Wyatt's 1st Month

 I had hoped to get back on here before now but it's really impossible to do even the smallest task with a newborn. This post will sum up our first month as a family of three and Wyatt's milestones.

After an early discharge from the hospital, we arrived at home ready to take on the world. Of course, when we got home we kind of sat around thinking "what now?". I think that initial first ride home with a newborn and bringing them into their new home is pretty surreal. We couldn't believe that the hospital just "let us go" so easily.

I spent so much time reading about pregnancy that it occurred to me that I had not read anything about after the baby arrived. The first night was so scary. I slept in the basement beside the pack n play where Wyatt "Slept". I use that term loosely because he was up roughly every two hours for feedings and feedings would last about an hour each in length. At this point I was only producing colostrum, so it wasn't enough to keep him satisfied for very long. I couldn't sleep. I watched him sleep and kept checking to see if he was breathing. I was completely paranoid that something was going to happen to him on my watch.

The next day we went in for Wyatt's first visit with the pediatrician. Wyatt looked healthy for the most part but had lost around 11% of his body weight. What came next was devastating. I was told that I wasn't producing enough milk and that we had to supplement with formula over the next three days. I was in tears. I really wanted to breast feed Wyatt and pass along those great benefits to him and I felt like a failure. We supplemented over the weekend and I pumped like crazy to get my milk to come in. I wasn't going down that easy! I was determined to make this work or at least try my best. By Monday morning my milk had fully come in and I was completely engorged an uncomfortable. I continued to pump and save the milk in freezer storage bags. Later that afternoon Wyatt had a weight check. He had gained the right amount of weight for me to stop supplementing and go back to exclusively breastfeeding. I was pleased to hear this. What came next, however, I was not prepared for.

On Monday when we got home I started breastfeeding again, or attempting to anyway and Wyatt wasn't latching. He would just shake his head and scream and cry. I tried feeding him that way every hour in hopes that he would latch and it was a constant struggle. So, we had to go back to bottle feeding. I struggled all night and had no sleep. I was a complete disaster. Wyatt was upset and crying and I was just as upset. On Tuesday afternoon I was trying to feed Wyatt and he was bawling and I was bawling. It was devastating. This was truly the hardest thing I ever had to do and it was waring on me. With some advice from my friend, I decided to take a breast feeding holiday, which sounds much more glamorous than it really is. In order to get Wyatt to latch again and avoid constant pumping and bottle feeding, I had him on my breast for almost 48 hours straight. I would just hold him near and offer it to him every hour. It was extremely exhausting but by the end of the 48 hours, he was latching again and breastfeedng was gettng slightly easier. I really had no idea that breastfeeding was going to be that hard. I continue to struggle with it and it continues to improve but it's far from easy.

This month had its ups and downs, but mostly its downs. Many days I was completely sleep deprived, lonely, depressed and struggling to adjust. I was really hoping that the adjustment would be easy but it was a difficult one for me. Don't get me wrong, I love my son, but it really is the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. I really don't think you quite understand that until you become a parent.

Wyatt had his first growth spurt and all of those "hard" nights just got worse. Wyatt was up every hour wanting to eat. This was such a difficult time for me because Wyatt was completely dependent on me and even though people wanted to help, they really couldn't help. I felt very alone. I was being completely consumed by this other being and it's embarrassing to say but I felt completely defeated. The grorth spurt lasted about three days and Wyatt was sleeping better. I was feeling pretty good about myself at this point and proud of my accomplishment. As soon as that thought came into my head, it instantly disappeared and a new day brought new challenges. Wyatt became very fussy in the evenings and I couldn't calm him down. I would try feeding him, changing him, checking for fevers, rocking him, holding him, putting him down, picking him up and when none of that worked, I tried it all again and again. After speaking to the pediatrician, he ruled out colic and reflux and assured me that this is all very normal. What I didn't know is that babies often become over stimulated throughout the day and by the time evening come around, they are just done with the world and sometimes babies just cry for no reason. After a few days of this on-going fussiness, I learned something new about my son. At night he becomes fussy because he's over stimulated and fights sleep. I learned that by feeding him, changing him, putting him in a tight swaddle and walking him around will put him to sleep.

This was hard to write because I really wanted to talk about all of the good things of parenting and how well we are adjusting and how we are such awesome parents. Reality isn't always glamorous and this is mine; this month has been trying and often I have felt like a horrible parent and a complete failure. But I keep trying and trying and with that, I'm becoming more comfortable and it's slowly getting easier. Every day brings a new challenge and every day I'm feeling a little more confident.

Now let me touch on the good. Wyatt is a very healthy baby. He is gaining weight and even has an extra chin! He makes these adorable sounds in his sleep; little coos and sighs. He loves to be held and is a very cuddly baby. He does well on car trips and when we take him out of the house. He's been doing tummy time since about 2.5 weeks and and is dong well. Finally, at a month old, he's sleeping at night in 3-4 hour increments. He has a good latch and can go back and forth between bottle and breast.

I'm doing slightly better now too. I know that I'll continue to struggle and that I'll have hard days but I do feel more confident as a parent. I believe that I'm doing the best I can for him and that gives me comfort. My recovery was very fast and now I can't even remember what those first few days felt like. I've lost 25 pounds and even though I'm not completely satisfied with the weight loss, I feel like I'm on the right track. I'm getting out more and even making a few trips to the store without Wyatt. Glen and I even got to share a lovely anniversary dinner out while my Mom and Step Dad watched Wyatt.

As I'm looking back over this past month, I'm sad in a way. My little newborn is growing up fast right in front of me! Part of me desperately wants to go back to that first day, where Glen and I welcomed Wyatt into the world. He was so tiny and sleepy. The other part of me wants to continue to go forward, witness his milestones, make new memories and help him grow into a little person. I still can't believe he's here and now we're celebrating his 1 month birthday. He is just so amazing.

Month 1 Milestones

• Responds to loud noises (gets startled)
• Coos in sleep
• Some head control/successful tummy time
• Occasionally smiles in sleep and rarely when awake
• Recognizes Mother's scent
• Recognizes Mother's voice
• Responds to light (eyes will follow flashlight)
• Turns head towards loud noises
• Occasionally looks towards you and often stares into space
• Kicks hard with legs
• Increased alertness during the day
• Increased sleeping at night
• Cries real tears
• Squeezes fingers with hands
• Flipped from back to belly in sleep

Personality Traits

• Likes to be held/cuddled
• Dislikes swing/bounce seat
• Travels well in car seat
• Does well with crowds of people
• Seems to enjoy short bouts of tummy time
• Likes to be swaddled with arms/hands out
• Prefers sleeping on side
• Likes to be rocked/walked around the house
• Responds well to animals
• Dislikes getting changed or dressed
• Dislikes soiled diapers
• Likes to sleep on Mother's chest

Favorite Moments 

• Bringing Wyatt home from the hospital
• Smiled at me when he heard my voice when he was a few days old
• Glen giving Wyatt his first bath

Here are a collection of photo favorites taken over the last month

Cuddling with Daddy 

Wyatt & Daddy's Guitar

First Bath

Cloth Diaper Cutie

 

5 Days Old/Baseball

Sleeping

Cuddling with Mom

Smooshie Face

Afternoon Nap

Hanging out with Pappy

Little Leo-4 Days old

Angel Face-5 Days Old

Wyatt & Mommy

Labor & Delivery

 "Before you were conceived I wanted you. Before you were born I loved you. Before you were here an hour I would die for you. This is the miracle of Mother's Love."

I'm not going to spare you the gory details, so if you don't want to  know, don't read on. It's important to me to write about my entire experience, the good, the bad and the ugly. Also, this is going to be a long post, so make sure you set side some time to read it in its entirety and if you make it the whole way through, then you deserve a cookie. This is the story about the birth of my son. You have been warned.

I went to my final doctor's appointment on Tuesday, 8/9/11 at 2:00pm. As usual, I was asked to pee into a cup and have one final weigh in. The nurse started the appointment by asking the typical "how are you feeling" questions and then taking my blood pressure. The nurse then told me that my blood pressure was a little high. The OB came in shortly after and confirmed what the nurse said about the high blood pressure, She then asked me if I wanted a stretch & membrane sweep as a last ditch effort bring on labor. I had her proceed with the sweep and although a little uncomfortable (much like an exam), it wasn't painful. I didn't make much progress since last week. I was just over 2cm dilated and 80% effaced and baby Charron was at the zero station. She measured my belly, which measured right on, then sent the nurse in back in for a second blood pressure check. My blood pressure was still high, even after the additional check so the OB told me that she needed to send me over to the hospital to be monitored and possibly induced.

Glen was still at work and my emotions were running high. I was thinking, "is this really happening? am I really possibly having a baby tonight?". I immediately called my friend Jen and asked her if she would mind taking me to the hospital and waiting with me there until Glen could get there. She eagerly drove right over and picked me up and we headed to the hospital. I remember feeling overwhelmed with emotion and grilling her for answers to my many, many questions about labor and delivery.  Finally, we arrived at the hospital, parked in the ER parking lot and walked to Labor & Delivery. Jen is an ER nurse and was teasing me about bringing me up to the third floor via wheel chair. We finally arrived and I was showed into my room. Jen stayed with me until Glen arrived, which was really nice because it helped me feel more at ease. Meanwhile, I made a call to my Mom letting her know that I may possibly be induced so that she cold come down to the house to watch the animals while we stayed at the hospital.

Jen took this right before we were leaving for the hospital 

 

Let's get this party started!

The nurse that I had seemed a bit cold. Actually her assistant was much more involved in conversation with me and I preferred her over the nurse.  The first doctor I had came in and performed an internal exam. He confirmed that I was 2cm dilated and 80% effaced. He didn't really engage in conversation with me or even walk me through what he was doing. His bedside manor needed some serious revamping. I was hooked up to a blood pressure machine and to two monitors around my belly. The nurse game me an IV, which really hurt. I blame that on my nurse though. She didn't honestly seem like she really knew what she was doing. The Attending physician came back in and ordered monitoring and a 24 hour pee test. Basically I needed to be hooked up to monitors and pee in a plastic hat in the hospital for 24 hours. His plan was to watch me, then possibly send me home after 24 hours. I was really frustrated at this point because I didn't want to be in the hospital if I wasn't going to have a baby.

Shortly after this news, Glen showed up. The attending physicians had a shift change and I got to meet Dr. Hazzard. The name is enough to scare you, but she was actually really sweet. She came in and said that since I'm past 40 weeks and since I have a thinned out cervix, that we were going to have a baby! I could have hugged her...I was so happy. By this time (6:15) I was feeling regular contractions. The stretch & sweep must have worked. They felt like cramps. My belly didn't get hard like a Braxton Hick contraction, they just felt like regular cramps before a period. The contractions were about 4-5 minutes apart and 45 seconds to 1 minute in length. I was checked by the attending physician and I dilated to 4cm on my own (due to the sweep).

I had to pee and because my nurse lacked communication skills, I had no idea how to walk to the bathroom while hooked up to all of the monitoring equipment. So I just kind of unhooked myself and walked over. The nurse then kind of yelled at me about it like I was suppose to know not to do that.

At 7:00, I met my new nurse, Lauren. She was very sociable and you could tell that she loved her job. I was so happy that I got to work with Lauren for the next twelve hours and not the old cranky nurse.
Lauren hooked me up to Pitocin around 7:15pm. At this point my contractions were stronger and about 3 minutes apart. At about 8:00 I informed the nurse that I may want to look at getting an epidural. I first asked for some Stadol to help relax me between contractions and received it soon after. The Stadol had no effect on me. My contractions were getting stronger and stronger and I just tried to breath through the pain I can compare them to a severe UTI and the pain you get when you pee. Almost like your organs are being squeezed.

At 9:00 I asked about getting an epidural and she said that I could and that I just had to wait 1 hour because the anesthesiologists were needed in the OR. I patiently watched the clock and an hour and 5 minutes went by. At this point my contractions were getting stronger and they were harder to breathe through. The nurse came back in and told me that the anesthesiologists just went into the OR and that it would be another hour. The next hour was tough. Contractions were closer together and I could barely think or talk through them. Glen helped by holding my hand and giving me some encouragement. He also watched the monitor and told me when they were peaking and coming back down.  This really helped me clear my head and concentrate on getting through the contraction. At this time, it was time to speed up the contractions by breaking my water. I always heard that it would be a huge "gush" but honestly, it didn't feel like that at all! It was more like a light trickle and I hardly felt it.

At 11:30 the anesthesiologists came in with the epidural.  The contractions were really hard and very painful. For an epidural, you have to remain very still through the contractions. I had two strong contractions while I was having the procedure done. The epidural it self is not scary at all. It's a little pinch in the back that is over within seconds. I was told that the medicine would take approximately 20 minutes to get through my system. I was watching the clock diligently and breathing through the contractions as best as I could. 20 minutes go by. The contractions are getting stronger and stronger by this point. The anesthesiologists ask me numerous times if I'm feeling any relief. I continue to tell them that no, I feel that the pain is worse. They took ice packs up and down my body and asked me if it felt cold on my skin. I replied yes. My biggest fear was happening; the epidural didn't work. The head anesthesiologist told me that I was in that 1% of women that didn't get immediate relief. I looked at the nurse and said to her "what if it doesn't work? I'm scared" and she assured me that they would find something for me to help with the pain. On the outside I was somewhat calm but on the inside I was screaming. After 45 minutes, they tried a second epidural (12:15am). Another pinch in my back and the second epidural was in. I was asked ten minutes later if I was feeling relief and I was. The contractions were not as strong, but I could still feel some pain. I felt my entire left side numbing although I could still curl my toes, move my legs and lift up my entire butt of of the table. The right side was still unaffected by the medication and I could feel the contractions. The nurse helped tip me on my side and then I felt the medication move to the right. I still had pain and the nurse referred to it as "windows" meaning that my body left little windows open and most likely I will not get pain relief in those areas. I was ok with that because the pain was manageable. At 1:00am, I was feeling pretty good. Again, I had some pain "windows" and I could move my entire bottom half of my body, but the pain in my belly had mostly dissipated. 

Around 3am, I felt some pressure. This sounds pretty disgusting, but the pressure I felt was in the back-almost like I had to poop. The nurse assured me that the pressure I was feeling was normal and that the baby is probably moving down into the birthing canal. At 4am I was feeling a lot of pressure. This time it was that feeling of "I have to poop NOW". Again, I know it's disgusting but that's exactly how it felt. The nurse checked me and I was 9 cm dilated and 100% effaced. The nurse told me that the attending physician would check me in two hours and that a baby was being delivered down the hall.  5 minutes go by and I tell the nurse that I have so much pressure and that I feel like I have to push. She assured me that this was completely normal and I should just breath through the pressure. 5 more minutes go by and the nurse takes one look at me and runs over to get the attending physician. Dr. Hazzard comes in within minutes and checks me and confirms that we are going to have this baby now and that I had to start pushing.

I was so scared. This was the moment that I've been waiting for and dreading at the same time. I was so, so scared to push. I started crying uncontrollably and breathing heavy. The attending told me that I could do this and that the baby is ready so I had to get it together. She helped me calm down by coaching me through long slow breaths. With each contraction, I was to push 3 times for ten seconds. the nurse and Glen were holding my legs back by my head and the doctor was sitting at the bottom of the bed coaching me through the contractions. I pushed through 3 contractions as hard as I could. At the third contraction the baby's head was out. I looked down and saw his head and pushed through one final contraction and he was completely out. The pushing felt great and it wasn't painful at all. It was empowering. They bought him up and laid him on my chest. I was in complete disbelief. I can't believe I was holding my son. I feel like I waited for this very moment my entire life and it was really happening after all this time. As I write this, I'm tearing up a little. It was such a beautiful memory.

Glen cut the umbilical chord and after a minute or two, my son was taken over to the warming table and scale. Glen went over there with him and had tears running down his cheeks; he was so proud and so in love with our son. Amazingly, I wasn't crying. I was very excited and just watched in awe. Glen took some photos of the baby on warming table and scale. Then Glen got to give our son his first bath and hold him. Glen just stared at his son; it was precious.

Baby on the scale

 

Just a few minutes old

Meanwhile I was on the table while the doctor was delivering he placenta. She put some pressure on my belly and it came right out. I remember saying "that wasn't so cute" and then jokingly asked "what the damage was". The doctor took a look and said that it was just a small skid mark and that I would need one small stitch. She was also very impressed on how well I did as a first time mom with the pushing. All in all, it was just under 20 minutes of pushing and he was in the world. I had minimal damage "down there" and actually felt great! I got to hold him in my arms soon after and it was absolutely surreal.

I then breastfed the baby a little bit and to my surprised he latched right on. I was amazed on how well he latched. I consider myself very lucky because this doesn't happen to a lot of women this soon after delivery. Within 1 hour after birth, I jumped out of bed and sprinted to the bathroom. I had to pee so bad! The doctor stared at me in total disbelief because my legs were suppose to be numb. I wasn't scared to pee although it did sting a little. I was feeling really good at this point. I then took a quick little shower/rinse and crawled right back into bed and held my son.

Glen and I had not yet named the baby so we thought it was a good time to do so. We looked at him and ran through our list of names, one by one. Then one name came up and we agreed that it was his name. So, we both said it out loud and officially welcomed our son, Wyatt Blaise Charron, into the world.

Wyatt Blaise Charron born on August 10th, 2011 at 4:27am weighing 7 pounds, 5.3 ounces. Dark hair, ten fingers, ten toes, perfect face with a small button nose. He is the love of my life.

Glen holding Wyatt

 

Me holding Wyatt

The entire experience was wonderful and even looking back immediately after birth I remember thinking "well, that wasn't bad at all!" It's so funny how you soon forget about the pain. Everyone tells you this, but it's hard to believe until you've been through it. I promise, that what "they" say is true.

I remember loving Wyatt before I met him in person, but I had no idea that my love would be this strong. I always said how much I loved him but the feeling of love you get when you meet your child for the first time is absolutely indescribable. It was instant and I knew that I would do anything, ANYTHING for him. I'm a Mother of a beautiful baby boy and he is my world.

 

Forty

I’m 40 weeks pregnant….now what? Not to my surprise, I didn’t go into labor on my due date (August 4, 2011). But that’s ok! I really, really wanted to make it to 40 weeks and I really wanted an August baby.

This is my very last entry as a Mom-to-be. My next entry will be my first as a Mom and will include Baby Charron’s birth story and name reveal. Just for the record, we still don’t have a name for him, so it’ll be as much of a surprise to us as it is everyone else.

I’m currently in the pre-labor stages of my pregnancy. The baby has dropped some and I lost my operculum. It’s a plug that fills and seals the cervical canal during pregnancy and is typically lost after your cervix starts to dilate, although not always. Labor is imminent, but the big question is WHEN? Another change that I’m noticing is increased activity where the baby’s head is. The baby’s head is resting low and irritating the cervix a little bit; it feels like a scratching and isn’t exactly comfortable.

This week I asked friends to participate in a baby poll. I wanted to know what they thought the baby would weigh and when I would deliver him. I had mixed responses from 7 to 8.5 pounds and delivery dates from August 3^rd through August 11^th. It’s fun,  encouraging and a nice little reminder that I Glen and I have a lot of love and support in our lives.

Here is my advice to any pregnant woman, especially if this is your first pregnancy:

• When you first find out that you are pregnant, take a few minutes to yourself to reflect on your journey, how you got here, and how your life just changed forever. Also, it’s recommended to think about how you’re going to share the news to your significant other as it will be a special memory for him. I don’t recommend flying out of the bathroom in hysterics shaking your positive pregnancy test in his face.

• Share your news with the world when you’re ready. Don’t feel pressured to share your news right away, only if you want to. It’s ok to take a few days or even weeks to share. It’s also ok to share right away if your excited, but don’t be pressured by society on “when” you should share. This is your moment!

• You’re probably going to have some rough times in pregnancy with morning sickness, heartburn, fatigue, backache, dizziness, soreness…need I go on? What got me through is knowing that these things happen for a reason. I’m caring for a small baby and my body isn’t always going to respond well. Sure, it was hard in the first trimester while I was vomiting every hour and in a state of constant nausea, and in the 2^nd when I thought my back was going to break into 500 little pieces, and in the third when I was diagnosed with a pelvic disorder that made it difficult to even accomplish the simplest tasks, but it’s all worth it. You’re meant to do this and as funny as it sounds, any pain or illness that happens along the way is a sign that your baby is healthy.

• Don’t watch the clock. Enjoy this time because you may only get to experience it a few times in your life (if any more at all). Being pregnant is so special and amazing. I know you want to meet your baby, but try to take this time and focus on being pregnant. You are probably more beautiful now than you may ever be. Also, this is a great time to share with your significant other. Make sure you take time for you as a couple and really soak in those last few months of you-time!

• Try to make the right eating decisions for your baby, but also remember to have fun! It’s ok to give into your cravings. I remember when I had to have a big steak drenched in sour cream for dinner one night, and how I easily went through several watermelons and jars of pickles. I tried to make good decisions for the most part, but I didn’t feel guilty when I ate a chocolate sprinkled donut or had an extra cupcake. This is the only time that you can make excuses for eating whatever you want, so take advantage of it and have fun. Also, don’t dwell on what you can’t have, think about what you CAN have! At times, I would have loved to drink a glass of wine or eat raw sushi! But, I resisted for the good of the baby. With some creativity I was able to make awesome non-alcoholic spritzers and I got to try an arrangement of cooked and safe sushi rolls that I may have not tried otherwise. This is also a great time to try out some fun, new recipes!

• Sometimes you’re going to feel removed or anti-social. Even other pregnant women don’t know exactly what you’re going through because every pregnancy is so different. Just remember that you do have support and caring people around you that you can talk to. Try not to remove yourself completely. It may take some extra effort at times, but make sure to spend good, quality time with your family and friends. After the baby arrives, you may not have as many opportunities, so take advantage of them now. So many times I felt that I was all alone, I’d go to parties and feel restricted, and sometimes I just didn’t want to be around people at all. It’s ok to feel this way sometimes, but don’t let it drag you into a depression. People don’t always understand, even your husband, but they love you and care about you, so don’t push them away and don’t shut them out.

• People love to give you opinions and they love to judge you. You will be judged on what you’re eating, drinking, or doing at any possible moment. You’ll be judged for not baring a wedding ring on your ring finger or for wearing a cute outfit (because you know, us pregnant women should look frumpy like we just stepped into a sack). And my absolute favorite; you’ll be judged on your baby decisions and gift registry. People just LOVE to give you unwanted opinions about what you are choosing to do for your baby or what you’re buying for your baby. Some mothers may swear that you need a wipe warmer and judge you when you don’t add it to your registry. I feel like we were often judged when we spoke about cloth diapering our baby. We did a lot of research and decided to try cloth diapering to save money. Most people will love to tell you how difficult it is, and they will love to remind you about the constant laundry and poop that you will have to clean. This is your pregnancy, and this is your baby Whatever decisions you make will be the best ones for your child and it’s going to be a learning experience regardless of what you decide. Do your own research, read reviews and even ask around, but in the end, make the best decision for you and your family and try not to let those negative comments influence you.

• Don’t make excuses, but don’t over exert yourself either. Before I fell pregnant, I was under the impression that pregnancy was going to be dreadful. Not often do people talk about the positives of pregnancy; they like to dwell on the negatives. For instance, before I became pregnant, I thought that pregnant woman should not carry anything or stay active or even work. So many pregnant woman would talk about how tired they are and how challenging life is and many would make excuses to be couch-bound for 9 months while eating bon-bons. It was like they used pregnancy as a temporary “get out of jail free card”. I tried to stay active throughout my pregnancy and it actually made me feel really good! Even last night, at nearly 40 weeks into my pregnancy, I helped assemble our new tv stand, made dinner, did a load of laundry and vacuumed the entire house. Staying active will prepare you for labor and will help you recover faster after the birth of your child. Remember though that your body does have some limitations. Please don’t try to pick up a 50 pound box or spend 8 hours straight on your feet. And every now and then, enjoy some couch time with your bon-bons!

• You’re going to get a lot of questions throughout our pregnancy and after a while, it becomes quit repetitive. It’s exciting at first because it’s so new, but after a few hundred times of being asked “do you know what you’re having” you might want to pound your head into the wall. Just try to remember that people are excited for you, and that’s why they are asking. If they didn’t care, they wouldn’t ask! I don’t know how many times people have said to me “Are you excited”. As frustrating as it can be at times to hear that same question over and over again, try not to act annoyed. Of course you really want to say in a sarcastic way, “nope, I’m not excited at all, actually I’m quite depressed and miserable…..OF COURSE I’M EXCITED YOU IDIOT!!!????” But I find that just smiling and saying “yes” is a much more appropriate and remember that people are just trying to relate to you and that they are excited for you!

• I’m going to say it again, stay positive! I heard horror story after horror story of pregnancy, labor and birth. Try to shut those negative thoughts out and focus on the positives. People are often going to say things like “after the baby comes, you’ll want to wish you never got pregnant” or “Labor is going to be awful and incredibly painful, make sure you get an epidural because you have no idea what’s coming to you”. These are just two small samples of the negative remarks that I received throughout my pregnancy. People just LOVE to tell you how awful things are going to be in labor and after the baby is here. Tell those people to shut the hell up! First of all, I can’t ever imagine regretting the decision to get pregnant or have a baby. I feel sorry for those that have resentment towards their children. Secondly, labor is going to be hard and painful, but it’s also very beautiful. You will end up with a miracle and it will be, what I can imagine, the single greatest time in your entire life.

I think that about sums it up. This has been a long and wonderful journey. I can honestly say that I really enjoyed being pregnant and I do feel that I will miss this feeling. I don’t think I’ve had it easy, but I believe that staying positive really helped get me through those rough times. I’m feeling very nostalgic this week and remembering back to when I first announced to Glen that we were going to be parents. Seeing his reaction and hearing my own words out loud is such a special memory. Then sharing the news with our family and friends and feeling that love and excitement! The experience is very surreal and I sometimes can’t believe that this is really happening. Glen and I are truly blessed. One thing we will know for sure, a week from today (or possibly less), Glen and I will be holding our newborn baby son. I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited about anything in my life. 

Thirty-nine

I’ve officially moved to the couch at nights and I’ve gone from not sleeping at all to sleeping for a few hours. I’m really uncomfortable and finding it hard to get into any comfortable position. I’m not allowed to lay on my back and I can’t lay on my belly, so I’m forced to pick a side. The problem with picking a side, is that if I lay on my left (the desired side) the baby kicks into the couch all night and it’s extremely uncomfortable, not to mention that I feel like I’m squishing him. I can lay on my left, but then my face is buried into the couch and it’s kind of awkward. So, I’ve started laying sort-of on my left/sort-of on my back in the “crook” of the couch. This is accompanied by a plethora of pillows, blankets and of course, Anakin. Not only am I uncomfortable, which is making it difficult to sleep, my brain is also on overload and racing thoughts are preventing me from getting any rest. Lately I’ve been spending hours reading the baby boards, researching cloth diapers, looking at baby names, thinking about photography props and packing (and re-packing) my hospital bags in my head. Then, when I do finally fall asleep, I find myself dreaming about breastfeeding cats.

 

This week Glen turned 27 on the 28^th, which coincidentally, was the birth date of my new niece, Evelyn. Forever Glen and Evelyn will share a Birthday. Glen and I made dinner at home and I got a small cake for us to share. I gave Glen his Birthday gifts which was a nice pair of slippers and a “baby manual” which is an amusing book that’s written like a car manual. He thought it was hilarious and he could easily relate to how it was written. I also gave him this adorable Dad-to-be card (that I actually bought over a YEAR ago and what I had planned to give to him when I found out I was pregnant). 

 

 

 

Over the weekend, I went into Nesting overdrive. Here is what I got accomplished: Cleaned the kitchen, went shopping for a TV stand, Did 4 loads of laundry/folded/put away, vacuumed house, scrubbed hard wood floors, vacuumed new basement carpet, removed remodeling tools and trash from the basement, filled up our giant hutch with books & DVD’s, scrubbed fireplace and window sills in basement, assembled pack n play and bouncer, moved baby items to nice clean basement, cleaned out bedroom junk drawer, made homemade strawberry lemonade and baked a peach/blackberry pie from scratch. The house looks nice and the basement remodel is progressing nicely. 

 

My pie

 

 

 Basement Progress

 

I tried many “Old Wives Tales” over the weekend to help bring on labor, and it didn’t do much at all. I had spicy Thai curry, Pineapple, stayed really active, and took a hot bath. This morning I had my weekly doctor’s appointment and I did make some progress from the previous week, but it was very little. My cervix is currently dilated to 2 centimeters (it was stretched by the doctor to 2 cm, and it was slightly painful/uncomfortable accompanied by some cramping), and I’m 75% effaced, which simply means that my cervix is softening and preparing for labor. So, when can I expect this little one? Well, that’s still completely up in the air! Really it could be any day now, but from this morning’s progress report, it seems likely that I will go past my due date. As of now, I have an induction scheduled for 8/11/2011 at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. So, I will either go into labor before or on this date. Either way, in less than 2 weeks from today, I’ll be a Mother to a beautiful baby boy!

 

 

Thirty-Eight

With every day that passes by, I’m one day closer to meeting my son. I’m getting really anxious. Even though I want him to wait to make his appearance until August, I find myself hoping that TODAY will be the day. Then of course, that day passes and I’m still here…as pregnant as ever. The heat wave isn’t helping matters much either.

I don’t have a whole lot to report on this week. I had a pretty nice weekend of being pampered; I had my hair highlighted along with a manicure and pedicure. I’m going to miss my beautiful pregnancy nails! Glen and I went on a date this weekend. Kind of a last “Hurrah” before the baby comes. We went to Chalits, a local Thai restaurant for dinner and then to the movies where I pigged out on candy.

Monday I had my 38 week appointment (which takes place at 38 weeks and 5 days). The OB confirmed what I had thought, that the baby’s head is very low into my pelvis, thus the pelvic pressure and pain. She also took measurements and because I was measuring at 36 weeks, ordered a second growth Ultra Sound. The OB didn’t check me internally, so I have no idea is I’m making progress, but I’ll find out soon enough. 

My growth ultrasound was the following afternoon, July 26^th, one day shy of 39 weeks. The technician said that the baby was measuring just fine and estimated that he’s about 7 pounds right now. Of course, that is an estimate and maybe skewed one way or another by 1 pound. However, I feel like that’s pretty spot on. She was able to get a few 3D pictures, but honestly, I’m not crazy about sharing them on my blog. The baby’s head is so low and he’s so squished in there that he hardly looks like a baby at all. More like a mutant pig from outer space.

My next appointment is on Monday August 1^st. I will have an internal check at this appointment and I may find out a little more about the baby’s progress and possibly when about I’ll be delivering. This is my last scheduled appointment. My OB discussed the possibility of induction if I don’t go into natural labor by August 10^th. Hershey doesn’t allow you to go too far past your due date without an induction. So, with that being said, my last day of work will be Tuesday August 9^th if I don’t go into labor before then.

Glen and I finished up the nursery this weekend and I thought I’d share some of the pictures. Enjoy! 

Thirty-Seven

I finally made it! The baby is now the size of a watermelon! It’s pretty fitting too, since I can’t get enough watermelon. Maybe it’s that super sweet sugary melon goodness, or maybe my body is craving the water. I ate an entire watermelon this week, by myself, within 48 hours. The downside? I have to pee ALL THE TIME. In general, I’ve been craving fruit and vegetables like crazy! My weekly grocery list always consists of watermelon, pineapple, grapes, strawberries, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and cucumbers. I would be perfectly happy living on only fruits and vegetables if Glen wasn’t so gung-ho about having to have some kind of meat for dinner every night. Anyway, the watermelon is such a milestone because it’s the very last fruit to baby comparison that I’ll have. It’s still hard to believe that he started out smaller than a poppy seed and my first comparison photo was at 4 weeks, when he was only the size of an apple seed.

 

This week started with a breastfeeding class at the Hershey Medical Center. Glen was really hesitant about attending, but it’s important that he be present so that he can be knowledgeable and supportive. In all honesty, he didn’t get as much out of the class as I did, but I believe that was due to the incredibly uncomfortable chairs and the monotone-voiced instructor. We started the class with an ice-breaker where we went around the room and told the class why we were interested in breastfeeding. After that, we watched a short video on breastfeeding. After the video we got to break for about ten minutes and then got back in the game with discussing what to expect while you’re in the hospital. We ended the session reviewing breast pumps, bras and pads. It was informative, but I believe that going through the experience and working with a lactation consultant at the hospital will be more beneficial.

 

I feel like the baby dropped over the weekend. I can’t be positive, but the pressure and pain on my pelvis is becoming more intense. With the help of physical therapy, I was able to work through a lot of the pain and have seen great improvement. Over the weekend, however, it seems like I was back at square one. It’s becoming increasingly harder to walk, sleep and get out of bed and it’s all due to the pain on my pelvis. I’ve also been experiencing increased Braxton Hicks contractions over the weekend. I believe that I’m currently experiencing pre-labor. Pre-labor can last 2-3 weeks, so I’m not getting too excited. I’ve accepted the fact that the baby will come when he’s ready and no sooner. 

 

The accomplishment of the week is that I started packing my bags for the hospital! I made a list of all recommended items and started getting everything ready. I also purchased a few nursing tanks for the hospital and some lounge pants. I packed my hospital FMLA and Disability paperwork and a few outfits for the baby in various sizes as well. I just have to throw in a few more items and I will be set to go! My packing may be a bit premature, but if I’m not prepared then Glen may have to pack for me and that could be quite disastrous. When I ask Glen for specific items from the grocery store, he ends up bringing home the wrong thing 9 out of 10 times. I can just imagine what he would pack! Probably a pre-pregnancy Summer outfit with heels. 

 

This week’s doctor’s appointment was some-what disappointing. I was really hoping to have an internal exam. With an internal exam, the doctor is able to tell you how far the baby’s head is and they are able to measure dilation. The doctor didn’t want to perform an internal because my pregnancy is “perfect”. She actually used those words. She said it’s a perfect pregnancy, my weight is great, the baby is in the right position, his heartbeat and estimated weight are great, I’m not swollen, and my blood pressure is on target. The big surprise from this week is that the baby is now measuring at 37 weeks. This is quite a jump from last week when he was measuring 34 weeks. She estimated that he will be an average sized baby. Some more good news is that I’m Strep B negative, which means that I won’t need antibiotics when I deliver. 

 

 

Weeks 37-Delivery (Month 9): Watermelon

Average size: 18.9-20.9 inches, 6.2-9.2 lb.

At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life.