It's been too long

Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since I last posted. The time just goes so fast!
Athena is already 2 1/2 months old. She had her 2 month check up recently and she is doing great. She weighed about 10 1/2 lbs and she was 22 1/2 inches long. She is developing at a good rate. She also had her first vaccination, which was the DTaP. She cried when she got the shot, but didn't have any reaction, which we were happy about. She goes back in a few weeks for her 3 month visit.

In the last week or so, Athena has gotten much more interested in the world around her. She is tracking things with her eyes now and has gotten really into her mobile. She will really watch it and follow it around, and she will get excited by it. She is also smiling a lot now, which is adorable! She really looks around when we are walking around. She likes looking sat the trees and is really interested in what is going on around her. She tends to get overstimulated quickly and will get a little cranky, but a little nursing and she falls right asleep.

Here's the link to the latest web album. http://picasaweb.google.com/nicwolfe/Athena_month3?authkey=Gv1sRgCKeukMSrpNeHfQ#

We are getting excited for the holidays and are so excited she is here to celebrate them with us. She gets more amazing everyday. Wat's great too is that Joe is off the month of November before he starts his new job, so we all love the extra time we get to spend together as a family.

Update and Pictures

It's been a while since I posted because it turns out its hard to find the time to get on the computer with a little baby. :-)

The last few weeks have been an intense time of enjoyment and adjustment. After Athena was born, Joe took 3 weeks off and has now been back to work for 2 weeks. Being on my own with Athena has been great, but has also been challenging. I think we have gotten into a pretty good rhythm - some days are easier than others.

We have been to the pediatrician a couple of time since she was born and she has been doing well. She is gaining weight a little slower than average, but nothing that the Dr. or we are worried about. She eats well and poops enough to prove it. She has grown an inch since she was born. She is the cutest and smiled intentionally for the first time this past weekend.

She has been sleeping pretty well and we have the nighttime into a somewhat regular schedule. I will feed Athena until about 10-ish and then I go to bed and Joe takes the baby, so I can get some sleep without the baby. He'll bring her into the room about midnight and then she'll usually sleep until about 2 and then I'll get up and feed her. Usually she'll go back to sleep fairly easily and will sleep for another 2-3 hours. So, at least I'll get about a 4 hour block of sleep a night plus the other 2-3 hours. Some days I'll nap when she sleeps, but not always.

I am going to try to post more regularly. I included more pictures.

Athena - Week 3

Athena - Week 4

Pictures

We have made a couple of web albums of Athena. Check them out.

Here is the album from her first few days, http://picasaweb.google.com/nicwolfe/AthenaSFirstFewDays?authkey=Gv1sRgCN6YoJ2Mx8KcogE#

Here is the web album from her first week, http://picasaweb.google.com/nicwolfe/AthenaSFirstWeek?authkey=Gv1sRgCOHWpv71qOCBOQ#

We'll be taking lots of pictures and will post as often as we can

Athena Rose Barefoot is here!

Athena Rose Barefoot was born on Friday August 21st at 6:50 am. She weighed 7lbs 6oz and was 20 inches long. She was almost 2 weeks late. She is healthy and we are so thankful to finally have her here.

The labor and delivery were long and it did not go according to how I had planned, but having her here and healthy makes it all ok.

We went into the hospital on Wednesday August 19th to start the induction process. Our midwife did not feel comfortable having us go too much longer, and I was afraid that the longer we waited, I would be at risk of more aggressive interventions. We got to the hospital at noon on Wednesday and they did not have a labor room, so they put us in one of the recovery/post partum rooms. The labor and delivery rooms are bigger than the other rooms. Luckily, we were assured that no one was in a rush for the baby to be born and they were happy to take things slowly. We probably waited about 2 hours before anyone came in to check me out and start the process. First, they hooked me to the fetal monitor and it turned out that I had been having contractions. It felt to me like Athena was just stretching out, so I wasn't interpreting those feelings as contractions. They checked me out and I was effaced, but not dilated at all. We talked about the options to start the induction process and because I was already having some contractions, they did not want to start with the prostaglandin gel. The gel is applied to the cervix to help "ripen" it and can cause contractions. So, we decided to start at the lowest level and work our way up.

We decided to start with the foley bulb. This is a catheter that is placed up past the cervix and is inflated with saline to help the cervix dilate. The bulb falls out when the cervix is 3 centimeters dilated. Joe and I had brought Scrabble with us, so once the bulb was inserted, we started a game. Joe also went out and got us some food and we just hung out and waited. The bulb took several hours until it was finally ready to come out. The next step was to start the Pitocin.

When we first got to the hospital, the anesthesiologists came into talk to me about medication options. I knew what my options were and really wanted to do it unmedicated. We talked and I told them that I was committed to doing this as natural and unmedicated as possible. After the foley bulb came out, they started the Pitocin. I told them I wanted to start at the lowest amount, which was 1 miliunit. They started with that and increased it by 1 every 30-60 minutes. Once they started the Pitocin, the contractions started pretty much right away. After they had increased it a bit, the contractions got stronger and were coming closer together. This was already the middle of the night Wednesday/Thursdsay. It got to the point where the contractions were coming one on top of another and there was not much of a break between them. On top of that, Athena was facing the wrong way and the back of her head was pressing against the base of my spine, so I was having really bad back labor. Once the Pitocin was up to 6, I was in a lot of pain and we talked to the doctors about stopping the Pitocin so I could get some rest. They cut the Pitocin in half and Joe and I made it through the night. At about 9am, we called our doula to have her come to the hospital. By that time too my mom and Elana had driven up from LA and were at our house.

By the time Judith, our doula got there, they had started increasing the Pitcocin again and the contractions were strong and coming one right after the other. My mom and Elana got to the hospital by the early afternoon. By later that afternoon, I had not dilated anymore and was in a lot of pain because of the back labor. At that point, the doula and the midwife both suggested that I get an epidural because I was not able to relax enough to open up. After about 15 hours of labor, I agreed to the epidural. They came to administer the epidural in the late afternoon/early evening on Thursday. I was nervous about the epidural because I didn't like the idea of something going into my spinal area or of my lower half being numb. They did a great job and while I couldn't feel any of the contractions, I could still wiggle my toes and my lower legs were kind of tingly. Once the epidural kicked in, they started to increased the Pitocin more rapidly.

By about 2:30-ish that morning, I could feel the pressure of her coming down. I couldn't feel the pain of the contractions, but I could feel the pressure. At that point, I started to push. I pushed for about 2 1/2 hours and the baby could not make it past the pubic bone beause she was facing the wrong way. Somewhere in the 5am hour, the OB came in to talk about assisted delivery using either forceps or the vacuum extractor. We weren't too happy about either, but knew she needed some help getting out. We talked about all of the risks and benefits of each and decided to start with the forceps. They also wanted to do it in the operating room just in case they had to do an emergency c-section. I told them that more than anything, I did not want a c-section and they assured me they did not want to do one, but had to keep all options open and wanted to be safe. So, Joe got suited up and we went into the OR. There were no less than about 12 people in there. There was also a lot of meconium in the fluid, so they told us when she came out, she needed to go straight to the pediatricians for them to suction her lungs to make sure she did not inhale any of the meconium. So, in the OR, the group of pediatricians were in the corner at the warming table waiting for her.

They tried to place the forceps, but couldn't get around the pubic bone, so had to go for the vacuum. The placed the vacuum and in two pushes she popped right out, thankfully. Joe got to cut the cord and they handed her over to the pediatricians. It took them about 5 minutes with her until I finally got to hold her and see her face. Joe was over there with her.

There is truly no way to express how it feels to see and hold your baby for the first time. It was definitely one of the most powerful moments in our lives and we just marvel at her everyday.

She'll be here soon

I am now 10 days overdue and we have been going in for antenatal testing every two days for the past week. We have our induction scheduled for Wednesday, August 19th. It could take a few days until she's born, but at least we know she's coming soon.

I'll start posting more regularly once we're settled in at the hospital and then after she's born.

Anyday now

Well, the 8th came and went and now we are just waiting for her to come. As you can see I am pretty big - it doesn't seem like I can get much bigger. It's really just been in the last few days that I have started to feel very large and uncomfortable. I am thankful that I had such a smooth pregnancy and felt good throughout, but now I am ready for her to get here. I am trying to enjoy the last few days because I know she'll be here soon and I will miss feeling her move around. But, at the same time, I just want to see her and hold her and am looking forward to having my body back. It's really an odd thing to be sharing your body with someone else.

Joe is also very excited for her to get here. The 9 months went by really fast, but we both feel like these last days are moving alot more slowly. Joe is probably going to work from home for the rest of the week so he's close by when the action starts. We both think it will be sometime next week. I can't imagine that we would go through another whole week without anything. I have another appointment this Wednesday, so we'll see what happens.

Joe and I will inform everyone when I'm in labor and when the baby's born. Don't worry, we won't forget to tell anyone. I know everyone is excited.

So close

I had a prenatal appointment on Wednesday. The CenteringPregnancy groups are over, so now I am just seeing the midwife individually. She checked me out on Wednesday and listened to the baby's heartbeat. Everything looked and sounded good, but there was nothing to indicate that labor was imminent, meaning I wasn't effaced or dilated at all. I have another appointment scheduled for Wednesday, so if I haven't gone into labor before then, they will start antenatal testing. They will hook me up to the fetal monitor to make sure the baby is doing ok. They will also do an ultrasound to check the level of amniotic fluid to make sure that its ok for the baby.

I feel like the baby will come sometime next week, though it may not necessarily be before the Wednesday appointment. I don't think anything will happen this weekend. I have had some revisions to do on my dissertation and those were just approved which means I can officialy file my dissertation with the school which is the final step. I feel like once that happens, I will be totally ready for her to come, so I think she's just been waiting for the signal.

I am feeling pretty good, and the baby seems to be doing well. She moves a lot, and now that she's bigger I can tell that she's cramped in there. The movements I feel are her shifting around and turning from side to side, which often means I get poked by what I think is her elbow, which is a pretty odd feeling. I know I'll miss feeling her movements, but I am so excited to actually hold her and look into her eyes.

Joe and I are ready to meet her and we have everything ready. Joe and I will notify everyone when I am in labor and of course when she's born. I know everyone is excited to meet her too and to learn what her name is. It won't be long now.

1 week to go

The baby is due one week from today. It would be great if she actually came on her due date. Coming next weekend would be really convenient.

In the last few days I have definitely started to feel pretty large. I am still mobile and walking a lot with Marley, though I am moving slower. Sleeping is still challenging and its hard to stay comfortable. I don't think that will change until she's born.

I had another prenatal appointment on Thursday and it was our last Centering group. All of us are due in the next week or two, so it just made sense to start making individual appointments with the nurse midwife. It is still pretty shocking that we are so close to the due date and to finally meeting our daughter. Everything was good at the appointment and I have another appointment on Wednesday.

This weekend, Joe is going to install the car seat. He put the stroller together last weekend, so getting the car seat in is really the last thing left to do. I have the baby's stuff ready for the hospital. I have most of my stuff ready and it won't be hard to get Joe's stuff ready.

2 weeks to go

We are just two weeks away, which is kind of hard to believe. We did a tour of the hospital recently, so now we know where to go and what the room will be like. Luckily I am pre-registered so we just have to go up the labor & delivery, which is on the top floor of the hospital. The hospital in on top of a hill, so there are great views :-). The rooms are spacious and there is a pull out sofa, a TV, a mini fridge and a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. We can also control the temperatutre and lighting in the room. I have started getting stuff together for when we are ready to go to the hospital. I got the baby's stuff ready and have a few different outfits and blankets for her. Today I got some water and juices, and snacks to bring to the hospital for us.

Our next prenatal appointment is Thursday the 30th. I have been feeling pretty good and have slept well the last couple of nights. I think the baby has dropped, which they say happens anywhere from 2-4 weeks before delivery. I have noticed in the past couple of days that I can breathe easier, especially when Marley and I are walking uphill. I have also noticed that my indigestion has eased up a bit. Both of those were discussed in my baby books as signs of when the baby drops.

Joe and I are getting very excited and its hard to believe that she is going to be here so soon. We are so excited to meet her and she what she looks like. I think she'll stick close to her due date.

She moves pretty regularly and I can tell that she's more cramped in there. I don't feel her kicking really as much now as I feel her whole body moving from side to side. It also feels sometimes like she is trying to stretch out, so you can see bulges on either side of my belly. It's really cool. I am trying to remember what it all feels like because she won't be inside me much longer.

This weekend we are goin g to install the car seat, so that we can have that ready. That's really the last thing we need to do, otherwise we have everything else ready for her.

Week 37

Today starts week 37. Here are pictures of the baby's crib and the dresser/changing table. You can see how many clothes she already has. Today I got her clothes and things together to take to the hospital. I am also starting to get my things together, so that it'll all be ready to go and it will be one less things for me to think about.

I had a prenatal appointment this past Thursday, which went well and the next one's not until the 30th.

Today we went to get the stroller/car seat. We also got a play pen that has a bassinet and a changing table, which we are going to have in our room for a little while for when she sleeps in our room. It also folds up for easy travel, which will come in handy. Now I think we really have everything. The only thing left to do is to install the car seat base, which we'll probably do next weekend.

I am feeling pretty much the same. I am not sleeping well and am having indigestion, which also affects my sleep. Aside from that I am still doing a lot of walking and feel pretty good. The baby moves around a lot, so I feel her most of the time. Joe and I are just getting more and more excited to meet her and see what she looks like. Only a few more weeks.

9th Month

Today is the first day of week 36, which starts the 9th month. We are in the home stretch with about 4 weeks to go. As you can see, I can have gotten pretty big. This week we are going to get the stroller and car seat and that should round everything out. I think we have everything else we are going to need (at least for a little while).

We met with our doula again yesterday to reconnect and to discuss how everything will play out once I go into labor. We really like her and are glad that she is going to be a part of this journey. We'll call her when I go into labor and then stay in touch with her until I am in active labor which is when she will come over. She'll come to our house, go with us to the hospital, and stay with us until 2 hours post partum.

We found a pediatrician, which we are happy about. We met with her last week and feel really good about her and the practice. Here is the website. She is just what we were looking for, and is close by. There are pediatricians in the hospital who will look over the baby after she is born and then we will see our pediatrician probably a day or two after we leave the hospital. We'll call before we're discharged to set up the appointment and the great thing is that she will do a house call, so we won't have to take the baby into the office when she is only a couple of days old. I want to keep the baby home for the first week before taking her outside.

We have our next prenatal appointmet on Thursday. We are now going every two weeks. Everything was good at the last appointment - the baby's heartbeat sounded good and she is in the head down position, which we are happy about. I feel her moving most of the time, which is reassuring. Mid afternoon is when she seems to be napping because that is usually the time that I feel her the least. She is a pretty active baby, so it'll be interesting to see how that translates when she is out of the womb and has more room to move around. It is really cool for both of us to feel her and to watch her. Jyst looking at my belly, you can see her movements. In the evenings, Joe and I will just sit and watch her for a while in amazement. We are so excited to meet her already and see what she looks like.

My biggest issue now is sleeping. Not only is it hard to just stay on my left side, but I am getting up usually twice a night to go to the bathroom, which is obviously disruptive to my sleep. I will wake up sometimes with leg cramps or because my left hip is aching. I have pillows propping me up, but its still not the most comfortable. Sometimes I can feel the baby moving in the middle of the night, but its usually not enought to keep me up. I guess this is all just a warm up for the lack of sleep we are going to have in the weeks, months, and probably years to come. Otherwise, I am feeling pretty good. I am still walking a lot even if I have had to slow my pace down a bit. And I am also still eating really well, even though I get some indigestion.

Moving right along

We had our last birthing class last week. June just flew by - we had the birthing classes every Thursday in June and it just went by so fast. We really enjoyed the class and I think we feel pretty ready for the whole thing. The class was really good and there was an emphasis on natural childbirth, though she did go over medication options. There are actually more options than we thought. We figured it was either an epidural or nothing, but they offer nitrous as well as the opiate Fentanyl, which was pretty surprising. It is pretty interesting how willing they are to medicate laboring women and that seems to be the default. They are basically throwing medication at you. I am still committed to an unmedicated natural childbirth, but it is always good to know what our options are. We are going to fill out a birth plan that will go in my chart that will detail what I do and do not want during my labor. This way the medical staff will be clear on what I want and what I expect from them.

We had our prenatal appointment yesterday and luckily I only gained about a pound in the last 2 weeks. Our appointments are now every two weeks until delivery. Can you believe we are only 5 weeks away?! It's hard for us to believe. The baby's heartbeat sounded good and strong and she is really moving around a lot. I am measuring a little big, but it doesn't seem to be an issue. I think we are going to have a good sized baby.

Overall I am still feeling good. Sleeping is getting harder, and I am thankful if I can sleep through until 3am – I’m usually in bed by 11. Generally I am getting up about twice a night to go to the bathroom and by the 2nd time, it's hard for me to fall back asleep again. I am supposed to just sleep on my left side, and have woken up with cramps in my legs and hip. I guess this lack of sleep is just practice for what's to come.

We’ll get another bump watch picture up soon. I am really big now.

Update

We had a prenatal appointment last Thursday. I only gained about four pounds in the last month, which was good. My weight gain has slowed a bit. I would say that I've probably gained about 40 pounds so far, which isn't too bad. Joe and both thought that the baby was already head down because of the movements we were feeling, and after the nurse midwife checked me out, she confirmed that the baby is head down. She has been moving around a lot and I don't feel so many kicks as much as I do just movements now that she's a little more cramped for space. When she's moving around, you can feel what we think is her butt sticking out towards the top of my belly. It's pretty trippy. The other night when I went to lay down I felt something sticking me in the side, which I'm pretty sure was her elbow. Based on pictures of what the baby should look like at this stage, we are trying to figure out what body parts we might be feeling.

At each visit, the nurse midwife measures my belly just to make sure the baby is developing. She measures from the pubic line to the top of the uterus and the distance in centimeters should correspond to the number of weeks in the pregnancy. So at 32 weeks, I should measure 32 centimeters. I measured about 33 centimeters, but she didn't seem to be concerned about that and didn't really have anything to say about it, so either the baby is a little bigger or maybe I just have a little extra fat around my belly.

At this centering group we talked about the stages of labor and when to call and go to the hospital. We talked a little about breathing techniques and what some of the options are for medication if people want it.

Up until now, we have had appointments every month and starting in July, we'll have appointments every two weeks as we approach the due date. We're only 6 weeks away! Our next appointment is July 2nd.

Baby Shower - SF

We had a baby shower here in SF on the 2oth which was fun. We had it at our house with friends. We held it on a Saturday afternoon, and had a lunch of catered deli. We got some more good presents and some new cute clothes for the baby. She isn't even here yet and has quite a wardrobe.

I have been so busy with school, so it was nice to see friends who we haven't had a chance to see for a while. We also got back in touch with our friend Ben who we worked with at Cacheon (the company where we met) and he drove up from Santa Cruz, which was great. It was a really nice afternoon. I put the pictures online, so you can view them here.

The furniture came a few days before the shower, so I was able to get all of her clothes organized and put away. The delivery people set up the crib and the changing table/dresser came in one piece. Her room is coming together and I think we have pretty much everything we need. The only thing left is the stroller, which I will get in the next week or so. I also still have to get some of the crib decorations, like the bumper and the bed skirt - nothing critical, but we want her room to look cute. :-)

Baby Shower - LA

I flew down to LA last weekend for the baby shower that was thrown by Elana, Aunt Ellen, and Aunt Susan. We had a really great time. It was at Susan's house, which was really nice and comfortable. Elana planned a few activities, which started with everyone having a chance to decorate a onesie. Then we did a "guess my girth" where everyone chose a length of string and whoever got closest to going around my waist won. The winner was Riley, Justin and Stephanie's 4 year old daughter. The other activity was a word search of all baby related words, which Karen, Jonathan Ephraim's wife won.

We had lunch of chinese chicken salad that Susan made which was great and then (my favorite) noodle kugel. We got a bunch of great presents and lots of clothes to add to the baby's large wardrobe. Then to top it all off, we had cake. It was a great afternoon and we all had a good time. I have the pictiures uploaded to a web album. Click here.

We have the SF shower this weekend, so I'll be sure to post those pictures as well.

Update

I haven't posted for a while because I was really busy finishing my dissertation. I finished it and gave it to my committee.

Look how big I'm getting. This week is the first week of month 8. Just 2 more months to go.

Everything has been going well with the pregnancy. We had out 2nd birthing class last Thursday. We went over breathing techniques, positions during labor, and massage to help with pain management. We practiced breathing techniques for the various stages of labor and talked more about how things would progress. Then we did some massage techniques focusing on the lower back. We also watched a film of women giving birth, which was pretty amazing. It definitely makes us excited for when our baby is born. We're enjoying the birthing class - it's a good group of people and we like the woman who teaches it. She is the same person who taught the parenting class we took.

The baby furniture came yesterday and it looks really good. We got the crib and dresser/changing table. I am going to get the mattress tomorrow, so after that, I'll take pictures and post those. The baby already has so many clothes, so I organized all of them and now they are waiting in the dresser for her.

I feel her moving most of the day everyday now. She has her cycles and is active during the mornings and then mellows out during most of the afternoon and then is active again in the evening. She hasn't woken me up during the night moving around at all, which is good since its getting hard enough to sleep as it is. Feeling her move around is really cool, and Joe is amazed by how strong her movements are.

Tomorrow is my next prenatal appointment and our third birthing class.

Birthing Class

We had our first birthing class last night. It is a series of four classes that will run every Thursday through the month of June. We can't believe we are already at this stage. The baby is due 2 months from Monday, which will be here before we know it.

There were about 8 couples in the class including us. To each class, we are supposed to bring two pillows and some snacks since the class goes from 6:30-9pm. For the first class, we talked about physiology and what physically happens with the mother and baby during labor. We talked about the stages of labor, how long it lasts on average, what to expect, when to call the doctor, and when to go to the hospital. We are lucky that we are just a 5 minute drive to the hospital, so we will likely be able to spend a good amount of time at home before we need to go to the hospital. This class focuses on natural childbirth. They had two classes and while they cover the same basics, this one emphasizes natural childbirth and incorporates relaxation techniques and a little meditation which will help with pain management.

For the last 40 minutes or so we watched a video of a woman in labor and delivering her baby. Joe and I are definitely getting more excited as the days go by. It's hard to believe that in a couple of months we are going to have our baby.

The baby is getting bigger and now weighs somewhere between 3 and 3 1/2 lbs. I feel her moving very regularly and where I used to feel kicks here and there, now I feel her moving around and changing positions. Sometimes a part of my belly will bulge and we're not sure if its a foot, a knee, and elbow, or maybe even her head. We can even watch my belly and see her moving. It's really trippy! Joe can feel her moving more often now, which is great. We will sometimes push back on my belly if she is moving around and she'll sometimes respond, which is really cool.

We got a crib and changing table/dresser last weekend, which will come in a few weeks. I am looking forward to finally being done with school so I can devote time to getting her room ready.

Update

I have not been posting much lately because I am finishing my dissertation and that is taking up pretty much all of my time.

I am feeling pretty good. Some of the tiredness from the first trimester is coming back. It may be partly due to how I'm sleeping and I'm probably not getting the best sleep right now because even though I am using pillows to prop my belly up, it's still not the most comfortable. Plus, I still get up at least once a night to go to the bathroom, so that's interrupting things.

I am definitely getting bigger and I'll post a bump watch picture soon since its been a few weeks. I do feel larger these days and getting around is not as easy as it used to be. Not only have I gained wait, but my lung capacity is diminished since my internal organs are all misplaced. Just going up a flight of stairs leaves me breathless and I've had to slow down my normal walking pace to, well...normal. :-)

I turn in my dissertation on June 8th and then have my defense on the 25th, and am really looking forward to being done so I can put all of my focus on the baby and getting everything ready for her arrival. We are going to look at baby furniture this weekend, which should be fun.

Update

We had our prenatal appointment yesterday and everything sounded good with the baby. It is always nice and reassuring to hear her heartbeat. We are halfway through week 28 and the baby should be somewhere between 2 - 2 1/2 pounds by now. Only about 12 more weeks to go.

I am still feeling pretty good. I am definitely getting bigger and have noticed that I get short of breath easier and walking up the hills is getting harder. I have had to slow down my walking pace, which used to be pretty fast. We'll take another bump watch picture this weekend so you can see how big I am.

I feel the baby kick daily now, which is really cool. There have been a couple of times where she's kicked and I push back on that part of my belly and she kicks again. She seems to be more active in the late morning/early afternoon and the evening. She seems to be sleeping during the middle of the day. There have been times where I have felt her moving around at night, but never enough to wake me up. It is definitely trippy that there is a baby growing inside of my body - Joe and I are getting excited to finally meet her. August is right around the corner.

Parenting Class

This past Saturday we went to a parenting class called "surviving the first two months." It went from 9:30-2:30 with 45 minutes for lunch. It was pretty comprehensive.

Outside of the room was a cart with a bunch of plastic babies, boys and girls (who were anatomically correct). Then there were plastic bath tubs with a bunch of stuff - diaper, cloth diaper, onesie, towel, receiving blanket, pajamas. There were long tables set up in the room so two couples could fit at each table with a bathtub and a baby. We learned how to diaper, bathe, and dress the baby. The class also covered the hospital stay and bringing the baby home, car seats, immunizations, how to calm a crying/fussy baby, and some other things about infant and baby development. It was a good class and it was nice to have the kind of hands on aspect of it.

We start our birthing classes in two weeks. We're getting excited!

Update

I am into the 27th week, which is the start of the third trimester. We're 2/3 of the way there. I am sure the next three months are going to go by really fast. We are definitely getting excited.

I am feeling pretty good overall. Sleeping is ok. I am sleeping with a pillow under my belly and that has helped a lot with comfort and has also lessened the number of times I am getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I do get leg cramps by the time morning comes, and that sometimes wakes me up, which is kind of annoying. I am still having vivid and crazy dreams.

Now that I am getting bigger I am starting to feel it. I definitely feel heavier, but its just part of the package, so I am trying not to dwell on it. Plus, with only three months left, its not that much longer. It is quite an adjustment though.

Joe and I have a parenting class this Saturday, which should be interesting. Its called "surviving the first two months" and will cover what we should expect during that time and information about newborns and newborn care. Then we have our next prenatal appointment on the 20th.

I feel the baby kick and move daily now, which is really cool. She seems to have somewhat of a schedule going where she's more active in the mornings and the evenings. Sometimes I can feel her moving at night when I am in bed, but its not enough to keep me awake.

Things are moving right along. :-)

Bump Watch - Week 26

Here I am at the start of week 26. The bump is getting bigger. I am almost at the end of the 2nd trimester. The baby is pretty much developed at this point, so now she's just going to get bigger and bigger. Her brain and lungs will continue to mature over the next three months as well. It's hard to imagine how much bigger I'm going to get. Right now, the baby weighs about 2 pounds and is over a foot long from head to toe.

I feel her move daily now, which is really cool. She seems to have a few days where she's really active and then a few days where she's more mellow. Maybe she just tires herself out during the active days. It may also have to do with times where she's growing or something like that.


This is me and Joe up in the Headlands. We went up there with Marley and his parents when they were in town.

I have been sleeping better lately. I started sleeping with a pillow under my belly and that has been helping a lot actually. It has also decreased the number of times I have to get up to go to the bathroom, so I guess it takes some of the pressure off my bladder.

I haven't been having any weird cravings, but have been going through food phases. Right now I am really into peaches. I can't wait for all of the summer fruits. I have been eating a lot of strawberries too.

Update

We went to a breastfeeding class this past Monday, which is the first of the classes we signed up for. The class was Monday evening and was pretty comprehensive. We learned some new things about how to ensure successful breastfeeding and the causes of some of the problems that women run into. Luckily, there is a lot of support for breastfeeding both in our CenteringPregnancy group and also within UCSF. A lactation specialist is going to come to one of our Centering groups. There will be a lactation specialist at the hospital to help if needed. My doula will also be able to help make sure the baby latches on correctly.

We had our CenteringPregnancy group last week and everything is looking good with me and the baby. They did a glucose blood test to check for gestational diabetes, which is normal to do at this point in the pregnancy, though its not anything that I am concerned about. The baby is developing at a good pace and seemed to be the right size for this point in the pregnancy. I am coming to the end of week 25, and nearing the end of the 6th month. Next month starts the 3rd trimester. Time is just flying by! Our next Centering appointment is May 20th.

Overall, I am still feeling good. I was having some indigestion, but that has passed thankfully. Hopefully, it doesn't come back. I have started sleeping with a pillow under my belly, which has helped a lot and I have been sleeping a lot better the last few nights.

I am feeling the baby move a lot more now, which is really cool. She is now kicking strongly enough that Joe can feel it. It's comforting to feel her move and know that she is doing ok in there. We are definitely getting increasingly more excited for her to be born and know that the next few months are going to go by really fast!

Doula

I decided a while ago that I was going to hire a doula for the birth and Joe and I found someone really great. We met with her this past Sunday and the three of us really clicked and felt really good about working together. For those who are not familiar with what a doula does, you can go here, http://www.dona.org/mothers/index.php. This is the national doula organization's site and they have all of the information about what a doula does and why it is beneficial to have a doula attend the birth. Doulas are trained in labor and birth and are cerified to do what they do. They provide extra emotional and informational support throughout the labor and birth. They do not perform any medical procedures.

We will meet with her again in July and then we will call her when I go into labor and she will come meet us and be with us throughout the birth through about two hours after the baby is born. She will also be able to assist me with breastfeeding and make sure everything is going right for me and the baby. Then she will do one post partum visit at home sometime in the first couple of weeks after the baby is born. She will be a great extra source of support for both me and Joe and will be able to help coach Joe throughout the labor as to what I may need depending on the point of labor I am at. She will be able to provide informational support and explanations about what is happening in labor as it is happening. This page from her website talks about the benefit to the dad of having a doula present, and this talks about the birthing experience.

Doulas are not covered by insurance, so this is an out of pocket expense, though well worth it. This was the last thing that I wanted to get set before the birth, so I think we are about ready to go. We have the first of our classes on Monday the 27th, which is the breastfeeding class. Then in May we have a parenting class, and then in June we start our birthing classes. Only a few more months until she is here!

Bump Watch

This is the start of week 24. Can you believe it? Right now the baby is about 1 1/4 lbs and at least 12 inches from head to toe. I am feeling her move regularly now and Joe has finally been able to feel it too, which is exciting. Now with only a few more months to go, we are getting very excited for her to be born. It seems much more real now than it did earlier in the pregnancy when August seemed so far away.

We have our next prenatal appointment Thursday morning. We are also signed up for a breastfeeding class the evening of Monday April 27th.

Baby Registry

I registered for baby stuff at Babies R Us. Joe's parents were in town this past week, so Louise and I went down together and registered. Here is the link. You can also get to it from the Toys R Us website.
http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2255957
You can search by either my name or Joe's name. If you choose to buy us something not on the registry or from a different store, please always choose the organic or all natural option whenever possible. There will be a shower in LA that I will fly down for. My mom will drive up for the birth and bring the gifts with her, but depending on the size of the item, it might be better to just ship it to me.

It was fun going down there and we picked up a few things while we were there. Joe has already put together one of the items, which makes us even more excited for her to get here....though we don't want her to come too early, so we are being patient.



It's hard to believe that we are already half way through month 6 - the time is just flying by, and considering the school work I still have to do, the next couple of months are going to go very fast.

Update

It's been a little while since I last posted because I have been really busy with school work.

I have been feeling her move more regularly, which is cool. It still feels like bubbles popping in my belly, but I can now feel it if I put my hand on my stomach. The problem is that whenever I grab Joe's hand to feel, the baby stops moving. So, unfortunately, he hasn't been able to feel it yet. I do feel her more in the evening and at night. I read that babies tend to move more during those hours because that's when you're still. All of the moving during the day tends to lull them to sleep.

Sleeping is still a bit of an issue. I am getting up at least one time during the night, and usually twice to pee, so I am never getting more than about 4-5 hours of sleep at a time. Even if I try not to drink much in the hours before bed, I still get up. I am also tossing and turning more since I can only be on my side and staying on one side too long makes my hip hurt and my legs get kind of crampy. A pillow between my legs didn't help me and those body pillows basically keep you on one side, so I don't think that's a great solution either. Basically, I just try to get the most sleep I can. My tossing and turning does wake Joe up some nights, but I guess we both will have to get used to less sleep in the coming months.

I have also been having some indigestion, which started just in the past week. Drinking ginger ale has helped some. They say to eat small meals throughout the day, but I tend to eat larger meals. :-)

Otherwise, I still feel good. I can still bend over and move around and am confortable. This week is week 23 and we are almost halfway through month 6, which is hard to believe. At the end of this month, we have our breastfeeding class and our next prenatal appointment. Stay tuned for the next "bump watch" picture.

Bump Watch

This is week 21, so we have officially started the 2nd half of the pregnancy. The first half went so fast and its hard to believe we are already half way there. I'm sure this half will go just as fast. The fact that I am pregnant while I am finishing my dissertation is making the time go even faster. At this point, the baby is fully formed, so now she just has to get bigger and put on the pounds. I have been feeling her move and it still feels kind of like gas and kind of like a fluttering. By week 24, we should be able to feel the baby by touching my belly. Joe is excited for that.

I have been sleeping ok. Some nights I am tossing and turning and getting up multiple times to pee and then there are nights where I actually sleep well. I have also noticed that I get tired much quicker when I am walking around and walking up the hills is getting harder. Otherwise, I am still feeling pretty good.

I am really showing now, which is cool. Looking back over the other "bump watch" pictures, you can really see how I've grown. It's exciting.

Update

We had our monthly prenatal appointment yesterday at the CenteringPregnancy group. We got our results from the last ultrasound, which were really positive. At the ultrasound, the technicians are only allowed to tell you the sex of the baby, they cannot give you any other information since they are not doctors. So, just in case there is something wrong with the baby, they wouldn't really be able to address it with you. So, we had to wait for the prenatal appointment to confirm that she is growing normally and everything looks ok. At the ultrasound they took many different measurements to make sure she is proportional and is growing properly, which thankfully she is. Not that we're experts but just looking at the her during the ultrasound, she looked really good to us. Her limbs looked proportional and her head looked like it was shaped correctly.

In the results I am referred to as "elderly" since I am 35 years old, which is pretty funny. The results showed that the placenta and umbilical cord look normal are in their proper place. The quantity of amniotic fluid is normal. The ultrasound also changed my due date from August 8th to August 10th, which doesn't really mean all that much. She'll come sometime around there either way.

At this prenatal appointment we got to hear her heartbeat again, which is always cool. The heartbeat sounds good and she is a healthy little girl. The CenteringPregnancy group is really cool. Joe and I both like it. It is supportive and informational. Yesterday we talked about common discomforts. It is nice to hear other women talking about experiencing the same things. Sometimes you think, "am I the only one this is happening to?" I gained 7 pounds this month, which the nurse midwife said wasn't too bad. I am hoping to stay in the 25-30 lb weight gain range, which is the normal range.

Sleeping has been getting more difficult and I have been having leg cramps. Luckily, they are not too bad, but they are annoying. I am only supposed to be sleeping on my side, and I like to also sleep on my back and stomach, so having to just stay on my side has been a little challenging. I think I may have to buy one of those pregnancy body pillows. I have also been having the craziest dreams! None of them have been about the baby actually, just really bizarre and random dreams. A lot of them are adventure dreams where I'm in some crazy situation. I used to have a lot of anxiety dreams (which might be because I've been in school and stressed out for the last five years), but these dreams aren't really anxiety dreams, so its interesting to see how my subconscious is changing.

Overall, I am still feeling good. I have been feeling the baby more and it still feels like a little fluttering. At the ultrasound she was laying sideways with her head on my left side and her feet on my right. Most of what I feel is on my right side where I think her feet are. By the end of April I should be feeling her more regularly and Joe should be able to feel her by touching my stomach. I've already bought her a couple of cute things. We haven't even thought about cribs, strollers, car seats yet. I think we'll tackle that in June.

Baby Pictures

This is a great shot of her just laying there. You can clearly see her spine. Isn't that wild?! You can also see the features on her face - her nose and her mouth.

This is an amazing picture of her with her mouth open. She might be yawning or she might be trying to say something - she is our daughter after all :-). During the ultrasound, she opened her mouth a few different times. It was just so cool to see her in action. You can also see the bones in her mouth. And her big round belly is so cute.

This is the "talk to the hand" picture. You can clearly see the bones in her hand and arm.

Here's the proof that she's a girl. This is the crotch shot looking straight up, her left leg is on top and her right leg is on bottom. The little blob to the left is likely her head.

This was probably the last ultrasound we are going to have, so we won't get to see anymore of her until she's born. Joe and I are already so excited to meet her. Luckily, times goes fast and we definitely don't want her to come too early, so I guess we'll just have to be patient.

Bump Watch

This is week 19 and as you can see I am getting bigger, and I'm just about at the midway point of my pregnancy.

Update

So, I think I felt her move yesterday. I was having these twinges on the right side of my belly and I'm pretty sure that was her kicking. During the ultrasound, we saw that she was in a breech position, with her head on the left side and her feet on the right. So, I think the twinges I was feeling on the right were her, which is exciting.

One other thing about the ultrasound that I didn't mention in my other post was that they were also able to see the blood flowing through the umbilical cord, which showed up as different colors showing the direction that the blood was flowing. It was pretty cool.

Looking at the new ultrasound pictures against the ones we had from January, you can really see how much she has developed and you can see how the shape of her head has changed. In one of the new pictures, her spine is clearly visible. All of her bones were clearly visible as they were doing the ultrasound. It is amazing how much detail you are able to see.

I'm starting to show a lot more and there's no doubt now that I am pregnant. I am still feeling good. Sleeping is a bit of an issue since I wake up like twice a night to go to the bathroom and I can only sleep on my side. I like to also sleep on my back and even my stomach sometimes, so having to only stay on my side is a little bit of an issue, but what can you do. Overall, everything is good. Joe and I are just very excited and are getting anxious to meet our daughter. We're sure the next four months will go by pretty quickly.

It's a........

GIRL!!

We had our ultrasound appointment today and it was confirmed that we are having a girl. We are so happy and excited that we are having a daughter. I had thought from the beginning that it was a girl, so it is validating to know that my intuition was right. We got some good shots of our little girl, which I will scan and post early next week. During the ultrasound, we saw her move around quite a bit and she yawned and kicked and moved her hands around. We also got to see her heart beating, which was really cool - the four chambers were clearly visible. In the two ultrasounds we've had, she has been really active. I'm still not able to feel her move yet, but should in the next couple of weeks, but at least I know she's moving a lot.

This is the beginning of week 19, so we are almost at the halfway points, which is hard to believe.

Stay tuned for pictures.

Bump Watch

It's week 18?! Can you believe it? It's crazy to think that I am already in my 5th month. Time is moving right along.

I haven't posted in a little while because there hasn't been anything new to report. Overall, I have been feeling pretty good. I am starting to show more, and this weekend realized that I need more clothes. I thought I had bought enough, but I could use some more.

On Friday we find out the gender, which we are really excited about and looking forward to. Hopefully we'll get some more good pictures of the baby to post. I think once we find out the gender it will help us to really connect and bond with the baby and allow us to think about it in real instead of abstract terms. Stay tuned for Friday.

CenteringPregnancy

We had our first CenteringPregnancy group today and it was a really positive experience. It went from 9-11am, and we had to get there a little early since it was the first meeting. It was held in a large room with an exam room off to the side. There was a table with some snacks and a water cooler. There was salsa music playing, which set a good and uplifting tone. A table was set up with a blood pressure cuff that went on your wrist and there was a scale along the wall. The first 30 minutes of each meeting, we take our blood pressure and our weight and write that down in our chart. Our charts are on the table with the blood pressure cuff. One by one we went into the exam room with the midwife and she did a little check up. Today she listened to the baby's heartbeat, which sounded good. We were able to clearly hear it, which was cool. For each subsequent meeting, that is the process and it takes up the first 30 minutes. We were given a tote bag with a binder in it that had a lot of different information and things for us to fill out regarding how we feel about various issues related to the pregnancy and the baby - we have to bring that with us to every group. There were 8 women including me and all but one had their husband with them. Interestingly, the one who came solo was also the only one who already had a child. For the rest of us, this is our first.

The group is led by the nurse midwife and a nurse. The nurse was the one who got everyone situated and who explained the process for the group meetings. After the exam and the check in, we all sat down in chairs that were set up in a circle. Instead of introducing ourselves, we had to speak to the person next to us (not our husband) and find out a little about each other and then introduce that person. That turned out to be a good ice breaker. Then we started a discussion about what our expectations were for the group. It took people a little bit to get warmed up, but once that happened, people were fairly talkative. We then talked about nutrition and how we were all feeling. I would say that we were all roughly in the same age bracket - I think everyone was probably somewhere in their 30s. Each week we will talk about something different, though we are always able to discuss how we are feeling or if there is anything going on that we want to share with the group.

I did find out that I am not guaranteed a midwife when I deliver because they are not on call 24/7 at UCSF, which is something that I was not told before. I am a little disturbed about that since I really do not want an MD or a man delivering my baby - I want a midwife. I spoke to the nurse midwife about this a bit and she referred me to a couple of doulas, which are birthing assistants. I had been thinking about hiring a doula, but hadn't been totally sure if it was necessary, but now feel that it is. Joe andI still have some time to discuss it and find the right person.

We were both really happy with the group today and I'm glad that we started this program. I think it will be a really good experience and it will be nice to go through this journey with this group of people. The next group is March 26th.