The Chronic Cuddler

I hate to brag (and I know it could change at any moment) but our baby LOVES to sleep! This does not sound like a problem does it? Well, there is one important ingredient involved in this love of sleep and that is the arms of a warm person holding him. Yes, Nate just loves to cuddle. This is also as cute as can be and luckily he has had LOTS of visitors who want nothing more than to snuggle. The down side is that there happens to be a time of day when cuddling and snuggling has to be put on hold - say roughly between the hours of 10pm and 7am! He is a good eater (thank goodness!) but when it's time to go back to bed and get some sleepies guess who is wide awake?! We can snuggle and cuddle for a bit to get Nate sleepy again but the minute he is put down and feels he is away from the warmth and a beating heart he knows and wakes up to tell you he doesn't like it. It could be worse of course. But mommy sure is tired today. . .

The Latest Trend

Yes, the latest Trend has arrived. Our Nathan Lucas is here - finally! I will give you the low-down but here are the stats.

Born Monday, March 23rd, 9:07pm
Weighed in at 8lbs, 10oz at 22" long

Although we were hoping for a last minute surprise Sunday night, we were waking up to a phone call at 5:55am on Monday morning from the hospital. "Can you come at 7:15?" Gee, let me think about it. We'll be right there!

It was a little surreal to be leaving for the hospital knowing we would be returning with our family a little larger. Even though we weren't in a hurry, it felt like Leo was driving fast. To be honest it was ok with me - we couldn't get there fast enough to get the show on the road.

When we got there we had the most amazing sunrise! I wish we had the camera out to capture the moment. We took it as a sign!

When we got there we were admitted and went into a room quickly. Nurse Rachel got me set up, Dr. Henderson came in shortly after and by 8:15am my water had been broken (don't worry, I will abstain from details here!)and drugs had been administered. Contractions started shortly after. They worked well because by 9:30 I was asking for the epidural. God Bless the man (or woman) who invented such a thing! That part wasn't too bad. When it started working it was even better.

The day went by quickly considering we didn't do much other than lay around waiting. We watched a movie, I tried to nap and I took a few phone calls. Our mothers were all so impressed (and jealous) that I was able to carry on a conversation while having such big contractions. Modern medicine is good stuff and I have no idea how women do it any other way.

By the early afternoon my body was progressing. By early evening we were even closer. The drugs that start the contractions were gradually increased and seemed to be working. At 7pm Dr. Alvarez said the progress was slowing however and the "C" word was mentioned. Uh oh. He said the drugs would be upped and we would give it another hour or two.

You know how we were hoping for BT to surprise us the whole time and just show up? And you know how we put out an eviction notice? Well, surprised we were when the doc finally called for the c-section to happen and it turned out we literally had to kick this kid out.

Around 8:30pm we were preparing for surgery and were shortly on our way. I was sad because I really didn't think this would happen, scared because so matter how common it is it is still surgery and pretty much in shock and disbelief - he was finally going to be here!

The OR staff was super nice and comforting. Still I was shaking like a leaf even before the extra drugs were given to make me extra numb. They prepped me and Leo finally joined me, all prepper as well in scrubs. I wish I could have gotten a picture of that but I (literally) had my hands tied.

In no time I was feeling pressure and Nurse Don was saying to Leo "Do you want to watch?" Surprisingly he said yes and stood up when they pulled the baby out of it's first home. I looked up at him as he watched and saw his eyes change from wonder to amazement. I watched Leo become a Daddy!

Nathan passed by me on the left but I didn't see him. Leo went into the next room with the nurses to get him cleaned up while I was being stitched up. The real shaking had started from the drugs which was a pretty awful experience to be so out of control. It ended about an hour later though.

After a few minutes I saw a tall scrub-clad person holding a baby. It took me a few seconds to recognize it was Leo. And that baby was ours! I could only see Leo's eyes and could see the crinkle of a big smile and that same adoration that is forever on his face. I saw the small patch of Nathan's face between the blankets before they again were taken to the other room. Leo told me the weight and length and I couldn't believe it. No wonder he wouldn't come out the old-fashioned way!

We all went to a recovery room where Nathan was finishing with his cleaning and testing. I was close by being tended to as well. Some family were there too for their first quick peek. I was pretty out of it but I know my mom was by my side for a short time and then they were all saying goodbye for the night to let us rest. Leo bought Nate over again. I couldn't wait to hold my baby!

It wasn't until a little after 11pm that I did get to hold Nathan for the first time. The nurses left him in our room for a few hours so we could get used to the idea that this kid was ours. We locked eyes and assessed each other. I don't know about him, but I approve.

We had the nurses take Nathan to the nursery for the evening so we could sleep. HA! There is no sleeping when something like this happens. So much to digest! I tried but I don't know that I got much sleep despite being so tired. Plus, who can sleep when there are people coming in and out of your room every hour, then the baby being brought in every three hours.

Tuesday we welcomed some company to come meet the first grandson of our immediate family. It was a rough day for me being sore from the surgery but I did get up at some point to stretch out and shower. Wednesday was much of the same but I was able to walk a but more and dress in real clothes versus a hospital gown. The nurses were nice during this time to get us through the yucky, painful and uncomfortable parts. The food wasn't too bad either. They have a rather large menu to choose from and I can get anything I want. Leo managed to benefit from this and snacked on any extras I could add on.

Thursday morning we were very much ready to go home. The doctors came and went to give us last minute checks and check lists. It's crazy how many people come in and out of your room while you are in the hospital. I have heard that after you have a kid your modesty is out the window. It's completely true. From doctors poking and prodding to nurses helping you do the simplest things to get through the day (Don't take advantage of the fact you can pee on your own!), you don't care who sees what. It's nice to not be shy about it, but it's weird for others who aren't quite there in life. If you have gone through the experience you know what I mean.

Thursday at noon we were on our way home. Nathan was a champ and slept the whole way. It was fun to bring him home and show him his room. Too bad he slept through the tour. He sleeps through most things. This kid is a sleeper through and through - truly Leo's son.

Thursday night, being our first at home just us, was a rough one. We knew it was coming but until you live it you have no idea. The feeding takes time to get used to, knowing what baby wants is hard to read at first, and having the confidence that you are doing it all right (and that it won''t last forever) adds to the long, rough road that is your first 24 hours at home.

Friday night went much better. My Mom (AKA GiGi) volunteered to stay the night to help us out. We started off ok but a little past midnight her services were needed. Thank goodness for mothers! She took care of Nate the rest of the night and Leo and I slept! It was such a relief to get some sleep, in our own beds. And GiGi was very spoiled to spend so much time with Nate. He sure is a spoiled little guy!

Today we welcomed more visitors. Nonni and Grandpa Stan came a couple times before going home, Aunt Kerri & Uncle Rob came to visit at the hospitl, GiGi has been around everyday and then Pop (my Dad) and Uncle Greg & Aunt Danielle came down for the weekend. It was planned last minute - they saw his picture and just couldn't wait to meet him.

Now we are all enjoying each others company. Nathan was awake for quite a while this afternoon and is now enjoying a nap which is his usual state. It's funny how all eyes are on baby as if there is nothing else to look at or talk about. He is mesmerizing.

Sorry it took so long to get the details out. I know most of you saw pics and heard the news anyway. But don't lie - you have been checking the blog everyday anyway. I don't blame you.

Ok, time to feed - again! More to come as our perfect little man turns our world upside down and right side up again.

The Last Hours

The night before we left NY for NC we wrote a blog post - perhaps our first? - that documented our last hours as Yankees (we will always be Yankees at heart - don't worry I'm not talking about the team). Before the wedding we had time to yet again document the final hours before we became Mr & Mrs. And now, much to our surprise, here we are counting down our final hours before we become someone's parents.

We had always pictured the event to start in a lot of other ways . . . like in the middle of the night, the middle of the grocery store, movie or dinner in a restaurant. But no. It will be a planned out Monday morning. Our bags are packed, our house clean, our bills payed. The only thing we are in the middle of is March Madness. Leo probably won't miss a game since there is a break for a few days to accommodate for Baby Trend's birth and arrival home! Now that I think about it, it sounds like a pretty good deal. I'll be able to shower, do my hair, even put on makeup if I so choose! For two organized people like Leo and I, you would think this would be a dream come true! And it is . . . but we were just saying tonight, it feels a little like a let down in some ways. Maybe because it is so "un-Hollywood". Well, I'm sure after this whole affair has come to an end tomorrow (please let this baby be born tomorrow and not after 24 hours of labor lasting into the next day!) we won't care how he got here. We will just be happy he is finally here.

And so will everyone else. I of course have a huge family and both of us are lucky to know and be friends with sooooo many people. But you never really know how many people love and think about you until you are 8 days late having a baby! The e-mails, phone calls, facebook messages, etc have been overwhelming and wonderful. This little man has such a fan club already and he doesn't even know it!

To celebrate our last evening we did what I have been doing best this whole time and that is to EAT! We went to the Cheesecake Factory and I had the most amazing meal. I ate the whole damn thing and then enjoyed cheesecake (of course) a little while later when we got home. I did share a few bites but basically consumed the entire thing. I have to say, I'm kinda sick of eating even though it was quite delicious. I'm glad though - I will no longer have the pregnancy excuse. I'm quite happy to move on, back into a less sloth-full state and more towards the "old me." I can't wait to be able to put my socks on without huffing and puffing and walking around the block feeling like I will break in half from the weight of this kid inside! I have enjoyed every blessed (and unnessecary) calorie. And now I'm ready for the next phase.

The last thing I hope to accomplish before we meet this next phase officially tomorrow is one last night of sleep. I said weeks ago, "I can't imagine knowing for sure what is coming the next day. Sleep must be awful the night before! The anxiety!" I had to speculate didn't I? Well, last night was not so successful but perhaps that was part of the plan, as is much of what Mother Nature does. I'm still extra tired from so little shut eye last night so hopefully that (and perhaps a light sleep aid) will help me achieve my goal and I will be refreshed and ready early in the morning.

We don't know when we will be off to the hospital tomorrow but we are supposed to get a call to let us know. The doc told us to be ready when the call came so ready we will be. How can we not?! I'm sure by noon we will be settled into a room, hooked up to whatever drugs they use to get this process started and hopefully not far away from the end result - meeting BT and finally giving him his real name. BT has stuck so I almost hate to pick a name that doesn't start with "B". But you will still have to hang out and wait for that last bit of information. We have to have SOME surprises here!

Wish us luck on the next step of our adventure! We can't wait to introduce the new addition of our family!

We had no choice...

Baby Trends Eviction Notice
(Click on it)

Signs

As you may know, there have been no signs of our little booger coming out anytime soon. We could be surprised and he could decide to pop his head out anytime of course. But the doc today said no change. We had a little non-stress test done and he is healthy and doing well in there. There were a couple contractions that registered too which surprised me. It seems the strange tightening in my chest I have been randomly feeling for a while counts as a contraction. Who knew? I used to think women were crazy for not recognizing one when it came but I guess they come in all forms. Still, it doesn't change much at the moment. We are scheduled for a Monday induction should we need it so I have decided to resign myself to 3/23. That way, if he wants to cooperate and come within the next 4 days I will be super surprised. So no more intuitions and comments like "Tomorrow is definitely the day." I don't want to hear it. It's getting tired of waking up and realizing another day has passed and no more activity has taken place.

Another thought I had was maybe there are no signs because he is waiting for the signs to change. Through Friday he would be a Pisces. Maybe he is meant to be an Aries?! I feel I am a classic Libra and Leo is . . . well, he's a Leo of course! (Although interestingly could have been a Virgo if another three or so hours had passed.) That makes me feel better - he's just waiting to align with the stars.

Hey - I've been sitting here waiting, thinking and looking for "reasons". Let me have my theories to get through another day!

Leo has been great as usual through all this. He encourages me to walk, drink water and all that good stuff as well as goes out of his way to hit every bump and pothole in the road while driving to get things moving. On one of the rainy days he made me do laps in the house to get my walk in. Now that March Madness has officially begun though I'm sure he will be sucked into the world of sports for a while. I guess I have something to pay attention to as well since our bracket (me and BT) will be the winner(s).

Well, it's a beautiful day here, nearing 70, so maybe I will sit out and get a little color on this pudgy pale face of mine. Ugh - I'm so glad most of you can't see me. I feel cow-ish. Moooo. . . . But Leo still says I'm beautiful. I think I will keep him.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Too bad someone isn't here to wear it!

Is this the hardest part?!

Will Leo have been right all along? Perhaps this kid is very much a daddy's boy and looking to please from the start by arriving on St. Pat's. Another 24 hours will tell.

We were discussing which part of labor will be the hardest. I'm thinking this part is! The waiting is tough. (As you all know too I think!) Not only because it is physically rough, but you have so much more time to think about things. Yeah, some days I feel good about the extra time and use it to learn something new or get closer to finishing a book (or this puzzle that has been sitting on our dining room table for weeks). But for the most part, the more time to wait, the more time to wonder things like, "Did I pack the right outfit to take him home in?", "How much will it hurt to have these needles sticking into me? And will it really help with the seriously real pain of childbirth?!", "Am I gonna miss Lost this week?", "Is he gonna be a good sleeper?", "What if I forget to pay my credit cards this month?", "What if I can't sleep again tonight?", "Am I gonna feel fat forever?", "What the heck do you DO with a kid all day anyway?", and most often "When is this event actually going to happen?!" See what too much time can do to a person?

Well, as far as baby's outfits go, we have a special one all ready to Baby Trend tomorrow thanks to Grandma Sharon (AKA Nonni). It is washed and ready to go. Even if I do have to pin it to my belly for the day . . . :(

Missing: Good Sandwiches

So I have this local on-line forum that I have been using for info on mom stuff and other general stuff. I asked if anyone knew of a place around here that does subs. You know, long sandwiches for parties and whatnot. I actually got a response that said "I like Quiznos."

Sigh . . . we have a long way to go down here before people really get what they are missing from up north!

Happy BIRTH Day?

Wow. March 14th already huh? Despite my recent bitching and moaning, I have to say the date came pretty fast - which is more than I can say for this baby! Last night around midnight I had a little back pain and thought what a cool story it would be to have things start up right on the day. . . sorry to say no such story exists currently.

So, Leo and I enjoy another day together just he and I. What we will do to fill it I'm not sure. I'm getting my final massage in a while - perhaps my miracle worker massage lady can coax him out somehow. And Sharon and Stan have come up for a few days to visit. Ok, they really came up "just in case" but regardless of what comes in the next few days, it's nice to be together anyway. Leo said we should have planned something that we really wanted to do this weekend so that Murphy's Law would have us having a baby instead and missing it. I don't think reverse psychology works with these types of things. But what do I know? And really, who can think of something better than meeting your kid for the first time. I can't!

Apparently . . .

. . . I have a freckle at the very bottom of my belly button. Isn't that strange? Who knew? It has completely popped now and is cutely sitting there inside out. It's not as gross as I thought it would be.

In other news . . . oh. There is no other news. Just another day so far. The weather has held up and been wonderful for several days. Today is the last on the spring/ summer agenda. Soon we will get into the 40's/ 50's and some rain. It was nice while it lasted though.

Aaannnnd that's about it. More to come soon I hope.

Single Digit Countdown

Wow. Weird to see the little countdown over there get so low. 6 days as of today! Crazy! Leo and I are wondering what will happen if BT isn't here by the 14th - does the counter go into negative numbers? I hope we don't have to find out!

Heavenly Sleep

FINALLY I was able to sleep through the night. It was amazing! Today has been good. The first day in a several weeks I feel more like myself. (Well, my pregnant self. I don't know if I'll ever feel like my pre-pregnant, non-mom self. Weird.) Leo and I slept in, enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of fresh fruit, eggs and pancakes ("Guess what? I like pancakes". . . inside joke . . .) and even went for a short walk around the block to enjoy the fresh air, sun and 75 degree weather. It's downright hot today! But beautiful.

I have to give credit to many factors - my massage lady Cheryl, my doctor who gave me the drugs, time, my Mom for bringing me food, my hero Leo and my family & friends who have kept me and BT in their thoughts. Without all this who knows how I would be feeling today?! Thank you!!!

Today we got a package in the mail too. My Nanni made one of her gorgeous afgans, a cute little one - perfect for swaddling, and a large handmade quilt. I saw the beginning of it at my NY shower and it showed up completed today. It's gorgeous and I can't wait for BT to see it too! Pictures to follow soon.

On the mend . . .

A quick update for you. (No, no baby.)

Last night was a pretty miserable night. I was up around 2am with more pain in my side. No matter what position I tried it was horrendous and I was losing my mind completely. After some time I did finally find a position close to sunrise and got a little sleep but was getting worried something else was going on - where could this pain be coming from!? I called the dr and they took me in. Leo and I were worried they could say and do little to help. But they made the trip worth it when I was handed a blessed little piece of paper that held a perscription for drugs. Hooray!!!

Long story short, I am sitting on the couch enjoying the effects of a little less pain and a lot of sleepiness. The pain is from the lingering muscle stuff - no gall bladder, appendix or other organ issues that my frantic mind made up stories about all night. And so it is just a matter of time before it goes away. I can live with that. I also asked if this will affect labor should it start sooner than later. Dr said it should be ok - after dealing with this all week labor may not be so bad. And as long as I get those drugs I will not have a problem. So perhaps a little practice pain will have been worth it?!

Thanks again for all your thoughts and concerns. It's nice to know you are all out there reading and waiting!

Another day, another pain

I know my Press Secretary, um I mean husband, Leo, has been directing you to the blog for an update lately so I had better keep up. You have all been so nice to call or write to check in on me. Well, maybe it's all about the baby already but you still have me to deal with so reports on me is what you will get.

Yesterday the pain I was feeling turned out not to be regular old muscle pain or even rib pain like I started to suspect. It's a little more involved than that and involved getting my massage therapist over here to work on my "trigger points." I won't try to explain it, that's what Google is for. But it does have to do with certain muscle tissues towards my back that were too tight and weren't getting enough oxygen when I was coughing to much from the cold and were causing pain in other area such as around my sides and my stomach (or something like that). In any event, it sucks. My massage lady came and worked on me for over an hour and a half. She is quite an angel for doing so. If she is the saint of all saints I can't yet say. She said it would take 24 hours or so to feel the full effects. I'm counting down. . .

Last night was more of the same - it was an event to do whatever it was I wanted to do. You know, like sit down and enjoy a great episode of Lost. Yeah, that's right I said sit. I ended up standing and swaying partway through because it was more comfortable. I was terrified of going to bed. And I had every right to be as that experience brought on tears of frustration. Thank God for Leo. He is my hero.

After a little wait we tried again and I got into bed on one side knowing that moving an inch wasn't possible without major consideration. I'm glad I was so exhausted because I fell right asleep. A few hours later turning was a painful chore but I managed it then and several times after. Again, if I wasn't so tired today I would jumping off the roof (ha! as if I could even climb the stairs!) meaning although I am unhappy and in pain I did sleep for several hours so I'm not the cranky hag I might have been otherwise.

And so we wait. This time for the pain to subside a bit. If it doesn't I'm not sure what I'll do but I'm fairly positive I can't go through this for another day. Unless of course there is a wonderful cocktail of narcotics I'm allowed to take. That seems unlikely but an upside to going into labor in my state - at least drugs will be nearby in a hospital.

More updates later as I brave my way through the day.

Tender Tummy

Well the coughing has subsided thank god! But because it was so violent at the time, my stomach muscles are in much pain. I'm pretty sure I pulled them on both sides - although I haven't used them in so long maybe I just forget what they feel like. In any event I'm in much pain and moving even slower. Every position hurts expect maybe laying down. And then turning over - forget it! I have to hold me breath and move as fast as I can (which doesn't really look fast) to get it over with. I was hoping today it would feel better but this morning I am not comfy. And so as much as I would love to introduce BT to the world sooner than later, I have to hope he waits until mommy's sides are feeling better. I can't imagine contractions on top of this discomfort. Wish me luck as I tend to my tender tummy!

Persistent Cough

Once again we enter another week without much excitement. It did snow overnight which is always welcomed by me. And although I usually love to watch the white stuff fall, I didn't really need to be awake to watch it from 1am to somewhere around 4am. Alas, I had another rough night dealing with this little sickness that hit me last week. I was sure we were going to get away with no germies in the house this winter. So close . . . ! I am feeling better since this started last Tuesday, but I have this persistent cough that the doctor told me I can expect to have for another "week or so." Gee, thanks doc. Hopefully that's not the case. Leo will most certainly make me start sleeping in the new "guest suite" upstairs. Or he will have to move his butt up there himself. Either way, I don't think I can take this for another week, let alone another day. My stomach muscles are so sore now and I'm sure even BT is getting tired of the constant disruption and I could have sworn I cracked a rib for a while. The doc assures me though that it's not hurting him and that time will heal all that ales me.

As for Leo he is healthy and the most wonderful partner I could ask for right now. He helped with cleaning this weekend, has done an extra trip or two to the store to get any allowed drugs I can get my hands on, and has been super supportive during my midnight breakdowns. He wears the daddy-to-be hat proudly and he does an excellent job of supporting us and making us comfy and healthy already. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I am so darn lucky!

Tonight we expect cold weather (around 16 degrees!) so the snow should stick around at least another day or so before we rise to 70+ by the weekend. We figure by then my cold will be long gone as well and we can open the windows and doors and welcome the change. (Hint, hint, BT - you hear me? Warm weather this weekend! Wanna come out and play?!)

By the way . . . anyone have a good home remedy for a cough?