Vital Info… (2d)
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Author Archives: Sarah
Whole New World (18 hours)
We cannot begin to describe the last 18 hours. Our lives have changed irrevocably for the better, and even now we cannot imagine our lives without our little man. (Who still doesn’t have a name.)
Baby is doing great. I’m doing very well, up and around this afternoon with the nurses’ permission. I’m looking forward to a shower later this afternoon. Paul has been incredible with all my needs, and changing diapers and just everything. I am so blessed by both my men.
Nursing is going well. The lactation consultant was in first thing this morning while I was struggling to get the little man to latch on. Her help was invaluable, and he had his longest feed so far.
Our son is peaceful and content. We are besotted. We’ve never known love like this before for each other, or for anyone else. Nothing prepares you for the overwhelming love you feel at that first cry. This has been without a doubt, the best day of our lives.
The vital stats:
- Born: 6:56pm on Tuesday June 29, 2010 by Cesarean section
- Weight: 6lb 4oz
- Length: 19.5″, with an impressive conehead, so we expect him to lose .5 to 1″ (he’s already rounding out nicely today.)
- Hair: yes, medium brown
- Eyes: bluish-silvery-green (they’ll fix on something in 6 months or so.)
- APGARS: 8 and 9
Paul has started taking pictures and put a few up in a gallery. We’ll continue to share our journey, but pardon us if we get a little caught up just holding our sweet baby boy this week. In the meantime, please oogle our beautiful son by clicking below.
Storytime? (37w)
We have been incredibly blessed by friends and family during this pregnancy and showered with gifts. Our nursery is in fantastic shape, just waiting for us to bring our little man home in a few days.
Except for one thing, that I’m really only realizing now with all the parenting and baby care stuff I’m reading. (My reading material has shifted from pregnancy-related to labor/delivery and now to ‘how the heck do we take care of this thing?’ type titles and magazines.) We have like NO BOOKS for the little guy. Apparently we’re supposed to start reading to him nearly immediately – and seriously, we have like two books! (Including Goodnight Moon.)
So, friends and family: suggestions please! We’re huge fans of Amazon, but the selection is so overwhelming when I go to look at kid’s books. I need guidance! What do you have fond memories of reading to your children? What books do your babies/toddlers/kids love? What book will you go all Van Gogh on yourself if you have to read aloud one more time? I’ll probably just build a huge wishlist to whittle down with all your suggestions, so all types of books are welcome – stuff to read to baby, stuff to let baby actually get his moist little hands on: all of it!
Thanks in advance once again for your help, everyone. I cannot believe that the little critter that is kicking me on the inside as I type this will be on the outside in a matter of a day or two.
Cleared for Launch (36w6d)
Today was my last prenatal appointment. Short and sweet.
- BP: 154/97 both times
- Fluid: 5.7 in only two pockets (dunno if that’s good that they were big, or bad that there were only two.)
- Monitoring: Little man seemed content to kick at the monitors, so he didn’t need to be buzzed.
- Group B Strep test was positive, so I’ll need 2-3 doses of antibiotics during the course of labor. No big deal, just one more thing going into the IV.
We chatted for a bit with our favorite nurse, Paula. She’s a neat lady. Hugs all around when we left.
So we’re cleared to arrive at the hospital at 7:30 on Sunday. This is getting very real all of the sudden.
Still here (36w4d)
Quick & Dirty update:
- BP was 155/99, so in the unhappy-ish range and up from Monday.
- Monitoring went well (no buzzer needed)
- Fluid is back up a bit to 5.7 (although Dr. Schwartz told us on Monday that he has a sneaking suspicion my fluid has always been a little higher than AFI readings are saying – just because on someone of my shape and size there’s more ‘nooks and crannies’ for fluid to hide in. Doesn’t make visualizing them or getting to them for an amnio any easier – but it does explain why he hasn’t been all Chicken Little like the nurses for the last two weeks.)
- Gave blood and pee to re-check stuff and was sent home (as opposed to the hospital.)
If I wasn’t scheduled for induction on Sunday, they’d be having me do a 24-hour urine starting tomorrow. So thank God for small favors.
Worrisome upper belly pains + increasing headache + vision changes are making Dr. Schwartz look at me funny, but he let me go home today, so I consider that a victory. It’s possible the lab results will change that tomorrow, but we’re thinking positive. In the meantime, I’m trying to lay low – which is fairly easy today cuz I kinda feel like crap between an upset tummy, headache and the upper belly pains.
I guess I should clarify that the induction on Sunday isn’t something we’re expecting to go especially quickly. At not quite 37 weeks, I’m high and tight (not dilated or effaced at all) so I’m assuming it’s gonna take at least the full 12-hour cycle of the Cervidil to get things moving, if not a second round. (Our prepared childbirth instructors warned that it’s not at all uncommon for two rounds of Cervidil to be needed for induction before 38 weeks.) I’m not contracting anymore though, thank goodness. If the contractions from the amniocentesis had continued more than 8 hours or so, that would have been a problem. So while a shared birthday with Daddy is possible for June 30th, I’m not aiming for it. Personally, I think the little guy is gonna arrive on the 29th – but the 28th would be even better! As always – safe and healthy baby and Mama is all we’re after, however that comes about.
I’m back at Dr. Schwartz’s office on Friday for monitoring and possibly an amniocentesis if there’s a big fluid pocket that the doc of the day (not Dr. Schwartz) feels like trying to stab at. (Uug, that sounds gross, doesn’t it?) I’ll say goodbye to the girls in the office who we’ve gotten friendly with (I swear, it’s like Cheers when we come in now: a chorus of “Hi, Sarah” wafts out of the back.) If I end up with a Cesarean, I’ll be in the office for a follow-up at two weeks. If I manage to do a vaginal birth, I won’t see anyone in Dr. Schwartz’s office (including Dr. Schwartz) for six weeks. (He’ll still manage my insulin and meds during that time, but we’ll do that via email only.)
So, in the meantime I plug away at work stuff and Paul tries to keep me from working too hard. :)