A Mini Lil' Update

The Baby
Lilly is doing awesome - she scored 9/9 on her APGAR and has been perfect from the start. She's extremely alert and spends a lot of her awake time just looking around, soaking in whatever blobs she can see. She LOVES Daddy's voice and will swivel her head in whatever direction she hears it. Its awesome to think that after all of those special conversations that Kevin had with her while she was in the belly... she actually recognizes this voice. She's feeding (and pooping!) like a champ and has the hang of this whole breastfeeding thing (most babies lose weight when they come home, Lilly has GAINED! GO baby!). She's also really loving her special moments with her new family and friends. She's amazingly precious.

Birth Story (Abridged... I will update on the full story at some point... its worth the wait!))
Though 13 days overdue, the birth was beautiful and worth every second of those 41 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. Labor was 35 hours of "waiting" (the induction) and 1 hour of pushing... but once we finally got to the pushing, it was a breeze (thanks to my little friend EPIDURAL!). As soon as Lilly was born, they placed her on my chest and I immediately fell in love through my tear filled eyes. Kevin cut the cord and our family began...

(There's a lot more to that story but I'll spare the gory details... for now!)

New Parents!
I, the Mom, am doing great recovering from the labor and delivery aspect. Once we got to the actual delivery part, it was a relatively "easy" experience... and the most amazing thing to ever happen to me. I am pretty wiped out but absolutely smitten with Lilly. I never knew I could love anything so much. I can't give her enough kisses or snuggle her any less... pure, unconditional love.

Kev, the Dad, is doing awesome. He was a super star partner, coach, and Daddy through it all (He even managed to sleep relatively comfortably on the "bed" they provide to coaches in the hospital!). I would've melted without him and can't say enough about how great he was for me. AND, he managed to survive all of the potentially husband-wife "scarring" moments unscathed, and possibly loving me even more on the flip side. As for his Daddy skills... I am so proud to be his wife. He and Lilly are bonding so sweetly and he has taken to fatherhood like nothing I ever imagined. Diapers? NO PROBLEM! (And, I am not talking #1 either!) Spitting up? He's got it covered... all over himself. Smothering her with kisses and hugs? CONSTANTLY!

We're all so glad to be home to start our amazing journey together as a family.

Lillian Jean

She's here!!!

Our beautiful Lillian Jean made her debut on July 21st at 7:47am, weighing in at an impressive 8lbs, 8oz.


She is perfect - healthy, gorgeous and extraordinary!

We're finally home from the hospital and we're all getting adjusted and recovering.

The story is long and beautiful... but sleep is calling for me. "Sleep when the baby sleeps" is a motto I am trying to live by so it doesn't leave much time for playing online.

D Day - The Time Has Come!

Today marks the last day that my little chica will be IN my belly. We head to the hospital tonight to start the induction process.

The time is finally here.

Whoa.

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A couple of days ago, I looked at the hub and said... "You do realize that on Saturday and Sunday, I am going to be FREAKING out?". He laughed and acknowledged that he probably would be too. Well, nothing has gone according to how we've envisioned - neither of us are freaking out AT ALL. Actually, right now, the hub is outside playing with the pup and I am sitting inside, relaxing with my Mom (and blogging, naturally). There are a few things I want to do before departing for the hospital but mostly, I am content with just chilling.

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My bags are packed, the camera is charged, and we are just ready.

Whoa.

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In the last week or so, the hub has found himself singing some old school songs that are very easily translated to a labor & delivery room; however, I might strangle him if he tries to sing one of them during OUR labor & delivery. The songs include:
-> Push It by Salt N Pepa
-> Good Vibrations by Marky Mark
-> Dazzey Duks by Duice (which includes the lyrics, "Come on baby...")

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Throughout my pregnancy, the hub and I have found ourselves having uncontrollable laughing fits at the most inopportune times. The first and most notable was during our birthing class. The instructor was having us do some relaxation breathing and we were sitting on the floor and I was leaning/laying back against the hub - with him supporting me and his hands near my belly. The room was astoundingly quiet... EXCEPT for my incredibly loud stomach which proceeded to gurgle and rumble. It can be somewhat embarassing when your stomach growls but I felt it was even more awkward at a million months pregnant! So, not being able to control my apparent insatiable hunger sent us into a fit of laughter... which mustn't have been very relaxing for our classmates but we were 100% unable to control ourselves. And you know when you're not SUPPOSED to laugh, that's when you laugh the hardest? Yea, that was us. Tears streaming down our faces and just when you think you've got yourself under control, the hub let out a stifled snickered that sent me rolling again! It got to the point where the instructor came over and "jokingly" asked us if we needed a moment in the hallway. WHOOPS!!

The next fit of laughter came during my non-stress test on Tuesday. I had just gotten all hooked up to the monitors and the nurse left us be. The hub was sitting at my feet and he was just about to take off his sweatshirt... except his beard got stuck in the zipper which I found to be hysterical... his head was forceably cocked sideways and he was STUCK. We both erupted. Laughing while connected to all sorts of sound and contraction monitors... NOT the best idea. It sent the monitor into a tizzy and it sounded like I had a bowl full of jelly... which sent us spiraling further into our fit. I then had to explain to the nurse that the off the chart readings she was assessing was NOT anything to be concerned with. Good times!

The most recent fit came at our last appointment on Thursday right after my "exam". I'll spare you the details of WHY I was laughing but let me just say the doctor went places I did not think were relevant to this whole process. Anyway, as soon as she left the room, I relayed the info to the hub and started hysterically laughing. We were trying to be relatively quiet with this fit because we knew the doc was right outside the room writing up our "induction" orders... but it took a good 5 minutes for me to regain my composure. Phewy.

I am hoping that tonight and tomorrow, in times of pain and frustration and exhaustion, I can relive or at least recollect some of these finer moments that we've shared during pregnancy.

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Speaking of laughter, has everyone seen this little video?


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With that, my dear blog friends, I am logging off until this baby makes her long-awaited debut. Its been a beautiful journey and I can only hope for an equally beautiful birth experience, with my amazing hub... the soon-to-be father of our baby girl.

Catch you on the flip side!

41+ Weeks... Going the Distance

Obviously, the title indicates that I am still "with child"... as in WITH HER FINE AND FREAKING DANDY IN MY BELLY!

We're at 41 weeks and 2 days, 9 days past the due date. You'd think that I would be completely miserable and cynical and hating the world. You'd think that and everyone expects that... however, the truth is quite the contrary.

Actually, I am doing very well.

I'll be the first to admit... when my due date came and went with no sign of this baby making her debut, I was quite frustrated. And after my appointment on Tuesday (where I had a non-stress test, an ultrasound to check the amniotic fluid level, and met with the midwife), I was deflated. The tests all indicated the baby was absolutely perfect (obviously) and I was SO excited about that. But the midwife basically told me that I hadn't made any progress (in dilation and effacement), and that upset me. I left the office nearly in tears, just exhausted and frustrated.

But - within minutes of driving out of the parking lot, next to my extremely supportive and optimistic husband, my smile came back... and it hasn't left since. I can't explain it. I am not sure what happened but whatever it was, I am NOT complaining because it was just the attitude adjustment I needed to get me through this week.

This morning we were back at the doctor's for another round of the same tests... which the baby aced, of course. The doctor was very optimistic about the possibility that I could go very soon... but, in the event that I don't go, she won't let me go past Monday.

So that is where we are now. This little kiddo has 48 hours to show up on her own. If she does not come by Sunday, we will be heading to the hospital that night to start the induction process. And, she'll be here by MONDAY.

I'm gonna be a Momma in a really short amount of time. Holy moly. Holy moly. Holy freaking moly.

I am so excited, content, and ready to meet my beautiful little baby.

41 Weeks - Seriously... SERIOUSLY

For all of my friends, family, acquaintances, and you - YES, I AM STILL PREGNANT!

I appreciate all of the phone calls, text messages, emails, facebook messages, words of encouragement and advice. Clearly, its out of our control and this little chica is taking her sweet time to grace us with her presence (showing us who's boss already)! I can't help but love her for being a stubborn little stinker; and kudos to me for being a super duper preggo - I was made for this job.

In reality - its getting hard to be suzy optimist. Not because I don't trust the natural process... its just... well, here's is the rundown of what the last 4 weeks have been like. (Sharing this will help YOU understand what I am going through and since that is pretty irrelevant, it will at least give me peace of mind.)

"They" tell you at about 37 weeks that it could happen at "any minute" and so you then spend EVERY minute consumed with excitement and anticipation - hanging on every twinge of pain or discomfort, wondering if its a precursor to the big dance.

To no avail.

Then your due date approaches and you think, "I'm NOT going to be one of the majority that goes past her due date - heck, maybe I'll beat the odds and go ON my due date!".

The due date comes. The due date goes. You're overcome with a bit of disappointment, watching the hours tick by, feeling nothing short of fabulous. You consider, "Maybe feeling so good IS a sign that labor is around the corner?".

Keep dreaming. Feeling good is a sign of FEELING GOOD. And rumor has it - labor does NOT feel good (I'll let you know the truth... if I ever get to go through it).

The hours and days after your due date creep by. You begin to wonder if you'll EVER deliver this child. Clearly you know that it has to happen at some point but with each minute passing, you become more insanely jaded and more anxious than you ever thought humanly possible. People try to encourage you by saying "Honey, most first time mothers deliver late... blah blah blah". You appreciate their consideration in trying to make you feel better but you quickly remind yourself that THEY are not the heffalump who is a million months pregnant IN JULY.

The words of wisdom evaporate into thin air, along with the days following your due date.

It gets to be a week. You've been back to the doctor for them to tell you, "FORTUNATELY, the baby is healthy as can be and all of her vitals are in check... which means, we will give it more time.". You're elated to hear that the baby is healthy... TRULY. But the "more time" comment practically sends you into tears. You're conflicted because you really don't want to face an induction but you are just SO SO SO ready for this to happen and there is nothing you can do to speed up the process.

You leave the doctor's somewhat disappointed. Your husband is the most supportive he can be - treading lightly between being the annoying overly optimistic dad-to-be who isn't physically carrying the little pookie bear while offering his shoulder to whine on. He then makes a remarkably good suggestion to buy you a milkshake and take you to the park for lunch.

This really changes your outlook on the state of affairs. You think, "When baby comes, milkshakes are going to be few and far between and more importantly... sunny days spent lounging in the park with just your (super duper handsome) husband will be nearly non-existent.

The milkshake/park combo is just the smile inducer you needed.

You enter 42 weeks rejuvenated and with a newfound appreciation for YOURSELF. You begin to convince yourself that you might actually be SuperWoman... because what woman goes into her nearly 10th month of pregnancy and is still active as can be, smiling all the day, and sleeping nearly all the night? Its just not humanly possible so evidently, you are superhuman.

You then experience what you think might be your first REAL contraction and are smacked with the reality of "holycrapIactuallyhavetogetthisbabyOUTofme" and it makes you feel lightheaded and woozy and like you might just WANT to be pregnant forever. The contraction subsides, without reappearing. You spend the next 2 hours waiting for something to happen. The hours pass. The night passes. You wake up the next day feeling even better than the day before... firmly placing your feet on the floor... and starting yet another day of waiting.

... and that my friends is where I am.

UPDATE: The baby-in-utero widget thing on the sidebar of my blog... is now EMPTY... as in there is NO more baby-in-utero. Let's pray the power of suggestion works. Otherwise, that is just creepy (well, it IS sort of creepy anyhow)!

Who do these "old wives" think they are!?

I'm pretty much on the edge of my seat and totally 100% preoccupied with the thought of this baby's arrival. Up until about Thursday, I was content with the whole "she'll come when she's ready!" philosophy. But I am getting increasingly impatient with each passing hour. I just want to meet her already.

And I really have no indication to believe she plans on making her appearance anytime soon.

With this newfound anxiousness, I've resorted to trying to coax the little babe out. "How?" you ask... well, there are a number of somewhat homeopathic remedies cascading various websites, passed down from mothers to mothers-to-be for generations and generations. All I've got to say is that I've tried nearly all of the tricks in the book (except Castor oil and we're not going there) to no avail. From the foods (pineapple, spicy, red leaf tea, ginger snaps, etc.) to the motion (walking, yoga poses, bouncing on the yoga ball, bumpy car rides, etc.) - been there, done that.

SO HEY, OLD WIVES - I AM STILL PREGNANT! Now what?

0 Days Left (or so "they" say)

That sort of creepy little ticker widget on the sidebar of my blog indicates that there are 0 Days left until my little chica is due. BabyCenter.com updates now point to me being the mother of a newborn. My measurements and stats from yesterday's OB appointment point to the fact that this baby is DUE.

And guess what? She is NOT here yet.

Actually, as hard as it may be to believe... I am doing okay with the waiting. People keep expecting me to be on the edge of my seat, impatient as can be (which is sort of annoying in and of itself). But, really - I am okay. If she needs to stay in there for a little while longer, so be it. Forgive the obvious statement but, once she is here, she is HERE FOREVER. So I am really trying to appreciate this time as much as I can. Fortunately, I am very comfortable - I am not super ginormous, sleep deprived, or over worked so life is pretty chill right now. And - Mother Nature, God bless her, has been very forgiving with heat and humidity.

So for all inquiring minds - yes, I am STILL pregnant. And I know, I know, I know! Babies rarely come on their due date and more often in first pregnancies, they come PAST the due date! Thanks for the encouragement but like I said - I am OK with this.

Don't get me wrong - I am SO excited to meet my little baby and am truly ready for that day to come. I want to kiss her and hug her and love her and share her with our family and friends.

I really can't wait... but I will.

39 Weeks - Alright Already...

I am not getting impatient... I just want the record to show that - I AM READY!!!! Here's what's been going on:

-> 10 weeks ago, I wasn't sure I'd ever say that. We had so much to accomplish in house, work, and baby getting ready duties. And - we are 100% there. Hallelujah.

-> My Mom came up from FLA yesterday for the arrival of her youngest grandchild... so now we're all just sort of waiting.

-> Assuming that nothing "happens" today, I will be working from home this week. My manager and company are being super flexible with my scenario and I am grateful... frankly, I don't think anyone wants to deal with me going into labor at the office. That would just be crazy drama. So, I am home for the remainder of my pregnancy which is very comforting as the hub works less than 15 minutes from home.

-> My brother and sister in law welcomed their second child on July 1st (1 day before the due date). It's a 7lb 15oz BOY and he is absolutely adorable. He joins his big brother and represents the youngest baby in our family... TO DATE!

-> Speaking of BOYS - I keep reading on BabyCenter.com about all these women who were told via ultrasound that they were having girls but ended up having boys. CRAZINESS. So - I had a dream the other night that our little chica was a boy and I told the doctors "No she's not, I have WAY too many dresses for a boy!". Clearly my priorities were in order in my dream. HAH! I am not REALLY worried about this actually happening as we had 2 ultrasounds confirming her sex and the technician used some anatomical language that I am pretty sure only pertains to females. I'll leave it at that!!

I'm hopeful that THIS will be the week... as I am 39 weeks and 4 days right now... 3 days to the DUE date. COME ON LITTLE ONE!!!!!!!!!!!