24 new photos

DSCN1307
Originally uploaded by linuxgrl

Just posted a with the grandparents!

Success!!!

This is what success looks like to me today!

That would be 50 cc's of breastmilk!!!  I've spent days and days pumping 7, 10, 20 cc's and all of a sudden, BANG, 50 comes out.  I swear I felt like poor Lauren was starving to death, always looking hungry and rooting and making her baby bird face at me.

All the lactation consultants assured me that yes, eventually my milk would come in, and no, Lauren wouldn't starve as long as she was making X amount of dirty diapers per day.  But it's the worst feeling in the world, not being able to feed your child.

But now I'm thrilled to be able to go out and buy nursing bras and a nursing cover so I can nurse in public.  YAY!!!!!

Off to take a well deserved nap!

Homecoming

homecoming
Originally uploaded by linuxgrl

Baby Lauren Grace is home, as of yesterday afternoon! Zampano and I were so exhausted that this cell phone photo was the only one we took for the occasion. My camera and cell phone were packed away somewhere in the cartload of stuff we brought home from the hospital.

But as of this afternoon we are all doing well, after having a few good meals and at least *some* sleep. Lauren even had her first home sponge bath last night. Apparently baby has inherited her mom and dad's greasy hair. :)

I am really struggling with breastfeeding. Don't ever let anyone tell you it's easy. It's way, way harder than I ever could have imagined, and I was warned going in to expect a challenge.

Anyway, I present to you the grand Flickr set of baby photos...

A+ sleeper

A+ sleeper
Originally uploaded by linuxgrl

After a very rough first night, Lauren Grace had a much better second night, sleeping 3 and 4 hours at a time. Mom and dad are soooo impressed!!

Post bath nap

Post bath nap
Originally uploaded by linuxgrl

she is tall!!! 22 inches!

Baby girl

Baby girl
Originally uploaded by linuxgrl

8 pounds, 1 ounce... Name still pending...

Mom and baby both healthy!

Still breech!

Still breech!
Originally uploaded by linuxgrl

Well, baby girl hadn't turned after all.  C-section is on for tomorrow.  Apparently she has lots and lots of hair!  

They didn't do the weight or length or anything at the ultrasound, just confirmed that she was still head up.  And I have never been so happy!  I can't wait to meet her!!!

She is frank breech, which means her feet are up by her head.  We got to see her 5 cute little toes, but she was kind of hiding her face, which is why this ultrasound is not the greatest.

I still cannot believe that we will be parents tomorrow!  The car seat is in the car, the bottles are in the dishwasher, the huge box of diapers sits in the baby's room....  And it still hasn't really sunk in.  But tomorrow, our lives change forever.  I can't wait....

And now, Zampano and I are off to the fairgrounds to enjoy one last day of freedom before heading off to the hospital at 5:15AM...  With any luck, we'll have pictures and details posted by noon tomorrow!

Turned around?

Tomorrow is the big pre-c-section ultrasound, to confirm that she is indeed, still breech.  If she is, then we get the c-section early early early friday morning.  

But here's the thing.  I think she turned in the last few days.  I didn't feel anything, so she must have done it while I was sleeping (which is like 12 hours a day anyway).  I've been feeling for her big round head at the top of my belly, and all of a sudden, one day, it wasn't there anymore.  Plus, I hear her heartbeat way, way below my bellybutton now, when it used to be several inches above.

On the one hand, I'm so ready for her to get here!  My BP has been rising and I'm getting more and more swollen every day.  I swear, if I have to wait 3 more weeks, I'll be climbing the walls in desperation!  But on the other hand, we'd save probably around $1500 - $2000 if she comes naturally.  My insurance only covers 80% for C-sections, whereas a vaginal delivery would be free.  Plus, a vaginal delivery would be healthier for both of us.  

I have strong suspicions that she's turned around, but the only way to know for sure is at tomorrow's ultrasound.  Stay tuned for an afternoon post!

One more thing:  this coconut water is the greatest thing ever!!!  I found them today at Wegmans and was stunned to see the whopping amount of potassium they have!  I drank one this evening and already my ankles are way less swollen!!!  Thank you Gluten Free Girl for a great rec!

Horrifying pregnant foot

Horrifying pregnant foot
Originally uploaded by linuxgrl

Vine Lace Baby Hat

DSCN1201
Originally uploaded by linuxgrl

Yet another finished baby object. These things are just way too quick! I think I'm going to take a break from the baby knitting and do a Lace Ribbon Scarf for myself with the rest of this blue yarn.

38 weeks, 2 days

Ugh.  Just 5 days until baby arrives, and I am counting the minutes.  My hands and feet get more and more swollen every day.  I wake up in the morning (supposedly the best time for edema) and my hands are already numb.  Not great for someone whose hobbies include knitting, Nintendo DS and using a computer all day.

But it's not all bad.  I have a new, desperately needed computer chair, at long last.  We finally found a good deal at Staples and pulled the trigger.  It's fantastic and comfortable, and I have it jacked way up high so it's easier for me to stand up out of.  I love it completely.

We're catching up on sleep and movies, since those are two things that will definitely go away after the baby is born.  We've seen the Dark Knight, Wall-E, and Tropic Thunder in the last few days.  Today, probably Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

At my last doctor visit, the doctor was feeling for the baby and totally looked surprised when he said "Hmmm, not that big!"  I guess maybe she'll be a normal size baby, although I was sort of figuring she'd be enormous, since I am enormous...  I guess there's no correlation.  Then when I was checking out, the lady at the front desk told me that my belly was "really tiny" for someone whose due date was so close.  Weird.

I will definitely, absolutely be going on a diet once the babe is born.  We were watching the mens shotput competition and I was astounded at how close my current weight is to theirs.  I DON'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE I AM A MALE SHOTPUTTER!!!!  I'm sure a lot of this weight is fluid and baby, but still...  I've been too heavy for far too long, and I want my daughter to look at me and not be ashamed.

So that's all for now...  C-section on Friday, unless she decides to come out before then...  

Baby Bell Bottoms

DSCN1199
Originally uploaded by linuxgrl

Yet another finished project for baby! They seem a bit big although I knit the newborn size. Baby projects are great for using up those small quantities of yarn!

Nursery Pic

Nursery Pic
Originally uploaded by linuxgrl

Still need a dust ruffle for the crib since you can see into the little drawer underneath the mattress.  Buying the right color dust ruffle is hard because most of them come in sets with a bumper, sheet and quilt.  We didn't want to do a bumper because supposedly they're dangerous, but now we can't find the right color ruffle.  Oh well.  Not really a high priority.

Tomorrow is my big pre-op OB appointment.  Will post more then!

Insanely swollen feet

Insanely swollen feet
Originally uploaded by linuxgrl

37 weeks

I've been thoroughly enjoying my "babymoon" before baby arrives.  Here's a rundown of my activities since the USMLE:

1.  Finished knitting 1 baby sweater, 1 baby hat

2.  Setting up crib & nursery (totally loving how it looks!!!)

3.  watched Season 2 and 4 of Project Runway, along with the current few episodes of season 5

4.  Read 2 books (itching for more good ones!  Will probably go to the bookstore tomorrow)

I'm feeling better about choosing to have a c-section now.  Zampano and I discussed it with the doctor today and she was totally cool about it.  I feel a little guilty but I really think it's the best option.  While I am curious about experiencing a natural childbirth, the idea of going through so much pain really terrifies me.  While I've heard it's a different pain from, say, breaking a bone or something, still, it's not something I'm all that eager to experience.  And someday, far, far in the future, maybe I will experience it with our second child, if we have one.  

And it's not so bad to get to meet our baby a week early!  :)  We're so eager to meet her.  I can't even imagine waiting another 5 weeks, which is the absolute max she could stay in there.  All this relaxation is nice and all but I'm starting to get a little... dare I say...  bored?

Breech

Ugh.  I've suspected for weeks that Baby Girl was breech...  Everyone always talks about their babies kicking them in the ribs.  I've never once felt her do that - and I thought maybe it's because I'm overweight and she sticks out too far or something.....  But today my midwife felt for her position and suddenly said, "Hey, that feels like the head up here."

So we marched down to the ultrasound room and there it was.  A big baby head in exactly the wrong place...

So now I'm looking at 3 options...

1.  she turns on her own

2.  external cephalic version

3.  c-section

The first option just means I'll have to spend a lot of time on all fours with my butt in the air, to encourage her to turn.  There are definite risks associated with the last two....  And I don't want anything bad to happen to the baby!  So this is definitely not good news....

36 weeks

Life is good.  Zampano took the NY Bar on Tuesday and Wednesday and now we're back home from Buffalo, relaxing.  Since the USMLE, I've watched the entire season 4 of Project Runway and am now downloading season 2.  I might or might not watch it right away.  I've heard great things about Battlestar Galactica and would love to give that a shot.

I'm knitting another little baby sweater and would be done with it already had I not made 2 catastrophic mistakes that required me to unravel half my work.  

Zampano and I were looking through a baby memory book at Walmart tonight and there were lots of questions in there that I can't remember the answers to.  When did I first start to feel the baby kick?  Don't remember!  Thank goodness I have this blog or else I probably would forget the whole pregnancy!  I definitely want to fill out the baby book because when I was little I looked at the one my mommy made for me and was mad that there weren't more answers in there.  She started off strong and then trailed off, as I'm sure most moms do when things get busy.  I don't think she even bothered doing ones for my sisters.  I wonder where that baby book is now?  Lost in the sea of boxes, I'm sure.  Hopefully I can do a little better than that. :)