Wow, is there ever a ton that I didn't post about!! It's really hard to find time to get on the computer for more than a minute and write about how William is (and we are) doing!
Well, we guessed it would happen sooner or later. It happened today. No, I'm not pregnant again (phew!).... William rolled off the bed. I had just left the room for a moment (gone less than 2 minutes, to get some lunch) and suddenly, everything from the bedroom was still. I had a split-second sense of what happened, and then the crying began. Sure enough: I went in the bedroom and didn't see the little guy, he'd falled onto the floor.
Fortunately, he seems perfectly fine after a minute's worth of crying and being held by me. No bruises, bumps, or symptoms of any kind that I can see. I called the pediatrician and the nurse asked me some questions and said he was probably okay, but that I could bring him in if I wanted to. I phoned Darryl and looked up some on the internet, and it seems this is very very common (infants falling off beds), and they are almost always okay. We will just be keeping an eye on him over the next 24 hours, and if there's still nothing out of the ordinary, we'll be very thankful and make sure to watch him more carefully.
William only starting rolling fully over last week, during Grandma & Grampa's visit. Now he does it with confidence! He had already been able to roll from his back, over his left side, onto his tummy, but would then get supremely frustrated at not being able to do anything else! Now he will keep on rolling. He also scooches up and down the bed (i.e. forwards and backwards), using his legs and his face mostly. He is not so mobile yet on the harder surface of the floor in his bedroom.
Hopefully I will have some time soon again to post more about William and:
- teething
- 4 month checkup
- crankiness, fusiness, whining, no sleeping!
- solid foods
- our daily routine
I can't believe our little guy is almost 5 months old already!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
July 27 - July 29
We took William to North Alabama to see Mayme & Gramps and to meet his aunts, uncles, cousins and great-grandparents. On Saturday afternoon, Sandra hosted a meet-and-greet for William at their house. Present were: Mayme & Gramps, Aunt Susan & Uncle Tommy, Drew, Chris, Uncle Allen, Emma, Anna Grace, Ethan, Great-Aunt Rhonda & Great-Uncle James, Matt & Julie, Lucy, Silas (we hadn’t seen Matt & Julie for several years, not since Lucy was about 6 months old or so!), Mike & Carey, Matthew (who had grown so much over the last 2 months since we’d last seen him; what a happy baby, and such chubby little arms and legs!), Brad, Fred & Elaine, Mickey & Sally.
William was being, in general, a bit fussy and wanted mostly to sleep or eat. So not many people held him. I don’t know if they wanted to; not many people asked. But it was really nice to see everyone again, and for Darryl’s relatives to finally meet our cute little son. We were given some nice gifts for William: a monogrammed blanket and burp cloths from Brad; two books from Tommy & Susan, two large-sized Osh-Kosh outfits from Fred & Elaine; a Target gift card from Mickey & Sally (Sally had also brought a cake); a portable high chair/booster seat and a baptismal-type gown from Mike & Carey; frog toys and bath accessories from Matt & Julie; two long-sleeved, larger size outfits from Sandra & Jerry;….? Thanks to everyone for the gifts and moreso for the company!
Later that evening, we ordered pizza and had a low-key, belated birthday ‘celebration’ for Sandra. The kids watched a movie, Emma held William for a bit, several of the kids enjoyed stroking William’s head or touching his feet and hands, and William seemed especially taken with Anna Grace. Unfortunately, all the excitement seemed to have overstimulated William and Darryl had to take him into the bedroom, swaddle him up and rock him in the dimmed room.
On Sunday, we visited Mawmaw & Pawpaw Hadder with the added bonus that Uncle Dale was there. And then we visited Miss Della, who held William for a while. Darryl noticed that William’s tongue is more white than usual (it had been white towards the back for a while; I thought it was formula and that he had a ‘fuzzy’ tongue like I do), and white even towards the front. He asked Sandra about it and she thought it might be thrush, which made perfect sense to me once I heard that. I don’t know why I didn’t consider it and I felt badly for not having thought about it before. It also makes sense because near the end of our stay in Canada, I had these sort of raised lighter-coloured areas on my lips, more on the inside of my mouth. And I had some white spots on the inside of my mouth, and my right tonsil got swollen. So I think that either I gave the thrush to William or vice versa (Darryl & I often do a quick ‘clean’ of William’s pacifier by sticking it in our mouths). Fortunately we take William to the pediatrician on Thursday; thrush shouldn’t pose any problems for William, but I will do a search online later to see what I can find out.
Some things about William:
It seems like he might be getting more influence now from my toes… his second toe is starting to curve outwards and his fourth toe is starting to curve quite a bit inwards (like me!). Hopefully, though, the genetic influence of Darryl’s long, lovely toes will mitigate this and William’s toes will at least be nicer-looking than mine.
William’s eyelashes are getting long. When he was born, you couldn’t really see any eyelashes on his eyes, and he had his eyes tightly shut. Since then, his upper eyelashes have been growing out and are now getting quite long, and over the past 3 weeks or so I’ve noticed that he ‘sprouted’ lower eyelashes, which are now growing out as well. His eyebrows are also now more noticeable, and the hair on the top and sides of his head is getting longer and is very soft. The longer ‘baby hair’ on the back of his head still hasn’t really fallen out. Sometimes I think William’s hair and eyebrows look reddish, but it’s hard to know if that’s just a trick of the light.
When William gives us a really big smile, that’s the best thing in the world!!!!
Last week sometime, when I was changing William on the Pack & Play changing pad, he was looking at the mobile and it looked like he was trying to reach out for it with his right hand. He really likes that Winnie the Pooh mobile a lot. He hasn’t seemed to notice the farm mobile in his crib yet. Maybe the plastic animals are too small?
I think William is starting to learn that he can punch things with his hands. I had the twirly-whirly toy that Kate gave us on the Pack & Play, with the stuffed animals dangling from the changing pad, and he seemed to enjoy hitting them with his fists. He also enjoyed putting the cow stuffed animal in his mouth! William does well now spending “alert & awake” times in his Pack & Play, just looking at everything (mobile, blinds, twirly-whirly toy). I think the crib and all its toys and paraphernalia is maybe just a bit overstimulative at this point: he gets fussy if I have him in there for more than about 10 min.
Sometime just before going to Canada, we learned that William will have a spot at St. Bede’s Child Development Center daycare in Montgomery. This is the daycare we’d hoped to get William into because it is church-run, it’s in Montgomery (vs. Auburn, so more convenient when I get a different job and if we both work in Montgomery it’ll give us more leeway for choosing where to live if we wish to move), and it seems to be of a good quality. They also have webcams which will allow us (and curious grandparents!) to check in on William during the day. I was very excited to find out William will be going to St. Bede’s!
A cute thing about William closing his fingers into a fist: nowadays, when he does that, he doesn’t keep his thumb under his fingers; rather, his thumb is tucked only under his index finger and so rests above his middle finger. This is interesting because often when I close my own fingers into a fist, I have my thumb tucked under my index and middle fingers.
William has recently become a lot more expressive with his hands. He has not really seemed to just look at his hands, the way many babies do, but it seems he knows that he can control them, or at least he uses them to express himself. He will bring his hands (whether in fists or not) up to his mouth and face when he is hungry (often he’ll sort of jab his face or eyes in the process). He definitely tries to “hold” his bottle more now, or “hold up” your fingers while you’re holding his bottle. He will use his hands to try and get a pacifier or bottle away from his mouth. He’s starting to seem like he’s trying to reach for things, but it’s hard to know whether that is an accurate observation at this point. And when he’s resting, William will move his hands and flex his fingers, make little gestures with his hands and just shape his fingers into different configurations (e.g. “hang ten”). I noticed that when he is unsure of his surroundings, like when we were at Mayme & Gramps’ and there were tons of people around and tons of noises, he will keep his hands in fists (even while sleeping) instead of having his hands open.
We took William to North Alabama to see Mayme & Gramps and to meet his aunts, uncles, cousins and great-grandparents. On Saturday afternoon, Sandra hosted a meet-and-greet for William at their house. Present were: Mayme & Gramps, Aunt Susan & Uncle Tommy, Drew, Chris, Uncle Allen, Emma, Anna Grace, Ethan, Great-Aunt Rhonda & Great-Uncle James, Matt & Julie, Lucy, Silas (we hadn’t seen Matt & Julie for several years, not since Lucy was about 6 months old or so!), Mike & Carey, Matthew (who had grown so much over the last 2 months since we’d last seen him; what a happy baby, and such chubby little arms and legs!), Brad, Fred & Elaine, Mickey & Sally.
William was being, in general, a bit fussy and wanted mostly to sleep or eat. So not many people held him. I don’t know if they wanted to; not many people asked. But it was really nice to see everyone again, and for Darryl’s relatives to finally meet our cute little son. We were given some nice gifts for William: a monogrammed blanket and burp cloths from Brad; two books from Tommy & Susan, two large-sized Osh-Kosh outfits from Fred & Elaine; a Target gift card from Mickey & Sally (Sally had also brought a cake); a portable high chair/booster seat and a baptismal-type gown from Mike & Carey; frog toys and bath accessories from Matt & Julie; two long-sleeved, larger size outfits from Sandra & Jerry;….? Thanks to everyone for the gifts and moreso for the company!
Later that evening, we ordered pizza and had a low-key, belated birthday ‘celebration’ for Sandra. The kids watched a movie, Emma held William for a bit, several of the kids enjoyed stroking William’s head or touching his feet and hands, and William seemed especially taken with Anna Grace. Unfortunately, all the excitement seemed to have overstimulated William and Darryl had to take him into the bedroom, swaddle him up and rock him in the dimmed room.
On Sunday, we visited Mawmaw & Pawpaw Hadder with the added bonus that Uncle Dale was there. And then we visited Miss Della, who held William for a while. Darryl noticed that William’s tongue is more white than usual (it had been white towards the back for a while; I thought it was formula and that he had a ‘fuzzy’ tongue like I do), and white even towards the front. He asked Sandra about it and she thought it might be thrush, which made perfect sense to me once I heard that. I don’t know why I didn’t consider it and I felt badly for not having thought about it before. It also makes sense because near the end of our stay in Canada, I had these sort of raised lighter-coloured areas on my lips, more on the inside of my mouth. And I had some white spots on the inside of my mouth, and my right tonsil got swollen. So I think that either I gave the thrush to William or vice versa (Darryl & I often do a quick ‘clean’ of William’s pacifier by sticking it in our mouths). Fortunately we take William to the pediatrician on Thursday; thrush shouldn’t pose any problems for William, but I will do a search online later to see what I can find out.
Some things about William:
It seems like he might be getting more influence now from my toes… his second toe is starting to curve outwards and his fourth toe is starting to curve quite a bit inwards (like me!). Hopefully, though, the genetic influence of Darryl’s long, lovely toes will mitigate this and William’s toes will at least be nicer-looking than mine.
William’s eyelashes are getting long. When he was born, you couldn’t really see any eyelashes on his eyes, and he had his eyes tightly shut. Since then, his upper eyelashes have been growing out and are now getting quite long, and over the past 3 weeks or so I’ve noticed that he ‘sprouted’ lower eyelashes, which are now growing out as well. His eyebrows are also now more noticeable, and the hair on the top and sides of his head is getting longer and is very soft. The longer ‘baby hair’ on the back of his head still hasn’t really fallen out. Sometimes I think William’s hair and eyebrows look reddish, but it’s hard to know if that’s just a trick of the light.
When William gives us a really big smile, that’s the best thing in the world!!!!
Last week sometime, when I was changing William on the Pack & Play changing pad, he was looking at the mobile and it looked like he was trying to reach out for it with his right hand. He really likes that Winnie the Pooh mobile a lot. He hasn’t seemed to notice the farm mobile in his crib yet. Maybe the plastic animals are too small?
I think William is starting to learn that he can punch things with his hands. I had the twirly-whirly toy that Kate gave us on the Pack & Play, with the stuffed animals dangling from the changing pad, and he seemed to enjoy hitting them with his fists. He also enjoyed putting the cow stuffed animal in his mouth! William does well now spending “alert & awake” times in his Pack & Play, just looking at everything (mobile, blinds, twirly-whirly toy). I think the crib and all its toys and paraphernalia is maybe just a bit overstimulative at this point: he gets fussy if I have him in there for more than about 10 min.
Sometime just before going to Canada, we learned that William will have a spot at St. Bede’s Child Development Center daycare in Montgomery. This is the daycare we’d hoped to get William into because it is church-run, it’s in Montgomery (vs. Auburn, so more convenient when I get a different job and if we both work in Montgomery it’ll give us more leeway for choosing where to live if we wish to move), and it seems to be of a good quality. They also have webcams which will allow us (and curious grandparents!) to check in on William during the day. I was very excited to find out William will be going to St. Bede’s!
A cute thing about William closing his fingers into a fist: nowadays, when he does that, he doesn’t keep his thumb under his fingers; rather, his thumb is tucked only under his index finger and so rests above his middle finger. This is interesting because often when I close my own fingers into a fist, I have my thumb tucked under my index and middle fingers.
William has recently become a lot more expressive with his hands. He has not really seemed to just look at his hands, the way many babies do, but it seems he knows that he can control them, or at least he uses them to express himself. He will bring his hands (whether in fists or not) up to his mouth and face when he is hungry (often he’ll sort of jab his face or eyes in the process). He definitely tries to “hold” his bottle more now, or “hold up” your fingers while you’re holding his bottle. He will use his hands to try and get a pacifier or bottle away from his mouth. He’s starting to seem like he’s trying to reach for things, but it’s hard to know whether that is an accurate observation at this point. And when he’s resting, William will move his hands and flex his fingers, make little gestures with his hands and just shape his fingers into different configurations (e.g. “hang ten”). I noticed that when he is unsure of his surroundings, like when we were at Mayme & Gramps’ and there were tons of people around and tons of noises, he will keep his hands in fists (even while sleeping) instead of having his hands open.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
July 18 - July 24
We spent a really nice week in Canada! William is now officially an international traveler! In brief, here’s an account of our visit:
Thursday morning, Debra & Trevor came over and met our little man. Katherine came over in the evening, and Uncle Dave held William for all of about 5 minutes after work!
Friday, Mom drove us to Pap’s work so that the proud Grampa could show off his grandson to his work colleagues. All the women were definitely fawning over William and everyone thought he was a very good-looking baby.
In the evening, my friends came over to meet my son! Yemisi had driven from Ottawa, and Evelyn picked up Rie after work. Yemisi and Rie gave us some bath products (how nice to get shower gifts for the parents too!), and Evelyn gave us a cute Winnie the Pooh outfit set for about 6 months of age, as well as a gorgeous scrapbook she’s made for William, to which we need only add photos. It was obvious that she put a lot of time and thought into it and, like everything Evelyn does, it is so neat and looks absolutely great! Thanks to all of you! It was really nice to see everyone again, though we didn’t have nearly enough time to visit.
Saturday, we drove to London to attend Steve & Marie’s wedding. We got to see not only Steve & Marie, but most of the other relatives too: Uncle Owen, Tante Helga, Jon & Renee (whom I had never met before), Karl, Katie, Peter, Uncle Peter, Tante Hilde, Eric (best man), Sara (bridesmaid), Uncle Nick, Tante Dorothy, Scott & Jen (Jen makes pregnancy look good J), and Reimers. It was a nice wedding, and William was a bit hit! In fact, Darryl & I didn’t really get him for much of the evening as he was being held much by his proud grandparents and other relatives. It was maybe a bit overstimulative for William, though….
Sunday, we drove home from London (Mom had taken care of William during the night while Darryl & I each slept on a separate queen-sized bed….luxurious!) and spent a bit of time with Dave & Katherine.
Monday, Kate came over and got to meet our little guy!
Tuesday, we went over to Tante Helga’s for lunch and Jon and Katie joined us. It was nice to get to spend some time there. Afterwards, we visited Oma & Opa, where Tante Marichen stopped in for a while too. I’m really glad Oma & Opa got to meet William, and Oma held William for a time. That visit, too, was far too short, because it was time to head off to the airport and go home.
I wondered how William would do on the plane. Both times he slept for much of the time, feeding sometimes. I think he probably did so well in part because he was held in our arms. I thought the air pressure difference, ascending or descending, would bother him and so I tried to make sure to have a pacifier or bottle in his mouth at those times. But William didn’t seem to be phased; at least, he didn’t give us any indication that he was bothered at all.
So: it was a great trip though the time passed by too quickly! We hope to go up again at Christmas. That’ll be the next time Pap sees William and by then he’ll be about 6 months old and who knows what all he’ll be doing or how big he’ll be!
William’s weight: 10 lbs, 8 oz! What a chubster! He is definitely filling out and he has a moon-face and quite thick little thighs. He definitely has little rolls of fat and folds of skin that we have to be sure to clean.
This afternoon, we drove to Atlanta and took a 2-hour flight to Buffalo, after which Mom picked us up and drove us to Mississauga! William did very well on the plane: he mostly slept (in our arms) and didn’t fuss or cry. I thought the air pressure would bother him and I tried to make sure he had a pacifier or bottle on the ascent and descent; it didn’t seem to phase him at all.
This afternoon, we drove to Atlanta and took a 2-hour flight to Buffalo, after which Mom picked us up and drove us to Mississauga! William did very well on the plane: he mostly slept (in our arms) and didn’t fuss or cry. I thought the air pressure would bother him and I tried to make sure he had a pacifier or bottle on the ascent and descent; it didn’t seem to phase him at all.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
After a really hard and awful decision, I decided to put Calico & Tiger to sleep today. Calico had lost so much weight over the last few weeks (though I had been so busy with William, I hardly paid her much attention at all) and was having liquid diarrhea all over the house. I thought it was just her, but it turned out Tiger was having liquid diarrhea too, and it was clearly painful for him to have a movement. Both of the cats had trouble lying down (it took them a while and it looked painful/uncomfortable), and neither was eating very well, especially Calico. It was so sad. I gave them deli meats and treats and tried to talk to them, to apologize for having ignored them over the past number of months and to tell them that I love them. I took Tiger outside, to give him a chance to have a nice experience, and he walked around the front yard from one side to the other, and chased a mormon cricket. Seeing him outside like that, and seeing that his weight was pretty good and his coat was shiny and soft, it made it even sadder to say goodbye because he seemed so okay and normal. I decided not to take Calico outside because she was so fragile, really, I didn’t think she would particularly want to go. I put them in the carrier and Darryl went with them to the vet. Afterwards, we buried their little bodies with the red blankets that were their cat beds and some toys by the side of our house. I can’t believe how much I miss them, and I feel awful because I had been neglecting them pretty much ever since I’d gotten pregnant, and especially in the last few months.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Well, the new formula seems to be making his poops more dryish and green. I guess this is a product of the Bifidus cultures it contains. His poops are also stinky now!
Today William came with me to my 6-week obstetrician appointment. Everything checked out okay and I saw that Dr. Alverson had received William’s birth announcement. Everyone thought William was very cute. He did get fussy towards the end, though, since he was very hungry. I fed him in the car (an hour-long process!!) and changed him, and got to Auburn just in time to get some insurance paperwork filled out before they closed for lunch. Essentially, I would like to get my AU insurance terminated so I can add myself onto Darryl’s insurance. William has already been added, and it would cost us no more to have me added as well.
After getting back home, we were going to attempt a walk in the new Infantino baby carrier, but after getting the little man in there, he started showing how hungry he was and so that was the end of that!
William is interested in his pack & play mobile. He has been for about a week and a half. He also seems to be interested in seeing himself in the mirror. And today he was looking at the F-P Rainforest Soother crib attachment with music and lights. I like to give him some playtime every day, during his awake & alert periods. This might be to put him in the vibrating seat and/or take him for a walk and/or put him in his crib with his toys. He really enjoys playtime, but it only lasts for about 10 min. or so before William gets overstimulated (presumably) and fussy (often hungry).
Today William came with me to my 6-week obstetrician appointment. Everything checked out okay and I saw that Dr. Alverson had received William’s birth announcement. Everyone thought William was very cute. He did get fussy towards the end, though, since he was very hungry. I fed him in the car (an hour-long process!!) and changed him, and got to Auburn just in time to get some insurance paperwork filled out before they closed for lunch. Essentially, I would like to get my AU insurance terminated so I can add myself onto Darryl’s insurance. William has already been added, and it would cost us no more to have me added as well.
After getting back home, we were going to attempt a walk in the new Infantino baby carrier, but after getting the little man in there, he started showing how hungry he was and so that was the end of that!
William is interested in his pack & play mobile. He has been for about a week and a half. He also seems to be interested in seeing himself in the mirror. And today he was looking at the F-P Rainforest Soother crib attachment with music and lights. I like to give him some playtime every day, during his awake & alert periods. This might be to put him in the vibrating seat and/or take him for a walk and/or put him in his crib with his toys. He really enjoys playtime, but it only lasts for about 10 min. or so before William gets overstimulated (presumably) and fussy (often hungry).
Thursday, July 12, 2007
William went with me to Baby Depot and we picked up some nursing pads, a baby carrier, and a little wall hanging/mobile that you put up on the wall above the changing table and it has a mirror that baby can stare up into.
Then we went to Darryl’s work, and we showed him off to everyone there. Everyone thought William was very cute (how couldn’t they? :-). He did have to be fed, though, and he had a very messy diaper that we changed right there in Darryl’s office. He was also straining with gas, which did detract somewhat from his cuteness. Then the three of us went to Wendy’s for lunch.
Afterwards, I dragged the little guy with me to Wal-Mart, to get a new kind of formula: Nestle Good Start with Cultures. Some people on pregnancy.org found it to relieve their babies of gas/fussiness, so we’re hoping this will give William less gas or at least alleviate his likelihood of being constipated.
Then we went to Darryl’s work, and we showed him off to everyone there. Everyone thought William was very cute (how couldn’t they? :-). He did have to be fed, though, and he had a very messy diaper that we changed right there in Darryl’s office. He was also straining with gas, which did detract somewhat from his cuteness. Then the three of us went to Wendy’s for lunch.
Afterwards, I dragged the little guy with me to Wal-Mart, to get a new kind of formula: Nestle Good Start with Cultures. Some people on pregnancy.org found it to relieve their babies of gas/fussiness, so we’re hoping this will give William less gas or at least alleviate his likelihood of being constipated.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Poor William: yesterday the little guy was constipated. I wanted to try using formula all day one day to see if he would have less gas (in case the breastmilk was giving him gas). I don’t think his gas situation was improved, but definitely he had a hard time with his bowel movements. The poor guy was struggling (painfully, it seemed—or at least very vocally) to push out his pooh. He pushed out a couple of tiny, hard nuggets. That, and the heavy straining, clued me in that he was probably constipated. So I went really gung-ho with the breastmilk, thawing out several bags that I’d had in the freezer. He pooped out a really hard, largish log-like turd that had some faint hints of blood in it, and then it was explosions of very soft, liquidy pooh. I felt so awful that I put William through this. So I am continuing to pump breastmilk for him twice a day. I guess the change was just too drastic for his system.
In other news, Grandma and Grampa left today at about 4 a.m. It was really nice having them here! I know they were absolutely thrilled to meet their first grandchild, and they really love William a lot. Thanks to Mom for taking care of William during the nights and for cleaning and working in the garden! We look forward to seeing you again soon in Canada!!
Over the past little while, William has started to grip things, not just fingers placed in his. For example, when you burp him, he’ll grip onto your clothing or hair or necklace! Sometimes it’s hard to make him let go! Or he’ll grab his hair or his ear, so I think he’s trying to learn what his hands do. Also, sometimes when I’m feeding him, if he’s really excited and hungry, he’ll put his little hands (in fists) up to the bottle as if holding it in place, to make sure you don’t let it go or take it away. It’s extremely cute!
He still likes to be held a lot and it seems to comfort him and help him deal with his gas. He still needs to burp a lot. He gets mad when you burp him during the early part of his feeding, because it takes him away from his food! Sometimes he will be very mad indeed, which is no fun at all at 3 a.m., to have a mad baby screaming in your ear when all you want to do is sleep. But as soon as you position him horizontally again, he calms right down, knowing that he will soon be fed again!! Sometimes when he’s draped over your shoulder, he’ll get impatient at not being fed and he’ll start sucking on his wrist/arm or on your clothing or skin. Right now he is eating anywhere from about 3-5 oz. per feeding, and feedings occur every 2 to 4 hours or so. We’re hoping he’ll start to sleep through the night better, so we can get more sleep. He does okay after the first feeding, but seems to get gas after the second feeding, and gets fidgety when in his pack & play, so we’ll have to hold him, sometimes for a long while.
I really love the little guy!
I didn’t really experience a lot of post-partum depression or baby blues. I was a little bit nervous about taking care of him, though that was mostly because when we took him from the hospital he had lost weight and wasn’t eating very well. So I was scared that he wouldn’t eat well or gain weight. Other than that and other little daily worries, I felt surprisingly confident about bringing this new little life home and being able to care for him and meet all his needs. I really surprised myself in that respect.
I only felt somewhat sad for the first couple of weeks about no longer being pregnant. I guess I’d been pregnant for so long that I’d gotten used to it, discomfort and all. What was it about being pregnant that I missed? When pregnant, I always had this little life with me, carrying him around, so it was like being in constant contact with someone; it was very intimate and only I was privy to his movements, etc. It was like having a wonderful little secret between me and my baby—a bond between us. He was just part of me. The other thing I missed was that, when pregnant, I got a lot of attention and smiles and felt very special. And now I was just “me” again.
Another thing that made me feel sad was that I just love William so much and (morbid me!) I know he will have to die some day and it almost breaks my heart that he has to be mortal or ever experience pain of any kind, etc. I would love to be able to keep him from having any bad thing every happen to him, but I know that he will have to fall down sometimes, so that he can learn how to get up and fend for himself and get stronger. It will just pain me when those learning experiences happen.
Darryl & I really love our little boy a lot! He’s changed so much since we brought him home: his head has gotten bigger, he’s opening his eyes really wide and looking at things (the ceiling fan spinning around, the blinds, his mobile), he’s doing a lot more stuff with his hands not in fists and although he doesn’t know how to use his fingers he seems a lot more dexterous now, his eyes will follow your fingers if you move them across his field of view, and he always looks at you when he’s being fed. I call him my munch-monster.
Sometimes William snores, which is very cute.
When William’s in our room and he’s being fed, or being burped, he likes to stare at this black & white poster of Greta Garbo that is hanging over my side of the bed, so I like to say that Greta Garbo is his girlfriend.
In other news, Grandma and Grampa left today at about 4 a.m. It was really nice having them here! I know they were absolutely thrilled to meet their first grandchild, and they really love William a lot. Thanks to Mom for taking care of William during the nights and for cleaning and working in the garden! We look forward to seeing you again soon in Canada!!
Over the past little while, William has started to grip things, not just fingers placed in his. For example, when you burp him, he’ll grip onto your clothing or hair or necklace! Sometimes it’s hard to make him let go! Or he’ll grab his hair or his ear, so I think he’s trying to learn what his hands do. Also, sometimes when I’m feeding him, if he’s really excited and hungry, he’ll put his little hands (in fists) up to the bottle as if holding it in place, to make sure you don’t let it go or take it away. It’s extremely cute!
He still likes to be held a lot and it seems to comfort him and help him deal with his gas. He still needs to burp a lot. He gets mad when you burp him during the early part of his feeding, because it takes him away from his food! Sometimes he will be very mad indeed, which is no fun at all at 3 a.m., to have a mad baby screaming in your ear when all you want to do is sleep. But as soon as you position him horizontally again, he calms right down, knowing that he will soon be fed again!! Sometimes when he’s draped over your shoulder, he’ll get impatient at not being fed and he’ll start sucking on his wrist/arm or on your clothing or skin. Right now he is eating anywhere from about 3-5 oz. per feeding, and feedings occur every 2 to 4 hours or so. We’re hoping he’ll start to sleep through the night better, so we can get more sleep. He does okay after the first feeding, but seems to get gas after the second feeding, and gets fidgety when in his pack & play, so we’ll have to hold him, sometimes for a long while.
I really love the little guy!
I didn’t really experience a lot of post-partum depression or baby blues. I was a little bit nervous about taking care of him, though that was mostly because when we took him from the hospital he had lost weight and wasn’t eating very well. So I was scared that he wouldn’t eat well or gain weight. Other than that and other little daily worries, I felt surprisingly confident about bringing this new little life home and being able to care for him and meet all his needs. I really surprised myself in that respect.
I only felt somewhat sad for the first couple of weeks about no longer being pregnant. I guess I’d been pregnant for so long that I’d gotten used to it, discomfort and all. What was it about being pregnant that I missed? When pregnant, I always had this little life with me, carrying him around, so it was like being in constant contact with someone; it was very intimate and only I was privy to his movements, etc. It was like having a wonderful little secret between me and my baby—a bond between us. He was just part of me. The other thing I missed was that, when pregnant, I got a lot of attention and smiles and felt very special. And now I was just “me” again.
Another thing that made me feel sad was that I just love William so much and (morbid me!) I know he will have to die some day and it almost breaks my heart that he has to be mortal or ever experience pain of any kind, etc. I would love to be able to keep him from having any bad thing every happen to him, but I know that he will have to fall down sometimes, so that he can learn how to get up and fend for himself and get stronger. It will just pain me when those learning experiences happen.
Darryl & I really love our little boy a lot! He’s changed so much since we brought him home: his head has gotten bigger, he’s opening his eyes really wide and looking at things (the ceiling fan spinning around, the blinds, his mobile), he’s doing a lot more stuff with his hands not in fists and although he doesn’t know how to use his fingers he seems a lot more dexterous now, his eyes will follow your fingers if you move them across his field of view, and he always looks at you when he’s being fed. I call him my munch-monster.
Sometimes William snores, which is very cute.
When William’s in our room and he’s being fed, or being burped, he likes to stare at this black & white poster of Greta Garbo that is hanging over my side of the bed, so I like to say that Greta Garbo is his girlfriend.
Friday, June 29, 2007
June 29 - July 8
Mom & Pap (Grandma & Grampa) arrived sometime around 10:30 p.m. on the 29th. We were already ready for bed and William was sleeping in his pack & play. Both grandparents came into our bedroom to peek in at the little guy and they were so excited and proud and happy and (I think?) overwhelmed to see him. But they didn’t want to disturb him, so left the visiting until the next day.
Mom took care of William during the night of the 30th, and thereafter every other night; we would move the pack & play into the guest room on these occasions. This was very gracious (and brave) of her, and allowed Darryl and me to get a luxurious full night’s sleep every other night. I know things went well, but I hope it didn’t tire her out too much. Especially as William often had bad gas for at least a couple of hours a night.
July 30 was the first day I noticed William grabbing onto people’s clothing (e.g. while feeding or burping). Also, when he’s very hungry, he gets quite agitated when you interrupt his feeding to try and burp him. Draped over your shoulder, he raises his head very well (had been doing so since Sandra & Jerry’s second visit) and sort of thrashes it from side to side while crying. Sometimes he hits me in the face with his head, and other times he moves around so much that he essentially squirms off of my shoulder altogether!
July 1: for the past little while, William has begun eating more so that by July 1, we have been making up 4 ounces of formula at a time instead of just 2 ounces (unless we suspect he is not very hungry). He is eating well and at a feeding will generally eat anywhere from 2 to 6 ounces. Happy Canada Day, William!
On July 2nd, we sort of ‘celebrated’ William’s 1-month birthday anniversary! Mom, Pap, William and I met Darryl at his work after work and we all drove to eat out at Ruby Tuesday’s. This was William’s first time in a restaurant. He did very well, though we had to feed him during our supper, Darryl & I taking turns eating. William weighed 8 lbs, 2 oz. today!
July 4: Happy Independence Day, William!
July 5 was William’s first visit to the pediatrician, and his 4-week check-up. Mom & Pap both went along too. We were somewhat late for our appointment since it took some effort to find the pediatrician’s office, but we got there (a very sterile-looking place). We brought William in to see Dr. Thorne. First, after being undressed, William got weighed and measured. On the scale there, wearing his diaper, William weighed 8 lbs, 15 oz. and he measured 21 and some-odd inches long. I didn’t catch his head circumference measurement.
Then Dr. Thorne came in and asked if I had any questions. I asked about William’s cradle cap, which the doctor said was perfectly normal and not a bad case at all, and that I could use lotion or Vaseline to improve the appearance but that there was nothing really that I could do to help it or make it go away faster; it would just disappear on its own eventually. I asked about the “lymph node things” on the back of William’s head; Dr. Thorne confirmed that they were in fact lymph nodes and therefore perfectly normal. I asked about the series of raised bumps on the left side of William’s neck, which had been there ever since he was born; Dr. Thorne said they were probably clogged sebaceous glands since they had little heads on them. I asked whether William was eating too much or gaining weight too rapidly; the doctor said emphatically “no” and that the more rolls of fat on a baby, the better! Dr. Thorne showed us a chart plotting weight and length versus age, and on it William fell just shy of average as far as weight goes, and on par with respect to length. I asked about formula, and the doctor said that Enfamil, which I’m using, is the best out there so there was no problem with that, or with the fact that I am only giving William 3 or so bottles of breastmilk a day. I asked about William’s gas and how he seems to always been so terribly uncomfortable or pained with it; Dr. Thorne said that that was normal and that we probably wouldn’t see an improvement till he was at least 2 months old and his digestive system started to mature. The doctor said we could give William Mylicon, but that in his professional opinion, it probably wouldn’t do anything since it was such benign stuff, but that we could give it to him if it made us feel better (indeed, we hadn’t noticed that Mylicon—simethicone—had any real effect at all).
The doctor asked if William was tracking with his eyes, and I said that he was, or at least that he seems to follow me if I move my head around while I’m feeding him. Dr. Thorne asked if William was smiling; I said he was, but that it appeared to be reflexive only, mostly in his sleep. The doctor said that probably within the next 2 weeks or so William should begin smiling socially. Then the doctor checked his ears and his mouth, and listened to his heart and his breathing (both sounded good and clear). Dr. Thorne checked to make sure William’s private parts were in order and that both testicles had descended (they had), and then he moved William’s legs around to make sure his hips were in their sockets. The doctor said that most babies cry when this is done, but William didn’t at all.
Then the nurse came in and did a heel stick to get some blood for another PKU test. Although William’s newborn PKU test showed everything normal, another one has to be done at one month of age just to make sure, I guess. William didn’t care for the heel stick too much, but he calmed down quite quickly. He did NOT calm down very quickly after the nurse gave him his second hepatitis shot (the first he got as a newborn). William’s face turned all red and he was overcome with such sadness/madness that his scream was silent. Then, after a bit, it became vocal and the poor guy was tearing up (oddly, he only had tears in his left eye), and it was so so heart-wrenching for me! I felt so awful and just tried to hold him and comfort him. Then we changed him, and fed him a little more, paid the copay, and made an appointment for Aug. 2 (when he will have to have 4 immunization shots!). All in all, his first doctor’s visit went pretty well.
Sometime during the week when Grandma & Grampa were here, William had another bath. I told my parents beforehand that he would scream (he had last bathtime), and so Mom wanted to videotape the experience. This time, though, William had a great time. Upon being put in the water, William decided to demonstrate a little fountain of his own, and thereafter he really seemed to enjoy his bath! I think it was probably because he was fed and happy and in one of his “awake & alert” times. He definitely made it a fun experience, so now we’ll no longer be dreading his bathtimes either!
Mom & Pap (Grandma & Grampa) arrived sometime around 10:30 p.m. on the 29th. We were already ready for bed and William was sleeping in his pack & play. Both grandparents came into our bedroom to peek in at the little guy and they were so excited and proud and happy and (I think?) overwhelmed to see him. But they didn’t want to disturb him, so left the visiting until the next day.
Mom took care of William during the night of the 30th, and thereafter every other night; we would move the pack & play into the guest room on these occasions. This was very gracious (and brave) of her, and allowed Darryl and me to get a luxurious full night’s sleep every other night. I know things went well, but I hope it didn’t tire her out too much. Especially as William often had bad gas for at least a couple of hours a night.
July 30 was the first day I noticed William grabbing onto people’s clothing (e.g. while feeding or burping). Also, when he’s very hungry, he gets quite agitated when you interrupt his feeding to try and burp him. Draped over your shoulder, he raises his head very well (had been doing so since Sandra & Jerry’s second visit) and sort of thrashes it from side to side while crying. Sometimes he hits me in the face with his head, and other times he moves around so much that he essentially squirms off of my shoulder altogether!
July 1: for the past little while, William has begun eating more so that by July 1, we have been making up 4 ounces of formula at a time instead of just 2 ounces (unless we suspect he is not very hungry). He is eating well and at a feeding will generally eat anywhere from 2 to 6 ounces. Happy Canada Day, William!
On July 2nd, we sort of ‘celebrated’ William’s 1-month birthday anniversary! Mom, Pap, William and I met Darryl at his work after work and we all drove to eat out at Ruby Tuesday’s. This was William’s first time in a restaurant. He did very well, though we had to feed him during our supper, Darryl & I taking turns eating. William weighed 8 lbs, 2 oz. today!
July 4: Happy Independence Day, William!
July 5 was William’s first visit to the pediatrician, and his 4-week check-up. Mom & Pap both went along too. We were somewhat late for our appointment since it took some effort to find the pediatrician’s office, but we got there (a very sterile-looking place). We brought William in to see Dr. Thorne. First, after being undressed, William got weighed and measured. On the scale there, wearing his diaper, William weighed 8 lbs, 15 oz. and he measured 21 and some-odd inches long. I didn’t catch his head circumference measurement.
Then Dr. Thorne came in and asked if I had any questions. I asked about William’s cradle cap, which the doctor said was perfectly normal and not a bad case at all, and that I could use lotion or Vaseline to improve the appearance but that there was nothing really that I could do to help it or make it go away faster; it would just disappear on its own eventually. I asked about the “lymph node things” on the back of William’s head; Dr. Thorne confirmed that they were in fact lymph nodes and therefore perfectly normal. I asked about the series of raised bumps on the left side of William’s neck, which had been there ever since he was born; Dr. Thorne said they were probably clogged sebaceous glands since they had little heads on them. I asked whether William was eating too much or gaining weight too rapidly; the doctor said emphatically “no” and that the more rolls of fat on a baby, the better! Dr. Thorne showed us a chart plotting weight and length versus age, and on it William fell just shy of average as far as weight goes, and on par with respect to length. I asked about formula, and the doctor said that Enfamil, which I’m using, is the best out there so there was no problem with that, or with the fact that I am only giving William 3 or so bottles of breastmilk a day. I asked about William’s gas and how he seems to always been so terribly uncomfortable or pained with it; Dr. Thorne said that that was normal and that we probably wouldn’t see an improvement till he was at least 2 months old and his digestive system started to mature. The doctor said we could give William Mylicon, but that in his professional opinion, it probably wouldn’t do anything since it was such benign stuff, but that we could give it to him if it made us feel better (indeed, we hadn’t noticed that Mylicon—simethicone—had any real effect at all).
The doctor asked if William was tracking with his eyes, and I said that he was, or at least that he seems to follow me if I move my head around while I’m feeding him. Dr. Thorne asked if William was smiling; I said he was, but that it appeared to be reflexive only, mostly in his sleep. The doctor said that probably within the next 2 weeks or so William should begin smiling socially. Then the doctor checked his ears and his mouth, and listened to his heart and his breathing (both sounded good and clear). Dr. Thorne checked to make sure William’s private parts were in order and that both testicles had descended (they had), and then he moved William’s legs around to make sure his hips were in their sockets. The doctor said that most babies cry when this is done, but William didn’t at all.
Then the nurse came in and did a heel stick to get some blood for another PKU test. Although William’s newborn PKU test showed everything normal, another one has to be done at one month of age just to make sure, I guess. William didn’t care for the heel stick too much, but he calmed down quite quickly. He did NOT calm down very quickly after the nurse gave him his second hepatitis shot (the first he got as a newborn). William’s face turned all red and he was overcome with such sadness/madness that his scream was silent. Then, after a bit, it became vocal and the poor guy was tearing up (oddly, he only had tears in his left eye), and it was so so heart-wrenching for me! I felt so awful and just tried to hold him and comfort him. Then we changed him, and fed him a little more, paid the copay, and made an appointment for Aug. 2 (when he will have to have 4 immunization shots!). All in all, his first doctor’s visit went pretty well.
Sometime during the week when Grandma & Grampa were here, William had another bath. I told my parents beforehand that he would scream (he had last bathtime), and so Mom wanted to videotape the experience. This time, though, William had a great time. Upon being put in the water, William decided to demonstrate a little fountain of his own, and thereafter he really seemed to enjoy his bath! I think it was probably because he was fed and happy and in one of his “awake & alert” times. He definitely made it a fun experience, so now we’ll no longer be dreading his bathtimes either!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
June 23 - June 28
Sandra & Jerry came and stayed with us, this time in our guest room, since Darryl had to go to Alaska for work. It was a huge help and Sandra taking care of William at times during the day and sometimes in the wee hours, really allowed me to catch up on some sleep.
June 25th, we put William into the vibrating seat and rattled the rattles and bounced the seat and tickled William’s tummy. He made little giggles/laughs of enjoyment: a big smile on his face and cute little “shrieks” of happiness. I thought this was the first time he’d done that, and was so excited to get it on video for Darryl, but upon seeing some video from a few days before, I saw that William had made those little noises before only I hadn’t recognized them for what they were. Even so, it was really really cute and it made me very happy to see him happy and excited. He is starting to have an “awake and alert” time every day now, which lasts about 0-2 hours once a day.
Sandra & Jerry came and stayed with us, this time in our guest room, since Darryl had to go to Alaska for work. It was a huge help and Sandra taking care of William at times during the day and sometimes in the wee hours, really allowed me to catch up on some sleep.
June 25th, we put William into the vibrating seat and rattled the rattles and bounced the seat and tickled William’s tummy. He made little giggles/laughs of enjoyment: a big smile on his face and cute little “shrieks” of happiness. I thought this was the first time he’d done that, and was so excited to get it on video for Darryl, but upon seeing some video from a few days before, I saw that William had made those little noises before only I hadn’t recognized them for what they were. Even so, it was really really cute and it made me very happy to see him happy and excited. He is starting to have an “awake and alert” time every day now, which lasts about 0-2 hours once a day.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
I had been worried about William not gaining weight, especially as his jaundice didn’t seem to me to be clearing up, so I ordered a scale online. It arrived today and so we eagerly weighed him: 7 lbs, 1 oz! After weighing William, we gave him his first real (non-sponge) bath which we videotaped for a bit. Boy, he sure didn’t like it at all! He cried the entire time and I felt horrible…
Monday, June 18, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
June 11 - June 13
I came down with a fever, with unknown origins. I would be, at turns, very hot or very cold and I was so tired, my legs feeling especially weak and sore. Darryl & I were both worried that William might come down with a fever too, but he fortunately did not. It was hard for me to nurse William at that time, though; I was so hot, and nursing was making William very hot too, which worried Darryl a bit.
Sometime in here, William’s circumcision finally healed and we no longer had to apply petroleum jelly to it.
I came down with a fever, with unknown origins. I would be, at turns, very hot or very cold and I was so tired, my legs feeling especially weak and sore. Darryl & I were both worried that William might come down with a fever too, but he fortunately did not. It was hard for me to nurse William at that time, though; I was so hot, and nursing was making William very hot too, which worried Darryl a bit.
Sometime in here, William’s circumcision finally healed and we no longer had to apply petroleum jelly to it.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
We returned to the hospital to meet up with the lactation consultant, only she wasn’t there and her office was closed. So another nurse helped us and checked William’s jaundice levels. They were up a bit, but on the other hand, William’s weight was up to 6 lbs, 7 oz, so again the nurse was not worried. And again, I continued to worry!!
Sometime between the two visits to the lactation consultant was that I suggested Darryl apply the Vaseline to a piece of gauze and wrap up William’s penis instead of applying the Vaseline directly. Unfortunately, the gauze stuck to William’s penis and it took Darryl a bit to get it off—awful!! We felt SO bad!
Sometime between the two visits to the lactation consultant was that I suggested Darryl apply the Vaseline to a piece of gauze and wrap up William’s penis instead of applying the Vaseline directly. Unfortunately, the gauze stuck to William’s penis and it took Darryl a bit to get it off—awful!! We felt SO bad!
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
A few days after being born, William started making little breathy laughs/giggles in his sleep (like “hee hee hee”), with his whole tummy shaking. Again, though, these seemed to be reflexive in nature.
June 5 - June 9
Sandra & Jerry came to stay with us and help us look after William and help with household chores. Actually, they drove down with their trailer and stayed in a campground in Shorter, spending the days with us. Darryl also had the week off work, so the three of us got a lot of time to begin bonding as a family. Nursing, though, was very time-consuming since William would eat a bit, sleep a bit, eat a little more, sleep some more, etc. A feeding could take an hour and a half or more, after which it was almost time to start feeding him again! So, we didn’t get much sleep (unfortunately, books had led me to believe that babies work in 3-hour cycles, during which you could actually get sleep while the baby slept. For some reason, I imagined they would feed more quickly).
June 7th, we had an appointment with the lactation consultant, just to make sure things were going well. I had noticed a bit of yellowing of William’s eyes and suspected he might have jaundice. The nurse used a little device and the measurement came back that, indeed, he did. She weighed him on the scale and he weighed 6 lbs, 3 oz. Because he had gained some weight (she said the hospital record showed he had weighed 6 lbs even upon leaving for home), Loretta wasn’t very worried about the jaundice. She said that as long as he was eating well (and based on the number of wet & dirty diapers he’d been having, it looked like he was eating well) and gaining weight, there was no need to worry. But, of course, I worried anyway. The nurse told us to come back on Sunday. We tried to nurse William in the office there, but he was just very unhappy, crying and fussy. Which may have been why he ate very well the rest of the day. Loretta suggested we keep William in indirect sunlight to help break up the bilirubin; some internet websites, though, seemed to indicate that that was not an effective treatment. Still, we tried to keep him in sunnier rooms.
June 5 - June 9
Sandra & Jerry came to stay with us and help us look after William and help with household chores. Actually, they drove down with their trailer and stayed in a campground in Shorter, spending the days with us. Darryl also had the week off work, so the three of us got a lot of time to begin bonding as a family. Nursing, though, was very time-consuming since William would eat a bit, sleep a bit, eat a little more, sleep some more, etc. A feeding could take an hour and a half or more, after which it was almost time to start feeding him again! So, we didn’t get much sleep (unfortunately, books had led me to believe that babies work in 3-hour cycles, during which you could actually get sleep while the baby slept. For some reason, I imagined they would feed more quickly).
June 7th, we had an appointment with the lactation consultant, just to make sure things were going well. I had noticed a bit of yellowing of William’s eyes and suspected he might have jaundice. The nurse used a little device and the measurement came back that, indeed, he did. She weighed him on the scale and he weighed 6 lbs, 3 oz. Because he had gained some weight (she said the hospital record showed he had weighed 6 lbs even upon leaving for home), Loretta wasn’t very worried about the jaundice. She said that as long as he was eating well (and based on the number of wet & dirty diapers he’d been having, it looked like he was eating well) and gaining weight, there was no need to worry. But, of course, I worried anyway. The nurse told us to come back on Sunday. We tried to nurse William in the office there, but he was just very unhappy, crying and fussy. Which may have been why he ate very well the rest of the day. Loretta suggested we keep William in indirect sunlight to help break up the bilirubin; some internet websites, though, seemed to indicate that that was not an effective treatment. Still, we tried to keep him in sunnier rooms.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Darryl went home for a bit in the morning to see to the cats, and William went up to the nursery to be circumcised, to get his PKU test and his Hepatitis B shot, to get checked for jaundice, to have his hearing tested, and maybe some other things I don’t know about or remember. I do remember that he seemed to be in the nursery FOREVER and I was starting to get worried because he hadn’t really been eating very much (i.e., very often) and he was gone already for 5 hours. I kept asking the nurses to tell me when he’d be able to be returned to my room, etc. but although they said they’d check, they didn’t get back to me. After what seemed to be an eternity, he was finally brought back to me and I was so indescribably happy!A nurse came in and asked me if I had any questions about how to care for my baby once he was at home (it is hard to know what questions to ask when you’ve had no experience caring for a baby!). She went over (VERY briefly) some common care tips. Loretta, the nursing consultant with whom we’d taking the nursing intro class, came in and checked up on how William was nursing. His technique was very good, she said, and she advised that we try to keep him awake or actively wake him up so he could feed regularly. She again mentioned that we would be able to make sure he was eating enough by how many dirty diapers he had per day.
Darryl came back, and finally it was time to take William home!!! That was a bit daunting to think of and a bit scary since it is such a huge responsibility! Yet another nurse came in to get a bunch of paperwork filled out and ask some last-minute questions. She also took William to get his “Storkbytes” photo taken for the EAMC website. What a cute photo! William is even smiling in it (today was the first day William smiled, though they were only reflexive type smiles)! We put William in his car seat (how tiny he looks in it!) and drove home.
Some of the cats sniffed William upon his arrival home, but for the most part they ignored him entirely. I think they were more intent upon getting fed. Strangely enough, though I had felt hesitant about my abilities as a mother, once William was at home with us, I wasn’t really worried about being able to care for him. What did worry me, though, was whether he was going to eat enough! His weight on leaving the hospital was down to 6 lbs, 1 oz.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
What all happened today is a bit of a blur. We tried to have William in the room with us as much as possible, and he was with us almost the whole day. Darryl went home briefly during the day, but spent the night of the 3rd at the hospital with me. William nursed very well when he was hungry, but since the lactation consultant had said he should eat for 20 minutes every 2-3 hours, I was getting a bit worried because William was so sleepy. It seemed like all he wanted to do was sleep! He really seemed to enjoy snuggling next to us and it was so nice holding William and watching his expressions; we spent hours doing just that!
Every so often nurses would come in to check me or to check William. Someone came in to give me hospital food (it was not awful). Getting out of bed, especially the whole toilet routine, was very tiring for me. It felt like my muscles were so weak and I got out of breath so easily. Dr. Smith (from Lee obstetrics) came to check on me and told me my iron was very low, so prescribed iron pills for me. This made sense since I was so pale and weak, and loss of blood (or low iron) may account for my initial nausea and faintness on the 2nd too.
On my tape recorder, I made a note of how William had hiccups twice and sneezed a couple of times, spit up and burped and passed gas, that he peed and pooped his diaper successfully, and that when Darryl changed him for the first time he peed! He moves his hands and can open his eyes and “look at stuff” (I don’t know how much he was able to see or focus at that point). “He’s very sweet. He’s extremely sweet. We love him very, very, very, VERY much! More than we could ever even describe.”
Every so often nurses would come in to check me or to check William. Someone came in to give me hospital food (it was not awful). Getting out of bed, especially the whole toilet routine, was very tiring for me. It felt like my muscles were so weak and I got out of breath so easily. Dr. Smith (from Lee obstetrics) came to check on me and told me my iron was very low, so prescribed iron pills for me. This made sense since I was so pale and weak, and loss of blood (or low iron) may account for my initial nausea and faintness on the 2nd too.
On my tape recorder, I made a note of how William had hiccups twice and sneezed a couple of times, spit up and burped and passed gas, that he peed and pooped his diaper successfully, and that when Darryl changed him for the first time he peed! He moves his hands and can open his eyes and “look at stuff” (I don’t know how much he was able to see or focus at that point). “He’s very sweet. He’s extremely sweet. We love him very, very, very, VERY much! More than we could ever even describe.”
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Well, it's really July 5th today and I haven't updated this blog in a longgg time. But then, I've been quite busy with a little William Walter! :-)
Here's how it happened on June 2, 2007:
Those cramp type contractions I mentioned in my last post as a pregnant woman were really the start of the REAL THING. They were pretty intermittent between 4 a.m. and 1 p.m., variable in strength and frequency (often 20 min. apart). I remember, I tried to fall back asleep after my first contraction, and I'd almost done so when another one hit. And I realized that I would not be able to fall asleep again. I remember distinctly thinking "I really should've appreciated getting a full 8 hours' sleep, because if this is the start of my labour, I may not get that chance again for several months!" Until about 1 p.m., my contractions really weren't all that bad. I didn't quite feel up to going to Hobby Lobby and running the other errands around town that I had planned for the weekend, but I was able to clean the house (which somehow seemed really important to get done before William was born).
Then around 1 p.m. the contractions got stronger and closer together (10 min.). Between 2 and 3 p.m. they'd started being about 4 min. apart quite regularly--I'd gotten Darryl to time them and keep track of them on paper--and I had to stop what I was doing to breathe through them.
I phoned the hospital and let them know the timing of my contractions, and so we left for the hospital (a 40 min. trip!) around 3:30 p.m. I brought my tape recorder along to record a bit of my experience of labour. I'm listening to it for the first time now... "It's 3:42 p.m. and I think William will be born maybe by 7. [laugh] That's wishful thinking I guess. No... I don't know but maybe he'll be born today on June 2nd, 2007. And I'm kind of scared because I don't know what's going to happen. And now I'm having a contraction and it hurts. It's hard to sit here comfortably in Darryl's car. [painful] Oh man. It makes my back hurt too." My contractions came closer and closer together during the drive and it was quite agonizing to sit there in the car. Darryl says he thought I would rip off the handle (above the door/window)! I definitely had to use all my concentration for breathing and I kept my eyes closed.
We got to the hospital and parked close by in the parking deck ("illegally" in the 55+ older parking spots), and I had to stop during my walk into the building so I could just breathe and get through the contractions. I was definitely getting a bit scared and I felt very self-conscious to have to stop and breathe every so often. We went up to the 3rd floor, only to find out we were supposed to go to the 2nd floor. So we did.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that Dr. Alverson was on-call that evening, because he was the obstetrician I'd seen the most and I was most comfortable with him. He and the nurse got me into an examination room and checked me out: I was 6-7 cm dilated.
Before the weekend, I'd made up a birth plan to carry with me to the hospital, and I'd decided on how I wanted my delivery experience to be, with music, etc. etc. I wanted as natural a childbirth as possible. However, when I got there, it was a bit hard to think clearly, but I definitely decided to get an epidural when they asked, because I was finding my contractions to be quite painful and I knew they would just get worse once my water broke. So they started a fluid IV drip with pitocin and a narcotic, Stadol, which made the contractions more bearable. I got changed into a hospital gown and then got moved into a labour & delivery room.
Because of the Stadol, things from my L&D experience remain a tiny bit fuzzy, but here is what I do remember: The nurse hooked me up to a monitor that had some belts fastened around my tummy. These measured the baby's heartbeat and also the strength of my contractions. Darryl went to the car to get our multitude of bags, then asked me if I wanted music (per my birth plan); I honestly didn't care but he put some on ("Chorus of Whales" CD). I remember hearing it a little bit and apologizing to the nurse that it would be sort of repetitive, but with everything else happening, the music really didn't register with my conscious. I remember I was also apologizing to the nurses for sort of crying out a bit or whimpering during my contractions. (I think these apologies were the effect of the Stadol, because that's how I would've acted under the influence of alcohol too). Darryl was feeding me ice chips (we'd brought Life Savers along, but somehow ice chips seemed like such a wonderful thing to have! They were perfect for the occasion). Darryl was also on my right, letting me hold his hand and squeeze it (tightly!!) during contractions. It was great to have that support there and also to have him breathing along with me (hee-hee-hoo). Although my entire self was absorbed in breathing to get through the contractions, one distinct thought I remember having was that I found it mildly annoying that Darryl would say "shee-shee-hoo" for the breathing, but I also recognized that it was dumb of me to be annoyed at that, so I didn't say anything to Darryl, because I knew he was being so supportive already, which I really really appreciated.
It didn't take too long and my contractions were getting very strong, almost continuous, and I couldn't help but start pushing. So the nurse decided to check my progress and I was already fully dilated. She pretty much said "Let's have this baby!!" and went to get the doctor. It was only about 5-10 minutes beyond that and a few pushes later and I heard William crying. He was born at 5:49 p.m. Darryl kept saying "We have a baby!". I was still contracting and the Stadol was making me a bit groggy (it took effort to keep my eyes open) so it was hard to believe all that was happening; that is, it took a little while to register. I saw William and he was still crying and he looked sort of grayish and wet, but overall very nice (not bloody or covered in vernix, etc.).
Darryl cut the umbilical cord, and the nurse must've wrapped William in a blanket. He quickly turned pink and then red and, after holding him proudly, Darryl put him on my chest for me to hold. It was a very special moment, but it was still so hard to believe that I had a baby!!! and that this was the little guy I'd been carrying around inside me for so long.
I held him for a bit and then the nurse took him to be weighed (6 lbs, 9 oz) and measured (19 3/4 inches) and checked out (I think he was crying the whole time). His feet got inked and footprints were made. Darryl took several photos. I asked Darryl to check if William looked healthy and normal (10 fingers, 10 toes, that sort of thing! The answer "yes"). Then he was put into a flannel receiving blanket with pink & blue stripes and he was wearing a little yellow sock hat, and he was brought back to me and I nursed him for the first time. William definitely knew exactly what to do and he was quite voracious for such a little guy! :-)
Unfortunately, having come so quickly, he tore me up pretty badly and the doctor had to stitch me up. Darryl estimates I had 20 stitches. I didn't really feel the stitching and I was in a very euphoric mood at the time, joking with the doctor and nurses, etc. Apparently, William had managed to tie his umbilical cord in a knot in utero (!!!), though that didn't affect him negatively, and Darryl said that William peed on Dr. Alverson upon delivery. One thing is that my water didn't break and the doctor had to break it a few seconds before William was actually born. This was probably fortunate, because it means that my contractions weren't as bad as they could've been.
All in all, my labour experience was pretty good! It didn't last very long and it wasn't very overly painful. And, of course, everything was soooo worth it, because now we are the very proud parents of a beautiful and wonderful baby boy. William Walter is the most perfect little guy, and we are so very blessed to have him with us.
The first photos of us with our son!
Then, after a period of time (I don’t know how long), the nurses took William to go to the nursery so he could have a proper bath and get cleaned, etc. Before transferring me to a post-partum room, the nurse wanted me to try and go to the bathroom. I hadn’t had much to drink that day, and certainly not very much at all since having stronger contractions, so I didn’t think I would be able to go (really, though, the IV fluids would have made their way through my system by then). Plus I was worried about the stitches. I spent a couple minutes sitting on the toilet, the nurse calling in to me periodically. All of a sudden I started feeling hot and nauseous, and I called out to the nurse that I thought I was going to throw up. She came in and put a garbage can near me and the next thing I knew, she and Darryl were calling my name and I was coming out of a black fog. Turns out I had fainted. The nurses carefully transferred me to a gurney and I was taken to a post-partum room. The nurse thought that perhaps I’d gotten nauseous and fainted because the pain meds in the IV were given to me on an empty stomach.
I was still feeling very light-headed when getting out of bed in the post-partum room, so I had to call a nurse whenever I wanted to get up (which was just to go to the bathroom; just going took a lot of energy!!). The nurse asked if I was hungry, and I kind of was, so she got me some crackers, but after eating one, I started feeling nauseous again. All those treats and snacks we’d brought with us from home sat untouched… (and right after the delivery I'd been so very hungry!!)
We had William in the room with us for a little while and he nursed some, but ultimately we asked the nurses to bring him to the nursery, so that I could get some sleep since Darryl would go home that night, to take care of the cats and get some things done. Also, he took home the little yellow cap so the cats could sniff it and start getting used to William’s smell. He said that Gizmo was interested in smelling it, but that the other cats really didn’t seem to care at all about it. As it turns out, I didn’t get very much sleep since the nurses came in every ½ hour to 2 hours, checking blood pressure, etc.
Here's how it happened on June 2, 2007:
Those cramp type contractions I mentioned in my last post as a pregnant woman were really the start of the REAL THING. They were pretty intermittent between 4 a.m. and 1 p.m., variable in strength and frequency (often 20 min. apart). I remember, I tried to fall back asleep after my first contraction, and I'd almost done so when another one hit. And I realized that I would not be able to fall asleep again. I remember distinctly thinking "I really should've appreciated getting a full 8 hours' sleep, because if this is the start of my labour, I may not get that chance again for several months!" Until about 1 p.m., my contractions really weren't all that bad. I didn't quite feel up to going to Hobby Lobby and running the other errands around town that I had planned for the weekend, but I was able to clean the house (which somehow seemed really important to get done before William was born).
Then around 1 p.m. the contractions got stronger and closer together (10 min.). Between 2 and 3 p.m. they'd started being about 4 min. apart quite regularly--I'd gotten Darryl to time them and keep track of them on paper--and I had to stop what I was doing to breathe through them.
I phoned the hospital and let them know the timing of my contractions, and so we left for the hospital (a 40 min. trip!) around 3:30 p.m. I brought my tape recorder along to record a bit of my experience of labour. I'm listening to it for the first time now... "It's 3:42 p.m. and I think William will be born maybe by 7. [laugh] That's wishful thinking I guess. No... I don't know but maybe he'll be born today on June 2nd, 2007. And I'm kind of scared because I don't know what's going to happen. And now I'm having a contraction and it hurts. It's hard to sit here comfortably in Darryl's car. [painful] Oh man. It makes my back hurt too." My contractions came closer and closer together during the drive and it was quite agonizing to sit there in the car. Darryl says he thought I would rip off the handle (above the door/window)! I definitely had to use all my concentration for breathing and I kept my eyes closed.
We got to the hospital and parked close by in the parking deck ("illegally" in the 55+ older parking spots), and I had to stop during my walk into the building so I could just breathe and get through the contractions. I was definitely getting a bit scared and I felt very self-conscious to have to stop and breathe every so often. We went up to the 3rd floor, only to find out we were supposed to go to the 2nd floor. So we did.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that Dr. Alverson was on-call that evening, because he was the obstetrician I'd seen the most and I was most comfortable with him. He and the nurse got me into an examination room and checked me out: I was 6-7 cm dilated.
Before the weekend, I'd made up a birth plan to carry with me to the hospital, and I'd decided on how I wanted my delivery experience to be, with music, etc. etc. I wanted as natural a childbirth as possible. However, when I got there, it was a bit hard to think clearly, but I definitely decided to get an epidural when they asked, because I was finding my contractions to be quite painful and I knew they would just get worse once my water broke. So they started a fluid IV drip with pitocin and a narcotic, Stadol, which made the contractions more bearable. I got changed into a hospital gown and then got moved into a labour & delivery room.
Because of the Stadol, things from my L&D experience remain a tiny bit fuzzy, but here is what I do remember: The nurse hooked me up to a monitor that had some belts fastened around my tummy. These measured the baby's heartbeat and also the strength of my contractions. Darryl went to the car to get our multitude of bags, then asked me if I wanted music (per my birth plan); I honestly didn't care but he put some on ("Chorus of Whales" CD). I remember hearing it a little bit and apologizing to the nurse that it would be sort of repetitive, but with everything else happening, the music really didn't register with my conscious. I remember I was also apologizing to the nurses for sort of crying out a bit or whimpering during my contractions. (I think these apologies were the effect of the Stadol, because that's how I would've acted under the influence of alcohol too). Darryl was feeding me ice chips (we'd brought Life Savers along, but somehow ice chips seemed like such a wonderful thing to have! They were perfect for the occasion). Darryl was also on my right, letting me hold his hand and squeeze it (tightly!!) during contractions. It was great to have that support there and also to have him breathing along with me (hee-hee-hoo). Although my entire self was absorbed in breathing to get through the contractions, one distinct thought I remember having was that I found it mildly annoying that Darryl would say "shee-shee-hoo" for the breathing, but I also recognized that it was dumb of me to be annoyed at that, so I didn't say anything to Darryl, because I knew he was being so supportive already, which I really really appreciated.
It didn't take too long and my contractions were getting very strong, almost continuous, and I couldn't help but start pushing. So the nurse decided to check my progress and I was already fully dilated. She pretty much said "Let's have this baby!!" and went to get the doctor. It was only about 5-10 minutes beyond that and a few pushes later and I heard William crying. He was born at 5:49 p.m. Darryl kept saying "We have a baby!". I was still contracting and the Stadol was making me a bit groggy (it took effort to keep my eyes open) so it was hard to believe all that was happening; that is, it took a little while to register. I saw William and he was still crying and he looked sort of grayish and wet, but overall very nice (not bloody or covered in vernix, etc.).
Darryl cut the umbilical cord, and the nurse must've wrapped William in a blanket. He quickly turned pink and then red and, after holding him proudly, Darryl put him on my chest for me to hold. It was a very special moment, but it was still so hard to believe that I had a baby!!! and that this was the little guy I'd been carrying around inside me for so long.
I held him for a bit and then the nurse took him to be weighed (6 lbs, 9 oz) and measured (19 3/4 inches) and checked out (I think he was crying the whole time). His feet got inked and footprints were made. Darryl took several photos. I asked Darryl to check if William looked healthy and normal (10 fingers, 10 toes, that sort of thing! The answer "yes"). Then he was put into a flannel receiving blanket with pink & blue stripes and he was wearing a little yellow sock hat, and he was brought back to me and I nursed him for the first time. William definitely knew exactly what to do and he was quite voracious for such a little guy! :-)
Unfortunately, having come so quickly, he tore me up pretty badly and the doctor had to stitch me up. Darryl estimates I had 20 stitches. I didn't really feel the stitching and I was in a very euphoric mood at the time, joking with the doctor and nurses, etc. Apparently, William had managed to tie his umbilical cord in a knot in utero (!!!), though that didn't affect him negatively, and Darryl said that William peed on Dr. Alverson upon delivery. One thing is that my water didn't break and the doctor had to break it a few seconds before William was actually born. This was probably fortunate, because it means that my contractions weren't as bad as they could've been.
All in all, my labour experience was pretty good! It didn't last very long and it wasn't very overly painful. And, of course, everything was soooo worth it, because now we are the very proud parents of a beautiful and wonderful baby boy. William Walter is the most perfect little guy, and we are so very blessed to have him with us.
The first photos of us with our son!
Then, after a period of time (I don’t know how long), the nurses took William to go to the nursery so he could have a proper bath and get cleaned, etc. Before transferring me to a post-partum room, the nurse wanted me to try and go to the bathroom. I hadn’t had much to drink that day, and certainly not very much at all since having stronger contractions, so I didn’t think I would be able to go (really, though, the IV fluids would have made their way through my system by then). Plus I was worried about the stitches. I spent a couple minutes sitting on the toilet, the nurse calling in to me periodically. All of a sudden I started feeling hot and nauseous, and I called out to the nurse that I thought I was going to throw up. She came in and put a garbage can near me and the next thing I knew, she and Darryl were calling my name and I was coming out of a black fog. Turns out I had fainted. The nurses carefully transferred me to a gurney and I was taken to a post-partum room. The nurse thought that perhaps I’d gotten nauseous and fainted because the pain meds in the IV were given to me on an empty stomach.I was still feeling very light-headed when getting out of bed in the post-partum room, so I had to call a nurse whenever I wanted to get up (which was just to go to the bathroom; just going took a lot of energy!!). The nurse asked if I was hungry, and I kind of was, so she got me some crackers, but after eating one, I started feeling nauseous again. All those treats and snacks we’d brought with us from home sat untouched… (and right after the delivery I'd been so very hungry!!)
We had William in the room with us for a little while and he nursed some, but ultimately we asked the nurses to bring him to the nursery, so that I could get some sleep since Darryl would go home that night, to take care of the cats and get some things done. Also, he took home the little yellow cap so the cats could sniff it and start getting used to William’s smell. He said that Gizmo was interested in smelling it, but that the other cats really didn’t seem to care at all about it. As it turns out, I didn’t get very much sleep since the nurses came in every ½ hour to 2 hours, checking blood pressure, etc.
I woke up an hour or so ago, at around 4 a.m., with a strongish menstrual-cramp type pain. I'd been having some "low-grade" cramping the whole day, but sometimes that can be gas in disguise. I figured this night-time cramp was an anomaly, so I went to the washroom and climbed back into bed. Just as I was ready to fall asleep, along came another one.
I've had 5 of these in the past hour. They last about 5-15 seconds or so and they're not very frequent, but they are really quite uncomfortable. My gut reaction is to stop breathing and tense up my body against the pain (this is certainly not helpful or recommendable). Because these are so different from the Braxton-Hicks contractions (painless!) I have experience so far, I'm thinking this is the start of labour...
I don't know if that means that William will be born soon or even today, but definitely things seem to be progressing. I can't get back to sleep, so I took a tylenol, ate some cereal and am now trying to distract myself. If these cramps subside, then I will take a nap later on today, though maybe I'll hold off on the shopping (we were going to go shop for posters/pictures to hang on the wall in the nursery)....
One thing that these contractions make me aware of is that I doubt I will refuse an epidural when the time comes! I guess I'm a woos after all!! :-)
I'll keep y'all posted.
I've had 5 of these in the past hour. They last about 5-15 seconds or so and they're not very frequent, but they are really quite uncomfortable. My gut reaction is to stop breathing and tense up my body against the pain (this is certainly not helpful or recommendable). Because these are so different from the Braxton-Hicks contractions (painless!) I have experience so far, I'm thinking this is the start of labour...
I don't know if that means that William will be born soon or even today, but definitely things seem to be progressing. I can't get back to sleep, so I took a tylenol, ate some cereal and am now trying to distract myself. If these cramps subside, then I will take a nap later on today, though maybe I'll hold off on the shopping (we were going to go shop for posters/pictures to hang on the wall in the nursery)....
One thing that these contractions make me aware of is that I doubt I will refuse an epidural when the time comes! I guess I'm a woos after all!! :-)
I'll keep y'all posted.
Friday, June 01, 2007
I had my 38-week appointment yesterday and it went quite well. I saw a doctor whom I saw only once before; last time, I somehow left with the impression that he was stand-offish. This time, though, I found him to be very gentle and encouraging. Ah, perception!
Stats:
- my blood pressure: 126/77
- weight gain since last week: +2 lbs. (sigh)
- William's heart rate: 147 bpm
- dilation: steady at 3-3.5 cm
- effacement: wasn't told, but presumably has remained the same
After measuring my belly, the doctor said that William was not going to be a huge baby: he would not be bigger than normal. This is the same thing I was told 2 appointments ago, and while belly measurements are not exactly accurate predictors for a baby's size, I tend to believe that William will not be over 8 lbs. I do think he will be long, though, taking after his dad. :-)
This doctor was a bit surprised, too, about my stats (he thought the doctor from last week might have exaggerated the numbers a bit). Apparently to be this far along prior to labour is unusual in a first pregnancy. The doctor said that when I go into labour, it will not be false labour--it'll be the real thing, and he didn't think I would go all the way to my due date.
So, I'm still playing the waiting game.... However, I've got my mind set now on the due date, rather than sometime earlier. The house is getting messier again and there are some things I'm aiming to do on the weekend. However, today will be my last day at work for 3 months!!! It's a little hard to believe (maybe I am a little sad?), and there are a lot of things I need to get done at work too!
Stats:
- my blood pressure: 126/77
- weight gain since last week: +2 lbs. (sigh)
- William's heart rate: 147 bpm
- dilation: steady at 3-3.5 cm
- effacement: wasn't told, but presumably has remained the same
After measuring my belly, the doctor said that William was not going to be a huge baby: he would not be bigger than normal. This is the same thing I was told 2 appointments ago, and while belly measurements are not exactly accurate predictors for a baby's size, I tend to believe that William will not be over 8 lbs. I do think he will be long, though, taking after his dad. :-)
This doctor was a bit surprised, too, about my stats (he thought the doctor from last week might have exaggerated the numbers a bit). Apparently to be this far along prior to labour is unusual in a first pregnancy. The doctor said that when I go into labour, it will not be false labour--it'll be the real thing, and he didn't think I would go all the way to my due date.
So, I'm still playing the waiting game.... However, I've got my mind set now on the due date, rather than sometime earlier. The house is getting messier again and there are some things I'm aiming to do on the weekend. However, today will be my last day at work for 3 months!!! It's a little hard to believe (maybe I am a little sad?), and there are a lot of things I need to get done at work too!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
As much as I'd been hoping he would, William did not arrive on the weekend! He's still comfortably (for him) lodged somewhere between my ribs and my pelvis.
I took Friday off and Monday was Memorial Day, so I had a very long weekend. Originally, I was supposed to rest and relax on Friday, but I wound up cleaning and doing miscellaneous chores on my feet the whole day. I did manage to get William's scrapbook pages done--that was very exciting! However, being up and about so much seemed to give me a permanent Braxton-Hicks contraction and my tummy was tight the whole day.
Same thing on Saturday morning, as we did some final cleanup for a brief visit from Mike & Carey & Matthew. Matthew is about 7 months old and is such a very happy baby! He's adorable and you can tell that once he's able to crawl, he will take off and start getting into everything. Right now, he's able to wiggle around on his stomach and likes to play with his toys. Hopefully William will be a happy and pleasant baby too, in which case it will be a real pleasure to interact and play with him.
The rest of the weekend was almost excessively relaxing: Darryl & I just lay on the bed, reading. Having been sort of "go go go" for so many weeks and weekends, trying to get everything ready and cleaned up, it was a bit of a shock to have virtually nothing to do!
I must admit to having been somewhat mopey and complainy over the weekend, though. My abdomen was quite uncomfortable and I guess I have heartburn despite the Zantac. Darryl takes all of this in stride, though, and he is being very helpful around the house. Today at work I felt quite uncomfortable and heartburny as well: I decided that Friday (June 1) will be my last day at work, pending what the doctor says at my appointment on Thursday--if I have made no progress and it seems like William will take forever to arrive, then I may consider working another week. It would be awful to sit around for 3 weeks at home if William decides to be 2 weeks late.
But now I'm in week 38--can you believe it!? I am so anxiously awaiting William's arrival. I don't know how I'll feel when he's actually born or what I will do (I feel like I won't know what to do), but I really want to see him and, also, I am ready to try and regain some kind of control over my body again. I know I should appreciate this last little bit of time that Darryl & I have together, just the two of us--the ability to do pretty much whatever we want, whenever we want without worrying about a little being, but I find I'm just so impatient! :-) I think it's mostly because people on the pregnancy.org bulletin board who are also due in June have begun having their children, and so that makes me think that William could/should arrive anytime. Whereas, if I were not on that board, I would have expected William closer to his due date and perhaps not had as much crazy anticipation as I do now. My whole weekend (since I was convinced, somehow, that he would be born on the weekend) was spent thinking every moment "when will my water break?", "will it break now?", "is he going to arrive today?", "when are my contractions going to start?" :-) This is probably very silly, I know. The waiting is the hardest thing, to me.
I'm trying to be less anticipatory now. I have to really realize that William is not going to be born until he is ready to be born, and that could be any time within the next 3.5 weeks or so. The time will fly by, regardless of how many or how few days it still takes, and I will simply have to try and enjoy the time I have now to get some things done around the house or yard that I might not otherwise get done. William: we love you!!!!
Week 38
"Your baby has really fattened up. He likely weighs between 6 and 7 1/2 pounds now, and is between 19 and 20 inches long. He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon feel when he wraps his little hand around your pinky. His organs are fully developed and in place, but his lungs and brain will continue to mature right through childhood Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old."
-- from: www.babycenter.com
I took Friday off and Monday was Memorial Day, so I had a very long weekend. Originally, I was supposed to rest and relax on Friday, but I wound up cleaning and doing miscellaneous chores on my feet the whole day. I did manage to get William's scrapbook pages done--that was very exciting! However, being up and about so much seemed to give me a permanent Braxton-Hicks contraction and my tummy was tight the whole day.
Same thing on Saturday morning, as we did some final cleanup for a brief visit from Mike & Carey & Matthew. Matthew is about 7 months old and is such a very happy baby! He's adorable and you can tell that once he's able to crawl, he will take off and start getting into everything. Right now, he's able to wiggle around on his stomach and likes to play with his toys. Hopefully William will be a happy and pleasant baby too, in which case it will be a real pleasure to interact and play with him.
The rest of the weekend was almost excessively relaxing: Darryl & I just lay on the bed, reading. Having been sort of "go go go" for so many weeks and weekends, trying to get everything ready and cleaned up, it was a bit of a shock to have virtually nothing to do!
I must admit to having been somewhat mopey and complainy over the weekend, though. My abdomen was quite uncomfortable and I guess I have heartburn despite the Zantac. Darryl takes all of this in stride, though, and he is being very helpful around the house. Today at work I felt quite uncomfortable and heartburny as well: I decided that Friday (June 1) will be my last day at work, pending what the doctor says at my appointment on Thursday--if I have made no progress and it seems like William will take forever to arrive, then I may consider working another week. It would be awful to sit around for 3 weeks at home if William decides to be 2 weeks late.
But now I'm in week 38--can you believe it!? I am so anxiously awaiting William's arrival. I don't know how I'll feel when he's actually born or what I will do (I feel like I won't know what to do), but I really want to see him and, also, I am ready to try and regain some kind of control over my body again. I know I should appreciate this last little bit of time that Darryl & I have together, just the two of us--the ability to do pretty much whatever we want, whenever we want without worrying about a little being, but I find I'm just so impatient! :-) I think it's mostly because people on the pregnancy.org bulletin board who are also due in June have begun having their children, and so that makes me think that William could/should arrive anytime. Whereas, if I were not on that board, I would have expected William closer to his due date and perhaps not had as much crazy anticipation as I do now. My whole weekend (since I was convinced, somehow, that he would be born on the weekend) was spent thinking every moment "when will my water break?", "will it break now?", "is he going to arrive today?", "when are my contractions going to start?" :-) This is probably very silly, I know. The waiting is the hardest thing, to me.
I'm trying to be less anticipatory now. I have to really realize that William is not going to be born until he is ready to be born, and that could be any time within the next 3.5 weeks or so. The time will fly by, regardless of how many or how few days it still takes, and I will simply have to try and enjoy the time I have now to get some things done around the house or yard that I might not otherwise get done. William: we love you!!!!
Week 38
"Your baby has really fattened up. He likely weighs between 6 and 7 1/2 pounds now, and is between 19 and 20 inches long. He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon feel when he wraps his little hand around your pinky. His organs are fully developed and in place, but his lungs and brain will continue to mature right through childhood Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old."
-- from: www.babycenter.com
Thursday, May 24, 2007
I just got back from my 37-week appointment at the doctor's.
Here are my stats for this week:
- blood pressure: 113/72
- weight gain since last week: 0 lbs.
- William's heart rate: 137 bpm
- dilation: 3-3.5 cm
- effaced: 90%
- test for Group B Strep: negative
The doctor was pretty impressed, and I think surprised, by the progress from last week to this week. He said the baby's head is very low. Although I could really stay at this level of dilation and effacement for weeks yet, I think William is getting ready to arrive within the next week. At the end of the appointment, the doctor said "See you next week, if we don't see you before then!" (That's not why I think William will arrive early.... I'm really just hoping that we will see William soon :-).
Here are my stats for this week:
- blood pressure: 113/72
- weight gain since last week: 0 lbs.
- William's heart rate: 137 bpm
- dilation: 3-3.5 cm
- effaced: 90%
- test for Group B Strep: negative
The doctor was pretty impressed, and I think surprised, by the progress from last week to this week. He said the baby's head is very low. Although I could really stay at this level of dilation and effacement for weeks yet, I think William is getting ready to arrive within the next week. At the end of the appointment, the doctor said "See you next week, if we don't see you before then!" (That's not why I think William will arrive early.... I'm really just hoping that we will see William soon :-).
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Yesterday at lunchtime, the ladies at Sugg Lab threw a little surprise baby shower for me! It was really unexpected and very much appreciated! Kay set up a blue tablecloth and some gardenias, had some butter mints in a bowl, and served cake and orange sherbet ice cream. The cake was really cute with little icing booties and safety pins in blue on a white background.
Here are the gifts we received:
- from Lisa: diapers (size 2 – this is good because they are a little larger)
- from Shonda: a cute little plaid overall outfit and a parenting prayer book
- from Pat: travel-sized baby care products, a hooded towel and washcloth set, and a stuffed/
rattle toy
- from Kay: a vibrating bouncy seat (unfortunately, we have one of these already so she is
taking it back and will trade it in for something else, possibly a Snugli baby carrier)
It really made me feel special that they would celebrate William like this! I’ve always felt very welcomed at Sugg Lab, and the people there have always shown me nothing but kindness and friendship. It’s just really, really appreciated—thanks!
Kay gave me her phone numbers in case I go into labour while Darryl is in Florida!
In other news: on Monday, I stopped taking Nexium, so that it will be out of my system by the time I breastfeed (since I don’t know when that will be, the doctor advised I could stop around 37 weeks when William was officially full-term). However, this morning my stomach hurts in what I’ve been calling a “pre-ulcer” manner. I have been taking 75mg Zantac before supper, and I hope that will work, because I would prefer to breastfeed. I suppose, though, that I should be prepared in the event that my body cannot deal without Nexium and, as a result, that I may have to bottlefeed. We’ll try this as long as it goes, however….
My tummy often feels quite tight. I don’t know if this is because of gas, and with William in there too, it’s a bit crowded! Or if it’s because William is just getting big. Or if it’s because my uterus is contracting. Sometimes it definitely feels like a hard basketball or football, and then I can tell it’s a Braxton-Hicks contraction.
Here are the gifts we received:
- from Lisa: diapers (size 2 – this is good because they are a little larger)
- from Shonda: a cute little plaid overall outfit and a parenting prayer book
- from Pat: travel-sized baby care products, a hooded towel and washcloth set, and a stuffed/
rattle toy
- from Kay: a vibrating bouncy seat (unfortunately, we have one of these already so she is
taking it back and will trade it in for something else, possibly a Snugli baby carrier)
It really made me feel special that they would celebrate William like this! I’ve always felt very welcomed at Sugg Lab, and the people there have always shown me nothing but kindness and friendship. It’s just really, really appreciated—thanks!
Kay gave me her phone numbers in case I go into labour while Darryl is in Florida!
In other news: on Monday, I stopped taking Nexium, so that it will be out of my system by the time I breastfeed (since I don’t know when that will be, the doctor advised I could stop around 37 weeks when William was officially full-term). However, this morning my stomach hurts in what I’ve been calling a “pre-ulcer” manner. I have been taking 75mg Zantac before supper, and I hope that will work, because I would prefer to breastfeed. I suppose, though, that I should be prepared in the event that my body cannot deal without Nexium and, as a result, that I may have to bottlefeed. We’ll try this as long as it goes, however….
My tummy often feels quite tight. I don’t know if this is because of gas, and with William in there too, it’s a bit crowded! Or if it’s because William is just getting big. Or if it’s because my uterus is contracting. Sometimes it definitely feels like a hard basketball or football, and then I can tell it’s a Braxton-Hicks contraction.
Monday, May 21, 2007
William is full-term today!
As of 37 weeks, a baby is considered full-term. That is, if he’s born now he will not be considered premature and his body systems are developed enough that he can function on his own. It also means that if I go into labour, the doctors would not do anything to stop it.
We spent the weekend cleaning the house! It’s still not entirely clean, but I wanted to do a thorough job of the parts I did do, and Darryl helped a great deal. We also went shopping for a few more baby items (like pack & play sheets), and got them washed. William’s room is set up for the most part, his bathtub and bath accessories are set up in the bathroom, and I started putting together the items I’ll need to carry to the hospital with me. While out shopping, we bought a LOT of snacks (for the hospital) and easy-to-prepare dinner items (for the return home).
For some reason, I was convinced (wishful thinking) that William would be born on the weekend. It’s probably good that he wasn’t, since it allowed me to get a lot done around the house. I think I’ve been having Braxton-Hicks contractions periodically throughout the past week or so (maybe longer), but they don’t hurt at all and feel more like William is rolling around or stretching in my tummy. What makes me think they are in fact BH contractions is that my stomach gets very tight during them. However, since they don’t hurt and I am not usually paying close enough attention to distinguish them from William’s movements, I have no idea how often they are occurring.
These past couple of days, I’ve gotten pretty good quality sleep and my energy level has been higher. The cleaning we’ve been doing may or may not be a sign of me nesting. Overall, I feel a lot better than I have felt for most of the past month, probably because I don’t have sinus problems and because, now that the cleaning is done, I’m able to keep off my feet and relax a little bit more.
Still to do: - put together a list of important phone numbers
- pack my hospital bag
- pack William’s hospital bag
- work on William’s scrapbook
I’ll be taking Friday off, and Monday is a holiday, so hopefully I will be able to get most of the above tasks accomplished.
Week 37
“Congratulations! Your pregnancy is now considered full-term: Your baby is developmentally ready to handle life outside the womb. He probably weighs a little over 6 pounds and measures between 19 and 20 inches. If you have preeclampsia, your caregiver may recommend inducing labor this week.”
-- from: www.babycenter.com
As of 37 weeks, a baby is considered full-term. That is, if he’s born now he will not be considered premature and his body systems are developed enough that he can function on his own. It also means that if I go into labour, the doctors would not do anything to stop it.
We spent the weekend cleaning the house! It’s still not entirely clean, but I wanted to do a thorough job of the parts I did do, and Darryl helped a great deal. We also went shopping for a few more baby items (like pack & play sheets), and got them washed. William’s room is set up for the most part, his bathtub and bath accessories are set up in the bathroom, and I started putting together the items I’ll need to carry to the hospital with me. While out shopping, we bought a LOT of snacks (for the hospital) and easy-to-prepare dinner items (for the return home).
For some reason, I was convinced (wishful thinking) that William would be born on the weekend. It’s probably good that he wasn’t, since it allowed me to get a lot done around the house. I think I’ve been having Braxton-Hicks contractions periodically throughout the past week or so (maybe longer), but they don’t hurt at all and feel more like William is rolling around or stretching in my tummy. What makes me think they are in fact BH contractions is that my stomach gets very tight during them. However, since they don’t hurt and I am not usually paying close enough attention to distinguish them from William’s movements, I have no idea how often they are occurring.
These past couple of days, I’ve gotten pretty good quality sleep and my energy level has been higher. The cleaning we’ve been doing may or may not be a sign of me nesting. Overall, I feel a lot better than I have felt for most of the past month, probably because I don’t have sinus problems and because, now that the cleaning is done, I’m able to keep off my feet and relax a little bit more.
Still to do: - put together a list of important phone numbers
- pack my hospital bag
- pack William’s hospital bag
- work on William’s scrapbook
I’ll be taking Friday off, and Monday is a holiday, so hopefully I will be able to get most of the above tasks accomplished.
Week 37
“Congratulations! Your pregnancy is now considered full-term: Your baby is developmentally ready to handle life outside the womb. He probably weighs a little over 6 pounds and measures between 19 and 20 inches. If you have preeclampsia, your caregiver may recommend inducing labor this week.”
-- from: www.babycenter.com
Friday, May 18, 2007
I had my 36-week appointment yesterday morning and it looks like everything is progressing well!
Stats:
- my blood pressure: 124/77 (this has been going up incrementally each visit)
- total weight gain: ~ 27 lbs.
- William’s heart rate: 131 bpm
I had to get tested for Group B strep, a bacteria that 30-40% of women have naturally occurring around their lower regions. It doesn’t affect the mother at all, but because a baby is born with a compromised immune system, it can have adverse affects for the baby. So, if I test positive (I won’t know till next week), I will be given antibiotics during labour.
I also had an internal exam. This revealed to the doctor that: William is head-down! Yay!!! Two weeks ago he was still in a breech position. Hopefully now he will stay head-down. (Darryl thinks that William has gotten lower in my abdomen, so that may be a good sign). The doctor also said that I am fingertip dilated and 70% effaced; he thought I could deliver early.
Of course, we are still worried about William potentially being born next week while Darryl is in Florida for work for 3 days! I think it would be entirely awful to go through labour without Darryl’s support and, even worse, for Darryl to miss such an important moment. But, I guess William will be born whenever he decides is the best time for him.
Five or more people on the pregnancy.org board have already given birth! Darryl set up the pack & play in our bedroom and I did some laundry, yesterday evening, to help get things ready. Still have to do some more laundry today. This weekend I would like to get the house clean and have a bag packed for me and one for William, for the hospital. Then, I think we will have everything as ready as reasonably possible! I can feel that William is sitting lower in my abdomen (even though to me it doesn’t look like it from the outside) and it feels as though the bones of my pelvic girdle are being stretched or strained. Although I don’t think Darryl or I can truly understand (I mean, viscerally) that we are going to be parents within the month, nor do we understand how our lives and emotions will be affected, we are both really really looking forward to William’s arrival!
Stats:
- my blood pressure: 124/77 (this has been going up incrementally each visit)
- total weight gain: ~ 27 lbs.
- William’s heart rate: 131 bpm
I had to get tested for Group B strep, a bacteria that 30-40% of women have naturally occurring around their lower regions. It doesn’t affect the mother at all, but because a baby is born with a compromised immune system, it can have adverse affects for the baby. So, if I test positive (I won’t know till next week), I will be given antibiotics during labour.
I also had an internal exam. This revealed to the doctor that: William is head-down! Yay!!! Two weeks ago he was still in a breech position. Hopefully now he will stay head-down. (Darryl thinks that William has gotten lower in my abdomen, so that may be a good sign). The doctor also said that I am fingertip dilated and 70% effaced; he thought I could deliver early.
Of course, we are still worried about William potentially being born next week while Darryl is in Florida for work for 3 days! I think it would be entirely awful to go through labour without Darryl’s support and, even worse, for Darryl to miss such an important moment. But, I guess William will be born whenever he decides is the best time for him.
Five or more people on the pregnancy.org board have already given birth! Darryl set up the pack & play in our bedroom and I did some laundry, yesterday evening, to help get things ready. Still have to do some more laundry today. This weekend I would like to get the house clean and have a bag packed for me and one for William, for the hospital. Then, I think we will have everything as ready as reasonably possible! I can feel that William is sitting lower in my abdomen (even though to me it doesn’t look like it from the outside) and it feels as though the bones of my pelvic girdle are being stretched or strained. Although I don’t think Darryl or I can truly understand (I mean, viscerally) that we are going to be parents within the month, nor do we understand how our lives and emotions will be affected, we are both really really looking forward to William’s arrival!
Monday, May 14, 2007
And you thought we’d never be finished….
…at least, that’s what I thought! :-) By Sunday evening, we got our whole nursery room finished! That is, the room itself. We finished the touch-ups, got the blinds put up on Saturday evening, put up the wallpaper border on Sunday (it wasn’t nearly as cumbersome and messy as I’d expected), got the painting equipment, etc. out of there, and removed the plastic sheeting from the floor.
I am very pleased with the results! The border looks really great! The blinds (apart from a minor kerfuffle having the do with the fact that one blind is narrower than the other—argh!) give the room a sophisticated look and match the hardwood floor. It’s so nice to see the floor again, and it lessens the impact of the yellow walls. Because of the alphabet border and the hardwood floors, I find the nursery looks a bit like a schoolroom. Here are some photos of the room (no overall room photo, unfortunately, because a wardrobe and desk are still right in the middle of the floor):
…at least, that’s what I thought! :-) By Sunday evening, we got our whole nursery room finished! That is, the room itself. We finished the touch-ups, got the blinds put up on Saturday evening, put up the wallpaper border on Sunday (it wasn’t nearly as cumbersome and messy as I’d expected), got the painting equipment, etc. out of there, and removed the plastic sheeting from the floor.
I am very pleased with the results! The border looks really great! The blinds (apart from a minor kerfuffle having the do with the fact that one blind is narrower than the other—argh!) give the room a sophisticated look and match the hardwood floor. It’s so nice to see the floor again, and it lessens the impact of the yellow walls. Because of the alphabet border and the hardwood floors, I find the nursery looks a bit like a schoolroom. Here are some photos of the room (no overall room photo, unfortunately, because a wardrobe and desk are still right in the middle of the floor):
(click on each photo for an enlarged version)
Looks pretty good, eh? Next up for this coming week is to sweep/wash the floor, wipe down the furniture and move it in, get it all set up, sort through all of the baby items (which are currently packed away in boxes and giftbags), wash some of William’s clothes and hang them up or put them away, get a bag ready for William and a bag for me for the trip to/from the hospital, get a car seat set up (I just ordered a second car seat base), and clean the rest of the house! I’m actually looking very forward to all of these things, because afterwards I will be able to rest a bit and mentally prepare myself for William’s birth. Once we walk through his room and see all of his little things, then I will feel as though all of this is truly real. And it’s coming up soon!!!
I hope at my next OB appointment there is some visible sign of progress towards labour (e.g. dilated cervix, William has dropped, etc.). I feel as though I may have been having some Braxton-Hicks contractions on the weekend, but it’s hard to know for sure since they didn’t feel all that different from William moving.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!! I guess this was my first official Mother’s day, though I don’t feel like a mother quite yet. Darryl (and William) got me a card and Mom also gave me a card and a book. Those made me feel special; I still don’t feel deserving though, since I haven’t had to deal with all of the sleepless nights and the crying and the changing diapers yet.
Week 36
“Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is a little less than 19 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa. At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Babies born between 37 and 42 weeks are considered full-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position by now, which is optimal for a smooth delivery, but if she isn't head-down next week, your provider may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where your practitioner will try to turn your baby by pushing on the outside of your belly.”
--from: www.babycenter.com
Baby Shower!
Saturday morning I had to attend a funeral for Mrs. J. Curry, a lady I’d sat with for almost 2 years for Community Hospice. She passed away on Wednesday evening, which was particularly sad for me since the last time I’d seen her had been the previous Thursday. She was such a very strong and beautiful woman—I had really hoped (and expected) that she would someday meet William.
After the funeral, I drove over to St. Vincent’s, where 5 women from our church (Deirdra H, Judy M, Priscilla N, Peggy J, and Michelle S) hosted a baby shower for me! I think they must’ve invited all the women in the church; not all came, but there was a very good turn-out and it was amazing to me how many people showed their support for Darryl & me (and William). Especially considering I didn’t know all of them by name!
There were several games:
1) a clothespin game, where each attendee got to wear a clothespin with her name on it. After a set time, once everyone had arrived, no one was allowed to say the word “baby”. If someone caught another woman saying “baby” the first could take the clothespin of the second. And so the object was to accumulate as many clothespins as possible. I think Maddie, one of the Lacey girls, won with 13 clothespins!
2) a guess-my-circumference game, where each participant had to cut a piece of yarn the length she thought would fit around my tummy at its largest. Meanwhile I was measured and the results were compared. I measure 44.5”. The lowest guess was 40” and the highest was a whopping 83”!!! The two winners who were closest at 43” were Julie S (she is pregnant and due on June 22) and Priscilla N.
3) a word search to find baby-related words
4) a “baby body parts” word game where you had to deduce a body part from the clues (e.g. “found on the edge of a saw” = teeth; “two sailors saying ‘yes’”= two eyes [“ayes”])
5) a “baby names” word game, similar to the one above (e.g. “to be honest” = Frank [I think “Ernest” would fit as well]; “to write a post-script” = Adeline)
We ate some chicken tortillas, Spanish rice, chips & dip, and some lemon cake, and then I got to sit in a throne-like chair (it was comfortable, but actually quite difficult for me to get into and out of!). Donna W was the official gift-handler, and she kept me very busy with new cards and gifts to unwrap, which she would then hand off to the attendees to look at. Opening all of the gifts was quite overwhelming: there were so many and it all happened so quickly! I can’t possibly list everything we received, but most numerous among the gifts were: a lot of clothes, baby care/bath products, towels, blankets (Judy H made a lovely blue & white afghan), diapers and wipes, and books.
It was a very nice shower! It was really meaningful to me to see the outpouring of support, generosity, and kindness from our church family, and I feel blessed that we can be a part of such a congregation. I also feel blessed and happy that William will be able to grow up (physically and spiritually) with all the support and love of the folks at St. Vincent’s. THANK YOU to everyone!!
Saturday morning I had to attend a funeral for Mrs. J. Curry, a lady I’d sat with for almost 2 years for Community Hospice. She passed away on Wednesday evening, which was particularly sad for me since the last time I’d seen her had been the previous Thursday. She was such a very strong and beautiful woman—I had really hoped (and expected) that she would someday meet William.
After the funeral, I drove over to St. Vincent’s, where 5 women from our church (Deirdra H, Judy M, Priscilla N, Peggy J, and Michelle S) hosted a baby shower for me! I think they must’ve invited all the women in the church; not all came, but there was a very good turn-out and it was amazing to me how many people showed their support for Darryl & me (and William). Especially considering I didn’t know all of them by name!
There were several games:
1) a clothespin game, where each attendee got to wear a clothespin with her name on it. After a set time, once everyone had arrived, no one was allowed to say the word “baby”. If someone caught another woman saying “baby” the first could take the clothespin of the second. And so the object was to accumulate as many clothespins as possible. I think Maddie, one of the Lacey girls, won with 13 clothespins!
2) a guess-my-circumference game, where each participant had to cut a piece of yarn the length she thought would fit around my tummy at its largest. Meanwhile I was measured and the results were compared. I measure 44.5”. The lowest guess was 40” and the highest was a whopping 83”!!! The two winners who were closest at 43” were Julie S (she is pregnant and due on June 22) and Priscilla N.
3) a word search to find baby-related words
4) a “baby body parts” word game where you had to deduce a body part from the clues (e.g. “found on the edge of a saw” = teeth; “two sailors saying ‘yes’”= two eyes [“ayes”])
5) a “baby names” word game, similar to the one above (e.g. “to be honest” = Frank [I think “Ernest” would fit as well]; “to write a post-script” = Adeline)
We ate some chicken tortillas, Spanish rice, chips & dip, and some lemon cake, and then I got to sit in a throne-like chair (it was comfortable, but actually quite difficult for me to get into and out of!). Donna W was the official gift-handler, and she kept me very busy with new cards and gifts to unwrap, which she would then hand off to the attendees to look at. Opening all of the gifts was quite overwhelming: there were so many and it all happened so quickly! I can’t possibly list everything we received, but most numerous among the gifts were: a lot of clothes, baby care/bath products, towels, blankets (Judy H made a lovely blue & white afghan), diapers and wipes, and books.
It was a very nice shower! It was really meaningful to me to see the outpouring of support, generosity, and kindness from our church family, and I feel blessed that we can be a part of such a congregation. I also feel blessed and happy that William will be able to grow up (physically and spiritually) with all the support and love of the folks at St. Vincent’s. THANK YOU to everyone!!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
One of the girls on the pregnancy.org June 2007 bulletin board had her baby last weekend! She had been on bedrest due to signs of pre-eclampsia and her blood pressure was getting more and more elevated, so her doctor decided it would be best for her to have a c-section sooner rather than later. Her son, Jack Lewis, was about 35 weeks old and weighed 5 lbs, 5 oz. She posted some photos and he looks small but alert, and very adorable!
I know this is going to be happening more and more: me seeing my peers drop off the board periodically and return with wonderful stories and photos! This is all so exciting! Darryl & I are really, really looking forward to William's arrival. In some ways I think this month will go by so slowly, and in other ways it will fly by before we know it! I hope we will be as ready as possible (I don't know one can ever fully know what to expect with a first child).
I think William is back to just floating around my abdomen, instead of being head-down. Yesterday, at times, he seemed to be lying with his back across my stomach and during the night his head seemed to be near my ribs or in my side. It's a little hard for me to tell, still, how he's lying, but I am quite sure he's not ready to be born just yet! (I think Darryl is worried about me going into labour while he's in Florida for 3 days for work... May 21-23 or so).
I know this is going to be happening more and more: me seeing my peers drop off the board periodically and return with wonderful stories and photos! This is all so exciting! Darryl & I are really, really looking forward to William's arrival. In some ways I think this month will go by so slowly, and in other ways it will fly by before we know it! I hope we will be as ready as possible (I don't know one can ever fully know what to expect with a first child).
I think William is back to just floating around my abdomen, instead of being head-down. Yesterday, at times, he seemed to be lying with his back across my stomach and during the night his head seemed to be near my ribs or in my side. It's a little hard for me to tell, still, how he's lying, but I am quite sure he's not ready to be born just yet! (I think Darryl is worried about me going into labour while he's in Florida for 3 days for work... May 21-23 or so).
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
I happened to mention in an email to Yemisi that I had to return to running my gels (electrophoresis at work). She was quite startled that I am using ethidium bromide while pregnant. The folks at my work didn't seem overly concerned about my using it, and I do take care when I am making gels (wearing gloves, holding my breath, etc.), but now I wonder if I should be a bit more worried...
It is very easy for me to become overly worried. Darryl told me not to worry about it and I really hadn't been concerned before. But, if William does turn out to be anything other than perfectly normal, I know I will feel incredibly guilty and think that I am somehow responsible (whether it be the EtBr or me taking Nexium or what if there was lead paint on that dresser I was sanding down?). That is guilt that I don't think I would be able to bear.
I know there is nothing to do except continue to be as vigilant as possible (I will have to keep taking my Nexium), wait, and hope/pray for a very healthy baby.
In other news: I am incredibly achy! I feel like I am 100 years old and have to drag myself to move around anywhere. It was very hard to get out of bed, even though I was uncomfortable in bed too. I'm pretty sure that I will start my maternity leave earlier than "I'm going into labour now!!", which was my original plan. So, right now I am thinking to begin my leave at the start of June. We'll see.
It is very easy for me to become overly worried. Darryl told me not to worry about it and I really hadn't been concerned before. But, if William does turn out to be anything other than perfectly normal, I know I will feel incredibly guilty and think that I am somehow responsible (whether it be the EtBr or me taking Nexium or what if there was lead paint on that dresser I was sanding down?). That is guilt that I don't think I would be able to bear.
I know there is nothing to do except continue to be as vigilant as possible (I will have to keep taking my Nexium), wait, and hope/pray for a very healthy baby.
In other news: I am incredibly achy! I feel like I am 100 years old and have to drag myself to move around anywhere. It was very hard to get out of bed, even though I was uncomfortable in bed too. I'm pretty sure that I will start my maternity leave earlier than "I'm going into labour now!!", which was my original plan. So, right now I am thinking to begin my leave at the start of June. We'll see.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Not much more than a month left until William's due date! It's really hard to believe that 8 months have flown by so quickly already. I feel like we hardly have any time left at all to get things ready and to really prepare ourselves (as much as possible) for being parents!
We didn't accomplish much more on the nursery this past week. What we have left to do now, though, consists of: one coat of trim inside the closet (trim), one coat of trim on a small part of one window, two coats of trim on some knobs (for the guest room cupboards, actually), taking down the painter's tape, putting up the wallpaper border, and putting up the blinds. I guess someone will need to finish sanding that chest of drawers too....
The rest of it--setting up furniture, getting baby clothes washes and put away, etc. etc.--I don't consider "work" and I'm really looking forward to all of that!
This past weekend, Darryl bravely came with me to the breastfeeding preparation class. Neither of us knew exactly what to expect, but I had asked if it was okay for my husband to come along ("yes"). I wasn't sure if we'd be baring our breasts or what, but it was really more of a class type session. The class lasted took place at EAMC (East Alabama Medical Center--the hospital where we will be delivering) and lasted about 2 hours. We got info on: tips for positioning the baby to breastfeed, the hospital's routine (regarding breastfeeding and rooming in), pumping milk, storing milk and bottles, nursing bras, when/how often to feed the baby, how to tell if he's eating enough, etc. I enjoyed it and I think Darryl did too; we both learned new things.
I'm quite relieved that they have a lactation consultant on-staff at the hospital and she was really friendly and made us comfortable enough that we would not hesitate to call her anytime with questions. Also, the other maternity ward nurses are all trained to answer breastfeeding questions as well, and help out with that process after delivery. I don't feel nearly as intimidated now as I did before and I have every confidence that, with practise, I will be able to breastfeed successfully.
In other news: my body is starting to get a bit worn down by this whole pregnancy thing! This weekend my joints (mostly my hips, my knees, my ankles, my feet) have been achy and sore, especially in the mornings when I first wake up. When I walk, I definitely can't walk quickly and I think I'm developing a sort of waddle. My pelvic joints ache! I read up in my pregnancy book that my body is producing (more of) a hormone, relaxin, that will stretch ligaments and cause joints to become more loose. This will be a good and helpful thing during William's birth, but for now it's just a bit uncomfortable. It probably doesn't help when I walk around in flip-flops for hours or squat down to paint in the nursery! Otherwise, though, things are going well.
Some ladies at church are hosting a shower for me next Saturday at 12:30. I think they invited all of the church women because 42 invitations were sent out! This is a bit intimidating for me, who doesn't know most of the women very well, but it is really wonderful to see how much support there is in the church community for Darryl and me and William. We are really blessed to have found this congregation; they have been so welcoming and open. I recently joined the CWA (Catholic Women's Association) and I think it will be a wonderful opportunity for social interactions with the other women in the parish and also to help do good deeds for the church and for others. This past Sunday, Terry and her family gave us some diapers and a cute blue hippo bath set (towel, mitt, rattle) for William, since they will be visiting family for Mother's day next weekend. Thank you!!!!
Week 35
"Your baby's getting big. He weighs a tad over 5 pounds (think bag of sugar) and is just over 18 inches long from head to heel, and it's getting so snug in your womb that your baby isn't really floating anymore. But tighter quarters don't mean less-frequent movement — your baby should still be kicking at the same rate he always has. Your baby's kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — the next few weeks are all about putting on weight."
-- from: www.babycenter.com
We didn't accomplish much more on the nursery this past week. What we have left to do now, though, consists of: one coat of trim inside the closet (trim), one coat of trim on a small part of one window, two coats of trim on some knobs (for the guest room cupboards, actually), taking down the painter's tape, putting up the wallpaper border, and putting up the blinds. I guess someone will need to finish sanding that chest of drawers too....
The rest of it--setting up furniture, getting baby clothes washes and put away, etc. etc.--I don't consider "work" and I'm really looking forward to all of that!
This past weekend, Darryl bravely came with me to the breastfeeding preparation class. Neither of us knew exactly what to expect, but I had asked if it was okay for my husband to come along ("yes"). I wasn't sure if we'd be baring our breasts or what, but it was really more of a class type session. The class lasted took place at EAMC (East Alabama Medical Center--the hospital where we will be delivering) and lasted about 2 hours. We got info on: tips for positioning the baby to breastfeed, the hospital's routine (regarding breastfeeding and rooming in), pumping milk, storing milk and bottles, nursing bras, when/how often to feed the baby, how to tell if he's eating enough, etc. I enjoyed it and I think Darryl did too; we both learned new things.
I'm quite relieved that they have a lactation consultant on-staff at the hospital and she was really friendly and made us comfortable enough that we would not hesitate to call her anytime with questions. Also, the other maternity ward nurses are all trained to answer breastfeeding questions as well, and help out with that process after delivery. I don't feel nearly as intimidated now as I did before and I have every confidence that, with practise, I will be able to breastfeed successfully.
In other news: my body is starting to get a bit worn down by this whole pregnancy thing! This weekend my joints (mostly my hips, my knees, my ankles, my feet) have been achy and sore, especially in the mornings when I first wake up. When I walk, I definitely can't walk quickly and I think I'm developing a sort of waddle. My pelvic joints ache! I read up in my pregnancy book that my body is producing (more of) a hormone, relaxin, that will stretch ligaments and cause joints to become more loose. This will be a good and helpful thing during William's birth, but for now it's just a bit uncomfortable. It probably doesn't help when I walk around in flip-flops for hours or squat down to paint in the nursery! Otherwise, though, things are going well.
Some ladies at church are hosting a shower for me next Saturday at 12:30. I think they invited all of the church women because 42 invitations were sent out! This is a bit intimidating for me, who doesn't know most of the women very well, but it is really wonderful to see how much support there is in the church community for Darryl and me and William. We are really blessed to have found this congregation; they have been so welcoming and open. I recently joined the CWA (Catholic Women's Association) and I think it will be a wonderful opportunity for social interactions with the other women in the parish and also to help do good deeds for the church and for others. This past Sunday, Terry and her family gave us some diapers and a cute blue hippo bath set (towel, mitt, rattle) for William, since they will be visiting family for Mother's day next weekend. Thank you!!!!
Week 35
"Your baby's getting big. He weighs a tad over 5 pounds (think bag of sugar) and is just over 18 inches long from head to heel, and it's getting so snug in your womb that your baby isn't really floating anymore. But tighter quarters don't mean less-frequent movement — your baby should still be kicking at the same rate he always has. Your baby's kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — the next few weeks are all about putting on weight."
-- from: www.babycenter.com
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
This past weekend Darryl finished painting the primer on the trim, and we got one full coat of "Coconut Milk" on the trim. This is very exciting because it means we are that much closer to William's room being finished! This evening, Darryl will paint a second coat of white in the closet (hopefully that'll do it for the closet, apart from the inside trim) and I will give a second coat of Coconut Milk to the doors and windows. By the end of the week, we should certainly have all the major painting out of the way (touch-ups will take a bit longer yet). Then we can think about exactly where we would like the wallpaper border to go. Yay!!!
William hasn't been moving around too much since I began coughing so heavily. I was worried that my vigorous coughing might somehow have a negative effect on him (can it dislodge the placenta??). I'm mostly over my sinus problems now, and today he has been moving quite well, which is a relief.
One thing that I really like is: when I'm reclining on the bed and Darryl talks to William, William usually responds by moving around. I think that's great! :-)
Some women at church are putting on a shower for me on May 12th. That was quite unexpected and very much appreciated. 42 invitations got sent out if you can believe it!!! I know there won't be that many people present, but it still makes me a bit nervous, especially as I don't know 90% of them very well at all!
Week 34
"Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is probably almost 18 inches long from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. Her central nervous system is still maturing, but her lungs are well developed now. That's great news in case she decides to come early. If you've been nervous about going into preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that 99 percent of babies this age can survive outside the womb — and most have no major long-term problems related to prematurity. "
-- from: www.babycenter.com
Monday, April 30, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
It seems like maybe sanding the chest of drawers was not the best idea... Although I wore a dust mask, I guess I must have breathed in a fair amount of dust/paint, because ever since Sunday, I've had quite-bad sinus problems. It started with my throat being hoarse on Sunday night, then progressed to my nasal passages and finally Wednesday and Thursday all of my head sinuses were in pain, I could only croak instead of talk, I was coughing all the time and blowing my nose. I called the OB, and he prescribed some prescription-strength Benadryl-type stuff. Today I feel a little better, and I think by the end of the weekend I'll be good to go.
Last night I dreamt about having kids. First, I could see little hands and feet pushing and stretching through my stomach wall. This was originally due to the fact that my friend, Evelyn, was drumming, and I asked her to stop because my baby became so active as a result. Then I was looking for maternity clothes in a store with some friends of mine.
Then my baby was born and initially it appeared to be a boy (I can base this only on the fact that he was wearing blue clothes). In a little while, though, 'he' turned into a girl, whom we called Angela. Whereas the boy she had been had a normal face, Angela had a bit of an odd face: her eyes were rather large, her nose and mouth were small and there was a great deal of vertical space between her nose and mouth. Fast forward to some point in the future (maybe 15-20 years). I saw my daughter Angela coming towards me, now a young woman. She had long, dark blonde hair that was wavy and her face was similar to how it had been when she was a baby. She was not particularly attractive, though not awful to look at either. She was definitely short (around 5'-5'2"), and she came up to me and I embraced her with love. Then I also saw walking by my 2nd daughter, whose name was Maine. She was more attractive and taller, with quite short brown hair.
Last night I dreamt about having kids. First, I could see little hands and feet pushing and stretching through my stomach wall. This was originally due to the fact that my friend, Evelyn, was drumming, and I asked her to stop because my baby became so active as a result. Then I was looking for maternity clothes in a store with some friends of mine.
Then my baby was born and initially it appeared to be a boy (I can base this only on the fact that he was wearing blue clothes). In a little while, though, 'he' turned into a girl, whom we called Angela. Whereas the boy she had been had a normal face, Angela had a bit of an odd face: her eyes were rather large, her nose and mouth were small and there was a great deal of vertical space between her nose and mouth. Fast forward to some point in the future (maybe 15-20 years). I saw my daughter Angela coming towards me, now a young woman. She had long, dark blonde hair that was wavy and her face was similar to how it had been when she was a baby. She was not particularly attractive, though not awful to look at either. She was definitely short (around 5'-5'2"), and she came up to me and I embraced her with love. Then I also saw walking by my 2nd daughter, whose name was Maine. She was more attractive and taller, with quite short brown hair.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Since we will not be having a Pendergrass baby shower prior to William's birth, Darryl & I went out on Saturday to look for and pick up some items that we will need before William is born. We went to Target and then to a new Wal-Mart built nearby. We didn't find nearly as many things on our list as we had hoped, but we did pick up some waterproof mattress covers/pads, crib sheets, a baby sleeper (like a sleep sack), car shades, and a Winnie-the-Pooh first handprint and footprint in frames to hang on the wall.
Also on the weekend: Darryl painted a coat of Killz on the nursery trim, and I began the process of sanding the white paint off the chest of drawers. The wood looks not too bad under there so far. Even though I was wearing a dust breathing mask, I may have breathed in a bunch of dust because my throat has been very sore ever since. It takes a lot longer than one might expect to sand the layers of paint off: I've only finished the top and 2/3 of one side.
Darryl took some photos of me at almost 33 weeks. I'll have to post them soon!
Yesterday, after work, I cleared off the two small white bookcases that will go in William's room and be for his books. I moved them out of the hall. Then I cleared off another bookcase (the one that Darryl's dad made) and moved it to where the white bookcases had been. As I was going to put the textbooks back in the bookshelf, I noticed that several of those that had been on the bottom shelf had cat pee on them. It was mostly dried on the pages, but we had to throw away some of the books because of the smell. Other books I was able to bleach, as well as bleaching the floor and bookcase. I think the culprit was Tiger, based on his having a history of peeing on things and places in this house, the Eclectic house, and also in the basement in Mississauga. Needless to say, I was extremely frustrated and annoyed and I do not think I will be able to handle it if he pees outside his litterbox again. Certainly, if any cat pees on William's things, or in any way acts inappropriately towards William, we will likely have to make the tough decision to find a different home for that cat.
This task, of clearing off the bookcases, was supposed to be a fun one for me, because it will make room for William's books and because it prepares a space in our hallway for new bookshelves. Instead, it was stress-inducing and took a lot longer than planned because of all the cleaning involved.
Week 33
"This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and measures 17.2 inches. Thanks to his recent weight gain, he's losing that wrinkled alien look. Most of your baby's bones are hardening now, but his skull is still quite pliable. It's actually in separate pieces with spaces in between. This flexible structure allows your baby's head to compress so it can fit through your relatively narrow birth canal. The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance. This is totally harmless, normal, and temporary. His skull plates won't completely fuse until he's about 9 to 18 months old."
--from www.babycenter.com
Also on the weekend: Darryl painted a coat of Killz on the nursery trim, and I began the process of sanding the white paint off the chest of drawers. The wood looks not too bad under there so far. Even though I was wearing a dust breathing mask, I may have breathed in a bunch of dust because my throat has been very sore ever since. It takes a lot longer than one might expect to sand the layers of paint off: I've only finished the top and 2/3 of one side.
Darryl took some photos of me at almost 33 weeks. I'll have to post them soon!
Yesterday, after work, I cleared off the two small white bookcases that will go in William's room and be for his books. I moved them out of the hall. Then I cleared off another bookcase (the one that Darryl's dad made) and moved it to where the white bookcases had been. As I was going to put the textbooks back in the bookshelf, I noticed that several of those that had been on the bottom shelf had cat pee on them. It was mostly dried on the pages, but we had to throw away some of the books because of the smell. Other books I was able to bleach, as well as bleaching the floor and bookcase. I think the culprit was Tiger, based on his having a history of peeing on things and places in this house, the Eclectic house, and also in the basement in Mississauga. Needless to say, I was extremely frustrated and annoyed and I do not think I will be able to handle it if he pees outside his litterbox again. Certainly, if any cat pees on William's things, or in any way acts inappropriately towards William, we will likely have to make the tough decision to find a different home for that cat.
This task, of clearing off the bookcases, was supposed to be a fun one for me, because it will make room for William's books and because it prepares a space in our hallway for new bookshelves. Instead, it was stress-inducing and took a lot longer than planned because of all the cleaning involved.
Week 33
"This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and measures 17.2 inches. Thanks to his recent weight gain, he's losing that wrinkled alien look. Most of your baby's bones are hardening now, but his skull is still quite pliable. It's actually in separate pieces with spaces in between. This flexible structure allows your baby's head to compress so it can fit through your relatively narrow birth canal. The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance. This is totally harmless, normal, and temporary. His skull plates won't completely fuse until he's about 9 to 18 months old."
--from www.babycenter.com
Friday, April 20, 2007
Yesterday, I had another OB appointment.
The doctor is filling out and signing my maternity leave papers that I have to have turned in to work by the end of this month--so that's good!
William is measuring exactly where he should be, as far as the doctor can tell from the length (height?) of my uterus--32 and a bit weeks. I asked about that, because I was curious to find out if William was large or small for his age (in order to get some kind of hint of whether he might be born early or not :-) ). I also asked the doctor if he could tell how William was oriented (some people can easily find the head and bum ends of their babies through their tummies). At the time of my appointment, William was in a breech position, with his head up close to my diaphragm. This makes sense because around that time he was kicking pretty low, near my bladder. The doctor said that he can still move around, and I think this is true because sometimes I feel like his head is more to one side, and I feel kicks in different parts of my abdomen. Hopefully, he'll eventually decide to rest head-down, so my chances of having a c-section are minimized.
I heard William's heartbeat, but only very briefly because I was talking to the doctor. I asked about Nexium; since I won't know when William is planning to make his debut, the OB said I could stop taking Nexium around 37 weeks to be safe if I wanted to--after that, I should take Zantac or Pepcid AC while breastfeeding. I asked about sleeping partway on my stomach (like a 1/3 on my stomach); the doctor said it should be okay so long as I was comfortable, I wouldn't squish the baby.
Darryl painted a coat of white in the closet, and I am definitely eager to have that room painted and finished!!!!!!!!!!! (still lots to do, however)
The doctor is filling out and signing my maternity leave papers that I have to have turned in to work by the end of this month--so that's good!
William is measuring exactly where he should be, as far as the doctor can tell from the length (height?) of my uterus--32 and a bit weeks. I asked about that, because I was curious to find out if William was large or small for his age (in order to get some kind of hint of whether he might be born early or not :-) ). I also asked the doctor if he could tell how William was oriented (some people can easily find the head and bum ends of their babies through their tummies). At the time of my appointment, William was in a breech position, with his head up close to my diaphragm. This makes sense because around that time he was kicking pretty low, near my bladder. The doctor said that he can still move around, and I think this is true because sometimes I feel like his head is more to one side, and I feel kicks in different parts of my abdomen. Hopefully, he'll eventually decide to rest head-down, so my chances of having a c-section are minimized.
I heard William's heartbeat, but only very briefly because I was talking to the doctor. I asked about Nexium; since I won't know when William is planning to make his debut, the OB said I could stop taking Nexium around 37 weeks to be safe if I wanted to--after that, I should take Zantac or Pepcid AC while breastfeeding. I asked about sleeping partway on my stomach (like a 1/3 on my stomach); the doctor said it should be okay so long as I was comfortable, I wouldn't squish the baby.
Darryl painted a coat of white in the closet, and I am definitely eager to have that room painted and finished!!!!!!!!!!! (still lots to do, however)
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
On Monday night, we had the last of our three prepared childbirth classes. First, one of the obstetricians from the practice came in to talk with us and answer any questions we had about labour, delivery, or anything else. He reminded me of Uncle Nick in his facial expressions and demeanor. Then, nurse Julie talked about postpartum care in the hospital and at home (breastfeeding, caring for the umbilical cord, circumcision, carseats, bottle feeding, etc.). She talked about asking others for help, and caring for not only the baby but ourselves and our relationship with our partner. We formed small groups and went over some scenarios (shaken baby syndrome, SIDS, colic, etc.). The class went on for over 2.5 hours, but it seemed to go by so quickly. At the end, Julie gave each couple a certificate for having completed the course and we all hugged her "goodbye." I think especially Darryl was sad that the class was ending.
"By now, your baby probably weighs almost 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long. Her fingernails have grown in completely. Some babies have a head of hair already, while others have only peach fuzz. Your baby is taking up a lot of space in your uterus, but those tight quarters shouldn't reduce her activity level. You may have heard that it's normal for babies to slow down later in pregnancy, but that's not true. If you notice any reduction in your baby's movements, call your healthcare provider."
One thing I was glad to be reassured about is that they now encourage the baby to "room in" with the mother. That is, if you would like your baby to be in your room the entire time you're in the hospital (if you can care for him/her), you can! But if you need some rest, the staff will be happy to wheel the baby to the nursery for as long as you like. Also good to know is that they really encourage breast-feeding and will let you try and breast-feed as soon as you like. I signed Darryl & myself up for a breastfeeding prep class on May 5th at that hospital. Apparently the lactation consultant who does the class is really excellent. We found out that: William will be circumcised, by whichever OB is on call, probably on the morning of the day he is ready to go home; the umbilical cord dries and falls off in 3-4 days (this is less time than I thought); I will only be in the hospital for about 48 hours if I don't have a c-section.
One activity that Julie had us do (which I was planning to do something similar on my own as well) is to write a little wish for our child. It starts "My Dream and Prayer for you is..." and you write from there. I would like to post what Darryl & I each wrote (once I check with Darryl if it's okay). We both love William so much!!!
_ _ _ _ _
Right now, as I type, William is being very active and seems especially fond of kicking my bladder!
_ _ _ _ _
So, how am I doing at 32 weeks? It seems to still be hard to get as much sleep as I need. The cats aren't really bugging us much at night anymore, so I guess it must be due to tossing and turning, and also to the fact that I need to take a restroom break at least twice a night now. I feel like my quality of sleep is not too bad, and I generally tend to get a good number of hours' worth of sleep, so...... I don't know!
My tummy still is kind of nauseous. I think I've narrowed it down to being full. Because William (well, mostly my uterus with the placenta and amniotic fluid) is taking up so much room in my abdomen, all of my organs are squished up into my thorax. This includes my stomach. So, although I am still as hungry as usual, if I eat more than a bowlful of food, I will feel nauseous. My lungs are also squished and I notice that I get out of breath quite quickly: even when we are just singing songs in church!
William is really active nowadays! He is almost constantly moving at times. This includes poking me in the ribs (it doesn't exactly hurt, but sometimes it is strong enough to be a little surprising), and stomping on my bladder (not fun!). Because of the size of my abdomen and the pressure on my bladder and pelvic floor, I usually feel bloated. However, I'm quite sure that William hasn't dropped yet. I think I have felt William hiccup, because occasionally there are repetitive little 'bumps' that occur in my tummy. The other day, I was half-sitting on the bed, reading, and I would rest my book on my tummy. Every time I did that, William would kick there! I still don't know where William's head and where his behind are--I can't quite make that out by feeling my abdomen.
It's uncomfortable to sit for too long, or to lie down for too long. Standing is better, though my feet/legs can get to hurting because of the added weight. A couple of weeks ago, I broke our scale (one of the mechanical, non-digital, kind--the spring broke) (!!!!), so I have no idea how my weight gain is progressing. It is definitely difficult to bend down and do things like: tape up the trim in the nursery with painter's tape, pick up the cat bowls after they eat, tie my shoes, etc. Also, while sitting I really can't slouch. There is nowhere where my abdomen can bend at all!
All of this may sound like I'm complaining--I am uncomfortable at times, but I really believe that I'm having a superb pregnancy and I'm thankful that everything is going so well! So, I don't feel that I have a reason to complain. I love to feel William move, and every day I am more and more excited in anticipation of his arrival!
Week 32
"By now, your baby probably weighs almost 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long. Her fingernails have grown in completely. Some babies have a head of hair already, while others have only peach fuzz. Your baby is taking up a lot of space in your uterus, but those tight quarters shouldn't reduce her activity level. You may have heard that it's normal for babies to slow down later in pregnancy, but that's not true. If you notice any reduction in your baby's movements, call your healthcare provider."How your life's changing:
"Your blood volume (the plasma plus red blood cells) is now about 40 to 50 percent greater than before you became pregnant to accommodate the needs of you and your baby. (This extra amount also helps make up for any blood you'll lose when giving birth.) You're also gaining a pound a week now, and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and adding pressure on your abdomen, you may be dealing with heartburn more often or feeling a little short of breath. To help with shortness of breath, try eating smaller quantities more often (rather than three daily feasts) and sleeping propped up. Those smaller meals should help with the heartburn, too.
As your baby grows, the increasing concentration of weight in your growing belly causes a change in your posture and a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, your abdominal muscles are stretching, hormones are making your ligaments more lax, and your growing uterus may even press on some nerves. All of this can contribute to low back pain and possibly to some pain in your buttocks and thighs as well. Let your caregiver know if you have severe pain or feel numbness or tingling in your legs."
As your baby grows, the increasing concentration of weight in your growing belly causes a change in your posture and a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, your abdominal muscles are stretching, hormones are making your ligaments more lax, and your growing uterus may even press on some nerves. All of this can contribute to low back pain and possibly to some pain in your buttocks and thighs as well. Let your caregiver know if you have severe pain or feel numbness or tingling in your legs."
-- from: www.babycenter.com
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