Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Little squirt


Well, well, well .... our little squirt is FINALLY here! Life has definitely been a ride for this past week! Tim and I finally feel like we are hitting our "stride" with Mason. He has truly transformed our lives in the BEST way! We have a new meaning of love since Mason has arrived.

It all started one week ago .......

My water broke at about 3am on September 19th. Luckily, I was able to make it to the bathroom and avoided making a huge mess! We called Kaiser and they gave us instructions to proceed to the hospital. I did not actually start contracting until we were on our way to the hospital ... even now, I don't really like to call the pains I was feeling "contractions" because they were so mild. After being examined in triage, I was admitted into Kaiser's South Sacramento hospital. I felt very fortunate to "get a spot" because about 20 minutes after arriving, the labor and delivery unit became full!!

At this point, I was still feeling pretty good .. I told Tim that I should have brought my Billy Joel CD so I could get dancin' and start the process as the "contractions" I was experiencing were not strong. Around 7:30am the nurses came in and said it was time to check to see how dilated I was. I had to be 2 centimeters dilated before the anesthesiologist could administer the epidural. Well, I thought that process was uncomfortable before - - let me tell you, I would have rather broken my leg again than experience the pain I did when the nurse checked me. My cervix was pointed the wrong direction so the nurse had to stick her whole hand in to determine my dilation. Tim said that if the nurse was wearing a watch that my va-jay-jay would have known what time it was. It truly was the most pain I experienced throughout the entire process. The nurse determined that I was two centimeters (yeah!). The "catch" at this time was that I had not really progressed as fast as I needed to be progressing .... the "P" word was discussed (petocin / a.k.a. labor-inducing drug from hell) and it was determined that I would be checked again in another two hours to see how dilated I was - the idea was that my contractions would come stronger and allow me to dilate further and avoid petocin.

Well, what ever rootin' around the nurse did completely kick-started my labor. It was at this time that my contractions TRULY began. I tried walking around the ward, but barely made it full circle back to my room. My contractions started coming two minutes apart and were lasting one minute each. My contractions were mostly felt in my back (commonly referred to as back-labor) and were very unpleasant. The part that really sucked was that I was third in line for the epidural and one of the anesthesiologists was in an emergency C-section - I was informed that it would be an hour and a half before I could get the juice. In order to help relieve some of the pain, I got into the shower and labored for about 45 minutes under the steaming, sauna conditions. The shower was nice because it helped relax my contorting back muscles. Tim was in the bathroom with me and was awesome in helping me through the contractions. His coaching skills truly were an asset through the entire process. I had wonderful support from all who were with me through my labor.

Finally, the moment came for the epidural. I had to sit still through two contractions while they inserted the "pointy straw" into my back. The nurses were actually more concerned about Tim because of the look on his face when he saw the needle. His forehead started to get all blotchy and he looked like he was going to pass out. Tim hates needles with the fury of a thousand suns (yet he still manages to donate platelets and plasma on a regular basis - ironic). Anyhow, after a few minutes, the juice kicked in and I once again, felt like a human being. I seem to recall telling the nurses and the anesthesiologist that "I loved them" like I was a drunk college student!

After the epidural, my contractions were a fleeting memory. I would have to ask others in the room if I was even having one! There was a computer monitoring my contractions and the baby's heart beat. Everyone was pretty relaxed at this point - Tim, Scott, Crystal, and Marge were all playing cards, Liz was reading a magazine and my momma was massaging my feet. It seemed like a peechy-keen Sunday to me!

Around 2pm the nurses came back in and said it was time to check my dilation. I did not bat an eyelash at this point as my lower body was delightfully numb from the juice. Everyone was kicked out of the room and I once again, lost my dignity on the birthing table. It was determined that I was 9 1/2 centimeters dilated and that it was getting close to pushin'-time. One of the doctors commented to the nurse that she needed to have my petocin turned down as my contractions were coming too fast. The nurse found it quite humorous to inform the doctor that I was not, in fact, on petocin and that my contractions were of my own making!

I started pushing around 3pm. Tim, my mom, and Marge were in the room with me. Again, Tim was the best coach one could ask for. It was quite funny because as he would count, his voice would strain like he was doing the pushing with me! As he counted up, the strain in his voice augmented. The midwife had to ask him to slow down his counting at one point because he started to get excited and count too fast! We welcomed our little Mason Brown into the world at 4:21pm.

The nurse put Mason on my chest and it was the most magical experience. Mason had his head turned toward me ... he opened his eyes, looked at me, and smiled! Yes, the smile could have very well been his first gas fart ... but he really did smile. We discovered at that moment that he has a little dimple on his right cheek. I was instantly overcome with emotion and started to cry. It was the happiest moment I have yet to experience in my life. I told Tim that marrying him came a close second - he thanked me for "throwing him a bone." It is true what they say, one does not know how deeply they can love until they have a child.

As I was being sewed up (I had a 2nd degree tear), Tim went out and announced to everyone in the waiting room that our little Mason had arrived! It was his proud-papa moment :o)

Tim, Mason and I stayed at the hospital until about 3pm the next afternoon. Mason passed all his tests with flying colors (our little over achiever). He ended up being 8 pounds, 3 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. We have had a little bout with jaundice since he has been home; however, the doctor is monitoring it and he is on his way back to normal levels.

We are adapting to a new life at home with our little one. The first couple days were trying, but we made it through. Last night was our first night were Mason slept pretty soundly in the bassinet. He woke up every two to three hours for feeding, but did well overall.
Anyhow, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for their support through my pregnancy and post-partum days. Tim and I feel incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful support group in all our family, friends and co-workers.

I will try to post little progress reports in the coming weeks. Mason has already started to change and I just can't believe how fast time flies by! I have included a link to the Kodak gallery site. You are all welcome to view pictures (and I believe you can order prints from the site as well). There are many pictures, so you may need a few minutes!! You can visit the site by clicking on the following link:


Well, Mason is sleeping soundly (for now) in his bassinet, but he has a wet diaper that I need to change!

Hugs to all!
Jenn, Tim and Mason

Friday, September 21, 2007

Welcome, Mason David Brown!!

Hello from non-preger land!
"Current Conditions:" 8lbs 3oz, and 20 1/2" long

we welcomed our little bundle on Wednesday, September 19th at 4:21pm -I labored for 12 hours
Mason, Tim and I are doing well .... we will follow-up in the coming day or so with the details and more pictures .... most of the pics are on other cameras and have yet to make it in to our household .....
You can check out the few photos we have on our camera at the following link:

We hope this finds you all well!
Love - Tim, Jenn and Mason

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

contractions

Hello there -
Well, it is Tuesday and I am still pregnant. Last night, I was having regular contractions that were five minutes apart and about one minute in duration. Although the contractions were regular, they were painless! I had to touch my stomach to even know that I was having a contraction. Basically, my stomach becomes rock-hard on the outside and does not soften or have any "give" to the skin until the contraction is complete (now, only if I could have abs like that!) ....

Anyhow, around midnight, I called the labor and delivery triage nurse to find out what I should be feeling before making the trek to the hospital. All the books say that you should go to the hospital if your contractions are less than 15 minutes apart and are 60-90 seconds in duration. However, since I want to labor as long as I can at home, I thought it best to call the experts. I described what my current condition was and the triage nurse informed me that I should wait until my contractions were painful. She said that I am definitely on track with the timing of my current contractions, but that I should stay at home until I have to physically begin breathing through each contraction. She said they should be painful enough that I am unable to carry on a conversation through the actual contraction.

I woke up around 5:00am to start timing my contractions again - to see if they were at all regular like the ones I had the previous evening. Much to my disappointment, the contractions were very irregular both in interval and in length. Soooo, I told Tim that he was probably safe to head off to work and then I went back to bed. The nurse recommended that I sleep as much as I can (if I am still able to get comfortable) as I will need every ounce of energy in my pending labor.

On a good note, I asked the nurse if the L&D unit at Kaiser South was full - she said they were empty at that time. Although the loads could change any time, it was encouraging to hear there was room at the hospital! She said that August and September tend to be their busiest times because people don't have much else to do during the Holidays! LOL! I should have obtained her name and asked her to be my nurse - she was funny :)

Anyhow, I am headed off to hang out at my parent's house today. I am going to plop myself on the couch and watch some of the Women's World Cup soccer games that my dad has been recording. My momma (a.k.a. my blankie) is there and I will be glad to have company and not be alone in the coming hours!

Well, wish me luck. Hopefully (like I have mentioned the past two times) this will be my last post and the next time I post I will have a little Peanut!

Hugs,
Jenn

Monday, September 17, 2007

like father, like son -or- like mother, like son

Well, here it is September 17th and I still have a baby inside of me!!! I had my 40 week appointment this morning with the doctor and the following accounts for the current "conditions" (sounds like I am talking about the weather!):

I am one centimeter dilated and my cervix is 30-40% effaced (cervix thinning). I have been having mild contractions which I thought were strong cramps; however, the doctor confirmed they were contractions as I was having one on the table while being examined! Everyone told me that I would definitely know the difference between the two, so I didn't even give it a second thought that my "cramps" were mild contractions. The doctor was able to strip my membranes -basically the doctor scrapes the inner lining of the cervix with the finger and separates the fetal membranes away from the cervix (once again, not such a pleasant experience). The doctor also said that I could walk as much as I could to my own comfort level (since the hernia only effects my comfort and not the baby's well being).

Sooo, after my appointment Tim and I took a trip to CostCo and went up and down every isle. We took Nahla to the dog park for some exercises and arrived back home not too long ago. We are now just doing random things around the house to keep ourselves busy (I paid some bills and Tim is killing some brain cells playing video games). I have had spotting and have had stronger contractions since arriving home; and although there is no way to truly know when things will progress, I think there is a pretty good chance that we will go to the hospital some time in the next 12 - 24 hours (lets keep our fingers crossed for that)!

The standing joke in our household is that if the baby comes on time (i.e. sometime today) then he is more like his father; however, if the baby comes after today then he is more like his mother (since I have a propensity to be late). I said that if he is truly like me, then he won't come until Wednesday!!! Lets hope he has some of his father's "timing" tendencies!

I will be sure to post any new/relevant information as it becomes available. However, once again you can probably expect to not hear from me until after our Peanut is here!

I hope this finds all of you doing well!!
Love,
Jenn

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Houston, begin the countdown!


Well, I have been receiving a lot of calls and inquisitive e-mails the past few days and I regret to inform that I have yet to go into labor! Tim and I are literally taking each day as it comes and are as prepared as we can possibly be for the big moment... Tim's phone is charged and is on his person at all times (for those of you who know Tim, this is a huge accomplishment), the house is clean, the laundry is done, the bags are packed and the vehicles have gas!


As a reminder, my official due date is Monday, September 17th. I do have a prenatal appointment scheduled for that day, but hopefully I will begin labor before then!

My body definitely feels different - I have started swelling a little and have finally acquired the marks of motherhood (stretch marks) on my lower abdomen. Lucky for me, my stretch marks are very light and I am crossing my fingers they don't get worse in the coming days. I am having more frequent cervix pain. Last night, while laying not-so-gracefully in bed, I swear the baby hauled-up and socked me right in the cervix - I had to go to the bathroom to ensure that wasn't the start of my labor right there! He is getting so big that just getting off the couch becomes an athletic event! I am pretty sure that yesterday was my last day of swimming. I feel so tired and I think it is important to take it easy and rest as much as I can in the coming minutes, hours, or days (since it can be at any time) to ensure I am ready for game time! I can continue with the little nagging aches and pains, but it is all irrelevant as they will be well worth the prize!

My mental state is a whole other ball game right now. Anxious, excited, apprehensive, and scared are all adjectives that can describe my state of mind at present. The "waiting game" has been weighing heavily on my mind. Knowing that I can't travel far or plan things in advance create an angst that can't be described. I am excited to have our little Peanut here, but become scared when I begin to think of things that still could go wrong. Overall, I try very hard to not consider the negative aspects of labor and delivery - and mostly, I try not to worry about the baby (will he have any disorders, will he have the cord wrapped around his neck, etc.). I can't even tell how many times I have woke up in the middle of the night and jostled my belly just to get the little guy to start moving around (movement = good / still = bad). It is amazing that feelings can run so deeply for someone I have yet to meet! I have had to put my faith in God that everything will turn out how it is meant to be and that our little baby will be the most exciting thing that has happened to Tim and I! We both know our little Peanut will be the start of our greatest adventure together; and that he will help us shape and define who we are and give meaning as to why we are both meant to walk this planet. Woah, that was deep!

On to lighter things ....so anyone care to guess what date the little bugger is going to come, how heavy and how long he is going to be? Post your guess as a comment and lets see who is closest! (I have made some modifications so you shouldn't have to register any information to post a comment ....)
It is a very real possibility this post may be the last for a while! I will be very excited to share the news of our little one's arrival; however, being a new parent will take a lot of time and effort and I am not sure how realistic it would be for me to post shortly after Peanut's arrival! I encourage any and all to give us a call, stop by for a visit or send food after Peanut is here (just kidding about the food part .... kind of :)!

As always, thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated in the coming days! I hope this finds each of you doing well!

Love,
Jenn and Tim

Monday, September 3, 2007

Braxton who?


T-minus two weeks and counting! I am at 38 weeks and could begin labor at any time. Tim and I are pretty excited .... well, Tim is very excited and I have moments of excitement, apprehension, fear, and joy. Honestly, is it the hormones or the pending life change that is causing my roller coaster? I couldn't tell you the answer to that question just yet!

Overall, I have been feeling OK. As many people know, the last weeks in pregnancy are notorious for being the "uncomfortable" times. My belly is bigger than ever - but it no more gets in the way now as it did before. Actually, it makes a very nice little shelf for holding my dinner plate, cereal bowl or in the case above, my drink! I do, however, require five pillows to get comfy in bed! I feel like a less graceful version of Cleopatra when surrounded by pillows on all sides! Tim complains that he has no room on our bed after his pregnant wife and all her pillows. I think that is a nice way of saying, "dang babe, you're getting big!!!"

Honestly, I have the same gripes as I did in my last post - nothing has really changed "comfort wise" - - mostly, my biggest gripe this week has been the heat. Last week, Tim's work held a baby shower for Tim and his co-worker, Sean. Sean's wife and son, Heather and Liam - and myself, all went up to Union Mine to attend the shower. It was so blazin' hot outside that you could have wrung the sweat out of my shirt ... I wanted to introduce myself saying: "Hi, my name is Jenn - I am Tim's sweaty wife!" ... The little Peanut inside of me is literally roasting and I feel like I could spontaneously catch fire at any moment! I am looking forward to this next week as the weather is supposed to cool slightly.

The biggest change from my last post is that I am now experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions. Braxton who, you might ask? Braxton Hicks contractions (named after an English doctor, John Braxton Hicks) can begin as early as the second trimester, however they are most common in the third trimester. The muscles of the uterus tighten for approximately 30 to 60 seconds or as long as 2 minutes. They are not painful; however, they leave me feeling poozy (poozy: meaning blah/schmeaa). Basically, Braxton Hicks are "practice contractions." One website claimed that Braxton Hicks could be brought on my an active baby .... that could possibly make sense as Peanut has been moving quite a bit as of late. It feels like my little Peanut has a mini-rolling pin inside my belly and is rolling it across my insides. Occasionally, I see parts of my belly protrude outward in a freakish-like motion. It is quite spectacular and I do believe it will be one part of pregnancy that I will miss!

I have included a few updated pictures of the nursery ... I believe it actually is complete! I have my 38 week appointment tomorrow and will post again if anything has changed!

I hope this finds you all doing well!
Love, Jenn