New Faces

On Sunday, September 12, 2010 I woke up so excited because my parents were flying in from New York. Normally my parents fly in the mornings but for some reason they were not flying into Florida until that evening which made me even more anxious.

My best friend Ashley and I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner and patiently awaited the arrival of my parents. Around 6p.m. my grandmother who lives in New York called me and warned me that my parents where at my gate. Soon after the door open and my parents walked in to greet my four-day-old baby awake and laying in her play pin. My mom ran in the shower and when she returned she held Aniyah for the first time. The look on her face was priceless, I guess holding your grandchild for the first time gives you the same joy as holding your own child for the first time. I dad was a little nervous about holding her because according to him she was to small. He held her for about a minute and quickly gave her to me.

That night we slept in my room and once again I put Aniyah in the bed with me, she was so small and I did not feel comfortable putting her in her crib yet. After days of waiting, I was so happy that Aniyah met her grandparents, next uncle joey and daddy. 

Bringing Home Baby

On Saturday, September 11, 2010 I took my daughter home for the first time. I was anxious yet scared because I was leaving the hospital where I had constant support from nurses. Although I was excited to get home to my own house and bed, I was not looking forward to being there alone. My best friend drove down from Orlando to help me during my first days at home with the baby but I was still missing my family. My parents were still in Connecticut with my brother and my boyfriend was in the middle of football season.

Once I got home I was greeted by my aunt, uncle and cousins who came over to keep me company and set up everything that I would need for the baby such as the swing, play pin, bouncer and rocking chair. As my uncle and cousin began putting everything together I was preparing to watch my boyfriends game on TV.

My best friend came over during the 1st quarter of the game and I was happy that I would not have to be alone once my family left. As the end of the day approached I realized that I was blessed with a very good baby. She slept, woke up to eat and went to sleep again, I had no complaints.

That night my newborn and I slept in my parents room so I would not have to go up and down the stairs. My baby's first day home was nothing but memorable.

Three Days in the Hospital

That night after my baby was born I continued to have visitors. I was physically drained from, but nervous because I had no idea how to take care of this newborn baby on my own. I was so thrilled that my grand-mother stayed with me that night so that i could get some rest even if the baby woke up. It was incredibly hard for me to sleep that night. I don't know if it was the nerves but as tired as i was it was hard for me to sleep. As Wednesday turned into Thursday and Thursday turned into Friday, I was learning how to be a mother. By Friday all of my close friends and family had came to check on me and see the new baby. And finally on Saturday I took my baby home for the first time.

Welcome Princess Aniyah

Aniyah Malia Reliford
7lbs, 80z
20in

Once I found out that I was four centimeters dilated and indeed in labor my aunt starting making calls while the nurse prepared me for delivery. My aunt called my parents first who tried everything to get on the first flight back home. Even if they made the flight they wouldn't have made it in time for the delivery because everything was happening so fast. I called my boyfriend, luckily he wasn't in football practice at the time and he called his family, before I knew it I was seven centimeters dilated, without an epidural and a room full of family. Finally after complaining about the pain the anesthesiologist showed up with the epidural, I desperately wanted to do a natural birth but the pain was unbearable. When I was nine centimeters dilated the nurse asked me who I wanted to keep in the room with me. I was a extremely disappointed that during the birth of my first child my parents brother and boyfriend weren't able to be there with me. Because they couldn't make it my two aunts, my cousin and boyfriends mom and aunt helped me get through the hour and thirty minutes of pushing. Although my immediate family and boyfriend couldn't be there my aunt had my parents on the phone so they could know whats going on and my boyfriends mom had him on the phone throughout the entire process. At 9:55 pm my daughter Aniyah Malia Reliford was born, she was 7lbs,8ozs, 20 inches long.

Labor begins

It was early Wednesday morning on September 8,2010 when nurses woke me up to check my blood pressure and examine me. My blood pressure had gotten better although it still was not normal. The nurses contacted my doctor and he said it was okay for me to be released under the circumstances that I returned in the morning for another checkup.  I was told that I was one centimeter dilated before I was released around 12pm. I was at home laying in my parents bedroom all alone when I started having bad cramps, I called two of my friends that had babies a few months prior and they both had different experiences then me so they weren't much help. Although my stomach was cramping I didn't think that I was in labor since I just left the hospital an hour prior at one centimeter dilated. Around 2pm my aunt called to see if i wanted any food, she normally gets off at 3 but for some reason that day she got off early. By the time she got to my house around 2:30pm the pain was unbearable at least I thought so until it got worse. My aunt asked me how far apart was the pain, it was approximately 2 minutes apart, that's when my aunt told me that I might be in labor. She drove me to the hospital and by the time I made it to labor and delivery I was four centimeters dilated.

Weekly Checkup

Soon to be parents

On Sunday, September 5, 2010 my parents left early that morning to begin there road trip to Connecticut. They were taking my brother to school and because my due date was a near 3 weeks away I couldn’t go along for the ride. That Labor Day Monday I spent the day at home with my little cousins, aunts and uncles, we barbequed and went in the pool. It seemed like I had swam all day, and I figured swimming was enough exercise for the day. The next day I went to my grandparent’s house until it was time for my weekly doctor’s visit. I usually go by myself but this time I asked my grandma to come with me. When we arrived at Memorial Hospital I parked and went into my doctors office signed in and waited to be called. Within 5 minutes I was being weighed and having my blood pressure checked. When the nurse finished checking my pressure she made a weird face, but I let it go over my head when she said follow me to your room. It wasn’t until the doctor came in and told me that today they would have to examine me because my pressure was extremely high.  So now I was starting to worry about the health of my baby, my doctor sent me to the emergency room where they escorted me to labor and delivery. I was in shock like no way this can not happen to me, as soon as my parents leave I go into labor. Luckily after being on a monitor and getting an ultrasound the baby was fine and I was not going to have the baby right then.  I did have to stay overnight because my blood pressure was still sky high after many hours, my doctor urged that the nurses keep an eye on it, and if it progressed I would be released in the morning.  My grandmother got picked up from the hospital and soon after my aunt, little cousin, and my boyfriends mom and aunt came to visit me.  Once every one left I found it hard to sleep on that uncomfortable hospital bed with monitors attached to my stomach. Eventually I fell asleep not knowing that on September 8, 2010 my baby girl Aniyah would be born.

Its almost time

Preparing for the arrival of your baby can be stressful in the last few months, although you shouldn't stress your body, for me it’s when all my troubles started. After my first trimester and the end of spring semester my pregnancy was smooth sailing. I went to frequent checkups, I had an appetite again, I felt like myself again only with a belly forming in front of me. It wasn't until I hit my seven month mark when I experienced horrible back pains. There was no medicine, heating pads or massages that could make the pain go away. My baby had found a comfortable spot and she stayed there for about a month. At that point my due date couldn't come fast enough for me. Once the back pains stopped I caught a bad cold and developed acid reflux. Anytime I drank anything that contained acid, I threw it up. One morning I felt so bad and could not deal with the pain in my throat and chest from the acid reflux that I went to the emergency room. I basically told the doctors my diagnosis and after some time it was confirmed that I indeed developed acid reflux. I was told to drink Gatorade and take medicine but the Gatorade contained acid that burned my chest as did everything else I drank and the medicine was not working. As the weeks were coming to an end I could not be more ready for the arrival of my baby.