He's Here!

Well, it's been just over two weeks now since Peter made his appearance into this world and I am finally getting around to writing his birth story. I mainly want to document this so I can remember it later, but I also really love reading other women's birth stories so I wanted to share mine as well.

I can already tell it will be a struggle to keep this somewhat concise. It's difficult to sum up a 28 hour labor in a few paragraphs. As the day went on, I made notes in my phone about what happened and when so I could blog about it now. However, I think it's probably best to ditch the hour by hour summary I originally started (when I thought it might be 8 hours or so) and go for a more general overview now. 

41 Weeks

I wasn't progressing toward labor by my due date but I wanted to go into labor naturally so we kept waiting another week (and I tried every home remedy I could to try to start labor). At my 41 week appointment, we learned that my body was producing more amniotic fluid each day to accommodate my growing baby. (Typically you lose fluid at the end of your pregnancy.) Instead of Peter dropping down and putting pressure on my cervix causing dilation and effacement, he was actually floating up and getting farther away from where he needed to be. We decided to go ahead and induce that night. We left my midwife appointment was about 4:30 p.m. and met my parents at Applebee's for an early dinner. (My parents arrived on Sunday and we induced on Monday night.) We arrived at the hospital at 6:00 for my induction to begin, but there had just been a crazy fast labor (baby came 3 minutes after they arrived at the hospital after driving 125 mph to get there!) and everyone was tied up with them so we just got put in a room and we watched TV for about two hours while we waited for someone to come check us in and get things going. 

A nurse finally came in about 8:00 and things got started from there. They gave me a pill that was going to thin out my cervix and a sleeping pill so I could get some rest before labor really got going the next morning. The plan was to start Pitocin the next morning but I woke up about 2:15 a.m. and felt some pretty strong contractions. I labored on my own for about an hour before I woke Kory up and called a nurse because I could just barely breathe through the contractions. She helped me get in the jacuzzi tub, which sounded really relaxing and ended up being very painful! The jets were SO powerful I could barely force myself to stay in there for about 15 minutes.  

Going into this labor, I really wanted to do it medication-free, but I always gave myself the freedom to change my mind during labor. I held out until almost 5:00 am before I realized this pain was going to be more than I wanted to/would be able endure "naturally". I was still only at 2 cm and not completely effaced and I knew I had a long road ahead of me. My contractions were one minute apart and lasting 30-40 seconds so I just felt like I couldn't catch my breath and recover in between. 

I got pain medication including an epidural and it was absolutely the right decision for me. My labor continued to progress very slowly and they started Pitocin mid-day Tuesday. I slept off and on through the day as the meds made me very sleepy (and also quite sick to my stomach, so I vomited several times). I spent the day texting friends, watching TV, visiting with my parents and Kory, napping, and thanking God for the gift of modern medicine and pain relief.

By about 7:40 that night, my nurse figured I was probably getting close to fully dilated and effaced, so she checked me one last time. I was finally ready and she decided we should start practicing pushing so I could be ready for the real deal when my midwife finished delivering the baby across the hall. I still had the epidural at this time so pushing was really difficult because I couldn't really feel if I was doing it correctly. We kept practicing and basically just never stopped. After about an hour and a half of pushing, my midwife, Cherie, said she needed to go get the OB and bring him in because we weren't really making progress and we needed to talk about our options.

The OB-GYN Cherie works under, Dr. Wonderly, is a good friend of ours from church and even though I wasn't under his care, he stayed around for my whole labor and delivery to make sure everything went well. He came in and explained that 95% of the time, women who've pushed as long as I had and haven't really made progress aren't going to be able to deliver the baby vaginally. Peter's head was kind of stuck and he was having trouble making his way down because of it. I was really determined to avoid a c-section if at all possible so I asked if we could keep trying and told him I knew I could do it if they'd just let me try. He asked if I could push for another hour and I told him I definitely could. What I didn't know at this point was that they had turned my epidural off and pumped up the Pitocin so that my pushing could be more productive. If they told me they were going to do that, I probably would have folded and said I couldn't do it, so I'm grateful they didn't tell me what was going on.

Kory was holding one of my legs and counting through the pushes and coaching me and encouraging me and being all around amazing the whole time. I truly can't get over how helpful he was to me in delivery. After another hour of pushing, Dr. Wonderly came back in and said we had made enough progress to keep going and that he believed I could push this baby out without surgery. I was so thrilled! However, I had no idea that we were just over half-way through this pain. I ended up pushing for just over 4 hours. I asked Cherie to let me know when I could feel his head coming out as I thought that would be good motivation for me to keep going. I am so thankful I did that as it gave me the boost of energy I needed at the very moment where I was saying, "I can't do this. Maybe I should have got the c-section. I can't do this anymore."

One of the coolest parts of the whole experience was that Kory got to be the one to actually deliver him.  Peter's head and shoulders were out and Cherie had me quit pushing and told Kory to reach down and grab Peter under the arms and pull him out. In addition to being the biggest physical relief I have ever felt in my entire life, I will never forget the sight of Kory holding our baby boy and turning to give him to me.

Peter was born at 12:03 a.m. on Wednesday, November 5. He weighed 8 lbs. 7 oz. and was 21 in. long. His head and chest both measured 14.5 inches. These past two weeks have been really difficult and really amazing! We can't stop thanking God for this newest blessing He's given us.

Next up, I'll share about our extended hospital stay and what I've learned in the past two weeks of being a mom. 

40 Weeks

How Far Along: 40 Weeks

Food Comparison: Mini Pumpkin (Ultrasound today showed him weighing 8 lbs 11 oz, give or take 1/2 lb)

Weight Gain: 42 pounds

Maternity Clothes: I have very little clothing that fits at this point. Stretchy pajama pants and Kory's t-shirts are my friends.

Sleep: Compared to pre-pregnancy days, it's awful. Compared to life with a newborn, I am probably sleeping pretty well. :)

Miss Anything: I miss when things like putting on pants, getting out of a car, or turning over in bed were quick and pain-free.

Movement: Lots and lots of it and he is getting strong, so they aren't sweet and small movements like they used to be.

Food Cravings: Junk. I want lots of stuff that's bad for me and I am not really interested in fruits or veggies at all.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really. 

Gender: Boy.

Belly button in or out: Out, but not by a lot.

Wedding ring on or off:  Been off for about a month now.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and excited!

Looking forward to: All of it. Labor, delivery, meeting Peter, seeing Kory as a dad, not being pregnant, being a mom.

Midwife says: I have progressed very little towards labor, but Peter and I are both healthy and doing great! We will go back to see her Thursday and talk about possible induction plans then. 

The sonographer also said we have a large-headed baby who is in the 85th percentile right now. We hope he's got a strong neck to support that giant noggin. :) 

Question of the week: Are you ready? 

Yes! We are ready on all levels, but we are not anxious or miserable. It was a great due date day for me anyway as I got my braces off today! My orthodontist was able to fulfill his promise of getting them off before I gave birth, so now Peter can come join us anytime! :)

#comeonPeter!

Peter's Nursery

We finally finished Peter's nursery yesterday! It feels so good to have that done. Of course, as soon as we "finished" it, we found two more things that need to be hung on the walls, but I'm calling it good enough for now.

The room turned out exactly like I wanted it: simple, cute, and makes me happy when I walk in the door. I didn't want a room overflowing with "stuff"and I didn't want something so "theme-y" that it couldn't be re-used or grow with Peter.

We have both a rocking chair and glider because we were given both and I think they look great in the room. One of them may eventually move out of the room, but for now, I like that Kory and I both have a place to sit in there.

There are a few baby items not pictured as we have a Pack and Play and a swing in the living room and a co-sleeper bassinet in our room. Things might get moved around as we find what works best for us and Peter, but this arrangement is good for now.

Ok, onto the pictures. The lighting in our house is SO weird. I re-took these pictures a jillion times and opened curtains/blinds, turned on lamps, turned off overhead lights...none of it seemed to matter. Oh well, you still get the idea, even if the picture quality is not great.

Panoramic View of the Room

View right as you walk in the door. Curtains made by my mom.

This orange wall was overwhelming at first, but it works well once the room is filled.

The oar was actually our first garage sale find and the inspiration behind the rest of the room.

Built-in dresser drawers and a counter really help to free up space in the room.

I want to live in this glider-it's SO comfortable!

An organized closet makes me giddy. 

These shutter doors remind us that we live in a house built in the 70s. 

Mt. Everest hangs above the crib for Peter Everest

My mom made this bedding, which I absolutely love!

We are ridiculously excited to get to read these books with Peter.

So, there you have it. We are really pleased with the way it turned out and even more thrilled to meet the little boy who inspired it all.

Lately

(I started this about 2 weeks ago and kept forgetting to finish it up and publish it. Hence, some of it is kind of old news, but I'm hitting publish anyway.)

Here's a small peek into the craziness that is my brain lately:

My latest favorite nickname for Peter is "peetatoes" :) I am still not a huge fan of Pete, yet I find myself calling him that. I am working on it. I actually really love his middle name, Everest, and want to call him Everest but Kory says no...I am working on that as well.

I am completely obsessed with foxes these days. Anyone else? It's mainly in baby clothes, but I want to own every single thing I see with cute little foxes on it. I even packed Peter a fox outfit for his clothes to wear home from the hospital. (I just started packing our hospital bags this weekend after reading a million blogs about what to pack.)

Speaking of blogs, I read this quote in a blog shared by my friend, Julie, today and it's really stuck with me. "Our kids need grace so much more than they need organic vegetables." That's not a popular thought these days, particularly in a place like Oregon, but I can't quit thinking about it.

I have heard lots about the nesting instinct that comes late in pregnancy, but no one told me it became a total obsession that takes over your life! The nursery closet, specifically, has been my obsession for the past couple weeks. I worked on it every evening after work (if I was home), I dreamed about it, and I made to-do lists for how to organize it when I wasn't at home. I am happy to say it's looking good these days and I don't have any more work to do in there until we get some more baby items. 

I moved the co-sleeper into our room where Peter will sleep for a while after he's born. For now, it makes a really great pillow holder! 

I have always felt a strong need to prove people wrong. I am one of those people who thrive on doing something that other people said I couldn't do. Pregnancy has amplified that as people tend to be very negative about the end of my pregnancy, labor/delivery, and having a newborn. I would love to say I am rising above the pettiness and not thinking about what other people say...but that's just not true. I know myself well enough to know my own stubborn ways. (I painted my own toenails at 36 weeks, just to prove that I could. Granted, my belly isn't that big, so it wasn't as hard as it would be for some other gals I'm sure.)

One of the very best gifts I received at my baby shower (which I haven't blogged about yet but fully intend to) was the freedom to not write thank you notes! Before I began opening gifts, my best friend, Abby, who planned the shower announced to the guests, "You didn't even know it, but each of you brought an extra gift for Mandy. Part of your gift to her is the fact that she is not required to write you a thank you note. Is everyone ok with that?" Of course, heads were nodded and I was overjoyed! I made double sure to thank everyone in person for their gifts at least once, and then I didn't come home with the burden of a jillion thank you notes to write. This was seriously a huge blessing to me! I have written thank you notes to people who have given us gifts and weren't in attendance at the shower, but it's been very manageable to do just a couple a day. I am caught up right now and it feels good!

Because I realize my life is about to change in a huge way, I have been buying gifts way ahead of time lately. I have gifts for several people with birthdays in November already and even have a few Christmas gifts taken care of. AND, I have a list going on my phone with everything I have purchased so I will remember those gifts when I am quite sleep-deprived. It's great to feel like I'm on top of things. I feel certain it will be a while before I feel this way again. :)

I have been out of town for work 5 days in these last two weeks. Kory was gone this weekend for a retreat with some of our high school students. He will be preaching next weekend, which means he's out of commission most of the weekend preparing for and attending 4 different services. He is out of town the following weekend for a men's retreat with our church. I am beginning to think we need to have this baby so we will finally get some time together!

Our washing machine and dishwasher have both developed issues lately. Both are still working, but the washing machine no longer does a final spin cycle so clothes come out really, really wet. The dishwasher is just not getting dishes very clean, and we have tried a lot of different things to fix it. I really love watching YouTube videos on how to repair things like this, but I think it's time we just call a repair man and get a professional to fix them this time. I am not really in any shape to be taking machines apart and crawling in and behind appliances. The washing machine definitely needs to be fixed before we have a lot of body-fluid-covered-baby clothes to wash every day!

It's been pretty hot here lately! We have had a lot of days in the high 90s and that is just not typical Oregon weather! I am very ready for cooler Fall temperatures and some rain. NM and Texas are flooding and I am stuck inside because it's 99 degrees outside--so bizarre! 

Kory's birthday is coming up next week, so we are in the midst of the annual holiday I made up called "Birthday Kwanzaa". Essentially, he gets one (smallish) gift every day for a week leading up to his actual birthday. I started this tradition when we moved to Oregon and had no family or friends around to help us celebrate birthdays. Thankfully, the friends part has changed, but it's still fun to extend the celebration beyond just one day. 

                             

Ok, that's all the randomness I can spill for one day. I'm about to go for a walk with my friend, Sky, and our stroller. I'm going to try to get Sky used to walking next to the stroller--we'll see how that goes! At least he can freak out now and knock the stroller over and it won't hurt anything. 

37 Weeks

Not too much has changed since last week, so I thought I'd answer some Frequently Asked Questions that I'm getting several times a day now.

How Far Along: 37 Weeks

Food Comparison: Swiss Chard (19.25 in. and 6.3 lb.) 

Are you still working? When will you quit? How long will you be off work? Yes, I am still working. I don't know for sure when I'll stop working. My plan for now is to work up until I have Peter--not necessarily until the very last minute possible, but I do want to save my maternity leave for time with Peter as much as possible. As of right now, I plan to begin my leave on Monday, October 27, but we'll see how that changes over the next few weeks. I will take 12 weeks of maternity leave. 

How do you feel? This is really a different answer every day. Today, my answer would be "good! I got a good night's sleep and am feeling pretty energetic today." Last week, I wasn't feel this way at all. I got a cold and was feeling sore and sluggish and very pregnant and there were moments I just wasn't sure I could make it for another month. Thankfully, I realized I was getting sick and took some cold medicine (including a night time formula that helps me sleep at night) and I feel like a brand new woman! 

Do you have a birth plan? Will you get an epidural? I do have a birth plan. I wasn't going to make one because I tend to make specific plans and then get disappointed when things don't go that way, but my midwife encouraged me to make a birth plan with an "ideal birth" as well as a "plan B", so that we at least know what I'd really like to happen. I understand it might change and, at least for now, I am ok with that. 

I do not plan to get an epidural or any other pain medication. However, I reserve the right to change my mind in the midst of labor. :) I really do hope to be able to give birth naturally and will do my best to make that happen. 

You have a midwife--does that mean you're doing a home birth? No, I will give birth in a hospital. My midwife will be with me there and if something happens and I need to have a c-section, the OB-GYN that she works under (who attends my church and I consider a friend) would perform the surgery for me/Peter.

Will you go back to work after baby? Good question. I think I will, but nothing is set in stone. At this time, I'm hoping to return to work Part-Time in mid-January, but we'll see how I feel once Peter arrives as well as how our finances look, what works best for our family, etc. There are a lot of factors to consider, so we will make this decision after Peter is born and we've got a better grasp on what life with a baby looks like. 

Are you nervous/excited/scared/freaking out? No/Yes/No/Not really. A friend remarked recently that I seem very calm and it helped me see that I feel very calm. I've prayed for peace and I believe God has granted it to me. I don't feel like I'm super hormonal or emotional these days. I feel excited and happy and am trying to soak up all this time with just Kory and I while we still have it. I'm also sleeping in and taking naps every weekend...and thoroughly enjoying the fact that I can still do that! I think part of the reason I'm not scared is that I really have no idea what I'm about go through. I told someone yesterday that the not knowing is a gift, and I think that's really true. I've prepared myself as much as I can, but I don't really know what labor/delivery/having a newborn is like...and I think it's probably best because I'm not worrying now about what I can't control later. Again, I consider it a gift from God and I will enjoy it while I have it. 

When will he be born? How big is he? Who does he look like? We live in an age of incredible technology, but there are still some unknowns. All of these things are in God's hands, so I'll be surprised with everyone else to learn the answers to these questions. 

36 Weeks

How Far Along: 36 Weeks

Food Comparison: Romaine Lettuce (18.75 in. and 5.75 lb.) 
As a side note, the measurements I'm listing here are the average for babies at this stage--I have no idea how much Peter actually weighs or how long he is right now.

Weight Gain: 36 pounds 

Maternity Clothes: My wardrobe is pretty small these days. I have two pairs of work pants that fit me: one pair of black pants and one pair of khaki pants. I have two pairs of jeans that fit (one pair are capris). I have maybe 3 long-sleeve shirts that aren't t-shirts. It's forcing me to be creative in the outfits I put together and is really helping me see that I can make it just fine without a lot of clothes. (I do have plenty of short-sleeve shirts and dresses that I wear pretty frequently--I'm just having to pair them with leggings and cardigans now as the weather cools off.)

Sleep:  Could be better, could be worse. My hips are the main thing giving me problems these days, and it is pretty painful to turn over in bed and try to get comfortable. 

Miss Anything: I can't think of anything I haven't already said.

Movement: He's definitely still moving a lot, but I can tell he's running out of room in there. His movements are much more contained and not as wild as they once were.  

Food Cravings: Ice cream. Specifically, vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup, pecans and crushed Oreos. I've made it more than a few times for dessert this past week. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: No, I can't really think of anything. 

Gender: Boy.

Stretch Marks: I finally had a couple show up on the left side of my belly, just above my hip. I also found a small one extending from my appendix scar. I'm not too upset about them, but I would be perfectly ok if they didn't invite any other stretch mark friends to the party.

Labor signs: None. I haven't been feeling Braxton Hicks, except that I occasionally reach down and notice my belly is hard, especially when I'm going for a walk. My midwife assures me that labor contractions are much the same and I won't feel them at all either ;) 

Belly button in or out: It kind of depends. Sometimes I look down and it's very crater-like and definitely in. Other times, it's poking out, though not a lot. I'm thinking it has to do with his position and whether or not he's pushing out on that part of my belly.

Wedding ring on or off:  Finally off. It happened about week 35. I even tried wearing my rings this weekend and they slid on very easily. Big mistake! I almost tore my skin on my fingers trying to get them off later, so I'm definitely done with rings for this pregnancy.

Happy or moody most of the time: Definitely happy, but I have cried at a couple silly things recently--remember that video of The Lion King (the musical) cast singing Circle of Life on an airplane? Yeah, I watched it again yesterday and couldn't even make it through the whole thing because I was crying too much. No clue why!

Looking forward to: This probably seems obvious, but holding my baby! Also, I pulled some Fall/Winter clothes out the other day and got excited to (eventually) wear some different clothes. I understand what women mean when they say they got really tired of their maternity clothes by the end. 

Other symptoms: I found out this week that I have pregnancy carpal tunnel syndrome. I didn't even know that was a thing until now. My hands, specifically my fingers and knuckles hurt really bad in the night and when I wake up in the morning. They don't bother me too much during the day, unless I am bending my fingers and flexing them. My midwife said I could buy wrist braces to help with the pain, but I'd have to sleep in them, so I've decided I'm close enough now to just deal with the pain. 

Swollen feet! As you can see in the picture above, nothing but sandals fit on my chubby feet these days. They still don't hurt me too much as long as I am able to put them up at night when I get home from work. 

Midwife says: I am measuring right on track (to the day!) to deliver on October 27. She won't start checking me for progress until 38 weeks, so I won't know much more until then. It's pretty crazy that October starts tomorrow and I can then say that I should get to meet my baby later this month! :)  

33 Weeks

(I am on a work trip this week so I had to take my own picture, after I was already in my pj's and remembered it was Monday.) 

How Far Along: 33 Weeks

Food Comparison: Pineapple (17 in and 4 lbs)

Weight Gain: I don't know. I never weigh myself except to answer this question. At my Appt last week I think I had gained 29 pounds? 

Maternity Clothes:  Shirts and dresses are getting shorter every day. As the weather gets cooler, I am thinking I can use long tank tops and leggings to make these maternity clothes work for a couple more months. I just hope it doesn't get too cool before he is born because all of my maternity stuff is for summer weather! 

Sleep:  Not great, but I feel like I am getting used to it, so I guess that's a good thing. I am not as exhausted as I was a few weeks ago, even though I am not sleeping much better. I assume it's just God's way of slowly preparing me for a newborn. 

Miss Anything: Laying on my back. Really miss it! I often daydream about getting to sleep on my back again...more than I daydream about meeting my baby :)

Movement:  He moves like crazy, until someone wants to feel him move and then he is perfectly still the entire time they have their hand on my stomach. 

Food Cravings: Burger King chicken sandwich, fries, and Hershey's pie. I want this every single day. (I don't have it every day, I just want to.)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Hunger. I have been snacking a lot more frequently lately but I still get hit with a wave of nausea at least once every single day and eating is the only thing that I can do to make it stop. 

Gender: Boy. Or that's what they tell me anyway. I will be in for a wild surprise if that's not true. 

Labor signs: None. I am especially thankful for that since I am currently in a hotel about 2 hours away from my husband and midwife :)

Belly button in or out: Just barely, barely out. 

Wedding ring on or off: On. I did have a scary moment when it got stuck last week, but it was 97 degrees that day and I was super swollen. My rings still fit normally otherwise. 

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy with a touch of easily irritated. 

Looking forward to: Working more in the nursery to get it organized and arranged. We should be getting our crib this week and I feel like having that put together will make this all a little more real! 

I want to remember: That people continue to tell me, "You are all belly. You haven't gained a pound anywhere else." I appreciate it; it's so nice to hear. It's just simply not true, but still so flattering. I mean, any woman who's ever been pregnant knows it can't be true, right? Is that just what you say because you know it's nice to hear? I obviously much prefer it to people telling me I am gigantic and huge and whale-like, but it is also really hard for me to just accept the compliment and not correct someone when they say it.  

I'm surprised by: how quickly this last trimester is going! A LOT of people told me these last few months would drag on and on. I know I still have 7 weeks to go, but it is going by so fast for me. I am sure the fact that I am still working and staying involved at church is a huge part of that, which only reaffirms my decisions about keeping busy and thinking about things other than this pregnancy. (I am taking time to rest, so don't worry about that.)