baby news
Induction Day
The plan today is to induce labor since Farrah isn’t showing any signs of giving birth as of yet.
They asked Farrah to call in at 7 AM to see when she could come in. We expected to go to the hospital after dropping off Mia at daycare. But the result of the 7 AM call was to call back at 9 AM, so we took our time getting Mia ready and off to daycare. She arrived there at 8:30, an hour after her normal arrival time.
Mia’s daycare is only a few blocks from the hospital. So we decided to find a close Starbucks to grab a coffee. Farrah then called in at 9 AM. They said now to call in at 2 PM - when people have checked out. Wow, were we ever going to be able to check in?
We made our way to Target to buy a few supplies. Then off to Palo Alto to have lunch at the La Boulange and check out the new Apple store (it’s gorgeous). Oh, and we grab some Philz’s Coffee.
Farrah calls in at 2 PM. Finally, the answer comes into the hospital at 3 PM. Check-in was smooth. We got settled in OK.
Now it’s just a waiting game.
Vertex
On Friday morning Farrah and I went to the hospital for the version procedure. We went as prepared as could be.
It was odd, walking to Labor and Delivery with Farrah. The last time we had been there was when Mia was born. I asked Farrah is she remembered this and that, but most of it was unrecognizable to her. Most likely her mind was elsewhere the last time we were there.
There was a lot of paperwork to fill out before the procedure. I suppose they needed all the paperwork just in case we needed to go into surgery. No one wants to be filling out forms when it comes down to crunch time. The receptionist then took us to a room to wait for the doctor.
A nurse came in to hook up Farrah to a fetal monitor, to listen to the baby’s heartbeat. We had to wait for about twenty minutes' worth of pulse readings before the doctor would come in to see us. The nurse also pressed on Farrah’s belly, acknowledging, “Yup, I think that’s a head” as she pushed on the top of her stomach.
The doctor came in with another doctor in training. She introduced herself and started up the ultrasound just to double-check the baby’s position. She began her scan toward the bottom of Farrah’s belly.
“She’s vertex,” the doctor proclaimed. “You can go home.”
Wow, she turned on her own! Farrah and I were so relieved. We didn’t get to go home right away though. They wanted to scan the baby more and try to determine its size and weight (a little over six pounds). Then we had to wait to be discharged. All the time doing paperwork and waiting to be released was actually longer than the time the doctor saw us!
It’s great to know the baby turned on her own. I wonder what that says about her, turning so late in the pregnancy?
Breech
About two weeks ago Farrah had an ultrasound to check the baby’s size. The ultrasound showed that the baby is a healthy-sized baby girl. But she’s also breech.
It’s late in the pregnancy for the baby to turn on her own. The doctors say it could still happen, but most likely the baby will need to be helped. Tomorrow we’re going in for that help. It’s called version.
It seems like a straightforward procedure - so says the man not going through the procedure. We’re reading what we can, looking at videos, basically arming ourselves with as much information as possible. But it will still be a new anxiety-filled experience.
Girls
I have always been surrounded by women. I grew up with two older sisters who tormented me through childhood. Most of the managers I’ve worked for have been women. When I was a manager at a record store, most of the people who worked for me were women. Girls. Women. Always.
So it comes as no surprise that we are having another girl!
Yes, another bundle of joy is on the way. She will arrive in late October or early November. From these early scans, she looks like she’ll have plump lips like Mia. Can’t you see them in the ultrasound? I know I can.
My mom was convinced it would be a boy, especially when I told her the due date was the day my father was born. But I knew better.
Girls. Women. Always in my life. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Four Weeks
It has been four weeks. In the quiet times, when there is a chance for reflection, time seems to have passed by rapidly. At other times, especially during the crying spells, time seems to move glacially. Either way, it still amounts to four weeks. Mia is now four weeks old.
Things Learned
There are only so many books you can read and so many stories you can hear from others who’ve been through it, to prepare you for a child. I’m sure what we’ve learned is contained in a book, a web site, or a friend’s story, but nonetheless here are a few things we’ve learned:
- Crying doesn’t always mean she is hungry. Sometimes she just wants to be held, especially at 3am.
- Baby acne just happens. Seriously, it wasn’t the gangly beard I grew that caused her face or arm rash.
- Changing one diaper can rapidly digress into changing three diapers.
- During a diaper change, if her butt is angled correctly, she can project a poo stream a good foot away. Yeah, it happened. Luckily I was to her right when it did.
- She’s not cross-eyed. She’s just trying to focus at something far away. Whew!
- Hiccups happen. It seems to not bother Mia as much as us.
- It’s probably wise to do a load of laundry a day, both for yourself and the baby.
- Amazon.com is a great site. It is especially great for subscription services. You can subscribe to diapers, wipes, etc. It’s convenient and saves some money as well.
- Another good site is Diapers.com. I had to call their customer service because of a missed shipment. They were very quick in correcting the issue. They also ship as quick as Amazon does.
- The Baby Geek app for the iPhone / iPad has been very helpful.
The Cuteness
There are many cute things Mia does. I’ve tried to capture the moments on video, but sometimes it’s not possible. Here are a few that I don’t want to forget about:
- After she sneezes, Mia lets out this exhaustive sigh, as if the sneeze took every ounce of energy she had.
- When Mia wakes up, she stretches multiple times, contorting her body in an “S” shape, getting the most out of each consecutive stretch.
- She can lift her own head when doing the over-the-shoulder burp. This makes it difficult to hold her at times.
- From time to time she makes an “O” shape with her mouth as if she’s about to say something. As long as it’s not crying, it’s good.
- She sleeps with her arms raised as if she’s crossing a finish line.
I’m sure the future holds more to come, both in learning and cuteness.
Baby Shower Weekend
We had our baby shower this weekend in Cuesta Park. Luckily the day was warm and sunny, a welcome break from the unusually raining weather we’ve been having here. We cannot say thank you enough to our family and friends who helped put this party together. They did so much work to put this amazing celebration together.
We are equally thankful to our family and friends who were able to share this day with us. You can find tons of photos from the party here. If you need the password to access, please email either Farrah or I. Or you can send an email to feedback [at] janella dot com.
About a Girl
We are having a girl!
We reconfirmed this with an ultrasound earlier this week. Farrah had an ultrasound about four weeks ago. During that ultrasound, measurements were taken then and we could find out the sex of our baby. We shared the news with a few people. But not long after that ultrasound was completed, we were called by the hospital asking to schedule another ultrasound. It seems the technician couldn’t record a good enough view of the heart to satisfy whoever reviews the scans. We had the follow-up ultrasound this past Monday.
The technician performing the scan at this appointment appeared to be more thorough. He provided better commentary on what we were looking at on screen than the previous technician. We were able to watch her heart beating, watching the blood flow in and out. We also saw, through color mapping, how blood was flowing through the umbilical cord. It’s an amazing sight to see. So, Button is coming along nicely.
Wait, who or what is Button?
Names
Button is the current nickname for our future bundle of joy.
We have been thinking about names ever since we found out Farrah is pregnant, even more so after finding out the sex. Until she is born, we’ve decided to use nicknames. The first name we gave her before we knew it was her, was Jazzy. The origins of this name came from movements she made during one of Farrah’s first ultrasounds. It looked as if she was waving both of her hands at us, showing us her jazz hands.
Several weeks later, after another ultrasound, the name Box popped into my head. At this point we still didn’t know the sex. I thought that since this fact was hidden from us, it was basically like being in a box, almost like a present. Yes, I could have gone with something like Gift or Present, but Box seemed to fit. I know, it sounds odd.
And finally, we arrive at Button. The phrase “Cute as a button” popped into my head. And so, Button is where it currently stands.
Don’t worry, she won’t end up with any of these nicknames when she makes her entrance. But we are still thinking of names and haven’t settled on a particular one yet. You’ll know our decision soon enough.
She's Having My Baby
Ultrasound of the Little Dude or Little Dudette
Farrah is pregnant!
[Note: Apologies to our shared friends on Facebook. I know you’ve heard this announcement before, from Farrah’s wall posting last week. I just haven’t had time to make a blog post and post it on my Facebook wall as well.]
Not much to add. Well, I guess we could throw in a few details.
How far along are you?
At this point Farrah is at 14 weeks.
When did you find out?
The morning of November 1. Farrah woke me up early that morning, showing me a photo on her iPhone of a home pregnancy test. I had to ask who’s it was. She then smiled and said, “It’s mine!” Later that day we took two other tests just to be sure.
When is your due date?
July 11th.
Do you know the sex of the baby?
Not yet. It’s too early. But we do want to find out when we can.
How are you feeling?
Not too bad. Luckily Farrah hasn’t experienced a lot of morning sickness, though there were times where she did not feel like eating. Her appetite returned last weekend with the beginning of the second trimester.
We hear that the second trimester is the best. I can say, for both of us, that we’re extremely happy, excited, and of course, nervous. I take it all of those are natural responses.
Last Monday, we heard the baby’s heartbeat for the first time. At first it was difficult to distinguish it from the static coming from the Doppler Baby Heart Monitor’s - I think that’s what it’s called - speaker. After some maneuvering of the microphone by the doctor, a clearly identifiable strong heartbeat was coming through. I have to say hearing the heartbeat was as cool as seeing the first ultrasound of the baby back in November. I honestly could have cried. Yes, I did cry during a couple of the ultrasounds.
We can’t wait until July.