The Baby Arrived!

May 15: Felt like my period was about to start all day. Undaunted, we had breakfast out, did errands, went to the mall, and even hung some new pictures in our living room at 10:30 p.m.

May 16: At 2:45 a.m., woke up. Walked to the bathroom, and amniotic fluid started running down my legs.

3:15 a.m. - Called different offices to leave messages, cancelling appointments for the week.

3:45 a.m. - In my hospital gown, I got checked out by nurses. I was already 4 cm!

5:15 a.m. - The cramping is not fun at this point. I can't get an epidural until the anesthesiologist gets out of surgery. I get a 1/2 dose of fentanyl (which I had refused before because I was worried about feeling weird in my head or sick to my stomach!). Turns out I'm over 6 cm. dilated already. The fentanyl takes the edge off of the pain.

5:30 a.m. - The anesthesiologist usually uses one shot to numb patients. I need three because, although it's not painful, I can feel him putting the epidural in. After the epidural, my legs feel like they have Orajel on them. But I can use them still and feel them. Awesome.

I use the bedpan once, but another time, they realize my bladder is full and want to catheterize me. Remembering having a cystoscopy once at the urologist's office, I am really scared and don't want them to do it. But then they mention that pushing with a full bladder can lead to internal tearing. I let them catheterize me. It was totally painless. Another fear conquered!!!

10:45 a.m. - The nurses announce that I'm fully dilated and effaced and that they're getting the room ready so I can start pushing. I'm really surprised. Was it truly time?

11:15 a.m. - Time to start pushing. I wasn't sure if I wanted a mirror, but then I found it was kind of exciting once the head was further down to be able to see the baby. I was actually smiling! Good epidural, too: I could feel pressure that told me it was time to push.

1:20 p.m. - After about 30 min. of intense pushing, the dr. tells me I can keep pushing without waiting for a contraction. I'm all for that. The baby just shoots out. Success! The doctor puts him in my arms after he's wiped down. My husband is misty. I say, "I can't believe this baby was inside of me!" The doctor laughs and says, "What did you THINK was in you?" I'm like, "I don't know - a 2D black-and-white ultrasound?"

So on May 16, I officially became a mom.

It's been three weeks since the baby was born, and I feel like I learn something new about baby care every 2 to 3 hours.

He's sweet and cute, and gassy as all get out, but we love him dearly!

Colin Michael

39 Weeks Tomorrow and a teensy bit of progress

Went to the dr. today, sure I had gained six zillion lbs. as I had been hungrier the last three to four days. Turns out I was exactly the same weight. Even with the ice cream I've eaten the last three days, trying to cool off my tongue. (Yep, the thrush is back!)

I'm about 65% effaced and 1 cm dilated. My dear hubby, who is the sweetest guy, was SO EXCITED when I called him after the appointment. I could hear it in his voice. He wanted to call his parents, and I'm like, "Well... you don't want them to start calling every day or sitting in the car, waiting to race to the hospital, do you?" He agreed. I didn't want to kill his excitement, but I also didn't want to be a watched pot. (So obviously I wasn't calling my parents, either!) I said, "If they ask, you can tell them. Otherwise, just tell your co-workers!" I also reminded him that I could be like this for another two weeks or so, or I could go into labor tonight. You just never know. But he was so giddy... very cute!

I picked up a few more essentials from Target, and put in refills for my prescriptions at Longs so I wouldn't have to refill them next week (and, of course, I need that thrush medicine STAT!).

At least I feel like the baby's room is together and I have most other projects done. He's free to come whenever he wants now!

38 Weeks and still chugging along

An excerpt from my appt. on Wednesday:

Dr.: (apologetic) I'm sorry, you're not dilated at all.

Me: THANK GOD!

Dr.: What?

Me: I'm not ready to have this baby. I have too much to do!

Dr.: Oh, okay. (perkily) Guess what? You're not dilated at all!

So that was my visit. All healthy, otherwise.

Adding to the list of things I cannot do because my stomach's in the way and trying to work around it makes my back hurt:

(1) Empty the dish drainer behind the sink.
(2) Wash dishes in the sink.
(3) Load/empty lower rack of dishwasher.

The prior list included pick things up off of the floor, and lean over and work with children.

Things I'm surprised I can still do:

(1) Tie my own shoes.
(2) Paint my own toenails.
(3) Carry laundry baskets (kind of).

The baby's room is nearly done... just needs a rug, and for my husband to refinish his dresser (which was his father's as a child as well).

I'm crossing my fingers that the baby holds out until his due date. Life is too busy right now!!!

35.5 Weeks: remembering last dr.'s appt.

Forgot to mention funny conversation with dr.'s partner at last appointment.

Dr. B: Well, let's see how everything's going.

Me: I was wondering if you could palpate me a bit, because my husband was wondering where body parts were.

Dr. B: (Looks over glasses at me, in silence.)

Me: No, not my body parts - the baby's body parts! He already knows where mine are.

Dr. B: I was going to say - I hope he already knows where your body parts are. That's why you're here.

:)

And it's ticker time again...

34 Weeks and asleep at the wheel

It just hit on Thursday... that's right... my ability to fall asleep while at work, that glorious first-trimester super-power, has returned!! Tonight, stupid me, I thought I would come home, take a nap, assemble some lasagna, put it in the oven, do my HypBirth CD... instead, I fell asleep and stayed that way from about 5:30 to 8:00.

Needless to say, husband is bringing dinner home. :)

Prenatal appts. are now two weeks apart. Saw one of dr.'s partners, as dr. was out of town. This dr. was just delightful! Really nice personality.

For a few weeks now, the baby has seemed to like to hang out in the upper right quadrant of my stomach. The dr. said that is not unusual, esp. due to the placement of the mother's internal organs. (All I can say is, "Thank God I'm long-waisted or else I'd be in trouble!") He suspects the hard thing jutting out in that area is the little butt, with the back going along my central line, and head lower.

The medicine the dr. put me on about four to five weeks ago for the Cough That Would Not Cease gave me thrush so I've spent over a week sucking on troches. Last Friday I was prescribed stronger cough medicine for nighttime, which I take ONLY at night, as it's a Class C drug. I Must say the baby seems to react more gently now that I'm not coughing so horrendously.

AND... we've found our furniture. One morning, my husband woke up and said, "Let's go to Babies 'R' Us. I think they have something new." He was right. And we loved it. The crib is waiting in the garage, and the changer/dresser will be picked up this weekend.

I also enjoyed a shower, held by my co-workers, last Friday, as well as a shower, held by family and friends, the following day. And if the last shower was Attack of the Onesies, this was the Attack of the Washcloths!!!

That's gonna be one clean baby!

And now that we've taken the baby care class, we actually know how to clean him. Kinda. (Can't wait to see us try!)

29 Weeks and still going....

I've got my next prenatal appointment tomorrow. I can't believe that last time I went in, I was sick (had lost my voice, been coughing, recovered my voice), have coughed the last four weeks since then, and now have been sick this week with more coughing (back to the wet cough from the dry cough), with a stuffed-up nose, killer sinuses, and a plugged-up head.

On top of that... it's back to the hospital about 3 hours after my appointment for our second childbirth prep class! Argh!! At least the first class went well. Although I was surprised that, when asked on a questionnaire what the "worst possible outcome" could be for delivery, most women put "C-section". I mean, come on! Not like I'm jumping at the chance to be cut open, but there are worse things. For instance, I put:

(1) Death (me or baby)
(2) Long-term health complications (i.e. stroke, paralysis, cerebral palsy or mental retardation due to anoxia, etc.)
(3) Health care professionals/family members not following birth plan, making my delivery harder, and pissing me off

I just figure, get the baby out of there however you can so we can go on with our beautiful life. But true, the thought of being unloaded and reloaded doesn't sound that great. But pushing a baby out of my vagina is not the pinnacle of my life, and not being able to do so is not going to totally destroy me. I just want a healthy baby - as healthy as possible - and a good start to our family.

In the meantime, I guess I should try to get some sleep... mouth-breathing, of course.

27 Weeks Today

The baby is certainly active! Punch punch, kick kick. Not to mention roll, roll. What the hell is he doing in there?

BTW, I think, perhaps, that the Shermag Natural Lock/Recline Grand Glider with the matching ottoman COULD be the most comfortable glider/rocker ever. Esp. for those of us tall people.

My mom held a baby shower for me last Sunday, so I travelled with hubby to other part of the state to be feted with cake and presents. Lovely time. Usually hate attention on myself but it was really nice to see everyone. AND... people went crazy with gifts. There were 15 people there, and somehow I ended up with a TON on 0-3 months onesies... which is fine but if I add those to the ones I got from my friend in TX (who graciously sent stuff her son had grown out of).... my kid now has 53 onesies. And only one person bought off of my registry - totally decked out the crib. Bless her.

Except for back/butt pain, which limits how much I can work out.... doing great. And on winter break this week! Yippee!

25 Weeks as of Thursday

Attack of the Sciatica! Battlestar Sciatica! Not Without My Sciatica!

I thought my right butt cheek was a problem. Apparently, my left one got in on the action. I've been sick since Sunday (dry cough developed into burning cough and lost voice... ugh!) and only went back to work today for a 1/2 day. But the thing that put me down and out on Monday was that all of a sudden, I got sciatica in my *left* side. So badly that I couldn't walk. The whole day. Sure, I could hobble to the bathroom as needed, but it was PAINFUL.

Oh, AND I had the worst pain from a gas bubble in my esophagus YET. So I was in bad shape.

I found that going to sleep on my back with the offending leg propped on a pillow really helped. And the physical therapist suggested sitting on an ice pack, rather than a hot watter bottle.

I also went to TWO baby showers in less than 20 hours last weekend: one at 3 p.m. on Friday for a co-worker, then one at 10 a.m. Saturday for a cousin-in-law. This after only attending one baby shower in my life before then (said cousin's older sister's first shower). Pretty fun! My first shower is in 1-1/2 weeks; the next is in mid-March.

And tomorrow... the big weigh-in/check-up at the doctor's office. Hurrah. ;p haha All I know is, the baby has been quite active and keeping me company. It is funny to watch my stomach move and roll and jerk around. I'm like, "What are you doing in there, little man? Building something?"

Thursday Was 23 Weeks - WOW

So it was about time to make sure the baby registries actually had a good amount of items on them. Hubby and I thought they were just for a few items to give people ideas what to buy if they wanted to give gifts. Turns out we were so wrong. I guess baby registries are great ways to keep track of what you need and what you'll still need to buy before the baby comes!!! Now... the registries are looking a lot more "healthy".

As am I. My stomach "popped" right about December 31. I look definitely pregnant now. Still carrying very front so... I still have a curvy waist! It's the weirdest thing. I look more pregnant from the side than the front.

Last checkup (21 weeks) was super-clean... have gained a appropriate amount of weight (15 lbs., and I'm sure at least 3-5 of that was just cranberry bread from Christmas visiting with my parents!)... totally healthy.

In other baby news... friends of ours are expecting not just a girl, but a boy AND a girl! Unfortunately, as of about 2 weeks ago, "mom" is living in the hospital (well, "dad" is living there with her as well) b/c she started having contractions at around Week 24. Flat on her back. Lame.

And in MORE baby news... another friend of ours, who moved back East for a year, then eloped in May... became a father last Friday - and none of us knew his wife was pregnant. The baby was premature - just 3.5 lbs. - but has required no machines for breathing. The new parents hope to bring her home soon.

Congrats to all!

Week 19: Ultrasound

The story of Lovelylinguist, Hubby, and The Ultrasound:

(1) Arrive at 8:30 a.m., only to be told that L.L. had no appointment. Although it had been scheduled since the first week of November. And they reminded L.L. about the appointment the last time she was in two weeks ago. And now somebody else has that time and we're SOL.

(2) L.L. vows to sit in the waiting room until they fit her in (even though they are totally booked) or her bladder explodes from the required 16 oz of water.

(3) The 9 a.m. patient is detained elsewhere so Hubby and L.L. get their ultrasound at 8:50 a.m.

(4) The technician types in, "Baby Girl Lastname!" and Hubby and L.L. say, "Wow! Uh... really?" Though happy, they felt so boy-like. Surprise. Then technician says, "No, wait a second..." She then decides it's a boy. Hubby says, "We'll take the best two out of three." After the third pass, it's still (apparently) a boy.

(5) Hubby and L.L. plan to use ultrasound video of "Baby Girl Lastname!" to torture son when he hits puberty.

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL...

The only thing they have to keep their eyes on is my "low-lying placenta". Apparently, if it doesn't move up, it will block the baby's exit into the world. So a C-section is possible. I say... whatever it takes to get the baby out safely is what I'll do.

In the meantime... Merry Christmas to all!

17 weeks and I'm losing track

I seriously have trouble with math. How stereotypical is that - a WOMAN have trouble with MATH? Impossible. Ha.

I can barely remember how far along I am. Not to mention that I'm nearly done with my fourth month, thus I'm like 3-3/4 months along, not like, say, 4-1/2. I'm totally out of it.

I'm also going to start splurging on pregnancy facials, because for someone whose nickname in high school was "Perfect Skin", I now look like I'm covered in boils. Although every time I see a picture of the dashingly handsome Viktor Yushchenko and what he looks like now after being poisoned with dioxin, my troubles are very small indeed. (Still won't stop me from getting a facial.)

In better news... I went to the doctor on Thursday.

Me: "I've been feeling buzzing down here." (Pointing to about four inches below my navel.)
Doc: "Like fluttering?"
Me: "No, more like... zzzzzzz. Zzzzzzzzz."
Doc: "Hey, that's some early movement!"

No sh#t, Sherlock. More of an observation than a question. But that's... OKAY.

She took a listen via Doppler... and this time, the heartbeat was QUICKLY found and totally unmistakable and strong.

So I called my husband afterward.

Me: "The baby has a message for you."
Him: "Oh yeah? What is it?"
Me: "WHOMPWHOMPWHOMPWHOMPWHOMP."

He called me again two hours later just to hear about it again!

Nearly 16 weeks - wow

Didn't have a chance to take my every-five-weeks picture, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Don't think one week will make a difference, though, at least picture-wise.

Finally bought some new shirts and pants. Shirts because my chest wasn't fitting into my work clothes that well, and pants because when you spend a lot of the day bent over double with tiny kids, you need something non-binding at the waist!

Hubby found some great Gap "barely showing" jeans that, when I wore them yesterday, sent the women here a-flutter. They couldn't believe how cute the pants were. They averred that when they were pregnant 1-3 years ago, they didn't have cute jeans like that! I also got some olive green cargo-like pants. Hubby is happy that they're not "mom pants" and that they have style. :)

I still feel like I'm not a grown-up yet. Being a mom will be even weirder.

14-and-a-half weeks and counting...

Finally ate (cooked) zucchini for the first time in, oh, about eight weeks. Last night. Have had an aversion to it since about Week 6, when I went all psycho on... Oh God, I feel the bile rising and that weird twitchiness in my throat just thinking about it... wheat pitas with Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese and raw zucchini.

Oh my God my eyes are watering. I can't believe I didn't throw up typing that (much less admitting it). Ugh. So when people ask if I have any aversions... it's raw zucchini. But the cooked ones last night weren't too bad, although I'd rather not think about it.

Okay, I need to go get some juice or something. That zucchini story put me over the edge. Bleh.

P.S. Tummy is starting to show...

P.S. 2: Time for the Baby Ticker again....

Approaching 14 Weeks

And all's clear. ;) Last Thursday, went to doctor for checkup and to hear heartbeat. Hubby came with. (I told him that I'd be fine going to most appts. by myself, but would tell him if a "meaningful" appt. was planned so he could attend.)

The doc moved the Doppler around my abdomen. Nothing. Just as I thought - I couldn't really have been pregnant this whole time. I was just getting fat. And tired and hungry. For no reason.

The Doppler heard my thoughts and replied, "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Then the doc said, "Oh- there it is!"

I strained to listen: "Ftftftftftftftftftftftft."

My husband leaned forward. "I can't hear it."

Fetus replied, "Ftftftftftftftftftftftft."

158 bpm, totally normal.

And that's when I realized, "OH MY GOD there's actually something in there." It's like a swallowed a little mouse or something and it's been living in my stomach. Weird. It really is. Can't believe there's something alive in there. It's like something out of "Alien", but it's real life. Wow.

No ultrasound until Dec. 23. Will definitely find out sex of baby. (Told my mom, "Not 'gender' - gender is a social construct!") People say, "Oh, you don't want to be surprised?" I say, "Something weighing eight pounds squeezing out of South Carolina will be surprise enough." ;)

12.5 Weeks and Counting...

C'mon. It's a little funny when you tell people you're pregnant and they say, "Is your husband excited?" What kind of question is that? If he's excited, that's good. If he's not... that's kind of awkward (i.e., "Uh, no... he said he's leaving me if I keep the baby."). They're just trying to make conversation, but it *could* potentially be... awkward.

So now I just play a little joke. If someone asks me, "Is your husband excited?" I reply, "No-- he's not even sure the baby is his."

;p

Just finished up 12 weeks

Amazing! I can't believe how much better I've been feeling the last few weeks. Although I did go work out today, just lightly, at the Y. Then I came home and talked to my neighbor outside for about 10-15 minutes. And I started to feel very light-headed. Not dizzy, but more like I was going to faint. So I went inside and laid down and that's been it for the last, oh, 5 hours. Except for eating, haha.

I also got the FluMist vaccine b/c I had a prescription for the flu shot and the state lifted the contraindication for FluMist for pregnant women. I ended up with a stuffy nose FOR A WEEK. Once this whole flu shot sitch gets remediated next year, I'm going back to the flu shot. I mean, I only got FluMist this time b/c I could absolutely NOT find a flu shot anywhere!

I've been under a lot of stress my entire pregnancy thus far due to a volunteer group I'm in - as an executive board member. After two years of doing other positions, this last one (VP) just about killed me and I quit. So now... I have time to scrapbook, exercise, possibly maybe even clean up the house (!!!).

I asked my husband the night I quit, "Can I just enjoy being pregnant now?" So that's what I'm going to do.

10 weeks today

On Monday, I noticed a change. I didn't feel so tired; I didn't need a nap as long as I was in bed by about 10:30 p.m. I even made it to the Y last night for 20 min. on the elliptical (only stopped because I was hungry, and hadn't exercised in about three weeks and didn't want to overdo it!).

However, my face is still Pimple City and I have to wash my hair every day.

Other than that... it has continued to be uneventful. And now that the embryo is now a fetus... it's more exciting... that is I've allowed myself to feel a little more excited... not so worried about what *might happen*.

I got a ticker!

Working on Week 9

So this is what it looks like to be five months pregnant. At just over 8 weeks. Wow.

One of my co-workers who knows that I'm pregnant said that yeah, she noticed yesterday that I was looking bloated. How other people haven't noticed (or are just keeping their opinions to themselves) is beyond me. I mean, I don't even know whose body I have anymore. It's certainly not mine. This is not my stomach and these are certainly not my breasts and as for where that fat on my hip bones came from, perhaps only God and Drs. Kinsey and Spock know.

Week 8

Tomorrow I will be eight weeks pregnant with my first child. I've enjoyed other blogs I've read about pregnancy, so I thought I'd through my own hat into the ring. I figured eight weeks is about the right time to do it.

So why the title of this page? Because I seriously don't FEEL like someone's mom. I wear rock t-shirts, I wear Vans, I get stressed out with responsibility. Plus my plants are dying both inside and outside the house. I'll chalk that one up to my daily schedule:

6 a.m. Drag self out of bed.
7 a.m. Count pimples, apply cream.
8 a.m. Arrive late to work.
8:15 a.m. - 12 p.m. Work.
12 p.m. - 12:20 p.m. Sleep in my small office. Drool a little.
12:20 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. Quick lunch.
12:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. Count hours to freedom (a.k.a. "work").
3 p.m. - 5 p.m. Physical therapy, meetings, store, whatever.
5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Sleep.
7 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Think about working out.
7:15 p.m. - 8 p.m. Exercise at the Y.
8 p.m. - 10 p.m. Fix dinner, eat dinner, eat snack, watch TV.
10 p.m. - 5 a.m. Hopefully I am unconscious between these times.
5 a.m. - ? Pee break!
? - 6 a.m. Loathing the impending alarm.

This schedule clearly illustrates why the house looks a mess and the plants are dying. Didn't imagine I'd spend this much time sleeping!

Speaking of which... it's nearly lunchtime, which means my noontime nap.

All this... and I'm keeping it secret from work. Wow. I wonder how much longer I can pull off the "I think I'm fighting off a cold" excuse.