Pictures!!!

OK, so I'll do a photo post later but for now, if you want to see pics... clicky 

:)

Day 3 "Well Baby" visit

So on Tuesday, we took Jenna back to Kaiser for her Day 3 "well baby" visit. At that visit, we scheduled her first appointment with her pediatrician, which happened to be my pediatrician when I was little! The doctor saw her, said she looked healthy. At the same time she was putting her on the scale, she asked me if my milk had come in. She weighed in at 8lbs. 4.6oz. The doctor did a double take at her birth weight, then looked over at my boobs as I said "Yes, my milk's come in".

She's very, very healthy and gaining weight. The doctor told us it's highly unusual for her to gain weight as most babies lose ~10% of their body weight, only to regain it by roughly 2 weeks of age. We apparently have a grower on our hands! I have to enjoy how "tiny" she is at this point, as it looks like she's certainly not going backwards! We're currently waiting for her umbilical cord to fall off to see if she fits in any of her newborn clothes. I think an outfit or two may have to go unworn.

She's been a great baby... she was getting fussy between 10pm and 2am for the first 4 nights, but just last night, her fussy period went from 6-9pm last night, and she was sleeping for 2-3 hour increments after that! YAY For sleep for mommy and daddy!

6 days old

Birth Story

So, I woke up at 12:48 to a contraction. It's actually a pretty common occurrence around these parts (or, at least it had been at this point). I laid in bed for an hour (also normal for my middle of the night awakenings) before getting up and heading to the living room.

By now it's roughly 2am and I was timing the contractions. During the first hour, they were 10 minutes apart. When I was in the living room, they quickly progressed to 7 minutes apart then down to every 5 minutes. At 3:30am, I realized this wasn't a false labor episode and I needed help getting through the contractions. I went and got Nick and he did a fantastic job. The contractions at this point were down to every 4 minutes, and lasting ~90 seconds each. We waited the requisite hour before calling L&D and when we did, they said "Since it's her first baby, it will still be awhile, have her get in the shower and labor for another hour, then call back"

So I went to get in the shower. Nick continued to time the contractions which were less than 3 minutes apart at this point and finally at 5 am, we called back (30 minutes after first call) and they said to come in. My parents were staying with us, too, so they drove separately to the hospital at the same time.

Once we arrived, it was 2 contractions before I could make the short walk from the elevator to the admitting desk at L&D. Luckily, there was an awesome hospital employee that took down my MR number and got the paperwork started for me. Once in triage, they checked me right away and I was measuring 5 cm. OK, good. But they were really getting tough. I kept waffling about asking for the epidural, as they were really getting to be unbearable and my initial "goal" was to wait until ~ 5 or 6 cm prior to getting an epidural, should I choose to ask for it at the time.

I was then moved to a room (time is slipping away now, I have no clue what time it was when I got to the room, but we arrived at the hospital at about 5:30). Once in the room, I'm working through the contractions and I decided to ask for the epidural. I was in so much pain and starting to get frantic. Nick was SO great, just rubbing my back and holding my hand held fan (A MUST!!). He kept telling me I could do it, and that's exactly what I needed to hear.

Then I realized between me getting a bit frantic, saying "I can't do this, it's not going to happen" and I suddenly got the urge to push. I asked to be checked again, even though it had only been about an hour since my last exam. The midwife was asking me if I wanted to be checked to avoid an epidural, and I said I just felt that I needed to be checked, and if it was to avoid the epi, so be it.

She checked me. 9.5 cm with a tiny paper thin lip to the cervix left. She said "Feel free to push".

That was honestly what I had hoped happened, as I really didn't *want* an epidural, but I wanted to leave my options open as you really can't plan labor.

So, I started to push at 7:30 am. Holy hell that was hard. With every push, it was 2 steps forward, one step backward. They kept making me change position in order to get more movement. I liked the squat bar best. Towards the end, they gave me oxygen, because I was getting tired and apparently the baby's heartbeat was dropping with each contraction/push. They made me roll on my side, which was awful, but they told me "YOU HAVE TO GET THIS BABY OUT NOW".

I really didn't realize the severity of the situation, but I pushed with all my might. I could feel the tearing (small tears, but when you feel your urethra tearing, you pay attention). And the midwife was yelling "Push through it!!"

Moments later, her head was out, her cord was wrapped around her neck and they unwrapped it and she was here. Amazing.

I've always heard of the postpartum 'down there' care, but no one told me how sore my entire body would be! I even have to watch how hard I exert myself because just going to the bathroom (walking there and back) would put me out of breath because of how fatigued all of my muscles were. But, of course, in the end, it's oh, so worth it.

Breastfeeding is going well (started within 20 minutes of delivery) and she's super healthy. It's amazing to think of how far we've come and how long we've waited for her. Now that she's here, I hardly remember how it was without her.

She's Here!!!

Here's a quick post with her vital stats and a pic or two!

Welcome to the world Jenna Elizabeth!

She arrived at 9:34am on 6/21/08 weighing in at 8 lbs. 2 oz. and was 20 inches long. Here are a couple pictures!

Photo Post!

So, for my birthday, Nick got me a fantastic little point and shoot camera. As much as I love my SLR, I can't exactly throw it in my purse for snapshot moments. And, with the baby coming up, I know that I'll want to have something small quick and easy on hand for all those photo ops! 

Here's how I've been entertaining myself at home... 10 minutes at a time (roughly). Though, I have to be careful, because hoola hooping automatically brings on a contraction or two, and makes it more difficult to increase my score on wii fit :)

Ah, here's a "myspace" type belly shot. I'll take another one soon enough, but I'm getting sick of seeing my face in these pictures as it's a little more round than I'm used to. 
Last night, we drove up to the Berkeley hills for the sunset... how pretty is this?! 
Ah, my poor ankles! At the end of an evening, they swell up so bad I can't bend them. They really hurt now... I don't think this shot does them justice, but it's a friendly reminder for the next pregnancy what's to come: 
AND, Nick and I... not the most flattering shot, but I like to keep any picture of the two of us, as we don't take them as much as I'd like to. 

So, there goes the first batch of snapshots off the camera... I love it! 

39w, 4d

Update (um, grossly detailed)

So, I saw my "regular" NP today. She looked at my poor swollen ankles, and I briefly discussed my symptoms with her. Then, she said "Are you at the point where you're saying 'just get this baby out of me?' yet?" My response: Yes, do you think stripping membranes is a good idea?" 

"Yes, it doesn't guarantee anything, but it's worth a shot at this point"

OK, good. So, I had my membranes stripped. It wasn't comfortable, especially on my bladder, but hopefully it will get things going. I also told her I've been a bit constipated, and she said that that may be keeping the baby's head off my cervix, preventing it from getting enough pressure to trigger labor. She described labor as a big puzzle, multiple pieces must come together for everything to get started. She told me to help with the constipation, to go get an enema (I was SHOCKED!) 

She also said the most comforting thing I've heard in the last month: "I think this baby knows right when to come out, and she's aiming for her due date." Kaiser has my EDD a few days after I do.... 6/26. One week from today. But just having her state that the baby's still likely a week away really takes some pressure off and doesn't have me on my toes so much. Does that mean that I'll freak if I go into labor now? No, it just means it happens sooner than she thought. I really, really needed to hear that, as my last two encounters with health care professionals left me with anticipation of birth being within a few days... a couple weeks of that will truly drive you crazy! 

So, I'm still pregnant, and I'm OK with that. Bummer is, my parents are in town until Sunday, then they'll be gone until the following weekend, but if I deliver in a week (Thursday) then they'll be here just as we're coming home (though my mom will travel sooner, and my dad might figure out how to do the same). And that wouldn't be to bad. 

39w, 3d

I'm happier now...

I'm still pregnant. I'm not as irritated as I was last week. I think I was just sick of waiting last week. This week, my parents are in town, and I just have a better outlook in general. I had an appointment on Friday and the midwife informed me that I'm 80% effaced and dilated to 3cm. I know that all of this false labor (another big bout on Saturday night, 4.5-5 min apart for 5-6 hours with pain and another shorter session this morning) is just getting me ready for "the real deal" and I can't change what's going to happen, or when it's going to happen. So, I'm at peace with that. 

It's good to have my family in town, even if I don't get to go out and do all the super fun stuff with them. It's just nice to have others around while I sit and wait. 

39w even!

Yankee Game!

So, we made it to the game! We got there early enough to see the Yanks warming up. Oh, and when we got to the parking lot, we asked if there was any close parking as my due date is "just a few days away". They immediately pointed us to the front of the stadium! Woot!

Here's Andy Petite warming up :)

All "the boys" out for the Star Spangled Banner. 

AND, here we are in our full Yankee regalia! 

We had a great time. The contractions fired up for a good part of the game and continued to do so until I went to bed. They weren't terribly uncomfortable, but I can tell they're getting stronger and stronger. 

The best part? We got to see Matsui hit a GRAND SLAM and we won! 

(at the time of the game) 38w3d

We made it to the Yankee game! 

Acceptance

Two days ago I was nervous. Yesterday, after a half of a day of 'false labor', I was ready, anxious and excited. Today? I need to accept that I'm still about 2 weeks away from my due date and a majority of first time moms deliver AFTER their estimated delivery date.

But, that doesn't mean that I'm happy about each new level of discomfort that I have everyday when I wake up. I've realized I have a moving bowling ball in my abdomen. And it hurts.

37w,2d

Getting Nervous

So, this yesterday morning like a loon, I decided to go to Rite Aid to take my blood pressure because of the dramatic increase in swelling this week despite rest and fluid intake.
155/79
So, I called L&D and they said if I just called to complain about the swelling, they'd say just to continue what I'm doing, but because I had my BP taken, and it's high, they had me come in. Long story short? I ended up taking it wrong at Rite Aid and my BP is really running about 130/80 which is high for me. I have gestational hypertension but my BP isn't bad enough to have pre-eclampsia...
They did check my cervix because of the patterns they were seeing on the monitors: 1-1.5 cm dilated, 80% effaced So, she said I'm probably in the nesting phase, but I need to take it easy and ignore the nesting instinct (I didn't even mention my crazy cleaning spree the day before!) and, that I'm probably in super duper early labor... So, I rest. Whew!

Now, I'm at the point that it seems so real. SO REAL. Suddenly, I have to preserve my energy for labor. It's that close. I'm kind of freaking out. Kind of. All along, I've been trying visualization to prepare my body and (more so) my mind for labor. "I can do this, giving birth is normal, contractions are like waves, they always come back to shore, at that point, you rest and your baby rests" (there's more, but I won't go into it). In any case, last night I had a painful contraction and as I was breathing through it I realized it's coming and I'm not sure I'm ready.

Can I really be ready? No, I know that. It's just weird to go through the last few weeks really, really uncomfortable and just thinking "When will this be over and when can I meet her?!" to suddenly thinking "Maybe she can stay in there a little longer". When I lay on my side, I can feel the weight of the baby hanging (or resting on the bed) and I can picture her curled up next to me. It's a good image, it's as though she's already here.

I'm excited to be a Mom. I'm even more excited to see Nick as a Dad. But I know the first three months are trying as a new parent and I feel like I'm standing at the door to that life transforming event.

OK, enough in depth thoughts for today. Today is to include resting up, a short visit with friends and more rest.

37w,6d

Tagged!

So I've been tagged by Echloe who is someone I ran into on the internet and quickly discovered lives within a short drive of me. Though we have yet to meet face to face, I feel as though I know her based on our correspondence back and forth. I also know she's a knitter, but haven't seen any visual proof of said knitting ;)

So for this game of tag I have to write a six word memoir... a Meme. To quote Echloe's blog "The Meme originated over an idea that was prompted by the book written by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser, Not Quite What I was planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. It's a compilation based on the story that Hemingway once bet $10 that he could sum up his life in six words. His were- For Sale: baby shoes, never worn."

So, hmm...Here goes nothin!

Happy goes along with lucky sometimes.

My explanation will be a long string of rambling sentences. Then again, if you read this blog often enough, that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. I'm known by many as "the optimistic one". I have friends that will proceed with caution when bringing me bad news as I will most often tell them "Everything happens for a reason". At times, it's difficult to hear, but it's really a philosophy I try to live by. That, and live life with no regrets, but that's an entirely different blog entry. In any case, I'm a relatively happy optimist. I also consider myself to be somewhat lucky, in a number of situations with my life. I've lived a relatively trouble-free life, and I feel blessed to have all I do at this point in my life. I've never felt 'deprived' or 'starved' or anything less than fulfilled, and I know that's a lucky situation, as not everyone has had the same experiences. All of that, and I wanted to do a play on the phrase 'happy go lucky'.

Now, I've been instructed to tag others... Here are my 5 :)

I hate green peas!

Kelly Marie

And Baby Makes Three! 

ZanyMama

Suburban Couture

Nick's Work threw him a Baby Shower!

AND, while snagging a few pics from the shower, I raided his iPhone for some pics he took awhile back! 

Look how entertained the guys in the background are watching Nick open his gifts ;)

Nick's never had a shower "just for him". We had a couples shower back when we were getting married, but this whole "all eyes on Nick" thing is not something he's used to. However, he said he was really surprised and had a great time. The office was overly generous! 

Such a pretty hand crocheted blanket! 

I call the above picture (from a ways back!) "Preggo Pizza" :) I'm waiting for our TJ's pizza to brown 'just enough'! 
This is Nick and I a couple weekends ago at a wedding. We were supposed to go to 2 back to back weekends, but sadly, due to the preterm contractions we had to skip the first wedding :(

Still here, still pregnant. Lots of swelling (puffy feet picture coming up soon!) 

37w, 3d

Ready? Maybe not!

OK, so the last few days have been surreal. I'm full term. Wow, that pregnancy sure did fly by! 

Here are my reasons I'm not ready to have her yet: 

- Nick and I's 10 year dating anniversary is on Thursday. We have a date night planned for 

Friday (6/6) and I'm getting my hair cut that day (I figure it will be many, many months before I get back to the hair dresser) along with a manicure and pedicure. I'm due for the pedi and I was very generously given a gift certificate for both! Yay!

- Thursday, 6/12 we have tickets to see the Yankees play the A's. Since the Yanks rarely come to town, we wanted to make sure to grab some good seats! I'm super excited to go! 

- Friday, 6/13 is my birthday. I really don't want her to share my birthday, just because I want her to have her own day. 

- 6/17 is Nick's Mom's birthday. Ideally, not that day, either, for the very same reasons listed above. 

Though, strangely, I'm fine with her coming on Father's Day. I think that'd be a great Father's day gift for Nick AND both Grandpa's :)

Here's why I want her here sooner rather than later:

- Um, I'm uncomfortable. My hands and feet swell up like balloons and my right arm is getting some neurological symptoms (shooting pains, achy pains). That and, this peeing is really getting ridiculous! 

- We're ready. Really. Everything is in it's place, ready to go. We just need a baby. 

- If I *did* have her before my birthday, I could enjoy a glass of champagne on my birthday! Wahoo! 

-Did I mention I'm uncomfortable? When sitting, it really feels as though I have a basket ball in my lap. I can't cross my legs, lay down comfortably, sit up comfortably or walk comfortably. My favorite position? On all 4's on pillows in the living room. There's a visual for ya! 

So, we shall see how much longer this pregnancy lasts.... (ha! Watch me deliver in July! ugh!!) 

37w, 1d