Jenn's house is still standing and a friend who lost her house is staying with her. Cameron is also back home with her.
Malcolm's appointment on Tuesday went well. He gained 17 ounces in two weeks. Go Mal! That was the last time we will be seeing that pediatrician. Although she was happy with Mal's weight gain, she instructed us to start feeding him even more formula. I just don't get it. We're going to start taking him to the pediatrician Angie & Jessie take their kids to.
The little guy is talking up a storm and he's been working hard on his arm control. He now rubs his eyes when he's tired and he sometimes finds his mouth and sucks on his fist. He makes these loud, slurping noises that are darling. This past Wednesday, we went to a new parents support group that meets weekly. At the end of the meeting, we put all of the babies on the couch and one of the dads took pictures. It was hilarious! They are all pretty young and haven't started sitting up on their own so there was lots of leaning on each other.
Today, I made a vegetable stew with kale, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, onion and garlic. Delish!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
California fires
My sweetest sister lives in San Diego. Last I heard, her house is still standing. Cameron is staying with his dad - his place is currently not threatened by the fires. The hospital where Jenn works is taking in evacuees from nursing homes and she's on call 24/7. It's an intense time in SoCal right now.
We love you, Jenn and Cameron! You are constantly in our thoughts.
Monday, October 22, 2007
The Weight of Poop
I think little Mal will weigh more tomorrow just from all of the poop he's holding in. Before we started everything, we were changing around 5 poopy diapers a day. Now he's only pooping every 2-3 days. And when he does poop, it's A LOT of poop. If he doesn't poop before his appointment tomorrow, I'm sure all that he's holding in will add at least half a pound to his overall weight. OK, enough of the poop talk.
On Sunday, we had Julie, Jeremiah and Natalie over for brunch. Nat stayed over all day hanging out - it was great! Her computer broke so she brought it over to see if Tony could figure out what is wrong with it. We sent her home with a somewhat functioning computer + my old desktop so she could at least use the internet at home. Sunny & Annie were in the neighborhood so they stopped by for a little bit to hang out. I feel really lucky that my friends want to come hang out with us at our house since we can't afford to go out to eat and socialize.
Metric played a show at The Showbox this past Tuesday. I am a little sad that I missed it. I also realized that it's unlikely that I'll be able to snowboard for most of this season since I'll still be breastfeeding Malcolm. I can't go all day without feeding or pumping, ya know?
On Sunday, we had Julie, Jeremiah and Natalie over for brunch. Nat stayed over all day hanging out - it was great! Her computer broke so she brought it over to see if Tony could figure out what is wrong with it. We sent her home with a somewhat functioning computer + my old desktop so she could at least use the internet at home. Sunny & Annie were in the neighborhood so they stopped by for a little bit to hang out. I feel really lucky that my friends want to come hang out with us at our house since we can't afford to go out to eat and socialize.
Metric played a show at The Showbox this past Tuesday. I am a little sad that I missed it. I also realized that it's unlikely that I'll be able to snowboard for most of this season since I'll still be breastfeeding Malcolm. I can't go all day without feeding or pumping, ya know?
Friday, October 19, 2007
SAHM
I never thought I would become a stay-at-home-mom. I never thought that we could afford it. It's funny how you prioritize your life differently once you have a child. My main focus in life is my family. The biggest decision I have to make everyday is whether the weather is good enough to take Malcolm on a walk. There are very few 'new' events that occur, but I don't mind one bit. My biggest concern in my life is the well-being of our child.
Tony has 2 interviews next week for jobs that sound pretty exciting. WaMu is deciding if they want to have second interviews or if they are just going to make an offer which tells us that they are having a hard time deciding between Tony and another candidate. Things are definitely looking up on the job front!
My milk production is definitely up so let's hope Mal's weight is also. Since we've started the whole formula, Lactaid, fennel and Fenugreek regime, he's been spitting up often throughout the day. If he's gained enough weight to satisfy his pediatrician, the formula is the first thing to go. Tony has been really enjoying feeding him daily, so I'm going to start finding time to pump throughout the day so he can continue to do so with bottled breastmilk in the evenings. It's going to be so weird not having him around all the time. I've gotten quite accustomed to him helping me out during the day. Although it's been a little scary with him being unemployed the last couple of months and us not knowing where our income will be coming from after my severance pay runs out, it's been quite wonderful for all of us that he's been able to spend so much time with Malcolm. They really do adore each other.
Tony has 2 interviews next week for jobs that sound pretty exciting. WaMu is deciding if they want to have second interviews or if they are just going to make an offer which tells us that they are having a hard time deciding between Tony and another candidate. Things are definitely looking up on the job front!
My milk production is definitely up so let's hope Mal's weight is also. Since we've started the whole formula, Lactaid, fennel and Fenugreek regime, he's been spitting up often throughout the day. If he's gained enough weight to satisfy his pediatrician, the formula is the first thing to go. Tony has been really enjoying feeding him daily, so I'm going to start finding time to pump throughout the day so he can continue to do so with bottled breastmilk in the evenings. It's going to be so weird not having him around all the time. I've gotten quite accustomed to him helping me out during the day. Although it's been a little scary with him being unemployed the last couple of months and us not knowing where our income will be coming from after my severance pay runs out, it's been quite wonderful for all of us that he's been able to spend so much time with Malcolm. They really do adore each other.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Poop update
He's pooping less and it's definitely thicker. He had one of the messiest diapers yet this morning. The real test to see if the Lactaid is doing its job will be his weight gain.
I started drinking fennel infused water per the recommendation of a friend. It increased her milk production when she was having difficulties. If the Fenugreek and the fennel do not work, I'll look into a prescription (thanks for the recommendation, Jean).
I'm reading an interesting book right now: Into the Minds of Babes: How Screen Time Affects Children from Birth to Age Five. It's pretty interesting so far. I'm planning on doing a chapter-by-chapter book review when I'm finished. The information in the book is important for all parents to know which is why I'm going to review it and post it online for those who do not have the time to read it.
Our recent digestive pleasures: crustless broccoli & mushroom quiche, banana bread and lentil stew. I cook while Mal is napping :)
I started drinking fennel infused water per the recommendation of a friend. It increased her milk production when she was having difficulties. If the Fenugreek and the fennel do not work, I'll look into a prescription (thanks for the recommendation, Jean).
I'm reading an interesting book right now: Into the Minds of Babes: How Screen Time Affects Children from Birth to Age Five. It's pretty interesting so far. I'm planning on doing a chapter-by-chapter book review when I'm finished. The information in the book is important for all parents to know which is why I'm going to review it and post it online for those who do not have the time to read it.
Our recent digestive pleasures: crustless broccoli & mushroom quiche, banana bread and lentil stew. I cook while Mal is napping :)
Saturday, October 13, 2007
The Scoop on the Poop
On Wednesday, we took a sample of Mal's poop to the lab to get analyzed per his pediatrician's instructions. She wanted to make sure he was absorbing all of the nutrients he needs since his weight gain is slow. She called us last night with the results: he's absorbing the fat just fine, but isn't absorbing enough lactose. Apparently, it's not uncommon for a newborn's intestines to not produce enough lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose. This is often called lactose intolerance, but that would be an incorrect diagnosis. True lactose intolerance is actually quite rare in babies.
Anyway, the symptoms we read up on when doing our own research matched exactly what Malcolm experiences: watery stools and gassiness. She recommended that we start giving him Lactaid before he eats.
When I started going to class, we started giving Mal a little bit of formula when Tony would run out of pumped breast milk. We noticed that the next day, he was spitting up quite often. So, we went ahead and got him soy based formula. Boy does he hate the taste! The pediatrician instructed us to start supplementing his feeding with formula until his weight increases and I can increase my milk production (she thinks that my milk production is low).
While I was giving Mal his bath last night, Tony ran to the store to pick up some Lactaid. We gave him the dosage she recommended, I then fed him and then Tony gave him a bottle of formula. He was a happy baby. Tony was playing with him on his lap and he was doing his cute cooing and whatnot when suddenly, he vomited all over himself and Tony. Ack! Our first time having to deal with our kid puking! And of course he did it after his bath. He didn't cry or anything so we think he was feeling just fine. This morning, I gave him some more Lactaid and also a bottle of formula (he only drank an ounce this time) and so far we are in the clear. I've come to the conclusion that he just had too much to eat.
I'm really hoping that he puts weight on quickly so we can stop giving him formula every day. It's hard for him to digest.
Anyway, the symptoms we read up on when doing our own research matched exactly what Malcolm experiences: watery stools and gassiness. She recommended that we start giving him Lactaid before he eats.
When I started going to class, we started giving Mal a little bit of formula when Tony would run out of pumped breast milk. We noticed that the next day, he was spitting up quite often. So, we went ahead and got him soy based formula. Boy does he hate the taste! The pediatrician instructed us to start supplementing his feeding with formula until his weight increases and I can increase my milk production (she thinks that my milk production is low).
While I was giving Mal his bath last night, Tony ran to the store to pick up some Lactaid. We gave him the dosage she recommended, I then fed him and then Tony gave him a bottle of formula. He was a happy baby. Tony was playing with him on his lap and he was doing his cute cooing and whatnot when suddenly, he vomited all over himself and Tony. Ack! Our first time having to deal with our kid puking! And of course he did it after his bath. He didn't cry or anything so we think he was feeling just fine. This morning, I gave him some more Lactaid and also a bottle of formula (he only drank an ounce this time) and so far we are in the clear. I've come to the conclusion that he just had too much to eat.
I'm really hoping that he puts weight on quickly so we can stop giving him formula every day. It's hard for him to digest.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
2-month letter
Hey Malcolm,
Can you believe it? You are two months old already! We have been having so much fun hanging out with you - more than we could have imagined. Your first few weeks of life, you liked to snuggle all of the time which everyone enjoyed. Then, you suddenly became alert and started to interact with us. Everyday, we can't wait to see what new thing you are going to do. You have become very talkative and have started to roll from your back to your side and have figured out how to scoot yourself around the bed.
We took you to see the doctor yesterday and found that you are now 22 1/2 inches tall and weigh 8 pounds 12 ounces. Although you eat quite often, the doc wants you to put on more weight. She says that you are too skinny. I wonder if this is an indication that you are going to be a lanky kid - it does run in the family.
Since we brought you home for the first time, you have been really good about sleeping for long periods of time during the night. We feel really lucky because that means that your mom and dad aren't sleep deprived. Apparently, this is rare. I've been reading that your sleep patterns will change in the next few months when you start teething. Let's make a pact now that you'll continue to figure out how to sleep through the night :)
I'm typing one-handed ATM in an attempt to finally get this letter finished (been working on it for two days now). We love you, lil' bean, and are so happy you came into our lives.
Love,
Mommy
Can you believe it? You are two months old already! We have been having so much fun hanging out with you - more than we could have imagined. Your first few weeks of life, you liked to snuggle all of the time which everyone enjoyed. Then, you suddenly became alert and started to interact with us. Everyday, we can't wait to see what new thing you are going to do. You have become very talkative and have started to roll from your back to your side and have figured out how to scoot yourself around the bed.
We took you to see the doctor yesterday and found that you are now 22 1/2 inches tall and weigh 8 pounds 12 ounces. Although you eat quite often, the doc wants you to put on more weight. She says that you are too skinny. I wonder if this is an indication that you are going to be a lanky kid - it does run in the family.
Since we brought you home for the first time, you have been really good about sleeping for long periods of time during the night. We feel really lucky because that means that your mom and dad aren't sleep deprived. Apparently, this is rare. I've been reading that your sleep patterns will change in the next few months when you start teething. Let's make a pact now that you'll continue to figure out how to sleep through the night :)
I'm typing one-handed ATM in an attempt to finally get this letter finished (been working on it for two days now). We love you, lil' bean, and are so happy you came into our lives.
Love,
Mommy
Monday, October 08, 2007
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
I'm thankful these times are rare
The little guy didn't get to sleep until midnight last night and woke up around 2:30, 4:30 and then again at 6. I can usually nurse him back to sleep quickly, but he thrashed around the whole time which is quite uncomfortable for me. I gave up and got up to put him in his swing in hopes that it will lull him back to sleep. He's yawning lots and also making grunting noises, but no sleep. Maybe he has gas? Sleep, baby! Mommy needs more sleep, too!
Monday, October 01, 2007
What we eat
Something my mum said when she was visiting inspired this post. She said that she would have no idea of what to cook for us since I'm vegetarian. This past week, I made Mexican Bean and Polenta Stuffed Peppers and Creamy Rice and Spinach Casserole. The stuffed peppers came out well but definitely needed more salt. They've also reheated well. I made the casserole with orzo pasta and a variety of greens (broccoli, spinach, green beans and edemame). It was a bit disappointing - especially since it got such high ratings on VegWeb. I ended up adding parmesan cheese and it made it better. It was also better the next day. I also made a batch of chili and froze half for later. For quick meals, we eat a lot of wraps. Essentially, we just put random things in tortillas and eat. It's easy, quick and usually healthy.
Now that we have a limited income coming in, I'm trying to get us on a food budget. This has proved more difficult than I thought. It's easy for me if I'm just buying for myself, but Tony often doesn't like what I buy. It's too healthy and not convenient enough. He's also been on a meat kick lately and prefers to make his daily trips to the store to buy food he wants to eat that day. We have quickly found that meat is expensive!
Now that we have a limited income coming in, I'm trying to get us on a food budget. This has proved more difficult than I thought. It's easy for me if I'm just buying for myself, but Tony often doesn't like what I buy. It's too healthy and not convenient enough. He's also been on a meat kick lately and prefers to make his daily trips to the store to buy food he wants to eat that day. We have quickly found that meat is expensive!
Friday, September 28, 2007
7 weeks (and a few days)
Why don't babies blink? Mal is in his swing just staring away at the red button on the side of it and not blinking at all. Do their little eyes not dry out?
Poor little guy got painful diaper rash earlier this week due to me drinking orange juice. It's an adventure figuring out what foods I eat affect him.
I went to my first class last night for Management of IT and was gone for 3.5 hours. I had only pumped enough milk for one bottle and Mal drank that quickly shortly after I left. Tony didn't know where the formula was for back up so when he got hungry again, Tony gave him water with sugar in it. I'm still not really sure why he put sugar in the water, but it made for one bouncy boy! Fortunately, it only kept him up about an hour later than his usual bedtime. My class was kinda boring. I really hope it gets more interesting. Maybe it bored me because it reminded me of work and I don't really want to think about work right now since they laid me off this week. Yes, a week before I was to return. And that's all I'm going to say on the internet. If you want more details, email or call me.
Poor little guy got painful diaper rash earlier this week due to me drinking orange juice. It's an adventure figuring out what foods I eat affect him.
I went to my first class last night for Management of IT and was gone for 3.5 hours. I had only pumped enough milk for one bottle and Mal drank that quickly shortly after I left. Tony didn't know where the formula was for back up so when he got hungry again, Tony gave him water with sugar in it. I'm still not really sure why he put sugar in the water, but it made for one bouncy boy! Fortunately, it only kept him up about an hour later than his usual bedtime. My class was kinda boring. I really hope it gets more interesting. Maybe it bored me because it reminded me of work and I don't really want to think about work right now since they laid me off this week. Yes, a week before I was to return. And that's all I'm going to say on the internet. If you want more details, email or call me.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Update - Six Weeks
Six weeks ago today, lil' bean was born and we named him Malcolm. JoJo (my mom) arrived on his two-week birthday followed by PopPop (Paul) and Aunt Jenn. Shortly after their departures, Grandma (Tony's mom) arrived for a 5-day visit. A few days after she left, Granpa (my dad) and Nana (Carolyn) arrived and they just left today. Now I have two weeks to convince little Mal that he wants to eat from a bottle when I'm not around. I really don't know what I'm going to do if he refuses a bottle since my maternity leave is up and I have to go back to work on October 3rd.
He slept in today missing Nana & Granpa's departure so that means no morning nap. Right now, he's in his vibrating rocker being as cute as ever. His neck and leg get stronger every day and he's started to smile but we're not convinced he's doing it on purpose. The biggest unfortunate thing is that he suffers from uncomfortable gas and we're not sure how to alleviate it. One thing that calms him down is going up and down the stairs. I'm starting to think that he does this so we stay in shape. He has the cutest expressions but we can't seem to capture them in a picture to share with everyone.
These brief moments of having both arms and hands free are valuable and I usually spend them making food for myself, doing laundry or taking care of myself (peeing or taking a shower). As he gets older and we can establish a routine, I hope to update the blog more frequently. I also need to prioritize sending out thank-you notes for gifts from the baby shower (why oh why didn't I do that before he was born?!?) and birth announcements.
Oh yeah - school starts next week. I'm only taking one class this semester but can only do so if we can convince Mal to accept a bottle. I suppose that means we only have one week to accomplish this. Although my class is only 2.5 hours, he is still eating on demand and pretty much wants to eat constantly in the evenings. He's a hungry boy!
Be sure to check out the pictures from all of our visitors on my Flickr gallery.
He slept in today missing Nana & Granpa's departure so that means no morning nap. Right now, he's in his vibrating rocker being as cute as ever. His neck and leg get stronger every day and he's started to smile but we're not convinced he's doing it on purpose. The biggest unfortunate thing is that he suffers from uncomfortable gas and we're not sure how to alleviate it. One thing that calms him down is going up and down the stairs. I'm starting to think that he does this so we stay in shape. He has the cutest expressions but we can't seem to capture them in a picture to share with everyone.
These brief moments of having both arms and hands free are valuable and I usually spend them making food for myself, doing laundry or taking care of myself (peeing or taking a shower). As he gets older and we can establish a routine, I hope to update the blog more frequently. I also need to prioritize sending out thank-you notes for gifts from the baby shower (why oh why didn't I do that before he was born?!?) and birth announcements.
Oh yeah - school starts next week. I'm only taking one class this semester but can only do so if we can convince Mal to accept a bottle. I suppose that means we only have one week to accomplish this. Although my class is only 2.5 hours, he is still eating on demand and pretty much wants to eat constantly in the evenings. He's a hungry boy!
Be sure to check out the pictures from all of our visitors on my Flickr gallery.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Looks who's 4 weeks old!
4 weeks old:
2 days old:
He's started a new routine - awake and alert in the morning and grumpy in the evenings. He's stopped taking naps during the day and I think it's making him grumpy. He's still sleeping 6 to 7 hours straight every night and eating constantly when awake. I have no idea how I'm supposed to get up a supply of pumped milk for when I go back to work. We still can't get him to take a binkie and he won't take the bottle yet. We're going to try different nipples and hope that works.
2 days old:
He's started a new routine - awake and alert in the morning and grumpy in the evenings. He's stopped taking naps during the day and I think it's making him grumpy. He's still sleeping 6 to 7 hours straight every night and eating constantly when awake. I have no idea how I'm supposed to get up a supply of pumped milk for when I go back to work. We still can't get him to take a binkie and he won't take the bottle yet. We're going to try different nipples and hope that works.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
One Year
One year ago today, Tony & I got married at Smith Tower surrounded by family and friends. Since then, we went to Prague for our honeymoon, bought a townhouse and welcomed Malcolm to our family. I started the MBA program at Seattle University and we visited Atlanta and San Diego over long weekends. It's been a wonderful (albeit busy) year and it baffles me how much our lives have changed over such a short period of time. I feel so fortunate to have a supportive, loving partner and an amazing son. We have so much to look forward to and much to be thankful for.
Malcolm will be four weeks old tomorrow. 4 weeks! My mom came to Seattle on the 21st and Paul & Jenn joined her on the 25th. They helped out around the house and got lots of cuddles with Mal. Tony turned 36 last Sunday and we had several friends over for a birthday brunch. Tony's mom comes into town on Tuesday for a 5-day stay and then my dad & Carolyn come to town after she leaves. The consensus so far is that Malcolm is a very sweet baby :)
The last few days, he hasn't been sleeping for long periods of time during the day and wants to eat most of the time he's awake. I spend much of my time sitting on the couch and my body is starting to ache from the lack of activity! He will sleep for long periods of time during the night if he's sleeping in bed with us. I love having him so close, but I have anxiety dreams of him falling off the bed or getting smothered. We've been putting him in his cosleeper for part of the night, but that means I am up ever hour. When he's sleeping by himself, he doesn't stay asleep for longer than an hour and it's usually 30 minute stints. I had him in his cosleeper for about 4 hours last night so I am pretty tired right now. I started pumping breastmilk this morning so I put him in the cosleeper after feeding him, turned the monitor on and came downstairs. Shortly afterwards, I heard him making his little 'awake' noises and then he was quiet for the rest of the time. I went upstairs to see if he was still sleeping and sure enough, he was fast asleep but not in his own bed. Tony had picked him up and put him in our bed so they could both get more sleep. I almost crawled back into bed but decided to take advantage of having both of my hands free :)
There are pictures up on Flickr of the recent visit from family (thanks, Paul!)
Malcolm will be four weeks old tomorrow. 4 weeks! My mom came to Seattle on the 21st and Paul & Jenn joined her on the 25th. They helped out around the house and got lots of cuddles with Mal. Tony turned 36 last Sunday and we had several friends over for a birthday brunch. Tony's mom comes into town on Tuesday for a 5-day stay and then my dad & Carolyn come to town after she leaves. The consensus so far is that Malcolm is a very sweet baby :)
The last few days, he hasn't been sleeping for long periods of time during the day and wants to eat most of the time he's awake. I spend much of my time sitting on the couch and my body is starting to ache from the lack of activity! He will sleep for long periods of time during the night if he's sleeping in bed with us. I love having him so close, but I have anxiety dreams of him falling off the bed or getting smothered. We've been putting him in his cosleeper for part of the night, but that means I am up ever hour. When he's sleeping by himself, he doesn't stay asleep for longer than an hour and it's usually 30 minute stints. I had him in his cosleeper for about 4 hours last night so I am pretty tired right now. I started pumping breastmilk this morning so I put him in the cosleeper after feeding him, turned the monitor on and came downstairs. Shortly afterwards, I heard him making his little 'awake' noises and then he was quiet for the rest of the time. I went upstairs to see if he was still sleeping and sure enough, he was fast asleep but not in his own bed. Tony had picked him up and put him in our bed so they could both get more sleep. I almost crawled back into bed but decided to take advantage of having both of my hands free :)
There are pictures up on Flickr of the recent visit from family (thanks, Paul!)
Friday, August 24, 2007
17 days
Once again, I find myself thinking that I am a very lucky person. Malcolm is such a good baby. My mom arrived on Tuesday to help me out and I think she's a bit bored. Mal is a cuddle bug so that's pretty much all I ask her to do - cuddle him so I can get stuff done like cook. Can you believe that I have a 2.5 week-old and can cook dinners that take time to prepare? I never though that would happen! The little one is gaining weight like he should (if he's awake, he's eating) and pooping and peeing a good amount. And, he loves to sleep! We have found that we haven't suffered from sleep deprivation - can you believe it?
Parenthood is pretty amazing. Malcolm is adorable. I'm so in love!
Parenthood is pretty amazing. Malcolm is adorable. I'm so in love!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
The Birth Story
Tuesday, August 7th, 2007: I woke up with my lower back aching. It was aching enough for me to decide to not go to work. I was told by several people that this ache could last for days. Oh yay. Since sitting and laying down made it worse, I did stuff around the house to keep myself busy. I probably started feeling minor contractions in the early afternoon but they were sporadic and mild enough that I didn't give it a second thought. Tony decided to come home from work a little early to see if I needed anything. We went for a long walk in hopes of it giving me some relief. As we were walking, my contractions started getting more intense and frequent. We went to our local park and sat on a bench and talked about becoming parents in the very near future. It was quite lovely.
We arrived back home around 5 PM. Tony made me a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich - yum! By 5:30, my contractions seemed to be getting close enough to where I thought we should start timing them. I was not going to even suggest going to the hospital until my contractions were occurring every 3 to 5 minutes and lasting for at least a minute each. During this time, we put things in order around the house, I shaved Tony's head and we packed a bag to take to the hospital. We headed out at 6:30 and arrived in the maternity ward shortly before 7. I was fully prepared for them to check me out and send me home, but instead they admitted me right away. Our first Nurse Practitioner informed me that I was still only 3 cm dilated but now 100% effaced and predicted a morning delivery. We started calling family and friends to let them know that I was in early labor.
The staff was going through a shift change and our dedicated NP, Kristeen, came into the room. She checked out the baby, got the bath ready for me and we discussed pain medication options. I told her that I wanted to try going natural so she told me she wasn’t going to offer pain medications again - I would have to ask her for them. At this point, the contractions were definitely getting more painful, but not unbearable. Tony helped me into the tub where I continued to groan (loudly) each time a contraction came. After 45 minutes, I got out of the tub so Kristeen could monitor the baby. The pain was definitely increasing so I decided to try a systemic painkiller. After she monitored the baby and gave me a small dose of painkiller, back in the tub I went. Natalie arrived shortly thereafter to watch me writhe in pain. The contractions were constant by now and I knew there was no way I could deal with that level of pain for 10 more hours.
Sometime shortly after 9, Kristeen got me out of the tub to monitor the baby once again. I asked for an epidural and the anesthesiologist was called. Before his arrival, Kristeen checked my cervix and found that I was 9 cm dilated! Once my water was broken, I would be having a baby! Since the little one was almost here, I decided to forgo the epidural. I now understand that my contractions were so painful because I had transitioned which is often the most painful period in the labor process. Then, we were informed that the on-call OB would be another 10 minutes (she was finishing a C-section surgery). I was at the point in labor where I HAD TO PUSH. Kristeen went to speak with the doctor to see if she could have someone else break my water; the doctor refused and said that we had to wait for her. My choices were to not push for 10 more minutes (not happening!!!) or get an epidural to prolong labor. This is where we all become quite displeased. The reason why we chose Swedish Medical Center as the location where I would give birth is because we were told that we would be the ones in control and in this instance, we were not OK with either of those options. Fortunately, Kristeen was on our side so she told me that she couldn’t tell me that it was OK to push, but she couldn’t stop me. As soon as I started pushing, my water broke. Funny how your body knows what to do at the right time. I almost forgot to mention - we did have a resident doctor helping out, too. She assisted the doctor once she finally arrived. It was such a relief to start to use my contractions for something and I found that although exhausting, pushing didn’t hurt as much as the contractions after I transitioned. After pushing for around 30 minutes (crowning for 20), Malcolm was born at 10:22 PM. I had slight tearing on my inner labia, but that is it.
Tony, Natalie and Kristeen were amazing. I don’t think I could have done it without them. The whole thing happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to even consider the breathing techniques I had been practicing or any of the other coping mechanisms to deal with the pain. I had these ideas that I would use the birthing ball and I had also been doing exercises to strengthen my quads for squatting - all of that went out the window. I didn’t even have time to think about it! With that being said, I feel extremely lucky that labor was so quick - we were totally prepared for a 12 to 15 hour ordeal. It was an absolutely amazing experience and I am so glad that I didn’t get an epidural. Although the pain was really intense, I couldn’t imagine it not being part of Malcolm being born.
Several friends had come to the hospital - most all of them didn’t arrive until around 10. I wasn’t really up to seeing anyone right away - I just wanted to bond with the little person I gave birth to. Julie and Jeremiah did come in to say hello - Julie was meant to also be there during the birth but didn’t arrive in time. They all came back in the next couple of days to visit us in the hospital and meet Mal for the first time. We came home on Thursday and have had many friends visit since then and bring us lots of food. It is so wonderful to have such a great support network.
The first family portrait:
There are more pictures on my flickr gallery and on our Tony Loves Kris website :)
We arrived back home around 5 PM. Tony made me a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich - yum! By 5:30, my contractions seemed to be getting close enough to where I thought we should start timing them. I was not going to even suggest going to the hospital until my contractions were occurring every 3 to 5 minutes and lasting for at least a minute each. During this time, we put things in order around the house, I shaved Tony's head and we packed a bag to take to the hospital. We headed out at 6:30 and arrived in the maternity ward shortly before 7. I was fully prepared for them to check me out and send me home, but instead they admitted me right away. Our first Nurse Practitioner informed me that I was still only 3 cm dilated but now 100% effaced and predicted a morning delivery. We started calling family and friends to let them know that I was in early labor.
The staff was going through a shift change and our dedicated NP, Kristeen, came into the room. She checked out the baby, got the bath ready for me and we discussed pain medication options. I told her that I wanted to try going natural so she told me she wasn’t going to offer pain medications again - I would have to ask her for them. At this point, the contractions were definitely getting more painful, but not unbearable. Tony helped me into the tub where I continued to groan (loudly) each time a contraction came. After 45 minutes, I got out of the tub so Kristeen could monitor the baby. The pain was definitely increasing so I decided to try a systemic painkiller. After she monitored the baby and gave me a small dose of painkiller, back in the tub I went. Natalie arrived shortly thereafter to watch me writhe in pain. The contractions were constant by now and I knew there was no way I could deal with that level of pain for 10 more hours.
Sometime shortly after 9, Kristeen got me out of the tub to monitor the baby once again. I asked for an epidural and the anesthesiologist was called. Before his arrival, Kristeen checked my cervix and found that I was 9 cm dilated! Once my water was broken, I would be having a baby! Since the little one was almost here, I decided to forgo the epidural. I now understand that my contractions were so painful because I had transitioned which is often the most painful period in the labor process. Then, we were informed that the on-call OB would be another 10 minutes (she was finishing a C-section surgery). I was at the point in labor where I HAD TO PUSH. Kristeen went to speak with the doctor to see if she could have someone else break my water; the doctor refused and said that we had to wait for her. My choices were to not push for 10 more minutes (not happening!!!) or get an epidural to prolong labor. This is where we all become quite displeased. The reason why we chose Swedish Medical Center as the location where I would give birth is because we were told that we would be the ones in control and in this instance, we were not OK with either of those options. Fortunately, Kristeen was on our side so she told me that she couldn’t tell me that it was OK to push, but she couldn’t stop me. As soon as I started pushing, my water broke. Funny how your body knows what to do at the right time. I almost forgot to mention - we did have a resident doctor helping out, too. She assisted the doctor once she finally arrived. It was such a relief to start to use my contractions for something and I found that although exhausting, pushing didn’t hurt as much as the contractions after I transitioned. After pushing for around 30 minutes (crowning for 20), Malcolm was born at 10:22 PM. I had slight tearing on my inner labia, but that is it.
Tony, Natalie and Kristeen were amazing. I don’t think I could have done it without them. The whole thing happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to even consider the breathing techniques I had been practicing or any of the other coping mechanisms to deal with the pain. I had these ideas that I would use the birthing ball and I had also been doing exercises to strengthen my quads for squatting - all of that went out the window. I didn’t even have time to think about it! With that being said, I feel extremely lucky that labor was so quick - we were totally prepared for a 12 to 15 hour ordeal. It was an absolutely amazing experience and I am so glad that I didn’t get an epidural. Although the pain was really intense, I couldn’t imagine it not being part of Malcolm being born.
Several friends had come to the hospital - most all of them didn’t arrive until around 10. I wasn’t really up to seeing anyone right away - I just wanted to bond with the little person I gave birth to. Julie and Jeremiah did come in to say hello - Julie was meant to also be there during the birth but didn’t arrive in time. They all came back in the next couple of days to visit us in the hospital and meet Mal for the first time. We came home on Thursday and have had many friends visit since then and bring us lots of food. It is so wonderful to have such a great support network.
The first family portrait:
There are more pictures on my flickr gallery and on our Tony Loves Kris website :)
Monday, August 13, 2007
The Overdue Update
Malcolm made his way out of the womb on Tuesday, August 7th at 10:22 PM. Labor was much quicker than we anticipated and definitely painful - I'll be writing another post focusing on the birth story. We came home from the hospital on Thursday after being delayed due to our car not starting. Julie ended up picking Mal & me up from the hospital while Tony had the car towed to get looked at. Everyone is healthy and happy - Malcolm is perfect! He's also awake now and asking to be fed. More later!
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
How are you feeling?
I got asked that question a lot yesterday by coworkers and friends. And yesterday I felt just fine until we went to see Dr. McDermott. She poked around and "mixed things up to get labor moving along" which just felt like an uncomfortable pelvic exam. I'm 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced. She exclaimed excitedly that we're going to have a baby this week!
It's typical for me to cramp after an uncomfortable pelvic exam. I continued to cramp and bleed for the rest of the afternoon. I finally gave up on feeling any better and we left work about an hour early. After laying down at home, I soon came to realize that I felt better walking around. This made me happy since we had plans to run some errands last night. Lil' bean was also really active all afternoon and evening - much more than usual.
I was so hopeful that I would wake up this morning and feel fine, but I didn't. I awoke before my alarm as usual, got up to empty my bladder, went back to bed and soon realized that my panties were wet. So I got up to get in the shower which made clean-up much easier as my body expelled the mucus plug. My lower back is very, very achy this morning. I'm not having any contractions yet, but I'm also not feeling up to working today. I actually called in sick. I think it may be the second time I've called in sick to work since I started working there almost 3 years ago. So today I'm going to skulk about and try to distract myself from the discomfort. If it goes away, I'm heading into work. If we're lucky, these are the signs that I'm going into labor - hopefully sooner than later.
It's typical for me to cramp after an uncomfortable pelvic exam. I continued to cramp and bleed for the rest of the afternoon. I finally gave up on feeling any better and we left work about an hour early. After laying down at home, I soon came to realize that I felt better walking around. This made me happy since we had plans to run some errands last night. Lil' bean was also really active all afternoon and evening - much more than usual.
I was so hopeful that I would wake up this morning and feel fine, but I didn't. I awoke before my alarm as usual, got up to empty my bladder, went back to bed and soon realized that my panties were wet. So I got up to get in the shower which made clean-up much easier as my body expelled the mucus plug. My lower back is very, very achy this morning. I'm not having any contractions yet, but I'm also not feeling up to working today. I actually called in sick. I think it may be the second time I've called in sick to work since I started working there almost 3 years ago. So today I'm going to skulk about and try to distract myself from the discomfort. If it goes away, I'm heading into work. If we're lucky, these are the signs that I'm going into labor - hopefully sooner than later.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
A cat and a pregnant lady
This week, my feet have swelled twice and I have a slight headache for most of my days. Just slight discomforts. I have to admit, I think I may miss being pregnant after lil' bean arrives. Don't get me wrong - we are both ready to meet him. It's going to be weird not being pregnant.
Poor Brenda is not having an easy time with her pregnancy. I'm starting to think that she may go into labor before me even though her doctor originally said she got pregnant after I did.
We are going to be parents before we know it. Wow. Just Wow.
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