Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Week 1




Week 1- You made it! Mommy was only in labor for 16 hours (I was induced) with only 2.5 hours of actual pushing. I didn't think I could do it- I had been dreading it for a long time- and you know what- it was so easy! I forgot any pain I had felt the moment Dr. Uma placed you on my belly for the first time! Dad was the best coach ever- mommy couldn't have done it without him! He is amazing! I loved it so much in fact, I could share every detail, but some people just don't want to hear that! Here you are not too long after birth laying in your little bed. You were so quiet- of course you've learned to cry this week- that's for sure. You were 6 lbs, 12 oz and 20.5 inches long- in other words, you are tall and skinny!! You did so well for all your tests and shots, and you didn't even cry during your circumcision!! You are feeding well for the most part- we are taking it one day at a time! You are too small for almost all your newborn clothes, but when daddy & I bought you preemie clothes, you were too long for all of them!!! I guess you're stuck in no mans land for the time being! You had lots of visitors and you let them all hold you without complaining! I can't believe you are a week old already!!! Stop growing so fast!!
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Saturday, January 23, 2010

he made it

and he's perfect Pin It!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Week 40- Baby Boy Small Pumpkin






How your baby's growing:
It's hard to say for sure how big your baby will be, but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds (a small pumpkin) and is about 20 inches long. His skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary

How your life's changing:
After months of anticipation, your due date rolls around, and... you're still pregnant. It's a frustrating, but common, situation in which to find yourself. You may not be as late as you think, especially if you're relying solely on a due date calculated from the day of your last period because sometimes women ovulate later than expected. Even with reliable dating, some women have prolonged pregnancies for no apparent reason.

You still have a couple of weeks before you'll be considered "post-term." But to be sure your baby is still thriving, your practitioner will schedule you for testing to keep an eye on her if your pregnancy continues.

You may have a biophysical profile (BPP), which consists of an ultrasound to look at your baby's overall movements, breathing movements (movement of her chest muscles and diaphragm), and muscle tone (whether she opens and closes her hand or extends and then flexes her limbs), as well as the amount of amniotic fluid that surrounds her (important because it's a reflection of how well the placenta is supporting your baby).

Fetal heart rate monitoring (called a nonstress test or NST) will generally be done as well — by itself or as part of the BPP. Or, you may have what's known as a modified BPP, which consists of an NST and an ultrasound to assess the amount of amniotic fluid.

If the fetal testing isn't reassuring — the amniotic fluid level is too low, for example — you'll be induced. If there's a serious, urgent problem, you may have an immediate c-section.

Your practitioner will also check your cervix to see if it's "ripening." Its position, how soft it is, how effaced (thinned out) it is, and how dilated (open) it is can all affect when and how your labor is induced. If you don't go into labor on your own, you'll be induced, usually sometime between 41 and 42 weeks.


from BabyCenter

Baby: Congratulations! You've reached what will most likely be the final week in your pregnancy (if you haven't delivered already!) Your baby has probably reached his birth weight by this week in your pregnancy. Most babies weigh somewhere between 6-8 pounds when they are born. Boys are usually longer and heavier than girls.

Not much has changed from last week, all his internal organs are ready to support him in the outside world, he's developed healthy amounts of baby fat over the past week and his immune system is developing and will continue to develop after he is born.

Mom: How are you feeling? It's almost time to meet your little one. Your bags are probably packed and are ready to go, the nursery is all set, you have the car seat installed and your baby's first outfit is selected. You've been patient for nine whole months and the time is almost here!

When you finally do go into labor, it's important to stay calm. Usually, there is no need to rush to the hospital. For most women, labor typically lasts around 13 hours. So take some extra time to make sure you have everything you need and drive safely. You may even prefer to stay in your own home while your contractions are still far apart. When you first contact your healthcare provider, he or she should be able to tell you when it's the appropriate time for you to head to the hospital.

Labor – Labor is typically broken down into three stages and begins when you start to have regular contractions and ends when you pass the placenta.

First Stage – When the contractions start to pick up you are in the active phase of the first stage labor. Between this active phase and the next phase, known as Transition, you will want to get to the hospital or place where you plan to give birth. During the transition phase, your contractions will start occurring closer together.

Second Stage – This is the stage where you give birth to your baby! Your contractions will occur closer together and will feel stronger. You will either feel the need to push, or if you have received medication for pain, you may not, and will be directed on what to do. You will reach the end of the second stage when you have delivered your baby!

Third Stage – Anywhere up to an hour after giving birth, you will be told to give another push in order to get the placenta out. However, you will probably be preoccupied by the new baby in your arms!

from: PlanningFamily Pin It!

Due Date

Today is the due date- as it now says up top "I am 40 weeks pregnant". Okay, I am 40 weeks pregnant... AND?!

Today is your alleged birthday, little one. It still doesn't seem real, but we are ready for you to be here. I am especially ready for you to be here... I can't fit into clothes any longer. I am way past my pre-maternity clothes, and I have very few maternity clothes I can wear as well. I got stuck in a maternity top on Saturday, and I'm having a hard time even wearing your dad's stuff at bedtime b\c I am larger than he is...

I can't tell if I am having contractions, or anticipating contractions. My belly is tight, per usual, but there's a little pain with it too. Nothing significant though, so I say no.

Your move, baby. Pin It!

Monday, January 18, 2010

did you notice?

the counter at the top of my blog says, and I quote: "i am 39 weeks and 6 days pregnant. about 1 day to go"

omg Pin It!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

reading while i can

so, just recently, Kindredly posted some books she is looking forward to reading in 2010. Well, there may not be much time for reading in my 2010 future, but I am already on my 3rd book this year (if i continued this trend i'd probably beat my 2008 stats). I love books- the stories, their pretty covers. We have 4 ikea shelves full of them (a little much, maybe), our storage unit flooded earlier this summer, and what did I cry over losing? My books (in fact, I still haven't started to replace the ones we lost yet- boo). Anyway, here's what i've read (or am reading) so far in 2010.

Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen or Julie & Julia: Or My Year of Cooking Dangerously. Julie Powell

I must say, I liked this book, but not as much as I thought I would. I have yet to see the movie though. I got the book because I had heard good things about the movie, and because of my love for cooking. Reading this book however, did NOT inspire me to go out and cook all or ANY of Julia Child's recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I love to cook, and I really love to eat, but I may draw the line at livers, and bone marrow. What I didn't like about this book- the constant use of the "f word" (yes, she mentions that in her book, and she doesn't care, whatever). Also, I hate when people in certain political parties insult those who are in the opposite political party. It's childish. Thirdly, some of the book as she claims was just "made up" including the "scenes" from Julia Child's life. I'd probably give this book a B- or C+ and now I feel bad that I bought it for someone as a Christmas gift...
Push by Sapphire (some may know it as Precious, Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire)
Well, if I thought the "f word" or other words of obscenity were used excessively in Julie & Julia, it certainly had nothing on Push. This is another book I decided to read after hearing good things about the movie (and I haven't seen this movie either). It's 1987 and Precious is an overweight, illiterate 16 year old, pregnant with her 2nd child by her father, living on welfare with her mother who mentally, physically and sexually abuses her. She's kicked out of school for being pregnant, but given the opportunity to enroll in an alternative school. There, her teacher, Blu Rain, tries to make a difference in Precious' life and Precious begins to see that she can turn things around for herself. The book is a short read- just over 100 pages. It's a heartbreaker. You'll be disgusted and shocked by the life that Precious has lived so far, but you'll be cheering her along as she begins to make a life for herself and her child. It's definitely difficult to read at times, but I still enjoyed the story. I'd give it an A.


That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything in Between. Victoria Beckham



Victoria Beckham is a guilty pleasure of mine. Basically she could tell me to wear a burlap sack and jump off London Bridge, and I would consider it. Here, Posh gives advice on how to wear everything from denim to maternity clothes (and so far, that's all I've read: denim, trousers and maternity clothes). Although I can't afford a darn thing she is recommending, she still gives good advice that I can take and apply to what I actually can afford until I can actual afford to buy everything from Topshop or Balenciaga (riiight). I'm looking forward to reading what else she has to say- plus, I love the pretty pictures. This may be my last book for a while. We'll see. I give it an A b\c I love you, Posh, I love you.
2 days, my friends, 2 days. We'll see if baby has other plans.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010

We continue to wait (very patiently)

So, today I went for my weekly appointment. As I mentioned before, Dr. Uma is off becoming board-certified, so we saw the midwife. She was great. The appointment went well, but she told us during my exam that we have still made no progress. Cervix is still thinned out, but no dilation. Looks like baby is really just waiting on Dr. Uma, and his due date...

This is good for us though: 1. we enjoy the time just the 2 of us- baby is going to be with us for a long long while, and this time with just husband & me is so precious. 2. We've gotten more done around the house- extra time to do stuff in baby's room, things like that. 3. I've been getting myself established at my new job before I run off and leave everyone. 4. I have time for maternity pics- sometime later in the week!

Speaking of maternity pics- this would only happen to me right before I would have pictures made... So, I'm getting ready to go to my appointment today, and i was making a quick clothing change- as I'm doing this, I accidentally scratch my belly with my thumbnail. My nails haven't been long since the first trimester, so I didn't expect anything big- I mean, i had accidentally burned my belly on our stove a few weeks ago, and it turned red for about 10 minutes. I continue about my business getting dressed, when my belly, or should I say something on my belly catches my eye in the bathroom mirror about 10 seconds later. WHOA! What was barely a scratch all the sudden turned into this crazy red/pink/purple streak. I can't explain it, just see it for yourself:


Ridiculous. Luckily photos can be retouched, but I'm sure my photographer is going to love that the main focal point of the pictures needs major work. It doesn't really hurt, but it's not pretty to look at. Like I said, only me...
Alright, bedtime here. I am making myself go to sleep tonight. I have a seminar for work tomorrow morning. Yippee!
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Week 39- Baby Boy Mini Watermelon




How your baby's growing: Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.
How your life's changing: At each of your now-weekly visits, your caregiver will do an abdominal exam to check your baby's growth and position. She might also do an internal exam to see whether your cervix has started ripening: softening, effacing (thinning out), and dilating (opening). But even armed with this information, there's still no way for your caregiver to predict exactly when your baby is coming. If you go past your due date, your caregiver will schedule you for fetal testing (usually a sonogram) after 40 weeks to ensure that it's safe to continue the pregnancy. If you don't go into labor on your own, most practitioners will induce labor when you're between one and two weeks overdue — or sooner if there's an indication that the risk of waiting is greater than the risks of delivering your baby without further delay.While you're waiting, it's important to continue to pay attention to your baby's movements and let your caregiver know right away if they seem to decrease. Your baby should remain active right up to delivery, and a noticeable slowdown in activity could be a sign of a problem. Also call if you think your water may have broken. Membranes rupture before the beginning of labor in about 8 percent of term pregnancies. Sometimes there's a big gush of fluid, but sometimes there's only a small gush or a slow leak. (Don't try to make the diagnosis yourself. Call even if you only suspect you have a leak.) If you rupture your membranes and don't start contractions on your own, you'll be induced.
Baby: Congratulations! You've reached the final weeks in your pregnancy (if you haven't delivered already!) (I haven't, thanks for reminding me). Your baby has probably reached his birth weight by now. Most babies weigh somewhere between 6-8 pounds when they are born. Boys are usually longer and heavier than girls. Not much has changed from last week, all his internal organs are ready to support him in the outside world, he's developed healthy amounts of baby fat over the past week, his immune system is developing and will continue to develop after he is born.
Mom
How are you feeling? It's almost time for delivery! You may have been preparing for delivery for months now, but do you know about the changes that will take place in your body after delivery?
The Baby Blues – This is the happiest time of your life, right? This is what you've been waiting for...so why do you feel so sad? You may have heard people mention, "The Baby Blues" which refers to a state of heightened emotion after you give birth in which you may cry more easily than is usual for you or you may have trouble sleeping, you may feel irritable, sad or on edge. More than 80% of women report feeling blue immediately after birth so, if you feel this way, you aren't alone and you're not a bad person, a weak person, a bad mother or any other negative thing you could possibly tell yourself.
We're back in the melon aisle, I see. It's crazy how baby has grown. All the way from a blueberry at our very first appointment to a 7 lb mini watermelon! WOW! Tomorrow is our 39 week appointment, and we will be meeting the midwife at our practice for the first time. As I've nervously said before, Dr. Uma is off taking her board exam this week. I'm guessing nothing has changed b\c I really don't feel any different, but we'll see for sure tomorrow. We're also working on getting our belly pictures scheduled. Should be able to do them sometime this week. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. At least we're packed, have our carseat in place (although we're still trying to get it checked) and have baby's room set up.
I'll let you know how tomorrow goes!!
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Sunday, January 10, 2010

single digits

that's what we're in now- otherwise known as- it could probably happen at any time... crazy thought. are we ready? ready as we're going to be I guess, but i'm sure i'll think of a million things I need to do while we're on the way to the hospital.

we went to our childbirth express class yesterday. it went pretty well. other than the fact that it's 6+ hours worth of class. did we learn anything? I guess we'll find out when we actually are in labor. the only thing i learned from the videos is that I have a weak stomach, and i wasn't sure if i wanted to really have a baby... too late for that.

so we're trying not to have baby this week. my Dr.- Dr. Uma- is out in Dallas, or Denver taking her board exam. I'm sure she'll pass, and it'll be awesome that she's board-certified. I just hope that baby doesn't come while she's in this process. Also, our heating in the house is pretty jacked up right now- it either runs for hours at a time (our gas bill is going to be out of this world) or it doesn't run at all for hours at a time (and everyone freezes to death). Right now, it's choosing not to run, after running ALL night (it's exhausted, i'm sure), and it's 7 degrees outside. Lovely.

Dave is going to the Blackhawks game tonight with Chazzer. Chazzer has only asked him a million times, but we've always had plans or something else. I'm sure I'll go into labor while he's gone. It's only fitting. Lord, I shouldn't say things like that because I really don't want that happening.

ok, Dave keeps calling me to come downstairs, he can't figure out why i'm not down there already... Pin It!

Friday, January 8, 2010

not just about the breathing

Well, not having baby when we were supposed to has brought another fun adventure into our lives, and that is childbirth classes. We thought (or mostly Dave thought) that we had escaped this adventure, but with no baby, that means we have plenty of time. We had signed up for the express class back in September- 4 months before our due date, and still couldn't get into a class until January. Part of this was because the express classes are monthly, and the only 2 classes remaining in 2009 were both on weekends we had already planned to go to Georgia. The other part dealt with the fact that our hospital just moved into a new building about 3 weeks ago and we didn't want to be doing a tour or classes in a hospital where I wouldn't be giving birth.

So here we are. We did our tour on Monday. Let me just say that the new hospital is pretty awesome. The entire 3rd floor is devoted to the birthing center and offices for Dr's who deliver at the hospital. The hospital has a no-separation policy for natural birth, meaning that once you have delivered your baby their first bath and all the other necessary baby things are done in your room just a few feet away from you. Also, the security is high-tech! Baby gets his/her own "baby lojack" ankle monitor. If someone tries to take baby through a door where baby shouldn't be- the entire floor shuts down- even those with security passes to get through doors cannot use their badges until baby is located and brought back to where he/she should be. The NICU is also on the floor and allows for 24-hour visitation. Also, in your room mommy can get meals cooked to order, and dad gets 1 meal cooked to order. Mmm, I can't wait!

So, childbirth express class is this weekend- 9:30-4:30 with an hour for lunch. From what I have read the classes are pretty good- not a lot of the breathing stuff, but more the stuff you need to know stuff. Plus, they do free carseat checks. I'm actually looking forward to it! I just hope i don't go into labor! At the tour, I was the one poor idiot who was within weeks of her due date, while there were people on the tour who hadn't even hit 20 weeks yet... So I guess I'll be the idiot at the childbirth class with 10 days to go until my due date. Should be fun!

So, I'll keep you posted on the classes, and my quest for very last-minute belly pics! Pin It!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Week 38- Baby Boy Leek



How your baby's growing: Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after he's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)
How your life's changing: For many women, the next couple of weeks are a waiting game. Use this time to prepare your baby's nursery or to take care of necessary tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby's born. Take naps, catch up on your reading, and spend uninterrupted time with your partner while you can. Some swelling in your feet and ankles is normal during these last weeks, but call your practitioner without delay if you notice excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, any swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, or have a sudden weight gain. Also let her know immediately if have severe or persistent headaches; visual changes (such as double or blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, light sensitivity, or a temporary loss of vision), intense upper abdominal pain or tenderness, or nausea and vomiting. These are symptoms of a serious condition called preeclampsia.
Baby: Congratulations! You've reached the final weeks in your pregnancy (if you haven't delivered already!) Your baby has probably reached his birth weight now. Most babies weigh somewhere between 6-8 pounds when they are born. Boys are usually longer and heavier than girls. All his internal organs are ready to support him in the outside world. He has also developed healthy amounts of baby fat over the past week and his immune system is developing and will continue to develop after he is born. His fingernails and toenails have reached the end of his fingers and toes and might even need a trim after he is born!
Mom: How are you feeling? Have you noticed any electrical tingles in your legs and inside of your vagina? These tingles are caused by your baby hitting nerves as he settles down into your pelvic area. Have you noticed any sharp, shooting pains? The baby is probably resting on your sciatic nerve. The best thing to do is try to get some rest and put your feet up!

You may also have been experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions for weeks now, but how do you know when it's time to call your healthcare provider? If there is a change in the frequency of contractions, it's probably a good idea to call. You might also notice some brown, pink, or red discharge signaling the fact that you have lost your mucus plug, and your water may also break. These are all signs that labor is starting and it's a good idea to let your partner and your healthcare provider know that it's time!

Preparing for the Big Day. So...your bags are packed, you probably feel huge and want to get this show on the road. Many women find it helpful to mentally rehearse for the big day. You may want to set aside some time to review your breathing and relaxation techniques to help you manage the pain of labor.

Tired of rehearsing? Try doing something to distract you, like making some mix CD's! Many hospitals allow you to listen to your own music during labor. There's no way to tell how long your labor is going to be and if you're there for 6 , 12 or 20 hours, chances are you don't want to listen to the same CD on repeat! Load up your MP3 player or burn some CD's. It's a great way to pass the time and take your mind off backaches, tingles in your legs and intensifying contractions.
Well, we went to the Dr. today. No dialation still (although i was dialated half a cm a few weeks ago), but I am "shortened" a bit. Also, i am measuring less than I was last time I was in. My doctor is taking her board exam next week, so I will be seeing another of the ladies in the practice. I just hope baby will decide to hold out until his due date now. We won't see my Dr. again until my due date- if he makes it that long, I'm hoping she'll just go ahead & take him. She did tell me though that she won't let me go longer than a week past.
We had our hospital tour last night. The hospital has been open for 3 weeks, is running smoothly, and is pretty much awesome. We have child birthing classes this weekend- which is an advantage to not being induced. I guess I'll now know what to do! I can't say Dave is as thrilled as I am, but whatever!
That's all the news for now!
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Monday, January 4, 2010

back to work

Well, not what i was expecting January 4th. I was expecting to be freaking out about my husband going back to work while leaving me alone for the first time with our sweet baby boy. Obviously we are all going back to work though. It still appears I will not be back at Target though until after baby comes. I called Target the day of my failed induction to tell them to cancel my leave of absence and then also went to the store to get put back on the schedule (which comes out on Thursday). I had already missed the opporunity to be on the January 3-9 schedule, so I was hoping to get on the newest schedule of January 10-16. Either my supervisor forgot, or I was not back in the system yet, so I'm not on that schedule either. Basically it's a moot point for me to even go back on the schedule b\c the next week starts on the 17th, and I am due on that Tuesday, the 19th. So i'm going to see what my options are for reactivating my maternity leave. Why are these things so difficult? Anyway, i'm lucky enough that I have been working with my in-law's at their practice, so while I'm not getting hours at Target, I can at least work some there to make up for what would appear to be 3 weeks of lost money. And speaking of which, it's time for me to head that way.

Tonight is our hospital tour, it's one of the 2 things we get to do with baby not being here. Saturday is the other- our childbirth class. Dave is thrilled. He was hoping we'd miss these 2 fun adventures b\c when I scheduled them in SEPTEMBER these were the earliest dates for us that actually fit into our schedule (ie: before the baby came, or at the actual hospital we are delivering at). I'm exciting about the tour. We tried to do our own at my last Dr's appointment and got lost. Sherman is a new hospital and it's HUGE! Pin It!