The Birth Story

Even almost two weeks later, I am still processing everything, but here is an email that my mom wrote to my sister, telling her about the day:

Ruhiyyih had her baby on Sunday, the 17th, around 6:30 p.m. after about 15 hours of labor, starting with her water breaking at 3:30 a.m. She called us at 5:00, and we were there at 6:30 a.m, ready to spend the day.  It was like a party, with the doula, the midwife and her assistant, Matt, Ruhiyyih and I together in the 'bathtub room' (Matt's study), and George just a few feet away in the kitchen.  He felt so privileged to be included, nearby, and provided food for everyone.  He could hear every contraction, and knew exactly when birth occurred!  There was a joyful sound, then hushed murmuring, so Matt and Ruhiyyih could enjoy this moment.  All of us worked together very well, the whole day, and her labor was well-done; she stayed on top of it throughout. I coached her in breathing and focus, and answered questions directed at me when it got tough.  She was very 'in touch with her feelings', in control, sweet-tempered throughout.  Polite to everyone, thankful.  She sipped water and a special drink throughout, but did not hold down food.

 

With one long push at the end the baby crowned and slid out in one long push - the uterus just did most of the work, she relaxed.  The baby slid into the water, and the midwife grabbed it, and layed it on Ruhiyyih's chest.  Matt was behind her, holding her in his arms.  He cried, the rest of us just relaxed, joyful, quiet.  The chord was left intact until it stopped pulsating, and the baby drew its own breath - no suctioning - and briefly cried to clear her throat.  They held her in the water, with a towel around her.  Photos taken.  She was very beautiful, fully into her power.  I am so proud of her! She did excellent!

Then she laid down on her bed, baby on top, and they waited for the afterbirth, and attended to details - the rest of us had some dinner, and revisited mother and baby after I did up dishes.  It gave everyone time to have solitude and processing.  Ruhiyyih was very calm and happy. The baby was not tampered with, no ointment in her eyes, no bath, no removal from her mama's arms throughout.  I really liked this - and when Matts mom arrived about 9:30, she brought the baby into her bedroom, and held it all night, resting Adaryn on her chest, near her heart.  The baby has not slept alone, but has had a human holding her now for over two days.  Marion offered to do this so Matt and Ruhiyyih could get some good sleep (which they did), but it was also good for the baby.  She is very sweet and easy-going, latched onto nursing in a gentle way, and is doing just great.

 So that is the basic story... more to come!

41 Weeks, 6 Days

Yep, you read that title right!  I am still with child.  And, she has until midnight tomorrow night to exit her cozy home, or I lose privileges to the Birth Center that I signed up (and paid for).  They cannot legally allow her to be delivered past 42 weeks gestation.

It has been a rough two weeks.  There have been a lot of curve balls thrown at us, which I believe has caused me to be tense and not relaxed enough to allow the natural labor process to unfold.  I am discouraged by the circumstances, which are mostly related to our housing.  Our landlord put the house up for sale at the absolute worst time possible, while we still have six months left on our lease.  And, we are getting calls to set up appointments for interested parties to walk all through my perfected nested home.  I don't think so.

I also decided to keep on working up until I went into labor to conserve as much leave time as possible.  I just had no idea that I was going to go to almost 42 weeks!  Today is my last day before maternity leave.  I am going to spend tomorrow eating, sleeping, laughing, drinking castor oil and hot raspberry leaf tea, doing jumping jacks and lunges....

So that is the most recent update.  My next one WILL be the birth of my child!

Still Waiting...

40 weeks on Friday....

She is still high up and kicking into my ribs.  Last night, I felt her toes move inbetween my rib bone!  SO weird.  I will savor these last few days of pregnancy though...it is pretty special.

Our car had an electrical issue on Monday.  Tail lights out in spite of new bulbs.  So, we had to leave our car overnight to get it fixed.  My father-in-law came out and stayed in our guest room just in case we needed a ride to the birthing center! 

Now it is all fixed, we are a lot poorer after paying for it, and now we just sit and wait.  Or, walk and pace and wait...

Stay tuned!

39 Weeks!

I saw I had not blogged since the end of December (and I am still sorting through December photos, sad!) so it was just time to get *something* up here!

We are in the home stretch.  It has really been a dream pregnancy:  only a 20 lb weight gain, good energy, I a can still exercise, put on my shoes (not tie them, tho) and I am sleeping better.  The Little Miss is still really active and always gets still when she hears her Daddy's voice - it is adorable!

Talk about being blessed: we had two baby showers of family and friends, a surprise one at work, and a surprise double baby shower with our small group where there is another expecting mom.  This has meant that we have spent hardly anything on baby stuff.  She has all the clothes, blankets, burp cloths, cloth diapers and booties that she will ever need!  Gift cards covered the cost of nursing supplies and such as well.  I was so worried about the financial impact of having a kiddo since things are always tight, but we should not be surprised by how God provides.  That is not all:  even disability leave at my work has been donated so I can take a full maternity leave with pay.  I am so humbled.   

Weekends are relaxing and low key, on purpose.  We know that these are the final days of just "us".  Matt is such a wondeful, supportive husband and he is SO excited to be a daddy!  We know our lives are going to change forever. 

One more week until our due date and an unknown amount of days until she actually arrives.  I can go as far as Feb 15th (42 weeks) and still use the Birth Center, but I do hope she arrives before then :)

Have a great weekend everyone...my next post will most likely be when she arrives!

Christmas 2012 - and 35 weeks!

Well Christmas this year was...different!

For one - Matt was not working.  It was so great to both have the same day off on Christmas.  However, he was sick!  Poor guy.  Came down with a nasty cold that still has not gone away.  I took him to the doctor yesterday so he is on the mend now...hopefully.

Secondly - we hosted guests!  It was fun to have the space to do so.  I need to unload the pictures from my big camera to tell the story.  Food, family, and insane number of gifts, etc.  We celebrated with family over on Christmas eve, and had planned on going over to other parties on Christmas day only to have Matt not be fit for travel.  Staying home was quieter, but still special - it was our last Christmas just the two of us.

Lastly, it was weird to have to work the day before and the day after.  It is not the same without it being a long weekend.  I was at work on Monday while a houseful of guests were in my home cooking and preparing for our celebration - and Matt was in bed!  Oh well.  You can't always be a hostess with the mostess!

Tomorrow marks 35 weeks.  I saw my midwife yesterday with my mom and all is looking well - right on target with growth, etc.  January will be a month of nesting and checking off my to-do list, that is for sure!

More photos to come - at any rate, I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a New Year is almost here!

Our Christmas Card 2012

We are going digital this year....mostly because at .45 a stamp while saving up to cover maternity leave a bit counterproductive!  Matt had fun playing with the colors...my ultrasound photo is a little alienish, but hey it has the holiday colors, right? :)

We have decorated our little house some - the home in the bottom right of the photo has our little tree on display.  I hope to get to taking some indoor shots soon, too.

We are less than 8 weeks from baby arriving...and we have so much left to do!  It is exciting but terrifying at the same time.  I will never really feel ready though, right?  Still, we have had a pretty awesome journey.  Matt and I started dating in 2008, engaged and married in 2009, and in 2010 he started grad school.  He has accomplished that goal this past September:

Now, it is the holiday season and we are enjoying some quieter nights and weekends until she gets here.

It is important to plan even downtime, right?

More to come...

31 Weeks

Matt took a picture of me with his phone this morning...I am starting to feel BIG!

Sleep has become really difficult, as I toss and turn often to find the perfect position.  Unfortunately, it is really disruptive to Matt's sleep as well!  Poor guy...

I still get on the treadmill for the first 30 minutes of my morning, but now instead of a slow jog it is a brisk walk on a high incline.  I can't see my feet as well anymore!

Our baby is really active - lots of movement after meals and when I am trying to go to sleep :) 

She also gets the hiccups almost daily!  Adorable.

We are settling into December, filling up the calendar.  We have our last birth education class tonight, the fourth and last one.  I have really enjoyed them.  Next midwife appointment is on the 12th.  Fun church activities planned, family visits, and hopefully some down time to make crafts.

The front of our lil house with a Christmas tree up...cell phone picture, obviously...I need to take the photos off my big camera and do a post of the inside of it.  We have enjoyed making this place our home since the beginning of September.

At least it is an update - I squeeked something out this week ;)

Happy December, all!

A Weekend Hike

I had to post these pics that my dad took for my own enjoyment :)

Happy almost Thanksgiving, all!

29 Weeks

 I am finally getting a blog post up thanks to some pics that my dad snapped over the weekend!

 I was showing my mom the latest outfit that arrived in the mail and trying to picture our kiddo big enough to wear them...it is surreal!

I have been feeling really good - we are progressing nicely and in spite of some not so great sleep (just never totally comfortable) I am enjoying pregnancy so far.  We are 11 weeks away from our due date - and we still have *so* much to do!  I figure after the holidays we will finish getting what we need to, and hopefully stay under budget in the meantime :)

We had a great weekend with family as my brother Taraz is visiting from Colorado.  He is a really fun person to hang out with, to say the least!  We enjoyed a hike on Saturday and a family walk yesterday - it was nice to get outside in spite of pouring rain...

Matt and I are sneaky:  we are going to TWO Thanksgivings this year!  One at 2 at his brothers, and one at 6pm at my brother and sister-in-laws.  I am excited for all that good food.  Matt and I are running a 5k that morning so we will have an appetite...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  I think everyone already knows what I am thankful for...

25 Week Update

 This is my new breakfast everyday:  two "egg muffins".  I had to give up my cereal and fruit because it caused my blood sugar to be too high in the morning.  See, I did my first glucose screening at the midwife's last week....

I downed a nasty corn syrup drink before my appointment after not having eaten the past three hours.  After the appointment Matt and I went to Panera and had dinner and I thought all would be fine and dandy.  But then I got a call from my midwife the next evening...my glucose test had come back high :(

I was a teary mess.  Was it from eating a few Halloween candy treats during the week?  Did I not work out enough?  Will I get diabetes?  I cried also because the next step was a 12 hour fast/3 hour test that meant drinking twice as much of that syrup...first thing in the morning!  I would have to take a half day off to do the test, and I know that I would not be up to working after it.  It sounds like a horrible thing to do to your body.  The main ingredient was corn syrup.  How in the world does a health clinic push that kind of thing?

I decided I was NOT going to put my body (and my child) through the second test.  What was the point? If I passed, I would continue on as normal.  If I did not, I was referred to a dietician and given a glucometer.

Why not just go that direction anyway?  It would not hurt anyone and it is more education for me.  So I made an appointment with my physician who gave me the referral to the Diabetes Education Center at my nearby hospital.  It sounds like a lot of work to avoid chugging corn syrup!  Still, I feel it was the best decision.

I will be following a meal plan that means less carbs in the morning, and more nibbling throughout the day - no big meals.  Honestly, this was a good reminder to stay away from those desserts!

So that is the most recent update - my next appointment is in mid-November and I will get to review my progress then.  Our little girl is still kicking like crazy... :)

24 Weeks!

We love this little spot on our running route!

Plus, that "Bump Ahead" sign has been there since we moved to Bremerton :)

Life has been quite busy, work too - I hope to get some time next week to do some real updates!  I am feeling great and getting used to the constant kicking our daughter is doing at 3am...keeping mommy up...

We have family visiting in town this weekend and it is supposed to rain for the next week.  We have not had any rain in weeks - seriously - so this is very much welcome!

I have a whole new wardrobe of maternity outfits thanks to Matt's mom - she has smoke rising from her sewing machine.  I will have to post some pics of the outfits she has made. 

Have a great weekend, all!

Introducing....

...our little GIRL!

We are over the moon.  And a wee bit terrified!  Please moms of girls out there - send your advice and tips!  I was raised with all boys!  Seriously though, we are so excited and looking forward to parenthood. 

Off to the midwife this afternoon - I always look forward to these appointments as they are conveniently nearby a Panera Bread store :)  I love that broccoli cheddar soup!

Almost 21 week shot :)

A Little Vacation in Montana

Here is my mom (on the left) with her twin sister near St Mary Lake in Glacier National Park.

 Matt and I taking in the sights!  It was such a gorgeous day - the water was so still.  We really needed this little getaway...

 Well my hair looks a wreck, but it was a great trail just off of Logan Pass!  Can you see Matt in the photo? :)

 The twins again...I love this photo!

Family potluck out in the countryside.  What a great time!

Thanks Aunt Bonnie for the photos - I have not unloaded any photos yet from my own camera.  The time to sit in front of a laptop at home has just not happened yet...

Matt and I have been sooooo busy.  First of all:  he finished his Master's program on 8/31!  With a 4.0 GPA!!

Then: we moved!  Our new place is a little rental house a few blocks away, with 3x the space.  Thank you Lord!  It has been quite the process moving in (where did all this stuff come from?) but we are grateful for all of the help we got.  Our home is slowly coming together - there will be family dinners there in the coming weeks, I am sure...

Finally, we hit the halfway point of pregnancy!  I am not showing a lot which makes it not seem very real, but we got to see ultrasound pictures of our precious baby this morning.  Before I make any gender announcements, I would love to hear some guesses first...

Happy Friday!

16 Weeks!

Matt and I ran on Saturday, a slow-paced 11.5 miles!  I got the green light from my doctor and midwife to continue our running regimen which is two morning weekday runs of about 2-3 miles, and then on Saturday mornings we head out and do a longer run - usually 10 or so miles as we discover new trails in the area.  It is slow so my heart rate stays in the safe range, and also easier on my joints.  After our run (and random picnic in a Wal-Mart parking lot) Matt shared his coffee with me...just a leetle bit....then a NAP!

These runs are my sanity saver, lately.  Good time to talk about all the changes that are coming.  Matt finishes his Masters program in 12 days.  We are MOVING on labor day weekend into a rental home - no more itty bitty apartments for us!  I am so excited.  I have a week off of work, too.  It will be wonderful.  A much needed break from a busy routine...and wow the trails out here are challenging!  So many hills...

So I am hoping to take more belly shots when I think of it - it is amazing feeling the baby move.  Little flutters that make me stop in my tracks.  We will be finding out in about a month what we are having...I can't wait!

Happy Monday all :)