Keeping Busy

It's crazy that we have had Maisy here for 2 weeks on Wednesday. In some ways it seems longer, in others it seems much shorter.
Maisy is a wonderful little baby. So far she has just been eating and sleeping, not really crying. Cross your fingers that this lasts! Afton is the most devoted 'big sis', always wanting to be near Maisy. She holds her, reads to her, and gives her lots of kisses. My mom is here for 2 weeks and her help has been such a blessing. It's nice to have laundry and dishes done for me, and she has really helped to keep Afton happy.








Even with our new addition, we have been out and about a lot. Fall has so many fun activities, we haven't wanted to miss any of them. The rain has finally let up and the weather has been beautiful. We took the girls to the Pumpkin Patch and Afton got to pick out pumpkins, eat popcorn, and do the corn maze.









Then we went to the Butterfly Flutterby in downtown Grapevine. The parade is a celebration of the monarch butterflies migration through the our town as they make their way to Mexico. Jennifer and I got the girls together a few weeks ago so they could make their own wings. Jeff was kind enough to march with Afton in the parade while Maisy and I watched from the sidewalk.









My recovery is going very well. I do have to say that a c-section is bit harder to get over when you have a 3 year old! I have 'over-done' it several times since Maisy was born and about made myself sick. But if I just keep resting and taking it slow, I do feel pretty good. My blood pressure is now down and I am losing a ton of water-weight. In just 10 days, I dropped 30 pounds. That preeclampsia is such a nasty sickness, I cannot believe how much I swelling I had at the end. I am so thankful to be over it and on my way to being healthy again. I know that from here on out, each day will just get better.

Coming Home

We were discharged from the hospital around 11am on Saturday. Afton met us up at the hospital so she could bring Maisy home with us. When Afton saw me up and ready to go, she took a minute to check me over. She wanted to make sure that I had taken out all the tubes and that my tummy didn't have a baby in it anymore. She is so funny!

Maisy lost a bit of weight before going home. She weighed 5 lbs. 14 oz. when we left. She is sooo tiny, and is wearing a lot of Afton's preemie clothes. But her appetite and my milk production have both picked up, so I am sure when we take her to the doctor on Wednesday, she will have gained back some of that lost weight.

Brand New

Night two was much easier! Maisy continues to sleep well and is turning into a good little eater. The nurses didn't have to check on us as often, so I got to sleep a good amount. Even Jeff managed to get comfy on the tiny chair/bed and was able to catch up on rest.



Maisy now weighs 6 lbs., but with her increased interest in nursing, she should be packing on the 'ounces' in no time! I have loved holding her, there is nothing like that newborn baby smell.



We had a lot of visitors while in the hospital. Family came yesterday and today was all about friends. Jennifer and Vivi came this morning, Kristie and Brooke came after lunch, and then Nicole came late afternoon. Maisy was happy to let everyone hold her. And I was delighted to get two of the 'mini bundtlets' from Nothing Bundt Cake. Apparently everyone knows how much I love those!

I have been a lot more mobile. I am free from tubes and cords. I showered, walked the halls several times, and sat up in a chair. My incision isn't horrible, just very tender. I am still waiting for the swelling to subside, it will be nice to see my ankles again.



Tomorrow we plan on going home. Afton will meet us up at the hospital around ten and then the Conner Family will all make the trip home together. We are so excited to begin our life as a family of 4.

Maisy Lou is Here!

Well we kept things interesting as usual. I went to the dr. on Tuesday afternoon because I was experiencing a lot of headaches and swelling. My blood pressure had begun to rise, so Dr. Wai ordered a 24 hour urine test to check for protein in my urine. Since I had preeclampsia with Afton, he wanted to be cautious that I wasn't getting it again.

On Wednesday, I went by his office at 4:30 for an appointment with the nurse. I was planning on dropping off my urine sample and having my blood drawn. Afton and Jeff came along for the ride. Once I got in the office my blood pressure had climbed to 160/109. The nurse immediately called Dr.Wai, who was not working that day, and he sent us down to Labor & Delivery at 5:00. By the time we got downstairs and checked-in, it was 6pm. The nurse said Dr.Wai was on his way, we would be doing an emergency c-section at 7pm! My blood pressure was now at 170/111. Jeff had to scramble to get Afton home, packed and over to my dad's house. We had nothing ready! He raced around and made it back to the hospital just in time to see Maisy delivered.

The c-section went really well. Maisy Lou Conner was born at 7:10pm on Oct. 7th. She weighs 6 pounds 7 ounces and is 18.75 inches long. She is beautiful, with lots of dark brown hair. It was so exciting to give birth to a healthy baby and get to keep her with us!

We will be staying at Baylor until Saturday. Our nurses have been wonderful. Afton has been a doll. When she first heard Maisy cry, she said "Don't worry, your big sister is here!". Afton has been so careful and loving with both Maisy and mom. She is staying with Mimi & GranDanny until Saturday morning.

After having a preemie, everything about this birth seems like a blessing. We are so thankful for a healthy baby who is strong, able to nurse, and will be going home with us! Stay tuned for lots more photos & updates.

Hanging Out

Afton and I are enjoying a lot of one-on-one time, knowing that things will be a bit different soon. Friday we took a spontaneous trip to Chisolm Park. We lucked out, as we got the ducks all to ourselves. It seemed every duck at the park was gathered under the trees, awaiting our arrival. Afton stood in the middle of the 'duck herd' and slowly, thoughtfully handed out a bit of bread to each duck. She ended up playing with school with them. Of course she was the teacher and her students were actually very well behaved. The weather was beautiful and we stayed and played at the park afterwards.









Monday we stayed home and played all day. Afton's favorite games are 'baby school', 'doctor's office', 'princess' and 'ballet'. She now loves wearing the tutu I made her- finally! We did a mini-photo shoot of her in the tutu. Note the fact that she couldn't keep from looking in the mirror. Who could blame her, she did look adorable :)

Swollen Feet

My weekly update: we are still going for Oct. 16th. My blood pressure is good, Maisy is healthy, and I am not in labor. To sum it all up... I am still pregnant.

Jeff was hoping I could go into labor on Monday and get him out doing role-playing at his Regional Meeting. (J&J is big on role-play.) But I don't think that is going to happen.

I walked every day last week, trying to get her moving. But then I had a realization, she will come when is ready or when she is evicted from the womb on Oct. 16th. Beyond that, Maisy needs to stay where she is. Even though I am tired, my feet/legs are really swollen, and my back aches--I am only going to be pregnant for 15 more days. I can do this!

So if you see my swollen feet, please don't scream. They will return to normal someday :)