Brooklyn Leigh Marchione - Birth Story

Brooklyn Leigh Marchione- Her birth story!

At around 12:00 Noon on Friday, August 28th, 2009 my water broke! I was having contractions but they were only about 10 minutes apart, so I decided to go to my moms until they started coming on closer. I would rather wait out as much of the labor as I can in a comfortable environment than in the hospital. Around 4:00-4:30pm my contractions became 5 minutes apart so off we went to Matsu Regional Hospital. I got there and told them my water broke and my contractions are 5 minutes apart and they admitted me around 4:30-5:00pm. They took me to my delivery room and checked me. I was dilated to a 5/6 and was 80% effaced. I wanted an epidural because things were getting extremely painful now. I had t have blood work and 1Liter of IV fluids before I could get one so they started to give me an IV. My nurse couldn't find a good vein to stick and called in another nurse to take a look at my veins. Then she left the room for a minute and the other nurse stuck me twice. Each time in each hole she blew through the vein and then started fishing through my arm with the needle in it looking for the vein. A week post pardum and both bruises are still extremely painful. My husband wasn't thrilled with that situation and with his training from the Army, probably could've done a better job. Well my nurse came back in the room and she wasn't too happy that I got stuck without them being 100% sure it was a good stick. She found a vein in the crook of my arm and even though she doesn't like putting IV's there it was a good vein and I needed to get my fluids in for my epidural. Time was crucial now. So she got my IV in and got my fluids in and its about 7:30pm now when the anesthesiologist arrives. He sets up all his stuff and is so very calming to me. He even waited for in between contractions to put the Epi in. My Epidural was in and I got my 1st dose at 8:00pm. The nurse decided to check me at about 8:15 and I was dilated to a 7 and abut 90% effaced and they pulled the fetal monitors off and decided to put an internal one on the baby and gave me a catheter. Around 8:55pm I felt the most excrutiating pain ever. My husband thinks my epi was ripped out a bit when another nurse started pulling at the fetal monitors and it was stuck on the Epi tubing taped to my back. Apparently I was feeling EVERYTHING. They looked and I was dilated to 10 now, her head was right there and I wasn't allowed to push. They paged my midwife and the Pediatrician. There was meconium in the placenta so they wanted to baby dr. to be there when I delievered. The baby dr. arrived immediately but the midwife took FOREVER. They were telling me not to push and im crying "Im trying not to push" but my body was naturally pushing her out and it hurt sooo bad. I just wanted to push her out, the pain was excrutiating. My midwife finally shows up at 9:00pm, gets her gloves on, gets some equipment and tells me I can push. 2 pushes and her head comes completely out, in the middle of my 3rd push the rest of her comes out. 9:06pm Brooklyn Leigh Marchione comes into this world! She is screaming her lungs out as she is coming out. Which is great because that means her airway was 100% clear and she didn't need to be suctioned like most babies. She came out as pink as can be. They gave her a 9.9 out of a 10 on the apghar score. As they were cleaning her up and wrapping her up and the Pediatrician was doing her exam I had to now deliver the placenta. It came out with all my other babies as they came out so this was a new experience for me. I was still having contractions because my body was trying to get the placenta out. It took about 5 min of the contractions and the midwife pushing down on my belly and me pushing and then it finally came out. That was the biggest relief ever. My pain stopped as soon as the placenta came out. I tore a little, but nothing major. She said it wasn't even worth giving stitches. They had to start me on some pitocin to keep me contracting a tad so I wouldn't hemmorhage from all the bleeding I was doing. After 2 bags of the pitocin I was free of all tubing..YAY, lol They weighed and measured Brooklyn. She weighed in at 7lb 5.2 oz and 19 in long. They bathed her and gave her to me and I started breastfeeding her. She latched on like a pro! :) She had far exceded their expectations of poopy and pee diapers in her first 24 hours of life. They expect like 1 for every day of life and she had 4 wets and 3 poops. :)

Isabelle and Joe just love her. They are always wanting to hold her. Anthony will kiss her when we tell him to and points and says "bebe or Bookyn" but for the most part pays her no attention. Joseph is absolutely in love with her. He is very concerned when other people want to hold her. We catch him by her just staring at her and smiling or holding her little hand. He tells everyone its his baby and they can't have her. It's the most stinkin cutest thing ever.

We got discharged on Sunday the 30th. We had to go to the Labor and Delivery on Elmendorf AFB on Tuesday the 1st for her 48 hour after discharge weight check. Her weight went down to 6lb 11oz which they knew was possibly because my milk hadn't came in yet so although it wasn't anyones fault and even though her poo and pee diapers are still exceding expectations they wanted us to bring her in the next day to make sure it doesn't go down even more. That night my milk came in, YAY, and so we had high hopes that she would gain some weight. The next day we brought her in and she weighed in at 6lb 12 oz. She only gained an ounce but it was still gaining. Her colors is pink as can be and her output is excellent. The dr. said that she was one of the most perfectly healthy babies he'd seen for her being so small and born 2 weeks early. I guess most babies have jaundice, trouble latching on for breastfeeding or little to no output. So YAY for my perfect baby girl! Her next appointment is her 2 week check up and as of now she is an excellent breastfeeder and still pink and pretty and she even has the most perfect round head. I couldn't have asked for a better baby, she is just an angel and we all love having her in our family!

Pregnancy Blog - Baby #4

Jan 6th 2009- Ive had some symptoms and feelings that I might be pregnant for over a week now. By the time your pregnant with 4, you just know. LOL I'm going in tomorrow for the blood test, Winn Army hospital makes you do to schedule an OB appt and then this momma will start her prenatal care!

Jan 7th- My blood work came back positive! My first OB appt is on the 27th!

Jan 27th- Today I had my 1st OB appt. They said I am 7 weeks and 6 days pregnant. Going by the 1st day of my last menstrual cycle, December 3rd, that would put the Conception date at December 17th and EDD is 09/09/09! Pretty neat due date, huh LOL Tomorrow I am having a routine sonogram they due here to make sure that the baby measures along with the dates. I hope that I get a pic to take home :) I also have to do all the blood work tomorrow that goes with pregnancy... such fun!

Jan 28th-The Sonogram appt went extremely well! The baby's heartbeat is 160 and I got 2 pics. If your good at seeing sonograms you can see the eyes and nose holes in the face and in the body you can see a black hole where the heart is and I could actually see it beating on the sonogram monitor. Then it has little arm and leg buds growing out of the sides. :) Right now the head is the same size as the rest of the body so its kind of un-proportional, lol but its ok, I still LOVE this baby!!

Feb 24th- Baby's doing good!! Nothing new to report! They took an ultra sound to make it easier to hear/see the heart beat and I got to bring one home! :) Now I have to grab my OB records and bring them with us to Alaska!

April 20th- Had an OB apt at Fort Richardson in Anchorage! I couldnt wait any longer until we got to Fort Wainwright. The baby needed to be checked on and it had been months since checking on the baby! Baby's heartbeart is 150 and the dr guesses that is it a girl, lol! She wants me to get in for an Ultra Sound before I go to Fort Wainwright because she isnt sure how long they'll take to get me in! Ultra Sound is scheduled for Thursday the 23rd!!!

April 23rd- After waiting forever on a FULL bladder, we finally get into our apt. Baby is looking good. Wasnt cooperating and so it took the tech forever to get all the measurements. Tech said baby is measuring a little bigger that 20 weeks, more like 21 so he said according to the measurements I would be due Aug 31st, but it is up to the Dr if they want to move my due date up or not! He then asked if I wanted to know the sex of the baby and OFCOURSE we did!!! And so that makes baby #4.........






and we are naming her Brooklyn Leigh Marchione!!!! :)







June 2009- (Wasn't very good dating the Apts from this point on)

Well we got re routed to Fort Richardson so I went to their OB again. Brooklyn is doing great! They are also referring me to a dr here in the valley where I live so I dont have to do the 45 min drive to the hospital on base! I will also be delivering at Matsu Regional Hospital here in the valley! :)

Have to have a 3 hour glucose test! Apparently Brooklyn wants to mimic my pregnancy with Isabelle! I swear boy pregnancies are a piece of cake and girls seem to be kicking my....


Had a great time meeting my new OB today! She wanted to play with the baby so she took a 3D ultrasound!






July 2009-

Did my 3 hour glucose test and am following a gestational diabetic diet

I have Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction and it is really hurting






August 2009-

35 weeks today! Ob apt as well! Hoping I dont have to go the full 5 weeks I have left, every day is getting more miserable and I have no more room to grow!

38 Weeks today! Im dilated to 3 and 60% effaced! She could feel the babies head. They hooked me up to the ultra sound to check my fluid levels and they look fine not that it really matters now that im doing what my body needs to be doing. She saw hair on the monitor. Brooklyn is estimated at around 8.6 right now, give or take a lb!

August 28, 2009- Brooklyn Leigh Marchione was born!!!

100 + Random Things About Me

What a better way to get to really know me than to know 100 random things about me :)

1. I have 4 children, I wanted 5, who knows if we will have 1 more.
   
2. I am an Air force brat turned Army wife
3. I have 3 brothers and 3 sisters
4. My favorite ice cream is Mint Chocolate Chip
5. Scary movies are my favorite, but I can't watch them alone
6. I LOVE to take pictures...No Joke....I have my Nikon within reach at all times
7. I am a Chicago Bears fan and I even have their team logo tattooed on my shoulder blade
8. I am a democrat (gasp)
9. I am addicted to coffee
10. I love to read and wish I had more time to do so. My book collection is growing rapidly!
11. I walked into an armed robbery at a local pizza place when I was 19
12. Caramel is heaven!
13. Mac N Cheese is my comfort food
14. I'm pro choice. I would never have an abortion myself, but I think theres too much grey area and not everything is black and white for it not to be a womans choice!
15. I never have and never will smoke cigarettes
    
16. My first car was a 91 Chevy Corsica...biggest piece of crap ever!
17. I watch sad youtube videos when I need a good cry
18. Fall is my favorite season, you just can't top the beautiful colors of fall
19. I love love love key lime pie
20. When I get VERY mad..I cry
21. I support marriage equality!
22. I lived in Okinawa, Japan for 3 yrs :)
23. TGI Fridays has the BEST mudslides ever...yummy
24. I don't practice, but I am Jewish
25. I love studying history
26. When I'm talking and I really get going I talk fast and words start slurring together
27. My biggest worry in life is that I will fail my children
    
28. Im a Cubbies fan
29. I don't know why...but I hate when my husband falls asleep before me.
    
30. I'm a stay at home mom, and although it gets stressful I really am thankful for the opportunity
31. I believe in ghosts
32. Except for the last part where I'm about to pop and its painful to do anything, I love being pregnant. My husband thinks I have an addiction!
33. My grandpa named me Bright Rainbow for my Indian Name.........I'm not even Indian
34. I like my meat pink (medium) *side note - I didn't eat "red meat" for 4 yrs until I got pregnant and a big juicy steak was calling my name!
    
35. I love my dog, but she listens like crap and ticks me off!
36. I am stubborn...extremely stubborn
37. I am pro vaccination. I believe that keeping your children safe from disease is one of the best gifts you can give them!
38. I love to bake
39. I was born in the suburbs of Chicago!
40. Thunderstorms are great. I love the smell and sound of rain. I love watching rain. I should live in Seattle!
41. I have swam in the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans and the Philippine and East China Seas
42. The first thing I notice about people is their teeth. *side note - Please brush them because if they are yellow, I will notice and be totally grossed out!
43. I am pale. I like to call myself a fair skinned beauty like Snow White :)
44. My hair is super thick and it tangles easy and so it takes me forever to brush my hair. I can count on one hand how many times I've blow dried my hair!
45. I have been to Alcatraz Island and it is cool!
46. I use to be a pot head...then I grew up!
47. I hate driving! At the same time... I fear for my life when I'm with an overly aggressive driver (ahem..my husband), a driver that doesn't pay attention (ahem..my husband) OR I get annoyed when I'm with an overly passive driver (ahem..NOT my husband)
48. I use to write poetry in High School! It was some dark stuff and I wasn't even gothic or emo or whatever it is they call the strange kids these days!
    
49. I like to sleep with the fan on. Even if it is cold I will turn the fan on and then bundle up with the blanket
50. I like pineapple on my pizza
51. I like to say "negative ghost rider" and call my husband "Capt'n Obvious" (he doesn't like that so much)
52. Some people call me sarcastic...I think I'm just being overtly honest!
53. I make up words that I think are real and expect people to know what I'm talking about.
54. I like how new socks feel! BUT I prefer to be barefoot!
55. I HATE Mayo! It grosses me out. I accept it in tuna and potato salad and things that HAVE to have it, but on my sandwiches or burgers...I wont eat it!
56. I am allergic to Erythromycin! I found out when they gave me it in gel form for pinkeye and it made my eye swell shut and caused intense pain in which I thought I was going blind! Effing Army Dr.'s!
57. My phobias are: Heights (including driving over bridges, along side mountains, driving by deep ditches when its icy out or any other places my vehicle could fall over) and the typical things (spiders, snakes, bees and rodents, rabbits, birds......)
58. I use to be afraid of needles...until I got pregnant 4 times, lol
59. I hate having icons on my desk top of my computer. I try to delete Tobe's too and it ticks him off, lol
60. I prefer to sleep on the couch because it just eats me up and is sooo comfy! When my husband is home I sleep in the bed though so I can sleep with him! Most nights we end up falling asleep cuddled on the couch tho :)
61. I hate depending on other people. I like to be in control!
62. I prefer swimming in a pool rather than an open body of water. However, I like to walk along the water in the sand and sit on the sand and watch the waves!
63. I moved so often as a a child and then as an adult that (other than Tobe) I have no idea who my best friend is. I either have many (my best friends from each place I've lived) or I have none (because I've never been able to be around my friends for more than 3yrs)
64. I can't stand when I have to repeat myself
    
65. I love going garage saling and thrift store shopping!
66. Growing up my favorite colors were purple and green. I can't really say I have a favorite color anymore because I like them all!
67. Dahilia's are my favorite flower
68. I have hidden neurotic tendencies (I will disclose some of them in a future blog)
69. I can't whistle very well at all
    
70. I have very vivid dreams and almost always remember them when I wake up
71. I curse a lot! I'm trying to cut down!
72. I've never broken a bone
73. I knew Tobe and I would be together before we ever officially met. We started dating less than a week after we met. We fell in love about 2 weeks into our relationship and got engaged 10 months into our relationship and married 1yr and 7 mo after our first date! :)
74. I got pregnant after almost our whole wedding was planned out and so I was 8 1/2 months pregnant in our wedding and since I bought my dress when I wasn't pregnant my MIL had to add 21 inches of material to my wedding dress to make it fit. (Thank god she use to sew wedding dresses for a living)
75. I'm extremely ticklish under my chin/on the neck
76. I'm an emotional person! Movies, TV shows, even just watching my kids make me cry, lol
77. I tell my husband and kids "I love you" so many times throughout the day I couldn't even keep count if I tried
78. Without contacts or glasses, I would be blind
79. My nose is crooked and I never realized this until a month ago...bahahahaha
80. I brush my teeth in the shower
81. In HS I was in the french club, Riflery , Anchorage Youth Court, Honor Society, Peer Helpers, and JROTC. Within JROTC I was Supply CPT, color guard commander, sabre team commander, on drill team and I won Cadet of the year, daughters of the American Revolution and at military ball I won sweetheart (I was very busy)
82. I can type without looking at the keyboard and I type fast, however, I do not hold my hands at the "proper" location above the keys!
83. I don't know how to drive a stick shift. A few people have tried to teach me, but ..... :/
    
84. I love my family. Not just my husband and kids but my parents (both sets) and siblings and Aunts and Uncles and Cousins and Grandparents. Most people complain about their family or at least someone in it, but I love every single person in mine and we are ALL very close. I really did get blessed with a wonderful family!
85. I love to cook and I've heard I'm pretty good at it!
86. I haven't seen single digit jeans since I got pregnant with Isabelle.... I miss them!
87. I like to people watch
88. I like all music except heavy medal...it scares me
89. My favorite salad dressing is Bleu Cheese and it has to be a good brand, like Light House or Marie's, and it has to have chunks of the cheese in it
90. I HATE being late and if anything I TRY to be early!
91. I LOVE Friday the 13th.
    
92. My brother in law told me (when I had blond hair) that he thinks I look like Kim Cattrall ....of course he picks the slutty character of sex in the city
93. I HATE feet! Except for baby feet because they're just toooo cute not to love and my feet because I have nice feet. I've been complimented on my feet a few times :) Everyone else's feet...gross!
94. I've lived in places that snow most of my life and the only snow sport I know how to do is sled!
95. I love chocolate covered gummy bears! YUMMY
96. When I was 19 I met the owner of a strip club in Sacramento and he asked me to come dance at his club.... I politely declined! I wonder if he'd still want me to dance there now after having 4 kids..bahahahaha
97. I love to slow dance with my husband
98. My eyes are usually blue but they change to green. It all depends on what im wearing and my mood...strange, I know!
99. I like playing poker with my family and friends..especially when I win
100. I have a big heart and Im too trusting towards others with it!
101. My husband just reminded me.... I hum when I type and eat (I suppose it could be a tad annoying to those around me, lol)
     

Wow...that was tough! Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

My Clan

My husband and I have 4 children. They keep us (mainly me) very busy! My family is everything to me. Without them, my life wouldn't be complete.

Introductions....

Me- I am a wife and mother. I am a stay at home mom which keeps me busy! I try to be a good little domestic engineer! I wake up at 430 with my husband and make him lunch and coffee. I sometimes get to go back to bed and sometimes I don't. I get my daughter ready for the bus by 8am. Then I parent my 3 other children while cooking, cleaning and social networking, lol! I am an AF brat so I moved a lot but I consider 3 places to be of my hometown. I was born and lived my early years in Chi town suburbs! I grew up and went to Jr and Sr High in Anchorage, Alaska. And I went to college, became a woman, got married and became a mother in Sacramento, California. IL, AK and CA will always be special to me. The military is also special to me as I went from an Airforce brat to an Army wife. (with 3 yrs of civilian life in between, lol) I am loyal, kind, emotional, caring and a little neurotic all rolled into one! :)

Tobe- My huband Tobe is from Redding, Ca. He has also grown up a bit in Dunsmuir,Ca so he considers both places to be his "home town". He is a soldier in the U.S. Army. He likes sports, fishing and other "guy" stuff. He is an amazing husband and an even better father. I have been blessed with him as my husband, best friend, partner in crime, love of my life and soul mate!

Isabelle Grace- She is our 6yr old daughter! She is in 1st grade. She has got to be one of the most emotional kids I have ever met. She gets her feelings hurt really easily but at the same time she loves easily too. Everyone is her best friend. She genuinely cares about people. She is my big helper and she loves helping out her little brothers and sister. She is strong willed, take charge and lead the way type of girl...pretty much the definition of the oldest child. She is so beautiful and so smart. She is my first child, the one who I learned how to be a mommy with, the one who changed our lives for the better!

Joseph Alan- He is our 4 yr old. He is the spitting image of his father. Oh so handsome! He is a huge momma's boy and I love it so much. What a little comedian he is. He always knows how to make people laugh and loves doing it. He is a typical boy....loves dinosaurs, cars & trucks, dirt, spiderman and other action heroes. He is very animated, as in likes to make animal noises, talk like characters in the movies and drops to the floor and plays dead like no other. I would say he is a ladies man but in reality he is an everybody's man. Everybody loves Joe!

Anthony Amico- He is our 2 yr old. He has the most italian name out of our little whopper Jr's but yet he has blonde hair and blue eyes..who woulda thunk it! He has loves to cuddle up with Isabelle, fight with Joe and love all over Brooklyn. He is always concerned about his little sister's well being. He isn't much of a cuddler but when he does he has his Gankie (blanket) on him and his thumb in his mouth. He is a daddy's boy, I guess he sees what I see in his daddy. He likes to sing and dance. Mickey Mouse Club and Fresh Beat Band always make him smile and get him grooving. He also LOVES his baby. He stole his sisters "baby" and he sleeps with it, cuddles with it and loves on it. He is growing so fast!

Brooklyn Leigh- She is our baby! She was born 28Aug09! She was our homecoming present. I got pregnant with her the week he got home from Iraq. She is the light of our lives. Everyone in this house is absolutely in love with her. She is smiley and peaceful. What a perfect addition to our family she is. I can't wait to watch her learn new things and show her just how much she is truely loved!

The Army Life- My husband is a an 88M (AKA Truck driver/ trnaposrtation) in the Army. He is a Sgt and with being a Non Commissioned Officer (NCO) comes lots of responsibility of mentoring the lower ranking soldiers. (Pretty much babysitting the Joe's) He has been in the Army since April 2006. We were first stationed at Fort Stewart, Ga where he was in 3-7 Infantry FSC Co. (Cottonbaler by god, damn fine soldier) His unit deployed to FOB Iskan in Iraq for OIF V and he was gone for 14 months. He missed the birth Anthony and came home after he turned 1. Missed his whole first year of life and in addition to that he missed all the holidays and anniversary and birthdays, he also missed Isabelle's first day of Kindergarden and other special important events in our lives. (So just so everyone knows...its not just the soldiers who serve, their families and loved ones serve too!) While he was in Iraq he re enlisted and put in a request for Alaska so I could be by family. Now he is stationed at Fort Richardson, 17th CSSB and set on track to deploy to Afghanistan this year.

Let the fun begin!

Well... I've jumped on the bandwagon and have created a blog!

What do I hope to accomplish with this blog? I don't know. I hope it will be an outlet for myself. I hope family and friends will enjoy reading it. Above all else, I hope to have fun with it!

I tried the diary thing and yeah... it didn't work. I can't promise I will write every day but I'm hoping to write at least once a week, but I'm taking this one step at a time. I'm not the best at punctuation and grammar so please leave the grammar natzi to yourselves, you oh so intellectual ones! I have 4 kids..yes FOUR! I am a stay at home mom so they pretty much consume most of my life. This blog is about me and my life and they are very much a part of both so they will be honorably mentioned TONS of times. Same goes with my husband and his career. We are an Army family and the Army hasa lot of effect on our lives, lol!

So... sit back, relax and let enjoy the ride!

-Julie