A mother's intuition (or: a birth story, part one)

So back when I was still pregnant, maybe around Christmastime, I thought I might have little guy early.  I sort of tried to convince myself that I was probably just nervous that I wouldn't be prepared, or trying to steel myself against a 42-week pregnancy...but really I DID think he would come early.  So I got everything ready at work (to which I was not coming back, so really I took home everything I cared about and organized everything else so it looked like I was organized and such.  I'm good at putting on a show when I know what to do ahead of time.).  And when I went grocery shopping at 36 1/2 weeks, I bought a lot of meat and made a big casserole and two crockpots of meat and then froze it all.  With labeled and dated bags and everything.  Apparently my form of nesting has to do with food...which I and my stomach don't mind :)

Then on my 37-week date (2 days before actual labor started), I had some Braxton Hicks contractions while at work.  And I told a couple coworkers, who were all worried about me and thought I didn't know what I was doing since I had technically never had a baby before.  Pshah!  I knew that the contractions weren't frequent or strong enough to foreshadow anything imminent.  And I was right, since they went away after a few hours.

The next day, Friday, I found out there was an overtime opportunity at work.  People were coming in the next morning (Saturday) to organize things in preparation for a move.  I tried to convince myself, even until Saturday morning, that I should go and it would only be a few hours and we could use the extra money...but my intuition said no, and I felt like I was coming down with a cold, so I finally decided not to go in.

So Saturday afternoon around 2, I was out driving and noticed that I was feeling contractions.  For the first time since Thursday.  And they were 10 minutes apart.  I was still almost 3 weeks early, and I tried to tell myself that I was worrying over nothing...but my intuition told me to worry and be hormonal, because I was in labor!  Fun times!  But I still wasn't sure until I (potential TMI alert!) used the bathroom and saw that it was pretty bloody.  Yeah, that was a sign that my intuition and logical side agreed on.  TMI alert over...for now.

So I called the doctor, but had to leave a message since it was the weekend (and it wasn't even my doctor, since she sadly was not on call that weekend :( ).  And then I called Morgan and was crying because that's just what you do when you're in labor and not at home and kinda freaking out.  The doctor called and said I would still have a while, and she wasn't sure if I was even in labor (except I knew that I was!  I guess that's probably the safe thing to say, though, to nervous pregnant women, but I still didn't appreciate it).  So I drove home, which seemed to take forever!  And Morgan hugged me and said it was all right and that we were together and that we had everything (hospital bag, etc.) prepared and we would be fine if the baby was coming now.  Which was totally the RIGHT thing to say (doctors take note!), I have the sweetest husband :)

What Morgan didn't tell me until later (like, hours after Alexander was born) was that he didn't believe I was actually in labor until about 10 pm, when we were in triage for the second time and they confirmed that I was in active labor.  Good thing he still supported me and walked with me and did NOT tell me that he didn't think I was in labor.  You don't argue with a mother's intuition!

I'm back. No really.

So...obviously I have not written for a while.  And obviously I am not still pregnant.  Luckily the body does not do 60-week pregnancies (man that would hurt!).  Here is me a while ago, about 36 weeks pregnant:

 And then the next week, Alexander decided to come early.  Fine with me, since his head is kinda big and I'm a small person and the mechanics of that are slightly complicated.  Birth story post to come, but I needed to start with something else so that I actually blog something rather than avoiding the bigness of everything I want to blog about the past four months.  Don't worry, it will come.  Just be assured that I am smaller than the afore-posted picture, and Alexander is big and fat and healthy :)  Pictures of him will come, too.

In the meantime, I am a cooking expert!  Well not really, but last week I made a chicken pot pie using Morgan's mom's recipe.  AND I made the crust from scratch, also using her recipe (since she is a great cook!).  I was already proud of myself for doing that, but then I took the pie out of the oven - and just look at it!

  
I know!  I somehow made the perfect pie crust!  Morgan may have mentioned that it was the best chicken pot pie he ever had (and this is his favorite food!) and I was even more proud of myself.  The good kind of proud, mind you.  Man, just looking at it is making me hungry.  Luckily Morgan thought to suggest (mid-dinner) that I take a picture of it; otherwise, you wouldn't have the chance to also be salivating right now.  You're welcome :)

baby bump, week 33...and our lack of car

So once again I'm a week behind (yes, yes, Kallie, I know :) ).  I'll be 34 weeks tomorrow (crazy! and awesome!) but here is a picture from last week:

Getting bigger!  Also more uncomfortable- shortness and a growing baby do not make for happy, not-sore ribs.  It's totally worth it, but I'm glad he pays attention when I nudge him away from under my right rib yet again :)

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, but had to ask for a ride from a ward member, since our car got totaled last week.  Not completely smashed, and Morgan is thankfully fine, but the poor car is broken beyond what it is worth to fix, and we find ourselves carless.  Which isn't the ideal for end-of-pregnancy worrying-about-going-into-labor-at-random-times, but what can you do?  

We rented a car last weekend to stock up on groceries and go car-shopping, in case we decide to buy a car - but the "car" we reserved was actually just the cheapest, surprise-me kind of option, and they gave us a minivan :)  It was pretty funny, and way bigger than we're used to - but we definitely fit in driving into the church parking lot!

baby bump, week 31, Morgan's birthday, and other stuff

Hi everyone!  Tomorrow I'll be 32 weeks (which sounds far along!  This baby will be here in two-ish months, which is awesome and soon), but here is a picture from last week, week 31:

The ribbon streamers in the doorway are from Morgan's birthday.  It was fun times, just hanging around the house, going to Sherlock Holmes 2, dropping by some friends' New Years Eve party.  And of course we had presents and cake and ice cream :)

Mmmm cake!  Definitely a great thing about birthdays...although with only two people eating it, it lasts way longer.  Which is both good and maybe not so good, waistline-wise.  Oh well!

We went home for Christmas, and it was great to see both of our families!  Way too short, though, as always.  I always forget to take pictures, but I did get one of me with my sister Kristen who will be having a boy 8 weeks after me.

Yay boy cousins!  Hopefully someday they will live close to each other so they can be friends :) and we can see family more often and all that.  That would be good :)

baby bump, week 29

So I'm 29 weeks now!  Almost 3/4 of the way...which sounds far.  But there is still another 2 1/2 months, give or take a few weeks, to go - so it also seems kinda far away.  And I feel definitely bigger lately:

Yep, bigger.  Morgan and I went to a childbirth prep class on Wednesday and the previous Wednesday - basic stages-of-labor stuff and Lamaze relaxation techniques.  Morgan thought the relaxation stuff was kinda corny but came anyway because he loves me like that :) and I feel a little more prepared for future events.  So  good all around :)

Christmas trees!

So I have a bunch of nativities that I set out each year, for the reminder of the real reason for the season.  Also I have had this tiny, 3-foot (to the very top) Christmas tree since college...and I kinda love it, it's my familiar Christmas friend. 

His name is Timothy, just in case you wondered.  Timothy the Christmas tree :)

This year, we needed another tree - since Morgan has gotten an ornament every year, and we have them all now, but we couldn't really put them on little Timothy.  Pretty sure he would fall over.  And also I haven't had a real, from-a-living-plant Christmas tree since...well I was young and just remember that vacuuming the needles was not fun.  Also loud - vacuums sound really loud when they have to actually pick up something, right?  Anyway, so we got a real tree for Morgan's ornaments:

Hmm, you can see the ornaments well but it doens't look so Christmasy...

That's better!  Oh and his name is Carl.  Carl the Christmas tree :)  Carl isn't very big either - maybe 4 feet? - since our tiny apartment can't handle a normal-sized tree if we want to be able to, oh you know, walk around and stuff.  We decorated him with hand-strung cranberry and popcorn strands - this was a labor of love, since stringing that stuff makes your fingers sore!  It's a good thing Carl isn't big, after all.

Just wanted to share a fun bit of Christmas in our home :)

baby bump, week 27

Somehow, despite all the eating of the Thanksgiving food and leftovers, I don't feel like I've gotten bigger in the past few weeks!  It's completely possible that I have, but I haven't noticed it, so maybe I haven't gotten bigger (or bigger enough to notice).  Or I'm in denial.  Something like that :)  However, the doctor said on Wednesday that my weight was good, so I think she's saying I don't need to limit Christmas treats and stuff...right?  You agree, right?

Despite my feeling of non-lots-of-growingness, here is a picture of what I'm looking like at 27 weeks:

Hey my hair is looking good in this picture!  Apparently it just needed a picture where it thought the focus wasn't on it...mwahahaha :)

Also I really like this off-white sweater thing I got from Motherhood Maternity.  The design is pretty hole-y so I can't wear it alone, but that keeps me cooler.  And I can wear it with a long-sleeved shirt underneath, as pictured, or with a short-sleeve shirt if I'm feeling hotter that day.  Versatility in a pregnancy wardrobe is awesome!  Also sales on top of sale prices is awesome - the only way to buy crazily-priced maternity stuff.

Remember how I said we ordered actual, real-people silverware?  Silverware that isn't cheap starting-college stuff from Walmart that bends like crazy, when you try to scoop ice cream?  Sadly we did not have it in time to make our Thanksgiving table look even more grown-up and official - but we have it now!  Ta-da!:

Pretty nice, huh?  I got to choose it and look at ALL the Oneida silverware options because I wanted to (and Morgan didn't :) ).  And so we got something pretty but simple and basic - and it's a stainless steel/some other metal mix, so it should hold up fine in the dishwasher.  Crossing my fingers!  But it's super-sturdy and looks pretty and can scoop ice cream well...all the stuff that really matters :)