Baby Number 2

Well, everyone.. I am still alive.. and I am now a mother of two.

Oh what, you wanted to hear the birth story? Oh, well.. ok. I didn't plan on writing about it..

Yeah, I love birth stories, so I'm going to write about it. Plus, I want my kids to hear the stories about the day they were born.

Here's a photo of the newborn Sadie to keep you interested.. No offense Sadie, but newborn you wasn't particularly photogenic..

Anyways, here we go..

My pregnancy was pretty smooth this time around. No morning sickness, just general malaise during the first trimester. I worked daily out until I was 33 weeks. No gestational diabetes (YAY!). My measurements were right on track. My blood pressure was fine (except for one isolated incident when I was 33 weeks and my BP was high when I checked it, but perfect when I went to the hospital to get checked out.. story of my life). Sadie moved a lot, I had no cramping, no vision problems, headaches, etc.

When I was 33 weeks along, I found out my OB/GYN would be out of the country (South Africa) for the last few weeks of my pregnancy, until I would be ~39 weeks along. My sister (aka Carter's babysitter) would also be gone during the same time frame (AND in the same country as my doctor--believe it or not), so I hoped to keep the baby in until at least 39 weeks. I was convinced that this would be the case, as Carter was born at 39 weeks 1 day, and I didn't have any serious complications so far with Sadie's pregnancy So, I expected to deliver the last week of May or later. I hoped to go until at least June 2nd (my due date was May 31st or so).

On my 37th week appointment, my doctor was not there, as planned.. so I had to see one of her partners. I remarked to my co-workers as I left for my 9:45 AM appointment that I had been bringing all my stuff home every time I went to appointments "just in case". I got to my appointment, and they were running late, as usual. So when they checked my blood pressure and it was 160/100, I figured it was because I was angry about waiting an hour to see a doctor I was unfamiliar with. I got re-checked after resting for 10 minutes, and again, it was high. The doctor came in and was very concerned about my blood pressure. She told me I wasn't returning to work (so I was like ok, I'll just go home to rest).. but then she told me I should go to the hospital today to be induced if my BP was still high when I got there.

Um, NO! I was supposed to have the baby no sooner than 2 weeks from that day! I was in shock, like, ok.. but what about everything else in my life?? I'm not ready for this! So, I had to text my co-workers, ask my very pregnant friend to babysit Carter for two nights, and get a hold of Graham at home (who luckily was not sleeping off a night shift that day). As it always happens, I could not get a hold of Graham. I knew he was going to be mowing the lawn, and we have really poor cell reception at our house, so I told him to take the house phone outside with him. I called his cell phone and home phone a million times, and then I got the bright idea to call someone from church who lived down the street. A very nice man from church went and found Graham outside and told him to call his wife who was about to have a baby! After what felt like hours, Graham finally got a hold of me and we got our plan figured out.

So, I was admitted to the hospital around 11:30 AM for a possible induction. At the doctor's office, my cervical check revealed I was at 1.5 cm, 50% effaced, and -2 station. So, I was considered favorable for induction. They almost didn't let me drive myself to half-mile to the hospital from my doctor's office due to seizure risk, but there was no way I was getting into an ambulance for a 2 minute drive! I got all set up in the room for BP monitoring and to get the induction under way. My BP was still pretty high, so I was there for good to get the baby out. Luckily, my BP wasn't super high to start out, I had no symptoms of pre-eclampsia, and I didn't have protein in my urine (another symptom of pre-eclampsia), so I didn't have to get started on magnesium sulfate right away. I had to be on it last time, and it was awful. It made me sick and I couldn't get out of bed to help speed labor along. So, I was very excited I wouldn't have to be on mag for this delivery.

I got started in pitocin around 1:45 PM. Didn't feel a thing for a while. I turned on HGTV for a "Flip or Flop" marathon. Then, the hospital OB (not even one from the practice where I was followed) came in 2:30 PM to tell me my urine results came back for a high protein-creatinine ratio, an indicator for pre-eclampsia. On went the magnesium sulfate drip--and it burned as it went through the IV. Lovely. For the next couple of hours, I only had inconsistent contractions.. so the doctor broke my water around 5 PM. After 15 minutes, I was finally feeling the contractions. I have extremely painful back labor--I did not feel contractions up front at all. So, I laid on my side while Graham put counter pressure on my back to help with the pain. Every 5-15 minutes the blood pressure cuff would sound an alarm as it checked my blood pressure (always over 160/90). At 5:45 PM, I asked for the epidural, knowing the anesthesiologist would probably take a long time to get there.

I was right. He was not able to get there until 6:30 PM or so. It was awful waiting for him, but the worst part was actually sitting up during the epidural placement. I was in so much pain and my nausea was the worst! I kept saying, I'm going to throw up, I'm going to throw up! Luckily, I didn't (my first time was not so lucky--I puked many many times during Carter's delivery), and by 7 PM, he was done placing the epidural.. thank the Lord. By 7:15, my pain had decreased significantly. My nurse did a cervical check at 7:30, and somehow I was only at 3 cm. Graham and I already thought the baby wouldn't be born until probably the next day based on the length of my first labor, so I wasn't too surprised at the minimal progress.

Around 7:45 PM, my nurse told me to tell her if I started to feel any pressure. She was busy preparing the room for the birth because she had a feeling I "was going to go fast". Around 7:50, I thought I felt pressure. At 8, I thought I felt more pressure. So, I finally said something to the nurse. She checked me, and told me to NOT push because the baby was right there! Around 8:15, my room was full of RN's, Respiratory Therapists, and the hospital OB/GYN. By 8:30 PM, Sadie was born and the doctor announced her birth by saying, "Oh. she's just a little tiny peanut!" My first thought was "Seriously--I gained all this weight for this tiny baby?!?" Graham and I bet on the baby's birth weight--I guessed 6 lbs even, and Graham guessed 5 lbs 10 oz.

She was 5 lbs 13 oz (somehow the average of mine and Graham's guesses), and 18 inches short. Brown hair, blue eyes. She had great APGARs and cry after birth. The hospital did delayed cord clamping, had Sadie lay on my chest with skin to skin contact, and let us relax for an hour before weighing her and doing any procedures. It was totally surreal because of how fast things went. From start to finish, my induction lasted a little less than seven hours! I went into work that morning and ended up with a baby 12 hours later. I kept saying to Graham, "Is this for real? Is she really here? Are we dreaming?". Anyways, my recovery was fairly smooth and wayyy better than the first time around, except my blood pressure. It was high enough to stay on mag sulfate for another 24 hours post delivery, and was high enough to leave the hospital on a blood pressure medication. Super fun. Even with my complications, this was a way easier delivery and recovery!

Anyways, I'll post about life some other time when I have a moment. I'm trying to enjoy every moment and age of Sadie's life because she is our last baby! Here are some photos to enjoy. Luckily, I was wearing makeup this time, so I was ok with taking pictures. (When Carter was born, I didn't allow photos of myself until the next morning after I'd showered and put makeup on.)

Slimy snuggles

Skin to skin

Finally a big brother!

The realest photo of them all--me on the phone answering a million texts and notifications.

Pregnancy Life

Well ladies and gentlemen,

I have not completely abandoned my blog here. I thought about it, sure, but I kind of want to keep this thing going 10+ years (just 6-7 more months to go until I hit my 10-year anniversary!). I also like to occasionally publicly journal my life, activities, and feelings, just to get them out there and make me feel better. I don't really keep a journal anymore..

Anyways, I just wanted to kind of get some things out that I've been thinking a lot about lately. Obviously, I've been pregnant for the past seven months... and it hasn't been easy. It's weird. We planned to try for our second child when Graham got back from Virginia, and BOOM, we were pregnant within the month. Almost too easy, right? I wasn't as crazy about taking home pregnancy tests as I was the first time around (I only took three tests this time, as opposed to like seven or more the first time), but it was like suspiciously easy. I'm not used to things going like I planned.

Then, Graham went through training for his job. To put it plainly, he works for the government and military, and had to do lots of on-site training. He had to work day shift, swing shift, and graveyard, for various weeks at a time. This sucked as I had planned on commuting with him daily. I'd drop him off, drop Carter off, and go to work, and then repeat on the way home. Plus, it meant I was alone in the mornings/evenings/nights, depending on the shift he was working. Then, he passed his qualification exam for work with flying colors (yay!) in November.. and he started working overtime immediately (10-12 hour days, 5-7 days per week). So again, back to doing things myself while pregnant.

In December, Graham signed up for the opportunity to work in San Diego in January. So, off he went for originally a four-week trip, which turned into almost six weeks of 12 hour nights, 6-7 nights per week. I think he had one or two days off during the six weeks?? While the money was a big blessing, again, I had to be on my own. Luckily we were able to schedule our anatomy scan the day before he left so Graham could be there when we found out we were having a girl--oh yeah, we're having a baby girl! January was rough because I was not prepared at all. I had no freezer meals, so Carter and I dined out a lot more than normal. Carter: "You mean we're going out to eat on a Wednesday??"

Not to mention in December, we went through a rough patch because Graham got off schedule due to his crazy work hours, and stopped taking his anxiety pills for several days, leading to a panic attack, irrational behavior, and withdrawal from meds. So scary and heartbreaking. It made me a little paranoid and crazy for a while after things got back on track. This happening during pregnancy only made things worse because of my hormones. I mean seriously, I'm not moody.. I'm just a little LOT more anxious while pregnant. Hearing what other pregnant women have gone through, though, has helped me a lot to know I'm not the only one. I've cried because I thought I was going to have go on meds. One good thing that has happened through all this time is that Graham and I have paid off all of our consumer debt in January (except for our cars--oh yeah, my XTerra died in February and we had to buy a new car AFTER putting $1100 of repairs into the XTerra--UGGHGHHGHGH).

On to February.. Graham went back to 12 hour days.. then was notified that starting at the end of the month, he'd be on graveyard shift for 120 days.. basically, until the baby is born. So, 9 PM to 5:30 AM wouldn't have been so bad, as we'd see him in the morning before work, see him for dinner and bedtime.. But now, he's one of the most senior employees in his shift, and he'll be working 12-hour nights (5:30 PM to 6 AM), 6-7 days a week for the next six weeks until baby arrives (due date May 30th). We see him for about 45 minutes per day. It sucks so much. Carter is a total daddy's boy, so he's super clingy with Graham whenever he sees him. Luckily, Graham is a great father and husband, so he helps around the house and has put together the nursery when Carter and I have been out of the house.

Oh, and Carter and I got rear-ended on the last day of March! Our car has been in the shop for over two weeks now, we had to get a new carseat, and I've been seeing a chiropractor that specializes in pregnancy adjustments. Again, luckily, we weren't seriously hurt, but it's been a massive inconvenience and source of stress. Then, this last week, I had a massive headache, and my blood pressure went up significantly. I'm not a hypochondriac, and I hate getting checked out when there's nothing wrong with me, but my doctor's office told me to go into Labor & Delivery to be checked out. So, I left work early, went into L&D, woke Graham up after only two hours of sleep, and got hooked up to blood pressure monitors to rule out pre-eclampsia. NOPE--nothing wrong. No protein in my urine, and my blood pressure wasn't even mildly elevated while lying down. So, the doctor there prescribed a couple days of rest from work.. And here I am today--with normal blood pressure but still feeling like crap. Pregnancy insomnia is the WORST.

So yeah, this is a total whiny post. Yes, there are unemployed people out there, or people who are salaried and don't get paid for overtime, so I shouldn't complain.. except I'm pregnant. And basically, I've been going through it alone. Props to single moms and women out there. I'm not cut out for this. There is light at the end of the tunnel--maternity leave. It's not a vacation, but hey.. I'll take it. 12 weeks of it. Ah yeah.

Mommy Confession

So, I have a secret about something I've been doing for the past few weeks..

I got the idea from Christina Applegate's character on the show Up All Night, which, by the way, we love.

So, to give you an idea of what this is.. She offhand said something about her having to wear 2 pairs of Spanx and a girdle to look the way she does.

So I thought, hey I have a pair of (imitation) Spanx, why don't I try and see how I look in work clothes with tummy control hose improving my figure...?

Let me tell you ladies.. If you have a persistent saggy belly from pregnancy, this stuff will do wonders. I've worn them under jeans, work pants, etc. The panty hose developed a pretty big run in it, so I decided to cut them off to make my own shapewear. Now, that was not a great idea, as my cheap-o shapewear now has legs that roll up under my pants and drive me insane, but it works for now.. until I can afford real Spanx shapewear. I feel more confident now that I don't look like I'm still pregnant, and I have a more streamlined look.

Another bonus: I have a decreased appetite, because my stomach is squished and it can't fit a ton of food under such pressure!

Musings on Motherhood, Part 3

Mommy Guilt...

So it turns out that motherhood is full of inherent guilt trips.. If you don’t do this, you feel guilty.. Or if you do that, you feel even more guilty.. So how does it all even out?

I’m not gonna lie, I knew the first few months after Carter was born would be hard.. but they were harder than I expected. Like I said before, I felt like I had lost a part of myself after having a baby. But I didn’t expect to feel so much guilt for what I was doing.

I felt guilty first off for not feeling an immediate connection with my baby. Sure, I loved him, but I kept thinking to myself, shouldn’t I just be gushing with joy at this moment?

Then I felt guilty for not liking breastfeeding. I thought I would like it, but it was a struggle and not a joyful time. I knew I should keep doing it for my baby, but I couldn’t shake the guilty feeling for not enjoying that special time with Carter.

Then I would feel guilty for forgetting that I had a child. He slept in our room in the Pack ‘n Play for the first 8 weeks, right next to my side of the bed. He would start fussing, and wake me up from a deep sleep, and I would immediately felt guilty for actually forgetting that I had gone through labor, my pregnancy was done, and that my child was actually right next to me. It’s like my dreams ignored that big event in my life. I felt bad that I wasn’t dreaming about Carter and that the dream version of me didn’t have a kid.

I still feel guilty for not wanting to spend every waking moment with my baby. Sometimes, I just want to be by myself, taking a bath, or reading a book. I work full-time, and sometimes I just want to relax. Then I remember how blessed we are to have a healthy and happy baby, and I feel guilty for ever having these thoughts.

So, is this a lifetime problem? Will I always look back at my kids’ lives and wonder if it was me that made them turn out a certain way?

Musings on Motherhood, Part 2

Ok, so what I’m learning about being a mom is that I need to be less selfish.

I guess that’s why it is in God’s plan for us to have children. We can become more and more like him with each passing day.. if we can handle it.

To have a child, I gave up my body. The stretch marks and spare tire prove it.

I gave up my time. I spent many hours at the doctor’s office, more hours on the couch due to my swollen ankles, and hours spent on Babycenter or reading materials about pregnancy, babies, and the like.

I gave up my money. My hospital bill was over $20K.. Good thing I have good insurance! I also am investing significant money in daycare monthly.

But my goodness.. I do not want to give up my sleep!

Anyways, during my maternity leave, I put so much into Carter I felt like I lost myself. I didn’t wear makeup for months. I could not cook or bake. I hardly even laughed or made jokes. I felt so drained from my responsbilities and the pressure to be completely selfless and focused on the baby that I lost my sight of the big picture—i.e. raising a well-adjusted child while I can stay sane. I even worried if I had post-partum depression.

So yeah.. the last week of my maternity leave, things finally started to normalize (is that a word?). And when I went back to work, I actually felt like myself again.. except I had added a new adjective to my description: mom.

I may not be selfless yet, or not even close, but I’m at least trying..

Musings on Motherhood

Being a mom has actually taught me a lot about myself and life.. and I’ve only been one for 3 months now. I want to share some of my insights over the next few posts..

Ok, I’ll admit it. I hate breastfeeding. I was prepared for how long it would take. I was prepared that it would be hard. I was prepared that it may hurt. I thought I was prepared for all of it, but I wasn’t... not even close. It was exhausting!

When Carter got hungry, I had to get all prepared..
1) Grab the Boppy
2) Get the nipple shield
3) Apply the nipple shield (which would take at least 30 seconds to a couple minutes to put the nipple shield on because it would pop off)
4) Soothe crying baby--by that time, Carter would be crying hungrily, so I had to deal with red-faced baby who was so mad he didn’t want to latch on… Then, he’d latch on, but he’d start whining/crying within a minute because the milk wouldn’t let down fast enough;
5) Sit on the couch while he’d eat for 45 minutes to an hour while I sit and watch TV;
6) Wait 1-2 hours and repeat.

It was just too frustrating! I felt like I never got a break. I was a milk machine.. and I guess I still am. I would actually dread feeding time because it was such a battle. Plus, and this may be TMI, my nipples were so sore I wanted to scream even if my shirt or bra rubbed against them. The actual act of breastfeeding doesn't hurt, but it does do a number on your boobs. I thought I would enjoy breastfeeding for the cuddle time and the closeness with my baby, but I didn’t. Not at all.

We got off to a bad start with me being on magnesium sulfate during my labor, which causes babies to be lazy eaters.. and then with my milk coming in late.. and then with Carter getting jaundice and having to supplement with formula until my milk came in… Ugh. Also, I’m a very private person, so I am not comfortable with breastfeeding in public. I should’ve known or expected that!

Right now, I am strictly pumping, and actually enjoy that much better. I think I might do that next time around too. Then, we both can enjoy feeding time together. My baby can get the nutrients from breastmilk, and I can have a less stressful feeding method with bottles. Plus, I still reap the benefits of breastfeeding (i.e. burning 500-700 calories in a day).

I am jealous of those women to whom breastfeeding came so easily, but then again I’m not. I’m not tied down to the couch anymore, and it doesn’t take an hour to feed my baby. However, I do feel like I am constantly hooked up to the pump, but that is an acceptable price to pay for my sanity.

Twenty-Eleven

So it's been a while since I posted.. Yikes.

Anyways, let's see what's been going on at our house..

--We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Washington. My WHOLE family came up to celebrate and be together, so it was really nice. Carter was spoiled and was held all week long. He got to meet all of the cousins on my side, and was repeatedly called Peanut by my brother and his kids. Now, apparently, my niece who's almost 3, calls him "Sandwich", as in PB&J.

--My 28th birthday was uneventful. Graham let me sleep in, he cleaned the house, and we had some friends over for cake and ice cream.

--We went down to visit Graham's family in Portland before driving to his grandparents' house in Idaho. Unfortunately, the night we went down, Carter spiked a fever a 102.5, and our pediatrician said we should take him to the ER, so that's where we spent 4 hours in the middle of the night. We then had to hang out at Graham's parents house for 3 days so Carter could stay and visit a pediatrician in town to get antibiotics. It messed up our plans to hang out with friends, but Graham's mom loved holding him as much as she could.. so it worked out.

--We drove to Idaho amid a snowstorm, but we didn't have much trouble getting there, except for the 20 miles of pure ice between La Grande and Baker City in Oregon. Fun.

--Idaho was relaxing because we didn't do ANYTHING. I enjoyed sitting on the massage chair every day, even though it bruised my back a bit. Carter was pretty much held by people 24/7, so we're going through detox right now.

--Christmas was nice with Graham's family. We'll post pictures later, but we wanted to surprise everyone with ugly Christmas sweaters. We went to a thrift store in the small town of 800 people because there were ugly Christmas sweaters showcased in the window. I almost bought one that had cats on it and said "Meow-y Christmas", but I found a better one. It was a good thing I did because Graham's sweet grandma came out of her room the next day wearing the cat Christmas sweater.. Meowy Christmas indeed..

--The last week of maternity leave was supposed to be for us to get Carter on a schedule, like us waking up at 6:30 to be ready for work and daycare. That lasted one day.. we really wanted to sleep in the other days! We went up to the coast of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and went on a mini-hike with Carter in a Moby wrap. It was really pretty, but freezing outside.

--Our New Years Eve ended with me falling asleep on the couch at 9:30.. but it was really nice that Carter slept from 10-6. Man, we have the best baby!

So, here are Carter's stats:

Birth weight: 6 lbs, 13 oz, 19 inches long. All 10-25th percentile..

2 months: 10 lbs, 10 oz, 22 inches long. All 10-25th percentile.

Right now he weighs 11 lbs.. He's just a little guy, but Graham is in denial. He got his 2 month vaccinations, and he tolerated them well. He's talking to us a lot, and it is the cutest thing. He's getting good control of his neck, but he still makes a lot of side-to-side motions with his head. He plays with his tongue a lot, and likes to lick everything close to his mouth. He is still a very stinky baby as we found out the first week of his life.

I am going back to work on Monday, so it's really sad. I've cried about it already, but it has to be this way.. But I will be posting a little more, so you should all be excited..

Carter Rockwell is here!!!

So, here is the birth story for all of you that are curious..

I had my 39 weeks check-up and non-stress test, NST, due to my GD on the 21st. The NST looked great, but my blood pressure was creeping up. It was about 130/90 the week before, but my OB wasn't too concerned. This week, it went up to 146/98, so she was concerned. They had me stay extra and re-took my BP several times. It went down to 130/90, so my OB told me to go home and rest and check my BP at work the next day. If it were high again, I was to call her and go into her office and possibly be induced that day. The 22nd was the one day we didn't want Carter to come because Graham had 2 midterms that day..

At 9:30 PM while watching The Office, I felt a large gush of fluid while sitting on the couch. We called the hospital to see what we should do. They told us if I soaked a pad and was having contractions to come on in. I was having consistent contractions, but just a small amount of leaking. They told us to come in anyways. A simple pH test and ferning told the nurses it was in fact amniotic fluid. So, I was admitted to the VIP suite--held for hospital employees and friends--and started on external fetal monitoring at midnight. My husband and I tried to get some rest.

Around 5 AM, my BP crept up to 156/102, so the on-call OB started me on MagSulfate, which is used to prevent maternal seizures due to high blood pressure. It causes extreme nausea, so I was given anti-nausea meds, and also causes slow-down of labor due to suppression of the central nervous system.. So I was started on Pitocin as well to augment contractions. Luckily, I tolerated all of that well and only had some flushing from the Mag. I was only about 8 hours into it, but this new development in my labor depressed me. I thought about all of the interventions I'd need, Baby Story on TLC was on TV and was stressing me out, so I just thought, oh man, just give me a C-section and get this over with! I calmed down a little, thank goodness. I was having consistent contractions, but they were pretty mild, like menstrual cramps, but worse. Due to my water breaking, they did not check my cervix due to the risk of infection.. So we had no idea how I was progressing until about noon when my OB showed up.. And I was only 1-2 cm, 50% effaced, same as the night before!! And, as it turns out, my water hadn't broken completely. We hypothesized that there was a small tear at the top of the sac.. My OB broke my waters at 1:15 PM and inserted a catheter into my uterus to monitor my contractions. It was like a bucket of fluid gushed out. Gross.

Then, the labor pains really started to get bad. At first, they were like bad menstrual cramps, but then they progressed to unbearable. My OB said I could get an epidural whenever, so I labored with these awful pains for about an hour, and then got an epidural. Ahhhh... RELIEF. However, my blood pressure dropped in response to the epidural, so the nurse started some meds to raise it. I felt better, i.e. no pain, but felt like crap. I had been in "labor" for about 17 hours by then, so I was starving and shaking. I was able to relax, post updates on Facebook and BBC, but by 5 PM, I'd only progressed to 2 cm dilation and 80% effacement. I almost cried.. I thought I'd have the baby for sure by now!

So, they kept upping my Pitocin (up to 24), and when I got to the active stage of labor or transition (I'm assuming), I started vomiting really bad. By 8 PM, I was still only at 4 cm dilation. I thought I would end up having to get a C-section after all of this, so I had Graham give me a blessing. After that, I was able to relax again, and by 10:15 PM, I was 8-10 cm dilated and effaced. My OB said I could start to push. I started vomiting AGAIN, blech. Anyways, at about 11:15 PM after an hour of hard pushing and not much progress, my OB suggested the vacuum because of my baby's changing heart rate and my extreme exhaustion (I could hardly hold up my legs, I was practically crying because I was so tired, and my epidural was starting to wear off). I could keep pressing the button to up the epidural, but I wanted to be able to feel to push. So, after 14 scary minutes of pushing with the vacuum assistance, and one point in which the vacuum slipped off the head, Carter was born at 11:29 PM. He was a total champ through this whole labor. His heart rate never dropped even with all of the stress and changes from drugs and stuff, which I consider a huge blessing.

My room was full of RN's and respiratory therapists due to the vacuum-assisted birth and the reputation of "Mag babies" for having weak cries and being very lethargic. My baby was wide awake, loud, and scored 7/9 on his APGAR's. He laid on my chest for an hour but he would not feed. He was very fussy and was taken to the Nursery overnight for observation due to the wound on his head from the vacuum. Turns out his head was wedged in the wrong position! I also had a 2nd degree tear, but couldn't feel anything while my OB stitched me up.

Carter was 6 pounds, 13 ounces, and 19 cm long. He measures in the 10-25th percentile for weight, length, etc. He's a tiny guy.. We were taking bets, and both Graham and I were guessing he'd be at least 7 pounds, so he was a surprise. Oh and by the way, my sister won the baby guessing game. We've had some challenges along the way with breastfeeding, and jaundice, but he is such a darling baby and we're amazed by everything he does.

Some pictures..

Exhaustion

So, I am now at the point in my pregnancy where every day seems to drag on and I hardly have the energy to get through the day. My cankles are practically thankles now (thighs--ankles), and my belly is stretched so thin I feel like I'm losing sensation around my belly button.

But.. there is light at the end of the tunnel.. Less than 4 weeks left! I will have this baby by Halloween.. I know it. I am honestly looking forward to midnight diaper changes as opposed to hobbit feet.

Anyways, I had a fabulous weekend in California last week. I flew down early Saturday morning, had a baby shower, went shopping (I had to sit down in stores most of the time), dined at Benihana's, went to church, caught up with some old friends, and had an amazing pregnancy massage. Just thinking about the massage relaxes me. They even gave me a brownie at the end. I would definitely go back!

My mom's family was amazingly generous with baby gifts. Seriously. I had 2 large suitcases PACKED full of stuff. Plus, my sister-in-law threw the cutest baby shower ever with the theme "Cute as a button". You can see pictures on my sister's blog. Believe it or not, I still have one more shower next week down in Portland with Graham's family. I'm not really looking forward to the drive down, but hey.. whatever works.

Anyways, I'll keep you updated on the progress with the baby. Hopefully he won't come too soon! I'll be 37 weeks on Wednesday. By the way, if you haven't guessed our baby's weight and due date, you probably should. You can go anonymous if you wish.

P.S. Graham's family.. If you are reading this.. Please do not buy any newborn diapers. We have a ton! Thanks.

Baby Pool

So, I added a game on the side of my blog where you can guess our baby's gender, height, weight, date and time of birth, etc..

Winner gets an e-mail... or maybe something cool like an iPad. We'll see.

Feel free to guess even if you're a stranger.. We don't discriminate.

Some Pictures

So, I am really bad about taking pictures and uploading them. Luckily, my phone makes it pretty dang easy to share pictures online. Now, for your viewing pleasure..

Baby Carter's nursery

The crib. I was a little bummed to see that you can't see the crib skirt very well since the pattern is so cute.. but oh well.

So, it's a tight fit in our nursery.. but the chair glider is awesome right. Plus, it glides in a way that doesn't make me motion sick.

Our re-purposed bookshelf. We bought the canvas bins from Wal-Mart for toys and miscellaneous, and we'll be using the middle shelf for books and such.


We spray painted those picture frames to match the room. We also painted the IKEA shelves white to match the bookshelf. Graham made the wooden frame to go around the changing pad so the pad will not shift during diaper changes. Then, when our kids are done being babies, we can remove the frame easily. (I got the idea from Pottery Barn Kids.) Notice the Ken Griffey Jr bobblehead on the shelf? I think we're having a little baseball theme going on. I'm considering putting Graham's baseball glove on the top shelf.. Do you think that's cheesy?

The vinyl wall monogram. Call me Mormon or whatever, but I love it. Don't worry, our baby will eventually have a mattress to sleep on.

The 34 week belly shot.. for those of you who missed it on Facebook.

Belly in a different light.

I've had people tell me I don't look very big, and then I've had people who look shocked when I tell them I still have 5 weeks to go. Luckily, this pregnancy weight gain has ALL been in the belly and chestal region. I like when people tell me I don't like pregnant from behind, because I always wanted to be one of those women. Unfortunately, when you have all of the weight gain in one area.. you get certain results... like STRETCH MARKS. I almost had a nervous breakdown when I first spotted them. So.. you will never see me in a tankini that shows my lower stomach ever again.

Anyways, our nursery is ALMOST done. Just a couple of more things to buy.. Oh, and the baby needs to arrive too.

It Lame..

So, I have totally been a lazy blogger. I wish I could blame it on the pregnancy, but it's not. I downloaded a blogger app on my Droid smartphone, but let's face it.. Typing a full blog on a touch screen keyboard sucks.

Anyways, let me clue you in on a couple of things in our lives:

--Graham is finally done with the Census Bureau job. He is now fixing people's Playstations, babysitting a co-worker's autistic child, and offering piano lessons as side jobs. Random? Yes. But hey, whatever works! Plus, he can clean up with the house when I elevate my legs at night.
--My ankles and feet started swelling in June.. Cute. Seriously, I have like one pair of shoes left that are comfortable. The rest just suck, even my flats.
--My sister lived with us for a couple of weeks until her apartment was ready for move-in last week. It was so weird having somebody else in the apartment. She ate our food, brought her own weird food into the house, and crowded our little 2nd bedroom/baby nursery. Plus, my sister makes a lot of noises.. like MREHH and stuff. Graham just called her "Noise". Even though we were annoyed we couldn't hang out naked when the temperatures reached 95 degrees.. which is deathly with no A/C, we got used to her being there. When she moved to her new place, we were both wondering how she was doing and if she was ok. It was like our apartment was silent and empty without her.
--I am doing a little crafty project for the baby before he arrives. I'll post before and after pictures when I'm done. I literally almost gave up on the first day because I had no idea what the heck the different types of stitches even meant and the demo pictures made no sense at all.
--We are still searching for a day care provider for our little guy. I hate the thought of leaving him with someone else all day, but hey.. it's what will have to work for our family.
--We really haven't done anything cool lately. I've been working more Saturdays, so it definitely takes a toll on our social life. Plus, I can't say I feel like doing much after I get home from working all day. Graham is ALWAYS trying to get me to go to our community's pool, but thinking about all the kids peeing in the pool really turns me off. Oh, and pregnancy and maternity bathing suits are NOT cute.
--I just got diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. I am one of the lucky 2-5% of pregnant women who get diagnosed with GD. Needless to say, I was pretty upset. Luckily, I know how everything works and what to do. It's just lame. What will I do without my stops to Dairy Queen? It really just takes the pleasure out of being pregnant, even though I wasn't pigging out or anything. So yeah, I have to check my blood sugars 3-4 times per day and really watch my carb intake. Fun.
--The baby's nursery is almost done. I'll have to post some pictures when it's finished. It's nothing spectacular, but I love it.
--I am really looking forward to this fall. Not only will I get a baby, but I get to put up decorations soon and my family is coming up for Thanksgiving. I think it'll be a lot of fun having a big group of us up here together.

Ok, I swear I'll try to update this blog more..

Quick

So everyone.. it's been a little busy up here in Brem Brem... I'll detail what we've been up to later..

But anyways, for those of you that missed the announcement on facebook..

It's a BOY!

Carter Rockwell will be his name... And boy does he like to kick my organs!

Announcement

To all of you that missed the big announcement on Facebook, here it is again..

Our little baby T-Rex is due October 29th, so mark your calendars!

Wake up call

I went and worked in the nursery unit at the hospital today to assess two little baby twins' nutritional status. They were two little tiny babies, sharing a teeny bassinet! They were precious.

Anyways, the nursery was pretty full.. tons of ladies have been birthing babies in the past week or so! When one little infant started crying, so did many others. They just started crying for no reason out of the blue!

I got to thinking.. YIKES. I AM SO NOT READY TO BE A MOM.

Enough said.

Attention

You wouldn't know this about me by interacting with me on a normal basis, but I really do like to be the center of attention and have praises showered on me.

Normally, I take the sideline to other people who are talking and let more outgoing people take center stage. I'm pretty reserved and hard to get to know.

However, I just realized how much attention I'd like to have if possible..

Anyways, someone in our family just told Graham and me that she's pregnant. I was/am really excited for her.. until I had a little pregnancy scare today.

My first thought was NOT, oh baby, but instead it was, NO I want to have a baby when nobody else in the family is pregnant so it can be MY turn!

Isn't that silly?

Oh, and I apologize for the boring blogs. I am tired and lazy when I get home from work. Eventually I'll get used to working every day and I'll start working out again and my energy will hopefully improve.

Oh, and... I'm not pregnant. :)