Spoiled by Day Two

It was such a wonderful coincidence that I had Evelyn when my mom was visiting. Having her support added to Matt's was a big part of why things went so smoothly. And she is obviously in love with her new grandbaby. She stayed with us for a week after I had Evelyn, and I barely had to lift a finger to take care of her!


On the other hand, it was a bad coincidence that Bob was in Myrtle Beach when I was having Evelyn. Mom couldn't decide whether to call him or not, because we knew what he would do: pack his bags in the middle of the night and head to Baltimore. He's been anxiously awaiting the birth of his little niece. I've had to send him reports on her development every week, and he's been reminding me not to cross my legs (probably why my ankles didn't swell until the last week!). He and his girlfriend got to the hospital Saturday afternoon and (though he was nervous at first) he was all about holding "his" new baby.

Matt's mother also visited Saturday afternoon. Good thing Evelyn is a patient little baby; she was getting passed like a football in the playoffs!

I had Evelyn Saturday morning and was moved into a postpartum room Sunday afternoon. That was fortunate for me, since the postpartum rooms are half the size of the labor/delivery rooms. It made having visitors a bit cramped. Nonetheless, I had visitors, inluding Matt's mom and his Aunt Gloria.

By then, Mommy's little monster was so used to being held all the time, she started to get fussy when we put her in her bassinet. Thank goodness Daddy brought Evelyn's Boppy to the hospital. Besides getting us used to feedings, it became a comfy place to put her during naptimes. Now, we use a velcro swaddler when she's sleeping, to keep her in womb-like comfort. But she still prefers naps on Mom or Dad!

A Star Is Born

Friday, August 14 was pretty much like any other summer Friday at work. I was supposed to get off at 3:30, but was still plugging away at 4pm, working on someone else's project. I had, however, had a bit of discomfort that day. But I was 37 weeks pregnant and that was the first day I felt big and uncomfortable, so I couldn't really complain. Except that I was late going to get my mom. I had invited her over for a girls' weekend before the baby was born. We were going to go see The Time Traveler's Wife, get pedicures, wash a final load of baby laundry, pack my hospital bag, and do other miscellaneous girl-stuff. It was late when I finally got to mom's, and I was having twinges in my stomach on the way back to my house. I figured it was my first bout of Braxton-Hicks and jokingly told her that I hope she knew how to drive a stick shift in case my water broke.

Matt had made kebabs for dinner. We were still at the table (and I was having some ice cream) when I got up to go to the bathroom. No sooner had I sat down when I felt a rush of liquid pour out. I let out a little laugh, finished, washed up, walked back into the dining room, and announced, "Okay, let's go pack my suitcase."

They both looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"Let's go pack my suitcase," I repeated, nice and calm. "I think my water just broke."

They still just sort of stared at me. I had to confirm that yes, my water had broke. And my pants were getting soaked. So we needed to pack. my. suitcase. And that started the madcap rushing about the house. (Fortunately, I had a list and Matt had gotten my suitcase out of the attic that afternoon.)

We got to the hospital around 10:30. I checked in up front and got settled in the triage room. We had the nicest nurse, Heather, and a great midwife. My exam showed that I was already 5 cm dilated but that the baby wasn't far enough down the birth canal, so I'd have to stay on my back until she was, to prevent cord prolapse. I was hooked up to two external monitors: one to monitor my contractions and the other to monitor the baby. Heather would ask how my contractions were. I'd tell her I wasn't having any. She'd point at the spike in the printout and tell me I was indeed having contractions.

Just before midnight, I was moved to a birthing suite. We hung out for about an hour, and since I was feeling little discomfort (and the nurses said I'd probably give birth between 7am and lunchtime), Matt went home to feed Angel, turn off the lights we left on, get his own bag, and to get some of the classical CDs I had requested. My doctor was on vacation, and the doctor on call had figured she could stay home for a few more hours.

By the time he got back, I was finally having "real" contractions. Continuous contractions, one on top of another. All I wanted to do was get up and move around, but since Evelyn wasn't low enough in the birth canal, I was stuck on my back which is pretty much the worst position a laboring mother can be in. Matt wanted to know how long I could go before an epidural was out of the question. My mom asked that I be examined again. My nurse, Darlene checked. Then she called in another nurse, to double-check. Then they called the doctor on call to tell her she needed to get there asap. Then they called the chief resident, because they figured the doctor may not make it.

And I decided about then that I had to push. Darlene and the chief resident tried to encourage me to breathe through it. I asked if it was because I wasn't ready, or because the doctor wasn't there yet. The look on their faces told me it was the latter. So I went ahead and bore down a little with the contractions. Within a few minutes the doctor arrived, scrubbed and ready, and told me I could push with the contractions.

Matt described what happened then (and much like my shockingly easy pregnancy, don't expect your labor to go this well):

At the next contraction, I started to push. Evelyn's head crowned. Mom tells me I became very religious at that point.

At the second contraction, I pushed again, delivering her head and shoulders. I vaguely remember screaming, "GET HER OUT!"

At the third contraction, they did indeed get her out, and flopped her on my stomach. Seriously, that was it. Three pushes. And Evelyn looked up at me as if to say, "PUT ME BACK IN!"

I remember feeling confused. Why is there a baby on my stomach? Why does she look like she knows me? Did I really just make that little person?? And before I could figure it all out, Matt had cut the cord and they took her away to take her vitals and put her in a warming tray.

It was odd to be in bed, delivering the placenta, getting my stomach pressed, getting stitched up, and all the while, watching people attend to my baby. My baby! She had lots of dark hair, dark eyes, and little rosebud lips. She was crying in her warmer, and they wheeled her over to me...I talked to her and she quieted right down. Just like magic.

Went to My Cousin's Baby Shower...GOT MORE PRESENTS

Yup, that's right. My cousin brought me presents to her own baby shower. Evelyn got a polka-dot gown/hat/bootie set, a beautiful white floral footed sleeper, a pink-polka dot romper with a coordinating t-shirt, a whipe-clean bib, a super-soft teddy bear that plays a lullabye, a set of three spoons (young infant, infant, and toddler sized), a set of three feeding bowls with lids and a suction cup that will (hopefully!) prevent her from knocking it off of her tray, some baby hangers, and eco-friendly table toppers (so if we go to a restaurant, I don't have to worry whether the table is sanitary). Quite the haul!

Sabrina's shower went off well, and we were two of three pregnant ladies there. Matt thinks it must have been a very boring November. The drive down there wasn't too bad (two hours; I stopped about an hour in to walk and go to the bathroom), and I was surprised that I didn't have my usual mini panic attack upon entering St. Mary's County, and that it had been so long since I've been down there that I had no idea how to navigate. I passed my middle school almost without realizing it, and passed the intersection where my father and I were involved in a serious car crash without realizing it was now a four-way stop. (As a result of our accident? I wonder!)

The party was fun. There were a few games (damn it, I didn't win!) including guess the chocolate candy smashed in the diaper. Which was DISGUSTING! Sabrina looked great, and got a lot of very cute boy stuff. Hopefully, I'll get a copy of the picture of us standing together with our matching big bellies!!

Heading Home with Your Newborn

I realize that I'm one of those incredibly Type-A structure-loving people. But when I read this I felt--especially given the title--that the content was good, but the order was off. I expected Chapter 1 to be about putting a tiny squirmy baby into a carseat, Chapter 2 to be about what the hell you do when you walk through the front door, Chapter 3 to be about changing that first tiny diaper all by yourself, Chapter 4 to be about laying her down to sleep for the very first time, etc. But it wasn't like that at all.

The first chapter was about breastfeeding, which is probably the most important chapter anyway (for those who are doing that, at least!). And there is some really good information to be had.

Having at this point read more baby books than I care to admit, I can say that the section on finding a pediatrician was most helpful. It gave you not only the questions to ask, but why it's important. And a reminder that physicians are people, so there's no such thing as the "perfect" one. Some of the questions included:

• Do you have hospital privileges at the place where we plan to deliver?
• Where do you admit infants and children in the event that they require hospitalization?
• What are your office hours and location(s)?
• How does your office handle scheduling appointments, answering patient phone calls, and after-hour emergencies?
• How difficult is it to get an appointment for a sick visit? For a routine checkup?
• Will other physicians in the practice see my baby?
• What is your philosophy about (insert whatever is important to you: breastfeeding, vaccinations, antibiotics, sleep problems, colic, etc.)?

Then, the chapters on fever and jaundice were helpful.

Bottom line: if you aren't reading a dozen other books (not to mention all the magazines, but we won't get into that), this is a good one. If you are, read the parts or chapters that pertain to you or aren't included in other books.

Seriously, MORE presents??

Yup, that spoiled baby got more presents! Courtney and I went to B&N on Thursday, and when I came back, Brenda said one of the bosses wanted to see me about a proposal. I wandered in his office and he suggested we meet in a conference room, so I followed him...right into a surprise baby shower!

My coworkers had taken up a collection and gotten cake, ice cream, and a basket full of presents. Evelyn got socks, scratch mitts, a bathrobe, a wipe-off bib, rattles that attach to a carseat, lavender baby lotion (lavender is one of my favorite scents), and her very first teddy bear. Mommy got some all-natural cleaner (someone knows Mommy!), a book on spoiling mommy and baby, a gift certificate to Babies R Us, and a gift certificate to Starbucks.

It was a great surprise! I really wasn't expecting work to throw me a baby shower. Lots of love and thanks to those of you who helped plan. (You know who you are!!!)

A warning...

...a friend mentioned that you may not want to keep the crib down to as few layers as possible, even with the fitted mattress pads and sheets, because of the risk of SIDS. Just wanted to put that out there!

Yet More Presents...and the Nursery Is DONE!

Matt's Aunt and cousins (one of which is due with her second baby shortly after I'm due) couldn't make the baby shower, but were nice enough to send gifts. LOTS of gifts! We got something from them almost every day last week. They sent a mattress pad and cloth diapers (much better than burb cloths), a rocker frame for the baby carrier, a Rainforest Gym, and a Rainforest Jumperoo. Spoiled baby!!

We are pretty much ready for her. This past weekend, I did all the baby laundry. FOUR LOADS. But everything has been de-tagged, washed, folded, assorted by size and color, and put away in her little drawers. We made her little crib twice: a mattress pad, a sheet, then another mattress pad and another sheet. I'm hoping the first time she wets herself right through to the mattress pad, we can just take off the top two layers and not have to worry about making the bed in the middle of the night.

We also hung the curtain rod, and a shelf above her dresser/changing table combo. Seriously, the only thing I have to do is install the carseats, have them inspected, pack the hospital bag, and make a decision on a pediatrician. Yet I have to wait another month!!

Sunday, we took back the few things we received doubles of (Babies R Us' registry kinda sucks) and got a few things for our pregnant cousins, and got my Maclaren stroller (we plan to keep the big Graco stroller in Matt's car), an extra carseat base, a turtle that measures the baby's bath temperature, and two swaddlers (Katie tells me that these are must-haves).

There a few things left on our registry, but nothing we need right away, and I'm hoping some new grandmas will use that for Christmas gift ideas...

We're ready for you, little baby girl!!!