It's a boy!

We went to the hospital on April 2 at 5 AM. Our little bundle of joy arrived about 26 hours later at 6:48 AM. To say that I had a miserable labor would be a gross understatement, but Cooper was worth it! Whoa, did I really just say that?! Hahaha! He was 8 pounds 1 ounce and 20 inches long. The actual pushing was only 15 minutes so if I would have dilated quicker then maybe it would have been a quick delivery. Oh well.
I was given a lot of narcotics during the labor so Cooper was born and assessed immediately. He was healthy so Justin got to hold him pretty soon after he was born. I was too weak to hold him so Justin held him in front of me so I could see what he looked like. It was all such a blur! Even now I can hardly believe that he's really here!!

Monday, March 30: Week 39+

More of the same. The NP is really starting to stress the need to deliver. 75% effaced, but not sure if dilated any more than before! I'm very ready to induce, but wiser people than I are hesitant so I suppose that I can't do much until it becomes a certain necessity. I walked a lot today in hopes of stirring some action, but nothing yet. Justin's paternity leave starts on Wednesday so it'd be really nice to have the baby SOON.

Next Regular Appt: Thursday, April 2

Friday, March 27: Week 39

Another appointment. We're 50% effaced and still only 1 cm. My blood pressure is still high, but ET's heart rate is strong (140) and he's measuring at 39 weeks. NP says we need to deliver the baby soon, but doesn't want to rush into inducing since that would increase my chances of a c-section. I will possibly need a platelet transfusion for a natural birth and it looks like I will definitely need one for a c-section. For now, we're to try every natural way to motivate this baby to exit! Spicy food and long walks on the beach, anyone?

Next regular appointment: Monday, March 30
Fetal Non-Stress Test: Wednesday, April 1

Baby Names

So, we've narrowed down the names...

Olivia Constance

Justin Isaiah

Cooper Bartholomew

Max

Friday, March 20: Week 38

So here's the latest. Baby does not want to come out!

I'm 1 cm dilated, but ET hasn't dropped too much. My blood pressure was pretty high (150/90) when it's usually in the low teens so the NP made me give blood and a 24 hr urine sample (tmi?). I guess the blood pressure along with my edema made her worry about me being in the early stages of preeclampsia. The blood work showed that my platelets were very low (60s) so she asked us to go by labor and delivery the next day to check my blood and blood pressure again.
I thought that it would be a quick trip but apparently there is no such thing as a quick trip to L&D! I spent all day there first waiting for a room then laying strapped to a bed as the monitors beeped away. I watched as ET's heart rate went up and down (123-164) until the doctors finally had a chance to see me. One doctor explained the results of the tests while the other performed a sonogram. I was busy trying to see if I could catch a glimpse of ET's sex while half listening to the other doctor. She did say that I just need to be aware of more symptoms if they happen and that my BP was high for a pregnant person, but okay as long as it didn't keep climbing. My platelets were a concern and they are going to check them again at my next appointment, but nothing more would be done until after my next appointment. If preeclampsia looks more certain after the next visit then the only cure is to have the baby! And the countdown continues...

Next Appointment: Friday, March 27, 2009

Ashley turns 10 (3/3/09)

Surprise shower!

belly pics (updated)

Patty and Baby ET

Appointment: 28 weeks

Our appointment was originally on the 2nd, but we were still urban camping in SF so Justino moved it to the 9th.

This appointment was supposed to include my glucose test, but they forgot to put in the request so it was just a normal check up. I gained 8 pounds since my last appointment (better than 10 last time!), but apparently I can't blame the baby since my gargantuan belly is measuring small (27 weeks). ET was moving a bit so it took a little while for the nurse to catch the heart rate. It was 140. I also had a psych test which I passed with flying colors. See, I always knew that I was the most normal person that I know! :p

Our little ET is most active at night, yet he doesn't hesitate to pull out his finest acrobatic moves whenever Justin talks to him. Lornie, we love the book that you gave us to read to ET. Justin read it a couple of times and I swear ET's little baby fist wanted to poke through my skin and turn the pages for him!! hahaah...(ok, that's kinda scary, huh?!)

So....I'm offically in my 3rd trimester! I'm really starting to feel achy and tired a lot more. Justin has been great about trying to keep me comfortable. I'm extra lucky that he's a nurse because he's been trained to have a better idea of what helps and what doesn't. We're also starting to look at the different schedules for lamaze classes. I giggle at the visual that I get of us in one of those classes, but supposedly they really help. I have to "learn to breathe" and I've been told that my recently acquired Darth Vader lungs aren't going to cut it in labor. We'll see...

Next appointment: February 6, 2009

November (San Diego/San Francisco)

Texas (September)

Newport (August)

Another Appointment: 23 weeks

This appointment was pretty quick. The nurse checked ET's heart rate (120) and went over some of the notes that the doctor had written in after our minor scare a few weeks ago. We did have another sonogram then, but it was just to make sure everything was still okay. It turned out to be nothing and ET is still healthy and happy. All of the genetic tests were fine so now all we have left is the glucose one in a few more weeks.
We still don't know the sex, but I've convinced myself that it is definitely a boy. He moves around a lot now and seems to be most active at night. Justin was able to feel him move a few weeks ago and Ashley just felt him, too.
I'm getting really big and have started to walk more to counter some of the weight gain. The nurse was not so sweet when she alerted me that my rate of weight gain was too much (ugh) so I'm hoping to have gained much less when I go to my next appointment.

Next appointment: January 2, 2009 (week 27)