1 month...growing baby!

It's been 1 whole month already! The days and nights have all blurred together...mainly because there is no rules in the newborn world involving what happens in the days and nights. Sleep? So overrated...not really. The whole hospital experience is still a very surreal dream according to both Bryan and I. Every time I think about it, it literally feels like some weird, chaotic dream...but makes my heart feel warm and fuzzy at the same time.

The first couple weeks were definitely rough. Not going to lie about that at all. Breast feeding was difficult and painful and I remember vaguely thinking this one night (groggy headed from severe lack of sleep) "how am I possibly going to keep this up?" The formula answer popped in my head for a millisecond but then I squashed that quick...but the pain was starting to get so bad that every time it was time for her to eat, I almost wanted to shed an "ouch it hurts so bad" tear. Top that off with only sleeping 1-2 hours at a time back to back (to back)...and you have yourself classic new mom syndrome...mopey-ness, loss of appetite, disheveled look, the exhausted "distant stare"...

BUT, then we started evolving...getting into an erratic routine (oxymoron?? jumbo shrimp?). Ok not so much routine, but just getting used to each other and what we needed each person to do. She needed to eat, sleep and get her diaper changed...and I needed to provide all of those things. I'd like to say that now at this point of my baby being 1 month old, I am getting way more sleep, interpreting her cries and occasionally doing personal things (i.e. writing a new post in my blog). Daddy has been helping out when he can. He is a hard working man, providing for his family you know..but he has definitely done his share of poppy diapers.

The breast feeding perseverance paid off. At her 1 month check up she has grown 2 inches (now 22 1/2 inches long; in the 90th percentile...maybe basketball or volleyball?) and she is now 9lbs 13 oz! That is compared to 7lbs 4 oz at birth...thicky-thick girl. She is definitely starting to fill out in a cute chubby baby way. Not Michelin Man style...yet...but rolling that way. She has done a couple 5 hr sleep sessions (YAY!) and is starting to be content laying down by herself (while still awake)...although I have noticed that she likes to be with somebody more than being on her own. It really melts my heart when I can tell that she recognizes me. I don't exactly know how to describe it, but her caressing my arm when I'm holding her as she tries to go to sleep or when she buries her face in my chest and holds on to me tight. Maybe thats just regular newborn mannerisms, but it still feels good.


"WHERE'S THE MILK MAMA?!"

We've done a few outings and she has done great for the most part. I definitely chalk it up to being prepared...so, go me. We had our first successful trip to the grocery store which I think is a major accomplishment...and I'm not talking little dinky Fresh and Easy, few item trip. I'm talking full blown Safeway $100+ big grocery, almost every isle, extravaganza! I purchased a Moby Wrap (a sling thing) that she seems to love. I just wrap her up in that, sling her on the front of me, and I go hands free grocery shopping (or whatever). Great hippy invention.

Before we know it she will be 2 months, and then 6 months...and then 18 years. Time has been flying by which everyone says happens. I'm glad we are in the technological time when I can snap a pic on my phone and download it to the internet in minutes...never to be lost or forgotten again.

39 weeks...and SHE'S HERE!!!

 So little Kate (Katherine after her mama) came very fast! I had a doc appt on Tuesday morning (Sept 6th) when he said I was a tight 3 cm dilated and about 70-80% effaced which is a BIG change from the previous week of 1 cm and zero effacement. So he stripped my membranes (just a quick sweep of the cervix to help things along) and told me to keep active the next few days and "we'll see what happens". So that day my sis-in-law and I walked the mall, went to lunch, Target...just out and about pretty much all day. I was getting periodic cramps that were a little stronger than regular Braxton Hicks but nothing too steady. I did notice that they may have gotten a little stronger as the day went on but nothing too bad. Then around 7:30 that night they started to get stronger and more rhythmic. We probably tracked them for 2 hours or so and they ended up being around a minute long and between 3-8 minutes apart. We finally thought that this may be it and we should maybe go to the hospital (Bryan was running around the house grabbing items, making last minute lists, etc) ...but there was still a little bit of doubt in me that I wouldn't be far enough along or whatever and they'd end up sending us home but we went anyway.

So we get there and get placed in triage to check in. By this time they are getting more intense and closer together although we stopped actually timing since I was hooked up to the monitors so I don't know what the rhythm was but apparently it wasn't too impressive to the nurses since it took FOREVER in triage...like 2 hours or something. So anyway, she checks me when we arrive and I'm about 4-5 cm at this point (so basically I've progressed a cm or so since my doc appt that morning) but before they can give us a straight answer (whether I'm far enough along to stay) she tells us to go walk the halls to see if I keep progressing. By this time the contractions are pretty strong. Bryan's wondering why the heck we need to walk the halls at this point (I'm clearly progressing) but I was like "no it's ok I've seen this on tv, it's normal)...so I thought. So we walk the halls and about 30 minutes later she checks me and I'm already at 6 cm! So we can stay (YAY) but by this point I'm done with the pain. I give in and request for the epi...terrible I know but I told myself I tried my best and that was that...I mean the pain was bad but if I was only 6 cm at that point, I got a little nervous of how it was going to be later on so I gave in.

So at 6 cm I request the epi...we are STILL in triage and continue to be there for, in my opinion, an unnecessary amount of time...who really knows how long, I just know that I'm In pain, Ive requested an epi and these people aren't moving fast enough! So they finally come to move us to a labor room (by this point I've had some MAJOR pain contractions and am getting to a breaking point). They tell me I should walk to the labor room (reminder getting MAJOR contractions at this point) and Bryan just looks at them and tells them to get a wheelchair. She says "but this may be your last chance to walk around"....again, enough talk-y more get-y the wheelchair lady. They finally come with the wheelchair, like 10 minutes later, after realizing that I can only take 2 steps and practically become paralyzed from pain. Once in the labor room I start severely asking what is taking so long with the epi. By this point the contractions are ridiculous but for some reason everyone is just taking their sweet time. Now I've actually gotten to the point where I am starting to push uncontrollably during my contractions and am freaking out because I swear I can feel her head coming down. Then there is a point where Bryan and I have been left alone in the room. I tell him I can feel her head and can't control this pushing through my contractions (I'm am soooo trying hard not to push but my body is taking over). So Bryan runs to grab someone, the nurse checks me again and what am I at?? 9 CM!!!! NOW people are finally starting to move! Its like my progression was in fast forward and everyone had been in slow motion. At this point the only thing I can remember thinking is the sheer terror I felt when I thought that I was going to run out of time and have to do this all natural. So epi doc comes in, AFTER they tell me I have to drain a bag of saline via IV first before he can start...at least the nurse was squeezing the bag as hard as she could. The epi doc attempts to do his thing in the teeny amount of window time I now have between intense contractions and 10 mins later THANK GOD I finally feel relief!! But no rest yet since by this point I'm 10 cm and 100% I am the real pushing stage...so here we go and bam 20 mins later she's out and WOW I'm in shock! I think Bryan's in shock too since it all happened so fast we didn't really have time to react. So a majorly fast labor of 4 1/2 hours...20 minutes of which was pushing time.

Well because of my quick progression, I did have some issues with blood loss afterwards which was scary. I was told when the uterus goes through a quick and intense labor like that, it sort of sends it into shock because its working so hard in a short window time that it will sometimes have problems with clotting properly and contracting afterwards. I ended up losing a lot of blood via clots and ended up fainting a couple times and feeling EXTREMELY weak for the remainder of the day/night and into the next day. They were having trouble getting it under control and were talking about doing a uterus scrape (?) and then a blood transfusion if that didn't work. Yikes! It was pretty scary there for a bit but luckily (and finally) I recovered and didn't need either of those.

Ahh but its all ok and all worth it now! My little girl I swear gets cuter and cuter every time I look at her! Its so crazy and surreal when I try to wrap my brain around everything. I could just stare at her forever! Baby Kate born on 9/7/11 weighing 7lb 4 oz (THANK GOD no 9+ baby for me!!!!) and measuring in at 20 1/2 inches. Wooo!

37 weeks...Effacements and Dilations

I went in for my weekly doc appointment today and I am 1 cm dilated but with no effacement (I think, or maybe very minimal)...I don't really know, he said my cervix is still long. BUT 1 cm is SOMETHING! Right? I had been having some very mild crampiness for a couple days. It felt like mild period cramps from my lower back and abdomen. Maybe that was the dilation process? Here's to continued progress!

So 37 weeks (tomorrow technically) which gives me only 3 more weeks left. It is sort of crazy how fast this last trimester has gone. When I think back on where I was back at 12 weeks or 20 weeks it seems so far away but I feel like these last few weeks are flying!

This is also my last week of work before my leave. My last day is actually on Saturday but I get Friday off for a comp day (short week!). Friday is the day of my prenatal massage (YAY!) which I am very excited about and am in desperate need of. I heard this girl is great too which is very promising.

The nursery is still looking the same (sad to say) but I haven't had my shopping partner (sister) to go out with so I havent gotten anything done. All of the necessities are there (clothes, diapers, etc) but just the room doesn't look like much so sadly no pictures yet. Who wants to look at a bare walled, no decoration room? Along with that, because I haven't seen my sister, I also haven't seen the shower pictures either to be able to proof and upload! I'm a slacker...not usually...but definitely slacking on this. Hopefully I get them up before the baby actually gets here!

35 weeks...PREPARATIONS!

I am 35 weeks today and it's coming down to crunch time. I just wish she would tell me when she was going to come out so I can put it in my calendar. All this unknowing is very unnerving to a list maker/planner. Well IF she does decide to come earlier rather than later we are SO ready! Last weekend Bryan and I were extremely productive. We finished buying all the major necessities that we still needed and put them all together. Car seat, swing, pack n' play/bassinet...I've got some last minute supplies being shipped (bedding/mattress pads, etc) and just need to do some final decorative touches with the nursery and we are all set. It would be ideal if she came sometime after Aug 23rd since I'm not too keen on her being a Leo. Nothing against Leo's and not that I really follow those astrological signs but I myself am a true Scorpio and I think they are, for the most part, a good reflection of someone's personality. Bryan's sister is a Leo and I've heard some of her baby stories...AGAIN not that there is anything wrong with Leo's but if this little girl is anything like her little (Auntie) Maria, we are in trouble!

Two weekends ago was my baby shower which was fun. My sister was a perfect hostess, decorating in the themed colors of pink and soft green. We had it down in Tucson at the Blue Willow Restaurant which was nice since I got to see some family friends I hadn't seen in awhile. We got some great gifts that will help out a lot...and of course, being in Tucson I got my Eegees. Strawberry/Pina...yummmm. No pictures right now, I'm waiting to proof them from my sister's camera...just to make sure no shots have been taken of me at a bad angle.

We are almost done with all of our baby classes. We've taken Baby Care and Childbirth Prep. Tonight is the last one which is infant CPR. So far both classes were very informative with great tips so I'm really glad we took them. Just another way to get us in the mindset. Bryan poo-poo'd the 'Just for Dads' class. I thought I almost had it in the bag but apparently it would be cutting too much into his work-time.

My next doc appt is on Monday which is the start of my weekly visits. I've been having more frequent Braxton Hicks lately which after consulting the internet and the nurse at our Childbirth Prep class, is probably due to not drinking enough water and getting farther along in the pregnancy. I'm not sure about the water part since I do try to drink a lot at work. I did an experiment today and have drank just over 66 oz and have already had 8 or so BH contractions...and its about 4:45pm. I tend to get them more later in the day usually, probably because my body is tired. We'll see what the doc says. That's all for now!

33 weeks...minus 40 equals 7

So 33 weeks - 40 weeks = 7 weeks (give or take a week) = BABY TIME. Folks, that's single digit weeks that I can almost count on one hand...almost. I'm nearing the end and have begun to get periodical feelings of dread thinking about the day of birth (well labor is where the dread is stemming from). We have three baby classes coming up. One tonight (Baby Care), then a two parter in the beginning of Aug (Birthing Prep) and then an infant CPR class. There's another class called "Just for Dads' that Bryan doesn't know he's attending yet...apparently it's just for dads.

The nursery is coming together finally. The summer time temp doesn't help the forward production at all, especially since the room is upstairs (heat rises most definitely). BUT the room is painted, the wainscot is up, the dresser is getting final touches and the crib is assembled. It's starting to look more and more like what it's intended to be and you can be sure I will post pictures when it's complete.

Little baby Auman is getting big, not only is my belly protruding more but her punches and kicks have reverted more to extended pushes like she needs to stretch out. She still bulges out sometimes and I can never tell which part of her it is...I just know it's not very comfortable for me because usually she's pushing back on my guts or something. I just give her a gentle rub and she rotates back down eventually. What I find cool is when she pushes down near the bottom of my belly AND she pushes up into my ribs at the same time. I think I actually felt her little heel last night poking out. It was protruding out like crazy and it felt like a little boney cone if that makes sense. Another lady asked me if I was having twins...my doc keeps assuring me that my measurements are normal. So there...lady.

28 weeks...in triple digit weather

Believe it or not, many things have happened since last week's post. For one, summer has officially arrived. When I leave work (at 6pm) it feels like I'm walking to my car in an oven...or if there is a breeze...it feels like an oven with a hairdryer set on hot (not warm) blowing in my face. Yesterday's high was 112, today's was 111 but tomorrow should be a cool 108. This frazzled haired girl who bagged my groceries looked me in the eye point blank (with a blank stare no less) and said "GOD it must suck being pregnant in the summer"...my awkward and hesitant response (trying to pry my eyes from her hollow expression) was..."uh, yes it does". All I gotta say is at least I get paid to sit in a cold office all day.

Speaking of strangers saying stupid things to me about about being pregnant, a women asked me when I was due and then asked "is it just one...or two?" implying that I was bigger than she thought I should be at this point. Another girl asked "when's your due date? Soon?"...yes I suppose, if you think 3 months is 'soon' in pregnancy years.

I've started with the Braxton Hicks contractions which are harmless and apparently everyone seems to get them at some point. The doc says summer brings them on even more since a lot of times dehydration is one of the triggers. So what are Braxton Hicks contractions? Well for all you lay people out there, they are mild, non painful contractions of the uterus. Just one of the ways the body gets ready for the big day. What it feels like? Pressure is what it reminds me of. Like someone is pressing down on my intestines, uterus and bladder...oh and my belly gets as hard as a rock...like really, really hard.

Frequent urination has set in again. Much like the 1st trimester I am getting up on average of 3-4 times during the night. I can tell the baby is definitely sitting lower because I can definitely feel her on my bladder. It probably isn't helping that I'm drinking fluids almost every waking minute of the day. Why am I doing this? Please refer back to paragraph one.

Another fun fact that preggo women get to experience is the softening of the ligaments that hold the pubic bone together. Which was surprising to me since I thought it was one solid bone...but apparently I missed that day in Human Biology. So what does this mean? Well when you have a medicine ball strapped to your belly and you are laying on your side and want to rotate to the other side, say in the middle of the night, the easiest way to do this is rolling on your back from one side to the other. Well for those of you who haven't had a medicine ball attached to your belly, this maneuver is harder than it seems. When you dig your heels into the mattress to get some resistence and momentum to fling your weighted belly to the opposite side, your pubic bone shifts under the weight and pressure of your rotating hips causing pain and sometimes (in my case) popping. Yes that's right...not only do I have a bad habit of cracking my knuckles and knees, now I have a new addiction...pubic bone. Just kidding, it actually scares me everytime it happens I guess since no one is expecting to hear and feel their pubic bone crack while they are half asleep trying to maneuver comfortable sleeping positions.

Which brings me to my next topic - sleep. It wouldn't be half as hard to accomplish successfully if I wasn't waking up every couple of hours to use the restroom. Also, if I had more options other than left side/right side, I could probably rid myself of the sore hips I tend to battle with in the night. So I've tried to improvise somewhat. My personal pillow count is up to four...Bryan's still in last place with two. To ease the pressure of my aching hips, I place two pillows parallel to each other long ways up and down, one pillow horizontal at the top for my head and one pillow in between my legs. I place my hip of choice into the 'canyon' of the two parallel pillows. By doing this, I have the majority of my weight distributed on both pillows and my hip is somewhat relieved. Pretty clever I must say...

Well even though this post might seem a little negative...its really not too bad. The heat is tolerable since I'm indoors all day and yes my belly is getting big but the doc says I'm measuring normal. Everything else that is happening is also normal...so I have nothing to complain about. Just thinking how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to be parents to our little girl who will be arriving in only three months! And yes, three months in a lifetime is very soon.

27 weeks...3rd Trimester here I am!

So I'm officially into my 3rd trimester! This actually may have happened last week but I still can't really tell which weeks are what exactly. I'm IN my 28th week but 27 weeks and 0 days have passed. So what does that mean? It means that I've been pregnant for awhile, that's what that means. My due date is in exactly 3 months from yesterday. Three, hopefully not TOO long and hot, months but you know I live in Arizona...and it was like 90+ degrees at 10 am today. That sounds like an exaggeration but it't not. All I have to say is thank GOD for A/C...the only other thing that would make the heat (and this pregnancy) better would be easier access to Eegees. If anyone doesn't know what Eegees is then you obviously have never been to Tucson. Eegees frozen fruit slushie drinks are an instant cure for the heat. You can get lemon, strawberry and pina colada with a rotating FOM (flavor of the month). This month - Tangerine Breeze...sounds delish.

So the latest and greatest is the nursery. I had a nursery painting party with the Aunties last weekend. My sister and sister-in-law came over and we knocked it out. It still looks under construction though because I am planning on wainscoting the walls so technically only 1/2 of the walls are painted. The bottom half will be covered with paneling so it seemed like a waste to paint all the way to the floor. Hopefully I can get the paneling done soon so that I can move on to the fun stuff. There will be pictures once it starts looking presentable so don't worry...oh and 'retro avocado' is the color. Might sound a little scary but I like it.

Physical changes - a big belly. The waddle is also in full swing although I try to correct it whenever I notice. If you ask me to move at a fast pace though, there's no use walking normal. It just can't be done. Also, my belly button has been pushed out to it's full capacity. It's so bad that you can see it poking through most of my tops. Another thing is that this baby is ACTIVE. She is a mover for sure! I get a little nervous sometimes that she's just going to kick, punch and wiggle her way out of there. She can go for like 15-30 minutes sometimes just rocking the heck out of my belly. Hopefully this doesn't mean she's going to be a hyper baby, bouncing off the walls and stuff...Bryan will have his work cut out for him if thats the case...LOL.