Long one - updates and what not.

We've been home as a family of four for a couple of days now and things are going well. It is challenging right now with me still recovering from surgery (a huge gash in your stomach inevitably makes things hard!) but Andy is great with helping me out when needed. My feet are extremely swollen (just like what happened last time)...I have rolls in my ankles when I stand, and that is no exaggeration. But on the bright side - I love having a newborn to cuddle and hold again. Though I also miss being able to bend over and hug Kaitlyn, or pick her up, or play on the floor with her...I can't wait to do those things again!

I never really mentioned how surgery went - it was okay. I was expecting it to be a little easier though, I must admit. I was scheduled at 8 am but did not get in until around 10, due to an emergency before me. Totally understandable of course, it was just a bummer to have to wait that much longer. Finally though, we got the party started. First when they put in my IV (which I've had many of in the past) I bled all over the place which has never happened before. They always have problems with my IV's, but never a problem with bleeding. Seriously there was a pool of blood on the floor beside us! Then, they ended up having some problems with my spinal. First they couldn't find the right spot, and so he had so spend a few minutes "digging around" in my back. That was awful. And then it seemed to work fine, until towards the end (after Brianna was out). I started to feel a lot of pain while she was "irrigating" (whatever that exactly means). I was literally bawling on the table. They kept trying different drugs to calm me down or take the pain away, but nothing was working and they were actually a minute away from having to put me completely under. But I made it, and luckily I did not have to go under. At that moment, I would have loved it, this is true. I was in so much pain - not to mention being scared because, well, you aren't supposed to be feeling this, right? . BUT if I had gone under, from the time I woke up afterwards and through the rest of my life I would have been SO bummed, especially after my ordeal with Kaitlyn. So I am very thankful that we made it with no general anesthesia!

We are nursing and it is going fairly well, at least compared to last time. So yay for us! Brianna is already showing us some things that are uniquely "her". She is a STRONG little baby, which is no surprise considering what she felt like while I was pregnant with her. She routinely breaks completely out of the tightest swaddle. She rolls over on to her side a lot and it sometimes looks like she may make it all the way over. Brianna has long fingers and toes, which she definitely did not get from her daddy because he has short fingers. And my fingers are average, so I don't know how she got such long ones. She doesn't really keep her hands in fists much, or bring her hand to her mouth a lot. I remember Kaitlyn always had two fingers in her mouth, and if not, then her hand was in a fist. It is just really cool to see the differences between the two, even so early on.

Kaitlyn is doing a wonderfully as a new sister. She is still somewhat unsure of things, but will give baby "kisses" from time to time. She has been helpful as well, even bringing me a pacifier that she found on a table. I was very proud that she didn't try to keep it for herself, because I would hate her to get into that habit at this age, when we've been broken of it for over a year now.
Actually, it seems that the most concerning thing for Kaitlyn is the huge gash covered in staples that runs from mommy's belly button all the way down. She quietly stares at it, looking very concerned. I tell her it is mommy's "owee" and she will point and repeat "owee". Sometimes she will point at her own stomach and say "owee". A few times she has reached for me and asked me to pick her up, and I feel bad that I can't, and there is no way to really make her understand exactly why. I just wish I could explain to her that I would love to hold her but my "owee" is going to prevent from doing so for awhile.

It has been busy so far - trying to figure out a routine and all. Tomorrow (and really, next week) is filled with appointments - 3 alone for tomorrow morning, 2 on Wednesday and 1 on Thursday. So it will be a crazy week trying to juggle that plus all the new things going on. But it has been great having a new little girl join our family. Twice the love! So much fun!