The Birth Story

I don't know if anyone is interested in hearing the nitty gritty details of Calder's arrival, but just in case I thought I would include them, plus having them recorded somewhere is a good idea.

On Sunday (Oct. 12) we went to church as usual. I had some serious Braxton-Hicks contractions the night before so Jason and I were up between 2:00 and 5:00, they stopped so we went back to bed and thought nothing of it.

After church we hung out a little bit and I noticed I was having some painless contractions and come to find out there were about 10 minutes apart. I was pretty sure they weren't the real meal deal, but we timed them just in case. So, I would say the contractions started around 1:30 or 2:00 in the afternoon but it wasn't until 6:00 or 7:00 that we were sure they were real and I could definitely tell when they started and stopped. I took Deebo for a very long walk around 5:00 and that seemed to help things move along. After getting back I made some chocolate chip cookies to keep myself busy.

At 9:00pm the contractions were about 7 minutes apart and Jason and I decided we should get Deebo to our friend's house for the evening before things get too serious or too late. Jason drove him there and I took a bath. Somehow the bath made things speed up a lot and the contractions jumped from 7 minutes to 4 minutes apart. They were becoming uncomfortable and I was getting a little anxious for Jason to get home. Once he got home I hung out in the bath a little longer. In fact I didn't really want to get out of the bath and Jason was joking that he couldn't get the tub down three flights of stairs and into the car, so I had to get out. After getting out I got a bit more uncomfortable.

We hung out a little longer, I threw up at some point and we decided it was time to call the doctor. She said we could come in, but she would like the contractions to be 4 minutes apart for about 2 hours before we get to the hospital. So, we waited a little longer. Finally we decided to head out to the hospital. It was a little early but we figured we should go. Jason got some last minute stuff packed up and off we went.

After getting checked in around 11:00 pm we went to triage. I was already 9cm dilated. They were a bit shocked that I was pretty much ready to go. Unfortunately I was Group B Strep positive and needed two rounds of antibiotics before they would deliver. My water was still intact and so they said if it broke on it's own we would deliver, but if not they wouldn't break it until I had enough antibiotics. So, I sat, fully dilated for 5 hours until they would be willing to break my water. This was the hardest part. It was a little late in the game to have any pain meds. I didn't want any but would have welcomed a nap. I kept willing my bag to break even though I knew it was better for my baby if we waited. I was just so tired. I hadn't slept and had a short night the night before. It felt like 4:00am would never come. Thankfully it finally did.

After breaking my extremely thick water we were ready to go. They actually had a hard time breaking the water and didn't think it would have ever broke on it's own. He could have been born in the sack. We took a few practice pushes and were ready to go.

It took five or six contractions worth of pushing to get him out. Pushing was a pleasant switch from just sitting and waiting. It certainly burns and feels tight but I wouldn't say it's painful. It's pretty cool how your body just does a lot of the pushing on it's own. It was such a sweet moment when he came out.

Jason was so sweet the whole time. He took incredibly good care of me and talked me through the harder contractions, which were basically all of them towards the end. He saw things I'm sure he would have preferred not to see but acted as if he didn't even notice. He just held my hand and helped me through it. I'm so thankful for our little family. I couldn't be happier.

Calder Day 2-3

We're home from the hospital and everything is going splendidly. Here's a few pictures from day 2 and 3 of Calder's life. I promise we won't count in days for the next 18 years (although I'm sure his grandparents would be thrilled).

Jason is a fabulous dad. He is very patient, loving and caring. I love to watch him snuggle with Calder and tell him sweet stories. It looks so natural and comfortable for him. I don't know if anything makes you feel more in love with your husband than having a child.

This was us right before leaving the hospital. You can see part of our room. It was great. I really enjoyed our visit to St. Josephs Hospital. It was nice to be able to stay in the same room from labor to recovery. I was in no mood to move when it came time to deliver. I'll post about my labor etc. later.

Here's Calder today. He has discovered his fingers and is always trying to wriggle a hand out so he can suck on them. Of course I can't move fast enough to get a thumb sucking picture, but it did start happening today. He is so cute. I love him to pieces. It feels like he has been part of our family for much longer than 3 days. Jason is an incredible father and I am so excited to start this journey together.

Of course, we haven't forgotten about Deebo. He stayed with friends while we were at the hospital. He was very spoiled. They even let him sleep on their bed. Jason went and picked him up after we got home. Of course Deebo was very excited and curious about his new family member. Every time Calder made a peep Deebo was on high alert last night. I think Jason and I slept better than Deebo did.

Today, he is not as tense. He will still come running if Calder really belts it out but if Calder sighs, Deebo does't care anymore. It's probably a good thing. Deebo is dog tired today. He has not moved in hours. I think the adjustment will be pleasant but exhausting for Deebo.

Baby Shower

I have the greatest friends! A few weeks ago they had a fabulous party for me. I am so appreciative of all the time and effort that went into it. I feel so very thankful. Here's some fabulous pictures taken by Danielle.

Sven's Room

Here's what Sven's room looks like. I absolutely love it. We found the dresser on craigslist for a steal of a deal. The owl decal was handmade by Elephannie. The fabric bins are from Target and I made the little tags for them. I also made the cork board on the left wall. The other half of his room is waiting for his crib to be moved from our room. Right now it is where his laundry basket, my nursing cover, nursing pillow and his blankets are stored. I am so ready! I can't wait to meet our little guy.

36 weeks

I know this is two weeks late but I want to make sure it makes it on the blog. Here's what I looked like two weeks ago.

Nesting

NEST-ING: [verb] To create and settle into a secure refuge.

Yep, that's right, I've been nesting. I know the urge to 'nest' happens to different people in different ways. Here's how I seem to be nesting.

I made two pans of lasagna and a double batch of potato soup this weekend. I froze half of each. I also have a pan of enchiladas and some taco soup in the freezer.

Sven's clothes and diapers are all washed and organized by size. His closet room is all clean and I have the cutest little bins for all his miscellaneous stuff. Right now his crib is in our room but after a few months we'll move it into the closet with the dresser. It will fit perfectly.




I've also been trying to close up all the loose ends at work. The doctors keep joking about having me log in through Citrix so I can make changes to our electronic medical records from home after Sven arrives. I think they might be at least a little serious. I have a feeling I won't be fully retiring.

Clerkship

I am so excited to announce that Jason has accepted a clerkship with Judge Sutton in Columbus, Ohio! He will start sometime next summer and we'll be there for a year. It feels so good to be done with the stressful process and to know where we're going to be next year.

I'm so proud of my husband. He has been blessed with a great desire to learn, a smart mind and many wonderful opportunities to exercise both of them. I also love that he has found something that he enjoys so much. I hope our son has such a great desire to learn and progress.

34 Weeks

I'm officially 34 weeks today. Yay! I'm still enjoying being pregnant. We had our hospital tour of St. Joseph Hospital yesterday and it went very well. We both feel very comfortable and excited to have a baby there. The nurses were all very nice and they shared a lot of the same views that we have regarding childbirth. So, here's the latest belly pictures. Oh and I got a haircut on Friday. It's not drastic but it is different, so the hair picture is for you Mom!

Scenic Stopping

When Jason and I drive across the country (we've done it 3 times) we don't really stop a lot for scenic views or attractions. I think both of us are content watching out the window and we want to make the trip as short as possible. As we drove from San Diego to Chicago we decided we should stop just for a few minutes and take a look. I'm so glad we did.

Our Last San Diego Weekend

I just uploaded pictures and realized I have a few posts that didn't make it onto the blog. So please excuse the mass amounts of posts you'll see tonight.

Our last weekend in San Diego was spent going to the beach (like we did every weekend) and going to Balboa Park. Balboa Park is a huge area holding museums, gardens and the San Diego Zoo. We took Deebo and it was a lot of fun to just walk around and look at the beautiful buildings and landscaping. And yes, in the last picture I'm wearing sweat pants. I'm a little embarrassed about it but they were the only thing that sounded comfortable that day. Please note, I haven't worn them outside the house before or after this episode of weakness.

Sigg of Switzlerland

Every so often I find a product that changes my life to the point that I want to tell people about it. For the last six or seven months I've had a Sigg water bottle and absolutely love the thing! It's cute and very easy to clean and pretty compact. I love how many design options you have to choose from.

We initially bought a pair of them when all that possible scuttlebutt came out about plastic water bottles. Plus I was at a point where I was tired of buying bottled water and throwing away so much unnecessary trash. (Yes, the environmentalist in me peaks through). So, I totally recommend each and every one of you run out to REI or Whole Foods to get your Sigg water bottle. You'll love it. I promise.