Birth (Week 40)

Our son Harrison was born on his due date: March 30, 2012 at 4:19am! He was born after 28 hours of labor weighing 9lbs 2oz and measuring 21 inches.

It started at 11pm on Wednesday March 28th, less than a half hour after going to bed for the night. I woke up to my water breaking. There was no mistaking the feeling. By midnight, my contractions had begun. I phoned Liz, our Doula, who told us to get some rest and to keep her informed of any changes. I phoned Gloria, my sister, and told her the news. She couldn't go back to sleep and soon was on the road up north.

By 3am, the contractions seemed to be closer together and Liz arrived at the house. She dimmed the lights, helped me relax and had us get some rest. Dave had packed the car and we were ready to head to the hospital when the time came.

Gloria arrived around 6am and we headed to the hospital at about 9am. Due to rush hour traffic, it took us a little longer to get to the hospital than we had anticipated, but we had plenty of time. It was an odd feeling having contractions in the car and as we walked into the hospital (in my pajamas). I had to stop several times with Dave holding me until the contraction subsided. I was about 4cm dilated, admitted to the hospital, and we all went to the labor and delivery room where I would be for the next 20 hours.

Dave, Gloria and Liz did a wonderful job of making me feel as comfortable and supported as possible. I was in my own element, breathing through each contraction as it came. They offered constant words of encouragement, massage, ice chips, had me get in different positions and offered suggestions to keep my labor moving along. This included slow dancing with Dave, rocking on the birth ball, laying down when needed and walking to and from the bathroom. Dave even gave me a shower twice to help me relax and rejuvenate my exhausted body.

Somewhere along the line, the doctor informed us that based on my bloodwork, I had developed HELLP Syndrome. My liver and kidney values were high and I had a low platelet count, which could affect clotting. Due to my condition they monitored the baby and myself more closely to be sure we were kept safe.

At around 10:30pm on Thursday night, my body needed a break. The ever increasing pain and exhaustion of labor had finally worn me out and despite my intentions of a natural childbirth, I decided to get an epidural. They also gave me Petocin to step up contractions as numerous checks still had me at 5cm after all we had done to help things progress. We were worried I might need a Cesarean since he didn't seem to want to come down. I guess I had been keeping him too cozy in there.

Thankfully by 2:30am on Friday, we had some good news! I was fully dilated and I began to start pushing. Dave and Gloria stood on either side of me holding up my legs when a contraction hit, while Liz shot some photos. They soon announced that they could see his head! I was so excited and relieved that I would soon be meeting my son. Hearing Dave, Liz and Gloria constantly encouraging me and informing me of the progress really kept me going. At 4:19am on Friday, March 30, 2012, Harrison David was born. He spent time cuddling with me and also with his daddy and was welcomed into the world with an abundance of love.

Final Stretch (Week 39)

It's hard to believe I'm a week away from my due date, March 30th. Yes, I waddle. It shouldn't be long before we're holding our baby boy. Every little something I feel going on with my body, I wonder if labor is starting. It seems odd to be looking forward to enduring the most painful experience of my life. I guess it's more the outcome, but I am, of course, curious about the labor and delivery portion as well. I'm just amazed and excited to be able to have this life experience. This may be my last post before he's born, although I hear first time moms often go beyond their due dates, so we'll see. Wish me luck!

Waiting for Baby (Week 38)

My last day of work was on Friday. They had a nice going away get together for me with a cake and a present for the little one. It's so heartwarming to be working with such a caring and supportive group of people. I'm home now waiting for the baby to decide he's ready to make his appearance into the outside world.

On Sunday after a day of errands, I bent down to pick something up and felt a sharp pain in my lower back. Unfortunately, this has added to my already present back pain and has made it pretty hard to even get around the house. Fortunately, I don't have to go back to work. Funny how the timing works out like that. It's slowly getting a little better with rest, ice, heat and stretching.

Full Term (Week 37)

I have officially reached the point where my pregnancy is considered full term. However, it feels like he's pretty cozy in there and will likely stay put another few weeks. If he were to decide and come out now though, he would likely do just fine. I've gotten so used to the feeling of being pregnant, it's going to be quite a transition from having him in my belly to having him in my arms.

Dave and I have moved his pack and play next to the bed and created a mobile to hang above it (the fish above is part of that design). Dave cleaned out the car and installed the infant car seat. We have signed up for a cloth diaper service, so between those and the disposables we were given as gifts, we should be good in that department. We picked up a diaper bag and are deciding on his little coming home outfit. We have been meeting regularly with our Doula and have discussed the birth plan.

Everything is coming together and I feel great!

Braxton Hicks (Week 36)

I felt my first Braxton Hicks contractions this weekend. I guess we have them all along, but sometimes only feel them in the last part of pregnancy. It feels like my stomach suddenly gets really hard and tight, then it subsides after a little bit. I've only felt it a few times, but it's exciting!

A funny thing that happened this weekend...

Dave and I went to test drive a few cars on Saturday. I was joking with him about having my water break in one of the new cars. Wouldn't that be something. I guess then we'd have to buy it. Then, after getting out of the third car, which was a used Honda, it felt like the seat of my pants were all wet. Could my water have just broken?! I held my purse behind my backside and waited till Dave was done talking with the salesman, then told him I was ready to go. I told him what had happened and we got in our car after laying down a towel on my seat.

After talking more about it, he said when he was feeling around in the back of the car, the rug was wet, so they must have just washed the interior and it wasn't dry yet. It did have that cleaner smell too. He checked out the car we had just driven and the seat where I was sitting was fine. No, my water didn't break.

Phew! They shouldn't do that to a pregnant woman. By the time we got home my pants were dry. I guess it felt worse than it was.

Doula Labor Support (Week 35)

Before my pregnancy I wasn't familiar with the term "Doula". After hearing the term repeatedly through books, websites and prenatal classes, we decided to look into it. At first I was a bit skeptical as to whether hiring a doula would be right for me. I have thought about having a child and giving birth my whole life. I never imagined it to include a support person that I didn't know.

A doula is a person that you hire to be there throughout labor and delivery. She will come to the house at the onset of labor and continue with us to the hospital when the time is right. Through her knowledge and experience, she supports the laboring mother and her partner to help ensure a positive birth experience. She provides emotional support through encouragement, patience and her knowlege of the laboring and birthing process. She provides physical support through massage, use of various relaxation techniques and suggests progressive labor and delivery positions to help ease discomfort. Should complications arise, she ensures we have a good understanding of our options and the information presented to us. She helps in overseeing that our birth plan is followed when appropriate.

After meeting with our Doula, Liz, and learing more about the process and the support she will provide not only for me, but for Dave, I am looking forward to the birth of our son, with less fear of the unknown.

Baby Shower (Week 34)

We feel very fortunate to have such supportive friends and family. The baby showers at both the Mahoney's and at the Tachibana's were wonderful. We feel so grateful for everyone's generosity. I was not expecting to be so prepared for our little one's arrival. We have been washing and sorting all the cute clothes, hats, socks and blankets that we received. We have put together the bouncer, pack n play, stroller, car seats, bathtub and high chair. Dave even tried on the baby carrier, secure with a doll for practice! We have been organizing and sorting all the books, towels, bibs, diapers, bath supplies and various other items. I can't wait until we can put everything to use in about a month!

Baby Room Part 2 (Week 32)

In Photoshop, I drew a bear (pictured above) and framed it in three colors for the baby's room. Did I say, "baby's room?" Yes! It is all baby room now and no longer office. I am so excited about that. It was feeling really crowded in there with the desk, filing cabinet, etc. so we decided to reorganize. Now there is room to hang out, put a large rug in the middle of the floor and have hangout space for us and the little one. I can't wait to pick up more items for the room and the walls. My sister got us the pack and play we are going to use for a crib. It looks awesome in there. It's all coming together. We only have about 8 weeks to go!

Getting Ready for the Baby (Week 31)

We have finally started to set up the baby's room. It is very exciting to see it come together. We are living in a 2 bedroom house and the second bedroom is the office, so we are converting it to half office - half baby room. Dave just painted the blue dresser. It was one my parents had purchased at a thrift store for their first daughter, and I have memories of it from when I was a child. I love the things that family has given us and getting it all set up for our little one to arrive. Today we are off to A.G. to a baby shower at my sister's house this weekend and to spend time with my family.

Ultrasound (Week 29)

We went for our ultrasound on Thursday and everything is looking good. The doctor said everything is fine, he is measuring about a week ahead, and fluid levels look normal. Right now he is in the breech position, but he has time to turn.

Our little guy sure is making his presence known. His little feet have been playing with my bladder a lot this week. Luckily I haven't peed my pants... yet. I've read stories.

Third Trimester (Week 28)

I am so excited to be entering my third and final trimester. It doesn't seem like long ago when I felt as if it would be ages before I reached this point. We both feel our baby boy moving all the time now. I think he can recognize Dave's voice too as he often starts moving when Dave talks to him. I love it.

Dave and I went to our pre-natal appointment on Thursday and I am measuring the same, which was expected. She is going to order an ultrasound to take the baby's measurements, which is more accurate than just going off a tape measure on my belly. We saw a different doctor than last time and she didn't sound worried. She said I may just be having a large baby. Given that I was 11 lbs 2 1/2 oz. at birth, that doesn't surprise me. Hopefully baby Rumley won't be that big!! She said if a baby reaches 11lbs, they do mandatory c-section as there may be complications with him fitting out of the birth canal. Ouch!

We are going to continue to see that doctor going forward as it felt a lot less rushed than our other appointments. She even showed Dave how to use the Doppler and let him find the heartbeat.

Time Flies (Week 27)

I can't believe I am a week away from starting my third trimester! The last several weeks have gone by so fast. I have been working full time since we are short handed at work and they've needed me to fill in. I'm happy to take advantage of the hours while I can, but it really makes time go fast. I'm pretty tired at the end of the day and with it getting dark out so early, it's hard to do anything productive during the week.

Last Thursday I had a prenatal appointment and the Nurse Practitioner said my uterus is measuring larger than it should be at this point, so I have another appointment this Thursday so they can take another measurement. If it is still measuring that way, then I may have an ultrasound to see what is going on. She didn't sound overly concerned, but this is the first complication that I've some across, so it's a little worrisome for me. I guess I should stop saying how easy this pregnancy has been for me so far. I asked her if it could be measuring big because of all the holiday candy and goodies I've been eating, but she said that wouldn't make my uterus bigger. Although I know I did gain a bit more weight then I probably should have. Oh well, it was worth it.

Happy New Year!

Baby's Daddy Feels Him Move (Week 23)

Although mostly subtle at times, Dave is definitely able to feel the baby move now, which is really exciting. Our little one has been moving around quite a bit. The first time he felt him I was sound asleep, deep in a dream. When I awoke, he told me he had felt him kicking. I had been waiting for that moment to happen, it's funny it happened when I wasn't awake to see the smile spread across his face.

Emotions (Week 22)

We have had a super hectic week. Thanksgiving came and went quickly as we have been working non-stop getting our house and the paperwork ready to try and find tenants to rent it. Since the market couldn't support the sale of our beautiful house, we have decided to become landlords.

What does this have to do with my pregnancy? Stress. I'm not an easily stressed person and generally keep my chin up, aside from the occasional hiccup, but this week has been different. I think it's the combination of the pregnancy hormones and the stress of what we're dealing with right now. I have read and heard about how pregnancy can affect your moods and can make you moody and put you in tears at the drop of a hat. So far, I had been doing pretty well up until this week, where I found myself in tears on a number of occasions. I don't like feeling upset while carrying my little baby, but thinking about being upset only gets me more upset. What a crazy circle that is.

Anyhow, we are moving along and making progress, so hopefully we will be able to take a breath soon.

Baby Wiggles (Week 21)

I have definitely started feeling the baby move. Just little movements now and again letting me know that he's in there. I love the feeling and it makes me happy every time. I can't wait until Dave can put his hand on my belly and feel it too.

It's hard to describe the feeling. Each time it only lasts for a second, like saying "oh," real quick. Let's see... it's kind of like a little bubble popping. I can't believe it's a baby. Yay! I have also noticed that my belly has started changing shape. I think the baby is moving higher and I'm growing more out instead of wide. I think I'm doing pretty well despite all the banana splits I've had this week.

Also, I picked up a couple baby clothes items at the thrift store the other day. I just really wanted to buy "something" for him and not spend much money. They are so cute and tiny. I wonder how big he's going to be when he's born. Did you know that I was 11 lbs 2 1/2 ounces!? He definitely going to be born before he gets that big!

Cloth vs. Disposable Diapers

This week I have been reading about cloth diapers and watching a lot of youtube videos. It is a lot more complicated than I thought it would be as there are so many different types and factors to consider. How is a first time mom suppose to choose? Take a look at this list: Prefolds, Flats, Fitteds, Pocket diapers, all-in-one diapers, all-in-two diapers, not to mention the many different brands that carry the same items. There are pins, snappies, velcro, snaps or hooks; and covers which can be made of various materials.  Then you have to think about clean storage, soiled storage, washing, drying and starting all over again.  With the number of diapers a newborn goes through (estimates I've read include 10-15 diapers every 24 hours!). It's no wonder so many choose disposable diapers and call it a day. But then I think about this statistic from Time Magazine: An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the US, resulting in a possible 3.4 million tons of used diapers adding to landfills each year.

Cost: Although it will initially cost more to get set up with a cloth diaper system, it should save a couple thousand dollars in the long run, minus all the labor involved in cleaning and maintaining the stash. Unless, we go with a cloth diaper service, which could cost about $80 a month, but they do all the work and I've read it uses less water for them to wash the diapers than for us to.

Health: I like the idea of putting a piece cloth made from bamboo, hemp or cotton on my babies bottom instead of a bunch of synthetics and chemicals. Some statistics show that cloth causes fewer diaper rashes than disposables too. I like the sound of that. Also, less poop for the landfill and more being properly disposed of and treated at wastewater plants.

Convenience: If we do decide to go with cloth diapers, we will most likely still use disposables initially, or when we're out and about, out of town, or when we're just feeling lazy. It just seems so much more convenient.

I'm also tempted to try and make my own cloth diapers to save some money. There are a bunch of templates online, ranging from very simple to fairly complicated (for a novice like me). I just don't know that I should attempt making any quite yet. I may need to experience a few messy diapers first. Then all my ideas about what I think I want to do, might just go down the toilet.

Gender Revealed! (Week 20)

At 9am on Friday, November 11th, 2011, Dave, his mom and I went to our baby's 20 week ultrasound appointment. Our long wait to find out the gender is over... we found out that we are having a BOY!

The ultrasound technician made sure to ask us twice, as to whether we wanted to find out the gender, then she showed us an image of our baby which made the reveal. No questions there. We are having a boy. I laughed about it a little in disbelief, as this is to be my parent's seventh grandson. We have yet to buy any little dresses on my side of the family.

Now that we know the sex of our baby, we can start thinking about names, looking at cute little boy outfits and other baby items to get ready for a our little one to arrive. We couldn't be more excited, nervous, overwhelmed, and happy. I have been enjoying my pregnancy and thinking about him growing and developing inside me. It's hard to believe I'm now half way through creating a baby.

I love this picture where you can see his spine:

and this one, where it looks like he's smiling at us:

Vernix What? (Week 19)

It feels like I have a big, giant baby in there already. If I bend over it feels like there's a volleyball under my shirt. Yet our baby only weighs about half a pound and measures about six inches from head to bottom (there's also the placenta, uterus, and amniotic fluid to account for). The baby's brain is designating specialized areas for its senses. It also has a greasy white/ cheese-like coating on its skin (called vernix caseosa) that protects if from becoming a prune while floating around in the amniotic fluid.

At this time next week we will know whether he/she is a boy or a girl!! I can't wait. Take the poll on the right of the screen and we'll see what happens.

I'm very thankful to only be working part-time right now. It would be really difficult if I was still at my former job working 50+ hour weeks. Thank you, Dave.

Expanding Belly

In the beginning, I couldn't wait for my stomach to start getting bigger. For some reason, I always pictured a pregnant woman with her big, pregnant belly. I didn't consider the beginning stages when you can't even tell between someone who is pregnant and someone who isn't. It's an interesting stage to be in. Being so excited and now having spread the word, it's funny being out and about and wondering whether the person you just passed knows you're pregnant or whether they just think you have a few extra pounds around the middle. I want to wear shirts that say "baby inside". I did buy one that says, "got baby" that I found at the thrift store, but it's a little small and if I'm not careful, my belly hangs out the bottom already.

At first I was concerned that I wasn't gaining enough weight and was constantly wondering whether the baby was still in there. Now suddenly it seems my growing phase has kicked in(which I read it would) and I find myself now wondering whether I'm bigger than I should be at this stage. I fear someone asking me how far along I am and in telling them that "I'm 4 1/2 months", seeing their eyes bulge in disbelief, thinking I was further along.

I know it's silly to worry about such things, I trust my body is doing what it should. Everything I've read and learned says I'm doing just fine where I'm at. I wore a maternity dress today when I went to get our car smogged, someone actually offered me a chair out of the sun when I stood up and they saw my big belly. That felt good.

Fetal Development

I downloaded this baby ticker from www.thebump.com. I love seeing what stage he/she is at:



These videos come up on my iphone app from www.babycenter.com. The movements crack me up, thinking about it bouncing around in there: