Cora's reaction to her new baby brother

Tuesday night, Mom and Dad Bierma picked Cora up from the Chandler's and took her to the hospital to meet Peter. It was about 7:30 pm and it seemed like she was getting tired - must have had a big day, too! She was a little unsure about the whole hospital scene but was very excited to see "Baby brother". She wanted to hold him but after only a few seconds said "I'm all done!" so we didn't have time to snap a picture. She was really interested in checking him out while Grandpa and Grandma held him.

I was in the hospital bed - my tail bone was so sore it was difficult to get out and move much (it's better now, thankfully) - so I asked Cora to come in bed and give me a hug. She had a very worried look on her face, almost looking like she was about to cry, and refused to get on the bed. It made me very sad, but we hugged as much as we could with me staying in bed and her staying on the ground. Then she said to me "Mommy, get out of bed!"

Later while Grandma was holding Peter, Cora was looking at him and said "Where are his hands?" He was all swaddled up so Grandma found one of his hands and showed Cora. But she said "Where is his other hand?" I think she wanted to make sure he was OK! Then she asked "Where are his feet?"

Cora went home with her grandparents for a couple days and when they brought her back home on Thursday she was all ready to be the big sister! She held him nicely, covered him with kisses and giggled at every little sound he made. It was quite precious.

So far Cora is doing so great. She's interested in him and wants to be helpful but isn't overly attentive. She likes to share some toys with him, or give him a baby toy, and she'll ask "Where's my baby?" when she doesn't know where he is. We're still working on getting her used to using his name, instead of just calling him "Baby brother". I think it's been so helpful that Brad has been home all week so between the two of us we're able to attend to both of their needs with out too much hassle.

Peter is Here!

Here's the story of the day Peter Merle Bierma was born:
6:45 am - dropped Cora off at the Chandler's, a family from church who has adopted us as part of their family.
7:20 am - arrive at St. Mary's Hospital and chose room #7 because it is the nicest one and has it's own hot tub. The other rooms don't so you have to walk down the hall to a shared hot tub. Faye was our nurse and she put me on the monitors and began checking us in. I was having mild contractions very sporadically - they only felt like a tightening feeling, like Braxton-hicks. We discovered from watching the monitors that Peter was pushing into my ribs during contractions.
8:30 am - Dr. Batholomay arrived and checked me. I was dilated to 4 cm already and 60% effaced! She was very optimistic about starting the induction at this point and gave me the Cytotek. She didn't think I would need another dose since I was this far along. Faye encouraged me to order breakfast, which I did, then Brad and I started walking around the hospital while we waited for things to progress.
10:40 am - Contractions were coming about 4 minutes apart and I was feeling great. I was able to easily relax and focus during each contraction.
12:20 pm - Contractions were 1.5 -2 minutes apart now. I was listening to my relaxation cd's to stay focused and I told Brad it just felt like having a big blood pressure cuff around my stomach, squeezing and then releasing but I still felt very calm and comfortable. It was wonderful!
1:20 pm - Dr. Bartholomay came back to check on me. I was 5 cm dilated and 70% effaced, -1 station. Contractions were about 1-1.5 minutes apart. At this point she broke the bag of waters and told me to be sure to tell Faye if I started feeling anything different or like I needed to push. Brad started the water in the hot tub for me.
1:45 - I got into the hot tub for an hour. It was really important for me to stay focused all the time now. My relaxation cd's really helped me remain calm and relaxed and even though the contractions were very strong, long and close together I wouldn't say they were painful. It was very intense and not comfortable but it was not painful like what I experienced with my labor with Cora. Brad was awesome this whole time. He stayed by my side and made sure my cd player didn't fall in the water! He was prepared to do lots of different things to help me relax but at this point all I wanted was for him to be by my side and hold my hand. He offered to rub my back but as soon as he started I knew that wasn't what I wanted so he just held my hand. As the contractions intensified I started groaning or making a vocalized sigh with each one. It felt good, like I was able to release some of the energy that way. At first it felt funny to make such a uncontrolled sound but then i didn't care and just enjoyed it! Brad was trying to time the contractions in the hot tub but he said they were coming so quickly and lasting so long he had a hard time keeping track of it. He thinks they were coming about 30 seconds apart. I didn't feel like I got much of a break in between them, but I'm so glad Brad didn't tell me how fast they were coming or it would have made it harder to feel like I could do it. Towards the end of the hour in the hot tub I started feeling the typical "transition feelings" that I've heard about. The contractions were so powerful that it took all my energy and attention to stay relaxed. A few times I thought "I don't know how much longer I can do this" and I said to myself "if they check me the next time and I'm only at 6 cm I'm going to ask for an epidural." I was beginning to feel pressure that I didn't have before but I thought it was just from sitting on the hard floor of the hot tub, and not the baby moving down. I never imagined that the time to push Peter out was just around the corner. I told Brad to get Faye because I wasn't sure what I was feeling.
3:10 pm - Faye came and put me back on the monitors and a resident doctor came and checked my cervix. I was 9 cm dilated, 95% effaced and +1! He said to call Dr. Bartholomay right away. I was ecstatic because I knew I had just gone through transition, the hardest part and knew why I had felt those feelings, and we were going to meet our baby so soon. I was renewed with energy and hope. I think I stopped listening to my cd's at this point and just continued moaning with each contraction. I wondered if I sounded like an amazon woman, but I didn't care because it helped me so much and I couldn't really control it. I remember at this point I was lying on my side in the bed and Brad was right there giving me sips of water, telling me all sorts of wonderful things that encouraged me and wiped a cool wet washcloth on my face. That felt so good! Soon after the resident checked me the contractions changed. It was the most amazing thing to feel. Before they felt like the blood pressure squeeze. Now I could feel they were squeezing from the top of my uterus to the bottom, hugging Peter down and out. It was a little alarming to me because I wasn't prepared for this change and I said to Brad and whoever else was in the room "My body's pushing and I can't stop it!" Faye said that if I wanted to bear down a little with each contraction it was OK. That was a relief to hear. Once I started pushing a little bit everything changed.
3:25 pm - Dr. Bartholomay arrived and they had me roll to my back and start pushing. Pushing this baby out was hard work, but it felt so good to be actively doing something rather than focusing on relaxing. I was able to touch Peter's head and see him with a mirror as he was crowning. It was so gratifying to see how close he was. After his head had emerged Dr. Bartholomay told me to stop pushing and I learned later that the cord was wrapped around his neck very tightly. They clamped the cord and Brad cut it, then they said I could keep pushing. I was enough in a "zone" that I wasn't aware of what was going on. I remember being a little confused and frustrated because when Cora was born as soon as her head was out the rest of her slid right out. This time it was a lot more work to push his head out, but the work didn't finish there. Peter's shoulders were very broad and took a few more pushes to get out, then the rest of him slid right out at 3:55 pm.

The nurses put him on my chest first but whisked him away pretty quickly because he wasn't crying. The checked him all over and I finally heard him cry and knew he was ok. I couldn't see much but I heard everybody saying what a big boy he was. When they weighed and measured him, we were all shocked to find out he weighed 9 lbs 12.4 oz and was 22 inches long. I couldn't believe he was that big! Dr. Batholomay said she did not think he was going to be that big, and Faye said "Where did you hide him? I never would have guessed you had that big of a baby in you!" I laughed and said "Under my ribs!" I now knew why I was so much more uncomfortable the last while of this pregnancy than I was with Cora's pregnancy. They finally finished up checking Peter out and gave him to me to begin to nurse. He was fast asleep and would not wake up to eat so I just enjoyed cuddling him. Getting a good look at him I said that I thought he looked just like Cora when she was born, only almost 2 lbs bigger!

I had a few overwhelming feelings after Peter was born. One was that I was so grateful to have had the nurses, Dr. Bartholomay and Brad all around me, encouraging me and making sure that everything went well. I was so thankful for their training and knowledge and I just remember thanking everyone so much for being there and doing what they did.

I also felt so glad we had decided to induce. I was a little nervous about being induced but after learning that Peter was almost 10 lbs I was so glad we didn't wait any longer for him to come on his own. I was also so glad I didn't know before he was born that he was going to be that big or I would have been pretty intimidated!

Peter is one week old now! He has been asleep for 90 % of his life, I think, but we are totally enamored with him! We praise God for giving us this little boy and we're so thankful he is healthy and well. What a joy!

Click here to see a photo album from Facebook with lots more pictures of Peter and the rest of us.

Inducing

We are going forward with the plan to induce labor Tuesday morning, Sept. 22, at 7:30. It's time to start getting on with getting on. Please be praying for and with us that all will go well - smoothly, quickly and uneventfully. We're so looking forward to meeting our baby boy. Cora will spend the day with friends of our from church and then after the baby is born, or after dinner, (whichever comes first), Brad's parents will come and get Cora. If "Baby Brother" has been born they will come meet him at the hospital and then take Cora home for the night. We've had so many generous offers from friends and church-family to watch Cora if needed but this should all work out OK. We'll be back soon with a happy announcement, Lord willing!

40+3

The due date for this little boy who has taken up the habit of kicking my ribs quite firmly (maybe he wants out as much as I want him out) was Tuesday, the 15th. That day has come and gone. I report with great rejoicing that I am dilated to 3 cm and am about 60% effaced and "less posterior" than the previous check up. All of which are incredibly encouraging to me.

A brief synopsis of Cora's birth story: I was not at all dilated or effaced when my water broke 2 days before her due date. I ended up wasting all of my energy walking miles around the hospital trying to get things going a little more quickly, to no avail. I ended up receiving 2 half-doses of Cytotec which only got me to 2 cm, then I received the epidural and pitocin which brought me to completion, I pushed for 45 minutes and Cora was born. All in all it was about 36 hours from when my water broke to when she was born, but I didn't really feel that I was in labor until 6 hours after my water broke. It wasn't a traumatic experience or anything like that, but it sure wasn't ideal. The only "scary" part was after the epidural my nurse was doing strange things and I finally got her to tell me that the epidural was decreasing my and Cora's heart rate or blood pressure (can't remember) but she was able to get it under control after trying a number of different things and it never became an emergency. It did make me quite uncomfortable but I was numb from the chest down...what was I supposed to do?

Anyway, so to be 3 cm dilated is amazing to me and I'm ecstatic to have gotten to this point before true labor has begun. I say true labor because for the last week or so I've been having more "practice contractions" - usually a few in a row and then nothing. They just feel like the muscle is tightening and it's not uncomfortable, but it sure gets my imagination going "Maybe this is it!?!" I've had this mostly in the evenings or in the middle of the night.

Yesterday morning I awoke at 4 am to the worst pain my ribs have ever felt. I could not get comfortable and finally said to Brad "Is it possible to break your ribs just from being pregnant?" I have no idea what caused that kind of pain in my ribs but it was horrible. I finally got up and moved to the recliner and tried to fall back asleep there. But then it all started. It was the most wonderful feeling...labor! This was different than the tightening I had been previously experiencing. One pressure wave (contraction) came and went, then another, and another. I couldn't tell how close it was because there was no clock in sight, but my guess is about 10 minutes apart. I tried so hard not to get my hopes up that this was the real thing, but they just kept coming and I decided it had to be! I welcomed each wave and enjoyed putting to use the relaxation techniques I've been practicing.

After a while I had to use the rest room and was getting quite hungry. One of my complaints about Cora's birthing time was that the nurses didn't let me eat anything and I could tell how much energy I lost because of it. So I was not going to start off this marathon hungry. I got up to the bathroom and then sat to eat a little food and found out it was 6:00 already! I kept waiting for the next pressure wave to come, but it never did...I went back to the recliner and tried to sleep some more, but as time passed and I realized it was not my time to give birth I became very disappointed. Then the sun came up and all was lost!

So we continue to wait. I slept a little better last night, but tossed and turned a lot and had a lot of the tightening sensations again. We are praying he will come on his own and come very soon!

We have an induction scheduled for Tuesday the 22nd at 7:30 am. Our hospital does a limited amount of inductions each day so we decided it would be better to have one scheduled in advance in case we get to Tuesday and just need it to be done. But at this point I'm still very hopeful that he will come on his own before then. We may decide on Monday to cancel the induction and wait some more. We'll then have to do some tests to make sure all is well with the placenta, baby and amniotic fluid.

I keep telling myself that just because I'm not in labor right now, doesn't mean we couldn't have a baby by tomorrow! :) Please pray with us that our baby will come very soon (today???) and for a quick and easy :) delivery; that my womb will remain a healthy home for this little boy until he comes; and for peace and patience in our home as we wait.

I'm sorry I write so much....I never intend for it to get this long. I am partly using this blog as a record for myself to remember things, like a journal, and partly to share our lives with you, our family and friends. I love your comments and responses, even when it's just a quick note to let us know you're there!

Sabbath

Sunday is an a-typical day in our home. Brad typically is at church for at least 11 hours: 4 or more in the morning, then about 7 or more in the afternoon and evening. Bronco season is even more wonderful because for the few hours he's home he really really wants, maybe even needs, to watch the Broncos. I'm still learning how to be a good football fan...but I wear Bronco paraphernalia because it makes Brad really happy. :) I say this all in love. A few years ago, before I was more sympathetic to the carnal, manly need to watch football, Brad instigated a deal. Every time the Broncos won, I got a foot rub! I'll admit it encouraged me to sit in the room and try to understand the intricacies of this man-game. (No offense to Amanda and other football-loving women!)

Getting back to the subject at hand...Since Cora was born I've gradually stepped down from my role as a youth group leader. It's been a difficult transition to make for me but I'll save those details for another time. Since Brad is gone so long on Sunday evenings I have found myself feeling bored and lonely at this time of the week. We don't have an evening church service at our church to go to. I find myself struggling between "freedom in Christ" to do whatever I want on Sundays (whether it be getting errands done or work done around the house or going to a park) and "honor the sabbath and keep it holy". My heart-prayer is for a Sunday friend that we can just hang out together on Sundays while our husbands work.

I'm not sure what a "Sabbath" or "Sabbath-rest" is supposed to look like for today's Christians, despite hearing numerous sermons on the subject. Since Brad's work requires him to work a lot on Sundays and he takes a Sabbath on a different day of the week, does that mean I should do that, too? I brought this up to him today between the end of an incredibly exciting Bronco's game (truly) and his departure for church. His response was "I honestly don't often take a Sabbath, even though I take a day off of work." We didn't have time to delve in deeper, but it got me thinking. I'd like to ask you these questions:

What does it mean to you to "take a Sabbath" or to "honor the Sabbath and keep it holy"? How does the "freedom in Christ" you have as a Christian influence this? What does this make your Sundays look like, or do you take a Sabbath another day of the week?

This and That

Cora and daddy having fun playing with the bathroom mirrors.


38 weeks pregnant. I don't think I look this big in real life...maybe I'm in denial.
My OB did say last week she thinks I am bigger than with Cora's pregnancy, even though everything is measuring just right. Here's my question - how does she remember from 2 years ago? I had to look at pictures to compare myself.


We had a really humid day last week. Brad came home from work and saw Cora's curly-que lock of hair on her forehead and asked me if I had used a curling iron! (No...)


Dirty hands wiping hair out of face cause "dinosaur prints" on little girl's forehead.

Reality: We potty trained Cora back in January. Seemed to go well and smoothly for a little while, but I quickly started taking control and telling her to go potty all the time rather than waiting and letting her tell me when she had to go (which was the key to the method we used). She started having lots of accidents if I wasn't paying attention and we realized the problem we had created - she was no longer paying attention to her body since I had taken over. So we "retrained" this spring. We definitely saw an improvement, but Cora continues to have about one accident a week while awake but generally never wets the bed during nap or night time. (We do take her to the toilet when we go to bed but then she is good until morning.)

Recently we've had a spurt of accidents while in the car - gross, annoying, big hassle. And this week I've washed her sheets more often than I did all summer. Is this "pre-birth-regression"? Since she has never seemed to be 100% potty trained, despite the long, on-going process, I've been mentally and emotionally preparing myself for the likely fact that she will regress, possibly A LOT, after the baby is born. "After" being the key word.

And here's what I don't get: In one day she will tell us 3 times in a row that she has to go potty and sucessfully makes it to the bathroom in time with dry underwear; but later in the day goes potty in the car, and then again while playing at home with out even saying anything until after the fact. Is she "trained" but just "forgetful"? We are giving her rewards and priveleges for success, and taking priveleges away when she forgets. For a while she would get a time-out for accidents, but I think we went through a long stretch with such infrequent accidents that we forgot about time-outs. I will not punish her more than a time-out because I don't feel her accidents are anything more than just accidents. Plus I've seen other parents spank their child after each accident but with no greater success than we are having, so I don't think it's effective or appropriate.

Needless to say, I'm tired of cleaning up potty! I'm wondering if we started too early or if we had waited until this summer we would still be in the same boat. Who knows? Please pray for us with patience with her, especially as the accidents may become more frequent after the baby is born.

(A tip I learned for combating the stench of urine - presoak clothes in water with a splash of white vinegar; also you can add white vinegar to any load of laundary to combat the smell. It's worked well for us. Clothes that don't get soaked and are just rinsed with water and then are washed later still hold a smell - at least to my sensitive nose.)

Encouragement appreciated...