Early Parenthood: The First Three Weeks

Little Everett Alan turned 3 weeks old on Tuesday and a LOT has happened…one thing that hasn’t happened yet is his due date!  That’s not for another three days (May 18).  These beginning weeks of his life have been marked very much by juxtaposition.  I feel like the same person I was before, but at the same time have grown so much.  Mothering has felt very natural and easy to me, but is not without a steep learning curve and moments of exasperation, frustration, and even a couple panicky moments as well.  The most striking revelation about becoming a mother is the very clear feeling that despite the newness of everything, there is no other way.  Everett Alan has joined our life and it is unimaginable to envision a picture without him in it.

SO fortunate to have this little guy lighting up our lives

We love him

The first month has been all about relaxing together skin to skin.  Wouldn't trade it for anything!

THE FIRST WEEK WAS THE HARDEST

Still in the hospital, after the birth I felt so elated at having successfully given birth to a new little human in the way I did, and I felt proud and accomplished.  Mission complete!  Right!?  It wasn’t long before I started to realize that instead of the mission being complete, it was indeed only just beginning.  I have never in my life felt in such utter need of recovery while at the same time needing to learn and accomplish so much. 

Breastfeeding

Breast feeding was HARD – the nurses told us that late pre-term babies often have a more difficult time getting the hang of breast feeding – every time he went to breast he fell asleep and apparently he didn’t have a good latch besides.  Not that I knew what a good latch looked like!  My nipples started to hurt and get really sore and raw and I dreaded the feedings that came every three hours, followed immediately by pumping which resulted in nothing more than a drop or two of milk, if that. The pumping was to facilitate my milk coming in in the absence of his ability to really pick up feeding right away.  I just sat there in the hospital bed, enjoying holding him against my chest, looking at the clock and dreading the next hour long round of feeding and pumping.  After about three days, my milk came in and my breasts were full, hard, knotted, and uncomfortable.  Now instead of feeling fear of pumping with no results, I was afraid of too much milk all bound up in my breasts.  I never did get engorged breasts though, and for that I fully and completely thank my mother, who helped me with breast massage.  She showed me how to loosen up the initial milk and getting it flowing.  Without her help and support, I feel sure that my breasts would have become engorged, as I had no idea what to do.  As for the latching issues, after about a week, we consulted the La Leche League’s The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding to get some tips about how to help him to latch better.  A week of frustration, and sore, raw, scabbed nipples melted away in about two days, as I learned how to facilitate a better latch in him.   

I worked hard to pump this paltry amount of milk right when it first started coming in.

Milk drunk!!

Recovery

I have never felt at once not sick, but at the same time so remarkably and completely drained, exhausted, and overwhelmed.  Getting up to pee was a monumental task, as was showering, which I could have never done alone in the first several days. 

The apex of my exhaustion and feelings of being overwhelmed came on the Friday we went to the first doctor’s visit (three days after birth).  I had planned to shower and brush my hair before the 9:00 AM appointment, but that definitely did not happen. I did manage to get a dress on, and riding in the car on the way to the appointment I felt proud for getting clothes on and getting out of the house.  But once we got to the office, I saw other mothers with young babies who had brushed their hair and were wearing JEANS (looking back, they were probably 2-3 weeks post-partum, not 2-3 days), and the nurse who took us back to the room walked so fast, and I felt so slow and unable to keep up.  When we got to the room we had to undress Everett and of course he didn’t like that and started crying.  I started seeping silent tears right along with him, feeling slow, vulnerable, helpless, and overwhelmed.  In my mind, I could see the situation from the outside and knew that nothing was wrong – nothing that a lot of sleep and rest couldn’t fix.  I quickly recovered and the rest of the appointment and day went well, with me focusing on napping and resting.

For the first 7 days post-partum, I felt super, super exhausted and could just only muster the strength to shower in the mornings.  That was my big activity of the day, before I parked myself on the sofa until it was time to go upstairs in the evening for bed.  Again, physically I did not feel sick, but just consumed by an overwhelming tiredness (not to mention extreme soreness where I had gotten stitches).  It was difficult, but for the first 7-10 days, I had to accept that I could not physically do anything outside of care for my baby who mostly slept on my chest, only waking for feedings.  Around day 6 or 7, I started to get up and change Everett, or go to the fridge myself to fix breakfast.  Sometimes I would wonder if I wasn’t just being lazy or if I really needed to spend as much time on the sofa as I was, but then I would remember the kind of person I normally am.  The kind of person who gets up at 5:30AM before work to train for marathons (on Saturdays even!) is not the kind of person to waste the day away on the sofa if it wasn’t needed.  I had to trust that my body would tell me when I was able to do more.  Gradually, by two weeks post-partum, I was ready for a walk around the block (and then back to bed!), or a trip to my mother-in-law’s house for dinner (on the sofa!). 

Now, at three weeks and some change post-partum, I feel 60-70% recovered, and we plan our activities accordingly.  The morning is for waking up, feeding, showering, and eating breakfast.  By noon we are usually out of bed, showered, and ready to go.  Afternoons are for one activity (a friend coming by to visit, a trip to Jeni’s, figuring out some forms that need to be filled out) and a walk.  By around 5:00 or 6:00, it’s time to start thinking about dinner, which takes a while to put together, and then around 7:00, we eat and have relaxation time in which we might watch a movie.

Naked baby airing in the sun!

We're still working on mobile interest

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING!

Motherhood has come with a steep learning curve and my lexicon is filled with all sorts of words I barely knew existed before.  I’ve been reading lots of books and local motherhood forums, etc. and felt super proud when I was able to properly diagnose Everett’s first little malady – thrush, or a yeast infection in his mouth.  On Sunday evening, I started to notice some white patches in his mouth and I immediately thought “Oh shit, he’s got thrush!” (Something I would have never known without prior research.)  Monday I tried natural remedy of acidophilus and yogurt in his mouth, but by Tuesday it seemed worse.  So I called the doctor, explained the symptoms to them, which they confirmed was indeed thrush, and by Tuesday afternoon we had filled little Everett’s first prescription (boy, that didn’t take long!)  By Wednesday, his mouth was looking much better!

For tomorrow’s doctor’s appointment, we had to research a vaccination they’re recommending for Hepatitis B – for which we’ve made our decision about.  (The decision is a private one that, after having done ample research, only Chad and I need to be comfortable with.)  The point is though, who has ever heard of these things!?  Thrush!  Hepatitis B vaccines!  Latching!  Pumping!  Oh yes, that’s right:  every mother, or parent out there.  Well, we’re just getting our feet wet with all these decisions, and we think we’re doing a pretty good job so far :)

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE MOMENTS {written by Daddy}

Things we love: naked baby butt in the sun

Things we love: just waking up in the morning

One of the most amusing and simple ways we have enjoyed spending much of our day is just watching Everett’s facial expressions haphazardly change from one serious look to another. Sometimes he will be relatively calm and not fussing, but have a very confused or angst-filled look on his face. This will slowly melt into a look of near-sleeping intoxication, which will melt into a slight grimace, a grunt, then ultimately resulting in a squirting sound coming from his diaper. This is one of the funniest things we witness on a daily basis!

"Geeze Mom and Dad!  You just don't get it!"

Another enjoyable part of our day is our daily walk, which is usually through our neighborhood, or sometimes to a nearby park. We strap Everett to one of our chests in our Moby Wrap, which usually puts him to sleep in minutes. Over the last couple weeks, our walks are gradually getting longer and longer as Mommy is healing and getting her strength back. We can’t wait until we can take Everett to a metro park for a short hike, or to pick berries this summer at a local U-pick farm, or to take him on his first camping trip, all of which we are going to try and accomplish this summer.

Things we love: going for walks

Things we love: more walks - a trip to OSU

 

Things we love: bath time faces!

Week 36 Recap: An Unexpected Birth!!

 Tuesday April 22 began like any other morning:  Chad and I got up to go to the gym before work.  I was feeling a little tired, so I just walked on the treadmill next to Chad while he ran his 3 miles.  We came back home and I took a shower while Chad got things ready for breakfast and lunch, and made coffee.  When I got out of the shower, I noticed some pee leaking from me, and I thought it was weird because I couldn’t stop it.  I sat down on the toilet and tried to go to the bathroom, but I couldn’t…I thought maybe the baby’s head was pushing on my bladder and making me pee a little or something.  So I got dressed and went downstairs and told Chad about it, and then we sat down to eat breakfast.  Chad had made a mulberry pie on Sunday, so we ate that and it was tasty!!  Then I stood up and it happened again – I grabbed onto Chad and said “I’m peeing!  I’m peeing!  I can’t stop it!  I’m sorry!!” 

We went upstairs to get me changed – me leaking all the way up.  Then I looked up the symptoms of water breaking on the internet and it seemed possible that it could have been my water…it just looked like a clear liquid.  So I called my mom, told her what happened, and she told me to call the doctor.  I called the doctor and while we waited for them to call us back, Chad hopped into the shower – we were still planning on him going to work at this point because we didn’t think it was anything.  The doctor called me back, I told her what happened, and she told me to go to Labor and Delivery at the hospital.  Pretty much at this exact same time, I started having contractions.  They weren’t too bad, but definitely contractions.  I remember kneeling on the sofa in the media room, and then again when I was downstairs having to kneel on the sofa.  At this point Chad was running around trying to collect things “just in case” we were in labor  - I think we took the laptop, a book about pregnancy (uh why?), a book about breastfeeding (makes more sense), my journal to Everett, and a sweatshirt.  My mom decided that she was packing her bags and coming down right away.  Worst case scenario, it was a false alarm and we could go get lunch together. 

Then we hopped in the car and took off for the hospital, and as we did the contractions were getting stronger and stronger – coming on really fast and fairly hard!!  Definitely less than every five minutes!!  I called my mom and told her that we were on the way to the hospital.  While we were on the highway she asked how things were going.  She was talking; I was having a contraction and couldn’t say much of anything.  She said, “Well, you’ll know if the contractions are getting stronger when you can’t talk through them,” and I finally said, “Well, you didn’t hear me saying anything for the past minute or two, did you!?”  All the while, on the way to the hospital, the contractions were getting stronger and stronger and by that point, I was sure that I was definitely in labor!  We got to the hospital and parked and I made Chad take a picture of me in the parking lot – I happened to be having a contraction at the time, so I grimaced through it and leaned on the bike rack with my thumbs up while Chad snapped a photo.

Me in the middle of a contraction in the Dublin Methodist Hospital parking lot!

Around 10:30 AM, we slowly walked from the car to the lobby and went inside and Chad told them I was in labor.  They asked me if I needed a wheel chair and I told them that I could walk, so they walked us up to Labor and Delivery and sent me into a triage room.  I took off my work clothes, put on a hospital gown, and waited for a midwife to come in and examine me.  The contractions were getting pretty strong by this point – they hooked me up to a monitor and Chad did indeed confirm that the “contraction numbers” on the machine would go up when my contraction would begin.  Then a midwife came in and checked my cervix and told me that I was 5 cm dilated and definitely in labor– what a big surprise!!  Everything was happening so quickly – about 2 hours earlier I had thought I was going into work and here I was already almost half way through the entire process!!

 

In triage!!  Receiving verification that I am indeed in labor!!

Then a nurse came in and took me to a delivery room, where my contractions continued to get even stronger.  I think it was about 11:00 AM at this point – things were moving super fast and I couldn’t quite believe where I was.  They hooked me up to a Heprin lock (IV portal, but no actual IV) and put an external monitor on me.  I asked if the external monitor was necessary and they told me it was because the baby was “decelling” which meant that the heart rate appeared to be dropping every time I had a contraction.  It’s not that the baby’s heart rate was actually dropping, but they just couldn’t get a clear reading on it – the contraction kind of masked whatever else was going on in there.  They tried to put an internal monitor on the baby, but I told them that they wouldn’t be doing that.  Chad was asking them all sorts of questions and then I told him to call my mom.  She started asking questions too on the phone, like “With the presence of the Strep B virus, wouldn’t the internal monitor raise the risk of transmission to the baby?”  Then the nurse started holding the external monitor to me and she told me that she was able to get a better read on the baby’s heart rate.  I’m glad, because I didn’t want them to put a little hole in my baby’s head with their unnecessary monitor.  Incidentally, I acquiesced to the external monitor even though it was unnecessary (studies have shown that the monitor does not significantly reduce the rate of operative deliveries or of adverse neonatal outcomes).

Around that time, Chad’s mom quietly slipped in the room but I was in the throws of heavy labor and couldn’t really talk much.  My dad also called the room about this time, but I wasn’t able to take the call…Chad took it, while I powered somewhat loudly through another contraction (I believe my dad asked Chad “Is that Corey in the background?”)  In fact this point was the height of my labor, and I was vocalizing with each contraction – moaning loudly and trying in vain to get comfortable.  I tried sitting on a birthing ball, but it was way too low to the ground – it was not comfortable.  Then I tried leaning on the bed, and that was also not comfortable.  I remember standing, hovering between the birthing ball and the bed, wracked with the feeling that whatever I chose, the contraction was not going to become any more comfortable.  Eventually I decided that lying sideways on the bed was the best position to be in.   In between each contraction I took the opportunity to rest totally and completely rest, lying still with my eyes closed.  I remember the nurse saying something about “You can’t do X until you are X centimeters dilated,” and I said “Can you check me now!?”  She checked and I was at 9 centimeters – she said “I don’t think we’ll be in here too much longer.”  So a few minutes went by and she told me not to start pushing until I’m 10 centimeters dilated and as she’s telling me this I’m literally feeling the first urge to push, so I say again “Can you check me again!?” and she tells me that I am 10 centimeters dilated and says: “You can begin pushing if you want, do you want to begin pushing?”  And I’m thinking “I don’t know!  You tell me!  You’re the freaking medical staff!!” 

Shortly after, the obstetrician came in and was time to begin the real business of birthing the baby.  They had me take a deep breath and push to the count of 10 three times in a row.  I was not a fan of the third push…I wish we could have forgone it.  I pretty much usually half assed that last push anyways.  At the beginning of the pushing phase, it was difficult to get my head out of the way…the surmounting pressure and the knowledge that something is about to dramatically separate your vagina is not a comforting thought.  Let’s just say that I didn’t push as hard as I could right from the get-go.  However, I quickly realized that the less enthusiastically I pushed, the longer I was going to be doing hard work.  Pushing was a lot less painful than contractions, but a LOT more active work – my entire body was covered in sweat and I was doing everything I could in between pushes to catch my breath and regroup my energy for the next round.  The obstetrician was doing perennial massage – NOT comfortable.  I hated that!!  (But at the same time I appreciated it.)  She also brought in a mirror so that I could see the progression of the baby’s head.  Ew.  I would peek every once in a while and feel intermittently grossed out and fascinated by it.  Mostly though, I was either too busy working or resting to spend a lot of time watching the mirror of a baby’s head coming out of my vagina.  In order to get me to push more effectively, the obstetrician also had me play a game of tug-of-war with her.  Whenever I would push, I would also pull on a white sheet, while she pulled on the other half.  When a pushing contraction ended, I would be completely out of breath – I would use the times in between to rest as much as possible – often lying there with my eyes closed and not moving.  I was able to keep my sense of humor though – I remember when the baby’s head starting crowning the doctor remarked that it had a lot of hair and I raised my hands above my head and exclaimed “Yes!  That’s all I cared about!!”

My mom was standing on the left side of my head – she had been holding my leg out when I pushed, but I guess I pushed with a lot of force, so she sent Chad down while she tended to comforting my top half!!!  The nurse was at my right side, coaching me on pushing – when a contraction started, I pretty much focused everything else out and paid attention to her.  Chad was stationed at my lower left side, holding my leg open with all his might every time I had a pushing contraction.  The obstetrician and nurse kept asking me what I wanted to do or how I wanted to push or whatever, and I thought “Dude.  I do not want to make decisions right now.  Please tell me what to do and I will do it.”  At one point, the head starting to really emerge and the doctor wanted to do an episiotomy and I did have an opinion on that – I gave an emphatic “No!”  In my head I was screaming “This is not your standard of care!  This is not your standard of care!”  So she didn’t give me one (although I did tear).  Finally when the baby’s head had crowned half way and after about 45 minutes of pushing, I gave one final push and the entire body just came slithering out.  Somebody announced that it was a boy and they put little Everett Alan on my chest and toweled him off.  Wow!  It was finally over and we had a little son!  How exciting!!  I had asked them to wait until the cord stopped pulsing to cut it – which they did.  Chad cut the cord – gross.  I peeked a little bit but yeesh, it’s not exactly my cup of tea. 

 

The first few moments of Everett Alan's life!

Then the nurse told me she were going to “massage” (aka punch the hell out of) my uterus which was going to hurt, in order to get out all the extra blood and crap that was hanging out in there.  Oh my god, did it ever hurt.  I yelled out when she pushed down on me – I accidentally squished poor little Everett and also pushed the nurse’s hand away.  On the second “massage” I was able to prepare by holding my mom’s hand on the left and gripping the bed on the right.  She told me to relax – that she couldn’t effectively massage if I was tense.  Hahahaha.  That’s so funny:  relax while getting punched.  That’s impossible!  But whatever she did (and I’m not saying I condone it) it worked, because I could feel lots of stuff coming out.  Also, while my childbirth was just about 100% natural (I did very briefly take some antibiotics for the Strep B culture), I did NOT get a Pitocin free hospital stay!!!  After the birth, they gave me a short IV dose of Pitocin to contract the uterus to avoid post-partum hemorrhaging.  If I had realized what she was giving to me, I probably wouldn’t have consented, but in the moment there was a lot going on, I was focusing on my new son, and I was too tired to notice!!  Sneaky, sneaky hospital got a Pitocin point on me!!  At the same time all this is going on, the obstetrician is stitching up my tears while I’m asking her “Are you done yet?”

 

I don't know what was going on here but this was right after he was born

During these first few minutes I remember everybody remarking about how his face looked and all I could see was the top of his head!!  I remember at one point exclaiming “Are we bonding!?  We are supposed to be bonding right now!!”  And the nurse kind of laughed and said “Sweetie, you two are bonding right now.”  After about 30 minutes, I tried to nurse Everett and it went pretty well, impressively well, actually (although after that it would take about 7 frustrating and painful days to get the hang of nursing).  Also somewhere in that first hour the nurse had me get up to pee – I had been drinking LOTS of water throughout my entire labor.  They told me I had to go because a full bladder could lead to increased uterine bleeding.  The thing that impressed me when I first got up was how weak I was…I definitely needed help to get through the trip…at the same time, I was happy that I was able to get up and move around so soon afterwards.

Around 3:00 or 3:30 they moved us from labor and delivery to post-partum. I remember when they moved me, there was a sign with patient information that got updated each day, it had the nurses’ names, medicines I’d be taking, etc.  One section was titled “Goals for Today,” which when I saw it I thought it should be labeled “ACCOMPLISHED!!”  Only a few hours went by before I realized that the true work had only just begun.  Recovering my own body, while learning how to nurse in the hospital setting where nurses and doctors are constantly coming and going, was an extremely daunting task.  Over the next two days we were also supported by all the grandparents and an aunt, who all brought lots of food.  My mom also helped me invaluably with the steep learning curve of nursing, showering, and a million other things that I had never even considered I would need help with.

 

Everett and Mommy!!

Overall, I would say that Chad and I were able to get the best birth experience possible in a hospital setting (especially with the help of my mom, who was able to help advocate for me on several occasions).  Because we were informed we were able to stop some procedures that we didn’t want (internal monitoring of baby, episiotomy, cutting the cord early, and routine procedures interfering with initial bonding), but it was still a very medical environment in which I found it difficult to rest and recover after the intense and physically draining experience.  It would have been better for both Everett and me if they would quit coming in to check him – for example his blood sugar (by pricking him and making him cry!) every couple hours, and instead just let us sleep and actually recover.  In the end though, we had a quick labor that I was able to fully experience without putting drugs in my body or Everett’s.  I’m proud of what I know my body can do – when surrounded by loving support.  In switching my body from preparing for marathons and instead preparing for the big “race day event” of labor, I was able to physically and mentally prepare for the challenges of the day.  Given the parameters in which we had to work, we had the absolute best experience possible!!  I have lots more to say and could probably write another four pages about the next two days of our hospital stay/Everett’s life, but we’ll have to end it here for now!!  If I could sum it all up in one sentence I would say:  “Corey and Chad had a successful birth event resulting in a healthy and beautiful baby boy named Everett Alan, surrounded by the love and support of family.”

Little Everett Alan going home from the hospital!

Pregnancy Update: Week 35 Recap!

How far along?  This is the end of week 35…I just realized my due date is ONE MONTH from yesterday!!! 

Total weight gain:  I weighed 160.5 this morning...started at 131 pounds.   29.5 pounds so far….not bad!!

Baby’s size/development this week: Only one more week until the baby is considered full term (37 weeks).

Maternity clothes:  I had a day off today so I wore a skirt and tank top and felt pretty darn comfy J

Miss anything?  Feeling like a normal human being!!  I took a walk on the bike path today and all these people were jogging past me and it occurred to me that the experience was a lot like going to a bar and not being able to drink.  Bah!!  I can’t wait to go fast!  And run people down!!  Also there are a lot of volunteer opportunities this weekend for Earth Day (including one on our block even!) and I can’t participate because I’m too pregnant.  Boo!!  I just don’t think planting trees or picking up trash or whatever would be all that productive for anyone at this late date.

Food cravings:  Wednesday I felt like total crap (my stomach was upset and I was super tired) and I ate peanut butter puffins cereal for dinner (with some strawberries and milk).  I don’t usually buy boxed cereal, but I just NEEDED it.  The box only lasted like….16 hours.

Anything making you queasy or sick?  I was kind of queasy several days this week due to a stomach bug or something.

Sleep:  I have felt REALLY tired this week – so glad it was only a four day work week.

Best moment of the week:  Last weekend Chad and I went for a walk and we saw three snakes along the bike path (which I heard is a sign of a healthy ecosystem) – that was pretty cool because how often do you see snakes!?  Two of them were cuddling.  Aww.  Friday was nice because I just got to hang out at the house and clean or nest, or whatever it is that it’s called at 9 months pregnant.

Nursery:  I did some cleaning of the changing table Friday and this morning I lined it and put all the diapers away.  Before yesterday there were large piles of diapers and diapers hanging on drying racks even though they were dry.  Sunday morning I hope Chad can put together the pack and play so it’s one less thing we have to worry about (he doesn't know this yet – ha)

Weddings rings on or off?  Wedding ring is definitely still on.  Little bit of swelling in the hands this week though, especially after going for walks in the warm weather.

Belly Button: Dude, my belly button is still in.  This thing is amazing!!

Movement?   Moving all the time!  Yesterday afternoon when I was eating a tuna salad sandwich I felt my stomach shudder…so then I thought that the baby really hates tuna or really loves it J

Labor signs?  I don’t think so.  When my stomach was upset on Wednesday I had some pains in my stomach—that felt like the kind of pain you have with an upset stomach, and not at all what I imagine a contraction to feel like.  But then I started getting paranoid and thinking “What if this is what it’s like and I am just totally misreading it!?  Better safe than sorry – I’ll call my doctor just to make sure.”  They told me to take some tums and be sure to drink enough water.  So instead I went home and ate lots of cereal and drank lots of water.

Weird pregnancy thing of the week:  I've just been really tired this week.  My stomach is getting HUGE.  Chad said he felt like it sort of grew out of nowhere in like a day and I agree with him.  Like one day it was quite large and the next day it was HUGE.  Still though, at our doctor’s appointment on Wednesday my stomach was measuring 35 centimeters, which is spot on for 35 weeks.

Daddy is feeling:  Note from Mommy:  Daddy is still insanely busy.  I think I’ll make him update next Friday though J

Mommy is feeling:  This was kind of a stressful week.  Lots of distractions on top of feeling tired and having that stomach bug.  I’m letting all the stressors of the past week roll off my shoulders though.  Three day weekend with beautiful weather – what more could you ask for!!  I’m using the weekend to get lots done:  continuing to clean out house and take stuff to Am Vets for donation, I made more peanut butter yesterday afternoon, doing all the laundry this morning.

Workouts this week:  

Saturday:  4.5 miles/1 hour on elliptical

Sunday:  1.6 mile walk on the bike path with the husband (saw snakes!)

Monday:  3.09 miles/40 minutes on elliptical

Tuesday:  None

Wednesday:  None – missed yoga.  Super pissed about that!!

Thursday:  None

Friday:  2.75 mile walk along bike path

Books I'm Reading/Media I'm Ingesting:

Lots of interesting pregnancy-related material this week, but none of it in book form.

• The Longest Shortest Time  (podcast/blog about early parenting) – This American Life (TAL) posted a link to an interesting podcast episode about a woman who felt cheated by Ina May Gaskin's (the godmother of modern midwifery) birthing philosophy when her own birth experience didn't go as planned (and actually ended fairly traumatically with long-term perineal damage).  I can’t say that I agree with the sentiment in the podcast, but it is an interesting perspective I hadn't considered.
• Radiolab "23 Weeks 6 Days” (science podcast) – Babies “born” before 22 weeks are medically considered miscarriages and not viable outside the womb.  Babies born after 25 weeks are considered to be possibly viable and doctors will fight to save them.  This story, which aired last week, is about a baby born in that grey area between 22 and 25 weeks.  It was a heart wrenching and emotional story but we really enjoyed it.
• Call the Midwife (PBS TV show) – I watched a lot of this earlier in the week when I was feeling pathetic and crappy and spending all my time laying on the sofa.

Looking forward to: 

• A gorgeous spring day!!
• Dinner with friends at our house this evening.
• Easter dinner at Chad’s mom’s house tomorrow. Ham! Carrot cake!
• I want to die Easter Eggs!! I hope we can make this happen.
• Planting pumpkin seeds Sunday morning.
• Lazily waking up on Sunday morning with my husband with no reason to get out of bed.
• Yoga this afternoon to make up for Wednesday’s bust!

Week 35 Photo
And here is a photo of me at the start of week 35 rocking the pregnancy cut offs!!! :)

Pregnancy Update: Week 34 Recap!

How far along?  This is the end of week 34…5-ish more weeks to go!!

Total weight gain:  I weighed 158 this morning...started at 131 pounds.  27 pounds so far…

Baby’s size/development this week: Well, the internet is telling me that this baby weighs FIVE POUNDS - that would explain why my stomach looks and feels so huge!!

Maternity clothes:  SO glad it’s spring-like weather this week.  I've been wearing pretty much only dresses and long skirts, which are both comfortable AND cute.

Miss anything?  Not being huge.  Being able to exist without having a weird ache or trying in vain to get comfortable on the sofa.

Food cravings:  Still really enjoying berries….blackberries, strawberries…mmmmm.  Also, tuna salad sounds tasty (but I don’t think that has to do with being pregnant - I just love tuna salad.)  

Anything making you queasy or sick?  No.

Sleep:  Sleeping pretty well.  This past week marked the first time I've woken up more than once in the night to pee, so that’s exciting.

Best moment of the week:  I have really been enjoying this warm weather!!  All the best moments of this week are yet to come, I think!  Also, I have completed washing ALL THE DIAPERS!!  They are ALL clean!!   (I still have to put them all away though.)  After the baby is born, I will never be able to say ALL the diapers are clean again, so I will relish this brief moment in time J

Nursery:  Nothing has changed since last week except the addition of a bunch of diapers...and a drying rack for all the diapers.  I finally got a frame for our baby shower invitations and it looks really cute!

Weddings rings on or off?  Wedding ring is definitely still on.  No swelling here.

Belly Button:  Still in…I’m very impressed with my belly button, proud even.

Movement?   Lots of broad, sweeping movements.

Labor signs?  Not to my knowledge!

Weird pregnancy thing of the week:  I had a long list of stuff and am trying to remember what all it entailed…

• Pregnancy Achievement Unlocked:  I got asked if I was having twins this week!!!!  My stomach is measuring EXACTLY on target, so it’s not like I’m super huge or anything.  Although the person who asked me proceeded to tell me about when her sister had twins, so I am pretty sure she just wanted to share her own experience.  J
• Not Everyone's Birth Philosophy is the Same: In a casual conversation with an acquaintance this week I was informed that the childbirth education classes I took “weren't useful or educational.”  The acquaintance proceeded to tell me that during labor I would forget everything I learned in the 2 hour class, that it was mostly for the benefit of the husband, and that the nurses guide you through everything anyways.  First of all, I did NOT take a single 2 hour class, but rather a series of six 2.5 hour classes, which came with weekly homework and reading, and we BOTH learned a lot.  Clearly the acquaintance and I are not on the same page, let alone in the same book, so after a few hours of indignant steaming, I let it go.  It was an interesting reminder of the variety of perspectives that exist on the topic of childbirth (let alone anything else out there).

Daddy is feeling:  Note from Mommy:  Daddy is feeling overwhelmed this week, so I’m not even going to bother to ask him to write an update.  The good thing is he has Saturday AND Sunday off for the first first time in over a month.  I’m going to make him pancakes while he studies in his pajamas lazily on the sofa. JJ  School ends in about two weeks, so I’m going to have him write a super long "Daddy is feeling" update then, with all of his thoughts, feelings, hopes, desires, and dreams J

Mommy is feeling:  I’m feeling good!

• Physically:   My pelvis feels like it’s going to relaxin apart and the right side of my back hurts from the baby pressing on it.  However, I noticed when I sit up straight, it doesn't hurt so much.  At yoga, they start each class by asking us to say how far along we are and any aches or pains we’re having, and I forgot to mention any this week.  Then I realized when I was sitting in the upright position with my back elongated, I didn't have any pain.  It’s mostly when I try to laze about on the sofa, sit in the car on the way to work, or forget about my posture while at my desk that my back starts to hurt.  The good news is that this is completely fixable by good posture (sitting up super straight right now!).  The bad news is that lounging about on the sofa is way less fun!  Other random symptoms:  minor leg cramps at night, ab muscles uncomfortable when I turn over or raise my torso in the night.  
• Mentally:  I've had some dreams about the baby, so I think I’m starting to anticipate its physical arrival.  Also, each phase of pregnancy seems to come with its own innate fears or concerns, and I've realized that I've started to become hyper aware of my body and whether I can sense any signs of labor.  I also find myself worrying that any stress will cause me to go into labor early – stupid loud bro-y neighbors!!!  (By the way, I’m not saying I think I will necessarily, I’m just saying that these are the random thoughts that pop into my head.)  I’m only about two weeks from being classified as full-term though, so every day I feel less concerned about the possibility of going into labor early.

Workouts this week:  
Saturday:  None  (I spectated Chad’s awesome 5K performance though!!)
Sunday:  2.29 mile walk along the bike path with the husband
Monday:  2.22 miles/30 minutes on elliptical
Tuesday:  2.72 miles/30 minutes on elliptical
Wednesday:  3.4 miles/45 minutes on elliptical
Thursday:  None!
Friday:  Nothing yet!!  What a slacker!!

Books I’m reading:  
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by Diane, Diana West, and Teresa Pitman.  
I started reading this book on Monday when I realized that I wasn't going to be taking a lactation class (thank god – I don’t have time for any more classes!!)  I could take a 2.5 hour class through the hospital, but I already covered about 2.5 hours of the same material in my childbirth education class and wasn't going to be learning much of anything new.  I’m still only about 50 pages into it and haven’t learned a lot of new information yet (probably a testament to just how much I have been researching, reading, and watching), but it has been interesting.  The next chapter starts going into technique and life past the birth experience, so I think that's when I'll start delving into new material.  I’m looking forward to trying to laid-back breastfeeding method, where the mother leans back and uses the natural recline and angle of her body to support the baby.  It sounds like a good place for a beginner to start.  Also, I’m still looking forward to watching OUR baby situate itself, take stock of its surroundings, and using its evolutionary instincts to crawl up from my stomach to breast.  It’s so freaking cute in the videos, I can’t wait to experience it ourselves.  Also, I did learn in the book that baby mammals naturally progress to the breast at their own rate and time, and humans are naturally no different.  The other aspect I'm probably most interested in learning about is how to keep breastfeeding going after I go back to work, which is what I foresee to be the most challenging aspect of the whole feeding experience.

Looking forward to:  

• Dinner with friends tonight!  It’s been a while since we've socialized with other humans.
• Urban chicken coop tour on Saturday.
• Having TWO DAYS OFF with my husband!!!!
• Possibly visiting baby lambies at Slate Run Farm on Sunday if we have time.
• Warm weather!
• Grilling out at Chad’s mom’s on Sunday J

Pregnancy Update: Week 33 Recap!

How far along?  It’s Friday of week 33 (the weeks begin on Sunday).

Total weight gain:  Pre-pregnancy weight:  131 pounds.  This morning I weighed 156.8…approximately 26 pounds so far.  Pretty much on target….6 more weeks to gain 6 more pounds….hmmmm….we’ll see how that pans out…

Baby’s size/development this week: Baby is about 4 pounds and 19 inches long (that’s almost 2 feet!!).

Maternity clothes:  So glad it’s getting warm, so I can wear more dresses.  I’m getting pret-ty sick of spandex around my waist!!

Miss anything? Moving like a normal person, exercising like a normal person, spring races and training (I know, I know, I’m training for my delivery date, but I’m talking about 5Ks and halfs!), being free from the effects of relaxin!!!!!  I hate relaxin!!!! (Although when I think of how pregnancy and labor would be if your body didn’t produce it, I’m sure it’s a lifesaver in the end.)

Food cravings:  Hmmmm….Ice cream?  How convenient!  I’m eating a grapefruit right now (and have been eating a LOT of fruit…strawberries earlier).  I have been wanting some El Vaquero…

Anything making you queasy or sick?  No queasiness whatsoever.

Sleep:  Didn’t sleep well on Tuesday and Wednesday, but have been otherwise sleeping well.

Best moment of the week:
Yoga:  I really enjoyed my prenatal yoga class this week.  I was tired and it kicked my ass, but the end where we were doing the relaxation (shavasana/corpse pose - basically laying on the floor with my eyes closed) was REALLY nice.  Also, I want to become more flexible, so I’m hoping the class helps with that.
Other best moments:  Anytime I’ve been able to relax with Chad – we took a walk on Tuesday evening when the weather was so nice, and last night we sat on the sofa.
Childbirth preparation class: Monday night was our last class, which I’m putting in best moments of the week for two reasons 1.) I really enjoyed learning all the midwife had to offer as well as meeting with other expectant parents, but 2.) I am glad we don’t have to stay out ‘til almost 10:00PM every Monday, which was past our bedtime, and a big strain on our already bursting schedule!!  The six sessions were: relaxation, labor, birth, complications, breastfeeding, post-natal care.

Nursery:  The nursery is starting to look super cute!!  I’m going to post pictures soon!  We now have a woodland animal rug and a REALLY cute hand carved fox stool.

Weddings rings on or off?  Still no swelling!!  Knock on wood…only 6 more weeks to go…I’m really hoping the swelling never starts, because that’s something I’m not okay with (unless I have to be).

Belly Button:  Still in!!  Chad says that it’s trying its hardest to stay in.  I don’t know…I don’t think it’s going to pop out, although I guess you never know.  Most people’s do…

Movement?   Lots of movement!  If I look down right now I can see my stomach moving all about, which is really weird because I’m wearing a trippy striped dress.  I’m either pregnant or on some really weird psychedelics…

Labor signs?  Not to my knowledge.  I think I’ve felt several Braxton Hicks contractions though…. Sometimes I can just feel a weird tightening in my stomach.

Weird pregnancy thing of the week:
Videoing Movement:  This week I’ve been taking a lot of videos of my stomach, trying to capture the movement.  A lot of times the darn baby will stop moving the second I start filming!!  Also, it can be difficult to see movement when taking a close-up video of your own stomach – I rested a jar of coconut oil (closest thing at hand) on my stomach and started videoing – you could definitely see the jar moving all about!!
Noting Placement of Baby:  Last night my back was bothering me on the right side (as it has been lately) and I look down at my stomach and it’s COMPLETELY full on the right side and COMPLETELY empty on the left side!!!  I told Chad:  “Poke my stomach on the left side,” and he gingerly brushed it with his fingers.  And I was like “No!  I mean a serious poke, dig in there!!” So he did.  Then I said “Okay, now try and do the same thing on the right side!”  Of course, he couldn’t poke at all because it was completely full of baby.  It’s laying in there head down, with my right side cradling its back and butt – and it literally shows 
Hiccups:  Sometimes I can feel hiccups and it’s so cute!  They never last for very long, but they’re just rhythmic little movements in my stomach.

Daddy is feeling:  Very excited that baby is getting so big! I've been very busy still, making sure that everything is ready for when the baby arrives. I'm also very thankful that both grandparents keep getting stuff for the baby!
(Mommy is also going to add that Daddy is VERY, VERY, VERY busy right now trying to keep up with a hectic work schedule as well as his classes – and preparing for the baby, AND half-marathon training!!  There are at least two day a week where he gets up and does a training run at 6:30, goes into work at 9:00, goes to class at noon, goes back to work afterwards and then gets home around midnight.  Three more weeks of classes and things will get a little more reasonable for him, but until then, please keep Daddy’s mental health in your thoughts.  But also, have no fear, because Daddy is also kicking ass at school and getting A’s in all his assignments!!!  Daddy is a rock star!!)

Mommy is feeling:  Pretty good.  Ready to be un-pregnant.  This morning I was thinking how excited I would be when we place the baby on my stomach and watch it crawl up to my chest for the first time.  I try not to think about the lack of sleep aspect, because I love to get my 7-8 hours of solid sleep at night.  Oh well, it won’t last forever, right!?

Workouts this week:
Saturday: Elliptical - 4.5 miles/1 hour 2 minutes (AM)
Sunday: Took the day off – but we did a lot of cleaning
Monday: Elliptical – 2.7 miles/33 minutes (AM)
Tuesday: Elliptical – 2.56 miles/35 minutes (AM)
Wednesday: Prenatal yoga (PM)
Thursday: Slept in!
Friday: Elliptical – 2.55 miles/30 minutes (AM)

Books I am/we are reading:
Running Through the Wall: Personal Encounters with the Ultramarathon, Neal Jamison – interesting compilation of short stories by various people (aka crazy people) in the ultrarunning community.
Eat and Run by Scott Jurek – Chad is reading this book for our bedtime story….Scott Jurek is one of THE ultrarunners...he’s probably one of the 2-3 most well-known ultrarunners out there.  Chad usually reads me a chapter per night and I love this part of our day :)
The Birth Book by William Sears – I’ve been reading various sections of this on and off.  I have really enjoyed the books by Sears (have also read a good portion of the Baby Book), which focus on attachment style parenting, which Chad and I will (most likely) naturally tend towards.  I’m enjoying the Birth Book because it focuses on a natural approach with an open mind (i.e.  have an ideal plan in mind, but keep your mind open to various possibilities because births don’t always go according to plan.  Having only one plan set in stone can lead to disappointment and feelings of failure).  Barring any unforeseen medical challenges, I plan to listen to and work with my body, and to minimize pain by minimizing fear (and/or changing tactics) and accepting and trusting that my body was made to carry out the task at hand.  In fact, I think that’s a pretty good birth mantra!!  “Listen to my body.  My body was made to do this!”

Looking forward to:
--Picking up Chad’s race packet for the Clintonville 5K after work today.
--Living vicariously through Chad when he runs the Clintonville 5K tomorrow morning.  I can’t wait to see how he does!!  He ran it in 21:24 race (6:55 minute pace) last year…can’t wait to see if he PRs tomorrow!!
--My doula (aka my mom) is supposed to visit me tomorrow (Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning).  Looking forward to that!  Which reminds me!  I need to put together a birth plan tonight!!!!!!

Pregnancy Update: Week 32 Recap!

How far along? It’s Friday of Week 32

Total weight gain: I weigh 155.4, so….25 pounds!!

Baby’s size/development this week: The internet is telling me the baby is almost 4 pounds and 19 inches in length.  At my last appointment (Monday of 31 weeks), they told me my stomach was measuring right on target, which would be 31 centimeters for 31 weeks, so I guess we’re all good :)

Maternity clothes: The same three (mostly two) pairs of pants over and over and over and over.  And pretty much only maternity shirts because none of my old shirts fit either.  I have a few maxi dresses I’ve been enjoying, and am thinking about hitting up Am Vets to go get some more.

Miss anything? Running, beer, clothes that fit, bending over, sleeping on my stomach.

Food cravings:  All the food!!!  More specifically: ice cream/milk, dark chocolate, fruit (citrus and berries).  Also, peanut butter.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No!!!!!!!

Sleep:  All night long, usually. :)  Sometimes I’ll wake up early morning between 4:00-5:30 and think about things for a while.  This morning I woke up at 5:30 and never did fall back asleep until the alarm went off at 6:00.

Best moment of the week:  Thursday date night with the husband.  We had Thai fusion at Basil in the Short North thanks to Chad’s mom (gift certificates from Christmas:) ), then we came home and did a prenatal yoga work out.  Then we had ice cream sundaes with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, strawberries, and whipped cream :)  YUM!  Then we chatted on the sofa for a bit, then Chad finished reading me Narnia’s King Caspian, then we fell off to sleep.  Another best moment:  Getting a package in the mail from my friend Elisabeth who lives in Seattle!!

Nursery:  It’s getting closer to being complete!  We got a dresser, rocking chair, and changing table (a la wash stand) from Ron and Sarah last week, and Chad and Denis moved those in, so it’s looking more like a real nursery!!  Also, last Saturday our friends threw us a baby shower, so we got tons of baby clothes, blankets, books, etc.  The room is actually starting to look CUTE!!  I love it!  My mom ordered a bunch of cloth diapers as well as a rug and a two woodland animal stools.  Today after work I'm going to go buy a picture frame so I can hang the baby shower invitation on the wall (adding another fox!!)

Weddings rings on or off?  ON!!!  No swelling here yet, knock on wood!

Movement?  Pretty much all the time…although not right now, weirdly.  One of my favorite activities is grabbing Chad's hand and shoving it onto my stomach at least several times a day.  He seems to like it too though, so that's a good thing :)

Labor signs?  Not to my knowledge….maybe there are signs and I’m just not aware of them!?

Weird pregnancy thing of the week:  I don’t know….my pelvis has been hurting when I walk this morning.  Before getting pregnant, I don’ think my pelvis ever hurt before….

Daddy is feeling:  I am incredibly excited for the baby to get here! It's a little funny looking back on the first two trimesters, I always thought I would be more freaked out about having a kid when it became more immanent. But ever since we found out that Corey was pregnant, I've consistently felt excited, positive, and elated about the baby coming. I've never really had any anxiety about the baby, or being a dad. I've certainly stressed out about everything else in my life during this time (i.e. work, school, trying to keep up with dishes and laundry, the paradox of wanting to go to yoga to relieve stress then stressing over when I'm going to find time to schedule yoga, etc.)... but the most relaxing, calming, and happiest thing I do is start and end my day by curling up with Corey, putting my hand on her stomach, and feeling our child kick, wiggle from side to side, slowly slide an elbow across the inner-plane of her stomach... or just do nothing at all except for sleep, and be expected to join us some time in the next four to eight weeks.

Mommy is feeling:  Like I’m enjoying the last few weeks of quietude before the baby arrives!  Excited about the baby’s arrival every time I go in the nursery!  Like I can’t wait to get my old body back!  Ambivalent about, yet ready for labor!  Ambivalent about, yet ready to become a family!  Not really sure what it’s going to be like…scared about trying to fit everything in (i.e. training for the marathon, working, etc.), but can’t wait to read books together in the evenings, lay on blankets in the park in the summer, and hang out the three of us on our front porch.

Workouts this week:  I’ve had a cold, so I’ve done a little bit less than usual this week.

Sun:     Nothing

Mon:     Nothing

Tue:      Nothing

Wed:    2 miles walking on treadmill in the AM, prenatal yoga at Balanced Yoga in the evening

Thu:      30 minute online yoga video with Chad in the evening

Fri:        2.73 miles/35 minutes on elliptical in the AM

Looking forward to: Having a whole day to spend together with husband on Sunday and hopefully further preparing the nursery.  Also, going shopping with Chad’s mom on Saturday for more baby stuff.  Also, receiving packages of cloth diapers and tiny wooden woodland animal stools in the mail this week from my mom :)

First CSA Pickup of the Season!

Today was the first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) pick up of the year at the for us at the Clintonville farmers market.  Before the growing season starts, you pay a lump sum to a farm, who in turn give you a share of the freshest available in-season vegetables each week.  Rock Dove Farm provides our CSA, a half share costing $350 and running from the first week in June to the last week in October.  

Last year was Rock Dove's first season doing the CSA program and was also a notoriously bad growing season across the Midwest (cold and extremely wet).  We are excited to watch Rock Dove hone their techniques and methods in their second season, and also equally excited to learn how the different weather this year will affect crop growth.  We learned from our farmer that dry seasons are typically better than wet ones, as no one can control too much water, but extra water can be applied in dry seasons.

Our Farmer's Market Haul:

From the CSA for 6/2/12:
Radishes + radish greens
Spring onions
Green lettuce (one head)
Red lettuce (one head)
Spinach
Strawberries
Mint
Dill

Outside the CSA:
Garlic Ramps - $2.00 from Frijolito Farm, Columbus, OH
Rosemary Plant - $3.00 from Swainway Urban Farm, Clintonville, OH
Fresh shelled peas, $7.00 from Folck Family Farm, Mechanicsburg, OH

Farms:
http://frijolitofarm.com/
http://swainway.com/
http://folckfamilyfarm.net/
http://www.rockdovevegetables.com/

What We're Doing with our Haul:
Grilled spring onions and garlic scape
Minted Peas
Dilled Potatoes
Strawberry sauce for homemade ice cream
Frozen strawberries for smoothies in winter
Large mixed salad for meals all week
Roasted radish salad with balsamic and goat cheese

In other News and Notes: Happy Birthday to Mister Distressed!! (June 2)