At the breast

These have been the fastest 3 months in my entire life. Maybe its the sleep deprivation, maybe its watching our Penelope grow out of infancy (just writing that makes me want to cry). But I sure have learned a lot in that short amount of time. No amount of reading or researching can prepare new parents for the journey (or at times nightmare) they are about to begin. Being a mom is a thousand times harder than I imagined, but lets face it I was COMPLETELY ignorant to the amount of work I thought it would be. But it is so worth it.

Breast feeding has truly surprised me as one of those "harder than it looks" situations. Baby is hungry, pop a boob in her mouth, baby wont stop crying, pop a boob in her mouth. It sounds all rainbows, and unicorns but its not. To those who have never experienced it before and think its just sitting on your butt all day while holding a baby, you couldn't be more wrong.  It has been said that breast feeding is the equivalent to jogging 7 miles per day, add a giant Penelope into that scenario and I'm a damn marathon runner.  On a regular night (no growth spurt), Penelope will wake up 2 or 3 times during the night to be fed.  If she is having a growth spurt, which seems to happen far to often in my opinion, she wakes up every 2 hours.  Needless to say I have been a sleep deprived zombie for basically her entire existence.  And with sleep deprivation comes bitchiness.  Poor Aaron, poor dogs, poor cats.  They are just innocent bystanders who I unleash fury upon for no good reason at all.

 

Breast feeding in public is also something I had to get used too.  The very first time I did it I was terrified and literally had to talk myself into it.  I kept telling myself that I need to be a strong, positive role model for Penelope.  How could I fill those shoes if I ran home every time she was hungry? Our first experience was at Starbucks, good ol' Starbucks.  Penelope and I were out running errands and Aaron wanted us to meet him at Starbucks, where he was studying.  Penelope was, of course, hungry.  Surprise, surprise.  So I took out my Hooter Hider nursing cover and fed my baby for the first time in a public place.  Aaron, like usual, was my biggest support.  Nothing about it was graceful, it was mostly awkward as I maneuvered her body around mine while trying not to expose myself to the entire Starbucks world.

 

As time has gone on, Penelope and I have gotten the hang of nursing in public.  We are like old pros now.  And with this experience has come a much more relaxed mama.  While it may or may not be a good thing I don't worry about whether or not I am flashing the goods to anyone.  I simply don't care.  I am trying to feed my baby, that's the most important thing.  Yes people stare at breast feeding moms for whatever reason.  I guess it makes some people uncomfortable.  Not my problem.  I just stare right back at them.  I have found that everyone wants to stare at boobs, that is until a baby is attached to them and then for some reason it becomes weird and even gross to some.  Isn't that what they are there for? Last time I checked they weren't made for push-up bras and low cut shirts, they were made for babies.

 

Our first time nursing in public. It was such a big deal I needed a picture to commemorate the occasion.

(8/16/2012)

Parent Decisions

Updated Giant Penelope Stats:

Weight: 13 lbs. 9 oz. (80th percentile)

Length: 24 in. (75th percentile)

Head Circumference: (90th percentile)

 

Today Penelope had her first real appointment at her pediatricians office.  She had her last and final check up at the Birth Center at 6 weeks old.  We were supposed to take her to the pediatrician between 8-9 weeks but we were uneasy and scared. Who is scared of the big bad pediatrician? We were.  Well not the doctor personally but the health care system in general.

 

Vaccinations. I know its a "hot topic" and people usually believe in one way or another, whether to vaccinate or not.  Aaron and I take the health of our child very serious, like all loving parents do.  We decided on a natural birth for the sole reason that we didn't want Penelope's tiny (or giant) body to come into contact with any drugs of any kind.  Once we made that, easy enough, decision I didn't realize we would have to make such a hard decision so soon after birth.  To vaccinate or not, that is the question.  The midwives at the birth center told us of the pros and cons but ultimately it was our decision.  Like all decisions, we have made with regards to Penelope, we researched the shit out of it. I lost sleep because of it.  What if these vaccines negatively affected my baby? What if they changed her? What if she contracted an illness that could have been prevented with a simple vaccine? I could never live with myself.  It still sends me into anxiety mode when I think about it.  Aaron and I both felt damned if we do, damned if we don't.

 

I forced myself to make the appointment.  That way we would have no choice but to make a decision.  There would be no more putting it off.  Aaron and I decided on a delayed selective vaccination schedule.  What does that mean?  Well, it means spacing out the vaccinations over a few of years instead of a few months.  It also means we opted out of a couple vaccinations we felt were unnecessary, especially for an infant. 

 

I don't judge those who vaccinate and those who don't.  Parents make the best decisions for their families.  I feel that the route we choose was a good medium ground.  We both feel great with the decision we made.

My New Body

I have been toying with the idea of writing this blog.  Should I? Should I not? Is it revealing too much to the world? Is it that important? Will it embarrass me?

Yes! It is that important! And yes it might embarrass me but it shouldn't and that is why I decided to write this.  I am trying to do things I normally wouldn't do out of fear or shyness and this is completely out of my comfort zone, so here we goooo...

This post will entirely be focused on the post-pregnancy belly, or "Jelly Belly" as I like to call it.  We all saw pictures of my ridiculously large belly which housed an even bigger Penelope.  Lets face it I looked like I might fall forward at any second, and probably not be able to get up.

Before I go in depth on this post I should give a little background.

Growing up I was always very skinny and athletic, even though I ate like an obese man.  I never really paid much attention to my body until after high school.  An interest in the fashion world, as well as a few other life experiences, initiated a distorted body image.  I was a size 0, creepy skinny, yet thought I was fat.  Any jiggle of my thighs would set me off.  Drinking water to feel full, eating a small salad as my only meal for the day, running 5 miles per day, etc.  I could go on and on.  This very unhealthy lifestyle lasted on and off for a few years.  Distorted body images and eating disorders aren't something that you are ever cured of.  I like to describe it as a constant radio with the volume on low.

Since I am the first one of my closest friends to have a baby I had no idea what my belly would like once Penelope came out.  And to be honest I never really gave it much thought.  It never really crossed my mind.  But from the looks of me at 40 weeks pregnant, it wasn't going to be pretty.  The day we went home from the birth center, which was the same day I had Penelope (yay!),  I looked like I was about 5 months pregnant but it was a weird pregnant.  It wasn't the rock hard baby belly I was used to, it was in fact, the complete opposite.  Thus, the birth of the Jelly Belly.  It felt like I swallowed the biggest bowl of Jell-O and it just planted itself in my stomach.  When I walked it wiggled.  When I laughed I looked like jiggly Santa Claus.

Now, at 2 months postpartum, I still have my Jelly Belly.  Its gotten significantly smaller and not as Jello-y.  I still cant button my work pants so I use my MacGyver-ing skills with a rubber band.  Some days I wish I had my flat stomach back but mostly so other people don't think I am still pregnant.  But the majority of the time I like my belly.  Now that's weird to say.  But when I look down and rub my belly it makes me smile.  That was Penelope's home, where she grew strong and giant.  

Yes my thighs, butt, and belly have gotten a bit thicker.  Yes I had to buy all new bras and some not-so-tight dresses.  Yes some days I silently wish for my old body back.  Yes some days that radio is louder than others and silencing it takes some work.  But I love my new body.  I finally feel like a woman.  Aaron also tells me how beautiful I am every single day, he loves the newly added curves.  He is my biggest support. 

Cloth Diapering

I want to share our disposable and cloth diapering journey with everyone, and by that I mean the world.  Diapering is a major part of our new lives as parents.  We are averaging 12-13 diaper changes per day.  We were told 8 was average but with a giant Penelope everything is proportionately larger.

When Penelope was born we used disposable diapers for the first week.  A baby's first few days of poop is called meconium which is what the baby ingested while in utero.  It tends to be black in color and has the consistency of tar.  We chose to use disposables because our midwives suggested to do so due to the meconium being difficult to clean off cloth fabric and its tendency to stain.  While disposables were quick and easy it was hard to tell if the diaper was wet because it is absorbed so quickly.  While this sounds nice I hated it.  She could pee and pee and we would never know thus letting her just sit in it.  No thank you.  Not on my precious baby bottom.

A few weeks before I gave birth, Aaron and I took a Cloth Diapering 101 class (if cloth is something your interested in I highly recommend finding a class in your area).  Before we took the class the thought of using cloth gave me anxiety.  I knew I wanted to do it but there are so many options nowadays.  Cloth diapers have come a long way since the days of using pins.  There are all-in-ones, all-in-twos, prefolds, pocket and many more!  How does one even choose which method to use? Let the anxiety begin.  Not to mention the laundering and care.  Ahh! But after taking the class we felt much more educated on our options and even decided that day how we would be diapering Penelope.  We decided to use the prefold+snappie+cover method until she got big enough for all-in-twos.  We purchased two dozen prefolds and three covers.  This seemed like a lot to us at first but it isn't, we wash diapers every day.  There are about 1 million ways to fold a prefold, no joke and they are all documented on YouTube.  We use the Jelly Roll Fold, click on link to watch a directional video. 

Here is the prefold+snappie:

(The snappie replaced the old time pins! No more poking poor baby)

 

And here is the prefold+snappie+cover:

We recently purchased GroVia Hybrid diapers.  They are considered all-in-twos which is basically a waterproof cover and cloth inserts that snap in.  There are two options velcro and snaps.  We got one of each and to our surprise we like the velcro better.  It is considered a hybrid because they also make disposable inserts.  We haven't bought the disposable inserts yet but when we go on vacation it seems like a good idea! The cloth inserts are the only part that gets dirty, the covers only need to be washed if an explosion happens.  So far we are really liking the GroVia Hybrids! They fit her a lot better and it limits the wetness to just the pad.  Plus they come in awesome colors and patterns! Check out the robots with spaceships and the owls!!

GroVia Hybrid with snaps:

 

GroVia Hybrid with velcro:

Friday's

While Friday is the start of the weekend for most, for me it's just another day.  Fridays are tough for me. I have school and then I go immediately to work, which means I am away from Penelope for at least 12 hours.  These are my least favorite days.

Here is a little glimpse into my day:

Wake up

Feed baby

Leave for school

Pump while driving to school

Sit in class

Leave school

Sit in the car, do makeup and pump before work

Work

Pump while driving back home

Feed baby

Sleep...hopefully

If I don't have a baby attached to my boob the pump is.  I feel very dairy cow-ish. Happy Friday everyone!

Pump Pump Pump It Up!

Since I am exclusively breast feeding while attending school and working buying a pump was mandatory, at least this is what Penelope tells me.  Fortunately I was able to purchase a really nice one made by Medela.  Click here to check it out.  While it may seem pricey I cant imagine buying a pump of lesser quality, especially since I use it frequently.  It is completely worth the upfront costs, plus Ill be able to use it for Penelope's future siblings. 

 

I actually started pumping before I was "supposed" too.  They (who knows who "they" are) say you aren't supposed to introduce a bottle until 4-6 weeks to minimize nipple confusion.  Penelope got her first bottle between weeks 2-3 and has never had any problem going between the bottle and breast.  Hungry little hippo.  Originally I did not want to pump and give her a bottle so soon but at the time breast feeding was excruciatingly painful.  At times it was probably worse than labor.  So I pumped every 2 hours for a whole day and Aaron fed it to her in a bottle to give my nipples a break.  I am so glad I finally gave in and did it.  My nipples thanked me.

Pumping has also given me a few extra hours of sleep on a couple of occasions.  On nights when Penelope is up every hour or two Aaron is able to give her a bottle while I lay blissfully asleep.  Plus giving her a bottle takes around 15 minutes and nursing her is usually 40 minutes.  However this rarely happens.  We have a rule that if I am in the house Penelope is not allowed a bottle, unless of course during dire circumstances such as the one listed above.  I prefer to breast feed her as much as possible.  There are already too many occasions in which I am away that the bottle is necessary.

Being a server I don't necessarily get "breaks" during work, I work straight through.  I was a little worried about when I would pump but my friend suggested I pump in the car to and from work.  So I pump and drive.  It may sound weird but I have a system and it works perfectly.  I made myself a "hands-free" pumping bra by cutting 2 holes in an old sports bra.  This allows me to have both hands while driving.  I use my Hooter Hider nursing cover so the rest of the world doesn't see what I am really doing while driving.  By doing all of this I am able to pump on the way to and from work.  It works perfectly.

Update

A lot has happened since I was able to last write a post.  I have gone back to work and today was the first day of classes for the fall semester.  I hope to be able to write more frequently now that we will have more of a set schedule, well as much of a schedule that one can have with an infant.  Our not so little baby is now 6 weeks and 3 days old.  Time has never moved so fast, we can feel ourselves getting older every second.  And by "we" I mean Aaron because I just seem to be getting younger and younger :)

 

I started back up at work 2 weeks ago.  Luckily I was able to start with only 2 shifts per week to ease myself back into it.  Its been an adjustment especially with breastfeeding/pumping but that's a discussion for another time.  I had to buy a new work shirt for my new sleeker figure.  My old one was so stretched out from being a giant pregnant lady.  Somehow I was able to wear the same shirt up until I stopped working which was 5 days before my due date.  It didn't necessarily "fit" but I couldn't find a maternity work shirt so I had to make due. 

 

 

Man I looked ridiculous.

 

 

 

 

Daddy's Girl

Aaron and Penelope have mastered the art of napping together.  She could be crying up a storm and within a few minutes of laying on her Dad's chest she is calm and drifting off to sleep.  It might be the cutest thing I have ever seen.  So naturally while they sleep I take pictures of them.  Sometimes Aaron wakes up from feeling me hoovering over them and calls me a creep.  I cant deny my creeping tendencies.

 

 



6-Weeks Postpartum

While Penelope wont be 6 weeks old until Friday we had our 6 week postpartum appointment at the birth center yesterday.  It was our last appointment.  Penelope now weighs exactly 10lbs.  She is slow at gaining weight most likely due to being such a big baby at birth.  Apparently the big babies don't have much catching up to do.

The birth center and all the midwives that work there were such a big part of our lives for nearly a year.  Everything we experienced at the center was so positive and uplifting.  Sometimes I think back to Penelope's birth and I want to go back to that time.  As cheesy as it sounds it was so beautiful.  It literally was the best experience of my life and I don't just mean the end result.  There aren't many women who would say that.  We are so lucky to have found such an amazing place that uplifts women and believes in their naturally ability to birth without medications or medical interventions.  

It saddens both Aaron and I that we wont be returning.  That is, of course, unless we have another little nugget in the near future.  But as of right now I am enjoying my so called sanity.

(Aaron is going to hate me for putting this picture up. This is what one glass of sake does to him. Hehe.)

New Obsession

Its amazing how quickly a baby takes over your life.  From the minute I gave birth our lives have been dictated by a not-so-little, chubby cheeked little girl.  Everything else seems so minuscule in comparison to raising her.  Everything we do revolves around her.  This is probably why neither one of us has managed to take 2 consecutive showers since she was born.  We are a stinky family.

Ever since July 16th, when we had our three-day nurse home visit I have been obsessed with my milk supply.  Penelope had lost a considerable amount of weight due to my milk not being established yet and her posterior frenulum (tongue-tie) issue.  I cant even begin to explain the amount of guilt I felt not being able to feed my baby.  It was a horrible feeling.  And of course being the new, hormonal mom I am, it led to many tears.  I was really afraid we would have to give her formula.  I am not against formula at all but I wanted to be the one to feed her, I didn't want to rely on something foreign.  Once my milk came in and we had her tongue-tie issue taken care of the pounds kept on adding to our chubby baby girl.  It is an amazing feeling.  Not only did I nourish this little creature from conception but now I am the reason she is flourishing.

My obsession began with researching ways to increase milk supply.  I am trying EVERYTHING! And I mean everything.  I feel like everything I put into my body is to increase my milk supply.  Penelope has gained 2 pounds since being down to 8 pounds 3 ounces so I know my milk supply is adequate but with school fast approaching it is one less thing I would like to worry about.  And besides chubby babies are the best kind of babies.

Here are the things I am currently trying to increase my supply:

• Mother's Milk Tea- Just like it sounds, a tea that helps with lactation.  I drink 2-3 cups a day.

• Motherlove: More Milk Plus supplement- I originally went in to Whole Foods to purchase Fenugreek (the main ingredient in More Milk Plus that stimulates lactation) but was told many women have had great results with this so I gave it a shot.  However, it is quite expensive.

• Dark beer- We learned in the breast feeding class we took that dark beer helps with milk supply.  The lactation consultant even recommended drinking 1 dark beer per night, preferably an oatmeal stout.  I don't really like dark beer so I have yet to finish an entire beer, I usually get half way.

• Water- Nursing is a dehydrating activity.  Its amazing how thirsty I get just sitting here with Penelope while she eats.  I have a 32 ounce Nalgene bottle attached to my hip at all times.  Wherever I am, the Nalgene is.

• Dehydrated Placenta- Yes I had my placenta dehydrated, ground, and made into pills.  I blogged about it here back in March when I discovered the benefits of consumption.

• Lactation Cookies- Cookies that increase milk supply? Yes please! I haven't made these yet but plan to this weekend.  The ingredient that is supposed to increase lactation is Brewers Yeast.  Here is the recipe I will be using.

• Pumping- At Penelope's most recent visit to the birth center for a weigh-in I asked what the midwife recommended for boosting supply.  She suggested pumping after Penelope had eaten.  Thus fully emptying the breasts and tricking your body into producing more.

News to me

Penelope is now 1 month and 3 days old.  Its hard to believe.  Sometimes I still think it isn't real.  I was pregnant! I have a baby! I am a mother! Weird.  Just weird.  When will it finally kick in? 

The first month was pretty difficult I will admit.  I have never been around infants for extended periods of time so everything was new to me.  I completely misjudged the amount of work infants entail.  I genuinely thought Penelope was going to be this quite little angel baby who never cried and slept through the night.  Boy was I wrong! I was so consumed with having a healthy pregnancy and delivery I never gave any thought to what would happen when she finally got here.  However, I don't think any amount of reading can truly prepare you for the ups and downs of infancy.

At night, our giant Penelope is awake every 2-3 hours wanting to be fed, and by wanting I mean screaming.  So I sleep in very small increments, usually only getting 4-5 hours of sleep per night, broken up between feedings.  There have been nights (maybe 5 total) when nothing we do can subside the screams.  Changing her diaper, feeding, burping, swaddling, the white noise machine, singing, rocking...nothing.  She is inconsolable.  Those are the worst nights of my life, especially when Aaron is at work and I'm left alone with the evil Penelope.  Not only is the screaming extremely frustrating but it makes you feel like a failure of a mother.  I'm not sure who cries more during these nights, Penelope or I.  Thankfully these nights are few and far between.

Penelope, for a few glorious nights, has slept 4 straight hours recently.  Its amazing how good I feel after getting 4 straight hours of sleep.  Its the equivalent of my pre-pregnancy, pre-baby 10 hour snooze fests.  Its amazing how the body adjusts.  Things are getting better everyday.  We are getting the hang of this craziness called parenthood.

The Breast Feeding Hurdle

Breast feeding has been...well... a challenge.  Before Penelope was born we took a breast feeding class through the birth center but breast feeding is one of those things that needs to be experienced before you actually know what anyone is talking about.  All the stuff we learned in the breast feeding class was quickly forgotten as soon as Penelope entered our lives.  Maybe it was the sleep deprivation, or the exhausted state my body was in.  I wish we could have taken the class shortly after giving birth to Penelope...I like to think things would have been a little easier then.  But who knows. 

Getting the perfect latch is the key to successful breast feeding.  I could explain the exact positioning that both mother and baby need to be in but it does no good if you don't have an actual baby to practice with.  It would go in one ear and right out of the other, just like it did with us.  

Up until one week ago I dreaded feeding our giant Penelope.  Every time she cried from hunger I got this sinking feeling in my stomach...why, oh why was she doing this to me?  I heard breast feeding was supposed to be this magical bonding experience between mother and baby yet I usually ended up in tears.  Every time she latched on I yelled in pain while clenching my toes and my one free fist.  This went on for exactly three weeks.  Penelope would cry from hunger and I would cry from the horrific pain.  These were not good times.

Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore the pain virtually vanished.  Thank you breast feeding gods! Its been a week now, a whole week without tears! I don't cringe at the thought of feeding my baby, I actually look forward to it.  Penelope has also gained 9.5 ounces in the last week.  Coincidence? I think not! 

Bathtime

The day Penelope was born the midwives at the birthing center taught Aaron how to bathe her.  I wasn't aloud to leave the bed so I laid there and watched.  It was adorable watching the two of them interact together.  And surprisingly Aaron wasn't nervous at all.  I would have been, those babies are slippery little suckers.

A few days later we attempted to bathe her little body all by ourselves.  It didn't go as well as her first bath experience.  We filled up the bath tub and Aaron got in to hold her while I washed her.  Well I didn't realize that the water wasn't as warm as it should have been.  I didn't want to scald her delicate skin but instead I accidentally made her freeze.  She screamed the entire time.  It was a race to rinse her off and throw some clothes back on her.

Our second attempt at bathing her went much better.  I got the water temperature right this time.  She just laid there and stared at Aaron.  Adorable.  Washing her belly has proven to be a bit tricky because it floats!  Her giant belly floats on top of the water, Aaron has to gently push it down to rinse it off.

To Hell and Back

As first time parents, Aaron and I are learning as we go.  Poor Penelope has to put up with inexperienced parents.  We are taking things one day at a time and learning new things each day.  

During the night Penelope wakes up every 2-3 hours to have her diaper changed but mostly to be fed.  Oh how I miss those 10 hour sleeps I loved so much.  Since her birth we have had a total of 3 sleepless nights.  These nights include non-stop crying and a baby that just wont settle down.  However the first 2 nights were nothing compared to last night.  And by last night I mean all of yesterday and all of the night.  Penelope hit her 2-3 week growth spurt that the midwives warned us about.  This was the growth spurt from hell.  And I am in no way exaggerating.  She literally wanted to eat non-stop all day.  She would finish eating and as I would burp her she would be viciously rooting around for more food.  This wasn't the cute "Oh look she is looking for a nipple."  She was throwing her head into my shoulders hoping to find a nipple up there.  Screaming when she realized there wasn't anything up there she wanted.  She was grabbing at my tank top and at one point got ahold of my hair and wouldn't let go.  Aaron had to save me from her death grip.  Violent and vicious Penelope.  I sat in the exact same spot on the couch for more than 5 hours and then who knows how many hours in the rocker because Penelope wouldn't stop eating and screaming.  Eating and screaming.  It wasn't only mentally draining but physically as well.  It literally felt like shards of glass were racing through my nipples.  And there was no break, none at all.     

Today we re-watched "The Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD we received from my Aunt a few months back.  Aaron has been practicing the "5 S's" and we are now enjoying a little quite time.  She is finally asleep and we are slowing restoring our sanity.

Getting Caught Up

I have been really slacking on posting updates. I thought Id be able to keep up but it turns out its not easy typing with a baby attached to you. Even when she is napping and I think I have a minute to get some things done I realize that I need to nap as well, because lets face it those 3 hours per night just aren't enough.

So lets see...Penelope is 2 weeks yesterday! I cant believe its been that long, I feel like we literally just brought her home. On Monday July 16th, we had our 3-day home visit with Rene, a nurse and lactation consultant. She is a wealth of knowledge. To anyone who is planning on breastfeeding you MUST meet with a lactation consultant, maybe more than once. They say breastfeeding isn't supposed to hurt, but I have yet to find anyone who hasn't experienced some pain. The baby has to be at the exact perfect angle with the perfect latch, which is hard to know when your a first time mom. Anyways things were pretty painful there for a few days. But Rene helped bring peace to my breasts. At the home visit Penelope was checked out and while she was healthy she had lost quite a bit of weight, 10% of her birth weight to be exact (they prefer no more than a 7% loss). My giant 9lb 1oz baby was now 8lbs 3oz, still giant but not as giant. We concluded it was due to my milk not being established yet, this happened at day 4. 

Also, Rene noticed that Penelope had a possible minor posterior frenulum, more commonly known as the tongue tie. That's medical language for the piece of skin under her tongue was thicker than normal, causing her not to be able to stick her tongue out completely. As it turns out its a hereditary condition coming from Aaron's side of the family.  She suggested we meet with a ear, nose and throat specialist. Of course, me being the momma bear I am now, began freaking out immediately. What do you mean something is wrong with my baby? Like with most things Aaron took a very relaxed, 'everything will be just fine' stance.  Our appointment with Dr. Connelly, the ear, nose and throat doctor, was 2 days later and Rene, the nurse, was right. We opted to have her posterior frenulum taken care of with a small in-office procedure.  The procedure literally took 1 minute and I was hysterically crying by the end of that minute.  Poor Penelope has an emotional mom sure to embarrass with her tears for the rest of her life.  The following day we went to the birth center for a weight check. Rene wanted to make sure breastfeeding was going better and that Penelope's tongue was taken care of.  Penelope had gained 4.5 ounces in 3 days! Since her tongue had not healed yet, I attribute her weight gain to my milk coming in and getting a better latch with breastfeeding.

We had our 2-week postpartum visit on Friday July 27th.  Both Penelope and I came away with a clean bill of health.  Penelope now weighs 8lbs 13oz, still not at her birth weight but making good progress.

Penelope's Birth Story

Throughout our labor Aaron and I took notes so as to not forget this incredible experience. Remembering the birth of our daughter is very important to us, even the not so fun parts. I want to share our natural birth experience with those interested in reading about it because I honestly feel more women should know they have choices when it comes to delivering their children. Living in the United States women tend to believe they are bound to a hospital setting with an abundance of drugs and doctors, and this just isn’t the case.

On Thursday July 12, 2012 I woke up at 3:20am to contractions. Before really experiencing them I was worried I wouldn’t know what they felt like and that I wouldn’t know labor had started. I was wrong, I knew right away what they were. I laid in bed for an hour before nudging Aaron to tell him I thought this was it. At this point I was cautious about getting too excited since I knew that many women experience false labor for hours only for the contractions to stop completely. Of course Aaron, with his amazing sleeping abilities, fell right back asleep until 5:00am when he woke from hearing me deep breathing through the contractions. We laid in bed for an hour before Aaron decided he better go to the grocery store to get us food and other essentials we would be needing for labor. Our midwives stressed the importance of eating during early labor as well as having a large meal after delivery since the whole process can be compared to running a marathon.  Yes I said marathon, and yes that is 26 miles.  The birth center was equipped with a full kitchen for our use.  When Aaron returned from the store an hour later (he gets a little lost in grocery stores without me) he made me French toast and we tried to pass time by watching Fresh Prince of Bel Air reruns.  At this time I was having pretty strong contractions but I was still able to talk through them (kind of), a sign that I was still in early labor. I called my parents to let them know I thought I might be in early labor, still not wanting to jinx anything.  At 9:30am Aaron and I drove the dogs to the park and went on a forty-five minute walk.  Walking is supposed to make labor proceed at a quicker pace.  As I experienced contractions we would stop walking, I would rock my hips back and forth while Aaron coached me on deep breathing. At this point contractions were coming roughly every five minutes.  When we returned home I got in the shower and worked through the contractions while Aaron got some things around the apartment taken care of.  At noon we decided we better start timing the contractions to get a better gauge on how things were progressing.  While doing this we watched American Pie Reunion.  Every time I felt a contraction come on I would pace around the living and dining room trying to only concentrate on my breathing.  The pain was becoming more intense.  After an hour, Aaron averaged out my contractions, which ended up being 3 minutes apart.  At 2:40pm Aaron called the birth center and spoke with the midwife on-call, Roswitha, who suggested we wait it out a little while longer at home.  I was a little discouraged because the contractions were getting closer and closer but I was also glad to do as much of my labor as possible at home.  I tried lying in bed, thinking it might relax me more but it did the exact opposite. It seemed to make the pain a million times worse. So I was stuck pacing around the apartment for hours.  The hard part hadn’t even begun yet and I was already beginning to feel tired.  

Around 6:30pm we got to the birth center after talking to Roswitha again who was certain things had sufficiently progressed.  Upon arrival Roswitha asked which room I preferred, and of course, I requested Barcelona the largest of the 3 birthing suites.  She quickly got the room ready for me and then confirmed that I was 5 cm dilated and 100% effaced.  I was hoping I would have been a little bit more dilated but I was glad to know I was definitely in labor.  There was no turning back now.  I spent a good portion of time sitting on one of those exercise balls, rocking my hips as the contractions came and went. 

Doula Aaron was prepared to use counter pressure on my back for the entire labor yet when it came down to it I preferred not to be touched.  When things got more intense I got in the birthing tub, the glorious birthing tub.  Between the warm water and the buoyancy I felt so much better.  With Doula Aaron’s coaching I was able to maintain my deep breathing and let my body be as loose as possible. 

At 9:25pm I felt and heard a popping sound, my water had broken.  Roswitha confirmed it and informed me that the pressure was going to get really intense now.  The bag of water is what was cushioning Penelope’s head from my pelvis bones.  Without that bag of water it was bone pushing on bone.  I could feel a difference immediately. I was now in the “Transition Stage,” the stage when dilation progresses from 7 cm to 10 cm, complete dilation.  During our birthing class we learned that the uterus exerts over 60 pounds of force per square inch during labor.  This was the point at which I felt that immense power.  I was in the birthing tub the entire “Transition Stage” so I don’t know how it would have felt outside of the tub but it wouldn’t have been pretty.  After only 35 minutes I felt the urge to push.  Before doing so I let Roswitha know, she then confirmed that I was completely dilated and gave me the okay to push.  Pushing too early can cause swelling of the cervix, therefore delaying the labor process until the swelling subsides.  It was then that Kat and Megan, the two birth assistants came to Roswitha’s aid.  It takes a team to birth a baby.  So I pushed and I pushed. And pushed some more.  I wasn’t making much progress and Roswitha could tell I was holding out on pushing as hard as I could.  The truth is I honestly felt like I was going to have a bowel movement in the tub.  I wasn’t necessarily scared of pooping in front of Roswitha or the two birth assistants but I just really didn’t want to get out of that tub.  After an hour and a half of being in there I had found comfort and was scared of how things would feel outside of the beloved birthing tub.  But alas Roswitha could tell things weren’t progressing as they should so she recommended I get out and try the birthing stool.  What an awkward contraption that turned out to be. 

(I found this picture on the internet to show you what the stool looked like)

I was instructed to sit on it and lean back on Aaron while he was sitting on the bed.  I probably didn’t position myself correctly because it hurt my back immensely.  After a few pushes I asked to try something else.  It was then that we got on the bed and switched back and forth from the typical lying with my back propped up with pillows to the left and right sides.  It felt like an eternity of pushing. One of the best “props” the midwife brought out was a long rope with handles on either end.  I was to pull as hard as I could while the birth assistant, Kat, pulled the other end as hard as she could.  It really helped the extent of the push.  I reached down and felt little Penelope’s fuzzy head.  Nothing gave me more motivation than when Doula Aaron, with a giant grin on his face said, “I can see her head, and it’s so hairy!”  After 3 ½ hours of pushing (that had to have been some sort of record) Penelope Juanita was born and placed immediately on my chest at 1:43am on Friday July 13, 2012.  It was the greatest moment of my life, not only did we finally get to meet our giant Penelope but our 22 hour labor had finally come to an end.  She immediately melted our hearts as she was greeted with cheers and lots of happy tears.  

As Roswitha quickly checked out our new baby she noticed a good amount of vernix, a white substance that babies are covered in until full gestation.  Because of this she predicted that Penelope was not 41 weeks like we had originally thought but only 39 weeks.  

Our predictions were correct our giant Penelope really was giant. At birth she weighed 9 pounds 1 ounce, and was 20 1/2 inches in length.  Thats one giant Penelope!  

She's Arrived!

Guess what everyone?

I am no longer forever pregnant. It seemed like it would never happen but alas it finally did! I gave birth to Penelope Juanita on July 13th, 2012 at 1:43am. Yes, it was Friday the 13th! She was born on the same day as my Grandmother Juanita Sanders in 1928, whom we named Penelope after. Its odd how amazingly things like that work out, isn't it?

We are loving our new lives together!

July 13th, 2012

July 14th, 2012

July 15th, 2012

46 Years Pregnant

While I feel I may be pregnant forever I saw an episode on the Discovery Channel about a woman who was pregnant for 46 years. And if its on the Discovery Channel it must be real, right? 

The woman was from a small tribe in Morocco who became pregnant in 1955. She refused to have a Cesarean and had labor pains for a few days before they completely subsided. She figured her baby went to sleep. She then decided not to taken any action until her baby "woke up." Of course, she never had any more children but adopted 3 and raised them like her own. 

...46 years later...

The now 75 year old woman starts complaining about abdominal pain and after multiple doctor visits finally finds out she has a mass inside of her. It was her baby that "went to sleep," a full term baby which attached to her organs and died becoming entombed inside of her for 46 years.

Here is a picture of the mass they removed from her:

Over Due

Today I am officially 3 days over my due date, although this doesn't mean anything. Most first time moms are pregnant for up to 2 weeks after their 40 week due date. I hope this wont be so in my case but this is something I don't have control over. I try to act very patient but I am not, not at all. I want this baby out! I want to hold her, kiss her, squeeze her and never let her go. She probably senses this and wants to steer clear of all the embarrassing love her Dad and I will put upon her. 

The midwives at the Birthing Center have given me tips to get the cervix softened and to hopefully dilate, here they are:

1. Red Raspberry Leaf Tea- This was the hardest thing to find! We drove all over looking for it, even went to a natural food store and finally ended up at Central Market. The one store in all of Austin that carries it (I'm sure Whole Foods does as well). I drink tea every morning yet I was a little apprehensive to try this one because I hate fruit flavored tea. Before getting pregnant I drank Black English tea and then switched to Pregnancy tea. But the Red Raspberry Leaf tea doesn't taste like raspberries at all, thank god!
2. Exercise Ball- Apparently rocking your hips back and forth and also doing figure-eights is supposed to guide the baby's head down into the pelvis. So on my exercise ball I sit and wiggle.
3. Sex- Yup, that's right sex. Giant 40 week uncomfortable sex. While it doesn't induce labor (unfortunately) it produces a prostaglandin release which can help soften the cervix and prepare for dilation.
4. Walking- I have stayed very active my entire pregnancy, only stopping for 2 weeks when sciatica was kicking my ass. Aaron and I walk the dogs every morning for about 2 miles. I am usually waddling along behind Aaron, but not anymore. He said he has never seen me move so fast. I want Penelope out, dammit! Trying to work up a sweat and get that heart rate up. Tomorrow I plan on walking laps around Aaron, lets hope the dogs and him can keep up. I wait for no one. 
5. Pineapple- Eating a lot of pineapple to induce labor is an old wives tale, but it couldn't hurt right? Yesterday I ate an entire pineapple in less than 30 minutes while bouncing on my exercise ball. It was a miracle I kept it down. Too much pineapple and too much bouncing made this pregger nauseous.

37 Weeks 1 Day Photoshoot

I was lucky enough to have 666 Photography do a fun set of maternity photos for me. I had been getting the other 'normal' maternity photos done because I knew I wanted something a little different at the end of my pregnancy. I am so glad I was able to get two very different kinds of professional photos throughout my pregnancy to showcase my ever-growing belly.

I had such a great experience at this shoot! But let me tell you it is weird not to suck in your stomach while having your picture taken, I'm sure you all know what I am talking about.

Dear Health Care

Like a lot of Americans I was without health insurance for years (and for 9 months of my pregnancy). I never had any health emergencies thankfully, however the "what ifs" were always in the back of my mind.

The day I found out I was pregnant I applied for Medicaid Perinatal, to cover all of my prenatal appointments as well as labor and delivery costs. Much to my surprise I was denied. Apparently my income was too high, yes that's right a part-time server (and student) made too much money for government assistance. I then applied for CHIP Perinatal, basically the same thing as Medicaid just for people with higher incomes. Denied...once again. Apparently I made too little to qualify for CHIP and was told to apply for Medicaid. I was stuck in an evil health care black hole. It was around this time that Aaron and I made the decision to go the natural birthing route and since Medicaid/CHIP doesn't cover this type of birthing I gave up the hope of receiving assistance. We continued on as "Self-Pay" patients of the Austin Area Birthing Center with a new $4,000 bill to be paid in monthly installments due before my 37th week. While this was a shit ton of money to us, it is just a fraction of the cost of a OB/GYN and hospital labor/delivery. But we didn't choose to go the natural route because of financial reasons, I would have fought those damn Medicaid people everyday if I felt it was a better way to bring Penelope into the world.

Fast forward to present at 40 weeks pregnant. I once again applied for CHIP Perinatal for the sole reason that once covered Penelope would be covered upon birth. I don't care if I never go to the doctor but she needs too. Apparently now I qualify for assistance and have been covered by Regence-Blue Shield. I am so glad that I was finally accepted, however, why now? Why not when I might have actually used it? I could have possibly found a OB/GYN who would let me birth naturally...maybe. There are tons of people who abuse all aspects of governmental assistance yet someone who is trying to better themselves through college education and supporting herself doesn't qualify? As you can tell I am still bitter even though I would not change our Birthing Center decision for anything.

Aaron is also insurance-less. And while his school will be offering health insurance in the fall semester he is out of luck for the next 7 weeks. He has needed multiple root canals for as long as we have been together, and of course the pain from one of them has now become too unbearable so we must foot the bill for a $2,000 root canal/crown. And while the Dentist we were referred to by his University is an Alum of the same University he doesn't offer student discounts or any sort of payment plan. Perfect. How awesome.

I am so sick of the lack of health care and general care in the health field. Why is it so damn hard? Why aren't people who need help being helped? And how are those abusing the system getting through the cracks? Don't people become doctors/dentists to help people? I am not sure if we are being helped or getting screwed, although I know what we are leaning towards and it isn't pretty.

I read this article today- "Russell Dohner, Illinois Doctor, Charges Patients $5 For Entire Physician Visit". There needs to be more people like this in this country.

Morning Giggles

I had my 40 week appointment today at the Birthing Center! I never thought this day would get here, it seemed so far away. The midwife said that things are progressing naturally very well and she thinks Ill have this baby within a week. Wahoo! Come on Penelope!

I still walk the dogs every morning with Aaron and every morning my shadow cracks me up. So here are pictures of my shadow from the front and one from the side. I hope you all think its as ridiculous as I do.

2 more days...

I cannot believe we only have 2 days left until our due date. The time has finally arrived. It feels like just yesterday I peed on a stick then slowly began to freak out while Aaron fell back asleep like nothing. Leaving me wide awake to deal with my roller coaster emotions of extreme excitement and anxiety. I feel like I have been pregnant forever yet at the same time I still cant believe I am actually pregnant and will be giving birth at any moment. Is it possible this is all a dream? Somehow looking down at my ridiculously large belly tells me this is 100% real. 

When I look back at our pregnancy, I cant help but smile. We have had a wonderful experience. Everything has come so naturally and fallen into place beautifully. Before getting pregnant I couldn't have imagined the bond Aaron and I share would possibly get any stronger yet it completely has. Aaron has superceded all of my expectations of what an expectant Dad should be. Everyday I feel more and more lucky that we found each other.

Errands

Like most of our days off, today was spent running errands. Trying to get as many things accomplished as we possibly can. Our list is slowly but surely getting smaller and smaller, yet of course other things keep getting added. 

As we were out and about I started having some very painful contractions. Luckily they all happened in the car so I was already sitting and relaxing through them was easy, well as easy as that can be. However, while this string of contractions went on I was secretly giving Aaron directions to Baskin Robbins. He didn't know where I was taking him but he knew it was important because I was able to open my eyes and navigate our way through the deep breathing techniques we had learned using the Bradley Method. As soon as he saw the 31 Flavors sign he knew where I had been directing him and burst out laughing.

Contractions or not, sometimes a girl needs her Peanut Butter 'n Chocolate ice cream!

The Giant Swell

Over the weekend I noticed some pregnancy induced changes in my feet, the giant swell. I know a lot of pregnant women swell but I hadnt experienced it yet and thought I was over that hump. Apparently not. I think it is due to sitting for long periods of time, like at our 4.5 hour Birthing Refresher Course or out to eat at dinner. Once I am on my feet for awhile and drinking lots of water them seem to shrink back to semi-normal size.

And of course, here is a picture of my feet at their most swollen: While the left one is swollen, the right one is huge! Aaron and I get a good laugh at my newly found club feet, or should I say foot.

Birthing Refresher

Over the weekend Aaron and I attended a Birthing Refresher Course, required by the Birthing Center. The instructor has been teaching the Bradley Method of Natural Birthing for over 20 years and usually holds 8-week courses. However, for the Austin Area Birthing Center, she condenses all the information into a 4.5 hour lesson. The information she taught us and the manner in which she taught it was very informational. We felt as though we learned more in those 4.5 hours than we learned throughout our many weeks at Centering.

She, of course, taught us the biological aspect of what our bodies will go through during labor/delivery as well as pain relieving techniques. She birthed 3 children naturally, so we felt she was an excellent source. We learned emotional and physical sign posts that will help us gauge where we are in the stages of labor. It feels very empowering as a women to be able to know what is happening in my body and be able to adjust accordingly, instead of freaking out and running to the hospital.

We also briefly covered bringing baby home, the things we should expect and the importance of family time. Our instructor told us to be aware of the 2 types of people that will want to come over: Type 1- The person who comes over with groceries, cooks you dinner and cleans your kitchen floor. She stated that these are the people you want in your home, because they realize what a new family needs. Type 2- The person who comes over and immediately wants to hold the baby, while doing so also asks for a cup of coffee. These people, she said, are not allowed in. No one should be asked to be entertained.

We cannot wait to use all the tools we have been given to begin our family. Doula Aaron has been taking his job very seriously, and will be the ultimate support system. Now hurry up Penelope, before we forget everything we have learned.

Forever Pregnant

I know every pregnant woman gets to the point where they dont want to be pregnant anymore. After 9 months, with the last few months being extremely uncomfortable, its not hard to imagine why. Having a giant baby inside your belly that practices kickboxing mulitple times a day, who sits on your bladder and sort of feels like a weird tumor that must be shifted seperatly from your own body when sleeping are just a few of the things us preggers deal with a on a daily basis. 

I am ready to have this baby. My body is so uncomfortable. I cannot sit for long periods because my feet then swell, but I cannot stand for too long either. In fact, it feels better to stand or to walk around. But I cannot put my body through too much strenuous activity, if I do Penelope reacts and kicks my ass, forcing me to take it easy.

 It may sound weird or it may be a totally normal pregnant thing but I feel like I am going to be pregnant forever. I feel like contractions and labor will never start and I will be forever in the uncomfortable state of pregnancy. I have been assured that no woman has been pregnant forever but I could be the first...

Exactly 2 Weeks Away

Yesterday we had our weekly appointment at the Birth Center.  My Strep B test from last week came back negative, meaning I wont have to have an IV of antibiotics during labor. While it wouldn't have been a big deal I am glad I wont have to worry about it when the time comes and I can concentrate on the task at hand. 

Everything else checked out perfectly normal. I wasn't checked to see if my cervix has made any progress from the following week which I thought the midwife would do, but next week I will have the option to be checked.  I guess it doesn't matter how dilated or effaced I am, everyone is different. I could be 3cm dilated for weeks and not go into labor, or I could be only dilated to 1cm and go into labor that evening. 

Now we play the waiting game...

Staring Contest

Over the course of my pregnancy there has been one thing that has baffled me, even to this day.  People who deliberately and without hesitation stare at me. Most even do the head turn and do a double take. I guess to make sure I really am pregnant.  When I got pregnant is this not something I thought I would have to deal with, didn't even cross my mind. But it happens on a daily basis, usually multiple times. It doesn't matter if they are child or adult, male or female, they all do it. I don't get it. I see pregnant women everyday so I cant be the only preggers in the world. Some days I think to myself that they are all stupid and need to learn some manners (while I make eye contact and give them the "What are you looking at?" look) yet other days it makes me feel self conscious, like something must be wrong with me. I dislike those days because I love my pregnant body.  Sure I look a little ridiculous and standing naked in front of the mirror makes Aaron and I laugh out loud but Ive never been happier with my body then I am right now.  

Do other pregnant women deal with this? Or am I just the lucky one? If that is the case, what makes me different from all the other preggers?

Judgements and Diapering

Because we didn't have enough going on last Saturday, between the two hour breastfeeding class and then working a six hour shift, I signed Aaron and I up for a Cloth Diapering 101 class early in the morning.

We had already decided on cloth diapering but we were lost. There are about a billion different methods to cloth diapering, literally. Its very confusing to the diaper newbie such as myself. Cloth diapering, like having a natural birth and using the Montessori method, isn't something Aaron and I announce to everyone. As we have found most people are very judgmental and think their way is the best way, especially parents. While cloth diapering isn't any harder than using disposables, majority of parents scoff at us in disgust and tell us it wont last. That we will cave to the societal norm of the disposable.

Since getting pregnant Aaron and I have made decisions based on what was best for Penelope, not easiest for us. Sure it would have been easier to give birth the 'American' way in a hospital with a array of doctors and a hoard of drugs but that isn't what is best for Penelope. Naturally birthed babies are different from the start, simply from not being exposed to harmful drugs, don't believe me? Look it up, research both arguments. Everyone we know with children has labored and birthed the 'American' way, and there is nothing wrong with it. We don't judge people or tell them they shouldn't have drugs, that isn't our place. Kind of like how people judge us for going the natural route, its not their place, but people cant help themselves. I'm sick of getting ridiculed for the decisions we make as parents. And it has only begun.  Every family, every child is different. We didn't just go out on a whim and decide one day that natural birth, and cloth diapering are cool.  We have done months of research deciding what is best ultimately for Penelope and for our family. Aaron and I would never tell anyone how to raise their child yet people do it to us on a daily basis.    

Want some information on Cloth Diapers? Click here or leave a comment and I'll answer as best I can.

The Belly Drop

Roughly about 3 days ago my giant belly dropped. The technical term for this is 'lightening,' when the baby drops into your lower pelvis. I didn't notice at first but had a few people tell me I looked a lot lower.

I have been sleeping better the past couple of nights, less tossing and turning. And my back doesn't hurt anymore yet I haven't figured out if that is due to acupuncture or Penelope's new positioning. However, I haven't gotten acupuncture in over a week so its a good sign I might not have to go back. I would have thought that her dropping would have hurt my back even more but she must have moved off my sciatic nerve, releasing the pressure. Hallelujah! 

Now that she has dropped it feels really weird walking around. There is a lot more pressure in my pelvis area. It almost feels like her head is just going to pop out while I'm standing. I feel like I should be walking around with my legs spread apart, you know just in case a body part falls out. Its a bizarre feeling. But it means that we are getting closer to finally holding our little girl.  

Car Seats

Yesterday after Aaron and I had our prenatal appointment we had an appointment with a Certified Car Seat Inspector, I'm not sure of their real title but this sounds like a good one to me. Babyearth, a store in Round Rock, offers these inspections once a month upon appointment only. We were lucky to get an appointment as they fill up fast.

I was a little worried when we pulled up because we still had the car seat in the box in the trunk. I didn't know if they would help install it or just fix an already installed car seat. So Aaron quickly got to work reading the owners manual and figuring things out while I filled out some paperwork. When it was our turn we got this surprisingly young but knowledgeable inspector. Aaron had the car seat installed correctly (amazing, I know) but it was much too loose. She went over everything from how to install it to the placement of the carrying handle while in the car to after-market accessories that void the warranty. She said that 70-90% of car seats are installed incorrectly, which of course leads to infant injury or death. That's insane! But not our Penelope, we are all inspected and ready for her arrival. Cue the "They See Me Rollin', They Hatin'" song :)

Since everything is already installed correctly we aren't touching a thing. We are driving around with the car seat now. It makes sitting in the passenger seat a little cramped because the seat has to be pushed a little farther forward. But we don't mind. And now for some reason when we get into the car we say "Hello Penelope!"  and gaze back at the car seat like she is magically in there. We are horrible nerdy and it cannot be stopped.

36 Weeks 5 Days

This morning Aaron and I had one of our prenatal appointments. We no longer participate in "Centering," that ended 2 weeks ago and since then we have our individual weekly visits. Today's appointment was a very important one, consisting of Acknowledgment of Paternity legal paperwork, and testing.

Since Aaron and I aren't legally married he is not considered the legal father of Penelope, meaning she wouldn't be eligible to receive any benefits from him (like insurance, or inheritance). But today we signed the Acknowledgment of Paternity paperwork, giving Aaron full legal standing of our giant Penelope. It was kind of like being in court, very legal and professional. So now when Penelope is born she will officially be a Jimenez. Yay! 

Next order of business was the Group B Strep test. Group B Strep is a bacteria that grows naturally in the vagina. It comes and goes without women even knowing it, without causing any harm. However, if this bacteria is present when a woman goes into labor it can cause harm to the baby as it passes out of the birth canal. If present, the woman must have an IV with antibiotics while she is in labor. I think it is pretty common and very easy to deal with. I find out next week what my test results are.

While I laid down the midwife felt around my belly to figure out the positioning of Penelope. She is still head down, she has been that way for like 5 weeks now. She also said that Penelope was a smaller sized baby...wait...are you joking? Have you seen this giant belly and how ridiculous I look? But yes it is true. Of course she cant tell how much Penelope will weigh but she predicted that she will be in the 7 pound range. I bet you can imagine the sense of relief I felt. No giant 10 pound Penelope! 

The midwife also performed my first vaginal examine since first becoming pregnant. I am currently 1cm dilated and 70% effaced. Effacement means that the cervix is soft, which is a good thing, we want a soft cervix. 100% effacement is when the cervix is completely soft and thinned out. And for those of you who didn't know 10cm is complete dilation, this is when pushing can begin. Everything is perfectly healthy and where it should be at. The midwife predicted I wont go past my due date. Can I get another sigh of relief? Ahhhh!

Baby Shower

Yesterday we celebrated our upcoming Penelope at our Baby Shower. We are so lucky to have so many wonderful friends and family to share this special time in our lives. I want Aaron to be included in very aspect of this journey so we decided we wanted our baby shower to be co-ed. Some guys were a little leery of this idea, thinking they might be forced to wear pastel colors and sip tea. But come on! That doesn't even sound fun to me. So we grilled food (Koobideh Kabobs to be exact), had a demented clown pinata (filled with crazy Mexican candy, mini liquor bottles, and lotto tickets), drank beer, sipped wine punch (bottled water and Izze juices for me!) and had ourselves a good ol' time.