Balding Baby and Firsts

I know babies must loose their baby hair, but why must Andy's hair fall from the front first? Poor A and his giant forehead.

I took this picture this morning after he ate. We were watching the Woman's Olympic Volleyball Team beat Italy. He likes starring at the TV. Don't think that's a good thing.

I was just looking at him sleeping in his crib, and it amazes me to think that in a short time he will be up and about talking and walking...becoming his own person. To think that G and I will be shaping this little person to become a contributing member of society. Amazing this whole parenting thing is. I love it more than I would have ever imagined.

Falling in love with this little person has definitely been a process. It isn't love at first sight. I mean it is because this person came from you....was made by you...but it takes time. I feel that Andres and I both had to get to know each other. The moment I was in love happened on our 2nd day in the hospital [Monday after A was born]. I had been a little upset all day because visitors were beginning to come and everyone was holding and feeding and changing him. I still hadn't done much since I was bound to my bed for the first 24 hours, and I had been letting G feed him so he could bond. By the end of the day I felt as if everyone knew my baby better than me.

So that night after everyone left I asked G if I could feed him. I was sitting there, holding him in my arms and Andres was sucking away at his bottle when he suddenly stopped sucking and looked straight into my eyes. We starred at each other for what seemed like an eternity. It was at that moment that it instantly clicked - he was mine and I was his. He looked at me like he had known me forever, given he was only a day old. But he looked straight into me like no one else ever had, and I lost it. I started bawling at that moment. Tears of joy, love, excitement, fear of what lay ahead. It was the single greatest moment of my life. And it didn't happen the minute he came out of me.

That is what I want to make clear. It doesn't need to happen at that time....you don't have to feel those intense feelings right away. It can take time. You have both just been thru a lot! You have to have that moment with your baby, and this was our moment. I sat there thru his feeding with tears running down my face and so much love running thru me. I looked up and saw G looking at us with tears in his eyes. He witnessed history...he witnessed our moment....and he was beyond moved.

I sit here typing this with tears, once again, running down my face. Could be the hormones, but this motherhood thing...is pretty damn awesome. Just sayin'.

Happy 3 weeks Andres.

You would fall in love if you saw this face everyday. <3

3w 2d

37w Appointment Update

I had my 37 week check up today and had quite a scare. My BP was really high - 153/97. Although I've had it high the whole pregnancy [normal for me to be in the upper 130's to low 140's] the doc hadn't been concerned because it was steady. But today she was really concerned and talked about sending me straight to the hospital to have tests run and if toxciema came up i'd be induced within 24 hrs. You shoulda seen the scared look on G's face.

So she went on to do my first internal. I am 1 happy cm dilated. She didn't mention effacement and I was too worried to ask. She did say it was good that I was starting to dilate because then I could try to have a vaginal delivery and not a c-section if worse comes to worse. She also said that although I am petite i have a nice wide pelvis so I'll be able to deliver vaginally without a problem. yay!

So we went back out and she had the nurse check my BP manually. THANK GOD it had gone down! 129/90. I was so scared it was gonna be higher since I was freaking out a bit. So no trip to Labor & Delivery. Baby G is gonna keep on baking!

She did order me to stop working immediately. So I am officially on maternity leave. :)

What a day.

OH YEAH! Also lost 1lb bringing my total gained so far to 15lbs. :)


37w 5d

Hospital Tour & Lamaze Classes

Last week we had our hospital tour at Methodist. I am so much more excited to be delivering at this hospital. Their new maternity ward opened up in May of '06 and everything is spankin' new. Assuming we have a vaginal delivery we will arrive and be sent to Labor & Deliver [we have already pre-registered so all the paper work is out of the way]. The new Labor & Delivery rooms are huge! Everything is in the room. The baby is no longer whisked away to be cleaned and weighed and all that good stuff. Everything is done in the room. Baby never leaves your side once born. The room has a full private bathroom [shower included]. You are encourage to labor in the shower [suppose to help with contractions]. You can also request a rocking chair to labor in. The room has a television, chair that folds out into a bed, computer for the medical staff, and everything else baby will need. And the best part - they just got WiFi last month!! Hahhaa. G was a little disturbed I was so excited about this fact. [There is a waiting area here but it is only for immediate family - as in parents and siblings]

The hospital is also very pro-breastfeeding and encourages you to get that started within the first 50 min following birth. I am also very pro breastfeeding. :) They are also very pro-putting baby on you right when he's born. Our Lamaze class instructor was telling us that this is because my body temperature will rise and the skin-on-skin contact will help regulate the baby's body temp quicker and it will also help with his blood-sugar level. Amazing right? I'm all for having a gooey baby on my chest!

So after the baby is born we will remain in the labor & deliver room for 2 hours. After that we are sent upstairs to the maternity ward via "The Baby Express" elevator. Hospital calls it this because it is a private elevator that in the L&D and Maternity ward. No nosy sick hospital gawkers starring at you. Once in the maternity ward we will remain here for 2 days if a vaginal delivery or 3 days for c-section. Baby rooms in with us [stays with us 24/7]. The nursery is hardly utilized anymore unless you request it in advance so that a nurse is available. Visitors can now come to this area. Hospital visiting hours are 11am-8pm, BUT G and I are requesting that no one arrive any earlier than noon and leave no later than 6pm. I know we are gonna be drained and don't want to much going on at the hospital. We both have huge families and really worry about being overwhelmed by visitors.

So that's the hospital! Long post this is becoming.

As for our Lamaze class, we ended up taking these mostly for G. So that he would know what to expect when I go into labor and so that he would be able to "coach" me thru it. The one thing G and I are really getting out of these classes is the idea that a natural-drug-free labor looks damn easy! I hate how they trick you that way. G is all for me going thru a drug-free birth. He really feels he can coach me thru it. That's sweet and all but I'm not saying no to drugs if the pain gets too intense [woot woot!]. But what I am saying is that I am actually gonna give it a try. I've already been warned about not asking for the epidural too late and blah blah blah. But I decided I'm gonna give it a try and see how it goes. Yes....I'm losing it. ;)

Our last class is this Thursday, but we officially end next week with infant CPR training.

BTW - My doc's appointment last week was great. Everything is perfect and after my 1lbs loss 2 weeks ago I gained 2lbs by last week. So I officially gained 1lbs for the month which brings my total to 11lbs! So happy and yet so scared I'll be blowing up at the end.

OH! And I did a Father's day post on my regular blog in case you were wondering. :)


33w3d