Being Sara » Maternity

Xander Week 103 – Such A Good Big Brother!

Sara — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:08:26 +0000

The boys

The most asked questions we’ve had since Parker was born (aside from how is the baby) is how is Xander doing with the baby. Well, Xander is doing great! He has been a wonderful big brother. He’s been patient with both Zach and me (and patience for a 2 year old is impressive!) He loves to bring things to Parker – blankets, pacifiers, toys, etc. It’s very cute. He thinks that anything he might want is something that Parker might want. Xander has been slightly insistent that Parker play with or hold a toy – he doesn’t quite understand the whole concept of babies not wanting toys, and also insistent that Parker wants/needs his pacifier even if he isn’t interested (like when he’s nursing…) Overall, I’ve been pleasantly surprised and pleased with Xander’s reaction to his new brother. I imagine at some point Parker will show an interest in a toy Xander doesn’t want to share, and this honeymoon period will end, but for now my super sweet and empathic son is a wonderful big brother!

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Parker Week 1 – We’re home!

Sara — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:06:43 +0000

Parker, Zach and I arrived home on the second. Our first night home was nice and relatively quiet, though Parker woke up 4 times in the night to eat… We definitely don’t have a schedule figured out yet. It was nice to sit on my furniture and sleep in my bed though. Aside from a headache that won’t quit (we think it’s leftover from the spinal injection during the surgery) we are all doing well. After the rough night Parker slept ’till 10am! We relaxed and hung out most of the day. Parker had his first sponge bath this afternoon – it’s never a fun experience, but he survived pretty well and was much happier after he was bundled and had a little dinner Thank you to everyone for the congrats and well wishes – it’s nice to hear from everyone!

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Welcome To The World Parker Austin

Sara — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:58:54 +0000

Shortly after 8am this morning Parker became the newest member of our family. He weighed in at 7 pounds and 6 ounces and is 20.5 inches long. Zach and I arrived at the hospital at 5:45 am. After some checking in and paperwork, they started me on an IV (fluids) and a fetal monitor. About 7 am I was taken down to the pre-surgery area. I met with the anesthesiologist and got hooked up with a spinal. Just before 8am they took me into the operating room. Zach came in shortly after that, and after some prep work, the operation began and at 8:09am Parker was finally on the outside instead of the inside! I’m of course sore and a bit tired, but recovering well, and very happy to be done with pregnancy. Parker is of course adorable and cuddly, and we’re having a wonderful time getting to know our new son! We’ll be home on January 2nd and I’ll hopefully have more to post shortly after that. See Flickr for more photos.

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Baby Week 35 – Ok, I’m done

Sara — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:00:40 +0000

Conveniently, my belly button popped out over Thanksgiving weekend. That was also about the time I realized that I’ve had enough of being pregnant. It took me a lot longer to reach the “I’m done” phase this time around – my first trimester was worse, but the rest has all been much more comfortable overall (a very pleasant surprise). But now, I’m feeling huge, and most my my days and nights are spent searching for relief from discomfort. I get sore if I sit too long, stand too long, lay in the same position too long, etc. Then I find a comfortable position, and that lasts for 10-15 minutes before I’m uncomfortable again, and searching for a new position. I’m certain it’s driving my husband nuts at night when I “sleep” (mostly roll from side to side all night long). I toss and turn, waking him up, and more often than not, stealing the covers from his side of the bed (he hates that…)

So, I’m done. I know I’ll miss some of the perks of pregnancy – everyone holding doors, the ability to have a huge gut without guilt, a built in conversational topic, etc. On the other hand, I am so ready to have my body back – to be able to wash dishes without having to stand so far away from the sink, clothes that aren’t all stained on the belly, more comfortable positions for sitting/sleeping.

My belly button popped. If I were a turkey, that would be a clear indication that I’ve been cooking long enough. Unfortunately, I’ve still got 3+ weeks to go, and sooooo much Christmas stuff to squeeze into that time. I want the 30th to arrive tomorrow, but I’m most definitely not ready for the 25th to arrive anytime soon – such a conundrum

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Baby Week 33 – Memo To My Uterus

Sara — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:09:35 +0000

Re: Current Project

Hello Uterus, we are currently working on a project similar to the one we completed in September of 2006. As you may recall, the final presentation for that project did not turn out as we had planned. In light of the previous project, we have decided to take an alternate route for the upcoming presentation. While I can appreciate the prep work you are doing for this current project, it is unnecessary. Braxton Hicks are a great training exercise for women who plan to go through labor. We however, will not be going through labor, so the Braxton Hicks contractions are not helpful this time – merely an uncomfortable distraction. Please feel free to end your prep work at any time.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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Baby Week 32 – Feeling Those Feet!

Sara — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:00:49 +0000

Image from http://aconn73.wordpress.com/2006/12/09/pregnancy-is-a-wonderful-experience/

At one of my recent doctor visits I mentioned that I was feeling significantly more movement from this baby than I had with the first. It wasn’t really a complaint, more of an observation. My doctor suggested that perhaps I was feeling more because my uterine wall had thinned after the first pregnancy, so I was able to feel movement more often than I had with Xander. “Ok, I thought, that makes sense.”

After I left, I continued to ponder this theory, and it seemed to make even more sense – Xander’s kicks, while strong at times were never painful. This little guy is able to take my breath away and stop me in my tracks with just one well placed foot or elbow. I guess Xander really did do a good job thinning out that uterine wall, because I’m much more sensitive to movement this time around.

It’s sort of a double edged sword sort of situation – I love feeling the baby kick, knowing that he’s moving and doing well in there, and that I should enjoy these movements, because they are likely the last I will ever feel like this… On the other hand, there are moments when I would love some peace and quiet, just a few minutes without hiccups or kicks, but it’s not like I can reason or plead with the kid yet.

The image here is not my belly – though there are times when you can see it rolling in a manner similar to Alien. However, that little foot is an excellent portrayal of how I feel 45% of my day.

So, for the next few weeks I’m doing my best to enjoy the movement as much as possible and hope that the schedule he’s developed in the womb is vastly different from the one that we’ll have once he gets out

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Baby Week 31 – Tired of the Crumb Catcher

Sara — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:50:55 +0000

From bibswithdignigy.com

Anyone who has had a sufficiently large belly can sympathize with me on this – it becomes a magnet for crumbs and other foods. Lately I’ve noticed that there is one particular spot on my baby bump that is more “magnetic” than the rest slightly to the right and slightly above my former belly button (I say former, because these days it’s pretty much a flat spot that used to be an indentation once long ago).

The reason I’ve noticed this particular spot more than others is because almost every day for the past week I get to work, take off my coat, put on my ID badge, and discover a tiny, darkened stain in this exact spot. Each morning I sigh in exasporation because I failed to notice the spot when I could have actually treated the stain and before I dried the shirt thus making it a permanent addition…

Additionally, I’ve got a very limited wardrobe this time around – I don’t have many long sleeve maternity shirts, and I refust to spend much money on any of them because in a little over a month I’ll never wear them again. So now my entire winter weather maternity wardrobe is officially stained – I know it’s part of the pregnancy gig – maybe I should just give up and start wearing a bib

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Baby Week 30 – Crowded Maternity Ward?

Sara — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:07:39 +0000

At my last doctor’s visit, I learned that there are 6 women all scheduled for repeat c-sections within 1 week of me. Apparently the end of December is a popular time of year to have a baby. I don’t know if everyone is trying to get the tax write-off for 2008 (not the reason for our decision by the way).

When Xander was born, we had a wonderful experience with the hospital staff. Our hospital is a relatively small regional one – only 4 post-delivery rooms, but that wing was entirely rebuilt (finished about 2 months before Xander was born) so everything is new and pretty high tech for our rural setting. Aside from one nurse who was a little obsessive about rules on the maternity ward, they were all awesome. The nurses were incredibly attentive. One nurse who usually works in the ER spent the day with me while I was in labor (filling in a shift) and actually came up to check on me the next time she was working. One of our doctors actually came in (with one of his kids) on his day off to check on me. Overall, it was a great experience. They were great with Xander – showed us everything a new parent might need to know, and they were always patient with us, never talked down to us, and truly seemed interested in our well-being. It was such a great experience that a week or so later when I was feeling up to a walk, we bought them a gift basket of cookies and brought it to the hospital (I should mention that our house is less than a mile away from the hospital).

I think one of the factors in this positive experience was that we were the only ones in the maternity ward for 3 of the 4 days we were there. The undivided attention was quite nice! This time, if we’re lucky it’ll just be full and not over-full.

So now I’m nervous. Not that I think the care will be any less amazing, but I don’t think that we’ll get the undivided attention that we got last time. When they have the time, the nurses will keep the sleeping baby in the nursery, allowing mothers to get some much needed rest as well. Again, this is only as time allows, so I suspect that this bonus feature will be offered far less during our upcoming stay.

I’m sure everything will work out just fine in the end – the baby will arrive, the doctors and nurses will give us great support, and we’ll go home a happy and slightly larger family. But, that doesn’t stop me from wondering about what to expect when we arrive

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Baby Week 29 – To Tie or Not To Tie?

Sara — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:20:32 +0000

Zach and I have always wanted 2 children. Not 3, not 4, not 1 – we want 2. So after this baby is born, we’re done. We’ve got the family that we want (and can afford) and we’ll be quite content with that. So my doctor’s office offered to do a tubal ligation for me when I have my c-section at the end of December. I said “um, sure…” When I walked into the office, I hadn’t given it much thought – of course I would get my tubes tied, or Zach would have a vasectomy after this baby is born. The easiest time to do it is when I’m already open on the table – it just adds and extra five minutes to the procedure. Since I’m already there, it’s the logical choice to make.

But then my overly worrisome imagination kicked in. What if this baby has some sort of health problem? I’m talking about something like Spina Bifida or Tay-sach’s disease that would severely limit the baby’s life. It’s not that we wouldn’t love and care for this child the same as any other parent would love and care for a child, but his life would come to an end so much more quickly. Five or ten years down the road, would Zach and I want to think about bringing another baby into the family, or would be accept the two that we had, and the fact that Xander would mostly be an only child growing up?

I can’t predict the future, and although every sign points to a normal, healthy pregnancy, there’s still that chance, and that annoying little voice in my mind that keeps saying “what if?” so when it comes to tubal ligation, I hesitate. If my crystal ball could assure me that this next baby is going to be happy and healthy, then I’d sign the requisite forms for the operation tomorrow. But without that assurance, I hesitate…

What would you do?

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Baby Week 28 – 3rd Trimester Here We Come!

Sara — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:29:29 +0000

I have finally reached my 3rd trimester. Though when I look back at the previous two, it feels like it flew by. With Xander, it felt like every day and every week took forever to arrive. I was so excited to find out what the next development or the next milestone would be. This time around I know what to expect. I’m not reading “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” every week, and while I’m still reading a few weekly newsletters in my email, it’s mostly to make sure I’m feeling and expecting what I should be. While some things like the first trimester “morning” sickness and exhaustion were much more intense this time, and I appreciated the comfort level in my second trimester a great deal more (especially knowing what was coming in the 3rd trimester), the length of time it’s taken to get here feels so much shorter. I also feel like there are still a ton of things to do before we’re ready for the newest addition to the family.

Xander’s room needs to be painted and set up. The nursery needs to be put back into nursery form. I need to wash all of the old infant clothes and put them back in their appropriate drawers. We need to put the new car seat into the car and get Xander accostumed to his new location behind the passenger seat. I need to finalize a few more things at work, etc. Each day I think of something else to add to the list. I also feel like time is flying by faster than I can keep track of it this time around. It’s not agonizingly slow like the last pregnancy, but there is that same sense of excitment at finally getting to meet the little guy – how much hair (if any) will he have? What will his features look like? Eventually, what color eyes will he have? And most importantly, will he be healthy? It won’t be too much longer before I have answers to all of those questions – and for that, I really can’t wait!

Being Sara » Maternity

Xander Week 103 – Such A Good Big Brother!

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