RJ being cute, of course

RJ on halloween. Our little pumpkin!

His first day out to the doctor!

Only a few days old.

The detailed birth story

Baby RJ was born on the 18th, a week before my due date. My water broke at 6am on the 17th. My contractions never started at all and by 6 pm that day we went to the hospital. They let me try to start my own labor until 5 am the next day when we started the pitocin (A drug they use to make contractions start). After the pitocin started, they slowly increased it until my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. Pitocin is known to make your contractions much more painful than they would be on their own. Once my contractions got bad I asked for stadol (a short-term pain reliever that makes you a little loopy). I did the stadol because they checked me after hours of hard labor and I was only 1.5 centimeters and I kind of lost it. Apparently, the doctor checked me about an hour or two after the stadol kicked in and I was 5 centimeters but I don’t remember that check (because of the stadol).

15 minutes after the 5 centimeter check, I went to go to the bathroom (which took 3 people to get me there with all the equipment I was hooked up to and since I couldn’t really stand during a contraction) and  while on the toilet I started pushing without really meaning to. I tried to tell everyone I was pushing and I couldn’t stop but had a hard time convincing everyone it was time since I was just 5 cm 15 minutes before. I convinced the nurse to check me and I was 10cm and ready to go! My birth class instructor said since I dilated so quickly after I got the stadol, it means it was a good move. The doctor came in (Dr. Phemister) after a few pushes with the nurse and 20 minutes later RJ was born! We had great nurses and Dr. Phemister was great. Everyone read our birth plan and tried their hardest to help us achieve it. Right now RJ is doing great and back up to his birth weight. Arthur and I are adjusting to less sleep and learning RJ’s little ques. He seems perfect to me in every way and I love him more than I thought was possible.

As for how I feel about the birth, I think it went as best it could given the circumstances. I’ve heard it’s pretty rare to not go into labor after your water breaks and we had to deal with that. Without the support of Arthur, my mom, my doula (Cheryl), and the Doctors and nurses, I could not have done it. Arthur has been so helpful during the pregnancy, during the birth, and now with RJ home. Having RJ makes me love Arthur so much more. I wouldn’t ask for anything else.

Thank you to those of you who have sent food and notes of encouragement. You all make this process a lot smoother for us. God has truly blessed us with a huge support group and an amazing little boy.

38 weeks- 10 lb baby means change of plans

So some of you knew that my doctor called for an ultrasound to check on the size of baby RJ. It blew me, Arthur, the doctor, and everyone else away when RJ came in at 10 pounds 5 ounces. Now, even my doctor said ultrasounds can be up to a pound off. But even assumeing RJ weighs 9 pounds 5 ounces, in a week and a half when I’m due he will be over 10 pounds.

So the new plan is hope hes only 9 pounds and try to go into labor asap! If RJ is 10 pounds it will almost certainly end in a c-section but we are hoping the ultrasound was off.

So any thing youve heard on how to naturally induce labor, let us know! Here’s a list of things we’ve heard and might try:
pineapple
spicy food
eggplant
black cohosh
false unicorn
castor oil
sex
squatting
walking
hot baths
pressure points
???

Let me know if there’s anything else you’ve heard of! and pray I go into labor SOON!

33 weeks

So RJ gave us a scare last week. There were a few days he didn’t move much and that’s enough to tell the doctor. When we went in I told them and they said to be sure they wanted to do a non-stress test. So they take me into the room with this machine and they hook me up to 2 different monitors. One monitors the baby’s heart beat, which we could hear during the whole test. The other monitors if  I am having any contractions. They also gave me a button to hit every time I felt him move. All three of these things were recorded on a little paper with little squiggles.

They leave you in there for 20 minutes to get a good idea of how baby is doing. Of course after three days of hardly moving at all during these 20 minutes he was a wiggle worm and moved every 5 seconds. The nurse said he just liked the sound of his own heart beat, hehe. I know how he is though and if I rest my arms or anything on my belly he attacks it and kicks right where the thing is resting. They had the monitors on my belly a little tight and he was kicking right where the thing was strapped on.

So after the 20 minutes the doctor looked it over and said everything is fine. Which is what we wanted to hear. I just hope he doesn’t scare us like that again. I’m going in to see the doctor every other week now. Seems like a little too much since all they do is collect a urine sample, weigh me, and take my blood pressure then send me home. Maybe the next few appointment will be more worth it. My other friends are already dialating and contracting some.

Anyway, I decided I’m tired of being pregnant. My back hurts and my feet hurt and my hips hurt and I can’t reach anything. Rolling over in bed is an event and makes me out of breath. Actually, everything makes me out of breath. I’m hungrier than ever but I can only eat small amounts of food at a time because there’s no ROOM in there. I’m not trying to complain but its true. I’m just really uncomfortable and cant wait to meet this baby!

I’m done being scared of delivery and now I just want to do it and get it done!

30 weeks

It’s hard to believe only 10 more weeks until I get to meet our little guy. Not a lot has been happening. Working on the nursery some but there’s not a lot to do since we haven’t had our showers yet. RJ is still kicking like crazy and giving me heart burn. It’s to the point now where you can see my belly shaking from the outside. He sure is getting strong. My book tell me he should be around 3 pounds by now. Most of his internal organs are mature and he is just baking for a few more weeks to add fat.

I’m still as excited about it all but there’s just less happening on a daily basis. I’m starting to cook and freeze meals for when the baby comes. Arthur is helping with the cooking, too. When we get the nursery more set up I’ll post pictures. I finished RJ’s mobile. It’s pooh themed so I made a honey pot in the center with two bees and two clouds going around it. Our birthing classes start in September which cuts it closer than I would like but that’s all they had.

Here’s some pictures of the mobile. I think it turned out pretty nice.

26 weeks

So Its been a while, I apologize. All my facebook friends get small status updates about my belly button and my feet but I kind of forget to come on here with every thing else that is going on.

Wednesday I’ll be 27 weeks, the beginning of the third trimester. Yeesh. Its been flying by. Don’t ask me how 27 weeks is the third trimester. I know its complicated with lunar months etc. and all I know is that’s what my book told me.

To welcome in the third trimester my body has been kicking it up a notch just to make sure I’m good and uncomfortable. With hip pain, back pain, headaches, heartburn (which I refer to as the fire ball in my chest- or lava), and now swollen feet. After visiting my mom in NC, I took the two hour drive home and after noticed one foot was significantly larger than the other. I did everything you’re supposed to do, elevate it and drink tons of water. After a few hours of that, the swelling did not go down but I did have to get up 5 times that night to go to the bathroom thanks to the water.

I am getting huge, of course. I know I’m due for a belly shot but its hard to be motivated to do it when youre so uncomfortable. Which I know will only get worse. With all the negative things the third trimester is bringing, there a re some nice things. I get to feel the baby move constantly and he kicks really hard now. So much so that you can see little feet-shapes pushing on my belly. Arthur has yet to have good enough timing to see it, though. He feels little kicks, though. I love it that baby responds to us. if i feel his feet somewhere i can push gently on them and he kicks back. and if you lay your hand there he kicks his hardest. He is defiantly a little human being in there making decisions and growing. I love him  so much already I can hardly stand not having him here yet.

I’m already learning his little attitudes. When I have a book or something resting on my belly he will move so that he can kick the invading presence as if to say “back off! It’s tight enough in here as it is!” Also, I know when he sleeps and is awake. In the morning the second I wake up he kicks a few times then doesn’t kick again until lunch. After lunch he kicks here and there all the way till dinner. After dinner he throws a dance party in there which continues until I get into bed.

I know this is getting long but I  haven’t updated and so much has happened… Arthur’s co-worker, Janet, gave us a crib along with some other great stuff. Arthur put the crib togethor yesterday. I have some pictures and will post them soon. Now the nursery looks like a nursery and not just a yellow room. It’s been tons of fun and I’m so glad I get to meet baby soon. I’ll be back with pictures some time this week.

Full vacuum bags and filth

At some point every vacuum starts loosing its suction. When you realize you’re just moving the dirt around, it’s time to check the bag. A few weeks ago I opened mine up to find the bag was so full I could hardly close the hatch again. So I’ve ordered new bags but in the mean time I had to throw out the full one. I’m not so sure if carrying that 2 pound bag to the trash makes me feel dirty that all that was in my carpet or clean that its no longer there. Gross. Now I’ve been sneezy and stuffy.

I’m considering renting one of those carpet shampooers since there will soon be an infant rolling all over the floor. There is extra crud in our carpet, too, because of the wall patching/sanding/construction that has gone on since we bought the house.

Yuck.

baby BOY ultrasound pictures!

Heres a public link to the pictures on facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2206809&id=55703315&l=b2246b3c9e

Its a BOY! – 21 weeeks

We are thrilled! Arthur is excited about playing legos and having a son to bond with. The ultrasound tech gave us like 20 pictures and a dvd. I’ll get some of those on here soon. Maybe I can find out how to get the video on here. Everything looked healthy. The lady seemed really surprised at how active he(the baby) was. At first he was head up, or breech, and when she paused for a second to take a measurement and went back he had flipped upside down and later flipped back. As long as he doesn’t pull that number right before delivery then I’m ok with it. Also, I measured about 2 weeks ahead but they haven’t moved my due date yet. I think they still will though. The ultrasound tech said maybe October 18th.

So I guess my house will be mostly blue for the next year or so!

20 week belly pic

20 weeks

Yesterday, for the first time, I had a stranger comment on my being pregnant. It was an older lady and she was really sweet about it. I guess I look really pregnant now!