Work? What Work?

Peter goes back tonight...you know, that work place...it's been a while. 7 weeks to be exact. It's just one night thank goodness. Then we have the whole week off together for one last time. Thursday is Open House(!!), Peter works Friday & Saturday then I go back on Tuesday. Two years ago we were preparing for a memorial day wedding; this year we prepare to rejoin the work force...

Bits About Blake

He squeaks when he sleeps.

He has a favorite pacifier.

He eats and eats and eats some more.

He makes big buggers and then snores loudly due to clogged passages.

Since day one, he has been able to hold his head up (high).

Kicking is his favorite past time.

He stores things in his neck rolls. Lots of things.

He has many admirers. 

He grows like a weed. 2 inches in 5 weeks. What is this madness?

Bath time is his favorite time.

At 6 weeks, he slept through the night.

He has one dimple.

His farts are our entertainment.

He folds his hands when he sleeps.

He has the biggest smile...

And the most adoring parents.

Silly Daddy!

First Beach Trip

I was very excited about this first beach trip. I had high hopes. "I hope he likes the sand. I hope he likes the water. I hope he grips his new shovel for a picture." Well, while my hopes were high, my standards were low and good thing! We went shopping 4 times and each time forgot to grab sand toys...we made a special trip to Target on the way there. Oh, don't worry! Peter told me I was ridiculous for "needing" a bucket and shovel for his first trip but I was adamant. Next issue: he was very fussy. Our little bundle of joy gets hot SUPER fast. Their was no way I was getting his bathing suit on him and the blue hat only made it in one picture. I tried. He was great at avoiding the sand and by the end of the hour we were so tired of calming him that we didn't even bother dipping his toe in the water. We had lots of laughs though and had our fair share of wildlife encounters-- a whale and tons of dolphins! We also watched some paddleboarders and I continued debating whether I wanted one or not. Later that night, Peter surprised me with a brand new paddleboard in the garage! Say what?!?! Happy Mother's Day to me!

Tell me the sand toys were not worth the trip to Target??

Peter's Funny

Just before going to sleep, lying in bed and referring to my overly producing milk ducts:

"Sleeping with you is like sleeping with a Capri Sun!"

Oh Honey, you hit the nail on the head.

My Signs of Motherhood

I know I'm a mom now because...

::when peed on, I don't even bother wiping it off...I just air dry
::the washing machine has doubled its value
::taking a shower is like taking a vacation
::all I want to do is stare at my baby (all day long)
::dressing up Baby is way more fun than dressing up Barbie
::if we get out the door within thirty minutes of our goal time, we celebrate a victory
::shopping is no longer a hop in, hop out kinda thing
::I no longer sleep between 12 and 2 am. Why, Baby, why?
::everything is always wet: baby's butt, baby's shirt, my shirt-anything within 3 feet of baby and me
::my left hand is now just as coordinated as my right
::the baby swing is my new favorite piece of furniture
::my phone and I are no longer attached at the waist
::when Peter comes home after an extended leave and by extended leave I mean 1 hour, it's like I can breathe again
::my blog has taken a serious hit

Umm, so...

I'd totally write a post right now but, uh, I'm too busy staring at my ridiculously good looking baby; so, uh, ya...sorry 'bout that. I'll be back some day, just not today. Meanwhile, enjoy my baby album and mobile uploads on facebook.

3 Weeks Young

Livin' it up!

Tomorrow, Blake will be embarking on his 3rd vacation.

No time like the present.

Our Baby Story

Sunday morning, April 1, 2012 at 5:30 am, I woke up. We had a fun time with Alyssa and Andrew the night before at Cheesecake Factory and I wasn't quite ready to open my eyes. Thing was, some cramping was going on in my stomach and though the pain wasn't dyer, it was enough to disturb my slumber. I had had cramps before, similar to these ones even, periodically over the last 4 weeks so I wasn't real concerned. I laid there, watching Peter sleep, for two hours noting the pattern, frequency and strength. I knew if this was it, Peter was going to need as much sleep as possible stored up.

The contractions were regular and every now and then, painful. The true test however was the shower. The contractions always went away when I got in the shower. Before I got out of bed, the thought crossed my mind, "If this is labor, I don't think I'll be able to keep him in until midnight; April Fool's it is!"

Well, the shower didn't change anything. Knowing my time had come, I figured I better shave my legs. Have you ever shaved your legs with contractions? It was a challenge and required frequent breaks but we made it. Surprisingly, Peter woke up to the shower and came in.

"How's it goin, babe?"

"Uh, I think I'm in labor."

"Oh. How far apart are the contractions?"

"I don't know."

"Well, what do you think?"

"Honey, can you let me finish in here and then we'll lay down and time them?"

"OK."

With the iphone in hand, we timed the contractions. I didn't really know what I was doing because I'd never been in labor before. Peter had the notes from the doctor on how to tell and when to come in. At our appointments she always said I wouldn't be able to talk through them. I certainly wasn't at that point. I didn't have relief between contractions; it was more like a dull pain between mildly intense pain. So, we timed peak to peak. After 3 contractions, we determined they were 2 minutes apart and it was time to go. I blow dried my hair, put some make up on, made the bed, and straightened up the house. Peter did a great job packing the car. Then we headed to the hospital.

By this point, we'd already called our moms and siblings. Mom knew if the house phone rang and my number was on the caller ID, her grandson was coming. When she answered, all I had to say was, "I'm calling on the house phone!" I still wasn't in that much pain, not nearly the pain level I would have expected based on all the stories I'd heard.

We arrived at the hospital at 8:30 and entered through the ER. A nurse then escorted us to the Labor and Delivery area. She was talking all about her labor and I really wasn't interested in being sociable. As we rounded the corner, there were my mom and dad. They would beat us to the hospital! I waddled up to the check in and said, "I think I'm in labor." Right away I got a great impression from the staff. Penny, who I would end up spending all day with, took me to be examined.

This was my first time in the hospital as a patient. Never before had I laid in the bed, worn the gown, or been stuck with an IV. Let's just say: increased anxiety! For the first time, panic crossed my mind; they might turn me away for not being in "enough" labor. Not to fear though, I came in at 6 centimeters! I was pretty proud of myself for getting that far with little pain and no drugs. I was wheeled up to my room. This was it. Next fear: the IV and epidural going in.

Tiff showed up soon after and we chatted, settled in and answered "no" to all the nurse's medical questions. I was still in very little pain. I survived the IV and the epidural guy was due to come in any minute. I told Penny I needed to use the bathroom and she said, "No you don't, you just went 45 minutes ago. If he comes in and you're in the bathroom, he will leave. He'll think you must not need it very bad." Well, that kind of ticked me off! Sorry Penny but you don't know me or my bladder...But their wasn't much I could do about it.

I asked how painful the needle was and she told me women aren't worried about the pain because the contractions hurt so bad. I took the hint and shut up. I didn't want them denying me the drugs just because I wasn't in pain. I knew it would get worse and I didn't need to be a hero that day.

The epidural guy was the same guy I had met when I checked in and I liked him. He told me what to do and I told him to keep talking so I'd be distracted. Peter was a great support and guess what? The epidural was no big deal! The IV hurt more! Once that was finished, sweet relief flooded over me. You would have thought I'd already delivered. I think I was more scared for that then the baby part...

More and more family trickled in and soon the waiting room outside my door was full, or so I was told. For an hour, we talked and waited. When a SWAT team of nurses rushed in, that's when I got scared. Two times I had a long contraction (4.5 min) and the baby went into distress, dropping his heart rate to the 50s. They didn't know the cause and the doctor said if it happened again, we'd be going in for a c-section. She didn't want to wait to find out if he'd recover a fourth time and since I was only at 8 cm, I was still too far away from pushing.

Tears streamed down my face. My body was doing so well! Baby just couldn't handle it. Strike 3 came and went and I was quickly wheeled to the OR. Terrified, my only consolation was that I'd see my baby in 20 minutes. Peter had to wait outside while they got ready. I hated being away from him at such a scary moment. Penny got right in my face and comforted me, Dr. Audel explained everything I needed to know and the epidural guy pumped me with drugs, kept me distracted, rubbed my head and put Chapstick on my lips. I was well cared for by all.

I felt a sharp point and yelled out in a panic, "I can feel that!" They pumped more drugs and tested again. "I can still feel that!" They thought they might have to put me under completely but then I was numb enough and they began the procedure. Operation Fetch Blake! Peter was beside me the whole time, some how he captured amazing still photos, and a video of the whole birth, all without me even knowing he was multitasking. He felt very present.

Then, we heard the cry. It was overwhelming. All I could see of Peter between his mask and hat were his eyes spilling over with joyful tears. The tears of a new dad. I told him to go to Blake and hold him, hold his hand. I'll be fine. His son needs him. The two questions I asked the doctors as they pulled Blake out were, Is he a boy? and Does he have hair? Yes to both.

They cleaned him up and finished working on me. At 9 lbs 5 oz, 21 inches long, everyone thought he was big. I thought he was perfect. Not pudgy, not scrawny but lean and long like his daddy. From when I first heard his due date, I'd said, "He's going to be an April fool's baby." It was going to be God's reminder to me, "Don't be foolish, I make the plans not you." Baby Blake was God's idea and man are we thankful for the surprise!

Believe it or not their's more details to be told but I think that covers the story well enough. Everyone had to wait two hours to see us and Blake while I was in recovery. Peter and Blake bonded while I waited for the drugs to wear off. I have never shaken so violently in my life; it was miserable. I hadn't eaten anything all day and would have paid way too much for a glass of water. Blake scored an 8 and then a 9 on his apgar test, loved getting his hair washed and had to have a few ounces of formula at first because his blood sugar was low.

We stayed in the hospital until Thursday afternoon, entertained probably about 100 visitors, and Peter never left our sides. He slept on the pull out couch and then each morning, the three of us would be cuddling in my bed. We are loving this thing called family.

First Holiday: Happy Easter!

Our Palm Sunday

I'm Here!!

April 1, 2012 @ 1:49 pm

9 pounds, 5 ounces

21 inches long

cutest baby ever

Down to it

Yesterday's appointment did not go as expected. I expected:

1. to see a full image of my baby on the screen for 30+ minutes

2. to confirm he is indeed a boy

3. to learn how much he weighed

4. to see my doctor and have my regular internal exam

Well, instead I:

1. saw parts of my baby that I couldn't even define for about 4 minutes

2. listened to the tech say "there's no fluid" for about 3 minutes

3. was called down the hall to a closet and strapped under two monitors with a clicker in my hand. They were monitoring my contractions (none) and the baby's heart rate and I was suppose to click the button when I felt him move

4. was told I wouldn't be seeing my doctor today but they would call and tell her the news

5. watched my baby's head get buzzed twice because he wasn't active enough

6. sat in the waiting room for 25 minutes while she called the on call doctor, my doctor, and the hospital.

7. was told I might be going into the hospital for an induction because my fluid was so low but they had to see if they could take me

8. They couldn't because they were swamped so I was sent home with low fluid and scheduled for an induction Monday morning at 7 am.

A bit contrasting don't you think?? Oh and I felt so reassured that they wanted me to go in to the hospital right then but since it was full, all of the sudden he could wait another 2 days...not cool team. Not cool.

When they told me I might be going in right then I nearly burst into tears. Apparently I am a lot more terrified than I realized. All this to say, as we drove back to mom and dad's to kick off dad's birthday party, I was a silent, hot mess. Extremely over stimulated by all the information flooding through me, I was not in the mood to talk or even share the news. Peter, on the other hand, was thrilled by the set due date and not concerned by the test results. He shared the news and mingled easily (as always).

Mom was a great support, knowing my thoughts telepathically, hugging me at just the right times, and holding in the cliches that I'm getting so sick of hearing. Who cares if a million women have gone before me, this is my journey and I have no idea what to expect. Peter is an awesome support and I know it will all be fine in the end but I'm not at the end yet. I'm at the beginning.

The Goal

Pop out my little cowboy.

Tonight

Maybe after we make another batch of Grandma June blueberry pancakes and watch Amazing Race THEN we'll go to the hospital? Maybe? One can only hope. The candles are lit. The fire is blazing and muffin mix is on its way...the start of a good night either way.

Time Oriented.

He's not. For those who voted before or on the due date, I'm going to go out on a limb here...at 11:13 pm...and say, "He's LATE!"

4 DOWN

Whelp, we're at 4 centimeters. The most the doc has ever seen a first time mom come in at is 3-4 centimeters. Way to make the record team Styffe. She is still holding to her "I think he'll come before your due date" line she threw out 2 weeks ago. She also said on that same day that he could "come tonight". I like her and all but next time a doctor tells me when, I'm plugging my ears!

My body has continued to make steady and substantial progress. She is very impressed with my baby birthing skills. Not going to lie, I'm kinda impressed too. So is Peter but he better be impressed with any and everything my body does for his baby! Something happened at the appointment that was another giant leap forward; it was kinda bloody and that's all I'll say...maybe you get it, maybe you don't. I don't want to get any TMI clicks down there in the reactions bar.

Tomorrow is Elizabeth's birthday (Peter's mama). Good day to have a baby? She thinks so! Celebrating the first grandchild on her birthday in the delivery room sounds like her kinda party according to her. I am happy with whatever day is soonest! I'm just glad we passed St. Patty's day...no leprechauns in this household! As always, I'll keep you posted.

I did it! I did it!

This whole time I have been trying to add the "reactions" part to my blog like I did on my old one. Problem was, I couldn't figure out how I set it up the first time. Peter googled it in two seconds and here we are: Back in business! I also added a survey on the right panel just for kicks and giggles.

React! Also, if you have other "reactions" than the ones mentioned, let me know; I'll add them!

If you haven't figured out what I'm talking about, the "reactions" section is located at the bottom of each post. Check a box...it's anonymous and so fun to see when people have been here.

Dearest Blakers,

You're already keeping me up past my bed time
Since you're not even here yet, this most certainly is a crime.
For all I know, you could arrive ontime.
So since I've got nothing to do but wait, I shall create a little rhyme.

Your dad couldn't be more excited to meet you
same goes for me and the rest of the crew.
They'll be coming to the hospital two by two
and after awhile we'll bid them adieu.

We've got the pack-n-play all set
and plenty of diapers for you to get wet.
Their are tons of soft blankets for you to pet
along with a swing if you get upset.

The birthing DVDs have been viewed.
It seems this whole labor thing is tried and trued.
We loved the day when they could conlude
you were a healthy, growing, baby dude.

So in a few hours, or maybe days, we'd like to see your face
feel the warmth of our family embrace
count your toes and wiggle your nose
and thank God for his good grace.

xo, your mama & papa

do do do do do do dooooooo

That's the Jeopardy song if you couldn't tell.

Yep, we're still waiting.