Ada's first week.

So Vallentiny is here, and is now known officially Ada Mae Vallentine, since we have now been to the registry office to do the paperwork. Her first real admin to take care of - welcome to the world!

Fortunately for everyone, Dad is keeping track of things over at Grandpaparazzi's Neighborhood, with lots of pictures. We are very grateful as it's been a slow process to get this blog post up.

Here are some more pictures, with some more information about her arrival and first few days.

So I was absolutely convinced that she was going to be late. She was due on Friday the 13th of January, and at a meet up with some of our 'classmates' from the National Childbirth Trust prenatal course we went on, I was talking about how I expected I'd be able to pick Mom and Dad up from the airport on Thursday, since I was feeling the same as ever, and still carrying quite high. Another person in the class who was due the day before us looked huge and was carrying quite low, and really felt ready to go. Since I didn't feel any of that, I was convinced that Vallentiny has more prep work to do before making an appearance. 

I was wrong!

Early on Wednesday morning, around 3 or 3:30 I woke up with pains, then around 4am they felt very different to the Braxton Hicks 'fake' contractions I had felt before. I tried to snooze and started to get a feel for if they were 'real.' They were, and after a point I couldn't stay in bed any more, so went downstairs (I wanted Mark to get as much sleep as possible, if we were really about to go into labor - since I knew he might not have the chance again) and tried to do some of the yoga/movement/antenatal class coping mechanisms I had picked up along the way. Some of it helped, but mostly I ended up just lying on my left side breathing through them. 

At about 7:30 or so, I went back upstairs to see if Mark was awake (he was, kind of wondering where I had gone) and I broke the news that I was pretty sure this was 'it.' So then the morning went on - the contractions got closer together (though oddly, I was finding it hard to time them - there seemed to be some bigger 'real' ones, and then some smaller in-between ones, so I wasn't sure what to time). But however we timed them, they were getting closer together, and around 8am, we called the hospital. I talked to the midwife on call, and she advised that we wait another hour before coming in (she also advised that I take two paracetamol - kind of a British version of Tylenol - which sort of seems laughable now).

So I kept on with my breathing, sat in the bath tub for a while, and the shower also. Then it got to the point where they seemed to be fairly close together and getting more intense. So Mark called the hospital and let them know we were coming.

Once we got there and checked in, the midwife had a look and I was already 9 1/2 to 9 3/4 cm dilated and 100% effaced. My waters still hadn't broken, so then it was a matter of letting things take their course. 

Which they did, of course, and amazing, we got through it. I ended up only using gas and air (or Entonox - nitrous oxide and oxygen), which is commonly used over here during labor. It was great - it takes the edge off for a bit to help you get through the contraction. I can't work out why I've never heard about it being used in the States. I think everyone should use it!

The pushing bit took a bit on the long side (about 90 minutes), and then Ada finally made her way into the world at 2:15pm, at 8 pounds 13 ounces and 21 inches. We had a playlist running in the background throughout the whole process of labor, and fittingly enough 'Kids in America' was playing right before she came fully out.

Here she is, not long after her entrance:

Day 1, just after arrival.

And then, even though I had the injection to help it come out, my placenta stayed attached, so I ended up needing to go into surgery to have it removed. I had a 'spinal' which I guess is a souped up epidural - I couldn't feel anything below my ribcage. I also had a tear that had to be stitched up (sorry people, for whom this is TMI). 

After all that, Mark, Ada and I hung out until I had feeling back in my feet and legs, at which point I moved to my room for the overnight stay and Mark had to go home (they don't have facilities for partners to stay overnight). That was actually one of the hardest parts of the day. But we were fine. I got to have some tea and toast (I hadn't had anything to eat since dinner the previous day - lasagne - because of the drips I was on for the surgery). Ada and got a little bit of sleep overnight, and started to feel our way through things.

Next morning (Thursday), Mark came back and the rest of our lives began! 

Day 2, in the morning

We had to wait around while all the checks were done on both Ada and me but then we were finally discharged around 2pm, which is exactly the time that Mom and Dad were getting into Bristol. Mark's mum picked them up at the train station and then we all convened in Yatton. 

This was when we first announced her name. We had the name Ada in mind from before we even knew we were having a girl, but were cautious to commit until we met her in person. When she arrived we were pretty confident in our choice, but weren't sure about the middle name. 

The name Ada doesn't have a special significance - we just liked the sound of it, and that it was old-fashioned. But I also like the connection to Ada Lovelace, the world's first computer programmer. And the fact that 'Lovelace' has ties to Dad's Mom's maiden name (Bernice Love), and Vallentine, too. It all kind of fit nicely together. After a couple of days and some more thinking and researching we ended up with Mae as the middle name, after Dad's maternal great-grandmother, Ollie Mae. We think it fits.

Day 2, ready to go home

On the third day (Friday), we had a check up with the midwife, to make sure everything was OK with both of us. We also had a visit from Mark's sister Sarah, who was still in town visiting from South East Asia, where she works. 

On the fourth day (Saturday), we took Ada out for her first walk in the neighborhood. We tried to get to the Strawberry Line (see Dad's blog for more details about that path), but we didn't quite make it because she wasn't quite used to her bassinet attachment on the stroller and she wanted to come home. But it was good to be out in the fresh air.

Day 4

On the fifth day (Sunday), we had another check up with the midwife, this time to check Ada's weight. She was down to 8 pounds 3 ounces, within the healthy 10% weight loss margin. She did not like being weighed, since it meant taking everything off, which was cold. It didn't help that she was kind of hungry, too.

Day 5

On the sixth day (Monday), we took a trip to Weston-Super-Mare to visit with Mark's family. We had fish and chips and visited the pier, where Ada had her first on the fly feeding and diaper change.

Day 6, hanging out with Mimi

After fish and chips

The Baby Bjorn makes its debut

Together with the adoring fans after the diaper change

On the seventh day (Tuesday), we went to a couple of stores and then IKEA for lunch and to pick up a few odds and ends. Ada slept through most of it.

Mark teaching Jessica how to use the stroller in the IKEA parking lot

On the eighth day (Wednesday), we celebrated Ada's first week by having some quality time at home and taking more pictures, of course!

And now, since I'm so slow posting this, we're already up to Day 13 (Monday). I can't believe that it's already almost two weeks since the newest member of Team Vallentine came onto the scene. She's still sleeping a lot, but opening her eyes now when she is actually awake and starting to take in more of her surroundings. She also seems to be doing her growth spurt at the moment, because she's feeding a lot and is a bit fussier than she has been in the past week. But she's absolutely delightful of course and we're definitely going to keep her!