Happy 1 week Birthday Fay!

 

Wow, its already been a week since Fay entered our little family. Sleep was touch and go for a while. I was anxious that if I slept at night I wouldn't hear Fay when she needed me. But Fay proved me wrong. She lets out the cutest little squawks when she needs something -- like boob time. How nice to only need one thing in life to make you happy.

This weekend was our first as parents. We are still adjusting to the fact that we are not going to be going out on the town on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights like we usually do. And mommy was extremely tired as Friday and Saturday nights came around. So even plans for an at home movie night were put on hold for some good sleep time.

Two highlights of the weekend were Fay's first bath and Fay's first outing. Fay's umbilical cord fell off on Friday which is a very good thing because it was beginning to stink and Daddy was a little disgusted by the smell. So much for unconditional love! That was our cue that we could give Fay her first sponge bath.

Daddy steamed up the bathroom to keep Fay warm while in her birthday suit. And he cleaned Fay head to foot. Now she is smelling great! Of course the "bath" ended with a surprise poop just as we were wrapping her up. She had to go back in for another minor bathing touch up. Guess we won't be carrying her around naked anytime soon.





On Sunday we took a family walk. We got to try out the new stroller, which is light as a feather while you push it (not so much if/when I attempt to carry it up subway stairs) and has amazing maneuverability. Daddy didn't want to let anyone else drive, he enjoyed it so much! Mommy felt the strain of the walk a little bit. After sitting on my tush at home for a week, not to mention giving birth under a week ago, the walk tired me out and reminded me to take it easy for a while. I hate it when your body gets the better of you.

First days at home

Well we're having a great time getting to know Fay and figuring out parenthood. Fay is a great little feeder. I've heard lots of stories of new mom's struggling with breast feeding, so I didn't know what to expect, but luckily we are doing just great. And yesterday my milk came in. Ouch!

Fay is sleeping in pretty nice chunks of time -- an average of about 3 hours at a time. So I'm getting some decent sleep. Though I'm not getting my normal 8 hours of sleep, I figure I'm getting about 5 hours at night and then maybe an hour nap during the day.

Daddy has been working 1/2 days and spending the afternoons at home. Today he got some great tummy time with Fay sleeping on his chest while he lay on the green couch. We captured some great photos. Check them out on Flickr.

I added a "latest photos" header to the blog, so you can always see the most recent photos and click on them to get the full size photo.

Waking up is hard to do

Fay wakes up just like Daddy!

The Birth of Fay

So this is the first (probably last) post by Daddy to East River Baby. Dad's posting because Mom's a mom now and too busy momming to blog.

Today is Tuesday 10/23/2007 and Fay was born on Monday (early at 2:16 am, so it FELT like Sunday night) on 10/22/2007. This is basically the story as I remember it.

The weekend was much like the rest of our weekends of late--taking it relatively easy and waiting for the baby to come. We went to a movie (My Kid Could Paint That) on Friday and played poker on Saturday (Jessi won big... Joe lost big... nothing new there). On Sunday, it was beautiful, nothing was happening, so, like many many a weekend day here in NYC, we decided to go for a walk.

Bored Picture taken before walk:



Forced Picture of Dad before walk:



We walked and walked and walked.

Down the East River Park to the South Street Seaport for ice cream:



Down to Battery Park for some lemonade:



Back around to South Street to Paris (a favorite bar of ours) for some wings (no picture available).

Now I'd like to take a moment to point out two unusual features of this stop: 1. We never eat out on Sunday (I had Tilapia and Squash to cook at home) and 2. Jess actually (kinda) ate a buffalo chicken wing. Now this second point may not seem like a big deal to an outsider, but that's because you don't know us. I LOVE chicken wings. I eat them regularly and consider them a great meal. Jessi finds them disgusting (something about some offensive vinegar odor). In fact, in the 8 years I've known her, and despite my constant coercion, she has never tasted a chicken wing. That night she did (sorta... she ate about a half of one), and there is little doubt that wing's spiciness played a contributing role to that evening's events (I hope the significance of wings is no longer questioned in our relationship from this point on!).

Regardless, we walked back to our apartment around 7:30. On the way home, Jess felt some wetness, but it was a small enough amount that we weren't sure it was her water breaking (the fact that she did NOT continue to leak fluid indicated that it was NOT her water breaking... subsequent events may indicate otherwise).

When we got home, we relaxed, and went to bed around 11pm. At 12:30am, Jess woke me and said she thought she was having some contractions. I (half asleep) suggested she time them (from beginning to beginning) to see if this was something we should be concerned about. She informed me that she wasn't capable of doing this and that I'd better get up and help. I got up, I timed, and the contractions were 2 and a half minutes apart. I called the doctor's answering service and called a car to go to the hospital.

I got a call back from the doctor (our backup was on duty) and she asked to talk to Jessi. She talked to Jessi for a bit, Jessi couldn't concentrate, so I took the phone. The doctor suggested Jessi relax and take a nice warm shower as it would be quite a while before the baby came. I countered that the contractions seemed pretty real. She said (condescendingly) that if Jess really couldn't handle them, we could go to the hospital, but she would probably be better at home.

This was a tough spot. Neither Jessi nor I wanted to be the "first time child" couple who shows up to the hospital and gets sent home because they came too soon. I told Jess what the doctor said, and she thought maybe she should just take a shower. She then proceeded to get down on all fours and have a contraction. I got my sweater, her bag, and her and proceeded down the elevator to the car that we had waiting for us.

I put Jessi in the back seat, explained things to the driver, and went to the deli to get her some water and Gatorade (we didn't want IV hydration). I got back and she was having pretty serious contractions in the car. I asked the driver to blow the red light we were waiting at (the whole street was empty), he declined, but we eventually proceeded to the FDR and to the hospital.

The whole time in the car, Jessi was having pretty major contractions. She was in the back, I was in the front (she wanted the WHOLE backseat), and I was holding her hand over the seat. She was pretty much like a caged animal at that point--writhing in the back, kneading the side door with her feet as she lay across the seat, and crushing my hand. I reassured her and continued to exaggerate how close to the hospital we were.

We arrived at Lenex Hill, but the main entrance where we were instructed to enter was closed. We walked to the emergency entrance, pausing for Jessi to have contractions. When we got there, I walked through the glass revolving doors to get the security guard while Jessi had a contraction just outside. When the guard saw me and then saw her, he came flying out with a wheel chair (Jess protested "I feel like I'm going to be sitting on her head"--not too far from the truth).

When we got up to the maternity ward, the staff (of about 5 or 6) were casually strewn around the nurses' station. I explained that my wife was in labor--uh-huh. She'd been having contractions for about an hour--uh-huh. We were first time parents --uh-huh. Then Jessi stood up out of the wheel chair and had one of her contractions--the entire staff fell off of their chairs simultaneously.

Jessi was rushed into the delivery room shouting her social security number (we never did fill out the card). She got stripped down, put on a hospital gown, and was assisted onto the table. The doctor on call (a very nice, very young woman named Claire) took one look at her, went bug-eyed, and started yelling, "Don't push! Don't push! I've got to get my gloves on!"

They got Jess in stirrups, the doctor got her gloves on, and with no less than 6 staffers and me standing around we began to cheer simultaneously "Push, push, push, push". Jess pushed--I saw hair. Jess pushed--I saw a head. Jess pushed--the baby was lying on the delivery table crying. I cut the umbilical cord, Fay opened her eyes, and that was about it.

We "checked in" at 2:08am. Fay was born at 2:16am. Total delivery time--8 minutes.

We were lucky Fay wasn't born in the shower or a cab. All's well that ends well though. Fay came out at 7 pounds, 11 ounces and 20 inches long. She's been nursing since she was about 5 minutes old, hardly cries, and coos when she sleeps. The only concern is that she presently looks like a little old man, but we're hoping that she outgrows this phase (or at least has a great personality to get her through high school!). The first of what will no doubt be MANY pictures are below.

38th week doc appointment

Ryan and I had another doctor visit this morning. We went over our "birth plan" with our doctor. And he was completely fine with what we'd decided. And he said if the hospital gives us any grief over not wanting an IV just for the sake of it, that we can have them call him to verify its ok. So that visit was a really nice confirmation that we have a great, understanding, sane doctor. Now I just hope we get him on the day and not the alternate doctor who seems a little more uptight.

Though it seems I'm roughly at the same station, effacement and dilation as before, the doctor did give me a "WHOA! SHE'S LOW" when he took his peek. He said he can't say when she'll come but when she does it is likely to be a quick delivery. So that is good news.

Sure would be nice if she'd come this weekend.

Countdown

Well of course we have the Fay countdown. Which is only 12 days till the due date. And now we have a new countdown to when I will officially stop working for Maternity Leave. I've decided to work through next Friday (week from tomorrow). So I have 7 days of work left including today. That feels pretty good. Its weird to wind down at work but not actually be leaving for good -- knowing that I will be back in 4 short months.

I'm really starting to feel Fay's weight increase this week. My pelvic muscles are really sore when I walk around. I feel like she has gained a little in the past two days. I'm actually sort of shuffling down the street instead of my normal slightly peppy gait. And there's no refusing me a seat on the subway. This morning I made a beeline for an empty seat and missed it by a second when a man sat down. So I just stood there looking at him. Staring actually. All that was going through my head was, you just took my seat. He seemed to agree and got right back up.

Emotionally I feel a little different. I feel like Fay could come ANY day and I am just waiting now. It makes me feel like I don't want to be doing anything else. I guess its SUPER anticipation. Its good that I am working as close to the due date as I am. Because if I were idle at home, I'd just be antsy.

Ryan and I drafted a Birth Plan last night so we can be clear to our doctor and nurses that we don't want any unnecessary medical intervention like epidural, IVs or pitocin. Of course if anything seems wrong or if anyone is in danger, we will take all medical support they offer. But we do want it to be as natural as possible in the best case scenario. This of course will take a little cooperation from Fay. 1) don't get too big! 2) don't sit in there for 10 days after the due date.

Can I still get bigger?

Me at 38 weeks
OK, this post is all about the photos. Ignore the horrible hairstyle I was sporting for these photos. Its all about the belly anyway. At this point I prefer the bare belly photos because the covered ones just don't do justice to the GIGANTIC belly I have grown.

If this was a state fair tomato growing or largest sow competition, only for big round bellies, I think I'd win. (No sow jokes!)

No significant progress

Ryan and I had another doctor appointment this morning. There seems to be no progress since last Friday which is not really a big surprise. As I suspected, the doctor's comments last week were a tad optimistic. We are at the same station, dilation and I did find out the effacement, which the doc didn't mention last time. We are 80% effaced. Sounds pretty good! But the waiting game continues.

Maternity fashion police

Every day I am more and more eager for Fay to arrive. Though now that I have made it through another work week, I'm hoping she will wait a couple more days. Ryan and I have tickets to the symphony on Friday to which we have never been. So I have told Fay to hold off a couple days and am hoping she is an obedient little girl.

Work is a little weird. Being that I work for a consulting company and am not currently on a client project, there is obviously no hope for me to be put on one in the next couple weeks. So I am "on the bench". The bench can be fun in that I get to do internal projects as well as do some reading on the internet about whatever I'm interested in. I found this new site called killerstartups.com yesterday and it makes for pretty entertaining reading. It is AMAZING how many new websites come out every day.

Feeling big now. Most of my maternity tops are getting too small. I caught my belly trying to peak out earlier this week when I walked by a reflective surface. While this may work in Hollywood, its not a good look for work. So I'm trying to keep my bare belly under wraps. Unfortunately, its not something I can really see easily, so I have to keep tugging down my shirt to reassure myself.

I've also found that I can't wear skirts anymore. This is a bummer because skirts are REALLY comfortable. They don't really have a waistband the way pants do, so they are typically much looser. However, most of my skirts are knee length and require me to keep my knees closed when I am in the sitting position. This isn't really happening anymore. Its fairly uncomfortable for me to try to squeeze my hips shut for the benefit of my fellow subway riders or co-workers. Also, with as far down as Fay's head is, I refuse to squish it just for the sake of modesty. Thus, I am a pants girl from here on out. Today I am 37 weeks and 2 days.

Who's as big as a house?

I am! I am!

1 1/2 and 0 !!

Ryan and I went to a doctor appointment today. They surprised us and switched in the alternative Dr. for our regular Dr. I've seen her 3x now. And while I think she is perfectly competent, I don't think her bedside manner is quite as nice as our regular Dr. So I do hope he is around and available on the delivery day.

The FUN news is that Fay is getting ready to come out! The doctor started by saying "whoa, the baby is really low". So I asked her what station the baby is at and she said 0 station, but that to be conservative she is going to write down -1, so we have something to progress towards. And I am already 1 1/2 centimeters dilated. Woo hoo! She said we should look for a mid-October delivery rather than an end of October delivery.

So that got me really excited. Can't think of much else these days besides becoming a mom. :) And of course, I'm starting to get more and more uncomfortable. I've been having these intermittent sharp stab pains in my groin. Which I've read could be due to the pelvis loosening up. But it could also be because the baby's head is so low, and she's bumping around down there.

We're all ready at home. I've even got a starter set of diapers ready to go. And I've started a bag for the hospital. Though from what I've heard, early labor gives you plenty of time to get things in order.