Happy Birthday!

It's a girl! Amelia Grace Clark was born on January 27th, 2010 at 4:35pm PST weighing a healthy 6 pounds & 6 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches long.
Since she was breech for so long she's happiest (thus will not conform to anything else) when she is on her side with her legs either out at a 90 degree angle or when we hold her with her legs up in the breech position. This is totally cute and hilarious even if it does make swaddling and diapering a bit "interesting".
She has her daddy's hair and cheeks and her mama's nose and chin. She sleeps like the dead just like Cheyenne but she was at her most alert at 3:00am like me.
Later when I'm not holding her in one arm and typing with the other I'll post a longer blog with her birth story...for now here are some pictures since I know they are what you were waiting for...

Week 37 begins...and ends.

Here's some exciting news: if your baby were born today (ha!), he or she would be considered full term. Mind you, that doesn't mean that he or she is finished growing - or getting ready for life on the outside. Still gaining weight at about half a pound per week, the average fetus this age weighs about 6.5 pounds (though size varies quite a bit from fetus to fetus, as it does from newborn to newborn). Fat continues to accumulate on your baby, forming kissable dimples in those cute elbows, knees, and shoulders, and adorable creases and folds in the neck and wrists. To keep busy until the big debut, your baby is practice to make perfect: inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid (to get the lungs ready for that first breath), sucking on his or her thumb (to prepare for that first suckle), blinking, pivoting from sided to sided (which explains why yesterday you felt that sweet little butt on the left side and today it's taken a turn to the right).

Things to be happy about

1. I wanted to gain between 10 & 20 pounds and i have gained exactly 15! Clearly you CAN be pregnant & still make correct and healthy decisions.

2. My belly button never popped out thus proving once and for all to all of the doubters that I do in fact have the worlds deepest belly button!

3. I never got the Linea Nigra (the dark line from pubic bone to belly button that so many women sport). This really has nothing to do with anything I did or didn't do but I find them creepy and thus I'm pleased that i never got one.

4. Stretch marks are light in color and minimal and should fade pretty quickly.

5. I only had one pregnancy hormone related freak out the entire time. Cheyenne agrees that this is in fact true.

Nursery in progress

There are still a couple of things left to do but I figure since the baby is coming tomorrow I might as well post pictures of what we have so far...

Final Preggo Pics

To My Grandmothers: If you click on the pictures you can see larger versions of them.

EEK!!!

Cheyenne & I went in for our appointment today and once again the fluid levels have gone down to a 5 and the AFI test was between a 4-6 of 10. The doctors all agree that since baby looks totally healthy (heartbeat of 142/minute, approximately 6 pounds in weight, taking plenty of "practice breaths, etc) and that tomorrow is my 37 week mark that it would just be best to go ahead and have the c-section tomorrow at 3:00pm.
Cheyenne & I were able to keep our cool when talking to the doctor but ya know...we weren't exactly thinking we were going to go in there and be told that we were having this baby tomorrow. On the way out Chey had to stop by the bathroom and dry heave and I wasn't too much better.
Since we're going in tomorrow anyway i have made the executive decision to take myself off of bed rest because quite frankly, i have things to do! We spent the morning picking up last minute things (nursing bra, robe, toiletries, a coming home outfit - the one we wanted was ordered yesterday and takes 3 to 5 business days to arrive of course - etc). This afternoon/evening we need to do laundry, clean, pack, work a bit on the nursery, and try try try to get some rest before the storm hits! Of course that last part is easier said than done....

Getting closer

My mom came by this weekend and dropped off our changing table and it's so pretty! Our nursery is almost done and I will post pictures as soon as it is (I prefer to show a finished product). I know have gone through the baby registry and cleaned things out and purchased others so that we have about half of the things accounted for and some of the things aren't needed for a while yet so they are on the back burner (for example since i am breast feeding exclusively for the first 6 months we wont need the baby food maker, spoons, and such - I don't believe in the store bought crap - until August) so I'm feeling better about that. We'll continue to get the other things that we still need between now and the 12th and I'm feeling pretty good about things on that front. Cheyenne installed our car seat over the weekend as well so we can check that off of the to-do list.
If I weren't on bed-rest i would be cooking and freezing dinners as all of the books suggest (since after the baby & c-section we wont have a ton of extra energy. However, since I'm stuck doing nothing until the 12th I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do about that....but I'm not panicked about it either.
All in all I'm feeling calm and confident, but of course I'm sure that will change when the due date gets closer

Make up your mind already!

Eesh! We had our Monday appointment today (remember that we have one every Monday and every Friday from now on) and my fluid numbers were fantastic! Yay! I am measuring somewhere between a 9 and a 10 which is great and the highest that we've seen yet which is the proof the doctor needed to see to show that I was maybe taking it too hard and that the bed rest and guzzling of fluids is exactly what was needed. So, once again, we have reevaluated when to have the c-section with my doctor once again saying that she would like to have it done on the 12th of February if all continues on this same path. So there you have it, we're still a bit up in the air but it would seem that i am on the road to an easier (albeit more boring) rest of my pregnancy and the baby will most likely be here on the 12th.

A small sigh of relief

Now that we are assured that baby and I are safe and sound the realization that I 1) already had my last day of work - 3 weeks earlier than planned 2) baby should be here 4 weeks earlier than planned 3) we had planned on using those weeks and paychecks to continue to get things ready for the baby's arrival and a bit of panic had started to invade my evening dream scape. However, this morning i remembered that not only do i have double insurance coverage but i also have supplemental insurance. I called my wonderful (and mentioned in blog posts past) HR wizard Fran and confirmed that i do in fact get a $500 check each time i am admitted to the hospital (which means that i am covered for this past week and will get another when i go back to actually have the baby) and i also get money to make up for the fact that had i not been put on bed rest i would be at work right now earning a living (for the next 3 and a half weeks anyway) so let me tell you that gave me quite the boost that I needed. I'm filling out and turning in paperwork tomorrow so that we can go about finishing our last minute to-dos before the peanut arrives.

Free at last!

So after 2.5 days in the hospital on bed rest I am FINALLY home! Yay! This morning we had another ultrasound, AFI test, & monitoring and per usual, they all came back perfectly except for the lowish fluid (which was at a 6.5 today). Our doctor came in and told us the new game plan: since the baby is stable, happy, & healthy there is no reason right now to go ahead with a c-section just yet. So I got to go home but with strict bed rest and hydration demanded of me )Cheyenne is loving his new role as bed and water Nazi). We will be going in every Monday and Tuesday to check on fluid levels and baby's health if all continues on it's current path our doctor would like to perform a c-section when i am at 38 weeks (which would make it around February 3-5th) since the closer to 40 weeks the better. However, I am far enough along and the baby is healthy enough that should we go in between now and week 38 and the fluid levels have dropped back down below 5 again or the baby doesn't seem to be doing as well we can have the c-section done that day and still be ok.
Cheyenne and I really want to thank everyone for your sweet thoughts, love, and concern through all of this. We have been flooded with calls from our amazing family and friends with genuine concern, support, and love and we appreciate it so much!

Week 36 begins...

Your baby's bones may be ready to rock and roll, but yours may be aching something awful right now. It's a good thing your baby's almost done cooking, since your body may feel pretty "done" by now as well. For one thing, you're doing the full-term pregnancy waddle, the result of hormone-triggered loosening and softening of your connective tissue. This is your body's way of getting ready to squeeze a big baby out of a small space. Unfortunately, those loose joints can lead to some pretty serious hip and pelvic pain — but hang in there! Try to focus on your baby, who is now about six pounds and 20 inches long, with soft bones and cartilage to allow a safer journey through the exit door. Most of her systems (from circulatory to musculoskeletal) are ready for prime time, though her digestion system — which has done only practice runs so far — will kick into gear as she takes her first suckle at the breast or bottle.

You see that last post? Throw it out the window...

Cheyenne & I went to our weekly Friday OB appointment on the 15th where we had an ultrasound and found out that the baby is still breech and still on the lower side of amniotic fluid at that time with our doctors advice it was decided that we would have a February 12th c-section, hence the last post. Now on that day the amniotic fluid level was at an 8. The scale goes 0-25 with anything lower than a 5 being very very low and cause for concern, a 10 being average and anything above 20 being way too high and cause for concern. My fluid has been fluctuating between 6-8ish...not so low that anyone was freaking out but defiantly cause for extra attention to be paid.
On Monday the 18th we had another NST appointment at St Vincent to make sure that even though the fluid was low our baby was doing alright. The good news is that the test showed a happy healthy 6 pound baby with a strong heartbeat, functioning kidneys, perfect practice breathing, and a full head of hair who it seems would be totally healthy if born today. The bad news is that my amniotic fluid went from an 8 on Friday down to a 4 on Monday with no rhyme or reason.
Because the fluid number had dipped below 5 and because it had taken such a dramatic turn in such a short amount of time my doctor was called and she insisted that i be admitted and put on an IV to try and get my levels up and we were told that there was a chance we would have the c-section that day! EEK! We weren't thinking that the peanut was coming for another month!
I got a birthing suite at St Vincents and it's pretty nice...for a hospital and the nursing staff are all very sweet ladies but again...it's the damn hospital. The IV of course drove me totally insane (no shock to anyone that knows how i deal with needles) and being put to bed at 4:00pm drove me insane (no shock to anyone that knows how i deal with boredom).
Today at 8:30am we had another ultrasound which showed that the fluid level had jumped up to a 9 (the highest it's been) and it seemed that the IV had done it's job. After the ultrasound i was once again put on the monitors and once again the baby's heartbeat was perfect and strong and just what they wanted to see. At 12:30pm we had yet another ultrasound to check for four key things that show the condition of the baby, all 4 things were found and were perfect however, the fluid level had dipped back down from a 9 to a 6.
Since the doctors cant figure out why my levels keep dipping low they have me here for yet another night of fluids, rest, and monitoring. Tomorrow morning I get ANOTHER ultrasound (I've become an expert at deciphering them by now) and if the fluid levels are 8 or above I'll most likely be sent home for 7-10 days of bed rest after which I'll have the c-section (I am 7-10 days from full term) if the number is a 6 or 7 then they will do a couple of more tests and choose which is healthier - keeping me on bed rest for the week to give the baby another week of development and get it to the official full term date, or to go ahead and perform the c-section because of the fluid levels failing to improve.
Our hope is that we get that 7-10 days but we're a bit excited by the idea of finally getting to see this little trouble maker.
Wish us luck!

You know how I like a good plan....

We had our OB appointment today (they are weekly now) and the decision was made to go ahead and schedule and plan for a c-section as our rebel is still very breech, still in my ribs, and still on the lower side of fluid.
So the big day will be February 12th! Here are some facts about our child's birthday:

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius - Friendly and humanitarian, honest and loyal, original and inventive, independent and intellectual.

Chinese Zodiac Sign: Ox (missing the new year by just 48 hours) - Those born under the influence of the Ox are fortunate to be stable and persevering. The typical Ox is a tolerant person with strong character.

Birthstone: Amethyst - Worn to make the wearer gentle and amiable. Amethyst powers include: dreams, healing, peace, love, spiritual upliftment, courage, protection against thieves, and happiness.

Birth Flower: Violet -The meaning of the February Birth Flower, the Violet symbolizes faithfulness, humility, and chastity.

In the famous Poem Friday's Child is: Loving & Giving

Other People Born on February 12th: Early '90's rap phenom Ed Lover, bug-eyed actress Christina Ricci, creator of the "fist-pump" Arsenio Hall, personal hero to this baby's parents Charles Darwin, Emancipator Abraham Lincoln, Author and voice of both "God" & "Margaret" Ms. Judy Blume

Week 35 begins...

Your baby stands tall this week - if he or she could stand, that is - at about 20 inches, and continues to follow the half a pound a week plan, weighing in at about 5 and a half big ones. While growth will taper off when it comes to height (the average full termer is born at about 20 inches), your baby will continue to pack on the pounds up until delivery day. Something else he or she will be packing on in the few weeks that remain are brain cells. Brain development continues at a mind boggling pace, making baby a little on the top heavy side. And speaking of tops, it's likely your baby's bottom is. Most babies have settled into a head down, bottoms up position in mom's pelvis, or will soon. That's a good thing, since it's easier on you if your baby's head (the biggest part of his or her body) exits first during delivery. Here's another plus: baby's head may be big, but it's still soft (at least, the skull is), allowing that tight squeeze through the birth canal to be a little less tight.

p.s. the bold parts are all hilarious to me considering that fact that our wee rebel is doing the total opposite.

NST

We had our non-stress test today and as predicted everything went perfectly well. They measured the fluid levels again and sent them to my doctor and we'll go over them on Friday. The fluid is still on the low side but one of the two pockets of fluid is right in front of the baby's face which is perfect and just what they want because it means the he/she is getting the chance to practice "breathing". He/she was responding just exactly as they wanted to contractions (i just thought that was gas...turn out no, they are light Braxton Hicks contractions) and is totally healthy. On a funny note Mr/Miss squirmy took an exceptionally long time settling down so we were there for a while trying to get a clear non-moving shot of the heartbeat (which had to be maintained for 30 minutes). All day long the wee bugger has been kicking and punching.
As of today the baby is still breech and thus we are still looking at a c-section but on an interesting note it has gone from Transverse Breech (bottom picture) to Frank Breech (top picture).

Already a trouble maker

We had our ultrasound and check up today and things have taken a turn for the "interesting" shall we say. The ultrasound showed that sir/madame is in breech, is horizontal, up in my ribs, and doesn't have much amniotic fluid to swim around in (whereas he/she should be head-down, in my pelvis, vertical, and cushioned by plenty of water). Now, before you all start calling me, please know that none of this is reason to panic. First and foremost the baby is totally totally healthy with an approximate weight of 5 pounds (which makes him/her in the 71st percentile, the average at this stage of pregnancy is between 4 and 6 pounds so we're perfect) the heartbeat was and has always been perfect, all testing ever done came back normal and healhty. Also of note, i am totally healthy, my blood pressure is and has always been on the lower side of healthy, my weight gain is on the lower side of healthy, and all testing on me has come back normal and healthy.
So, what does all of this mean? Well, on Monday Cheyenne and I are going to St. Vincent Hospital for a non-stress test to see how the baby is doing as a triple check and all is expected to go perfectly fine and smooth. On Friday we go back to our doctor to re-measure the amniotic fluid. And from those two things we'll have a better idea of where we are headed and we can make more solid plans.
Between now and Friday I am told to get as much rest as possible and drink plenty of fluids to try and get those amniotic fluids a bit higher. This means i have to take it slow from here on out, cut out my daily walks around town on my lunch, not wrestle with the dog QUITE as much, and be even more relaxed at work (thank goodness the holidays are over).
Normally speaking in this day and age a breech baby is delivered via c-section. Also, a baby that refuses to "drop" into the pelvis is delivered via c-section. Since I am just 34.5 weeks pregnant a doctor would normally say that the baby still has time to "drop" if it were a matter of it not being in the pelvis yet. Or they would say that the baby still has time to stretch out of breech. Or that we have time for the baby to flip out of it's cozy horizontal nest. However, we seem to have the perfect storm of all of the above happening at the same time and on top of that, even if we didn't have a stubborn little bugger since the amniotic fluid is on the low side he/she doesn't have a lot to swim in to be able to actually do that kind of dropping/flipping/stretching.
It would seem that the odds of me getting a c-section are pretty much as high as they can be. Am i pissed? Well, no. It's pretty far from the drug-free natural birth that i had planned and wanted but ya know, at the end of the day it's more important that we do what's best for our baby...and me, so if this is what it must be then we'll get through it and at the end of it all we'll have our little one here to cuddle and when it's a teenager i have one hell of a story for those times when a guilt trip is called for.

Week 34 begins...

Your baby could be as tall as 20 inches by now and weighs about 5 pounds. Got male (a male baby, that is)? If you do, then this is the week that his testicles are making their way down from his abdomen to their final destination: his scrotum. (About 3 - 4% of boys are born with undescended testicles, which is noting to worry about; they usually make the trip down South before the first birthday.) In other baby - related news, those tiny little fingernails have probably reached the tip of his or her fingers by this week, so make sure that you have baby nail clippers on your shipping list!

Getting things in order

Now that the baby shower and Christmas are over and we have less than 2 months left to go we are getting things ready and going through our list of things we still need to get and (slowly it seems) working our way through said list. On a very good note since the holidays are over several websites have great sales going on right now, for example the bumGenius organic bamboo diapers that we want to use are almost 50% off right now! Score! So im no longer having diaper nightmares or freaking out about getting stuck using disposables (not in my house yo) and im whittling away at those much needed diaper covers as well as various other things. We still have quite a bit more to get but it's starting to get more and more lived in looking in the nursery which is making "labor day" feel all the more on the horizon which is both the most exciting thing EVER and in equal measure so nerve inducing that i might die!

Vomit Part II: Curse of the Fetus

Remember how God awful my 1st trimester was with the constant vomiting and such? Well on the 2nd day of my 2nd trimester that thankfully left and in the meantime i have delighted in being able to once again consume food (though, food never sounds good or tastes like much at least i could keep it down). Well things seem to have changed. Either i have 1) challenged the spawn and it is once again showing me which of us is the dominant one or 2) with only 7ish weeks of pregnancy left i no longer have the space in my abdominal cavity for such trivial things as a stomach. So I'm back to throwing up every time i eat. Awesome. A few "fun" things to entertain you on this topic: 1) after drinking my daily carrot/beet/celery juice (it's better than it sounds and amazingly healthful for the previously mentioned demon spawn) i threw up what appeared to be a magenta fountain (color provided by the beets) and in a state of what i can only call delirium i considered it pretty and for just a moment thought about painting a wall in the house the same color....until i realized that this would require I go to the Benjamin Moore counter and ask for "beet juice vomit pink" which would never do. 2) after lunch today we came home and i took a nap...mid nap i gaged a bit on my own vomit and woke up saying out loud "NOT KEITH MOON!". yeaaaahhh....just 1107 hours, 24 minutes, and 16 seconds until my due date, and yes, this means that i am counting!

Happy New Year!

Happy new years everyone! We had a cozy night in with hors d'oeuvres that we nibbled on all night and i made homemade bananas foster fondue (with bananas, strawberries, pound cake, angel food cake, and marshmallows to dip), it was maybe our most quiet new years eve to date but after being so busy this holiday season i assure you that it was just what we needed.
Now we're ready to start a new decade and welcome our first baby! Cheers to 2010!