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Welcome to the world!!

I am very proud to announce the birth of our new son Timothy James II.

I wanted to share my birth story with all of you:

So I guess my story starts last Tuesday (October 14). The past couple of appointments Tim and I had gone to, the baby was measuring about 4 weeks ahead. So we decided to start acupuncture at 38 weeks (per the advice of my midwife) to try and get things moving along. My first session was last Tuesday. It seemed kind of odd and I was not sure how well it would work, if at all, but I was willing to try anything. That evening I got a few more Braxton Hicks contractions that were normal. I also started taking Evening Primrose Oil last week to help to soften my cervix. I went to the midwife on Wednesday and had the growth ultrasound, the baby was measuring 8 lbs 15 oz. The midwife checked my progress and I was 1/2 cm dilated and only slightly effaced and the baby was -2 station. The midwife seemed concerned with the size of the baby and therefore wanted me to be induced on Monday morning (October 20) in order to prevent the risk of a c-section because of the size of the baby. I therefore decided to go back to the acupuncturist. I woke up Thursday morning, about 2:00 AM with contractions but they were not regular. I didn't sleep much at all that night nor did I sleep much that day because they continued throughout the day. I went back to the acupuncturist on Thursday for one more treatment. Thursday night they began to get more regular, but they still were not very strong. The midwife prescribed me a hot bath and glass of wine before bed, but I again got no sleep that night. We called the midwife and she wanted me to come see her on Friday morning so she could check my progression. I went in about 10AM and I was now 1-2 cm dilated and 90% effaced and -1 station. She gave me one sleeping pill to get some rest that afternoon. I went home, ate lunch, and hopped into bed as soon as I took the sleeping pill. I slept for 5 hours Friday afternoon and miraculously got 10 hours of sleep on Friday night. The midwife told me I could be induced on Saturday if I wanted to but I was really hoping to still go natural if I could. I felt so relieved Saturday morning when I woke up refreshed and knew that going for induction that day really was not much of an option. I was very antsy on Saturday so I went out for a walk as well as went shopping with my Mom for some baby clothes. Saturday night we went over to a friends for dinner and I could tell my contractions were intensifying but they still were not regular. We got home about 7:30 and I went straight to bed, hoping to get another night of sleep. Lying there, I could feel my contractions getting closer and closer together. I called Tim up at about 8pm to help me time contractions and they were 3-5 minutes apart 40 seconds long and much stronger then they had been the past few days. We called the midwife and she said that progression was good and she would call me at 10 to see how I was doing. At 10 when she called, my contractions were similar. She asked if I felt like I needed to go to the hospital and I told her I didn't think so. She said to call her as soon as I felt it was time or if my water broke. I woke Tim up again about 1:30AM, my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting 1+ minute long so we decided to call the midwife and get heading to the hospital.

We got to the hospital about 2:45am. On the way over, I started getting nervous because my contractions were spacing apart and I did not want to be sent back home. But as soon as I got to the hospital, the contractions were back full force. The midwife came in not long after I got there and checked to see my progression. I was 4 cm dilated, fully effaced, and -1 station. I had gone into the room with the tub, hoping to labor in the tub, but everything was happening so quickly that I did not want to move off of the bed. As soon as I was hooked up to the monitors, I was contracting every two minutes. The contractions started to come quicker and stronger and when she checked me at about 5:30 AM I was 6 cm dilated but when she went to check, my water broke. It felt like a very warm gush of water (like a water balloon popping). Tim said it looked like clear egg drop soup. As soon as my water broke I swear the contractions were one right after another. I felt like I had no time to breath in between and I was clinging to the bed rails for dear life to get through each contraction. After about 30 minutes of those contractions, I started telling Tim that I was thinking of getting an epidural. I figured that I had about 5 more hours of contractions and I was not sure I could handle the pain for that long but Tim was really great encouraging me, telling me I could get through it on my own. It came to the point that it was additionally painful because I felt like I was holding back pushing and when I told Tim he immediately paged my midwife who came in to check me again (about 6:30 or 7 AM) and I was already 10 cm dilated and ready to push. She was shocked.....I was relieved. I started to push at about 7:30 and, what a relief! I always thought the pushing part would be the most painful, but it was the exact opposite. Pushing was so much easier and the contractions were further apart which allowed me time to breath and relax between. All the literature I was reading was correct when it said it was like pushing out a large bowel movement. I was able to get about 3 pushes per contraction, sometimes 4. Not sure when (as my eyes were closed almost the entire duration of the labor), but the baby started crowning...Tim seemed to be amazed (I never thought he would look, but he did). Supposedly right after the head started to crown, I really started pushing. The eyes came through and then the nose and I went to stop pushing through that contraction, but his nose got stuck. The midwife got nervous because his nose was out, but his mouth was not so she put her hands in to try to help pull the baby out. I heard Tim say something about a lot of blood and it turned out that I tore. I pushed a couple more times and the entire baby was out. It was the best, most relieving, oddest feeling I have ever felt. What an amazing thing. Tim mentioned it was a boy and it was emotional for both of us. It is a feeling I could never really explain. They put him on my chest as they cleaned him off and Tim cut the cord. Tim went in the side room as they weighed him while the midwife collected the cord blood. She then proceeded to look at my tear, she thought it was nothing but it turned out to be a 4th degree tear (stem to stern as Tim would say). They had to call the surgeon in to repair my tear. While we were waiting for him to come, I breastfed him for the first time. I thought he did really well until he unlatched and I saw the hickey he left me. The surgeon then came over to stitch me up and that was definitely very uncomfortable.

So now for the stats.

Name: Timothy James II
Date: 10/19/08
Time: 8:43 AM
Weight: 9 lbs 13.5 oz
Length: 21"
Head: 14"

He is now latching on pretty well, but I am pretty sore. I only got about 5 hours of the first night because he would cry every time we put him in his crib. We finally sent him to the nursery at 5:30 yesterday morning so we could get a few hours of sleep. I woke yesterday morning feeling like I got hit by a bus. Every muscle in my body is sore. I hadn't realized how many muscles
I used in labor.

So that's about it. Thanks for all the well wishes and we will keep you all updated.

For more pictures, you can go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/Michelle.Drag/TJII#

It is almost time!!!!

So much to inform everyone, so where do I start.....


I guess I will start with the wedding this weekend. I definitely turned a lot of heads (and I DON'T think it was my good looks!) at the wedding and was asked MANY questions. But the wedding was beautiful and I got through it without a hitch and that is all that counts. You can see the pic above of me in the Bride's Maid Dress, or my tent as I like to call it. If you want to see something funny, Go back to my first trimester post when I posted the picture of me trying on the dress with a pillow underneath. It really was not that far off, LOL. So I was not my typical dancing fool at the reception, I did a lot of sitting down. I had to really wedge my feet into my shoes, but thankfully, the bride provided me with some gold flip flops which I happily put on the minute we got to the reception hall.

I started my acupuncture yesterday. It is kind of strange.l It does not hurt at all, feels like someone is poking you with a pin but not even puncturing the skin. I guess it is because the needles are so fine. It was kind of relaxing. I didn't feel much of anything last night but I hope it is working.

So this morning Tim and I went to the midwife for a growth ultrasound and our 38 week appointment. Well, it was nice to be able to see Little 'q' again, however after multiple measurements, the U/S technician announced that as of this morning, the baby is 8 lbs and 15 oz. That is a HUGE baby for only 38 weeks. The baby looks very good and healthy however and there is plenty of amniotic fluid, so I was happy about that. We then went in to see the midwife and she was concerned about the size of the baby at this point. She told me that if we did not induce within the next week and waited until I started going into labor on my own, that I am really running the risk of having to get a C-section. Well, I did not want an induction OR a c-section, but I would obviously choose the induction over the latter. So the conclusion was for me to do 2 more acupuncture sessions this week (today and tomorrow) since it supposedly really takes 3 sessions to really get things moving. If I do not go into labor on my own by Sunday, I will be going to the hospital Sunday night to start the Cervadil (??) to get my cervix to soften. That takes about 12 hours and then Monday morning, if labor has not started, I will be induced with Pitocin.

(If you tilt your head to the right, you can see Little "q's cute chubby little face. He/she has a FULL head of hair as well.)

So it looks like I will have our baby in my arms by Monday (Tuesday the latest). It was really a "Holy Shit" moment for both Tim and I. we cannot believe it is actually here. we are going to be parents next week. WOW! I am still having difficulty believing it and I think Tim has gone into a slight panic mode.

I am beginning to get really nervous about the whole delivery process, especially since it will probably be with the Pitocin which I have heard so many awful stories about. I really hope that I can do this. I hope I am strong enough to be able to carry this out as close to my 'birth plan' as possible.

So right now I am just asking for all of your thoughts and prayers to be with us that everything happens successfully. This is most likely my last blog post before the baby comes. Thanks to everyone for all of your support the past few months and for sticking around reading my blog. I hope you have all enjoyed it. Next time I check in on here, I will be a MOMMY! Weird!

That's a BIG baby!!

So I know its been another month since I have update (shame on me) but I've been busy and/or exhausted, so my apologies.

Anyway, I guess the biggest news to be had is that I am "measuring ahead". At my 32 week appointment I was told that I was measuring 2 weeks ahead. Well....2 weeks later, I was informed that I was now measuring 4 weeks ahead. I have another appointment tomorrow (I will now be going weekly) and I am hoping it will not progress further and wind up measuring 6 weeks ahead this time. So the midwife wants me to go for a "growth ultrasound" at 38 weeks to get a more definitive measurement of Little "q". I am not really sure what their plans are if they baby measures too big, but I guess we will deal with that when the time comes. I really want to avoid an induction, so I am hoping they will let me go until the baby is ready. She did tell me, however, hat she suggests, as of 38 weeks, going to see an acupuncturist to try and get things moving. I'm all for that if need be, as long as they are not pumping all sorts of drugs into me to get the baby out.

Let's see, other news.......
My hospital bag is all packed. I am still waiting on Tim to finish his (actually, start his), however.

We met a Nanny that we LOVED 2 weeks ago, but unfortunately, she is a 20 minute drive away, in the opposite direction from work, without traffic.. She was also asking for $15-$20 per hour which in our minds is utterly ridiculous, ESPECIALLY when she would be watching my baby in the convenience of her own home. So unfortunately, we will not be using her. Tonight we are interviewing another women who runs an in-home daycare facility a town away from us. She is affordable, knows my in-laws and some family friends, and will take no more tan 5 children at a time. I have high hopes for her, so I hope things work out with that. We will see how that goes. We will also be re-visiting Donna Reid Daycare in Wayne on Tuesday morning. We really liked them the first go-round, but did not get to meet the teachers in the nursery or any of the babies because we came too late in the day. So it is really between these two places and we hope to have a decision made by the end of the week. I will be very happy when that is all settled and I do not need to worry about where my baby will be while I am working.

Speaking of work....things are starting to finally slow down. I only have 1.5 weeks left before I am done. And believe me, I am looking forward to it if for no other reason than the fact that I am just so utterly exhausted. It really is a strain to finish out a 9 hour day at work. My body just doesn't want to cooperate anymore. I've been so exhausted lately and I ache for the weekends when I can get sleep, however, it does not come so easy anymore. I am sleeping lighter and lighter by the day and I have more and more trouble trying to sleep the whole night through. Yesterday morning I woke up at 3:30 to use the bathroom (one of my many nightly trips) and I just could not fall back asleep afterwards. After attempting for 1.5 hours, I gave up at 5AM and just came downstairs to start my day. I guess this is just an unfortunate thing I need to deal with.

Anyway, that is about all that's going one right now. We are just doing a whole lot of waiting these days. I need to go hop in the shower now because Tim scheduled a massage for me and I need to be there in an hour.

'Til next time......

scrapblog.com

I've got the most talented Mom ever!!

You have to see what "LuLu" made for Little 'q' and I.

This is the quilt for the nursery to go with the Classic Pooh theme:

And this is the best diaper bag EVER:

Thanks to Everyone....

For make my baby shower a week and a half ago so very special! It was such a wonderful day and everyone was so incredibly generous and Tim and I are extremely grateful to you all! I seriously think I got all of the things that I need minus a few little things here and there. I have had the past three days off of work and it has taken me this ENTIRE five day weekend to finally get everything sorted through and into its proper home.

The nursery is near complete now, just waiting for a few shelves and pictures to be hung...as well of course, my much anticipated home-made crib and changing table. But there is really not much more for me to do in there. I do not know what I am going to do for the next 8+ weeks now. I am in full nesting mode and trying to get every little thing cleaned and prepared for our special arrival.

I have to say that these days I have been feeling REALLY pregnant. Not that I didnt feel pregnant before, but I feel like it is all catching up on me now because I have had a very smooth pregnancy. I am ready to pass out at night by 9pm the latest. I can only do work in little spurts as I obtain energy. My back is KILLING me anytime I am p and moving and then it bothers me at night as well. Sleeping is difficult nowadays as it is very hard for me to get comfortable. I am dealing though. I am sure it will only get worse...and then once the baby comes, I won't be sleeping for different reasons.

Little 'q' has been kicking away lately.......no more of that 'swimming fish' feeling but some actual real hard kicks and punches. Sometimes the baby pokes me with an elbow or knee (or whatever it may be) and I feel the need to poke back in order to position him/her more comfortably in my stomache. I was very proud of Little 'q' this morning when Tim had his head on my stomache and he/she kicked him right in the head. It was really funny.

Lets see what other news there is to report....

We did our tour of the hospital on Friday and I was very impressed. I am really glad that we decided to find someone that worked out of Morristown Memorial. Their facilities are really nice and they are very flexible and willing to work with however I want my pregnancy to be.

We also found a pediatrician on Friday. We got a recomendation from a friend and we are VERY happy with him. He has some very good philosophies and he is a sole practitioner so we will get some personal attention. I think he is the right choice for us and he is only one town over from us so he is very convenient.

I think that is about all there is to report right now. I'll do my best to keep you updated!