Lauren Aurelia DeBirk comes into the world!
Aurelia was due on Saturday, March 2. I was SURE she would come early, since she had been 'dropped' for a long while, and would grind on my poor pelvis. It was so painful to move around- and she was really heavy- so I just knew she would come early. Saturday came and went, but...nothing. We tried a lot of things to induce labor- but mostly I couldn't do anything because I was in so much pain when I tried to move! For the last month or so, I watched a lot of TV and didn't do much else.
Well, Sunday passed, and I had a doctor appointment on Monday. She was healthy and ready according to the tests. My doctor told me she wanted to induce by Friday if nothing had happened, and also said we could do Wednesday. Since Whitney was coming on Thursday night, I decided that Wednesday was a much better choice, so we got it scheduled- 6 am Wednesday. Monday night we went over to help our friends Aaron and Stephanie move in to their new apartment in Burbank. I wanted this baby out. I grabbed boxes and walked up and down the stairs. We got it done fairly quickly and then went to get some Yogurtland frozen yogurt. Yum!
Tuesday morning around 3 am I was awakened with some MASSIVE pain. I kind of thought I was going to die, and couldn't get comfortable. For about an hour, I just hurt, but was eventually able to go back to sleep. The rest of the day, I was having contractions, but they weren't frequent or regular. Tuesday night, though, they started getting more frequent and closer together. We got everything together to leave on Wednesday morning. I wanted to get a few hours of sleep before we left, but I was in pain. And trying to be quiet for the people in the apartments around us. I laid down around 12:30, though...and got up 5 seconds later. It hurt too badly, so we got everything together, took the dog out, and got in the car to drive to the Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena. It is about a 20 minute drive, and we arrived around 1:30 am.
I was taken right into triage, and the pain was unbearable. I was there for two hours, with the pain just getting worse and worse, which was almost unfathomable. We heard little hems and haws from the other women in triage...and I was screaming. Not joking. Movies don't exaggerate- I could not stand the pain. I was screaming and shaking uncontrollably, and poor Alex was trying to make me keep breathing. They FINALLY decided to give me some pain medication through an IV. The nurse stuck my right arm and it didn't take. Then my left arm. Didn't take. Boy, it hurt. So they had to call in the anesthesiologist to stick it in my hand, which hurt as well.
Someone realized that the anesthesiologist had to be in surgery at 4, so they had to do the epidural now or never. Thankfully, they took me to my room around 3:30 and I got shot up with that crazy stuff. After that, my poor body stopped shaking and I was able to relax a little bit. I got some oxygen and the nurse asked me questions as she filled out paperwork. Alex had to be out of the room when they put in the epidural, so he went to get things we needed from the car, and then went to the waiting area and promptly fell asleep, despite the tiny chair he was slumped in. After waking with a terrible crick in his neck and worried that no one had come to get him, he came back in around 5 am where I was very drugged. Luckily, the chair he had could recline to a full 180 degrees, and we were able to sleep a little more the way the body was meant to (i.e. lying down).
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| I look so awesome. |
Well, I pushed for about 2 1/2 hours, and the worst part was having to hold my legs up because of the IV in my hand and my now-bruised arms from the failed IVs and the blood pressure cuff that was so tight, but would get even tighter when you moved! The doctor said she probably would have come an hour earlier, but my contractions started spreading out. They put Alex to work, eventually holding one of my legs and also counting for me while I pushed. They thought he was hilarious because he got really into counting, and sounding like he was pushing as well! (Not dramatic at all...) His sighs of relief after getting to 10 were even bigger than mine!
Aurie made her debut at 10:23 am, weighing 8 lb. and 4.8 oz.
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| Getting weighed- 8 pounds 4.8 ounces! |
While Alex was holding her, I finally had had too much of the blood pressure cuff. It seriously hurt! I whimpered out an "It hurts!" and the nurse asked what was wrong. When I told her the cuff was hurting me, she laughed, and said, "You didn't complain one bit during the labor, and now that cuff is what you complain about?" (I could actually feel the silly cuff! The epidural makes things feel kinda strange down there.) Then she said how impressed she was with me, and said I must come from pioneer stock! I told her I actually was, and she said, "I knew it! I knew it! I could tell." We marveled at pioneer women and their ability to have children without hospitals. She was good at building up my self esteem!
Then it was Mom's turn to hold her. I had been so nervous and, let's face it, terrified beyond belief at the prospect of being a mom, but they put her in my arms and I thought, OK. Here we go, this seems pretty natural.
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The second day, this photographer came in and took pictures of her little one-day-old self. I made this hat for Emily's baby, but Alex liked it so much he wanted to take it to the hospital. It matched the outfit he brought for her. (He'll be much better at dressing her than I will...at least his outfits will match!)
Aurie was calm and quiet--barely cried, except for a few little high-pitched wails that were very cute--and slept through anything. Truly the angel baby. The nurses and classes all said that that changes after the first day. We kept waiting for "the change," but it never happened. A poor baby in the room next to us seemed to cry nearly every hour of the day, which made us feel not just bad, but very lucky to have such a good girl.
The nurses also wanted us to feed Aurie every 2-3 hours. Aurie slept for 5 1/2 hours straight the first time she slept after being born, and we thought that letting her sleep would be more important. Besides, she was so special and new, and there was almost a sacred feeling in the room while she slept, that it seemed wrong to wake her! We got scolded, though, for waiting so long, so after that we did our best to keep her on schedule. The best we could do was about 3 1/2 hours. It was so hard. Aurie would eat for 45 minutes, then be awake for another 45 minutes to an hour and a half, so by the time Alex got to sleep (he stayed awake with her most times), often there was only a half hour to an hour left before the next feeding. We would wake up so delirious, especially because we only had 2 hours of sleep the night we arrived, that it would take us another 20 to 30 minutes to get up, wake Aurie up (which she hated), and make her eat (she never woke up of her own volition--probably would have slept 4-5 hours every time, and was often cranky when we woke her). Often she didn't want to eat. In our minds this meant that she would rather sleep, but we knew that the nurses would be upset if we didn't try. The schedule went against our gut feeling, and was really stressful. In this state, time of day and day of the week became meaningless as our hospital stay stretched into a sixty hour single day.
So after much sleep deprivation, a lot of pain, hospital food, and nurses in and out, we took her home on Friday morning, where Whitney and Annabelle were anxiously awaiting our arrival! Uncle Steve came to see Aurie that weekend as well.
We had our first pediatrician appointment on Tuesday morning. Dr. Shulman saw Aurie and said, "She is a cute baby, and I know cute babies!" We think she's pretty cute, too! We told Dr. Schulman of how we were trying to wake her up to feed her every 3 hours, but he said, "If she'll sleep, let her sleep as long as she wants." It was music to our ears, and probably Aurie's too.
Week Two 3/13 - 3/19
Mom and Dad were still fighting delirious sleep-deprivation days, but Grandma Gayle came to the rescue! Annabelle loved having her around, and Grandma loved getting to know little Aurelia. Grandma and Grandpa DeBirk came to meet their first grandchild that weekend as well! Grandma Karen just stared at Aurie for hours and hours, and tears would just run down her cheeks as she got to know sweet little Aurie. Grandpa Larry loved holding her whenever he got the chance! Aurie got her first bath at home this week. Dad is good at giving baths!
Week Three 3/20 - 3/26
Aurie's umbilical cord stub fell off and she has a cute little 'innie' like her Mom. Aurie went back to the pediatrician and everything was just fine! She's a very healthy, happy little girl. Dad gave Aurie a nice manicure so she wouldn't scratch Mom. Dad put "The Lion King" on for Aurie and she was glued to the screen for the whole opening segment. Mom hopes this means she will love animals just as much as Mom does! Grandpa DeBirk came back to California on business and got to visit Aurie again.
Week Four 3/27 - 4/2
Aurie went to the park this week, and wasn't sure what to make of it. Aurie had her first Easter! She went to church for the first time and got to hear Dad sing a solo, and she was very good and quiet the whole time. Everyone said how beautiful she was. She was very patient as Mom and Dad took a lot of pictures of her! She also started flexing her stomach and clenching her arms to sit up!
Week Five 4/3 - 4/9
Aurie got her first long car ride to visit Angie and Jim in Livermore for her first General Conference! She loved sleeping in Angie's arms, and was very good whenever Jim held her. She slept through most of Conference. She also ate from her first bottle like a champion!
Week Six 4/10 - 4/16
On Thursday the 11th, Grandma Gayle visited and she really started smiling! She loved smiling at Grandma, and eventually smiled for Mom and Dad, too. Aurie got a swing this week and loved to fall asleep in it!
Week Seven 4/17 - 4/23
What a week! Aurie took her first plane ride on Friday night (the 19th) back to Utah, where she got her first pair of wings. When she got to Orem, she met Grandpa Lockwood for the first time, who held his first grandchild very sweetly! Mom worked and worked on Aurie's blessing dress, finishing just in time for the blessing. On Saturday, the 20th, everyone gathered for her baby blessing in the Lockwood's big room. The Brown side of the family, the Lockwood side, and many friends came. The Spirit was strong for the blessing. After, there was a lot of food, fun, and family! Aurie calmly let anyone hold her, and was very sweet as usual. On her second plane ride, she slept on the way up, and was very calm on the way down, without needing anything to help her ears pop! Everyone around was very impressed with her.
Week Eight 4/24 - 4/30
Annabelle decided to get to know Aurie a little bit this week. Aurie is unfazed (as always) by Annabelle's barks.
Week Nine 5/1-5/7
We took a trip to Santa Monica this week and Aurie got to be carried by Dad in the bjorn all around the state park by the beach. She seemed to love to take in all of the beauty around her! She attended a Cinco de Mayo party and was pretty good in a new place.
Week Ten 5/8-5/14
This week Aurelia has slept through the night every night. Every morning she wakes up with a big bright smile and tells us all about her dreams. From what we can tell, they consist mostly of "ouw ouw ouw" and "grglgrglrrgh." Whenever she sees you for the first time in a while, she likes to tell you more. Aurie had an appointment with Dr. Schulman on Friday and got her 2nd round of immunizations. She screamed a lot but stopped when Mom picked her up. She weighted 12 lbs. 8 oz. (85th percentile), and was 23 inches long (71st percentile). Dr. Schulman says we're very lucky parents. She survived a sick Mom this week, and spent a lot of time with Grandma Gayle, who visited us and got to be Aurie's first babysitter when Mom and Dad went on a date!
Aurie got a new 2nd cousin this week, Britta Marie Smiley, who was born on May 13th. Can't wait for them to meet in one month!
Week Eleven 5/15 - 5/21
Aurie continues to sleep through the night, much to the delight of her parents! Even if she's just completed a several-hours' nap, she will go right back to sleep and sleep all night. Her vocabulary has expanded with the coo "woo," though she is a bit camera-shy when it comes to talking. She has started to do an almost-laugh when she is very happy. She makes much more saliva than she knows what to do with, so we like to keep her dry with a handy washcloth we've strategically placed around the house. She has started to grab for things, such as her trusty blankets, and bring them to her mouth. She hasn't started reaching for her toys, but we are working on it. She can hold her head up quite well during tummy time, and stands very strongly if you help her with her balance a little bit. Grandma Gayle visited us for two weeks and continued to get many smiles and almost-laughs from Aurie.
Week Twelve 5/22-5/28
Aurie has definitely found her feet. She loves to kick her legs! Aurie fully grabbed a toy that was next to her and pulled it to her face for closer inspection, then grasped a toy Mom held in front of her! Mom may have cried a little. Aurie has started rolling herself from her back to her side, and talks and talks and talks! She really laughed for the first time this week- Mom is really, really funny when she dabs Aurie's mouth. It was the sweetest sound to her parents!!
Week Thirteen 5/29 - 6/4
Aurie attended her first baseball game at Angel Stadium! It was a company party with Alex's work. Even the CEO was there from Boston, and he said that Aurie was the most well-behaved baby he'd ever seen! She did really well and even fell asleep, even though it was loud!
Week Fourteen 6/5-6/11
Mom's uncle, Andre, passed away and Aurie and Mom drove all the way to Utah by themselves. Aurie was good while she was asleep the first four hours, but then she pretty much cried and screamed the rest of the way. Mom finally gave her some Tylenol so she could sleep and not ruin her little vocal cords from screaming. She got to meet her new cousin, Britta, and see the rest of the family. We were very happy that Andre got to be a part of Aurie's blessing circle. Sasha just loves Aurie and will lick her any time she can. She also checks in on Aurie in her crib and it is pretty adorable. Annabelle hasn't quite taken Sasha's lead yet.
Week Fifteen 6/12-6/18
Nauvoo rehearsals started this week, and Aurie is amazing everyone as she sleeps through loud music rehearsals quite easily. We are at the Conference Center Theater and she has her own corner of the audience all to herself, with her pack 'n' play and toys and such. Everyone loves holding her and making her smile.
Week Sixteen 6/19-6/25
Aurie got to attend a big family party and see all of Dad's side.
Week Seventeen 6/26-7/2
Aurie is the best on plane rides! Kestra and Aurie were instant friends. Kestra brings Aurie to rehearsals and hangs out with her most days. Kestra loves singing to Aurie and taking pictures of her.
Week Eighteen 7/3-7/10
Aurie gets to see Nauvoo! One of the girls in the cast, Jenna Allen, taught Aurie to play with her tongue by sticking it in and out quickly. It is pretty adorable! Aurie has definitely found her voice and loves to scream with delight, as high as she can go.
Week Nineteen 7/11-7/17
Aurie is getting so strong! She can roll from her back to her tummy with almost no problems. She found her feet this week and will hold on to them whenever she can! Aurie made her debut on the Nauvoo Pageant stage this week, held by Kestra. She is doing well so far with all the lights, sounds and people! She continues to be the most popular little girl in Nauvoo. Grandpa and Grandma DeBirk came to visit us in Nauvoo this weekend, and Aurie had a lot of fun with them!
Week Twenty 7/18- 7/24
Aurie seems adjusted to the late schedule and is able to participate onstage a lot. Kestra brings her in for more and more scenes. She now appears in the opening, welcome dance, laying out the streets, parade, the evening dance and prayer, the funeral, raising the temple, and the finale, depending on how awake and happy she is. Mom often has to feed her in the dressing room in the middle of the show! On Saturday morning's run-through with the Yellow Cast, she appeared as Robert and Becky's infant in the final scene in front of the temple. We hope she can do it for real one night, but it's not looking likely :(. She loves her feet and is very wiggly. We are waiting for her to master rolling. She can go from back to front and front to back and does so quite readily, but she struggles to pull her arm out from under her once she's on her tummy, making it tough to do continuous rolls. She can also take "steps," as taught to her by Emily Killgo and Mom. Aurie has always been good at standing if someone propped her up, but now if you move her forward while she's standing she will pick up one foot and step forward, taking several steps. Mom and grandma are a bit dismayed by this prospect, however. She needs to crawl first!
Week Twenty-One 7/25 - 7/31
On Friday the 26th, Aurie sat up by herself, and sat for almost two minutes straight! Since then, she loves sitting up a whole lot. She can stand on Dad's hand and balance herself by only holding on to one of his hands. She loves anyone with a beard, and loves to pull on them! She really likes to do "magic carpet ride" with Dad and can balance really well! She loves smiling and laughing, much to the delight of everyone around her. She is the most popular girl in Nauvoo!
Week Twenty-Two 8/1 - 8/7
Thursday, Aurie had her first play-date with Maely Steel. Maely gave Aurie her doll, and also some of Aurie's toys, and they were smiling and laughing together! Kestra tried to pick her up, but Aurie just wanted to be with Maely! We think she is starting to teethe, and are trying to figure that all out. Aurie continues to spread her sunshine to all. Elder Zwick from the Seventy was just enchanted with her! She was perfect on the flight home from Nauvoo, but everyone was very sad they wouldn't get to see her anymore. (Especially Jeff Dickamore, her favorite!)
Week Twenty-Three 8/8 - 8/14
Aurie and Annabelle had their first camping trip this week! Aurie had fun looking at the fire, and Mom and Dad bundled her up every night and she slept really well! She went "swimming" for the first time, but she didn't enjoy the cold pool water, and cried as soon as she was up to her waist in it. She enjoyed some of the warm hot springs water on her feet and legs, though! She was a champion driving back from Utah to Los Angeles. She lights up whenever she sees her Dad, and likes to be around Annabelle, too!
Week Twenty-Four 8/15-8/21
Aurie is going through a growth spurt this week and has been sleeping a whole lot! Everyone in the Sherman Oaks ward was very happy to see her again and see how big she is! She had a visit to the doctor and she is in the 95% for height!
Week Twenty-Five 8/22-8/28
Aurie tried her first solid food this week! She is getting the hang of it, and is really good about eating!
Week Twenty-Six 8/29-9/4
Aurie got to hang out with her Aunt Heather this week and she loved it! We drove around all day and she was a trooper!
Week Twenty-Seven 9/5-9/11
Aurie turned six months old this week! We had a little party to celebrate and Aaron and Stephanie Southerland, Dan Lofgren, and Joe and Laura England all came! We had a fun night, even though Aurie napped during the first hour of the party.
Week Twenty-Eight 9/12-9/18
Aurie went to the zoo for her first time on Mom's birthday! She loved being outside and seeing all the animals. At the doctor this week, we found out that she is still very tall- in the 93% now. She rocks back and forth on her hands and knees- crawling isn't far away!
Week Twenty-Nine 9/19-9/25
Aurie is getting really good at sitting in high chairs! She got her first high chair from IKEA and is getting really good at eating solid food, too!
Week Thirty 9/26-10/2Aurie, Mom, Dad and Annabelle all piled in the car this week to drive to Utah for cousin Dallan's wedding and cousin Risi's wedding! Aurie was so good! She hardly made a peep the entire car ride. She loved spending Friday with the DeBirks and never complained once about how freezing it was outside! She was a quiet little angel at Risi's wedding on Saturday. Dad had to leave on Sunday to get back to work, but Aurie, Annabelle and Mom decided to stay in Utah for a few weeks!
Week Thirty-One 10/3-10/9
Aurie got to go to Savior of the World rehearsal and also hang out with Grandma and Grandpa DeBirk's house. She loved getting to spend time with Britta, too! She got to see BYU and Grandma's Lockwood's office and loved meeting everyone there. She spent lots of time on Grandpa Lockwood's lap, and Sasha and Annabelle loved running around her. She loved sitting with Kestra, too! We practiced waving this week and Aurie is great!
Week Thirty-Two 10/10-10/16
After a week and a half without Dad, Aurie finally got reunited with her favorite person! Dad flew up to Utah for his cousin Tanner's wedding and Aurie didn't stop smiling all day! She loves spending time with the DeBirks! She got to visit Maely and Gavin Steel and loved watching them run around, and loved watching Gavin on his bike! We got to celebrate Grandpa DeBirk's birthday, too, and Aurie tried a lime...which she did not like at all.
Aurie is getting very good at getting around! She hasn't quite mastered the forward crawl, but she can crawl/scoot backwards and turn herself around pretty efficiently. She is getting some new syllables in her vocabulary, too. She's adding ma, da, buh, guh, and rah. We think she is teething a lot and likes to put lots of hard things in her mouth to chew on! On the 12th, Aurie, Annabelle, Mom and Dad all piled in the car and we drove to Southern Utah to perform Our Story Goes On at Tuacahn on the 13th. Aurie was a trooper! She got to sit with Grandpa DeBirk during the show, and even though it was freezing, she was still really good. She got her first call from an agent this week!
Week Thirty-Three 10/17-10/23
Aurie met the football coach from "Glee" on Thursday who thought she was the most adorable baby ever!! Aurie and Mom went to a music makers class at the church and had fun bouncing around and banging on instruments! Aurie is just a mover and can go from her tummy to sitting up! She is able to turn pages as we read books, which is just delightful.
Week Thirty-Four 10/24-10/30
We predicted that Aurie would crawl by Sunday the 27th, and she started taking some strides forward that day! By Monday, she was crawling forward enough to show Grandma Lockwood on FaceTime and was going all over the house by Wednesday! She is really excited that she can get to Annabelle now and chases her all over the house! Aurie got a second call from an agent this week- apparently perfect little angels are in demand!
Week Thirty-Five 10/31-11/6
Aurie was really great at her first Halloween! She dressed up like a zebra and Mom and Dad were on a safari and found her! We went all the way down to Orange County to Dad's co-workers' house, and everyone in the neighborhood loved her! She even picked out all her own candy and Dad can't wait to steal it. We got contacted by a third agency this week!
Week Thirty-Six 11/7-11/13
This week Aurie went to the famous Getty Center with Mom and Dad and loved it! She was a trooper and loved being outside and getting to hang out with Dad. She worked on her crawling skills and can kneel up!
Week Thirty-Seven 11/14-11/20
Aurie got an agent this week! We decided to go with Zuri Model and Talent, and are excited about the decision, especially because they think Aurie is just as cute as we do! Aurie got to hang out with Ashley Bontorno this week, who came to see us all the way from New York! Aurie made fast friends with Ashley and loved playing with her! We took Ashley and Annabelle and Aurie to see the Griffith Park Observatory on Saturday, and fell asleep on Ashley on Sunday! We also got to go hang out with Angie in Livermore and help her after being in the hospital. Aurie loved Angie and Jim, and has a special little smile (and coy little head tilt) just for them!
Week Thirty-Eight 11/21-11/27
We got to hang out with Angie for a week and when we got back, Aurie got to hang out with Heather's family who are all here for Thanksgiving. Grandma and Grandpa Lockwood are coming to town, too! Aurie loved playing with Kaden and McKaeln.
Week Thirty-Nine 11/28-12/4
Aurie learned to clap this week! It is adorable. She also went to her first movie theater to see 'Frozen' with the family! She was a perfect angel and fell asleep sitting on Dad's lap. She survived Black Friday and family pictures, too! She was sick for a few days, but was sweet the whole time.
Week Forty 12/5-12/11
Aurie got a nanny this week when Kristen Metzger came to stay with us! She watched Aurie while Mom and Dad performed in 'Journey to Bethlehem' for the stake. Aurie loved Kristen and would cry whenever she left! Aurie sat through 'Frozen' again when Mom and Kristen went to see it!
Week Forty-One 12/12-12/18
We are soaking up the 80 degree weather before we head to Utah for Christmas and the 10 degree weather there!
Week Forty-Two 12/19-12/25
This was quite a week! Aurie's first teeth started coming in! Her two front bottom teeth are causing her quite a fuss, but she's being so brave! On the 22nd, after the big ward choir Christmas program Mom put together, Aurie got a new, forward-facing car seat! She's so tall that the rear-facing seats made her legs squished against the seat and she was not happy about it. She really likes her new car seat. We travelled to Utah and Aurie was wonderful the whole way! We arrived around 3am and Aurie saw her first snow! Aurie's first Christmas Eve was filled with Brown family cousins and Aurie got to meet the Tomten! She really liked Tomte's voice and sitting on his lap! She had a wonderful first Christmas full of dogs, presents, and fun!
Week Forty-Three 12/26-1/1/14
Aurie got to spend the evening of the 27th with Grandma and Grandpa DeBirk while Mom and Dad went on a date for their anniversary. She had a lot of fun, and when we picked her up, Grandma and Grandpa told us she had climbed up the stairs! She'd never even tried it before, and climbed all the way up! So Mom and Dad wanted to see, and she did it again! We were very proud our little adventurer! Dad separated his shoulder skiing after Christmas, and Aurie was sad that he couldn't pick her up! We drove back to California on the 1st, and Aurie did really well. She was a trooper as we packed up the car and drove and drove! She liked being in the back seat with Dad to entertain her.
Week Forty-Four 1/2-1/8
Aurie got her first callback this week! She did a great job and loves seeing all the other babies at the auditions!
Week Forty-Five 1/9-1/15
Aurie is great at waving, and charms everyone she meets. She loves going to the grocery store and meeting people!
Week Forty-Six 1/16-1/22
Aurie had an audition where she had to stand while supporting herself with one hand, and so we started practicing the night before, on the 17th. She was amazing and she stood by herself quite a few times! The next day at her audition, they took pictures of her sitting on a table, then on a little bench, then they turned the bench around so she could support herself, but she surprised us all by standing completely by herself the whole time! She was smiling from ear to ear and was so proud of herself! We were so proud of her, too!
Week Forty-Seven 1/23-1/29
Aurie started sleep-training this week. She has been really great about it, and has only cried for about 10 minutes each time! Mom is very proud of her. She's being very gentle with petting Annabelle, and it is fun to see them start to play together!
Week Forty-Eight 1/30-2/5
