  Since that time, my Braxton Hicks feel a bit lower and a bit more like period cramps.  Lets just say that I think my body is doing an excellent job of practicing for the real thing.

I also get Braxton Hicks when my bladder is really full.  But I also get them if I don't drink enough water.  It is a catch 22 that can sometimes be difficult to manage. 

So the nursery is getting really close to being done, and we have installed the car seat in our car now, so as soon as I buy a few more things, we are going to have all the essentials ready! We are getting more and more excited for her to come!

Book Reviews

Thoughts on some of the books I have read in the last little while:

Brain Rules for Baby was my favorite.  Written by a developmental molecular biologist who knows a lot about brain development, this book could have been a snooze, but it was actually the perfect combination of heartwarming, informative and funny.  And somehow the book is still just a synopsis of current and methodologically sound research about brain development and how it should apply to parenting. I couldn't recommend this one more.










Lost in Shangri-La was also a good one.  Thanks Adam, for giving this book to Brad. I promptly stole it from him and gobbled it up.  A synopsis of the book would be that it is the true story of the self-proclaimed greatest rescue mission during World War II. And if you think that you wouldn't be interested in a book about war or wouldn't be able to keep up because your history lessons went in one ear and out the other, I think that they mentioned things about WWII a total of three times during the entire book.  But basically some people survive a plane wreck only to be stranded in Papua New Guinea and have no way of getting out.  And they are surrounded by a primitive, warring/sometimes canabalistic people who have been completely undisturbed by other civilizations/people since pretty much the beginning of time.  If that sounds like a discouraging book, know that I laughed out loud quite frequently during my reading.  The author finds a lot of humor in the people he was writing about.





The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was gripping.  Oh my did it have a hold on me!  I had to read the plot summary on Wikipedia to keep myself from staying up all night reading. Also I am glad that I did that because then I knew what I was getting myself into. I recommend doing so.  It is an uber gritty book, and I had to skip parts to get through it, but the main reason that I liked it was that it made me think.  It also made me feel empowered.  The main character is not a victim in any sense of the word, although she would have legitimate cause to be if she wanted to act like one. It was liberating to look at life through the eyes of someone so unconventional and strong. Pretty much horrendous things happen but they don't traumatize her, so they didn't traumatize me.  It was interesting because normally I am a very sensitive person. Disclaimer: I am not recommending this book to everyone, and it would definitely be rated R if books had ratings just fyi.  I won't go into my philosophies on morality and entertainment here to justify why I read a rated R book, but I think I have good reasons. I will discuss them with you if you want more details - just ask.  Also, I will say that I don't plan on finishing the series.  Still glad I read this one though.







The 90 Minute Baby Sleep Program was a quick read - approximately 1.5 hrs. But it works for my sister, so I am definitely hoping that it will do the same for me and my baby! And it makes a whole lot of sense.  And what parent doesn't want to their baby to get as much sleep as their little growing brains and bodies need?







This one is way more opinionated than it looks.  I was expecting an encyclopedia-type reference book, and it sort of is, but the couple who wrote it put their opinions in WAY too often for my taste.  And their opinions aren't based on scientific fact at all.  Which bothers me.  But I will say that it is still helpful and has tons of good information.  And the fact that they fight so hard for attachment parenting is good, because even though it sounds completely impossible to do 100%, attachment parenting seems to ask parents to be as unselfish as they can possibly be.