Hartley Lane Loprinzi

Contractions kept me awake the last three nights from 9pm-1am, every 8-10 minutes.  Not close enough together to warrant a trip to L&D, but close enough and strong enough to prevent sleep.
And goodness my puffy eyes were evidence of these late night contraction induced sleep deprivation…

 Thankfully I had an OB appointment this morning to see if all that "early labor" was doing anything.

At my OB appt I had an ultrasound, non-stress test, and lab work.  I took Kip and Jov with me, in an effort to keep them relaxed about the upcoming week leading up to the birth of a new sibling.  During the 20 minute non-stress test, we kept occupied taking "selfies,"

 Jovie got up in the chair so she could watch the ultrasound of baby Hartley.  Kip thinks that Hartley is going to come out like a mutant seen on ninja turtles…those ultrasound pictures convince him of this.

I left the appt, with an OB who was "extremely optimistic that I'd be in L&D tonight"

My brother and his wife arrived in KY around noon.  My mom got here in KY two days ago.  We were set with family here to help wrangle R, K, and J…and perhaps knowing this, I finally allowed my body to relax.

I was pretty uncomfortable all afternoon.  Contractions ranged from 4-8 minutes apart, each one lasting at least a minute.  I hung around at home, uncomfortable, but trying to enjoy spending time with my brother (who I hadn't seen in over 3 years).  Such a joy watching my brother, be uncle to my kids - SUCH a happy heart!  The kids kept calling him "the boy"

Paul kept tabs on my throughout the day with text messages "how are you feeling"  "are you okay?"  I assured him I'd call if we needed to head into L&D, but that Mr. of mine, he is amazing and so concerned about us.  Such a lucky gals Hartley and I are!  Paul came home from work at about 5:30pm, and had promised R to take him to his school.  There was a festival to celebrate the ending of the school year, complete with free bouncy house, face painting, snow cones, and cotton candy.  I told P to have his phone always close by, and not to miss answering if I called.  I was getting pretty regular with contractions at this point, but wanted P and R to go to his school and enjoy daddy/son one on one date if possible, even if only for 30 minutes.  In the mean time I got Kip and Jovie ready for bed, and had to breathe through several contractions…a sign that things really were progressing!  Exciting!

Paul and Ryker came home at 7:15pm, he was so excited to show me his "Spiderman" face paint job, and was bummed to find out that he had to go wash it off in the shower…so I took a picture so he could "show Kippy in the morning"  We quickly got him in and out of the shower and tucked in.

After all the kids were in bed, I gathered our last minute hospital things and we headed to L&D.  I was pretty certain it was going to be baby night…but first I had to stop for a quick photo with my Mr., and a 38 week 5 day baby belly.

We arrived at the hospital at 8:45pm, I left our luggage in the car because I didn't want to be "that girl" who shows up and gets turned away having to shamelessly lug her junk back to the car after being sent home in "early labor."  The nurse said I looked like I was 20, and couldn't believe this was baby #4 for us.  I was in an out of L&D triage super quick.  Apparently showing up with baby #4 at 6cm dilated was enough to get a room at the speed of lightening.  They figured I'd labor quick, and didn't want a baby born in triage.

We got settled in our room, and I labored the majority of the night.  At 3:15am I called out and told the nurse she should probably page the doctor.  Over the span of just one contraction, and three pushes our sweet girl, Hartley Lane Loprinzi was born.  My OB was thrilled with the quick delivery.  I pulled her up on my chest, and right there, covered in yuck I fell in love for the 5th time.  Instantly.  She screamed; I cried; Paul cried and took pictures and cut the cord because he is super dad and has his stuff together always.

My OB was amazed with the abnormally long umbilical cord.  Sister had a double nuchal cord - which is fancy medical terms meaning the cord was wrapped around her neck twice.  She apgared 8 and 9, and stayed on my chest for 45 minutes straight before I let them weigh/measure her.

I was particularly impressed in her perfect head shape.  Given the cone head production of the last three deliveries I've been a huge part in making, I gave myself a pat on the back for a quick job, and a pretty baby head.  Mama has got some skills the 4th time around, apparently. 

 Predictions for weight - I guessed 6#14oz, and was wrong, Paul guessed 7#1oz, and my OB guessed 7#2oz…But our Hartley Lane was bigger than any of us predicted.  My biggest baby ever at 7#3oz!  She was 19 inches in length.

 and only after meeting just 15 minutes prior, this daddy was smitten.

 Forever changed, another little love to raise.  So infinitely blessed.

 Footprints...

 breastfeeding rockstar.

 after bath mow hawk :)

 Daddy helping with her first bath.

 These moments - one of the best moments in this lifetime.  Ever.

 First photo of #4, daddy and mommy.

Enjoying life as a family of 5

This pregnancy is coming to a fast end, and so I sit here, big bellied for the 4th and final time, and am savoring the last moments left of our life as a family of 5.  Just enjoying these three littles doing ordinary Loprinzi family summer things today…

Slip n' slide, "ballerina" swimsuit, and her adorable smile

practicing writing with a 4 year old who suddenly has interest in it again.

 sitting on the front porch steps, marveling Super Dad, and a three person slip n' slide

Adoring her expressions and the way she gets so excited about a "yo-reo" treat at lunch time

 Park adventures with Mr. fearless who goes down head first despite his worried daddies pleas not to.

A 7 year old just practicing his "American Ninja Warrior" skills on the playground.

The theme of summer around the Loprinzi house - wet kids.  Between jumping on the trampoline with the sprinkler under it, to slip n' slides, to kiddie pools…and yes, Kip has socks on, a battle not worth fighting.

Showing off his wiggling front tooth.  Perhaps this will be one of the last pictures before it falls out?

"Look mama, I wearing my ballerina, princess, swimming suite"

Ryk showing how to master the "butt slide"

Sister rocking the slip n, slide

Quirky Kip as he goes down the slip n' slide in socks

My life…so sweet with these people.

The final week

Disclaimer - hormonal, ticked post ahead.  But it is all part of our journey to the final 4th Loprinzi, and deserves documentation.  The good, the bad, the frustrated…it is what makes this our life.

A BP of 160/101, and a low end of normal heart rate for Hartley (110) at my OB appointment at 8am on Friday landed us in the hospital for monitoring/lab work.  Unfortunately for me, my OB is not on call this weekend, and is out of town for the memorial day holiday weekend.  So I was stuck with the on-call provider who knows nothing about me.  Bummer deal for us.

I spent Friday and Saturday on strict bed rest in the hospital, and am now home on bed rest until we meet HartleyLane.  My BP had "stabilized" enough according to KY standards at 130-140/80-90s, so I was sent home.  However given my normal is 100-110/50-60, this is clearly far from stable.  Sometimes I wish people could use critical thinking skills to understand that HTN parameters do not apply to every given situation.

This journey to the final 4th Loprinzi is proving to be interesting.

I just am ready to meet her, and for this constant monitoring to stop.  OB appointments are now scheduled for Tuesday, and Friday which include an hour long ultrasound/moitoring both days, lab work, and a 24 hour urine collection to measure protein levels (a sign of worsening pre-eclampsia).

In the hospital I had one abnormally high (elevated 10 times the limit is should be) lab level, the rest were all borderline high - meaning not bad enough to induce, but not good enough to carry on about my business.  The on-call OB consulted some other physicians who said one lab level wasn't enough to deem an urgent delivery, but insisted that "careful, close monitoring is absolutely necessary."  So, with much hesitation, I'm forced to wait because ultimately the MD rules this decision because I am not yet 39 weeks.

I feel the need to add in, I in no way want to put my baby in harm by prematurely inducing, but given that she is 38 weeks, she is considered full term.  In fact 37 weeks is technically full term.  All of my babies have been born between 37-38 weeks gestation and never spent a moment of their life in the NICU/nursery.  But I also have to take into consideration I have a husband, and three kids who need me too, and I need my liver to be healthy, and I don't need to have my blood pressure this high either…being knowledgeable about health care stuff can really suck sometimes.  Yes, perhaps I am thinking worst case scenario here, but if it was you, your baby, your family…you would to.

Yesterday an ultrasound estimated our sweet girl to be 7pounds exactly (ultrasound can be + or - a pound).

So the plan now is to lay low and wait.  Wait until:
1)I go into labor on my own or
2)I reach 39 weeks (next Sunday 6/1/14) and they induce labor or
3)my lab levels/BP rise a bit higher and necessitate an induction before 6/1 or
4)Hartley starts showing signs of distress.

So I sit here, frustrated, worried, and prayerful that my body will just kick into action and begin the labor process so we can meet Hartley.

Sweet last moments of being the baby

I soaked up him, like ALL of him, that August day in Sandy, Oregon.  It was 90 degrees, which was insanely hot weather for the Oregonian girl who at the time never imagined her life would be later lived in a more humid, warm place ever.  There was a slip n' slide, a hose, a 37 week pregnant white belly peeking from a tankini that was much too small, the love of a firstborn mama and son. 

 It was just the two of us, enjoying our ordinary moment together solo.  2.5 years of individual attention was coming to a close, and I couldn't help but get leaky eyed in that moment.  To be honest I was extremely worried about the transition to two kids.  Not just a second kid, but a second little boy.  I wondered if it was even possible to love another little boy, the way I love my Ryk.

But the heart is capable.

Oh, so capable.

And these two little boys, so much love they have for each other too.

 *****
He was just 17 months old, but my growing belly was a constant reminder that soon he'd be big brother despite his young age.  I remember savoring our Kip and mama moments in the early mornings those last few weeks of Jovie's pregnancy.  The way his little body slumped against mine as I'd lug him out of his crib while it was still dark outside, in our cozy Corvallis Oregon apartment.  I'd hunch over my big belly to change his diaper, and then we'd play quietly in his room in an effort to keep Ryk asleep as long as possible.  He was always so happy in the mornings!

A combination of factors made the transition welcoming a third baby into our life a little easier.  I never had the worry of feeling like my love would not be enough for each of my babies.  Previous experiences allowed me the peace of knowing I could do this mothering thing to more than one.

I didn't have the fear of having a same gender kiddo feeling less loved, because our sweet #3, Jovie Reese, was the first spruce of pink in the Loprinzi family.  But my heart was a little heavy knowing that my sweet baby Kip, who turned exactly 18 months old on the day of his little sister's birth would transform to big brother at such a tiny age.

But being the little-big brother role just fell into place for the little guy instantly.  It is what he knows, and there is something so amazingly perfect about the relationship that this kiddo has with his so-close-in-age little sister.

*****

And again, for a final time, it is happening.  That wonder and awe of the last few weeks of waiting to meet a new family member.  I wonder how Jovie will take the transition from baby to big sister, after  her 3 year run of being the baby of the family.  I get little glimmers that she'll fall into the roll with ease in the random moments when she, unprompted, says "I want to kiss baby Hartley, mama."  So she kisses my belly, and goes about her business of playing all things princess.  A few minutes later she climbs into what is left of my lap.  Not minding the fact that she is sharing it with a big pregnant belly.

I always tell her, "Jovie is mama's favorite girl."

Her shy smile and squinty brown eyes looked back and replied, "Hartley is going to be mama's favorite girl too.  Just like Kip and Ryk are your favorite boys."

So today, like the previous two times leading up to the birth of a new baby, I'm savoring these last few weeks of my baby, being my baby.

These profound little moments make me know, that this transition into our journey to the final fourth Loprinzi will be just as it has been with #2 and #3 - life changing and so very full.