I know, finally an update....

Well, here we are at the 2 week mark. So far we're surviving. There were a few rough days at first, but we've straightened them out for now. I'm actually getting a good amount of sleep most days/nights. Some of course are better than others. One day she sleeps a lot at night, and the next she sleeps all day. We're still having trouble fitting into most clothes, so sleepwear is pretty much 24/7. She's now too long for the preemie clothes, but still too small for most of the newborn or 0-3 month clothes. I can't wait to dress her in all the cute outfits, but she's swimming in them! Chris is settling in to fatherhood and loves his baby girl with all his heart. Too bad she can't talk, because he would give her the moon and stars if she asked.

Labor and delivery were very, very long (about 22 hours total), but mostly uneventful. There was an issue with the first epidural so they had to place a second one. My legs were so numb, no amount of concentration would let me move them. That I did not like, but there was some movement by delivery. Also, had I known how long I'd be "pushing" (3 hours!), I would have definitely done some bicep curls during pregnancy. I couldn't believe how sore my arms were for days after. She finally arrived 11 minutes after midnight on October 19th and is absolutely perfect. At least to us. At 2 weeks we've made it back and I think past birth weight so we're on the right track. She's already gotten to celebrate Halloween and participated in her first election. Quite the lady about town. We've even been out of the house a few times without Mom having a nervous breakdown while driving. That's about it to report. Newborns aren't very exciting apparently. Here's what you all really want....pictures!

Just after birth


Happy and swaddled


Sleeping angel


Break-dancer pose


A little smile


Happy Halloween!

As expected, the last week has been excruciatingly slow. I didn't knit any scarves, but I did knit a cool hat....
This morning we went to the hospital where they monitored me and the baby and applied a prostaglandin gel to help ready me for delivery. It did start contractions, but nothing that would indicate I'm ready, so they sent me home. Now it's just wait, wait, wait until around midnight when we'll leave for the hospital. The contractions are definitely not fun, but I have managed to get a little sleep. Tonight when we go back they will hook up the IV and start the pitocin to actually induce labor. Every time I think about this I start having heart palpitations.

The last few months seem to have gone by so slow given all the issues I've had, but looking back today makes it seem like I just peed on that stick. Chris keeps reminding me there is no turning back now, so I guess this is it! I'm still sticking by my, "one and done" mantra. I know the saying, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," but come on. It's been really rough both physically and emotionally and I give serious props to all of you that have done this more than once. I know deep down it is all worth it and I'm really looking forward to meeting my baby girl.

So...I guess that is it for now. The next post should be announcement of our little Katelyn's (or Caitlin's or Caitlyn's) arrival. Yeah, we're still working on the spelling. We'll see what the birth certificate says. Here is a picture from this morning at 39 weeks and 2 days. Love you all!

The End Is Near

Well unless she decides to make it out on her own, baby White should be making her debut on Monday, October 18th. We'll be going in Sunday morning for a check-up, and pre-induction work. Then we'll report back at 12:45 a.m. Monday. If you can call that Monday. Hopefully there will be plenty of time to nap on Sunday since I haven't stayed up after 9:30 p.m. for months. Now I just have to figure out how to get through the next 5 days without going crazy since I can't physically do ANYTHING. I have a million things in my head that I want to do, but walking upstairs to the bathroom is about all I can manage right now. I guess everyone can expect hand-knitted scarves for Christmas! That will keep me busy.

I'll post again this weekend before we head to the hospital with some pictures.

34 Weeks

In the few days since that picture was taken, I feel like my stomach has rapidly expanded. It may be in my head, but I did notice this weekend some of my shirts aren't quite covering the whole belly. I had a doctor's appointment last Thursday and they are still happy with how everything is progressing. It was a little startling when they scheduled the remainder of my prenatal appointments and there were only 4! My guess is that at the October 8th appointment we will make a plan for (or actually schedule) the induction. So if I'm correct, baby White could be here the week of October 11th. Chris and I had birth class this weekend and I guess now we're as prepared as you can be. We at least got to tour the hospital which was the most unknown to us. At least we know where to go and some of what to expect. Plus the french fries in the cafeteria looked yummy!

Below is a link to pictures from my belly session with the amazing Kathy DeLorenzo from Le Conteur Photography. I'm super lucky that she is one of my best friends, but also an amazing photographer. Anyone who knows me knows I hate having my picture taken so the fact that I'm posting them on the internets means they must be good.

Baby Girl At 32+ Weeks

We just got back from our sonogram and everything is fabulous. What a relief! For as crappy as I feel most days, at least I know I'm baking a good little bun. She weighs 3 lbs., 15 oz. at this moment. That is small, but still within normal range. Considering how she might be coming out, I'm perfectly fine with small. We got to see her heartbeat and they even saw her practicing breathing. That is a good sign and if she is born early she should be in good shape. I didn't really suspect anything was wrong given the way she's been carrying on in there, but it feels so good to see and hear that she is fine. Now we just have to get her out safely when the time is right and we'll be a family of three!

What Would I Do Without Friends and Family?

It's been a whirlwind since my last post. Time is flying by so quickly that we're down to just about 6 weeks! My wonderful friends threw me the best baby shower! I really can't say in words how thankful I am for everything and everyone. I got to see so many people from college and other friends/family I hadn't seen in a while. I wish I could have spent more time with everyone, but it went by so fast! I can't thank Willow enough for throwing the shower at her house and everyone else for everything they put into it. Not to mention the over-generous gifts. Having a baby is one of those times in life when the outpouring of kindness is too overwhelming. Thanks to the generosity, baby girls' room is pretty much complete. Yesterday I was able to put away all the clothes (her dresser is completely full already thanks to gifts and donations from friends), and put some personal finishing touches on. Here are some pics:

The Bambi wall hanging was cross-stitched by my Godmother for me when I was born. I'm so happy to have it to now hang in my girls room.

I've been holding onto these for years wondering what I would do with them. Yesterday inspiration struck. I think Chris and I were both about 5 years old when we did these. Now we just need to add the baby's.




Everything else is coming along. I think we have pretty much everything we need, except her. I'll post tomorrow after we have our sonogram. I'm so excited to see her again since I didn't think we would get to. They just want to double check her size due to my thyroid issues. They have no concerns, it's just precautionary. If her kicks and punches are any indication, she's just fine!

Oh, More Fun!

For the last two weeks I have occasionally been getting a pain in my thigh. It almost felt like a pulled muscle. It would be really painful when I first woke up, but would eventually stop hurting. Last week this reddish, painful to the touch line appeared, but I just thought I had bruised it by rubbing. At my monthly OB appointment yesterday I mentioned it to the doctor. Right away she thought I had a superficial blood clot. Great! I went for an ultrasound, and yes, I have a superficial blood clot. It's not completely occluding the vein and they didn't see anything in the deeper veins, so that is good. The concern is that the clot could break off and travel to the deep vein and into to my lungs, I'm more susceptible to other clots because I'm pregnant and I'm pretty far along. This is all not good. My OB consulted with another OB in the practice and they agreed to treat me with anti-coagulants. She said some would argue against it, but they think it is best for me and baby. After I found out what treatment entailed I would have liked to argue against it, but I have to think about my baby girl. For the next 6 weeks I get to inject myself twice a day in the stomach. Yeah! After that they will switch me to another also inject-able medicine (Heparin) that wears off faster and can be counteracted better should I go into labor. If I haven't delivered naturally by 39 weeks they will induce. Then after deliver I will have another 6 weeks of treatment, but hopefully only once a day. I guess by then I'll be a professional and be too tired to really care that I'm sticking myself in the stomach with a needle.

If you look on the bright side, there is the fact that I now only have 9ish weeks left instead of 10 or even more. If I make it to that point I also won't have to worry about my water breaking in some embarrassing situation or a lot of contractions before I get an epidural. The cons of course are that I'm now on blood thinners. Luckily I will be delivering at a hospital with a level 3b NICU (3c is the highest, and Hopkins doesn't even have that) so I feel confident everything will be just fine. I can't say I'm not even more scared now about this whole birth process since as I write this I'm not holding back any tears, but she's got to come out so I don't really have a choice.

On another positive note I get to have another ultrasound of the baby because of my thyroid issues. There is nothing suspect, they just want to check her growth because thyroid level problems can cause growth issues with the baby. I've been very closely monitored throughout the pregnancy so I'm just looking at this as a happy (insurance paid) excuse to see her again. It won't be for another 2 weeks or so, but I'll be sure to post pictures.

Well, that's my story for now. The last 6 months have definitely been an adventure. Now we just have to get through the next 2 months so the real fun can begin!

30 Weeks....I'm Still Going to Get Bigger?

Well, it's probably just me, but I feel like I'm growing by the minute. I was very excited when people would comment how small I was, but that is no longer the case. I can officially no longer bend over or see my feet. Of course I keep forgetting I can no longer bend over and doing it anyway with great regret. There's usually a swift kick to remind me not to do it again. Not much else has happened in the last two weeks. I did get to hang out with my besties at the Shrader Family Crab Smash. It was so good to see them along with a lot of people I haven't seen for years. Here's a few photos....

Hot Mamas!


The big kids enjoying the glider


Avery enjoying some juice


Avery's new baby brother Jack


Happy Matthew


And an equally happy Danny


Man, there are a lot of kids! We'll have to make sure to start doing more group photos.

28 Weeks Down, 12 (or so) To Go

Well, we've officially entered the 3rd trimester. Thank goodness! I know baby girl needs to bake a little while longer, but I am so ready not to be pregnant anymore. I'm not even as big as I thought I would be at this point (as you can see below), but I'm still ready.

Good things in the last 4 wks....no headache for the last 2 weeks. Yippee! I also plan to finish painting in the nursery this weekend. I only have the white stripe on one wall left. I think it's adorable. After that we'll be getting the carpet replaced and can finally unpack all the furniture. She's also kicking the crap out of me much more regularly. I put this with the good, because it lets me know she's there and doing well. It still startles me, but I'm getting used to it. However, it's not so cute at 3:00 a.m.

Bad things in the last 4 wks....oh, the heartburn/acid reflux. It's gotten to the point where I sometimes don't eat dinner so I don't wake up feeling like someone is forcing acid down my throat. I'm living on Zantac, but it doesn't always work. Then there is the fact the East Coast is having the hottest ( or close to it) summer on record. It just figures doesn't it? Traveling around DC on buses and trains with horrible air conditioning really helps too. Don't they know I'm pregnant!

Other than all that, just taking it day to day. I'm starting to panic a little about daycare, pediatricians, and birthing classes, but I guess that will all work itself out eventually. Millions of woman have gotten through it, and so can I. I think....maybe.

Ok, the reason you're all reading this anyway, the picture.
I'm still a little sleepy since this was first thing this morning, but you get the gist.

24 Weeks

It's been pointed out that I've been remiss in updating, so here goes. I've made it halfway it seems. According to my doctor's I'm having a "textbook" pregnancy. According to me, the baby is trying to kill me. The month of June has been rough. I'm not sure I've thrown up this much since college. At least in college the night before was fun. Other than feeling pretty bad, I guess things are coming along. The nursery is almost ready for paint and I'm hoping to get a lot of that done over the long weekend coming up. I've decided on a theme, Mocha Ladybug.

It's still pink, but I think there are enough other colors that it's not too pink. I'm going to tone it down by painting the walls a light brown on top and dark brown on the bottom with a white stripe in between. The white stripe will have pink and brown polka dots. I know, a little ambitious, but that's how I roll.

We also undertook the huge task of registering. Chris started having chest pains, but seemed to feel better after he got to play with the registering gun. It's amazing 1) how much baby crap there is, and 2) how much the baby crap costs. Hopefully we hit the important stuff, but I'm sure there will be many a trip out to the store in the beginning. There is a car seat, pack-n-play w/ a bassinet, and some diapers, so hopefully that will at least get us home from the hospital and through the first night. I'm not in full-on freak-out just yet, but I think it's right around the corner. Thank goodness for all you friends out there that are old pros at this. I'm gonna need ya!

Ok, here it is, because I know you want to see it. All of you who know me well know that I hate to have my picture taken. However, since this is probably a once in a lifetime thing I'll give into the internets......

Jethro wanted to say hi too! That's it for now. I'll try to be better about updating.

It's A Girl!

We are over the moon happy to hear we have a healthy looking baby girl. I'm also scared out of my mind, but I'm sure I'll get over it. I love being able to call the baby "she" and start thinking about names. In my opinion girls are much more fun to dress and decorate for too. I guess I should find a more girly background for the blog since this one is so blue. Now the fun will begin with picking a name. This could be an interesting time. Hopefully we can find something we agree on. Here are the latest pictures. The pictures are a little small, but you can click on them for a larger image.

Baby Feet

Head Shot (for some reason I think this looks like my brother Brian)

This is I think a 3D shot. It's a little creepy, but she's smiling.

I also have to give congratulations to Kristin and John. They welcomed John (Jack) Raseley Smyth at 9:02 a.m. on May 25th. He weighs 7 lbs. 4 oz. and is 19.75 inches long! Yeah for them! I can't wait to meet him and kiss those little baby feet!

Pop!

Well, on most days now I think you can officially guess I'm preggers. Last week the bump was still little, but now....

Today I'm still wearing regular pants, but they are unbuttoned the majority of the time. I just ordered a bunch of pants online, and I did find some this weekend at Target. I'm having a really hard time finding work-appropriate attire, but I'll get through it somehow. The days until May 26th could not possibly be going any damn slower. I need to know what this baby is! We got the new office painted and mostly put together this weekend so the baby's room is almost empty. Unfortunately that is the only room in the house that we've never touched, so there will be a lot of prep work. Luckily there is still a lot of time so I can work on it slowly.

This weekend I got to hang out with my bestest girls from high school. It was so fun and I really needed to be around a bunch of baby pros. We drove up to New Jersey to Kristin's house since she will birth #2 next Tuesday. It's great knowing people for so long that we can just pick up where we left off last time like no time has passed.

Kristin, Carrie, Me & Willow

For those of you that know the girls, you will be very surprised by how big their kids are. The gang is all there except for Willow's one year old Matthew. Willow is holding Carrie's baby Danny. Willow's two, Maria and Joey, are in blue. Carrie's daughter Natalie is in white, and Kristin's little girl Avery is next to her in yellow.

Here are just the big kids. Maria and Natalie, and Joey and Avery. Too cute!

It was so great to see everyone, and I can't wait to do it again. Keep the advice flowing!

Bad Baby

This baby is going to get a serious talking to when it shows its face. Yesterday it put Mom and Dad through a pretty big scare. I'll spare the internets the gory details, but everything seems to be fine now. We went to the doctor and had a sonogram and exam. Baby was kicking away with a strong heartbeat, so I just have to take it easy. The doctor said there could be a few explanations for what happened, but we'll probably never know. I don't feel like I was doing anything too strenuous, but I guess my body thought differently. Hopefully things will continue on without any issues, because I don't if I can take that again.

Will May 26th Ever Get Here?

I haven't posted anything in a few weeks, because well, there really isn't much to post. Everything seems to be going fine even though I find something to freak out about almost daily. Usually when I freak I get the doppler thingy out and listen to the heartbeat. That seems to make things better for the most part. Assuming Baby White decides to cooperate with us, May 26th is the big reveal. When we scheduled the appointment back in April it didn't seem that far away, but it's driving me crazy. In turn I'm sure I'm driving Chris crazy since every time he mentions doing something baby related I say, "not until after May 26th." We did manage to buy a cute bedroom set, but we've stopped there.

We spent a while wondering through Babies R Us and have ideas for other things, but everything seemed so gender specific we'll just wait to start the registry. I knew there was a lot of crap out there for a baby, but I never realized there was so many choices of each kind of crap. How any hormonal expectant Mom ever even chooses a stroller is beyond me.

So, baby is good. Mom on the other hand goes back and forth every minute. I'm a horrible emotional roller coaster. I'm too big for my pants, but too small for maternity pants. I did break down and buy a few things this weekend just in bigger sizes. I'm still not to the point of a cute little bump unless I really force it out, so I just feel fat. I have a new respect for women I see and think, "man their stomach is too fat to wear that shirt." Now I think, "maybe they're 15 weeks pregnant and don't want to buy new clothes!"

Other than baby stuff, Chris started his new job today. He's so happy to be working again since his type A personality didn't handle a month off well. He was so cute last night getting ready. It was like a kid on his first day of school.

Week 12....With Pictures

We just got back from our week 12 ultrasound. So far so good. The doctor said the baby looks completely normal at this point, and we go back on May 26th for another look. Yes, we will definitely be finding out the sex. I'm way to obsessive not to have everything gender specific. We still have to wait a week for the results of the blood test for Down's Syndrome, etc., but we'll just go with the, "everything looks fine" from the doctor. Now I'm off to work since I haven't been for a few days. For some reason the baby has decided I need to get migraine's again once a month. This one was horrendous, but I'm feeling much better. Here's to a healthy and happy second trimester!

The End of Week Ten

Week ten was pretty boring around here. It was also ridiculously long. I'm guessing I'm in for more of the same this next week too. Another week of anticipating the ultrasound. Good news for me is that the nausea is almost completely gone. After I eat I don't feel great, but I don't think I've actually gagged in almost a week. Yeah! I can also stay up past 8:00 p.m. I'm still constantly exhausted, but it's not as overwhelming as it was. There's really not much else to report. I'm very happy for some warm weather. The tourists have descended upon DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival which is always an annoyance. Please, if you're coming to DC to sight-see, etc., call me first and ask for advice. Nothing is worse than running for a bus or train only to run into a wall of wandering, oblivious tourists. I guess even though the nausea and extreme exhaustion are gone, the crankiness is still bountiful!

A bit disappointed, but everything looks fine...

Well, a little surprise this morning at the ultrasound. Apparently Baby White is actually measuring at 10 weeks, not 12. After the doctor came in and explained that this was a common occurrence, I felt a little better. When the technician first told me the baby was too small I freaked out as soon as she left the room. It wasn't a totally wasted trip since Chris and I got to see the first pictures of the baby, hear the heartbeat, and watch it flail around. I think it was getting ready to wave at us! The new due date is October 21st!

Shock and Awe

So, let me catch you up on some things. First, quite unexpectedly this happened. I know! Crazy! We honestly had no idea to expect a positive reading, but couldn't be happier about it. You would think at 33 I would have read the signs a little sooner, but I guess I was just in denial. The good thing about waiting so long is by the time we found out I was already 8 weeks along. Since then it's been pretty obvious something was going on. There was definitely the nausea, but luckily it hasn't been too bad. I'm just entering week 12 and knock-on-wood, I think the morning sickness is over. I probably just completely jinxed myself! Chris will probably tell a different story, but I think compared to some things I've read I've kept my mood swing fairly tame. There was the one day I called him crying my eyes out because I was convinced this was all a mistake and I wasn't really pregnant. However, on March 23rd I heard a heartbeat! That has made it really real, and really lifted my spirits. Tomorrow (March 25th) is the first sonogram. I'm so excited I know I won't sleep. I've been waiting since March 1st for this day!!