Peter and I are so excited to announce the birth of
Cruz Nico Ka'ehukai Florencio Dagupion
Cruz Nico Ka'ehukai Florencio Dagupion
Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 10:34pm
8lbs, 15oz | 21.75 inches long
Austin Area Birthing Center (Roswitha Dowell, midwife)
The day started out with the excitement of Kai Boy's first day of preschool. We got lunches and extra clothes ready in the morning for both Ry and Kai and then Gams helped me get both kids to school.
I felt a little gush of fluid and figured I'd had a tear. So my midwife asked me to come up to be checked out. She figured that perhaps it was mucus and not amniotic fluid, but a check under the microscope proved that there was fluid and I had to stay at the birth center and start antibiotics since I had tested positive for Strep B. Since there was a tear in the sack, we had to get labor going because "P3" had 24 hours to get out or I'd have to go to the hospital (for risk of bacteria getting in the sack).
The labor journey began with me by myself at the birth center attached to an IV getting antibiotics. Contractions hadn't yet started and I was feeling a little nervous, but my midwife, Roswitha said she had some tricks up her sleeve and something was going to work to get labor going!
Gams picked up both kids from school and stayed with them while Peter drove up to the birth center after he woke up. We got settled into our room and Roswitha started me on some herbs and then hooked me up to a breast pump to stimulate contractions.
Contractions started out slowly but then got stronger. The big contractions began at 6:20pm and they were very intense. My favorite place to labor in the beginning was sitting on a green bouncy ball holding Peter's hands (and squeezing them). At 9pm I was hooked up to IV again for another round of antibiotics and I had a very big contraction while I was on my back. Roswitha assisted the water bag breaking and I think it was one of the most intense contractions of the night. I felt like I wanted to leap out of my body! I was dilated to 6cm at this point.
Shortly afterward I got into the big tub to labor in warm water. The stream of the faucet of warm water felt good on my back and Peter sat on a stool by the side where I could hold his hands and squeeze them when I had contractions.
The contractions really started to hurt and I would squeeze Peter's hands, close my eyes, and concentrate on focusing the contraction on the baby. I felt as if I were pushing the baby down and I could start to see my stomach changing shape.
It was after 10pm when Roswitha checked me again and I was 8cm. She said she was going to step out of the room for a moment since we still had time. But with the next contraction, I felt I had to bare down and I could feel the baby slide into position to come out. Peter yelled that he could see blood and he thought the baby was crowning. I felt down and could feel the babies head. The next contraction brought the baby even closer to being born and we called Roswitha back in. She was amazed that in only a few minutes I had gone from 8cm to now having the babies head almost out.
Getting his head out was challenging and hurt a lot. The baby had his arm wrapped around his head. Roswitha had to push his shoulder back in to move his arm. Once his head was out, I felt like all my energy had gone away. Everyone kept telling me to PUSH! but I felt like I was already pushing and nothing was happening. It was a very frustrating feeling for me. I had to catch my breath. So while everyone yelled to push, I just took a moment to catch my breath and then bared down again. In an instant, I went from feeling like "GET THIS BABY OUT!" to a rush of his body leaving my body into the water - like 20 pounds had been lifted right off my system.
Roswitha immediately placed the baby on my chest and he was covered in vernix and a familiar purple color. I gazed at the baby and immediately recognized the upper lip - the same as my own and Ryenne's. I smiled. And then I lifted the leg to discover that I had a brand new baby boy.
I gazed up at Peter who looked amazed and in disbelief all at the same time. A proud look came upon his face - the nurse assistants all cheered. I felt great, exhausted, and cold all at the same time.
Peter cut the babies cord and then everyone helped me out of the tub and we went to the bed where the placenta was delivered. We discovered that the original tear in the sack was near the top. The placenta was healthy and the cord was thick and long. I couldn't resist touching it. Such an amazing piece of equipment!
We had family bonding time and Cruz was a little lazy starting to nurse but then became a champ. We were discharged just after 4:45am and drove home where we tried to catch a few hours of ZZZ's.
When I went upstairs, Ryenne was asleep but immediately woke when she saw me and told me how much she loves her new baby brother. Then this morning we introduced him to Kai and Kai's first word was "Hi!" and then he said, "Baby!" and he gave him a kiss and has been touching him all day.
I have been really, really tired all day and pretty sore, but mostly happy - just watching everyone interact with each other. Cruz looks like a boy version of Ryenne - almost identical to her newborn pictures. So far he is living up to his name - he is a cruiser. Just wants to eat!
I don't think I'm used to the idea of having two little boys though. When I hear "The Boy" I immediately think of Kai Boy. He's my first boy. And he's such a lovey little boy. It will be so interesting to find out what Cruz's personality is and how he differs and is the same as his big brother. Which is another weird thing for me to wrap my head around... that Kai is a big brother... since he is still so small and such a baby himself. *sigh*... these are things I will just have to learn to let happen and enjoy.
Speaking of Kai Boy... When I wanted to snap a few pictures of Cruz, he was such a helper. He kissed Cruz on cue and then helped me hold the camera lens cap. Here he is being a huge helper!
8lbs, 15oz | 21.75 inches long
Austin Area Birthing Center (Roswitha Dowell, midwife)
The day started out with the excitement of Kai Boy's first day of preschool. We got lunches and extra clothes ready in the morning for both Ry and Kai and then Gams helped me get both kids to school.
I felt a little gush of fluid and figured I'd had a tear. So my midwife asked me to come up to be checked out. She figured that perhaps it was mucus and not amniotic fluid, but a check under the microscope proved that there was fluid and I had to stay at the birth center and start antibiotics since I had tested positive for Strep B. Since there was a tear in the sack, we had to get labor going because "P3" had 24 hours to get out or I'd have to go to the hospital (for risk of bacteria getting in the sack).
The labor journey began with me by myself at the birth center attached to an IV getting antibiotics. Contractions hadn't yet started and I was feeling a little nervous, but my midwife, Roswitha said she had some tricks up her sleeve and something was going to work to get labor going!
Gams picked up both kids from school and stayed with them while Peter drove up to the birth center after he woke up. We got settled into our room and Roswitha started me on some herbs and then hooked me up to a breast pump to stimulate contractions.
Contractions started out slowly but then got stronger. The big contractions began at 6:20pm and they were very intense. My favorite place to labor in the beginning was sitting on a green bouncy ball holding Peter's hands (and squeezing them). At 9pm I was hooked up to IV again for another round of antibiotics and I had a very big contraction while I was on my back. Roswitha assisted the water bag breaking and I think it was one of the most intense contractions of the night. I felt like I wanted to leap out of my body! I was dilated to 6cm at this point.
Shortly afterward I got into the big tub to labor in warm water. The stream of the faucet of warm water felt good on my back and Peter sat on a stool by the side where I could hold his hands and squeeze them when I had contractions.
The contractions really started to hurt and I would squeeze Peter's hands, close my eyes, and concentrate on focusing the contraction on the baby. I felt as if I were pushing the baby down and I could start to see my stomach changing shape.
It was after 10pm when Roswitha checked me again and I was 8cm. She said she was going to step out of the room for a moment since we still had time. But with the next contraction, I felt I had to bare down and I could feel the baby slide into position to come out. Peter yelled that he could see blood and he thought the baby was crowning. I felt down and could feel the babies head. The next contraction brought the baby even closer to being born and we called Roswitha back in. She was amazed that in only a few minutes I had gone from 8cm to now having the babies head almost out.
Getting his head out was challenging and hurt a lot. The baby had his arm wrapped around his head. Roswitha had to push his shoulder back in to move his arm. Once his head was out, I felt like all my energy had gone away. Everyone kept telling me to PUSH! but I felt like I was already pushing and nothing was happening. It was a very frustrating feeling for me. I had to catch my breath. So while everyone yelled to push, I just took a moment to catch my breath and then bared down again. In an instant, I went from feeling like "GET THIS BABY OUT!" to a rush of his body leaving my body into the water - like 20 pounds had been lifted right off my system.
Roswitha immediately placed the baby on my chest and he was covered in vernix and a familiar purple color. I gazed at the baby and immediately recognized the upper lip - the same as my own and Ryenne's. I smiled. And then I lifted the leg to discover that I had a brand new baby boy.
I gazed up at Peter who looked amazed and in disbelief all at the same time. A proud look came upon his face - the nurse assistants all cheered. I felt great, exhausted, and cold all at the same time.
Peter cut the babies cord and then everyone helped me out of the tub and we went to the bed where the placenta was delivered. We discovered that the original tear in the sack was near the top. The placenta was healthy and the cord was thick and long. I couldn't resist touching it. Such an amazing piece of equipment!
We had family bonding time and Cruz was a little lazy starting to nurse but then became a champ. We were discharged just after 4:45am and drove home where we tried to catch a few hours of ZZZ's.
When I went upstairs, Ryenne was asleep but immediately woke when she saw me and told me how much she loves her new baby brother. Then this morning we introduced him to Kai and Kai's first word was "Hi!" and then he said, "Baby!" and he gave him a kiss and has been touching him all day.
I have been really, really tired all day and pretty sore, but mostly happy - just watching everyone interact with each other. Cruz looks like a boy version of Ryenne - almost identical to her newborn pictures. So far he is living up to his name - he is a cruiser. Just wants to eat!
I don't think I'm used to the idea of having two little boys though. When I hear "The Boy" I immediately think of Kai Boy. He's my first boy. And he's such a lovey little boy. It will be so interesting to find out what Cruz's personality is and how he differs and is the same as his big brother. Which is another weird thing for me to wrap my head around... that Kai is a big brother... since he is still so small and such a baby himself. *sigh*... these are things I will just have to learn to let happen and enjoy.
Speaking of Kai Boy... When I wanted to snap a few pictures of Cruz, he was such a helper. He kissed Cruz on cue and then helped me hold the camera lens cap. Here he is being a huge helper!
Big sister Ryenne is also being extremely helpful. I am so proud of her. Such an amazing little human...
I'm sure the coming days will all be so new for our family with one more little person added to the bunch. We're enjoying the new baby smell, the tiny cries, grunts, and squeaks. I'm hoping that I will be able to show each of them how important each one is as an individual and how much I love each of them. That will be the hardest thing I think... to find the balance of my time between the three. But I think I can do it. Here's to a brand new ride... mom of three kids! Wow!
4 comments:
Wow Mariah and Peter!! Congratulations on your newest bundle of joy. It's so amazing to see how you went from dropping Kai off at school, to getting checked at the B.C., to going in to labor and delivering, and now home; all within 24 hours!! Best wishes and blessings for your family as you begin a brand new chapter. Hugs and kisses to all of you.
Your story was so beautiful it made me cry!!! So happy for you guys and we are sending lots of love your way. We can't wait to meet Cruz!!!
Tears. You did it Mama. I must say I am shocked Cruz is a boy, I thought you were having a girl for sure. Blessings to all of you. Enjoy this new found love with your newborn. He is just beautiful! Welcome to the earth little Cruz!
Oh Mariah- Cruz is beautiful! And of course your photos capture it all so wonderfully. He does look like Ryenne as a baby, I was thinking that as soon as I saw the first photo. He is just so precious. Almost makes me want to have another one, having a little baby lust lately! Take care of yourself and your beautiful family. Can't wait to see more!
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