the arrival part 2

Pushing began around 4:15AM and from what I hear, it was pretty textbook for a first time mom with an epidural. I must say, numbness in ones legs is the most bizarre feeling in the world! Thankfully I had my wonderful husband and a great nurse to hold up the ol' dead legs or else things would have gotten real interesting. Of course pushing was exhausting and I just couldn't believe that any progress was being made. Finally, towards the end, I caved and let them bring in a mirror, which actually helped. Never would I have ever thought I would want to see the actually process, but it ended up being extremely helpful to see what progress I was making after nearly 3 hours of pushing. And finally, by 7:07AM on September 11th (which just so happens to be Auntie Dana's birthday as well!), we had learned that the precious little bee was in fact a precious little baby girl. Weighing in at 8.3lbs and 20.5 inches long, she was simply perfect and we were done for. Words simply cannot describe that moment when you hear your newborn baby's cry for the first time. Never would I have imagined the sweet relief, love and emotion I felt at that time. After 9 months, our baby finally made her debut and life would never be the same.
She was immediately put on my chest and stayed there for about 45 minutes. The human body is truly miraculous. Just her nestling on my bare chest helped regulate her temperature, circulation and senses. The simple physical contact with her mother (me!!!) was exactly what she needed to thrive in her first hours in the world. I still cannot comprehend the bond that we share and that my simple touch can provide those essential benefits for her.
We stayed in the hospital for another 24 hours, which was quite a blur. Family and friends came in and out to visit, but all Evan and I could think about was getting home with our little Sydney and beginning life with her.
I feel so fortunate to have had such a straightforward labor and delivery but couldn't have done any of it without Evan's love and support. He has always been my rock and strength (sorry, that's so cliche, but true) and this was no exception. He jumped right in like a pro, knowing exactly what to say and exactly (mostly) what to do to keep me going. Not only has he been every bit the husband I devoted my life to, but he has already proven to the most caring, gentle, head-over-heels in love father. Sydney, Kirby and I are truly blessed.

This mama is overcome. This is what life is truly about.

the arrival part 1

Bear with me, I must share the story of Sydney Mae's arrival:

After a long day starting with a walk, dropping Evan off at work (his first day at Amazon, btw), a trip to Lynnwood for Babies R' Us and Target, followed by the baking of pumpkin bread and the beginning of pumpkin cookies, I decided to rest for a bit before heading down to South Lake Union to pick Evan up from work. Just hanging on out the couch I was wrapping up a conversation with Sara when not 10 mins after our convo, at 5:26pm I felt a surge of liquid! And by surge, I mean surge.  Springing from the couch I raced to the bathroom and confirmed, that yep, in fact my water did just break. Doesn't this only happen to 10% of women? Typically the doctor has to break the waters to get the show going. But naturally, I would fall in that 10%.
I immediately called Evan and then proceeded to keep calling, and keep calling him (8 times to be exact), and finally, followed up with a text that said "My water broke, call me!" (mind you, we had the whole "you HAVE to have your phone ON and by your side at all times just in case" conversation) While waiting for him, I called the doctor and my mom, both with the same message, I think my water broke... (as if there really was any question about it). But because I wasn't having contractions, the doctor ordered me to go for a long walk and call her in two hours. In the meantime, Evan was en route (chauffered by his new manager). Once he got home, we hit the sidewalk with Kirby and walked it out. Stopping for a quick bite to eat, the contractions began and we were on our to having a baby! Around 7:30, I called Dr Emanuel to give her an update and she said to make our way into the hospital around 8:40. At this point, the contractions were becoming a bit more regular, so we pulled out the yoga ball and started bouncing (whilst watching Real Housewives of NY, of course).
At 9:00 we checked into the hospital and things started happening. To get my contractions moving along, we walked the halls of the hospital (straight out of a movie). Then at 11:30 we finally measured to see what kind of progress I was making and was at about 4-5 cm. Things continued to progress pretty rapidly from there. by 1:30AM I was 7-8 cm dialated and in need of a nice little epidural. Of course, going into this experience I wanted to keep my options open and see how long I could go without meds, but as I've said a time or two before, no one is winning any awards for going meds free (God bless you women who do it). Thus came the epidural and oh sweet Jesus, sweet relief. By that time, my parents and Dana had made their way to hospital and it was time for all of us to get in a quick nap before push time.

week 38

Prior to the arrival of our perfect little bee, I had made some notes about things I wanted to write for week 38...this is as far as I got. The info in parenthesis is my recent elaboration.

last day of work
(it was pretty anti-climatic. worked a half day, the scooted out to a doc appointment. adios mr. schulz. see you in a long while)
pumpkin patch with belle (cannot wait to visit the pumpkin patch with my niece and our baby!)
santa pics (see above- cannot wait for cousin holiday trips)
inlaws (Evan's parents came into town for my 2nd baby shower. So great to see them and share the experience with Deb)
doc appt (Baby was slowing down on growth and measuring almost on schedule- ha! At the very latest, we would induce on the 26th- ha again)
Shower (I had the most wonderful shower on the 8th, hosted by Connie and my Aunt Linda. It was full of family and family friends and such a wonderful day! We are so blessed to have the incredibly loving and thoughtful people in our life)
bff bday (not much to say here, as little miss Sydney hijacked Dana's day)

week 37

Best Moment: This post is a bit belated, but better late than never, right? Ironically, I may be saying those exact same about little Sodi's arrival. Week 37 included Labor Day weekend, which was a very interesting weekend for us. Or should I say lack thereof. Typically we head out of town camping or crossing the Cascades to Winthrop, but at this stage in the game, we opted to keep it close to home. Thankfully, Sara and Dru are in the same boat, which meant lots of QT with them. Saturday night we grabbed dinner on the water, which was glorious! it's been a long time since we've done the touristy thing and actually hit up the piers, but the weather was perfect and we had nothing else going on. The timing our pregnancies has been a little blessing in itself. To have such a good friend experiencing the same things at the same time I am and to be able to share it with someone is really cool. I know our fellas appreciate it as well. Is your wife as crazy as mine right now? Definitely.

this is how we roll. how did you spend your labor day?

Cravings: I dare you to tell me what is a better combination than gouda cheese and pink lady apples. I mean, of course aside from peanut butter and chocolate or mint and chocolate, or wine and cheese or, or, or.... Seriously though? It's all i want. All the time. Well that and ice cream. Breaking news that is not.
Symptoms: As I said last week, it seems like I'm just a walking cliche of symptoms, but tis the truth. I've recently found myself muttering 'ok' every time I successfully climb into the car or reach the top of the stairs or actually get out of bed without much hassle. It's an exasperated 'ok' and makes me wonder, can I be any more dramatic? But really folks, how often are you carrying around a few pumpkins in your belly? Let's talk mobility then. Right? Mama's just feeling a little heavy these days. Ooh, you'll probably also be really excited to learn that my feet have started to swell at the end of the day. Riveting reading, yes?
What I miss: Lots, quite honestly. Mostly the ability to move with ease. Though I've been told (and most likely lied to) that I don't have the waddle, I sure feel like I've joined the legions of pregnant women before me. Waddle, waddle, waddle...
What I'm looking forward to:  From here on our, I'll have the same answer, BABY! Really looking forward to meeting our love child. Definitely didn't mean to say love child, but I find it too funny to delete.
Milestones: Baby's now the size of a wintermelon (see below- I had no idea what that was either...)

Your (really? the Bump doesn't know the difference between Your and You're? Ugh...annoying) full-term (yay!) baby is gaining about 1/2 ounce a day and getting his first sticky poop (called meconium) ready. He's also brushing up on skills for the outside world: blinking, sucking, inhaling, exhaling, and gripping (it's getting strong!).

week 36

Best Moment: Tuesday! Evan was offered a great job at Amazon!! WOOHOOO!! Such amazing news for Evan and our family. I'm so proud of him, as he's worked so hard to get into Amazon and finally, his talents speak for themselves. It's about time they see what an asset he will be. It's insane timing but we're thrilled and feel an enormous sense of relief. So, so very proud of my wonderful, talented, darling husband. Oh and we also just so happened to celebrate our THIRD anniversary that night as well. Perfection.
Aside from Tuesday, Friday is a nice second. It started with our ultrasound which was...interesting. Because the quarters are so cramped, we couldn't make out much of baby, just a nice round head and clear spine. Both good things. Otherwise, we didn't see much else. The tech made us turn our heads a few times so we couldn't get a sneak peak at baby's "parts" but Evan was sure tempted! We've got 4 weeks left man, just hold tight. Aside from getting one last glimpse of baby before his/her big debut, we also learned that our little bee isn't so little. In fact, we're talking 96th percentile here. Apparently this means nothing more than baby is healthy and...big. Of course, mother guilt kicked in immediately and I automatically assumed that it was my "fault." Was it the milkshakes? The fact that I haven't been consistently walking the past few weeks? Shit! But alas, none of the above turned out to have anything to do with baby's size. In fact, at this stage in the game, the measurement is based solely on length and bone/muscle weight. Okay, whew!  So we have a big, healthy baby. Love it. It also doesn't mean that baby is going to come early, which I am fine with. Mama needs just a tad bit more time to get "there" emotionally.
We were also able to check a couple Ballard spots off our must-do list. Hot Cakes= best milkshake ever. Kickin' Boot= wonderful deck with apps and bevies and fabulous husband.
Cravings/Aversions: I'm bringing this one back because I've noticed a few cravings popping up. Aside from sweets, anything citrus is taking over my brain. YUM. Main aversions are anything that will cause more heartburn, which ironically includes citrus...Ah sweet irony. And sweet Zantac.
Symptoms: This could be laundry list time as at this stage in the game, I just might have all the 36 weeks pregnant symptoms. But that's to be expected, right? Good news, I'm just chuggin' and waddling my way through the next few weeks.
What I miss: The ability to anticipate what lies ahead. As we grow closer to baby's bday, I'm growing more and more anxious and, well, scared. The unknown is anxiety-inducing and for someone like me, who's anxiety meter is always a little higher than most, it's an interesting time. There is so much we don't know about what to expect when bringing baby home and how much our lives will change, that I can't help but feel nervous about it. And it doesn't help that people only feel the need to share the challenges of having a newborn. Sorry, did I give the impression that I thought it would be a walk in the clouds? Yes, we understand we won't sleep, we get that it's going to be hard, we hear that we can't prepare for it. Got it, noted. Now remind me of the GOOD!
What I'm looking forward to: is it a boy or a girl? In just a few short weeks, we'll know!!
Milestones: Your baby has added another one-half pound and now weighs nearly 6 pounds, measures almost 19 inches in length (or more if you're lil Sodi), and is almost ready to check out of "Hotel Mom." Your baby has moved downward into your pelvic cavity; hopefully headfirst (confirmed0.

deep thoughts on pregnancy

• really, i have to pee again? this is absurd
• really, i'm hungry again? this is absurd
• baby, what exactly are you doing in there?
• that placement? directly on my pelvis? is just not working for me
• thanks stretch marks, you really know how to make a gal feel special
• can i please just take a nap?
• husband + 3 pillows + expanding belly + queen size bed = completely illogical
• does "big baby" mean that all the newborn onesies are null and void?
• cannot stop thinking about baby
• so excited
• so effing scared
• we've officially entered the "waiting" zone...tick tock
• boy or girl...BOY OR GIRL!??!?!

week 35

for the record, i don't really look like this (my face at least)

Best Moment: Progress has been made! Saturday night we put the crib together and got the dresser in baby's room. Hallelujah almighty. Auntie Sneaks also got to join in the fun and helped us build the little crib masterpiece! It was only fitting that she got to experience the "monumental" moment in our lives or right of passage, whatever you would call building your first child's crib. The room is coming along so well now and it's really starting to feel like we have a place for the little bee. Evan and I even did a trip to Target to stock up diapers and some wipes, just to be sure we are set for the first few days. I believe this is officially the nesting period! While I'm not ready for baby to move on out, I do find myself feeling more and more prepared. whew.

Symptoms: I hesitate describing my symptoms sometimes because I don't want it to sound like I'm complaining, but a symptom is a symptom right? Doesn't mean I have to hate it but it's certainly no lovefest either. My back is feeling the effects as of late. Of course, to be expected, but dang Gina, can't a girl just sit for a little while without getting all uncomfortable and antsy? And really, the same goes for standing. I guess I need to just keep doing my cat/cows (yoga poses for those not hip to the yoga lingo) and hang on for another few weeks.
What I miss: Standing and sitting like a normal person. Ooh and getting out of bed. It's officially roll time and one of my least favorite things (along with having to bend down and pick something up). It's not that it's painful or anything, but just super awkward and inconvenient. Gone are the days of me springing out of bed - ha, like that ever really happened. But if they did, those days are gone and now I do a nice slow roll to a standing position.

What I'm looking forward to: What am I not looking forward to? We have 4 weeks (technically) until little Sodi joins the party and there is so much to look forward to. Friday we have an ultrasound to be sure that the babe is still head down, moving towards the light- although I can confirm that without an ultrasound. The hiccups on my pelvic bone are a clear indicator of baby's position, but hell, we'll take one last glimpse of little bee in utero before h/h big debut! I'm anxious to see how little space the poor thing has. Lord knows we're both feeling the cramped quarters, but it will be such a different scene from our last ultrasound when h/s had a nice little apartment to move about in.
Milestones: Baby's now the size of a coconut! From now on, baby's growth is mostly in the plumping up department- though he won't get much longer, he'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth. His hearing is totally developed!