Baby G

Has it really been a year???

2010-03-11T23:46:00.005-06:00

Wow, time has flown. I am sitting here on the cusp of Julien's big event -- his first birthday -- and I can't believe how much has happened in the course of one year. We are blessed to have such a happy healthy baby. Julien is always smiling and laughing (well, not always, but mostly!) and while I may gripe from time to time that he doesn't sleep through the night, that's the worst of it and I really can't complain. For those of you who haven't been keeping up through pictures and video on facebook (yes, it has pretty much replaced the blog as far as updates on life with Julien), he has really grown. Sort of... he's still a shorty, but he toddles around like he owns the place and I can hardly keep up with him! He went from those first few wobbly steps to off and running in no time at all.

Last weekend we took him to get a haircut and in the span of 15 minutes he somehow went from looking like a baby to a little boy. I know in my heart though that he will always be my little boo.
Before... After...

Did you miss me?

2009-11-06T21:30:00.005-06:00

Wow. It has been quite awhile since I last posted a Julien update, hasn't it? It's not like I've been busy or anything..... ha! But here I am. Friday night, 7:30. Julien is asleep. Guy is at the Yankees meetup victory party. I *could* be playing another marathon of bejeweled blitz on Facebook, but I decided to give ya'll a little peek into what our little man has been up to this past month.

So on the developmental front, Julien is "cross-crawling" now. This is the style where baby moves the opposite arm/leg in crawling. And he's getting quick about it too! Not walking yet, but still pulling up on everything from the coffee table, to mom and dad. Better balance, not such a weeble wobble. From time to time he will "forget" and let go with both hands (well, most of the time he is only holding on with one hand and holding a toy in the other). He can hold it for a split second... anything longer and baby go boom! When he means to go down, however, he does so with control.

The teeth have been coming in fast and furious. All four lower incisors have cut through, one of the top incisors is in and I can see the other 3 right behind. Needless to say, we have bought stock in tylenol. I don't know what it is, but he doesn't care for the cold teethers very much... I'm thinking about getting Sophie the giraffe. I hear she's a hit!
(yes, I know... you can't see his teeth in this picture. I keep trying.. I must have taken 100 pics and still no teeth in plain view! he's very shy about showing them off!)

Julien's weight gain has slowed down quite a bit. Not sure if its all the extra activity or what. Not worried - he still has rolls and not only is he still nursing, but he is also eating a variety of cereal, fruits and veggies. No jarred baby food for my little man. Its all fresh, steamed, blended and frozen. All the fruits are his favorite - bananas, pears, peaches. All I have to do is wave a spoonful of pears under his nose and as soon as he smells it the mouth is open. Green beans don't quite make the hit list, but he can be enticed to eat them if "hidden" with fruit. Yep, already tricking him into eating his veggies.

Last weekend was Halloween. Harrah's had decorating and trick-or-treat at the office for the kiddies. So, I picked up Julien early from daycare and we paraded him around in his oh-so-cute Chewbacca costume. Felt bad for the neighborhood kids... trick-or-treating time coincides with Julien's bedtime routine so I had to keep the lights out. I've never purposely evaded trick-or-treaters before, but they don't have to deal with a cranky crying baby!

I guess that's all for now... I've rambled on long enough. 'Til next time. and hopefully you don't need to wait another month!

My, how time flies!

2009-09-20T11:37:00.007-05:00

Yes, it has been over a month since my last blog post. I haven't gone and dropped off the face of the earth... just busy working and being a mom! Which, by the way, is changing and growing -- almost daily it seems!

Since my last entry, Julien has gotten a bit more mobile. He sits up very well now without any kind of support. He will also reach waaaaay over to pick up a toy (or grab at a dog) and right himself back up without toppling over. Hasn't quite figured out getting onto all fours this way just yet. But crawling isn't going to be his thing. Oh no sir, this boy is going straight to walking! His favorite thing to do these days is have someone hold onto his fingers while he pulls himself up to standing. He will do this over and over and over (and over) again. And while he's up he just wobbles around as he tries to find his legs. Its something like a cross between a drunk and the Ally McBeal dancing baby ~ but not as creepy ;)

Julien has also gotten a lot better at entertaining himself. In fact, right now, I hear him "talking" in his crib. Yes, he is quite the talker... "ba ba ba" "da da da" and the occasional "ma" come out. When he's happy, when he's mad... the only difference is the tone accompanying the babble.

When Julien turned 6mos we started to feed him some additional food as well. Bananas and avocado are the two he has had so far. And not "baby food" -- real bananas and avocados; peeled, mashed and mixed with a little breastmilk for consistency. From what I understand from Julien, everything goes good with breastmilk!

Uh oh, the talking has gone from happy baby to "hey mom, where are you" ... gotta run!

Mmmm Mmmm Good!

2009-08-08T11:05:00.004-05:00

Today was Julien's big day... rice cereal! Another first for our little man, and he was a natural. I was expecting him to resist, not know what to do with this strangely textured milk in his mouth, not knowing when to swallow. A little surprised, but not really given the fact that he's been following my fork from plate to mouth at dinner lately. I actually made more of a mess spilling the bowl than he did eating!

Now I just need to make sure not to overfeed him. I started with the "recommended" amount for first feeding - 1Tbs of cereal to 3-4 Tbs of milk. I think I spilled about half, so when he was done I mixed up some more. And he still wanted more.... more reading and research for me now. I've read somewhere that babies who gain weight more quickly in the first 6mos are more likely to be obese at 3 in our "supersize me" world.

Feed me Seymour!

2009-08-02T15:31:00.013-05:00

Julien is coming up on 5mos... hard to believe, isn't it??? I've started to think about introducing him to "solid" food... solid, that is if rice cereal slurry is considered solid. This past week we've started getting ready... baby spoons in bright colors and a box of organic (no GEI) rice cereal have been purchased. We even took Julien to Babies 'R Us yesterday to try out some high chairs. We decided to go with the Chicco... it seems pretty comfy and has a nice large tray with removable inserts. Sorry Babies 'R Us, I ordered it online... found a place that was way less expensive, plus no sales tax or shipping. I can wait a few extra days for it. After all, I said we are getting ready to start. Haven't pulled the trigger yet!

Here's a pic of the chair, and no it is not pink.. it is blue and tan.

And here's a few pics of Julien that I took yesterday. He is sitting up pretty good supported now, still a little wobbly but I can tell he is using those abs to pull himself forward/back when he goes a bit too far. Of course, if he goes way to far one way or the other, he will fall.

Got Teeth?

2009-07-29T00:07:00.002-05:00

So, I think I know why Julien was not feeling so well a couple of weeks ago... last Thursday I just happened to notice two little teeth sticking out through the gum line, bottom center. They are so cute. But poor little guy, it must hurt. He hasn't been sleeping as well the past few nights and lucky me.... I get to play the part of "Human Pacifier" for (what seems like) hours on end. And they may be small, but man, when he chomps down it hurts!

Side note... went for his 4-month well vist two weeks ago. Julien is now 16lbs, 10ozs. Still 24.5in long. Yes, quite short and chunky, nothing at all like his mommy... must take after his dad :)

P.S. Getting a shot with teeth was not easy... so sorry if this is a little blurry!

Poor Boo Boo

2009-07-13T20:41:00.003-05:00

Poor little booboo (yes, that is our "baby" name for Julien. not sure where it came from, but it has stuck! sometimes its just boo, or little boo, sometimes boo-bear...). Last week he had a fever on Monday. His/our first. I stayed home with him and took him to the doctor. No other symptoms with the fever, so not sure what happened....

And now, a week later, he has a cold. Poor little guy was so stuffy last night. I know he wasn't sleeping very well. I wasn't either, since I slept sitting up with him in my lap so I could keep him a bit more upright. The things we do for our kids! So far it doesn't seem too terribly bad. No fever, his nose is running clear. Drinking plenty of fluids and plenty of wet diapers. He hates the saline drops and aspirator that we use to help clear things up.

I feel so bad for him. There is only so much we can do. I guess the main thing is to hold him and love him. Which we do anyway, just more so right now :) Oh, and wipe his nose, over and over and over again...

Get better booboo!

Musings

2009-07-05T23:50:00.003-05:00

I just put Julien to bed for the second time tonight. I love when he falls asleep in my arms. He looks so sweet and innocent.

It is times like these that I think "I could have another one." But then I remember...

* that I haven't had a full night's sleep since he was born. Yes, I can function through the day, but just thinking about sleep without being woken up multiple times is more fantasy than reality. I just read today too that it takes breastfed babies longer to sleep through the night than their bottle-fed counterparts. I forget why tho...yes, short-term memory loss is part of the lack of sleep!
* that I'll probably be 40 (or darn close to it) before Julien's brother or sister comes along. It's been challenging enought with one, I can't imagine taking care of another little one AND Julien. On top of being exhausted all the time all over again, I also have to worry about an increase in problems (for me and the baby) during pregnancy. I had such a good pregnancy with Julien... I would probably be pressing my luck for a repeat.
* the economy is still crap. Guy and I have been lucky in that we both have jobs. Yes, I took a pay cut and it took Guy a bit longer to get hired on this time around than the last time he was searching. Can I bring another child into the world in these uncertain times? Of course, I look around and see pregnant women and women with small children everywhere. It doesn't look like having children has slowed down as the economy has worsened. In fact, I bet the statistics show that it has actually increased. As I seem to recall, there was a baby-boom in MS/LA after Hurricane Katrina. Something to do with not much else to do.....

So for all the reasons I can come up with for not having another one, why do I find myself contemplating it? I've even started looking for a doctor that is pro-VBAC. Just keeping my options open, I suppose. Who knows, maybe we'll just get another dog instead :)

Julien goes to Daycare

2009-06-27T17:49:00.003-05:00

After 2 weeks of private care in the home of a lady I used to work with, Julien will be heading out into the world and going to daycare. It is unfortunate the in-home care did not work out, due to some health concerns on her part. So, last week I looked a 3 daycare facilities and made the tough choice deciding on one. Starting Monday, Julien will be going to Kids R Kids... I hope he enjoys it!

One nice thing about this facility is that there is internet-monitoring. So I can see my little boo boo during the day, which is one thing I couldn't do before. Hmm... I hope its accesible through our company firewall...

The whole daycare thing has had be re-thinking vaccinations to a certain degree. I've been delaying Hepatitis B. I really didn't see it as being an issue with private care/limited contact. But in reading more about it, I think I will go ahead and start the series. For those of you who don't know, Hep B spreads through blood exchange of an infected person to a non-infected person. Most young children with Hep B have no symptoms. So, being in a daycare setting, I'm thinking, what if another child bites my child? If that child is infected, then Julien could get it too. On the flip side, I still think delaying IPV (Polio) will be safe....

Last Sunday was Father's Day ~ here's a pic of Guy and Julien on their first Father's Day!

Not much

2009-06-20T20:00:00.003-05:00

Not much going on, just thought I'd add a new pic for all ya'll. Julien in his new bebePod "chair" - great way to help strengthen those abs without doing traditional "tummy time"

3months... wow!

2009-06-14T16:08:00.007-05:00

Julien turned 3 months yesterday.

We went to the new Dr. in LV earlier this week for a couple of shots (HiB and pc - or prevnar). He did not like that AT ALL! Poor baby... Of course, he also got measured while we were there. 15lbs and 24.25in ~ oh my, what a big boy!

I think I like his new ped, Dr. Hyun ~ she is pro-breastfeeding and open to an alternative vac schedule. The office isn't as nice as our soc in Memphis tho.... but its the doctor that counts, so we'll go back.

Other developments.... Julien "talks" quite a bit and he can get LOUD. Don't know where he gets that from as Guy and I are both fairly quiet. Still working on rolling. Tummy time is not his favorite... What he does like though is water and the bath. He kicks and splashes and will stay in the tub until he looks like a little prune!

Rock 'n Roll

2009-06-07T14:16:00.003-05:00

ok, mostly roll.... for all of our family and friends who can't get to see Julien in person, here's a short video on his latest feat - rolling to the side! (you don't have to watch all 3 minutes... unless you want to - I don't think he'll mind)

I'm a big boy now!

2009-05-31T14:59:00.003-05:00

It is truly amazing how much Julien has grown - not just since he was born, but in the last month or so. He is well over 13lbs now and is covered in baby fat! He is also starting to do things like - hold onto rattles, lift his head and shoulders up in tummy time, and roll - just a bit - to the side.

We've been busy in Vegas catching up with old friends and hanging out with some of the other Memphis transplants. Of course, Julien is the star of the show. Even got to see Gamma Jill for a few hours on her way back home from Best Friends.

Here are a few pics until my next post...

Greetings from Las Vegas!

2009-05-14T23:43:00.002-05:00

Well, a new chapter has begun in the life of little Julien - we have officially completed our move to Las Vegas! Still unpacking boxes but it is starting to come together quite nicely. The house is smaller than our house in Memphis, although about equivalent to the downstairs. The yard, on the other hand, is much much smaller. Fortunately for the dogs there is a small patch of grass. Need to work on the sprinkler system though before it all dies!

Here's whats been going on since my last post...

Papa Guy and Grandma Carolyn came to visit while we were still in Memphis. We had a nice weekend with them and enjoyed some Central BBQ one last time. The next weekend we drove down to the Coast for a visit with Granny (Judy) and PawPaw (Dave), Great-Grandma Jean and Great-PawPaw. I thought there was going to be a fight between the grandmas and aunts over who got to hold him! The drive was long as always, but Julien slept most of the way up and down. While on the Coast we also got to visit with Kaye and Kellye.

Julien had his 2mo. checkup a couple weeks early. He had DTaP and Rotavirus vaccinations. I am holding of on the others just a bit. I would have delayed them all if it wasn't for the move, but I didn't feel comfortable having him around a lot of people at the airports without Rotavirus and Pertussis (which only comes as part of DTaP these days...). He has grown quite a bit since his 2wk checkup - he now weighs 11lb 9oz and is 22in long. Still a shorty as far as the averages go... 25% percentile for length, but 50% for weight. He's just a day shy of 9 weeks now and last time I weighed him "unoffically," he was 12lb 9oz.

He has found his hands and tries to suck on his fingers but he hasn't quite figured out he has to open up his fist for that, so he usually just ends up sucking on the side of his hand. Still doesn't like tummy time too much, but he can raise his head up and hold it pretty good now. He also doesn't bobble his head as much when being held.

The flight to Vegas was uneventful. Julien fell asleep at the airport before we boarded and somehow managed to sleep the ENTIRE way to Vegas. He didn't even wake up or cry during takeoff and landing... absolutely amazing!! We stayed with Brandon and Jamie (co-worker/friend from Memphis who have also moved to LV) for a couple of days until daddy arrived with the dogs and our stuff was delivered at the house. Brandon and Jamie have a 2yr old - Kyra - who was totally into the baby.

Yes, I know this post is all over the place. A little disorganized, just like me lately! Hopefully once things start to settle down and we get into a routine I'll be able to keep the blog more up-to-date. I promise.... really!!

One month old

2009-04-14T14:11:00.005-05:00

have ya'll given up on me? I realize I haven't posted in awhile. let's just say I've been busy :) julien is getting big - he weighs just under 10lbs according to the new digital scale I bought specifically for the purpose of weighing him. must be all that good milk he is getting ;) speaking of milk, I have started pumping so that daddy and others can give him a bottle. I was a little concerned that he wouldn't take a bottle but I was wrong! he took it on the first try and sucked it all up! good boy :)

not only is julien getting bigger, but he is developing in other ways too. he has found his hands and feet and loves to kick. he will also follow objects with his eyes - like the mobile in his pack and play. he'll just watch those teddy bears go 'round and 'round. oh, and he smiles... big baby smiles :) and talks baby talk "goo"

for those of you that haven't seen him lately, here is a short vid.

Two Weeks

2009-03-28T17:51:00.004-05:00

Where does the time go? Julien was two weeks old yesterday... amazing! In the past week, Julien has gained 1lb - he is now up to 7lbs, 15oz. Apparently, my milk came in full strength and he is getting plenty of it (even with the spitup)! He hasn't gotten any longer yet - still at 19.5in.

There are days where I think we're getting close to a "routine" - definable periods of sleeping, eating, and being awake/alert. But then we get to the next day and it is completely different. Unfortunately, like most babies, Julien likes to sleep more during the day and is up every other hour at night. Mom is tired, although I think I am getting used to the schedule and don't look so out of it (but you'll have to ask Guy.. I may have just forgotten what I used to look like!).

Doc gave us the OK to try out a pacifier. However, Julien will not take it. If/when it gets inside his mouth, he just pushes it right out. Maybe this is for the best - I'd hate to be trying to get him to give it up when he gets "too old" for one when I'm the one who pushed it on him in the first place. This does limit our pacification options tho as sometimes nothing else but getting that sucking reflex satisfied.

We had a good visit with Gamma Jill. She got into town on Wednesday and left this afternoon. It was nice to have some extra help in the day while Guy was at work, even if the help was just watching Julien so I could take a nap!!

Update - Day 6

2009-03-19T13:44:00.003-05:00

For those of you following little Julien's health status, I am happy to say his jaundice has gone down to levels that are no longer a risk. When we went to the pediatrician on Tues, the total/direct level was at 12.9 (which was already slightly down from where it had been). We kept him on the biliblanket and went back again today. While he still has slight jaundice, the measurement is 8.5, which means the jaundice is no longer a threat. Yay! No more biliblanket!!

In addition to the jaundice going down, his weight is going up. He has already gained back the weight he lost after birth and surpassed it by an ounce. Yes, he is a little piggie when I can get him to stay awake long enough to eat!

Mom and Dad are doing well too, altho a little sleepy. I think I have finally lost that "glazed" look in my eyes and am not too sore from the c-section. Guy is great with Julien and a big help around the house.

Thanks to everyone for the congratulations and well wishes!

Julien has arrived!

2009-03-17T17:31:00.003-05:00

If you haven't heard by now (and if you haven't heard, you must be living under a rock with no phone or internets), Julien Paul came into this world at 11:33PM on Friday, March 13th. At birth he weighed 6lbs 14ozs, 19.5in long with lots of dark hair. My first view was in an spinal haze across the operating room -- it would be a few more hours before I could be with him. Poor little guy had an elevated heart rate and was "grunting" (another term for having some breathing issues) so spent his first few hours in the NICU.

From the start of my pregnancy, I had hoped to have a natural childbirth. And up until the end, my labor was fairly "textbook" - contractions coming at regular intervals for the right duration, cervix dilating at 1cm / hour, etc. etc. However, towards the end it became clear that a change a plans would be needed. His heartrate was very high and on top of being occiput posterior, his poor little head was getting swollen from bumping into the side of the cervix instead of through the middle. While my doctor did offer up other options besides a c-section, I felt it would only prolong the inevitable and perhaps make things worse for Julien. For the RIGHT reasons, c-sections are definitely OK and I felt that this was indeed the right situation.

We spent 3 days in the hospital before being released Monday afternoon. My doc was ready to release me on Sunday, but Julien developed jaundice at levels that the pediatrician and nurses felt needed some extra observation and preventative measures. He's been on a biliblanket since Saturday evening and is starting to do better. Poor little guy has had his heel pricked so many times for blood :( At least he gets a break now until Thursday.

When I get more time (ha! what's that?!?) I will fill in more details on the story leading up to the birth and recent events. Until then, we will just be getting to know our new little bundle of joy at home.

Pineapple Express

2009-03-11T08:33:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning, I ate an entire pineapple for breakfast. Do you know how much pineapple that is??? Well, I'll tell ya... it's an awful lot! Why pineapple, you ask? The enzyme bromelian in it is supposed to soften the cervix and bring on labor. It has to be fresh, not canned, and it needs to be eaten in one sitting. Unfortunately, other than making my tongue raw, it didn't do anything :(

So today, on to the next installment of natural induction -- acupuncture. Will let you know how that goes. It can take up to 24 hours to take effect, so not expecting anything to magically happen this afternoon but ya never know!

One Week

2009-03-09T16:05:00.003-05:00

The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part

~ Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

One week. Overdue... like a library book, that will be $1 please. To go...the countdown timer is on. Mom and baby are both perfectly healthy, but doc draws the line at 42 weeks. So, sometime this week Julien will either decide its time to come out on his own or extra measures will be taken. If I don't go into labor before Sunday at 7:30PM, we will be at the hospital getting induced. I've also talked to my doctor and doula about a castor oil "cocktail." While still not a natural way of going into labor, it is not a medical intervention which means a) we'd still be able to stay at home as long as its comfortable to; b) we wouldn't be on continuous monitoring; and c) we're not on the hospital's clock. So.... for those of you who know what castor oil does, yes, I'm not entirely looking forward to it. It may or may not get my labor going. But it still somehow seems preferable over cervidil (and possibly pitocin).

Even though I knew this was a very real possibility, I was a bit disappointed/saddened by the news this morning. Logically, I know it shouldn't bother me. I will be happy to have a healthy baby. But emotionally, I guess I am still hoping everything goes "normally."

Childbirth Education hits 100,000

2009-03-08T01:32:00.002-06:00

well, my blog will probably never get 100,000 hits, but thats quite alright. I've kept it pretty private amongst friends and family. but kathy over at woman to woman childbirth education has gotten that many hits - yay kathy! to celebrate, she is giving away a copy of the book Breastfeeding with Comfort and Joy by Laura Keegan. This seems like a really neat book on breastfeeding - I might buy it even if I don't win it :) You can check it out here.

Friday Afternoon

2009-03-06T14:40:00.004-06:00

What I'd like to be doing.... having a baby!!!

What I've been doing.... walking (and reporting the pool company dumping dirt in the empty lot to the city), laundry, getting things ready for the baby, eating, getting rid of unneccesary kitchen crap, wasting time on the internet.

Yes, I am "officially" 3 days late now. That's OK ~ ultrasound of amniotic fluid levels checked out good on Wednesday. Fluid needed to be at 5cm and its at 12. Still trying to figure out how/why they measure liquid in cm, but that's what it is. Go figure. Anyway, point being since fluid levels are good, doc will let me continue up to 2 weeks over. Not that I want to go two weeks over, but at least I'm not being induced, sliced or diced any sooner than that.

By the time I feel like nesting (oh, had a brief burst of energy last night that involved cleaning the refrigerator), everything will already be clean. Need to kill time somehow. Maybe I'll go shopping :)

In the home stretch

2009-03-02T13:08:00.002-06:00

Well, here I am on the eve of my "official" due date. Went to the doctor today - fundal height, heartrate are both good. I will be going to get an ultrasound this week to check the amniotic fluid levels. If the fluid levels are good, then I'm set to go all the way to 42 weeks before other measures are taken. Oh yea - I am 90% effaced but have only begun to dilate a very small bit.

So to help the process along, here are some things I will be doing this week...
- walking. I wish the weather was warmer, but at least the sun is out. I walked 4-5 times last week, about 1mi. each time. Going to bump it up a notch this week.
- eat lots of fresh pineapple. the enzymes are supposed to ripen/soften the cervix. its also yummy, so either way can't go wrong!
- drink raspberry leaf tea. not a labor inducer, but good for overall uterine health.
- acupressure. there is a point above the ankle (about 4 finger-widths up) called spleen 6 which is supposed to help. also, the hoku point, in the webbing between thumb and index finger.

There are other means, not suitable for children, which I will not mention here.

I am open to other suggestions as well. Not planning on going the castor oil route unless I get really desperate... still plenty of time before I go there!

Pink and White

2009-03-01T07:26:00.005-06:00

Back in January, my wonderful husband got me a gift certificate for a pedicure at one of the local Spa/Salons. I finally got around to going yesterday... figured I should have pretty feet for the delivery - ha! See... aren't they pretty?

I was the fourth pregnant woman there and the closest to her delivery date. Must be some kind of a trend going on... While I was there, it started sleeting, which quickly turned to snow that came down all afternoon and well into the night. Needless to say, I am quite glad I did not go into labor yesterday! The roads are suspect today as well, at least until it starts to warm up a bit later on in the afternoon.

JP, you are welcome to come into the world whenever you are ready, but give us enough time to navigate the roads to the hospital!

Baby Pics

2009-02-25T20:38:00.005-06:00

i was looking at the u/s pics of julien the other day, trying to figure out who he looks like... so, I started going through all the photos guy and I have. plenty of me as a baby, but none of him! his mom just sent some, so now i'll leave it up to you...

guy

julien

becky

yea, ok, so maybe its a little too soon to tell from these pics, but i thought they were cute anyway ;) he'll be here soon enough, we'll figure it out then!

Getting Closer

2009-02-23T20:19:00.002-06:00

Well, I am over 39 weeks now... according to just about everyone, Julien can come at any time now. My doctor even asked if I've started doing anything to help bring labor on. I hadn't, but I decided to get some more exercise - walking, yoga...

Everything looks good - 38cm fundal height and heartrate @ 150bpm

Pat and Corrine sent us the swing we registered for. Guy put it together last night. It is so cute! Have to buy some batteries to really test it out - the only D batteries that we had were quite old and didn't really do the trick. I guess we're just about ready .. just a few more odds and ends to pick up.

Maybe my next update will be to tell you he's here!

Socks and Mittens

2009-02-20T22:03:00.002-06:00

I've been busy washing baby blankets, sheets and clothes. To my amazement, while folding up the last load (really, there's not much folding, everything is so small!), one sock and one mitten came up MIA. What the ??? How does that happen! Finally found them - the sock hiding out in one onesie and the mitten tucked up in another one. Tricky little buggers, aren't they?

For some reason the socks are the cutest of all... they are so tiny, yet still "sock-shaped"!

38 weeks... gettin' closer

2009-02-18T18:58:00.002-06:00

Just another quick update from the Dr. this past Monday.

Fundal height and heartrate are good (in range of 140bpm). Head is down-center, yay!
Mom has gained a couple more pounds... this has to stop!!

Getting things ready around the house for little Julien. Picked up some more necessities at Babies 'r Us this weekend, washed all his clothes, blankets, etc. The bassinet bed is made and ready to go.

I am getting lots of "are you ready to pop yet" comments - from co-workers and strangers alike. Yes, I am ready, but he can wait another couple of weeks if he wants to. Doc says she'll let me go to Mar. 15 before we need to take other measures.

Update, 37 weeks

2009-02-14T22:06:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update on me & JP, from our 37-week appointment last Monday...

fundal height has caught back up, measuring 36cm. doc is happy
heart rate still a strong 140bpm

I don't think I've gained much more weight at this point, but it sure as heck feels like it!!

Baby Shower

2009-02-14T21:11:00.014-06:00

Last Saturday was my baby shower (yes, I am a week late getting around to writing about it, but I wanted the pictures first). Linda, my best friend in Memphis, hosted the shower at her house. If you ever need a party planner, give her a call ~ she throws a great party (she also helped out with my wedding the day of... couldn't have done it without her!).

Everyone had great fun...

taste testing the "mystery" baby food ~ i won, with 4 out of 5 right

guessing how big my belly was ~ Mukti was the closest by far!
> > >

and of course, the ever popular fight for the most diaper pins. it was shaping up to be a fight between Brandy and Maureen, but in the end Brandy took the prize!

Linda also had a raffle - whoever brought a package of diapers was entered to win. I should be set for the first month now (I hope!) Maureen won that fabulous prize...a Target gift card and no, it wasn't rigged!

Of course, the goal of the shower was accomplished. I received many gifts that will help out tremendously with Julien ~ clothes, bath items, sheets & blankets, the pack 'n play, toys, etc. etc. A big thanks to all!! and yes, thank you notes are on the way:)

While we all had a good time, in some ways, the event was bittersweet. Many of my friends that were there also work(ed) for Harrah's and have all been affected one way or another due to the announced closing of the office.. laid off or having to make the decision to move to Vegas or stay behind and find other employment. I am grateful to have so many friends show up to support me, Guy and Julien!

Ankles? What Ankles?

2009-02-07T23:08:00.003-06:00

OK, so up 'til now things have been going along fairly well. Yes, I've lost a few hours of sleep and had some heartburn here and there along the way but that's really been the worst of it. Well, add another one to the list. I woke up this morning and thought hmm... my shins feel a little tight. And then I looked down to see that my feet were beginning to look like Fred Flintstone's. I thought it would go away as the day wore on, but I was wrong. In fact, my feet/ankles got more swollen to the point where it doesn't look like I have much of any ankle at all. Waaaaah! I did stand a lot today, so I'm sure that didn't help any... Took a bath, which felt good, but didn't help the swelling. Maybe it will go away tonight after I go to bed... could I be so lucky???

1:30 am

2009-02-07T07:39:00.003-06:00

I've read, or heard (or both?), that the times I wake up in the night during pregnancy are indicative of the times I will be waking up after the baby arrives. For the most part, there is no pattern to my night wakefulness but one time has remained constant for the past couple of weeks - 1:30am. Now, its not exactly 1:30 on the nose, but give or take 10-15 mins on either side and there you have it. The reasons for my wakefulness vary - I have to pee, I have heartburn, the dogs woke me up to chase some invisible creature in the backyard. I never feel Julien kicking or wiggling inside of me. Perhaps he just gently rolls around causing me to wake. After I've woken up and do whatever it is I need to do for this instance, I usually fall right back asleep. At least 1:30 doesn't extend to 2:30 or 3....

OMG, now that's a big baby!

2009-02-04T11:19:00.002-06:00

In a break from my regular "its all about me" blogging, thought I'd share this article I read (link courtesy of the Unnecesarean - see side bar on the left).

Woman gives birth to 12lb 9oz baby!

Suffice it to say, that will NOT be me!!

School's Out

2009-02-03T21:06:00.002-06:00

Last night was our last night of childbirth class... 12 classes over the span of 14 weeks. I've talked to some people who have not taken this in-depth of a class because they say they don't have time, but I think it was well worth it (not always easy tho, and made for a lot of long mondays!). I'm not sure I would have gotten the variety of information any other way, and being around other pregnant couples has been comforting. We've also become friendly with the others in the class and we all celebrated the completion of class with a potluck dinner. Now I just hope I pass the "final"!! Have I mentioned, only 4 weeks to go??

JP & Me

2009-02-03T20:44:00.004-06:00

Had my 36-week Doctor appointment yesterday. Guy came along too, so he could meet Dr. Wilson... I thought it would be good for him to get to know her just a little before the big day! As of now, I weigh 163 lbs (wtf! where did that come from!!). Still, though, doc thought that I am measuring a little small, so even though his heart rate is still strong, she sent me off for an ultrasound. Well, the tech looked at his various parts and pieces, measured across his head and declared us to be 36.5 weeks along, and JP weighing in at approx. 6lbs 7oz (ok, so these u/s weights aren't the most accurate, but with 4 weeks left to go I'd say he's doing just fine!). She was also able to confirm his positioning - head down (but not straight down), which was a relief to know. I have this fear of being breech and needing a c-section.

We finalized the birth plan as well, which will be faxed over to the hospital. Of course, I'll bring an extra copy or two just in case.. you never know. So far, so good... I just need to make it through this last month!

Until next time, here's me & JP at 36 weeks...

....isn't he cute! :)

Latest Update

2009-01-29T19:02:00.002-06:00

So, went to the doctor on Monday. Everyone is good, but my fundal height measurement was a little off this week (measured 32cm, when should be in the range of 33-37). Will be going back on Monday and if its still low, doc is sending me in for an ultrasound. Maybe I will just be blessed with a smallish, yet healthy, baby?

A full night's sleep has become a thing of the past. I wake up multiple times a night - sometimes to go to the bathroom, but sometimes for no reason at all what-so-ever. I suppose it is nature's way of preparing me for what's to come. Imagine if all throughout pregnancy I was sleeping great - the shock I would be in after baby arrives! Hey, if this is the worst I have to deal with then I don't have too much to complain about.

I ordered a sling/wrap today for carrying JP around. Its a Moby Wrap ~ check it out. It might take a little to get the hang of it, but I think he will enjoy it and I know I'll enjoy having two hands free while keeping him close.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more exciting baby news!

Pillowtalk

2009-01-24T18:58:00.003-06:00

Do you know how hard it is to sleep comfortably through the night with the weight of your belly pulling down? I'm supposed to sleep on my left side, to avoid compressing the aorta (mid-line) and vena cava (right side) - not a problem, I'm mostly a side-sleeper anyway. But it hasn't been very comfortable lately and I am tired of waking up multiple times a night trying to get comfortable again. This is in addition to the extra trips to the bathroom, by the way.... So, turns out they make "special" pillows for pregnancy. There is the full body pillow, but that's a bit too much. Almost like having another body in bed with you. And between me, Guy and Jack there just isn't any more room! My lifesaver has been the wedge... a little foam wedge that slides under the belly to provide some extra support. The cost of this little pillow was probably twice what I paid for my regular, full size one... and it is worth every penny!

Only five weeks to go ~ I need all the rest I can get!

Shameless Plug

2009-01-19T11:08:00.001-06:00

yea, just can't help myself...

Happy birthday to me!
Happy birthday to me!
Happy birthday dear Becky,
Happy birthday to me!

Stretched?

2009-01-18T08:47:00.002-06:00

It was bound to happen, right? All the Burt's Bees "Mama Bee" oil in the world wasn't going to stop it... (btw, you should've bought stock, I'm on my 4th bottle of it already!) Perhaps I am fortunate, 34 weeks and just now getting them. Wait, stop - you say - what the heck are you talking about? Why, stretch marks, of course. Granted, I only have a couple of faint marks on the right side of my belly... so far... but still... I have a feeling this is only a sign of things to come (yes, laugh at me if you will).

I've found an interesting website - The Shape of a Mother - view at your own risk. It does contain some nudity (gasp!) but its more about mothers coping/dealing with the changes in their bodies that pregnancy has brought about.

Don't get me too wrong... So far, I like my pregnant belly.. even if it is harder to tie my shoes and get comfortable to sleep at night. I enjoy feeling JP move around and find the whole process amazing. But can't I just have it with a few less marks? :)

Baby Gear

2009-01-18T08:28:00.004-06:00

This weekend Guy and I took care of the most important item needed for baby - we bought an infant car seat. There are a lot of baby items that one can make do without but the car seat just isn't one of them! Yes, I still have 6 weeks to go, but its not something I want to leave to the last minute - after all, what happens if he decides to come early?

After much research, we narrowed it down to 2 - the Britax Companion and the Chicco Keyfit 30. Both are very highly rated, but in the end, we decided on going with the Keyfit 30. One of the things we like about the Keyfit 30 is, as the name states, it will hold an infant in the rear-facing position up to 30lbs. Most infant seats only go to 22lbs. The best part is, I got it online for the same price as their 22lb model plus no sales tax or shipping charges - yay!

**Update 1/21
Wow! Car seat arrived in the mail today.. that is one thing I will miss about Memphis - everything gets here fast in the mail! Guy had the stroller put together in no time at all. He didn't even have to read the manual. Had some fun chasing the dogs around the house with it... if they don't like it now, just wait 'til there's a baby in it!!

Is there a doctor in the house?

2009-01-08T21:17:00.002-06:00

The latest item on our baby to-do list is find a pediatrician. We have been to two - well I have anyway...Guy was sick yesterday and didn't get to meet Dr Hanson... poor Guy :(. Of the two I have seen, I think I like Dr Hanson better. He seems more up to speed and willing to work with us on the hospital procedures - for instance, as long as the mother is negative for HepB, then it is his standard practice to hold off on the vaccine until the 2-month visit. Some other items that I asked about and he has agreed to - half dose of vitamin K and delay of eye ointment up to 2 hours. He also performs out of hospital circumcisions. While I am not affiliated with any local temple and don't feel like a Bris is necessary, I also can't see having the baby circumsized when he is just a day old. For those of you who are not familiar, in Judaism, a Bris is a circumcision ceremony performed on the 8th day. Factoid: there is also evidence to support that by the 8th day, baby's vitamin K levels have built up sufficiently for blood clotting.

The other doctor, while very passionate about "her kids," doesn't seem as confident/comfortable with deviated from standard hospital procedure.. even though when asking the hospital, the defer to the pediatrician on some items.

I am still wavering on my stance regarding vaccinations. The whole topic is highly debatable - how effective are some of the vaccines? do the vaccine ingredients put your child at a higher risk for other conditions? why is the US the only country with such an aggressive schedule? etc, etc. While I don't necessarily think it is a good idea to have so many vaccines introduced at one time or so early in life (have you seen the CDC vaccination schedule lately?? 7 different vaccinations at 2 months!) the possibility of a move to Vegas and the introduction to different people/environment makes me think I should just go ahead with them on schedule. The other option is to do more in-depth research and only go ahead with the most critical (ie: most prevalent/highest risk) vaccines at 2 months and delay the others.

There is still time to make all of these decisions, and I am glad we are starting early in the process on both fronts!

Baby Stuff... lots of stuff!

2009-01-08T20:13:00.002-06:00

Last weekend I ventured out on a new mission - setting up our baby registry at Babies 'R Us. Managed to register for quite a few items... more than for our wedding, at any rate! I was reminded by a co-worker not to neglect the "cute factor" so I hope I succeeded in that area :)

Some things I still need to figure out - like what kind of baby monitor, do diaper genies *really* work?, bouncy seat and swing or just 1 or the other, etc. If there are any other moms or dads out there reading, I am open to your suggestions.. What was the one item you just couldn't live without???

2008-12-30T18:12:00.002-06:00

So, tonight Guy says to me "don't stand like that, it makes your belly look big"

to which I reply, standing normally, "like what? thats just the way it is"

yes, I am getting bigger. and today I really felt like it as I had to go back and forth from my desk to various locations in the building...

and hungry too... I actually debated "stealing" a piece of cake that I saw one of our Operations staff put in the fridge (and, no I didn't... but I thought about it for a minute).

guess I'm lucky tho - I've made it this far without much to complain about!

Home Again

2008-12-27T21:17:00.004-06:00

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, or whatever else it is you celebrate!

Guy and I made it home from FL today - another uneventful trip, aside from the 30 mins spent waiting to get off the plane when we arrived in Ft Myers. It was nice to see the family, hang out and relax in the Florida sun for a few days. I will spare you the pics of me in a bikini..... (j/k, you couldn't get me near a swimsuit right now!).

I guess this will be our last trip for awhile now, well at least for me & JP anyway. And that's just fine ~ those long plane/car trips are getting old! I'll let ya'll come and visit me next time :)

Baby's first Christmas

2008-12-23T19:14:00.002-06:00

Since we're going to be in Florida for Christmas, we decided to open the presents we have here tonight. Aunt MoMo was very good to JP ~ he's going to be one stylin' kid! Thanks Maureen!

Vegas, Baby!

2008-12-23T17:19:00.004-06:00

We just got back from our trip to Las Vegas - by the time JP is born, he will have been to 5 states! The intent of this trip was for Guy to be able to get a better feel for what the Vegas Valley is like. I'm not sure how representative this trip was - it snowed the day before we arrived and was quite chilly the entire time we were there.

The flights sucked, of course. No delays or anything, but let's face it - those seats aren't very comfortable to begin with and even less so now (for me anyway). On one leg I was squashed into the window seat. Its a good thing that was the short leg of the flight! I can't tell you how many miles we walked during the course of our stay. Another activity that isn't very high up on my list these days. All in all, a good trip. We drove around some of the neighborhoods, hung out with some old friends and ate good food. A little mellower than my last trip to Vegas... but when you come to visit, I'm sure we'll have a good time ;)

On the baby front, I'm at 30 weeks and have gained just over 30lbs. Lots of movement, but no hard kicks... yet!

Just for fun...

2008-12-10T19:27:00.003-06:00

because I know everyone wants to see my belly....

I've got to admit it's getting bigger
A little bigger all the time
It can't get no worse
I have to admit it's getting bigger, it's getting bigger
Since you've been mine (Getting so much bigger all the time)

Baby's first road trip

2008-12-03T20:33:00.004-06:00

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! Guy and I spent the day at Linda's with her parents and son. The food and the company were wonderful and although I missed cooking for Thanksgiving, I sure didn't miss the cleanup!!

After Guy got off of work on Friday, we dropped the dogs off at the PetsHotel and headed down to the Coast. We figure it has been a year since the last time we were both down. Poor Guy drove the whole way - most of it raining. As for me, it was hard to get comfortable - just couldn't sit still for any stretch of time. In a day and a half we managed to squeeze in time to visit with all the family and even some friends. Most of it centered around food :)

We were lucky enough to help Brooklynn celebrate her 4th birthday. She is into gymnastics at the moment, so the party was at the gym. I think everyone - kids and adults - had a great time.

It was certainly a quick trip. We turned around to head home on Sunday morning. The trip back wasn't much better for me, although we didn't get any rain 'til after Grenada.

Brooklynn on the balance beam.
Braden gives the rings a try.
Happpy Birthday!

Jack and JP

2008-11-26T19:30:00.005-06:00

Jack bonding with JP... he looks so calm, don't let the pictures fool you!

to Doula or not to Doula, that is the question

2008-11-22T15:55:00.003-06:00

actually, there's not much question about it. I am pretty set on having a doula present during labor for support. so far, I have met with two... one is training to be a midwife, so she has more of a holistic/medical background. the other started as a doula after the birth of her 1st child (she has 4 now... the littlest one was adopted from china). I will probably meet with at least one more before I make a decision.

so why do I want a doula? well, as you know by now, I am pretty set on having as natural/normal of a childbirth as possible. with labor, one intervention leads to another, so the longer I can put off or avoid interventions the more likely I am to have the style of birth that I envision. induction/epidural lead to IVs and continuous fetal monitoring which restrict movement and make laboring more difficult, which in many cases leads to a c-section. yes, guy is going through the childbirth class, but since he's new to all this too, he might need a little extra support once we get to the hospital. and the nurses aren't there to cater to my needs only... they have all their patients to focus on. so a doula will help us both get through labor and childbirth as comfortably as possible.

Latest Stats

2008-11-22T15:23:00.002-06:00

Went to the doctor yesterday for a quick checkup...everyone got a clean bill of health

so far, I have gained 25lbs OMG! and I still have 14 weeks to go...
his heartbeat is still going strong - between 140-150 bpm.
fundal height measured 27 cm, so still within range (should be within 2cm of gestational age)

my next visit is at 28 weeks and after that I go back every 2 weeks...and the real countdown begins when I have to go in every week. whew! that's a lot of doctor appointments!

Should I stay or should I go?

2008-11-20T21:53:00.002-06:00

wow. what a week.... as many of you know, harrah's has been contemplating what "to do" with the memphis office. we've been anticipating a decision, and yesterday it was made to completely close the memphis office. there are just over 300 people here in memphis, and about 20% are being offered relocation. i guess i am lucky - i am only of the 50 or so with the opportunity to move. the alternative being stick it out through september (after the data center moves) and take severance.

so on top of a new baby, guy and i have another huge decision to make in the coming weeks.

i guess it could be worse - i could be at citibank where they are laying off fifty thousand people...........

Back to Class

2008-11-11T21:01:00.002-06:00

To get ready for the birth of our baby, Guy and I have signed up to take a Bradley method childbirth class. The class is 12 weeks long and meets through the end of January. Last night was just the second class... so far so good. There are 3 other couples in the class ~ small world, the husband of one of the women in the class also used to work at Harrah's.

Anyway, the class is all about preparing for a natural childbirth and what it takes to get there. I have a series of exercises that need to be done daily (which I will do as soon as I am done with this!), relaxation (which for some reason seems to be difficult to make the time for) and for the next four weeks I need to track what I eat for the quantity of protein. I am supposed to have between 80-100grams of protein a day - wow!! Making sure that I eat and drink enough is somewhat difficult at times. I haven't had any funky cravings yet and I'm also not a place where I feel hungry all the time.

The class isn't all about me though. One of the focuses of the Bradley method is that Guy will act as a "coach" to get me through labor. Some of the classes focus strictly on the coaching while others will go through techniques on getting through the first and second stages.

In addition to the class, I am thinking about hiring a doula to assist with labor support. I have a list of recommendations - just need to start interviewing and get that out of the way.

Not much else going on in babyland - I don't go back to the doctor until next week. We did sell the TV stand - my first foray onto Craigs list! and I've bought the paint for the nursery - no VOCs! Guess its time to get down to business before I get too big...

Baby Steps

2008-11-01T14:27:00.003-05:00

Finally decided on a theme for the nursery... Kidsline "Play Ball" - teddy bears & sports. Its cute but not too baby-ish. Went ahead and bought the bedding today so that we could find paint that color coordinates well. I think we got it figured out! Blue, of course. The bottom half of the room will be a dark blue and the top will be a couple shades lighter. Instead of a border, we're going to put up a chair rail (Guy has something against wallpaper...) Now we just need to sell that TV Stand and get it out of the way...

Baby Update

2008-10-28T20:46:00.002-05:00

Just a quick update from my Drs. visit last Friday...

His heartrate is still in the normal zone - bouncing around between 140-150 beats per min.

Also, the doctor measured the "fundal height" - ah, here is something new. This is a measurement from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus (approximate). The distance in centimeters should be right about the number of weeks along. While some find this method "antiquated," I guess it is still a good way to track progress without excessive amounts of ultrasounds. The measurement was pretty dead on though - 21cm at 21wks.

So, he's doing just fine at this point!

Another new development is that I can really feel him now. No kicks or jabs yet, just turning somersaults in my belly! Definitely more active in the evenings. Its kinda cool to just lie down on the couch and feel him wiggling around :)

Burning Ring of Fire

2008-10-24T02:36:00.002-05:00

I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down down down
The flames they went higher
And it burns burns burns
That ring of fire
That ring of fire
That ring of fire

To put it bluntly, this sucks! I've never been one to get heartburn except on a rare occasion... starting this week, my pregnancy seems to have changed all that. And here it is, almost 3AM and I cannot sleep because of it (yes, I am playing the sympathy card - do I get any?)

I've searched the internet high and low and if I come across one more website with helpful hints on avoiding it, I will scream! What I want/need is a natural remedy that is baby-safe... no drugs (hint: read my last post). So right now I am sitting here drinking a glass of apple cider vinegar water. Which the poster swears by... and it is not doing a damn thing for me.

If I also didn't have a sinus cold at the moment (more sympathy!), I could drink some milk or eat yogurt. But the whole dairy thing won't really play nice with the sinuses. Which I can't take any drugs for either . It may be a matter of the lesser of 2 evils at this point... Oh well, enough of my whining for now. But it is 3 in the morning and who else is gonna listen to me???

Ten Americans

2008-10-16T20:44:00.005-05:00

As a mother-to-be, I am inundated with advertising in magazines, parenting websites and even maternity stores to bank my baby's umbilical cord blood. I don't know how long this has been around... maybe a few years? Five? Anyway, for those of you who don't know, the stem cells in the baby's umbilical cord can be "banked" on the chance that at some point your child will develop some disease or illness and then these cells can be used in treatment. Other options for cord blood include donating for research to help find cures.

(By the way ~ for those of you who are against stem cell research, the umbilical stem cells offer a non-controversial way of obtaining the cells. So you might want to re-think in which cases you might approve of this type of research, since this doesn't involve the embryos.)

I don't know yet if Guy and I will choose to bank the cord blood or not... that really isn't the point of my post here tonight :) Bear with me... I am getting to it!

In my nightly trip around the internet, I came across the video "Ten Americans" from the Environmental Working Group .

Well, I certainly learned something new and I hope you all did too! In all the talk about umbilical cord blood, I never have heard, read or would have expected that that many chemicals and toxins would have been found. Even scarier, if its in the umbilical cord blood, guess what ~~ its in my baby too!

We need to wake up and start taking care of our environment, ourselves and our children's futures! Please pass along the link to the video and support the Kid-Safe Act to the update the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 - http://www.ewg.org/kidsafe.

* Happy Birthday Guy *

2008-10-13T20:00:00.003-05:00

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog to bring to you a very special announcement!

Today is Guy's 30th Birthday... Happy Birthday Guy!!

When innies become outies...

2008-10-09T21:25:00.001-05:00

OMG. I am beginning to feel like a turkey with those popout timers that tell you when its done (supposedly). My nice innie bellybutton has recently decided to come out, literally. Needless to say, the little guy is not even close to being done yet!

Here is a shot of my belly, so you can see for yourself. And yes, I am starting to get a bit round... as I was just telling a friend, its a bit strange when you can't quite bend over to put on your socks and shoes!

My, how he has grown!

2008-10-07T20:31:00.011-05:00

So, our little jellybean is just past the 19wk mark. Not quite half-way, but almost! I went to the dr. for a full fetal anatomy scan today. Everything checked out normal - arms, legs, fingers, toes, all facial features. It was really neat to see the heart beating and pumping blood through it too.

Just "for fun" the tech took some shots with the 3D ultrasound. Thought I would share them with you. Guy says he has his nose... can you tell???

Aww... how cute!

Already sucking his thumb...

What's in a name, part II

2008-09-29T20:19:00.002-05:00

Guy and I have finally agreed upon a name for the baby. I hear/read lots of stories about people putting in their 2 cents about why they don't like a name or don't think a particular name should be used... so, to that end, I'm not gonna tell you now. Ha! Just gonna have to keep you in suspense for a little while longer.

Found!

2008-09-25T20:27:00.004-05:00

The search for a new doctor is over! I met with the 3rd and final potential doc today and by the end of the appointment decided that she was the one. So there is one thing to cross of the ever-growing list of to-dos!

Why I like Dr Wilson - she has a warm personality, the meeting wasn't ever awkward in any way and she made sure that I asked all my questions and she even asked me some "what do you think about x, y, z" to make sure we really did cover everything, and she'll definitely work with me on a birth plan for a natural/normal childbirth. Bonus: she delivers at the hospital that is 2 miles from my house - yay!

While I was there, we listened to the baby's heartbeat. He's going strong, right around 150bpm. Go Bump!

All Quiet on the Western Front

2008-09-21T20:06:00.002-05:00

Yes, I realize it has been over a week since my last post. Quite honestly, there's not a lot to report at this time. I'm still looking for a new doc (I have my final consultation this week), still looking at nursery furniture, still shopping for a new car, and Guy & I are still playing with names.

At least we have all the choices narrowed down... its just a matter of making a decision (and spending a few $$$ in the process!)

So stay tuned... I'm sure I'll have more to report here shortly!

What's in a name?

2008-09-09T07:43:00.003-05:00

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes

~ Romeo and Juliet, Act II Scene II

For those of you who don't already know, Guy's full name is Guy Dennis Guidry, Jr. Seeing as our baby is a boy, he would like to name him (yep, you guessed it) Guy Dennis Guidry, III. Now the name is fine - for my guy. But for the little one, I would like him to have his own identity. Its already confusing enough when we go to visit his dad ~ we've got big Guy and little Guy. So now what will we have? Baby Guy, Old Guy?

Please, don't tell me "well, you can call him Trey." Not to offend anyone, but I don't really care for that. And Trip just sounds too preppy. Besides, what's the point of giving someone a name that you'll never call them by, unless you are screaming at them at the top of your lungs to stop whatever it is that they are doing and get their butt to the dinner table?

I would like to know your thoughts, 1 vote per visitor please... See the poll over to the left.

On the baby front

2008-09-08T23:02:00.002-05:00

Oh yea, you all might just be a little interested as to what's going on with the little guy growing inside of me (hmm...does it sound kinda weird stated that way? kinda like Alien or something!)

Anyway, at the last dr visit, all they did was check the heart rate, which is still going strong at about 145bpm.

You will all be happy to know that my weight is at an all time high (no, I'm not telling, but its still lower than the baby's heartrate!). I'm sure a new record will be broken on a weekly basis - kinda like gas prices were for awhile there. I have finally broken down and bought some maternity pants...not the full-on, over-the-belly kind. And ya know what? They are actually pretty dang comfortable!

What's Up Doc?

2008-09-08T22:45:00.003-05:00

sooooooo..... Iamthisclose to switching doctors. Well, in my mind I already have even though I haven't officially done it yet. It is surprising the number of women I talk to that either switched or wish they switched. Its not that I feel my current doc is a bad doctor - I just don't think he is interested in me or my pregnancy all that much. And what does that say for how he will be during labor? Oh, and lets not forget the fact that the practice is more of an advertisement for cosmetic surgery than women's health. And that their billing office can't get a damn thing right! Although that is minor in the scheme of things... If I liked my doc I would put up with endless calls to Cigna and the billing dept. But I don't. So back to my main point, I am switching.

Those of you who know me would laugh. I am armed with a spreadsheet of potential doctors, all received through references in the local natural childbirth scene. The spreadsheet has basic stuff like what hospital they are affiliated with, who is in/out of network, phone number, etc. It also has a list of questions that I am going to ask, which I probably should have asked my current doc, if he wasn't too busy trying to push me out of the exam room and over to the billing department. For those of you interested, here's the list:

1. I would like to have a natural childbirth, with as little intervention as possible. What labor practices do you use routinely?
2. I am interested in learning as much as possible about pregnancy and childbirth. What books / websites would you recommend?
Tangent: more books to add to the shelf! The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving birth with confidence and Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful: Experience the Natural Power of Pregnancy and Birth with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation
3. I have signed up to take a childbirth class based on the Bradley method. What do you think about it?
Tangent 2: if anything, I will be the most informed pregger chick out there!
4. How do you feel about a doula present for support during labor?
5. For what reasons would you insist on inducing labor? What percentage of your deliveries are initiated by induction? What methods do you use to induce?
6. I would like to labor as long as possible prior to a caesarean section. For what reasons would you advise having a caesarean?

Wish me luck. My goal is to find a new doctor BEFORE my next visit with the current one!

Heading South - Update

2008-08-31T14:41:00.001-05:00

just wanted to let everyone know that we are back in memphis. keep your fingers crossed for family and friends that live on the gulf!

Oh boy!

2008-08-30T16:36:00.000-05:00

Got a call from the doctor's office yesterday. My CVS test results are in... first and foremost, the results are normal...whew! What a sigh of relief! Secondly, the test is able to tell the baby's gender. It just so happens that all preliminary indications happened to be correct. Our baby is a BOY. Guy, of course, is ecstatic about the news. Now I just have to stop him from putting up an 8x12 mural of Yankee stadium in the baby's room......

Heading South

2008-08-28T20:19:00.000-05:00

Guy and I are heading out of town this weekend to Lafayette, LA for his dad's wedding. We leave there on Sunday AM, plenty of time to get back to Memphis before Gustav makes its way out of the Gulf.

Have a great weekend!

Pushed

2008-08-23T18:22:00.000-05:00

Just finished reading "Pushed - The Painful Truth about Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care" by Jennifer Block. What an eye-opener! I guess not having kids or friends nearby who have recently given birth, I was pretty ignorant on the whole process. Now, however, I feel armed with information and have a pretty clear idea of what I do and don't want when it comes time to actually give birth.

If you know me at all, you probably already guessed that I would want a natural childbirth. No pitocin for me, thank you very much! And while I'm not saying I won't end up screaming for an epidural in the end, at least I now know there are different levels of epidurals ;)

Here's a list of some of the other books I am reading:
Your Pregnancy, week by week ~ Curtis & Schuler. Like the title says, a basic guide to what's going on with me and the baby week by week

Magical Beginnings, Encanted Lives ~ Deepak Chopra. If you've read or heard of Chopra, you know he's all about yoga, meditation, ayurveda, self-awareness, etc.

Celebrating Motherhood ~ Gosline, Bossi & Beanland. This is a collection of essays, poetry, and quotes on motherhood.

It's a ...

2008-08-20T19:50:00.000-05:00

don't know yet - ha! however, the chinese sex predictor says it's a boy. and you just don't mess with ancient chinese knowledge.... how many people do you know that its been wrong for???

in all seriousness tho, the ultrasound tech gave her opinion yesterday and she agrees. while she can't confirm 100%, she pointed out that the pelvis appears notched, which would indicate a boy. and no, the arrow is not pointing to what you're thinking!! I think that's his (well, could still be a her...) leg.

in any case, the cvs test will tell us for sure. had it done yesterday... now I just need to wait. and wait. and wait for the results. keep your fingers crossed - no nasty side effects.

here is a better overall pic... you can see the cute little nose and mouth. doesn't look quite so "alien" although if you want that, I've got those pics too!!

stay tuned!

Decisions, decisions....

2008-08-09T10:05:00.000-05:00

Throughout the pregnancy, I know that Guy and I will need to make lots (hundreds? thousands?) of decisions... what color to paint the room, what to name the baby, pampers or cloth diapers, etc etc etc. However, I was not fully prepared for the weight of this first important decision that has been tossed my way -- do I want genetic screening to test for downs syndrome?

For those of you who did not know, I am OLD to be having a baby. The risks for chromosomal defects go up along with the mother's age. I know lots of people who were my age or older when they became pregnant and they all had healthy babies.

The doctor has offered me choices... sequential screening, which could lead to amniocentesis if the risk is high or chorionic villus sampling (aka CVS, not to be confused with the pharmacy!). On one hand, sequential screening sounds good -- the test involves screening my blood, so there is no risk to the baby. But it is not as effective as amnio or CVS -- only 90% accurate with potential false positive/negative results. And, if the results indicate high risk, well, I'm off to have a needle inserted through my belly anyway for the amnio... CVS, while a bit riskier since it is intrusive, offers more peace of mind. The cells being sampled are from the placenta which have the same chromosomes as the baby. About as accurate as you can get in the testing world. It is also done earlier in the pregnancy, which would give me more time to prepare for the worst.

We haven't made a decision yet which route to take, but I don't have long... the CVS procedure, if we opt to have it done, needs to be done in the next couple of weeks. Part of me says to do it, since it is the most accurate. I guess you'll have to come back and read more to find out which way we decided to go...

10wks, 4 days... its alive!!

2008-08-06T19:52:00.002-05:00

Had my first of many OB appointments today... doc couldn't find the baby's heartbeat so he had an ultrasound done. I got to see the baby and hear her heartbeat (ok, so we don't know yet if the baby is a boy or girl, but one can dream, right?)

Thought I would share the pic with you... the first of many, I'm sure :)

9 weeks

2008-07-27T20:42:00.001-05:00

OK, so its been a couple of weeks since my last post. Really though, not much going on yet... I go back to the Dr in another week. By that time, he says he should be able to detect the baby's heartbeat.

Still no morning sickness. For that I should be glad!! A bit of queasiness here and there, but that's it. It is a chore trying to make sure I eat enough - in general and the "right" food. And don't get me started on the food that I'm not supposed to eat. I thought it was bad when sushi was the only thing on the list but now I've been told no soft cheeses - ie: feta, bleu, gorgonzola, goat.... What's next???

Not much to see yet either. I haven't gained much weight - maybe a pound or two. However, some of my clothes are starting to not fit quite right. Too early for maternity clothes and too late to buy anything new. So, if you see me wearing the same outfits over and over again, you know why! And, yes, I did wash them in-between wearings ;)

Well, almost bed-time (yes, I am more tired lately). Talk to you all later!

6wks 4 days

2008-07-11T21:46:00.001-05:00

Well, I've never been much of a blogger. I spend too much time around computers at work to really want to have much to do with them when I'm at home. But I figured I'd give it another go so that y'all can stay up to day on Baby G's progress.

Found out positively that I am positive earlier this week. Had suspicions, but also my doubts (after all, I've never done this before!!) My friend Linda thinks I'm insane for not having spent the 10 bucks or whatever it is for a home test... I rationalize that I already had the Dr appointment anyway, so why not just wait.

Can't tell much of anything yet. Clothes still fit. No morning sickness so far either... although I find myself "tasting" the food in my head first. Weird? Maybe, but there has been food that I don't want after I've thought about it for a moment. Oddly enough, nothing out of the ordinary. And I still want Sushi.

Guy claims to be stressed. Then again, he told everyone he knows within 30 mins of receiving the news. So I'd say he's just a tad bit excited. I am happy with the news as well, just a bit more reserved about it.

'nuff for now. I can't give it all away in the first post if I want to keep you coming back for the next 9 months. Stay tuned!