Somebody had a BABY

I don't know if you heard, but that adorable little guy up there is mine, and he's out of my belly. 

His stats:

Birthday: September 14, 2010

Time of birth: 1:08 pm

Weight: 8 lbs 1 oz

Length: 21.25 inches

A few fun facts about Liam:

He coos constantly - in his sleep, when he's nursing, when he's snuggling.

At his two-week appointment he weighed 9 lbs 8 oz - he's going to be a big boy!

He has the best temperament - he only fuses when he's wet (he HATES sitting in a dirty diaper) or when he's so tired he can't put himself to sleep. 

He loves having his hands free when he's swaddled, and they always end up somewhere near his face.

He occupies every single inch of his mommy and daddy's hearts.

I will update the blog with his birth story and plenty of funny stories when I can sit comfortably without a pillow under my butt (details on this to come in L's birth story).  Until then, here are some pictures to hold you over and make you swoon.

Um, Hi. BUY ME!

As mentioned before, I'm on the prowl for cute Christmas pjs and a Christmas sweater.  Um, how am I supposed to say no to either of these?  RIDDLE ME THAT!

Santa's Little Helper

Monkey Footies

I could spend hours, HOURS, on the Carter's website.  It's a sickness, I'm telling you.

I will say this about all of the clothes we have for L Bean: I don't think we have enough pajamas or sleep and plays.  I've been cautious about buying footies. My worry is that he'll out-grow the length faster since his little feet have to be contained (we have no idea how tall this kid will be - the potential for TALL is there.  Mom is 5'9" and dad is 6'4").  What do babies sleep in, besides footies?  A onesie?  In the winter?  Omw (oh my word), I have so much to learn. 

I recently emailed a friend inquiring about jackets for babies in the winter (her daughter was born in October of last year).  I just couldn't picture a two or three month-old bulked-up in a jacket.  She layered a long-sleeved onsie under EVERYTHING and put her daughter in a thick sweater most of the time.  Think about it - you're not going to have your three month old just chilling outside in the cold.  SO MUCH TO LEARN. 

I also took a page from Friend Maggie's book and hung L Bean's clothes.  Previously, everything was folded neatly in drawers.   At first, I just hung his onesies and shirts.  It's so much easier to get a look at ALL of his clothes, and I feel like it'll help make sure he wears everything (not just the 10 things that get washed and put back on top of the piles).  This past weekend I noticed an extra little hook thingy (yes, that's the technical term) on the baby hangers - a place for pants!  We all know that I love being organized, so this helps keep matching outfits together.  I spent some time organizing his pants into closet too.  I only hung the pants that match a onesie or shirt (example: adorableness).  Don't worry, those drawers aren't going to waste.  There are plenty footies, socks, blankets, jeans (from consignment sale), khakis (consignment), corduroys, etc. nestled neatly in them.  Plus, I feel like the longer you've had the kid the more crap you accumulate.  Now the crap has more places to hide! 

I found these on the Old Navy website this weekend, just begging to be purchased:

But I resisted.  First, they aren't on sale.  Second, when do babies even start wearing shoes?  I mean, we're trying to get away with just socks for as long as possible.  But seriously, when do we need shoes?!?

And then I almost got these for next spring/summer:

These were actually on sale.  But I didn't know what size to order, not knowing (1) when he'd need shoes and (2) how big he would be when he needed them.  

As you can tell, I have baby on the brain.

On a TOTALLY different tangent - I really don't want L Bean to be born on September 11th.  Is that stupid?  L's generation may not even think twice about it, but that day has such a bad vibe for the rest of us.  Regardless of its stupidity, I'm keeping my legs crossed until the 12th.

Count Down to Baby: SOON

Today my spirits are better. So take THAT!

I realized this week just how hard it is to work and be this pregnant. I remember being sore and uncomfortable last week. After a three-day holiday weekend and one sick day, I noticed just how WRECKED I felt when I got home from work last night. My back hurt. I felt so much pressure in my lady bits. My feet were swollen. And I was mentally exhausted. What was I thinking working up until my due date?!?! Oh yeah, I’d rather spend the time off with my little guy than sitting and watching the US Open all day (It’s totally consuming my TV time).

I had an emotional turn-around last night. I realized that it was Wednesday night, and I only had two more days of work. And I realized that even if I didn’t go into labor on my own RIGHT NOW, we weren’t far from meeting Liam. As much as I want my body to do its thing and go into labor naturally, getting induced won’t be the end of the world. First, my body has already made progress. And it will likely have made even more progress by the time I get induced. So I won’t be starting from scratch, going zero to 60 really fast. Second, we can RELAX on the day of induction. We can wake-up, make coffee, and read the newspaper. We can calmly (albeit anxiously) go-over our packing list and bags. We don’t have to rush to the hospital. Third, I won’t have to play 20 questions with the hospital staff when I’m in active labor. Fourth, we can snuggle our babies (the dogs) all morning and give them lots and LOTS of love. Where I was an impatient, uncomfortable mess just two days ago, I am thankful, full of faith, and still uncomfortable today.

I think I have a problem… I am obsessed with baby clothes. I’m obsessed with sales, online and in store. I get email updates. Lots of them. All of which I need to UNSUBSCRIBE to. This kid needs to get here so I can realize that we have enough clothes for him. But let me tell you – L Bean has the CUTEST Thanksgiving outfit. We’re going to be at The Homestead over Thanksgiving (my parents have a time share). It’ll be our first trip with baby. Luckily it’s only a 2+ hour drive away. I’ve also been scoping Christmas pajamas, because obviously he needs to be festive. We are SO pumped to have family time Christmas morning. He won’t know the difference, but it’ll be nice to not rush-off right after waking-up. I’ve also been on the prowl for when the Christmas sweaters come out. Um, can we say Christmas card?!?! Don’t worry – he already has a Halloween onesie and the cutest little hat you’ve ever seen.

And who said dressing a boy wasn’t fun?! And yes, everything was on sale so operation “Don’t Pay Full Price For Baby Clothes” is still a success.

I’m beginning to feel better, thank you God. My throat doesn’t hurt anymore. See, another reason why L Bean waiting to make his entrance is a good thing. Mommy gets time to feel better. I would REALLY like to be able to breathe through my nose while in labor. Just a small request.

Wanna know what’s on my mind? Oh, just baby stuff… and NOTHING ELSE. I can’t focus on anything to save my life. All I can think about is: What will he look like? How much will he weigh? Holding him. Snuggling him. Kissing his nose. Him wrapping his little fingers around my finger. Nursing him. DRESSING him. Seeing Josh hold him. Will I cry when he’s born? Will Josh cry when he’s born? Not sleeping because of him. Seeing the dogs react to and fall in love with him. Play dates with friends. 12 weeks at home with him. My dad visiting in TWO WEEKS. I could keep going, but you get the picture. It’s BABY BABY BABY. There isn’t room for anything else.

Happy 39 Weeks, L Bean!

Well, Labor Day came and went without any labor.  How poetic would that have been?

I had a doctor appointment last Friday, and I had my first internal exam!  Friend Sarah tagged along for this appointment.  She's seen me naked or half-naked more times than I can count, so her being present for the internal exam was al natural.  I thought for sure the exam would be very uncomfortable, but it really wasn't so bad (I'll spare you the description I gave my husband - you're welcome).  Doc checked-out L Bean's heartbeat via ultrasound first.  All was well.  He also took a peak at the placenta, which was visibly maturing.  And then he tried to measure his head.  I say "tried" because his head is so low in my pelvis that he couldn't get a good read.  I won't tell you how low the ultrasound wand was while he was trying to get the measurement, you can just use your imagination. 

After the ultrasound, it was internal time!  I'd been feeling pressure on my cervix all week, so I was hoping that SOMETHING was happening.  According to Doc, I was 1+ centimeters dilated and VERY effaced.  So THAT'S what I had been feeling all week.  Neither of those measurements mean all that much, as many women are dilated and effaced for weeks before they go into labor.  L Bean is very low in my pelvis - good job, little man!  Doc told me that he thought I could go at any time.  ANY TIME.  And sooner rather than later.  After the exam, there was some bleeding. This is totally normal, although I did waltz right back into Doc's office to have this confirmed.  About to get TMI, avert your eyes boysss: The blood was mucusy, so I was hoping that Doc dislodged my muscus plug.  No dice.  It's still plugging strong (so gross, but I couldn't resist).

I'm now convinced that L Bean is stubborn like his momma, because he seems pretty darn comfortable.  An induction date (no, I'm not going to let you in on the secret) has been set if I don't go into labor on my own.  There IS an end in sight.

The weekend was spent like this: Wait.  Wait. Waiting. Clean. Wait. Laundry. Wait. Dinner with brother and SIL. Wait.  Clean (things that had already been cleaned). Wait.  Dinner with brother, SIL, and mom (spicy food).  Wait. Wait. WAIT.  We threw-in another labor inducing trick over the weekend, but that's PRIVATE.

Oh, and did I mention that I'm sick?  Husband was sick all week, and it finally caught-up with me this weekend.  So really the weekend went like this: Wait. Blow nose. Wait. Wait. Drink water to sooth throat. Blow nose. Sniffle. Wait.  Try to sleep. Wait. Fail to sleep AT ALL. Wait.  Husband moves to couch because he's coughing.  Wait. Try to sleep.  Fail to breath through nose.  Day dream about taking Benadryl to help me breath and sleep. Wait.... you get the picture.  39 weeks of being healthy, and my immune system picks NOW to get lazy. 

My emotional climate this weekend was like a roller coaster.  My poor husband.  The waiting is excruciating.  I don't know how women stay sane when they actually PASS their due date.   Not feeling well and not being able to sleep magnifies every emotion.  And then add-on a healthy does of general discomfort from being very pregnant.  That Dairy Queen Blizzard last night made me feel better for a bit... and then I felt bad for a different set of reasons.  My spirits seem better today.  I stayed-home from work in an effort to jump-start feeling better and to catch-up on sleep.  There's nothing good on TV and the house is already spotless, so I may go a LITTLE crazy by the end of the day.  I keep telling myself that I need to enjoy these last days of having L Bean all to myself.  I am truly going to miss being pregnant, so I'm trying to switch my attitude.  Easier said than done, but progress is being made.

At dinner this weekend with brother, SIL, and mom, we went-over our expectations for the hospital, visitors, and updates.  And then being home, visitors, and updated.  And the phone calls and texts to update.  It's so hard to coordinate something that is such an unknown.  For once, my Type A self has a "well figure it out" attitude.  Aren't you proud?!?!  Crazy, I know.

I'm a Believer!

A friend was nice enough to alert me to a couple consignment sales happening in Richmond this week and next.  Since operation Never Pay Full Price For Baby Clothes is underway, I was SO excited for the sale tonight.  Josh and I attended the preview for new and expecting moms - the sale doesn't start for the general public until Friday.  Having never been to a consignment sale before, we have no idea what to expect.  OH MY GOODNESS.  There was a line of 50+ people when we got there at 6:00 pm.  By the time we parked the line was moving, and we were inside in no time.  We were immediately overwhelmed by the amount of STUFF.  Books, toys, shoes, backpacks, and the CLOTHES.  I can't even tell you how many clothes there were.

We were grossly unprepared for the experience.  We didn't have a bag.  We didn't bring enough money.  I didn't wear a tank top (it was 800 degrees in there).  I didn't bring my camera.  And I didn't bring my phone.  The phone part was especially stupid considering I was planning to catch-up with a couple girlfriends.  By the time we were ready to leave, it was PACKED.  We walked through the crowds and didn't see any familiar faces, so we booked it out of there.  Did I mention it was 800 degrees inside?  Sweat was rolling down the side of my face and down, er, other places.  And I had to pee like WHOA. 

We spent $65.  We got four books and two wooden puzzle games.  We also got a slew of clothing.  Five button-up shirts.  Two pairs of corduroys. Two pairs of jeans.  One pair of khakis. One long-sleeved onsie and matching overalls. Two sweater vests.  Two sweaters.  And one hooded fleece.  We have a ton of 0 to 6 months clothes, so we concentrated on getting 6 to 12 months clothes.  And we wanted to snag the types of clothes that we wouldn't normally buy ourselves (read: expensive and nice).  

In the pile is a pair of Calvin Klein jeans.  A Gymboree button-up that still had the tags on it.  Baby Gap items.  Children's Place, Oshkosh B'Gosh, and IZOD are also represented.   All of the for $52. 

Um, SWOON!  The sweater vest is actually red - the light makes it look orange (it's nighttime and I was using artificial light and no flash - it happens). 

We're already talking about next year's sale.  I'll still be considered a "new mom" so I'll be able to partake in the preview sale.  Next year, however, we will go prepared.  We'll take much more money.  We'll take bags (we have Ikea bags that would be PERFECT).  And we'll leave L Bean with Grammy.  Divide and conquer is our game plan.  We're pumped.  A google reminder has been set-up.  Oh yes, we're THAT excited.

Husband's allergies are flaring-up, so we stopped-by Rite-Aid on the way home to pick-up some medicine.  While we were there, we also grabbed some diapers (we try to grab a pack of diapers whenever we're at a store that sells them in a effort to spread-out the expense.  And don't worry, we're not buying newborn diapers).  We also grabbed some snacks for Husband's hospital bag. 

When we got home, Husband installed our car seats bases.  It was easy peasy.  Both of our cars have a strap specifically designed for a car seat, which is nice.  Husband has informed me that it's called a "latch strap."  Whatever the name, it made the task easier than we taught it would be. 

Since it's important, he read the directions. 

Voila!

The babies watched-on wondering why they couldn't get in the car to go "bye-bye."   The pictures aren't the clearest of the bunch that I took, but they're my favorites for some reason.

No Much Happening Around Here

I haven't written much in August as there hasn't been much going on.  I totally predicted this would happen.  We tore through all of our baby prep, and now we're twiddling our thumbs and stalking the calendar.  I'm so thankful (and a little surprised) that we stuck to our "get it done early" goal.  I can't imagine trying to finish projects at this point.  It would all fall on Husband's shoulders (and he's already taken over the following duties: picking-up things off the floor, pulling me out of the laying position in bed, carrying the laundry basket EVERYWHERE, and even getting my phone when it rings if I'm propped-up on the couch - seriously, how lucky am I?).   


I had my 37 (and 4 days... but who's counting) appointment last Friday.  All is well in Liamland!  My BP is normal.  My urine looks good (and no, we're not talking aesthetically).  L Bean's heart rate is good.  I was sent-home with another 4D picture of his adorable little mug.  Oh my goodness. THAT FACE.  His cheeks look chubbier than last week.  And he has the cutest chin - to whom in the family it belongs, we have no clue.  Full lips (mom).  Cute little ears and button nose (dad).  And what look like big eyes (mom).   It was the shortest appointment yet.  Maybe five minutes.  Doc came in and gave me a big hug hello.  Have I told you how much I love my doctor?  I could put him in my pocket and take him home.  If nothing happens before next Friday, he'll check me (we're talking internals, people) to see if I've dilated.  Holy cowsers. 


I can't believe I'm sharing this, but I promised honesty.  Saturday I noticed some stretch marks.  Not on my belly (thankfully).  I won't tell you the exact spot because I'm still in denial.  There's one in particular that looks pretty angry - I call it Murphy.  Luckily, they're not really visible to the general public.  Hopefully with time (and body shrinkage) they'll get smaller and less angry.  I have no one to blame but myself.  I've mentioned this before, but I'll tell you again.  I've gained some serious poundage during this pregnancy.  It may not look like it to you, but trust me - there is at least 40 extra pounds on my frame (I don't know the exact number.  I literally cover my eyes when I get weighed).  I was a smidge underweight for my age and height when I got pregnant, so some of the weight gain was needed for a healthy pregnancy and baby.  But certainly not all of it.  I've pretty much consumed whatever I felt like whenever I felt like it.  Especially these past few weeks.  This is my only regret throughout this entire pregnancy.  I wasn't active.  My food self control was non-existent.  Thankfully I'm at the end, so it can't get much worse.  I will tell you - this weekend was an all-time pregnant self-esteem low. 


We met baby Jax (Jack for long) last week!  He was a week and a half old and so cute you could eat him.  We took the family dinner, and in exchange we got to snuggle their sweet boy for a bit.  Husband was swoonworthy.  He cradled Jax so naturally, and he kept stroking his little arm with a single finger.  His face told the story of what was going through his mind - he's SO ready to hold his own son.  My heart reached the near explosion level.  Jax's mommy looked AMAZING.  She has just given birth a week or so before, and she was just glowing.  I wasn't expecting her to look rough, but I wasn't expecting her to look THAT great.  She wears motherhood so well.   It was so fun spending an hour in that kind of emotional climate.  We couldn't help but feel the love.


This past weekend Josh had a soccer tournament.  His team won!  I baked cookies and banana bread.  I cleaned and did laundry.  I napped and rested.  The weekend passed by WAY too quickly.  I went to Target and got my "after birth" goodies (the ice packs are already in the freezer).

I figured it wouldn't be very nice of me to send Husband to the store to buy HUGE maxi-pads and hemorrhoids pads.  Hopefully I won't need the hemi pads, but I'd rather be over-prepared than under-prepared (Who, me?! NEVER).  I also got some big 'ol cotton undies.  I'm not much for regular underwear, so it'll be interesting wearing those pad-hammocks for a few weeks.  When I brought them home and showed them to Husband, he said, "Sometimes full underwear is really sexy.  You know, like boy shorts."  To which I said, "Honey, these are NOT boy shorts.  They're sole purpose is to hold a pad in place.  Think granny-pantie."  He stopped smiling after that. 

Today my feet are swollen.  Husband even noticed.  We're keeping an eye on them to make sure it's not happening really quickly, as that's usually not a good thing.   I've definitely noticed an up-tick in activity this week.  More contractions.  More uncomfortable contractions.  Longer contractions.  A general dull ache in my lower belly from time to time.  I'm exhausted; although I think this has more to do with work than anything.  I plan to stop working when I pop or until my due date, whichever comes first (that's nine more workdays, max, but who's counting).  As each day passes, I realize that working until my due date will be tough.  But we have a big deadline coming-up, and it's too important that I contribute.  At least it's a desk job.

My dad booked his flights to come visit right after L Bean is born.  I can't even tell you how excited I am.  I can't wait to see the tears :)

Just for fun, here are two pictures of our oldest kids:

They're ready to be the best big brother and big sister to L Bean!

Breastfeeding and Calendars (Unrelated)

Have I ever told you about how I thought I was a week or so more pregnant than my doctor? True story.

When we got pregnant, I wasn’t on birth control. We knew we wanted to start a family sooner rather than later, and we didn’t know how long it would take my body to adjust to being hormone-free. Because I wasn’t on the pill, I kept a calendar. Kept a calendar of what, my two (maybe) male readers ponder? Monthly lady details, my friends. If you’ve ever been on birth control and then stopped, you know why I kept a calendar (here’s another hint to my faithful male readers: everything is JACKED-UP). I’ll spare you my notation details, but my Type A peeps would be proud. On that calendar, I kept track of EVERYTHING (she blushes coyly). You know, just in case. Well, Just in Case’s name is Liam, and he’ll make an appearance in a few weeks.

Because I kept track on said calendar I know when, YOU KNOW, happened. So when I was asked for the first date of my last cycle, I cited my calendar and cracked some joke about being meticulous and date of conception (totally inappropriate, nervous Betsy joke). Doctor laughed. I knew I liked him for a reason. Based on my dates, my due date would be September 8th. Based on what Doctor saw during that first ultrasound, my due date was set at September 14th. And there it has remained. Due dates are based on average cycles. Revisiting my “jacked-up” comment above, there was nothing average about my cycles. They’d be long and then short and then long and then long and then short. It was SO much fun. L Bean is measuring right-on-track for a September 14th due date, so obviously Doctor knows best. September 8th sounds pretty awesome right about now, though.

On a different note, Husband looked at me last night and said, “It looks like your stomach has grown since this morning.” We measured. It hadn’t. But it sure feels like it. Clothes are getting TIGHT (and not just around my stomach, sad face).

We had our last baby class last night: breastfeeding basics for couples. Yes, Husband tagged along. I’m going to need his help/support. Plus, they showed a video (I kid, I KID!). 

Before I talk about our class, I have to share something swoon-worthy with you. The past three classes we’ve taken have involved baby dolls. One per couple. As each class progressed, Husband would sneak the baby doll into his lap or he’d hold it in his arms. Someone’s excited to be a daddy!

Okay, back to breastfeeding. When I first got pregnant, I knew I wanted to breastfeed. I also felt totally scared and weird about it. L Bean was the size of a poppy seed, so there wasn’t much mother-son bonding going on, and I had a hard time imagining a baby on my breast. As I’ve gotten more and more pregnant, I’ve gotten more and more excited about breastfeeding. After last night’s class, I’m more excited than ever. And for the first during this pregnancy, I’m confident and FAITHFUL. Did you know the average weaning age in Europe is three years? A year ago I would have said, “UGH! No way. That’s a TODDLER.” By no means so I plan to nurse until L Bean is three, but I get it now.

I had a breastfeeding epiphany last night: If L Bean is anything like his father, he’ll be a breastfeeding champion (I won’t reveal details, but Husband weaned a bit late).