Closing up shop

I'll be removing this page this weekend. If you want to keep up with Henry and I, please visit my new blog over at http://maxedoutmommy.blogspot.com. Hope to see you there!

The new digs

http://maxedoutmommy.blogspot.com/

it's simple at the moment, but i hope to keep things interesting. come visit me!

Coming soon...

So I have let this blog slide into pure abandonement. Oops. I blame motherhood, and working full time, and freelancing, and all those other little things, like sleep. My apologies.

But, I have decided to get a blog up and running again. New addy, new format, but plenty of pics of Henry Joe to go round. I'll post the URL here once it's up and running, hopefully within the next week.

Until then, here's the cutie himself. Enjoy.

6 week check-in

Between starting to pick up some freelance work and the adorable little man, I'm not blogging much and apologize to anyone who has been looking for updates!

All is well here. Henry is a doll and such a good baby. He's growing and eating like crazy and I'm just trying to keep up! He's discovered smiling and a sorta laugh and he just melts my heart every day.

Pics of the last 3 weeks

It's hard to believe Henry will be 3 weeks tomorrow! It's been a crazy few weeks, but the little guy is amazing and honestly seems to get cuter and brighter every day.

Here's a few pics from his last day in the hospital to yesterday...he's getting so big so quickly!

Henry"s birth story

Friday evening was the quintessincial ""dark and stormy night" with torrents of rain and wind battering down the house and flooding the streets. As we went to bed, I joked that it would be our luck that the baby would be born on such a night....oops.

Thankfully, when I awoke at about 4 am with contractions the rain was slowing down. I timed them for about a half hour before waking the hubs up when they were about 45 seconds long and 5 minutes apart. We got the bag together, got some breakfast from the kitchen, and let the dog out. I figured we had some time.

By the time we got to the hospital at about 6 am the contractions were a minute long and about 3 minutes apart. The pain was getting more intense, as well. When I was finally checked by the resident OB at about 7 am I was 6-7 cm and they rushed us into a labor and delivery suite.

Things kept moving quickly until I hit 9 cm at 11 am and stalled. The contractions got worse but the baby wasn't moving. At this point, my OB also got called into an emergency C-section. Left in pain, I asked for thr epidural. I was impressed I had gotten to 9 cm on my own and the pain was starting to cloud my head and focus. After the epi I was able to rest until the doc returned and get my strength back.

The doc broke my water at 12:30 and we discovered meuconium in the fluid, so NICU was called in as a precaution. I pushed for just shy of 2 hours...he was "right there" for most of it but his giant head was stuck. A third-degree episiotomy later, Henry Joseph arrived at 2:11 pm.

He had no mec-related issues and scored 9s on both his Apgars. He was wide awake and alert and got to meet his family right away. He started breastfeeding about an hour after delivery and has been getting better every day since!

Recovery has been painful, but totally doable. Six days pp and I'm just a little sore and feeling mostly like myself.

HE"S HERE!

Henry Joseph was born Saturday, August 22, 2009, at 2:11 pm. 8 lbs, 5 oz, 21 inches.

Birth story to come...

Officially overdue

Still waiting on Lil G!

I'm nearly 5 cm now, but the contractions aren't strong enough for them to admit me. So I'm sitting at home, wasting maternity leave, hoping to suddenly be in pain. Messed up, huh???

Photo time

So I'm sitting here very, very pregnant and just a little miserable. By suggestion of the hubs I'm also struggling to consume the world's largest bowl of apparently labor-inducing pineapple. Have I ever mentioned that I seriously do not like pineapple? Like the smell makes my throat close up? So yea, this is fun.

Anyway, thought I'd break up the choking with a quick post and some photos of the nursery for you all. The room is no designer showplace, but we are happy with how it's modern and fun without being over the top. It seems more full in person than it does in the photos, but I'm sure once he starts accumulating toys and other items we won't have an inch of bare space to worry about.

View from the entry.

My old rocking horse and his dresser. His name will go above the monkey on the wall, but DH won't let me hang that until he's physically here.

Close-up of the bedding.

The glider nook. The photos on the wall are me and DH as infants, and Lil G will go in the middle.

The bureau/changing area and some of his goodies, including a place of honor for the Philly Phanatic.

There are more pics in an earlier post of the other artwork and the bookshelf for those who missed it: click here.

And here's a pic of me a few days back at 39 weeks. I made DH promise me it would be my last photo, but I fear I may be taking a 40-week shot on Monday. Sigh.

39 weeks and still nothin

Doctors are lying meanie heads.

I knew that progress early on could mean nothing, but then everyone got my hopes up, and now three internals later I'm still sitting on 3 cm and not a contraction in site. Unless the 8-minute whammy of pain this morning was a contraction, and if that's the case, I'm never going to make it through labor.

Come on, Lil G! You are driving your momma insane! Come out and play!

Tomorrow is my last day of work since my company has some random rule that you cannot work past your due date. So now he really has to show, because I do not intend to waste my precious maternity leave alone on the couch watching bad daytime TV.

We have an induction date set for 8/25 if he proves to be a really stubborn boy. Please cross your fingers for me that we don't need it!

38 weeks and not much to update

After a very interesting and eventful weekly appointment last week, I'm sorry to announce I got nothing for you this week. We had our 38-week appointment this morning and we're still at about 3 cm, 80/90 percent effaced. The doctor pretty much said I'm as far as I'll go without being in active labor, so now I'm just waiting for the contractions to start. And since I have no clue what a contraction feels like, I'm just sitting here questioning every twinge, cramp, and pain I experience.

With all the anxiousness of last week, I'm now pretty frustrated and down. I totally knew that last week's numbers didn't really mean anything, but it's easy to get wrapped up in the what-ifs and get your hopes up. And then your husband tells everyone and their mother (seriously, one of his co-workers called his mother, an OB, to share with her my stats), and you get the questions and emails 30 times a day, and it's a fast downward slope right into craziness.

Today's the full moon and DH is still convinced it could be the big day. I'd love for him to be right, but I may have to force myself into being a pessimist if only for my own sanity. 10 days until the due date, 17 until the latest my doctors will let me go. I can handle that...no matter what, he'll be here soon. Just not soon enough!

37 weeks and progress!

So I had my 37 week appointment today. They weren't planning on doing my first internal until next week, but when I described the pressure I have been feeling (like the baby is trying to swim south!) to the nurse she suggested checking in today to see what was going on. Sounded good to me, although I automatically reminded my giddy, anxious husband that whatever they said could not determine the exact day we would be having the baby. It could still be 3+ weeks.

So I was very surprised when the doc came in, checked, and it didn't hurt at all. That was my first sign that the pressure might have been more than I was allowing myself to believe it was. Yup: 3 cm, 80 percent effaced, baby at about 0 station. Totally wasn't expecting that. Neither was the hubs, who just finished reading about the stages of labor and blurted out, "Crap, you're in transitional labor!" and then asked the doc if we needed to be admitted. :)

I know this could be where I am for quite awhile now, but it's nice to know the little dude is making his way south and that things are already looking good. Even if I totally stalled here and we hit the due date or over, induction would be easier since I'm already primed to go.

DH will now be working like a mad man to get his projects in order, since he's convinced I can go into full-blown labor at any moment. I should probably update my status reports at work, too. Ya know, just in case.

36 weeks

Less than one month to go! Assuming we make our due date. I still have that "feeling" that he'll arrive before then, but I really shouldn't focus on it. I'd hate to start getting my hopes up only to end up with an induction at 41 weeks.

Had the first of my weekly doc appointments this morning, what a joy. Because it's totally convenient to skip out of work once a week to sit in a waiting room and then get rushed through the 30 second actual appointment. I am not complaining...each visit I love because I get reassured Lil G is doing fine and dandy. But it really does put a cramp in the day!

Today we were able to confirm that Lil G is head down and in position, which was a relief. I was pretty sure what I had been feeling was his rear end, but hearing the doc confirm was great. My practice doesn't do internals until 38 weeks, so I don't know if we have any real progress yet. I'm pretty sure he's starting to drop -- this weekend there was a marked change in my pelvic pain, lightening crotch, and bathroom breaks. I guess we just wait and see now. I assume he'll let us know when he's ready. :)

Here's the 36 weeks pic:

35 weeks and pictures!

I have soooo been slacking in the posting department. Sorry.

Not that much has been going on aside from me getting bigger. I'm officially huge and hitting the "uncomfortable" stage. I also have been assaulted by heartburn that can be described by no other word but evil.

But 5 weeks! 5 weeks!!!!! And DH is convinced I'll go early. Who knows why, but if this kid's nudging and bulging are any sign of his space constraints, I also wouldn't be surprised. I've told him he needs to hang on until July 27 for my own comforts on his well-being. After that, he's welcome to arrive when he wishes.

Now it's picture time. We finally got a new camera and it's amazing how horrid the old one was in comparison. Enjoy!

The 35-week belly shot.

The nursery! Here's the crib...

And his bookshelf...

And his ABC and 123 letterpress prints. Still working on the dresser and glider areas...I'll update soonly.

And for good measure, one of the adorable Ms. Fredo. :)

Pro pics of my planet-sized stomach

Sorry I've been slacking...I've been trying to get the nursery complete and the house clean and with the few hours in the day I'm not working, it's been a daunting task.

We did squeeze in a photo shoot with weekend which I am so glad we did. As you can tell, most of my weekly pics are blurry and horrid thanks to an on-the-fritz camera, so now I will have a few good ones of me. Well, better than good. Two teaser pics were posted to her blog last night and I'm soooo excited to see the rest. Enjoy these for now: http://gailannephotography.com/blog/

The nursery is coming along and I think I'll have updated pics this coming weekend!

Whoops!

So Saturday we are sitting outside at my cousin's graduation party, and my father is lamenting the fact that my mother won't let him adopt this adorable chocolate lab he found on PetFinder (she wants a little pup). So I mention to my dad that we plan to get a lab ourselves, but not for a few years until the baby can help out. But I didn't say "baby." And I didn't say "Lil G." After nearly four months of being so good and keeping his name on the DL, I totally blurted it out. Like an idiot. And then covered my mouth in mortification as my brother sing-songed "I know what his name is!"

I'm so upset with myself. I really don't know if they heard it clear as day, and they were kind enough not to repeat it or make any comments about it. But it's out and I'm so upset that I couldn't do it! Darn it!

31 weeks!

So I forgot to do my 30 week check-in. Oops.

Anyway, now here we are at 31 weeks. Little bigger, little sorer. Little more anxious for this baby to get here already!

Wiggle Worm is a non-stop mover these days, and he's somehow figured how to get a foot about 3 inches behind my ribs and an arm pretty much down my leg at the same time. By the end of the day I'm not only tired, but my poor stomach is just bruised.

I'm still impatiently waiting for the crib bedding to arrive so I can get the nursery finished up. It's more than two weeks late now and it's so frustrating. I don't want to rush the seamstress, though, because I want her to do the best job possible. But I want my stuff!

There aren't many more milestones to look forward to, and I now understand why this is the hardest part of pregnancy to make through. In first and second tri there are new things nearly every week. Tests and movement and U/Ss. Now I just sit and wait. I do have my Strep B test coming up, but seriously, I'm not going to get excited about a butt swab. No thanks.

So we wait. Two months to go.

Here's the 31-week photo!

Baby shower!

This past Sunday was Lil G and my baby shower and it was an amazing, lovely thing. I am so thankful to my parents who spent so much time and energy putting every detail together and to my friends and family who went above and beyond spoiling the little guy with all sorts of fabulous gifts. The food was great, the company wonderful, and I am so very blessed.

A few pics of the afternoon:

The hubs and I

The amazing cake my pastry chef SIL made

Just some of Lil G's haul

The kid will be a stud. It's in his genes. ;)

I'll post my 30 week check-in later today!

29 weeks & our L&D visit

So yesterday -- 29 weeks, 1 day -- was our anniversary. And instead of celebrating as planned, we went to the hospital's L&D triage. So romantic. ;)

Long story short, I had been experiencing large amounts of watery discharge paired with some pretty intense pelvic pressure. Alone I would chalk them up to nothing like I usually do, but even I had to admit the combo was a bit disconcerting. So I called the doc, who told me to high-tail it to the hospital. Thankfully DH had his car in the city and we were able to drive over right away...arriving only an hour later thanks to traffic.

They did a number of tests and monitored the baby's heart and any contractions I was having for about an hour. They aren't sure what the discharge was, but they couldn't find any signs of rupture so I was told to head home and not come back for 10 weeks. Good plan, I think.

We left work so suddenly that DH didn't have time to grab the anniversary flowers he had ordered for me, so I got them today. They are totally gorgeous -- he's too good to me.


Other than that, all is well. Starting to get Braxton Hicks, which are kinda entertaining in a odd sort of way. And I'm on the couch by 6 pm each day if I can help it.

Here's the 29 weeks pic. Don't mind the messy garden beds -- we are in the midst of pulling up and replanting. And say hello to Fredo who decided to sneak into this week's shoot.

Second anniversary!

It seems like only yesterday and ages ago at the same time. Two years ago today, under an unusually steamy June sun, the love of my life and I became husband and wife. It's been an amazing two years, and I can't wait for the 50-odd to come. Hands down, best hubby ever. Love ya baby.

A lil trip down memory lane...