Things that go bump in the night

The thing that goes bump would be me. Two nights ago, around 2:00 a.m. I was grabbing my nursing pillow to feed Liam. I apparently didn't remember that I had placed a 568 parenting book on it before I went to bed (I must have been wanting to read up on good parenting skills before bed, but at two in the morning my parenting skills were nonexistent.) It fell and landed right on my second toe. (note: the beautiful scratch and slight bruising across my two toes) (I did say a choice swear word, but I will leave that part out because this is a family blog.)
The fun did not stop there. Last night, again as I was nursing, I noticed one of my dog's started retching. There is no worse noise than a dog about to throw up. It seems like the noise goes on forever, then ends in a horrible mess. Ewwww! As I jumped up to lead my dog to the bathroom, where there is no carpet (easier clean up.), I caught my toe (between my second toe and third toe) on my baby's bouncer chair. So in the middle of the night, I am in pain and my dog is throwing up, my baby is on the bed wondering where the feed bag went, and I am trying to hold it all together. This time, I at least refrained from ending the whole fiasco with my new favorite swear word.
So my poor pedicured toes look a little haggard with my bruised and battered toes... and I thought childbirth was bad. Someone should have warned me about the war-wounds that motherhood entails.

Introducing.....

Liam Matthews!
Born May 18, 2010
7 lbs. 13 oz.
20 1/4" length
Sweetest boy ever, such a good baby, so far, even if him getting here was a bit of a circus. (My fluid levels dropped and there was a cancellation in the OR in the Maternity ward, so we had him a few days early!)
Daddy, Mama and Baby are all doing well!

Letter to Baby

Dear Baby,
The last weeks have been the longest of my life. This is not how the plan was suppose to go. Maybe I wasn't clear in all the long talks we had that you were suppose to come out before my due date, perfectly natural (with, gasp, no drugs) and it was suppose to be quick and efficient. Now you are 10 days late, not going to come out on your own, and won't be 'scheduled' t0 be here until May 20. My c-section is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Thursday so you will be out by then (unless you decide by some miracle to start the process earlier, which I wouldn't mind). I have enjoyed watching your little heart flutter during the long Non-stress tests while I get you to move. I have always enjoyed feeling you slosh around practicing your break-dancing moves in my swollen belly. It has been a great experience also because you didn't make me very sick and all in all the pregnancy has been pretty 'easy' up to this point.
I know it isn't your fault exactly... I mean unless you are the son of the devil (which I don't think you are) I highly doubt you are doing this on purpose. How about we find some 'innocent' third party to blame it on? Let's see... we will blame Dad. He got us into this 'situation' and gave you the big head that could be holding up the whole procedure. (although Mama filled it with all the brains!) Much better, now I can just focus on how cute and innocent you are and put all the blame and uncomfortable situation on Dad. He will take it, and heaven only knows that he will just blame it on the hormones.
Can't wait to see you.
Love,
Your Mama

Things to enjoy about being 9 months pregnant....

A few days ago, I had one of the million Dr. appointments that you have while being pregnant. The dr, who I truly like, had nothing positive to say about my progression towards actually having a baby outside my womb. Now before all you mothers jump on the bandwagon of it will happen soon and will happen fast, I mean he pretty much said NOTHING is happening. I was just as close to giving birth now as I was over a month ago. The baby hasn't dropped, in fact he is still floating and nothing is showing any signs of moving in that direction. Great... but I held it together as I heard that news. I did however, express my displeasure when I called my husband as soon as the dr. appointment was over. (to say that I was a little hormonal might be an understatement, This is why I can blog about it now some 36 hours later, where as before there is no way I could have coherently explained the situation.) Every week I have happily gone to my appointments thinking this is the one when the dr. will say, 'head over to the hospital, it is time'. I think this one was the breaking point to hear that not only would it probably not happen before my due date (I am a very punctual person), but we would be lucky to have it happen naturally if it continues on like this. (boo, c-section, this isn't what I was 'planning' I was going to bounce back and be back to 'normal' quickly for all our visitors this summer.) I know these are ramblings of a crazy pregnant woman. So after much contemplation, I have decided to compile a short list of things I am happy about being 40 weeks pregnant.
1: I get to eat whatever I want.
2: I don't have to work until after the baby is born (which is good and bad because I hope I don't go too stir crazy.)
3: I can take as many naps as I want and nobody says anything. (sleeping all night comfortable is anther story, but the daytime naps help make up for it)
4: Since I have quit work, (last Friday) my feet have not been as swollen.
5: While I haven't played the 'pregnancy card' very often (ok, maybe a few times on Travis and only one time to a stranger so that we could get a better parking spot), I am happy that it is obviously one I can play.
6: Feeling the baby move is the best... it is especially great to use as a way to ward of teen pregnancy in my 15 year old neice. (relating pregnancy to an alien bursting out of your abdomen doesn't hurt either.)
7:This doesn't really apply to the actual pregnancy but more like the timing, but now we get to see Iron Man 2 opening weekend. My husband will be so pleased.
8:It has been our dream to start a family and I am glad (and thankful) that I am near the finish line.

The waiting game....

At 39 weeks, I sit and wait 'patiently' for our new family member. I have stopped working at my job. I was going to tough it out, but realized one morning last week when I was going pee before work and was completely out of breath that it was time to throw in the towel and take some time to relax.
I am still happy to be pregnant, but for some reason whenever I lose sight of that I wish for the pain of labor to start. Um, a bit masochistic, I think, but that is where my mind goes to. I am also in an imaginary race with a facebook friend (my husband keeps reminding me that facebook friends don't count. Um, right, honey whatever!) that was due 2 days after my due date, but is going to be started next Friday, a full day before my due date. In my mind that isn't the way it goes, I have the next number in line, I should be next. (maybe it is the hormones talking or my relentless need to win everything, but seriously, I should be next!)
So this next week, I will sit and play the crazy mind games with myself to keep me busy. Good times.

36th Weeks

Approx. 16 Weeks

A little over 36 Weeks.

This week marks my 36th week... (almost 37th which is why the widget on the left side says that) I thought it might be fun to compare some pictures especially since pictures speak a 1000 words.
Almost there.... sorry I don't have anything else to really blog about right now. I am still working full time so when I get off work I am exhausted so I don't really do anything else.

Adventure for the weekend!

During this whole pregnancy thing, I have read the books, websites, pamphlets and I have spent a few evenings actually thinking of the process of how the baby will get here. Today, my eyes were opened. (after seeing the example of 10 cm. they could have been opened that wide.)

Our adventure this week in the Puget Sound area was at our Childbirth class. It is both Saturday and Sunday. I knew how the baby would come here. I knew it. I was not under the impression that the stork would bring it or that the actual birth would be accomplished in one 30 minute block like on any given sitcom. (way to lie to me TV). Actually watching it and listening to the tiny little Indian lady that is teaching the class, (who seriously is probably a size zero and has had 4 kids.), talk about it all I must say I am little freaked out. I know people will comment that it will be ok, and I appreciate that, but when you have heard about what actually goes on, especially for a first time mother, it is a little hard to digest.

After day one of Trauma-birth classes I have learned:

I thought I wanted to have the baby naturally with no drugs. I still do, but now it is more because I don't want somebody poking around my spinal column with a needle and a catheter to insert drugs directly in there. I really don't like the idea of having said catheter left in my body to pump the drugs into me. That part seriously freaks me out. (my sister is afraid of needles and didn't have an epidural, and I am afraid of things being left in my spine so I don't think I will be having one either. Icky!)

I think Travis will accomplish Saint hood if he puts up with me while I am in active labor. We watched a video of a real woman going through the stages of labor and she was getting short with her mom, sister and doula. She had agreed to the filming of it, and was still getting mad. (I know that regardless of how frustrated I was, I would NEVER say anything snotty if there was some strange camera man filming me. I would be too worried about how it would look after the fact.) That being said, since there will be no cameraman/men in the room with us, and I will be free to say whatever I feel like saying, I am sure that all the evil inside me will join together and come spewing out of my mouth laced with all sorts of colorful adjectives and comments.
Seriously, if Travis stays with me after this, I think the birth will be the second 'miracle' that he would have to accomplish and don't you only need three to accomplish sainthood?!

Tonight I will try to get my mind off of it for a while and enjoy the evening while everything is still in tact. :) But in the great words of Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day!"

The things husbands say!

After taking this picture, Travis looks at me and says you look really full. I know he meant it in a nice way like you really look pregnant, but considering I am only half way there it wasn't the best choice of words. (we had also just finished dinner so that didn't help either!) I think he learned a valuable lesson of to watch what he says around crazy pregnant ladies, especially ones that are only 5 months along!

Baby Boy!

Yesterday we found out that we were having a boy! Yeah us.... now if only we can decide on a name. I am actually glad that they were able to find out because he was being less than helpful while the lady was looking at him. By the end of the visit he had his hands over his head, in an earthquake drill position, looking toward my spine and would not move over. Maybe he didn't appreciate her pushiness with the ultrasound wand. :)

In this picture one of his feet are perpendicular to the other. It is leaning on the side of his foot. I put my feet like this all the time. Crazy!

Bump Pictures....

Nov. 18

Dec. 11

Yeah for baby bumps! On Monday we find out (hopefully) about the sex of our baby. (Baby, you need to cooperate!) We have done the old wives tale with the wedding ring and the hair. (You hold the ring over your belly and if it turns in a circle it is a girl, if it goes like a pendulum it is a boy. It was showing it was a girl, but we will see how scientific it is.) We would be happy with either gender and am just excited to find out. The suspense is killing me! :)

200th Post! Big News!

So If you missed the main jist of the movie, we are expecting our first baby. :) Thanks for watching and for reading my blog for the last 200 posts.