It was a rough adjustment at times for the first few weeks that Cali was here. She is now finally on a sleeping schedule as of October 30! It's not a great one, but she is mostly sleeping 4-5 hours during the night, so it makes it possible to function in the morning now!
Cali is absolutely adorable. I know every parent thinks that of their children, but it's so true! She makes great eye contact now. We have a few "games" that we play: one game involves Cali turning her head all the way to the left, then once you look at or talk to her, she turns it all the way to the right; then left, then right, and so on. It is hilarious! I love it. The other game she plays is "the balloon game" - doesn't sound so safe, does it? Haha, it is totally safe though. We watch very closely - but we put the ribbon in her hand and she tugs on the balloon. Again, her eyes go up and down with the balloon. I didn't realize that 8 week old babies could see so well, but she enjoys watching it!
Those are the simple smiling moments that Matt and I enjoy so dearly.
I have started working at church this week. I have missed the students and adult volunteers so much! It's great to be back. I have also started subbing. We are thankful for our wonderful family who is able to watch Cali right now when we are busy. We would be so lost without our family! God blessed us (and continues to) with amazing people in our lives.
That's about all that's going on right now. We are looking forward to the holiday season and seeing all our family and friends. Does anyone have any fun holiday plans or decorating ideas they would like to share?!? I would love for you to add your comments below!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
BABY is HERE!
Well, if you haven't heard the news, then this post will surely update you. Feel free to skip ahead to the segments that sound more interesting to you...
LABOR/DELIVERY
Matt and I went to the hospital on Wednesday for a scheduled induction at 12:00pm. My natural contractions were too close, so they couldn't actually induce me until after 2:00pm, once they had slowed down. I was hooked up to a monitor that measured the baby's heart beat along with any contractions that occurred. Well, after lying in a bed until 9:00pm that night, they decided that I wasn't going into labor anytime soon, so they sent us home. On that ride home, I began to feel very painful contractions and was worried that "real" labor might start soon, so before we even got home, we drove back to the hospital (9:20pm) and they hooked me back up to the monitor. After lying in bed until 1:30am and contractions not feeling as painful, they decided that nothing was happening, so they sent me home again. I tried to lay in bed and get some sleep, but contractions began to get PAINFUL and I just couldn't fall asleep. After a few hours at home, my water broke (that was a fun mess that we had to clean up days later), so before just returning to the hospital, we called and confirmed that it was a good decision. So, there we were, at Borgess, contractions feeling more and more painful. During that day (Thursday) my contractions became so painful that I decided an epidural would help me out. (Epidural was AWFUL at first... no fun.) It did relieve the contraction pain, but I was still able to feel pain/pressure in my vaginal area. By Thursday night, I was given a small dosage of pitocin. Soon I began pushing. After about 2.5 hours, and barely being able to see the baby's head during the pushes, my midwife consented with the doctor on staff and decided that at this point, my options were to have a c-section or to try "sucking" the baby out with a "vacuum". I chose the vacuum. I had one chance left to push using the vacuum as an aide to get the baby to come out. I pushed as hard as I could, (and I had an episiotomy), and surprisingly, the baby came out! What a miracle! I was shocked- I thought I'd have to have a c-section. The feelings after that immediately overwhelmed me. What a surreal moment. Matt was there by my side the whole time. He was awesome & got me through it all. There were so many people who were praying (even in the middle of the night) and I am so thankful for that! Calista was born at 3:21am Friday morning.
HOSPITAL
I had a midwife get me through everything, until the vacuum came out. Theresa Newberry and Dr. Thome delivered Cali. Theresa is amazing. She is the best midwife out there. I would recommend her to anyone, hands down!
Matt, Cali, and I stayed at Borgess until Sunday, when we were released to go home. It was so wonderful having so many friends and family come in to visit. We are blessed in so many ways, and the people who surround us are the biggest blessing of all! We love you all so much, and are thankful for your love, support, & prayers.
Borgess is great. I would also recommend them to anyone getting ready to have a baby.
ARRIVING HOME
Well, let the transition begin! We have been at home for 2 days/night now (as I write this), and it has been a constant learning experience. Cali is adjusting to us, and we are adjusting to her, and it's wild and crazy and wonderful. My mom and Matt's mom have stayed with us, helping out with food, cleaning, and "night duty", allowing us to get a little bit of sleep. They are AMAZING!
Matt, Cali, & I have all been sleeping in the living room, until I heal up and am no longer too sore to walk up the stairs to our bedroom. I am thinking a few more days and I will be ready to return to my comfy bed and put Cali in her special baby room.
We took Cali to her pediatrician today for a check-up/well-baby visit. Everything seems to be fine. The doctor gave me some good advice to help with sleeping, my breastfeeding, and my diet (as Cali was having lots of gas). So I will be trying to stay away from things such as apples, green beans, pasta, and other things that may bother her.
There is so much to think about now, being a parent, and breastfeeding a baby. I have SO much love for her and am totally in love with this baby. Matt is an amazing husband, and Cali is a wonderful daughter, and I couldn't serve a greater God. I am so thankful.
VISITING
We would love to see you and allow you to visit Calista. PLEASE just call or text to let us know when you would like to come. That way we can make sure we are at home, feeling well, and not sleeping. Also, if you are sick, please give it some time before coming to visit. We don't want our precious baby exposed to anything at such a young age. Thank you for understanding. Give a call/text, and we'll see you then!
FACTS
Name: Calista Anne Walker; A.K.A. Cali
Location: Borgess Hospital
Time Born: 3:21am
Date Born: Friday, September 16, 2011 (same day as my grandma Sharon's birthday!)
Weight: 8lbs 3oz
Height/Length: 21"
Breastfeeding or Bottles: Breastfeeding
Other: Born a healthy baby with lots of dark brown hair. What a gorgeous little doll!
LABOR/DELIVERY
Matt and I went to the hospital on Wednesday for a scheduled induction at 12:00pm. My natural contractions were too close, so they couldn't actually induce me until after 2:00pm, once they had slowed down. I was hooked up to a monitor that measured the baby's heart beat along with any contractions that occurred. Well, after lying in a bed until 9:00pm that night, they decided that I wasn't going into labor anytime soon, so they sent us home. On that ride home, I began to feel very painful contractions and was worried that "real" labor might start soon, so before we even got home, we drove back to the hospital (9:20pm) and they hooked me back up to the monitor. After lying in bed until 1:30am and contractions not feeling as painful, they decided that nothing was happening, so they sent me home again. I tried to lay in bed and get some sleep, but contractions began to get PAINFUL and I just couldn't fall asleep. After a few hours at home, my water broke (that was a fun mess that we had to clean up days later), so before just returning to the hospital, we called and confirmed that it was a good decision. So, there we were, at Borgess, contractions feeling more and more painful. During that day (Thursday) my contractions became so painful that I decided an epidural would help me out. (Epidural was AWFUL at first... no fun.) It did relieve the contraction pain, but I was still able to feel pain/pressure in my vaginal area. By Thursday night, I was given a small dosage of pitocin. Soon I began pushing. After about 2.5 hours, and barely being able to see the baby's head during the pushes, my midwife consented with the doctor on staff and decided that at this point, my options were to have a c-section or to try "sucking" the baby out with a "vacuum". I chose the vacuum. I had one chance left to push using the vacuum as an aide to get the baby to come out. I pushed as hard as I could, (and I had an episiotomy), and surprisingly, the baby came out! What a miracle! I was shocked- I thought I'd have to have a c-section. The feelings after that immediately overwhelmed me. What a surreal moment. Matt was there by my side the whole time. He was awesome & got me through it all. There were so many people who were praying (even in the middle of the night) and I am so thankful for that! Calista was born at 3:21am Friday morning.
HOSPITAL
I had a midwife get me through everything, until the vacuum came out. Theresa Newberry and Dr. Thome delivered Cali. Theresa is amazing. She is the best midwife out there. I would recommend her to anyone, hands down!
Matt, Cali, and I stayed at Borgess until Sunday, when we were released to go home. It was so wonderful having so many friends and family come in to visit. We are blessed in so many ways, and the people who surround us are the biggest blessing of all! We love you all so much, and are thankful for your love, support, & prayers.
Borgess is great. I would also recommend them to anyone getting ready to have a baby.
ARRIVING HOME
Well, let the transition begin! We have been at home for 2 days/night now (as I write this), and it has been a constant learning experience. Cali is adjusting to us, and we are adjusting to her, and it's wild and crazy and wonderful. My mom and Matt's mom have stayed with us, helping out with food, cleaning, and "night duty", allowing us to get a little bit of sleep. They are AMAZING!
Matt, Cali, & I have all been sleeping in the living room, until I heal up and am no longer too sore to walk up the stairs to our bedroom. I am thinking a few more days and I will be ready to return to my comfy bed and put Cali in her special baby room.
We took Cali to her pediatrician today for a check-up/well-baby visit. Everything seems to be fine. The doctor gave me some good advice to help with sleeping, my breastfeeding, and my diet (as Cali was having lots of gas). So I will be trying to stay away from things such as apples, green beans, pasta, and other things that may bother her.
There is so much to think about now, being a parent, and breastfeeding a baby. I have SO much love for her and am totally in love with this baby. Matt is an amazing husband, and Cali is a wonderful daughter, and I couldn't serve a greater God. I am so thankful.
VISITING
We would love to see you and allow you to visit Calista. PLEASE just call or text to let us know when you would like to come. That way we can make sure we are at home, feeling well, and not sleeping. Also, if you are sick, please give it some time before coming to visit. We don't want our precious baby exposed to anything at such a young age. Thank you for understanding. Give a call/text, and we'll see you then!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Are Matt & Tori Ready for a Baby?
Watch this little video we made and you can decide for yourself...
Friday, July 22, 2011
Facts
These are answers to common questions I get:
Q - "Do you have a name for the baby?"
A - "Yes. I believe we have chosen a name. But we are not telling/officially naming her until she is born!"
Q - "Are you going to breastfeed?"
A - "Yes. That is the plan. I know I may have issues with it, but I am planning on trying to feed solely through breastfeeding for at least the first six months."
Q - "When is the baby due?"
A - "September 4. Hoping for end of August though!"
Q - "Boy or girl?"
A - "A girl - unless there was a mistake in reading the ultrasound!"
Q - "Is the baby room ready? Do you have a theme?"
A - "Getting ready. As of today, July 22, we have a crib, dresser, and glider. Still waiting for a changing table and bedding. We don't exactly have a theme. We would like to use plain white bedding, and butterfly decals on the wall. Our carpet is red (more of a burgundy), and our walls are green (olive), which I don't exactly love together. But I don't want to paint. So we will just keep the bedding plain. Plain white. I don't get excited about pinks and baby patterns. Sorry."
Q - "Are you guys excited?"
A - "No. Not at all. JUST KIDDING. We are both very excited! We can't wait to be new parents and meet our little baby girl. What an adventure we are about to embark on!"
Q - "What are your plans after she is born? Will you work?"
A - "Matt is going to take a week off of work. I, Tori, am taking about 8 weeks off of work. For right now, the plan is that after those 8 weeks, I will go back to working at the church and subbing during the day on days that Matt can stay home with the baby. We have no intention of putting our baby in childcare. We will need consistent babysitters evening nights. We have "youth group" or church-related events every Thursday, Friday, and Sunday evenings, along with Sunday mornings and one or two Tuesdays & Wednesdays during each month. I think (and hope) that the grandparents will cover most of those nights! But we will have to find a good list of babysitters to give grandparents a break!"
Q - "Is this your first baby?"
A - "Yes. I guess if you know me, that was obvi."
Q - "Where are you registered? What do you still need?"
A - "Babies R Us and Target. We still need just about everything that is still on our registry lists!"
Well, I think I have covered most of the questions I hear. I love feeling the baby move all around inside me. It is a wonderful feeling, and makes me realize that she is alive and growing daily! I cannot wait to hold her!
Q - "Do you have a name for the baby?"
A - "Yes. I believe we have chosen a name. But we are not telling/officially naming her until she is born!"
Q - "Are you going to breastfeed?"
A - "Yes. That is the plan. I know I may have issues with it, but I am planning on trying to feed solely through breastfeeding for at least the first six months."
Q - "When is the baby due?"
A - "September 4. Hoping for end of August though!"
Q - "Boy or girl?"
A - "A girl - unless there was a mistake in reading the ultrasound!"
Q - "Is the baby room ready? Do you have a theme?"
A - "Getting ready. As of today, July 22, we have a crib, dresser, and glider. Still waiting for a changing table and bedding. We don't exactly have a theme. We would like to use plain white bedding, and butterfly decals on the wall. Our carpet is red (more of a burgundy), and our walls are green (olive), which I don't exactly love together. But I don't want to paint. So we will just keep the bedding plain. Plain white. I don't get excited about pinks and baby patterns. Sorry."
Q - "Are you guys excited?"
A - "No. Not at all. JUST KIDDING. We are both very excited! We can't wait to be new parents and meet our little baby girl. What an adventure we are about to embark on!"
Q - "What are your plans after she is born? Will you work?"
A - "Matt is going to take a week off of work. I, Tori, am taking about 8 weeks off of work. For right now, the plan is that after those 8 weeks, I will go back to working at the church and subbing during the day on days that Matt can stay home with the baby. We have no intention of putting our baby in childcare. We will need consistent babysitters evening nights. We have "youth group" or church-related events every Thursday, Friday, and Sunday evenings, along with Sunday mornings and one or two Tuesdays & Wednesdays during each month. I think (and hope) that the grandparents will cover most of those nights! But we will have to find a good list of babysitters to give grandparents a break!"
Q - "Is this your first baby?"
A - "Yes. I guess if you know me, that was obvi."
Q - "Where are you registered? What do you still need?"
A - "Babies R Us and Target. We still need just about everything that is still on our registry lists!"
Well, I think I have covered most of the questions I hear. I love feeling the baby move all around inside me. It is a wonderful feeling, and makes me realize that she is alive and growing daily! I cannot wait to hold her!
Pre-Baby Talk
Well, I have been talking to many people lately about the birthing process. I have received lots of helpful advice from a variety of mothers who have gone through different birthing experiences. The best advice I heard told me to go in with an open mind, knowing that anything could happen (thanks Sarra!).
Do I go "natural" - no meds?
Do I ask for an epidural? What if I don't plan on it, and ask too late & can't get one?
What if I have to have a C-Section?
Am I going to be able to handle this? I've never experienced a contraction, so I have NO clue how bad it is going to be!
These are the questions that cross my mind, and that I have discussed with many women. I was very encouraged this weekend when I ran into a few women who shared with me that they delivered without any medication, and would do it again. (One of them had four kids that way.)
I am planning to deliver without medication, as long as there are no complications. But, I remember that "anything could happen", so I have somewhat of an open mind and am prepared to ask for an epidural.
I know everyone has an opinion about this, and that every birthing experience is different. If you leave a comment, please keep that in mind! God created each of us uniquely!
Pray for easy labor/delivery!
Do I go "natural" - no meds?
Do I ask for an epidural? What if I don't plan on it, and ask too late & can't get one?
What if I have to have a C-Section?
Am I going to be able to handle this? I've never experienced a contraction, so I have NO clue how bad it is going to be!
These are the questions that cross my mind, and that I have discussed with many women. I was very encouraged this weekend when I ran into a few women who shared with me that they delivered without any medication, and would do it again. (One of them had four kids that way.)
I am planning to deliver without medication, as long as there are no complications. But, I remember that "anything could happen", so I have somewhat of an open mind and am prepared to ask for an epidural.
I know everyone has an opinion about this, and that every birthing experience is different. If you leave a comment, please keep that in mind! God created each of us uniquely!
Pray for easy labor/delivery!
My New Blog
It is at 33.5 weeks pregnant that I am starting this blog. I have only tried blogging once before, and I just didn't find it necessary.
This is just a blog that you can come to and read what's going on. Sometimes I have trouble remembering who I have told what to, so this way, you can at least come here to stay posted on the Walkers!
I may not update it very often, but I will try to at least write a tid-bit of information regarding my pregnancy, church life, fun events in life, or family. Who doesn't love reading about new babies???
Feel free to leave comments!
This is just a blog that you can come to and read what's going on. Sometimes I have trouble remembering who I have told what to, so this way, you can at least come here to stay posted on the Walkers!
I may not update it very often, but I will try to at least write a tid-bit of information regarding my pregnancy, church life, fun events in life, or family. Who doesn't love reading about new babies???
Feel free to leave comments!
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