Find my blog with ultrasound, belly, and baby photos at:

http://babyrittmann.blogspot.com/

I don't have much time to write back to y'all who've left me messages and I'm so SoRrY! Maddie keeps me extremely busy (duh)...she's what they call a "Needy Baby". Her right kidney has totally shut down and we go every so often to run tests, ultrasounds, etc. Her left one seems to be great (thank God!) and so far she doesn't need surgery. She is a wonderful baby ~ she just wants to be held 24/7. I even bought a recliner because she won't sleep for more than an hour unless I'm holding her (spoiled? What do you mean spoiled?!? lol). She's gigantic, in the 97th percentile for her age, and she eats like crazy. She's just a joy, so loving and (mostly) happy & smiling. She also seems to fancy THEE MOST irritating toys ever made...Johnny and I always have these lame kid songs in our heads from hearing those dang Baby Einstein toys constantly! Arrrrrgggghhhhh...

Anyhow, I hope everyone is doing great...I miss ya!!!

15 days 15 days 11 days 4 days

The Birth Story...

Maddie will probably be an ONLY CHILD!!! My induction went awry after 15 hours of horrible Pitocin-induced contractions. I finally begged for an epidural even though I was only 2cm (2cm for 11 hours!). After the epi, I dilated to 10 in 2 hours and pushed for almost 2 hours. She was both "Sunny-Side Up" and stuck and her heart rate started getting erratic, so I was wheeled in for an emergency C-section. I was so drugged up that I barely remember anything except pain and pressure and feeling like I was suffocating. My husband said he was talking to me the whole time, but I can't remember. He also said I reminded him of Mel Gibson in Braveheart when they were disemboweling him at the end, the way I was laying on the table with my insides hanging out. What I do remember is hearing a gagging sound, then suction, and thinking: 'Is that my baby?" Sure enough, that was her first breath and I thank God that I at least remember that. Despite all the torture of being induced and not being able to recall 99% of her birth, it was soooo worth every minute...I still can't believe she's real and here and OURS! She's such a good baby and only cries when she's hungry or when I have to wipe her little butt (she poops like a champ!). She had a little jaundice which cleared, I have to pump my milk instead of regular breastfeeding because she lost weight, and it turned out that her right kidney has no function at all. We go to have a couple more tests done in 3 weeks to make sure that she won't need surgery, so we'll know more then.
Anyhow, other than being an emotional basketcase and sleep-deprived, I am madly, madly in love and cherish every minute with my little lady.

P.S.

To the ladies who worry about your weight gain: today is my 9th day post-partum and I've gone from weighing 228 to 195! IN NINE DAYS!!! :) I have a feeling it's mostly fluid, but any loss is flippin' AwEsOmE at this point!

I am scheduled for induction on

December 27th!

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Our beautiful baby girl:

Madelyn Grace Rittmann

19w 4d

25w 1d

29w 4d

34w 4d